Change Things Up To Get Better

A lot of the fitness articles I read talk about the importance of varying your routine to accelerate your improvements in workouts.  The premise is that if you do the same exercises all the time and use the same amounts of weight, your body gets used to the routine and becomes more efficient.  What that means is that you get less benefit out of the same amount of effort.

I think that concept can apply to other parts of life, to some degree.  If you keep doing the same thing week in & week out, the routine can get  a bit dull, and you don't improve your skills as much as when things were new and challenging.

So, what kinds of things can you do to change up your routine and make it challenging again?  Here are some ideas (a mix of personal and professional kinds of things):

• Read a different kind of book to make your mind think about new things.
  If you usually read fiction, read some non-fiction.  If you usually read management books, read some fantasy.  If you usually read self-help books, try reading a few biographies instead. 
• Take on a new project in an unfamiliar area.
  Sometimes, nothing helps get your juices going like working on something unfamiliar.  Ask to be involved in (or even lead) a project in a new area.
• Swap the cerebral for the physical.
  If you normally spend most of your time in front of your computer, how about starting a project or activity that requires you to get out and do something physical? It could be sports-related, or it could be carpentry, or even just cleaning out your garage.  Get moving!
• Put yourself out there.
  Volunteer to teach something - even holding a brown bag lunch on a topic you know can be challenging fun.  Start presenting - either at work or in a group like Toastmasters.  Or, do a video blog or something you've never done before online.

And there are, of course, lots of other possibilities. 

So, what do you think?  Does this ring true for you?  What have you done to mix things up in your life that you'd recommend to others?

You can become a celebrity

Author Marsha Friedman sent me a copy of her book, "Celebritize Yourself" and I read it the other day.  At first, I was a bit skeptical; read a book and become a celebrity?  You're kidding, right?

What I quickly discovered is that you actually can become a celebrity by using the techniques in this book.  That's partially because Friedman uses a slightly different definition of celebrity than the one you may be thinking of.  In her parlance, a celebrity can be anyone who is well known as an expert on a specific topic, who is then sought out to speak or share their ideas.  That helped me, since it didn't mean I needed to go on American Idol to become famous.

The other thing I discovered is that you can use Friedman's techniques in other ways, as well.  What do I mean?   I'll break it into two levels, which I'll call Public Celebrity and Local Celebrity (these are my constructs, adapted from the ideas in the book by the way)…

Public Celebrity

Public Celebrity is the true intent of the book.  Friedman takes you through the process of deciding on a domain where you can demonstrate the right uniqueness and expertise to become a celebrity in that area. 

Once you know what that is, she helps you test it to make sure it's something that will stick for you, then provides some worksheet-style exercises to get clear about the unique and differentiated value you bring to the table.  This is what forms the foundation upon which you will build your celebrity.

From there, there are numerous activities revolving around writing a book (an essential element in Friedman's methodology), getting speaking gigs, and promoting / publicizing yourself as an expert in your field.  She tells you how to assume the 'attitude' and confidence of a celebrity - a sort of walk the talk guide for celebrities to help you project the image of celebrity to others. 

These techniques stem from real-life learnings -- Friedman's "day job" is promoting celebrities, including actors, musicians, public officials, and other well-known celebrities. Oh - and that book I mentioned?  It's what enables you to say, "I'm writing a book,"  and eventually, "I've written a book," which changes how you're perceived by others.

Not much of a writer?  Don't worry - Friedman discusses thoughts on how to select and use ghost writers, freelancers, editors, and others who can help you get your ideas into print, as well as how to get the book published.

If you want to be a well-known authority on a topic (I think of my friends Rosa Say, Lisa Haneberg, and Phil Gerbyshak as examples) you'd be well-served to follow Friedman's advice, which is well-presented in a concise, easy read.

Local Celebrity

Maybe you're not inclined (or not ready) to become a Public Celebrity. That's fine, but I think you can still learn something from this book.  If you want to be perceived as a more credible, more authoritative influencer by others in your company or your circle of influence, you can apply a lot of Friedman's techniques on a different scale.

First, decide what you want to be known for.  Then use Friedman's tools from the book to clarify, test, and validate that you can be passionate, credible, unique, and differentiated on that topic.

Then begin using the techniques to project your image within the company.  While you could still write a book, you may be able to get good results from writing papers on your topic, sharing your expertise on internal blogs, in memos, etc.  Rather than public speaking engagements, you can lead brown bag lunches including instructional sessions on your topic. 

Use your imagination - it's about creating artifacts to demonstrate your expertise, then creating opportunities to present your thoughts to others.  You can even go so far as identifying your target audience (management, peers, subordinates, customers, etc.) so you can hone your message, the venues you select, and the delivery mechanism to fit your audience.

You can certainly become a Local Celebrity and make a difference in your organization - work, community, or otherwise.

What are you waiting for?

If you want to stand out as an authority - Public or Local - "Celebritize Yourself" provides a very concise guide to help you create your plan and your brand.  I encourage you to check it out.

And did I mention I'm writing a book?

Job Seekers: Are you Defiant?

A couple of months ago, my friend Rajesh Setty sent me a copy of his latest (free!) eBook, "defiant! Practical Tips to Thrive in Tough Times."  I've been a little sloppy in my GTD habits lately, so I just got around to reading it on a flight this morning.  Now, I regret not having read it sooner!

