Reflections on 23 Straight Days of Blogging for 2023

Having a full week off at Thanksgiving provided me the opportunity to relax, take a breath and look around. Maybe I should have kept my eyes closed—I noticed that basket that lives by my desk could not be contained. I let months of magazines and articles pile up. I did a personal inventory: What had I been reading? What was I missing? And how did I let things go?! 

I am fascinated by the idea of "inbox zero," but I know all too well (shout out Tay-Tay) what will never be. And yet, I recognized with this (new) break, I could do something about this mess. I have learned it takes 21 days to build a habit. I started to wonder, about writing as a habit. It is something I would like to do more regularly. Could I? If so, how? An idea was born.

On the Happier podcast, Gretchen Rubin and sister Elizabeth do an annual challenge with listeners. Rubin writes, "We’ve done #Walk20in20, #Read21in21, #Rest22in22, and #GoOutside23in23. Framing a habit this way makes it feel more fun–and also easier to maintain."

I've embraced their challenge since 2020. I have stuck with reading 21 minutes a day for the past three years. Last year, I aimed to play 22 different golf courses and attend mass at 22 new Catholic churches. Come August, I modified the challenge and combined the two. Mission accomplished! 

At the onset of 2023, I thought I would attend a combined total of 23 different sporting events and religious services. I didn't need an excuse to attend Wimbledon, but this goal made for a good one. And still, I lost steam somewhere in last January or February. I let it go and was okay with no 23 for 2023.... until I saw that basket.

I save articles because they spark an idea for a blog posting. Sometimes I need the information for teaching. The joy of offering a class like Sports and Spirituality is that what I read, write about and require is symbiotic,—one feeds into the other. The annual challenge provided a solution: blog for 23 straight days in 2023. Game on.

The first thing I want to say about this challenge is that I did it. I wrote everyday for 23 straight days. A colleague noticed that I was pumping out a lot of content. I told him I don't recommend it. At time, I was sleep deprived. I exercised less. I didn't have time for other things. In response, he said, "but you did it. You did it." Thank you, Darius for affirming the accomplishment. Truly, there is satisfaction in setting out to achieve a goal. I did it. yay!

Second, it was fascinating to see how bound a person can be to a commitment. More than once, I told myself "I don't have to do this." However, deep down inside, I knew I had to do it. There is some sort of moral fiber—a "stick-to-it-ness" that I have always been aware exists inside me. I was back in touch with that entity. I'm glad it's there.

Third, it was amazing just how many ideas came to me in the knick of time. For example, one I night I while waiting to pick up my friends' son, I took notice of a new kind of Giving Tree/Angel Tree. It wasn't early in the evening, but without a doubt, that had to be the post for the day. I have long subscribed to the mantra: seek and ye shall find. I did! But I also believe that there's something to be said for being found. 

Fourth, it's not insignificant just how much happens in a 23-day time period. In that three- week plus time frame, my alma mater named a new president, an icon in the St. Ignatius College Prep community passed, our country observed as national holiday, I attended a college football game, a beloved radio host lost his job and a celebrity came clean about a hot topic—the day AFTER my post. I would like to think she read it, but reality suggests otherwise.

For anyone seeking to take on a personal challenge, this is what I learned. Here are but a few recommendations from my 23 for 2023

• Start when you have some free time. The Thanksgiving break provided me with the hours to lay enough of a  foundation that made it harder to opt out. By the time I returned to work, I already had six days under my belt. The finish line wasn't close, but it wasn't impossible.
• I have a number of drafts on my blog. I had already done some strong writing and worked through the ideas. Too often I let perfect be the enemy of good. I just hadn't finished the thought or in this case, the post. Similar to my basket of papers, I wanted to work through those drafts. 23 for 2023 allowed me to finish four of them!
• Be aware, and okay with the fact you will make sacrifices to accomplish this goal. Because I knew that I was going to write for 23 straight days, I realized my missing my morning workout or getting less sleep was for a short period of time. Was it worth it? Only you have to answer the question. If it's not, reconsider your goal. For me, it's a yes and a no. I'm a both/and person; this is fitting!
• Many people will make an argument for accountability. In this instance, I was accountable only to myself. I did tell but a few people I trust and respect but overall, the goal was mine. I did not do it for financial gain, for honor or glory. I did it because I was curious to discover how it would go, what I would learn and how it will affect me in the future.

Am I a better writer? Maybe. Do I have more respect for those who write for a living? 1000%!! And I'm related to one! Was it fun? YES. I love sharing my stories and making connections. I wouldn't have a blog if I didn't. Would I do it again? Probably not. I could, but I have my day job ;-) My biggest take away? What I heard from my coworker and from my own self: I did it. Young kids delight in doing things by themselves. I guess that never goes away.

