wesleydonehue

Say Goodbye To My Blog

February 14, 2013 by wesleydonehue

Now is the time to say goodbye to my blog. This was a fun project that changed many aspects of my life. I would encourage you to analyze the way you’re living and then take an extended period of time to become a better person.

For a summary of my Man Project, read the following posts:

About The Man Project

What I Learned:

1. Travel – Explore the World you live in
2. Concentrate on God
3. Quit trying to be like Everyone Else
4. Concentrate On What You Are Good At
5. Concentrate on Relationships
6. Concentrate on Your Body
7. Concentrate on Your Mind
8. Develop the Courage to Step Outside your Comfort Zone
9. Focus on Experiences, Not Money
10. Set Goals. Measure. Succeed.

Click here to check out my other 325 posts.

I appreciate you reading. Your friendship means a lot. Now its time to focus on the next chapter of my life – innovating politics.

Live long and prosper,

Wesley

Filed Under: Being Better

Travel – Explore the World you live in

February 5, 2013 by wesleydonehue

Traveling is one thing that many people do not get to do, but they should. Traveling in itself gives you the opportunity to not only explore different countries, but different cultures as well. It is not easy for outsiders to begin to understand the differences in cultures, until you experience it for yourself.

From Humble Beginnings

When I was younger, I grew up very poor, which is something that I have discussed before here on my blog, and being poor comes with limitations. I saw many different parts of the world on television and just knew that I would never get to see them. It seemed to be the stuff that you only dream of.

Fast forward several years and I’ve had the opportunity to not only travel across the country – including Hawaii – but also across the world. I’ve been to France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Amsterdam, China, Ireland, Turkey, Mexico, and many spots in the Caribbean. Those of you who have been following along also know that I took a trip to Israel in December – traveling only with a backpack.

Open your Eyes to Different Cultures

It is understandable to blink twice or raise an eyebrow when questioning the various cultures that we hear about on television or in the newspaper. I can honestly say that in order to really see how these cultures live, it is necessary to open up your eyes as well as your mind. Once you have the opportunity to experience these cultures firsthand, and open up your mind to the reasons why they live the way they do, only then can you begin to understand why they believe what they do.

Mark Twain was quoted saying, “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I would agree.

Traveling has been a real eye-opening experience for me and it has afforded me the luxury of experiencing different cultures firsthand. It is an opportunity that I am thankful for, and one that you will be thankful for, too.

Famous Last Words

One of the most inspiring quotes that I’ve heard in regards to traveling came from Anthony Bourdain at the end of his No Reservations series:

“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”

Filed Under: Being Better, Travel

Concentrate on God

February 4, 2013 by wesleydonehue

You don’t have to look far these days to see the name of God being used in an ill-contrived lesson. People use the name of God, for what appears to be, all the wrong reasons. The biggest thing that I’ve noticed is that not only has our nation appeared to be moving away from God, but Christians – the very ones who tout that God is our savior – are moving further away from God as well. It seems like a provocative statement, but I firmly believe it to be the truth.

Preach Love, Not Hate

It used to be that when people preached God, they preached love and acceptance. Now they are using the word of God and his existence to preach hate. Hate those who are not the same, Hate those who do not believe what you believe, Hate those who denounce God… it goes on and on and on.

Why is there so much hate in the world? What does it solve? The truth is it solves absolutely nothing at all. So why do Americans, and the rest of the world for that matter, continue to preach hate?

Increasing Frustrations

As a Republican political consultant, I’ve become increasingly frustrated by the hate that is consistently thrown towards other human beings. The Republican party isn’t going to grow itself by telling people why they aren’t good enough to be Republicans or even worse, outlining why they aren’t good people.

To make matters worse, it’s not just in politics. I’m also frustrated with the members of the church who seem to make it their mission to focus more on who they hate, versus actually practicing the love of God.

The truth is actually quite simple: We are not going to succeed in spreading God’s word through heat-filled rhetoric. That only turns people off and serves to prove that we are hypocrites. On that note I might add, the world is full of hypocrites, and yes, some go to church. Even though I try to avoid hypocrisy, I still ultimately fail. Know that hypocrisy is a human trait but not a trait of God… concentrate on Him.

Filed Under: A day in the life, Faith

Quit trying to be like Everyone Else

February 1, 2013 by wesleydonehue

There’s no doubt that many people try to fit in with what they think is popular at the time. Whether you buy the fashion trends, try to become more like people who seem to have everything or just try to change yourself to be more like the “norm,” you are doing yourself a disservice. Why spend all of that effort trying to be more like someone else, when you can take the same amount of time and value yourself for who you are. Uniqueness is a trait that you do not see everywhere, so screw trying to fit in. Be yourself, and that is what will set you on the path to success.

No Guarantees

Even if you do succeed in trying to be like others, there is no guarantee that you will be accepted. Stop competing with others and focus more on your own unique talents and skill set.

Basically what I am trying to say is that too many people are trying to be just like everyone else, thinking that they will fit in. In the end, all you are really doing is denying who you are. Instead of questioning your identity, embrace it.

