That would be you.
Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself.
Odds are, you're doing it poorly.
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much as your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.
I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.
We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for.
There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn
The above is from http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Essential Post of 2010 Zen Habits
Following is an excerpts from The Essential Post of 2010 Zen Habits, basically its a summary of the best zen habit articles selected/voted by the readers.
The Essential Posts of 2010
Each year I choose the top posts from Zen Habits for the year but this year I decided to let you guys do the choosing. I don’t keep track of stats anymore so I don’t know which posts you guys liked best. It was interesting to see the results.
Here are the Top 20 posts as chosen by all of you:
1. you’re already perfect
2. the lost art of solitude
3. The Case Against Christmas Presents
4. Simplify, and Savor Life
5. the best goal is no goal
6. Why I don’t care about success
7. the zen of doing
8. the elements of living lightly
9. Life’s missing white space
10. The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
11. A simplified morning routine
12. a brief guide to life
13. Kill Your To-Do List
14. How Not to Hurry
15. kindfully + mindfully
16. achieving, without goals
17. How to Be a Positive Person, in Under 300 Words
18. The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies
19. the tao of productivity
20. Get Inspired
A few other posts I’d recommend:
1. the barefoot philosophy
2. the insidious perfidiousness of doubts, overcome
3. lessons from a car-free life
4. The Little Guide to Inspiration
Please follow link to read through the above articles.
The Essential Posts of 2010
Each year I choose the top posts from Zen Habits for the year but this year I decided to let you guys do the choosing. I don’t keep track of stats anymore so I don’t know which posts you guys liked best. It was interesting to see the results.
Here are the Top 20 posts as chosen by all of you:
1. you’re already perfect
2. the lost art of solitude
3. The Case Against Christmas Presents
4. Simplify, and Savor Life
5. the best goal is no goal
6. Why I don’t care about success
7. the zen of doing
8. the elements of living lightly
9. Life’s missing white space
10. The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
11. A simplified morning routine
12. a brief guide to life
13. Kill Your To-Do List
14. How Not to Hurry
15. kindfully + mindfully
16. achieving, without goals
17. How to Be a Positive Person, in Under 300 Words
18. The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies
19. the tao of productivity
20. Get Inspired
A few other posts I’d recommend:
1. the barefoot philosophy
2. the insidious perfidiousness of doubts, overcome
3. lessons from a car-free life
4. The Little Guide to Inspiration
Please follow link to read through the above articles.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
60 Tips for Great life style.
60 TIPS FOR A STUNNINGLY GREAT LIFE
I want to shift gears from leadership to a pure focus on crafting an exceptional life for this blog post. Ultimately, life goes by in a blink. And too many people live the same year 80 times. To avoid getting to the end and feeling flooded regret over a live half-lived, read (and then apply) these tips:
1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”.
7. Plan a schedule for your week.
8. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
9. Say no to distractions.
10. Drink a lot of water.
11. Improve your work every single day.
12. Get a mentor.
13. Hire a coach.
14. Get up at 5 am each day.
15. Eat less food.
16. Find more heroes.
17. Be a hero to someone.
18. Smile at strangers.
19. Be the most ethical person you know.
20. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
21. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
22. Save 10% of your income each month.
23. Spend time at art galleries.
24. Walk in the woods.
25. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
26. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
27. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
28. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
29. Have 5 great friends.
30. Become stunningly polite.
31. Unplug your TV.
32. Sell your TV.
33. Read daily.
34. Avoid the news.
35. Be content with what you have.
36. Pursue your dreams.
37. Be authentic.
38. Be passionate.
39. Say sorry when you know you should.
40. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
41. Have a vision for your life.
42. Know your strengths.
43. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
44. Be patient.
45. Don’t give up.
46. Clean up your messes.
47. Use impeccable words.
48. Travel more.
49. Read “As You Think”.
50. Honor your parents.
51. Tip taxi drivers well.
52. Be a great teammate.
53. Give no energy to critics.
54. Spent time in the mountains.
55. Know your top 5 values.
56. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
57. Innovate and iterate.
58. Speak less. Listen more.
59. Be the best person you know.
60. Make your life matter.
Article extracted from http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/
I want to shift gears from leadership to a pure focus on crafting an exceptional life for this blog post. Ultimately, life goes by in a blink. And too many people live the same year 80 times. To avoid getting to the end and feeling flooded regret over a live half-lived, read (and then apply) these tips:
1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”.
7. Plan a schedule for your week.
8. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
9. Say no to distractions.
10. Drink a lot of water.
11. Improve your work every single day.
12. Get a mentor.
13. Hire a coach.
14. Get up at 5 am each day.
15. Eat less food.
16. Find more heroes.
17. Be a hero to someone.
18. Smile at strangers.
19. Be the most ethical person you know.
20. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
21. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
22. Save 10% of your income each month.
23. Spend time at art galleries.
24. Walk in the woods.
25. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
26. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
27. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
28. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
29. Have 5 great friends.
30. Become stunningly polite.
31. Unplug your TV.
32. Sell your TV.
33. Read daily.
34. Avoid the news.
35. Be content with what you have.
36. Pursue your dreams.
37. Be authentic.
38. Be passionate.
39. Say sorry when you know you should.
40. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
41. Have a vision for your life.
42. Know your strengths.
43. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
44. Be patient.
45. Don’t give up.
46. Clean up your messes.
47. Use impeccable words.
48. Travel more.
49. Read “As You Think”.
50. Honor your parents.
51. Tip taxi drivers well.
52. Be a great teammate.
53. Give no energy to critics.
54. Spent time in the mountains.
55. Know your top 5 values.
56. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
57. Innovate and iterate.
58. Speak less. Listen more.
59. Be the best person you know.
60. Make your life matter.
Article extracted from http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Ten Commandments of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
In a nutshell the 10 Commandments of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma which I came across through on youtube from Gemba Academy.
