Archive for December, 2006
Make Your 2007 Goals Work
It’s great to have goals, but it’s even better to have tools to accomplish them. Here are some books I think are useful to equipping yourself for a better chance at your goals.
The 8th Habit- Steven Covey
The first part of this book is exceptionally helpful. It’s a re-working of the 7 Habits, but into a format and method that was much more understandable and useful to me (and I’m a big fan of the other book). Why is this useful? Because it shows you some important ways to “frame” your thoughts:
- A compass guides you to your “true north.” A map is just a static interpretation of the territory.
- Work on your circle of influence; shy away from your circle of concern (that which you can’t control, but which worries you).
- Decide what matters most, and then execute against that decision.
Getting Things Done - David Allen
This book is hands down a very important book for people who just can’t find their way to getting organized. If you work through this book, find your best way to adapt Allen’s methods, and execute against them, you will see immediate improvement. I promise you that.
The 3 Hour Diet- Jorge Cruise
It’s not that this book is perfect, but Jorge Cruise does a good job of 1.) Making things accessible for people who aren’t necessarily into eating well by nature, 2.) Making things feel down to earth and real.
I pair this book often with a much more scholarly work by Dr. Andrew Weil - Eating Well for Optimum Health (which is a great book, but a little sloggy- I recommend the DVD for this one):
Winning - by Jack Welch, and Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance- by Lou Gerstner
I am not a businessman. I’m a little too touchy-feely and “out there” to qualify for a good business type. All the more reason why I try to read good books by brilliant business minds, whether or not I agree with their methods. It wasn’t until reading these two books that I started to better understand how a business has to think. I don’t subscribe to all their views, but I get it. And that’s important. If you don’t know the language of the people around you, you will easily fail.
Magazine Subscriptions
The trick to magazines, I’ve come to learn, is that they’re a monthly (sometimes weekly) reminder to take a look at the things you’ve set as your goals. I subscribe to Wired, Business 2.0, Fast Company, Men’s Health, and Wizard (a comics magazine- hey, that’s for fun!). I used to also get Trail Runner, but I haven’t been running trails lately.
Magazines are a way to keep your head on the things you’ve set for your goals. I’m sure you’ll have good suggestions for others that might match your own 2007 goals.
Books I’ve Missed or Need
I haven’t found a personal finance book that felt “real” to me. The books I’ve read suggest my finances are in great shape, and I just need someone to tell me how to open a 401K. I need the book that says, “Boy, you’ve REALLY messed up. And now here’s what we’re going to do.” Something tells me Christopher S. Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast has some recommendations here.
I also don’t usually recommend a specific book on spiritual strength. I guess it’s personal to me? Or rather, your faith or spirituality might not match mine. But I wonder of Jon or Michael or Rob have any suggestions?
What else do YOU recommend? We’d love to know. (Include links if you want, or just mention the title and the author, so people can search them.)
New Feature at CB dot C
Taking a page out of Senor Scoble’s playbook, I’ve added Reading Materials. This is simply items from blogs I read, shared via Google Reader to a nicely displayed page. What’s there? Things that catch my fancy from my RSS subscriptions.
And, if you want to receive my shared reading materials in your RSS reader of choice, you can always subscribe to the feed from the Reading Materials page.
Lastly, if you’re visiting here by coming directly to the website, consider subscribing to the RSS feed directly. It lets me know you’re out there. And thanks.
Back Up Your Gmail
Handsome Om Malik has officially scared the bejeesus out of me with his post about Gmail suffering some kind of problem resulting in deleted accounts, missing archives, etc. Story link is here.
Back Up Your Gmail
I took Om’s advice and backed my gmail account up. Here’s the steps I took.
- Read Google’s Help document on POP access to your Gmail account.
- Configure an account on your mail client for your gmail account. - IMPORTANT- Build a separate account. If you’re using Outlook, make sure this is a standalone PST file. If you’re using mail.app or Thunderbird, make sure this is a standalone account.
- Do the sync between gmail and your client. NOTE: This will probably take a while. If you’ve got a fairly healthy gmail account with lots of archived mail, you will be at this step for hours. So, disable your computer’s sleep setting, but enable the screensaver if you want, and let it do its thing.
- When it’s all there, turn off your mail client.
- Locate your mail client’s file for the gmail mails.
- Consider moving these (or making a copy) offline to a backup drive. In my case, I’m going to clip off a current update from today, and toss that entire file to my backup drive. Then, I’ll delete the account on my POP mail client, and go about my business.
- Schedule your updates periodically with Google Calendar (provided THAT doesn’t encounter a whoops).