Be a Disruption

Those who take the opportunity to embrace who they are will likely achieve more. Think about some of the most popular names we know today – Martin Luther King, our founding fathers – George Washington, et al. These people have taken the liberty of stepping outside of the comfort zone and instead of trying to fit in decided that they could get further by disrupting what we know. Martin Luther King fought for freedom and equality for all, our founding fathers fought for freedom from the British empire.

If you think of the world of technology, you’ll think of people like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, innovators in the field of technology who instead of going with the mainstream, wanted to create something bigger, something better. Facebook is regularly used by millions, the iPhone, iPad and iPod are regularly sought after. They took a chance and it worked out for them. With the right amount of determination, it can work out for you too, you just have to be yourself.

To quote Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: A day in the life, Being Better

Screw political correctness

January 27, 2013 by wesleydonehue

As a political operative, its my job to call out issues and movements with which I disagree. While I will call out an individual for delivering what I consider to be a wrong message, I try not to call out people out for their morals. I don’t want to rock the boat too much and I certainly don’t want to be politically incorrect. I’m not the most important person in the world, or even on my neighborhood block, but things I say have a tendency to end up in the news. My political mentor once told me “its not your job to be in the news. It’s your job to get your clients in the news.” He’s right. And lets be honest, the majority of times I ended up in the news, it wasn’t for the most positive actions.

That’s why I try not to insult, but I have discovered over the past few years while watching the moral decline of our nation that political correctness is killing our nation. Too many of us stay quiet. We don’t want to be labeled haters. Or judgmental. Or maybe we don’t want our own sins uncovered. We don’t want to feel, or even worse, be publicly labeled, as hypocrites.

I’ve written about this before. I said that as Christians, we shouldn’t be pointing out others sins while full of sins ourselves. I still believe that. But I also believe we should address our own sins AND start calling out those who are ruining our nation.

Read this exchange between myself and SC Democratic Executive Director Amanda Loveday.

I have always liked Amanda and besides the one time when out of frustration I told her to wear a muzzle, I have tried to treat her with respect. She’s smart and motivated, but here she shows the problem we are facing. As soon as we start calling people out for their actions, liberals start labeling us judgemental. They love throwing Matthew 7:1 in our face “do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Like I wrote last week, that one snippet of Jesus’ words don’t tell the full story.

Jesus did not say to not judge. He went on to say in verses 7:2 – 5 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus was saying that when measuring others, make sure that you are also measuring yourself by the same standard. Make sure you are addressing your own sins. Anything else is hypocritical.

I am a sinner. I curse too much. I probably drink a little too much. My heart often fills with anger and I have a terrible time with jealousy. And if you have read my past rants, you will know that I see jealousy as the worse of all sins:

“Jealousy is the reason for all other sins, giving its creator pride the title of “the greatest sin.” As C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity “it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice.” Very true.

I work on my sins everyday, but just because I sin does not mean that I do not have the right to call out the sins that are sending our nation on a downward spiral.

Absolute rights and absolute wrongs do exist. And with rising rates of abortion, teenage pregnancy and divorce, we know that it is not an opinion that our morals are sliding. It is fact.

Screw political correctness. I’m done watching our nation’s moral decline while staying quiet. I will address the issue with love and not the hate we all too often see, but I will talk more about our morals. If you don’t like it, just label me judgmental…because I am. You should be too.

- Wesley Donehue

PS – PLEASE leave your thoughts in the comments sections. If you agree, say you agree. Feel free to give me your rant. If you disagree, let’s talk about it.

Filed Under: Faith, Uncategorized

Push Digital

January 24, 2013 by wesleydonehue

When most people hear the word “data,” either their eyes glaze over or they start thinking about their favorite re-run of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Data is boring. It isn’t sexy. It isn’t fun. But it is THE most important trend in tech right now, and if you don’t take it seriously, you’re going to end up just like the people who called social media a fad less than a decade ago.

If you’ve ever worked on a political operation, or any cause for that matter, you’ve probably seen firsthand and been frustrated by how political, communications, and finance operations are off in their own separate silos and don’t talk to one another. And even if they do talk, they probably aren’t sharing their data.

Political has a list of folks that wave signs, but never passes that list on to finance to follow up to see if those same folks might also chip in $10. Finance doesn’t pass along its list of low-dollar donors to political, to see if they might show up at a rally. Or on the vendor side, mail and TV might be putting out several different messages to the same group of people, rather than coordinating as they should be.

Those are just a couple of simple examples, but the bottom line is that the “big three” branches of a political campaign typically aren’t as well coordinated as they should be, and for a lot of campaigns, tech – the one entity capable of unifying and coordinating all the other aspects – is left off in its own little silo as well. Or even worse, tech itself is siloed down into its component parts of comms, political, and fundraising.

One campaign got it right, and that’s Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. Tech and hardcore data analytics drove every aspect of that campaign, and all parts of the campaign were talking to each other.

Data is the future. And to that end, we’re rebranding our firm to reflect our reemphasis on data: Donehue Direct is now Push Digital.

Filed Under: Tech

Are you a prophet? Or are you making dumb arguments?

