Have you ever wondered what the highest and best use of your life is?

The phrase “highest and best use” is one I first heard used in the context of real estate development a couple of years ago, when I hired an appraiser to give me the value of a piece of property.  He asked me, “Do you want me to appraise the value of the property according to its current use or its highest and best use?”

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I asked, “What’s the difference?”

He replied that if he appraised the property according to its current use, he would determine a value for both the land and the existing buildings based on how they are currently being used.

But, if he appraised the property according to its highest and best use, he would ignore the existing buildings and determine a value for just the land according to its maximum usefulness and profitability, based on its physical attributes, possible zoning options, and what could reasonably be developed there. [Read more…]

“Remember to stay on your own side of the lawn.  The grass might be greener on the other side, but it doesn’t mean it’s better.”

Words of wisdom from “Don,” a guy in his late 50’s or early 60’s if I had to guess, whom I often run into at the locker room at the Y.

“Don” always has some kind of statement or comment for everyone he meets at the Y.  Sometimes he reminds me of Justin Halpern’s dad from “Sh*t My Dad Says“. Other times, he has something good to say that actually has some wisdom to it.  Like today.

“Remember to stay on your own side of the lawn.  The grass might be greener on the other side, but it doesn’t mean it’s better.”

I told him I thought he was on to something there with that statement.  We exchanged ideas back and forth a bit. [Read more…]

In my last post, I talked about Bill Gates’ “Think Week”, when two times a year, Bill would get away for a week to a cabin in the woods, and do nothing but read and think creatively and strategically about some of the biggest opportunities, challenges or problems facing Microsoft.

“Think Week” got me thinking about how powerful it is to get away from all distractions and focus on a certain problem, idea, or life area for a large block of time.

Of course, not everyone can take a whole week like Bill Gates – maybe all you can do is a weekend, a day, or even just half a day.  And you might not be able to go away to a cabin – maybe it’s a hotel, a park or beach, a campground, or even just the library. You might call it Think Week or Think Day, a retreat, or just a day away.

Whatever you call it, wherever you go, and how ever long you can do it, this dedicated time can bring you to new levels of focus, clarity, momentum and success in whatever area you choose to work on.

Imagine what could happen if you got away from it all and gave focused attention to your: [Read more…]

Are the skills that got you where you’re at today the ones you’ll need to achieve your goals and dreams tomorrow?  I think many of us would admit that the answer is no…and that’s why life long learning is so important.

Earlier this week, Chris Brogan talked about this on his blog, which got me thinking about the fact that not all skills are created equal.  Some are more important than others.  Some are way more important than others.

I grew up in Southwestern Michigan where a cherry farm has hosted the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship for 37 years. Rick “Pellet Gun” Krause (pictured), who won the 2010 competition earlier this month, is a 16-time champion.  His winning spit this year was 51 feet, 3 inches!

I  have to give him credit – this is an achievement.  I don’t know how far I can spit a pit, but I know it’s [Read more…]