Ian Estabrook

Flossing, Habits, and Building Momentum

I love oral. Oral care, that is. Flossing, in particular. In fact, thanks to a new year’s commitment, I haven’t missed a single day of flossing in 2019. Whether I was on a business trip in London, attending a wedding in Germany, wandering the streets of France, or visiting my friends and family in America,Continue reading “Flossing, Habits, and Building Momentum”

Eat at The Bar

Life lesson: eat at the bar more often. You never know who you’ll meet. Andy (on the right) is a consultant at Accenture. He’s from the U.K., has several patents (one of which helps automate the docking of sky bridges on airplanes, making everyone’s lives infinitely easier), has been to over 90 countries, speaks severalContinue reading “Eat at The Bar”

How to Get Shit Done

The above photo is an example of my “To Do” list. It’s where all of my work lives. It’s a spreadsheet where my work is captured, tracked, commented on, and completed. Thanks to centralizing and keeping things simple, work rarely ventures into “Must have missed this email” land. Getting my work done this way makesContinue reading “How to Get Shit Done”

Strength and Vulnerability

Today, I had the privilege of being invited back to speak to junior and senior classes at my high school alma mater, Brother Rice – an all boys catholic school on the South side of Chicago. I spent several hours with 50-some-odd young men talking to them about navigating transitions from high school to college,Continue reading “Strength and Vulnerability”

Flashcard Fitness

Give me a flash card, and I’ll give you a lifetime of health and fitness. If someone came to me and asked, “Ian, what do I need to do to be healthy for life,” I’d hand them this. I’d tell them to check these off as consistently as they can week after week, month afterContinue reading “Flashcard Fitness”

“Today”

I woke up in a hotel in San Francisco. It was built in 1923 and has survived all manners of innovation in SF’s financial district. I took a shower with clean water pumped from a purification plant, whose source is a watershed located in Yosemite National Park over 160 miles away. I then rode theContinue reading ““Today””

Silly Faces Make for Better Days

While reading outside a coffee shop downtown this morning, I saw a father and his young daughter walking towards me. His daughter was crying and kicking up a fuss, and I could tell he was having a rough time assuaging her. Naturally, I did what any rational person would do in this situation: I madeContinue reading “Silly Faces Make for Better Days”

It’s Okay To Do These Things

Been doing lots of thinking lately. Despite what the worlds you peer into via screens every day may tell you, it’s okay to: Feel sad. Feel confused. FEEL in general. Not have everything figured out. Take a moment for yourself. Be uncomfortable. Laugh, cry, or do whatever comes naturally. Not have the perfect body. NotContinue reading “It’s Okay To Do These Things”

You’re Going to Die. What Are You Gonna Do About It?

12 Months. 52 Weeks. 365 Days.8,765 Hours. 525,948 Minutes.31,556,926 Seconds Time. I have an interesting relationship with time in that I track how long I’ve been alive. I use a piece of paper titled “Memento Mori,” which is Latin for “remember that you have to die.” On the paper is 80 years’ worth of weeks,Continue reading “You’re Going to Die. What Are You Gonna Do About It?”

The Gift of Feeling Grateful

Something pretty neat-o happened to me this morning. I was in the middle of my morning workout – lifting weights, relaxing all cool (hoistin’ some dumbbells outside of the school), when I had a moment of clarity: Right then, in that moment, I felt so grateful. I was grateful to be able to get upContinue reading “The Gift of Feeling Grateful”