365QOD- Day1216

Maps vs. a Compass

"In a rapidly changing world, there isn't a step by step map for success anyway.  The best you can hope to have is a good compass to guide you.  The ones that understand that- and can embrace that- are going to have the greatest adventure."- Novogratz

If something can be reduced to a simple procedure than anyone should be able to do it.  The procedure would include the steps needed to go from start to finish and guarantee the result. A cookbook recipe.

Well, the world does not work that way.  Procedures are nice but limited in a constantly changing world.  The quote offers that we need a compass.  A compass does not offer the steps needed but it does offer an indication of direction.

So what I learned from the quite is that we should focus on making sure we are moving in the right direction, measuring it if possible, and adapting to the changes to keep on the direction towards the goal. We can control the direction even if we are unsure of or next step.

Do not become paralyzed because you do not have a map.  Keep your direction and you will reach your target.

Today's question is:

"What is your compass for your goal?"

365QOD- Day1128

WW_D

“What would X do?”- my question to me

A few weeks ago I was reading a book when the idea of a mentor group came up.  The author of the book mentioned that he uses Leonardo DaVinci as a mentor.  Immediately I saw the wisdom in his thinking.

I believe that we should all have a wisdom council that gives us advice.  It would be nice if we could have access to some of the people that we most admire or specialize in the field we need help in.  Unfortunately that is not the reality for most of us.  Some of the mentors might be like Leonardo- dead.

By reading and understanding the people who you want to mentor you, you will get a feel for what advice they would give you.  Imagine your group in a room, close your eyes and pose the question to your group. Then listen to the answers from each.  Actually hear what comes back from each person’s perspective. 

What is nice about this idea is that you would think through what that person would offer to you from their perspective.    Just …

Imagine consulting Leonardo about how to make something look more real.

Imagine Steve Jobs giving you coolness ideas.

Imagine Einstein helping you solve a math problem.

Imagine Edison guiding you on persistence.

Imagine Bruce lee giving you exercise advice.

Imagine Malcolm Gladwell giving you outside the box business thinking.

Imagine Jim Collins mentoring your start up from start to great.

Imagine Nelson Mandela mentoring you on staying strong, being positive, and forgiveness.

Imagine Gandhi teaching you to be peaceful and non-violent.

…and others

And guess what? If any one of them is not a good fit, you can change the member of your wisdom council.

Today’s question is:

“Who would be the people that make up your wisdom council?”

365QOD-Day1085

Measuring the Right Things

“Are you measuring the right thing? “- Steven J. Thompson

Our worlds are full of data.  It is only going to get worse.  With smaller and smaller sensors and cheaper and cheaper storage, we will have more and more access to all kinds of data.  The conversion from data to information is the next level. Even though this conversion is critical to improving it is often not done or done effectively effectively.  So we just collect data and do nothing with it/

So if we are collecting data and not obtaining useful information from it, then why bother collecting it in the first place.  Steven also teaches us that, “In almost any data-gathering situation, there are far more types of information that could be gathered than you can possibly tackle. Compare the contradictory claims that U.S. wireless phone providers make for their network coverage. No one's lying--they're all just picking different aspects of coverage to measure.”

In other words we might diligently collect the wrong data.  As the example illustrates, even if we did obtain information from it, the information would lead us to the wrong conclusion.  This is worthless!

We would be better off if we  make sure we are measuring the right thing and then forcing ourselves to extract information.  This would minimize the effort and storage, and maximize the understanding of the results.

Today’s question is”

“How do you know you are measuring the right thing?”

365QOD-Day1084

Dream Job vs. Current Job

“Would you apply to your current job today? If you answered 'no,' then you're among the 50% of executives today who feel disengaged, unchallenged and stuck in the wrong job.* As the New Year begins, now is the best time to stop wasting time in the wrong position — and take action.”- ExecuNet email content

In my opinion, for most people, this question is very dependent on the state of the economy.  During down times people would just keep their heads down and just work.  This is when employers have an advantage. 

But when times get better and opportunity starts to return then the desire for a change and to do better starts rising to the top.  As the quote points out, they “feel disengaged, unchallenged, and stuck in the wrong job” so changing to a better job becomes a must.

The reason I titled this post dream job vs. current job is to point out that often the jump is not to a dream job but to a ‘better’ job.    It might be the better pay.  It might be the less hectic hours.  It might be the new co-workers, etc.  Whatever it is the change might not be to our ideal job.  It just might be a slight improvement over our current one.

Remember that we often make decisions for two reasons: avoid pain or get more pleasure.  So when evaluating anything new ask yourself if you are trying to avoid pain or trying to get more pleasure.  This first decision lets you know if you have the right reason for wanting to make a change.

Today’s question is:

“Would you apply to your current job today?”

365QOD- Day960

Shaping

"One's philosophy is not best described in words;it is best described in the choices one makes.  In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And, the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. "-Eleanor Roosevelt

Responsibility is a heavy weird for most of us.  We want to take credit for our successes and want to redirect the focus for our failures.  It is human nature. If we admit that it was us, then maybe we were not good enough? What a mistake!

