OneNote is amazing and we use it for all sorts of things like Personal Project Management, Task Management and research notes. There are iOS and Droid apps that sync with everything including SharePoint.
The creative team inevitably ends up the most valuable resource to a business. Without their juices, you’re dead in the water. A little attention to this fact during projects means never stifling them, rather encouraging them. A thriving business offers emotionally compelling product and aesthetics to draw you in.
Creative people possess raw talent to usher in matchless, new product. How can they continue to create allurement in taxing chaos? Start by “clearing the mechanism” in order to recharge the right side of the brain. Stepping away provides opportunity to reach the personal core triggering that creative bone we desire to engage. Nature, museums, music, window displays and the list goes on, can inspire and renew enthusiasm. Brainstorm what works for you.
This may sound silly but scheduling fun will increase productivity. Dancing, throwing around a frisbee or a short walk creates physical stimulation to clear the mind for creativity. Charades, Scrabble or Hangman pull some ingenuity back into that thinker. A space with colored pencils, markers and crayons to doodle may be the birthplace of some inventiveness. Explore and play as children during work hours.
Lastly, provide gratitude journals. Nothing focuses, rewards and inspires like counting blessings. Conscientiously put into practice saying thank you. Unexpressed gratitude is such a shame. Proclaim it. Show appreciation. This will reach longer than can be measured. Cultivate beauty and watch the creativity flow.
Let’s hope not!
Starry-eyed, a sigh lets out, “Life would rock, if I could get paid for my creative brain.” It seems as if the left brain, feeble as it is, chastises with resounding curses of impracticality. Well, just as visual arts and performing arts are distinctly different, so is dreaming up a stellar plan and implementing it. Specializing is a good thing. No need to be a Renaissance man. That’s so 1500′s. Focus that core power.
Take a step in the right direction now. Be positive. A little boy taught me a great lesson long ago. Upon a request to partake in something, like a food he had tried, for example, he would simply state, “I can’t like that.” I’ve adopted that profound mantra. I suggest you do the same by making an “I Can’t Like That” List.
Simply put to pen and paper, the projects and tasks that drain your energy. The next step is critical. Don’t do them. I heard the gasp. That’s right…don’t do them. Here comes the hemming and hawing. Clients will protest, maybe even leave. Money will evaporate, leaving me with no vacation time ever, not to mention any hopes of sending my kid to college. The guy with a comprehensive business will swoop in cackling, while I look forward to my kid living with me forever.
Rest your finger on your thumb. With one big flick, send that guy flying off your shoulder. Now take a deep breath. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Imagine working only on what taps your most passionate, creative self. This is how to structure your business. It’s list time again. Make an “I Can” list. Write down everything that comes to mind. Go back and highlight only what you love, not like. Cross out anything you tolerate for the sake of advancement. Sure, you’re good at it, but we are honing in on superpowers here. This list is now your focal point. Take the helm of your new business to your True North.
Remember that guy you catapulted off your shoulder. He is tenacious. He will, in fact, make the long trek back into position. Keep your written word. When a request comes your way, fix your eyes on the list. Always use the list as your guide. If a request is not a true fit, make other arrangements. Hold firm.
Somehow, we have associated work with some form of drudgery. It shouldn’t be. Spend your time doing what you love. Fully invest in your passion, what you are made to do. How can you go wrong? So start the process today for the legacy you want to rock this world with.
Ready for some plain and simple truth? Commitment equals success. This applies to personal life and the business world. Are you a committed person? If so, you simply cannot be kept from success. Stumbling blocks and detours just spur you on. If you are on a mission, nothing deters you from accomplishing your goals.
Persevering commitment separates the champions from those left on the side of the road. Do you get fatigued and exhausted as a champion? Sure, you do. Those that cave to burn out never get the prize. Success means dreams keep you going regardless of obstacles. Push through discomfort and even pain to get the treasure.
Don’t fall into the amateur category questioning the price you will pay. Endure, gear up, champion through hardship and come out stronger with an awesome victory. Pursuit of success never falls into the hobby category. Forget trying to approach it that way.
Remember there is power in the written word. Jot down three important commitments in your life. Frequent these commitments to keep yourself accountable. Align your actions, behaviors and habits to pave the road to success.
