Personal Development

Seth Godin: Why Tribes, Not Money Or Factories, Will Change The World

Terrific video from the TED series.

Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values, tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us to do so.

Direct link to the Seth Godin's Tribe Talk at TED.

I'm seeing more examples of Tribes. For example, Facebook and Twitter have become an important part of my day and business process. I am pleasantly surprised by how many people have offered ideas, opinions and insights that make a difference and move things forward.

Everything old is new again. Welcome to the tribe.

May 29, 2009
Some Mother’s Day Thoughts

To those of you with young children, here is a peek into your future.

After years of hard work and your best efforts (OK, mostly your best efforts) … I predict that your adorable bundles of joy will someday wish they could send you this card.

So, take a moment to think about your Mom … and remember that she was very young when she did those things to you …

… and what you make them mean is up to you.

May 10, 2009
Some Mother’s Day Thoughts

To those of you with young children, here is a peek into your future.

After years of hard work and your best efforts (OK, mostly your best efforts) … I predict that your adorable bundles of joy will someday wish they could send you this card.

So, take a moment to think about your Mom … and remember that she was very young when she did those things to you …

… and what you make them mean is up to you.

May 10, 2009
You Focus On What You Measure

I have the privilege of knowing many fine entrepreneurs. Some of them are doing surprisingly well. Others are licking their wounds and struggling with the loss of confidence in their business, their business model, or even themselves.

On some level, recent events could represent the biggest failure that some of these people ever have in their lives.

There are several ways to take that. Here's one to think about.

What would you do if you knew your worst failure was behind you and everything from this point forward was a move upwards or at least provides an opportunity to make progress?

I Sense A Lot of Pain.

If you look at
things based on cycles or seasons, then this probably has been winter. Still, periods like this can teach you a lot about yourself.

I got a phone call this week from a friend who asked where I've been hiding. I was surprised because I hadn't thought about it like that. Yet, it didn't take much reflection to see that many people I know, including me, have been hiding in one way or another.

For example, one of my closest friends hasn't been returning phone calls. That is one of his early warning signs that tells me he is having a tough time. And several unquestionably smart, resourceful, and successful businessmen have broken down into tears recently while talking to me about the circumstances in which they find themselves. I get it; there is a lot of pain out there right now.

It affects me too. A business group that I've participated in for almost 10 years is going on its annual retreat this week. It's designed to be fun and a vehicle to reconnect with ourselves and each other. It's a time for reflection, sharing and hopefully for new insight. Yet, there's a part of me that doesn't want to go.

If I'm honest with myself, it is probably because I don't want to re-examine what happened during the past year. In other words, I don't want to reflect on what went wrong, again, because I've done that enough already.

But going to the retreat doesn't have to be about that at all. In fact, instead of it being an unpleasant exercise focusing on what I don't want … it easily can be when I focus on what I do want, and how I'm going to get there in a way that's best for everyone involved. The only difference in those two retreats is what I make it mean – and of course what happens because of that.

You Focus on What You Measure.

So, it occurs to me that I might be measuring the wrong things in several areas. Just because I used to keep score one way, doesn't mean that it's a helpful measure for me now.

Measurement is supposed to give you a sense of your momentum towards your target. Done right, it helps you feel more confident and in-control. Sure it tells you what to do less of … more importantly, though, it highlights what we can and should do more of.

Cleansing Or Clogging?

I remember being in a Tony Robbins seminar about health and hearing a simple rule that made sense to me about eating. He said: before you put something in your mouth think about whether it's cleansing or clogging. That made sense to me, and it was helpful. The same could hold true for deciding which things to focus on in business or life. Will focusing on this create momentum and energy, or not?

On some level pain is inevitable. Yet, for the most part, suffering is optional.

Choose what makes you strong and more likely to take actions that make progress.

April 12, 2009
You Focus On What You Measure

I have the privilege of knowing many fine entrepreneurs. Some of them are doing surprisingly well. Others are licking their wounds and struggling with the loss of confidence in their business, their business model, or even themselves.

On some level, recent events could represent the biggest failure that some of these people ever have in their lives.

