Tag Archives | strategy

Must Read if You Want to Improve Your Creativity

By on January 18, 2012 in Productivity, Success

Every once in a while I read a book that surprises me in a good way. Having been a subscriber to Todd Henry’s blog for some time now, I was curious to see what wisdom he had to impart in his book, “The Accidental Creative,” that might help me achieve maximum creativity. And I was not disappointed. There have been scores of books written on how to be more creative, but not how to be “productively creative.” What Henry gives us is a process to be consistently creative, “On demand,” and within the confines of a traditional workplace if necessary.

Some of his ideas are novel, such as planning time to be “Unnecessarily creative.” Others are merely old ideas with a bit of a different twist. The result is a practical guide with many useful takeaways to help anyone capitalize on and expand their creativity.

To attempt to perpetually brilliant and increasingly productive, without changing the basic habits and structure of your life to accommodate that undertaking is a futile effort.

I found myself furiously scribbling notes, afraid I might miss some nugget of wisdom. I had to go back and re-read some sections to make sure I actually absorbed everything I needed to incorporate into my working creative system.

Nuggets of wisdom like:

Why it’s important to do “Whole-life planning” and stop trying to separate everything

How to cultivate a healthy diet of stimuli

Why you need to develop a study plan

Mastering an information processing system

The widely accepted practice of being slaves to productivity

Planning ahead for creativity

Scheduling “Idea time” on your calendar

And perhaps the most compelling idea presented is the concept of weekly, monthly, and quarterly checkpoints designed to provide the grounding and momentum needed for forward movement. This was so convincing to me that I printed out the worksheets and marked these sessions on my calendar.

If you’re in a creative business, or you are a creative in business…This is a resource you don’t want to be without. Plus, “The Accidental Creative” has the added bonus of being exceptionally well written in an engaging, conversational style that makes it an enjoyable read, while you’re learning something valuable along the way.

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The Thinking Man sculpture at Musée Rodin in Paris

Got a great idea? How to Do Something About it!

By on January 16, 2012 in Inspiration, Personal Growth, Success, Tools

The Thinking Man sculpture at Musée Rodin in Paris

Image via Wikipedia

We all know someone – probably more than one someone – who has said, “I had that idea!” “If only I had pursued it, I’d be rich.” Well, actually that’s not necessarily true. Having an idea or concept is no guarantee of success. So many other factors come into play, but the reality is thinking, dreaming, and planning means nothing without action.

Many people have great ideas, few actually act on them. And believe me, if you don’t somebody else will. It’s what you do with your creative notions that matters, not what you think. Whether it is an innovative design, a brilliant invention, a fabulous book idea or a unique business concept doesn’t matter. The world needs pioneers who have ground-breaking ideas.

So, you have a dream, an idea, a splendid thought for a new and improved or never before done…something. Do something with it. Just start moving forward. If you don’t know how…ask, research, find out. There are many resources available. Get a mentor; pick the brain of someone who has done something similar.

Tell someone

Get support

Brainstorm possibilities

Flesh out your idea

Determine what need it fills

Decide what end result you want

Make sure you have the proper motivation or desire

Make a plan of action

Now, do something!

Just start in some small way to take steps to move your idea forward. Otherwise, in a few years you will be that sad, pathetic person who says, “if only…”

Is there something you’ve thought of but never pursued? Care to share?

 

 

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English: Snare drum strainer, used to enable o...

Why Social Media May Not be the Best Marketing Tool

By on January 11, 2012 in Success
English: Snare drum strainer, used to enable o...

Image via Wikipedia

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, that’s all we hear about. Bang, bang, bang goes the social media drum. But what if it’s not the answer for you? What if it’s not the marketing miracle that everyone thinks it is? Maybe it’s just a big, fat waste of time… Gasp! I can hear the roaring thunder of the vehement outrage of all of the “social media marketing specialists” and “branding gurus”

There are a surprisingly high number of businesses out there that are flourishing, with sizeable profits that have refused to jump on the current social media marketing band wagon. They conduct business via personal relationships, phone, mail (maybe email) and by offering a great product or superior service they remain extremely competitive.

Now, before you get your panties in a twist, I’m not saying that social media marketing does not have value; in fact I believe it has tremendous value…for some. The point is this… don’t spend all of your time on Twitter and Facebook at the expense of developing your product or service and don’t forget about the value of  in person relationships. You might just be cutting off your nose despite your face.

