Category: practice

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goofball practice

Here’s Another One

I’m writing again!

In this blog!

And it hasn’t been that long since my last post!

Maybe every sentence should have an exclamation mark!

Okay, maybe not, but I was on a roll. And when you’re on a roll, you should keep rolling.

Why am I doing this?

Because I can.

I’m paying for this domain and web site, so I should probably use it.

Maybe that’s the real reason. I don’t want to waste my sunk costs.

Too late!

Wasted!

Years of very few posts. No readers (except you), and powerful features just lying there not being used.

This just hit me.

That’s why I write.

Because I learn things.

I start by starting and keep writing, whether I know what to say or not.

And usually, something funny or useful comes out.

So there you go.

Here’s another one.

Thanks for reading.

(But it wasn’t for you. It was for me.)

(But still, I appreciate you checking it out.)

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Books practice

Practice

In Seth Godin’s book, The Practice, he talks about shipping creative work.

“Shipping, because it doesn’t count if you don’t share it.”

“Creative, because you’re not a cog in the system. You’re a creator, a problem solver, a generous leader who is making things better by producing a new way forward.”

“Work, because it’s not a hobby. You might not get paid for it, not today, but you approach it as a professional. The muse is not the point, excuses are avoided, and the work is why you are here.” (The Practice, pg 3)

That is the premise of the whole book. And he goes into explaining in creative detail why each of those principles matter.

Well, that’s all this blog has been, a place to practice. Of course, I haven’t been consistent. And that’s what I lack. But I have produced quite a bit, if you look over a long time period. So, here it is. This is my creative work.

And it’s time to ship some more.

Thanks for being here.

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practice

When Someone Disappears

Did I ever tell you the story about when a consultant I hired for my company suddenly died?

I used to work in an organization that provided unique training for employees that they couldn’t get anywhere else. It was around productivity, employee engagement, leadership, and such. It was a dream job because my task was to figure out how to spend a bunch of money.

I would find consultants who had certain training programs and would hire them to bring them into my company.

I found this one consultant who offered to build a unique training course just for us around being Change Agents. It sounded awesome and so I hired him. In fact, consultant fees are always crazy and fluctuate up and down so much that you never know what someone is going to charge. So, during my negotiation with him about his fees he said, “You can pay whatever you think it’s worth.”

It blew my mind, but was a perfect move on his part because he could have said a price too low and I would have taken it, but if he said too high, then I’d think he was crazy and maybe not hire him at all. He also knew that I worked for a respectable company and I had budget to pay him, so I wouldn’t just give him pennies. I ended up paying a somewhat standard price, which I think was a lot for him, so he was happy.

Anyway, he developed the course and we had an awesome experience. It was a multiple day course where students would come in for half the day, a few days in a row.

After his first successful course, we planned to have him come back a few months later and do it again. He was about to get on the plane, but wasn’t feeling well, so he decided to delay his flight and go get checked out. It turned out he had a serious blockage in a vein or heart and the flight would have killed him. That’s what he told me.

Well, a few weeks later, it didn’t get fixed and it took his life. And he was a young guy, probably in his 40’s.

It was a shock and devastating blow to our program.

We learned that nothing is certain.

And to listen to your body.

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practice

In Case of Overwhelm, Make Progress

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practice

3 Simple Tasks

I only had 3 simple tasks on my ToDo list today for work.

“So easy!” I thought.

Then, one thing after another came up. A meeting here, a request there, another meeting. No biggie, these tasks are so simple I can do them later.

Well, later came, so I started on one and I ran into a snag. Of course, software issues through me a roadblock. So, while I was waiting I decide to do the other task. No problem. Done.

Then I decided to do the other task, and it had some weird software configuration issues too, so I couldn’t actually do what I wanted.

Meanwhile, the first task required a call from the help desk. They helped, but then immediately after I hung up, I pushed the wrong button in the process, and had to call them back. They said I had to completely start the process over again.

So I did.

But I hit another roadblock. And had to call the help desk again. And I happened to reach the same guy who helped me the first time. (His name was Christian Tiger, coolest name, and super nice guy.)

He finally helped me through the rest of the process and I was done!

(It was 11:30pm.)

What did I learn from this?

  1. Software is complicated (I know, it makes me sound like an old man, non-tech guy, but I think I’m actually pretty tech savy.)
  2. Don’t be afraid to call the Help Desk back.
  3. Get your tasks done early.

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practice

Belief Drives Behavior

If you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re usually right.

So much of ‘success’ is based on your belief system and the identity you hold about yourself. Are you the kind of person who does this or not?

