The Miracle of Self Discipline

Smile everyday
You'll thank me for the advice
That I can promise

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This book is by Brian Tracy and I highly recommend it, as it helped me immensely as I transitioned into the working world. Tracy is a sincere and very knowledgeable person. His ideas really stuck with me unlike some other authors I've been listening to recently.

The biggest takeaways from this book for me were making to do lists, and executing said lists. "Eat that Frog" (another book by Tracy) is essentially just a more in depth book about to do lists and that review is forthcoming. You can really get much more done by planning out your day and executing your plan in the order that you planned. There is a crazy amount of satisfaction on the days when my whole to do list is green rather than the days when even one thing is red.

He gives a very specific way of writing your goals out that has been super helpful for me and I use it at work every day.
A - top priority, if you don't do it, you will suffer
B - medium priority, things you should do but they aren't essential
C - low priority, things you want to do but by no means have to do
D - delegate, things you can delegate
E - eliminate, things you can eliminate

Within each lettered category, you rank your items by number as well. You may have 2 A tasks and 3 B tasks in a day. Never do a B task when an A task is still on the list. He talks about how 80% of your work is contained in 20% of your tasks. If you complete your A1, it will most likely mean you've gotten more done than if you had completed all your other tasks combined. This is where "Eat that Frog" comes in. Eat the biggest ugliest frog first thing, and everything else that day will seem like cake. Do your most complex, longest task first, and everything else will fall like dominoes. There is a terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach when you come in to work and know that you still have "that thing" sitting on your desk. Long tasks tend to hang over our heads and bog us down. But if we suck it up and eat the dang frog, then we gain a sense of accomplishment that propels us forwards and makes us even more productive later.

ARC

Tournaments

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2010
Glory Days - Beyonce
 I was on the ground more than my feet > Get cleats

2011
College Centex - NUT
 I played like 5 points, and thought I broke my wrist on one of them.
Dev Sectionals - NUT B
 Freezing Rain.
Glory Days - Velociraptor
 Holterman had his hand torn open
Whitesmoke - NUT
 Bijan tore his ACL
No Wisconsequences - NUT
 Moody made me hate him forever

2012
Chicago Invite - NUT
 0-7
Huck Finn - NUT
 Lost in quarters to St Olaf after being up 9-4
Illinois Sectionals - NUT
 The Cheese Drop
Great Lakes Regionals - NUT
 Michigan was real good. The Illinois collapse
No Surf - Spoiler
 First club experience
Motown Throwdown - Spoiler
 Mike Schwenk sky'd Jesse for the game against Natives
Chicago Heavyweights - Spoiler
 Not memorable
Club Sectionals - Spoiler
 Vandervoort played with us, but hurt himself almost immediately
Glory Days - House Lannister
 Ben and Ian threw a lot of goals to each other
Michigan Outdoor - NUT
 First win vs Michigan
No Wisconsequences - NUT
 Sunday got rained out. First bagel too I believe. Also dropped a Callahan

2013
Cat Fight - NUT
 Fight #1 w/Indiana
Huck Finn - NUT
 Swamp game vs Illinois
Chicago Invite - NUT
 Only time I've given up in Ultimate
Illinois Sectionals - NUT
 We lost to Loyola
Great Lakes Regionals - NUT
 Hyper-extended my knee. Fight #2 w/Indiana > cost me captainship (I believe)
MUDI - Mad Men
 I like playing with NUT better
Cooler Classic - Mad Men
 Played a game w/Salvage as well. Drank with J-Pans
Chicago Heavyweights - Mad Men
 Brought in Kyle, Ming, and Dan
Club Sectionals - Mad Men
 Beat H1N1, but lost to Male Men.
Black Penguin - Taco Bell
 I got mad at Jack, Yiding, and Ben for the way they ran their split-squad
Glory Days - Galactic Empire
 Only played Sunday > Lost to Michigan
Steel City Showdown - NUT
 I was worthless at this tournament

