ColdShower #65🥶🚿 Pizza Party Fail, Accountability January, and Gut Feelings
Spider-Man must leave a huge amount of discarded web when traversing NY.
Shower thought via Reddit.
The ColdShower: Weekly thoughts for better health, habits, and happiness.
Happy New Year!
Pizza party fail
Why I’m forming accountability teams
RT: What’s a “gut feeling”?
New to the ColdShower? Here’s our plan for 2024.
Recharge
My Italian ancestors would be ashamed…
The clock struck 5:30 pm. Friday evening had come upon us. It was pizza time.
After years of childhood programming (aka spending countless Fridays at Umberto’s), pizza is more than a craving, it’s a Pavlovian response to the start of the weekend.
But what if I could skip takeout and make it on my own?
In over my head
Don’t believe everything you see on the internet. As it turns out, crafting an Instagram-worthy pie is harder than it seems.
Two tries and multiple hours later, I managed to create half of a pizza salvaged from the grips of our pizza stone (pro tip: Go HEAVY on the flour) and another “upside down-pizza”, a failed attempt at a calzone after losing the pizza shape with too many toppings.
Trying new things
As I recount this pizza party gone wrong, the memories are vivid. I can still remember the taste of my first bite (really not bad) and the laughs we shared at my failed experiment. I have an appreciation for a good pizza shop and a story I’ll remember for life.
I hope this inspires some of you to try something new this month.
Drop a comment if you plan to perfect your own pie or have a pizza night story to share.
Refine
More focus than ever
Coming into this year, I have more focus than (possibly) ever. I prioritized my priorities, stripping things down to what’s essential (using this method). What was left were 5 objectives and attached goals to measure my progress.
But I had a problem… How can I ensure success and more importantly maintain forward progress through the inevitable challenges that will arise throughout the year?
Enter the accountability team
I found Mark Levy, author of the Accountability Team Handbook and the DCX - Perspectives and Insights on Digital CX newsletter. In his book, Mark shares the transformative power of accountability teams, how it impacted his life, and a detailed plan for forming your own.
Hands in, let’s go!
Accountability January. These next few weeks I’ll be sharing insights from Mark’s book and examples of how I’m applying his principles towards my 2024 objectives.
Know someone who would like this? Share the ColdShower!
Rethink
Trust your gut
Rethink: What’s a gut feeling?
We’ve all heard it
But what exactly is a gut feeling? And if you eat like I do over the holidays, should that be where we place our trust?
I heard a stat recently that approximately 95% of serotonin is produced in our guts. The rest lies in our brains. Serotonin is known as the “Happy Hormone”, and influences mood, sleep, and appetite. The gut is also home to over 100 million neurons responsible for that feeling of “intuition”.
I’m no scientist, but my gut tells me there’s something here… Better think twice before your next cheese binge.
See ya next week!
What We're Into This Week
Still On The Toilet?
The Accountability Team Handbook: A Powerful Approach to Achieving Your Goals
The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health
Turns out your ‘gut feelings’ are real. How gut and mental health are connected
THANK YOU for making it to the end! Share with your friends! (or mortal enemies).
My "gut feeling" is that I want pizza right now. Also pro tip on the pizza, use 00 flour in the dough and semolina flour on the peel so it slides off easier. Also use a gram scale, flour is too precise to measure reliably with measuring cups.
Thanks for the shoutout for accountability teams and the handbook, Jonathan. So happy it inspired you. I’d love to join one of your accountability teams.