I try to start out the new year with the best of intentions to improve myself and improve my relationships with others. This year rather than setting goals to lose weight or exercise my body more, I decided to focus more on my professional life and to exercise my mind more. I made the self proclamation to work really hard at not procrastinating and I proudly stated to my wife while beating on my chest that I would focus on becoming more independent as a graphic designer. World domination will have to wait until next year.

Most people point out that resolutions are made to be broken and most of us do start out gung-ho and then gradually lose that forward momentum after about week two. It seems that our busy daily lives are so overwhelmed with tasks to complete for others, that we lose focus on the good intentions we have laid out for ourselves. So how can we keep our eye on that proverbial brass ring of new year resolutions we have so carefully laid out without wandering back to our bad habits?

I have come up with a list of things to do on a daily basis that might help me, and possibly others, to stick to the resolution plan.

1. As soon as you wake, tell yourself what it is that you really want out of life and what you need to do that day to work towards that goal.
Generally, the first thing that pops into my head after waking up is getting that initial cup of coffee and using every ounce of energy I have to keep my eyes open. But seriously, if I think of what it is I really want to do as soon as I wake up, it's going to stick with me for the day. It's like waking up from a dream and remembering it. If you're like me, you just can't wait to tell someone about it because it is the first thing that popped into your head when you woke up.

2. Do what you say you're going to do.
Nike did an ad campaign and most know the tag line. "Just Do It." Well ... that is all it takes to meet the daily goals we have set out for ourselves. Just do it. Don't make excuses or try to find ways of putting it off. If you are distracted or interrupted by another task, write down what it is your were doing, put it in a place where you are guaranteed to see it, and continue were you left off when you are able.

3. Don't take on more than you can handle.
Start out with goals that can be met without too much of a hassle. Set the more difficult choices into long-term goals and work toward them in small digestible bits. Make a list of small tasks you can do daily to help reach that long-term challenge. Once we form a habit that isn't too much to handle, we generally start doing it conditionally without much thought. Set your goals in small, easy to handle bits that are enjoyable. Before long, you will be looking for the next challenge with enthusiasm.

4. Tell someone.
If you tell someone that is close to you like a spouse, relative, or close friend what it is you intend to do, you have open the door to accountability. People generally thrive on pointing out to others their short comings. Use this to your advantage by not taking it as negative criticism, but as effective coaching to help you achieve your goals. Most teams that are successful have a coach that is constantly challenging the team's ability to meet objectives and overcome challenges to reach their goals. Think of that nagging friend or spouse as a coach that is motivating you to win.

A big part of my resolution is to stick to this list. Number 4 on the list is going to be the most challenging for me, as I'm sure it will be for most, due to the nature of having others remind us of our goals. With a strong will and perseverance, I'm sure I will get through this challenge and meet the expectation I have imposed on myself. I'm sure you will too!

Best wishes for 2009 and ... Happy New Year!

Labels: Personal

This past weekend while out shopping in the downtown area of Frederick, Maryland, something caught my eye in the window of Cinegraphic Studios, one of my favorite stores. There were at least 20 to 30 fuzzy little white blobs starting out at me with bright red eyes. I was immediately intrigued and went inside to discover Giant Microbes designed by Drew Oliver from Giantmicrobes.com. I had no choice but to purchase one.


The Microbe of choice was of course the little white guy with the bright red eyes, Bacillus Anthracis, or more commonly known as Anthrax. According to the hang tag, my newly acquired plush microbe is more than one million times the actual size, therefore he's not lethal to humans.


Some of the other microbes I discovered were porphyomonas gingivalis (bad breath), Ebola, treponema pallidum (syphilis), and the infamous streptococcus pyrogenes (flesh eating) virus.

Labels: Fun Stuff, Personal

The more I engage with others in an endless myriad of social networks, and the more I try to convey all things to everyone, the more I discover the value of being niche oriented. A close friend recently told me that to do two things at once is to do neither. I am beginning to fully understand that being task specific versus multi-task oriented can build significantly more equitable relationships in the long term and keep me from burning out in my attempts in keeping up with a multitude of network requests.

With online application development moving at the speed of light, and providing users with many tools to connect, manage, and create, it is tempting for me to try and keep up and attempt to be an expert at conversing on every networking site that becomes accessible. The problem that has become obvious to me is that I can’t do it all. As hard as I work at keeping up, there is always someone working just as hard at developing more challenges for me which causes me to get further and further behind.

I have been asked by many people to network. The problem I am experiencing is that there are so many people to keep up with.

So how do I overcome the urge to try and participate in every social networking site that pops up?

First, I have decided to organize all the networks I am involved with into smaller groups and then prioritize how often I will focus on each site. I ask myself if the time I am investing in an activity or session is going to be of some value to me and create some form of equity rather it be professional or personal in nature.

Next I have to decide which of these selected groups will help to narrow my focus and benefit my goal of creating a specific social niche. I recently joined Twitter, which is a great source of social networking and I have been asked by many people to network. The problem I am experiencing is that there are so many people to keep up with. This time consuming activity of rooting through hundreds of posts takes away from building a network of professional and personal contacts that I can gell with and build some form of equitable relationship.

My final solution in building a social niche is keeping the connections to a minimum of 10-15 individuals, rather than 100 or more. I focus on those that I want to learn from, collaborate with, or start new friendships. This smaller network becomes easier to manage and has much more value. I recommend that you build your social niche by keeping it narrow and specialized. This will allow you to be more personable and offer more attention to your connections.

Labels: Networking, Personal