As Eleanor points out, it is the choices that are our true philosophy.  It is not empty words that we say but do not apply. 

So if we want to shape our lives then we have to recognize the results that we do not desire and make better choices in order to get better results.  This choosing and making better choices is a never ending process.  The process is the basis of my first book, The Result.

It is encouraging to know that we do have control and often several choices we can make at any instant.  Unfortunately, most often we are not aware of the present enough to consciously choose. So the key, in my opinion, is to become more consciously aware at each moment in order to choose the best option that will lead us towards our ultimate self.

Today's question is:
"Do you actively shape your life through your choices?"

365QOD- Day935

Apple put the cult in culture

"Before I got to IBM I used to think that culture was important but now I see it as the most critical"-Lou Gersner

Consider these two statements and you should quickly realize that they are describing two different types of culture. One is internal and the other is external.

Gersner must have quickly realized that in order to save IBM from destroying itself he needed to change it from the inside.  He could not control what the customer chose to do but he can lead IBM towards a place where the company can thrive.  IBM got out of certain businesses that were not successful and focused on its core. 

Apple is the other extreme.  It built an internal culture on being so hip and cool that the world wanted to join.  They were not building computers for the masses but for the cool creative people.  If you bought a product you entered into that culture and you became a member of the Apple cult.  You drank the cool aid and bought the genius Tshirt.

I believe that Lou only managed to win half the battle.  Yes he managed to resurrect a bleeding giant but did not create the cult following.  To move to that level you need products that are remarkable.  Products worth remarking about.

Today's question is:
"Can you start a cult?"

365QOD- Day899

"I do not have a bucket list but I have a f$ck it list that is a mile long."- Don Amerson

Yesterday I heard another coworker utter these words and give Don credit.  Immediately I formulated a post in my mind.

About a month ago I found an old bucket list from ten years ago.  I did nothing with it except sit it on my desk.  My idea was to sit down and look it how many of my to do items were done.

Dons wisdom is the reverse side.  How many of the bucket list items are on the f$ck it side. In other words not important at all to me as a life goal.  Probably quite a few.

Maybe scheduling a five year review of the bucket list is a great idea.  Give years is a long enough timeframe for me to get some things done and some of the items on the list to need dropping.

Today's question is:
"Which one of your lists is longer?"

365QOD- Day892

"The greatest thing in the world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving"- Oliver Wendel Homes

In older posts I have referred to the idea of where we are at any moment as our current state.  By that I mean the level at which we are along different dimensions such as: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, interpersonal, focus, discipline, urgency, etc.

The quote above warns that more than the state, which is never ideal, we should focus on the direction we are moving in. For example, if I have not been working out much then my state might be a 3 out of 10. Now I can settle for that level or figure out how to nudge myself to a 4.

The key is to not be content with your current state and to always have a plan on how to move yourself from your current state= current equilibrium.  just by moving a but you might reach a better equilibrium that is much much better than where you are currently.

Today's question is:
"How do you move yourself from your current state?"

365QOD- Day724

 “But there are also a few things I wish I had done differently. The number one piece of advice I would share is to recruit a mentor. Find someone you admire who is at least one generation older, and has no direct authority over you. Lack of context and perspective can cost you months and years, with a bad career choice, an unwise relocation, short-term negotiating posture, and, generally speaking, sophomoric thinking.” - Bing Gordon FAST Company

In an older post I asked a question whether you would chose that your kid is a genius when they are a kid or a successful adult.  Most people would chose the second option.  This is mostly due to people realizing that the skill set to be successful as an adult is more difficult than to stand out amongst other kids.

So what about the rest of us ‘non-genius’ types?  Can we nudge ourselves to the successful adult option.  I believe we can and should.

One of the choices that I was made to make at my last employer was to chose a mentor.  I thought that this was strange since I am a middle age guy.  BUT I went along with the program.  I reviewed the resumes of potential mentors and interviewed three. 

My choice was a senior technical person who had lived in three countries.  We clicked.

Some of the best conversations I have had with anyone about careers were with him.  It was a wonderful experience.  The quote above reminded me of that experience.  It reminded me of how great that advice would be for a young person to hear and apply. 

Currently, I chose my mentors through books.  If I want coaching on a topic then I look for an expert on that topic and read up on it.  This is specific coaching but not career coaching that a mentor can provide.

Today’s question is:

“Have you chosen a mentor?”

The article can be found at

http://www.fastcompany.com/3004900/early-stage-career-boosters-people-mvp-potential

365QOD- Day698

‘Why are you doing the work that you are doing?”- Scott Dinsmore TEDx Golden gate speech

This is a question that most of us fail to ask.  We get up in the morning and just plow through our day.  We exist but often do not thrive in the jobs we have.

Existence is nice.  It pays the bills but it does not fulfill our souls. 

I have been going through a 10 year plan exercise and I can tell you that what I currently do is not necessarily what I want to do long term.  It is a good job BUT it does not recharge me as other things in my life.  Importantly, it does provide an avenue for expressing my creativity.   This is my highest need in a job.

Today’s question is:

“Why are you doing the work that you are doing?”