This book is a compilation of wisdom, insights, best practices, and more from Rajesh and 51 other people to help you deal with the economic conditions we're facing, and is particularly relevant if you are out of work, looking for different work, or think you might be out of work soon.

The core question

The core of this book is shifting your mindset and attitude to change how you approach getting the results you desire.  In Rajesh's words, the secret is this:

• Stop asking, "How can I find the next opportunity?"
• Start asking, "“How can I become an OPPORTUNITY for someone else?”

Here's his color on the importance of that shift:

If you want to create a REAL opportunity, you need to create a compelling offer for
your prospective employer.

• Do they see you as another person scrambling for  a seat? If so, then you’ve been defined as someone  who wants to take something scarce (employment)  from them.
• Do they see you as someone who offers them opportunities? Will your presence in the job create new opportunities, expand possibilities, or solve a current headache that keeps them up at night? If so, you’re giving more value than you’re asking for.

Very good advice.

A roadmap for finding your next gig

This is more than mental Jedi mind tricks, though.  This book takes you through a step-by-step process to get through the process of finding creating your next opportunity.  Everything from getting your mind "right," to dealing with uncertainty, to getting help (the right way), tapping into your network, finding a mentor, and more.

More importantly, there are a bunch of proven tips from a bunch of folks with experience we can all learn from. Perhaps most important is that this book will help you create a plan.  And not just any plan - your plan.

As I mentioned, if you're looking for a new job or expect to find yourself doing so, you owe it to yourself to really study a copy of Rajesh Setty's free eBook, defiant!

Personal Development, the Peter Drucker way

Thanks to an introduction by Lisa Haneberg, I had the pleasure of discovering Bruce Rosenstein and his book , "Living In More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life."

I've been a long-time fan of Peter Drucker ("The Daily Drucker" is always on my bedside table) for his philosophy on business and management.  However, I have a whole new appreciation for Drucker's insights after reading Rosenstein's book.

Core, guiding principles

One thing that really stuck with me was the clarity Drucker developed about principles, purpose, and focus in his life.  Drucker is typically recognized for his thoughts on business efficiency and process, but in this book I discovered how much emphasis he place on the purpose of his life - and the time he set aside for thinking.

In fact, Drucker considered thinking and reflection to be a critical success factor:

"The effective people I know simply discipline themselves to have enough time for thinking."

I found this to be a very engaging book. Rosenstein brings you through a very thought-provoking process by sharing examples of Drucker's thoughts and guidance.  You're brought into the content with questions and assignments to help you put some of the thoughts into action.  For example, you are asked to think about what your unique abilities and core competencies are, develop a "Total Life list" to expand your perspective, develop your teaching and learning skills, and create a plan for yourself so you can put that plan in motion.

One exercise that I found particularly useful was one in which you create a presentation to teach a topic to someone else.  I've found that I learn far more about any topic when I'm "forced" to teach it to others, and that kind of process encourages much deeper analysis of the topic at hand.

Beyond the business

While Peter Drucker is best known for his contributions to business, he felt it was important to make contributions to the world, as summed up in this quote:

"So, if your goal is to make money, I rather pity you," Drucker said.  "The people I have seen who were happy even after being successful are the people who want to leave something behind.  A hospital that's working, a company that's working, whatever, or who are not money-focused but achievement-focused, because that you're never finished with."

It's safe to say that Rosenstein can be proud of the fantastic book he's created to share Drucker with the world.  I highly recommend you read, "Living In More Than One World."  I also believe this book is ideally structured for a "reading group" approach, which would help you really discover the nuances and depth of Drucker's ideas.  If you conduct a book club around this book, I'd love to hear your take-aways.

What Will You Be Known For?

I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger today.  You may recall he is the guy celebrated as a hero when he safely landed a plane in NYC’s Hudson River after having all of his engines fail.

Overall, the article is very inspiring and I enjoyed reading it.  One thing that really struck me, however, was one of  Sully’s quotes in the article:

"We need to try to do the right thing every time, to perform at our best," he says, "because we never know what moment in our lives we'll be judged on."

  That is a very poignant comment, isn’t it?  It was also very timely for me, as I’ve been thinking about similar things in my own life lately.  You see, I’ve done a huge variety of things in my career but, as I change roles I sometimes find myself a bit “typecast” based on one person or another’s view of what they believe I’m best at based on their limited experience with me. 

At a certain level, I’m flattered that they think I’m adding value in a particular area, but in other ways I feel short changed because my talents aren’t being fully utilized.  My default behavior is sometimes to just “live with it” though I am making more of a conscious effort to do better “PR” so I don’t get minimized.

OK… enough whining - what are my takeaways from the thinking triggered by Sully’s quote?

• You can’t always pick what other people will value you for an remember you for, so try to do things you can be proud of whenever possible.  That way, no matter what someone else picks to tag you with, it’ll probably be OK.
• Just because you feel like your “highest and greatest” moments aren’t being noticed, doesn’t mean you’re not adding value.
• It takes a lot of work to overcome typecasting, if you can at all.  So ask yourself, “Is it worth it, or can I live with my typecasting?”
• You can honor the past, but you can’t live in it.  If you don’t like the present, work on how you can change things in the future.

Of course, the other side of the coin bears thinking, too:  Are there people I’m typecasting in the same way?  How would I even recognize it if I were? Hmm…