Time, at its core, is nothing more than opportunity.  History is past opportunity, the future is potential opportunity, but the only opportunity that actually exists is the time you are experiencing right now. 

This leads us to 2 important conclusions:

1. If the only opportunities that exist are the time that we call now, then there is no need to regret.  Time that has passed, is opportunity that has closed.  There is no reason to wish, or dwell upon opportunities that didn’t work out as we had hoped.  Time has progressed and now those particular opportunities are no longer open.  Time has frozen them, historical, but impotent.
2. If the only opportunities that exist are the time that we call now, then future opportunities do not exist.  Some day they may exist, but from our perspective there is no certainty of any opportunity occurring even one second from now.  We can create predictions and statistical probabilities.  We can forecast and model a future reality.  None of this will make an opportunity occur, any more than we can change historic opportunities.  All we have the power to do, is look for likely grounds today, that appear fertile enough to produce opportunity tomorrow.  Tomorrow’s opportunities (its time) does not exist yet and so the best we can do is to guess at where the best opportunities may sprout.  Then with this information, we set out to craft ourselves until we are as much of a perfect fit for the potential opportunity as our current reality will allow us. 

These conclusions lead us down a path of reconciliation with the time that we have available.  We can drastically slash back the quantity of moments that we expect to perform in.  No longer is there any need to perform in the past.  Historic opportunity has closed  as soon as the moment has passed.  There is also no need or possibility of performance in any future opportunity.  These opportunities don’t exist, and they may never exist as we expect them to.  Our only cares need be for this very moment.  All that is left is to use the opportunities in front of us now, in a way that puts us in the right place for the next wave of opportunities that are slowly rolling out. 

This is a liberating concept that is available as soon as we are able to sincerely look at time as opportunity instead of all of the other rubbish that people tell us.   

Time is opportunity and now is the only time 

Q. What sort of a fool would say that we need more? 

A. The sort of fool who is sick of seeing the same copy-cat writing produced over and over again.  Can’t we do better than that?

The trap is that we believe that there is a direct relationship between what people want to read and what is currently being written.  There is a certain kind of twisted logic out there that tells us that because there are countless dollar formula paperbacks in print, that the world needs more dollar formula paper backs.  So writers set to work, and write some more. 

This is the Production Proves Demand paradigm.  It is all back to front.  The popularity hasn’t driven the production.  The production has created the demand.  The simple fact that formula paper backs are available everywhere for such ridiculously cheap prices, creates the desire to buy and read (to consume) them.

Is this the best way? 

Your other choice is to first work out where you have a unique perspective - what do you know.  When you have found what you know, then find out who wants to hear about it, how they want to hear about it and then set to work. 

Your unique perspective is a powerful thing.  You may see one aspect of the world in a way that has never been explored before.  Even something as mundane as your own personal hobbies or relationships can, if written carefully and thoughtfully, help others.

The best news about this is that there has never been a better time in history to be writing.  We have never been more connected as a species than we are today.  You can write for a worldwide audience no matter how small, and instantly climb into their consciousness via the internet.  While previously, your specialisation would have left you standing alone, today it is possible to link up with others in similar situations and share whatever you have learnt.

You may not write for a big audience, but if you write a careful and authoritative article about the breeding habits of caterpillars that are eating your lettuces then someone somewhere will value your work.  You can contribute to the pool of knowledge that is floating around the world and others will be able to put your work to the test.

The first stage in this process is in finding what you have to share with the world.  This is where blogging has developed from self conscious obsession towards genuine communication.  

A blog was a place where people would write simply because they liked the sound of their own words.  Times are changing.  Quickly we realised that blogs like this are never read and they only benefit the writer.  There is nothing wrong with this, if it is all you are after.  However if you want to share what you know, then the first step is to consider everything that you know and then subtract everything that is already been thoroughly written about. 

For example, I know a lot about long distance running and marathoning.  My first blog is still online (though rather dusty and neglected) at www.runningmonkeys.com.  I enjoyed writing it because I loved to write about my running.  After about 6 months I realised that out of everything that I had written only about 10 articles were actually unique, and I could see very few new unique articles in my future.  The problem was that I was simply writing about a fairly conventional, racing runner’s life.  The readers that I hoped to attract already knew what I had to say.  I had very little to write that was actually new to the world.  10 articles padded out with 100 others doesn’t make for compelling reading.  I decided to stop writing on runningmonkeys and focus on an area where I had a unique voice.

My second example is www.NoodlesandRice.com.  This is a blog that I took on because I wanted to share with the world what it is like to live with Japanese food.  I decided that the vast majority of Japanese food was being ignored by the world and that there would be real value in describing it, writing up recipes and making it more accessible to as many people as desired it.  Every week I write 6 short posts about Japanese food and I feel satisfied that I am able to share my unique perspective (An Australian House Dad living in Japan) with the world.

Finally my real passion is www.LifeGoalAction.com.  When I became disillusioned with writing about running, I decided that I should find out what I had to share with the world that would make a difference.  I decided that after years of defining and refining my life, I had learned some valuable lessons that were not widely available.  My lifestyle, situations, history and future gave me an uncommon perspective on how to achieve extraordinary things.  As I looked around, I saw some valuable things being written in the personal development sphere.  I found a market that was crowded with any number of different life philosophies and techniques.  I decided that what I had learnt would still be valuable if only I could break through the noise with my unique voice.  That is what is finally happening today.

