Thursday, March 26, 2009
Quick one - other blog
Just a quick post ... as I'm doing more and more programming these days and find that the blogs where I learn information are incredibly useful, I decided to "pay it forward" by producing some of my own tips and tidbits, so you can now follow my C#er : IMage blog if you're into C# / .NET development.
Take care!
Take care!
Labels: c#, development
Saturday, March 21, 2009
On What Is, and What is Yet to Be
Wow, where do I begin?
It's been a few weeks since I last posted. It has been a busy few weeks. I wanted to take some time today to share what's going on and why I haven't been able to update blogs, the website, and other aspects of Lose Fat, Not Faith as often as I should.
It really starts with you.
I've been doing a lot of praying about what my purpose is. For those of you who might not know my history, in brief I acquired my passion for fitness nearly a decade ago after losing weight. I realized that losing the weight wasn't about a diet or exercise program, but about a mindset shift, and that change in mindset empowered me to tap into the other amazing events God had in store for my life.
Four years ago I had one of those calls you know was meant to happen. It was an invitation to help build a wireless software company. Many people have been confused about my decision to jump into this project because it's not related to health and wellness. One thing I feel strongly about is that sometimes it takes what appears to be sacrifice to reach important cornerstones of our lives. I say "appears" because it really hasn't been a "sacrifice" for me to join the team that I joined, it has been an opportunity and a challenge. The reason I accepted the offer was because I knew that I had a lot to learn about business, building teams, writing quality software, and many other aspects of creating a successful enterprise. This would be an opportunity to learn and participate in the process in a way I never was able to before.
So I made the decision to focus on this and it has been an amazing journey. I've gained knowledge and skills and faced challenges I never imagined, and it all is helping me move closer to my longer term vision of impacting lives and making a real, tangible difference in the health of others.
This job takes most of my week ... we're talking literally 60 - 80 hours sometimes ... because it is a start up and it is a rapidly growing enterprise. That means I must be very protective of the remaining time that I have. In lieu of movies and television and participating in the "not much club" I spend that time with my family. I carve out a little bit to keep healthy, and then there is Lose Fat, Not Faith.
Originally my focus of a few hours per week was to keep the question of the day, this blog, and the occasional article written to grow the content and continue to bring you new information and insight. A few weeks ago as I began to meditate on my purpose, that focus shifted.
I realized what I want today is still what I wanted ten years ago, and that I must prioritize my time to move Lose Fat, Not Faith closer to that. The goal is ultimately to give you an experience that integrates all of the aspects of fitness: knowledge, empowerment, mindset, nutrition, exercise, and more. While the articles and questions and forums tap into a small part, there's always been more that I've wanted to do: give you the opportunity to track your weight, enter your statistics, build workouts and nutrition information. While there are many other tools out there, I don't believe there are many fully integrated that cover all of the aspects, are flexible enough to allow you to enter YOUR meal preferences or choose YOUR style of training, AND are free on top of that.
So I've decided to start building that and moving to that goal. It's just a little bit each week because even my weekend time outside of family and church is mostly dedicated to the software business I mentioned, but I take a little bit of time to add features. I've also focused on win-win where I can take new technologies as a proof of concept here, understand them and then apply them to my company where they are feasible and add value.
I've decided that the bare minimum I need to unravel the new site is to at least duplicate what's there now - articles, question of the day, blog, and forums. I may still use third-party forums and blogs but I'm actively building out the software for the articles and forums. You'll see more powerful search, a sharper user interface, faster loading pages that are more standards compliant, and a lot more. But I'm also adding the concept of user profiles and logins and then building out the sections that will eventually be stats (tracking weight, calories, measurements, etc), goals (life goals, weight goals, lifting goals, running goals), nutrition (both logging and generating menus), training (I believe my ideas in training will revolutionize how people track and generate workout programs online ... that will be the first aspect I focus on after the articles).
At any rate I felt it was important for you to know the site hasn't grown stale and I'm not pulled away doing other things ... if anything, I unfortunately sacrificed some of my consistency with training to create extra hours to build out the new application. That's not the right approach either, so I'm focused on creating balance and getting back into a consistent routine with training after this weekend.
What you won't see is as frequent posts and updates from me except for the occasional update on the site. I'm still finding out what cost effective .NET hosting is and how I can transition from the old PHP/MySQL-based site to the new C#/MVC/SQL 2005 one and I can't even give a tentative date for rolling out the new version, but it is coming and as I know more, I'll share it with you.
