I was in the mood for some Beach Boys...
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Friday, July 08, 2011
Do We Really Need Google Plus?
I live in 2 different worlds.
Actually more than 2 it seems as we have different parts of our lives that sometimes don't overlap very much.
The Tech/Geek/Net-connected world is one.
The not connected world is the other.
I'm mostly in the connected world due to all of my online activity.
My wife is not. She is starting to check her Facebook page daily and her email daily. And she will text, but nothing like her daughter.
So I wonder about the continued growth of social networks and social channels and social platforms and social apps and social thing-a ma-gigs.
Facebook is now Mainstream.
Twitter is Mainstream Geeky.
LinkedIn is becoming Mainstream Professional.
Google Plus?
When they launched it last week, I was mostly away from my laptop all day and missed out on the limited edition roll out.
When they reopened it last night, I happened to be online and got started.
But why?
Will it go "Facebook Mainstream"? Will it make it to Mainstream Geeky like Twitter?
The real question is will the mainstreamers who embraced Facebook add Google Plus to their collection of Social Media Communication Tools or will we need a movie, aka The Social Network to push it over the edge.
The truth is it is way too early to tell.
It's like predicting who will win the 2020 election.
What are your thoughts?
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Who Are You?
This Spring & Summer has been a whirlwind in my life.
Three daughters with major events going on, (my son & his wife started it all last year getting married on 10/10/10), and now we have one more wedding and another grand-baby on the way.
In the midst of it all, I walked away from my 8+ years working for a group of radio stations in Fort Wayne and refocused my marketing/consulting career to join Cirrus ABS, and their Net-Centered marketing firm.
Before you start tweaking or overhauling your life, check out this wisdom from the DLM:
Have you ever picked up a book on organization and thought, “Wow, this person is kind of over the top”? Or maybe your thoughts were a bit more along the lines of, “Aaarrg, don’t come near me with your labeler!”
Overwhelmingly, authors of organization and time management books use those pages to describe their systems. It’s simple, they think – just follow these precise steps and everything falls into place. Wrong!
There’s a major glitch in this approach. All those systems were created by someone that has no idea how you live. Their system may work just fine for them, but we are all different. In fact, I'd argue that there is no simple solution that everyone can simply follow and magically become organized.
When it comes to time management, productivity and organization, I’ve found that your personality and habits play huge roles in determining the techniques that are natural to you. There are four productivity personalities, and today I’m going to walk you through the basics of each and get you started on creating a system that fits with your brain. The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to create a workable system that will organize your life.
The Fantastical
The Fantastical is a visual thinker. I’ve found that a LOT of creative entrepreneurs tend to be Fantasticals. If you’re a Fantastical, you excel at taking interesting problems and producing unique solutions.
Fantasticals fall farthest from the traditional files in alphabetical order organization scheme. If you’re a Fantastical, you need to have all the pieces of your work spread out in front of you. If it’s not within your line of sight, it may as well not exist. So when you organize your environment, leave space for all of your current project piles. You’ll know what’s in them. ;)
The Analytical
The Analytical is driven by ambition and logic. This is a person found in the board room, occupying the CEO’s chair, or in some other position of power. If you’re an Analytical, you’re able to quickly assess situations and link them to longer term outcomes, and you need information at your fingertips almost instantaneously.
You might think that lends itself well to alphabetizing, but that’s not necessarily the case. Analyticals often do well with entirely electronic systems that allow the necessary files and folders to appear with just a few keystrokes.
The Environmental
While the Fantastical focuses inward and the Analytical looks toward the future, the Environmental looks at the people around him or her. Are they comfortable, feeling well, and enjoying themselves? An Environmental is the person everyone goes to when they need help, advice, or a shoulder to cry on.
As might be guessed by the name, environment is extremely important for an Environmental. Sterile filing cabinets and strict systems don’t work well for you, but you will enjoy organizing by color and creating a system that’s whimsical and welcoming. You also tend to keep things indefinitely – someone might need them at some point – but instituting a toss after ten years rule does wonders to cut down on the volume.
The Structural
The Structural is the final personality type, and they’re the ones writing all of those books that the rest of us struggle to implement. Organization comes naturally to a Structural. Everything has its place and everything happens on its own schedule. They don’t understand the trouble that the rest of their colleagues have with their systems.
Trouble for a Structural comes in the form of volume. Their systems are often complex, and can buckle under an increase in work load. If you suspect you are a Structural, spend some time now looking for ways to break your system. What scenarios would cause problems? Are there changes you can make to streamline and avoid those problems?
