365QOD-Day221

"Ohhh stuff" - typical response

When things happen try not to react but take the time to respond. 
In order to properly respond you must frame the situation and information it provides properly.
In the Today We are Rich book the author offers the following technique
to frame incoming information:

Four ways to frame incoming information
Good-        either for you or for someone or something you have an interest in
Neutral-    no direct effect on you or one of your interests
Get Busy- adversity you need to respond to
Bad-          an irrevocably negative effect on you or one of your interests

If the situation is good, file it for future reference.
If it is neutral  then do not worry about it.
If it is bad then you must accept it and the resulting consequences.

Now that you have accepted the worst, Get Busy to figure out ways that you can
come out better than the Bad result.  Anything better that you can think of?
Start working towards that better result.


Often times the result will be unpredictable and better than the Bad expected outcome.

Today's question is:
"What can you do to Get Busy?"

365QOD-Day220

A journey often takes many side trips.  As long as the general direction is in the desired direction, the endpoint will be about the same- Robert Trajkovski

It is rare that we  move from point A to point B(our goal) in a straight line.  Often the road has many side trips.

Realize that the sideways moments are preparing you to move towards your goal.  Side way motion is not necessarily bad. You must take the time to note where you are and where you need to go.   

Intelligent adjustments need to be made to siginifactly move off the sideways path and move towards your goal.

Today's question is:
"What intelligent adjustment can you make to get moving towards your goal?"

365QOD-Day219

"I don't worry... I just bite my fingernails"- an unconscious worrier
 
I read an interesting story in the Today We Are Rich book.  It was about
Willis Carrier.  Unless you are an air conditioning expert you might not
recognize the name as the father of air conditioning.

In the story he had experienced a large failure.  After this he developed
a strategy for dealing with worries.

Carrier's strategy for dealing with worries
1. Define the worst case
    What is the worst thing that can happen
2. Accept it as survivable
    Act as if the situation is a forgone conclusion and let it go as a lesson to be learned
3. Make a goal out of beating the worst-case scenario
    Develop a set of responses that can help you trim your losses and mitigate damages

I always say that strategy is 80%, 20% is execution.  It is a start.

Today's question is:
"What is your strategy for handling worry in your life?

365QOD-Day218

I believe in bumbling around long enough not to give up at things.  And eventually success comes your way, because you tried to fail in every possible way, the only way that's left is the one successful way, and always, for entrepreneurs, seems to come last.  It's so obvious when it comes"  Vinod Khosla SUN co-founder

Recently I read an interesting book called Little Bets.  In it I saw a wonderful figure which described the difference between a fixed and flexible mindset.  In next few posts I would like to discuss this figure.

First difference is
Fixed Mind set      Intelligence is static
                               Leads to a desire to look smart

Flexible Mind set  Intelligence can be developed
                               Leads to a desire to learn

A student with a fixed mindset will thrive early on in their career.  But when they hit a wall, a problem whose difficulty is above their ability, they will fall down.  Sometimes they have problem getting up and conclude that they must not be smart enough because they did not see the wall.

A student with a flexible mindset will not thrive early on in their career.  They have a great work ethic and rarely give up on problems.  So when they hit a wall, a problem whose difficulty is above their ability, they will fall down, dust themselves off, and proceed towards solving the problem..  Sometimes they will solve the problem.  However, they do not tie the result to their intelligence.  They just see it as a process through which they have to go through in order to solve the problem.

 Today's question is:
"Do you believe intelligence is static or it can be developed?"

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-Day216

"Creativity is just connecting things.  When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they really did not do it, they just saw something.  It seemed obvious to them after a while.  That's because they were able to connect experiences they have had and synthesize new things.  And the reason they were able to do that was that they have had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people...


Unfortunately, that's too rare a commodity.  A lot of people in our industry have not had very diverse experiences.  So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with linear solutions without broad perspective on the problem" - Steve Jobs as told to Wired magazine

The key to these statements is in "just connecting things".   If you look for connections you will find them.
When I talk with people in different fields of study I listen to what they are working on and I try to see the connections to what I am working on.

One of my favorite people to exchange ideas is a gentlemen by the name of Nicolai.  He is a former gallery owner and world class designer.  To listen to him speak is a joy.  He is so passionate that even if you are not interested in design you become interested in.

Seeing the connections of  how he would approach a design of a system to how I approach it is precious to me.  He has been able to advise me on changes I wanted to make and I was able to help him with designs he was working on.  He was able to see things in my designs that I did not.  Similarly, I was able to connect pieces that were not obvious to him.

Our backgrounds are different but yet we can form connections with different forms of knowledge and make it our own.  The universe does not care whether you approach a problem from the left side or the right side of the brain.  The universe cares that the final result include both types of thinking to achieve anything worthwhile.

Today's question is:
"What connections did you make today?"

365QOD-Day215

"Glance at negatives, but focus on positives"-Maxwell Maltz

Our daily information intake is often very negative.  It is not uncommon that when I wake in the morning I check the news and look at stories on the web.  This appears as a slow way to start my day BUT I am starting to think that it is too negative.  It is also very time consuming. 

I have noticed that the information I am putting into my brain is negative.  This over time will affect my mood and vision.  So I am going to use Maxwell's advice.  I will glance at the stories BUT I will not read them. 

I rarely watch TV at home and I only watch shows it on the PC.  This allows me to control what I watch(CBS Sunday morning, 60 minutes, Two and a half-men, Big Bang theory, and a few others).  Not everything I watch is positive(two and a half men) but at least I stand as the guardian at my mind's gate.

Today's question is:
"Are you guarding your mind's gate?"

365QOD-Day214

"Man I got so much to do and not enough time"- a frustrated person

At times my plate seems very full.  Adding another item to it feels like it will send me over the edge.
I believe that there is such thing as being too busy.  As a matter of fact crazy busy.  I even wrote a post in which I refered to a book called crazy busy.

