Admittedly, I am new to blogging and it isn't much fun unless others participate. So, I've been trying to answer the question: "how do I get people to read and participate on my blog?"
Searching around at some of the popular blogs, I wasn't too motivated to read them. Why are they popular? Still couldn't figure it out, until I ran into an article about empathy and blogs.
Hmm... I consider empathy very important and here's a guy that does as well. Then the light went on. People need to know you to care about what happens to you. Writing a bunch of stuff in a blog about your life is not interesting to other people unless they relate it to their own experience. So I asked myself, "what is this blog really about?"
It is about how to feel successful.
When I write something like this, I count my blessings and say to myself, "I am successful. Why am I writing this?"
The answer is, I wish to remain successful. Life is a journey. I have used my skills to obtain many goals. Over time, good and bad choices have increased responsibility. With each decision, comes trade-offs. In my case, I make decisions emotionally, then deal with the logistics later. For instance, I have purchased cars (and even houses) then I had to figure out how to pay for it. The purchase gives immediate satisfaction, until I realize that I have overspent and need to cut back or generate more income. I'm really not very good at either, so it comes out of my savings.
So, I guess this blog is for people who have let emotions get themselves into a pickle and for people who are passionate and driven - but still never seem to be where they want to be.
It is about forks in the road. Time moves forward, it is not possible to go back and take another road. However, it is possible build a bridge or cut a path and to get back on the road not taken. The adventure of building the path is probably more fun than being on the road anyway.
In short, this blog is for people who wish to be encouraged to cut a path to the road they really want to be on and to give them tools to make this possible.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Motivation from the Best
I really like my iPod. I really don't like using the FM radio to play it in the car. So, I'll be installing an iPod interface in my car over the weekend. I will be able to listen to music and audio books without interruption while driving to work.
I really like iTunes U for free content. The Stanford commencement recordings are really amazing, check out the Steve Jobs speech.
I really like iTunes U for free content. The Stanford commencement recordings are really amazing, check out the Steve Jobs speech.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Keeping a Clear Head
Although the The Power of Focus is an excellent goal setting book, I really like listening to the audio version of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity as a guide for keeping a clear head. Allen describes using how to develop a system which keeps track of everything you feel responsible to do. This system enables you to have a “mind like water”. After listening to the book this will make sense. It is really quite useful.
I still have not mastered the techniques in the book, however it does help keep a clear head. Others have stuck with the program and have seen improvements. Most habits take 21 days to instill, I have passed this point, so it is part of my habits now. All I need to do is hone the skill.
Being very detail oriented, it is easy for me to get mired in the details of keeping track of many things. I am reviewing the book and discovering that I need to make some choices about what has value to me by asking myself, “why am I doing this?” -- like a 5-year old does. I'll will try this with the project I plan for tomorrow morning.
I still have not mastered the techniques in the book, however it does help keep a clear head. Others have stuck with the program and have seen improvements. Most habits take 21 days to instill, I have passed this point, so it is part of my habits now. All I need to do is hone the skill.
Being very detail oriented, it is easy for me to get mired in the details of keeping track of many things. I am reviewing the book and discovering that I need to make some choices about what has value to me by asking myself, “why am I doing this?” -- like a 5-year old does. I'll will try this with the project I plan for tomorrow morning.
Procrastination
I have many more passages to write regarding motivation and distraction. Oddly enough, I realize that researching such matters only prolongs starting the commitment process which allows me to live life on purpose. I once asked a performance specialist “what causes procrastination?” He responded, “Procrastination occurs because the goal or activity is not urgent or remains abstract.” We proceeded to discuss the matter and again, imagery entered the discussion. The key is defining a goal clearly and imagining success. You can read about his goal setting technique in his book Focused for Golf.
The best workbook for goal setting I've discovered is The Power of Focus. In this book, Canfield describes goal setting. His definition of goal setting requires almost absolute commitment: “A goal is the ongoing pursuit of a worthy objective until accomplished”. I can't do this book justice in a few short words, however this phrase is quite ingenious. It means that a substantial reward awaits at the end of a journey -- this journey takes time and the quest does not abate, despite obstacles.
