Peter Bregman is a Do-Nothing Guy.

Author and business strategist, Peter Bregman, recently posted an excellent Harvard Business Review blog piece entitled, Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings. In it, he touts the wisdom gained from a short do-nothing break.

Doing Nothing Rather Well

“When you unplug and wait for a minute, you restore yourself to your factory default settings, which for most of us tends to be generous, open-hearted, creative, connected, and hopeful. ” -PB

His subsequent article, When Nothing Works, explored the concept more radically.

“In my last blog post, Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings, I suggested that doing nothing for a minute might help change things. Sometimes, though, it’s worth taking that to the extreme.“-PB

I’d encourage you to read both articles. They’re in line with his latest book,  18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. IMHO Peter Bregman does nothing with exceptionally good results.

Peter’s writing prompted me to leave him a thumbs-up comment. More than “great job, loved the insight,” I found myself crafting ideas. Clearly I cared about the topic. Hmmm, says I, thar be a blog article somewhere in this. <sudden smack to forehead> Whoa!–I just wrote it!

Here she be:

OMG

Doing Nothing: Good Kayaking & Good Business

Kayakers have a saying: “The best brace is a forward stroke.” As an avid kayaker myself, I’ve proven its wisdom in a variety of conditions. But sometimes you’re better off doing nothing, riding current, particularly when slapping the water is a result of desperate thinking.

If I’m too tense, I destabilize. If I relax and observe, I plant the paddle smarter. The rowdier the situation, the less effort I should exert. If I’m are unwilling to learn how to quiet myself in midst of wild water, I’ll never get past lakes on flat days. Oh they’re mighty pleasant, but they don’t compare to the rush of surfing a wave or the enchantment of paddling into hidden sea caves.

The business metaphor is obvious. If I want more from my sport or my workplace, I must build neuronal pathways that “stop the insanity.”  I must go beyond the default response of pushing harder and harder. Whether it’s a momentary break or a strategic decision, the act of doing nothing can reveal unforeseen options.

Coffee break, anyone?

This is precisely why I wrote Meditation For Busy People and why practices such as The Relaxation Response are so important. They teach us how to stop and remain aware despite the drama we encounter. 

If your first response always full speed ahead, maybe its time to learn an alternative saying:

Ready… Set… WAIT.

*********************

Thanks for the inspiration, Peter. Now I’m going out for a paddle. 

I just watched Michael Sliwinski’s 10-minute chat with Seth Godin. The discussion circled around Seth’s prolific content development schedule. I’d encourage anyone involved with writing or blogging or starting a business to watch the interview.

The following are a few quick points I paraphrased. Check out the interview because there are many more.

Keeping a blog

“If you’re blogging for other people you’ll be disappointed. If nobody reads my blog, I’ll blog anyway.”

Online publishing is fraught with overblown expectations, fragile egos, short attention spans, and humbling failures. In the olden days we learned patience by growing plants; now we learn it by growing our online authority. My article, Not Many Twitter Followers: How to Deal with it, addresses the issue.

Producing a lot of content

“You have to be very good at saying no. I feel badly about all the places I could speak or consult but I cant do that and do what I’m doing now. The discipline of saying no is important.”

Oh Seth, I love it when you talk discipline.

Living a balanced life

“If you’re stealing from one part of your life to make another part of your life work, you’re going to have trouble.”

Seth responds easily and without angst. My response is less pithy. As a single mom of 2, a girlfriend, and a primary breadwinner, I stand on a three-way balance board. It’s a learned skill. So far I’ve learned to:

• say NO frequently
• clarify boundaries at the getgo
• stop stealing time from sleep
• elevate downtime to a daily priority
• get the mundane stuff done and out of the way
• ask myself: is this getting me what I truly want?

Getting published

“You should [select] yourself and not wait for someone else to [select] you.”

The quote is heavily paraphrased but you get the drift. Why wait for someone else to tell you: a) the time is right, b) you’re good enough, c) your work is good enough. Grant yourself top-of-the-list status. Do it yourself.

The full interview is published in Productive! Magazine #10. Seth’s latest book Linchpin is available in bookstores everywhere. Thanks Michael. Thanks Seth. Thanks Productive! Magazine.

What are your responses to the above points? If you watched the interview, what rang for you? I’d really like to know.

maybe a little too interesting...

The online world reminds me of an ancient Chinese curse,

“May You Be Born in An Interesting Time.”

Case in point: mining online content. Talk about interesting! It’s a distraction-laden time-sucking black hole of inefficiency. Not that it doesn’t produce good material, but the time wasted often exceeds the quality of the result.

A distraction-laden time-sucking black hole of inefficiency.

What’s Curation?

Curation is about keeping track of important online content.  For an excellent Mashable article on the subject, visit Why Content Curation is Here to Stay by Steve Rosenbaum. From the post:

Take *THAT,* meaningless links.

Content curation bridges the gap between auto-generated link aggregates and thoughtfully culled lists of posts. Curation is easy and time-savvy. An added bonus for people with no intact memory (that would be me) is that it offers a great way to review material once enjoyed but subsequently forgotten.

Hottest Curation Tools

The hottest curation tools (so far) are:

• Storify
• Paper.li
• Scoop.it

Jane Friedman’s recent newsletter post, I Love Great Curators. Are You One? covers each tool with links, references and examples. Visit Jane’s blog to get the details. (You should go there anyway because Jane is the online publishing It Girl.)

Of the content curation heavy hitters, I chose Scoop.it, the newest player on the scene. I was a beta tester for the program and liked it. It’s easy to curate, the results look nice, and there are good customization features.

My New Curated Topics ARE

drum roll please…

Productivity Tips & Tricks:
Great Ideas to Get Stuff Done

Productivity Backwash:
Where Productive People Waste Time

These topics relate directly to my blog so they add reach as well as servicing visitors and followers. Plus, they give me a great place to reread what I think is interesting.  I’m also curating a 3rd topic called Neuroscience for Regular People but it’s still in start-up stages. You can click a scoop.it Profile button

or simply click one of the banners in the sidebar.

Have you tried curating yet? What tool do you use? What are your results? Have you found it helpful or just another distraction? Please do comment. I’m interested.

So I contacted my buddy, Lorna, and we’ve resumed our Gmail chat meetings. We connect by chat, then write for 1/2 hour or so, and then share word counts. It’s silly but the meetings keep me going when resistance is high.

Our first meeting after several months took place yesterday. And OUCH, I remembered why I’ve been avoiding this. Writing SUCKS.

I remembered why I’ve been avoiding this for a few months.

Writing sucks.

I’m a professional writer. I know what it takes to get something produced and published. You’d think that by now I could flush out copy without feeling like a big fake.

Not even close.

At one point in my life, I decided that my purpose on this Earth was to be someone who feels all the fear, insecurity, dorkiness, and ambivalence that everyone else feels, but who goes for it anyway.

So what if writing is hard? Everything easy was once hard. I can do hard.

So what if writing is hard? Everything easy was once hard. I can do hard.

Next week I’ll slap out a rough outline for my next book.

Onward ho.

Size Doesn’t Matter, Does it?

I started seriously tweeting on my blog topic about six months ago. To date, my feedback has been generally good.

• The blog is relevant and interesting.
• I craft useful tweets.
• I exhibit Twitter restraint (not deluging followers with crap)

Woot.

When new followers show up, I often check their profiles. Most of them have, like, 2 million folks following them.  Last count I had, uhm, 86.

Oye

Do I care about follower numbers?

Of course I friggin’ care! Like everyone else, I ponder ways to attract notice, increase my follower count, publicize my message, etc. Plenty of cheezy promotion comes to mind. “Secrets Rich Bloggers Don’t Want You to Know.” “Baby Boomers Must Die Sooner than Later.” “I Hate Everybody but You.”

The Mighty Quest for Website Clicks

In the past I’ve written my share attention-getting bull.  Top of the list was
The Spam Cam.

The Spam Cam was a cheap publicity funnel for an online fiction experiment called The Fright Site. (At the time I was also working actor Don Johnson, pitching his gonzo pal, Hunter S. Thompson. It was 15 minutes of weird fame.)  The Spam Cam was a huge draw. We “studied” Spam as it decomposed next to rotting delicacies such as tomatoes, Twinkies, and pizza. We were quoted in several magazines, interviewed many times, humorist Dave Barry profiled us in one of his books, and Hormel Foods didn’t sue.

I’m also no stranger to the concept of selling out. Sexually explicit writing earned a fair bit of attention even before novelists like Anne Rice made it cool. I queried publishing houses that liked the steamy stuff. I also channeled a book by Grandmaster Palatimo. It was fake of course.

I queried steamy publishing houses. I also wrote a channeled book by Grandmaster Palatimo.

Thankfully I never wrote the steamy novel nor did I market Palatimo’s wisdom.

