More Or Less

Jun 28

At the midway mark of the year, I have to say that things are going pretty well in my world. I met with my EO Forum in Cleveland, where each of us presented a mid-year update to the group, learned a fair bit about how AI can make our lives a bit easier, and declared our intentions for the second half of the year.

I was pleased to report that I am on-track with my business goals. Not ahead, not behind - simply on-track. I will have to maintain the focus and energy I have devoted to them so far this year in order to actually deliver on the goals that I set in Naples this past January.

I’ve been able to do this without killing myself. My sleep quantity and quality is up, my exercise has held steady, life on the home front is great and my golf game is pretty solid. It continues to feel as if the universe is unfolding on my behalf. Maybe not specifically for me, but in ways that I recognize as favorable to my mission. For the first time in a long time, it feels like I swim with the current, rather than against it.

This has all been happening because of the clarity I have achieved thanks to reflection. AND, to tracking the leading behaviors that will contribute to achievement of my goals. In Cleveland, I lamented that I have not done a great job of capturing all of this activity in a spreadsheet, or the CRM software that I use - yet the outcomes have been happening with steady consistency. So I’m doing the right things, in the right quantities to get the job done. I’m just not measuring this activity as well as I would like. I do intend to get better at capturing this information, but the last few months are evidence that one needn’t be perfect at this, and the sheer act of setting goals helps focus our efforts.

I have to point out some culinary highlights from Cleveland this week. The first is the Velvet Tango Room, a world-class cocktail bar in Ohio City. A refined, proper space with its own culture that is consistently enforced by the staff (don’t show up wearing tattered jeans, or t-shirt if you want enjoy these libations). This place fits perfectly into the “lower quantity/higher quality” framework I have been honoring with regard to alcohol consumption. There are two pages in their menu dedicated just to cocktails of their own design. That is where I focused, and will continue to focus in future visits. Our lunch on Tuesday was purchased from Mabel’s BBQ, Michael Symon’s. I purposely over-ordered, so as to provide late-night snacks and future lunch options to my crew. When all was said and done, we crushed it all. (I love Ray Ray’s, but this barbecue really impressed me as being the best in Ohio.) Tuesday night we ordered pizza from Good Pizza. A relatively new operation, but this crew is taking the pizza game very seriously. Well worth a visit. Lastly, the crown jewel dining experience of the week was at Cordelia. Chef Vinnie Cimino recently had a near-miss at winning a James Beard award, and I have to think it’s just a matter of when, not if, the industry accolades start piling up. It’s a Midwestern farm-to-table fine dining establishment that (at least currently) is influenced by Middle Eastern and Asian spices. Our party size of seven meant that we could order basically the entire menu, and each of us could enjoy a small taste of everything. The whole party was wowed by the execution of each dish. I will be returning to Cordelia at least once more this year, and am really looking forward to it.

Sunday Supper

Moroccan Carrot Dip

Caprese Salad

Roasted Chicken & Fennel w/ Peaches

Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Crème Fraîche Potato Salad

Bluebarb Pie

Sunday Music

Jesse Welles, Live At The Basement

I’m With Her Live at the House of Blues

Fred Hammond, Live at the NPR Tiny Desk

Relaxing Hypnotic Garden Techno Jam