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149-30-6: Big Focus Meets Little Focus

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

I achieved a milestone this week that I never thought would happen.  The only reason it did occur was because I took the advice of a number of people who have inspired me both recently and over the longer term.  Yes, I’m going to name names, and then I’m going to tell you what was achieved and, more importantly, what I’ve learned from the experience.  First, to the list of people who immediately come to mind as people who inspired me to embark on this particular effort:

Leo Babauta, creator of Zen Habits, who focuses on the very simple (and clear) ways to get things done.

Michael Perry, author of several books, Population 485 among them, who focuses on the very precise things that matter.

Ken Ammann, my best friend for 25 years, John Trujillo, my business partner and intrepid adventurer, and Tom Nitopi, my unwitting mentor and close friend, who all only know one direction – forward.

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Top Ten Time Management Tips

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Below are the time management suggestions I most often give to my speaking and training audiences.  Whenever I deliver these, I implore people to Adopt, Adapt, Reject any or all of them.  What I mean is:

  •  Adopt. Give the suggestion a try; see if it works for you.
  • Adapt.  If the suggestion isn’t working for you, but you like the idea, try to Adapt it to your way of working.
  • Reject.  If you can’t Adopt or Adapt a suggestion, toss it out and go to the next one.  We’re just looking for one or two ideas to help you regain command of your day.

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Your Office at 34,000 Feet – Why You Should Wi-Fi While You Fly

Monday, March 21, 2011

I’m on my way to Boston to speak at a CEO breakfast.  According to the captain, we’re cruising at 34,000 feet – over six miles up.  And the most amazing part is that I’m connected to the office, friends and family via the Gogo Inflight wi-fi system now available on most airline flights. 

Like all new technologies, many people recoil from the notion of being connected while flying.  “Just another sanctuary compromised” is the opinion of these nay-sayers.  I’m confident that their ancestors scoffed at those odd looking jalopies sporting internal combustion engines some 100 years ago.  Now, before everyone rushes to the Comment section to lambast me with rebuttals to what may appear to be a technology-hugging predisposition, let me point out two things:

  • Technology is never the problem.  The problems with technology arise from its use, which is purely an individual issue.
  • I whole-heartedly advocate disconnecting and spending time away from all the craziness that modern-day technology can deliver.  Need I remind y’all that I’m an avid fly fisherman?  Rarely can even a cellular signal be found in the places I prefer to frequent!

That said, there is some new neurological science and some great common sense that supports the idea of working while in-flight

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Which Books to Keep? – Making Really Hard Choices

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

When I downsized to a small cottage about six years ago, I had to pare down the number of books I owned.  This was a huge issue for me.  I’m a book fanatic.  All hope is lost when I walk into a bookstore.  We’re talking hundreds of dollars a visit.  In fact, if I have less than 15 books scattered around the house waiting to be read, I get nervous!

As you can image, this need to reduce my library to a manageable level for the new house – all of 1050 square feet – caused much rending of garments and gnashing of teeth.  Instead of spiraling down into analysis paralysis, I simply created a three-step process to deal with the situation.  I am, after all, a process guy!

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