Ryan B. Fahey's Blog, page 2

How Katie Lamarche Is Living #HerBestDecade

I recently connected with Katie Lamarche, who just finished reading my latest book, "Your Best Decade" to learn more about how the book has made an impact on her life.

Here is what Katie had to say:

What Impact has #YourBestDecade left on your life?

After reading #YourBestDecade I am left with the feeling of empowerment, I am driven to live a life of intention, I am eager to crush some goals, and I am reflective on what I want for both mine and my family’s future.

I don’t think reading this book could have happened at a better time. 2020 was a year of challenge, struggle, isolation, and stress. It has knocked me down a number of times and I felt like I was starting to lose interest in all of the things that once made me happy. I was in a “funk” and wasn’t living my best decade or anything close.

Having the opportunity to read this book has provided me with the motivation that was difficult to find. It has challenged me in a positive and productive way. After only finishing the book a day ago I already feel more like my true, authentic self. Thank you Ryan for not only helping me reflect on what is most important in my life but also for helping me find “me” again.

Which chapter most applied to you and why?

The chapters that have resonated with me the most were The Three Truths of Significance and Legacy > Resume.

“If your influence can outlive you, you have the ability to leave an incredible legacy.” - Ryan Fahey

The quote above speaks volumes and has really resonated with me since reading the chapter Legacy> Resume. It stresses the importance of being intentional with every person you meet, to practice empathy, and to express compassion. It reminds you that wealth is far less important than the impact you make and the legacy you create with every person you meet, care for, and love. Life is too short and so unpredictable. Live a life of significance and start building your legacy today. That's what's important.

What most excites you about living out YBD?

I feel so empowered and motivated. I am excited to start exploring my passions and to discover the person I truly want to be and what legacy I want to leave. I feel prepared to navigate life with more intention in my professional, relational, and personal life.

If you could describe this book to someone in three words what would you say?

Empowering

Engaging

Exceptional

What is one major takeaway you have from the book?

My biggest take away from the book is to stop investing time into things that don’t fuel me and to instead start investing in a life of purpose, happiness, and engagement. It has challenged me to reevaluate where I am, where I hope to go, and how I’m going to get there.

When you envision living out YBD, what does it look like?

ALL THE HAPPINESS. When I do things that fuel my emotional, physical, and spiritual soul I feel the most balanced. My best decade is a life of growth, adventure, self-love, and spending all the quality time with those who mean the most to me.

For everyone out there who hasn't read YBD yet, what would you say to them?

Invest in yourself.

Purchase this book.

Grab a cup of tea (or beverage of choice), find a comfortable seat, and get ready to be inspired, challenged, and empowered. Ryan has written this book in a way that is engaging, fun, and easy to read.

This is just the beginning of building something incredible!

- Katie

How Katie Lamarche Is Living #HerBestDecade

I recently connected with Katie Lamarche, who just finished reading my latest book, "Your Best Decade" to learn more about how the book has made an impact on her life.

Here is what Katie had to say:

What Impact has #YourBestDecade left on your life?

After reading #YourBestDecade I am left with the feeling of empowerment, I am driven to live a life of intention, I am eager to crush some goals, and I am reflective on what I want for both mine and my family’s future.

I don’t think reading this book could have happened at a better time. 2020 was a year of challenge, struggle, isolation, and stress. It has knocked me down a number of times and I felt like I was starting to lose interest in all of the things that once made me happy. I was in a “funk” and wasn’t living my best decade or anything close.

Having the opportunity to read this book has provided me with the motivation that was difficult to find. It has challenged me in a positive and productive way. After only finishing the book a day ago I already feel more like my true, authentic self. Thank you Ryan for not only helping me reflect on what is most important in my life but also for helping me find “me” again.

Which chapter most applied to you and why?

The chapters that have resonated with me the most were The Three Truths of Significance and Legacy > Resume.

“If your influence can outlive you, you have the ability to leave an incredible legacy.” - Ryan Fahey

The quote above speaks volumes and has really resonated with me since reading the chapter Legacy> Resume. It stresses the importance of being intentional with every person you meet, to practice empathy, and to express compassion. It reminds you that wealth is far less important than the impact you make and the legacy you create with every person you meet, care for, and love. Life is too short and so unpredictable. Live a life of significance and start building your legacy today. That's what's important.

What most excites you about living out YBD?

