365QOD-Day255

"It is conscious thinking which is the 'control knob' of your unconscious machine"- maltz
 
Have you ever eaten a meal and not remembered the way it tasted?  Have you ever driven to work and not remembered the drive?  Many things we do are done unconsciously.

I recently changed jobs and by design placed a table away from my computer on which I eat lunch.  Every morning I place my lunch box on that table and during lunch I transition to it. This has allowed me to eat my meal without the distraction of a news story or email.

During my drive I listen to different audio books.  This forces me to focus on the book instead of the mindless chatter on the radio or the latest Brittney Spears song.  Ooops I did it again...and again and again...

I am working on transitioning the things that I do unconsciously into the conscious side.  Why?  This will give me the control knob to the unconscious mind.

Today's question is:

"Do you have control of your control knob?"

365QOD-Day254

"In the beginning all dreams are obstacle free"-Collin Sewell

When beginning anything we often find ourselves dreaming about a potential future state.  We think this will result in X where X is the desired state.  X can be anything: wealth, love, opportunity, etc.

Then we proceed to move towards X and Y happens. The Y is the obstacles: interference, loss, nudge towards another direction, loss of passion for X, desire for Z.

It is not surprising that we don't end up at X.  Dreaming is good but when the actions start requiring effort and you have to fight/react to Y many of us loose the momentum to go forward and just stop pursing X.

We must dream.  However, we must dream and ask ourselves what are the likely interferences that we will have to fight.  Once those obstacles have been identified  then we can proceed to go around them to eventually reach our destination X.

Today's question is:
"Do you identify the obstacles(Y) of your dreams(X) before you start?"

365QOD-Day253

"Ichi-nichi issho:  'Each day is a lifetime.'  We arise in the morning newly born.  As we pass through the day, we age and gain experience.  When we tire at day's end, we 'die' and take our rest.  That one arc serves as a miniature of our entire life.  What we do during a single day- and how we do it- becomes the foundation of our whole lifetime.  For what is life but the sum of our days?

This very day can be a life's turning point.  In a single moment we can decide to walk the path that has no end.


Starting now.


Let the day begin."  - from Zen 24/7 by Philip Toshio Sudo

On Wednesday Oct 5th 2011 Steve Jobs passed away.  In many articles I have read about him the idea of living each day as your last day is mentioned.  He lived the way of the Ichi-nichi issho.

Today's question is:
"What changes do you need to make to live the Ichi-nichi issho way?"

365QOD-Day252

"The truth is, we deserve few if any of the things we've come to expect, wish for, or covert in the lives of others.  We should be grateful for the most basic things in life and never let our expectations define our level of thankfulness"- Erwin McManus, What Do You Deserve

In yesterday post we talked about being a POET.  POET is a way of reminding ourselves to be thankful for the People, Opportunities, Experiences, and Things.

As the quote warns us, we deserve few of the things we have come to expect, wish for, or covet.  There seems to be a disconnect.  We have an overabundance in our lives and we expect, wish for, and covet more.

I have recently moved from a 2 bedroom into a studio apartment.  I used to think that the 2 bedroom was not enough.  Now there is a lot less space.  However, I removed most of my "things" to storage and now feel lighter.  At times the studio feels bigger.  And I am grateful for that..

Today's question is:
"Are your expectations defining your level of thankfulness and affecting your happiness?"

365QOD-Day251

"THANK YOU!"- my gratitude for sticking with me

After writing 250 posts I am taking a minute to stop and THANK my readers.  Most of my posts are based on things I read or have directly experienced.  They are oven very rough but always written with passion.

I realize that as a writer I have a lot of  room for improvement.  So I just want to say THANKS..

In our lives I belive that we don't stop enough to look for reasons to be grateful.  A bit of advice I obtained from a book recently is that when finding reasons to be grateful think of yourself as a POET.   THANK
People
Opportunities
Experiences
Things

Today's question is:
"Are you a thankful POET?"

"It is conscious thnking which is the 'control knob' of your unconscious machine"- maltz

365QOD-Day250

"Do even the little things with passion.  They are always bigger than they seem"- Anonymous

Everyday I make coffee that I take to work.  The process of making the coffee starts with running water from a faucet for a minute and pouring it into a pot.  Then I let the pot slowly come to a boil- usually about 10 minutes.