I think that frustration sets in when we feel that whatever we have to do is a

"I have to do XYZ".  

We need to shift our I have to into

"I get to do XYZ"  

This small mind shift was suggested in a book I finished reading this morning called Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders.

There must be feeling of reward and appreciation for being allowed to do XYZ.  This shift in attitude is very important.  None of us are indispensable.  We are only valued when we create and execute the plan

Today's question is:
"What is it that you will get to do today?"

365QOD-Day213

"Oh it is so easy"- an illusion

It is hard to make yourself finish something.  Initially there is a joy about the newness of
the something one is trying to accomplish.  The excitement of trying to figure it out.
Next comes the uncertainty of whether you have what it takes to finish it.  The priority of
the thing is questioned.  Lastly, our energy level weakens and inaction takes over.

I recently read a story(I don't remember the source) that gave the 10 most common excuses for inaction
#1  I'm too stressed out
#2 I don't believe I can
#3 I don't have the time
#4 I don't have the energy
#5 I'm too emotional
#6 I'll always be the way I am
#7 I'm afraid I'll make a mistake
#8 I'm too sick
#9 I'm too skeptical
#10 I can't do it alone

Today's question is:
"Which one is your favorite number?"

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-Day211

"Behavior is motivation filtered through opportunity"- Clay Shirky

If you saw a person who moved your heart, would you not pursue them?   If you created an idea for a billion dollar product, would you not build it?

We often pursue opportunities that motivate us.  Often they have a reward tied to them.

Now this is where we have to be very strategic.  Just because opportunity B seems exciting does not mean we stop doing A.

I am often very guilty of this. I have about 15 book ideas that I am working on.  It took an effort to stop and focus on finishing my first book.  The excitement on working on the other ones was greater than the passion to finish the first one.

My motivation to finish the book was not financial.  My motivation was to get the result.  Now that my baby
has been born it would be so easy to give birth to another one and another one.  NO!  My baby needs to learn how to crawl, walk, and then run.

What does his mean for me?  Learning how to sell through social media.The motivation that is filtered though the opportunity is to re-brand myself as an author and a speaker.


Today's question is:
"What opportunities are you motivated to pursue?

365QOD-Day210

I might not be someone's first choice, but I am a great choice. 
I may not be rich but I am valuable. 
I don't pretend to be someone I'm not, because I'm good at being me. 
I might not be proud of some of the things I've done in the past, but I am proud of who I am today. 
I may not be perfect but I don't need to be. 
Take me as I am, or watch me as I walk away!!!-Anonymous

I recently spotted this quote on  friend's Facebook page.  It spoke to me.
Often we feel that we are not good enough.  We lack this or that.

This questioning results in a weakness.  We become weak by feeling that we lack.  Even when we can not figure out what we lack, we still fell like we do.


The question is:
"How accepting are you of yourself and your life?"

365QOD-Day209

"I am not a pessimist.  I am a realist"- Anonymous

I am reading a book called Today We Are Rich.  In it the author discusses the idea of devil's advocate.

He strongly urges that we stop playing that role.  It does not do what we intent to do with it.  It challenges the creator of an idea in a condescending way.   As if they have not taught about what you will suggest.

A better solution is to be an angel adviser.  You want the person to succeed.  So you ask them what are some of the things that they have considered that might prevent them from hitting their target. Then you listen...Don't provide a reality check.  Just listen to what they have considered.  Maybe in the end you could nudge them towards a new idea.

Today's question is:
"Who are you serving as an angel adviser?"

365QOD-Day208

 "School is overrated"- a professor that should remain anonymous

In the article below, a tech mogul pays graduating students not to directly go to college. When you think about some of the richest people on the planet you quickly realize that he might not be that far off from the truth.

School is training of how to learn how to learn.  It forces students into memorizing, reading, reviewing, performing, and lastly testing oneself.  Not bad!

So why delay it?  Schools lack tying the current learning to executing.  Imagine if you took a math course.  Often this is just a requirement.  Most students are not passionate about the subject.  However, suppose you had a problem that you needed solved and you knew that by taking this math course you will be able to do so.  Your attitude would completely change.  You would sit at the edge of your seat looking for the nugget that would help you.

This is why it makes sense to have a project that you are working on before you start learning the tools to complete it.  The key part is you are "working on it".  You can't just imagine it and then take the class.  Having worked with it gives you insight into what you are missing

Today's question is:

"Have you ever struggled with something and then got the training?"

365QOD-Day207

"Prototype as if you are right. Listen as if you are wrong." —Diego Rodriguez #99conf

We are creators.  We are always making things.  Some prototypes are physical and some are on the computer.

When creating one has to believe that that which one is creating is "right".  As a painter must, a creator must always modify their design as if they were wrong.

Be careful! Modify BUT not too often BUT often enough to get the desired result.

Today's question is:
"What are you going to modify?"

365QOD-Day206

"Your work is your own private megaphone to tell the world what you believe." —Simon Sinek #99conf

Life is a canvas.  We have to periodically stop and reflect on the results we are getting.

Even though I have never pursued it professionally, I consider myself an artist.  My last paining was done in 1992.  I would quickly sketch the piece I wanted to work on...maybe 5 min.  Then I would provide the texture and improve the drawing.  Lastly, I would use colors to finish the piece.

My style was a combination of Mukai and Ty Wilson.  It was really a Ty Wilson with more colors.

My painting have hung on some of my offices of the years and unless someone took the time to notice the signature they taught they were bought.  I often collect from magazines or take pictures of things that move me and think that I should work on something like this.

As I said, I have not painted since 1992.  Why? The easiest excuse would be that I do not have the time.  The real reason would be that I have nothing to say in that field. 

Today's question is:
"What are you great in that you just don't do any more?"

365QOD-Day205

"Instead of reflecting on the past, predict the future." —Chris Guillebeau #99conf

When confronted by an unwelcome situation, I believe that one can always respond in two different ways: acceptance or non-acceptance of the situation.  What does this mean?
 