2014
Red Eye - NUTHOS
 This was a blast. Walker is awesome
Warm-Up: A Florida Affair - NUT
 Most fun at a tournament ever
Cincinnati Round Robin - NUT
 Everything else got cancelled on us. Beat Michigan.
Last Call - Yolo Swaggins University Alumni aka Vince Carter's Top 100 Dunks
 First Tournament Win. Incredibly fun.
Illinois Sectionals - NUT
 Tore my MCL
Great Lakes Regionals - NUT
 Felt entirely helpless all weekend
Down with the Clown - Black Market
 First time playing after MCL tear. Wasn't good
Wildwood - Etown-Boomtown
 Played lefty because of my torn UCL. First sighting of OTPJP
Glory Days - Tune Squad
 First tournament as Captain
Cincinnati Invite - Purple Cobras
 20 or so people dropped at the last minute. Tourney was a waste.
Steel City Showdown - NUT
 Pretty good showing considering what we lost from 2014. Fell in love with the blade. Got sky'd by  Johnny for the game in the quarters.

2015
Warm-Up: A Florida Affair - NUT
 Stayed at the Sahaj-Mahal. First time cutting. So many injuries. Disaster in terms of results.  Youngens grew a ton

Midwest Throwdown - NUT
 Bruns says Ding and I botched the game vs ND. I concur. 

College Easterns - NUT
 Hardest Tournament of my life so far. Have never been more anxious or scared in my life.

Illinois Sectionals - NUT
 Second tournament win. Felt great to earn that. We killed Illinois

Great Lakes Regionals - NUT
 Sprained my ankle playing IM soccer > was at maybe 70%. Lost to MSU, and Michigan (quarters  was best game of the tourney > Illinois gets free ride to Nationals)

San Diego Slammer - Madison Club
 Third Tournament win. First elite Club experience.

Sandblast - Etown-Boomtown
 Drunk for ~48 straight hours

Elite-Select Challenge - Madison Club
 Had a very tough time transitioning to this new team

Bro Flight Finale - Madison Club
 Got to play the Buzz Bullets

Club Sectionals - Madison Club
 Waste of a weekend.

North Central Club Regionals - Madison Club
 Didn't play much. Only two games that were difficult

Club Nationals - Madison Club
 First Nationals. Could've been Pro Flight. Didn't deserve it.

Chicago Invite - Yolo Swaggins University Alumni aka Farmer Boone
 Yolo Swaggins Univeristy Alumnus' 2nd Tourney Win. Incredibly fun.

ARC

Fear

Captains are looked up to,
Higher standards are set.
They're still just kids inside,
Trying to find their way.

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I have worked to hide my weaknesses my whole life. I think most people do this. But this post just made me realize I may not be as successful as I think at hiding them. The simple fact that I was doing something different in my warm-up routine was enough to not only show the very weakness that I was trying to hide, but for it to rub off on others. I was a captain - I was supposed to lead by example.

Our team philosophy going into every game was "We're playing a team, and this is just another opportunity to throw plastic at our friends". But the fact that I was doing something different could only mean that this team and this game and this tournament was different. By trying to hide my own fear and weakness under a stony face and some headphones, I undermined our whole team's philosophy.

I'm forever grateful for my teammates continued belief in me and our team despite my fears and weaknesses.

ARC

Running

The cool air refreshes me with every breath
My entire body is ready for this challenge
Tomorrow at work will be certain death
But I know the payoff will be well worth the pain.

Finishing this run will give me such a high
So I push through, ignoring every painful twinge
Because the total result isn't something I can quantify
But I can tell you, those 13.2 miles are now my domain.