What were you thinking?

The Inner Critic Never Dies

My inner critic, Verna, had a field day with all that nonsense. She still has a lot of opinions but these days they’re all about the blog/Twitter thing.  “Your influence is meager… you’ve got nothing new to say… … you gotta do something trendy or wild… attract attention… don’t attract attention… your writing sucks. … you’re not really going to wear that are you?…”

My problem is I’m saddled with this huge, annoying code of ethics. (thankyouverymuchdad) Aggrandizing mass market crasseopeia (my word) wasn’t one of my goals as a writer. And I never wanted to steal money from anyone, especially folks who are sincere and spiritually hungry.

To Verna’s credit, she tries to protect me from failure and embarrassment. Her influence builds walls around my eccentricities, keeps me painfully safe, and stifles my creativity. With Verna at the helm, I’m guarded, self-conscious, and dull as dirt.

I Like My Blog No Matter What

Verna says I’m a bottom feeder surrounded by talented angel fish with publicists. She’s got a point –she always does—but these days when she second guesses my skills or nags me to be something I’m not, I’ve adopted a quick two-word retort:

“So What?”

If I’m feeling plucky I’ll add, “Piss off.”

So What? Piss off!

Two-word responses like this can bypass my intellect, disrupting Verna just long enough to give me options. (I blogged about the technique earlier this year.) They also lessen her negative influence.

So back to the Twitter thing, yes I know that developing a strong online community isn’t a pool swim; it’s an ocean crossing. And yes, I’m doing more SEO and expanding my reach day by day.

My blog is not failing. It’s a strong platform for consulting.

Let me clarify. My blog is not failing. I like my blog. It’s a strong platform for the kind of consulting I do. I tweet on personal productivity techniques that work in the real world, and I support my conclusions with SCIENCE.

So.

If someone looks at my stats  and says, oh poor dawn you only have 86 followers, I smile and say,

“So What?!”

I may be a bottom feeder but I do have impact. I also help clean the tank.

Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson Ph.d.

I can’t ignore a book entitled:

Buddha’s Brain:

The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness Love and Wisdom

Three things I immediately like about neuropsychologist Rick Hanson’s book.

• He focuses on small changes that reap big brain mojo.
• He describes brain science in the context of contemplative practice.
• He’s not overly wordy.

“You’ll learn what the brain is doing when the mind is happy, loving and wise. You’ll learn many ways to activate these brain states, strengthening them a bit each time. This will give you the ability to gradually rewire your own brain – from the inside out—for greater well-being, fulfillment in your relationships, and inner peace.” –excerpt from the book

Fast-Food Meditation: NOT

I’m leery of fast food awareness so I appreciated Hanson’s brave use of the word “gradually.” He’s honest about it.

Buddha’s Brain does offer material that’s immediately useful–strong cognitive tools to bolster us while gradual changes take root. Hanson’s description of brain plasticity and neurons is one of the best I’ve encountered for non-scientist types. In fact, I generated a presentation slide depicting neuronal connections, inspired from his work:

In the spirit of full disclosure, “that’s disgusting” in no way reflects on Hanson’s book. I’m just weird. 

The above slide features a stuffed neuron from GIANTmicrobes. They sell all kinds of plush creepiness. Action figures too. I’m especially fond of ebola below.

But I digress…

Hanson’s topic, the power of contemplative practice, isn’t new. I’ve read books on the subject and I’ve also written them. Still, I found Buddha’s Brain engaging and inspiring. I was originally attracted to the science, but this is also a great book about meditation in general. Hanson’s easy style, how-to practices, and personal experiences all contribute to his considerable authority on the subject. He makes me want to meditate.

Bottom line, this is a worthy read for anyone looking to understand and experience the brain boosting gains from contemplative practices.

Hanson’s website is equally as appealing, chock full of articles and support material.

Hey, it’s not just meditation, it’s science.

What books have you enjoyed on this topic? What’s your favorite microbe? Don’t be a stranger. I’d love to hear from you.

Stephen Smith

I discovered Stephen thru the InContext blog. He was quite excited about quitting his management position to return to blogging and consulting full time. Many of us consider this option but few take the leap. This interview is about his strategy, plans for the future, and attitude. Stephen’s bio is at the end of the article.

Dawn Groves: You have a lot of irons in the fire. Would you list your blogs/websites/online profiles?

Stephen Smith: Sure, it’s actually very easy, I’ve created a hub-page at http://stephenpsmith.com/ where you can see everything I’m up to: Twitter, the blogs, Facebook, Delicious, the whole enchilada.

You have a cool tag line concept: business development through personal development.

Business Development through Personal Development means you can use productivity principles to enhance your ability to lead, manage, and execute the functions of your business. By becoming more disciplined and focused you can improve everything – make more products, improve service, create more sales, even make more money.

I decided that my skills and talents were better served advancing my own business instead of someone else’s. When I work for myself, dedication and personal development result in greater rewards, financial and otherwise.

This motto played part in my decision to leave my job, because no matter how much effort and improvement I put into it, my return never changed. Upper management wasn’t willing to discuss changes to my compensation package. Neither were they willing to change the underlying structure so I could focus on my core work responsibilities. I decided that my skills and talents were better served advancing my own business instead of someone else’s. When I work for myself, dedication and personal development result in greater rewards, financial and otherwise.

You just quit your day job to pursue online success full time. A radical step. What are your goals?

Stephen: Well, my ultimate goal is to lay around on the beach and drink margaritas…har, just kidding. Short-term? I am going to be re-connecting with people who’ve dropped off my radar because I’ve been immersed in the restaurant biz. I knew some amazing people and it wasn’t fair for me to fall off the face of the earth like that. We were in the discussion phases of project development. I’m looking to finish those projects, generating revenue streams to support other, bigger projects.

Well, my ultimate goal is to lay around on the beach and drink margaritas…har, just kidding.

One of my dearest dreams of the past two years has been to transform the Work.Life.Creativity site into an active, engaged community. Eventually it’ll evolve into a membership site with two kinds of content:  “freemium” and members-only (read as paid subscribers).

I’m also working on a book about my experiences in the Hospitality biz (read drafts of the chapters at Foodie Lust). Of course I’m continuing my coaching and consulting practice via In Context MultiMedia.

My Long-term goals include writing a cookbook, developing another membership site (no, I can’t give you any details yet), and running a marathon. And maybe running off to Italy to learn how to cook, like Bill Buford.

Ambitious plans. What are you going to do differently to meet those goals?

Stephen: One of the biggest lessons I have learned from being a solopreneur and from working my a__ off at the Tavern is that you need to take time for you, your family, your hobbies, your health. I am setting aside time each week for NOT working. And I will definitely enjoy evenings home with my Lovely Bride.

I am setting aside time each week for NOT working. And I will definitely enjoy evenings home with my Lovely Bride.

Click to view Stephen's schedule form

How will you structure your time?

Stephen: Good question. I actually sat down to think about that recently and came up with a weekly agenda based on a blog post I wrote three years ago: Work at Home Productivity. It includes yoga and running each morning, then breakfast with the Lovely Bride. I also plan to work on my book for at least one hour each day and then do some income-generation via niche/affiliate sites. Lastly, each day I’ll write posts for the IC blog and/or for WLC.

Afternoon activities will vary. Time will be set aside for clients, creating information products and networking. I may or may not have a regular schedule.

If you were to start your business today, is there something that you would do better or differently?

Stephen Smith In Action

When I first started I didn’t think ahead; I just wanted the business.

Stephen: When I first started I didn’t think ahead; I just wanted the business. Then I got too much business and became exhausted, unhappy and wondering how I got to the place I was. Turns out I’d been on autopilot and never thought through my growth strategy. Heck, I didn’t even consider what I wanted my life and business to look like. So if I was to do it over, I would start from my 5 year strategic objective, developing business and marketing plans based on where I want it to be in five years. I’d have a smart strategy targeted 5 years ahead, ready to handle my business as it expands.

I’d have a smart strategy targeted 5 years ahead, ready to handle my business as it expands.

You’re generous with your writing and expertise. How do you plan to earn money?

I already make a small amount of money (in the low four figures) from advertising on some of my sites. As I return to publishing content regularly, traffic will increase and the advertising income will grow.

In mid-October I plan to do some client work again, beginning with teleconferences and one-on-one coaching for small business marketing, blogging, etc. I also have products in the pipeline that I’ll be promoting.

What do you see as your greatest energy drain(s)? How will you manage it/them?

The big problem is distractions, like my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Hmmmm. I don’t really remember any energy drains from the last time I did this. The big problem is distractions, like my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Fortunately, I’ve been fairly successful in limiting my time on them. They do come in handy, though, for prospecting for new clients…

How do you recharge? What is your favorite energetic resource?