Now that you know the basics, you can start creating systems that cater to your personality instead of working against it. You’ll find that these systems fit you perfectly - they’re easy to maintain, easy to tweak and when life hands you an emergency it will be easy to pick them back up again.
Three daughters with major events going on, (my son & his wife started it all last year getting married on 10/10/10), and now we have one more wedding and another grand-baby on the way.
In the midst of it all, I walked away from my 8+ years working for a group of radio stations in Fort Wayne and refocused my marketing/consulting career to join Cirrus ABS, and their Net-Centered marketing firm.
Before you start tweaking or overhauling your life, check out this wisdom from the DLM:
Know your Personality Type Before before Tweaking Your Life
Posted: 02 Jul 2011 11:13 AM PDT
Have you ever picked up a book on organization and thought, “Wow, this person is kind of over the top”? Or maybe your thoughts were a bit more along the lines of, “Aaarrg, don’t come near me with your labeler!”
Overwhelmingly, authors of organization and time management books use those pages to describe their systems. It’s simple, they think – just follow these precise steps and everything falls into place. Wrong!
There’s a major glitch in this approach. All those systems were created by someone that has no idea how you live. Their system may work just fine for them, but we are all different. In fact, I'd argue that there is no simple solution that everyone can simply follow and magically become organized.
When it comes to time management, productivity and organization, I’ve found that your personality and habits play huge roles in determining the techniques that are natural to you. There are four productivity personalities, and today I’m going to walk you through the basics of each and get you started on creating a system that fits with your brain. The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to create a workable system that will organize your life.
The Fantastical
The Fantastical is a visual thinker. I’ve found that a LOT of creative entrepreneurs tend to be Fantasticals. If you’re a Fantastical, you excel at taking interesting problems and producing unique solutions.
Fantasticals fall farthest from the traditional files in alphabetical order organization scheme. If you’re a Fantastical, you need to have all the pieces of your work spread out in front of you. If it’s not within your line of sight, it may as well not exist. So when you organize your environment, leave space for all of your current project piles. You’ll know what’s in them. ;)
The Analytical
The Analytical is driven by ambition and logic. This is a person found in the board room, occupying the CEO’s chair, or in some other position of power. If you’re an Analytical, you’re able to quickly assess situations and link them to longer term outcomes, and you need information at your fingertips almost instantaneously.
You might think that lends itself well to alphabetizing, but that’s not necessarily the case. Analyticals often do well with entirely electronic systems that allow the necessary files and folders to appear with just a few keystrokes.
The Environmental
While the Fantastical focuses inward and the Analytical looks toward the future, the Environmental looks at the people around him or her. Are they comfortable, feeling well, and enjoying themselves? An Environmental is the person everyone goes to when they need help, advice, or a shoulder to cry on.
As might be guessed by the name, environment is extremely important for an Environmental. Sterile filing cabinets and strict systems don’t work well for you, but you will enjoy organizing by color and creating a system that’s whimsical and welcoming. You also tend to keep things indefinitely – someone might need them at some point – but instituting a toss after ten years rule does wonders to cut down on the volume.
The Structural
The Structural is the final personality type, and they’re the ones writing all of those books that the rest of us struggle to implement. Organization comes naturally to a Structural. Everything has its place and everything happens on its own schedule. They don’t understand the trouble that the rest of their colleagues have with their systems.
Trouble for a Structural comes in the form of volume. Their systems are often complex, and can buckle under an increase in work load. If you suspect you are a Structural, spend some time now looking for ways to break your system. What scenarios would cause problems? Are there changes you can make to streamline and avoid those problems?
Now that you know the basics, you can start creating systems that cater to your personality instead of working against it. You’ll find that these systems fit you perfectly - they’re easy to maintain, easy to tweak and when life hands you an emergency it will be easy to pick them back up again.
 | Written on 7/2/2011 by Kirsten Simmons. Kirsten started wondering why nobody considered personality type in organization, time management and productivity literature. She started researching the question, and before she knew it she had a business on her hands! Come by Personalized Productivity and take our free quiz. You’ll discover your type and get more detailed tips on how to build your ideal system. | Photo Credit: Rita H Cobbs |
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Getting Hired
Great advice from the DLM Blog:
Whether or not you’re looking for a job right now, it’s worth making sure your resume is in good shape. You never know when that dream opportunity might come up – and if your current job isn’t looking so secure, you might to be ready to send out applications at short notice.