I am a *huge* supporter of web-side applications. I use Google mail, calendar, docs, maps, and search every day. But an experience like what Om points out at GigaOm is a great reminder that it’s still my job to make appropriate backups of my records and not trust Google (or any other company) to keep my data safe for me.
If you’re a gmail user, consider doing this within the next 24 hours (provided you haven’t been doing this all along). External hard drives are cheap (I just got a 200GB external drive for $99). Give your online data a life vest.
Go Listen to New Mediacracy
If you’re not listening to New Mediacracy, the audio podcast by Steve and Zadi from JETSET and RSS News, you’re missing out.
This one’s particularly good, insofar as it talks about how we need to be banding together, talks about other projects going on, and more fun for me, has bits where Steve shooshes the cat away and Zadi thinks Steve’s telling her she’s droning on. : ) Yes, the best bits are the left in bits.
Oh, and totally sideways to this, Galacticast put out an Outtakes episode. Yay!
My 12 Targets for 2007
I was talking with a Flickr friend, and she mentioned one of those “Things to do before I die” lists. I said, if you really want to give it some meaning, come up with things you want to do for 2007. Of course, why would I issue that kind of challenge without taking it for myself. So, here are 12 things I want to see happen in 2007 personally/professionally:
12 Targets for 2007
- See My Direct Result on Growing my Business- I work for a guy who’s into the long term, and who believes in investments over direct and obvious ROI, but for myself, I’m interested in seeing how I can bring business back to my company- through money, relationships, partnerships. I hope to show tangible proof that hiring me was a good idea.
- Visit Europe- Until last year, I probably hit no more than seven cities in my life, and Canada and Bermuda were the extent of my non-US travel. In 2007, I will visit Stockholm, Tel-Aviv, and probably somewhere else- Amsterdam?
- Write a Non-Fiction Book- I plan to write about what I’ve learned over the last 12 months. I’m leaning towards writing a book about community development, but however the storyline turns out, it will be about new media, social interactions, and new ways of doing business.
- Write a Fiction Book- Back in the day, I wrote a LOT of fiction. I want to get this handled, as I never really did finish a larger work. So this will be the year. I’m just debating if it’ll be genre fiction or something a little more mainstream.
- See A Friend’s Business Succeed- I have so many friends in this space struggling and trying to make it. I offer help and advice where I can, and I’m hoping this year is where someone I’ve worked with in some manner gets their due for their hard work. (Obviously, I don’t have much control over this one, but it speaks to my belief in what so many of my friends are doing).
- Learn about Digital SLR Cameras- I’ll be getting a Nikon D70s fairly shortly. I’ve used point-and-shoot cameras forever. I hope to make good use of this new rig, so I’ll have to learn.
- Tackle Final Cut- I’m going to move up from iMovie this year. I have to, because I know I’m leaving behind some stronger editing options by just using iMovie, so this year, I’ll bite the bullet and give it a go.
- Produce USEFUL Media- Small Boxes is my videoblog, and I do it for my own fun, and to give friends a view into my life. But I think I want to do something a bit more meaningful with it, something that’s of value to more than just friends and family. So I’ll see how I can make that happen.
- Recommit to Fitness and Health- I bought my book yesterday, and I started the groundwork for this. It’s not supposed to be a game of numbers, but for a measure, I’ll pick pounds lost, as well as days of the week I exercise. Anything else will be over and above. I had a great run of this in 2004. I think I can get it all back this year. Who knows? Maybe I’ll start recording “Fat Guy Gets Fit” again and threading it into the Health Hacks Podcast.
- Fix Some Financial Bumps- I’ve got some old wounds to clear up, and I’m using 2007 as the gauntlet year to get it done. I feel we’re closer than ever to get over the hump. We’ll see. This will bring so much extra peace to my life. If this one bit works out, I’m going to feel accomplished.
- Work with Chris and Bryan and Steve on PodCamp Boston2- We’re aiming to make PodCamp Boston 2 a LANDMARK experience, with all kinds of useful information, engaging collaboration, and productive future-building. One reason I know this will be a killer experience is that everything else I’m doing inter-relates to this. Building Video on the Net with a talented team is teaching me things about PodCamp, and what I took from PodCamp went right into Video. Make My Own TV in March will help me understand more of what we can do at PodCamp as well. It will all work well together, and I know that this PodCamp will be the one to remember. (Of course, I hope to say that every year!)