By the numbers. In the 23 for 2023 posts, They were inspired by
book: 3 posts
video: 1 post
article: 2 posts
podcast: 2 posts
event: 5 posts
magazine article: 1 post
Notre Dame: 4 posts (only 4?!!)
health issue: 3 posts

Questions for you the reader: What is a tension in your life? Or an area of dis-ease? Meaning, something you want to contain or tidy up (think of that basket). What can you do to get to the bottom of it...or simplify. Consider a way to frame the task you want to undertake. Think of the advice and go. As Gretchen Rubin would say "Onward and upward!" Here's to 24 in 2024 and guess what it is....

For 2024, our challenge is…#Write24in24!

Depending on your goals, your specific project, and what’s manageable, you can write for 2-4 minutes or 24 minutes a day. Click here to read tips and strategies for approaching this year’s challenge in the way that works for you.

Photo Credits
23 for 2023
You did it.

Self Knowledge and The Masters: Over or Under?

Ben Franklin said "There are three things extremely hard: steel, diamonds and to know one's self." I'm sure you can add several more—like winning one of golf's majors. But, reflection upon the 2023 Masters offered me insight not only into myself but humanity, as well. Here's how.

On her podcast, Happier, Gretchen Rubin asks the question "Are You an Over-Buyer or an Under-Buyer? She writes, "this distinction encapsulates one of my very favorite (if not most weighty) personal insights into human nature." She adds, "It’s not particularly productive to be in too deep as an over- or under-buyer; both offer certain advantages but also some definite drawbacks." She follows up her claim with questions you can answer to help you self-identify. 

This paradigm for understanding ourself isn't limited to what we purchase or not. Rubin also asks "Are you an under-estimator or an over-estimator?" For example, Do you budget too much or too little? When you head out the door, do you allow enough time to arrive or are you always cutting it close? Realizing what I am has helped me to plan accordingly. Every one of us is a work in progress. This type of self knowledge has helped me pave a better path.

These questions also reveal preferences and style. Do you overstate or understate? Overshare (boo) or undershare? Are you a minimalist or a maximalist? Is less really more or is more, more?!

I came clean in my post A Case for Understatement—In Sports and Beyond. I realize I underestimate and I probably underbuy. As ethicists say, "all things in moderation, including moderation." The challenge with this principle is that the mean is relative. See earlier claim about "work in progress!"

As a sports fan, the week leading up to the first major of the year, The Masters is like Christmas. I love the predictions, recalling tourneys of the past, the promotion of unique traditions at Augusta National and more. And, I have to be honest—The Masters is a guilty pleasure. 

It is common knowledge that Augusta National plays by its own rules. They don't apologize for who they are, nor do they compromise. In short, they are who they are. The number of people who really know what that means is infinitesimal to those who want to know! And yet, the sheer amount of social media promoted by The Masters in 2023 led me to hit pause and reconcile an image I once had with what was unfolding before me.

Augusta National has buildings, rooms and events are that are private. My sense is that only members and the players (and maybe their coaches and/or families) were led into these inner sanctums. However, this year it was as if every sacred chamber was posted online. While I was already familiar with Butler's Cabin, thanks to Instagram I saw locker rooms, changing rooms, closets and walkways. While one would expect a golf glutton like me to delight in the 360 access, it was too much.

We live in a society that leans toward the overshare. Very little is left to the imagination anymore. I want Augusta National or at least my understanding of "The Masters" to follow suit—to be countercultural. In other words, I want their m.o. to be "While everyone else records, promotes and publishes any and every moment as it unfolds, we are going to offer something....but not everything." Understate it baby, you got this.

While I am not writing about a moral issue, I think considering our preferences, evaluating our reactions and checking in on what we prefer can help us to understand who we are and what we value. Not a bad or hard way to learn about thy-self.

Did you happen to notice the amount of social media and full access featured in this year's Masters? As a fan do you want even more? Was it too much? I welcome your input

Photo Credits 
Social Media
Members Only
Be Like Bill

5 Things That Made Me Happy from the 2023 Masters

Gretchen Rubin is a New York Times best selling author and host of the award-winning podcast, Happier. She has inspired me more than she will ever know. I have followed many of her suggestions and strategies for building healthy, happy habits such as a "23 for 23 List," the one word theme of the year and since 2021, I have read for 21 minutes everyday—her personal challenge. Her weekly newsletter "5 Things Making Me Happy" is something I look forward to reading every Friday. 