In a crowded job market, your resume needs to stand out. If it’s currently looking a bit thin, here’s how to improve it:
Need some extra help? Dumb Little Man has plenty of advice on resumes:
Recreating Your Resume in 10 Simple Steps
How to Write a Resume That Will Land an Interview
Extreme Makeover – Resume Edition
Have you got any great resume-boosting advice to share? Do any of these tips chime with your own experience? Let us know in the comments!
Five Great Ways to Give Your Resume a Boost
Posted: 21 Jun 2011 07:56 AM PDT
Whether or not you’re looking for a job right now, it’s worth making sure your resume is in good shape. You never know when that dream opportunity might come up – and if your current job isn’t looking so secure, you might to be ready to send out applications at short notice.
In a crowded job market, your resume needs to stand out. If it’s currently looking a bit thin, here’s how to improve it:
- Do Some Relevant Voluntary Work
You probably don’t have a perfect work history: perhaps you’ve worked in less-than-ideal jobs, or you’re young and have very little work experience at all. Employers aren’t just interested in your paid work; they’re looking for evidence of your skills.
Volunteering can be a fantastic way to:- Gain real, practical experience in a particular field
- Build up a network of contacts (who might be able to help you land that next job)
- Demonstrate to employers that you’re passionate about this kind of work
You may well already have some relevant voluntary experience: but is it on your resume? Think about any groups you belong to, or any positions that you hold. Perhaps you’ve led a Scout pack or you’ve arranged day trips for your church. - Gain real, practical experience in a particular field
- Take a New Qualification
Although employers are often more interested in your experience than your education, there are many jobs where qualifications really do count. Even if you’re currently working full-time, don’t rule out the possibility of learning something new – evening classes and online courses can provide a lot of flexibility.
Qualifications can range from relatively informal courses (e.g. learning a language) to industry certification (e.g. food hygiene) to doctoral degrees. Find out what employers in your field are looking for – don’t be afraid to ask around within your network.
And if you’re self-employed, qualifications might not be strictly necessary – but they can help you stand out from the crowd. If you’re a freelance writer, programmer or designer, clients might struggle to understand why your rates are higher (even if you can tell that your work is much better than your competition’s). A relevant qualification or certificate can really boost your credibility. - Focus on Results
When you’re putting your resume together, don’t get too bogged down in giving details of your past job descriptions. Potential employers are more interested in what you actually did during your previous roles.
What projects did you oversee? Did you deliver any presentations or write reports? Were you responsible for managing any major areas of the business?
Be as clear as you can about what you achieved, and give percentages or figures where possible (e.g. if you increased your company’s revenue or exceeded sales targets). - Customize Your Resume for Each Job
There’s no rule that says your resume needs to stay the same for every position you apply for
Tailor your resume to each job. That might mean:- Adding in extra experience that’s relevant to the role
- Emphasizing different aspects of your past experience
- Changing the language that you use to match the job description
Yes, it’s extra work; you might spend 15-30 minutes on this each time you apply to a job. But if these tweaks help get your resume from the huge “no” pile into the much smaller “yes” pile, then those extra minutes were well worth it. - Adding in extra experience that’s relevant to the role
- Get Your Resume Edited and Proof-Read
If you’re at all unconfident about your writing, it’s worth getting your resume professionally edited and proof-read. This isn’t just about picking up sloppy mistakes – it’s about presenting the best possible view of you to your potential new employer.
There are hundreds of companies and individuals who offer specialized resume writing and editing services; try asking around your network to find out who’s reliable, or look for reviews online.
If you can’t afford to pay someone to edit your resume, at least ask a friend to proof-read it – and the same goes for your cover letter. Typos and spelling mistakes create a very poor first impression.
Need some extra help? Dumb Little Man has plenty of advice on resumes:
Recreating Your Resume in 10 Simple Steps
How to Write a Resume That Will Land an Interview
Extreme Makeover – Resume Edition
Have you got any great resume-boosting advice to share? Do any of these tips chime with your own experience? Let us know in the comments!
 | Written on 6/21/2011 by Ali Luke. Ali writes a blog, Aliventures, about leading a productive and purposeful life (get the RSS feed here). As well as blogging, she writes fiction, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing. | Photo Credit: michaeln3 |
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Back to Work...
Do those words create energy and enthusiasm or dread and clock watching?
Check out this story from DLM:
Here’s one way to think about work. Work is hard. It requires effort, discipline, and hours spent straining in front of a computer screen. When you hit a block, you simply need to push harder, think harder, work harder.
This is what I like to call the “hard work” model. We live in a world that valorizes this idea of work. We talk about work using phrases like, “keep your nose to the grindstone” and “no pain, no gain.” We spend endless hours working, ending each day drained and depleted.
