Posted by Tim
Mon, 12 Jun 2006 02:35:00 GMT
I’m reading a new book, To Be of Use by Dave Smith, and at the beginning of chapter five is the following quote.
It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?...
It is remarkable that there is little or nothing to be remembered written on the subject of getting a living; how to make getting a living not merely honest and honorable, but altogehter inviting and glorious; for if getting a living is not so, then living is not…
—Henry David Thoreau
I am devoting a large amount of energy to finding and executing work that matters, work that improves things, and not just work that pays the bills. How much time on your timesheet adds value to yourself, your organization, and others? My current answer: not enough, but please ask again in six months.
I’ll write more about the book once I am finished. In the meantime, what books are you reading?
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Posted by Tim
Mon, 20 Mar 2006 13:13:00 GMT
The Group of 33 that wrote The Big Moo have embraced the idea that no person is perfect, and they turn their attention to something that every person can achieve, namely "stop trying to be perfect and start being remarkable."
The Big Moo could probably be read comfortably in one sitting, but that isn’t really how it will be best digested. This is a book that is best served one essay at a time, maybe two or three if you’re feeling extra indulgent or you just can’t stop after only a single page or two of text. Read an essay, now slow down, stop, think about it. What lessons can be learned from the slice of text just ingested?
In addition to being a great book on its own, it is a book authored by men and women who look beyond themselves to the needs of others. All of the author royalties are donated to three charities listed on the book’s website. Buy five copies and give them to your friends.
With or without reading the book, I hope that you are doing your best each day to be remarkable and make a positive difference. As demonstrated in the book’s essay "Be Like Reggie" we know that sometimes being remarkable is the result of five extra minutes of effort. What can you do in five minutes that makes a difference?
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Posted by Tim
Tue, 03 Jan 2006 11:31:00 GMT
I offered to send a short list of reading material to two friends who are thinking about options in big business and small business. To support my offer I decided to start writing a little bit about the books that make me move.
The first book that I’ll offer up is Rules for Revolutionaries by Guy Kawasaki. Guy is a great writer with major business and buzz building experience. I just finished Rules a few days ago, and there are two chapters that really stand out in my mind. Chapter three, “Churn, Baby, Churn”, confronted one of the issues that I am continually struggling with. As soon as version 1 of anything hits, you need to start working on version 2, and you need a clear and well tested path to move from version 1 to version 2. Many of the newest web companies release their software multiple times in a day, and I think that’s a powerful capability because customers can see problems fixed within a day of reporting them. We’re not there yet, but we’re working hard to get there. My biggest hurdle is model changes—how do I most effectively automate database ERD changes and take the old data with me into the new version? It’s possible, but we don’t have the test infrastructure in place to ensure success or revert in case of failure.
The second chapter that really struck me is called “Eat Like a Bird, Poop Like an Elephant.” At first blush I figured that we’d read about spending very little in the way of start up capital while still producing huge results. And then Guy gives a brief biology refresher. Birds eat. And eat. And eat. Consume information as it becomes available to you. Don’t horde it for later, consume it. Much of the benefit that information gives us is derived in the act of consumption. And don’t just sit on the information once consumed. Share it, use it, grow it. Once you’re in the habit of taking a lot in, you need to get into the habit of putting a lot out as well. Share your knowledge to make things better.
The book is a quick read, and it can be found for next to nothing on Amazon.
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Posted by Tim
Fri, 23 Dec 2005 20:19:00 GMT
PROCRASTINATION. The habit of putting off until tomorrow that which should have been done last year. Spending enough time in creating alibis and excuses to have done the job.”
That was from Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (TAGR). I read The Little Red Book of Selling while I was out of town on business, and the author suggested reading TAGR continuously until the concepts really started to sink in. He did this for one whole year, reading the book about 15 times in the process. I enjoyed The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill so much that I think an immersion in TAGR could be quite helpful.
I attribute much of my entrepreneurial energy to the Law of Success. The point is made quite clearly that each of us can positively impact the lives of others and improve our own lives in the process if only we focus our thoughts and efforts on making the world a better place. After reading TAGR this week I realized that I had lost some of my drive since last reading The Law of Success. There is such an abundance of diversions and negativity in the world that constant reinforcement of positive thoughts and potential is almost required to succeed in big ways.
I’d like to take a moment and point out that the “Rich” in Think and Grow Rich is so much more than just money. The book is really about infusing a holistic richness into people. It could have been appropriately titled Think and Grow, but Napoleon noted that most people wanted to specifically grow rich.
Now, after some procrastination, a thought on procrastination. The definition at the top of this post from TAGR really resonated with me. It sent me on a quick trip through the last year. How many items have been on your action list for weeks, months, or even years? Too many to comfortably count in public if you’re like me. Inaction rooted in indecision is very powerful. Do your research and then get busy. It’s all about fire and motion. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some code to write…
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