Calculated Thought in a Random Universe

The holiday season came and went, but there’s always time to re-gift!  And that’s exactly the point of this post, my re-gift to you of online information sources, online tools I discovered, and some things I recently learned. Please comment on whether or not you find this information valuable and, of course, re-gift your own treasures to the rest of us!

Draw a 2009 plan/road map for yourself AND your business.

This is a simple exercise to do, yet I’m usually guilty of never doing it, at least not for myself.  My rationalized excuse is that I have it all figured out in my head so I don’t need to write it out. However, just as you’d have difficulty navigating through a foreign city without a map, your personal future is just as foreign to you until that future becomes the past. Plus, as I publicly make this suggestion for you to follow, I simultaneously hold myself accountable. Like me, you’ve probably heard and read this suggestion countless times. For me, two sources stand out in my mind which have motivated me to actually write out my 2009 plan and also explain why a written plan is critical for success.

A couple years ago, some co-workers and I ran in the Detroit Free Press Marathon Relay.  To prepare, I searched the web for training information and found an e-book that profoundly changed my fitness and nutrition habits. In Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, Tom Venuto provides a no-nonsense, straightforward strategy for achieving a healthy, lean body.  After reading his book, I made some changes to my diet by focusing on the quality and frequency of meals.  Although many of his suggestions are neither groundbreaking or new, he presents the information comprehensively and holistically, with a strong emphasis on realistic goal setting that can be applied to any area of life.

More recently, I stumbled across Chris Guillebeau’s manifesto, A Brief Guide To World Domination on his blog, The Art Of Nonconformity, linked to from the Lifehacker site.  A writer and world traveler, Mr. Guillebeau’s posts appeal to those who are not satisfied with the status quo – those who want to be better than average and also make a difference in the world.  He proposes that you ask yourself what he calls, the “two most important questions in the universe”, and rather than spoil the surprise, read them for yourself here.   Currently, I’m trying to answer those questions, which are key to determining my personal plan for 2009 and beyond.

The other day, my business partner Henry and I sat down to create a 2009 plan for our internet marketing and web design firm called  DotSign.  This year’s theme is “Adapt Strategically to the Change” and that’s exactly what we want to help our clients deal with.   As suggested in my last blog post, Time For A (Another) Change?, change is continuous, change is not permanent, and change is inherently neutral.  Today, our world faces enormous changes politically, socially, and economically.  Are you and/or your business prepared to mange the coming changes? Do you know where you want to go and take your business?  Pause ever so briefly to think about these questions, but make a plan soon before your future turns into the past.

Commit time for continuous learning in a field completely unfamiliar to you.

Many of you already plan to take some kind of professional or vocational training this year.  However, I challenge you to learn something completely outside of your field and exercise the other side of your brain.  So, if you make your living in the arts, take a class at a science center or enroll in a small business workshop. Conversely, if you earn a living by keeping the books, sign up for a cooking class or take guitar lessons.  Not only are these activities usually enjoyable and fun, the participation will stimulate your mind to work in balance as a complete unit, both artistically and analytically.  This ability can help you perceive things differently and perhaps solve problems faster and more creatively than before.

In the rest of this post, I list some of the sites and tools I found in the last year or so that you may find helpful to use.  Check them out and post your feedback here.

Blogs I monitor

Seth Godin – A marketing guru with fantastic advice on how businesses and individuals become remarkable. I just read a book he edited, The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect And Start Being Remarkable, an anthology of anecdotes from 33 leading minds in business and marketing.

The Art Of Nonconformity – Chris Guillebeau’s site documenting his travels and philosophy; great inspiration to see the world and to become remarkable – notice a trend here?

Lifehacker -  A good repository of tips and tools to make life easier.

Prosperous Artists -  The antithesis of starving artists!

New Media Photographer – This is a digital photography blog by Rosh Sillars.

Six Pixels of Separation – Another New Media blog with good content.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Like the name implies, this blog contains good advice on CEO (Cutting costs, Earning more, and Optimizing spending).

Metro Detroit region specific blogs I monitor

Model D – Refreshing online magazine about good things happening in the city.

Motor City Connect – A large, vibrant business networking community in Metro Detroit.

Online Tools

Kayak - This great search engine allows you to search over 140 travel provider websites at once.

Mint – Here, you can track and view all of your personal finances on a single online site.

LastPass – Securely generate and store your online passwords on one site.