Month: January 2010

Categories
Books

Are You a Linchpin?

Do you remember what a Linchpin is?

It’s a piece of hardware that keeps the wheels on.  Not on today’s cars, but on wagons many years ago.  Today, they keep all kinds of things together.  The linchpin has the highest usefulness to weight ratio of any other part.  Without one, your whole system falls apart.  It’s indispensable.

And that’s exactly what Seth Godin says you can be.

Quoted as being his “most important work ever” Seth’s latest book, Linchpin, cuts straight to the core of where making change happens: inside each individual’s brain and their ability to choose.

“This time it’s personal” he says.  Not personal for him (although it is very much so) but personal for you.  He wants you to make a personal choice.  He wants you to choose to make a difference.

When we understand that a simple decision is all that is necessary to get started, it doesn’t seem too far out of reach.  And when we believe the fact that we all have a little genius in us, capable of looking at something that others are stuck on and getting them unstuck, then we can begin to create our art – the thing that only we can do, that changes other people for the better.

I experienced linchpin-like change when I ignored my lizard brain that tries to keep me safe and in the status quo, and traveled to New York for Seth’s launch presentation of this book and to meet members of his online community that he created for his previous book, Tribes. It was a remarkable experience that needs a separate post.

Right now, I just want to say that this work of art from Seth is so packed with powerful concepts that it’s going to take a few readings and underlining to help me really understand and apply it effectively.  From my first read-through I know that I need to develop the skills of becoming indispensable to those around me. 

For me, more studying is necessary because he doesn’t provide a map, he doesn’t tell you how to do it.  He only explains the skills, abilities, and characteristics of a linchpin, and why they are so critical in today’s environment.   Without the map, the easy ‘how to’ answers, Seth makes attaining linchpin status more meaningful.  It takes real work to develop those abilities (for those who don’t already have them), but Seth makes a great case for why it is worth it.

I hope I’ve made the case for why you should read the book.

You may not have the same anticipation or excitement as I did in this video, but it makes the book so much better if you do.

 http://www.triiibes.com/video/anticipation-1#

Categories
Thoughts

Why Curiosity?

I know it can get me into trouble sometimes, but I really think curiosity is one of my strong points.

It helped me in engineering because I was always asking, “Why does that work?”

And it has helped me in learning about human systems as I ask, “Why do people do that?”

It helps to break down arguments logically as I’m curious why would someone think that way, or what assumptions are they basing their beliefs and position on?

I guess it goes along with my drive to continually learn things.  I always check out way too many books from the library than I can reasonably read, but I’ve figured out the formula: curiosity + free = lots of library books stacked everywhere.

The foundation of real learning, is that you really want to learn.  And that comes from curiosity – the desire to know what is unknown.  

Someone can teach you a lot of things, but if you don’t care, or don’t really want to learn, then you won’t.

Curiosity is also connected with creativity.  You have to be curious about what you can create, so you create something to satisfy that curiosity.  When you create something you are making something known that was previously unknown.

Seth Godin has a great, short little post about how we might be missing out by not teaching kids how to be curious, and not letting new hires ask why.

It turns out that curiosity is also the basis for improvement.

Categories
Thoughts Web sites

Do you want to spread your word?

The main way people are spreading word about their ‘stuff’ is to ask people who can reach a lot of people to talk about it.  In other words, they ask famous bloggers to blog about it.

This is somewhat analagous to trying to get your commercial on TV during the Super Bowl instead of putting it up on a local PBS channel.  But I think there is less money that exchanges hands, even though it is probably more effective advertising.

So if you want to try and ask a famous blogger to promote your stuff, Chris Brogan has some great tips.  And it involves a little more effort than slappin’ down dollar bills.  This is the ‘Trust Economy’, maybe more work, but probably more valuable than cash.

There’s also another tactic you can use in this new economy.  Instead of asking a famous blogger like Chris Brogan to promote your stuff, you can also easily ask someone else you already know (built trust with) to blog about your stuff.  Sure, their blog may not go out to hundreds of thousands of people, but maybe they might reach a few people.  And who knows, maybe those few people might tell a few more people about your stuff, and so on.

If you get enough small time people blogging about it, you just might reach a big time audience.