Do you spend too much time on social media? What could you accomplish if you spent that time developing your skills or broadening your network?

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English: Quads Aces, to represent poker games.

BUSINESS IS A GAME

By on January 6, 2012 in Success
English: Quads Aces, to represent poker games.

Image via Wikipedia

I loved this concept from Tony Hsieh.

BUSINESS IS A GAME

Everything I know about business I learned from poker: financials, strategy, education, and culture.

FINANCIALS

  • The guy who wins the most hands is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
  • The guy who never loses a hand is nor the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
  • Go for positive expected value, not what’s least risky.
  • You will win or lose individual hands, but it’s what happens in the long term that matters.

STRATEGY

  • Learn to adapt. Adjust your style of play as the dynamics of the game change.
  • The players with the most stamina and focus usually win.
  • Hope is not a good plan.
  • Stick to your principles.

EDUCATION

  • Never stop learning. Read books. Learn from others who have done it before.
  • Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.
  • Just because you win a hand doesn’t mean you’re good and you don’t have more learning to do. You might have just gotten lucky

CULTURE

  • To become really good, you need to live it, breathe it, and  sleep it.
  • Be nice and make friends. It’s a small community.
  • Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.

Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos.com and the author of Delivering Happiness. Tony’s (longer) blog post is Everything l Know About Business I Learned from Poker.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree?

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Crystal ball

The Single Most Important Productivity Tip

By on November 28, 2011 in Productivity, Simple Steps, Success

Crystal ball

Image via Wikipedia

Simple Steps

From the mailbag…

The question I am most often asked is… “What is your best productivity tip?”

Oh, there are so many, but the answer I give just might surprise you…

It’s not, do the most important thing first.

It’s not plan your day, every day.

It’s not eliminate distractions.

It’s not write everything down.

It’s not even set aside a power focus hour.

 

It’s BE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

Because if you aren’t clear about what you’re trying to do or why you’re doing it, then the rest doesn’t really matter. You can be organized and efficient, but if you’re doing the wrong things then you are not being productive.

You are simply wasting your time efficiently.

Question everything, move forward, enjoy the journey.

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Ignore Rework if You Dare

By on November 16, 2011 in Good Reads

Unlike most business books that give you the same old advice, Rework, written by Jason Fried and David Heinmeier Hanson of 37 Signals fame, endeavors to rewrite the rules of succeeding in business with a fresh, down-to-earth approach.

Rework is a quick read, but it is packed full of concise, practical and useful advice to get you moving quickly in the right direction. Rework shows you a new, radically different approach to succeed in business. Read it and you’ll know why plans can actually be harmful, why you don’t necessarily want outside investors, and why you’re better off ignoring the competition and forging ahead on your own path.

Their message seems to be that you don’t need all of those things that traditional business gurus say you do. You don’t need a large staff, an office, meetings or to work 10 hour days. What you really need to do is stop planning and making excuses and start working. This book shows you how to get started doing that. Be more creative, more productive, more visible and more successful.

It’s a tall order, but I think “Rework” delivers. This book isn’t for everyone, though. It depends on your vision of success and how you prefer to get there. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective, then this is a good resource for you and well worth your time.

Seth Godin says “Ignore this book at your own peril.” I agree. Even if you don’t agree with the ideas put forth by the guys at 37 Signals, you will benefit by at least entertaining some new concepts and re-examining the way you do business.

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Infographic on how Social Media are being used...

Are We Missing the Point of Social Media?

By on November 10, 2011 in Productivity, Success
Infographic on how Social Media are being used...

Image via Wikipedia

Social media. It’s the buzz word, the wave of the future, the way business is done in the 21st century…

But if you’re missing the point of the whole social media game…then it’s just the biggest time waster in history!

What you may be doing wrong

It’s not about the numbers – Let’s be clear on this point. It’s great to have millions of Twitter followers and Facebook fans, but this fanatic obsession we have with accumulating followers is insane. It gets us NOWHERE. There is no value in a multitude of fans if they don’t really care about what you have to say. It’s about conversations, relationships and engagement, not masses.

It’s not a marketing plan – Social media participation and information sharing can and should be (in my opinion, I won’t say humble) a valuable channel for marketing efforts. But it can’t be the whole enchilada. If you think you can just post some tweets, get some buzz going and business will magically appear, you are mistaken. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Marketing needs to be a multi-pronged approach. Depending on your business or service you may need print, radio or TV advertising, possibly interne ads or to attend business shows, speaking engagements or workshops and you most definitely need a website.