I feel so empowered and motivated. I am excited to start exploring my passions and to discover the person I truly want to be and what legacy I want to leave. I feel prepared to navigate life with more intention in my professional, relational, and personal life.

If you could describe this book to someone in three words what would you say?

Empowering

Engaging

Exceptional

What is one major takeaway you have from the book?

My biggest take away from the book is to stop investing time into things that don’t fuel me and to instead start investing in a life of purpose, happiness, and engagement. It has challenged me to reevaluate where I am, where I hope to go, and how I’m going to get there.

When you envision living out YBD, what does it look like?

ALL THE HAPPINESS. When I do things that fuel my emotional, physical, and spiritual soul I feel the most balanced. My best decade is a life of growth, adventure, self-love, and spending all the quality time with those who mean the most to me.

For everyone out there who hasn't read YBD yet, what would you say to them?

Invest in yourself.

Purchase this book.

Grab a cup of tea (or beverage of choice), find a comfortable seat, and get ready to be inspired, challenged, and empowered. Ryan has written this book in a way that is engaging, fun, and easy to read.

This is just the beginning of building something incredible!

- Katie

To grab a copy of ,Your Best Decade, click here: https://www.faheyconsulting.org/books

Are We Losing Our Authenticity Online?

Nothing is more noticeable than in authentic leadership.

The internet has given us many, many things. We can connect with people all over the world in an instant. We can send and receive money virtually anywhere. We can also access information faster than any other time in humanity right from the palm of our hand.
In granting this access, it has given us permission to take our inauthenticity online. It has allowed every “expert” to have a platform to voice their unfounded research.

In 2019 I wrote an article about what might happen when the internet outgrows its parents. At that point, I felt the internet was maturing into a teenager, but I was wrong. The internet was just a toddler. It was still teething, learning how to say a few words, and figuring out where the potty was.

,What Happens When The Internet Outgrows Its Parents?
,medium.com

Now, due to the nature of where humanity sits, I believe the internet has matured into a young child. It is ready to learn new things, tackle new challenges for the first time, and expand its horizons.

In tackling new challenges, one of these challenges will be how to tackle fake news (that is a whole other article that I hope more people write about). The other major challenge for this young child will be overcoming inauthenticity perpetuated by clickbait and low quality, inauthentic drivers of content.

If you aren’t with me just yet, let me tell you a story:

Awhile back, I was asked to come on to a show on Instagram. The message came through my DM’s and after taking a quick glance at the profile, it’s following, and looking inward at my goal of doing more online speaking engagements for my second book, I said yes to this opportunity.

Prior to this interview, I asked for some guiding questions from the host to which the host told me they wanted the conversation to be organic. No questions were sent ahead of time. Now, I am all about organic but this should have been my first red flag.

The interview started in a live format (which I also was unaware of — I thought it would be pre-recorded before being published) and we dived right in. Within 2 minutes of the interview, I was asked about my latest book. I was initially excited — this was exactly why I wanted to come on to the show.

Then, the interview took a turn for the worst.

The next set of questions that followed were some variation of the following:

Is writing a book a selfless act, or a selfish act?
Do you believe the universe is by chance or determined?
Tell us about trauma in your life
If you could be an animal, what animal would you be and why?

Now, as you can see from above, this interview went off the rails fast. With every authentic answer, I attempted to give to these sporadic questions, I was met with a cold response, emotionless tones, and a poker face on the other end. I don’t mind this when I am playing poker, but when I am asked to talk about faith, family, and trauma, you’d think that level of vulnerability would force the host to at least lean into you as the guest.

The interview eventually spiraled down so deep that I resorted to defense mode, pushing back on the interviewer, which helped end the show. This is when things got very interesting and a bit terrifying as a professional.

I asked the interviewer privately if he could open the line up just for him and me to have a conversation about what just happened. The line opened, we had an abrupt, cold discussion and I asked the host if he could unpublish the episode for reasons X,Y, and Z. I was then told that the show is similar to CNN in that when the guest comes on, you surrender the rights to any say in the content and where it goes. It’s the show's property. He then told me he would wait two days and ponder my ask before he would consider taking this down.

