April 14, 2010 130 Comments

Blur

Blur For my closing keynote at New Marketing Experience in San Francisco, I gave them my “One Big Idea” speech, as this was the theme of the day. My big idea was blur.

Blur

We have too much to do. We have too much to sort through. There are too many shiny objects, too many me-too experiences, too many situations where we’re doing something because we think that’s what we should be doing, and because that’s what other people seem to be doing.

In this context, I was talking about marketing, but of course, as with everything I do, I’m talking about life, about how we’re conducting ourselves, about what’s on the plate.

Essentially, I gave people permission to stop chasing after every recipe and instead just work on their restaurant. Do something. You don’t have to do everything. Just do something.

Eliminate blur. Stop multitasking. Stop allowing everything in, if that’s not helping.

Ultimately, no one needed me to say this. I just did it to remind them to look inside, to question everything, to consider the frame through which they were viewing the world, and to consider whether there was too much stuff blurring up their view.

I’m starting to think that we’ve got the opportunity to do some REALLY big things by just working on a few things, and by chalking up some little victories.

What say you?

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=907490374 Karin Worth

    Exactly.

  • julieweishaar

    I say “I agree 100%”. It is easy to become overwhelmed with all the pressures of life, both personal and professional. We all need to give ourselves a break and “Stop – Breathe – Plan”: (http://www.newhorizons123.com/wordpress/?p=829)

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  • http://twitter.com/gillestheriault Gilles Theriault

    Once again, what a great post and mind blogging!

    Chris, you are making my brain cells going crazy in those post!

    My question, is when does the internal message does stops working? I mean, when does it stop and you start focusing on one thing? As many wrote before me, multitasking is killing me but I'm addicted to it and so afraid to miss something good. I just can't stop! Please, someone kick me in the… so that I can stop doing what I'm currently doing and start doing what I'm suppose to be doing!! No I'm seriously asking how to eliminate blur?

    I read it(the post in blogs and books), I agree with it, it all make sense and it seems so simple but it still keeps on repeating itself in my head. I'm a jack of all trades in tech but accomplishing absolutely nothing. I want to start doing something that I love and passionate about. Any suggestions on how to detox from my addiction of overloaded with information, wanting to do everything, trying to learn all the new shiny things and being so afraid to miss something on my 65 daily blogs! Not counting Twitter, Alltop, Youtube, emails, and FB????

    Here Is something to start working on, ID, “Information Detoxification”!!

    Any suggestion? Books, Blogs…

    Cheers,
    GT

  • http://twitter.com/gillestheriault Gilles Theriault

    Agree but when will the “blur” stop or how long will it last?

  • http://twitter.com/gillestheriault Gilles Theriault

    Agree with you Brad, “It's a conditioning” that now I call “It's an addiction”.

  • http://www.memorybits.co.uk micro sd

    Ya I am agree with you we have to make lots of things in near future.You post very nice things to me I am very happy about this things.

  • http://www.thebasemententrepreneur.com/ Chris Reimer

    Yes, but the “blur” is stressing the bloody hell out of me. Seriously!

  • http://manifestwell.com/ Jim

    The worst thing you can do is try to get everything done in one day. So… create the “Anti-Blur.”

    Write down a list of all the things that MUST be done ASAP. Then another “wish list” of things you would like to tackle if you get your priorities out of the way. Then another list of things that can wait. (Then check on the latter list every once and a week and see if any of them have become priorities.) Just being conscious of what's important helps you prioritize.

    I heard this strategy on a radio show, I can't take the credit for it.

  • http://www.thebasemententrepreneur.com/ Chris Reimer

    Thanks Jim. Tim Ferriss' book is helping me better prioritize, but the transition between is proving difficult. Also, I find it difficult to do the things I must do, instead of the things I want to do. Time to make “must” and “want” the same thing!

  • Chuck

    Yeah, I've noticed that too. It's of the category of questions like, “Are you seeing it yet?” and “Make sense?” that he often asks in his writing. It works in conversation, but in a one-way format, it seems condescending and insincere.