There are several ways to take that. Here's one to think about.

What would you do if you knew your worst failure was behind you and everything from this point forward was a move upwards or at least provides an opportunity to make progress?

I Sense A Lot of Pain.

If you look at
things based on cycles or seasons, then this probably has been winter. Still, periods like this can teach you a lot about yourself.

I got a phone call this week from a friend who asked where I've been hiding. I was surprised because I hadn't thought about it like that. Yet, it didn't take much reflection to see that many people I know, including me, have been hiding in one way or another.

For example, one of my closest friends hasn't been returning phone calls. That is one of his early warning signs that tells me he is having a tough time. And several unquestionably smart, resourceful, and successful businessmen have broken down into tears recently while talking to me about the circumstances in which they find themselves. I get it; there is a lot of pain out there right now.

It affects me too. A business group that I've participated in for almost 10 years is going on its annual retreat this week. It's designed to be fun and a vehicle to reconnect with ourselves and each other. It's a time for reflection, sharing and hopefully for new insight. Yet, there's a part of me that doesn't want to go.

If I'm honest with myself, it is probably because I don't want to re-examine what happened during the past year. In other words, I don't want to reflect on what went wrong, again, because I've done that enough already.

But going to the retreat doesn't have to be about that at all. In fact, instead of it being an unpleasant exercise focusing on what I don't want … it easily can be when I focus on what I do want, and how I'm going to get there in a way that's best for everyone involved. The only difference in those two retreats is what I make it mean – and of course what happens because of that.

You Focus on What You Measure.

So, it occurs to me that I might be measuring the wrong things in several areas. Just because I used to keep score one way, doesn't mean that it's a helpful measure for me now.

Measurement is supposed to give you a sense of your momentum towards your target. Done right, it helps you feel more confident and in-control. Sure it tells you what to do less of … more importantly, though, it highlights what we can and should do more of.

Cleansing Or Clogging?

I remember being in a Tony Robbins seminar about health and hearing a simple rule that made sense to me about eating. He said: before you put something in your mouth think about whether it's cleansing or clogging. That made sense to me, and it was helpful. The same could hold true for deciding which things to focus on in business or life. Will focusing on this create momentum and energy, or not?

On some level pain is inevitable. Yet, for the most part, suffering is optional.

Choose what makes you strong and more likely to take actions that make progress.

April 12, 2009
A Breath of Fresh Air

Do gadgets that help you focus on conscious breathing work? I found three that worked for me: Resperate, Helicor's StressEraser, and Heart Math's emWave.

My biggest complaint is that once I learned the relaxation techniques each of these devices teach, I didn't need the device to get the results. That also is a positive, isn't it?

I think, feel, and communicate better when I'm calm. Learning to access that state at will is an important skill … in business and personal life.

So, with that in mind, here are my impressions and experience with each.

Resperate.

The Resperate unit is a little bigger than a portable CD-ROM player, with a built-in elastic strap that goes around your ribcage to monitor your breathing. The concept behind this tool is very simple. It relaxes you by helping you slow your breathing down.

Resperate starts by pacing your in-and-out breaths with higher and lower pitched sound cues. Over time it moves these tones farther apart, leading you to breathe slower and more deeply.

How did it work? It helped me move easily from 6 to 10 breaths-per-minute, down to two or three breaths-per-minute. This promotes much deeper breathing and relaxes the body and mind. I find that I enjoy using this tool for about 10-minutes at a time; and I definitely feel relaxed after using it.

While Resperate provided the most relaxation, it is the one I use least. Perhaps because it is a little bigger and requires the belt. Not big hurdles; but apparently big enough.

Helicor's StressEraser.

The StressEraser is a portable biofeedback device, smaller than a deck of cards. On the top, there is a hinged slot to put your finger. The finger reader measures your pulse and galvanic skin response. There is also an LED screen on this device that helps you pace your breathing, and shows your level of stress or relaxation.

Without focusing, the line is erratic and jagged.

However, with only a little bit of training, it's easy to create a very smooth sign wave that indicates a steady breathing and a healthy heart rate pattern.