Now, I am no expert in law or psychology, but I would consider myself to be a reasonable human being. I am also not a media expert but I am pretty sure a show with a couple of followers has different content protocols than the largest new reporting network in the world.
I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. I felt completely emotionally overwhelmed, and I felt absolutely powerless. It was like my vulnerability was held, hostage. I honestly felt like I was back in grade 5 outside the principal's office and was scolded for something I did wrong when in reality, I was asked to be on this show, provided as much value to the listeners as I could, and acted in the most professional manner possible. I was a wreck and I couldn’t believe someone could be so cold and inauthentic with me.

Once I took cover to my journal for an emotional safe haven, I realized that I had just learned a lot from this experience and the biggest thing I learned was this:

,Just because someone has a microphone, doesn’t mean they have permission to stomp over peoples’ feelings, vulnerability, and human values on a live event.

Just because someone has a platform doesn’t mean they can make the rules up on the fly, while exploiting someone else’s emotions and character.

Just because someone has perceived influence, it doesn’t make them authentic or credible, especially online.

The internet has a big challenge ahead and I believe we all have a part to play in helping this young child navigate these challenges in inauthenticity. While we continue to respect and use the internet, we need to help make it better, not worse. We need to hold inauthenticity accountable when we experience it. We need the best of humanity to be entrenched into the best of the internet because, at the end of the day, the internet would be nothing more than thought if it didn’t have people driving it forward.

Stay authentic.

Ryan

Why We Must Spend Time With People 2x Our Age

Wisdom and knowledge are distinctly different. Seeking one without the other is potentially menacing.

My entire life, I have been fortunate to have close connections with people twice my age.
Even into my career, wherever there has been an opportunity to sit in the presence of a wise, seasoned veteran of life, I have jumped on the opportunity.

In a world where we seem to overvalue youth and undervalue age and the wisdom and experience that comes from it, it’s important for us to seek out opportunities to connect with the latter.

This only became apparent to me recently when I reflected on the impact individuals twice my age have had on my life throughout the years and on the tremendous value that these individuals have added on all levels.

Whether it was preparing for marriage, a career shift, or a continent shift, the shared wisdom, and experiences shared by these seasoned veterans of life helped me make the best possible decision at the moment.

Being smart is one thing — this is why we read articles on platforms like Medium. We crave knowledge. We crave connection. We crave advice that will give us the edge in our lives. And we crave intellectual stimulation in a world gone increasingly dull.

While we continue to feed those cravings, mixing in a virtual coffee, phone call, or physically distant walk with someone twice our age gives us something that other folks our age just can’t offer.

In an effort to seek wisdom from the right people to bring along for the ride of life, here are 5 tips to ensure the connection with the person twice your age is the right one for you.

Only Seek Out Someone You Would Trade Places With

Don’t take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade places with.

This is a critical decision. For example, a few years back someone tried to give me lifestyle advice who was obese, had type II diabetes, and went through a divorce. Love the guy, but would I take that lifestyle advice from him? Probably not.

Find someone you aspire to be when you are their age and seek them out instead.

Pick Up The Phone

If you are going to truly connect with someone twice your age, it’s advisable to pick up the phone and give them a call. This is a basic Stephen Covey thing — seek first to understand.

Understand that someone twice your age will likely appreciate hearing the sound of your voice rather than a text or email. Especially if you already have some sort of affiliation or brief relationship with them.

Be Authentic & Genuine

Similar to the above, be your true, authentic self. Be genuine. A seasoned veteran of life will sense inauthenticity right away which won’t be good for either of you. Spending time with someone twice your age to advance your career shouldn’t be the goal. Getting to know them and building the relationship which will yield advice for years (and potentially decades) should be the goal.

Keep Them Updated

Once you’ve invited a veteran of life into your life, keep them updated from time to time. Remember, you may be in a busy season of life, but that person you are seeking advice from may be taking life a bit more slowly. They will enjoy hearing from you from time to time and seeing what you are up to. They are in your life for a reason so give them at least one life update per season.

Send A Card

Nothing beats getting good mail — even in the 2020s. Good mail is mail that is anything other than a bill, political memo, or someone trying to sell you something. Write out a note in a carefully selected card each year to let them know you are thinking of them.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Wisdom is like a dividend that comes with that interest deposit and it’s on each of us to pack a stacked portfolio for success in life.

We are the product of the five people we surround ourselves with. Make space in that five for the ole timer out there who has so much to offer you as you continue to navigate your career, your job, and your relationships.

