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NOVEMBER 2019
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know. His memoir shows what we’re really capable of when we get out of our own way.
isn’t on “your team” is wrong and dumb. This is a pretty close-minded way of living.
I’ve been on a weird path this year. Early in the year, I wanted to improve my marathon time, so I needed something to listen to while I ran. That brought me to the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. A Surprising Message I didn’t listen because I’m a fan of his MMA career, or even because he’s a comedian; I just really liked his guests. Rogan brings all kinds of different people on his podcast to talk about everything from ancient civilizations to moon landing conspiracies. One person he brought on the show who really stuck with me was Penn Jillette, the magician. Jillette is best known as being half of the Penn and Teller magic duo with Raymond Teller, but he is also an expert skeptic. During his interview on “JRE,” Jillette talked about how he used to be really stuck in his beliefs. Once he’d made up his mind about something, his knee jerk reaction was to shut down whenever everyone brought up a contrary opinion. He wasn’t interested in learning new things. Jillette described it as “joining a team.” “I realized I didn’t want to be on any team,” Jillette said. “I want to be one of the 108 billion people who have lived on this planet.” Top 3 Books of 2019 Jillette went on to talk about how he learned to be open-minded and explore new ways of thinking. This really resonated with me. So often we join a political party team, a religious belief team, or a brand of car team, and decide everyone else who
“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield Not to be confused with “That Art of War,”
I took Jillette’s message with me into everything else I’ve done this year. This is really obvious when you look at what I’ve been reading. In years past, I’ve read or listened to mostly business books. This year, my personal library has evolved quite a bit. Here are a few of my favorite books I read this last year.
Steven Pressfield’s book talks about
how our resistance to new ideas leads to a creative sump. Artists, entrepreneurs, and even athletes struggle
“Own Your Day, Own Your Life” by Aubrey Marcus This is a book I ended up reading because Aubrey Marcus is business partners with Joe Rogan. I really enjoyed this book. It was all about reinventing your daily routine to get better
to express themselves creatively. This leads to a struggle to accomplish our goals. Pressfield looks at how to open your mind and tap into your creativity. Don’t Join I have learned so much this year. They aren’t all lessons I incorporated into my life or even things I necessarily agreed with, but I’m glad I learned about them. This year has broadened my mind and expanded the way I see the world. It’s a great feeling. I think we’re all guilty of joining teams without realizing it. There are things we decide about ourselves that suddenly put us in an “us versus them” mentality. It’s great to have our beliefs, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of learning something new. Rather than join a bunch of teams, I’d rather keep an open mind and learn what the world has to offer.
control over your life. There were strategies I adopted when looking at my own routine.
“Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins I’ve talked about this book at great length before. This is another book I found through “JRE,” after Rogan
had David Goggins on his show. Goggins is a Navy Seal and ultra- endurance athlete who is just about the most inspirational person I
–Randy Sklar
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Are You Prepared for the End?
Execute Strategy and Kill Stagnancy
How the End of Windows 7 Leaves You at Risk
3 Tips for Every Business Leader
Are you still running on Windows 7? If so, you’re not alone. It’s estimated at least 39% of all PCs, both at home and in the workplace, still use Microsoft Windows 7. And all of these computers will be at risk next year. On Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft will end support for Windows 7. New features stopped being added for Windows 7 back in 2015, but 2020 marks the system’s end-of-life phase. This means there will be no more patches or updates released to address any security issues that may threaten Windows 7 in the future. Any PCs still operating on Windows 7 will be vulnerable to new threats. In 2017, the massive WannaCry ransomware attack swept the globe, crippling businesses, universities, hospitals, and governments. This attack targeted 200,000 computers running Windows systems that had not received a recent security patch. Computers running Windows systems that were past their end-of-life phase, such as Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, were especially vulnerable. The WannaCry attack was a huge wakeup call about the importance of installing updates and security patches as they are released. It’s estimated that the WannaCry ransomware attack caused millions, if not billions, of dollars’ worth of damages. Security experts warn that WannaCry won’t be the last major cyberattack to target vulnerable systems on a massive scale. If you continue to use Windows 7 after its end-of-life phase, you are putting yourself, your company, and your reputation at risk. This system is still a fond favorite, but familiarity and convenience is no excuse for leaving your computers vulnerable. The smart move is to upgrade to a new operating system today. Need help protecting yourself for when Windows 7 goes under? Call 804- 730-2628 now. Our team at Sklar Technology Partners can help you come up with a comprehensive plan to upgrade your systems and help you avoid the next big digital disaster.
