Up Market |
- 5 Things You Should Stop Doing
- Young Entrepreneurial Lessons from Cartoons, Circuses and Freak Shows
- How to Create Your Next BIG Idea
| 5 Things You Should Stop Doing Posted: 01 Feb 2012 05:30 AM PST
A recent article on the Harvard Business Review blog shares five key things that you should stop doing. According to the author, these things "make work activities merely provide the illusion of progress."
What will you add to your "to-don't" list this year? Please share in the comments! Photo Credit: sualk61  |
| Young Entrepreneurial Lessons from Cartoons, Circuses and Freak Shows Posted: 31 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST
At the age of 17 Walt Disney drove an ambulance for the Red Cross in France that he decorated with his own cartoon drawings. He returned to Kansas City two years later and partnered with another cartoonist Ubbe Iwerks to form his first company called "Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists" at the age of 19. Phineaus Taylor (P.T.) Barnum showcased his first "exhibition show" of a unique and shocking human being when he was 24 years old. John Ringling and his brother purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907 when John was 34. They turned their show into one of the most successful circus enterprises ever. These innovative 19th century entrepreneurs started their businesses at ages that are considered young by today's standards, yet their young age was never a topic of interest in regard to their success as entrepreneurs. That is because the concept of "youth entrepreneurship" is something society has started to popularize only recently. Young people starting businesses have always been a part of every country's economic fabric. In fact, it is a necessity in most countries – the norm instead of the exception. People love to hear stories about vibrant, creative individuals that show initiative and start innovative new businesses, especially at a young age. This represents a universally appealing "dream-come-true" scenario. The interesting attribute about "young entrepreneurs" from before the 20th century is that their notoriety was not linked to their age. The historical accounts show young people that had to figure out a way to make a living, and they used all their creativity and the resources available to do it. They usually did not have any other options. It was out of necessity that they maximized their available resources to make the most profitable business possible. Today the added emphasis on the age of entrepreneurs is new. A young mind-set is what entrepreneurs truly share, not the number of years in their life. They look at the possibilities in the world with eyes that see potential for products, industries, even whole economies. The legacy from the young entrepreneurs of the past is to ignore age and focus on what needs to be accomplished. Photo Credit: Ahren D  |
| How to Create Your Next BIG Idea Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:30 PM PST
I have a system I use to translate my dreams and ideas into attainable goals. I write EVERYTHING down. I have notebooks for projects real…and imagined. Why blog about something as mundane as writing things down? Because the magic for me happens as a result of creating a body of work that is a bit like Lego pieces. Each thought, observation or nugget is a block. I create a huge variety of "blocks and pieces" that I can sort, sift and build with. I put the emphasis on creating pieces I may, or may not use later. I write consistently and without censoring– capturing observations, questions and notes from books, conversations, dreams, etc. I have two places where I capture my thoughts, ideas or musings. I use an old-fashioned paper notebook or journal for personal journaling and I use electronic notebook software for capturing odds and ends and the seeds of ideas that may or may not be relevant to a work world. My personal notes are not "Dear diary" journaling. I have a commitment to write stream-of-consciousness until I have filled at least two to three pages with whatever pops into my mind. I don't worry about sentences, grammar, telling a coherent story….no rules. Just write. No rules about how often to write either. This affords a safe, uncensored place to muse…to think…to observe. I capture what is washing through my brain. In the last couple of years, I have given my personal journals "themes" at the beginning of a new book. A theme or title is a way of giving me an imaginative framework as a lens. The theme serves as a metaphor that helps me to focus on "what" I want to discover without crippling myself with "what am I going to do with it?" until I have built up enough headwind to blow down my fears. Some of my former themes? Last year it was "Beginner’s Mind". That was a reminder to look at everything with fresh eyes and to not be intimidated by "the experts" before I had given myself the opportunity to explore a variety of perspectives. The journal before that was a nod to "Harold and the Purple Crayon". This children's story was a playful and delightful exploration of how life can be an adventure. (Just the thing when I was getting ready to pull the plug on my career of 20+ years). The most amazing thing happens when I go back after time and look over the writing. Stuff pops out! I gather these pieces or blocks and look for the outline of a puzzle I now want to put together! I use electronic notebooks to organize imagined work "projects". I constantly pop one open or create a new notebook to place a thought, include a link for an article I've read, or notes from a book or web conference or an email from a friend…whatever. The beauty of an electronic notebook is you can create the shape for an "imaginary idea" container and constantly change and adapt it as your thoughts unfold. Centralizing all of the random flotsam and jetsam into one semi-related holding place creates an electronic workshop filled with lovely pieces. I have an electronic notebook for two different books I'd like to write, an electronic notebook for my emerging coaching practice as well as notebooks for topics and imaginary collaborative projects I hope to find partners for one day. Create your own bits and pieces and develop your own system for storing them. You won't use them all, but when you look at the stack and decide you have enough pieces, it is fun to sort through the variety and think about all the different ways you can use them. There is no right or wrong way to create and gather your own building blocks. Do what makes sense for you. But do it. Give yourself permission and reconnect with the childhood delight of gathering precious objects in a random collection. (Remember that rock collection you had as a kid and how exciting it was?) You are wiser than you give yourself credit for. When you record your thoughts, musings and random jewels, they become the pieces you will build your next big idea with. Even if you are not certain of what that idea is today…it emerges! The take-away? ■ Write everything down. Create your blocks and pieces then think about what to build with them later. ■ The larger your inventory of blocks and the more variety you have, the greater your building options. ■ Create blocks for imaginary projects. Sometimes the most imaginative building can't occur until you see the pieces you have to create it! ■ Don't be afraid to mix mediums. Lego got a whole new life by combining plastic blocks with electronic pieces. Related articles: http://www.gwenkinsey.com/how-to-unleash-your-unconcious-mind-in-creative-process/ http://www.gwenkinsey.com/tips-for-journaling-to-discover-your-best-self/ Photo Credit: Gwen Kinsey  |
We all have "to-do" lists but what about creating a "to-don't" list? Often, it's the things we don't do that make us more efficient and effective.
The spectacle of young people starting exciting new businesses is nothing new. In fact, this category of entrepreneurs still produces some of the greatest shows and engaging dramas on earth. There is one major difference; no one made a big deal about the age of entrepreneurs in the past. This has only started to occur in the last 100 years, and there is something to be learned from this trend.
Has it been too long since you hatched a big idea? Is it because your ideas take years to simmer and change shape before they form and are ready for action steps? Do you lose your excitement for ideas in the practical details of "how to do it?"| You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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