With this tool, I get the best (most relaxing) results with an
in-breath of about five seconds and an out-breath of about the same length. I like doing this for five minutes or so; it is a nice break in the middle of the day, before an important phone call, or a decision-making session.

I
find that it
helps me focus. Of the three tools, this is the one I find myself using most often. This might be because I like the graph and how it gives me instantaneous feedback about my breathing and focus.

HeartMath's emWave.

This is the smallest of the tools. The emWave relies on either a thumb sensor or, my preference, a clip that attaches to your earlobe. The technique is very similar to what you learn with the StressEraser. It involves steady breathing and a focus on reducing heart beat variability. It has four levels of challenge.

It sounds strange, and I don't claim to understand the science behind it, however focusing your attention on your heart while doing the breathing exercise seems to make a difference. Somehow, when you focus your attention on your heart, that is when the machine changes color to indicate that there is "coherence". And, in my experience, this is the most relaxing part of the exercise. More coherence equals less stress.

I tend to use this tool less than five minutes at a time to feel calm and refreshed. It was also the easiest for me to have success with (in this case, to get the "green light" to come on). So, the emWave is the smallest, easiest and quickest of the three … and it works. I'm going to use this more often.

So why did I use one that is more challenging? Habit, or perhaps that defines part of the reason I need to relax?

April 4, 2009
A Breath of Fresh Air

Do gadgets that help you focus on conscious breathing work? I found three that worked for me: Resperate, Helicor's StressEraser, and Heart Math's emWave.

My biggest complaint is that once I learned the relaxation techniques each of these devices teach, I didn't need the device to get the results. That also is a positive, isn't it?

I think, feel, and communicate better when I'm calm. Learning to access that state at will is an important skill … in business and personal life.

So, with that in mind, here are my impressions and experience with each.

Resperate.

The Resperate unit is a little bigger than a portable CD-ROM player, with a built-in elastic strap that goes around your ribcage to monitor your breathing. The concept behind this tool is very simple. It relaxes you by helping you slow your breathing down.

Resperate starts by pacing your in-and-out breaths with higher and lower pitched sound cues. Over time it moves these tones farther apart, leading you to breathe slower and more deeply.

How did it work? It helped me move easily from 6 to 10 breaths-per-minute, down to two or three breaths-per-minute. This promotes much deeper breathing and relaxes the body and mind. I find that I enjoy using this tool for about 10-minutes at a time; and I definitely feel relaxed after using it.

While Resperate provided the most relaxation, it is the one I use least. Perhaps because it is a little bigger and requires the belt. Not big hurdles; but apparently big enough.

Helicor's StressEraser.

The StressEraser is a portable biofeedback device, smaller than a deck of cards. On the top, there is a hinged slot to put your finger. The finger reader measures your pulse and galvanic skin response. There is also an LED screen on this device that helps you pace your breathing, and shows your level of stress or relaxation.

Without focusing, the line is erratic and jagged.

However, with only a little bit of training, it's easy to create a very smooth sign wave that indicates a steady breathing and a healthy heart rate pattern.

With this tool, I get the best (most relaxing) results with an
in-breath of about five seconds and an out-breath of about the same length. I like doing this for five minutes or so; it is a nice break in the middle of the day, before an important phone call, or a decision-making session.

I
find that it
helps me focus. Of the three tools, this is the one I find myself using most often. This might be because I like the graph and how it gives me instantaneous feedback about my breathing and focus.

HeartMath's emWave.

This is the smallest of the tools. The emWave relies on either a thumb sensor or, my preference, a clip that attaches to your earlobe. The technique is very similar to what you learn with the StressEraser. It involves steady breathing and a focus on reducing heart beat variability. It has four levels of challenge.

It sounds strange, and I don't claim to understand the science behind it, however focusing your attention on your heart while doing the breathing exercise seems to make a difference. Somehow, when you focus your attention on your heart, that is when the machine changes color to indicate that there is "coherence". And, in my experience, this is the most relaxing part of the exercise. More coherence equals less stress.

