Author: Phil Garland

Adulthood isn’t easy. We all have a dream of where we will be or what we will be doing with our lives. A lot of times it’s fantasy. Something we saw in a movie but not how adulthood actually is. We want to travel. To laugh with friends. To build an empire. To hang out and drink beers. Or whatever other thing you want.

In actuality, adulthood isn’t always that fun. Even if you live a free life. Don’t have to go to the office. Can work on your own time. It’s not always fun. That’s where getting up when you’re down comes into play.

We all have failures. Some of us, probably the over-thinkers, always believe we’re failing. But the point in life, and adulthood, is to deal with the failures as best we can. Moving forward, or failing forward, is the only way to traverse the unknown maze of adulthood.

I have my failures, I have my imperfections, I don’t always accomplish what I want and I hold myself to high expectations. But I have learned a secret to adulthood that so few admit. I will fail (a lot) but I will bounce back better. When I wake up not feeling 100% I will make the most of it. When I miss a deadline and feel stress I will toss it aside and create something out of nothing.

I constantly fall down but I am prepared to get up. That mentality is something missing in the millennial generation. A lot of us have an image of where/who we will be when we’re 25, 30, 35. We set expectations which probably are too much of a dream. And when we don’t reach our lofty goals we fall flat on our face and immobilize ourselves from change.

I will continue to get knocked down, but I’ll get up again.

Value creation is key.

It doesn’t matter what job you are doing. If you are creating value for someone else you will have a job. Whether it be hating your job in a corporate office or walking pets for a living, as long as you remember your worth is in value creation, you will always be employable.

Once you have been employed for long enough you begin to realize the things that create more value. Sometimes stepping outside the box creates the most, but  you may have too many rules/social pressures keeping you in the box. The key is forgetting those cues. They don’t really exist. Whether they’re figments of your imagination or real, by stepping out of the box and creating value you are not going to become unemployed.

Too often I find myself in this trap. I am great at creating value. I take on more and more work and cut it’s processing time in half, in thirds, in some cases make the job obsolete. But I still get trapped. I cop out and think I am not in charge, I’ll let someone else make the decision. What I need to do is step up, take ownership, and see the process through from start to finish. This is easier said than done. But hopefully, by reminding myself that value creating is key, I can continue to break out of the box.

My mind functions way better when it’s free, so do all of ours. Keeping my mind free of the “gray-zone” and stepping up ownership in an outside-of-the-box approach can enable me to continue creating value while building freedoms into my life.

 

Walking down 16th street mall in downtown Denver this Monday morning I saw the face of disdain on many passing by commuters. The doom and gloom of Monday morning starkly on their faces. I couldn’t help but smile.

Days ago I was lamenting the idea of work. Out of energy, emotionally drained, fixated on the idea that I needed a change. A restful Saturday and a 10-mile hike on Sunday cleared my head and reminded me I chose this for myself and I can choose my next steps.

We are all free. Whether we believe it or not, we aren’t tied to any chains, we don’t have to feel intimated at life. Instead turn that fear into liberation. When you see the masses swimming up current put your head down, smile, and swim downstream. Life is much easier. Find what you’re passionate about and fall back into the swing of things. Do things that make you feel good.

Recently I was spending hours at work stressing about getting projects done and slowly felt my brain warp into the trapped feeling I loathed so much about a corporate job. This morning was a reminder of why I’m working at a startup. Of the promises I made myself while unemployed. That I enjoy my life and enjoy being the fish you finds his stream and swims down it instead of fighting the current.

If only we could all see the freedom we have. Even I, who has lived the free lifestyle, need to remind myself. We are free to do what we want. If the current ever gets too rough, change streams and try something new.

My mode of transportation varies by distance needed to travel and time needing to arrive. For most destinations walking and biking suffice (it helps living a mile away from my downtown office). Running is used for exercise purposes while driving is only for getting a mid-distance, like the mountains, where I’d be unable to do it on a bike and flying is for travel to other cities greater than 500 miles away.