Acceptance means that we agree even if we don't agree with the situation.  Because of  our acceptance, we might not be at peace.  The acceptance could be a solution but not an optimal solution.

The non-acceptance path is often the one that is more challenging.  It forces one to state their position.  At times we even have to defend our beliefs in order to will the desired result in the situation.

So which one is better?  It depends on your values.  Ask yourself which response better predicts the future? We can not fight every little situation.  The battles must we worthwhile and hard fought in order to win the war(what is ultimately important to us).

Note that often reflecting on the past for too long moves us into acceptance.   Some things are worth fighting for.

Today's question is:
"What result are you predicting?"

Note: I have not read this book. 

365QOD-Day204

"Align your inner vision with your outer work." —Martin Ping #99conf

It is not uncommon that the things we want on the inside and what we are doing on the outside do not match.  When this happens we create a gap.

Unless the gap is closed, pain moves in.  It could be that we are out of balance by placing so much emphasis on one aspect of your life and ignoring another.  In a past post I wrote about life management as a Chinese acrobat balancing many plates. (What are your plates?)  Any one of them can be ignored for a bit BUT not for too long.  The plate will fall and might potentially get damaged.  You are getting a result that you do not wish to have.

Often when the gap is ignored one needs to spend a lot of time trying to get the plate moving while making sure another one does not fall.  This is difficult to accomplish.

Today's question is:

"Where is your biggest gap?"

365QOD-Day203

"There are two important dates in one's life" -Rodney Miller

Yesterday's post talked about the importance of our start date, end date, and the dash in the middle on our grave stone.

Recently I sat through a presentation by a senior manager who told a story he had heard from a JP Morgan Manager, Rodney Miller. 

The manager told a story that a person has two important dates in a person's life:
1. the day they are born
2. the day they understand why they were born

Today's question is:
"Do you understand why you were born?"

365QOD-Day202

"No way"-my response to bad news

The other day I got some news that broke my heart.

One of my former MBA students, Sonya, asked me to call her.  I thought it would be good news.  It was not.  Another MBA student Lynn, her best friend, was on her deathbed.

I have been a professor since January 1993.  I remember many of the thousands of students I have instructed.  Their group was very memorable.  I even went for a drink with them after our last night together.  Of course, they tried to have fun with me a bit by taking me to a meat market.  It was a good time had by all.

Lynn stood out from the group.  She had already achieved professional success by being a director of a hospital. For her the MBA was just a confirmation of what she already knew she was capable of.

Lynn is about the same age as me. I never asked so I am guessing.

As I drove to the hospital, I kept thinking about what do you say to someone at their prime that is lying in bed terminally ill.  Anything will fall short.

She was heavily medicated so I was not able to have a conversation with her.  I spoke with her family and told them about my memories of Lynn and Sonya and their group. 

I kept thinking that on our grave stones we have two days.  The day that we are born and the day that we die.  It is the dash that is most important.  It is not the length but the meaning we give it.

Today's question is:
"Your dash got longer today.... was it memorable?"


P.S. Lynn Weber was a Phoenix

365QOD-Day201

"Sell what?"- my response to owner#2 

I figured it would be hard for me to relate to this book.  Quite the opposite.  I had a hard time putting it down.

Many years ago a successful inventor tried to persuade me to buy his business.  His son was not interested in continuing the business and he saw me as an ideal replacement.  I did not buy it mainly because I did not have the money.  It was a great business that had many products and a very good reputation.

A year ago I talked with another business owner who was considering selling his business.  I was not interested in buying the business but something stood out quickly.  Unlike the first businessman who had products to sell, the second owner was in the business of providing a service.  Not a bad business BUT he was also the only salesperson and creative designer.  He is a one pony show.  Without the pony, there is no show.

While reading the book, Built to Sell, I understood how to evaluate a company as a buyer.  Very very good book. It tells a story of an owner who is working with an advisor to place his business in a position to sell.

What I mostly learned is that people often work in their business,owner#2, instead of on their business, owner#1.

Today's question is:
"Could you sell your idea/business/concept without you being a part of it?"

365QOD-Day200

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

                                    Life is too precious, don’t destroy it.

                                    Life is life, fight for it.

                                                             Mother Theresa

I believe that whatever you believe you will make it happen.  If you believe life is X, then you will do X.  The do X part could be negative or positive. If you think life is hard, then you actions will confirm that.

 The only thought I can add to the piece above is

Life is what you make it, make it a masterpiece.

Today's question is: 

"What do you consider life to be?"

 P.S. THANKS for 200 days of support!  We march on.

 

 

365QOD-Day199

"The more passionate that someone is about something, the more you have to listen to them." —Beth Comstock #99conf

I recently read the Tell to Win book by Peter Guber.  It helps teach how to tell a good story by telling a lot of interesting stories. So what makes a good story?

Have you ever been mesmerized listening to someone?  Did they pull you in?  They told a story that you could not stop listening to.  They made you a part of the story.

What you saw was passion.  The magnetizing force of passion.   

Today's question is:
What are you passionate about that you can't stop talking about it?

365QOD-Day198

"Crazy is a compliment." —Linda Rottenberg #99conf

Isn't it interesting that as adults we would care if someone thought that we were crazy.  Why? 

I think that the reason for that is that we take ourselves way too serious.  As adults we are suppose to have all of the right answers.  Hell at times we might not even have a clue what the answer is BUT we are pressured as we should.

My wife drives me nuts when she tells me that I should have known that.  Or even better, when she prefaces it with ... you know so much... how can you not know that?

Or the best one is when I try to explain an idea that another person has and she asks why I didn't think of it.

Maybe we expect too much of others?  Maybe we expect them to know and apply when they might not even know?  Or maybe they simply think that an idea is crazy?

I think we need to give ourselves permission to think crazy thoughts.  They are usually at the extremes.