I love to read. I’ve also started running and enjoy it immensely. Reading is an escape from day-to-day busyness; running is a good way to clear my mind or work out things simmering on the back burner. Yes, I do carry a notebook and pen with me when I run.

I love to cook as well. I find prep and kitchen work to be very zen-like and relaxing. When I’m dicing the onions, I’m just dicing the onions. Not thinking about the next step, not worrying about the weather. Just dicing the onions. Then when we sit down and actually eat the food I’ve prepared, well, that’s just another moment for mindfulness and enjoyment.

Do you have a favorite blog post you’ve written?

Oh, man, it’s hard to say. I’ve been blogging for five years. I think my favorite series of posts are on the 7 Habits. I certainly had a lot of fun writing them and they continue to draw a lot of traffic. For anyone interested, 7 Habits Ebook is a good place to start. Now that I think about it, that series and the e-book could probably stand a little freshening up…

How do you deal with the discouragement or frustration that comes with working on your own?

Har. If you ask anyone they’ll tell you I’m ridiculously upbeat and positive about what I do. Almost obnoxiously so. I suffer disappointments, we all do, but I try to learn from them and not repeat them. I have studied a little Zen as well as business and marketing, so it gives me a larger perspective.

"It makes me smile because it tastes like vinegar."

What is your driving force, Stephen? What makes you do what you do?

The age-old question. The short answer is that I love to share and tell stories. I find it immensely motivating that people are willing to pay for a transfer of expertise. Teaching Sells, indeed. The long answer is a blog post “Looking Into the Future.”

I find it immensely motivating that people are willing to pay for a transfer of expertise.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

My darling project is the forum and blog at Work.Life.Creativity. I’m just head-over-heels with the idea of this community and its potential to help people. I would love for people to get involved with it again. Over and over for the past couple of years it has been orphaned and neglected because we have so much to do. But investing a little time will make a difference to all of us who are stressed-out, harried, or sincerely frightened. We can learn things to enhance and improve our lives and our work. Professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, regular working people in every field can share experiences, learning and teaching at the same time. I encourage all your readers to check it out, comment on a thread, ask a question, get involved. All of us together are way smarter than any of us alone.

Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate the serendipity of working on this interview over the Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer and the beginning of something new. I’m reminded of the opening verse in Jimmy Buffet’s song “Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes”:

“I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try to recall the whole year
All of the faces & all of the places
Just wonderin’ where it all disappeared.”

Well, I know where it went now, and how to go about getting it back.

About Stephen: Stephen Smith is a customer-service oriented professional with over 15 years of experience in hospitality management leading sales and service (that’s a fancy way of saying that he used to manage restaurants and hotel banquet departments). Coming from that dynamic environment, Stephen brings high-touch experience to the internet with hands-on coaching and education. He has been teaching and consulting with small businesses for over three years, leading to an invitation to present at SOBCon (Business School for Bloggers) in 2009. Stephen writes at the In Context Blog, a web-based resource for social media literacy and business development through personal development.

Web: http://stephenpsmith.com/
Blog: http://blog.incontextmultimedia.com/
Twitter: hdbbstephen

Where do I begin?

Before I start any writing project, I check off my ten essentials and make sure they’re in order. They save TIME and ENERGY, and they support successful completion no matter how resistant I am:

Stop Waiting
Keep Quiet
Commit
Construct a Filing System
Set a Timeline
Never Trust Memory
Anticipate Distractions
Establish an Online Presence
Check One Info Site a Day
Decide on a Motto

Stop waiting.

Sorry, but there’s never a good time to start a project. Remind yourself that energy begets energy and avoidance takes up a ton of mindspace. If you have resistance, make a work appointment with a friend or colleague and both of you work on the stuff you’re avoiding. Misery loves company. Besides, what else are you going to do with your time?

Keep quiet.

This is especially critical if you have RESISTANCE to the project. Your mind doesn’t know the difference between thinking and doing. If you whine or wax poetic, you’ll be worn out even if nothing is accomplished. So keep your ideas quiet, harness your energy instead of spraying it like a firehose.

Commit.

Once you decide to shut up and get busy, then it’s time to commit. Anyone can start and stop a project. It takes commitment to see it through intelligently. Don’t rely on motivation because aside from being capricious and unreliable, it also supports last minute, high stress productivity. You want to write? Then commit. It’s how the pros do it. Steps 3 and 4 support commitment.

Construct a filing system.

Start very simple. Complexity is another distraction. Your system will morph as the project matures. For books, I mirror my digital filing system with hardcopy files in a banker box. One box per book. When the project is done, I save it on a CD and pack it with the hardcopies. Then I get it out of the office. For articles, essays, newsletters and other content, I use accordion hanging files. At the end of the year, I archive my hanging files into a banker box for storage.

My file structure starts something like this:
Book/Article (Title or topic)
Interviews (If they’re recorded, I transcribe them THE SAME DAY. Plan it as part of the interview; not as a separate activity. )
Research Data
Chapter 1 etc. (One folder per chapter)
Related Blog Topics (Blogs are a constant source of material and I end up saving more than I need)
Development (My time line, potential directions for material, sell/write/apply/redux)
Resources (Websites, Blogs, Books, References)
Client Contact Info (Names and contact data regarding my client. You may not need this.)
Someday/Maybe (Thanks to David Allen’s GTD material for this suggestion. Brochures, trip possibilities, pie-in-the-sky thoughts etc. This is stuff that piques me but has no real place in my current completion cycle. It’s often a hardcopy file only.)
Stuff (Whatever doesn’t fit into other folders. As the project matures, this folder may generate other folders.)

Set a timeline.

Generate a rough deliverable timeline from the completion stage (ready to publish) backwards. If you can’t see that far ahead, then use the completed rough draft as an end point. You can always change it later.

Never trust memory.

Be a professional and keep an idea pad handy in the car, on your desk, and next to the bed. Make sure there is always a working pen or pencil next to it. When you have a great idea, capture it immediately and then go back to what you were doing. Your mind will calm down. Once a week, look through your notes and toss or transcribe to a digital file.

Anticipate distractions.

If you know you’ll eat the extra cheesecake from the party, then plan how to get rid of it or avoid taking it in the first place. Distractions are seldom surprises. If you know you get tired at 11 AM, plan to take a short walk or set up a meeting instead of wasting time flopping around the Net and getting nowhere. A simple plan is the absolute best way to deal with distraction because you’re not making a decision when you’re most VULNERABLE. The decision has already been made. You have plan.

Establish an online presence.

I know you don’t have time to do it. Nobody does. But online connection is mandatory. The good news is that it takes less time than you think. Once your mind sees the online universe as friend and not a distraction, you’ll be able to share and gather material easily. Twitter is by far the smartest way to do research. My twitter account is dawngroves_. If you don’t know how to get started,  ask a wired friend for help or pay an expert to organize your approach. It’s money worth spending. You’ll actually WANT to do it. Pinky swear.

Check ONE info website a day.

If you’re a writer, join writersmarket.com or Jane Friedman’s blog, There Are No Rules. If you’re writing for another reason (such as developing a design plan or whatever) then find the best aggregation blog or website on topic and join. The key here is ONE, not twenty. You’ll stay current and engaged without losing time. Keep track of other useful resources in your Resources file.

Decide on a motto.

A motto is interesting, quick, and reminds me of my purpose. My current motto is, “Paddle or die.” As an avid kayaker, I know that the best way to prevent capsizing in unstable water is to paddle hard. A forward stroke is the best brace. At work, if I’m feeling overwhelmed, lost, stressed out, or any number of crazy mental states, I just keep paddling. For me, pushing ahead  is the best brace and it works every time.

One you get started:

1. Submerge and indulge. Once your infrastructure is organized, you’re ready to delve into the topic. This is when you’ll feed your interest and generate zest. You’ll also find other ways to parlay the topic for other audiences and create additional income. Use your filing system religiously and time yourself.
2. Stay frosty. In river kayaking, you maintain control by going faster or slower than the current. Otherwise, the river takes over. Research data is basically a flooding river of ideas. If you don’t stay on purpose, you’ll lose yourself and capsize into wasted time and lost effort. If you stay frosty, you’ll stay on target. Keep notes and time yourself. Set aside an hour, choose a specific topic or reference, and stick to your plan.

I’d love to know your ten essentials. What works for you? What’s most important? Let me know. I’ll compile the results and post them in a future blog.

Henny Penny bustled through the chicken coop, cackling her dire warning, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

Turkey Lurkey gobbled and hopped in circles. Goosey Loosey flapped a bee-line for the farm pond. Foxy Loxy parked himself outside of the fence and waited.

As Henny Penny charged through the back forty, she stopped just short of running over a tiny chickadee, flat on her back with her feet in the air.

“What are you doing?” Henny Penny squawked. “Don’t you know, the sky is falling!?”