Each of these modes of transportation have there place and I wouldn’t trade one for the other. One thing these travel methods have in common is the picture you get when doing them. Walking is slow, it gives you time to reflect, to look at architecture, to think about thoughts that have been bottled up. Running, at least for me, is the exact opposite. It’s an attempt to focus my mind and body on the task at hand with the hope that it’ll clear my mind once I finish. Biking is a way to get from point A to B faster than if I were to walk. Although this makes travel faster, it takes away from the reflective benefits of walking. It’s a means to hurry up my life. While driving, houses, people, bikers, etc. pass you by much faster. But the beauty of seeing far-off landscape is something you can’t get walking, running or biking. Flying is the macro level. There might be a few flights over interesting terrain, but even still you don’t get the detail as if you were driving, biking, or walking in that terrain.

Why does any of this matter? It’s the same breadth of scope used in macro and micro level thought. Walking is micro, running, biking and driving are progressively more macro until you arrive at flying, the most macro of them all.

I challenge everyone to find time to walk. Both figuratively and literally. Walk because it allows you to see the world you live in, not the world the media wants you to live in. You get to see the day-to-day beauty of being a person on this planet. The collaboration that happens around you on any given day. Although there are faster options in life, walking allows for a much more complete perspective of yourself.

Praxeology, the study of human action, guides my day-to-day life. When I don’t take time to walk (either around my neighborhood or mentally slowing things down), I lose my sense of humanity. Look around you and see the people who are similar to you, and those who aren’t. We’re all here because of community, now be a part of yours.

Tonight I visited Gusto‘s brand new office space in downtown Denver during Built in Brew‘s monthly start-up focused happy hour/meetup. It was an awesome time to see a thriving start-up at it’s next phase in the start-up life cycle. From a firm of 20 employees a couple of years ago to a firm over 300 and growing, this is the entrepreneurship Israel Kirzner would be proud of.

Entrepreneurship means “to do something”. Gusto’s founders discovered something they could do. They saw the market (small to midsize companies with 1-100 employees/busy business owners not wanting to get stuck in the minutiae of payroll) and they grabbed a hold of it.

Business owners focus on building their passion, but no business can operate without dealing with a web of government protocol (at least for now). Gusto saw the headaches owners were having dealing with poorly filed state and federal tax returns. They were able to develop the skills to deal with these issues and gained trust in their customers. With those skills they created a platform to replicate the process and expand to over 30,000 customers and growing.

Companies don’t grow from 20 employees to 300 in two years without tenacity and development. The entrepreneurial spirit is apparent from a visit to Gusto’s office. They approach the mundane task of payroll with ferocity. It’s not a job, it’s a means to make their client’s life easier. Instead of the coffee roaster wondering how to file a sales/use tax form for the city of Denver, they can focus on the arabica beans from Colombia that just arrived. This is what Gusto thrives on. They’re inspired by the business owners who can now do their passions.

Another aspect of entrepreneurship is developing the skills necessary to fill the market void. Becoming experts in payroll tax filings allows Gusto  to provide a service to customers and create a means to the end for themselves. Skill development in this area is no easy task. Payroll laws are dense, vary federally and by state, and don’t provide much leeway for mistakes. Becoming an expert in such a tedious trade has allowed the owners, and employees, of Gusto to, in the words of Dr. Thomas Rustici, “Do what they do best and trade for the rest”!

Stepping into the world of start-ups gives a fresh breath of life to what it means to be humans. These are people who want to make a difference, saw the opportunity in the market, and are improving the lives of others with a profit-creating business. Entrepreneurship is beautiful and it’s good to see it alive and well in the heart of the place I call home.

 

 

Money wasn’t created by government. Money comes from cooperation. I am not going to go through a history of money, Nick Szabo does an excellent job of this in his post Shelling Out — The Origin of Money.

Fiat (paper) money was used in Europe as a means to protect assets while merchants traveled. The idea was simple: I have two ounces of gold, I want to travel across Europe selling my goods but there are burglars, I’m going to leave 1.75 ounces with a trusted group (lets call them a bank), in return I get an IOU slip that says I own 1.75 ounces of gold and the bank gets to use that 1.75 ounces for investments. The burglars can’t steal all my money, the bank has collateral and the right to invest it however they see fit. It’s a win-win.