But here’s another way to think about work.
Check out this story from DLM:
4 Ways to Shift From “Hard Work” to “Effortless Creation”
Posted: 26 Jun 2011 08:25 AM PDT
Here’s one way to think about work. Work is hard. It requires effort, discipline, and hours spent straining in front of a computer screen. When you hit a block, you simply need to push harder, think harder, work harder.
This is what I like to call the “hard work” model. We live in a world that valorizes this idea of work. We talk about work using phrases like, “keep your nose to the grindstone” and “no pain, no gain.” We spend endless hours working, ending each day drained and depleted.
But here’s another way to think about work.
I call it work as “effortless creation.” The idea is simple. Think about times when you’ve done your best work. Think about when and where you came up with your most innovative ideas. My guess is that it didn’t happen while staring into your computer at the end of a 12-hour workday.
Our most creative ideas come in unexpected moments. You might be in the shower, on a walk, or driving when that brilliant new idea hits you. In these moments, creation is effortless. There’s no strain, no effort, no real work. You can do in a matter of hours or even minutes what it might take weeks to do through “hard work.”
So the key question is: how can we experience more moments of “effortless creation”? Since they come unannounced, these moments can’t be planned or forced. But here are a few things you can do to make their appearance more likely:
I’m curious to hear more about your experience. Have you experienced moments of genius and inspiration? What helps you open up to experiencing them more often?
Our most creative ideas come in unexpected moments. You might be in the shower, on a walk, or driving when that brilliant new idea hits you. In these moments, creation is effortless. There’s no strain, no effort, no real work. You can do in a matter of hours or even minutes what it might take weeks to do through “hard work.”
So the key question is: how can we experience more moments of “effortless creation”? Since they come unannounced, these moments can’t be planned or forced. But here are a few things you can do to make their appearance more likely:
- Stop Working Hard
I realize this sounds crazy. But, if you spend your days working too hard, you drain yourself of creative energy. When this happens, a number of problems emerge. The first is that you become easily overwhelmed and exhausted. This leaves you without the energy and enthusiasm to pursue innovative new ideas. The second is that you become lost in the details of your work. After ten hours spent working on a report, book chapter, or project, you lose your ability to see the big picture. Take a break and refresh your mind occasionally each day. - Do Nothing
This may also sound crazy. But, some of the latest discoveries in the field of neuroscience show that when we experience states like boredom, the brain shifts to a “default state.” In this state, our perception changes. Time slows down, we daydream more, and, most important, we open ourselves to new and more creative ways of thinking. This doesn’t mean that you should sit on your couch all day. But you might plan short periods for walking alone, sitting outside, or meditating to give yourself space for creative ideas to emerge. - Slow Down
Pace has a huge impact on the chances of creative moments arising. Our tendency is to go fast. We drive fast, rush through meals, and prize the idea of efficiency in the workplace. But the faster you go, the more you enter into the mental state of “hard work.” All this rush drowns out creative new solutions and ideas playing in the sub-conscious background. So one of the best ways to tap into “effortless creation” is simply to slow down. Eat more slowly, write more slowly, and email more slowly. The more you slow down the flow of life, the more you open yourself to unexpected new ideas and insights. - Record Your Genius
When your next great idea comes, go all out. Remember that you are experiencing a special state of consciousness. So allow yourself to follow the flow of inspiration. Write down everything that comes to mind. Be sure to capture the contents of your mind in this altered state of effortless creation. In a day, or even an hour, it may be gone.
I’m curious to hear more about your experience. Have you experienced moments of genius and inspiration? What helps you open up to experiencing them more often?
 | Written on 6/26/2011 by Nate Klemp. Nate earned his PhD at Princeton and is a professor at Pepperdine University. He founded LifeBeyondLogic.com, a website dedicated to exploring philosophy as an art of living. You can follow him on Twitter @LifeBeyondLogic and on Facebook. Download a free copy of his new ebook, Finding Reality: Thoreau’s Lessons for Life in the Digital Age. | Photo Credit: Alex Barth |
Monday, July 04, 2011
The 4th
For most folks in the United States, this has been a three day weekend.
Today is the Fourth of July.
But I wonder how many people know why they have this day off?
As a child of the 60's and teen in the 70's my parents were very patriotic.
When our country celebrated our bicentennial in 1976, I was a teenager with a drivers license and my own car.
But I was also a Boy Scout.
And one of the things our Scout Troop learned to do was march.
