Online Mentors for 2009

While I don’t have nearly as much time as I would like to read other blogs there are a few that I keep up with and would like to share with you in hopes they will keep you as inspired, informed and interested in 2009 as I have been while reading them. I recommend Pam and Tim because they offer guidance that is really worthwhile and based in practice, not academics or hot air.

First off is EscapeFromCubicleNation.com. I’ve linked here many times and continue to be impressed by Pam, she writes for meaning not volume and is one of the few bloggers who’s posts I read top to bottom without fail. In her recent post “Learn to tune OUT to tune IN to great progress in 2009” she suggests tactics for tuning out the unimportant to help you stay focused on the important. Interestingly this is a similar concept to the next blogger on the list, Timothy Ferriss’ “low information diet” as described in his book “The 4-Hour Work Week” but we’ll come to that in a minute. In Pam’s post she has 7 “steps” or at least ideas for getting things that matter done in 2009. My answers are as follows and I would suggest writing or blogging yours as well, putting it down always seems to make it more tangible:

1. Make the Big List: For this I used the Dreamline I created from 4-Hour Work Week for the first 6 months of 2009. What follows is not the whole ist of 15 items but a sampling of what is on there.

• Finish my book, I have the draft complete, time to make revisions and polish it off.
• Buy the Canon 5D Mark II Camera. I’m starting to obsess.
• Entertain for dinner/drinks in my home once per month.
• Get deeply knowledgeable about Bordeaux. My favorite wine I want to really get to know it.
• I have several trips on here as well in the 1st have of 09′ including: Vegas (coming up on Jan 3rd), Hawaii, the 9th annual ManTrip, and Napa.
• Public Speaking once per month
• Guest blog on 2 sites not owned by me (I’ve already started blogging on WPHacks.com)

2. Think about your deeper contribution, purpose or mantra for the year:

• My one word for 2009 is monetization. I’ve spent a lof of time over the last few years building and starting ideas and businesses but I haven’t spent nearly enough time turning them into profitable ventures so this year the focus is all about taking those things and either eliminating them or making them generate revenue. It might sound a little selfish but it’s not. I’ve also spent a lot of time over the last few years giving away my time, sometimes for charity other times purely out of generosity but it’s time to focus on my own financial well being and getting back to peace-of-mind living.

3. Cross anything off your list that does not serve your deeper purpose.

• If it needs to make money and doesn’t it’s gone, just make the decision. If I enjoy it but don’t or won’t make any money from it, relegate it to what it is, a hobby and treat it accordingly.

4. Create a simple 4×4 grid with one square for each corner.

• Done. I’m a techie so I used a spreadsheet and within each square subdivided it into 100 squares, accommodating up to 10 tasks for 10 activities. Might not need them all but they are there and in keeping with the notion of getting things done by breaking them down into the smallest possible task 10 steps to getting 1 big thing done isn’t that much. I also like that the squares are small so I have to keep my descriptions short and too the point. You can download my version of Pam’s 4×4 grid for free with my compliments. It’s simple but hopefully you will find it useful.

5. Map your activities into the squares.

• For me each activity will be a row within a square and each sub-square a task leading to that activity. (easier to follow if you are looking at the grid).

6. Get your massive plan down to a very short list which you can start in January.

• Starting with speaking (presenting on Social Media at the Meet Different conference in Atlanta on Feb 9th,2009, presentation is “The Audience is Listening: Using Web 2.0 and Social Networks for Your Events”) and as mentioned already guest blogging on WPHacks.com.

7. Celebrate every little accomplishment.

• Some of my favorite ways are mindless time off (I’m a closet Call of Duty addict), favorite foods and sleeping in. Best of all, most of those don’t cost much (if anything). Also, I fill each square on the grid when a task is complete, that visual representation of progress serves as incredible motivation to try to get all of them filled in. I know it seems trivial but it works.

Another great blogger I read regularly is Tim Ferriss, author of 4-Hour Work Week. If you don’t own this book or haven’t read it yet there is no better time than the present to go get it and read it. 4-Hour Work Week will change a lot of things for you. Recently he posted an idea that nicely aligns with one of my own 2009 goals (Entertaining friends in my home once a month).

“Slow meals = life. From Daniel Gilbert of Harvard to Martin Seligman of Princeton, the “happiness” (self-reported well-being) researchers seem to agree on one thing: meal time with friends and loved ones is a direct predictor of happiness. Have at least one 2-3-hour dinner and/or drinks per week — yes, 2-3 hours — with those who make you smile and feel good. I find the afterglow effect to be greatest and longest with groups of 5 or more. Two times that are conducive to this: Thursday dinners or after-dinner drinks and Sunday brunches.”

A few other tidbits from Tim to keep in mind for 2009:

• “Don’t worry too much about what other people think, because most of the time they don’t”
• “Regret is past tense decision making. Eliminate complaining to minimize regret.”
• Be decisive (I’m summarizing several things here). Indecision often results in regret, remorse and unnecessary stress, plus a lot of wasted time you can’t get back.

A few small steps in the right direction can make for a great 2009, I’d encourage you to follow both Pam and Tim and make 2009 your best year yet.