January 22, 2013 by wesleydonehue

Pro-life activists often use a passage from Jeremiah to argue that life begins at conception. Jeremiah 1:5 states:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”

Except that’s not all it says. The Lord’s full declaration to Jeremiah is:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

In a San Francisco church we attended Sunday, the Pastor read a different passage from Jeremiah in making the point that God has a plan for you. Jeremiah 29:11 states:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Except that’s not what is says. The full passage is:

“When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

In making the argument for same-sex marriage, a lot of liberal activists quote the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Except that’s not all that is says. Jefferson’s full quote is:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Perhaps its because I work in politics and every day I see a reporter cherry pick a quote from my clients to gain more readership, but lately this is something that really gets under my skin. It seems disingenuous to use a quote without providing the context, or at the very least, using the full quote.

Maybe God was saying that he knows the name of every baby before he/she is born, and I certainly believe he does, but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t saying that every baby is a prophet.

Maybe God does have a plan for every one of us, and I believe he does, but I’m pretty sure in that particular verse from Jeremiah, he was talking about a group of people who were exiled from their land. Specifically, he was talking about his chosen people in his promised land.

And yes, we all do have natural and equal rights, but make not mistake about it, those rights are endowed by the Creator. All the while, many liberals tell us “not to force our beliefs on them” while arguing for the rights the Founders believed emanated from God. How can we claim rights granted by a Creator, while denying His existence, or in some cases going so far as to mock those who believe?

All I’m saying is that I have a hard time listening to debate or sermons or pretty much anything where the basis of the argument is a half-quote or one taken out of context.

- Wesley Donehue

PS – I don’t post these type rants because I have all the answers. I do so to encourage civil conversation and debate. Tell me what you think.

Filed Under: Faith, Growth

Concentrate On What You Are Good At

January 21, 2013 by wesleydonehue

One of the most important lessons that a person – including myself – has to learn is that there is only so much time in the day. You don’t want to waste your time focusing on BS work when there are more pressing matters that will have more of an effect on your success.

Utilize the Pareto Principle

One of the most successful business theories that you can put to use is known as the Pareto Principle. This theory essentially states that 80% of your success in business comes from 20% of your work. To put this theory to use, it is up to you to determine what that particular 20% is that will fuel your success and eliminate the other 80%. How do you eliminate it? Easy, you hire people to do it for you.

Many successful business men have secretaries who maintain their schedules and handle the mundane work while they focus on growing their business by handling the more important matters. Others have a slew of employees who handle specialized areas such as writing, marketing and accounting.

Learn to Let Go

When it comes to business, you cannot be afraid to hire other people. By hiring other people to handle the more time consuming tasks that drain your energy and pass half the day, you are allowing yourself to increase your income 10-fold, because you have more time to focus on what actually brings in money.

It can be difficult to learn to let go – especially if you are a micromanager – but you will never be able to experience the degree of success that you desire, if you don’t.

Let that be an important lesson, the sooner you let go of the BS work, the sooner you can focus on what is important and watch your business grow.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better, Tech

Concentrate on Relationships

January 11, 2013 by wesleydonehue

Relationships are very important and we will inevitably begin new ones throughout our lives. Whether these relationships are personal or business in nature, there are surefire rules that will help you create and foster successful endeavors.

Rule #1: Invest in People

In business, there are two guidelines – hire slowly, fire quickly. You want to take your time and make sure you find the best person suited to the job you are hiring for, but after that you need to make sure that the employee is going to do the job. Repeated lack of performance is an excellent reason to get rid of employees and the reason is simple. Mitt Romney had it right when he said that corporations are people. Your entire business is about people and your business is only as good as the people you hire.

Rule #2: Eliminate the Drama

Leave the drama to the soap operas and people who believe they are soap opera characters can be left behind as well. There is far too much drama in this world and it achieves absolutely nothing. It is important to surround yourself with people who want to be more. If you want to be more religious, you would surround yourself with good, religious people. If you aim to be more successful in your business or innovation, you have to surround yourself with people who live to change the world. This is why I spend quite a lot of time in San Francisco where the atmosphere is positive and focused on necessary change.

Rule #3: Focus on those Closest to you

Those of you who have been following me know that I have made it a point to include “Elizabeth time” in my schedule, and there is good reason for this. Fostering the relationships that are nearest and dearest to your heart is good for you. It helps you to grow as a person, and as a couple, or as a family. These are the relationships that will sustain you, more so than business relationships and they should be a significant part of your life.

You are judged by the company you keep, and I firmly believe this. As such, I’ll leave you with these quotes:

“Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

“He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.” Proverbs 13: 20

Filed Under: A day in the life, Being Better, Travel

Concentrate on Your Body

January 10, 2013 by wesleydonehue

I’m back from my trip to Israel, the SC legislative session is in full swing and our Internet shop is starting to get swamped again. Before the craziness of 2013 begins, I want to continue my Man Project summary (http://www.wesleydonehue.com/2012/12/13/the-man-project/).

Last week (http://www.wesleydonehue.com/2012/12/31/concentrate-on-your-mind/), I stressed the importance of concentrating on your mind to keep it in good shape. Today, I’m going to focus on the importance of taking care of your body. You only get one body and your habits will define your health, essentially, for the rest of your life. If you consistently feed your body junk, it is not going to perform the way you want it to and you will find that you will no longer have the mental or physical energy to do what you want.

Exercise is Critical

It’s not hard to see that exercise has taken a back seat for most people. Sure, we are busy and life is demanding, but there is always time to add a little bit of exercise in. This year, I was able to shed 20 pounds and as a result, I am in the best shape of my life. If you’re wondering how I did it, I exercise six days a week, 45 minutes a day.

