Be educated. As I prep for RAGBRAI, I look back on all the years of education of what I should bring, how I should train and what I should wear, and every year my list gets more honed and better. One thing I’ve learned is that if I pack my...
Be determined. This week, I’m riding across the state on a bicycle with tens of thousands of my friends. I think this is a great word for the week - determined. People keep asking me, “are you going the whole week of Ragbrai?” In my mind, I didn’t think I...
It’s July. July is the county fair to a lot of people. To others, it’s family vacations. To me - it’s RAGBRAI. The 500-mile trek across Iowa on a bicycle. Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics has a team that has been going for the last 7 years, and this year...
Be Consistent One of my greatest lessons as a parent has been learning the importance of consistency. Most of the time when I am struggling with one of the kids and accountability, it is due to a lack of consistency on my part. When the expectations aren’t clear and consistent,...
Be consistent. I like to tell people I love change. “Change, change, change … I love it - it’s the only consistent in our lives … CHANGE!”. I’m lying. I really love consistency. Doing the same thing over and over. I get up at the same time, go to bed...
Be bold. I went to my 40th class reunion this last weekend. A lot of my classmates didn’t show … I graduated from a class of 350 people - maybe a quarter to a third showed up. Comments like “why would I go? That doesn’t sound fun” to “I’d be...
Be Accessible One of my favorite quotes from John C. Maxwell is, “Leadership is more art than science. The principles of leadership are constant, but the application changes with every leader and every situation.” One of the things I have always strived to exhibit in any position I have ever...
Be accessible. Accessibility is way more than being physically present. It’s about being available in mind, body and spirit. I ask myself if I’m always “accessible”. Hmm. No, I’m not. A couple of reasons come to mind. 1. Sometimes I can come across as a strong and loud personality, and...
Be zealous. (showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective.) Hmm. That’s me. Admittedly, I get too excited when I’m in pursuit of a cause, and I drive people crazy. I know this about myself, and I have no plans to change my behavior. I remember...
Be yourself. The older I get, the less desire I have to work to make a good impression. I realize that doesn’t sound great - but what I mean is that it’s just easier to be as good as possible all the time as opposed to remembering to be good...