  • http://twitter.com/mollienothnagel Mollie Nothnagel

    Definitely true. It's all about knowing your limits and when your limits are being pushed every minute of every day, it's hard to get back to a place where you feel right. For those who have a hard time prioritizing or saying “no,” my advice is to say, “yes, but…” “Yes, but I'll have to shift my priorities to make that happen.” Or, “Yes, but I won't be able to help you until next week.” You're not saying “no,” but you're being realistic about what you can accomplish – and what you can accomplish well.

  • http://twitter.com/gillestheriault Gilles Theriault

    Thanks Jim, it is one method that I will try too. I got to get it going ASAP. So, I'm getting my papers and pencil out!

    @Chris, I see that you are reading the same book as I'm at this point! As you say, for a particular reason that seems uncontrollable for me! I can't start doing what I must be doing. Multi-attraction-distraction are winning my time. But, I will start to make some list!

    Cheers,
    GT

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  • http://www.riverwoodwriter.com/ Elizabeth H. Cottrell

    This post is hugely important, Chris. Not only do we have to be good stewards of our own time and focus (and avoid information overload and “blur” with vigilance), but if we are bloggers or have a membership website or something else subscription-related, we need to remember that some of the people who drop out may simply be trying to simplify their online life to minimize blur…so don't take it personally!

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  • http://www.MarketingBeyondAdvertising.com/blog/ Tom Wanek

    What a timely post, Chris. I just changed some of my schedule around to pay myself first, to eliminate much of the blur that prevented me from doing the research and writing that I love. Consequently, this has been one heckuva productive week for me.

  • bropoulos

    It's a nice idea, but I'm pretty convinced after watching you for a day that you're not wired for this. ;)

    That said, it is this kind of wondering around the key idea of “how do we manage it all??” that will help us to do exactly that: create the limits we must, develop the coping skills we have to, find the solutions we need to, to not go crazy in the always-on world that we were only beginning to imagine 10 years ago! For it certainly will NOT lighten up until we force it to.

    So, good luck to everyone with this!

    BTW, really really enjoyed #NME10! Learned SO much! Thanks!!

  • thomas4545

    Well I'm not going to count, but it's enough that it's been sticking out.
    I'm not trying to play watchdog, keep doing what you do.

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  • susanmbaker

    So important Chris – when I work with clients its so hard to get them to just GO! I know how hard it is for them because I've been there – I have to remind myself constantly to just move forward and stop being distracted by all of the, as you say “shiny objects”. Just yesterday I had a “dial back” session with a client – who was putting the cart WAY before the horse…I had to remind the client not to worry about setting up the business until you have a business to set up…do the groundwork first – define exactly what you are selling, then proceed – GET GOING, but don't let things that are way down the pike slow you down now. I think sometimes we use common fears as excuses to just get the job done.

  • annawoods04

    Everyone has their own way to deal with their work and with their strategy to achieve their target. Marketing is also something which depends upon person to person and how they deal with their own client in their own unique method.

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  • myhairtalking

    That's very Zen of you Chris.

  • myhairtalking

    That's very Zen of you Chris

  • http://www.mommybrainreports.com MommyBrain

    I'm kinda in this blur right now myself, between my kids, my home, working, and everything else… I don't have myself anymore… I'm thinking it's time to Un-Blur myself and maybe I'll be able to hear myself think again…
    Great post Chris…

  • reallifesarah

    I'm right there. Sometimes I'm so afraid of missing out on something, I make it so everything is mediocre. I'd love to figure out how to streamline everything I'm involved in. I'm very excited about my 4yo going to school next year. Not because I want her to leave, but because I'll have 6 uninterrupted hours to get my work done, rather than having to constantly “multi-task” (and really not get as much done!)

  • MichelleGillies

    What a great way to put it. My life seems to be one big “blur” these days. Wouldn't it be great to be able to install a “focus” button. Who cares about “like” or “dislike”, or even that was “easy” buttons. I want a “focus” button. Thanks Chris the words that make me confront some of these things.

  • http://www.latarahamying.com LaTara Ham-Ying

    Wonderfully short put powerful post! I started eliminating the blur last year and the process is and has changed not only my life but my business and my marketing efforts! Thanks for writing this post!

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