I started with the Insanity program by Beachbody, which is an extremely intense workout, but it is worth every bit of sweat. The program is eight weeks along and promises to get you in the best shape of your life. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete the program as I suffered a serious back injury in the seventh week of the program and had to switch to a kettleball workout. I planned to start back this week, but jetlag and the flu has me down. Monday is my go day. It’s on like Donkey Kong.

Diet is Just as Important, If not More

Exercise is important, indeed, but so is your diet, perhaps even more so. Elizabeth switched to a vegan diet about eight months ago, I’m not quite there yet, but I do eat vegan or vegetarian at least 80% of the time. One thing I do not do – I do not eat junk food, no soda or any type of fast food except occasionally on my cheat day. These products are laced with not only calories, but also preservatives and high levels of sodium, which are no good for you. The ONLY time I drink soda is when I mix Bacardi and Diet Coke, a concoction said to have 0 calories.

Each day I drink at least three liters of water to continuously flush out the toxins. I make it a point to eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up to jump start my energy. I’ve also reduced the amount of alcohol that I consume which has become increasingly important during election seasons and legislative session.

Of course, this is not to say that you can’t cheat, you should always allow yourself one day to cheat each week – a guilty pleasure, if you will.

Here’s the most important thing I’ve learned about staying in shape – if you don’t buy junk food, you won’t eat junk food. I’m a snacker. If there is a bbq potato chip in front of me, you best believe that I’m inhaling it as fast I can. That’s why Elizabeth and I NEVER purchase junk food and keep a full stock of almonds, fruits and cut up veggies in the kitchen.

The diet and exercise that I do helps me stay in shape, but it also keeps me healthy, which allows me to continue living the way I do.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better, Health

You of little faith

January 7, 2013 by wesleydonehue

‘It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David.”

– 2 Chronicles 33:30

The story of King Hezekiah can be found in the books of Isaiah, 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. He is not a fictional character. We know he existed. Science and archaeology prove he existed. Proof can be found all across Jerusalem.

We all see the fight between science and religion and nowhere is it more defined than in creationism. I often find myself in debates with others, and often in debates with myself, about the creation of our world. My brain is programmed to accept scientific facts. Perhaps that is the way God wired me or perhaps I programmed myself as a child. I do not know where it happened, but it happened and it creates within me an internal struggle that is very hard to reconcile.

I want to believe the Bible, but hearing Bible stories as a child often makes me believe that they are just that – stories, or fiction. I need to touch something. I need to see something. My brain demands proof.

Matthew 14:22-36 tells us the story of Jesus walking on water. Peter asks Jesus “tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replies “come” and Peter steps out onto the Sea of Galilee. But after a few steps, Peter begins to sink and we are told “immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’”

Elizabeth recently asked me “who is your favorite disciple?” It’s Peter. He is a man who doubted, a man who even denied Jesus three times, yet he became the foundation of the church and was even martyred for Christ.

I am no Peter, but it does make me feel better that even Jesus proclaimed Peter’s lack of faith, yet Peter became so faithful that he allowed himself to be crucified upside down.

This week I was baptized in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. I stood in the tomb in which Jesus was resurrected. Elizabeth and I read Psalms of Accession to my church group while ascending the steps of Jerusalem. I prayed for my family in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus wept and prayed for his people. I forged eternal memories but it was in the tunnel of Hezekiah that my faith was strengthened.

The 2000-year-old 1,700 foot tunnel connecting the Gihon spring to the western side of the City of David lies far underground. There is no reason to even believe the tunnel was there aside from the Bible telling us so. In 1838 the tunnel was found exactly where the Bible told us it was dug through solid rock.

I felt like Indiana Jones walking beneath the Israeli ground and it was while humming John Williams’ theme to Indiana Jones and talking to our guide, Ronny Simon (more on him later), that it hit me – I was walking through a tunnel, I was touching it, I was seeing it, a tunnel described by the Bible, uncovered and definitively labeled by science. This was not fiction. This was a Biblical truth.

That demands a question – if Hezekiah’s tunnel is fact, why would the rest of the Holy Scriptures not also be fact?

The Bible is not fiction. The Bible is a historical document describing the history and saving of our world. You may be one of little faith and if so, I recommend a journey to the Holy Land. This is too important of a subject to doubt. And if you are one of strong faith and little doubt, a trip to Israel will be even more meaningful.

- Wesley Donehue

ps – read more about our trip at www.wesleydonehue.tumblr.com.

Filed Under: Faith, Uncategorized

Concentrate on Your Mind

December 31, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Hello from Tiberias, Israel. We are having such a great time learning more about the Bible, this great promised land and the history behind the stories most of us have heard our whole lives.
In taking some time off, especially after something as stressful as an election cycle (that started super early because of the Presidential election) most people would have picked some relaxing tropical island. Me, I wanted to learn, so I was eager to take up Elizabeth’s suggestion that we join the church on this great journey.
In continuing my posts telling you what I learned over the course of The Man Project, today I’m telling you about how important learning, and growing your mind, is to becoming a better person.
Your mind is your greatest tool, hands down. You use it in everything. It is your method of thinking, acting and developing throughout your life. This is why it is important to take care of your mind as a part of taking care of yourself. It is also important to grow your mind, to keep it active. An idle mind is nobody’s friend and it has been scientifically proven that the more you exercise your mind, the stronger it is and the more chances you have of fighting off debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
In addition to getting eight hours of sleep a night, I also make it a point to consistently engage my mind by reading. I stay away from the television and I read the news, a book and I meditate to clear my mind from the day’s stresses and thinking.