Stop doing all the talking – Social media is only valuable when it’s a two-way cycle. You share information, others comment, you take in information and offer contribution to others. Information and conversation; in and out. Listening is just as valuable as talking.

Results are not necessarily in direct proportion to efforts – The more time you spend on social media, the better results you get, right? WRONG. At a certain point, the extra time you spend on social media communication is just wasted time that you could be using for other things, say creating, selling or connecting in person. Determine ahead of time how much time is reasonable for this portion of your marketing effort, schedule it in your day and stick to it.

It doesn’t happen overnight – Don’t try to follow 10,000 people right away. You’ll just come across as a spammer. Be discerning, build your “network” gradually and consistently. Be selective, be targeted, be clear on what your objectives are.

One last tidbit, social media should be enjoyable and interesting. If you’re not having fun and learning new and interesting things and meeting fabulous new people…then you’re doing it all wrong.

Question everything, move forward, enjoy the journey.

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hourglass_cropped

Tackle the time Wasters!

By on November 7, 2011 in Productivity, Simple Steps
hourglass_cropped

Image by openDemocracy via Flickr

Simple Steps

Weekly challenge: Tackle the time wasters!

Identify 5 time wasters that eat up your time, your focus or your energy.

Then choose one item to reduce or eliminate. (I know you’re ambitious, but making one change at a time yields the highest rate of success. You can build on that later.)

Care to share? What are your time wasters and which are you tackling this week?

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Pearl nl: Parels de: Perlen

Productivity Challenge: Streamline

By on November 2, 2011 in Productivity
Pearl nl: Parels de: Perlen

Image via Wikipedia

Though it may seem counter-intuitive, our biggest gains often do not come through expansion. Instead, we frequently find that when we pare down our schedules, streamline our activities and simplify our choices we can actually become more focused and more productive.

Bear with me, this is actually relevant to life and business at large…

Back-story – For the last couple of weeks I have been complaining to my husband about my need for an armoire (free-standing jewelry/accessory case for you guys out there.) I just haven’t been able to find what I want; right color, right size, right price so I have been dragging my feet.

New idea – This weekend out of nowhere (I have no idea where these flashes of insight come from,) it occurred to me that if I simply pare down my jewelry collection to those items that I really love and actually wear I probably wouldn’t need a bigger storage unit. Think of the money I could save! Plus I wouldn’t have to waste time each morning sorting through those unnecessary and unlikely options. (I usually wear the same few favorite items anyway.)

Why didn’t I think of that before?

Simple. We’re humans. We like to hold on to things.

My jewelry is just a small example. This applies not just to other spaces and aspects of our lives, but how we conduct our businesses and develop our careers as well.

Instead of thinking of new ways to expand your business or new products to develop, new hobbies or causes to join or new avenues to explore, try choosing one area, one space, one project, one interest and really focus on simplifying, organizing or honing that area to its most useful and productive state.

My challenge: To pay attention to what jewelry I actually wear this entire month and then give away the rest.

What will you be streamlining?

Question everything, move forward, enjoy the journey.

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Child laughing

How to Salvage Even the Worst Day

By on October 14, 2011 in Sanity Savers
Child laughing

Image by cheriejoyful via Flickr

We’ve all had days when it seems like nothing gets done or everything conspires to get in our way.

It’s Ok. Really. Tomorrow is another day…Literally another chance to have a productive, meaningful day.

When you have limited energy, time and focus, just fall back to your “Good Enough” list.

My day is “good enough” when I:

  1. Make my bed (This is huge for me…always make my bed first thing or my day falls apart.)
  2. Write something…anything (This is my work and my passion…for you it might be different.)
  3. Talk, hug and play with my children and husband.
  4. Move a little bit – even walk or yoga for 10 minutes.
  5. Do one thing of value (Might be a work task, phone call, email or one step forward on a project.)
  6. Listen to someone and offer the most valuable gift of support and understanding.
  7. Appreciate the beauty around me (For me it’s nature, photography, plants, pets.)
  8. Expand my mind (Books and interesting conversation.)
  9. Create order (Clean my space, organize my work, home or technology.)
  10. Laugh (A chuckle can go a long way towards saving a horrible day. Better if you share it with friends.)

What do you do to salvage a bad day that has gotten derailed?

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