I set a number of goals, using Canfield's method in early 2007. Progress toward these goals was almost immediate, followed by months of dedication to achieve them. I committed to these goals to overcome an unjustified performance poor performance review. Over time, the value of the endeavor waned. After three re-planning the project three times, I negotiated an end to the project, which would only take 1-2 weeks to complete. However, decided to focus on the hitting a high priority deadline instead. After a vacation, a disagreement with my sponsor and other distractions, the project has stalled. In retrospect, I recognize the project does not have value to my management, although completing it would give me get me 1/2 way to my goal. So why haven't I completed the task? I don't know.
I have decided to dedicate tomorrow morning to writing a plan to complete this project. I will find a comfortable, quiet spot and commit to a plan before tomorrow noon.
The best workbook for goal setting I've discovered is The Power of Focus. In this book, Canfield describes goal setting. His definition of goal setting requires almost absolute commitment: “A goal is the ongoing pursuit of a worthy objective until accomplished”. I can't do this book justice in a few short words, however this phrase is quite ingenious. It means that a substantial reward awaits at the end of a journey -- this journey takes time and the quest does not abate, despite obstacles.
I set a number of goals, using Canfield's method in early 2007. Progress toward these goals was almost immediate, followed by months of dedication to achieve them. I committed to these goals to overcome an unjustified performance poor performance review. Over time, the value of the endeavor waned. After three re-planning the project three times, I negotiated an end to the project, which would only take 1-2 weeks to complete. However, decided to focus on the hitting a high priority deadline instead. After a vacation, a disagreement with my sponsor and other distractions, the project has stalled. In retrospect, I recognize the project does not have value to my management, although completing it would give me get me 1/2 way to my goal. So why haven't I completed the task? I don't know.
I have decided to dedicate tomorrow morning to writing a plan to complete this project. I will find a comfortable, quiet spot and commit to a plan before tomorrow noon.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Religion, The Confidence Factor and The Secret
I'm not particularly religious, however, many highly successful people are. Religion by it's very nature requires an active imagination. I believe religion is a way to define goals and principles which invokes the empathic circuit. As David Allen indicates in "Getting Things Done", when we solve problems without thinking about them in a structured manner, solutions outside of our principles do not come to mind. In this aspect, religion is quite interesting. Nothing is more fraught with imagery and principles than a sermon delivered by a true believer. This type of self confidence is very intimidating. Many people dislike making others uncomfortable and retreat instead of following the path of their true purpose.
From a spiritual point of view, Nelson Mandella says it best. Substitute God with your beliefs in the following passage and you will see the powerful imagery at play.
The Confidence Factor
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
SOURCE: A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
(as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994)
The Secret
Recently the book and DVD "The Secret" became extremely popular. Although this video gives a pseudo-scientific explanation of how to live life on purpose, from a spritual point of view. The premise relies on the existence of the spirit world to faciliate the manifestation of thought. It is a cookbook explaining the addage "watch out what you wish for, you might get it." The interesting aspect of this book is that focusing on a negative thing (such as ending a war) actually promotes it's existence. Focusing on something else, such as smiling people in the areas affected by the war, will eventually eradicate it.
From a spiritual point of view, Nelson Mandella says it best. Substitute God with your beliefs in the following passage and you will see the powerful imagery at play.
The Confidence Factor
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
SOURCE: A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
(as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994)
The Secret
Recently the book and DVD "The Secret" became extremely popular. Although this video gives a pseudo-scientific explanation of how to live life on purpose, from a spritual point of view. The premise relies on the existence of the spirit world to faciliate the manifestation of thought. It is a cookbook explaining the addage "watch out what you wish for, you might get it." The interesting aspect of this book is that focusing on a negative thing (such as ending a war) actually promotes it's existence. Focusing on something else, such as smiling people in the areas affected by the war, will eventually eradicate it.
The Human Empathic Circuit
Distractions make it difficult to focus. It is essential to think your own thoughts to live life on purpose. Television, computers, radio and many other sources grab attention. Whether they understand the mechanism or not, advertisers and sensational journalism specifically design programming to invoke empathy. The human empathic circuit is very powerful, it is important to use it for your own purpose. The research I've done on empathy is listed below.
Humans have a remarkable capacity for empathy. One of the TV science magazines covered the subject and demonstrated the existence of the “human empathic circuit” in the brain. I can’t recall the program, however the science of the subject is covered in a paper in TheScientificWorldJOURNAL (2006) by Jean Decety and Claus Lamm from the University of Chicago. The article is available from Decety on the UofC website.