Read for an Hour a Day

Why an hour? Why not? Break it up throughout the day; spend 30 minutes reading a book and another 30 minutes reading the news. Both are entertaining, and more importantly, the simple act of reading is helping to keep your mind learning, and thus making it stronger.
This is not a hard goal to reach, although some days, you might find it harder to find the spare time to read than others. Read before you go to bed, or when you first wake up in the morning to stimulate your mind the most.

Meditate for 15 Minutes Each Day

Meditating is great for both the mind and soul. It is a release, you are letting go of all the day’s events and focusing your efforts internally. Our minds become so overloaded throughout the day, that it is not surprising when it becomes too much for us to handle. Oftentimes an active mind will keep you awake at night, jumping from one event to the other and reliving the day’s activities. Meditating can help to put your mind at ease and help you get a good night’s sleep, which brings me to my next point.

Get the Rest You Need

Rest isn’t just for your body; your brain needs the rest even more. Think about it this way – when you are tired, you find it hard to concentrate, right? Not only that but you begin to experience delayed responses and become sluggish. This is because your brain is not at its sharpest and as a result is not able to carry out the seemingly effortless tasks that it does after eight hours of sleep.
Nothing is more important than getting the rest you need. Don’t sacrifice sleep for work, the work will always be there the next day and you will need your mind to work – remember that.

Filed Under: Being Better, Uncategorized

How to act on that overwhelming to-do list

December 27, 2012 by wesleydonehue

When reading this blog, please don’t mistake me for being one of those guys who believes he knows everything. I don’t. Hell, I barely know anything. I have, however, taken it upon myself to learn some things, specifically how to solve problems in the most efficient way possible. Some people call that “lifehacking,” a term I have come to accept.

This weekend a friend came to me with a problem I found myself having last year. I was so overwhelmed with so much on my to-do list that I actually became stagnant. My whole life became stagnant. By having so much to do, I actually got nothing done. Instead of scratching off items, I stared at Facebook, got into Twitter fights and obsessed over gossip blogs.

Doesn’t sound like the path to success, does it?

I knew I had to get over this hump in the most time-efficient and cost-effective manner possible. In order to help my friend with her current problem, I’m sharing I did:

1. I wrote every single to-do item down a piece of paper.
2. Taking a second piece of paper, I broke each item down into achievable milestones. Milestones are those sub-to-do items that must be done to scratch off the to-do item.

Let’s pause here for a second to explain the difference.

For you, the to-do item might be “sell the house.” Imagine how many things must be done to scratch that big boy off. For me, the to-do item was “launch website for client X.”

The milestones to accomplish that to-do item were:

- sketch website concept
- mock up wireframes
- have client approve a wireframe
- design website
- have client approve design
- sketch out functionality
- develop website
- write content
- handle server/domain/emails
- have client approve content
- launch donation platform
- launch CRM
- launch email system
- paste content and connect social networks, CRM, donation platform and email system
- handle SEO
(and about 20 other items)

3. I then decided which of those items had to be handled by me and which ones I could give to staff (delegated milestones). During my busiest times, such as campaign season, I never do things myself that can be handled by someone else. I follow Pareto’s Principle (80% of your productivity comes from 20% of your work, so eliminate the 80%, concentrate on the 20%, and maximize productivity and profit). For example, during election years I always pay someone to handle my lawn work. Sure, it takes a chunk out of my wallet, but I can make that money back ten-fold by doing my company work for two hours rather than cutting the grass.

For me, that looked like this:

Launch website for client X

- sketch website concept – ME
- mock up wireframes – ADAM
- have client approve a wireframe – JOEL
- design website – ADAM
- have client approve design – JOEL
- sketch out functionality – ME
- develop website – BRIAN
- write content – JOEL
- handle server/domain/emails – ADAM
- have client approve content – JOEL
- launch donation platform – JONATHAN
- launch CRM – JONATHAN
- launch email system – JONATHAN
- paste content and connect social networks, CRM, donation platform and email system – ADAM
- handle SEO – JONATHAN

4. I then prioritized each to do item by writing them down on a third piece of paper, listing all milestones below them.

5. Next, I listed all my milestones on a fourth piece of paper and all my delegated milestones on a fifth piece of paper, both in order of priority.

6. I then assign a due date to each milestone. This is extremely important. Without concrete due dates, both you and your delegates will put work off.

7. I put all milestones into a system that can monitor and send reminders of milestones. I use Basecamp and have for years.

It is important to note that I do not separate my work and personal to-dos and milestones. That’s because the two are so intertwined as is the case for most business owners.

Through this method I was able to lifehack my way past stagnation and the to-do items started falling off my list.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: A day in the life

How To Be More Interesting according to Forbes

December 25, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Merry Christmas!

