Month: December 2011

2012 Resolutions

Posted on | by | Leave a Comment on 2012 Resolutions

About this time each year like everyone else I start getting goal oriented and love to reflect on where I am in life.  I like to think about where I’ve been, and where I hope to go.

Past resolutions:

I’ve even written a few letters to some of my more challenging years (very therapeutic, by the way):

We should also revisit my 2011 resolutions to see how I did.

2011 Resolutions:

  • Resolution #1: Be happy.  How do I measure being happy to know if I achieved it?  I won’t, I’ll just be happy.
    • Yeah, I killed this one, knocked it out of the park, owned it.
  • Resolution #2: Have a healthier balance of giving and sharing of information.  Read more, get information if it isn’t given.  OK I won’t, I love sharing, but it is worth a try.
    • Shared more than ever and didn’t take too much time to really improve myself, so I think I failed on this one.
  • Continue my 2010 and 2009 resolutions but let’s get specific and more reasonable
    • Resolution #3: 50 consecutive push-ups
      • Result: Fail, when Jeremy + happy = weak Jeremy.  Jeremy + sad or upset = farmer strength Jeremy.
    • Resolution#4: Run at least a mile once a week
      • Result: Run?  What is that?  FAIL, epic, epic fail.
    • Resolution #5: Create one new website
      • Result: Yeah, I did well on this one, actually created several, but nothing I’m too proud of or anything that is getting much traction yet.
    • Resolution #6: Add more self created videos on jeremyperson.com, I’m really enjoying doing that
      • Result: Fail, don’t think I did any this year.
    • Resolution #7: Make my bed at least twice a week
      • Result: Fail, hate making the bed.  Never do, sue me.
    • Resolution #8: Do the dishes 4 times a week
      • Result: Yeah, I think so.
    • Resolution #9: Work on one book
      • Result: No, didn’t really get to this one.
    • Resolution #10: Christina and Jeremy date nights (like actually taking my Christina out) at least every other week
      • Result: No but this did come up in conversation last night.  I recognize we need to “hit the town” more often.
    • Resolution #11: Mr. Tyler man, don’t think I forgot about you.  This year we are going to work on some computer skills, language, and continue your (OK my) love of baseball.  Oh, and we are going to play, play, play.
      • Result: Lots and lots of playing with T-Bone, T-Dog, Tyler…

And drum roll please…

My 2012 resolutions are…

Let’s start with the “fuzzy resolution” stuff…the stuff you really can’t measure very well:

  • Resolution #1: Share less, do more.
    • I find I spend so much time-sharing things with others that I’m actually not as productive as I could be.  Same problem as years past but I’m slowly learning to cut back on giving and in 2012 I’m going to get all knowledge greedy on you all.  OK, I’m always a big talker, but we’ll see how I do.
  • Resolution #2: Music
    • I’ve been using Spotify for about 6 months now, and I absolutely love it.  Ironically I’m listening to Pandora because I need some new recommendations for my Spotify playlists.  Listen to more music, I absolutely love music.
  • Resolution #3: Open source
    • Keep my thoughts and actions open.
  • Resolution #4: PHP
    • Keep up on learning all I can, and doing all I can with PHP.

Alright, and now for the stuff that we can measure:

  • Resolution #5: Read a book a month
    • Books.  I have a large queue, but I’m not taking the team to read them.
  • Resolution #6: Drink more water
    • Drink more of that H20 stuff.  You know the stuff were 60% made of.  It is probably a good sign I’m drinking water as I write this.
  • Resolution #7: Write a book
    • I’ve had a few book ideas, and I’ve even started on them, but I’d love to get one completely drafted.
  • Resolution #8: Push-ups
    • I’m happy, really happy.  As previously mentioned, being happy isn’t the best for my physical health.
      • Quarter 1 of 2012: 15 consecutive push-ups
      • Quarter 2 of 2012: 30 consecutive push-ups
      • Quarter 3 of 2012: 45 consecutive push-ups
      • Quarter 4 of 2012: 60 consecutive push-ups
  • Resolution #9: Schedule a quarterly update on how I’m doing with the above resolutions.

Keep on keeping on…and…remember this is going to happen to us throughout 2012…

BUT…

Happy 2012 everyone!  Let’s rock this year…

Pacific Pinball Museum

Posted on | by | Leave a Comment on Pacific Pinball Museum

Christina and I went on a double date with her parents to the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, CA today.  The fee is $15/person but you definitely get your money’s worth because all the games are free.  There are 4 or 5 large rooms filled with pinball machines that range from the 1930s to 2011.  I loved it…

You Get What You Give

Posted on | by | Leave a Comment on You Get What You Give

What if working to help others also helped you?  Simon Sinek, leadership expert and author believes just that.

In the video embedded above Sinek says:

  • People are looking for a community or culture.  Community is defined as a group of people with a common set of values and beliefs.
  • When you are surrounded by people who believe what you believe, something interesting happens: trust.  Our very survival depends on trust doesn’t it?
  • You find and create communities of like minded individuals by going out and meeting people.
  • Every decision you make is a piece of communication.  This is why you have to say and do things you believe.
  • The things you say and do are symbols of who you are. People look for symbols similar to what they are looking for.
  • Whatever you say and do will attract people with similar behavior, whether intended or not. Say and do what you actually believe.
  • People want to work for companies and work for clients who believe what they believe.  They want to show up and contribute, or feel a part of something bigger than themselves.
  • People use symbols and graphics to say who they are, or what they represent.  We put company logos on us to show we believe in, or we are part of something.  We wear logos and colors to represent who we are.  When people respect your company they will show it in various ways.  When was the last time you saw a dirty Mac?
  • In order to feel truly fulfilled you need to do something good for someone else. Generosity is doing something for someone else and expecting nothing in return.

This is also similar to the idea of the movie Pay it Forward where a teacher challenges his class to change the world and put it into action.

Now let’s discuss what it means to be communicators.  We communicate to express an idea, or a thought.  We communicate to ask a question, or to get a better understanding of the world around us.  As communicators it is our job to help inform, as well as to ask questions.  If our communications are one sided, meaning we are simply doing all the talking and no listening, how engaged are you in the conversation?  If you are asking those who you are communicating with to do something and ask nothing in return, I wonder how likely it is for others to do anything for you.

In the new world of digital media, everyone is a communicator and everyone needs, or wants to be heard. Whether you are communicating via print, web, video, email, voicemail, 1:1 meetings, 1:many meetings, or via phone, we are all communicating to seek knowledge, to ask questions.  We are likely also communicating to seek community so make sure what you are communicating is generating the desired result.  The world is about relationships, connecting with others, and helping others.

So now let me ask you this: How are you going to put this idea into action in your personal and professional lives?

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill