Category Archives: Quick Thoughts

Stimulation Leads to Action, Right?

Over stimulation exists. Stimulation, inspiration, information, communication, research…

If there is anything for certain, stimulus is a resource we have a plethora of, given the state of information sharing we find ourselves in, but are we lacking in motivation? Perhaps motivation is the wrong word here. Motivation could be included in the stimulus.

After motivation comes Action.

Action. Action is from you. The onus is on you. You can not ignore or hide action, it is there looking you right back in the face saying, “hello, nice day isn’t it? Keep going.”

Action is the result of motivation. The plan gets written, the goals get set, the action gets set in motion and momentum builds.

Stimulation can only get you so far, the rest is up to you.

Do you have a trick? I’d love to hear what you do to get yourself out of a spiral of inspiration.

Just One Time

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Just one time. A one time fix.

Quite a novel idea isn’t it?

I guess this is also equivalent to the quick fix, the get rich quick scheme, speeding…

Sure, there are lots of things that we need to fix in this world but are they ever a one time fix? I changed my bike tire last season, so does that mean it’s never going to be needing a fix again? My father last year had 2 caps on his teeth re-capped.

Whenever I hear the words just one time I instantly recognize that the only thing that’s going to happen one time is me having this conversation with you and what you’re selling, cause I’m not coming back. I don’t want just a one time fix, even if it does exist. It’s an over sell, an over promise.

To be fair, there may be a piece of the pie that can just be replaced once and it’s good for the rest of the life of the product. What I’m trying to say is that when I’m finished with an item or a product or a solution I want it to be so ratty and taped up and zip-tied that somebody who looks at it just one time will laugh at it, physically or literally.

Point is, I want a lifetime. Not just one time. I want to easily be able to fix it. I want to initiate a relationship that will last a good long time. I want to have that trust, and I don’t want to waste my time.

It doesn’t take just one quick fast to change a lifestyle or a health choice, it takes an infinite amount of just one quick small choices. I’m not going get my intestine removed just one time to help me on my weight loss program. I’m not going to buy a computer (tv, smartphone, tablet, etc.) just one time and it’ll be the fastest and bestest and I’ll never have to ever buy another one again.

Even my oven, a seemingly solid and long lasting item. Last year I had to replace the bottom heating coil on it, on this one time buy.

My relationship(s)? You got it, I want to continually and consciously be building it and tweaking it and nurturing it, not just one time promises.

Are you one-timing it, or are you life-timing it?

Punctuality and Appointments

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The concept is simple. If you commit to something, follow through with it.

In my opinion, the following excuses do not look good on a person no matter which way it’s delivered, and over time it will wear a persons patience with you thin:

I forgot
I got busy
no response or admission

As a side caveat, there is some redemption in begging for forgiveness. But keep in mind, this also defines personality.

I remember reading The Count of Monte Cristo many years ago, and it described in detail how the Count was meticulous for arriving at the exact appointed time of an appointment. He would go so far as to wait a few blocks away in the event he had arrived a few minutes early.

The compliment, “You’re very punctual young lady,” is empowering and a sign of respect. On the contrary, having to apologize for being late or not showing up at all does nothing for confidence and character.

Some tips I can offer:

if you continually forget appointments keep a calendar
if you continually double book yourself keep a calendar
if you’re unsure if you have an appointment at the desired time, inform the appointee that you’re unsure and you’ll get back to them

You define yourself in the end, these are just my observations. Calendars are indispensable.

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Pleasures and All

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Every animal has their pleasures (yes, us humans are included in this).

Whether we’re vocal, public, or confident about it is another matter.

I have noticed a trend that those of us that do not shy away from our pleasures, whether it’s investing in stocks, creating toothpick art, a perfect cup of coffee in the morning, or reaching 5 orgasms in 10 minutes… the idea is that if we are proud of what we’re doing, if we’re interested in it and dig into it with all that we have and possess, then we’ll find ourselves in the region where a glow and shine emanates from our beings vibrantly.