365QOD- Day689

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. While the realist adjusts the sails.” – Unknown

I believe that the more adaptive we are the most likely we are going to get to the end that we wish to get to.   To me being adaptive means having more than one way to accomplish any given task.

Once you accept the idea that you can be adaptive then the only challenge is to find the best tool for that task. 

Today’s question is:

“How adaptive are you?”

365QOD-Day475

"I create my own reality"- my belief

If you believe that other people shape your destiny, you are right.  If you believe you shape your destiny, you are right.

However, when we believe it is others then we give away any control we have to change the direction.  We might not be able to drastically change our destiny BUT we can instantaneously change our current direction.

For example, I recently have been working very long hours and not been able to exercise like I normally do.  This has resulted in a five pound weight gain. 

So my eventual destiny, if I continue, will be lead to a heavier me.  I can however take small directional changes by eating less and trying to squeeze some exercise in when I can get it done.  These small changes might lead to a better destination. 

For example, I stared packing myself a small zip bad full of nuts and dried fruits.  If I feel hungry I grab a few.  It helps me from getting into the starving mode.  It is a small directional change.

Today's question is:

 "Can you make a small directional change?"
 

365QOD-Day442

"It is a thin line between being committed and getting committed"- Runner's world 

Each day presents us with choices.  Do we do what we say we are going to do or do we slip?

In my opinion the quote above teaches us that we need to be committed to our goals without obsessing.
How do you decide?

I believe a goal has to provide a pull forward.  You see the goal as naturally fitting you.  However, if that goal is pushing you forward then you are going to get committed. Being pushed to do anything involves pressure from others or work.

Today's question is:
"Are you being pushed or pulled?"

365QOD-Day343

 "The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird sleeps in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities..." - James Allen

Even the smallest starts from an even smaller part.  Even the big bang started from an "unknown" source of energy.  It is the seed.

Currently I am nurturing two seeds.
I want to run a marathon this year.  This is my physical goal. 
I also want to publish a book on lessons we learned from Steve Jobs. This is my mental goal.

Many years ago I used to watch people that worked with me retire and die within two years.  They had no seeds that they were nurturing.  They no longer had to do physical work and they stopped mentally challenging themselves.  They had no dreams left in them.

Today's question is:
"What are your dreams?"

365QOD-Day316

"If your life were a book, and you the author, how would you like your story to go?-Amy Purdy Ted speech

The other day I listened to a portion of her speech.  This question stood out. 

I am the author/artist of my life.  Everyday is a canvas on which I place colors that either stand out or are kind of mute.  The ones that stand out are the memorable events.  The mute ones are the day fillers.

Once in a while,  as the author/artist I have to once in a while step back in order to get the full affect of my actions and plan my future actions. 

Today's question is:
"What do you want your life to add up to in the end?"

365QOD-Day306

"You must stop your running- at least not run 13.1 miles"-advise I received

As I mentioned yesterday I had a scare after a half-marathon.  It is easy for me to say I give up.  But I can not.

Call me stubborn. Call me stupid. But I have to keep running.

I have to have at least one mental goal and one physical goal towards which I am striving.  This makes my life purposeful.

Currently I am working on a book about Steve Jobs(mental) and would like to run the Chicago(and NY) marathons next year.

Today's question is:
"What are your mental and physical goals?"

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-Day217

"The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose"- Napoleon Hill

While reading the book Today We are Rich I came across the quote above and the following paragraph( I have split it up to improve the readability):

"When you follow a purpose, small problems pale in comparison to your mission.  You can dismiss self-doubt and wave off personal uncertainty.  Your cause is your shield, protecting you from naysayers and doomsayers alike.  Your mind is fixed on solution, not on petty problems.

Your cause will also boost your total confidence.  Because you are trying to make a difference, you'll have an internal sense of worthiness.  You'll feel as if you deserve to be successful in your efforts...."

In my life I have found this to be true.  The more busy I have been the more things get done.  There isn't as much time to "think".  Thinking is important BUT often times interferes with getting things done.  Unfortunately most thinking is a rehash of old thinking- stinky thinking.

So, your mission and mine should be to focus on  a definite purpose and you eliminate the noisy thinking.

Today's question is:
"What is your definite purpose?"

365QOD-Day212

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.- Teddy Roosevelt 1910

Many of us stop ourselves by saying that we are trying. Does that mean that you are doing?
No it does not.  I got a talking to by the author of  Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Gardner, about that word.

It is better for me to fail than to try.  By failing I have at least done something and it was not good enough.  I have a result and how I can nudge it towards success.

Trying=Lack of completeness

Today's question is:
"Is your legacy to be known as someone who followed somebody else's dream?"

365QOD-Day195

"Nothing worthwhile is easy. If it is easy, then it is worth nothing."-RT during a Saturday EET class

We want things to be easy.  But there quote above says it all.  Often times the things that are easy are not highly rewarding.

I have always admired the quality of Tenacity.  The ability to get up and keep fighting, even when it seems not possible to win, is how I define tenacity.  It is like a dog that won't let go of a person even if it is been beaten.
It forms the seventh question towards determining if a goal is one you want to follow. 

Today's question is:
"Am I moving closer to my dream?"