The Artist’s Life [Excerpt]

Are you a born writer? Were you born on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action. Do it or don’t do it.

It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write as symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. you hurt the planet. You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God.

Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.

only your actions can answer

How Social Media Can Be Your Enemy

One of the evident marks of our time is social media. It has challenged our definition of friends, community, transparency, corporate accountability and movements. If harnessed properly, it is a tool that can be used to mobilise masses.

Recent history, such as the UK riots, Egyptian uprisings and more, is proof enough. Social media has made leaders, brands and celebrities more accessible.

Social media per se is neither good nor bad. It can be your friend or foe.It is worth thinking about how social media can be your enemy:

Don’t Use It

In this age, any organization, brand and cause that will effectively engage and mobilize people cannot do so effectively without employing this tool. Social media can easily be your enemy if you do not use it at all.

It is not true that everyone is on social media. However, the number of people on social media is too significant it can be corporate suicide to ignore. Organizations that do not use social media at all are crippling themselves.

Overuse (Whatever That Is)

Unless social media is your main focus or work, focusing all your energy on it can work against you when it usurps time and resources you should be using to focus on other areas of productivity.

Some organizations have gone as far as blocking access to social networks from their networks. This is becoming increasingly futile as people use their phones and tablets.

If social media is not your primary focus ensure you have measures in place to protect you productivity where it matters the most.

Engage

Another self-defeating thing I’ve noticed is organizations or causes that have Facebook pages, Twitter profiles, blogs etc that they are not active.

Social media platforms can take you where your target people are and those your organization serves can easily get frustrated with you and ditch your product for the lack of interaction with them.

It may be worthwhile for you to start with something simple like a Facebook page or Twitter account. Something you must never do: not interact on any platform at all. For the platforms you are on ensure that you are active.

Your response and how quickly you respond to queries on social media platforms is fast becoming a litmus test on the quality of client service you offer.At the same time, only using your online presence to only “broadcast” messages is uncaring and insensitive.

As you attempt to inform people of your cause ensure that you are engaging people; talk to them not at them. Social media has created what I call “brand personality”.

By this I mean that people are connecting with products as if the product themselves are individuals with personality. Social media has made alive the personality of brands.

If people cannot connect with your cause on social media with your brand’s personality they may not do so where it matters most

(PS: You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Google+)

Question: What other ways have you seen social media become work against a product, message or cause?

illustration by birgerking (cc)

More Space and Less Things

I enjoy spending time with Ingrid. (Just as well, she’s my wife! :)) Counting the number of conversations we’ve had would be a futile exercise. A few days ago we spoke briefly about space and things in our home. It was not a long conversation but, for me, turns out to be one that I am still thinking through. I’ll call this the, “more space and less things conversation”.

Continue reading “More Space and Less Things”

The clues to a great story

At different times in our lives, careers and organizations we contemplate the stories that we want to leave behind. The stories we want posterity to tell of us. To find inspiration through us. Interestingly, we find inspiration from stories that we hear from or about other people. From the movies we watch. There is something almost inexplicable that always opens the door for us to connect with stories we see on the screens.

Then there are the stories that we want to tell from who we are and what are doing now. It is the story of the life you have experienced and the one you are looking forward to. It is the stories of what your organization is doing as part of their bit in changing the world or adding value. People connect with stories than they do with numbers or statistics. Statistics only matter for people when they have a compelling story attached to them. As you attempt to share your life, cause or vision, consider the story you want to tell.

Stories are the platform for rallying support for your cause. They are the platform on which intimacy in relationships or partnerships is fostered. Think about it. We often feel more connected to people after spending an afternoon of hearing some of their childhood stories. For people to buy into your organization or cause there must be something that captures their imagination. There must be an ‘enchanting factor’. This is done through stories. At a TED talk, Andrew Stanton from Pixar, shares clues to a great story. Check out the talk below. (There is one incident of one strong word at the start, besides that, it is all worth a watch)

Your thoughts?

Starting Your Day For Productivity

It matters how you start your day. Your productivity depends on it! I have a couple of things I’ve learned about myself that may be helpful for you too.

  • Sleep in: It sounds counterproductive but it really isn’t. I got this from a talk, “Dead Leader Running”, by Wayne Cordeiro at one of the Willow Creek conferences. The idea is to sleep in but on the right end of the clock. This means instead of trying to sleep an extra 2 hours in the morning you go to bed 2 hours early. I don’t always get this right. (I’m also reminding myself through this post). You can also adapt this point this way: get enough sleep! I’ve tried the whole you need eight hours of sleep and that just doesn’t work for me. (Eight hours is just too long.) If you are not sure how long is good for you. Keep a sleep log and see how long you slept when you felt great after a night’s rest.

 

 

 

  • Earn it: related to the previous point: earn your sleep. I find that I sleep better after exerting myself during the day. I am not suggesting you ‘kill’ yourself with work. What I am suggesting is taking care of the work you were supposed to during the day. One of the things that interfere greatly with my sleep is unfinished business from the day. Often, the best way to get something off your mind is by getting it off your to-do list.
  • First milestone: I get pumped for the day when I start it with an attainable and tangible goal. Sometimes it is a small goal e.g.  Write 500 words; go for a 30 minute run, read for 15 minutes etc. Start with something small but attainable. Small goals are great confidence boosters. There is something about accomplishment that feeds our desire and confidence to go after more.
  • Run… or something!:I am sure you’ve heard this one many times. You might even be tired of it. But, exercise! I enjoy a good game of squash but I am not able to play in the mornings. At the moment I am using VirtuaGym. It is easy to use and also has a mobile app for my phone. The closest gym is very far from where I live and this app works great for me. I have more energy and clarity during the day after a good workout.
  • Pray: I pray. I feel less overwhelmed in tackling my responsibilities when I’ve started my day with prayer. You may want to try it! I am not easily stressed out or thrown in a panic during the day when I start my day with prayer.
  • Old school: The to-do list is not dead! If you want to be productive for you and the things pertinent to you, draw up your to do list before other people start giving you their agendas. Simple! If you don’t have a plan or goals for yourself, there are many people that can give you theirs! Without clear goals you may not have much to show for at the end of the day despite the busyness that you can be involved due to chasing other people’s goals. I am not suggesting you neglect or ignore your team where your work interlaces with theirs, what I am saying is be clear about what you are chasing. Having a to-do list will combat frustration while it is a long way off.
  • First: I know some of the things that stress me out. As a result I do not look at my emails or make phone calls until I’m adequately prepared for the day by doing what I have highlighted above. Perhaps you don’t want to start your day by hearing the bad news of the fuel hikes… Be intentional about what you hear and who you interact with first. Productivity depends on it! Make you that your batteries are fully charged before you start placing demands on them.
Remember: Productivity will not just happen on its own; it must be caused!
illustration by  jerebu, (cc)

What do you do to ensure a productive day?