That’s where I’m going. I hope I’ll see you there.

To Plan and To Re-Plan

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It feels good to write it down on paper, to create that list, to plan, to strategize, to brainstorm, to set those goals.

And more, it feels good to have an understanding and a direction to move forward with, to be able to communicate it with your coworkers, partners, directors, or employees. To be able to work towards goals with the understanding that the goals have been set because they are milestones in achieving the planned success.

It really does feel good to cross those things off, and to look back evaluating how the strategy has been followed, if any of the goals have been met, if the brainstorming was used.

To the point, it feels good to use this information to move forward, to make changes, to tweak the strategy.

I like feeling good, do you?

Digging in to Overcome

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Yes, there are going to be bad days. Yes, we’re all going to feel like we’re diving into the deep end. Overwhelmed. Stuck. Frustrated.

It all happens. To the smallest pea in the pod to the largest pumpkin in the patch.

What also happens is time continues to tick on, unrelenting.

So, as to not remain in a rut of overwhelm, give up the habit of waiting and pick up the habit of keepin on.

Keep doing. One step at a time. If it helps, sure, think about what’s getting at you as you keep on too.

One trick that I habitually adapt is to find a creative outlet to contemplate the rut. I write sad and lonely heart felt poems, I sing the most heartbreakingly slow songs I know. The list goes on, because as a human being, the ebb and flow is continual, thus the need to just keep on trying is continual.

Some tips I’ve learned over the years:

nobody is to blame, not even yourself
nobody is perfect, there are no exceptions
you learnt from old mistakes, remember?
is that an excuse running through your mind? Oh no it isn’t!
waiting does not solve anything

To add some comedic inspiration, here’s Mike Falzone.

All In An Instant

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There is patience and there is crippling fear.

Patience is an aware look at the situation, using better forms of judgement and aptitude to gauge prospects plainly laid out in front , and using all of this information to base judgements and action upon.

And then there is crippling fear that roots one so hard to their current situation that one fails to acknowledge discomfort, stress, and effects on health and mood before it’s too late and something breaks.

Both of these situations take just one single moment, one single instant to rectify, both within ourselves through our own actions or mindset, or through external forces that may just be the factors in the situation itself. A simple unexpected event.

But we can’t plan for the unexpected. We can plan, we can strategize, but the unexpected is.. unexpected.

It’s the difference between saying: “Yes, I understand that things are busy right now, getting out of control, but I’m creating plans and routines and methodologies to help with this, that I’m very eager to practice! Patience and persistence will solve this problem shortly.”

Or I can say: “I am so busy. I can’t do this. Why do these people keep demanding of me. I’ll never get this done. But I can’t stop, or somebody might get mad. Everybody is counting on me. There is no alternative. Must just keep doing as quick as demands come in.”

I prefer doing anticipatory work, rather than reactionary work. I prefer looking for schemes that will allow me to scale easily, rather than lurching like an old rusty transmission.

Smart & hard, not just hard. But this is my efficiency, not yours.

We Put In the Time

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We strive and learn, and write all the right notes in a very nice and tidy notebook. We buy the right tools, and we connect with the right people.

Today, because of our information/data age of internet, there are so many people to listen to, people who have found a way to solve all mysteries and are very eager to give them away to you for free (including me). I subscribe to many of them. Seth Godin, Tiny Buddha, Kim Anami, Art of Manliness, etc. and they’re great. They all give me such food for thought it encourages me daily. They each have such a rich abundance of life I could spend most of the better part of 10 years reading their archives page after page.

So, I’ve found my golden source of water. My lifeline. My connection to the super culture I’ve always been looking for.

Or have I?

Have I got my new secret way that only a small culture of us have tapped into and will exercise? Sure, we’re exercising our minds and that’s a huge part of the battle. But this idea is dangerously close to sitting back into cruise mode and keep ourselves busy reading blogs that tell me that I’m doing it right.

To quote Ben Harper, “You can put a man through school, but you cannot make him think.”

