Where’s the manual for always on?

November 23, 2010

When I started high school, I didn’t know how to touch-type. I hunted and pecked my way around the keyboard in a way that would be embarrassing to see now. In 9th grade, as part of a business curriculum, my fingers were introduced to the home row and with daily assignments, testing [...]

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Put scary on a sliding scale

November 22, 2010

You’re allowed to be scared. Being scared means you’re pushing yourself up against the edges, trying new things, and challenging the comfy cozy confines of normal, every day existence.
If you go through life and you’re not scared of anything, you’re probably not trying hard enough.
What are you scared of?
The answers are [...]

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Bend the corners of your customers

November 20, 2010

Somewhere in my parents’ attic are boxes full of baseball cards. They sit there and they collect dust. Once upon a time, I put them behind hard plastic cases, shoved them in binders, and shielded them from sunlight, dust and fingerprints. In another box lie comic books, pressed against cardboard backings in [...]

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The siren song of viral marketing

November 19, 2010

How can we ensure that as many of the right people as possible know about this thing we sell, do, or believe?
This is the major question that faces marketers. There are a lot of other elements that enter into the equation, of course. Things like budgets, deadlines, profits must be factored in before [...]

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Ready, Set, Go

November 9, 2010

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle [...]

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Open your hands

November 8, 2010

Sometimes life makes it feel like you should ball up your fists. Fight this urge with everything you’ve got. It’s far better to go through your life with your hands wide open.
An open hand can:

wave hello
say “welcome, nice to meet you, stay awhile”
show your cards and keep no secrets.
hide no agendas.
give [...]

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You must live your legacy

November 7, 2010

How much is a reputation worth? From the perspective of a brand trying to convince you to buy their product or join their tribe, it’s everything.
Would you put your money into a bank if they have a history of bankruptcy?
Would you vote for a politician with a history of corruption?
On an individual [...]

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Productivity through mindfulness

November 7, 2010

Stop wishing there were more hours in the day. It’s not going to happen. Every day contains just 1440 minutes in which you can accomplish tasks, find enjoyment, take care of your body and recharge.
Like so many others, I’m always trying to get more done. I’m wired to achieve productivity by [...]

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A runner’s guide to balance and perspective

November 6, 2010

This was originally published in 2006. It feels both very far away and more relevant than ever. I think there’s value in here, even for the non-runners among us: as we drown in email, connectivity and general juggling of too many tasks… sometimes unplugging is the path of least resistance to the goals [...]

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What’s in a name?

November 6, 2010

When I was younger, I wrote a lot of letters. Most of them were to professional athletes. The pattern was always the same: Write a letter, stuff a baseball card or photo into the envelope, send it and wait. I was after one thing: a signature.
The majority of those [...]

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