I tend to use this tool less than five minutes at a time to feel calm and refreshed. It was also the easiest for me to have success with (in this case, to get the "green light" to come on). So, the emWave is the smallest, easiest and quickest of the three … and it works. I'm going to use this more often.

So why did I use one that is more challenging? Habit, or perhaps that defines part of the reason I need to relax?

April 4, 2009
The Anxiety Antitidote

"When the trough gets smaller … the pigs get meaner."

– Dan Sullivan

Likewise, in uncertain times, it is natural for people to worry that there will be less for them.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

All We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself. I keep talking about market psychology and human nature. The reason is that markets are really a reflection of the collective fear and greed of its participants. And people tend to get paralyzed during scary times like these.

But it's not the economy that makes people feel paralyzed.
People feel paralyzed because of their reactions and their beliefs
about the economy.

A little examination reveals that most fear is based on a "general" rather than a "specific" trigger. In other words people are afraid of all the things that could happen and are paralyzed by the sheer scope of possibilities. These things don't even have to be probabilities in order to scare them.

Your Antidote to Anxiety. You gain a competitive advantage as soon as you recognize that it's
simply human nature when you "make things up" to scare yourself. Why?
Because as soon as you distinguish that fear is just an automatic
response and not necessarily "true", you can re-use your energy and
insights to focus on things that move you forward.

It's easy to be a lot more resourceful by simply dealing with the specific items, and coming up with a plan to deal with them or transform them into opportunities.

Even a tough environment, like this, presents you with opportunities if you watch for them … or even better, if you create them.

March 1, 2009
The Anxiety Antitidote

"When the trough gets smaller … the pigs get meaner."

– Dan Sullivan

Likewise, in uncertain times, it is natural for people to worry that there will be less for them.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

All We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself. I keep talking about market psychology and human nature. The reason is that markets are really a reflection of the collective fear and greed of its participants. And people tend to get paralyzed during scary times like these.

But it's not the economy that makes people feel paralyzed.
People feel paralyzed because of their reactions and their beliefs
about the economy.

A little examination reveals that most fear is based on a "general" rather than a "specific" trigger. In other words people are afraid of all the things that could happen and are paralyzed by the sheer scope of possibilities. These things don't even have to be probabilities in order to scare them.

Your Antidote to Anxiety. You gain a competitive advantage as soon as you recognize that it's
simply human nature when you "make things up" to scare yourself. Why?
Because as soon as you distinguish that fear is just an automatic
response and not necessarily "true", you can re-use your energy and
insights to focus on things that move you forward.

It's easy to be a lot more resourceful by simply dealing with the specific items, and coming up with a plan to deal with them or transform them into opportunities.

Even a tough environment, like this, presents you with opportunities if you watch for them … or even better, if you create them.

March 1, 2009
Is Genius Something You Have or Something You Are?

Some of my greatest accomplishments seemed almost effortless when they happened.

Some people call it "Flow" while others call it "Being-In-The-Zone". You've probably experienced the same thing.

Genius may be related to that. As I think of it, some of my best ideas seemingly came to me fully-formed.

For example, in 2003 I had a breakthrough discovery resulting in an algorithm now used in a series of trading systems. Leading up to that point, I had spent quite a long time thinking about every little aspect in detail; and the progress had come slowly and painfully. Then, whoosh, it's like the whole thing came all at once. I say (and I believe) that it came to me, through me, and from me. But I still don't know how or why it happened. It is almost like I was television
or radio receiver that somehow got turned into a channel broadcasting something worthwhile.

Since then, I've tried to re-create the environment, my work process, anything to bring back that feeling of inspiration, innovation and progress. And I have had moments like that from time-to-time.

The Ted Talk Video on Genius:

This video is about the process I described above. It is about "Genius" and whether it's something you "Have" or something you "Are".

While this video does not provide answers, hopefully it will stimulate a thought process and provoke some ideas and discussions that you find helpful and enjoyable. I know it did for me.

Here is the direct link.

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

Also, here's a link to a website that lists the daily routines and work process that
various famous people have used. I found some interesting things there.

February 22, 2009