While the water is getting to boiling point, I prepare my french press( a vertical cylinder which has a press with a mesh on it).  In the press I put 4 large scoops of regular coffee and hazelnut coffee mixture.  

When the water has started to boil, I pour the water into the press with my right hand.  I use a spoon to slowly turn the coffee until a large section of cream develops.  Once that is done, I pour brown sugar ( you will never go back to regular sugar) in two separate cups.  One is for me and other is for my wife.  This takes about a minute to complete and allows the coffee grinds to drop down to the bottom.

I next gently press the mesh section on top of the press down.  Pouring starts in my cup until I get some cream to come out.  At that point I switch to my wife's cup.  I slowly pour hers till the top.  Then I finish by pouring the rest of mine.  Lastly, I pour milk on top of mine and gently stir both cups.

The other day I went out for a run and when I came back my wife had tried to make coffee. It did not taste right.  I wonder why?

Today's question is:
"Do you do the little things in life with passion?"

365QOD-Day249

"Passion makes a big difference"- my observation

Many of times I have told my wife, "If you are going to cook something, cook it with passion or not at all."  I can taste the difference.

Recently, I met two gentlemen who performed their work with passion.  Charlie is an owner of a handy-man business.  He works non stop 7 days a week.  When you talk with him he always has a smile and is extremely helpful even with issues that are not his own.

Shorty, the other gentlemen, is also an owner of a computer related business.  After struggling with the local internet provider they sent Shorty in to fix the problem.  10 minutes later the system was singing and so was Shorty..

Today's question is:
"Are you passionate about your work/tasks?"

365QOD-Day248

"I discovered that being in the right place at the right time is actually all about being in the right state of mind.  Lucky people increase their odds of chance encounters or experiences by interacting with a large number of people.  Extroversion pays opportunity and insight rewards.  Chance opportunities are a numbers game.  The more people and perspectives in your sphere of reference, the more likely good insights and opportunities will combine."   Wiseman author of The luck factor (from Little Bets by Peter Sims)

I firmly believe this quote.  A few months ago I met a person who is world class designer.  He is very passionate about what he does and often tries to communicate his vision to the rest of us non-designers.

I was working on a design for how to display a particular type of data.  I played around with the concept but could not come up with a brilliant way of doing it.

One Saturday evening I sat in a park with my friend and we worked on the problem.  We were so into it that the group of several people we were in felt ignored for an hour.   In the end a brilliant solution was found.

Today's question is:

"Are you exposing yourself to different people and perspectives?"

365QOD-Day247

"I fear nothing and I fear everything"- Anonymous

It seems to me that much of life is based on fear.  I recently read an article.  It is shown below.  I wish I remembered from where I got the material... I apologize.

"First insight 
Fear can close our hearts, shape our emotional life, and freeze our emotions, but the only power that fear has is the power we give to it.  We can take that power back.  What we need is to have some understanding of what we really want in life and why we want it


Second insight 
The freedom we want the most is found beyond the fear that we avoid the most, and when we move through our very worst fear, we realize that, ultimately, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Third insight
We don't need to become experts on fear to move through it.  Rather, we must strengthen our Spirit, which means cultivating the very spiritual instincts that our fear would have us neglect or ignore.

Fourth insight
One fear contains the power of every fear within us.  Burst the bubble of one fear, and all of our other fears begin to lose the power over us too.

Fifth insight 
Two questions  How can we move through our fear?  and How can we become who we are meant to be?  - are, for all practical purposes, one and the same."- source unknown

Today's question is:
"Do these insights match your beliefs?"

365QOD-Day246

"Think inside the box.  The answer to the problem lies within the problem itself"- Lynda Resnick

One day I will write a book with the title "Get your $%^ out of the box" on the front cover and "Get you $%^ back in the box" on the back cover.

In my life I have been told to do both.  A couple of years ago I worked on a problem that caused my employer about $1M per month due to unplanned outages. It seemed like everyone associated with the problem was aware of the problem but no one consistently worked on it to solve it.  I did.

The funny thing about it... it was not a part of my duties.  I solved it because at one time it was the number three priority for the corporation to get those systems to function properly.  After they were installed everyone accepted their performance except me.

