Chasing the cheese

Airing your deepest thoughts on the Internet has never been particularly appealing to me. I like the concept of blogging, a journal that embraces technology and allows you to write. There are many people who can communicate much better by writing than by trying to express emotional issues verbally. The anonymity of being able to say something is no longer there though, but should one be ashamed of their own feelings? Maybe saying what you feel may encourage someone to assist you if you have an issue or it may uplift someone if it is motivational. Being a professional, with your life increasingly scrutinized before you actually meet a prospective employer it may not be the best thing to put your life in digital bytes for the world to see (and remember!). Will we be seen as weak if we speak out on our frustrations? Or will we be seen as open and willing to share. It depends on the content I suppose.

I’ve lived my life always chasing the cheese. A life of reactionary decision making rather than having the luxury of using the blueprint that has been shelved for such a long time. I can honestly say, I have been blessed. Firstly, with parents who have done just about anything and everything to provide me with the best life anyone could have. Yes, there were tough times but I can never forget, repay or give enough thanks for the sacrifices they have made for me. Next, my wife, who has stuck by me now for 17 years (10 years married). We were both very young when we met and in the years we have become very good friends. Yes, being married is frustrating at times but would I rather be single and lonely? The grass is always greener on the other side and sometimes the temptation of crossing the fence enters your mind but I believe tending to your own garden can give you much greener fields in the long run. My daughter has been so much of a star in my life that I cannot even begin to express. I am not the model dad that I see around me. Being a young father I have never felt prepared but I try to steer her on the right track. I am a tough father, like my father before me but I hope I can raise my daughter half as well as my father raised me. There are also many people and extended family members who have passed through my life. I say this because I’ve met so many amazing people, in person and via the web and have had to say goodbye too many times.

With all of the things I’ve faced, the highlights and the lowlights, I still feel a bit frustrated. I believe I am an ambitious person, I have been gifted with the ability to adapt quickly. I can learn anything very quickly, even if just the basic concepts. I have, however, been stuck in first gear for a long time. The clutch is down but I can’t seem to shift. We all have killer ideas, but what differentiates the really successful among us is the ability to execute. My brain wanders way too much. I’ve had great  (okay so maybe not great but promising at the very least) ideas and just let all of them sit next to the blueprint, get covered by dust and get executed by others. I’ve seen people I’ve confided in, take my ideas and run with it, complete it, execute it. Good for them. I then look at my shelf and see the pile of ideas on paper and feel depressed. Can anyone blame them for executing? No.

Will I continue to chase the cheese? Or will I start milking the cow to make my own cheese? I will tell you one thing though, I’ve had enough of chasing.

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Getting things done

The now iconic book Getting Things Done by David Allen, provides an excellent blueprint for, erm, getting things done. Some people seem to be able to work so efficiently that it is irritating while others struggle to accomplish one task. After struggling, like most people, I’ve come up with a very simple solution to my problem which may help you:

  1. Lists are good – Writing things down in lists have a two fold purpose, the most important of which is that you have the task written somewhere so it can get out of your head and it also provides a way for you to prioritise. You can choose your medium, it doesn’t have to be paper, it could be on your phone, your computer, your arm (okay so maybe not your arm) but you get the idea. This tip is taken directly from Mr. Allen’s book.
  2. Do one thing at a time – We can’t multi-task. Focusing on one thing at a time is the key to getting things done. All of the people who seem to be super human and appear to be doing a million things at once don’t, they just put it on a conveyor belt and work through the items individually as they come in.

Give it a try today and hopefully it will work for you as well.

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News content of the future

While checking out the new Nexus One from Google I stumbled across this article from the TimesOnline. Even though the information on the phone was decent, I really liked the way there was both video and text content on the site. This is the way all online news sources should be, a perfect mix between both forms of traditional news sources (TV/Video and Newspaper). Granted not a lot of sites have the ability to deliver the content in this form because of the lack of licensing for video content, but this is where independent video and content providers can really shine. Imagine, people with video cameras on the ground at the annual Consumer Electronics Show or the New York International Car Show partnering with talented writers to deliver up to the minute on the ground news content that can be spread via the social web like wildfire.

I know, it’s being done already but content creators and content providers need to be able to meet and really distribute the information in an organised way. Both parties need to have a medium for matching content and pulling them together to form a unified content delivery network. Is it out there?

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Optimism, the only way forward

Is the glass half full, or half empty? I say neither! The glass should ALWAYS BE FULL. All you have to do is imagine a smaller glass. Does this sound like a load of horse crap (or worse, bull crap)? There are too many people who are unhappy with life because they seem to be looking over the fence and wishing for more. While there is nothing wrong with ambition and striving for more, to be happy, you have to realise that what little you have is a blessing. This is easier said than done, as we all know.

This train of thought can make one lazy though and some will fall into the trap of settling for what they have and never trying harder. I would challenge people to always strive for a bigger glass. This may sound contradictory but you can be content with what you have while working to achieve more. I don’t have any scientific facts or studies to back this up but it’s a simple concept that I think should be adopted by more people.

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Email marketing and micro/small businesses

Anyone who has ventured to start their own business knows that cash flow is important. Marketing and sales budgets are usually non-existent and the need for such budgets are often not apparent when you are working to generate revenue to pay rent. Email marketing is one of the lowest cost marketing tools available especially with the rise of social media networks that allow businesses to send mass “emails” to potential customers. The problem with most micro/small businesses is that they do not understand how email marketing can help them. Simply sending a message to 1,000 people is not enough, especially if you send the same message each and every time. So how does one use email marketing tools effectively?

  1. Think in campaigns – each email you send should be part of a bigger picture, telling a story to your audience
  2. Personalise - send relevant content to your customers, use gender, age and location data to assist in personalising content
  3. Ask your recipients to share – provide an easy, obvious way for your recipients to send the message on to others
  4. Analyse results - one of the biggest problems with small businesses is that they don’t use systematic (scientific) methods for determining success of an email. Track your messages and analyse the data that contains to help with streamlining the messages you send in the future

This is one area where small business should really invest more time and money. Email marketing is not dead (yet) and will continue to be an excellent medium for reaching, attracting and converting potential customers.

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