I love this day because after spending time with family, I get to catch up on some reading. Here’s a great article I ran across on Forbes, explaining how to be more interesting in 10 simple steps. Read the entire article here.

1. Go exploring.
2. Share what you discover.
3. Do something. Anything.
4. Embrace your innate weirdness.
5. Have a cause.
6. Minimize the swagger.
7. Give it a shot.
8. Hop off the bandwagon.
9. Grow a pair.
10. Ignore the scolds.

As you can see, these ten aren’t too different from the 11 things I learned during The Man Project.

Read the full article by Forbes here.

- Wesley Donehue

PS – Here is another great article from Forbes – 6 simple rituals to reach your potential everyday.

Filed Under: Being Better

Develop the Courage to Step Outside your Comfort Zone

December 20, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Our comfort zones are our safe place, and venturing outside of this comfort zone is enough to create discomfort, anxiety and sometimes, even full blown panic attacks. Despite this, it is necessary to do; otherwise you will never go anywhere.

Growing up Poor

I’m very open about my past as a child; I come from a poor background in which I never ventured out of the south. To even put gas in the tank of our car, we had to dig deep in the cushions of the couch and hope that we found some quarters, otherwise there was no going anywhere – not that we ever went far anyway.
Now, that I’m older and more successful, not only have I ventured out of the south, I’ve traveled around the world. You can only imagine how uncomfortable it is for me having been confined to the south for my entire childhood – to arrive at the Istanbul Airport and try to flag down a Turkish taxi driver – it definitely requires a bit of stepping out of my comfort zone.

Sucking it Up

I also experience some level of discomfort in my business as well. When it comes to negotiating contracts and business deals, there is no doubt that I often feel out of my element. This is also true when it comes to having to fire someone, these all rank under the category of being the most uncomfortable thing in the world. Inevitably, I suck it up and do it because it is essential for me to grow and thrive – both as a person and as a business.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that anything new – or anything that we dread – is going to cause quite a bit of discomfort, but it is up to us as individuals to overcome this discomfort and propel ourselves forward.
It’s also known as growth, growing beyond our initial comfort zones and developing new ones at the same time.

Filed Under: A day in the life

Focus on Experiences, Not Money

December 19, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Many people are driven by money, thinking that the root of happiness lies within the more money you make. This is one of the biggest misconceptions that I can think of. Money does not buy happiness, it is the experiences you have throughout your life that create happiness money just affords you the luxury of having more experiences.

*Why Possessions Don’t Matter*

Think about why you strive to earn more money. Is it because you want that beautiful big house, that fancy car or perhaps another car? Maybe it’s because you want to buy a boat or need the newest technology in your hands. The more money you earn, the more you have to put toward big experiences, but typically, they are allocated to possessions that only succeed in tying you down.

My Landrover is falling apart. The radio doesn’t work. Neither does the cruise control. I can’t open the door for my wife because the passenger door won’t unlock from the outside. Water literally pours into my lap when it rains. Yep, its that bad. But it runs. It gets me to work, sometimes wet, but it accomplishes the mission. Instead of having a car payment every month, I spend that money on travel. I see the world.

Why should you let your money go to possessions that tie you down, when you can live and have the best experiences of your life?

*The Perfect Example*

One of my friends, Preston, spent a month in Paris – an entire month – for the cost of what most people pay to go to Paris for a week or two, or better yet, what some people spend on their monthly mortgage, car payment and subsequent bills. With only $3,500, he managed to enjoy himself for a month’s time and this included his housing and his flight.

How did he do this? He created his own business that allows for flexible travel, and why not? Who says success has to tie you down to a single office when you can do as he did and get out there, experience the world and focus on experiences, rather than the dollar.

*Eat and Drink Well*

You might think I’ve taken an unexpected turn here, but in actuality, eating and drinking well is vital, too. In order to experience the things you want, you need to be in good shape and that means saving your money so you can experience real food and real drinks. Quit drinking a 12-pack of bullshit beer and start visiting micro-brews where the quality is excellent and the experience is unbeatable.

This year, I took up microbrew drinking as a hobby. As such, I always drink local and make it a point to visit a micro-brewery in every town I visit. It’s part of my experience I get to experience the culture up close.

Experiences are what define your life not money. When you are older and you talk with your grandkids and great-grandkids, working non-stop to make more money is not the kind of story you want to share. By having great experiences throughout your life, you can share these stories later on and inspire others to do the same. Money comes and goes, but your experiences and your memories will last a lifetime.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better

Set Goals. Measure. Succeed.

December 15, 2012 by wesleydonehue

“Decide What to Be and Go Be It”

Anyone who is familiar with The Avett Brothers will recognize this lyric from their song “Road Full of Doubt, Head Full of Promises.” The reason for adding this lyric to my website header is simple – it has come to summarize my idea for life and the way I choose to live.

My life hasn’t always been the easiest, and despite the good fortune that I have established for myself, I still live by the basic guidelines of life and this has what has made me reach the level of success that I have reached.

The main thing that you have to do in order to be what you want to is to set goals and measure everything. This is true in terms of both short-term and long-term goals. Start off by establishing a long-term goal for yourself and then map it out. It should be broken down into a yearly plan, six month plan, one month plan, and finally your daily goals that you want to achieve.