- Continue to Keep My Family Happy- It’s hard to believe, but now that I travel extensively, and now that I’m working harder than ever on something I’m passionate about, I’ve actually had a BETTER relationship with my family. Well, it’s true, and I’m working on making 2007 a banner year for my wife and children. We’ll really grow stronger this year, as we’re planning out our lives a little more lately. We’re thinking about the way we’re living life, instead of letting it just live us. That’s making a great difference in how we get things done.
And so those are my targets. I now have to set about breaking them chunks that are more “to scale” with how my brain thinks. I’ll build them into small boxes, tie those boxes to weeks within months within years, and in that way, I’ll see that journey reduced to steps. I’ll move forward and see how many bells I can ring.
What about you? What do you want to see happen in 2007?
Whos Afraid of the Duckies in the Pond
Thank you, Steve Garfield, for my very own Ze Frank duckie. Though I’m somewhat terrified by the product, I’m also fascinated. I should report to Ze that his duck appears tasty to my 11 month old boy.
Thanks very much, Steve. I will cherish this as another memory of 2006. And Ze Frank works *his* community intensely, in the very good sense of it. I just wish he’d work that out into the greater community at large.
Small Boxes 09 - Holiday Stuff
Here’s a small movie of Christmas Eve and Christmas with the family. I tried to make it visually interesting, and believe me: this isn’t the BIG video that family people request. Oy. You’ve had to endure those, right?
Planning for 2007
I have been writing this post and deleting it for days. (Well, I didn’t touch my computer at all yesterday, but all those other days). I am thinking about where 2007 goes for me, and for the new media community in general.
2007: The Year It Goes Commercial
I believe this year is 1997 all over again. Last year was 1996. I personally missed out on the last dotCOM craze. I hid out with the telephone companies of the world, which worked rather well from a career standpoint, but I certainly didn’t get made a millionaire overnight and lose it again.
I believe the video space especially, but audio podcasting to a lesser extent, will move forward as commercial products this year. This means things like AbbeyCorps reaching out for ways to make this work for creators. It means Network2 building our guide. It means lots of other companies out there getting in touch with my media making friends and looking to sign various contract deals. I think the CRAZY money comes in 2007, and also the absurd deals, etc.
2007 is the Year of Gathering
I started talking about this in spring of 2006, about content networks being the new blogs. I built Grasshopper New Media around that premise. It’s going to happen this year in lots of ways, in new media and in other spaces. I think consolidation will roll through the Web2.0 universe, as well as the new media space. I think people will ally in all kinds of interesting configurations, to present a stronger position. Look, for instance, at MobaSoft for a very small-scale version of this: Michael Bailey and Jeff Persch of Podsea decided to join forces and fight the good fight together. Why? Because they were standalone businesses working at the same goals.
I think PodCamps will at once explode and implode. I think people will go with Chris Penn’s idea of hosting PodCamp Nano instead of full blown 300-people events, and those micro events will be just as fruitful if done properly. Boston will probably be a huge one, if we can put together everything we’ve in mind, but overall, I see value in following Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom’s view on this. Leaderless organizations, or hub-less organizations will grow dramatically in 2007, all the while delivering value back to a larger alliance.
People will join forces in 2007.
Hollywood and Madison Avenue Strike Back
Don’t count traditional media out. They’re already out there working on these things. And we’re fooling ourselves if we think that entertainment is going to sheer off into the sea of the great and unwashed masses without a monumental struggle. I believe in the new media revolution with every ounce of my being, and yet, I know that there’s no way industries used to capturing billions of dollars a year in our money are just going to politely shrug and say, “Well, you can have that. Yep, okay, take that too. Here’s some more.”
Instead, we have to figure out ways to harness the relationship. How can we bring people with years of experience, someone like Jim Long who has great new productions but who comes from the land of the first few numbers on the TV dial, and make the synergy work for both sides? (Yes, I realize that even SAYING “synergy” makes this sound like a business slide. Think partnership where everyone gets what they’re hoping for.)
My Personal Year
2007 sees me with several challenges professionally:
- Video on the Net in March.
- Make My Own TV
- Network2
- PodCamps everywhere, but Boston 2 especially.
- Grasshopper Reborn (for another post)
- Meetups all over
- Collaboration projects - I want to do more fun media making.
Thanks to an incredible team, we have the speakers mostly lined up for Video. Now we’re just confirming and the like. I won’t brag about it yet, but there are some great people to see at this event.
Chris and I will talk Make My Own TV in a few days, and then we’ll start talking about that a lot.
Network2 is roaring along, and we’re working hard to make it what it needs to be, and working with everyone who has a stake.