Ryan

From UFC Fighter → Pygmy Protector

Almost a decade ago the world got to know Justin Wren through his successful mixed martial arts career in the UFC — from starring in the Spike reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” to becoming a dominating force in the heavyweight division, to his MMA record of 15–2. Today, the world knows this 6-foot-3-inch, 265-pound fighter for the size of his heart.

Following a six-year struggle with addiction and depression in his early career, Justin stepped away from MMA to seek out purpose and passion for his life. What he found was a forgotten tribe of Mbuti Pygmies deep in the jungles of the Congo, beaten down by economic enslavement, disease, and hopelessness.

“It’s cheaper to let them die.”

This was just some of the messaging that Justin heard while trekking into the depths of the Congo. The Pygmy’s desperately needed protection from enslavement, access to basic needs like food and water, and someone to believe in them. The rest of the world was too busy to notice these forgotten people — but not Justin. Naturally, Justin became that beacon of hope for these people through his frequent visits to their villages and through his authentic mission to defeat hate with love.

But Justin also learned as much living with the Pygmy people as they learned from him. He learned that gratitude can be found in the most remote places on the planet and that we as human beings all have a longing to be loved and accepted by our community.

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Building wells was just one of the ways Justin was able to transform the Pygmy quality of life. He also continues to help empower the Pygmy people financially to purchase more of their own land so that they can grow their own food, rather than to be enslaved for two bananas a day for all their work.

Since 2011, Justin and Fight for the Forgotten have provided nearly 3,000 acres of land and dozens of water wells to the Pygmies. Not only are they no longer slaves, they’re thriving, with Pygmy leaders embarking on multiple community development initiatives including education, vocational training, and sustainable agriculture.

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In 2019, I reached out to Justin to partner with him in support of this critical mission in the Congo. As a result, 10% of every product and service sold through my website (FaheyConsulting.org) goes DIRECTLY to providing water, freedom, and land for the Pygmy people living in the Congo.

I invite you to join me in this effort to support Justin’s mission by exploring the ways you can get involved by clicking here: ,https://fightfortheforgotten.org/pygmies

Create A New Story -> Create A New You

We are nothing more and nothing less than the stories we tell ourselves and the repeated headline in our mind is the headline the frames our time.

Best-selling Author ,Benjamin Hardy is launching a new masterpiece this month called, "Personality Isn't Permanent". Being an acquaintance of Ben and supporter of his former book, ",Willpower Doesn't Work" he graciously gave me the opportunity to have a sneak peak at his latest piece which did not disappoint.

Before I dive in on Ben's amazing book, I want to provide some context as an author who writes in the personal growth space like Ben. In my second book second book, "Your Best Decade" I dedicate a chapter to the concept of rewriting our narrative through the stories we tell ourselves. Along with our stories, if we redefine our time, we redefine our prime. In believing the stories we tell ourselves (whether for good or for bad) we inherently live according to those stories.

If we feel like we aren't going to get that promotion because of X,Y and Z, we probably won't get a promotion.

If we think we will never be financially free, well you guessed it, we likely won't become financially free.

Ben takes this idea about rewriting our personal narratives to a whole new level in his latest book. Having a strong background in ,psychology, and ,leadership, Ben brings deep insight into the fluidity of our personalities. Turns out, we can in fact change.

Think about it - are you the same person you were 10 years ago? What about 4 months ago before this pandemic swept across the globe? Are you different now? I bet you have picked up a new hobby, recipe, or a new book that has changed you and shaped you in some way.

In his book, for example, Ben dives deep into the dialogue that we should be having between our former self and our future self. We all talk to ourselves and about ourselves, so why not learn from those stories to grow, learn and become everything that we were created to be?

In shaping what your future self can look like, here is a list of questions Ben asks around imaging your future self three years from now:

By going through these questions, you begin to shape a new story and lay the foundation for what your future self can look like, regardless of what your past story has been.

Inversely, if we look back to our former self, we can often see the breadcrumbs that have landed us to where we are today. But that doesn't mean you should stay there.

To quote Ben, he says this, "By looking at your past, you will change your past. Every time you look at your past it will change. Every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you will change."

He also goes on to say, ,"Your former self is not gone. They are alive and well. You carry them around with you wherever you go, just as you carry your future self with you wherever you go. However, you’re probably carrying around a bruised and broken version of your current self, ,which is greatly limiting your current and future selves. It’s time to heal and change your former self."

I couldn't agree more. When I turned 30, I was sitting on a terrace having brunch with my wife and a couple of friends in Ottawa, CA when one friend asked me, "Ryan - what is so different about turning 30?".

