-
-
John Irving Quote
-
Blogging Tip #3: Feed Yourself
I still have a lot to learn in regards to this whole blogging thing. As I am working on consistency and narrowing down my social media, I have found there is yet another key component…great content. Not that I have arrived, but it is definitely and underlying goal to produce better content. How does one do this? Consistency is step one for this. Step two requires one to be feasting on great content. As the old adage goes, Garbage In Garbage Out. If I want to produce writing worth reading, I need to be feasting on the good stuff. There is more though. In our information age, we are not lacking…
-
What Should You Be Reading?
Being a lifelong learner is extremely important for one’s career. Whether you are running a nonprofit, working for one, or doing something else, you need to be constantly increasing your knowledge base. But what should you read? There is so much content out there, it is not possible to consume it all. What if you are not a big reader? I struggle to read. It kind of puts me to sleep. However, I do love to learn. Occasionally I read a book or ebook, but on a daily basis I stick with audio books and podcasts. Managing Content You need to be intentional with what you are going to read…
-
Book Recommendation: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
At the Catalyst Conference last week Charles Duhigg spoke on his book, The Power of Habit. He discussed how our brains work when it comes to habits and how we can make or break habits. His findings involved a lot of research and was fascinating. In fact, Duhigg says that “Every habit can be changed” and we can change the habits of others. This captivated me from a productivity standpoint. Who doesn’t want to make better habits? Duhigg also discussed “willpower.” He even says, “Researchers have found willpower is the single greatest corilary to future success.” Then he told us that willpower also can be taught. Duhigg scratched the surface of…
-
Podcast Recommendation: Dan Miller and 48Days.com
I have started listening to a new (to me) podcast recently. Dan Miller is the host and he runs it much like a radio show. “Callers” send in questions, comments and stories. Miller reads these and gives feedback. Miller is author of 48 Days to the Work You Love. His website is 48Days.com. He helps people find work they love. He is also an entrepreneur and incredible dreamer who gets things done. I get inspired listening to him and love all of his ideas. Even if you are very happy with your current work, as I am, listening to the 48 Days Podcast will spark ideas in you and make you…
-
My GTD Breakthrough with Contexts
GTD stands for Getting Things Done, a book written by David Allen. It really is the productivity book when it comes to task management and doing exactly what it says. I started reading it over a year ago and began implementing it soon thereafter. Immediately I found value in the 2 minute rule and Weekly Review. However, the whole contexts concept has been a difficult transition. The idea is that instead of primarily grouping your tasks by day, that you would group them by your context. I have continued to struggle with making a daily list, then not getting everything done and having to move things to the next day. The…
-
Don’t Finish That Book!
No, this is not me rebelling against reading. Yes, I do struggle to read. I am a slow reader and I prefer learning by other methods. However, I believe in being a reader. This productivity tip has been one I picked up from Michael Hyatt’s Podcast #055: How to Read a Non-Fiction Book. Michael gives several great tips and this one has stuck with me. There are too many books for you and I to read all of them. We must make a decision on which ones to read and which ones to stop reading. If a book is not any good, why would you continue reading it? Just so…
-
Tribes
Recently I read the book Tribes by Seth Godin. Great book, especially if you are running a nonprofit. There are so many things I could talk about from it, but I want to focus on what a tribe is. Seth says that a tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader and connected to an idea. An essential aspect of a tribe is a shared interest and a way to communicate. This is fascinating, and not what we traditionally think of when it comes to leadership and growing an organization. Let’s be honest. Whether you are leading a group of volunteers, running a small…