“To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed ... Execution is worth millions.” –Steve Jobs
Anyone can take this advice to heart, whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ideas are easy, but no one becomes successful because they had a great idea. Success comes from putting that idea into action. Being able to execute a plan is a skill every business leader needs. Here are three steps to help you improve your execution. 1. Ditch Perfection Have you ever watched a behind-the-scenes featurette of your favorite movie? Some of the most successful films were all but unrecognizable in their early phases. In fact, a lot of early concepts are terrible. Look up the original designs for Woody in “Toy Story” to see for yourself. Fortunately, rather than wait for the perfect script, creators executed their visions and make changes as needed. Putting off action in favor of creating the perfect plan or strategy leads to stagnant business. Successful people know that plans take many shapes before they reach their final form. Don’t jump into something without a clear plan, but don’t be afraid to define your strategy as you go. There’s a reason audiences won’t be flocking to theaters to watch the latest galactic adventures of Luke Starkiller this December. 2. Be Methodical While you shouldn’t wait for the perfect plan, you shouldn’t be flying in blind, either. You can be too energetic about execution. Make sure everyone involved in a plan knows their responsibilities. Confusion will torpedo any strategy faster than you can say, “Who was in charge of this?” The Harvard Business Review states, “Having the discipline to organize people, assemble resources, and then generate a plan that others can commit to will collectively improve execution.” 3. Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate We’re not saying you should micromanage your team, but you do need to be checking in on a regular basis to evaluate progress on your plan. Schedule monthly or quarterly meetings to go over the strategy. This is where you look for any changes that need to be made and refine the strategy. A smart strategy feels reassuring, but learning to execute a plan is the only way to make progress. The best business plan in the world is worthless if you never follow through.
Windows 7 is reaching its end of life phase on Jan. 14, 2020. Will your systems still be protected from ransomware attacks? Call 804-730-2628 to find out!
Caught Cheating The holidays are coming up, and that means endless carbs, sweet treats, and more cookies than Santa Claus himself could consume are coming with it. It’s hard to stick to your diet during the holidays, which is why a lot of people rely on that beloved “cheat day” to indulge in season’s offerings. But this begs the question:Are cheat days hurting us in the long run?
How Do ‘Cheat Days’ Impact Your Body?
found that cheat days might help some people stick to their diet. However, it’s worth noting that in this study, even on their cheat day, participants stuck to their weekly calorie goals. When you spend just one day overindulging in carbs, sugar, or fat, your body is able to compensate. Unless you have certain health conditions, if your body needs more insulin, your pancreas will produce more insulin.That said, you’re probably not going to feel great after scarfing a plate of chocolate chip pancakes. Bloating and gas are common side effects of a cheat day. If you like your cheat day and can stick to your diet for the rest of the week, you’re probably alright to keep enjoying it. But keep in mind that rather than slamming down a whole pizza or a tray of brownies on Saturday, health experts recommend giving yourself permission to indulge in small treats a couple of times a week. Two or three times a week, you can enjoy a treat that makes up 10–20% of your daily calories.This is all to say that you can enjoy one Christmas cookie a week without signing your body up for hours of discomfort.
Myth: Cheat days improve your metabolism. When you diet, your metabolism tends to decrease. Some people encourage cheat days due to the belief that increasing your calorie intake periodically will help boost your metabolism. But science says this isn’t exactly what happens. In a 2016 study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic instructed participants to overeat by 1,000 calories a day.After seven days, the researchers did note an increase in the participants’ metabolism— by just 18 calories. Cheat days can boost your metabolism, but it’s temporary and never enough to make up for overindulging. The Truth About Cheat Days Cheat days certainly aren’t helping your body, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily hurting you.A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology
Turkey is, for the most part, a healthy and lean protein. Thanksgiving sides, on the other hand, tend to be a little more indulgent. This year, eschew the classic, creamy green bean casserole in favor of this lighter, healthier, and altogether tastier option. Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine Green Beans With Ginger and Garlic
Ingredients •
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1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 lbs whole green beans, ends trimmed
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1 tsp crushed red pepper
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6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
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Kosher salt, to taste
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2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Directions 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. To the side of the stove, prepare a large bucket of ice water. 2. Cook beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice water. Drain and pat dry. 3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in ground ginger and crushed pepper. Add green beans. 4. Cook together for 2–3 minutes. 5. Transfer to plate and serve.
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Inside This Issue
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How Many Teams Are You On? Execution Is Greater Than Strategy Prepare for the End Should You Cheat on Your Diet? Green Beans With Ginger and Garlic Simple Ways to Stay Active
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Too Busy to Work Out?
5 Simple Ways to Stay Active
neighborhood, take a few minutes to dance to some of your favorite tunes, or do some light cleaning around the house.
Being active doesn’t have to mean going to the gym every single day. An active lifestyle can be as simple as going for a walk around the neighborhood for a few minutes a day. There are plenty of ways to exercise during daily activities like shopping, spending time with your kids, or hanging around the house. Park farther away. A lot of people will spend several minutes trying to find a parking space as close as they can to the entrance of a store. However, parking a little farther away will help you score a better parking space and make sure you get your steps in for the day. Do some yoga. You don’t have to push yourself to your absolute limit in order to stay active. There are other, gentler ways to exercise than running 5 miles a day. Tai chi or yoga are excellent low-impact alternatives to keep your body fit and healthy. Reduce TV time. It can be tempting to plop down in front of the television after a long day at work or after dinner, but you can also use this time to be active. Get the family together for a walk around the
Put a spin on date night. Forget dinner and a movie. Instead, try taking
your date out for a round of miniature golf, indoor rock climbing, an evening stroll, a bike ride, or dancing. You’ll have more fun while doing your body good. Grab a leash. Having a dog gives you plenty of opportunities to stay active. If you don’t have a dog, try asking a neighbor or friend if they would like their dog walked, start a dog-walking service, or volunteer at a local animal shelter. There are plenty of ways to make staying active a part of your daily routine! With enough creativity and motivation, you can turn any activity into an active one.
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