“I know,” said the chickadee, shifting her legs so her feet reached even higher. “One does what one can.”

******

Yesterday at the coffee shop, I was feeling like that hapless, well meaning chickadee. Then I remembered something Stephen Covey wrote and I managed to craft an approach to catastrophe that involves more than simply sticking my feet in the air. (republished from March 2011)

I’d love your comments and thoughts.

HEY! Stephen Smith does it full time, on line! Sept 22nd. 

• A fascinating interview with Stephen Smith on his successful strategies for pursuing full-time online work — no more day job. Yowza.  Exciting stuff for bloggers and anyone else jumping big into new directions.
• Stephen writes great stuff for the In Context Blog (http://blog.incontextmultimedia.com), a web-based resource for Social Media Literacy and Business Development through Personal Development. Worth listening to, for sure.

Ride that bull, baby.

This guy is pretty stressed out but he keeps his cool. I do feel sorry for the bull, though.

In the Harvard Business Review, Justin Menkes wrote an terrific blog piece, “How Stress Can Improve Your Performance.” He says,

“Once an executive learns how to manage adrenaline without panic, he or she can grow confident that the sensations that stress induces will not lead to collapse.

“…One simple exercise involves memorizing something, be it a poem or the 50 states, and then reciting it before friends at a dinner party, while encouraging them to taunt you if you make mistakes. At first, you are more likely to have missteps in this context. Eventually, you will find that you can do the exercise faster, with more accuracy, in front of an audience than when you do it by yourself. …

“…If your next-in-line is slated to present before the board, don’t let him do so without preparation. Have him present first in front of a few colleagues, then at the Monday morning meeting, then before the management team, all before they present in the higher-pressure environment of the boardroom.”

It’s amazing how many executives, students, salespeople, interviewees, will devote time and energy to preparation for a meeting but then neglect to practice their delivery. Without practice, there’s no authority over the gathered material.

Science tells us neurons that fire together, wire together. Firing and refiring deposits melanin along the neuronal pathways, speeding message delivery and strengthening the path. (This is one of the neurological results of practice.) When the inevitable cascade of stress hormones is triggered, practice makes the path well traveled; muscle memory and responses are trained. Without practice, the same surge will unglue a fragile grasp of the information, generating confusion and suboptimal performance.

Bottom line, before you do anything that matters, practice it first. Your mother was right: practice makes perfect.

So why do we neglect this critical step? I have my opinions but I’d like to know yours. You tell me.

(And don’t forget to read Justin’s original article, ”How Stress Can Improve Your Performance“ in the HBR. The research refs alone are so worth it.)

Justin Menkes is an acclaimed author and expert in the field of C-suite talent evaluation. His latest book, Better Under Pressure, will be released by Harvard Business Review Press in MA.

I want to be this guy.

“A lot of people [act] different on the weekends versus the office. It’s like they leave a big part of themselves at home. We encourage our employees to be themselves. We want them to be the same person at home and the office.”

Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos on work culture, from Entrepreneur.com

I want to be Tony Hseih — selling LinkExchange to Microsoft for 265 mil, being CEO of Zappos, and writing a worthy best seller: Delivering Happiness.

Of course, if I told this to Tony he’d probably say, “Dawn, you don’t want to be me. Be more of  yourself.”  Hhmph.

My goal has always been to be less of me: less young, less old, less tired,  less eager, less confused, less unhappy, less disorganized. Then I had an epiphany while parked behind a closed martini bar.

OYE

What a Waste of Energy

While I was doing something important (well, anything really), I was actively suppressing parts of my personality. No matter what I did, it was an exercise in overcoming inner demons. If I couldn’t excise them, then I tried to do well in spite of them. It was so incredibly inefficient. No wonder I was exhausted. Half my energy was wasted pushing things away. My epiphany changed all that.

I now refer to my life as pre-martini and post-martini.

Pre-me was carefully guarded; post-me takes all of who I am into each situation. What good does it do to pretend the dark parts don’t exist? Who I am is burned into my nerves,  muscles, heart, skin, eyes, hands, and brain synapses. It actually feels physical. Whatever I’m doing, I’m doing with everything on board:   silliness, confusion, bad habits, brilliance, dread, hope — the whole enchilada. I’m wholeheartedly insecure, wanting to be effective, wanting to be loved, wanting to make a difference.

Authenticity is Cool

By embracing this stuff, I’ve discovered the essence of efficient living and happiness: honest communication. My ideas and feelings are juiced with authenticity. Everything is empowering. I’m not exhausted anymore. I don’t take things personally.

I’m experiencing liberation via the path of vulnerability. I don’t wear it on my sleeve but I do let it inform me. Whether I’m on the phone, at home, in my kayak, talking with clients, or online, I’m open to all of it. I’ve stopped hating myself.

Whoosh! Here’s comes the energy!

Thanks for the advice, Tony. Now I need to get busy generating a big sale to Microsoft…

*************************************

NOTE: For excellent resource information on the power of authenticity and vulnerability, read Brene Brown’s research and check out her TED talk.

Written by Michael Pollock

This is the second half  of a two-part interview with business blog thought leader, Michael Pollock, creator of  The Bigger Life Blog: How to make a living online while making a difference in the world. While responding to the interview questions, Michael wrote the following post. To read more of Michael’s work, please visit  The Bigger Life Blog.

How do you keep going when you feel like giving up?

This is a great question and a big question. In fact, assuming you buy into the notion that success in any endeavor is ultimately about persisting long enough to achieve your desired outcome, this question is THE NUMBER ONE critical question we all need to answer for ourselves.

1. Accept that it’s normal to feel like giving up.

Notice that I didn’t say “IF you feel like giving up.” The fact is, unless you have a long history of creating successful outcomes in your life, there’s a 99% certainty you will feel like giving up at some point in any new endeavor. Especially early on when you may be investing a lot of energy without seeing much in the way of results. This is just a normal part of the human psychological make-up. You are not unique or special in this regard, so just accept it.

Accept it, and think about the stone cutter hammering away at his rock. He strikes the rock maybe 50 times without creating so much as a crack in it, but on that 51st strike, the stone splits in two. It wasn’t really the last strike that broke it open but the 50 strikes before.

2. Protect your physical energy.

This is crucial, because the amount of physical energy you have effects everything from how you feel to how well you think to even how motivated you are to do the tasks necessary to achieve your goals. According to author Tony Schwartz (The Power of Full Engagement), there are four keys to physical energy. They include eating the right foods at the right time in the right portions; exercising regularly; resting and renewing intermittently during the day, and sleeping a minimum of 7 to 8 hours at night. If you treat your physical body as if you are an Olympic athlete in training, you’ll always have plenty of physical energy to do what needs to be done.

3. Get your personal needs met.

When you have unmet personal needs, it’s often very difficult to focus on goal pursuit. As a personal example, when I first attempted self-employment over 10 years ago, because of a divorce and some poor choices on my part, I was really struggling financially. Most of the time, I was too worried about how to pay my bills to focus on what I needed to do to build a new business. Some people thrive under that sort of pressure, but I’m not one of them, and after a few years of struggle, I decided to put the business on hold until I got my financial house in order. That meant committing myself to working for someone else for a few years until my financial needs were met. It wasn’t easy to surrender like that, but it helped me create the strong personal foundation I needed to create a six-figure online business a few years later.

4. Manage your expectations.

The longer I live, the more convinced I become that unrealistic expectations are deadly to your motivation. I mean think about it. Have you ever started a new exercise program to lose a few pounds? You go at it hard for a month or two, then you step on the scale and notice that you haven’t lost a single pound. In fact, maybe you even gained a pound or two because you packed on some muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. How do you feel? Pretty discouraged probably because you were expecting to be a little leaner and meaner by now. Combine that with all the advertisements and infomercials that show people losing a bunch of weight in a short period of time, and it’s really easy to just throw in the towel. When you establish expectations that are arbitrary or based on someone else’s results, you set yourself up for failure almost every time.

5. Focus on the process rather than the results.

This is a follow-up to my suggestion to manage your expectations. In this case, you let go of expectations altogether and focus instead on the process of creating the result you want. It’s fine to set a goal, but use the goal only as a rudder to direct your behavior.

Going back to the weight loss example, if you focus on the process that leads to weight loss, eventually it will happen. For example, if you exercise each day and eat the right amount of the right types of foods, the results will take care of themselves.

If you can take it a step further and habitualize that behavior, you can practically put your success on auto-pilot. I love the following quote from Og Mandino:

“In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure.”

So, focus on the process. Habitualize the process. Learn to love the process. At this stage in my own business, for example, my goal is to learn to love writing and content creation, because that is integral to the process that leads to a successful online business. It’s also critical to how I express my personal mission in the world. When I start to focus too much on external results like website traffic, sales or the number of times a blog post gets re-tweeted, it invariably leads to disappointment and de-motivation. So I try not to spend too much time looking at that stuff. It’s fine to look at it occasionally to get a sense of what’s working and what’s not, but that’s really all it’s good for.