Crazy thoughts are kind of like picking fruit from a tree.  The best fruit is at the extreme end of the branch and at times you have to do some crazy maneuvers to get to the sweetest fruit.

Today's question is:
What crazy idea did you entertain today?

365QOD-Day197

"You talking to me?"-Robert  Deniro in Taxi driver

The thing we are passionate about often turns out to only be passionate to us.  We often fail to move others to join us on the journey.

The reason for lack of followers is that they do not see the benefit in your goal.  You must do some selling in order to move people to help you.  You must explain the benefit to them in order to get them to come along.
The tenth question deals with Significance.

Remember... it is not about you.

Today's question is:

Does my dream benefit others?

365QOD-Day196

"But I like it...."- a child's response when asked to stop doing something

As adults we lose the desire to keep working on tasks.  We lose the flow that allows us to continue working on something for hours.

Often times this is due to us being paid for what we do.  That is an external motivation.  Intrinsic motivation allows us to keep the flow and not stop.

Today's question is:

"Does working on my goal bring satisfaction?"

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?"

365QOD-Day194

"BUT I want it."- a childish request

Sixth question deals with Price for reaching our goal.

Everything comes with a price tag.  Nothing is free.  Maybe that sounds negative but I believe it to be true.

Cost does not have to be monetary.  It could be in terms of time and or effort.  It might not cost me anything to do something BUT it will take time to do it.  If I place no value on my time then it is free.

How much is your time worth?  Easiest way to figure this out is to take your total yearly income and divide it by 2000.  For example, suppose your income is 40000 per year then your hourly wage is 40000/2000 or $20 per hour.  So anytime you think about doing anything, ask yourself, "Would I pay $20 to do this if it takes an hour to do?"   If the answer is no, then you better do something else that makes you at least that much.

For me, this theory completely fails when it comes to writing books.  The joy of reaching the end was priceless.  I am trying to re-brand myself as an author so in the immediate future the worth is not there BUT I believe it the long term it will pay off.

Today's question is:

Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

365QOD-Day193

"If it wasn't for the people, management would be easy"- a tittle of a book (claimed by a former instructor of mine)

Fifth question is People

We have to realize that we do not live in a cocoon. There is rarely a day that we go through that we do not work with, work for, help others, or even get helped by others.   

My first book needed every single one of my friends that read it and contributed editorial thoughts.  Without them, it would not be as good as it is.  My name goes on the cover BUT their names are included in a THANK YOU page.

Today's question is:
Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?

365QOD-Day192

"Ideas are free.  If you don't have one just borrow one"- marketing executive

Fourth question of your goal is Passion

We all get ideas continuously(or borrow them).  So what?  We created them so we must own them?   Just because I come up with an idea does not mean that I want to follow it all the way to completion.

I marvel at Toyota getting one million ideas per year and executing 90% of them.  But is that reality for all of us?
You must want to follow through the idea.  If you are not compelled to get it done then it will not get done.

Today's question is:
Does my goal compel me to follow it?

365QOD-Day191

"We don't need stinking reality.  Fantasy is too plentiful"- a corporate culture

Third question deals with Reality.  Anytime we believe that one of our goals is someone else's goal then we are simply fooling ourselves.  If two people are involved, then it is possible that both are passionate about a goal, the first is passionate and second is not, the first is not and the second is, and lastly neither are passionate about it.

Therefore, there is only one in four chances that both individuals are passionate.


In should not be news that in life we often have to rely on others.  So getting realistic about whether you can control a goal is important.  Making sure that you can control most of the resources(time, money, etc.) is vital.


Today's question is 
Am I relying on factors within my control to achieve my goal?

365QOD-Day190

"Anyone, anyone?"- Anonymous

Last post dealt with the first goal question of Ownership.  So suppose you have decided that your dream is really your dream.  You want to do X.

Deciding is often the first step.  The second goal question deals with Clarity.  In order to be clear you must be able to clearly visualize what the end result will look like.

If for example you have a product you want to design, then can you see yourself or others while using it.  Nikola Tesla, the man to whom we owe much of our current electrical devices (industrial and home) ability to function, was known for being able to design products in his mind, modify them, test them, and lastly build them in the real world.

Today's question is:
Do you clearly see your dream?

365QOD-Day189

"THAT is NOT what I want"- a child's response

This response seems kind of funny until you realize that in life we often take on other people's goals.  How passionate are you about your company's goal to innovate?

If you said very passionate, I would be very surprised. It is someone's artificial goal.  It might not be your goal.

It seems to me that the key is ownership.  I might be helpful towards your goals BUT I will be passionate about my own goals.  This is test#1 in John Maxwell's book.(I am currently listening to it)

If you want to be passionate then make sure you are striving towards your own dreams.  Ownership is the key.  Parents can wish it, companies can demand it, BUT it is your life.  You have your own dreams. 

Today's question is:
"Which dreams do you have ownership of?"

365QOD-Day187

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream" - a tattoo on back of Evan Rachel Wood

Sometimes reality and fantasy seem to be one and the same.  I believe that if you can visualize it in your mind then it is possible.  In my engineering work, if I want to install a new system I often times visualize what it will look like as if I was standing in front of it and then sketch a 3D version of it. Once I see it on paper then I begin to design the specifics of what needs to be done in order to achieve it.

I believe that this example is valid in life also.  If you can visualize a goal, see yourself achieving it, then it should be easy to visualize all of the objectives that you have to hit in order to achieve it.  I describes this procedure as GOSPAL in earlier posts.

Today's question is:
"Can you visualize your dream?" 

365QOD-Day186

"It is my opinion.  Am I not entitled to it?"-Anonymous

We have to be careful of our opinions.  They could be wrongly derived, nurtured, and kept for unnecessary reasons.

In the book Happy for No Reason author Marci Shimoff tells a story of a Cherokee elder talking to his grandson. 

Grandfather begins by telling the child that inside all people there is a battle.  The battle is between two wolves.