After solving the big problem, I was slammed on my yearly review.  Instead of giving me a huge raise, making a big deal, and allowing me to solve other difficult problems, I was given a poor rating and not given a bonus or a raise.

The bosses above me were trying to teach me a lesson.  Get your ass back in the box.

I now have a new box to play with with a new company which wants me to solve their problems.  I am being encouraged to think outside the box.

Today's question is:
"Are you in the box or outside it?"

365QOD-Day245

"Someone said that the greatest cause of ulcers is mountain- climbing over molehills."-Maxwell Maltz

I guess it is human nature to make our problems seem bigger than they really are.  Maybe it is a part of our survival instinct?  If you did not worry about being eaten then you got eaten.

Our modern worries range from money to health.  Everyone has their favorite weakness.  To some it is drinking too much.  Others spend too much.  Most eat too much.

Picking on overeating(I have been known to do that) for a moment.  This habit causes me and others to suffer poor health.  Often it is not what we eat BUT what is eating us.  The overeating causes indigestion BUT often the cause is the indigestion of the soul.  Food is just a chosen mechanism to satisfy it.

I think that many of the problems are due to lack of gratitude for what we already have.  Gratitude is interesting.  Most people would classify it as a feeling.  You are feeling gratitude towards something or someone.

There is another way to think about it.  Gratitude as a muscle that you must exercise often in order for it to grow.

Today's question is:
"Have you worked your gratitude muscle today?"

365QOD-Day244

"Own your back story so it doesn't sabotage you when you tell your front story. Be active in your own rescue; confront the stories that others are telling about you. Leverage the back story that rules your listener; it can be a powerful ally"- tell to win book

When people formulate their opinion about you based on your past your future is no longer controlled by you.  The back story might have been embellished by yourself or modified by others.  It is what it is.

The advise above says to confront the stories if you are to control your front story.  If not then your listener, your audience, will not be on your side fully.

Most of us lead our lives as an open book.  We pretend that the opinions of others do not matter to us BUT in reality they do.  Even if are not affected by them emotionally, they can control our future messages and therefore drastically change our intended future.

Today's question is:
"How do you control your back story?"

365QOD-Day243

"I know stuff"- Anonymous

In the book Tell to Win, Michael Wesch KS University IT expert is credited with the saying that meaning plus memory is what makes knowledge minus the ability.  I re-wrote it as an equation:

meaning+memory=knowledge-ability

What quickly became obvious is that the equation could be rewritten as:

meaning+memory+ ability =knowledge

or that

knowledge= ability + memory + meaning

Pretty cool.  Does it makes sense?  That knowledge is the result of using your abilities, past memories, and providing  meaning to new information. To me it does.

Maybe there are some missing ingredients.  Maybe not?

Today's question is:
"What is your knowledge based on?"

365QOD-Day242

By being willing to risk failure in the pursuit of success, we lose some financial capital but we pay the intellectual capital forward.  Our goal is not to fail intentionally , or to pretend we enjoy failure, but it is to be willing to fail in the pursuit of greatness- Rob Padro Blizzard Entertainment

Would you double your failures if you knew that it guaranteed success?  That is exactly the advice that the head of IBM gave his staff many years ago.

Rob Padro offers the same advice on the road to greatness.  One can not succeed without that failure.

I recently published a book, The Result, in which I urge the reader to stop using the word failure and replace it with the word result.  We always get results.  Stop judging your results so harshly and instead focus on how to nudge them towards success/greatness by making intelligent adjustments.

Today's question is:
"What needs nudging towards greatness in your life?"

365QOD-Day241

"What are you not doing today that you were doing when I first met you?
What investments are you no longer making?
What daily, weekly practices have fallen by the wayside?"-source unknown

Over time even the things that work for us we forget or just simply stop doing.  There was a time when I started my day on my knees with a prayer.  It usually was the prayer of Jabez.

The prayer of Jabez THANKS God for blessing one, for enlarging ones' territory, keeping his hand upon one, and keeping one from evil.  I remember reading or hearing somewhere that the prayer was the only one directly answered in the Bible.

The point is not the prayer daily BUT the routine.  The routine made me feel good.  Or as Wayne Dyer says, "I want to feel good, I want to feel God".  It felt good.  I could clearly see how my life was changing.  How my connection with God was getting stronger.