Almost military style, at least we knew enough to do some pretty cool moves in the 4th of July parade and we all marched in unison, (Left, Right, Left, Right, etc.).
Put aside the political disagreements and come together today and be thankful that we even have a country that has been around for 235 years.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Passion with a Purpose
I've spoken to several budding entrepenhours who struggled way too much because they were caught up in at least one of these 7 areas...
from DLM:
There’s a lot of talk about finding and following ones passion these days, and for a good reason. More and more people are realizing that they don't want to spend a big chunk of their lives doing something they hate.
However, there are a lot of stupid mistakes that people make when it comes to trying to follow their passion. I made most of them and figured out what stands in the way of most people living the life they desire is their own internal fear and mind ghosts.
The good thing about this is that those processes can be changed, but it often won't be comfortable, so most people decide to stick with what's familiar, and you know where that path leads, don’t you?
Scan through these and let me know your thoughts. I think if you can avoid these, you will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for you to live the life you truly desire.
from DLM:
7 Stupid Mistakes Most People Make When Trying to Follow Their Passion
Posted: 24 Jun 2011 07:51 AM PDT
There’s a lot of talk about finding and following ones passion these days, and for a good reason. More and more people are realizing that they don't want to spend a big chunk of their lives doing something they hate.
However, there are a lot of stupid mistakes that people make when it comes to trying to follow their passion. I made most of them and figured out what stands in the way of most people living the life they desire is their own internal fear and mind ghosts.
The good thing about this is that those processes can be changed, but it often won't be comfortable, so most people decide to stick with what's familiar, and you know where that path leads, don’t you?
Scan through these and let me know your thoughts. I think if you can avoid these, you will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for you to live the life you truly desire.
- Perfection
The number one thing is perfection. There will (almost) never be a time where the stars align and everything will be perfect in your life so that you can go after your passion.
Now, you don't have to quit your job and jump straight into following your passion. You can take things one step at a time, and see how everything develops.
Wanting things to be perfect is just another excuse for putting off your dreams. - Overwhelm
Being overwhelmed is extremely normal when you're beginning to follow your passion. I'd even go as far as to say that if you're not overwhelmed, you aren't pushing yourself enough. So when you find yourself being overwhelmed, it's just a sign that you are heading in the right direction.
Whenever we learn something new, there will be a time where it doesn't make sense, and it seems like all hope is lost. After a while, the information will have been taken up by your brain, and everything will start making much more sense. - Non-Trusting
Your heart knows what your passion is and what your next step is. When you listen to your heart it just feels right when you find the path that's perfect for you.
Most people have forgotten how to follow their hearts, because they've been taught to be logical in school and shut out any hunches or intuitive messages. This doesn't mean that you have to be psychic or a superhero; it just means that you trust your own internal signals more. - Too Much Logic
One of the biggest obstacles to trusting your heart is your mind. Your mind craves logic, and it wants proof and guarantees that everything will work out. I'm sorry to say this, but there are no guarantees. The only way you will succeed is to be determined and know that you will get there if you don't give up.
This doesn't mean that you have to scrap the logical part of your mind, because it's extremely useful when used in the right circumstances. - Keep it Fun
Most of all, remember to enjoy the process. When you start doing something new, it's easy to swim in fear and wallow in overwhelm. But the truth of the matter is that you are here to have experiences and explore the possibilities that life has to offer you.
It won't all be a walk in the park, but that's good, because if it was easy, you would never grow as fast as you could. - Lone Wolf
Find people that are on the same path as you, and also find a coach or someone that can mentor you and help you avoid the most common mistakes that most people make.
It's tough to go about this on your own, because as you may have already realized, there are a lot of obstacles that will pop up on your path.
Having someone there to support you and help you will significantly improve your chances of success. In the end, however, if there’s a way you can guarantee your success, it is to be determined. - Determination
Like I mentioned above, determination is what will get you through the tough times. And that is exactly why it's so important that you find something that you're extremely passionate about. Find something that you would do for free.
When you do this, you will be determined to keep going even when things seem to be going in the wrong direction. You also have to remember that when you are heading towards a goal, you may feel like you're off course most of time. But like an airplane, you will tweak your course as necessary, and you will end up in the right destination as long as you keep moving forward.
 | Written on 6/24/2011 by Henri Junttila. Henri writes at Wake Up Cloud, where he shares his personal tips on how you can live the life you know you deserve. When you feel ready to take action, get his free course: Find Your Passion in 5 Days or Less. And if you liked this article, you will enjoy one of his top articles: 77 Great Quotes That Will Change Your Life. | Photo Credit: abulhussain |
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