I guess what I’m saying is that if you want me to mention something for you, just go ahead and ask.  It could be a mutual benefit for both of us.  (If your thing is really cool.)

Categories
Consultants Thoughts

Design Your Best Year Yet

This was the title of a free seminar I attended today at my local public library.  They actually have some pretty good programs, you should check into yours.  Or better yet, volunteer to do your own workshop there, they’d love to have you.

Tonight’s seminar was presented by Debbie Lacy, a Life Coach.  She was excellent.  And even though I was the only male attending out of about 25 people (I wonder why) it was a great little boost to help me start achieving my goals.  She provided practical tools and a different perspective on accomplishing goals.

One of the things she had us do to help define our vision was to answer the following 4 questions, which was a slightly different approach than most.

  1. In my life it feels like it’s time to…
  2. I know it’s time because… (list signs/evidence you’ve noticed)
  3. What are the feelings/essences that you most want to experience in 2010?
  4. What could you have or do this year that would create those feelings and essences?  Try to narrow down to the two most important goals you’d like to achieve by the end of 2010.

 

I liked how she tried to help you frame your goals in a higher purpose.  Yeah, you want to accomplish X, but why?  What kind of feeling or essence are you ultimately after?

For instance, you might want to lose 50 pounds, but why? Is it to be healthier?  look better? fit into those old clothes?  With a more foundational purpose, you might find that the specific goal you’ve chosen may not be the best avenue to get you what you really want.  This also helps you to be flexible and change your goals during the year if different opportunities come along.

The first two ‘finish the sentence’ questions help you to have confidence in what you know.  She said “It’s important to know why you know what you know.”  That almost sounds like a bad joke, but it’s true.  If we can recognize the signs or evidences in our life of why we know things deep down, then that will help us not to second guess ourselves for the decisions we make. 

The bottom line is, do you trust yourself?  If you can build the skills to trust yourself, then you will accomplish your goals. 

I believe that statement because usually the reasons we don’t accomplish our goals is because we fall back into our old patterns, we make up lame excuses, or we don’t believe we can do it.

Debbie also shared some other good techniques that I might tell you about later.

What are your favorite tactics for accomplishing goals?

Categories
Books Thoughts

“What Matters Now” – in Paperback by Triiibes Press

You may have seen, a few posts ago, where I mentioned the free ebook put together by Seth Godin called What Matters Now.

Well, what matters now is that you buy the paperback version created by Triiibes Press.

One reaon is that all proceeds go to Room to Read a worthwhile charity that builds schools and libraries in third world countries.

Another reason is because the paperback version is the first book created by Triiibes Press, an entity conceived by a few members of Seth Godin’s online community (of which I am a member).  And you just may be seeing more amazing things being published in the future by Triiibes Press.

Why?  Because this community is the most remarkable set of individuals gathered together in one space that I know of.  They consist of a plethora of professions and skills, and span the globe, from Australia, the Canary Islands, to London and Slovenia.  They are so remarkable that I am traveling to New York next week to meet many of them in person.

Of course, many of us are also going there to see Seth’s new book release event, The Linchpin Session, but since we have a good reason to be there, we decided to plan a Triiibes conference also.  This is serious networking.

You wait and see.  Mark my words.  (I always wanted to say that.)  There will be some big things coming out of this loose organization of committed volunteers.  Because they are the kind of people who want to change the world.

Don’t you?

Let me know if you want to join us and I’ll see what I can do to get you in.

Categories
Books

The Anti-Resume Revolution

Do you think there are a lot of people looking for a job these days?

There’s a better way to find one.

Do you want to have confidence in doing what you love?

There’s a way to make it happen.

My friend, Angela Lussier, did just that.  She decided to do something different, to break out on her own, to do what she was passionate about, and then write a book about it.

It’s called the Anti-Resume Revolution, and it’s an inspiring guide to getting and creating the rewarding career you want. 

This book is chock full of valuable information on a varietey of topics, from building a personal branding strategy to nailing the job interview, and from excelling during the first two weeks on the job to starting your own business.  But the real draw for me was Angela’s personal story and the stories of other everyday people who made things happen.  She weaved them masterfully throughout the book with a great sense of humor and in a way that kept me wanting more.   She was so authentic and open about how she felt during the the whole process that I felt as if I was experiencing this new adventure with her.

