December 11, 2007 • 9:51 pm
So many of you probably think I’m some pinko commie subversive but this blog entry about giving pause really got me thinking. Spare some time to think about this It occurred to me that I am actually pretty focused on the present … what can I directly effect, here, and now. Yes I plan forward, and I’m sure I do my share of living in the past, but in all reality, I spend most of my time focused on the here and now. How about you?
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Tags: wblproductivity philosophy life
Filed under: Getting Things Done, personal improvement
Well, it’s been close to 3 week in the first phase of South Beach. I’ve shed about 15 pounds (210 -> 195lbs, that’d be 7.5kg or 95 -> 88kg for you antipodeans). I really feel better … I survived at least one business trip (just got back from Kansas City, Missouri: ah steak and barbeque) … I’ve survived a couple of team events (beers all around, thank heavens for Michelob Ultra Amber) … and I’m ready to begin moving into the next phase: exercise.
The question is what: running? swimming? biking? elliptical? weights? some combination of all of them? I think I’ll shoot for 2 days weights and 3 days cardio per week. I’ll probably begin with the easy stuff: run or elliptical and weights. I’m lucky enough to have a gym setup in the basement so in theory the barrier to entry should be relatively small. We’ll see I guess …
The real question is can I transfer this into a way of life and not a passing fad? I have started this in probably the most challenging part of my career … so if I can do this now, why not the relatively calm times!
Filed under: Getting Things Done, diet, exercise, personal improvement
So strange person growth moment in my life, I appear to have been successfully able to restart my low-carb lifestyle. The punds are shedding off, m body is over it’s sugar addiction and I fell happier and healthier already. Strange side effects, I sweat less … which in a hot DC summer is a good thing. In the immortal words of Paul van Dyk “DC’s never seen it so hot”.
The big change though is a shift in mindset. I appear to have slipped into a mindset where I understand why eating bad things doesn’t make sense. I noticed a by line ona book about procrastination which read something like: “Discover the small rewards that you give yourself, that contrinute to your self loathing”. I also realized (by watching VH1 no less) that the rail thin clebrities and bulked up muscle men really do train 2 hours a day, watch what they eat, and focus on looks pretty much all the time. What this led to was me thinking about what I was eating, all day, every day. It appears to be a behavioral change.
I have always wondered why most doctors are relatively fit, healthy, normal looking people. I’ve also been reading about Systems THinknig, and I wonder if it is because doctors understand the system of systems that make up the human body. They understand the interactions, and they act on it. Is the secret to beating obesity in education? Not the “if you eat bad food you get fat” kind of education, but the “here’s how it all works, you decide how you want to treat it” kind?
Filed under: Getting Things Done, diet, exercise, personal improvement
So this weekend I passed my PMP credential exam at the Prometric testing cetner in Bethesda. I've been wrestling with this one for a while now: should I formalize my project management experience? Last week a client asked me about it and I decided to bite the bullet … it's done, a quick investment in a PMP prep class, a lot of study, and a good passing grade. The next big question is: now what! In all reality it won't change what I'm doing or how I'm doing it, but something makes me think it'll make life more interesting
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting, techno-junk
So here's the nasty secret … I'm lazy, really lazy! While I've been slowly adopting the best practices from David Allen's Getting Things Done, I am really not quite the convert yet. My friend Chris has been railing on me about Yak Shaving, and while I am the consumate Yak Shaver (constantly tweaking my system etc etc etc), I have been struggling with effective change. But I think I've found the secret, it's so stupid you'll all kick me when you hear it …
Only I can change myself! Ok, ok, ok, I know stupid revelation, some would say not much of a revelation at all, but I've been searching for the right system to "automagically" change me … it just won't happen. I think this is a crux point from the 20's into the mid 30's of life, realizing you are in total control, no-one else will do it for you, and trying to learn ways to make it happen. So today I'm starting down a different path: I'm planning my daily review (GTD style), and committing to a weekly review (real GTD style, including brain sweeps, inbox dumps, 50,000' -> 10,000' planning, and project planning).