PodCamps… Well, those are crazy. I’m heading to Toronto, Second Life, NYC, and a few more for sure.
Grasshopper, as I said, will be another post. We’ve got a really strong health podcast team, and we’ve got a few neat projects in business. Parents is a blog and the LD Podcast kindly shares our branding. We’ll see about growing that in 2007. And I keep threatening to do a new show (in my ubiquitous time).
Meetups? We’ve got East Coast in January, and West Coast in February and March. Other than that, it’s all up in the air. Anywhere you want me to go?
Collaboration- well, that’s up to you. How can I be part of your show? I’ll tell you about MY new show, but I’m still working it out with a coworker. : )
Your Turn
What’s YOUR take for 2007? What do you think rings true on this list? What did I miss? What will YOU be doing in 2007?
Five Stories Everyone Wants to Hear
I was reading in Wired Magazine about an otaku geek boy in Japan who met a gorgeous girl on a train and then documented their little romance on a message board. The story is suspected of being fake, a marketing ploy, a LonelyGirl15 for the otaku set. But it’s the story that people want, and they want it desperately.
Here are five stories that I think are tirelessly sought out by most people. There are more. Some of these might not be YOUR story of choice, but it doesn’t change the main premise. We NEED certain stories in our lives the way we need religion and myths and roadmaps for our future.
The Seesaw Love Story
Boy meets girl he can’t possibly get. Boy doesn’t much impress girl. Boy eventually wins girl over and we all feel for a moment, “Hey, even if I’m a bit of a loser, maybe someday I will get a girl way out of my league.
Variations: older woman, workplace fling, vacation romance, romeo & juliet, angry parents.
What it means: This is a story that gives us a drop of self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. We think, “maybe there IS someone for me,” or “love hasn’t come to me yet, but it might still.”
The Underdog
Bunch of lovable losers join a state basketball team with no chance of winning and somehow find their way to the championships, with everything riding on a three point shot. MTV buys and films this story once every two years with a different sport.
Variations: guy at work put down by everyone finally lands big gig, woman ostracized for trying to cross gender borders but wins big, most band stories.
What it means: this is the “hard work pays off” story. Determination. If you can work super hard, you’ll make it.
Undeserved Jackpot
These are the fantasy stories. Harry Potter isn’t an underdog story. It’s a “you WERE a loser, but really, you’re part of a magical subculture” story. Lots of comic book stories are like this: a spider bit me so I’m cool, I found a suit of armor and a sword, I won the lottery.
Variations: Um… I just wrote some variations. They all involve you getting something for not working at it.
What it means: These stories are reserved for two types of people. One type are just having the worst time ever, and can use the fantasy of things magically getting better sooner than later (money windfall, etc). The other type are NEVER going to realize they have to work to get anywhere and hope these stories are really true.
Revenge
Boy, these are easy. Bad guy does mean things to you, and you get back at the bad guy. A good lot of movies fall into this category. Want one you might’ve missed? Payback with Mel Gibson. No, it’s not THAT story.
Variations: divorce fantasies, fight movies, martial arts flicks, work dramas.
What it means: these stories resonate well with people who often find themselves saying, “That’s not fair!” It’s a matter of feeling that life is supposed to be fair. While you’re waiting for that, just enjoy these stories, okay?
Secret Society
These stories are my personal favorite. They tell of some clandestine group that no one else seems to know about. They are world-deep stories where there’s a club or society or magic band or gang that the average people don’t know about. Vampire books are all about this.
Variations: magician stories, people’s jobs you don’t know about, some sci fi and fantasy stories, superhero stories.
What it means: you want more from life, and you feel maybe you just haven’t found the secret yet.
Which Story Do YOU Fall For?
If you stumble upon a story on the internet, or watch something on TV, or pay money to go to the movies, which story resonates with you? Which one satisfies a need in your belly? Have I missed an archtypical story? Sure. I’ve missed the Savior stories, where a lone hero comes into a situation and makes everything better. I missed tons of stories. Want to add a few to the comments?
And which story do you like to TELL, in whatever form you prefer? I’d love to know.
Holiday Box Project Two
The wonderful Andy Rubacky and Victoria Green kindly sent me a holiday gift box, as per my little project. Now I’ve received two. I sent out one to Justin (kind of), and I’ve got Andy’s ready to go, but was too lazy. Now, I’ve got to add a few things. They were extremely generous with the fun. : )
See the rest of the presents in Andy and Victoria’s box, as well as Whitney’s box here. Andy and Victoria’s stuff starts at the CD about mid-stream. Thanks guys!