So, why don't I say the prayer now?  Is it that my life is perfect? Far from it, I need it more than ever.  The sad truth is I do not know why I do not regularly say my prayer.  I do know that my connection to God has been very rusty lately.  My life does not feel smooth.  As a matter of fact, it feels unbalanced.  Something is missing....maybe a little prayer could fix it?

Today's question is:
"What important routine are you missing in your life?"

365QOD-Day240

Contribution of self-image to self-efficacy
"with such self-definitions[I am dumb, I am poor in math, etc], the student had to make poor grades in order to be true to himself. Unconsciously, making poor grades became a moral issue with him.  In other words, when the report card came back with an F, the self-described poor student had proof that he was right! - Psycho-Cybernetics Maxwell Maltz

Does that cookie look good?

Dr. Maltz came up with this theory based on observation of patients after surgery to correct scars and disfigurements.  It seems that we all have a self-image and without working on the mind a large change can not be processed too well.

I have heard of stories that folks that win millions of dollars in lotteries will over time find themselves in the same financial position as they were before the big win.  It is all about the real estate between the ears. Without it being aligned to the change it will not accept it and often sabotage it. 

Today's question is:
"How do you get your mind to accept the changes you want to make?"

365QOD-Day239

"What social networking revolution?"-my thought

One of my favorite writers is Malcolm Gladwell.  I am convinced that he can not tell a short story. He is very smart and I enjoy how he builds his articles and books. 

I recently went to his blog and downloaded some articles he had written for the New Yorker.  One of them was about social media vs. social activism.

It painted a clear picture of the difference between social activism of the 1960s and the social networking phenomenon of today.  Today the news people are singing the praises for social networking and their belief that it has had an effect on the Muslim world revolutions.

After reading the article, I came away with the conclusion that they have no clue.  At best the ease of connecting with many people does not provide a large social hurdle to jump over to become social activism.  It is just not possible.  The ties are weak vs. social activism's need for disciple and strong ties.

I do believe that social networks can reach many people quickly and effectively.  A product can be moved by word of mouth marketing.  BUT would you purchase a big screen TV if one of your friends thought it was good?

Today's question is:
"What are you willing to do that your friends think you should do?"

365QOD-Day238

"There is this goddess of wisdom.  An there's a goddess of wealth.  If you pursue the goddess of wisdom, then the goddess of wealth will become jealous and pursue you" -Deepak Chopra's mother telling him a story as a young child

I love this short story.   Often times we pursue things and become obsessed by them.  It could be something that initially was positive BUT with obsession it becomes negative.

The second sentence is very powerful.  It is when we do not obsess but pursue other things that the one thing we want more than anything becomes possible.

I also think that if there is one goddess to pursue it should be wisdom.  That is a reason why king Solomon was the richest man of his time.  He asked God for wisdom not money.

Today's question is:
"What goddess are you pursuing?"

365QOD-Day237

"Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar"- Ralph Waldo Emerson

How much is enough?

If you are financially free(FF) but you still obsess about getting more and more then when will you reach the enough point?  How about transcending the getting and moving into the giving side?

The FF person may be confident in their ability to earn money.  However,  if a FF person lacks the spirit of generosity, they'll never be able to fully share.   The paper worth is only in the present moment, over time it will fade away.

I believe that is why wealth is a single generation phenomenon in the US.


Today's question is:
"Are you begging?"

365QOD-Day236

"Complete possession is proved only by giving.  All you are unable to give possesses you."- Nobel prize winning author Andre Gide

Recently I gave away a bunch of clothes.  I just simply took what I did not wear for the last year and put it in the donation bins at my local supermarket.  I felt lighter.

Before moving  a few weeks ago I threw out a ton of papers and junk.  I felt lighter.

What other things possess you?

Are you are thinking too much about your money problems?  Maybe you need to get creative and find ways to donate to a cause that lifts your spirits.

Do you feel a lack of respect from others? Think about giving respect to someone who deserves it.

Why do this?

Your subconscious is paying attention to your actions.  By giving what you feel you lack tells the subconscious that there is a surplus.

Today's question is:
"What is possessing you?"

365QOD-Day235

"I get a natural high"-my reason for running

What other types of good highs are there?

 In the book The Healing Power of Doing Good - Allan Luks gives the answer.

