An object set in motion...I know, I talked a little about this in "stuckness" but momentum is a thoughtful topic for me right now. I just got Seth Godin's blogpost this morning and today marks his 3,000th consecutive post. He stated in his post that blogging is "a difficult habit to develop, but an even harder one to break." Why? Momentum. Isn't that kind of what a habit is? It is keeping the ball rolling in the same direction.
Here's to getting the direction set, and the motion building...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Opportunity
So, how do you know when a given opportunity is the "right" one? I have made some decisions throughout the course of my life that, at the time, presented themselves as great opportunities, but in retrospect...not so much. I can attribute some of the problems that have arisen to "bad luck" but I'm really not that into buck-passing, so I have to acknowledge that, for whatever reason, I failed to make the most of these seeming opportunities. Or did I? As one looks back over the course of the decisions that have been made and the directions that have been taken, it is easy to see where a change of course would have been prudent. Hind sight is, as they say, 20/20.
So here's the question for the day: How do you take the decisions from the past and use them to make better decisions in the future? As opportunities arise, how does one go about effective evaluation in order to make the best decisions possible, and then maximize the opportunity through appropriate action?
Seems to me that the only way to learn from life is to actively examine what went well, and what didn't. In "Made to Stick" authors Dan and Chip Heath cite an example of a study that was done where-in two groups of college students were asked to consider a "problem" that they could see the end of - a relationship or stress of school - something like that.
Group "A" was asked to envision what their life would be without the problem. Focus on how it would feel to no longer have the problem. Group B was asked to actively consider what got them to where they were. Focus on the past and the thoughts and actions that got them to where they were. After 6 weeks, which group was further along in solving the problem? Group B. Considered contemplation of past efforts was vastly more effective than thinking only about the desired outcome.
Interesting.
Now please do not misunderstand that I am saying there is no room for visioning, focus or even the power of attraction - because I think that all of these elements absolutely come into play, all that I am saying is that when you have determined where you want to go, it is more effective to actively consider the circumstances that got you to where you are, rather than JUST focusing on where you want to be.
I guess that all I'm saying is the best way to make the best decisions is to actively and intentionally examine past decisions. What processes did you use? What worked, what didn't and then LEARN from what you did.
I'm not saying its a silver bullet, but I think it gives us the best shot we've got. Heck, we may even manage to learn something along the way.
So here's the question for the day: How do you take the decisions from the past and use them to make better decisions in the future? As opportunities arise, how does one go about effective evaluation in order to make the best decisions possible, and then maximize the opportunity through appropriate action?
Seems to me that the only way to learn from life is to actively examine what went well, and what didn't. In "Made to Stick" authors Dan and Chip Heath cite an example of a study that was done where-in two groups of college students were asked to consider a "problem" that they could see the end of - a relationship or stress of school - something like that.
Group "A" was asked to envision what their life would be without the problem. Focus on how it would feel to no longer have the problem. Group B was asked to actively consider what got them to where they were. Focus on the past and the thoughts and actions that got them to where they were. After 6 weeks, which group was further along in solving the problem? Group B. Considered contemplation of past efforts was vastly more effective than thinking only about the desired outcome.
Interesting.
Now please do not misunderstand that I am saying there is no room for visioning, focus or even the power of attraction - because I think that all of these elements absolutely come into play, all that I am saying is that when you have determined where you want to go, it is more effective to actively consider the circumstances that got you to where you are, rather than JUST focusing on where you want to be.
I guess that all I'm saying is the best way to make the best decisions is to actively and intentionally examine past decisions. What processes did you use? What worked, what didn't and then LEARN from what you did.
I'm not saying its a silver bullet, but I think it gives us the best shot we've got. Heck, we may even manage to learn something along the way.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Stuck-ness
If you are a regular visitor, you may have noticed that I have been, as of late, blocked. Totally and completely at a loss for anything of any value. Not one iota of information that is actually worthy of putting on paper...or screen. Stuck.
So, as I have been contemplating the stuckness of my blog, it led down a path of stuckness in general. How does it happen? All of the sudden you wake up one morning and realize that you are stuck. Somehow along the way, you stopped changing. Stopped growing. Stopped challenging yourself.
I'm stuck right now, and I've been thinking a lot about how to get un-stuck. Contemplating my stuckness. Really working on figuring out what, exactly to DO about being stuck. Then it dawned on me: Getting unstuck isn't about contemplating stuckness - it is about DOING, not THINKING about doing.
If you feel stuck, don't consider the whys and wherefores of being stuck - do something about it. Do anything about it. Remember that on object set in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest, tends to stay at rest, so simple action of doing something will make it easier to do the next something, and doing nothing makes it easier to do nothing.
Thinking isn't doing. Doing is. That's the trick to stuckness...do something.
So, as I have been contemplating the stuckness of my blog, it led down a path of stuckness in general. How does it happen? All of the sudden you wake up one morning and realize that you are stuck. Somehow along the way, you stopped changing. Stopped growing. Stopped challenging yourself.
I'm stuck right now, and I've been thinking a lot about how to get un-stuck. Contemplating my stuckness. Really working on figuring out what, exactly to DO about being stuck. Then it dawned on me: Getting unstuck isn't about contemplating stuckness - it is about DOING, not THINKING about doing.
If you feel stuck, don't consider the whys and wherefores of being stuck - do something about it. Do anything about it. Remember that on object set in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest, tends to stay at rest, so simple action of doing something will make it easier to do the next something, and doing nothing makes it easier to do nothing.
Thinking isn't doing. Doing is. That's the trick to stuckness...do something.
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