You might notice that I'm running a different headshot of myself now. The reason for it is because in the six months or so since I joined National Underwriter, I have lost about 40 lbs. due to a strict diet and a regimen of doing Muay Thai kickboxing and strength & conditioning classes about five times a week. For me, the results have been dramatic. I haven't just shed unwanted weight, but I've converted a lot of fat into muscle. Simply put, I am in the best shape of my life, and the Bill Coffin at age 40 could run rings around the Bill Coffin at age 20. I would never have thought this sort of thing possible before I began training. But six months in, I'm seeing that not only is fitness possible, but a whole lot of other things are, too. 
The reason for this transformation all started because my wife had been running a low-grade fever, off and on, for the last few years, and she just could not figure out what was bothering her. Her doctor couldn't either, so finally my wife decided to go on a hunch and cut all dairy from her diet. The rest of the family did too, in support, and it worked. She felt much better in short order. But at the same time, we also had decided that we were done with being overweight, so as a group, we signed up for classes at a local martial arts school that some of our friends recommended.
Training by yourself is hard; training with partners is a lot easier and a lot more fun, and pretty soon we were all hitting the dojo regularly and with enthusiasm. We were amazed at how quickly we got into shape, and how other elements of our behavior improved, too. We had more energy, more focus, and we were getting more things done when we wanted to do them. This happens to a lot with folks who train martial arts, I hear. Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.
At year end, our martial arts teacher told us to make a "victory list" for 2010 – those things we had accomplished that we were really proud of. And once that was finished, we were to set our goals for 2011 and envision actually achieving them. I realized that almost everything in my victory list happened after I began training, and after I began working for National Underwriter. I suspect my victory list for 2011 will also incorporate a lot from those two sources, as well.
I encourage each of you to make a victory list for yourselves for 2010, and to imagine what your 2011 victory list might be, also. For a lot of people in the life & health industry, 2010 was a heck of a year. The world itself has become ever more what scholar Nassim Taleb dubs "Extremistan." That is, a world where huge, unpredictable events change things more than gradual, moderate ones. It makes for a world of unending change, challenge and hardship. For those who cannot or will not develop the skills to adapt to such rapid dynamics, or to reinvent themselves entirely as conditions merit, these will not just be trying times. They will be terminal ones.
Last year, I read numerous letters from industry professionals who, for one reason or another, rightly feared for the continuing existence of their practice. In every challenge, however, is an opportunity waiting to be discovered and taken. How we do it is as much an individual effort as a collective one. But a good first step is to square with the reality that 2011 will be at least as challenging as 2010 was. And with that in mind, imagine how you'll carve your victories out of such a year, envision them as fact, and then get to accomplishing them. You can do it. We all can. Besides, what other choice do we have?
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