You’ve done the reading. you’ve studied the books, you follow the blogs, you’ve got the tips. You’ve learned it all. Now we step out into the new light of day and say, “So, I think I’m ready now.”

I think I’m ready now, and I think you’re ready now! But, I guess that’s up to you to decide.

Let’s put this plan into action.

Far Too Easy Doesn’t Get You Far Enough

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It is far too easy to get caught in a tunnel and keep pushing on according to the latest thing we read on best practices: 10 tips of how to get people to (insert marketing goal here).

Far too easy.

It’s far more smarter – and a little bit harder – to develop a strategy that makes sense to you, and your goals.

It’s time to project our thoughts to the long term.

Case Study Time

So we make this newsletter and send it out quarterly, and in 4 years, after we’ve sent out 16 of them, what will that look like and how do we define success? If we assume that each newsletter is carefully crafted for 3 days (24hrs) by our well paid interns at $20/hr, are we finding a return on investment for one newsletter at $480? After 4 years $7680? After the newsletter has been crafted so meticulously and sent out, where does it retire to?

It’s your answer, not mine.

It’s foolish to think that just one is all that’s necessary: just one newsletter will capture their hearts and they’ll be fans forever; if I make just one widget that sells millions, I’ll be set for life!; I’m going to buy just this one last laptop and make sure it’s the best I possibly can buy and it’ll last me a lifetime.

Sure, just 1 may be all that’s necessary about 1% of the time, but in investments, we want to do everything we can to increase that percentage.

Yes, your time is an investment, and so is the time of every person whose employ you are responsible for.

I’ve talked about this before in a personal mission statement. We define what we want life to look like in 10 years, then we define missions to live by for the next 5 years that will drive us in that direction. Then we break down each one of those missions into critical tasks to focus on day in and day out that when adhered to will find us rolling down in the direction we have planned for all along.

This is not the easy way. This is not reading an article on a cool website with Chinese symbols and following a top 10 things to do to make life count list.

This is pounding the pavement, doing the due diligence. This is planning for success.

This is being aware of the habits you’re getting into and asking yourself why?

Why am I doing this?
Why has this been integrated into my life?
Why do I think this is a smart investment?
If I do a case study from my own life, does history prove this logic correct?
Does this align with my goals?

The more you ask yourself this question, the quicker you’ll get at identifying whether it does align or not. Further, it helps to remind us to consciously think about our direction in life, and encourages us to go forth with fury because we are certain it is our quest. With this confidence, it is impossible to hold back.

Perhaps you have a strategy you use to identify the why that works great for you? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Nurture, not Nazi

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Any environment, whether it’s work, school, sport, or collective of some sort, thrives when each member effectively nurtures each others strengths, and adapts to their weaknesses.

There is nothing to fear about this. This is awareness and acknowledgement, this is working in a dynamic environment capable of growing into a very dependable organization.

How does this look?

When new ideas are introduced into the organization, the first question is why. Once that is explained (and explained twice to the people who don’t understand it the first time) and any logical opposition is ruled null, everybody says yes instinctively and eagerly.
Each member of the organization understands their role and volunteers solutions for problems relating to it.
Definitely no questions asked by managers: “What is your agenda today?” or “What are your action items today looking like?”
Questions like: “Is there anything I can help you with?” or “Do you have any suggestions for solutions to my problem?”

A well oiled machine knows how it runs and knows why it’s running.

A dynamic machine (your organization) is a well oiled machine, but also adjusts to needs, picks up the slack, eagerly attacks new projects, is creative in solutions, and makes everybodies job feel easier (or at least more enjoyable). As an added bonus, every single person in a nurturing environment grows and becomes stronger.

And then there’s the Nazis.

For those of you that have forgotten, the Nazis were fearful, meticulous record keepers, didn’t trust different or new (that wasn’t directed from the top down), and most interestingly, made a very depressing world/environment for anybody that wasn’t yelling the orders (from the top down).

How are you running your family, venture, team, class?

I hope you’re nurturing.

I’d love to hear how in the comments below.