Luks studies thousands of volunteers and discovered that they achieved a
"helper's high".  This high was very similar to what a a person experiences after a long run.

Helper's high created a "euphoric" feeling that, unlike "runner's high" lasts for several weeks.

The most amazing part was that Luks also found that the volunteers who later reflected on their giving were refreshed by doing so.

Today's question is:
"Have you gotten your helper's high today?"

365QOD-Day234

 "You want to do what?"- I get asked this question all of the time

A while back I placed this on a wall above my desk at work
Results focused           (R)
Emotions driven           (E)
Massive action plan    (M)

Specifically ask yourself these three questions

What is the end result that i want?
Why do I want this end result?
What specific actions(s) I must take to archive this end result?

Today's question is:
"What is your REM?"
 

Note: I originally wrote this as post 209 BUT noticed that there were two 209 posts...so I moved one of them

365QOD-Day233

"What optimism?  I am a realist."- a negative individual(in my opinion)

I recently read a Fortune issue titled Tech Bubble 2.0

In the article it described that Silicon valley is driven by four factors.

Success at Silicon valley=f(fear,greed,fantasy,optimism)

 (The way to read this is that the success if a function of fear, greed, fantasy, and optimism.)

In the article it mentioned that fear forces some of the people to settle.
The greed allows them, to enjoy the finer things.
The fantasy allows them to create and to want to drive a fancy car.
Lastly the optimism is seen in the people driving a suburu(I don't get that one)

The first thought, while reading, was if one was to use the 80/20 principle where would one place the weights for success?

After some thought I concluded that 20% has to go to fear and 80% to rest.
Of the rest, applying the 80/20 again, 16% would have to be given to greed.
Similarly, another 80/20 cut, would have give 14% to fantasy.
Lastly, 40% would be left over for optimism.

Success =.2*fear+.16greed+.14*fantasy+.40*optimism

Assuming that you maximize each one of the four characteristics, 1=100%, you would achieve a success in the valley.  What was interesting is that optimism made up the largest piece.  Secondly, would the factors be any different anywhere else? I think that they are pretty inclusive.

Today's question is:
"Where would you rate each one of the four factors in yourself?"   

365QOD-Day232

"Who needs money? It is all about love."- a fool

Money is a great lubricator in life.  It makes things move smoothly.  Many people sweat how much they have or will have at retirement. 

A better question is how much should you have at any time in your adult life if you want to be financially free when you retire?  Based on the work by the authors of The Millionaire Next Door there is an easy formula to determine the Income needed at any age To Be Financially Free.


IncomeToBeFF= yourcurrentsalary*age/10

So if you are a 30 year old multiply your salary by 3.  If you are a forty year old then multiply your salary by 4.  If you are a 57 year old then multiply your current salary by 5.7.

Pretty easy to figure out the result BUT hard to achieve.  If you are below 1/2 of the desired result than you are  a poor wealth accumulator.

Today's question is:
"Are you close to your IncomeToBeFF?"

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-Day230

Conquer Luck Excusitis... Accept the law of cause and effect.
Take a second look at what appears to be someone's 'good luck'.
Physical laws, not luck determine the bounce of the ball. 
The that's the way-the-ball bounces approach teaches us nothing- David Schwartz

A long time ago my son, Milan, was acting out.  I asked him to stand in front of me.

Next, I asked him if he could make the biggest smile anyone has seen.  He did.  I asked him if he could make the meanest scariest face he could.  He did.

Lastly, I asked him, "Who made the faces?"  He said that he did.  I asked him if I could mke him make those faces.  He said no.

I believe that day he learned about intrinsic motivation.

Today's question is:
"Who's making you do things?"

365QOD-Day229

I'll be damned if anybody is going to stop me, and I'll be double damned before I stop myself from succeeding-Gene Simmons

Sometimes we believe external factors control our success or failure.  It could be our spouse, family, friends, boss, etc. that we blame for not succeeding
 
Most of the time the factors are internal.  These intrinsic, internal, factors could be lack of discipline, wrong priorities, not important enough, the why is not greater than the how, etc.

I love the quote above.  To me, the double damned portion tells me that he believes that the internal motivation is twice as important and that other people can influence his chances of success but he is the only one that can stop himself.

