365QOD-Day301

"Focus= when clarity concentration and action converge to create a specific result in the present" - Richard Machowitz

I recently listened to a speech by Richard Machowitz.  In it he talks about how we spend time thinking about the past, present, and future.

Consider how hard it is to achieve clarity  if one spends time thinking in these different time frames:
Past  Now  Future
25%   50%   25%       (these are fixations)

In other words you are only here 50% of the time.  A lot of energy is wasted being in other time frames.

Today's question is:
"How do you focus your energy on the present?"

365QOD-Day300

"WOW!"- my rejoice at reaching the 300 post

When we start any endevor that will require continuous actions we start with success in mind.  When something takes many steps to complete or even daily tasks to complete then that success become a challange.

As Jim Rohn cautions, "If something is easy to do, it is easy not to do". 

For the last 300 days my posts have regularly published.  There were a few that published a day late BUT they did publish.  Most of them were early.  I tend to write in spurts.  I might write daily.  Often times I write several posts in one sitting.  Which is scary when you think about the variety from one post to another.

Again, it would have been easy to just stop writing.  The reason why I didn't?  It fulfills my need for a creative outlet.  I feel good after writing a post. 

It is nice to know that many people I do not even know regularly read my posts.  I tried to write from the heart and about what I learn.  maybe those appeal to you guys.

After 300 posts... all I can say is THANKS

Today's question is:
"What is easy to do that you did not do today?"

365QOD-Day299

"80/20 rule should be 90/10"- an opinion

I recently tried to explain to a co-worker the 80/20 rule.  How 20% of our activities result in 80% of our gains.

While reading articles on Behance site I came across a 40-30-30 rule in an article by Michael Schwalbe.  It was relating to ski training.  The author suggested that 40% is physical training.  During this phase you are suppose to fail daily.  You are trying to get your body to perform something that is new so failure is expected. 

The other 60% was mental training.  Of this percentage, 30% was technical skill and experience.  With practice you gain both.

The other 30% is where you take harder risks and increase the chances of failure.  However, you will not fail as often even though you are outside of your comfort zone.

"Only by trying something new, struggling, learning, and then trying again do we improve our performance.  It is simply acclimating to unchartered territory"

Interesting rule...

Today's question is:

"Does the 40-30-30 rule fit your experience?"

365QOD-Day298

"Why would you want to do that?"- a question someone posed to me

A few years ago I read a story about a Microsoft scientist that walks around with a camera that records his life.
He records videos, takes pictures automatically, GPS location, etc...   He is able to reduce his day to a 15min record of it.

I recently read an article in August 2010 issue of Popular Science about a camera from viconrevue.co.  It is a wearable camera with 5 sensors:light detector, thermometer, compass, accelerometer and infrared
120 degree view
Any one triggers a per second
No trigger then 1 every 30 seconds

Today's question is:
"Why wouldn't you want to record your life if you could?"

365QOD-Day297

"All masters started out as disasters"- Harv Eckert

European Journal of social sciences reported that:
"... teens who mentally reheares overcoming adverse competative situations gained the most confidence in their ability to play soccer.  This is called Motivational Specific Mastery (MS-Mastery)"

Visualize yourself actually mastering a challenging situation, not just running through it with good outcome
I think you have to add as many senses to the experience.  You have to think about all of the little steps that it took to get to the mastery. 

Some of us would do those steps by visualizing them.  Others would rehearse them by speaking them out loud.  A few would even have to practice them in order to internalize them.  Each of us has a sequence that is like a magic key that would discover that mastery. 

I watched a student one Saturday morning discover er key.  She had to see me do an example, followed by explaining to another student how to do it, and lastly she had to do a third example.  Once she used that sequence she mastered that concept.

Today's question is:
"Can you visualize yourself actually mastering a challenging situation?"

365QOD-Day296

"Strength is breaking a chocolate bar into four and only eating one piece"-Judeth Wurst

How easy it is to break the chocolate and how hard it is to stop at the one piece.  It does require will.  Or does it?

Long time ago one of my co-workers, Dave, lost a lot of weight after a heart attack.  When I asked him if he went on a special diet he said no. 