So, you’re a leader. That means you need to be tough. Mentally tough leaders ought not be moody, cranky, emotional, petty nor show signs of immaturity. The demands of your role circumstantially may try your patience, yet the nature of your role requires strength in adversity.
When humanity pines at you for a detour, seek out your own intervention. Start with something as simple as a walk. A mere twenty minutes can clear your head and allow those much needed endorphins to kick in. Serotonin will also come to the rescue. Grab a handful of nuts, veggies, cheese or meat for protein.
Make time to call a confidant. They do not need to have all the answers, just a listening ear. Venting with a cheerleader is at times all that is needed to power through. A timeout with yourself can also do the trick. Regroup for five minutes in a closet or in your car. A sacred moment of sanity will prove to benefit all.
Engage in some music therapy. Do you have a theme song? Get one. Better yet, compile playlists to inspire various moods. You will need music for inspiration, music to get your blood pumping, music for making you dreamy, music to calm and music to take you to a silly place.
Find something that makes you laugh. When you are in a pinch, YouTube might do the trick. Let your memory give you an assist with a funny scene playing of a friend or family member. Chuckle that cloud away.
Journal. The act of writing releases things bottled up in your mind. While you are there, write down what you are grateful for. Watch those pressures minimize before your eyes. Meditate. Pray.
Lastly, nothing is better for a sour mood, than doing something good for someone else. The best thing you can do when you need encouragement is encourage someone else. What is your style, shooting a text, writing on someone’s Facebook wall, buying coffee for a friend? A simple “pay it forward” attitude is a miracle worker for a mood. Empowering others is the best form of leadership. Now you are well armored.
The most beloved people in my life have this impish quality that endears me to no end. If you are a brat through and through, chance are I will fall head over heels with you. Also note, if you take pause at my dry, smart aleck nature, step aside, for the depth of our relationship will not be much.
On a serious note, perhaps a G flat, if you are a character without character, there is absolutely no room for you in my life. While I do enjoy a pretty cover, I am more into a “what you see is what you get” kind of peep. I dig the transparent, authentic human with integrity determined to act with conviction behind closed doors.
What does this have to do with the business world? Everything! The statistics of shady businessmen doing anything to get ahead is sadly high. How unfortunate people place such value on getting ahead at any cost. Do know, if this is a temptation for you, cockroaches do scatter in the light. Nobody wants to be a cockroach scrambling for the shadows.
Interrogate your Jiminy Cricket. Are you straightforward in your conduct? Do you act the same way with others as you do when nobody is watching? Do you do the bare minimum, cutting corners or go the extra mile? Do you fudge numbers or time? Do you justify the means to get somewhere by the end result?
Be a stand up guy others can respect and you can respect. If you are struggling, take off those shortsighted lenses. You need peepers to go the distance. Look at long term rather than short term. Use whatever craftiness in you for good. Listen to my darling, Clementine. “Never grow a wishbone, where your backbone ought to be.” – Clementine Paddleford
Now I have you humming American folk songs. My work here is done.
smart businessman
Upon reflection and evaluation this Friday, goals circled through my mind. I thought about what has been achieved and also what is holding me back from the next level. What tapes are playing in my head?
We need to change the tapes from time to time. The stories you tell yourself may be holding you back. This comes from very “logical” thinking. Justification of the status quo, resistance to change or what seems unattainable, all lead to complacency. Spit complacency out of your mouth. I’ve discovered chipping away at a mountain indeed leads to Glory Land.
Every day simply must consist of doing something proactive. What seems minuscule will in fact, become something of substance. It accumulates, you see. The accumulation kicks in as your motivator. With time, you find yourself putting in more effort, for the reward is showing its face. Coach yourself toward success. Be your own light leading the way in a world of doldrums.
Seth’s Blog
First, thank you to my amazing readers. To say that I had an overwhelming day is a bit of an understatement. The Kickstarter reached its goal in record time, less than three hours after I first posted it. We met and then blew away the stated goal. It means a lot to me that you’re so connected and generous.
As promised, I’m going to do a few updates to share data and insights that might help the next person.
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to talk about it, watch the video and participate. If you’re interested, there are some rewards that aren’t sold out. For me, it’s back to writing, working on making you the best book I can.
