365QOD- Day1415

Taking Things Away

"If I say yes it is partly because life keeps taking things away from me and I am never sure when it is the last chance I will have to do something, to do it fully, and if it is, I do not want to miss it."- words from the movie Words and Pictures

In the movie Words and Pictures on of the main characters is stricken with severe arthurithus.  She is an artist and struggles to paint because of it.  Painting is her life passion.

The words are so powerful.  So powerful that they made me pause the movie and capture them.

The character is wise enough and in enough pain to realize that life is slowly taking things away from her and that any opportunity should not be wasted.  She does not want to look back and realize that even if she could do it she might not be able to do something to her fullest.

Unfortunately the rest of us do not make the same connections.  Most of us do not have a severe medical issue that takes things away from us.  We are blessed with bodies that, even though we abuse them, continue to perform.

Time however is cruel.  It ticks away and our bodies slowly change and our abilities, even though it is not severe, reduce over time. It does not pick favorites and slowly squeezes out life out of all of us.

Fight back and do the things in front of you while you can do them to your fullest ability.

Today's question is:
"What is life taking away from you?"

365QOD- Day1386

Types of Actions

"It is all about action."- Anonymous

I believe that actions come in two flavors: Active and Passive.  Let us define each type.

Passive actions are the ones that make you feel good.  Reading a new book is a passive action.  You are learning something good and maybe even changing you way of thinking.  So in a sense passive actions are no different than thinking.  It makes you feel good to be doing it.

Active actions produce a fruit.  That is the bid difference.  You can not produce a fruit by passive actions.  Actions must be taken in order for something to be produced.  

So we should only take active actions?  Not quite!  I believe that we should spend 20% of our time in passive actions where we learn new ideas, skills, techniques, etc.  But once that phase is done you must leap forward and execute the actions in order to move you forward.

80% passive followed by 20% active would not work as well.  It might not be enough fruit that is produced and you might give up on the execution.

Today's question is:
"Do you use a 80/20 passive active mix?"

365QOD- Day1366

Becoming the Person You Want To Be
 
"It is not the money that creates significance.  It is the person you become in order to become a millionaire that matters."- Matt Morris

I believe that everyone should have the goal of becoming a multi-millionaire.  A million is not enough any more.  It is a wonderful goal.  Before you say, "It is not for me." I want you to realize that maybe you might be wrong.

By striving to become very wealthy you are forcing yourself to raise your level.  You can not just get by and become a multi-millionaire.  But you must be smart about it also.  

I believe that by becoming a multi-millionaire we would be able to help others a lot more than by cowering in the corner afraid of the challange.  It is not easy but I believe that it is a worth while goal.  You can not help others by being broke.

What I love about this quote is the idea of becoming a better person.  You can not become that without providing a service or a product that many people love and use.  You can not be of service to one and learch that level.
You have to strecth yourself to raise your level in order to get results at that level.

Yes, it takes an effort to become a person of significance.  The money is not the goal.

Today's question is:
"Is being a mufti- millionaire a goal of yours?"

365QOD- Day1336

When Good Enough is Good Enough

"MVP- minimum valuable product"- a good enough product that can be shipped

In a 99u.com article on When is Something Good Enough to Ship Keith Frankel outlines five rules for making a decision that a deliverable can be shipped:"

1. It successfully solves the problem, addresses the need, or conveys the message intended.
2. It is clearly and distinctly on brand.
3. The quality of work is consistent with or above the level of previous work.
4. It has been thoroughly yet objectively scrutinized by other qualified individuals.
5. The final decision of preference had been left in the hands of the creator."

First one is obvious.  It will solve a problem successfully.  But what about the second one?  How do you know that it is clearly a brand?  The only way I can answer this is that it is a unique solution that no one else has achieved.

The third rule is that it is at a level that you can accept or have accepted.  But just because you can accept it does the rest of the team and leadership accept it(Rule#4)?

The last rule is to just let it go.  You have to let your baby out.  You have to give it to the world to critique it and hopefully accept it.

Today's question is:
"How do you decide if something is good enough?"

365QOD- Day1304

Privileged

"What affects are we privileged to make?"- Seth Godin

We happen to live in a country with many opportunities to do whatever we dream up.  Often time the enemy that stands between us and our dreams is us.  A persistent enemy.

