September 23, 2021 - Out on the trails, its time to unpack decision making and the creation of destiny, plus understanding how to close out the last ‘chapter’ so you can move to your next..

Hello. Hello. How’s it going? Kyle Denton your host and I am out on the trails, getting in a good run in some beautiful weather on a nice forest trail by my neighborhood. So it’s a great way to get exercise, listen to some content and get some content put together. For anybody who hasn’t seen it before I run with a Camelback some gloves without finger tips–they’re actually crag gloves for rock climbing, but I find that they provide good leather grip if I need to jump over a log or yeah, anything that may come up. A lapel microphone to record, a phone to listen, maybe that’s not everybody, but I just kept my old phone. I didn’t send it in for a couple bucks. One to play while the other used to record so it’s a quick switch. I pause one device I can start talking on the other. Today what’s on my mind? Well it’s a mix of Mel Robbins and Tony Robbins, but I like that mix the MelTony mix.

So Mel. Yeah, she talked about closure and you know, finish out your last chapter before you move the next because otherwise you miss parts of the story. That’s important, finding closure. And I would almost say a step to the next. You know, any good book at least you hang in at the end of the chapter you want to read the next one, right?

So, Tony Robbins, facts about decisions shaping destiny. How does that happen? What you decide to focus on sets a neuro chemical reaction in your brain and your thoughts about that decision. Whether it’s the beginning or the end really tight for that chapter analogy sets, you are emotions about it and the emotions will drive your action.

That’s really important. Here’s the example, I beat myself up about not running for a week. I feel bad. I slow down. My energy. Level goes down, takes me longer to get ready and then I end up, not running because I’ve used up on my available time in the morning before I have to go to the nine to five.

Okay. Versus I’m excited. Like, I’m focusing on the path. Not the obstacles, right? Skiing down slope you focus on the trees. You turn towards the trees, you focus on the path, you turn towards the path. So the principle I joke with my wife, you know she’s driving and she looks over to the radio the car follows honey.

It’s not gonna get you closer to the radio short joke, so your emotions drive your action, how you feel about the decision drives, your emotions, the decision of what you focus on in the frame of mind, you put it in drive through your emotion. So if you believe it’s a new beginning, you’re gonna keep going because there’s more to come.

If you believe it’s the end, why continue? You’re gonna stop. So this goes back to Mel Robbins. It’s the next chapter finish the chapter. So you have the full story. This is really relevant to me. As I am finishing my PhD, I feel like starting it. I’m starting a new chapter, right?

That’s a better frame of mind, I’m not finishing it. Because what do I do next? If the goal is just to finish, you don’t know where you’re going. You have a already determined your destination and that’s the point you stop. You have nothing further to go to. Well, you lose momentum, so I’m not finishing a PhD.

I’m pursuing my doctoral work, my research, my passion. And on this journey, I am exploring the future of leadership and technology and how that intersects with sustainability ethics, privacy, social justice, diversity. Inclusion would be an angle, a different lens and this really sets up the bounds, the issues, the dark sides, of digital transformation, right?

Besides the the core concept I’m exploring of technological fragmentation which all of these play apart in. There’s also very benign which comes from change management, knowledge and management and setting up technological architecture with the human component in mind, you know, it’s a, it’s a new beginning and it’s a redefinition of my journey.

I’m no longer a high school dropout. I made doctoral candidate, right? I’m not finishing my PhD. I’m exploring my research, I’m investigating the intersection intersection of my passion, and my purpose, my education, and my career society, and the world leadership and technology. That is where I see the future of leadership as the key path that I am pursuing and not right there.

How I feel about that. Well, it takes the same set of actions as if I were finishing a PhD. And yet, it will inspire new different, more actions. Because I’m not looking at the the hooding ceremony, for those who don’t know, as a doctor you are hooded on stage with your doctoral drapes, so to speak.

I don’t know the actual term that you use but it’s a hood. And it’s super lots of cultural elements to academia. The academy with a capital. A just fascinating to explore the how I feel about that event is, it’s not the end of my journey but the next chapter the is yet to come, right?

So those are the thoughts. I wanted to make sure to share and you know, a little bit of background about me so this is one of our trail running days so you hear the stomp of the foot a little bit of deep breathing, guess what? It helps. If you play at 2x speed for when I have long pauses, that’s just me catching my breath.

So, really appreciate you all listening in. Put your comments down below and until next time, you’ve got the mic.