Posts Tagged ‘Tutorial’
Determining Your Passions
Came across a question in an online forum today. It goes a lil' somethin' like this: "This may sound silly, but I’m not quite certain about what I’m passionate enough to “run with”. This actually kinda disturbs me! LOL I’m reevaluating everything." I hear this a lot. I've asked this a lot. As this was a topic close to my heart and experiences, I wrote too long of a reply not to cut and paste it as a blog'azine article. Here was my reply: Here are a few tools I’ve come across. One is my own story ( not to toot my horn, but to share the experience – I had a tough time discovering my passions, too). 1. There’s a movie available on DVD. It’s called I-Ology. It’s about discovering the 5 things that make a person feel important (on the premise that success is when a person ’feels important’). It’s a very simple concept; helped me get on track; and at least have peace and confidence as I moved forward. Oh-so Useful LINK: I-ology Moviehttp://www.iologymovie.com/(Note: The booklet that comes w/the movie contains the magic). 2. Backing up just a bit: My ’journey’ toward discovering my passions began with the concept from Jim Collin’s book: Good To Great. While he was directing this toward corporations, he described what he calls the ”Hedgehog Concept.” Essentially: What are the things you are GREAT at? What are the things you LOVE to do? What are things that create value that can be exchanged for dollars? Where these three ’circles’ intersect was where the magic was found. Oh-so Useful LINK: Jim Collins Hedgehog Concept http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/hedgehog-concept.html#audio=79 (Note: Gary Vaynerchuk has shown how we can (almost) take the money circle out of the picture, by describing how any passion can be turned into dollars.) Since coming across the Hedgehog Concept, it took me about a year to discover my Hedgehog Passion + Talent (known in other circles as Unique Abilities). However, it took me another year before I was able to discover how to earn money with these. Even then, I found that I was constantly changing my ideas; adding to them. Because of such, I never got much accomplished for yet another year, perhaps a bit longer. Perhaps this seems like a LONG time (it did to me). But seeming how many never discover their own ’Fountain of Prosperity and Happiness’, a three and a half year journey isn’t so bad. Many of us have to undo some inaccurate thinking before we can get a fresh start. Finally, I put two and two together and realized my talents and passions were IN the start-up and creative phases of business; and they didn’t have to be my ideas. I found that I loved to see ideas go from mind to market. Combined with my views of freedom being associated with free enterprise, I began a blog centered around ’The Business of Being Yourself’ (TM). I love humor (which is good, since most people point and laugh when I’m near). I now focus on other business owners [...]
How to Build A Tele-Prompter
Here's an interesting article on how to build a tele-prompter. Don't know if I'd ever use one, but it's cool, nonetheless. http://snipr.com/ukgo9
How to Conduct a Poll Using Gmail
Found (and used this tidbit from labnol.org Yes, No, Maybe? Conduct Opinion Polls Over Email using Gmail In some situations, a poll conducted over email may be more practical than running a web based poll because readers can vote through their email clients without requiring a browser. It’s as simple as replying to any other email and can be done even from mobile phones. Turn Gmail into a Poll Software Let’s see how you can quickly setup an opinion poll over email using only your existing Gmail account. The suggested approach will work best for polls that have a single question as in the following examples: a. Will you buy a Macbook Tablet ? (Yes | No | Maybe). b. Which is your favorite search engine? (Google | Yahoo | Ask | Cuil | Other). ++++ DCsays: I used this just today. If you want to know how to conduct polls or surveys, or simply get Yes, No, or Maybe answers via email, check out the rest of labnol.org's article, here. --Dave C. Image Credits
Project Update #4: AnthemVirtual.com
Okay, I can succeed with just those two items: A weekly plan and daily plans. I'm balanced because my plans include my body, mind, heart, and spirit. There's one more concept I came up with to help me keep my sanity. As this is a project launch that is essentially a new business launch, there are a lot of LITTLE THINGS that need to get done; and right now I'm the only one responsible for doing them. My motto has become "Get Going NOW, Tweak Along the Way". This means that the website won't be perfect; the process may not be totally smooth at first. That's okay. Keep moving. Otherwise, I'll get lost in the details, fall behind schedule, and find plenty of excuses to stall my progress. I created in my Wave, beneath my two weekly objectives, a TweakBox. In here I put anything and everything that needs to get done, but isn't priority. If I was budgeted for it, many of these tasks would likely be outsourced. This box allows me to, at a glance, see what needs to get tweaked and when I have a moment between peanut-butter sandwiches and playing tag (again, stacking: Family time with exercise), I can get some tweak time in. Now, there's an even more important role this TweakBox plays: It allows me to DUMP my thoughts as they arrive in my head regarding things that need to get done. Now, these thoughts don't cloud my productive time; they don't cheat me out of sleep or strive to raise my levels of anxiety. Writing things down puts you in control of the tasks. Having my TweakBox gives me permission to "do them when I can". After creating the TweakBox, I added a DailyBox, a WeeklyBox, and a ReadingBox. In these, I place the tasks that need to be done every day, or once or twice each week; as well as what books I want to read that apply to my work (right now it's "How Did That Happen?"). Again, I don't have to THINK, instead I FOCUS on the priorities, and I SNEAK in the Box-stuffs when I can. I'm about 5 to 7 days behind where I want to be in my 90-day plan... which feels like three months behind. This is good, only because I use the "pressure" to stick to the tasks before me. Make promises and keep them. It's a pretty simple plan. Kawasaki's book with some tactics from Ferriss, and the foundation of Covey, these help me format those promises in a way that keeps me in control of me, so I can move effectively forward in creating value. If you want a copy of my GoogleWave outline, email me at Dave@SelfEnterpriser.com. I'm happy to send you a copy, but don't want to make this post any longer than it already is. What's next? The value's been created, this week a system is being put in place to ensure consistency in that value; and marketing that value will begin (marketing, meaning making it easy for others to exchange dollars for that value). Tools: Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Workweek "Have A Nice Dave." :) --Dave C. Photo [...]