I heard this question by Seth on the Eventual Millionaire podcast and understood that I have been neglecting my blog for the last couple of months.   I have been neglecting the people who read it regularly.

First question I asked myself was why?  Why have I not been regular at writing my daily posts.  It seems like I am always playing catch up.  Sometime I write the posts a week to two late.  

First thought has been that maybe I am just not reading enough.  After some thought I realized taht that is not true.  I am constantly reading.  However, I am not capturing the learnings the way I used to.

The bottom line is... no excuses.  I apologize

Seth is correct.  I am privileged to be allowed to spread my thoughts to my readers and followers.  I need to act like I deserve the privilege.

Today's question is:
"How do you not abuse your privileges?"

365QOD- Day1297

I Will Find Out

"Rather than nodding your head when you don’t know what someone is talking  about, or blindly guessing an answer (only to be proven wrong), give yourself  permission to not know it all. Simply admit that you don’t know the answer, while  adding that you’re happy to find out and tell them the answer later. Not only will 
you save yourself from   potential embarrassment,  you’ll be perceived as more 
reliable and trustworthy."- Hamza Khan article on U99.com website about not knowing the answer by Jason Freedman

I believe that the worst thing we can do when we do not know is to claim knowledge.  This comes naturally to me.  BUT I find that others struggle with this idea.  They would rather pretend that they know the answer and not showing that kink in their armor.

As Khan notes in his article, 

"..up to 70 percent of people have suffered from impostor syndrome at some point in their lives."

This leads us to mistrust the source.  If they are unwilling to admit lack of knowledge than how do we trust anything that they are saying or claiming as expertise.  We simply default to the position of complete mistrust.

So the best strategy to handle this situation is the suggestion that  Jason Freedman of 42 Floors offers:

"Saying I don’t know… turns a question into a homework assignment.  As long as I  follow up with the answer later, they never mind. And it’s 1000x better than  bullshitting a half answer."

I believe that this is better.  The best is to tell the person this and add a date by which you will give them the answer.

Today's question is:

"Do you give yourself homework assignments and due dates?"

365QOD- Day1230

Doritos Fingers

“Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have always marveled at the disconnect that most of us face.  It is amazing and often times hypocritical.  I call it the big disconnect.

If for a moment you think about the different areas of our life (physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, financial, social, etc.) you could easily find one that just seems out of whack.  You can hear yourself saying the right things but not doing them.  That is where the disconnect comes into play.

Unfortunately, as Emerson observed, it is not the words but the actions that speak so loudly.  People will observe you before they will hear you.  You telling them X without them observing X is immediately perceived as a lie.

As an example, consider someone who says all the right things about eating well.  They talk about the number of fruits and vegetable servings that they consume.  You even see am apple calendar above their desk.  But then you walk by their desk and their fingers are orange.  Immediately you realize that the talk and the walk do not match.

All of us being human will experience the Doritos fingers phenomenon.  We will let ourselves down.  It is not that one choice that kills us.  It is repeatedly making the same bad choice.  After we fall, we must lick the orange off and give ourselves a better “if I want Doritos, I will do Y” option.  And for most of the time that should get us through the moment of weakness.

Today’s question is:

“How do you keep yourself away from the Dorito fingers?”

365QOD- Day1196

Knowledge is Overrated

"Right now, knowledge is a commodity.  "- Tony Wagner

This statement is pretty scary.  Could it be possible?  It is possible but what does it mean?

In past posts I have talked about the difficult transition from raw data to information.  And the even  more difficult transition from information to knowledge.  It is the process from data to understanding  the data to how to use the information.

This quote suggests that the process is overrated.  That anyone can do it without putting in the time  to work with the data until it becomes information.  Not to even mention the long time it takes to  convert the information into knowledge.

I disagree with Tony.  The process is too difficult and time consuming and individual to be a  commodity.  It is not possible.

I believe that there exist a lot of sources of data and information on the Web.  But just because you  have access to a cookbook it does not make you a chef.  To become a chef you must know the raw  ingredients, the procedure detailed in the recipe, before we can put our own twists.  The twist might be the type of seasonings you use and knowing when to put it into the food.

Today's question is:

"Do you believe that knowledge is a commodity?"

