Category: Off the Bike

Ten years ago I was asked to fill in for a last minute speaker cancellation at WordCamp Phoenix. I talked about the WordPress User roles and how they can be used in various organizations. That speech was also my introduction to WordCamps in general.

At the time I was focused on helping clients with their websites and online marketing, training for a half Ironman triathlon, and preparing to move full time into a 30 foot trailer with my wife to cruise around the country.

Fast forward ten years and this time I drove seven hours to be a part of WordCamp Phoenix as a sponsor and organizer. In those ten years I completed the two half Ironmans, shuttered most of my clients, tried organic farming, built a homestead, reinvented myself as a support technician, then a client experience manager, and now to a return to sales.

So it was humbling and inspiring to be a part of a group that I’ve been on the periphery of for so long yet have extracted all of my living wages from for over 15 years. The WordCamp Phoenix crew is amazing with their energy and creativity for putting on this event. As people continue to adjust to a post pandemic existence and in person events are still slowly coming back. The organizers put together a show that educated and entertained. It brought people out of their work from home offices and into the Phoenix College campus for two days.

The weather was a concern as the atmospheric river drenched all of California and the Phoenix forecast looked glumly and possibly worse. In the end it was mostly just unseasonably cold with a few minor showers.

One of my favorite things about WordCamps is the variety of speakers. Some have been speaking at WordCamps for years and some are speaking for the first time. Sure this means quality can be rough at times but if you think it can be better you should shut up and apply to speak.

There were talks about working remotely, understanding analytics to drive decisions, at least three talks involving AI, custom block development, and a fireside chat with local business superstars.

The parties were fun and engaging. We took over wilderness brewing two different days and put the taco guilds fire permit at risk.

The food was amazing. My vegan dishes both days were delicious and filling. Snacks and refreshments were always available and the sponsors seemed to have good interactions with attendees.

My brain is still swimming in various conversations and concepts that I hope to catch into tangible writing and discussions. The WordCamp community is dynamic and engaged. As successful and encompassing as we on the inside see it there is still so much more growth ahead. Before the event I talked with ten different large local agencies in Phoenix and none of them had plans to attend the WordCamp.

These are multimillion per year revenue companies who solely rely on using WordPress and they aren’t bothered to drive across town for two days to learn, teach, and grow the community that builds their tools.

Why is that and how do we change it?

Oh what a joyous day! We got a few recent snowstorms that piled white fluffyness all over the high mountains. Today’s forecast was for blue skies so we got the gang together and spent the day on Telluride Ski Resort with big grins on our faces.

We got up at 7am and I started making a breakfast of pancakes and oatmeal. We hit the road at 8:30 and got on the slopes just after 10am.

The mountain was the most crowded I had ever seen it. Lift lines of ten minutes are short at many large ski resorts but at Telluride that’s a lifetime. First world problems for sure.

The powder was mostly skied off except for in some tree areas. I had some fun hunting for the last patches of powder but really enjoyed the packed powder on the runs. Soft enough to get a good edge but hard enough to be really fast.

Now I’m home and exhausted but the smile it permanent.

As a recent morning person convert, I have found that preparing the night before helps my morning be successful. This preparation has two significant parts: clothing and a glass of water.

The first thing I do after waking up is brush, floss, and put my contacts in. After that, it’s time for my 30-60 minute outdoor walk. For this, I place my walking clothing in the house’s mudroom. This is also where my shoes or boots are located. I can get dressed and walk out the door in one fell swoop.

I also place a glass of water on my bench in the mudroom so that I can drink up while I am getting dressed. Staying hydrated is so critical for functioning. I use a large 3-cup glass and drink it all before heading out the door.

Once I am back from my walk, I fill it up and keep drinking and filling it all day. I usually drink 4 to 5 glasses a day. Yes, I have to use the restroom often, but I am okay with that.

Having these two things ready means I am not scrambling around looking for socks, a shirt, or my water glass. Everything is in one place, and all I have to do is go there and keep going—nothing groundbreaking but essential preparation.

As I work to reduce my screen time, one of the most significant and effective changes has been disallowing my phone from entering the bedroom. Again this is a tip I picked from Ryan Holiday, who says he leaves his phone in the kitchen to charge overnight. This prevents him from looking at the phone before going to bed and when he wakes up.