Dave told me that he simply ate half of what he normally ate.  If he wanted a candy bar he found someone to share that candy bar with.  Instead of 2 scoops of ice cream he ate one. 

He said that for a month he was miserable.  BUT one day he realized that he still ate what he always ate BUT now he just ate half.  The realization that he ate what he always ate gave him will.  He was not denying himself anything.  He just simply ate half.

Today's question is:
"Can you cut your bad habits in half?"

365QOD-Day295

"It all follows the 80/20 rule"- my response to a medical problem

I recently spoke with a young woman I know about her medical problems.  The discussion was about whether most medical problems were based on heredity or nutrition.

I believe the 80% is heredity and 20% is from the inputs that we provide.  We tend to me very abusive to our bodies.  It is amazing that we last as long as we do. 

This past Saturday I ran 13 miles with my running partner.  My weight was down to 207.  I have been as heavy as 265 in my life.  I work out most days of the week(either with weights or short runs) but my weight is not plummeting.  I eat mostly fruits for breakfast, salads for lunch, and whatever is in front of me for dinner. So why is my weight not dropping like a rock. 

The obvious answer is the "whatever is in front of me".  I am not controlling what I eat at dinner and during the day I snack of a few sweets.  I got to figure out a way to stop eating sweets.  I lose about 100 calories from running 10 minutes.  However, I easily gain a couple of hundred calories by eating one candy bar.  It is about communicating with yourself.  I need to do a better job of that.


Today's question is:
" How do you control the 20%?"

365QOD-Day294

"Manifesto?  I am not the unibomber!"- a friend's response

I recently read Leo Tolstoy's Rules for Life on Behance website.  His rules went something like this:
1.   Get up early (five o'clock)
2.   Go to bed early(9 or 10 o'clock)
3.   Eat little and avoid sweets
4.   Try to do everything for yourself
5.   Have a goal for your whole life, a goal for each section of your life, a short erm goal, goal for every month, goal for every week, goal for every day, goal for every hour and for every minute, and sacrifice the lesser goal for th egreater.
6.   Keep away from women
7.   Kill desire by work
8.   Be good, but try to let no one know it
9.   Always live less expensively than you might
10. Change nothing in your style of living even if you become ten time richer.

I do not know if I can argue with any of these rule he had.  Maybe 6?  I think that I need to come up with my own 10 rules for Life.

Today's question is:
"What are your 10 Rules for Life?"

365QOD-Day293

"Play nice"- a parent's advice to a child

I just got through reading the new book on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It is at times not very flattering to the subject.  He comes off as someone having a personal disorder syndrome. 

He is very opinionated and demanding about items and people either were geniuses or not worth the trouble.  He definitely did not play nice.  At times he was very mean and hurtful to the people in his life.

Maybe playing nice is not good advice?  Maybe we all need to be more opinionated?  The people who got the wrath of Steve either did something with the criticism, were asked to leave, or chose to leave. 

I personally think that at times he was an asshole.  You can be critical of people but you must be constructive with the criticism.  Being hurtful on purpose is not necessary.  It does not elevate you or the other person.

Today's question is:
"Did you play nice today?"

365QOD-Day292

"The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary"-unknown

WOW!

We all would agree that a drug, any drug, would be harmful.  About 20% of people who try any drug get addicted and mess their lives up.

Carbs?  Come on!  But when you think about carbs.. we weren't really designed to process carbs or drink the milk of another animal(ice cream anyone?) for our whole lives.

The last one is usually the deadliest.  It is a life sucker.  It provides for perceived security by getting addicted to regular money coming in.  It trades the control of one's life for the reduction in fear of failure.

Today's question is:
"What is the worst thing that could happen if you fail?"

365QOD-Day291

"Un-executed ideas are same as 'brain crack'- a dangerous addiction"- Ze Frank

It all boils down to executing. 

According to Frans Johansson, it doesn't even have to be a great idea. 

Start with a idea and improve it.  Now you have a good idea.  Improve it some more and make it a better idea.  Then improve it some more and you will have a  great idea. 


Today's question is:

"How many ideas have you so far that would have made you a multi-millionaire if you executed them?"