365QOD- Day1177

If It Was Free

"If energy was free, what would you do differently?"- Tony Hsieh

I saw this question in an article of 35 Great Questions in Inc. magazine.  It made me think of what other things should be free.  Lets talk about a couple.

I believe that most people have a great idea hidden within their minds.  They will never implement it.  If asked why they will respond with money as being one reason.  But what if money was not a limitation?  What would you do differently if you did not worry about money?

Second reason for not pursuing the idea that most would give is time.  If they had the time, they would do it.  I do not buy it.  Most people would be just as busy if half of the work and activities went away.  I believe that other work and activities will fill the void.  It requires restructuring your life to focus on your idea.  What would you do different if you had the time?

Today's question is:
"If it was free, what would you want more?

365QOD- Day1065

The Five Second Rule- Tricking Yourself Into Action

"If you want to change anything about your life just do the things that you don't feel like doing."- Mel Robbins

I discovered Mel this weekend.  I happen to be listening to TED talks and her speech moved me. It moved me enough to look her up and watch some of her other spots on various shows.  One of the YouTube videos was for Success magazine.  In it she says the above quote and other words of wisdom..

One of the things that she speaks of is anti-actions.  These are actions such as surfing the we, updating Facebook, watching TV, updating twitter, etc. that fill your time and take away from your true work.  I completely agree.  These things are easy and require no effort.  They are mindless time fillers.

She speaks of, "every time  you push through you are making a long term investment in yourself".  So every time we push through the 'I don't feel like it' we are building our muscles for taking actions.  We have to make now the time instead of saying that this is not the time.  In reality, we will never feel like it.  We have to take action anyway.

I believe that the best way to build this muscle is to execute the 5 second rule.  When you get a thought to do something towards your goal to immediately start, within 5 seconds, and get momentum to move you forward.  So the only question you should quickly ask is, "Is this action strategic towards my goals or an anti-action?"  If the answer is first then do not stop and start doing it.

Today's question is:
"Are you going to execute the 5 second rule?"

365QOD- Day 867

"Fortes fortuna adiuvat " - Latin version of fortune favors the bold

In 2008 many people felt the economy collapsing around them.  Some people choose to start businesses.   Was it fear?  Was it having a great idea?  An Inc. magazine study reveals the reasons why people started their businesses.

In a story titled No Time Like the Present they report that 4 percent of founders cited job loss as reason for starting a business.  This seems low but maybe being forced to do something is not big enough of a reason to start a business.

Second group, 50 percent, believed that their idea will succeed even in economic downturn.  In other words the idea moved them forward toward executing it even if timing was not perfect.

Last group, 46 percent, recognized the gamble and could not resist seizing the opportunity.  I would say they were afraid but did it anyway because they believed it to be worth it in the end.

After reading this story I believe that the recipe is to be bold, 96 percent, brings favors from fortune.  Bold execution is everything. 

Today's question is:
"Do you move boldly toward things you want?"

365QOD- Day862

"Sometimes we are forced into actions we ought to have found ourselves"- Bob Hopkins in Maid in Manhattan

While resting last Saturday I heard this line on TV as I was flipping channels.  What a great line!

We experience life.  Often we settle for what we get from others.  Sometimes we even have the strength to demand what we want.

However, this line indicates that at times we are forced to do something that we should be grown enough to do but have refused.  We might have thought about doing something but it did not translate into action.  In other words we gave ourselves an out.  The actions of others forced us into action.

" Can you make yourself to do something without others forcing you to do it? "

365QOD- Day807

"Put the action step you want taken in the subject line of your email" - Jason Womack

I watched a video today in which Jason purposes this idea.  In my world this advice is worth gold.

I send and get a ton of emails each day and can not effectively answer most of them.  If I get 200 emails and choose to just open and read the emails might take anywhere from one to five minutes.  With 100 you are looking at 100 to 500 minutes.  When you have 200 then you have 200- 1000 minutes per day.  There are only 480 minutes in a working day.

The idea of what action need taking would save a lot of time.  This will be more and more important as more and more people read their email on mobile devices.  It might result in taking more actions in a day.

Today's question is:
" Would having an action listed in the subject line save you time reading?"

365QOD- Day710

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided." - Tony Robbins

Man, we always want something.  Kids are really good at this game.  Their list of wants seems to grow and grow. 