One of the wolves if known as Unhappiness.  This wolf is full of fear, worry, anger, jealousy, sorrow.  It posses self-pity, resentment, and inferiority.


Second of the wolves if known as Happiness.  It is full of love, joy, hope.  It nurtures  serenity, kindness, generosity, truth, and compassion.

The elder continued, "These wolves battle inside people every day."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then turned to the grandfather, "which wolf wins grandpa?'

The grandfather smiled and replied, "The one you feed."

Today's question is:
"Which wolf are you feeding?"

365QOD-Day185

"Now what?"- a question to myself

On Tuesday, August 2, 2011, my book The Result went on sale as a kindle edition.  It has been a journey to write, edit, re-edit, and finally finish.

As it is with any goal, there is a slight letdown.  This is like being in a fight and you got the guy down.  Do you stop?

The answer is NO!  I must now learn how to market and sell it.  I must learn how to get people to notice it.  Just because it exists does not mean anyone who might be interested in buying it will know of it.

As a matter of fact... now the hard work begins.  This was just the first battle in the war of branding myself as an author.  One battle has been won.  Many more battles ahead.  I must celebrate.

Today's question is:
"How do you celebrate major victories?"

365QOD-Day184

"We are continuously faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems"- Anonymous

Everything is hard until you have figured it how to do it.  Some people will even say that all it requires is practice.  The old saying is practice makes perfect.

I completely disagree.  Practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.

In other words just practicing the wrong things perfectly still makes them wrong.  You must make each practice session perfect. 

In a past posts I discussed ideas from the book Mastery by George Leonard.  This is a wonderful book but it lacks information about what it takes to make practice perfect.  Thomas Sterner answers this question in his book.  He details what he did to improve his golf game.  He even describes how he improved as a piano tuner.  He suggests that we must have a specific goal on which we will work on during each practice session.  It should be a small manageable goal.  We should not be focused solely on the ultimate end goal.

A wonderful book!

Today's question is:
"What is your goal for today's practice?"

365QOD-Day183

"So you think you are thinking?"- my question to you

I recently read a story adapted from the Book The Shallows by Nicholas Carr.  It ends with this disturbing paragraph: 


"What we are experiencing is, in metaphoric sense, a reversal of the early trajectory of civilization: We are evolving from cultivators of personal knowledge into hunters and gatherers in the electronic data forest(web).  In the process, we seem fated to sacrifice much of what makes our minds so interesting"

WOW!  We are no longer cultivating knowledge.  The way I read it, we are not becoming better selves. We are not evolving.  We are not adding pieces to our toolbox just in case we need them in the future.

I also read into it that we are merely surviving day to day by gathering the necessary information, usually through the web, to just get through our jobs.  Quick and dirty.
Scary!

Today's question is:
"When is the last time you read just for the sake of developing  yourself?"

365QOD-Day182

"Our mantra: brutal prioritization, maniacal focus." —Jeffrey Kalmikoff #99conf

I once had a boss who had hired five consultants.  I was one of them.  We had a former CEO, a lawyer, a former CFO, and me. 

A great team BUT he was the worst boss.  He was abusive of us.  He would call me Saturday afternoon and ask me why I was not in the office.  At times he would call one of us at 5 a.m and ask if we had checked our voice mail.

A complete nut job.... but he did use to say something that I never forgot.  He would tell us that we lacked Focus, Urgency, and Discipline.  I wondered if he was correct?

In my daily log I still have areas where I write FUD and ask myself what is it that I need to focus on, what requires urgent attention, and what is most likely going to require discipline.

Today's question is:
"What are you going to FUD today?"

365QOD-Day181

"A good partnership is more than the sum of its parts." —Sigi Moeslinger #99conf

I am usually a nice easy going professor.  However, I do get mean and nasty when it comes to team projects.  I want the team to be a true team.

Most teams have dynamics that come into play and affect the team's effectiveness.  BUT I am not talking about that.  I often have students in teams and they are suppose to produce a product.  Often times it is one of the students producing and the other ones, busy with their lives, coasting on the tails of the producer.

My observation to the teams is usually in the form, "If I was your boss, and this one person produced everything, why would I need the rest of you?"  If the team is not better than the individuals that make up the team then it is not a great team.  This is why I love the quote above.

Today's question is:
"Are you the producer or riding someone's back?"

365QOD-Day180

"Everything I'm not made me everything I am"-rap song lyrics

The other day while walking towards a beach I noticed this tattoo beneath the neck on a young lady.   It caught my eye and occupied my mind. 

We are always so certain of the things we are and the things we are not.  But can the things we are not make us more of what we are?

If something is not enjoyable then we often stay away from doing it.  We do tend to gravitate towards things we enjoy and most likely are good at.  Unless work requires it, we often times play to our strengths.

But can a weakness make us strong?  I believe it can.

In January 1993 I started teaching.  Being in from of a group was a weakness if not a fear.  I did not like being afraid and chose to put myself in a position where I had to be in front of a group presenting at least a couple of times per week for at least one to one and a half hours.

My fear went away.  Now I could be placed in front of very very large groups and I would be OK.  So a weakness became a strength.  That which I was not made me who I am.

Today's question is:
"Have you ever converted a weakness into a strength?"

365QOD-Day179

God may meet you today where you least expect him- church sign

A long time ago I heard a story about a man.  The story talked about the man's entry in the world- the birth day.  And the story told about the man's ending hours-the end day.

I thought about that story and quickly realized that it was very incomplete.  We can not know the measure of the man by just looking at those two dates.  This is the reason why gravestones have both those days and a dash in between them.

It is in the dash that the true measure is created or wasted.  Unfortunately, the dash in itself does not help us determine the value of the life.  We need many more stories and results to establish this.

Today's question is:

"How will you make your dash meaningful today?"

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?"

365QOD-Day177

"That is very subjective"- my thought

Another learning from the strengths seminar was that our yearly evaluations are based on the PIE model.