Project: AnthemVirtual.com – 14 Days to Launch
I set out to launch Anthem Virtual™ in just 14 days. The good news, I'm "kinda" on schedule. The bad news, only "kinda". The other good news, I think I discovered a surefire path to getting projects completed. Here it is: Step 1. Get a general outline of what needs to be completed, and by when. Step 2: Fall behind in that schedule. Step 3: Get completely pissed off that you're behind; so angry, in fact, that you re-commit with total focus; thus, getting yourself back on track. ++++++++++++ Okay, that said... here's how I started this project: I started by sketching out a simple, general outline of for the projects Main Objective. Main Objective: Reach Break-Even in 90 Days or less. To do this, I used the outline in Guy Kawasaki's book, The Art of the Start. I focused solely on the section I call The First Five. He calls it: Part 1, Causation > Chapter 1, The Art of Starting, The Five Most Important Things an Entrepreneur Must Accomplish. My title is much shorter. I took notes on a fresh sheet of Google Docs. I made a 2-column table and placed summary details into the right hand column and left the left-column blank (I know, I know... Guy told me (in his book) not to do this anal kind of list-making, structure focused stuff. Well, to emphasize moving ideas from mind-to-market on the cheap, I had checked the book out of the library and needed to have a physical reference. When the idea earns sufficient excess, I promise to buy a copy of the book, and hopefully Guy will sign it for me). Anyhow, back on topic: So having the main points of The First Five really helped the planning process. As you can tell, I can get long-winded (long-fingered?) as well as go off on tangents (no, really. I'm serious). The First Five outline was completed on January 18, 2010; which put my goal of a 14 day official launch date on February 01. The next thing I did was I drew out a calendar for the first 30 days of my 90-day project. As this is my first project, I required it of myself to keep this calendar in front of me daily. Since paper gets buried, and an online calendar often gets glossed over (if it gets glossed at all), I took a dry-erase marker and drew out my calendar on our sliding-glass door. I included the start date, the two-week launch date, our First 30 day Milestone Objective, and the shorter-term tasks that needed to be completed. Our proto-type "product" was really a website; something we could share with our prospective clients, strategic vendors, and prospective Virtual Agents (those who will be contracted as laborers). Having a website that appealed to all three audiences could have put me in Hey Dave, Why Don't You Over Complicate This mode. However, realizing this ahead of time (thank you, past experience) I made it a point to make it as simple as possible. Keeping this simple remains an issue, but for now the focus needs to be on getting a product out [...]
What’s the dealio?
So, yes... I went from content 3 to 5 days/week to like, 1 new post a week. Not that you've been complaining (why not?). Here's why: I've been busy. Yes, that lame excuse that all of us seem to have at one time or another. Really, I just wanted you to know that it really IS me writing these posts and not some hired hand (Ha! Wouldn't that be great?). "Busy doing what?" I'm glad you asked. As the tagline of this blog'azine is "The Business of Being Yourself", I've been busy being myself. Note that the tagline USED to be: "Moving Ideas from Mind to Market on the Cheap." Well, I've been busy doing that, too. But wait, there's more. And I'm gonna tell you about it (Aren't you the lucky one?). One of the reasons I started this site is to embrace the ME that can't sit still (EADD: Entrepreneurial Attention Deficit Discombobulation). I love ideas. I love people bringing ideas together. I love bringing people and ideas together. I get bored with ideas once I see them taking hold and feel compelled to move on to the next new, shiny concept. Well, if this blog'azine counts as the first of the ideas I'm rolling out, it's time (in my little world) to start out on the next idea - which, conveniently enough, gets to act as an extension of the first idea; by my reporting on the implementation of the second idea. Lucky for my wife and family, and for those I owe money to, the second idea has been created with the idea of profitability in mind. In fact, I've got ideas coming down the line that will rely on this second idea in many ways. I'm hoping that YOU, with whatever it is you're working on, might also benefit from the new idea: I'm using Guy Kawasaki's book, The Art of the Start, as an outline for getting the concept launched in only 14 days; and for reaching that "Break Even" point in 90-days. You'll be able to follow along and see how I do, good and bad, and apply that to your own project or business.(Buy the book from this link: Any proceeds paid to me from Amazon to me will be sent to Doctors Without Borders to support the people of Haiti- Doctors Without Borders has a FOUR STAR RATING at www.charitynavigator.org) In addition, the type of project we're launching may be able to help you in other ways: There are many tasks that need to get done in a business project. Many of these tasks can act as a distraction from what actually puts dollars into the business account. Our concept can help minimize these distractions so YOU can remain productive (cheap plug alert - cheap plug alert). So, "What's The Big Idea," you ask? "Why have you deprived me of spectacular reading content for a week or two?" you inquire. The concept is called AnthemVirtual. We're using concepts learned starting back in 2008, when I created an online event called The Virtual Business Summit 2008. The event was a BOMB. No, not THE BOMB, but "A" BOMB. The speakers were fantastic, actually. I had a wonderful line-up. It's just [...]
