A new year is a fresh start. While it's easy to get caught up in the rah-rah excitement of a new beginning, it's also important to acknowledge the fear that comes with it. Writers talk about the trepidation that a blank page can create, because both the possibility of success and failure are present in the beginning. What if you can't think of anything to write? What if what you do write sucks? I released five books this past year and the start was always daunting. It doesn't matter how much I've written, a blank page (or computer screen) is always scary. I know that every time I dive into a writing project there will be ups and … [Read more...]
Outliers – Malcom Gladwell
This article was originally published on April 10th 2009. If you haven't read Malcolm's stuff yet - go read it! You won't be disappointed. The 10,000 hour idea that he popularized only holds up for mastering in highly-competitive fields and doesn't translate to most activities (watch this TED talk on how long it really takes to learn a skill). Still, it's great food for thought. Malcolm Gladwell has an uncanny ability to pick a small, below-the-radar aspect of human experience and use it as a jumping off point for an exploration of how our brains work. In doing so, he usually goes well beyond the initial topic and invariably ends up … [Read more...]
Innovate Like Edison – Michael Gelb and Sarah Miller Caldicott
This article was originally published a few years ago at the RockStar Success Library. I read my first book about Thomas Alva Edison when I was in the third grade. I remember being just as fascinated by his middle name as by the long list of his discoveries. Even though I still think he has a very cool middle name, I’ve moved past that to appreciate the unique impact he still has on our daily lives almost a century after his inventive peak. Innovate like Edison takes a unique approach to looking at the inventor’s life. It’s not so much concerned with the list of inventions that he was responsible for, or even his individual genius, … [Read more...]
The Story of my Success (So Far)
June 6, 1997. There's a common thought that the most important moments in your life happen without you realizing their meaning at the time. That's certainly tue with one of the turning points in my career. I didn't know it, but that day would go on to influence the direction of my entire professional life. Because that's the day I walked out of a non-descript office on the north side of Chicago and became a knife salesman. Yep, I sold knives. I sat down in people's kitchens and sold Cutco Cutlery. These days the company has grown to be a common brand name; but back then, few people had heard of it, much less thought about selling them. … [Read more...]
One of the Best Time Management Tools I’ve Found
I recently visited the Zen Garden at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, and found it a profoundly calming experience. Like many of us, I find myself bouncing around from activity to activity during the day. My mind is usually even more frantic as it works on what I need to do in the future and what I've done in the past. And, oh yeah, tries to pay attention to what I'm doing right now. For a few moments I was surrounded by the quiet in the Zen Garden. I could almost feel the cogs in my mind slowing down. My breathing became deeper and more relaxed. I was peaceful and felt a sense of clarity that is often elusive. When You Are Busy... … [Read more...]
The Secret Ingredient of Amazing Networking
There are a lot of ideas out there about how to become a better networker. There always seems to be a new trick or tool that promises to help your networking be more effective and get you more business (heck, I’ve probably given out a few of those). And it doesn’t hurt to have some strategy to your networking. But the most effective idea for power networking: Have fun! Networking is about relationships, and relationships work best between people who are enjoying themselves. Find the fun in learning about other people and their stories. Because the more you do that the stronger the connections will be between you and your … [Read more...]