P-PERFORMANCE - 10%
I- IMAGE- 30%
E-EXPOSURE- 60%

Only 10% of our perceived success is based on how well we do(performance).  The image that we have built over time contributes 30%.  Lastly, how the decision makers above us see us contributes 60%.

What is disturbing is that 60% is made up of the subjective(i.e. political at times) opinions of others about our performance.  Beyond one's immediate supervisor, the knowledge of what one does and how well one does it is often lost.  This makes the process very suspect.  Yet unfortunately even some of the largest companies use this method.

Today's question is:
"What can you do you improve your exposure to your boss, their boss, and their boss' boss?"

365QOD-Day176

"But I get evaluated yearly based on my weaknesses"-my response

Recently I attended a seminar based on the book Strengths Finder 2.0.  After reading the book, and answering the 177 question questionnaire, the seminar tied many pieces together.

Once we had taken the questionnaire we were given a report with five of our strengths.  During class we met in groups with people who had the same strengths as ourselves.  WOW!  I immediately saw in others what I know I have in me.

In one such group we discussed our passion for learning.  One of the participants even wondered how to pass on the learning to her team.  My suggestion was a lunch and learn seminar like the ones I held for a new hire network group.

It was interesting to note how people used their strengths.  But the big AHA moment came when the achiever group, one of my strengths, presented their finding.  It made me question whether my strengths and my values were aligned.  At times they are not.  Most people in the class had family as their highest value.

Today's question is:

"What is your strongest strength?"

365QOD-Day175

"I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday"- Lincoln

A very powerful quote I recently learned.

I remember walking into a steel mill in August 1989 as a young engineer.  I shared an office with a guy named Jim Allen.  On my first day he offered me the following advise:  Don't leave the plant without learning at least one thing each day.

Pretty good advise.  For years it was easy but there came a day when I had to look for something new to learn before I left for the day.

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

365QOD-Day174

"That can't happen!"-Anonymous

Imagine 25 years ago a person walks up to a management consultant
"I've got a cool business model for making software.  Here's how it works:
A bunch of intrinsically motivated people around the world get together to
do technically sophisticated stuff for no pay.  And then after working really
hard, they give away their product for free.  Trust me: It's going to be huge."- Dan Pink Interview in Wired

How many things we imagined many years ago are now a reality?  Cell phones?  Cell phones with video cameras? Smart phones?  iPad?

Today's question is:

"What seems impossible to you today?"

365QOD-Day173

"Change is never a matter of ability, change is a matter of leverage over oneself"- Tony Robbins

In the last post I mentioned the idea that in order for change to occur three beliefs must be present:
1. It must change
2. I must change
3. I can change it

In an early post I mentioned the book Switch.  The authors describe the change process as having three pieces
1. The Rider- the logical part
2. The Elephant- the emotional part
3. The Path - setup for success

We can logically decide what must change, realize that we must raise our level in order to change it, and actually believe that we can change it.  So what is next?  The Path.

You must setup a few milestones which you can quickly hit and your chances of success will greatly increase.  In the book they tell a story of 8 punches vs. 10 punches with two pre-punches that Subway tried out for its customers to earn a foot long sub.  The success rate for the pre-punched cards was 3 times larger.

Today's question is:
"What are the milestones you can pre-punch?"

365QOD-Day172

"Work like you don't need the money...
Love like you've never been hurt....
Dance like nobody's watching...
Sing like nobody's listening...
Live like it's Heaven on Earth."- Wall quotation

This was a bit of advice on a piece of paper taped to a wall in my former office.  When you pull back it is a prescription for happiness.  It provides guidance in the areas of money, emotions, behavior, and joy.

I often say The worst enemy of happiness is not being unhappy enough.  If you are unhappy enough then you decide that you must change.  In order to change the area you are unhappy about you must have three beliefs:
1. It must change
2. I must change
3. I can change it
(idea from Tony Robbins)

So follow the above quote but consider the necessary beliefs if you want to make it change.

Today's question is:
"What is it that must change in your life?"

365QOD-Day171

"Balanced life.  What is that?"- a question from a person living an unbalanced life

I just got through listening to the book Perpetual Motivation.  In it the author explained a balanced life very well.

Reflect on the several pieces that are important to you in your life.  It could be your family, finance, work, etc.

Now visualize life as you trying to balance these several plates like a Chinese acrobat where each plate represents one of the important items in your life.

As long as the plates are spinning, minimal attention once in a while continues the momentum and the plates stay spinning.  If you ignore any one of the plates in order to focus on just one of the plates(i.e. work) at least one of the other plates will fall.

Today's question is:
"What are your plates and what is the minimum effort required to keep them spinning?"

365QOD-Day170

The first part of my mantra I say out loud C is for Confident.  I then continue on the inside with why I consider myself confident. 
         I am confident because of . 
         I am confident because of the .
         I am... continue saying out what makes me confident. 

This allows me to focus on confidence for that run and how it is a part of my life.  After 26 runs I repeat...

I  strongly believe that you need to come up with a positive, powerful words for each letter of the alphabet.  In the I am posts I will share my list with you. 

Today's question is:
"What does your C stand for?"

365QOD-Day169

I recently was shuffling through some old printouts.  I came across an article on the Art of Momentum
http://the99percent.com/tips/6815/The-Art-of-Momentum-Why-Your-Ideas-Need-Speed
that I want to explore in the next four posts.

 Know that momentum takes time to build. 

Andy Swan provides an idea that I found to be very insightful.  He says that of the most common mistakes is to “set lofty goals from a resting start.”  Amazing!

How many times have you made plans about something big while resting and believing that tomorrow you will start the progress towards your lofty goal?  Tomorrow comes you start, next day comes you continue, but after a few days you stop.  Your momentum was from a resting stop.  You only had a little bit of momentum

Now imagine you get an idea and immediately start by doing something little towards it.  Next day you stretch yourself by doing something a little bigger.  Third day you stretch a little more and this continues for a while.  You are most likely going to continue working towards the goal.  Your momentum is growing.

