Subscribe Form

I’ve been amazed countless times in my life by incredible performances. A few that come to mind: Vartan Manoogian, professor of violin at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music, performed with us at a UW Band Spring Concert. I remember being awestruck by the speed, precision, and emotion he demonstrated on the violin. Jerry Seinfeld performing stand-up in Milwaukee. My friend Nate got the tickets, and I still remember a segment about men not understanding what wo

This past weekend my parents brought my DR Brush Mower from back in Wisconsin so I could clear areas inside our yard and outside our fence that had become overgrown. The mower can pretty much clear any area including trees up to about an inch and a half. After clearing the back corner of the yard, I started going around larger trees on a side hill and didn’t realize I was going right over a huge chunk of cut oak. The machine abruptly stopped and I shut it down to inspect.

Sometimes learning doesn’t come in one giant breakthrough. It comes in little moments stacked together over a few weeks; conversations, challenges, observations, persistence, loss, and encouragement. A few thoughts I’ve been learning lately: We went to the Brewers-Twins game on May 16 with Hannah, and honestly, it’s fun to watch baseball with someone who knows almost nothing about the game. She had a thousand questions. Why is that a strike? Why did they move there? Why didn’

I found myself reflecting this week after seeing a post about my high school band director, Mr., now Professor and Dr., Tim Yontz, who recently retired after more than 40 years as a conductor, teacher, and professor, most recently at Florida Gulf Coast University. Band at Marinette High School was more than just an activity for me, it was a source of real joy during those years for my entire family, and it quietly set a path that led all the way to the University of Wisconsin

Whether or not you are a country music fan, you’ve almost certainly heard of Willie Nelson. His first hit song as a singer “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” was released over 50 years ago. Even earlier, he found success as a songwriter with “Crazy,” famously recorded by Patsy Cline. Since Willie is still writing and performing at age 92, I could go on and on about his catalog of songs and performances. But I’ll leave that to others; learning is my thing 😉. I recently found Will

A few weeks ago, Hannah shared her frustration with me. She had sat down at the piano at school and started playing a few bars of a Christmas song she knew. Before she could get very far, another student stepped in, sat down, and proceeded to wow everyone with “The Entertainer,” the kind of performance you’d expect from the pianist at the Grand Floridian at Disney. Hannah wasn’t upset with the other student. She was frustrated with herself. What she really wanted was a song

Last year I wrote a post called “Can You Hear the Progress?” about how growth often goes unnoticed in the moment, especially when learning something hard. Sometimes the only way to truly see (or hear) progress is to look back. You can read that original post here: https://jgrom6.wixsite.com/learningintheflowo-1/post/can-you-hear-the-progress Last week’s 8th grade band concert was one of those moments where the progress was impossible to miss. Listening to this group now, you

I’ve been thinking a lot about hard work and discipline lately, ironically during a stretch of time when I spent hours simply sitting and looking out at this view. First, I kept coming back to our daughter Hannah. She earned the title of Hardest Worker on her swim team and received her first varsity letter as an 8th grader. She wasn’t thrilled with her times this year, but her effort, day in and day out, stood out above all. That kind of work ethic is a foundation that will s

This is the famous line from the 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams” starring Kevin Costner. Yesterday, my son Jack asked me to play catch. It was right during the Packer game, but I immediately thought of the movie and said, “ABSOLUTELY!” Jack started using his little glove from when he was 5 or 6, stating that he wasn’t strong enough to use the bigger glove we bought for him. I told him I thought it was time to try. He started catching better than with the old glove, catching man

Earlier this year, I won a Muskie fishing trip through a donation to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. After some summer schedule conflicts, Jack and I finally went out yesterday with Ben Collette on White Bear Lake. Jack’s been hooked on Muskie fishing since catching a 45-inch Muskie in Rhinelander last year, so we were both excited, especially since fall is prime Muskie season. It was a warm, sunny October day. While we didn’t catch a Muskie, we landed a few pike, learn

On my drive into work today, I listened to Charles Duhigg on The Peter Attia Drive podcast and one statement stopped me in my tracks:...

The short answer is…..NO! Instead in a family that values learning in the flow of life, we amplify the importance of learning by engaging...

Learn in the Flow of Life: Small Shifts, Big Impact This kind of post is right in line with what Learn in the Flow of Life has always...

Our water heater has a story to tell. Not one of rust or wear, or the slow ticking of time—no, this one speaks in dents. I noticed them...

Heather taught our dog Leia to deliver a cold drink to a friend in our backyard —and she nailed it. Tail wagging, can in mouth, gentle...

I absolutely love the game of golf—both playing it and watching it. And when it comes to watching, nothing compares to The Masters. From...

For most of my life, I didn’t see myself as creative, identifying instead with my Gallup Strengthsfinder themes—Responsibility, Harmony,...

This past weekend, I stepped into my first head coaching role for my son’s basketball team. I’ve been assisting all season, but with...

Whether at work, hobbies, or back in my school days, I have to admit that I get frustrated when it doesn’t feel like I am making...

This is the tag line for White House Sport Psychology founded by Tim White. My daughter Hannah and I had a chance to meet Tim as part...