I paused for a second and replied, "Nothing necessarily feels different in terms of age, but my approach to life has changed. I take life and time way more seriously and who I choose to spend my time with more seriously as well."

My former self (pre 30) did not do those things. In thinking ahead to the future self and the future of my marriage and my family, things had to change in my life to get us to that future state. My old story wasn't going to get me to where I wanted to go. In looking ahead, it forced me to think critically about who I spend me time with, how I spend my time, and how I approach my life. Simply put, I had to begin acting in accordance with my future self rather than resorting back to my former self. Once the vision is cast, the how becomes clear.

When we commit to recreating our stories and begin to act in accordance with where we are going rather than where we've been, our life begin's to change dramatically. Ben's book is an incredible tool to help us ignite this change by taking us through the step-by-step processes needed to ,deconstruct our former selves in order to ,reconstruct our future selves.

I would strongly encourage you to connect with Ben and to pick up his latest game changing book here or click the photo below!

The Only Constant In 2020 Is Change

In 2020, the ageless lesson of “The only constant is change” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Regardless of how you feel about change, in 2020 it is inevitable.

Now that we have accepted this, the real decision we have to ask ourselves is:
What are we going to do about it?

In answering this question, we can look at change two ways…

Change is overwhelming and uncomfortable — “I don’t want change.”
Change surfaces new challenges & opportunities — “I accept change and am ready to embrace it.”

The choice is now yours.

In looking at these choices, let’s look at change from the second vantage point.
Accepting change for what it is is in fact a small victory. Many of us ignore change or drown it out in the trenches of our social media platforms. We tune into our own echo chambers and tune out the change that is happening in real time, regardless of our personal opinions, following or ideologies.

The next step in our attempt to grow through accepting change is to get ready to embrace the change that is happening.

This can take many forms depending on your pre-existing experiences, knowledge, and understanding of the area that is changing. This is where our strategies for embracing change can deepen.

Let’s use checkers and chess to break this down.

In a game of checkers, you react to the pattern you are seeing on the board. It is very cause and effect. I am now going to move this piece because of the piece that just moved.
In 2020, an example of this is what is now commonly known as contactless delivery. The change that you have accepted is that in order to get your delivery, it may now need to be contactless. You accept this change and make 1 or 2 different actions based on what you see on the board (selecting the contactless delivery option that was not formerly there before) and go on with your day.

However, while most of the world is playing checkers with all the change, the most successful folks are the ones not only accepting change, but playing a game of chess with it.
Unlike checkers, the game of chess requires much deeper thought, skill, problem-solving, and decision-making. Rather than reacting to what you see on the board, you must see beyond the board and envision what is likely to come. There could be a combination of 10 or more moves that may be necessary to achieve success rather than just reacting to one single move.

If you are operating at this level of change acceptance and embrace, you will win in the 2020s.

In your pursuit of navigating the changes that are constant in 2020, it will be imperative to surround yourself with other chess players (from 6 ft away of course) and to consistently look for what is beyond the board that you see changing in front of you each day.

Here are three examples of how I approached this vantage point in my life in 2020 while playing chess rather than checkers.

Scaled My Small Business

While chaos was paralyzing many small businesses in Canada, I decided to sift through the reactionary chaos and to intentionally scale my business intentionally. I had a hunch back in March of 2020 that we would be in the midst of a pandemic until there was a cure — which would be at least 6–12 months. This would cause governments to change their decisions constantly, thus shifting the board almost daily.

Seeing beyond this, I decided to hustle on scaling my business. Given the extra hours I had in my weeks from a lack of events, gatherings and sitting in traffic, I knew it was prime time to scale.

Scaling my business came with many challenges, yes. However, the opportunity was too good to pass up. It was time to harvest, rather than time to gather resources and prepare for winter.

Created A New Product

Pre-pandemic when things were less turbulent, I had planned to launch a journal product in 2021. Given the logistics, time, and energy needed to create something like this, I felt it was a January or February 2021 project.

However, on a beautiful spring morning this past spring, my wife and I were sitting outside and I threw around the idea of creating this product now rather than waiting for 2020. I was shocked to hear how supportive she was in me creating this product now rather than waiting. She was seeing a move that I wasn’t. I had to trust her and made it happen.

That move allowed me to create Your Best Journal in 2020, rather than 2021.