Today’s economy works nothing like that. Banks aren’t in control of our money. They’re ponzi-schemes hoping not everyone with money in the bank will decide they want it at once. And when that does happen the government can print more currency, wizardly execute some balance sheet magic, and wa-la, everyone gets their money.

However, that money is now debased. No good, not even money, can be created out of thin air. Today’s fiat currency has no backing. There is no proof that a government actually has assets to cover the IOU slip they are handing out.

That’s where bitcoin comes in. The cryptographic, blockchain-enabled, beauty of bitcoin pails to compare to the beauty that is the economics of a controlled supply of money. There will be, and only ever will be, 21 million bitcoin in circulation. Much like gold, only a finite amount can be mined and only a finite amount can be added to the money supply at a time. This backing system is what is missing from the legal-tendered fiat monies that all national governments run on.

The gold standard was a great system because government’s couldn’t print money without the gold to back it. It kept the supply steady and inflation minimal. Money was printed when (a) they recalled out money to circulate crisper bills and (b) when more money was mined and added to the vaults. Doing away with the gold standard has escalated the spending habits and eliminated all backing of paper monies.

Whenever I talk with someone who doesn’t know anything about bitcoin the conversation always escalates to “But bitcoin isn’t backed by anything and the US Dollar is!” Which then has me asking, “Well do you trust the US government to back your dollar” and I’m greeted with “Of course, they’re the US government!”

Basically they are saying that a piece of paper from a coalition 18+ trillion dollars in debt is better than any other form of currency.

Here’s another scenario: You have a friend who is a mooch. She constantly says she’ll pay you back. Every time you go out, you end up covering her tab. At what point do you say “Hey, I’ve covered you enough times, I’m not giving you more money”? $10 indebted, $50 indebted to you, $100? Yet people are willing to trust the government when they’re $18,000,000,000,000 indebted to others.

I’m not saying bitcoin is the best solution to current monetary problems. But to write it off as something with no backing is absolutely absurd and you are living under the government’s propaganda bubble.

Governments have no right to control our money supply. It is a good like everything else.

 

21 – A naive college kid following the sheep.

22 – A recent college graduate lucky enough to get a “great” job only to find my life incomplete.

23 – Trying to find my way through the big city life of DC and NYC.

24 – Waking up to realize it’s all a waste. Quitting my job, quitting DC, traveling the country for my new home.

25 – This was my year of self-discovery. Settled in my new home, discovering the things that make life great, building on a solid foundation.

For my 26th year I am going to dedicate myself to improving on every aspect I have developed. Challenge myself to be the person I want to see in the mirror.

Blogging on a daily basis will be one of my goals. Even if no one reads this, modernheretics will be my outlet for 26.

Cheers!

The “priviliged”, those who are surrounded by society’s support system, are told from the youngest age the goal of education is to make it into college, become a working adult, find a spouse, buy a house, have kids, send the kids to school for education, continue working, financially support the kids, hopefully retire, and then spend the money remaining on whatever leisure you can afford.

But what happens when you are one of the “lucky ones” and you go through the education system, kindergarten to senior year of high school, get into a good college, graduate with a degree, find a job in your field of study, and find out you hate the job. You can’t follow the traditional path. For this you are looked at as though you have five eyes and an extra limb. Like you are not fit for society. No matter how hard “they” try, they cannot figure out why you cannot conform to their lifestyle. They have sacrificed their entire life to live the aforementioned script of life. They are toiling to make ends meet, to live a society-deemed fulfilling life and they do not understand why you do not grasp this idea. It is the way it has always been. Work, even if you do not enjoy it, even if it compromises your health, even if it takes you away from your child’s greatest moments, even if it leads to divorce, you are supposed to work.