6. Connect your goal pursuit to a strong mission.

It’s one thing to write out a personal mission statement on paper, but the real power of a personal mission is when you feel it deep in your soul, and that can take time to develop. Once it’s alive and well deep inside, however, it makes for a great touchstone to help keep you focused on what your life is really about. If you have a day where you don’t make a sale or get a certain result, you can at least be satisfied that you did what was necessary to express your mission in the world.

7. Get involved with those traveling a similar path.

The support and camaraderie of such groups is invaluable to start-ups and anyone wanting to go to the next level in their business. This could be a writing group, a small business networking group, a Meetup group or any group made up of your peers.

Jump to Part 1 of the Interview

Michael D Pollock, “The Bigger Life Blog”

I learned about Michael Pollock when I was researching online thought leaders. Michael has several interviews with a variety of thought leaders, located on his blog, The Bigger Life Blog: How to make a living online while making a difference in the world. Michael left a lucrative career to focus on purpose driven work, and created another equally successful business financially and emotionally. He is as forthright, practical, and humble as he is savvy. His interview is divided into two posts. This section talks about how he makes a living at making a difference, and how he manages his energy to keep it going. The second posting (tomorrow) will be 7 specific steps on “How to keep going when you feel like giving up.”  

Did you ever work at a job without consciously connecting it to your values?

Michael Pollock:  I think I’ve felt that way at some point in almost every “job” I’ve had in my life. It’s a total drag to feel like you’re doing work that’s too small for your soul. It’s a drag to feel like you’re just punching a clock to earn a paycheck. In situations like that, for me at least, my level of commitment and energy was often non-existent. But I’m one of those people who can’t live like that for long. I have a low tolerance for meaningless work.

So eventually, I either found a way to find purpose and meaning in what I was doing or I moved on to something else when that was a realistic option.

I’ve studied leadership over the years, and I’ve learned, among other things, that great leaders create an atmosphere in which people feel a sense of purpose, meaning and joy about their work. They make the organization’s success about more than just dollars and cents. They make it about doing great work, fulfilling work and work that impacts the world in some way. I was never fortunate enough to work in an organization like that, which is probably why I’m self-employed now. I think if I had found an organization like that, I might still be there. Or not.

How can someone who wants to do something purposeful online also make money at it?

Michael: First of all, I’d say the two are not mutually exclusive.

My entire business philosophy is built on the idea that you create a profitable online business by making a difference in the world.

This is not really a new idea, of course. Zig Ziglar coined the phrase “you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” That’s never been more true than it is today.

Especially online.

A common approach with online business today is to use free content and services to attract an audience and establish your credibility in a particular area. Once you’ve attracted the audience, you deliver paid products and services to fulfill their wants and needs.

In short, give people stuff that makes them happy, then sell them stuff that makes them even happier.

This is the essence of a profitable online business today. Even if certain people never buy your paid stuff, and many won’t, at least you’ve had the chance to express your own creativity and offer folks something that can potentially make a difference in their life, and if that’s your ultimate purpose, the money is irrelevant.

It reminds me of Brian Johnson. He’s the creator of a site called Philosophers Notes. He offers a package of really well-done book reviews ( in audio and PDF format ) that are essentially Cliff Notes for personal development books. When I interviewed him, he told me that anyone who wants his product can have it regardless of their ability to pay for it. In fact, as I write this, I see on his site that he lets you pick your own price anywhere from $10 to $100. And if you can’t afford to pay for it, he’ll give it to you for free on a scholarship basis. He told me he does this because the ultimate purpose of his business is to help people and make a difference in the world rather than make as much money as possible. Making money is important, of course, but if making a difference in the world is your ultimate purpose, why would you not do something like this, as long as it doesn’t really cost you anything? In Brian’s case, his product is in digital format, so it doesn’t cost him anything to give it away.

Where do you think small business start-ups should target their energy to give them the best chance of success?

Michael: First and foremost, start with yourself, and make sure you’re going into it with a long-term perspective. Business success — or success in any endeavor — is ultimately about persisting long enough to succeed. It’s about moving through the inevitable setbacks, challenges and outright failures that are part of the path to achievement. If you look at any successful person, you’ll usually see behind them a long road of struggle and failure.

Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling, for example, was rejected by numerous publishers before she finally found one to take on her book series that’s made her a billionaire. (There’s a great video online of her commencement address to Harvard grads; the topic of her speech was failure.)

Beyond that, keep it simple. I always tell people that for a profitable online business — or any business — you need just two things. First, you need something to sell. Second, you need people to buy. Start with a particular group of people and find out what they’re hungry for. What do they want and need that you can provide? This is known as determining your niche. Once you figure that out, it’s a matter of creating products and services for your hungry audience and getting those products/services in front of them.

What are your biggest energy sucks and how do you personally manage them?

Michael: For me, one of the biggest energy drains is when I do the comparison thing. That’s when you see someone who’s doing what you want to be doing, but they seem to be doing it ten times better, or they’re getting much better results than you. Some people are inspired by people who are more successful. I tend to go the other way and get discouraged. It’s not that I’m jealous; instead, I engage in negative self-talk about how I will never be as good as them or something similar.

As far as how I manage it, at this point, it’s a constant practice to remind myself to run my own race and not focus on other peoples’ race results. Ideally, I want to stand in the place where I fully accept myself as I am, but constantly push myself beyond my comfort zone and toward my full potential. This is obviously not an easy task, but as I said, I’m practicing.

I’m sure there are other energy drains for me, but that is by far the biggest and most damaging one for me.

If you were to start your business today, is there something you would do better or differently?

Michael: Not really. My current business is sort of a course correction from a business I started in 2006 and sold in 2008. The name of that business was Solostream, and it began as a blog design company. After a year, it morphed into a software development company that was generating a six-figure annual profit from the sale of blog and website templates. So the business was successful in a strictly financial sense, but personally, I got to the point where I really didn’t enjoy the work at all. I didn’t feel like software development was an authentic expression of what it is I’m here to do, which is to teach and coach people on how to use the Internet to make a living online and make a difference in the world.

Still, in 2006, all I wanted to do was escape a full-time job that I hated, and blog design was the quickest and easiest way for me to create an income on which I could support myself. I couldn’t have known back then that I would grow tired of webdesign and software development.

Ultimately, before any of that, however, I guess the one thing I would have done differently is I would have invested my time and energy into learning how to be a better and more prolific writer and content creator. Instead, I spent several years learning website design, which felt safer to me at the time. Website design is a fine profession, but as I said, it’s not the way I feel called to make a difference in the world. So I wish I would have been courageous enough to pursuit a career based on writing rather than website design. I hope that makes sense.

Can you describe the energetic punch from placing values at the forefront of your work?

I believe in my heart of hearts that we are most fulfilled and most alive when we’re doing work that a) we love, b)  makes a difference in the world, and c) for which we are well-compensated spiritually as well as financially. If you believe in God or some Ultimate Creative Force — and I do — I’d suggest that’s why he/she/it created you — to express your creativity in service to the world (or at least a small part of it).

To me, this is the ultimate purpose of life, and when I’m deeply connected to that purpose, I’m virtually unstoppable.

Unfortunately, it’s not as often as I’d like, but I’m working on it.

Is there anything on your blog or in your work that you’d like to share with our readers?

Michael: I’ve done a handful of interviews that people may find valuable. For example, I spoke about Brian Johnson earlier. You can listen to a great, 2-part interview with him here: http://bit.ly/erqwNd.  Writers and folks with online business aspirations will find a few other great interviews as well.

How can someone maintain energy if goal pursuit weakens or becomes derailed?

Michael: This is a great question and a big question. In fact, assuming you buy into the notion that success in any endeavor is ultimately about persisting long enough to achieve your desired outcome, this question is THE NUMBER ONE critical question we all need to answer for ourselves. Before I answer it, allow me to rephrase the question for even greater impact:

How do you keep going when you feel like giving up?

TO BE CONTINUED.

Michael’s interview concludes tomorrow with a list of seven powerful ideas to keep you pushing forward when you feel like giving up.  Don’t miss it!

The karmic backlash when you write about excuses is they retaliate en mass. For a person already plagued by them  (I’m a writer, remember?), dealing with a galvanized frontal assault is pretty wild. Here’s how it happened…

The Battle of Excuses

Several weeks ago I blogged about creating a treadmill walking station. There are a thousand healthy reasons to use a walkstation but for me, it’s about staying alert. Walkstations are supposed to help maintain energy levels throughout the day. I get sleepy in front of a monitor even when I’ve just exercised.