Improved My Remote Productivity

Disclaimer: I am both grateful and blessed to still have full time work in 2020.

Given my full time work moving remote, I immediately began finding ways to improve my full time remote working productivity levels. Having experience dabbling in part time remote work for the past 5 years, I definitely had a leg up in creating these optimal conditions for maximum productivity.

This is something I have continued to refine over the past 5–6 months. Remaining productive in a remote setting day after day, week after week is an art. It takes intentionality and effort. It also takes creativity and experimentation. We are not built to work 40–60 hours a week in isolated, sedentary positions. So, we have to train ourselves to adapt to these changing conditions.

Improving my remote productivity over the past 5–6 months through things like journaling, taking walking phone meetings, and 30-minute siestas, it has been increased my productivity during a time where productivity is a rare commodity.

At the end of the day, none of us intended to be working remotely.
We didn’t intend to have our kids at home rather than “at school”.
We didn’t intend to have to wear a mask in public settings.
We didn’t intend for the unemployment rate to reach double digits.
We didn’t intend for this much change in 2020.

However, the sooner we accept and embrace change and the more often we treat it like a game of chess rather than checkers, the more success will follow.

Ryan

7 Ways To Enhance Your Well-being During A Pandemic

,Few things in life beat a good bout of movement in nature.

While many of us are still adjusting to the new norms of what life is like during a pandemic, it is important to think ahead about the possibility that we may be in an altered state of affairs for some time. It may be more than just a season of change. “Hitting the gym” may continue to be so 2019’s for awhile.

The old routine may be put on hold but there are some ways one can still build resilience and a life of well-being during a pandemic. This is why I created 7 additional ways we can enhance our well-being in the new reality of 2020.

,1. Sleep More (and Better),,

Sleep hygiene is a real game changer for enhancing productivity. I have slept better in the past two months than I did most all of 2019. Why? Because I have better balance in my life.

Each of us have a biocycle. Some of us prefer early mornings, some prefer sleeping in. Some of us work better in the afternoon. Some at night.

Whatever your cycle is, sleep quantity and quality are key. If you are still exhausted each morning it may be a good time during a pandemic to reflect and think about why that is and what you can do to improve your sleep which will in turn enhance your health and increase your productivity.

To read more on how to improve your sleep hygiene, check out these tips from the sleep foundation:

www.sleepfoundation.org

,2. Create a Cozy Reading Nook

My wife and I absolutely fell in love with this post from Barnes&Noble.
Environment shapes behaviour.

After looking at this visual, it just further reiterated the decision we had been tossing around to create a small reading nook in the corner of our apartment.

Turns out, the way we set it up actually allows us to see the sunset better each day and gives us a glimpse of the river nearby. We call it “the riverfront view”. It’s a million dollar view created from a pandemic book nook. Perspective is everything, right?
Maybe there is a corner of your space you have yet to exploit.

3. Make Healthier Meals

Pre pandemic meals were like the majority of people reading this. Rushed, pre prepped, convenient and mostly over priced/bought from a local deli.

Since the world came to a grinding halt, my wife and I have become more mindful of the cost of food and the nutrient value that food offers.

We waste less than ever and portion as we need. We get groceries once ever 10 days and we are always humming a tune around the kitchen. This new norm for us is to slow down our eating and to enjoy the preparation process more in the comfort of our own home rather than going out to get something.

This has also forced us to communicate more about what our meals will look like which has dramatically increased the health of our relationship as well.

Better fuel = better results in all areas of our lives.

Eat better → live better.

4. Develop a New Pre-Day Routine

Pre-day routines were a game changing pre pandemic, and remain even more of a game changer today. Developing a pre-day routine between the hours of 5–7am or 7–9am if you are a late sleeper can set your day on a whole different trajectory. To learn more about establishing pre-day routines, check out this article:

Why You Should Develop a Pre-Day Routine (PDR)

5. Connect More With Your Partner

My partner is a health care professional. She is a true hero. Being able to be around our home more to co create meals, triage housework, and to be able to go for long walks together more often has been a true blessing for our marriage.

During this pandemic, one of the blessings that has come out of it is our ability to connect rather than just communicate.

Pre pandemic we were really great at communicating, but connection was rushed. Now, we connect more than we communicate. Most of our communication is non verbal because we are much more in sync. Result — our relational health is at an all time high.

