Top 7 = Beach trip, busted back, back to Advancing

We just completed the first full week of June… and the first trip to the beach. That, a busted back, and two movies in a day, made the Top 7 for last week.

Here’s the rundown.

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Fitness = Ugh, pulled my back… or pinched a nerve…

The look on my face in the pic below is legit. This week, while running one of the loops around our house, I felt my back pull…

A little tingle waived through my core, followed by a feeling of weakness.

I finished the run, but thought, “Oh, man. Again.”

I don’t get injured too often. Sure, I get sore— or pull a muscle. Or overdue it. But I rarely get injured.

The last time was a few years ago— back after I built the tiny house. I decided to put a fire pit in the backyard and, amidst the shoveling Quickcrete from the wheelbarrow to the stacked cinder blocks, I felt the back go.

It put me out of commission for a few days.

So that was three years ago…

This week, I decided to just take off from the exercise routine for a few days— at least through the end of the week. Then, I’ll re-evaluate.

I’m really NOT sure why a pulled muscle makes the Top 7, other than the fact that I repurposed the exercise time each morning. I still woke up, but just directed that time to other things, stuff I equally enjoyed— but was less physical.

Some reading.

Some TV.

Some mapping out a few projects and plans…

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Finance = Boys gettin’ it done + new project

Last weekend one of Levi’s friends, Campbell, spent the night. Sunday afternoon, they walked into the main house and asked for a bigger car jack.

“For what?”

“We’ve been using this little one and it’s taking too long…”

I took them downstairs to our tool bin, grabbed a better jack, and then strolled down the driveway with them.

Campbell’s car was in the air, on landscaping blocks— the same ones Amazon whacked a few weeks ago.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Two things…” one of them began.

“My tires need rotating, so we’re doing it ourselves to save money,” Campbell said…

“… and we’re painting the wheels while they’re off.”

Apparently that’s a thing. Guys with late model Hondas— like Levi’s— are updating them “Fast and Furious” style.

I didn’t get a “before” and “after.” But, I did get this strange pose… 

Shifting gears, Beth signed a contract with her new project this week, as well… stuff she’s running with the Amplify Project (see www.AmplifyOnline.info).

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Family = First beach trip

Thursday, we rode to Freeport / 30A, where we have family…

After dropping our things at Beth’s parents’ house, we drove to a few local places…

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Field = Uploaded Disentangled at the Perfect Pig, then..

Thursday, I met with Bob at Panera Bread. We walked through the final edits of the Disentangled Leader Guide (side note: I’m starting a group that’s working through the Disentangled Bible Study— how to deal with PTSD & Moral Injury, for Veterans— reach out if you’d like to join).

Friday, I took another look through them— just to check our margins and other other settings, then uploaded the Leader Guide to the publisher. While the family was at the beach, I— because of the back issue— stayed out of the sun and took it easy indoors… spending a few hours in the bar / lounge area of The Perfect Pig (just off the beach), which has great stools, comfy couches, and super space to work…

And, having eaten there a few times and met the GM, who gave me an open invite to spread out, it was super space to work— and close to everyone.

That same day, I also met Andy Butcher, an editor with Four Rivers Media / publishing, who I’ve been talking with about the Amplify and Advance projects, at The Perfect Pig, just on 30A.

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Faith = Look back, live forward…

Almost a decade ago I “accidentally” began co-hosting a semi-annual men’s event. We named it Advance, as we wanted our weekend events to help guys move forward— in every are of life.

That’s actually one of the pics I took from the back of the room…

… with just over 20 guys gathered on the top floor of a hotel in downtown Memphis.

Here’s a pic that came through on my TimeHop photos from exactly nine years ago, this week…

We named it Advance for one reason.

Helping men grow and…

🔥 build on-fire marriages

💰 begin making progress financially— and in business

🏀 get healthier, drop weight, start sleeping…

🏆 achieve goals such as writing books, learning new skills, launching new careers

❤️ start investing in their kids

🙏 nurturing their faith

… certainly sounded much better than a weekend “retreat.” We wanted to help men move forward.

Here’s another snap from the first event…

The last Advance I attended was Advance 10.0 in Minneapolis. During that season life was coming unglued— in many ways.

Some of it was TOTALLY my fault; some of it wasn’t. But, I needed to “press pause” and focus on those closest to me…

I always thought I would return to the movement at some point (it was hitting its peak, oddly enough, at Advance 10.0, when almost 300 men gathered to grow and move forward).

But, there was never an on-ramp back…

Then the movement changed.

And then… well… it just seemed like a lot of guys were left lingering.

Over the past year, I’ve received several calls…

“What about starting it back up?” became a common question.

But…

… if I did, I wanted a few things to happen:

👉 no tie to one company

👉 a broader group of guys to help carry the movement

👉 connect it to a non-profit, so we can do some cool things together, at some point.

I don’t have a time and date for you, YET…

But, I have been gathering a small team. And, I’ve been scouting places.

And, we have website where I’ve been developing a podcast, I’m talking to a publisher about the books, and I’ve created a waitlist on the page where you can “be the first to know” when we announce times and dates…

Last Sunday’s podcast on the site talks about the event…

In this episode of the Advance-cast I talk about:

👉 where the event originated

👉 what an Advance is actually like

👉 you’ll hear from past attendees

👉 you can register for the waitlist to be the first to know when we release details…

And…

👉 we talk about why we’re starting back with the 14.0

Listen to the talk here.

Ahh… here’s real footage— turned into a GIF— from Advance 8.0, Nashville… that’s me onstage, dropping the dominos and talking about how small, repeating actions, have the power to make your biggest dreams happen…

Again, the event page— currently set as a “be the first to know” page— is at www.EatSleepAdvance.com/14 

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Friends = headed downtown

This week, Beth went to see one of our girls— Anna— in Auburn. The schedules synced and one of my friends, Michael, was free that evening like me…

… so we grabbed dinner at Carrigan’s, located between Avondale and Lakeview. In fact, I know this place well… when I lived downtown a few years ago— for almost 20 years— I used to run by it on one of my morning run-routes.

We just ordered food from the bar.

At some point, I began talking to the guy next to us. He, like me, is one of the few kinds of guys you recognize who doesn’t mind sitting anywhere with a laptop open, pounding away at his work.

“What are you working on?” I asked.

Turns out, Brock is the GM.

I asked him about renting space for the Advance…

… as well as other things.

He made a few suggestions, let me sample a few things, and then— after hearing I collect glasses and mugs, gave me one of the Bespoke glasses for a cherry / chocolate drink I sampled and looked.

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Fun = Two movies, one day

Salter wanted to go see Spider-verse, so we made plans to go watch it last Sunday afternoon at the newly renovated (yet still in process) Summit theater.

Then Judah wanted to go. Fast and Furious X.

So…

Two movies in one day.

I don’t mind.

I like watching movies, and I enjoy the time with the kids.

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“Bacon Head” made an appearance in the living room, while away, doing his work— apparently.

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That’s the highlight reel for the week.

If you’re just now dropping in, each week I look back at the week behind + preview the week ahead— so I don’t miss anything— and look and highlight at least one thing for which I’m grateful in each of the 7 key areas of life…

💙 Fitness

💰Finance

🏠 Family

🛠 Field (work, career)

🙏 Faith

👊 Friends

🎉 Fun

The planner I use is available here— with audio training as well.

www.Jenkins.tv/27