But as adults we should know the difference between a need and a want.  We should always satisfy our needs and hopefully some if not most of our wants. 

The quote above puts a different spin on this.  I might believe something is a need or a want BUT I might not have decided that it is important enough for me to act on it.  And as the quote wisely teaches us, without the action taking us closer to the want or need we have not made a real decision.

I have to be willing to make a real decision that requires action AND I have to be willing to accept a loss in order to fulfill the need or want.  In my opinion, most people are not willing to accept a loss and that holds them back from the action. 

Want an example?  Many people stay in unhappy marriages because they are unwilling to lose what they have in order to get what they need.

Today’s question is:

“Have you taken an action in order to make a real decision?”

365QOD- Day694

“Life is not happening to you.  Life is responding to you” – Rhonda Byrne, Power

While listening to the Power book I heard this line and immediately paused the cd.  The book is authored by the same person who brought us the Secret. 

In the book she offers a formula for getting what you want out of life. 

1. Imagine(I) what you want

2. Feel(F) what you want

3. Receive(R) what you want

I believe that step 2.5 is Act(A) towards what you want.  Sitting and wishing will not make it happen.

Today’s question is:

“What are you IFARing?”

365QOD - Day592

"Every technology was invented for single purpose: Enable humans to take actions  faster" - Jack Dorsey

I can see faster but I think one can argue for easier, smoother, etc.  It would be based on the technology(tool) itself as well as the user.

So why did I note this statement?  Dorsey is the founder of Twitter and Four Square.  In other words pretty successful at creating technology that solves a problem. 

I believe that enabling people to take actions is the key.  When we are confronted by a problem we should be wondering what technology will solve it.

Today's question is:
"What tool will enable you to take action now?"

365QOD-Day538

"I need a plan next time" - my words

I have been on vacation for  Month.   The first week I literally did almost nothing.

Second week I started doing a little more.  By the end of my vacation I was running trying to squeeze it all in.

There is a reason why tourists get to see more of the local cool places than the locals.  They have a defined goal of being in a certain place at a certain time and doing a particular task.  The locals always bet that they can do it tomorrow.  Ultimately tomorrow never comes.

  

today's question is

"How much more would you get done if you had a plan."

365QOD-Day264

"There's mighty big difference between working hard and being willing to do the hard work required to prepare for your life's opportunities.  The best prepared will always win.  To be the best prepared, you need to do some things that aren't necessarily fun or easy"-Billye from Today We Are Rich

I often see young employees work more than 40 hours per week.  They feel that they are working hard.  And they are.  But as the quote above states there is a difference between doing the hard work vs. working hard.

Often times hard work involves taking a pause and thinking about what will make the greatest impact instead of just plunging ahead.  That pause and thought process are worth gold.

It is like leaning a ladder vs. leaning a ladder against the wrong building.  You are working hard in both instances but with the first one you make sure your effort is placed in the direction needed the most.

Today's question is:
"Do you work hard or are you doing the hard work?"

365QOD-Day231

"Dad, can you give me five bucks"-often heard expression

As a parent one is often asked for a small amount of cash.  Five bucks to an adult seems like nothing but to kids it is still a significant amount(maybe I am fooling myself).

I should not say that $5 means nothing to most adults.  I re-read a story I had saved which told of a micro-earners.  These guys will do small tasks for $5.

Again, you might not be impressed until you realize that these guys are overseas where $5 is a lot.  Get several $5 tasks done in a day and you are living like a king.

Today's question is:
"What is your $5 task that you need done that could be done by someone else and give you time to do things you are great in?"

P.S. The article can be found at

365QOD-Day178

"Reduce everything you want to do, to an action you can do right now." —Jason Randal #99conf

Sometimes we out-think ourselves.  My math students are a great example of this.  They want to see the answer before they do the work.  Sometimes they are so confident that they skip steps to get to a desired answer.

I always tell them that in math you do not have to be a genius.  You do not even have to know what the answer will be.  All you have to do is take baby steps forward.  The small step you take forward you must be 100% certain that it is correct.  

If you do enough small steps of which you are 100% certain that you are correct you will arrive at the answer.   For most problems they are solving at most 3-4 steps gets you to an answer.

Today's question is:

"What is the smallest action you can take towards your biggest goal?"