Discipline Archives -

I Played 1,000 Pickleball Games in 8 Months

Thursday, September 7th, 2023

THE FACTS: Click here to see the spreadsheet I used to track the games. It took 137 days to play 1,004 games Game 1 was played on January 2nd Game 1,000 was played on September 6th I averaged 7.3 games per day of playing pickleball I had 837 wins I had 167 losses My winning percentage came out to 83.4% I played in 10 different states 15 games were the most I played in a day which happened on May 9 in Peoria, IL 3 games were the least amount I played in a day and that happened on three occasions I went through four pairs of shoes I went through four paddles I played 78 of the 137 days at LifeTime Allen I played over 70% of the games alongside my wife, Amanda. That’s 700+ games played together – we never argued once 😉 We typically played in the evening, 7:30 PM was a good start time for us (after bedtime for our children) THE STORY: I like a good fitness challenge. In 2021, I rowed 1,000,000 meters. In 2022, my wife and I had our second child. In 2023, I went on a quest to play 1,000 pickleball games. I will spare you the speech on why pickleball is the fastest growing sport and how the median age has dropped to under 35 years old. Instead, you simply need to know that pickleball is just plain fun! My wife and I were having so much fun playing pickleball we decided to launch a pickleball training app called, Pickle Better to address the greatest threat to pickleball = pickleball injuries! I couldn’t think of a better way to gather data and market feedback then play alongside fellow pickleball enthusiasts. At the beginning of 2023, I joined as many “open…

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I Rowed 1,000,000 Meters in 9 Months

Saturday, October 2nd, 2021

THE FACTS I burned a total of 67,094 calories. It took 175 rowing workouts. The cumulative time rowing was 2 days, 18 hours and 6 minutes. The longest I rowed in a workout was a half marathon (13.1 miles) on August 8th. I rowed 21,107 meters in 1 hour and 23 minutes. The shortest I rowed in a workout was 3,000 meters which took 12 minutes. I did this on multiple days. My average row came in at 5,714 meters per rowing workout. I lost 18 pounds during this challenge. I started on January 2nd and finished on October 2nd (9 months to complete). I typically rowed in the morning, sometime between 6:00 – 7:00 AM. 975,000 meters were completed in my home gym (@JohnnyQuinnUSA, click on Quinn Gym story). 25,000 meters were completed at The Breakers gym. I used a Concept 2 Rower and the ErgData Tracking App to complete the Million Meter Club Challenge. I had an accountability partner, Michael Streight, who will be at 1M soon! I rowed all 1,000,000 meters at a 1:59 / 500 meter pace (or faster). THE STORY I rowed a little bit in 2021. 621.37 miles to be exact, or 1,000,000 meters. To put that in perspective, it takes 664 miles to drive from Dallas, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. So, I almost made it to Nashville. I probably stopped in Franklin, TN. On January 1st, a friend introduced me to Concept 2’s Million Meter Club and the goal was to row 1,000,000 meters in a year. Quick math says you need to row roughly 3,000 meters a day to finish on December 31st. If I held a 1:59/500 meter pace, that is only 12 minutes of rowing a day. I can commit to that. My quest to row 1,000,000 meters in a year at 1:59/500 meter pace began on…

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My Run on American Ninja Warrior

Monday, May 24th, 2021

One cool thing about American Ninja Warrior (ANW) is they film during the night. When you film at night, it has more of a ninja feel, I suppose. ANW had three new wicked obstacles and it was awesome! You can watch my run to see if I made it to the warped wall. I also want to note, I never thought I would be on a TV show. I found being open to exploring unexpected opportunities makes life more fun and meaningful. Who knows, maybe you will find yourself on a TV show soon. Are you open to exploring unexpected opportunities? Ready. Set. Go!

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How to Read 30 Books in One Year

Friday, March 12th, 2021

Reading a book can certainly be a struggle when TV shows, movies, and social media compete for our time and attention. Reading the right book(s) can make you smarter, help improve your decision making and be a great source of entertainment. As I study people who are successful in business and life, I look for common denominators. I found that many successful people are avid readers; regardless of industry, upbringing, demographic, etc. Leaders are readers. Here are three ways to help you read more: 1. Have multiple books going at the same time This keeps you in the flow of reading as your mood changes throughout the day/week/month. I am typically reading three-to-five books in different genres. I move around between: business, christian inspirational, documentary (biography), finance, and leadership. Find genres that you’re interested in and keep a book open in each one. This way you don’t miss a day or reading, regardless of your mood. 2. Set a realistic daily goal My daily goal is to read at least one chapter a day. Most books are 12 chapters long. Therefore, if I read one chapter a day, I can successfully read 2+ books a month. The key is to keep it simple. One chapter a day is a reasonable request in this ever-busy world that we live in. 3. Hardcover books + E-books + Audiobooks I used to think there was a battle between which format would win out. Instead, I changed my perspective and took advantage of using all three ways to consume content. Hardcover/paperback books: there is something special about having a tangible item in your hand. The crispness of the page turn, the ability to highlight and write in the margins (unless you’re a Type A which means you want the pages to stay nice and…

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My TEDx Talk on the Olympic Mindset

Monday, May 24th, 2021

Most people struggle with carrying a positive mindset. There is a strong pull to focus on negative things which can be overwhelming. Quite frankly, a negative mindset is down right debilitating. It sucks your dreams, goals and aspirations right out of you… I did a TEDx Talk on Understanding the Olympic Mindset to help win the mindset battle. It’s a relief to know there are easy and practical steps to protect and strengthen our mindset.