1. Open your mind to change
2. Think 'yes we can if....'
3. Always attack processes and NEVER people.
4. Seek simple solutions.
5. If it's broken, Stop to fix it (when you first identify it)
6. Use creativity NOT capital
7. Problems are opportunities in disguise
8. Find the root cause (Why instead of who)
9. Wisdom of many is far better than the knowledge of one
10. There is no final destination on the improvement journey.
The video can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/Kaizan_1
1. Open your mind to change
2. Think 'yes we can if....'
3. Always attack processes and NEVER people.
4. Seek simple solutions.
5. If it's broken, Stop to fix it (when you first identify it)
6. Use creativity NOT capital
7. Problems are opportunities in disguise
8. Find the root cause (Why instead of who)
9. Wisdom of many is far better than the knowledge of one
10. There is no final destination on the improvement journey.
The video can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/Kaizan_1
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Where do good ideas come from..
This is an extraction from http://sethgodin.typepad.com
Where do ideas come from?
1. Ideas don't come from watching television
2. Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture
3. Ideas often come while reading a book
4. Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them
5. Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom
6. Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide
7. Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do
8. Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginner's mind. A little awareness is a good thing
9. Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week
10. Ideas come from trouble
11. Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they're generous and selfless
12. Ideas come from nature
13. Sometimes ideas come from fear (usually in movies) but often they come from confidence
14. Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice
15. Though sometimes ideas sneak in when we're asleep and too numb to be afraid
16. Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we're not trying
17. Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute
18. Bigger ideas leapfrog the mediocre ones
19. Ideas don't need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity
20. An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn't join us here, it's hidden. And hidden ideas don't ship, have no influence, no intersection with the market. They die, alone.
Where do ideas come from?
1. Ideas don't come from watching television
2. Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture
3. Ideas often come while reading a book
4. Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them
5. Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom
6. Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide
7. Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do
8. Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginner's mind. A little awareness is a good thing
9. Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week
10. Ideas come from trouble
11. Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they're generous and selfless
12. Ideas come from nature
13. Sometimes ideas come from fear (usually in movies) but often they come from confidence
14. Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice
15. Though sometimes ideas sneak in when we're asleep and too numb to be afraid
16. Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we're not trying
17. Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute
18. Bigger ideas leapfrog the mediocre ones
19. Ideas don't need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity
20. An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn't join us here, it's hidden. And hidden ideas don't ship, have no influence, no intersection with the market. They die, alone.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
ASSUMPTION IS THE MOTHER OF SCREW UPS
The following was a mail received from Bruno's One Minute eMail and of course has a huge lesson for all of us and it takes only a minute to read.
A drunken man with a strong smell of gin...
...sat down on a subway next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face plastered with red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes he turned to the priest and asked, "Say Father, what causes arthritis?"
The priest replies, "My Son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and lack of a bath!"
The drunk muttered in response, "Well, I'll be ..." and returned to his paper.
The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?"
The drunk answered, "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading that the Pope does."
A drunken man with a strong smell of gin...
...sat down on a subway next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face plastered with red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes he turned to the priest and asked, "Say Father, what causes arthritis?"
The priest replies, "My Son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and lack of a bath!"
The drunk muttered in response, "Well, I'll be ..." and returned to his paper.
The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?"
The drunk answered, "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading that the Pope does."
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Beyond our expectations!!!
Once a boy went to a shop with his mother. The shop keeper looked at the small cute child and showed him a bottle with sweets and said 'Dear Child..u can take the sweets...
But the child didnt take. The shop keeper was surprised.. such a small child he is and why is he not taking the sweets from the bottle. Again he said take the sweets....
Now the mother also heard that and said.. take the sweets dear.. Yet he didnt take... The shopkeeper seeing the child not taking the sweets... he himself took the sweets and gave to the child. The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets.
While returning home the Mother asked the child... Why didnt you take the sweets, when the shop keeper told you to take?.. Can you guess the response: Child replies... Mom! my hands are very small and if i take the sweets i can only take few.. but now you see when uncle gave with his big hands.... how many more sweets i got!
Moral: When we take we may get little but when God gives... HE gives us more beyond our expectations. .. more than what we can hold..!!
Anonymous Author
But the child didnt take. The shop keeper was surprised.. such a small child he is and why is he not taking the sweets from the bottle. Again he said take the sweets....
Now the mother also heard that and said.. take the sweets dear.. Yet he didnt take... The shopkeeper seeing the child not taking the sweets... he himself took the sweets and gave to the child. The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets.
While returning home the Mother asked the child... Why didnt you take the sweets, when the shop keeper told you to take?.. Can you guess the response: Child replies... Mom! my hands are very small and if i take the sweets i can only take few.. but now you see when uncle gave with his big hands.... how many more sweets i got!
Moral: When we take we may get little but when God gives... HE gives us more beyond our expectations. .. more than what we can hold..!!
Anonymous Author
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