The diaper T-shirts have improved my professional confidence by 23%.

These blog posts have improved my writing mojo by 23%.

Dropping booze brain has given me 23% more time.

Coaching sports has led to a 23% increase in work satisfaction.

 

Are you getting where I’m going with this? Or maybe you can’t get past the diaper T-shirt line. Patience young grasshopper, that’s just the hook to get you to finish the story.

 

We can do better. 23% better.

 

Why 23%? Cause it’s a great number, one that I use in math class to have students calculate percentages in their heads (10% + 10% + 1% + 1% + 1%-if you can calculate 23%, you can calculate percentages of most numbers). Plus 20% seems too low and 25% too high. 23% is the baby bear bowl of porridge.

 

I want to start a revolution. There, that’s the secret, just say it out loud and it will happen. The 23% revolution. And I’m not saying you need to work 23% harder, although this might be your personal application, I’m talking 23% improved efficiency.

 

It’s more mantra than calculate able results although if you want to recalibrate your exercise program on your I-Watch to do 23% more burpees I support you. It’s just a number to think about as you slog or dance your way through the day (I highly recommend dancing over slogging).

 

 

Start with a quick eval of your day.

 

Mine is as follows:

5:30-7: morning wakeup/meditation/shitpool check-in. Browse SFGate, NYTimes, Index Tribune, personal and school emails and Facebook if there is time.

7-7:45: Morning prep.

8-3: Teach.

3-5: Exercise/coaching.

5-8: Dinner/family time.

8-10: TV/reading: yeah, OK, it’s usually TV.

10-5:30: Sleep.

Repeat till death.

 

 

Then calculate your waking productive hours. Vital busy time minus non-vital busy time. What can you change or what are you willing to change. For me I could change my morning routine and my 3-10 time minus about an hour for family dinner (sacred) which means 7 and a half hours (450 minutes) x 23% = 103.5 minutes (45+45+4.5+4.5+4.5-see how easy that is!!!)

 

An hour and 48.5 minutes a day to work on the goals I’ve been back-burnering for years. Read more, write the screenplay, learn to slap the bass, work on being a better (father, husband, friend, teacher, writer, citizen, fly fisherman, whatever).

 

What!?! You don’t have any goals… Get on it man! This habitrail gets mighty boring if you don’t set little attainable victories to stimulate dopamine, and if you think you’re perfect the way you are then put this story down and start your campaign for president.

 

Begin your goal setting with something fun, “I will go on a three day fly-fishing trip this summer.” Then coordinate family schedules and put it on the calendar. July 11, 12, 13, there that wasn’t so hard was it?

 

Or solve an existing problem in your life, “I sweat like I use water balloons for deodorant.” Then research and find a solution or marry an awesome person who does it for you and gives you a package of “Thompson Tees with Hydro-Shield Sweatproof Technology” (aka diaper T’s) for Christmas.

 

Or stop whining about how crappy things are and start working to change them. Run for office, write letters, understand problems and find solutions, debate, be an Ameri-can not an Ameri-can’t.

 

23% more dinner parties, 23% better wine, 23% more hugs, 23% more hellos to strangers, 23% less RBF http://valleytalking.blogs.sonomanews.com/2018/03/08/celebrate-joyces-life/, 23% more loving what you do http://valleytalking.blogs.sonomanews.com/2017/10/04/love-what-you-do-do-what-you-love/, 23% less things that hurt, 23% more things that enrich.

 

Make it your mantra. The revolution starts now.