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My Morning Routine (Timestamp)

Friday, March 20th, 2020

As I study ultra-performers (successful men and women) I look for common denominators. Not only are ultra-performers avid readers, many are consistent with some type of morning routine. The key to a strong morning routine is to keep it simple and consistent. Here is what I do when I wake up: 0:00 – 15:00 MINUTE MARK Cold Plunge: Right when I get out bed I head outside and spend three minutes fully submerged (up to my neck) in my cold plunge. You want to talk about a wake-up call – my goodness – freezing water will do it! Dive into the science behind cold plunging here. Hygiene: I brush my teeth (duh!) and shave. I use video email to connect with clients and prospects, and a clean shave looks better on camera. My wife likes me with a fresh shave so it’s a win-win! 15:00 – 30:00 MINUTE MARK Priority Time: I read / listen through the Bible in a year with The Bible Recap. In about 8 minutes a day, TBR gives you a summary and highlight reel of that day’s Bible reading from their 1-year chronological plan. Listening to God’s Word first thing in the morning transforms my heart and my mind. It sets the tone for the day. Morning Brew: I don’t drink coffee, instead I fuel my body with 20oz of water with salt and electrolytes. Use code DRJAMES for 15% off. Priority Time Continued: Enjoying my fresh morning brew, I pray to the God of the Bible. Here is a Statement of Faith for clarity on what I believe, who I pray to, and worship. Here is an easy guide on learning how to pray. Here is The Gospel in 60 seconds. 30:00 – 45:00 MINUTE MARK The Remnant News: I want to know what’s unfolding…

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My Evening Routine

Monday, February 15th, 2021

An evening routine allows you to finish the day strong and positions you for a productive tomorrow. I learned this concept from the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. The author ushers in the idea of structuring your day and maximizing your time with bookends. Think of a traditional bookshelf loaded with books. There is a bookend on the left and a bookend on the right, with all the books standing tall in-between. You can do the same with your day. Create a bookend in the morning and other bookend in the evening, to help hold your day together. My evening routine is not timed stamped like my morning routine, but here is what I do before bed, in this order. Stretch I use an App on my phone called GOWOD. I have the paid version and it helps improve my mobility (a.k.a flexibility in joints/muscle tissue).⁣⁣ I do 15 minute sessions and after 10 hours of combined time (40 days x 15 mins), I am seeing healthy improvement. +20% progress!⁣⁣ The App is nicely designed and user friendly. Side note, my wife (Amanda) prefers the Peloton stretching classes with are fantastic, too. Clothes I layout what I am wearing to workout in the morning and what I am wearing to work. It may sound elementary but it is true. It is one less thing I have to do/think about in my morning and it is an easy win before I call it a night. Read I have an old school Kindle which works great (the newer version looks cool, too). I don’t read business books before bed, otherwise, it will keep me up brewing new ideas. I prefer Christian books as I doze off to dream land. Do you have an evening routine? I would love to hear about it….

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My Top 3 Book Out of 27 this Year

Monday, January 1st, 2018

I read 27 books in this year. I am down 13 books this year after reading 40 last year. Have you seen my digital library? Each book I read this year had an impact on my thinking and the lense’s I view life through. I enjoyed all 27 books, but there were three that really stuck out and I recommend you read them A.S.A.P.P.D.Q. (As soon as possible, pretty darn quick)! 1. The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be “Why is it that smart people with admirable life goals often end up far from where they intended to be? Why is it that so many people start out with a clear mental picture of where they want to be relationally, financially, and professionally and yet years later find themselves far from their desired destination? Why do our expectations about our own future often go unmet? What if you knew the answer to those questions? What if there was one simple idea that explained why so many people get lost along the way?” –Amazon’s description 2. The Little Things: Why You Really Should Sweat the Small Stuff “Have you ever wondered why we spend so much time and energy thinking about the big challenges in our lives when all the evidence proves it’s actually the little things that change everything? That’s right… Absolutely everything. New York Times bestselling author Andy Andrews is known for his strong storytelling and unequaled perspective on principles that empower the human mind and spirit. The Little Things embodies his own approach to life and work, detailing for the first time some of the exclusive material that he uses to teach and coach some of the most successful corporations, teams, and individuals around the world. In his unique humorous style, Andy shows how people succeed by actually going against the modern adage, “don’t sweat the small stuff”….

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My Top 2 Books Out of 40 this Year

Saturday, December 31st, 2016

I read 40 books in 2016. All of them were non-fiction. I know, I know, I need to add some fiction books to become a well rounded reader. I plan on including some fiction (a book or two) this new year. Have you seen my digital library? Each book I read in 2016 had an impact on my thinking. I enjoyed all 40 books, but there were two that really stuck out and I recommend you read both. A.S.A.P.P.D.Q. (As soon as possible, pretty darn quick)! 1. The Legacy Journey: A Radical View of Biblical Wealth and Generosity by Dave Ramsey Amazon’s description of The Legacy Journey There’s a lot of bad information in our culture today about wealth―and the wealthy. Worse, there’s a growing backlash in America against our most successful citizens, but why? To many, wealth is seen as the natural result of hard work and wise money management. To others, wealth is viewed as the ultimate, inexcusable sin. This has left many godly men and women confused about what to do with the resources God’s put in their care. They were able to build wealth using God’s ways of handling money, but then they are left feeling guilty about it. Is this what God had in mind? 2. Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now by Max Lucado Amazon’s description of Glory Days We all face them. Strongholds with a strong hold on our lives. Roadblocks to our joy. Obstacles in our marriages. Fortresses of fear blocking us from peace. How can we bring down these walls that keep us from the future God promises? … Need a new battle plan for life? Keep walking, keep believing. These may be your Glory Days. I originally wanted this post to be my #1 read of 2016 but I just couldn’t do it….

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