By breaking it down into several goals, you are making your long-term goal more achievable. There is such a thing as throwing too much at yourself at once. Rather than adding 10 new daily goals – however ambitious you are – instead add two at a time. Do this until you get in the flow and you will find that you are less inclined to give up or throw in the towel.

The way I started was by simply adding two daily goals to my list – to exercise and to take a multi-vitamin. I did this for two weeks, before I added in another two daily goals. This time I added eat vegetarian and set my priorities for the day. Right now I have 20 daily goals – all of which I achieve due to the fact that I started out small.

My current daily goals include:

- Brush my teeth at night
- Floss
- Drink 3 liters of water
- Eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up
- Eat vegetarian
- Elizabeth time (daily devotional)
- Exercise
- Measure weight, body fat %
- Meditate, review goals, self-suggestion
- No snooze button
- Pray
- Read book
- Read bible
- Read news for 30 minutes
- Set priorities for the day
- Slow-carb diet
- Tell my wife I love her
- Blog
- Sleep at least 8 hours
- Take multivitamin

Each of these daily goals has become an important part of my life as they keep me going and striving for that ultimate long-term goal.

Reevaluate your goals Every Week

This is important, it is also equally important to review your goals every day. Life is a series of achieving goals – you either fail or you succeed. Success is far better than failure, but it is necessary to fail sometimes in order to succeed.

Measure everything to ensure you are on the direction toward goal fulfillment – I use the Lift app to keep track of my goals. I use the My Weight app to keep track of my weight and body fat. Measuring not only helps you see your progress, it also keeps you accountable. If you find that you fall off the charts, simply dust yourself up and start all over again.

It really is that easy. Over the next 9 blogs, I’m going to go more into detail on not only achieving your goals, but also how to be the person that you want to be. It’s working for me, there’s no reason why it can’t work for you.

I hope you’ll come along for the journey.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better

The Streets of Heaven Are Too Crowded with Angels

December 14, 2012 by wesleydonehue

If there is anything, anything at all that I learned over the past few years, it is that life is short. It’s way too short.

Last week Senator DeMint announced his retirement from the United States Senate. Since then, I’ve been thinking nonstop about my mother.

Why would a US Senate resignation make me think about my mom? Simply because I served on the campaign’s senior staff and my mother passed away just two weeks before the election. To “deal with it” I threw myself as hard as I could into the campaign. I went back to the work the day after the burial and worked around the clock. For some reason, I have never been able to think about Senator DeMint without thinking about my mother.

Her death brought me closer to my step-father, who I never really got along with. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a real father. Just a few short years later he died of brain cancer.

Finally, my real father tried to step back into my life and he, too, was taken from us by cancer two years ago.

Three parents, all dead before the age of 50. It really made me understand how short life can be. Death can come out of nowhere and far too often, we do not embrace life while we are living.

Life ends in an Instant.

There is tragedy all around us today. I was reminded of a quote from The West Wing‘s President Bartlet: The streets of Heaven are too crowded with angels tonight.

This morning the SC Governor’s valet was killed on the way to work. He was just driving to work like usual and a car ran a red light and killed him. The car, driven by a suspect fleeing from the South Carolina police, had no regard for others on the road.

And then a gun man ran into a school, an elementary school, no less and took the lives of a reported 27 people. While the reports are still unconfirmed, an estimated 27 deaths occurred with at least 18 children are among the count. The parents who sent their children off to school, the employees who showed up to work, none of them realized that their lives would be so significantly impacted today, or that they would experience such tremendous loss which brings me to this important point:

Your day matters. Your hours matter. Your minutes matter.

Anthony Bourdain ended his popular show No Reservations by saying “Open your mind, get up off the couch. Move.”

Move. Now. Stop wasting your minutes. You never know when you will run out of them. Live every minute like it matters, because every minute does matter. You never know when your life or that of those around you will end. Tell them how much you love them, and how much they matter to you.

Or better yet, show them.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better

The Man Project

December 13, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Last August I began blogging with the intention of having you follow along – and join in – on my journey as I spent the next year making small, but effective changes that would allow me to become the man I want to be. This project was supposed to be a year-long project that ended in August. Unfortunately, due to the election I have not had a lot of spare time to write and fill you in on what I learned.

The good news is I’m back, now, and over the course of the next two weeks, I’m going to lay out the most important lessons that I’ve learned this year. They have helped me grow immensely and I hope they do the same for you.

Here’s what you can expect over the next few weeks:

• There is significant importance on not only setting goals, but meeting them as well. Focus your efforts on growing little by little, rather than overwhelming yourself with instant, life-changing events.

• There is more to happiness, than just having money. While money will allow you to experience more, it can prove to be burdensome too. I will share what I’ve learned about how to really make your money work for you – rather than just to own possessions.

• In order to grow as a person, you have to be able to step outside of your comfort zone. It was a struggle for me to step outside of my comfort zone, but I am so glad that I did it and I want to share what I’ve learned in the process.

• Keeping your mind healthy is essential, because you only have one. Learning should be a daily experience, but getting enough rest and easing your mind is important too.

• Like your mind, it is essential to keep your body in good shape. This means taking proper care of you and avoiding food that has no substance. Not only have I been able to get myself in shape, I’ve developed habits along the way that ensure I eat healthy and have even started focusing more on vegetarian and vegan diets.