Empathy has many definitions, most of describe the symptoms rather than the mechanism of the emotion. When measuring the brain activities of humans watching, listening or recalling certain events; scientists have shown that subjects display the same brain patterns as when they perform or experience the event. In short the empathic circuit allows humans to experience something without doing it, in many cases, quite effectively. Of course, these experiences are temporary and limited to the attention the subject pays to the subject, otherwise after seeing someone break a leg you wouldn’t be able to walk – instead we wince at pain and then the feeling subsides.
Particular types of stimulation are very effective at invoking the empathy. Hollywood knows this all too well. Movies played in a theatre at high volume and in the dark, focus and overwhelm multiple senses with imagery and sound. This creates a remarkably effective experience that sometimes last for days. Sometimes traumatic events in the physical world are marked by a song or sight which triggers the emotion again. The famous line “I was doing (blank) when I heard President Kennedy was shot” is an example of this.
Focus on the Outcome
Imagery is the key to success. Every child has an active imagination. As children age, the ability to imagine does not subside, instead responsibilities and principles invade the psyche. This is a natural side-effect of teenage brain development, where the ability to predict the outcome of situations is developed. As this occurs the ability to think “outside the box” naturally subsides. Highly successful people retain the ability to visualize a goal, the clearer the vision, the more successful the outcome.
For example, downhill skiers routinely play movies in their minds, jumping out of the gate, every turn and cut until the finish line. One skier saw himself fall repeatedly at a gate. He played the movie backwards and forwards until he saw that he was off balance going into a turn. He corrected the problem in his mind and he stopped falling in the movie.
I had a similar experience. Many years ago, I purchased a $200 set of audio tapes. The course is Personal Power by Anthony Robbins. He is a self taught success guru who teaches Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). As I was listening to the tapes, I got to the section where I needed to imagine my life in a few months or years. I imagined having a job where I didn’t need to go to work at a specific time everyday and I drove a red convertible with a high performance V-8 engine. I created a fairly clear vision of the future and forgot about it. After about two months, I reviewed the program and discovered I had accomplished my goals. I had purchased a red Z-28, it was used, but it fit the description. I was doing research at home where I set my own hours.
In fact, every time I’ve used visualization to set goals, I have accomplished them in short order. However, one of my goals is to become financially independent, yet I have not been able visualize this and therefore have not accomplished it. To this end, I have been searching for a solution to this problem. All the teachings I’ve read, indicate the key is to live life “on purpose” and to recognize the value of your time. For some reason, I only get paid well at my job, despite having mastered many skills. I suspect this has something to do with my “empathic circuit”, which is a fascinating subject.
For example, downhill skiers routinely play movies in their minds, jumping out of the gate, every turn and cut until the finish line. One skier saw himself fall repeatedly at a gate. He played the movie backwards and forwards until he saw that he was off balance going into a turn. He corrected the problem in his mind and he stopped falling in the movie.
I had a similar experience. Many years ago, I purchased a $200 set of audio tapes. The course is Personal Power by Anthony Robbins. He is a self taught success guru who teaches Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). As I was listening to the tapes, I got to the section where I needed to imagine my life in a few months or years. I imagined having a job where I didn’t need to go to work at a specific time everyday and I drove a red convertible with a high performance V-8 engine. I created a fairly clear vision of the future and forgot about it. After about two months, I reviewed the program and discovered I had accomplished my goals. I had purchased a red Z-28, it was used, but it fit the description. I was doing research at home where I set my own hours.
In fact, every time I’ve used visualization to set goals, I have accomplished them in short order. However, one of my goals is to become financially independent, yet I have not been able visualize this and therefore have not accomplished it. To this end, I have been searching for a solution to this problem. All the teachings I’ve read, indicate the key is to live life “on purpose” and to recognize the value of your time. For some reason, I only get paid well at my job, despite having mastered many skills. I suspect this has something to do with my “empathic circuit”, which is a fascinating subject.
Becoming Focused for Success
Welcome to my blog. I have decided to chronicle my effort to become focused for success. It is my intention to become wildly successful through increasing focus and living life on purpose, and I would like to take you with me.
Having worked in the telecommunications industry since the mid 1980's, my professional life has been a series of Dilbert comic strips. I now realize that more 80% of my career has been spent in environments where the desire to avoid failure is the prime objective.
This blog is about daring to imagine an environment where success is normal and expected. Most books about success profess the same formula. This formula is simple in principle, however difficult to master.
I hope you will join my journey to develop and master a personal recipe for being successful through the power of focus.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