For more on how to connect better with colleagues, partners, and with yourself, check out this incredible book by John C. Maxwell:

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

6. Save More Money

I am guessing I am not alone here in this department.

In April, my partner and I saved more than most any other month we have on record. Being forced to stay home nudged us to shift our spending habits as well. With so much uncertainty with the economy, we made a few offensive decisions such as trimming down our streaming and subscription services. We also leaned out our monthly budget by wasting far less food. With food prices jumping upwards of 15% in some cases, this was a critical step in supporting our financial well-being.

Now is a great time to rethink how much we spend outside and inside the home. There is a lot of buzz going around about a long recession which will force many of us to rethink our luxuries and how our money is spent. $18 salads may be out of the question. Check out this article by Tim Denning to learn more:

The Great Recession (Realization)


Getting ahead of the big “R” by trimming and evaluating where your money is going is key.
If we are not financially healthy, it produces stress and a lot of “forced productivity” which does not allow room for organic creation. To create well, it is important to be financially well. A thriving economy can allow for this. A recession makes creativity harder.

7. Re Read Old Books

What a glorious time to re-read old books that are sitting on the shelf or on your Audible account. Taking the time now to go back to re-read some business, productivity and/or personal growth books is a great investment in our well-being.

For me, I am re reading books by Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss and John C. Maxwell. Having grown as a leader since reading their books a few years ago, I am finding that their books are hitting me in new ways I never caught before.

It is like re watching your favourite movie and discovering parts of it that you never noticed before.

Maybe there are a few books on the shelf of your home that need to be rekindled in that new book nook. If so, this can be time extremely well spent during a pandemic.

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,Ryan

Partnering With Outcast Foods

If you are reading this, you probably have some basic idea of what FaheyConsulting is and what I (Ryan) stand for.

Wellness has been a foundational component of FaheyConsulting (FC) since it's inception in August of 2019. If we aren't well, how can we lead well in the areas of life that we are called to lead? This is one of the many questions that keep FC moving forward. This is also how many of my great products and services are initially created. Helping individuals go from good to great has to have wellness at the center of that shift. And I want to help individuals and businesses own that shift.

This is why I am beyond excited to continue to be the lead foot in Canada when it comes to wellness and the wellness industry. While it's always changing and growing, it's my desire to move the field forward with FC.

In this effort, I am more than excited to announce a new partnership with an innovative company stemming from Atlantic Canada who is changing how we interact with our food.

This company is called Outcast Foods.

Moving forward Outcast Foods will be fueling FaheyConsulting. From running trails to lifting weights, Outcast Foods is helping me stay fueled to bring top-notch Consulting services and peak state thought leadership to people and small businesses all over the world. It takes a ton of energy and a sharp mind to keep my clients happy, so having a nutritional edge is a game-changer!

Outcast Foods uses the 'rejected' or 'slightly expired' produce from grocery stores across Canada and through their innovative dehydration process, transform these otherwise 'garbage worthy' fruits and vegetables into delicious, nutritious, plant-based protein powders. This process is called "Upcycling" and it is the new uber for humanity. This process (and technology) is going to allow us to reduce our carbon footprint by reducing food waste while simultaneously allowing us to eat healthier by consuming the high nutrient, plant-based protein powders over other powders on the market that are filled with additives, chemicals, and artificial ingredients. You can read more about their upcycling process here.

When I first came across Outcast Foods about a year ago, I was excited to see behind the curtain of what they were doing. Having been taught in the past by their Co-Founder, Dr. Darren Burke, I was thrilled to learn about upcycling. I couldn't believe that this was possible but in the same breath couldn't believe we hadn't been doing this sooner.

Fast forward to 2020, and I am proud to be partnering with such an innovative wellness company here in Canada that can fuel me as I continue to live and lead a healthy lifestyle.

I would encourage you all to check out Outcast Foods and to grab one of their plant-based powders here.

Our wellness is such a crucial investment and we must invest in this area first and foremost throughout life. But it doesn't stop there. We need to continue to invest in ways to better support our environment and the planet as a whole. One way to do this is by supporting companies like Outcast who are pioneering positive changes towards improving our environmental wellness. As I have said in my recent book, Your Best Decade, I firmly believe that our legacy is greater than our resume and we all have a small part to play in making the world a better, more healthy place. :)

Give them a follow on Instagram to hear all about their great recipes and ways that their products can support your health and wellness and to see how you can get involved in their sustainability initiatives!