 ------------------------------------------------------

I despised running for my entire life - until I moved to Madison. When I moved here, running became an overarching symbol of and tool for change in my life. My brother (as he has been for so many other things in my life) was the cause/inspiration for this change. He kept telling me about how great running had been for him, and I was obligated to try it. But I knew that if I approached it as something to do just to get my brother off my back, that I couldn't possibly get out of it what Eric told me was possible. I knew that I needed to have an open mind when I tried it for the first time. Below are my thoughts before during and after my first recreational run:
Before -
"I think I can probably make it two miles"
"But I wonder what I'll think about while I'm running for that long"
"Ugh. This is going to be miserable" - In spite of trying to have an open mind -> I was weak
"I just have to do it. No excuses"
During -
"Holy crap, it's hot out"
"Have I gone 2 miles yet?"
"You know, the lake is really pretty with the sun shining on it like that!"
"Man, the fresh air is so nice every time I inhale."
After -
"How am I so out of shape? I play elite ultimate twice a week!"
"Weird. But I didn't actually hate that"
"In fact, why was I so against this for so long?"
"I was an idiot. Right now I feel like I really accomplished something"
My thoughts changed drastically once I started. All I had to do was take the plunge, and I realized that I had been missing out on something really awesome!

I started using running as a tool; it is a great tool, let me tell you. It was a way to explore my new domain; every day I ran was a new sight to see, a new smell to smell. It was a way to work on my health; every day I ran I felt better about my conditioning. It was a way to work on myself; every day I ran I took in more knowledge from audio-books, ranging from Dave Ramsey's financial advice to Brian Tracy's self-improvement advice. It was a way to reflect on my own thoughts; every day I ran I had time for my mind to go blank and allow what was really important to me to pop into my head and in turn act on that. It was a way to compete with Eric; every day I ran I challenged him to push me harder. It was a way to stay busy; every day I ran I wasn't thinking about the 2 gaping holes in my life. It was a surefire way to smile every day; every day I ran I passed other runners and they always smiled at me so I smiled back.

This tool allowed me to make gains in a lot of areas. I have lost something like 15 lbs since moving here. I have read/listened to something like 10 books since moving here. I have come to understand and accept my flaws. I have then worked on those flaws. I have become more confident. I have become a happier person. Running was the first domino to fall, and it has been a chain reaction of positive change ever since. The holes in my life are still there, but they're closing in as I heal and grow in other areas. But I know it's not a bad thing that they're still there. If you never have holes in your life, you're doing something wrong. I also know now that if you aren't using this tool, you're doing something wrong.

By the Numbers -
First run: 2.1 miles in 18:07 = 9:04 min/mile
50 more runs ranging from 1-8 miles with an average of  2.5
Most recent run: 13.2 miles in 1:53:35 = 8:36 min/mile
Time span: 4 months, 5 days

Thoughts before during and after my most recent run:
Before -
"I want to run to the arboretum"
During -
"I made it to the arboretum"
"It's so nice out and I'm not tired yet. Why not keep going?"
"I'm completely dead, but when will I be this close to completing a half-marathon again?" - mile 10
"Just 1 more mile and I can cross an item off my bucket list!"
After -
"Holy hell!"
"How did I do that?"
"My brain can't figure out whether to be ecstatic or furious."

In the words of Ian Connor Preston, "Beat my time... YOU WON'T!!!"

ARC

Throwing Principles

Early Morning

The trees are blackish

   against the morning sky.

Early morning breezes

   push the night goodbye.

There's a leftover moon

   from disappearing night

As birds scatter darkness

   in many a-chattering flight!

HGC

*HGC is Henry George Champe, my late grandfather, and I aspire to write like him, as well as be kind to a fault like him. I'm working my way there Gramps. Love you and miss you. 