Don’t hold back. When it comes to creative execution, the key is to get moving, and keep moving.

I tried to visualize this and the graph below is what I came up with.

 Initially, the effort needed might feel large.  As you keep moving, it gets easier to keep up.  After a while you will feel slightly behind and needing a larger effort to close the gap.  Towards the end your effort will feel large because you will experience resistance to finish.

Today's question is:

"What is the baby step you must achieve today and the little baby stretches you can achieve in the next few days to build your momentum?"

365QOD-Day168

"That is the rule"- an admonition

Last night I watched a sad story called Water.  It was a story about what happens to widows in India around 1938.

The story is about a little girl, around 9, whose husband dies.  She is forced to live in a widows home.  There she meets many women and she befriends three of them.

First one, Kalyane, was beautiful and she was lent out to men for sex in order for the ashram to survive.  The second one was very smart and strong and she always questioned the rules of the place and her religion.  The last lady, a very old lady, had spent her whole life in denial remembering her marriage at seven and the sweet candy she ate that day and how she is no longer allowed to eat the candy.

I have been harping on blindly accepting rules the last few posts.  It seems to me that this movie  shows the need to challenge rules instead of blindly following them.  Oddly, the movie ends with the statement that about 1.3 million Indian women live in these types of ashrams today.

Today's question is:
"Are some of the rules you are following destructive?"

365QOD-Day167

"Rules should have expiration dates"- Seth Godin

This week I listened to an old book Survival is Nor Enough by Seth.  One of the things that I learned from it was the need to set expiration dates to old rules. 

In Day166 I offered the story of the ham cutting to fit the pan.  A silly little story BUT when you consider that most of our lives are made up of rigid rules it becomes a reminder.

Why do you squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom but it bothers you when your spouse squeezes it from the top.  It is a rule in your mind that says that is the proper way to do it. 

Why do you drive to work the same way everyday?  Because in your mind that is the quickest, easiest, least stressful way of doing it.  Maybe that is no longer true.

The problem is that we believe so many things that we need to be cognizant to note these beliefs down on paper and periodically review them .  Maybe they are no longer the best rule to follow.

Today's question is:
"What beliefs that we hold dearly should have an expiration date?"

365QOD-Day166

"Why not?" - a typical question that a child asks

Maybe we should do more of that questioning.  They have a never ending ability to ask why. 

It seems to be that as we get older we set up many rules for ourselves.  Culture and environment help mold us into not asking why.  We make rules or abide by rules that were set up many years ago.  Often we do not know the logic of why the rule was set up in the first place.  We just know to follow it.

In an old self-help story a husband ask his wife why she always cuts the end of a ham before she bakes it.  She answers that that is something her mother always did.  They decide to call the mother and when they ask her she answers with the familiar...that is something that my mother always used to do.

The three of them call the grandmother.  When they ask her why she always cut the end of a ham she smiles and says... because my pan was not big enough for it to fit.
 

Today's question is:
"What rules are you following that no longer make sense?"

365QOD-Day165

"Get your mental crayons out" - Jose Barrios

I am often amazed that majority of people consider themselves not to be creative.  In order to stretch my students I often require 1-2 assignments in which they have to deliver a creative solution.

The result is that I am yet to be disappointed.  They often get their creative juices flowing and present solutions that at times exceed my expectations. 

The Ignore Everybody book is a wonderful start.  Sketching on a business card?  Why not?  

Today's question is:
"When is the last time you got your mental crayons out?"

365QOD-Day164

"It's Not fitness.  It's life"- a t-shirt message

I saw this t-shirt  the other day.  It made me pause.

As we advance technologically we tend to get less exercise. Our lives are very sedentary. We become more susceptible to illnesses due to these choices.  At home most activities are done near a TV.

From Tim Ferriss' 4 Hour Work Week I learned that we should always have at least one physical and one mental goal that are stretching us to be more.

My physical goal for this year is to do a half-marathon.  I initially wanted to do a full marathon but due to the problems with my knees I have reduced it to a half.  It is still a stretch goal since I have never raced in a 13.1mile race.  The Chicago and NY marathons will have to wait till next year.

Today's question is:
"What is your fitness stretch goal?"

365QOD-Day163

"People don't want a story, they want enlightenment"-Paid to Speak

As a presenter in order to enlighten I always look to do three things(PSA):
1  Point - present what I want the audience to learn
2. Story - share a personal experience about the point
3. Action - provide the first few actionable steps that could be undertaken

Last night I was asked about my experience trying to self publish a book.  I started off my saying that I believed that self publishing is the only way one should publish.  I then told a short story of my journey through writing and what I thought was needed to do it successfully.  Lastly, I offered a particular place to get started and what are a few of the first steps in order to gain momentum.

Today's question is:
"What is your PSA for something you are explaining?

365QOD-Day162

"Tell me a story about myself when I was little"- my daughter's request

Today is my 45th birthday.  A few thoughts are going through my mind.

Am I where I want to be?  Am I doing what I should be doing?  What will the next 55 years hold?  Am I the best Robert I can be?

I keep a little journal in which I write what I have planned for the day and anything that I learned or want to capture.   Periodically I sit down and review the days.

It never fails to amaze me the things that I have learned and came up with.  It is like a story of my life that I re-tell to myself. I often go back and highlight something from each day that makes that day stand out...that makes it re-memorable.

Today's question is:
"What will you do today to make it memorable?"

365QOD-Day161

"Business is like a multidimensional probabilistic chessboard."
"Unfortunately, I came to the conclusion I was better than the CEOs we hired.  If I'm not CEO, I can't make the inventions happen in the way they need to happen"  -  Ion Musk (Tesla and SpaceX CEO )

It is interesting how our views cloud our beliefs.  If we think life is tough.  Then it is.  If we think that life is a game then we act like it is and it is more fun.

