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Category: Type One Entrepreneur

the diabetes power list

The Diabetes Power List

Chris Stocker 6 Comments

I’m a big guy list guy. I’ve used every kind of list method out there, but one that has always worked for me is pen and paper.

When I make a to-do list, I draw a circle then put the item next to it and once I complete the task, I color in the circle. I don’t know if this method has a name, but it’s what I was taught by one of my early marketing mentors about 15 years ago.

What is the Diabetes Power List?

Well, the Power List itself is a concept that I learned from the MFCEO, Andy Frisella, and yes the MF stands for exactly what you think it means.

Andy has a very “get shit done” and “win” mentality that I also share, so his content obviously attracted me.

His concept of The Power List is very simple. Every day, write down 5 things that you must do today in order to achieve your goals or be who you want to become. These are not your daily work tasks for that day like, “email John about vacation time” but things that you know you need to do to become a better you. These 5 items are about winning the day. *See end of post to win a FREE copy!

How Do I Use the Power List?

So, what I do is take my goals for the year and break them down into monthly goals and then what do I need to do every day in order to accomplish those goals.

For example, I want to lose 50 pounds in 2018. I’ve gotten a late start because 8 months in and I’m only down 5. Anyway, in order for me to do that I must:

1. Wake up before 7 am

2. Go for a 30 minute walk

3. Eat less than 75g carbs and/or less than 1,800 calories

My other two current items on my Power List are:

4. Make 2 point of contacts

5. Create one piece of content

Those 5 things, if done every single day, will lead me to my financial goal for 2018, my weight loss goal, my education goal (I listen to audiobooks during walk to help me reach my 25 books completed in 2018 goal).

Now that I have the 5 items for the day, I must accomplish them. If I accomplish all of them, I put a W on that day and I won the day. If I did 4 out of 5 or 4.5 out of 5, then I lost.

I don’t like to lose.

The goal is to win every single day. Every day is a challenge or competition and you must win the day.

Create Winning Habits

If you are able to complete the same task 25 days in a row, you can take it off of your Power List because by then, it will become a habit of daily life.

Here’s an example.

creating habits

I’ve never been one to floss (my teeth, not the dance). So, I put “Floss” on my Power List. If I didn’t floss that day, I lost the entire day, no matter how much I accomplished. I dont’ like losing.

So, guess what?

I floss every damn day now because it is a habit by now.

I titled this post the Diabetes Power List because there are certain items on my Power List that are diabetes related, but they are also there to help me become a better person.

For example, the 30 minute walk at 6 am every day was initially to help stop my dawn phenomenon and get some exercise in to be healthy, but it’s done so much more. It’s helped with my mindfulness and stress and has helped me accomplish so much more in the day. I wrote about this recently how walking in the morning has helped lower my stress levels.

Life is a Competition

100-zero scoreboardI know that some of you reading this may be saying to yourself, “life is not a competition, not everything is a competition, it’s ok to lose” and we can just agree to disagree from the beginning.

Life is a competition. If you are not becoming a better person, if you are not becoming better at your job, someone is going to take it from you. If you are not becoming a better parent every day or better spouse every day, then you are losing out on big opportunities.

I live by the 100-0 mentality (also a theme of Andy’s). And that mentality is that I want to crush my competition 100-0 every single time I step on the field.

I’m a big sports guy, so I use sports references a lot.

Diabetes is MY Competition

So, in my daily life, I live with diabetes, I’ve looked at my diabetes in so many different ways over the years. I’ve thought “well I have to live with it, so I will play nice with it” and “ughh, I hate diabetes” and “well I have to embrace it and love it”.

Well, none of those have worked.

I wake up and go to bed seeing diabetes as my competition.

Either I am going to win the day.

Or diabetes is going to win the day.

I plan on winning every day

And a lot of days ahead.

Want to win a copy of The Power List? Sign up for the newsletter below to stay in the know of all the giveaways I do. Instructions on how to win your copy of The Power List will be sent out via newsletter first!

