There is equivalency between attention and energy and between energy and growth. When energy is fed into a system, the system gains energy unless it discharges it. It grows.
When we give our attention energy to something, it grows. When attention is given to us, we grow, hopefully in positive ways.
Most businesses want to grow.
The attention we attract is the energy we attract so it is reasonable to be thoughtful about it to grow in positive ways. …
Does anyone like filling out time sheets and the struggle to keep jobs within budget along with the pressure to minimize non billable hours?
For years I work as a consultant in engineering firms and the process of filling out a time sheet could be an agonizing task. What did I do all day? All week?
At the beginning of every new time period I’d start out with the best intentions only to see my diligence fade as the week wore on.
Since launching my own business years ago, I don’t have to answer to a boss about my non-billable time and I’ve found a new appreciation for the time sheet process after learning about about a more graphic way to track my time from Cal Newport. (calnewport.com/blog/2013/12/21/deep-habits-the-importance-of-planning-every-minute-of-your-work-day/). Cal Newport is the author of the best selling book on productivity, Deep Work (definitely worth a deep read!)
It is not hard to do and quite enlightening. I find I frequently take much long to complete jobs than I’ve estimated and I spend less time on things than I think I am, about 20-30% less. Below is one day’s entry. It is messy but honest. I was at the studio for a about 10 hours but found I only really got in 5.75 hours of solid work. And that was a good day!
After doing this for quite a while I came to a simple realization that everyone already knows, the culprit is distraction. The first step in managing time is being aware of where it is going, understanding when it is leaking and what is causing the leaks.
(Let’s see, this morning: write blog post… 1 hr and 15 minutes…hmmm,that took longer than I expected. I think I’ll get a coffee.)
A working business life tracking timesheet.
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You do not need to teach kids to be mindful, to know life as it really is. Just don’t unteach them.
Give ’em a sit. They will be there.…
There are two sides to a story, an explanation or a sales pitch, you and the listener.
We have much to share and talk about. We have tons of details about our product, our plan or our service but what does the listener want to hear?…
It can be easy to think the whole world is going down hill if you read or listen to any national media.
But it isn’t. Not here, not locally, not where we live. And we are not unique. Communities around the globe are actively and eagerly improving, growing and evolving in better and better ways every year. I know I see it all around me.
As a photographer I’m often asked to photograph local events from ribbon cuttings to hackathons. It’s a unique perspective and I find myself at a lot of diverse events I probably wouldn’t have know about or attended. It’s amazing to see what is going on.
People are out there making a difference.
Frenchtown Borough (frenchtownboro.com) put a ton of effort into fundraising to upgrade its local park. The park is wonderful with new equipment and a walking trail. It is what a local park should be and families love it.
Rabbi Eli Kornfield is a legend in the Jewish Community. He runs Chabad of Hunterdon (www.jewishhunterdon.com) , a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving community life. Every year he runs an auction with entertainment to raise money for the Chabad so he can serve even more people.
The Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce (www.hunterdon-chamber.org)has always been a benevolent supporter of local businesses constantly coming up with new ways to improve life in the County. The Leadership Hunterdon program which teaches local professionals about all aspects of Hunterdon County graduated its 6th class this past year.
Hack Hunterdon (www.hackhunterdon.com) began in 2017 to bring together innovative students and adults for a 24 hour, marathon project-building event. Participants met, formed teams and then tackled the formulation and structural implementation of project ranging from web apps to facilitate garage sales to using augmented reality. …
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If you’re interested in marketing and general helpful information about thriving as a professional then chances are you are already well aware of Seth Godin and likely have visited his blog, Seth.blog. It’s a quick daily read and always well worth it.
Seth’s blog is probably one of the most read blogs in the world and if you simply type “Seth” into Google, he often comes up first on the first page. But Seth doesn’t knock himself out on social media. He has a Facebook page, but the posts are simply links to his blog.
His intent isn’t to appeal to everyone. He blogs his thoughts and does a podcast. If you like the way he thinks, you will seek him out. He won’t throw himself at you.
Lately I’ve been indulging in a lot of reading, especially about the impact of social media on our attention and culture in general. While connecting people can be very positive, there is much that isn’t really that beneficial.
I find I’m pretty unlikely to surf these sites much, anymore. I’m probably missing a lot, but I’m not missing it a lot.
Seth’s advice is to blog. Be who you are. Offer what you have to offer and if what you have is of value folks will find you.…