ideas

Heading into Thanksgiving weekend I thought I'd take a break from the blog and link to today's excellent post on Seth Godin's blog. Where do ideas come from?

1. Ideas don't come from watching television
2. Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture
3. Ideas often come while reading a book
4. Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them
5. Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom
6. ...

Read the rest over at Seth's blog.

fear.less

fear.less is a new online magazine that tells stories of people who overcame their fears and wound up victorious.  Seth Godin has an article in this month's edition with some remarkable insights on fear.  Real fear is when you're in the desert and there's no water.  Real fear is when you're in the woods and run into a bear.  Real fear is primal.  The fear that you and I experience isn't really fear.  It's anxiety.  Why do we worry so much?  Why are we afraid?  What's the worst that can happen?  Maybe we'll succeed. I think that's it.  We're afraid of success.  If I fail, I'm not going to starve and I can certainly pick myself up off the ground and get back to life, but if I succeed then what happens to me?  That's really what's driving our anxiety.  If I give a customer great service they're going to call me more often.  If I make an extra sales call I'm not going to have time to enter my contracts.  I have a great idea to pitch, but what happens if they really like it?  If we double revenues over 3 years we'll have to add a large amount of staff and all those people and our investors will be looking to me for direction.  Wow!  Success can be scary.  The thing is, if we can get past our anxiety, and do something meaningful it's bound to be exhilarating.

Don't be afraid of the things you have to do.  Simplify; clarify; focus.  Put your anxiety behind you.  Accomplish great things.  There's nothing holding you back.

complacency

Complacency is dangerous.  The world has never changed as quickly and as dramatically as it is now.  You can't afford to sit still and watch it go by.  You'll be left behind.  If the competition doesn't pass you by, the trends will.  People and companies need to change. We need to ask ourselves, how?  How can I continue to improve my strengths?  How can I make an impact?  How can I get my ideas noticed?

We need to ask ourselves, why?  Why is this process in place?  Why do we use this design?  Why are we watching the competition?  Why are we following this trend?  Why aren't we focused?

Seth Godin suggests we think in terms of 'if only'.  I could be more effective if only...  We could streamline our process if only...  Our customers would get more from us if only....

There's no time for the status quo.  We have to see the waves as they form and pick the right one to ride.  We have to see our destination and then build a new road on the map.

fear

I've been talking about this blog for months.  I find excuse after excuse.  Anything to avoid the first post.  I can't decide on a title.  My thoughts aren't properly formed.  I don't have the time.  I work at a public company.  I can't talk about my  experiences. The thing is all these excuses are fear.  Seth Godin talks about the lizard brain in Linchpin.  The lizard brain controls the fight or flight instinct.  It prefers flight.  Fear takes over.  It's persistent.  It's all consuming.  It stops us from doing great things.  It stops our passion.  What if nobody reads my blog?  What if they think it's stupid?  What if they don't like what I have to say?  What if I fail?

Pay attention to the resistance.  Don't be afraid.  Overcome it.  One success leads to another.  Confidence builds upon itself.  I can do this.  People will read my blog and like it.  This blog is about me.  These are my experiences; my passions.  I don't do a job.  I don't go to work.  I make connections.  I create.  I problem solve and build teams.  I accomplish incredible things.