Not only are you compromising all of those things, you are putting a veil on your mind to only focus on the work at hand. Work is an escape from reality. It is an addiction much like heroine. Druggies are ostracized from society, but workaholics are crowned and admired. Workaholics are druggies. People who work within society’s norms are the same as druggies. They might have an excuse. They work to feed their family. But work turns into an addiction. In pursuing salary, workers disregard all sorts of other important things in life. They sacrifice their minds.

Thoughts do not make it past the morning cup of coffee. That run, which keeps you healthy, never gets ran. The chance to watch your daughter’s t-ball game gets obstructed by a last-minute “emergency”. Your spouse’s anniversary goes forgotten. The mind that got you to where you were, which is smart, well-educated, a treasure to the world, gets wasted.

And it is under this veil that allows sheep to be prodded by the shepherd. For people to become part of the herd and unable to get out. The veil ensures thoughts get covered up. That we become sheep. Instead of having our own thoughts we conform to society and do what is “right”. But is it not one’s moral duty to do what is best for society? Is not society better off with the thoughtful, innovative, never-miss-a kid’s event adult than with a work-addicted adult? Can work not be partaken as both a means to feed the family and a way for that mind to make contributions to society? Why do people have to toil at work? Society needs the best and brightest to think for themselves and improve the lives of others. They do not need more sheep. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.

I woke up this morning, got my running clothes on and went for a jog around the park. I didn’t first brew a pot of coffee or even think about caffeine. I don’t need the “daily fix”. Yet, as soon as I got back, I brewed a pot. Why? Because it keeps my “internal systems” regulated. I know 30-minutes following my coffee sipping a cleansing movement will follow. Poop is why I drink coffee.

There are plenty of studies that drinking coffee is unhealthy, plenty claiming coffee is healthy and some claiming moderation is key. I’ve read various studies to learn more about coffee drinking. I don’t want to drink something that might result in long-term health issues like cancer or heart disease, however, I find my daily couple cups of coffee are necessary for cleansing reasons. I know how my body reacts and no study will change my habit.

That is also why I have taken up an interest in diets. I’ve tried the typical American diet, vegetarianism, veganism, and am currently trying Paleo. None of these diet attempts are for losing weight, an environmentalist heart, or the desire to become a caveman. I can read studies, find success stories, read about the failures of the diet, but without knowing how it will interact with my body, I have no idea what is best for me. Choosing a diet isn’t about the latest fad but what works best for you. It’s much easier to find that out by figuring out how your body reacts to certain diets.

Next time someone tells you they’re on a diet ask them questions about why they’re on it and how they feel. Be inquisitive instead of making a snooty comment. Maybe try a “fad” diet yourself. It could turn out to have benefits you weren’t expecting.

The average amount of decisions an adult makes each day is about 35,000 (according to a quick Google search). Decisions as simple as the nine-to-fiver hitting the snooze button for an extra five minutes of sleep to the NASA physicist deciding the proper trajectory for a rocket launch.

Whether simple or complex these decision require Cost-Benefits Analysis (CBA). For the cubicle-dweller it is a decision between the costs, maybe skipping breakfast or taking a hurried shower, to the benefit of five more minutes of sleep. For the physicist the decision is based upon the costs of the lives of the astronauts on-board compared to the benefits of meeting a deadline.

We are going to look at a few conclusive CBA results as they relate to minimum wage, sleep deprivation, and unhealthy eating and how cost-benefit analysis can relate to your life.

Cost-Benefit Basics

Cost-Benefit Analysis broadly has two purposes:

1. To determine if it is a sound investment/decision (justification/feasibility),
2. To provide a basis for comparing projects. It involves comparing the total expected cost of each option against the total expected benefits, to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs, and by how much.

Seattle’s Minimum Wage Problem

The noble goal of minimum wage is to provide employees with a living wage. Basically, living wage means hard-working individuals, who spend most of their waking hours working (40 hours per week), should be able to live off their income. There is plenty of literature on the problems with minimum wage that can be read here and here, or simply by googling minimum wage fallacy. Our focus, however, is on CBA and the fallout of Seattle’s minimum wage

Decision: To raise Seattle’s minimum wage to $15/hr

Expected Costs: The expected costs of the minimum wage program were supposed to go to the employer. Instead of taking in more as profits owners would disperse some of their profits to their employees.