365QOD-Day290

"It is not where you take things from- it is where you take them to"-Jean-Luc Godard

I am currently reading the story of Steve Jobs.  In the book the author tells a story how Jobs tried to berate Bill Gates, in front of several Apple employees, for stealing the Mac OS system and relabeling it Windows even though Jobs had modeled his version on Xerox Parc's version.

Gates' response was classic.  He told Jobs that the way he saw it that he broke into Xerox's house intending to steal the TV but he found out that Jobs already had stolen it.

History is murky often times.  Tesla sued Marconi that he was the inventor of the radio.  He even won a court decision indicating that he was the inventor of the radio and not Marconni.  Who do most people acknowledge as the inventor of the radio?  Marconni.

Today's question is:
"Where are you taking the ideas of others to?"

365QOD-Day289

"One of the most common mistakes when we are just beginning a project is to set lofty goals from a resting stop.  With images of fame and success dancing in our heads, we set the bar too high, fail to make the grade, and quit because we are discouraged.  Instead build momentum by starting with small, achievable goals, and work from there."-Andy Swan

... from a resting stop. In other words sitting down thinking.  Thinking is free and fun.  Generating ideas make you feel great.

BUT!  Ideas are cheap.  They are like brain crack.  Addictive and you can not stop once you get hooked on creating them.

However, success is not based on how many ideas you have.  It is based on how many you successfully executed.  So..... start with small, achievable goals, and work from there

Today's question is:
"What are your small, achievable goals or are you on crack?(...brain crack that is)

365QOD-Day288

"If you do only what you know and do it very, very well, chances are that you won't fail.  You'll just stagnate, and your work will get less and less interesting, and that's failure by erosion"- Twyla Tharp, Choreographer

I recently read a story by the Behance team title 99 Excuses For NOT Making Ideas Happen.  Fear of failure was excuse number two.  The quote was given as an antidote to inaction.

The idea of being comfortable has never scared me.  Hell, I don;t think I have ever taken a job that played to my strengths only.  Usually the job required me to stretch myself beyond what I already knew and strengthen weaknesses.  Every single one of them.

I remember only during an interview in front of  a panel I was asked why I felt so comfortable.  I then went through a 10 minute explanation, on a white board,  in which areas I have worked on in my life and how they connected.  The committee was blown away and I got the job.

Today's question is:
"Are your skills eroding?"

365QOD-Day287

"Gloria Mark, a professor found out that technology workers who she studied would make it only 11 minutes into a project before being distracted.  It then took 25 minutes to return to the task post-distraction"

A recently read an article called A Day without Distraction: Lessons learned from 12 hours of forced focus by Cal Newport.  The quote above was a part of the article.

I took a spreadsheet and made it count by minutes for a two hour block and a three hour block.  I figured most people either worked 8 hours or 9 hours per day for which they get paid. 

If you use the facts that she discovered(11 minutes of work followed by 25 minutes f non-productive work) and assume that the interruption is so brief, maybe a minute at best, the results are scary.  I determined that in a two hour block an employee is productive only 33 minutes.  For a three hour time block they were only 44 productive minutes. 

In an average 8 hour day(4 two hour blocks) we average 132 minutes or productive time.  For a 9 hour day (3 three hour blocks) we average 132 minutes.  It makes no difference whether we are working 8 or 9 hours.  the total output is 132 minutes.  SCARY!  Again this is on the generous side because the interruptions only took a minute to address. 

Today's question is:
"What is your strategy to maximize your 132 minutes?"

365QOD-Day286

"The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world. The tweaker inherits things as they are, and has to push and pull them toward some more nearly perfect solution. That is not a lesser task."-Malcolm Gladwell characterization of Steve Jobs

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/14/111114fa_fact_gladwell#ixzz1d5OqPlh0

I read this article on whether Steve Jobs was a visionary or a tweaker.  The author, whose work I love, shows through several exampled from the book that he feels that Jobs was better at identifying what was missing instead of suggesting a vision.  Even though I think this is an extreme example it probably was true.

In my reading of the man I can see how he was not a technical visionary but a functional tweaker who knew when the design did not meet his desired goal.

One can think of the two types as a step change or a ramp.  It might be easier to tweak than to step change.