What do you believe?

Most people are way more capable than what they are currently experiencing.

And you’re most people.

Me too.

So let’s do something more. Let’s expand our vision. And take massive action.

I’m on it.

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practice

Pandemic Toll

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practice

Follow the Energy

It’s hard to write something useful when you’re really tired.

Maybe there’s a lesson we can learn from that.

Since we don’t have full energy all the time, we should save our most important tasks for when we do have high energy. It fluctuates during the day, sometimes we have a lot of energy, sometimes we don’t, . So, we’ll be more productive if we are intentional about when we accomplish what tasks.

Now, some of us think every task is important. We have a list of things to do and each one must get done today. Well, burning bright too long can wear you out. Be patient with yourself. Set low expectations.

Do what you can. Give yourself some rest and relaxation. It’ll be worth it in the end.

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practice

Design You

Today I realized that I get excited when I’m brainstorming and creating with someone. And mostly when we’re creating an experience for a group of people.

There’s just something about all the logistics, messaging and details that go into an event that creates a unique, memorable experience for people that I get juiced about. Maybe it’s something about the fact that the design of the details matters.

Ultimately, I’m a designer. I design experiences.

We all do, really.

But maybe the problem is that we are not intentional about it. We don’t design it. We just do it.

Everything we do creates an experience for someone else.

Even in private, we are conditioning ourselves, or doing something that creates our character, that then surfaces when we interact with others.

So, who do you want to be? What do you want others to experience around you?

Design your life. Design the experience of you for others.

You have the power.

That is exciting.

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practice Video

Vimeo Record

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practice

What to say?

Hey. Do you think it’s possible for someone to have something to say every day?

Do you say something every day?

Do you talk to at least one person every day? (Even if that person is yourself?)

Then you’re probably thinking and processing information every day.

Granted, posting a blog is like talking to yourself, because no one is there… yet. And you have no idea if anyone will even see it. So yeah, it’s weird.

But it’s a recording of your thoughts.

And you think every day. I promise.

Me too.

(I didn’t even know what I was going to say in here, but when I started writing, it got me thinking. Writing can do that. Try it out.)

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practice

Streaks and Habits

It’s not easy.

Keeping a streak.

I missed a day again.

What disturbs me the most is the reason: it totally slipped my mind.

How can something that you’ve been doing every day for months just completely not cross your mind?

Well, I think I know. There were some unique circumstances. And it involved me being completely obsessed with trying to accomplish a certain task. So, most of the afternoon and evening was consumed.

It might have crossed my mind earlier in the day, but I put it off. And that’s the dangerous part. Right at that moment I should have done something significant to make sure I would do it later. Like put a big note somewhere where I couldn’t miss it.

But no biggie. Who cares really? You wouldn’t have even noticed if I didn’t say anything.

I care.

I’m trying to do something here.

I’m trying to set up a new habit that is consistent. And even though I’m mostly successful (missing one day a month is not bad) I need to have a better system.

So, I’m going to figure something out.

(You don’t have to worry about it.)

Just stay tuned.

Or not 🙂

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practice

Idea Adoption

Everyone has ideas.

And they want others to believe in them.

In fact, they’d like everyone to believe in them. Or, at least as many people as possible.

But that takes work.

And there’s a process that needs to occur before a bunch of people will believe in your idea.

It has been studied for years, and it has been scientifically mapped out. It is called the Diffusion of Innovation or Rogers Adoption Curve.

And if you want to take an idea to the masses, you have to follow the process.

You must first start with finding the innovators and early adopters. Then, only after your idea has matured enough to gain favor with the early majority, then the late majority, will you have reached most everyone.

Seth Godin explains the process very well here:

How idea adoption works–The Idea Progression | Seth’s Blog

And that was in 2015, so it’s not a new idea.

In fact, Rogers first introduced it in his book in 1962. And it has still held true today.

Hmm… maybe some things don’t change 🙂

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practice

Step Up

It’s time to step up.

It’s a week after the start of the year, when all the fanfare is starting to die down. You might have already had some failures in your ‘new routine’ or whatever big plans you had. And people are already starting to complain that 2021 isn’t any better than 2020.

So now is when things really need to start happening. And when I say ‘things happening’ I mean you (and me) making them happen.

What are the little steps you can do to move in the right direction?

And it’s all little steps.

Setting the alarm clock differently, putting on your workout shoes, opening that journal and grabbing a pen, sending an email, making a phone call, signing up for that program, or whatever you have to do. It’s a little thing that starts the ball rolling.

Do it.

Now.

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practice

How To Be More Creative