Lose Fat is truly grassroots. It grows because of you, the reader. I don't invest the time this project deserves to attract new people who can be transformed by the idea that weight loss begins in the mind and heart, not with a diet or exercise program. It is your testimonials, your enthusiasm, the time you take to mention to someone, "Hey, check out this article" or "You should look into this book" that really helps bring new people and help the site grow.
I am blessed that I have heard back from so many people who have received tremendous value from the site and my Lose Fat, Not Faith eBook - especially with the new training and coaching guides that are included with it. I can say after a 80 hour week when I am exhausted and feel like I don't have much more to give and think, "What's the point ... I just can't keep this project moving" it's the heartfelt, passionate emails and success stories that motivate me to keep going and help me realize this isn't about me and it's not my right to even consider stopping it ... it's about you and the change we can create together to help people live healthier lives.
I continue to pray for balance, wisdom, and insight. I ask God daily to ensure that I am putting the Kingdom first, my family second, and everything else in its place. It's difficult for people to understand why when I say family is so important, I invest so much time in work and then on top of that do a little on the side. The answer is that it is all part of a bigger picture that I believe is my purpose to help others really create the change they deserve in their lives. At the end of the day if no one remembers my name but even two people have transformed their lives as the result of connecting with something they read or learned, then I can say I've accomplished what I set out to do.
Thank you for your time, patience, and understanding. As always I am open to feedback, comments, and suggestions of how I can continue to improve what Lose Fat, Not Faith is and represents.
Please continue to share the website link with others. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be able to invest in the ebook kit during these tough economic times, I assure you all of the funds I receive go directly back into improving the site and what it has to offer. Things like software licenses and website hosting fees. Because of your blessings last year I was able to invest in a laptop. Just one book sale empowered me to secure that laptop with professional anti-virus software. Just a few more sales will enable me to invest in the additional tools that can help me create the new website more quickly and effectively.
Above all, if you believe in the power of prayer like I do, please pray. I would love to ask for a prayer for the long term success of this project but I know there are more pressing needs in the world. There are too many people struggling to find jobs or make ends meet in a tough economy, some of you who are reading this right now, so instead I ask that we pray for each other, for the great nations of the planet, for swift healing and recovery and ultimately that we can take these challenges in life and use them to temper our character and grow.
Warmly and in Him,
It's been a few weeks since I last posted. It has been a busy few weeks. I wanted to take some time today to share what's going on and why I haven't been able to update blogs, the website, and other aspects of Lose Fat, Not Faith as often as I should.
It really starts with you.
I've been doing a lot of praying about what my purpose is. For those of you who might not know my history, in brief I acquired my passion for fitness nearly a decade ago after losing weight. I realized that losing the weight wasn't about a diet or exercise program, but about a mindset shift, and that change in mindset empowered me to tap into the other amazing events God had in store for my life.
Four years ago I had one of those calls you know was meant to happen. It was an invitation to help build a wireless software company. Many people have been confused about my decision to jump into this project because it's not related to health and wellness. One thing I feel strongly about is that sometimes it takes what appears to be sacrifice to reach important cornerstones of our lives. I say "appears" because it really hasn't been a "sacrifice" for me to join the team that I joined, it has been an opportunity and a challenge. The reason I accepted the offer was because I knew that I had a lot to learn about business, building teams, writing quality software, and many other aspects of creating a successful enterprise. This would be an opportunity to learn and participate in the process in a way I never was able to before.
So I made the decision to focus on this and it has been an amazing journey. I've gained knowledge and skills and faced challenges I never imagined, and it all is helping me move closer to my longer term vision of impacting lives and making a real, tangible difference in the health of others.
This job takes most of my week ... we're talking literally 60 - 80 hours sometimes ... because it is a start up and it is a rapidly growing enterprise. That means I must be very protective of the remaining time that I have. In lieu of movies and television and participating in the "not much club" I spend that time with my family. I carve out a little bit to keep healthy, and then there is Lose Fat, Not Faith.
Originally my focus of a few hours per week was to keep the question of the day, this blog, and the occasional article written to grow the content and continue to bring you new information and insight. A few weeks ago as I began to meditate on my purpose, that focus shifted.