Today's question is:

"Do you see yourself as a visionary or a tweaker?"

365QOD-Day285

"Out of abundance he took abundance and still abundance remains."- first line in Upanishads(Hindu holly book)

Most people have a poverty mentality.  If one person is rich then most people falsely believe that that person is taking away from others and that just does not seem to be fair.  They got too big of a piece of the pie. 

I believe that the pie is infinite.  We need to create opportunities if we want to be rewarded.  No one can stop you from creating an opportunity.  Others can make it more difficult for you but they can not stop you.  No time?  Well, no one will call you at 4 a.m. or demand your attention.  You can put a lot of hurt on any project when everyone is sleeping.

We however often stop ourselves when confronted by even a small challenge and we just give up. In one of Tony Robbins CDs I heard a story that Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, got rejected 1009 times before he hit success.  Could you handle this level of rejection to get to abundance?

Today's question is:

"Do you have an abundance mindset?"

365QOD-Day284

"Don't start the day until you have it finished...Plan the day to the best of your abilities.  There will be surprises and innovations and whatever.  Give a good plan, a good schedule for the day.  Because each day is a piece of the mosaic of your life.  You can either just cross your fingers and say, 'I hope it will work out okay', or you can give it some attention and say, 'here's what I would like to accomplish in the next four hours."- Jim Rohn

I begin every day at work by creating a plan.  This is before I check email.  I think about 1-2 items I can accomplish on all of my projects.  I brainstorm them down on paper.  Then I begin my day.

The email items get inserted around the big pieces that I already per-planned. 

Today's question is:
"Did you send your day before it got started?"

365QOD-Day283

"I say gain at least one idea, just one.  You don't have to like me.  Just get an idea out of here that you like and then go do something with it and then teach it to one other person and you'll take ownership of it"- Mark Victor Hansen

In my life I have instructed 68 different courses.  Was I am expert in all of them. No!  Am I somewhat knowledgeable in all of them now.  Yes.

I however wanted to teach the subject and by being slightly ahead of the students managed to make it a pleasant journey for the students.  As I would re-learn a topic, I would think of how to teach it, and by doing so I made the idea my own.

Today's question is:
"What new idea did you learn today?"

365QOD-Day282

"Prosperity is a Latin word, it means 'to be in the flow'.  And everyone of us in the flow when we are thinking right, talking right, acting right, and living right.  We get the right results, right here, and right now.  

And when you think negatively, you're into immobilization.  

When you are thinking positively and correctly, you are into immobilization and start taking right action to get right results!"- Mark Victor Hansen

I believe that the idea of flow is critical to understand.  When searching for a passion one needs to identify the last time one felt in the 'flow'.  This is a time when time just flowed and you did notice that hours have passed yet you felt full of energy.  Think of your last two weeks specifically and identify times when this felt true. If you have not felt it during the last two weeks then go back farther but note that it might be a weaker signal.

I do agree that when in flow you are thinking right, talking right, acting right, and living right.  Everything just clicks.  I have found that in my life when working on creative tasks I enter the state of flow.  It can be at home, at work, and even just running.

Today's question is:
"Are you in the flow?"

365QOD-Day281

"I teach that you gotta have a team and have a dream, and a little bit of a scheme, and then you'll go out and realize it."-Mark Victor Hansen

It is interesting that the order is not scheme, dream, and a team.  I thought that this was backwards.

But then I remembered that Hewitt and Packard (founders of HP) did not produce a single product for two years.  They just knew that they wanted to work together(team) and produce products(dream) and a scheme to sell electronic products.

Today's question is:
"Do you have a team, dream, and a scheme?"

365QOD-Day280

"10k is just a start"-my words to my running partner

Recently I ran a race over the Galveston bridge.  It was a 10k race and it was fun.  We finished in 1:04.
No bad for me... the goal was just to finish.


It is also a start. There is a half-marathon race on Dec 4th over the La-Porte Tx bridge.  My running partner, Reggie, and I are training to run that one.  Last weekend we ran 9+ miles.  This weekend we ran 11 miles.