I have given a lot of thought to integrating this habit into the world of Sports and Spirituality. I have wondered, Should I list 5 spiritual moments in sports this week? Or should I author a 5 for 5: Sports and Spirituality in review? The ideas are still cooking. In the meantime, I will offer "5 Things that made me happy from the 2023 Masters." Here goes.

1. Easter Sunday with The Masters
I am a religious person. Easter Sunday the highest of holy days for Christians. Does sharing this sacred day with a sporting event seem sacrilegious? For me, the answer is "no." 

The Masters evokes tradition and ritual, which is celebrated in profound ways at Easter Mass. I have just never found it too difficult to move from the sacred to the secular; I respect both.

I am already with my family and to watch an event with them that hails the season of spring—set amidst such natural beauty is a great way to spend part of the day. 

I still remember watching the 2012 Easter Sunday Masters when Bubba Watson earned his first green jacket. My brother and I were eating Easter dinner with a friend—so the volume was on low—and I kept thinking "this man is crying. He's really crying." A few years later, I celebrated the best Easter basket of all time, when Notre Dame women defeated Mississippi State for the NCAA title. Thank you, Arike! 

Easter is a feast day of great joy. The joy of sports the equivalent of a bonus egg!!

2. Basque Connection    
John Rahm is the fourth Spaniard to earn a green jacket. However, when people hear his last name, invariably they ask about it. They say, "Rahm doesn't sound like a Spanish name." That's because it is not. 

Rahm's surname originates from a Swiss ancestor who moved to Spain in the 1780s; his father is Biscayan, while his mother is from Madrid. His full name is Jon Rahm Rodriguez.

His two sons are Kepa and  Eneko which are traditional Basque names. Why Basque? Because Jon was born in Barrika, Basque Country. He is a keen supporter of the Basque football team Athletic Club Bilbao and fellow golfer Jose Maria shares that allegiance for he too is from this northeast area of ESP. 

This has significance to me and to anyone who has been touched by the Society of Jesus. Why? Ignatius of Loyola was Basque too. In 2018 when I partook in the Camino de Ignacio we went to the birthplace of Iñigo. We ate traditional Basque foods, I saw the language with its distinctive alphabet and unique terrain. I hope they celebrated the success of their native son today. I would say "¡Vamos!" but that's Spanish. How do you say "Let's Go!" in Basque?!

3. Poetic Justice 
Another reason I was happy to see Jon Rahm win is because he is associated with the PGA Tour. I have not written much about the LIV tour—an issue I would have listed as one of seven  most partisan issues in America last summer. While some people view players from the Saudi-backed tour as independent contractors, I found myself rooting against them. I would rather cheer FOR someone than against someone else, but the reality of LIV has made this difficult.

For example, one could identify a LIV player but their "team name" or logo on their hat and shirt. This concept of "team" that LIV has tried to embrace is based on literally one thing: money. At the VERY least, most teams in professional sports represent a city, a community or country. These teams are completely artificial. No coach or captain "drafts" or "signs" their athlete. They ring completely hollow. 

If you want to know more about the LIV tour, this summary from 60 Minutes: April 9 (sportswashing accusations in Saudi Arabia), the Netflix series "Full Swing" or my post LIV Golf, Temptation and The Masters are a few helpful resources. However, what is most interesting isn't the amount of money players make but how much they must pay if they want to leave. Brings a new perspective to golden handcuffs. 

Three LIV Tour players finished in the Top 10, but the definitive winner was Jon Rahm at 12 under par.

4. The Life of Jimmy Dunne
Notre Dame alum and board member, Jimmy Dunne is in the right place at the right time. As harrowing as it is to admit, he is alive today because of that truth. 

I knew that Dunne, the former partner of Sandler O'Neill is a member of Augusta National. What. I didn't know is that he would be among the first to embrace Jon Rahm, the 2023 champion.

Following an abrazo muy fuerte with fellow Spaniard, José María Olazábal the next person that Rahm embraced was none other than Jimmy D. Their hug was legit. Dunne extended heartfelt congratulation's and the winner accepted his words with appreciation. I couldn't believe it and then I could—of all people who could be standing in that line, one of them is Irish legend Jimmy Dunne. 

5. Great day for gambling
PGA teaching professional Keith Stewart is the founder of readtheline.com. In Episode 134 Handicapping the Masters of The Golfer's Journal Podcast, he shares with the host Tom Coyne that after the Super Bowl, the NFC and AFC championship games, The Masters is the fourth most popular sporting event for betting. I can't say I'm surprised. I also can't say "just do it."
To pick the winner from the field? It's just so risky, but yes, it's fun. Here's a a thought...