So there, I've declared … I'll let you know how this progresses …
<homer voice>
stupid growing up ... be more funny
</homervoice>
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting, other people
Ah, finally a nice succinct definition of the BIG problem with SOA. Yes, we all want it, yes we'll build the Enterprise Service Bus first, then we'll all unravel the ball of string point-to-point interfaces that control our clients, BUT once you've decided that, HOW do you get 'er done?
My other big beef about SOA is that all people do when you ask the question "who pays for the services, who defines the data and control packages" is spout off the word "governance" and assume that because everyones definition of governance is vague, they assume you've solved it and are too embarrassed to ask what governance!
Then there's the inevitable analogy of CORBA to SOAP, and then the ill fated OMG CORBAservices to CORBA (naming services, store and forward, I forget what exactly) similar to the WS-* standards? Now the "community led" WS-* standards are proliferating, standing on each others toes and generally making life more difficult than it was 5 years ago when they invented web services. Maybe it's time for REST to come to the rescue and begin it's own cycle of popularity and failure?
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting, techno-junk
I came across this post: Gary Slinger » Weekly Review – Checklist MindMap which is a great overview mind map of the weekly review process. I wish I'd thought of that … I process many maps and notes etc … but never connected the dots. Thanks Gary!
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting, deano diagrams
One of the things I have been ruminating on is the key to my success at my client. I can boil it down to one thing: responsiveness. I always respond quickly, tell them if I don't know, do the little things (like go find a whiteboard marker if they are searching for one), be first to offer to help. This creates an aura of "getting things done". You build your brand with your client at every interaction. I happened across this post on the Working Smart blog which talks about a CEO's success due to that criteria. If you read Peter Drucker on the Effective Executive (which I just finished) he also talks about responsiveness and effectiveness as the only key elements of a successful executive.
The truth is, you are building your reputation—your brand—one response at a time. People are shaping their view of you by how you respond to them. If you are slow, they assume you are incompetent and over your head. If you respond quickly, they assume you are competent and on top of your work. Their perception, whether you realize it or not, will determine how fast your career advances and how high you go. You can’t afford to be unresponsive. It is a career-killer.
What do you think? What have you done to build your brand today?
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting
January 20, 2006 • 12:03 pm
As you may recall in a previous post, I have been using a Moleskine notebook and Retro51 Tornado pen for my Getting Things Done system of record. Up until now I have been totally torn by this combination. If I use the regular vellum/lightweight paper in the Moleskine the Parker Gel refills I use in the Retro51 bled through the pages (meaning I can only write on one side). If I use the thickers “sketchbook” Moleskine pages, the gel ink is great but the pages feel too thick for me (boy am I fussy). I like the gel ink, but the lines are a little thick for my taste (0.7mm). Now the Retro51 accepts Parker-style refills, and I have read about the Pilot G2 extra fine gel refills as good things to use in your Moleskine. Soooo after 3 months of futzing with my system I have finally settled on the right approach: Grided, lightweight paper Moleskine with my nice Retro51 fitted with a Pilot G2 extra fine refill. Now if anyone has tried this they’ll realize that those refils don’t actually fit the pen! So you have to remove the end cap and cut the refill down to size, then is works just dandy! So FINALLY I have something very close to the ultimate solution … the only open question for me is if the Levenger Circa system would work better for me (ah the eternal tweaking of the system, what would we do without it!)
Filed under: Getting Things Done
January 18, 2006 • 4:48 pm
I stumbled across this post on a million monkeys typing that really outlines a couple of things I’ve observed both with myself and my kids. As we get older our attention span shortens, I am personally struggling with internalizing the things I read, while I am great at finding them … it’s “learning them” that I struggle with. I read fast and don’t process well. I am exploring using some quiet time and using a new note taking method (paper, pencil, maybe Cornell) away from the distraction of a glowing screen.
With my kids their focus is competely different, Kylie is the focus machine, Hunter is the goldfish. I don’t know if that will change over time, or if this is something they have already (at 4 and 2) learnt.
Filed under: Getting Things Done, other people