I have copied this exact process, and the effect was immediate and incredibly positive. I have a few books at my bedside, so if I am restless and want to read before going to sleep, I have that option. Generally, I am exhausted when I go to bed, so I just lay down and sleep. No more last-minute checking of the weather forecast which inevitably leads to quick looks at Strava, my news sites, or my Activity Rings.

Then in the morning, I wake up, get up, and get going. The first order of business is my 30-minute walk outdoors. I might take my phone only to snap a photo if something is fantastic, but more often than not, I don’t even take my phone at all. This helps me stick to the first hour of the day with zero screens.

It can feel like a giant leap to leave your phone but trust me; it’s not. You’ll be able to do it.

Where I live in southwest Colorado, we have been hammered by snow storms since just after Christmas. We got about two feet of snow in the week following Christmas. Then we had a minor flurry of around four inches a week ago. Then yesterday, we got hit with nine inches, four more today and five more tomorrow.

One saying that snow plow drivers have “plow with the storm.” It is easier to plow an inch or three at a time rather than wait for eight inches or more to pile up. As you plow, the snow on the blade increases as you move forward. If you are pushing during the storm, the process is easier on your equipment, and you can move faster.

In the Art of Shralpanism, snowboarder Jeremy Jones mentions his process for waking up regardless of if he is at home or in a tent at 14,000 feet with a blizzard surrounding him.

1. He repeatedly fires his glutes and quads to wake his legs up and get the blood flowing. When he is in the backcountry, this has the additional effect of heating his sleeping bag.
2. He counts ten breaths. Inhale, then exhale while keeping his mind focused on the breath. If he deviates and starts thinking about breakfast, taxes, or some other random thought, he starts over. He continues this process till he has the ten breaths.
3. Then he gets up and goes with his day.

I love this process and have been practicing it for a few weeks. I have managed to get the ten breaths on the first try once. It’s a great kind of short meditation and helps me realize how random my brain is and how much I need to work to keep it focused on whatever task I am working on.

In November last year, I watched several Ryan Holiday YouTube videos that affected me in several ways. Ryan is a stoic and he talks about stoic values and texts, especially Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The videos are well produced enough, and the information he shares is intelligent and helpful philosophy of life.

One thing he mentioned was how he spends the first 30 to 60 minutes first thing in the morning outdoors and screen-free. This helps him to wake up physically and mentally.

Physically because he is outside moving around and interacting with nature. Mentally because he is away from his phone or laptop and with his thoughts and interactions with other people and life.

My life is so much about screens that taking a break from them is something I need to do. Daily and as much as possible. I earn all of my living on a screen, but that isn’t all of who I am.

In November of 2022, I started spending 30 to 60 minutes each morning going outside and getting some very light exercise. Sometimes I take Enzo for a quick short walk, but I always get in a lap or two around the property. I start a walking workout on my watch and then do my best to think of it as something other than a workout.

We got our first substantial snowstorm in November, and I used my snowshoes a few times to get around the land. As that snow melted, I switched back to walking in my boots. Then we got crushed with 2 feet of snow in late December in under a week. Since then, I have used my cross-country skis to tour around in the pre-dawn light, moonlight, or almost no light. It’s pretty dark here at 6 am in the winter.

The experience has been revelatory on a few levels. The first one is that I consistently get up and move around without any distractions besides being alive. Second, I appreciate being active and outdoors first thing in the morning. This sets a tone for the day and puts the rest of my life into perspective.

I see deer eating breakfast in a field, which causes me to change my path and let them be. I notice various animal tracks in the snow and wonder where they slept last night and what they will eat today. I appreciate these little things before I move on to the big stuff like work and existential dread.

Ryan Holiday also mentions writing in a physical journal. He has a great story where he appreciates a friend’s extensive library of personal journals and says, “I wish I had started doing this when I was younger.” The friend shares the old proverb: “The best time to plant an apple tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now.”

From that moment on, he started keeping a physical journal, which changed his life. I have been keeping a digital journal for years. It has been convenient, and I can easily add photos and look up old entries, but it requires me to be on a screen, which works against the habit of avoiding screens as much as I can.

So I started keeping a daily physical journal. Once I am done with my morning sojourn, I come in and spend twenty minutes or more writing in the journal. I start with my morning routine and then meander into whatever is on my mind. Sometimes I write about work stuff, but mostly, it’s just about life in general.

Between my morning walk/ski and writing in my physical journal, I have started a few other habits and quit some others. I don’t know if this will work for you, but it has changed my life. If you wonder where the day went and need help to get things done, this may be an excellent way to create space in your day by starting it more clear and focused.