Tag: december 2015

I never got that ‘prepared’ thing

Being prepared never struck me as something that I needed to do. I loved the idea of playing the game off the cuff. Preparing is for people who aren’t in it for real, B players who think they got it, but they don’t.

I am glad you get older, so you learn how you get to see how wrong you were when you were younger.

I made this blog completely ahead of schedule this month. I cut my videos ahead, and I did my newsletters ahead of schedule. Just that alone allowed me to batch my work and experiment, which I think created a better blog to follow (hey…pictures and big type). Being prepared facilitated the change.

That was the big lesson this month, that preparation allows you freedom. I never would have come up with that idea unless I prepare, which gave me time to sit back and look at this blog holistically, instead of trying to create posts. So, come prepared.

Wins for the month

• Production Time –  Wow, I didn’t notice how much time you add by doing things early. I got a chance to take a holistic look at the things I did, and they came out better.
  • Lesson: Try to get as much out as early as possible, and take a look at it before you get it into the world.
• Questions – Being prepared leads to better questions. Do the reading and get that much more effective.
  • Lesson: Ask questions constantly. Ask questions before, during and after if you can. They make you sound better, and you learn a lot more.
• Content–I saw everything get better.I opened up new avenues (hello Tumblr,LinkedIn,and Instagram), and learning every day through experimentation.
  • Lesson: A holistic view gives you a wide berth, then you connect. Content also feeds on itself. Produce more and more gets produced.

Losses for the month

• Calendar  – I still haven’t done this one yet. I kicked it for a few days, but then I lost it again.
  • Lesson: Try different angles. There is more than one way.
• Buffer–I got weird about this. I don’t know if it’s the right way anymore, but I never pursued this.
  • Lesson: Take more time to focus on the things that don’t feel right. 

Important Posts

• What Steph Curry Teaches Me About Confidence Willpower and Preparedness
• Learn Through Habit By Going Slow – Don’t Rush It
• Choice, Notifications, And PUT THE CELL PHONE AWAY!
• Understand Why You Get Defensive
• Negotiation Works Both Ways For Buy In
• Don’t Apologize Too Much
• Procrastination and Preparation
• Negative Visualization & Life In Moments

Books

• Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
• 101 Things I Learned ® in Engineering School
• The Thank You Economy
• A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas
• Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition
• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
• Team of Teams: The Power of Small Groups in a Fragmented World

Videos

• Life As Usual VBlog #4 – Lessons and Message
• Life As Usual VBlog #5 – Preparation
• Life as Usual VBlog #6 – Accountability
• Life As Usual VBlog #7 – Habits
• Life As Usual VBlog #8 – New Years Resolutions

 

Note: Still experimenting with this post. I took out the notes for the other themes. Thinking about how do I add them here with more value than just a list. Added videos….so version 1.3?