How Entrepreneurship Saved my Diabetes Management - new size

How Entrepreneurship Saved my Diabetes Management

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

As many of you may, or may not, know, I own my own business(es). I first started my own business back in 2009, but still worked full-time and just ran the business at night. During this time, I was not sleeping a lot. I worked until about 2 am and then woke up at 7 am to go back to my day time job.

During this time, I was hustling my ass off to grow my business on the side, while keeping my day time job. The day time job was important for two reasons.

First, I needed the money.

Second, I needed the health insurance.

There was a third reason, life insurance, but then I found a place that specialized in life insurance for type 1 diabetics.

This was back in 2009, so this was back in the day when pre-existing conditions were an automatic denial.

I wasn’t sleeping well at that time. I wasn’t eating healthy at that time. But I was hustling and growing a business and at that time, that’s all that mattered to me.

Fast-forward almost 10 years, I am still running that same business. It’s changed a bit, but not much. I own and operate an SEO and Social Media Management agency.

I also help my wife in running her Etsy business (soon to not call it an Etsy business, because we are launching our own site and adding more categories).

I also run an eBay / Amazon re-sellers business that takes up most of my weekend time.

Why am I talking about all of this?

Well, I made the decision a long time ago that I wanted to own my own business. I wanted this so that I am in control of my own income, my own future, and most importantly in control of my own time.

Time is the most valuable thing in this world and it’s something that we can’t buy more of or return and get back.

Entrepreneurship has allowed me to use my time how I see fit.

This is not only important for my family, but also for my diabetes.

In the last decade, I could schedule doctor appointments whenever I wanted. I could change an infusion set or a CGM sensor whenever I wanted. I could go exercise at any time that I wanted. I could eat lunch whenever I wanted.

I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

This is important to me. This has helped me manage my diabetes because I can take breaks when needed, I can be flexible on my appointment times, and I can also take the time to make a lunch during the middle of the day and prepare a healthy snack.

Now, listen, I know you can do that all when you work for someone else and work in an office or a typical 9-5.

However, when I was working a 9-5, I didn’t do those things. I ate out all the time. I didn’t exercise. I didn’t drink water.

Entrepreneurship has done wonders for my diabetes management.

I was always scared that I could never be an entrepreneur because of having diabetes. I thought that needing insurance would hold me back.

Well, it hasn’t and I’ve been able to do this for nearly a decade and I don’t plan on stopping here!

If you want to hear more about diabetes, entrepreneurship and the combo of both which I call my life, then subscribe to the Type One Entrepreneur Podcast. I tested the waters with this podcast earlier in the year, but I’m going all in on it. The scheduled re-launch date is August 13.

Planning for 2018 – Type 1 Entrepreneur Ep:011 Podcast

Chris Stocker

In today’s 5 minute podcast, I’m talking about my 2018 planning and goals that I am setting. Give it a listen and also please subscribe.





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I’m Too Damn Lazy – Type 1 Entrepreneur Ep:010

Chris Stocker

In today’s 5 minute podcast, I’m calling myself out. I’ve been too damn lazy when it comes to my own health.





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Checking More Often – Type 1 Entrepreneur Ep:009

Chris Stocker

In today’s 5 minute podcast, I’ve been checking my blood sugar more often thanks to my unlimited supply of test strips from One Drop.

Check out how it’s helped and visit https://thelifeofadiabetic.com/onedrop and use promo code “STOCKER” to receive 10% off your order.






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Tips to Deal with Stress – Type 1 Entrepreneur Podcast Ep: 008

Chris Stocker

In today’s 5 minute podcast, I’m talking about a few tips that I use for dealing with stress. Perfect for the upcoming holiday season! Please subscribe to the podcast!





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I Tried to Ration Insulin Once and Ended up in the ER – Type 1 Entrepreneur Ep:007

Chris Stocker

In today’s 5 minute podcast, I tell a story about when I was in college and tried to make my insulin last. Spoiler Alert!! I ended up in the ER.





Subscribe to The Life of a Diabetic