Putting it all on the table
EVERYONE SEEMS TO ASK WHY I DECIDED TO LOSE WEIGHT. To be fair, the question is usually “Why did you make a change now?” Or “Why did you start running?” The answer to the first question is simply that I realized I was embarrassed of the person I had become. It took me longer to find the answer to the second question, even after I started running. I sure am glad I started, though.
SITTING IN STARBUCKS, I’M COMPELLED TO DISCUSS WHY. I mean, it’s the middle of the work day, and I “should” be at my desk, but there are some things that I can’t do as effectively there as I can when I remove myself from work (and home) environments, such as writing or really being creative in any way. One of the vice presidents at work likes to tease me about how much time I spend over at Starbucks, but he knows as well as anyone the amount of work I get done. I call it my remote office, but others...
SOMETHING ABOUT SMART PEOPLE INSPIRES INNVOATION AROUND THEM. Since I’ve started spending more time in the space community online, and among some really creative and intelligent people, I find that I’m coming up with more ideas for “stuff to do” than ever before. Or maybe it’s just that I’m more motivated to do something about those ideas because of the energy of the people around me. Either way, I’m suffering from an overload of creative ideas right now with not enough space to track them or execute on them. So what’s the logical solution? Another idea!
THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN WRITING AND THINKING. When you write something, you remember it better. Done properly, it can also remove the idea from your head to a place where it can be more easily managed. Even knowing this, it is sometimes amazing what writing down just a couple words can do for you.
I TRY NOT TO BE AN APPLE FANBOY. I like the products for what they are, not because they came from the Black Turtleneck, and I am critical when appropriate. For example, I was very critical of the iPad before launch. Having said that, it has quickly become my platform of choice and I find myself turning to my laptop less and less.
GTD HASN’T (YET) SAVED MY LIFE, BUT IT DID SAVE MY SANITY. Without the discipline of Getting Things Done, I would in a world of hurt right now. Last year, when we decided to close down Dream Dinners, the choice was incredibly easy because I was able to look at my horizons of focus and instantly see that the business no longer fit with my 40k and 50k horizons. GTD also allowed me to keep track of all the work of closing down and moving. Without that I would have, quite literally, had a nervous breakdown.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT ONE YEAR LATER, I WOULD BE WHERE I AM NOW. No longer a business owner, no longer a homeowner, and happier than I have been in quite some time. The only real constant has been my job. Even the family has had an addition and several subtractions. To describe the last 9 months as crazy is an understatement. Best to start at the beginning.
I DON’T CONSIDER MYSELF A CREATIVE PERSON. That’s not to say that I don’t have an original thought. It’s just that I always think of creativity associated with artists and visionaries, neither of which I count myself among. But since I’ve started working on getting things done in earnest, I’ve found that even just doing the first part, collection, opens the floodgates for new ideas.