Ryan

3 Ways of Forecasting Your Life That Will Improve Your Wellness

In order to lead well, we first must be well.

Staying well is tough in the 2020s.

Being proactive with our wellness through forecasting the next big stumbling block that may come up in life is even tougher.

When stumbling blocks make their way into our lives, the easiest thing to do is to give up or give in to the conditions around us. It is human nature as we are geared to follow the path of least resistance. Our walls cave in and we retreat.

The hardest thing to do sometimes is to accept the stumbling block for what it is and to let it happen ,FOR you, rather than ,TO you. Acceptance can mean we are able to then stay in the fight rather than running for the hills.

Each one of us has stumbling blocks in our days, weeks, and months that can directly take us from ‘being well’ to ‘not being well at all’. Things like injuries, a bad diagnosis, changing news around a pandemic, school cancelations, bad weather, the threat of losing a job, etc.. These are all stumbling blocks that can nudge us toward personal disaster and away from the one thing we should try to control — our wellness.

The good news with all of the stumbling blocks that exist (especially in 2020) we can and in fact should have some sort of control over these pain-producing disasters.

In reclaiming our wellness, we can gain control over some of these stumbling blocks through this one word:

Forecasting

Forecasting is referred to daily in weather circles. We hear the word and immediately think of the weather. We hear the word and we look up.

However, the term ‘forecasting’ is not exclusive to your local weatherman or weatherwoman. It can be applied to our own lives as well. Instead of looking up or at what might be out the door, what if we looked inside instead.

Being able to forecast your life is an incredible way to gain control over the seemingly uncontrollable. Just as we find comfort in knowing (and preparing) for what the weather may be, we can do the exact same thing in our own lives each day.

Here are three ways you can start forecasting your life today, to improve your wellness tomorrow:

Plan For Challenges

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Alan Lakein

Planning for challenges is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your wellness.

One of the biggest reasons why resolutions fail each year is due to a lack of forecasting. A conscious decision is made to change a habit, to get healthier, or to lose 20 pounds. While these resolutions are often well-intentioned, without proper forecasting, things go awry quickly. For example, when you leave your house to go somewhere do you leave earlier than expected just in case there is a traffic jam? When you plan to attend a fitness class do you bring an extra bottle of water just in case your bottle falls and spills? When you are making a nice, healthy meal with your family, do you have another healthy meal as a backup just in case something doesn’t turn out right?

Through forecasting and looking ahead to what might go wrong, you are able to be more prepared when it comes to your wellness. You will have that extra water bottle for the day you need it. You will have that time cushion for that one day you are stuck in traffic and you will still be able to eat healthily as a second option if the first option doesn’t work out.

Move First Thing In The Morning

“Lose an hour in the morning — chase it for the rest of the day.” — a Yiddish saying, unknown

If the goal is to be well, movement has to be a priority. In making it a priority, it should also be done first thing in the morning.

Similar to the challenges above, there are hundreds of things each day that can go wrong that can mentally throw you for a loop or physically take the time you had scheduled for your exercise for something else that has become more urgent.

Think about it — when was the last time a day actually went exactly as you wanted it to? I bet it didn’t happen more than in the past month.

Even with the absolute best intentions and planning, your scheduled movement time can be taken away or shrank down due to other competing priorities or personal disasters that may be out of your control.

Getting that movement in first thing in the morning can alleviate the compounded stress of sitting on your couch at the end of the day in self-guilt. Letting daily movement get away from us is like being the first customer on a hot summer day who gets told there is no more ice cream.

Get movement in early and often.

Live On The Offensive

“When the goal is merely to “get through” the day as quickly as possible, life will pass full of regrets.” — Benjamin Hardy, PhD

In creating a life that is well, one of the best forecasting techniques is to live life on the offensive. If you take the notes from above, you can begin to see what needs to be done to continue to enhance your wellness is to live on the offensive, rather than the defensive. We can’t expect our lives to magically become well. We have to intentionally plan for it to be well. We have to take personal responsibility to make it happen.

Below is a great article that dives deeper into how to live life on the offensive to enhance your wellness.

Why You Should Get Off The Sidelines
Life Happens on The Offensive
medium.com

At the end of the day, forecasting is about looking ahead in order to make your life even greater than it was yesterday. Proper forecasting allows us to control what we can control and provides us space to better adjust when things don’t go as planned.

Ryan