Today's question is:

"Which world controls you?"

365QOD-Day228

"Heroes don't quit, so the only true failure is the failure to get up."- Peter Gruber

Recently I read a book called Tell to Win.  In it the author told a story of how when he was young he watched a handicapped child and father building a special bike. The kid then over time proceeded to try to ride the bike.

He fell many times.  The author thought that the father was cruel.  However, the kid kept getting up, refusing help, and eventually riding.

With each fall he learned what not to do.  As parents we want to prevent this behavior and provide our children with the solution.  This allows them not to learn how to learn or to develop their persistence.

Today's question is:
"How large is your persistence muscle?

365QOD-Day227

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination are omnipotent.  The slogan 'press on'
has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.- Calvin Coolidge

There is no perfect person.  No one type is an ideal combination of traits that guarantees success.

Many years ago I read Successful Intelligence by Robert Sternberg.  In the first half he explores that SAT tests are worthless at predicting success.  All they predict is success during the first semester in college.

However, the rest of the book is great.  It talks about Analytical, Creative, and Practical.  It concludes with the idea that the best chances for success are when there is a combination of the three factors.

Several years ago I created a OneMinute video while at a conference.  It explores the idea of  the perfect mix.  I argued that successful person make up: 60% is Practical, 20% is Analytical, and 20% is Creative would be as close to ideal as possible.

I believe that you must be creative to create a new idea.  After coming up with the idea you must be able to analyze the idea.  These two are OK but without the execution, the Practical, portion it all comes apart.

Today's question is:
"What is your success mix?"

365QOD-Day226

"Not only does language reflect a person's thinking, but it also reinforces a person's thinking.
This is true initially because you love the sound of your voice and pay rapt attention to it.


"Remember, also, that your subconscious mind is an eavesdropper on every conversation you have with others."  - Kent Sayre

"It takes careful notes and, based on your verbal instructions, produces feelings and physiological responses.  When you say that things are going from bad to worse, you are undermining your own sense of confidence.  You are unwittingly instructing yourself to have a negative point of view about the present and the future."- from Today We are Rich


In my opinion it is all about the thinking.  If you don't stop and ask yourself whether you are correct in your thinking, it will translate into your voice and actions. 

Confidence is everything.  If you thinking negatively you will not act positively.  You can't!  Your subconscious will sabotage you and reinforce your negativity.

Today's question is:
"Is your subconscious the eavesdropper to you thoughts?"

365QOD-Day225

"Tell me your story"- a question I suggested in an earlier post 

In the book Today We are Rich the author mentioned a couple of good introductions
that a couple of successful people use and have used:
"What's a good word" Dale Carnegie
"What are you working on these days?"- Keith Ferrazzi

Both of these initiate a positive response from the other person.

Today's question is:
"What is your opening line?"

365QOD-Day224

"Attitude is everything"- a stone I had on my desk at one time

In the book  Today We are Rich the author tells a story about an IT guy whole name is Richard(maybe?)
When confronted by a problem, Richard says
"I am the master of all things gadget. Always have been, always will be, I will get this to work if it's at all workable."

Later on in the story he tells how another IT guy responded to the same problem,
"...it is impossible and it will take a superhuman to figure it out"

Today's question is:
"Who do you think fixed the problem?"

365QOD-Day223

"I am so tired.. can I sit down?"- typical after an hour

Why stand?"

I recently read a study that said that sitting for 6+ hours a day
a person is 54% more likely to die from heart attack.

It also
1 screws up your back
2. makes you 1.6 inches fatter
3. causes lower back pain

So how do you stop those?  At the office follow these four strategies
Strategy1 get up twice an hour for a break
Strategy2 stand during calls
Strategy3 short emails
Strategy4 stand up desk

Today's question is:
"Are you still sitting?"

365QOD-Day222

"Maybe.."-what does this mean?

Some people are very good at using qualifiers.  Typical qualifiers that you often hear are:
maybe, perhaps, might, somehow, allegedly, no offense, just saying, should, unlikely, probably, likely, may, could be, appears, suppose, leads one to think and so on..

Who uses these words?  People that do not have confidence and who do not want to commit to anything.


Make it a point to commit.  Either you do or you don't.

Today's question is:
"Can you commit or do you need wiggle room?"

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?"