What I didn’t mention was my treadmill is an ancient behemoth that weighs a friggin’ ton.  Moving it from the garage into the house wasn’t a simple logistics issue; it was like dragging a truck. Several lame excuses converged: “It can’t be done without a forklift; I can’t afford to waste my time; It might screw up my back; My garage is too messy for anyone to see it; I have other more urgent matters; It’s too big; It’s too ugly; The kitchen needs cleaning.”

The treadmill didn’t move inch one. In the excuse war, I was losing.

Excuses 1; Dawn 0.

Two weeks passed…

What treadmill? I thought. I’m too busy kayaking and swimming and doing active things (all lies btw). Friends finally got disgusted and helped me strongarm it  into the breakfast nook. Take THAT excuses!

Dawn 1; Excuses 1.

Now I could finally get started. I checked all the treadmill desk websites. In general I needed a wood desktop of some sort, a support beam, a hammer, nails, and other DIY stuff. Being decidedly UNhandy, I opted to do more research. There are several good DIY examples as well as a network of “office walkers.”

During this time, I enjoyed the comradery of several familiar excuses and rationalizations: “I really don’t have time for this; I don’t do hammers; This is too hard; I have bigger fish to fry; This is ridiculous; I’m tired; I’m a writer, not a carpenter; The dog needs to be walked; Who reads this stupid blog anyway?”

The treadmill mocked me daily with, “So much for noble plans, you lazy putz.”

Excuses 2; Dawn 1.

Two more weeks passed…

The final straw was when I fell asleep in front of the monitor and missed a deadline. Again.  (I’m a single mom with two kids and a lot of irons in the fire. I have a well greased neural pathway for sleep.)

Furious, I marched into the kitchen, raised my fist and proclaimed, “Damn you Treadmill, you’ll not get the better of me!“ Then I charged into the garage (yar!), tunneled through years of crap and uncovered an empty refrigerator box. I yanked it from the pile,  stomped the heavy cardboard flat, duct-taped a few support sticks on the underside and, voila! Desktop! 

Dawn 2; Excuses 2.

Here’s my new walkstation.

The side view of my walkstation. Can you see the tip of the cane helping to support the desktop? Thanks, Mom.

Here is the underside of my walkstation desktop. Mom's cane is the support system, along with a few odds and ends.

Walking while working. If the cane slips it's a hassle but oh well. It works!

Now the Excuses and I were neck-in-neck at the stretch. I had to do something to push me over the finish line — I had to actually start using the thing.

Okay, turning it off and on is a hassle but hey, it works. 

Question: Wouldn’t I rather junk this self-made thing for a sleek and sexy Steelcase Walkstation?

Answer: Uhmmm yeah.  I’m not an idiot. But this is what I have for now. Check out those sexy shoes.

Astounding Results

The walkstation has totally reworked my falling asleep habit pattern. Slow walking while typing washes my brain with energizing oxygen and the non-distracting movement keeps me alert. Holy smokes, the research is correct.

My focus time is so waaay up.

I’ve probably tripled the time I can focus on one activity, effectively tripling my productivity. Man, it’s even better than ADHD meds. The only thing I can’t do is detailed art. For that I must stop walking. But I’ve walked up to 8 miles without a thought and gotten more work done than I ever thought possible.

I am SOLD, Baby!

Dawn 3; Excuses N/A.

Today’s battle of Excuses VS Dawn is over. Dawn WINS. Bwahahahahahah.

Coming Soon! Interview with blogmeister Michael D. Pollock.

An insightful 2-part interview with Michael D. Pollock, creator of the Bigger Life Blog: How to Make a Living Online By Making a Difference in the World. Michael will discuss ways to partner business and values, while making the best use of your blogs and blogging. Part 2 will be Michael’s seven thoughts about  ”How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up.” Great stuff, all. You can bet I’ll be reading it while I walk. <grin>

I’m sitting in Starbucks attempting to update my blog. How can I possibly think about adding to the Making Excuses series while the world continually teeters on the brink of collapse? I take a sip of coffee and try again.

Nope, can’t do it.

Writing helps me make sense of things. So on my third effort, I write about galvanizing a heartfelt, proper response to a disaster halfway across the world, without simultaneously devaluing my own modest efforts and personal concerns.

Realism Faces Forward

One of the harsh truths of nature is that no matter what the calamity, life still goes on. Despite Northern Japan’s deep yogurt, the world economy, turmoil in the Mideast, we still have businesses to run, families to nurture, and daily obligations to meet.

When disaster strikes, fatalists say we dodged a bullet. Separatists say we’re special. Realists say, it is what is.

I’m a realist. Whether it sucks or doesn’t suck, it’s life. By being objective, I avoid languishing in giddy relief or dropping headlong into despair. Unfortunately, realism also has a serious dark side; it turns cold without the influence of compassion and connection.

Misfortune Isn’t Contagious

We can become superstitious; getting close to misfortune, even thinking about it can lead to fatal infection. The smart money is on staying separate and disconnected.

Life may seem easier if you separate your heart from painful reality. Indeed, disconnection isn’t all bad. It helps you stay centered when performing under pressure. It helps you survive. But when disconnect goes on auto-pilot, it darkens reality and closes your mind. Disconnection empowers exclusivity, alienates support, and is the antithesis of communication.

So how to stay connected without becoming overwhelmed?

Remain connected without obsession. Viewing tsunami or 9/11 videos help process and understand the reality of a disaster. But it can also devolve into a morbid fascination similar to rubbernecking a car accident. It’s desensitizing. Awareness: good. Desensitization: bad.

I use two simple practices to help me avoid becoming desensitized:

a) Lighting a candle. I light one of those tall glass candles from the grocery store. The candle helps me acknowledge our human frailty, remember the issue in my heart, and it keeps aware of my blessings at home. It keeps things in perspective.

b) Reading news online twice daily. I don’t want to hide from the truth but neither do I want to obsess over details. Obsessive news gathering doesn’t enhance my awareness and it seems to feed a darker part of my psyche. A good read twice a day is plenty.

Remaining connected also takes advantage of experimental bias. This is the tendency to see what we expect. Researchers struggle to overcome this bias because it subconsciously skews test results. In my case, however, when I’m informed and connected I’m keeping the radar on. If something comes up where I can actually be of assistance, my bias will help me see it and hopefully participate.

Big deal, you say. It doesn’t help Japan or 9/11 or anything. It’s not useful in the big picture.

On this point I defer to Stephen Covey who, in Seven Habits for Highly Effective People, developed a simple, elegant way to reframe the concept of usefulness.

Reframe without Minimizing

One person’s breakup is another’s lost livelihood. One person’s illness is another’s natural disaster. Pain is pain. Yet no matter the situation, we can always take positive action within our Circles of Influence.

From 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Covey starts with the larger Circle of Concern. It includes everything in life we’re worried about: world finances, terrorism, war, natural disaster, global climate change, bird flu, whatever. It’s a circle of reaction. We flail with anxiety, contract in denial, or turn tail and run.

The Circle of Influence is a subset of the Circle of Concern. Smaller in scope, the Circle of Influence encompasses our work, family, the food we eat, the way we communicate and drive our cars, our attitudes, and our behavior.

Circles of Influence grow when they are tended, similar to blogs. This is where we have the power to effect change and make a difference. Indeed, it’s the only place we can.

In Lao Tzu’s I-Ching, this concept is indirectly expressed as “the taming power of the small.” One can make a bigger difference by taking smaller steps, working diligently within smaller circles. Whether I’m teaching classes, talking to my kids, lighting a candle, or checking the news, I’m active within my Circle of Influence. As the circle expands, I’ll still be active. It may not be much, but it’s all I’ve got.

Back at Starbucks, I finish my third refill of coffee and close up shop. I didn’t write about excuses today; tomorrow I surely will. Regardless of world crisis, productivity is still my niche and passion, my personal Circle of Influence. My blog, my trainings, my writing, it’s what I do. It’s my circle of influence.

I also refreshed the earthquake kit.

What are your thoughts about handling disaster? What small things are you doing? I look forward to your input and ideas.

I’m writing a series about the validity of excuses. Last week we tackled, “I can’t decide what to do.” This week’s excuse is:

I Don’t Follow Through

“I don’t follow through very well. But at least I’m honest about it.”

gosh darn

Congratulations. You’ve successfully camouflaged an ignoble rationalization using a deceptive excuse.

But I get bored with projects.

“My mind seeks new stimulation because I’m so darn smart.”

But I’m just a big picture kinda person. My brain pops with ideas all the time.

“I need a smart helper to do the grunt work while I catch Flaming Orbs Of Perception and toss them to the unwashed masses.”

But I just can’t seem to finish anything. Its awful. I know I suck.

“Let me languish in my shame. Would you mind adjusting my pillow before you get someone else to finish my project?”