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I'm gonna piggyback a bit here. I've been wanting to put my thoughts on throwing on paper for a while, and part of Yngve's post talks about different paths that can lead to the same path. I think that Yngve is right on some accounts here and wrong on others. I think that while it's entirely possible for everyone to take slightly different paths on the way to throwing a forehand for example, they are wasting their time reinventing the wheel. Many times square wheels with very limited usability. Just because we haven't found the ideal path to teaching a forehand yet, doesn't mean that everyone should take their own path or that we haven't found a darn good path to lead people down. Disclaimer: I am not claiming this is that way. While mechanics can be different between throwers, the same principles and ideas apply to all, and can be used by all. 

I remember working with KJ on Deering last year with his flick. In one hour, his flick was looking eons better. There were 4 basic principles we worked on with one underlying law: consistency (I may be changing wording/numbering here KJ, so forgive me). And I believe all young throwers, and even mature throwers who may be working on a new throw, should think about the one law within each of these four principles until they all become second nature and you no longer have to think about it for your throw to come out how you want it to.

Law - Consistency

Throwing is like shooting free throws. If you do the same thing every time, your throws will have a far better chance of looking the way you want them to, assuming you are following the principles. Obviously (in my head anyway) this applies to each type of throw: a huck will be different than a dump. But consider a category list of every type of throw in the book: OI upwind flick huck, IO upwind flick huck, flat upwind flick huck, blading over the defender upwind flick huck, etc... There are endless combinations here depending on receiver, defender etc etc, but the point is that for every one type of throw I throw, I strive for consistency. I always try to have the same values for the 4 principles listed below. 

1. Visualization - 

How do you want this throw to look as it flies through the air? Do you want it to be flat? OI? IO? Do you want it to rise over someone in front of you? Do you want it to bend around the defense? You have to have the concept in your mind before you can execute it. This has been the most important part of me becoming a competent thrower. If a throw ever comes out not looking like I visualized beforehand, I yell at myself. I am constantly apologizing to my throwing partners not because they couldn't get to or catch the disc, but because in my head it was easier for them which is always my goal as a thrower. I want every throw to be perfect like it is in my head. Shoutout to Chuck -> Visualization is great. Consistency.

2. Release point - 

From where do I need to release the disc for the throw I'm visualizing? Should it be even with my body when my foot hits the ground on my step out? Should it already be out of my hand? It should match up with the point in space at which you are most comfortable releasing your throws. For example I am very bad at releasing super far away from my body in most all circumstances (yes you can work to improve this and the best throwers do, but this is about teaching new throwers). Many people cannot release the disc before their foot hits the ground consistently. As with everything, there are many options here. This is where Yngve is right in a sense. Paths will stray, but I liken the principle to a road I liken these paths to individuals' throwing mechanics. People are all on the same road that leads to SPAC, but may just be walking on the other side of that road. The idea here is to find that comfortable spot and work to release it there whenever possible. Consistency.

3. Arm mechanics - 

Does my arm need to come through fast for this throw I'm visualizing? Or slow? Should my elbow be close to my body? Far away to get around the mark? Should I be breaking through the disc with my thumb like Yiding? Or grip it gently? Young throwers need to consciously think about their arm speed as they move through their motion, a lot about their arm angle and elbow placement, and about their grip. This can be the difference between lasers and touchy throws, hucks and dumps, unintentional blades and great throws. There is a specific answer to all the above questions for each throw in the category list and eventually your brain will do all the "calculations" for you -> it's great. Until then, coaches and captains should talk with young throwers about which answers satisfy the requirements for a throw they don't yet have so they can start building their knowledge. Consistency.

4. Disc Angle - 

What angle should this disc be at for the throw I'm visualizing? Should it be flat? A tad OI? Maybe really IO? There are essentially infinite points on the 2-D plane in front of you at which you could release the disc. Completely vertical, or horizontal, 45 degrees NE or SE, etc etc. Again there is an answer for each throw in the category list, and practicing/throwing a ton will get you to the point where you no longer have to think about it. 

Practice - Do this for every single throw during your next throwing session and tell me your thoughts.

Visualize a throw and set your criteria. Where should it hit your receiver? What flight path should it take? 