The other day I read a story title "Behold the agelessness of these long-distance runners" in USA Today about people over 60 who are completing marathons and basking n the physical and spiritual benefits.  One example was 100 year old Fauja Singh who just finished a marathon within 8+ hours.  It became my goal to finish a marathon at 100.  I will keep his picture above my desk for inspiration. 

My grandmother lived to 100.  She walked briskly to answer a phone and did not look like a 100 year old.  I want that for me.  I want to be able to run at least one marathon each year until my 100 birthday.  Maybe then I will stop. I do not want to be in a wheelchair blowing out my candles.  I want to come to the finishing line and blow out the candles.

Today's question is:
"Do you have a goal for your 100th birthday?(maybe you should)?"

365QOD-Day279

"Wow.. last month was not very memorable!"- a conversation I had with myself in the last

The other day I sat down and did an inventory of my activities for the last month.  It does not take a very long time.  I write in my notebook what I eat, do, and read everyday.  So to review the last month all I have to do is open my notebook and read what I did last month.

In the month of September I had to move from Chicago area to Galveston TX.  This makes it memorable by itself.  It is not like I move every day.   Starting a new job with a new company and that also makes it memorable.

This is uncommon.  Most of our days are not memorable.  They look and feel like the day before and transition into the day after very smoothly.  If you sit down a week later and try to mentally reconstruct your day it becomes a challenge.  This is why I write a lot of details down.

At the end of the year I sit down and do a yearly audit and highlight the daily activities that make that day memorable.  In the end I have to strive to do something each day to make it memorable.  It is not always as easy as moving across the country.

Today's question is:
"What will you do today to make it a memorable day? Hint: do not go to sleep until it is"

365QOD-Day278

"Eventually everything changes, the only question is when?"-Unknown

Often we are lulled into comfort and the answer to this question is NOW!  It becomes an emergency and the change takes on urgency.  In the end this suddenness creates stress.

Steven Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People urges us to work on items which are important and not urgent.  This is quadrant two, Q2, type of activity.

Today's question is:
"What percent of your day is spent doing Q2 activities?"

365QOD-Day277

After a medical scare...

"He suggested that I take one day a week to "connect" not just with family or friends or God but with myself.  He said I ought to make sure I was setting aside time to do what fulfilled me.
.....
In the time since I had that chat with my doctor I've learned to be deliberate about how I spend my time on this Earth.  I choose to fill my days with what I'm passionate about and live with purpose.  In the end I want to be able to say, 'My life was what I made it.'" - Ann Curry

While reading a magazine I came across this article.  I have always felt an energy when watching Ann on TV.  After reading this article I saw that she combines her passion with purpose. 

I believe that when pursuing a passion with purpose we are re-energized.  

Today's question is:
"In the end, what will you be able to say?"

365QOD-Day276

"You are on God's most wanted list"- church sign

I used to drive past this sign everyday.  It was a moment that every day warmed my heart.
Every day this sign made my mood more positive.  Maybe it was the belief that there is a connection?
Maybe it was just reading it?

Many years ago, on a different church sign I only saw at night coming home it said "God loves you"
It ended my day on a positive note.

I miss my signs...

Today's question is:
"On whose list are you?"

365QOD-Day275

Joshua Foer's last principle is:


Principle 4 Experts treat what they do like a science.  They collect data, they create theories, and they test them

You have to be somewhat removed from the process.  In order to observe yourself and collect data.  Once you have data, pause and think about the process and the data you are getting.

The pause is worth gold.  Without it it will all seem like noise.  Then you can take the data and formulate a theory of why you are getting what you are getting. 

Lastly, make another attempt and test your new belief.

Today's question is:
"Do you test your theories?"

365QOD-Day274

Joshua Foer principle on becoming an expert

Principle 3 Experts crave and thrive on immediate and constant feedback.

In my last post I discussed my approach for learning how to get a large capital project completed.  I sat down and interviewed three experts and summarized their beliefs and processes into a single process.

After I explained their process back to them.  Then I created my own version.

Next step was critical.  I shared with them my version and asked for opinions.  They offered their thoughts.

Being a new guy I periodically go back to them and ask them if I can improve on anything.  I believe that they appreciate that I am still trying to learn and have been very helpful to me.

Today's question is:
"Do you ask for and give constructive feedback constantly?"