I realized what I want today is still what I wanted ten years ago, and that I must prioritize my time to move Lose Fat, Not Faith closer to that. The goal is ultimately to give you an experience that integrates all of the aspects of fitness: knowledge, empowerment, mindset, nutrition, exercise, and more. While the articles and questions and forums tap into a small part, there's always been more that I've wanted to do: give you the opportunity to track your weight, enter your statistics, build workouts and nutrition information. While there are many other tools out there, I don't believe there are many fully integrated that cover all of the aspects, are flexible enough to allow you to enter YOUR meal preferences or choose YOUR style of training, AND are free on top of that.
So I've decided to start building that and moving to that goal. It's just a little bit each week because even my weekend time outside of family and church is mostly dedicated to the software business I mentioned, but I take a little bit of time to add features. I've also focused on win-win where I can take new technologies as a proof of concept here, understand them and then apply them to my company where they are feasible and add value.
I've decided that the bare minimum I need to unravel the new site is to at least duplicate what's there now - articles, question of the day, blog, and forums. I may still use third-party forums and blogs but I'm actively building out the software for the articles and forums. You'll see more powerful search, a sharper user interface, faster loading pages that are more standards compliant, and a lot more. But I'm also adding the concept of user profiles and logins and then building out the sections that will eventually be stats (tracking weight, calories, measurements, etc), goals (life goals, weight goals, lifting goals, running goals), nutrition (both logging and generating menus), training (I believe my ideas in training will revolutionize how people track and generate workout programs online ... that will be the first aspect I focus on after the articles).
At any rate I felt it was important for you to know the site hasn't grown stale and I'm not pulled away doing other things ... if anything, I unfortunately sacrificed some of my consistency with training to create extra hours to build out the new application. That's not the right approach either, so I'm focused on creating balance and getting back into a consistent routine with training after this weekend.
What you won't see is as frequent posts and updates from me except for the occasional update on the site. I'm still finding out what cost effective .NET hosting is and how I can transition from the old PHP/MySQL-based site to the new C#/MVC/SQL 2005 one and I can't even give a tentative date for rolling out the new version, but it is coming and as I know more, I'll share it with you.
Lose Fat is truly grassroots. It grows because of you, the reader. I don't invest the time this project deserves to attract new people who can be transformed by the idea that weight loss begins in the mind and heart, not with a diet or exercise program. It is your testimonials, your enthusiasm, the time you take to mention to someone, "Hey, check out this article" or "You should look into this book" that really helps bring new people and help the site grow.
I am blessed that I have heard back from so many people who have received tremendous value from the site and my Lose Fat, Not Faith eBook - especially with the new training and coaching guides that are included with it. I can say after a 80 hour week when I am exhausted and feel like I don't have much more to give and think, "What's the point ... I just can't keep this project moving" it's the heartfelt, passionate emails and success stories that motivate me to keep going and help me realize this isn't about me and it's not my right to even consider stopping it ... it's about you and the change we can create together to help people live healthier lives.
I continue to pray for balance, wisdom, and insight. I ask God daily to ensure that I am putting the Kingdom first, my family second, and everything else in its place. It's difficult for people to understand why when I say family is so important, I invest so much time in work and then on top of that do a little on the side. The answer is that it is all part of a bigger picture that I believe is my purpose to help others really create the change they deserve in their lives. At the end of the day if no one remembers my name but even two people have transformed their lives as the result of connecting with something they read or learned, then I can say I've accomplished what I set out to do.
Thank you for your time, patience, and understanding. As always I am open to feedback, comments, and suggestions of how I can continue to improve what Lose Fat, Not Faith is and represents.
Please continue to share the website link with others. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be able to invest in the ebook kit during these tough economic times, I assure you all of the funds I receive go directly back into improving the site and what it has to offer. Things like software licenses and website hosting fees. Because of your blessings last year I was able to invest in a laptop. Just one book sale empowered me to secure that laptop with professional anti-virus software. Just a few more sales will enable me to invest in the additional tools that can help me create the new website more quickly and effectively.
Above all, if you believe in the power of prayer like I do, please pray. I would love to ask for a prayer for the long term success of this project but I know there are more pressing needs in the world. There are too many people struggling to find jobs or make ends meet in a tough economy, some of you who are reading this right now, so instead I ask that we pray for each other, for the great nations of the planet, for swift healing and recovery and ultimately that we can take these challenges in life and use them to temper our character and grow.
Warmly and in Him,
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