Consider the release point. Given the conditions, where do I need to release this disc for it to meet my above criteria?

Consider your arm mechanics. What should my arm be doing during this throw to execute it properly and meet my above criteria?

Consider the disc's angle. What angle of the disc will meet my above criteria?

Throw the plastic at your friend. Did it meet your criteria? 

        Y -> Cool do it again; strive for consistency.

        N -> Cool do it again and make the necessary changes. Keep tweaking until your answer is a yes

ARC

Work

Work has to be done.
Make it a chore or passion?
That is the question.

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Last night I heard a great analogy. Work is like high school. It kind of fits perfectly. You spend a similar amount of hours at the location. You do the things that need to be done at that location in those specified hours (at least I did and do). And most importantly, your time outside of those hours are yours to do with whatever you choose. Your weekends are yours, your weeknights are yours.

These are in stark contrast to college. In college there seems to always be an assignment hanging over your head. Whether its a problem set, a paper, or studying for a midterm, you constantly have that stress of knowing you're putting it off in the back of your mind. With all the free time in college, you get to decide your own hours, and it seems all too often you do a truly terrible job of setting these hours efficiently. If you just set a few hours aside every day (time that you used to have to spend at school anyway) you could just get things done and not have the stress hanging over you.

Unfortunately procrastination is super easy in college. There is always something happening, some excuse you can make. You tell yourself that there will never be another time you can go to dinner with your friends, or go drink at the house, or play Minecraft. In hindsight, these are all laughable, but I guess I still wouldn't change anything I did. Some mistakes, you simply have to make to learn from and be stronger moving forward.

I like working. It forces me to do my work during the day, so that i'm not stressing out at night. It's a bit harder than high school, i'll concede that. But the idea is similar. My aim is to not bring work home with me if I can help it. It's a pretty big shift to go from high school to college and back, but it's eased by the fact that you've done it before. You're well practiced in this style of working.

ARC

FOMO

NUT has taken my sweat, my blood and my tears
My effort, my time, and my money.
But NUT finds a way to give more than it takes
In the form of a brotherhood that will last for years.

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FOMO (Fear of missing out): the feeling one has when they are afraid of exciting things happening when they aren't present. An example of this can be seen in How I Met Your Mother; the blitz suffers from FOMO because he actually is missing out on incredible happenings. 

However, this fear doesn't have to be founded in logic, and honestly it rarely is. I don't have FOMO about NUT right now because I think crazy things are happening or that things that are happening are any more crazy than the things that happened during my incredible 5 years there, rather my FOMO is more of a general feeling of missing those I love. 

College Ultimate is truly special. The shear amount of time you spend with teammates and coaches is pretty much untouchable by any other group at any other point in your life. You practice/workout together ~10-15 hours/week. You pour sweat and blood into the turf and the weight rooms on campus. You spend another 20-30 hours/week just sitting around the house shooting the shit, or playing video games, or eating lunch or dinner or playing disc golf, or doing hw (almost forgot about the whole school thing), or going to class. You spend every other weekend in the fall and spring together driving to and from tournaments, playing games, eating dinner, going to team cream, and watching tv in hotel rooms. You spend pretty much all your other free weekends and time together drinking and clowning around. This doesn't even account for the amount of time you are sleeping in the same vicinity (as many live with other teammates either at the house or elsewhere). Given this, it should be obvious that the bonds you form are ridiculously strong. 

For me, it's no mystery I miss my brothers so much. It's an incredible hole to try and fill. Some of the hole is unrecoverable; as soon as you leave college, it's impossible to spend the same amount of time with anyone simply because you work 40-50 hours a week. Other parts of the hole, you try to fill with what's comfortable -> more ultimate. But new teammates on club already have their own lives, families, and work. Still other parts, you try to fill with new experiences and expand your horizons, but not every new thing you try you stick with, and still other new things you try don't even involve other people (running for me). These other things fill the time, sure, but they don't give you the same sense of connection or belonging. They don't satisfy your need for human interaction with people you care about. They simply keep you busy so that you're not wallowing. This can only keep you afloat for so long.