Beliefs bring forth feelings and those feelings become our reality.  Long time ago I heard the phrase:
Beliefs become your thoughts,
Thoughts become words,
Words become actions,
Actions become habits,
And habits lead to your destiny

So beliefs become your destiny....

Today's question is:
"What do you believe life is?"

365QOD-Day160

"Once you have run out of excuses, you can begin to change"- James, a man that lost 330 lbs.

I am not one to watch television much but the other night while in a hotel room I watched a TV show called Biggest Loser- The Weight Loss Edition.  In it a 651 lb. guy asked one of the trainers to help him lose lots of weight.  His starting point was 651 lbs.  His ending point was 330 lbs after 12 months.

Why did he succeed?  Was it the coaching? Possibly.  Was it the nutrition choices? Possibly.

In my opinion it was the man himself.  He asked to be pushed and he kept pushing back.  Even after a health setback, he rebounded and lost a lot of weight.  He had his mind set for success. 

Today's question is:
"What is your mind set for?"

365QOD-Day159

"What vision?  I can barely get through the day."-frustrated friend

Often times our vision get cloudy.   It is easy to get discouraged by others who with a quick flipped remark can shoot a balloon down.  During these times it is important to have something that it reminds you to press on.  May I suggest:

Teddy Roosevelt speaking at the Sorbonne a century ago in 1910.

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.

Today's question is:
"Are you working on your dreams?"

365QOD-Day158

" I want to keep it real man.."- a musician phrase

A month ago I read an article in Inc. magazine about a company called Etsy.  It an interesting concept.  It is a business that provides the means for many small crafts people to sell their products.


http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/can-rob-kalin-scale-etsy.html

These folks enjoy doing their crafts and make a little money on the side selling those.  There is often times a passion that these creators have for their work. 

Today's question is:
Can a business exist with a great number of small crafts people selling their products?

365QOD-Day157

"If you build a better mousetrap, the world would beat a path to your door"- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is a long held belief.  BUT is it true? 

Just because you design a great product, it means nothing these days.  It is no different than having a great website or a blog.  Unless people know about your product it will not earn you the money you think it should.

"In the age of abundance, nobody will come knocking unless your better mousetrap also appeals to the right side of the brain"- Dan Pink   

In my opinion Dan Pink gives us an idea that the product must appear to the creative cool side in us.  BUT even a super cool gadget is not enough.  Advertising... word of mouth...social media.....got to spread the word.

Today's question is:
"Do people know what you are selling?"

P.S. If you think that you are not selling then you have already lost the game.

365QOD-Day156

"He has the bluest of eyes"-A woman admirer

In an audio book I just got through listening to, Paul Newman was recalled as an actor.  In it he told a story of his father as his hero.

Paul Newman was more that just an actor.  He did more than just act.  He created.

Newman created something that would last for a long time.  He created a company to sell items under his name.  The company started with a salad dressing.  They added pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, salsa, and wine, etc.

Newman's policy was to donate all proceeds, after taxes, to charity.  By 2006 the company had donated 250 millions.

Today's question is:
"What can you do today to benefit others?"

365QOD-Day155

"One a day, each day, for 365 days in a row"- my mission

In an article in Spirituality & Health magazine
     Make a clean  break from anxiety - by Cash Peters

The author describes a technique he used to get rid of fear of doing things.  He decided to:
      Say YES to everything for the next 12 months
      - no messing
      - no second thoughts
      - everything that wasn't harmful
      - or life threatening

WOW!

Today's question is:
"Could you follow the YES! technique for a year?"

365QOD-Day154

"self description=job description"- unfortunate equation

When we first meet people we often ask the question, "So what do you do?" In an earlier post I offered a better question, "Tell me about your life?"

We are not our jobs.  We are not our income level.  As Wayne Dyer has so elegantly phrased it, "We are spiritual beings having a physical experience NOT physical beings having a spiritual experience"

We must diversify our identity.  It must be more than our job.

Today's question is:
"How would you describe yourself if you did not tell how you earned your living?"

365QOD-Day153

"Gently touch the world"- advise from a mother to her child

I heard this phrase while listening to the audio book called My Hero.  It stopped me for a minute.  How powerful! 

In the morning we jump out of bed and lunge at the world.  We are like a bull in a china shop.  Often times not realizing the damage we cause in our path.

Urging the child to be gentle with the world is a great message.  It is one worthy of spending a day or more thinking about.

Today's question is:

'How will you gently touch the world today?"

365QOD-Day152

"What is Zen?"- an often asked question


I read this interesting article on a Zen Master forming a group that questioned the Bible as a group for 10 years. Interesting.



After reading this article the first thought that I had was can one understand something by using something else.  For example, could someone solve an engineering problem by using biology?

That was not a fair question since I already knew the answer BUT you get the idea.  While working on my doctorate I studied genetic algorithms created by a John Holland.  GA technique tries to find the minimum or maximum of a function by using Biology.  Initially a population of binary candidates are created and evaluated for fitness.  After each generation best members of the population are married(combined), some killed off, and after a few generation mutations are introduced.  

After many generations a member is born who knows the exact location of the minimum or maximum of that function.  Impressive.

Today's question is:
"What one area you work in can be used to solve difficult problems in another?"

365QOD-Day151

"We need to create a ..." words I said many times over the last few years

For years I have been telling a university I work for that there exists a need for a free course to be given to the students before they start their undergraduate and their MBA program.  I was always met with enthusiastic agreement. I even brought it up during large faculty meetings.  Again, I was met with large enthusiastic agreement.

Well, I am tired of identifying the need for others.  I have decided to create a product to satisfy the need. 

One of my favorite questions is "Why not me?"  I guess I should have asked myself this a few years ago.
At that time I thought the need was more specific.  Recently, I started seeing the need as more general.

Today's question is:
"What need have you been trying to get other people to satisfy that you should fulfill?"