I’m sorry if this reads harsh. Of course there are times when you can’t complete something. You win the lottery. You catch rabies. There’s an earthquake. But the majority of the time you’re dealing with garden variety RESISTANCE. (Thank-you Steven Pressfield for clarifying this point in your fabulous book, the War of Art.)

4 Ways To Handle “I Don’t Follow Through”

Here’s my take. If you have any suggestions that work for you, please do comment. I enjoy learning from others.

• It’s only a cloud. Think of this excuse as a weather pattern. If you give it attention you seed it. Avoid the tendency to rationalize or argue with it; simply allow the excuse float away.

Practice: When you’re about to give the excuse some attention, say aloud, “It’s a cloud passing through my mind. Now, back to work.” The initial draw is the most powerful. If you can go back to business, you’ll strengthen the coveted neural pathway known as FOCUS. Example: You’re in the vegetable dept of the grocery store. Suddenly your mind thinks: Ding Dongs. You know they’re at the end of the aisle. The Ding Dong thunderhead billows and blocks the sun …er…vegetables. If you simply turn and walk the other direction, the impulse cloud will dissipate. Foggy remnants may lurk but they cant compare with the power of the thunderhead. Get past that and you’re home free.

• It’s a foop. It’s the nature of the mind to think. Ideas float like pollen. Sometimes they flash and it’s tempting to grab at them. But if you have trouble finishing what you start, you must look away. Let me be more specific: Look away from the flash and look down at your foop notebook. See practice exercise below:

Practice: Keep a little f.o.o.p. (Flaming Orb of Perception) notebook in the car and another by the bed.  (Attach a pen to the notebook or you’ll get distracted looking for one.) If you’re working on the computer, maintain an open foop document window. When the foop flashes, note it with no more than four trigger words – ex: gassy dog hungry. Foops are immature and self-important. If you dont note them, they’ll return with greater flash and more complexity. Trigger word or two is all that’s needed. If the idea or thought is successfully noted, it’ll quickly calm down and you’ll be able to return to your work more easily. Check it later when your work period is complete.

• Be a mudder. My father raised thoroughbred horses on a shoestring. Most good racehorses are primadonnas  – high maintenance, easily distracted and over sensitive. Then there are the  “mudders” who run well in all conditions. Slop and splash doesn’t scare them. If things get messy on the home stretch, mudders outdo primadonnas every time. (Unbred fillies are called maidens. Horse trainers like to work with maidens who are mudders. <significant pause>  Racetrack humor. <another pause> Sorry.)

Practice: If distractions threaten to push you off course, say to yourself, I’m a mudder. Don’t bother to wipe your feet. You don’t need no stickin’ shoes. You’re a mudder. And yes, you can be a maiden too if you like.

• Finishers are special. If a project or goal is important (translation: it brings up resistance), who among us will risk starting it, let alone completing it? Yah. Not many. That’s why everyone’s a writer but few are authors and fewer are paid authors. Biz Consultant and Blogger Michael Pollock refers to something known as “goal pursuit.” He says people forget that goal definition only the first part of the success equation.  (I’ll be interviewing Michael about this and more for a special St. Patricks Day posting. Check back for it.)

Practice: Change your story about yourself. Borrow my family’s favorite mantra. If we must do something boring, hard, or generally yukky, we say. “I don’t want to do it BUT I’LL DO IT ANYWAY.” When it’s done, we say, “I didn’t want to do it BUT I DID IT ANYWAY.” This mantra is powerful because, a) it doesn’t pretend that lemons dont exist, but b) it doesn’t give the lemons control over behavior.

Creation is a messy business. It has ups and downs, gets mudane, frustrating, and tiresome. There are always good reasons to quit. But those who stay the course and finish the job are also those who get paid. Pay is the universal symbol of completion.

Yes, I know there’s a recession. Most personal projects don’t have a direct ROI. But pay has many guises. According to Daniel Pink (Drive, 2009) one of the most powerful forms of pay is increased self-respect and skill development. When you complete a challenging task, your personal trust account goes waaay up. It feels shamelessly abundant. And that’s definitely something you can take to the bank.

Next Friday we’ll tackle my personal goto excuse: I don’t have time.

Big News!

Fabulous interviews coming this month. Tips from busy industry leaders about being efficient, productive, and energetic

• Debbie Ohi: Cartoonist, writer, and Market Watch Reporter for www.writersmarket.com
• Michael Pollock, the inspired mind behind the Bigger Life Blog: Living the Creative Life. Making a Living Online. Making a Difference in the World.

I’m writing a series about the validity of excuses. Last week we opened with excuses in general. This week’s we’re focusing on:

I Can’t Decide What To Do

Which one? Which one?

Some folks have so many interests its hard to settle down. They tend to jump from project to project. Others are more like firefighters. Everything feels urgent. Do they go for the fire on the second floor or put out the blaze in the back yard?

No matter how you cloak it, being undecided is a decision to do NOTHING.

6 Ways to Handle “I Can’t Decide What To Do”

Time to push yourself off the fence — here’s how:  

1. Don’t Over-Think It. Your mind doesnt know the difference between thinking about it and doing it. At the end of the day you’ll be as exhausted from fretting as you would be if you’d actually done something. What’s worse, you’ll feel guilty too. Fortunately,overthinking responds well to scheduling. Set a specific time to get started and keep it short enough to be doable. Emphasis on short. When it comes to over-thinking, you’re not looking to make a big dent in the project. Instead, you’re enlisting the power of momentum. Short focus times are relatively easy and they generate forward movement. Check out the Pomodoro Method.
2. Choose by Context.

   David Allen’s Categorizing System

   Categorize activities by location; a system promoted by “Getting Things Done” maestro David Allen in his book “Getting Things Done.” That is, computer stuff gets done at the computer, car stuff gets done while driving around, phone stuff gets done when you’re next to the phone, etc. Priorities are driven by context, how much time you have, and how energetic you feel at the time.

3. Select the Easiest, Fastest, or Cheapest Task. When you’re caught like a deer in headlights, it’s wise to grab the first activity that seems easiest complete. It generates positive momentum. Remember Newton’s law? Things in motion stay in motion.
4. Get Nasty. At the other end of the spectrum, do the ugliest, smelliest, most difficult task first, when your energy is highest. I wrote an earlier post about this technique.
5. Do What’s Urgent and Important, First.

   Steven Covey’s Task Classifications

   Use the categorizing system promoted by success guru Stephen Covey in the seminal “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.Hint: Spending time in Category II prevents being overwhelmed by Category I.

6. Dig into a Fish Bowl. Write everything you’re resisting on pieces of paper, drop them into a fish bowl and pick one to work on for the hour/day/week/month. This is great to do with the family. To be fair you must actually do what you pick. Don’t fool yourself by picking again and again. You don’t get immunity. “Not yet” is not an option. If you know the fish bowl won’t work with certain tasks, then don’t drop them in.

People allow all kinds of excuses to keep them from participating fully in life. They become what the late humorist, Spalding Gray, called “VICARIANS,” living through others because they believe they can’t do it themselves.

This lifetime is too short to waste being a vicarian. Don’t let a bad excuse masquerade as a good reason.

The next excuse de jour will be:   I don’t follow through.

It’s a classic used by creative folks who have trouble finishing what they start.

I’m writing a series about refuting the validity of favorite excuses. What are your favorite excuses and how do you handle them? I welcome input and opinion.

Excuses are the rational backbone of procrastination. The smarter the person, the more rational the excuse. What follows are some of my personal favorites. You’ve probably thought of them at one time or another:

I can’t decide

I should have started sooner

I don’t follow through

There’s no time

I’m too tired

It’s too hard

I’m not motivated

What if I fail?

Excuses are built on grains of truth. They’re normal and convincing. That’s what’s so insidious about them. It’s tough to separate the truth from the foul. <Bawk-bawk-buhGAWK> Two reliable assessment methods I use are:

• Ask a good friend for the truth. “Kathy, am I being realistically cautious or am I just a big sissy?” Good friends are honest and they’ll support you no matter what.
• Check your gut. Brains are often biased. Stomachs speak truth. Put your hand against your stomach and ask,”am I being wise or am I procrastinating?” What answer do you feel in your stomach?

There are many helpful strategies.

Excuse wrangling requires flexibility, creativity, and some fancy emotional footwork. Try to dance yourself away from the argument. Don’t take it too personally: the more you react, the tighter it grabs.

Instead of: ”Oh NO, it’s back! I always feel this way! I hate it!”
Say to yourself: ”There’s that same ‘ol excuse ambling through my brain again.“

Because excuses morph frequently, allow yourself to cultivate a full quiver of comebacks. You’ll end up using them all at one time or another.

Once you decide that you’re being a wuss,  you’re ready to dissect the excuse de jour. We can start with I cant decide what to do.

