A Shift In Action

As the world is flattening, technology has given people and countries opportunity to compete on more comparable terms than ever before. We’ve seen offshoring and outsourcing pump new life into China and India and the convergence of personal computers and open source software has made information accessible to virtually anyone, anywhere at any time. So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

In my humble opinion, it is great and absolutely fascinating. I am tempted to say that some of the products and applications created as a result of the world becoming flatter, (namely Google, my GPS and my BlackBerry) are not just ‘great’, but essential to my life.  Although I know they truly aren’t, I often ponder how people lived without these things…?  (more…)

Once you decide to actually take that leap of fate and make that change you’ve been wanting/needing to, (refer to last week’s post: Back to Basics) people around you are going to notice.  Regardless if it’s a big or little change, people close to you will see the transformation.  Some will probably be impacted by your change.  Unfortunately, most people like their comfort zones and are averse to getting used to something or someone different.  Uncertainty can be threatening and it breeds discomfort.  However, there is not a damn thing anyone can do about change.  It’s as natural as grass growing and ironically, it’s the only existing constant we can depend on.  Hopefully, before, during and after your transformation, the people closest to you are supportive .  If they don’t like the new you, hopefully they don’t give you too much grief.

And so what if they do? And what if “they” is hundreds and millions of people?  I don’t personally know what that feels like, but I have an idea of some folks that do: (more…)

Some people are resistant to change while others thrive.  Regardless of what category you fall into, the fact remains that the only constant is change.  If you believe that you are averse  to change, but have caught yourself thinking of ways to escape your current situation, now is the time to shift your actions.  Not sure if you are ready to make a move?  Here are some tell-tale signs there’s no time like the present to change your life for the better.

1.  You can’t seem to focus and you procrastinate more than usual.

If you find your mind wandering and daydreaming about what you’d rather be doing, take note.  People tend to rehearse through daydreams the changes they like to make in their lives and if you often fantasize about the same thing, you have clue to where you need to make a change.  When it feels much better to think about the way you wish things would be different, it makes it that much harder to apply yourself to real life.  Unsatisfactory reality breeds procrastination; it takes much longer to complete something you do not enjoy.

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As the world continues to flatten, not only are businesses getting more competitive, but so are people. The effect of globalization goes beyond competitors in commerce and seeps into opportunities for the individual.  Sharing ideas and beliefs are no longer for those who have lots of money and can pay for air time on the radio or television, nor only for editors who have their own columns in magazines or newspapers.  You now can be heard around the world with a few strokes of a keyboard and a few clicks of a mouse. (more…)

It has been called the “Passion Quotient” and “Engagement Quotient” and “Desire Quotient” and is a more indicative factor of individual success that pure intelligence. Whatever you call it, enthusiasm is what will set you apart and make a contender to be the BEST.

As globalization continues to flatten the worlds of commerce, naturally individual playing fields are leveled off as well. In my last blog post I stated that because there is more competition among individuals we must seize the opportunities available to us from emerging technology and make ourselves known.  I suggested that we use the tools available to us to gain an edge on our competitors.

I still definitely recommend getting a Twitter account and followers to add eyes to your blog as one way to spread your word.   However, I am also suggesting that doing that will only get you so far. You may gain popularity and website traffic, but it won’t make you the best at what you do. (more…)

There are critics and skeptics of the phrase “positive mental attitude” and I agree, it may come with some what of a hokey connotation, but what is it really? It’s all about feeling good. I mean, truly feeling good, not just telling yourself or anyone else to “be positive.”

Can you recall a time when you were down and someone told you to “cheer up?” Aside from being annoyed as all get out, did you ever think, “How? Where do I start? How can I feel good when I feel this bad?” Revisiting the Attitude of Gratitude:

Positive Mental Attitude implies that one has a vision of good natured change in one’s mind; it employs a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances.  A few weeks ago I mentioned that having a “PMA” could have amazing effects on your life, specifically your job. In short, I suggested that: (more…)

A wise man once said , “Every adversity and defeat carries the seed of an equivalent benefit, if we are ingenious enough to find it.” Through some eyes, every obstacle is viewed as an opportunity. Spoken with true optimism, I am suggesting there is good that will come out of this era of relentless corporate catastrophe.

Before you stop reading and label me a rosy-glassed liar, hear me out.

The silver lining comes through as the consciousness of corporations rise.

Positive Awareness

One thing that is obvious from these times is that consumers really care about the values of the corporation and even a brand. Ethics are a hot topic and as the government (a.k.a our tax dollars) are bailing out huge corporations while big bonuses are paid and executives are redecorating their offices. People are noticing and not liking it.

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I have worked on many web projects over the last hmmm… 13 years? Yep, I’m ancient where the web is concerned. Anyways, at first, the web was all about technology. Routers and servers, programming languages and bandwidth.  I’ve been wondering if there is really any more technology plays out there anymore (at least one where the barriers to entry aren’t thru-the-roof).

Today, innovation happens so fast and opensource development is so prolific that technology is ubiquitous. For you who are beginning to stream your life, connect with the online community and create your own personal equity, you are in luck. The cost of time and resources required to publish globally has fallen thru the floor; unless, of course, you have chosen to develop your own platform. (more…)

Across the US, most schools are out for Spring Break this week. A lot of adults, NOT currently enrolled in school, are out of the office continuing the best tradition ever invented. So hopefully, you are one of those lucky people and you are taking a few minutes on Monday morning, following your break, to read my blog before you get ready to CHANGE the WORLD and make shit happen at work today.

Oh, what’s that? You have a case of the Mondays? And, you are in a deep depression because the best week of your year-to-date has passed?

What if I told you that you are about to LOVE your job? Well, you are because you have one, first and foremost. With the way the economy is and the unemployment rate sky high, we should all be thankful for some objectives to be held accountable to yield that paycheck. (more…)

Hey! Any parents out there? You’ll probably agree that one of the most overlooked key metrics in schools is creativity. The fundamental shifts that have occurred over the last decade has all but left our education system and our students behind. What this means for the future cannot be overlooked.

Creativity is one of the three key quotients needed in today’s world, which is changing at an unprecedented pace. The amount of information we can pass on to students in the time they are at school is very limited. On the other hand, access to all kinds of information has become incredibly easy. So it’s not what we teach that matters so much as making sure pupils know how to learn, unlearn and re-learn. Businesses all over the world have repeatedly expressed what they expect from their work force. The new ’survival requirements’ are:

• confidence that we know how to learn;
• being able to deal positively with change (practically and emotionally);
• flexibility and creativity in the ways we think.

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence. (more…)