Rather than place your money on a long shot for a huge return, I recommend participating in a Masters Pool. If you are desperate for a money line bet, consider putting your shekels on the a player making a hole-in-one. This bet is even money, but when I went to The Masters in 2016, I saw not one, not two but three aces. If I ever meet Louis Oosthuizen, Davis Love III or Shane Lowry, I would tell them what I saw.

If your DNA for gambling needs activity, I love the competition hosted at my club. For a $25 buy-in, you pull a pro's name from a hat. This is your "playing partner" for the day. Although he went low on Sunday, I was very happy to have Jordan Spieth "with me" on "Moving Day." At the conclusion of your own round, the player with the lowest net score and their pro's actual score, win the prize money. Many public and private courses have unique and spirited games of their own. Comment on the ones you know below.

In Conclusion
Even before the green jacket is placed on the champion's shoulder inside Butler's Cabin, a certain sadness starts to take hold. Another Masters has come and gone. The anticipation and the four day journey, leave me wishing it need not come to an end. There must a word for this sentiment. Anyone speak German? I feel grateful and gratified but aware that the time together is up.

Does The Masters make me happy? There are many more than five reasons it does. I hope you enjoyed those I named for 2023. 

Photo Credits
Long walk Spoiled
Rahm and family
Reed: Aces
Bubba Watson in tears
Rahm and Scheffler and Victory

23 for 2023: Sports AND Spirituality 2.0

Rest for 22 in 2022? No way! Play 22 new golf courses and attend mass at 22 new churches? Yes, please.

The annual challenge put forth by the Happier podcast last year did not appeal to me. Though I understand the benefits of napping and believe I too would be better if I were to slow down and make time for rest each day, I knew this was a goal I would not achieve. 

According to James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, the second and third laws of creating a good habit are: Make it Attractive and Make it Easy. As far as my 2022 challenge was concerned, neither law applied to me. I know myself, it would not be easy, nor was it overly appealing, either. Therefore, I took license to create my own yearly challenge: my Sports and Spirituality 22 for 2022. 

As written about in Reflections on My 22* for 2022, I found my way onto new golf courses and new churches 22 times in the past year. I loved this exercise so much, I figured Why should it end? James Clear would agree—the intention behind setting a good habit is to keep it and a goal is to reach it. Is not the point of creating a challenge is to master it?!

Therefore, my goal is 2023 is to attend 23 new sporting events and liturgical experiences. This challenge allows me to play a new golf course and/or go to mass at a new church but it also invites in other forms of both sport and spirituality. For example, I am HOPING to go to the French Open or Wimbledon. Either tennis tournament would be a significant rung in the ladder of 23 for 2023. I have been a long time fan of high school boys' volleyball. I would like got get to a men's collegiate game. While returning to Notre Dame for a football does not count in the 23, seeing the Irish in Dublin against Navy does. Unfortunately, I know that will not happen.

This new challenge might account for some new liturgical experiences, too. For example, going to Confession at a new church or attending service at a church like the one where my student goes is exciting to me. There are so many different ways to engage in the spiritual life of the Church, I wonder what I will find and with whom I will journey.

The first law of "How to Create a Good Habit" is "Make it Obvious." The number on the year sets the simple standard. Relating my habit to Sports and Spirituality is a no-brainer. James Clear adds that is should be "obvious and visible." With a blog, a newsletter and a Facebook page, I can check that box real quick.

About half way through 2022, I decided to modify my goal. Given that I was traveling to Ireland for a 14 day golf trip that included 12 rounds of golf, I thought 22 courses would be easy (Law Three). I was wrong. However, I came up with a positive solution and enjoyed the challenge just as much. I can only wonder how and if this year will be different.

Naming a yearly challenge has served as a fun, interesting and intriguing way to talk about my Sports and Spirituality. It's financial cost is a lot or a little—one for me to decide (flights to London aren't that bad! They aren't great either!).

The Happier Podcast named "Outside for 23 in 2023" as this year's goal. They wrote, 

Go Outside 23 in 23” which challenges participants to go outside for 23 minutes every day in 2023. Going outside can include anything from walking to bird watching; from yard work to enjoying your morning coffee on your porch — as long as the door closes behind you, it counts! 

I like it but I'm already outside a lot for golf and for walking. I'll take my Sports and Spirituality 2.0 instead. Maybe I'll see you outside for one of them... Happy New Year!

Photo Credits
French Open
Happier