• Relationships are the cornerstone of your life – it sounds cheesy but it is true. You shouldn’t let just anyone in your life. Eliminate unnecessary drama and foster good business relationships.

• Quit trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. Pick one area that are you good at and focus on that, it will make your life easier and allow you to prosper even more.

• Embrace your uniqueness. Not everyone is alike, and that is a good thing. Instead of trying to fit in the fold, you have to set yourself apart and plow your own path, so to speak.

• Travel as much as you possibly can. It is enriching to the soul and it is an eye-opener that you will not get anywhere else. Experience the cultures and the differences in how we all live and it will open your mind to the way they live and their beliefs.

• Concentrate on God – eliminate the hate from your life. Hate has no place in our lives and it is not what God intended. Judgments are reserved for Judgment day and we will all have one. Today, though, it is essential that we love each other rather than spread hate.

• Share your story so that you can become an inspiration to others. I have learned so much from reading other stories and I believe I have so much to share – my rough upbringing, my efforts to overcome and how it has led to becoming the man I am today.

I succeeded in improving the quality of my life through each of these steps. But I have also come to the realization that becoming a better person cannot happen in a single year’s time.

From now on, it is my goal to make this a long-term project, beyond the year that has already passed and I’m inviting you along for the journey.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better

How to Travel Overseas for Two Weeks with only a Bookbag

December 4, 2012 by wesleydonehue

Nothing can ruin a trip like too much baggage and uncomfortable clothes. I’ve traveled to Europe with too much crap on previous occasions. I literally walked around Paris with bloody shoes because I wanted to look like a stylish European and I’ve traveled to Hawaii with a heavy book bag full of magazines, books and my laptop. I have vowed, never again will I put myself through this absolute torture. On December 26th I’m traveling to Israel and I’m doing it with just a book bag and the clothes on my back. Before you cock your eyebrows and insinuate that I must be crazy – let me tell you how I plan to do this, effectively.

The List of Bare Essentials

Everybody needs a list of essentials and even though I only plan to travel with my bookbag and the clothes I am wearing, there is still a bit of advance planning that I have to do. After much thought, here is what I came up with.

• 2 pairs of pants – Yes, two pairs of pants, you read that right. These aren’t just any pants, though. These are Columbia ominshade convertible pants – the ones where the bottom of the legs zip off and they convert into shorts – smart thinking, trust me. Now, I have 2 pairs of pants and 2 pairs of shorts.

• 1 pair of sneakers – These aren’t just your run of the mill sneakers. For this trip I am choosing to wear Nike Free – all-purpose sneakers. The best part about these sneakers is that you can wear them while out walking, working out at the gym, and even out to restaurants. They’re that good.

• 2 pairs of socks – For this trip I am taking quick dry (Dri-release) socks by Wigwam. They are designed to stay dry when worn and ward off all wetness and odors

• 2 pairs of boxer briefs and 2 t-shirts – My boxer briefs are designed by ex officio whose slogan is “2 years. 14 countries. 18,500 miles. And 2 pairs of underwear.” I’m going to make it work for me. My t-shirts are smarter t-shirts designed by Sport Science.

• A single light-weight jacket by LL Bean to keep me warm.

• Work Out Clothes – My work out ensemble will include a workout shirt and gym shorts that are designed to be lightweight and quick dry so I can wash them easily after my workouts. You can find these carried by most athletic brands, including Nike.

• Ball cap – because everyone needs one.

• Toiletries – all in a zip lock bagto keep them contained, and of course, in travel size that is appropriate for flying with since I will not have any checked baggage.

• Sunglasses – Costa Del Mar outdoor shades

Embarking on My Journey

When I leave for my trip to Israel at the end of December, I will wear my boxer briefs, a t-shirt, 1 pair of pants, a pair of socks, shoes, jacket and a ball cap. In my bookbag I will pack one additional pair of boxer briefs, a t-shirt, a single pair of pants, a pair of socks, workout shorts and a workout shirt. Everything is quick dry, allowing me to hand wash my clothes each night, leaving me one clean set of clothes to wear while the others are drying.Genius, right?

Can’t Forget the Technology

In today’s technological era, it is simply impossible to travel without my favorite devices. Among the devices that I will be packing and transporting with me include the following:

• My iPad with keyboard – the beauty of the iPad means I have a computer, movies, TV shows, music, books and magazines all in one place, thus eliminating the need for other devices and making my load a lot lighter. The keyboard that I use is designed by Logitech to work in conjunction with my iPad. To keep my iPad charged at all times, especially the plane ride there and back I will bring along my Morphie battery pack.

• Beats by dre – this is my most excessive item seeing that I could easily carry much smaller earbuds such as the ones provided by apple. However, i just love my beats too much to leave them behind.

• iPhone for communication purposes

• 1 apple charger – this will work for both my iPad and my iPhone, making it easy to streamline my charging capabilities.

Seems simple enough, right? All of this will fit in my single backpack and will allow me to travel with ease. No heavy luggage to carry around or worry about losing, everything – including my clothes – is with me at all times without the unnecessary bulk.

- Wesley Donehue

Filed Under: Being Better