Expected Benefits: Employees were expected to benefit from increased wages because instead of making at a minimum $9.32/hr (roughly $1,680/month before taxes) employees would be making $15/hr ($2,600/month before taxes). Indeed, given the right circumstances, $2,600 per month would be a living wage.

Results: The results weren’t as Seattle expected. There were only 1,500 people (yes, 1,500) affected by the minimum wage rise in Seatac (Seattle-Tacoma) most of which were presumably minimum wage restaurant staff. When restaurant staff costs go-up so do the costs of operating a restaurant. The minimum wage led to a likely outcome, a trend of restaurant closures. According to a Washington Policy Center post from March 2015,

Advocates of a high minimum wage said businesses would simply pay the mandated wage out of profits, raising earnings for workers.  Restaurants operate on thin margins, though, with average profits of 4% or less, and the business is highly competitive.

Instead of the desired outcome – employees making a wage large enough to support themselves and/or a family – some employees have found themselves without an employer and thus without a job.

Sleep and Business Ownership

A business owners’ life is hectic. Whether working your current 9-5 and running a start-up on the side or committing yourself full-time to a small business, there are tons of tasks to get done and so little time. One solution might be to take a few hours of what would-be sleep time and turn it into productive time.

Decision: To go to sleep or continue working on fumes.

Expected Benefit: The expected benefit of working longer hours on less sleep is getting more stuff done.

Expected Cost: A couple hours of sleep deprivation that can be “made up” later with some high quality sleep.

Results: Over time, sleep deprivation can become a serious problem. Per the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Insufficient sleep increases a person’s risk of developing serious medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease… [and] has been associated with a shortened lifespan.”

Interestingly enough, the trend to get a good-night’s sleep is shared by Jeff Bezos, LeBron James, and Arianna Huffington. Although the “burning the candle at both ends” mindset seems to be fading, the results of studies, and successful business owners/athletes, should reinforce the benefits of focusing on sleep instead of work. And according to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, “A business of the future takes sleep schedules seriously”.

Costs of an Unhealthy Diet

Choosing a healthier diet can seem costly, and according to studies this mindset is right, eating unhealthy saves you $550 per year. While shopping, other costs creep into your mind too like student loans, car payments, utilities, a future (or maybe present) mortgage and that concert your friends are going to.

Decision: Go to the produce aisle and hand-select ingredients for tacos or pick up a couple packages of hamburger helper.

Expected Benefit: Having money to spend elsewhere.

Expected Cost: Feeling “like a fatty” for eating less-healthy food.

Results: There are hidden costs to not eating healthy. Although you might feel the effects of gorging on McDonald’s later in the evening, long-term health problems may not be as apparent, and are far more dangerous. Per Dr. Mark Hyman:

When you eat unhealthy foods… the costs of medical visits, co-pays, prescription medications, and other health services skyrocket. There are other non-economic costs of eating poorly as well. You reduce your ability to enjoy life in the moment due to increased fatigue, low-grade health complaints, obesity, depression, and more.

The costs of eating unhealthy put yourself and pocketbook at greater risk. Instead of focusing on the cost of buying fresh, healthy food the focus should be on the benefit of increased energy-levels and lower health-care bills. Like the Huffington Post article concluded, “$550 doesn’t seem like so much money at all.”

Using Cost-Benefit Analysis in Your Daily Life

We make 35,000 decisions a day. That means we go through a very quick Cost-Benefit Analysis over-and-over almost constantly. Some decisions are so simple, like typing a word in the keyboard, we don’t have time to think about CBA, but as demonstrated above, some of them can have a long-term impact.

Even if you don’t agree with the conclusions drawn from my analyses it would be prudent of you to think about some of the costs and benefits to the decisions you make on a daily basis. Being aware of the costs and benefits of certain political or economic stances, health related issues, or a life-changing decision about to be made will help you to think out the expected benefits, the expected costs and the expected results this decision may have.

Making this practice part of your daily routine will help in leading you to a more-desirable, well thought-out conclusion.