I've done better with this transition than my one from High School to College, no doubt. But I am not without lapses, and weak moments. No matter how many things you involve yourself in, no matter how many new friends you make, no matter how much you like your new situation, you need some familiar and comfortable love at some point. I've made 1 trip home, had my parents visit twice, seen people from school multiple times, and that's just in the first 3.5 months. I'm not 'barely hanging on', but I'm also not completely content. I still crave my family and school friends all the time. I find myself wishing I was back in Evanston weekly at least.

What I've found, which may seem obvious, is that there's no specific formula for transitioning to a new place with new people, and there are no shortcuts. You have to invest yourself to ever get close to the same level of connection, and you have to make time to see your loved ones. It's a fine line between seeing old friends and making new ones. It's a line that I am constantly trying to toe and feel out. I think I'm walking the line pretty well at this point. 

ARC

Chicago Invite 2015

Yellow, orange, and red.
Fire all around,
Yet no heat escapes.
Cold comes instead.

---------------------------------------------

8:35 AM Saturday morning: Farmer Boone of Yolo Swaggins University hits the field; a ragtag group of friends and acquaintances with Boone's in hand. I've always been an organizer. It's hard and irritating, and people are flaky. But it's times like these that make me enjoy it so much.

Of the original 50 or so people I emailed (40 or so being on one listserv), I got about 25 responses. Some people are coaching, some are too far away, some just don't wanna play. But there is solid interest from enough to field a team. We end up getting the bid. We have a roster of like 18. Then things come up. One drops, then two, skip a few, seems like 18. Frustrating to no end.

We scrape enough people together to not literally die since we already paid the bid fee (somehow - props to Ming and Gordon for recruiting). It's a blast. Drinking, playing, just hanging out. We clown around, we win games, and then we play the youngens. Man do they have a lot of energy. To be 16 again... We lose. I go to watch Gungho. Walden is hilarious as usual. I enjoy cheering them on. I like the bond NUT and Gungho have -> much better than at other schools from what I've found. Then I watch NUT X lose to the youngens as well. Some of these kids are downright filthy.

Saturday night: Hanging with NUT. I miss these guys so much. I lost count of how many times I told Yiding I loved him this weekend. Drinking Boone's Farm in a smelly hotel room after a day of being cold, and playing Ultimate -> Flashback to fall quarter freshman year. Dolphin and Ollie have a "Two Boone's" race at Glory Days. What a first experience with Frisbee. I was on the ground that weekend more than I was on my feet (Shoulda gotten cleats). -> Back to now, I enjoy my time hanging out with my brothers. Notably missing: Bruns -> I don't go to team cream. I am sad I didn't see Bruns.

8:52 AM Sunday morning: We're sitting at 9 players and that's only because Zubair and Stoop are gonna sub for us cuz they have a bye. We are making a mockery of this tournament. 9:01 AM Reinforcements show up and were up to 11. Old men sure are timely. It's so fun to play with all these guys again - Tony, Yngve, Walker, Ben, Drew, Jack, Max - it's been a while.

We keep winning and more people join us for the finals. This is getting ridiculous. We are truly a pickup team. It's a blast, and it's hilarious. We avenge our loss. The youngens are no match today. 15-8. Luke is probably mad at as. He gives the merch and tourney title to them. Fair enough I guess. Great weekend.

Overall notes: Yolo Swaggins University Alumni are 2 for 2 in tournament victories. We left 6 TO's on the table I believe - unacceptable. I sat a total of 7-8 points all weekend. It felt great to just run my body past what it thought it should be put through. I've made so many good friends playing this sport, and I would go through the irritation of organizing something like this every time even though I complain. I love this sport.

ARC