Angela definitely has talent and a drive to be unique and successful at whatever she does, but the down to earth way she shared her story made me feel like I could do something amazing like this too.  All it takes is a willingness to stand out, be a little different, and take some intiative to make your ideas happen.

She published the book herself using Lulu.com and even made an awesome video about how she did it.

What’s holding you back? 

Like the book’s mantra says: “Stop waiting.  Start creating.”

Categories
Uncategorized

Get Published!

Have you ever thought about publishing your own book?

Does it seem just out of the realm of possibility for you?

Well, break that old mindset my friend, because this is the 21st century and self publishing is here for everyone!

Wouldn’t it be the coolest thing to see your book on the shelf, with your name in big letters as the author?  That can easily happen without you having to sell one copy (although you might want to buy one for yourself.)

Self publishing is getting to be big business with multiple sites offering a variety of resources and services:

Lulu
CreateSpace
Arbor Books
Self Publishing

There are even a truckload of books about self publishing. (Ironically, those seem to be the most popular.)

So there’s really no excuse to not create your own book these days.  Except of course, you don’t have anything to write about.  But that’s absurd.  Everyone has a story.  You’re creating one right now, by your choices.  And everyone can choose to create the life story they want to be told.

So create it.  Then publish it.

Or, publish something, so it becomes part of your story.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about one of my friends who published her own book.  She has an amazing story.  Plus, her content is super useful and relevant for many people these days (everyone really.)

I was completely inspired and motivated.  And I think you will be too, when you read her book.

Categories
Thoughts

Day 2

Yeah, you know what’s going on here.

Sure, it’s another New Year’s Resolution to put up a post every day,  but sometimes you just have to use what ever mechanism works.   And right now, at this moment, staying on a blog post roll for at least 2 days in a row is getting me back into the habit.   So let me be a little pedestrian for a moment.

I’m not even promising that I’m going to keep this up indefinitely, which I know is an easy cop out, but I’m doing it today.  And for today, it’s working.

I always wonder how some of those guys can keep up the great content every single day, but I suppose they worked at it for a while, until it became something that they just do, and not a burden or chore.

The real effort, I think, is not just writing every day, but looking for content every day.  And that content must be connected to your personal branding – what do you want to be known for?  Every post counts a little something.

Well, I haven’t quite figured that out yet, ‘my brand’, although I am being known for something, even if it is not intentional.  We all are.  Our entire footprint on the web or in person paints a picture of what we are about, whether we like it or not.

What kind of picture are you painting?

Categories
Thoughts

Happy New Year! (If you choose to make it that way.)

Well, here we go again. 

I’ll bet there are twice as many (or more) blog posts today than usual, just like there are a whole lot more workouts going on today, and diets starting, and new habits and routines, and just a bunch of good changes in peoples lives happening today.

Why?

Because the earth has turned 365 times and made one whole circle around the sun?

The thing about a circle is that there is no beginning and no end, so we are the ones who have drawn an artificial line in the sand of time somewhere on that circle the earth has traveled, and we’ve decided something special should happen when the earth crosses that line.

Well, the earth doesn’t care.  It just keeps spinning.  And every turn is the same as all the others.

But I must say, it is a pretty powerful line.

How else could we get almost every person in the world to decide to change their life for the better?  I don’t know.  But if it’s such a good thing to do, why can’t we do it more often?

All we need is for every person in the world to choose to be better all the time, whatever that means to them, and deep down, they know what it is.

It’s a matter of choice.  And we have that privilege every day.

So let’s all do make it a happy new year, and choose to be the person we know is better than what we are right now.

The earth will turn around again tomorrow.

____________________________________________________

Here’s a poem I wrote this morning as I thought about this subject.

New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day
a decade begins
but one just ended
after that second.

A line in the sand
drawn by time
is so monumental
and significant.

Ten years of history
reviewed before our eyes,
ten years of predictions
spewed from pundits minds.

New beings emerge
resolved to change their lives
with new habits, goals, and focus
to create a different kind.

So much change
occurs overnight,
a whole new world
appears in the light.

What causes this change,
a cycle of time
determined by the earth
moving along its lines?

Nay, but the minds of the people
who decided to choose
a new way of living
because they wanted to.

Can this desire be unleased
and we find a way
to change the world more often
than just on New Year’s Day?