No Good Excuse - a Column by Sean Baumstark

Once again, this weekly writing exercise is proving to be more beneficial than I ever imagined. In a sense, writing and posting my thoughts for the world to read is life-changing. It is a catalyst for tangible transformation of my habits and routines. I’m happy to…

I’m currently beating myself up a little, mentally speaking. I’m finding it hard to swallow my own “no excuses” medicine.  I’m sure you already know that preaching the “no excuses” mantra is much easier than putting it into practice.

I recently attended the Global Genes RARE Patient Advocacy Summit in San Diego. While there, I had the honor of co-facilitating a panel discussion during one of the main sessions. I co-host a weekly podcast with my friend Kyle Bryant, and…

I’ve noticed that I often get held up or feel paralyzed by the excuse of not knowing what to do. I label it as an “excuse” because I believe that doing nothing is never the right thing to do. Of course, there are some things we…

I recently traveled to the bona fide destination wedding of some dear friends. The groom has had a significant and recognizable impact on my life so far. It so happens that the “recognizable” factor is what led to his first meeting with his now-wife, too. You…

There are more than 7 billion different opinions in the world — one for each person on this planet. I’m not an authority on much, but I think many of those 7 billion people would agree with this ideal: We are each responsible for our…

When the time came to sit down and write this column, I hadn’t given thought to a specific topic. This doesn’t usually concern me, because I often jot down notes, moments, experiences, or ideas that come to mind throughout the week. Then, I simply dig…

I know I have to practice before it is reasonable for me to meet my expectations or achieve what I set out to accomplish. Although practice sessions can be tedious, time-consuming, and sometimes frustrating, the “routine” practice is commonplace. Routine practice…

In my previous column, I focused on the thought processes that prevent us from doing our best. This subject has been on my mind a lot recently. In a somewhat related vein, I wonder how I’m ever going to get good at…

I’m learning to be cautious of the commitments I make, big or small. I don’t like to wear myself out for reasons I can’t get excited about or when I can’t see the potential return on my investment of time. I also don’t like to leave things unfinished,…