Welcome to Mindful Monday!

I had dinner with Mike Deegan a few weeks ago and was blown away by his humility... And I loved learning about his team's ethos of Mudita. So... We decided to record a podcast together. I think you'll like it. Morgan Housel published an essay for the first time in months (some things he's sure about). It's great. Brent Beshore is probably the best "Year In Review" writer on the planet. That just came out. I just learned about a story from Reed Hastings about a CEO from 30 years ago (read below). A cool video from David Blough cheering on his wife at the Olympic trials just resurfaced following his recent promotion. And then I share some wise words from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Enjoy!

#670: Mike Deegan - Building a Championship Culture

Mike Deegan is the head baseball coach at Denison University. I met Mike when James Clear and I hosted a dinner in Columbus last month. James brought a few guys. I brought some as well. Mike was one of the guys that James invited. And I'm so glad he did. Mike just led Denison University Baseball to their first College World Series appearance in program history. He's been named Coach of the Year in back-to-back years and is the all-time winningest coach in school history. We discussed: Mudita (genuine joy for others), building a championship culture, getting out of a slump, systems thinking, the DNA of great teams, and much more. You can also WATCH our conversation on YouTube.

A Few Things To Be Sure About...

Nostalgia happens because the best survival strategy in an uncertain world is to overworry. When you look back, you forget about all the things you worried about that never came true. So life appears better in the past because, in hindsight, there wasn’t as much to worry about as you were actually worrying about at the time. CLICK HERE to read more.

A Great Year In Review Essay (Brent Beshore)

Last week, I shared my Year-In-Review post. I hope you found it useful. This week, you should read Brent Beshore's. I learned a lot about being a CEO, as well as appreciated Brent's willingness to be vulnerable and ability to teach at the same time. CLICK HERE to read it.

Washing Coffee Cups

Patrick O'Shaughnessey recently interviewed Reed Hastings. At the end, Reed shared a story. 30 years ago, he was a front-line engineer. Reed worked all the time (day and night). Coffee cups piled up on his desk. Sometimes he'd come into work with clean coffee cups on his desk. Reed thought, "That's nice of the janitor to clean them for me." One morning, Reed came in at 5:00 am. He went to the bathroom. His CEO was in there. Washing coffee cups at the sink.

"Are those my coffee cups?" Reed asked.

"Yes," the CEO said.

"Why are you washing them?"

The CEO looked at him. "You work so hard for us. This is the one thing I can do for you."

Not a grand gesture. Not a company-wide initiative. Just a CEO who saw someone working hard and found a small way to say thank you. Sometimes, real leadership is washing coffee cups before anyone else shows up.

"Gotta Go, Mel!"

Talking about "mudita." This video of David Blough, cheering on his wife as she attempts to qualify for the Olympics, is one of my all-time favorites. Especially at the 33-second mark. So good.

Wise Words

“The only lasting fuel is routine. And you only get a routine by dragging yourself on the days when you have no motivation. Over and over.” -- Arnold Schwarzenegger

Mindful Monday is a reader-supported publication. If you enjoyed it, forward it to your friends. Thank you! -- Ryan