Wisdom That Will Benefit Your Life

Author, speaker, and high school teacher Dan Blanchard is, quite literally, the busiest man I’ve ever met. He has received seven degrees in his life from various universities and colleges.

To give you an example of how impressive Dan is, let’s take a look at his life immediately after college. He was teaching at a boarding prep high school. In the morning he woke up early enough to do three separate workouts with various groups of students, including coaching the school wrestling team (which he helped create). Then he would teach all day. After that, he was in charge of leading study groups and patrolling the campus grounds. Two nights per week, he was going to school to get his Master’s degree one hour from the boarding school he worked at. Sometimes he’d be asked to do an additional sweep of the campus grounds midnight to one in the morning.

He didn’t have weekends off. He was on duty to actively monitor the school grounds six in the morning through midnight on both Saturdays and Sundays. It’s amazing that he found time to grade his students’ papers and study for his Master’s degree tests while juggling so much else. Dan is the epitome of strong time management skills in action. All of this is not to mention other tasks and duties the school principal of the boarding school had Dan doing on a daily basis.

Once a rubber band is stretched, it doesn’t go back to its original elasticity. The ability to manage a hectic schedule has led Dan to bigger and better things, as he has gone on to become a leading public educator in the New Britain, Connecticut school system.

“I got through that crazy year after college,” Dan said, “and it got me to where I wanted to go.”

Dan worked for his success and knows that life is not always going to be smooth sailing. He has learned some valuable lessons, insights, and kernels of wisdom along his journey that will benefit you to know in your life. As a student of history, philosophy, and the enlightened thinkers of our past, Dan knows what he’s talking about and it’s in our interest to listen to him. I met with him for coffee in Southington, Connecticut on August 31^st, 2016 and had the opportunity to pick his brain. His wisdom is incredibly valuable and any one of these seven tips can revolutionize your life:

Stay Healthy

“There is value in being busy,” Dan said. “What I’ve learned is that it’s also important to stay healthy and take care of yourself. A few years ago, before I started exercising more, I was wondering, how did I get heavier? The answer is that I gained two or three pounds a year and after twenty years I was forty to fifty pounds heavier than I wanted to be.”

What Dan is saying here is that when you only gain a few pounds a year, you won’t notice it. But you need to take notice of those small changes over time because they can lead to bigger problems in the long-run. Dan is still successfully managing a busy schedule, but he also makes sure to stay healthy by eating right and regularly exercising.

Learn to Say No

“I enjoy having a lot going on at once,” Dan said to me, “and the way things are going, I’m going to continue to have a hectic schedule for the rest of my life.”

“This is a positive thing,” I said to Dan, “as you are making a difference in the community while raising a great family.”

“Yes,” Dan said. “And while this is all going on, what I’m working on is learning to say no more often. It’s absolutely wonderful to say yes to all the things you want to do. It’s also important to say no to things that aren’t your top priority or not the most valuable use of your time.”

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like to let people down. Remember that you can be a kind person and say no at the same time. Say no politely, respectfully, and courteously, but never be afraid to say no. There is no need to feel guilty for saying no. You owe it to yourself to focus on what’s most important to you so that you can make a bigger difference in the world.

The Individual Matters

“Going through life,” Dan said to me, “I’ve noticed that society tends to tell us that the system is more important than the person. For example, I’ve frequently heard it said that people are expendable and replaceable. People are always devalued in favor of the system.

“But the individual does matter,” Dan said. “There is enormous value in focusing on individuals and caring about people.”

These are wise words from Dan, as organizations that focus on people are usually the ones that succeed. Remember that sometimes the best decision you can make is to focus on the individual, caring about his or her needs.

Get Beyond Your Biases and Preconceived Notions

“It’s very easy to think that the way you are doing things is the right and only way to do things, especially when you’re successful,” Dan said. “But I’ve found success often puts blinders on people. It’s important to get beyond your biases and preconceived notions.”

Dan is brilliant, isn’t he? One of the keys to success and true wisdom is to be open to alternative points of view. If you think that your way is the only right way to do something, it might be time to consider other perspectives.

A Longer Journey Leads to a Bigger Pay Off

“Don’t worry if things aren’t paying off for you right away,” Dan said as he continued to reflect on his life. “Have patience. Give the journey enough time so that you learn the lessons each part of your life is trying to teach you. A longer journey leads to a bigger pay off. A shorter journey to the top usually causes people to keep their blinders on for the rest of their lives.”

This is incredibly powerful input from Dan and I agree with him wholeheartedly. What he’s saying here is that yes, it’s great to quickly get to your Mountaintop, but if you succeed too soon you’ll have blinders, biases, and preconceived notions that could limit you from going higher. If you are patient and maintain a sense of grit and determination, a slower start in the short-run will lead to a bigger pay off in the long-run. If everything in your life isn’t clicking right now, breathe a sigh of relief. It just means there are better days ahead of you. Your best days are in the future.

Have Layers of Goals

“I have layers of goals,” Dan said. “I think about what I want to do in the next three months, the next year, the next five years, and the next ten years. There’s value in layering your goals based on the time frame for each layer. I then start working on my goals for the next three months and go from there.”

Yet another helpful kernel of wisdom from Dan! When you are looking at the goals for your life, build layers and look at the whole picture. Then start with what you can achieve in the next three months. It’s wonderful to think long-term, but once you have your vision it’s also important to embrace today and focus on what you can do right now. Write down your layers of goals on paper so that you can more easily keep track of them.

Think In Terms of Win-Win

“Think in terms of win-win,” Dan said. “Just because someone thinks differently than you or operates under an unfamiliar paradigm does not mean they are wrong. Don’t exclude or judge people just because they aren’t like you. One of the most valuable things you can do is widen your vision by thinking in terms of win-win.”

This piece of advice could change your life. Rather than ignoring or judging someone for being different, seek to genuinely find a win-win solution. There might be a way you can work with that other person.

Concluding Thoughts

There you have it – some powerful kernels of wisdom from an experienced author, speaker, and schoolteacher. Let these lessons soak in and then pick one or two of them to apply in your life. Reflect in a journal to track your progress.

Read Dan’s newest book The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men or refer it to a school near you. As a youth leadership speaker, Dan makes a difference in the lives of many students.