Michelle Salater

I learned about Michelle Salater from HARO, a specialized list for journalists and reporters. When I visited her website, I was impressed with her catchy writing style and the quality of her postings. Michelle’s business, Sumèr, LLC, is located in Charleston, SC, where she works with clients internationally, runs a fast growing business, and still has time to contribute to her community. How does she do it all? What would she do differently if given the chance? Please enjoy the following Q&A with Michelle Salater.

Dawn Groves:

Hi Michelle. Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise. What is one of the biggest problems facing small businesses in today’s marketplace?

Michelle Salater:
Telephone and in-person interactions used to be the only form of real-time conversations with customers, but as we rapidly progress in the world of Web 2.0, our opportunities for instant customer conversations occur much more often. The progression the social web and mobile technology shows that consumers want to interact with brands differently than in the past. When these opportunities for interaction are missed or improperly used, the competition that properly approaches these situations develops an instant advantage over your company. My point: if businesses don’t see that customers want more interaction and want to be part of a brand and if businesses don’t take action to join the conversation, they are going to lose customers.

What would you say is the X-factor that separates successes from failures?

Michelle: I speak to a lot of business owners on a daily basis, and I can tell within a few minutes if they have what it takes to succeed. The formula for success is Desire + Faith + Action. Business owners who have a lot of self-doubt, who second guess everything and talk about changing but don’t, and those too focused on what their competition is doing…well, these are the businesses that don’t succeed. Belief in yourself, belief in your staff, in what your company does and whom you serve is vital to success. You have to have a burning desire to succeed, the faith that you will, and then be willing to do whatever it takes to see your dream become a reality. There are two books which explain this best and I think every business owner should read: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles.

Where should small business start-ups target their energy to give them the best chance of success?

Michelle: If small business owners want to succeed, they must focus on marketing and sales. When you are desperate for clients or an increase in revenue, this can literally suck the life out of you. Worry will get you nowhere; actually, worry will make things worse because the more you focus on what you don’t have, the harder it is to attract new business or see the opportunities right in front of you. To avoid the feast or famine mode many small business start-ups experience, it is essential that business owners focus their attention on efficient actions. Stop doing busy work and start doing what will bring in business. Consistently marketing and selling is the key. My advice is to create a marketing plan and work the plan. If you need help, hire a professional.

What takes the greatest energetic toll? How can business owners minimize that toll?

Michelle: When I am mentally drained, I’m also emotionally and physically spent. If I’ve been sitting in front of a computer hours a day, day after day, focused on nothing but work, everything in my life suffers. My advice is to stop playing the martyr. Too many business owners act like sacrificing everything (and I mean everything) in the name of work is a great, glorious, to-be-admired thing. It’s not. It’s the best way to destroy your personal life and prevent business success. What is to be admired is a business owner who understands the importance of time management, who spends his or her time only doing things that generate business and delegates the rest. If you don’t have anyone to delegate to, find someone (Put an ad on Craigslist or search for affordable help on Odesk.com). In addition to outsourcing work, owners should create a weekly schedule and make sure they have a set time each day to stop working. The more you can manage your schedule, the easier it is to manage your life.

As a businesswoman and blogger, what are your biggest energy sucks and how do you manage them?

Michelle: The biggest energy sucker for me is overwhelm. I have a nasty habit of taking on too many tasks, overpromising, and I walk all over boundaries I set in place. When I reach overwhelm, it’s a nasty spiral toward complete exhaustion. Because I can’t say “No,” I found someone to say “No” for me. Recently, I hired a scheduling assistant who honors the boundaries and systems I have put in place, and she ensures that I don’t have meetings too early in the day or too many in a day. She also alerts me when she thinks my schedule is too full. Hiring her was the best decision I have ever made. If you can’t say “No” or you can’t abide by the systems you’ve created, hire someone who will!

If you were to start your business today, is there something that you would do better or differently?

Michelle: Absolutely. I would start from my 5 year strategic objective and develop a business plan and marketing plan based on where I want to be in 5 years. I didn’t think ahead when I first started. I just wanted the business. What happened was I got too much business and finally one day I woke up exhausted and unhappy and wondering how I got to the place I was. I realized that I’d been on autopilot and hadn’t thought through my growth strategy. Heck, I hadn’t even considered what I wanted my life and business to look like.

What led to your blog, Copy Doodle? What is Copy Doodle’s mission?

Michelle: I love educating both clients and prospects and I love writing. I knew years ago that starting a business blog was the best way to reach more clients, educate others, and connect with other business owners. So, I created Copy Doodle to help small business owners learn how to market and promote online. I doodle to inform you on the best ways to write and optimize your content, attract more clients through your brand message, and market and promote your blog and website online. Over the years, it has become a great lead-generation tool and client tool and a great way to interact with prospects and current clients.

About Michelle: Michelle Salater is the president of Sumèr, LLC. Sumèr specializes in writing website copy, SEO copywriting, and the marketing and promotion of websites and blogs after they’ve launched. As an avid business blogger, Michelle has grown her small business marketing blog, Copy Doodle, to be a powerful lead generation and client education tool.

Web: www.writtenbysumer.com
Blog: www.writtenbysumer.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/writtenbysumer
Twitter: www.twitter.com/writtenbysumer

As a self-employed single mom of two teens, my plate is constantly full. In the past I’ve typically used pressure to help me manage the demands.

Pressure Works But it Sucks

Dave responds well to pressure.

• Pressure doesn’t cultivate excellence.
• It doesn’t change behavior. 
• It perpetuates last-minute living.
• It’s an exhausting way to live.

A few years ago I started to categorize my tasks as pleasant and unpleasant. It was all tongue-in-cheek. Someone would ask, what are you doing today? I’d smile and answer,
“I have several things to do, some of which are unpleasant.”

I Call It Like I See It

False optimism doesn’t work. That said, research proves time and time again that optimism is a key feature of accomplishment, happiness, efficiency, and creativity. My challenge was to find a way to be honest about the crapola in life and still be positive.That’s when the word “unpleasant” took root.

Unpleasant isnt sour or glum. It doesn’t allude to skill or intelligence. The word doesn’t carry much negative weight at all. It’s more of a neutral, objective assessment. Something Mr. Spock might say. I like that.

Unpleasant Isn’t That Bad

I started reframing my tasks. It quickly became clear that big unpleasant projects were avoidance-worthy. Small unpleasant tasks were, well, less unpleasant. So I divided big unpleasant projects into several small unpleasant steps. (Yeah, rocket science.)

Then I asked myself, what am I going to do today that’s unpleasant? I’d check my list and make a selection. “Hmmm, I’ll pull two storage boxes out of the garage and go through them.” Choices were based on energy level, time available, and location. Very GTD. <grin>

Choices were based on energy level, time available, and location.

Procrastination is Procrastinated

Well, when I started categorizing them, guess what? I starting doing them without pressure. I did at least one unpleasant thing a day. The key was to keep the nasties small. Instead of cleaning out the entire fridge, clean one shelf. Sometimes I’d go further, sometimes I didn’t. Regardless, interesting things started to occur:

• I procrastinated less. My do-it-later response was no longer default.
• Unpleasant lost its power. By doing small unpleasant things on a regular basis, I developed a tolerance for pushing through the resistance. I could approach bigger unpleasant tasks with better time and energy management. Procrastination wasn’t as compelling.
• Life became more fun. When unpleasant was demystified, the world became more entertaining. Suddenly there was room for silly, awkward, strange, or even–-gasp!–PLEASANT.
• I’m happier. There’s a noticeable reduction in second-guessing, feeling guilty, hemming & hawing. My objectionable activities are less taxing.

How to Do It

So here’s the drill. No matter how you organize your daily to-dos, GTD or otherwise, consider the following:

1. Categorize mudane “procrastinatable” tasks into the Unpleasant List.
2. Each morning, ask yourself “which unpleasant thing will I do today?” Look at your list and make a choice. You only need to do one of them.
   Note: When getting started, sometimes it helps to do this with a friend. If you’re working through divorce paperwork and your friend is trolling for a new job, you both have lots of unpleasant things to do. Support each other by checking on your unpleasant tasks for the day.
3. When you do it, check it off the list. Reinforce by saying aloud, “I didnt want to do it but I did it anyway.”

Now my friends joke, “what unpleasant task are you doing today, Dawn?” We acknowledge the human condition without any negative push. It’s a club to which we all belong. We understand. It’s life unfolding. Nothing special.

“I didnt want to do it but I did it anyway!”

What unpleasant tasks do you have to accomplish? Let me know. We can share the unpleasantness together. 

NEXT! Interview with Small Business Advisor, Michelle Salater, president of Sumèr, LLC. Michele’s blog, Copy Doodle, caught my eye because it was so clean, informative, and well written. It helps small biz owners market and promote online. Michele shares how she manages her energy and what she’d do differently if she had the chance. Lots of great advice.