Once you have found what you want to share with the world, then it is crucial  that you practice your presentation skills.  If you are writing, then this means master your use of words.  Polish up your grammar and your layout skills.  Grapple with vocabulary and practice economy.  Don’t wait until you arrive before you start to publish, but start progressing straight away. 

Then, when you have something to share and are polishing your writing skills, find yourself an audience.  Share what you know and share it well.  The simplest and most effective way that I know is to borrow someone Else’s audience.  This is my slant on guest blogging that I will write about another day.  Find an audience and speak to them.  Then you can communicate with the world.

If you’d like any help with identifying your expertise, putting it into writing or finding an audience then let me know.  I’d love to help if I can.  Otherwise please leave a comment below if you have found a way that helps you write for the world.

Thanks

Tom

Most of us live in highly advanced communities.  We live and die with technology, speed and precision that seems to distance us from the rest of our world’s plants and animals.  This is exacerbated by the fact that approximately half of us live in dense cities.  We are much more likely to exist without obvious relationships with  plants and animals because of the simple limits of space. 

Japanese life is somehow fundamentally different.  Of course this is a generalisation, but Japanese people seem to have retained a sense of connection with growing plants no matter how congested their living conditions.  Even the most crowded apartment blocks in polluted city streets will have balconies sprouting amazing greenery that is carefully nurtured by busy professionals or ancient grandparents alike.  Even on the main streets of Tokyo, people aren’t shy of setting up a little conglomeration of pots holding their favourite plants, on the sidewalk.   Where ever there is a space, someone will want to grow something.

Some people understand the value of growing things, others think it is just quaint.  What do you think?  If you are like the vast majority of Western society, you will probably assume that growing plants is something best left to the professionals.  However you just may be wrong.

This is where our concept of production versus consumption impacts reality.  The question I have to ask you is, are you connected with the production of the elements that sustain your life?

Connection, in a practical sense exists regardless of what we do.  We do breath the air, we do eat the food and we do feel the environmental effects of our natural world whether we like it or not.  What I am suggesting is that we take a more active roll in this connection.  All of us have the oportunity to enter into some degree of production to stop us from being passive consumers. 

Every plant grows somewhere.  Why not have one growing under your care?  A plant or a garden full of plants will give you a direct experience of the link between you and the rest of the living world.  Try it and you will see.  Take some soil and a seed.  Plant it in a pot to sit on your window sill and feed it.  Over time you will be able to watch something come to life.  One day after feeding it for a while, it may feed you something.  If not, that doesn’t matter.  You have still played a roll in the production cycle, and have moved from being a passive consumer to an active producer.  Make it your goal this coming year to eat at least one thing that you have grown. 

One nice side benefit from looking after plants is that gardening is a wonderful illustration of the growth of anything productive.  The parallels are limitted only by your imagination.  The first that springs to my mind is how only a few great ideas actually come to anything.  My small vegetable garden never grows everything that I plant in it.  It doesn’t get enough sun at some times of year for some plants.  I plant maybe 5 or 6 different vegetables in it, knowing full well that only 1 or 2 will really do anything spectacular.  This has become how I view my non-gardening ventures as well.  I now realise that no matter how good an idea is, it still might not take off, if the conditions are not right.  So I have come to accept a degree of non-success in my life.  I know that if I begin 6 things, on average 2 will work, 2 will work exceptionally well, and 2 will not even start to work.  This is my observation.  What is yours?

Growing something is one of the easiest things that you can do.  Growing something well can be significantly harder but nobody needs to be an expert.  All you need is a handful of soil in a tin can, a seed or a tiny plant, a scrap of sunlight and some water.  Then you can call yourself a gardener and you have crossed over from being a consumer towards being a producer. 

Are any of you gardeners already?  I’d love to hear a success story or two about production in your life.

Consumption was historically the term used for the disease we know as Tuberculosis.  It was called this because it was (and still is) a terrible disease that seems to consume people from within.  How ironic, that consumption as we know it today, does exactly the same thing. 

Today when we use the word consumption we are talking about purchasing, eating, listenning, watching and even experiencing things, passively.  This sort of consumption is best understood in opposition to production.  When you consume food you buy and eat.  When you produce food, you design, grow or cook.  When you consume music you listen or watch.  When you produce music you sing, play or compose.  Of course everyone has to consume food and most people want to consume music.  How is it, then, that this consumption can consume us?

Consumption, at its worst, is fueled by our inner desires, and our insecurities.  It is passed along by clever marketing and envy.   It is served up as an antidote to loneliness, aimlessness and plain old boredom.  The real problem with consumption is that the more we consume, the less it is clear who is consuming and who is being consumed.  The further we commit to a lifestyle that is based on consumption, the more our life is consumed by the mass of trinkets, snapshots and empty containers that we are left with.

A life of consumption effectively stops us from pursuing productivity.  Productivity is the act of producing something (physical objects, experiences, relationships, meaning etc.).  If we fill our lives with consumption then there is no time or energy for production.  Spending all night watching Youtube, means that you will have one less night to make your own video.  Feverishly following the latest fashions means that you will have no energy left to produce your own designs.

Production, not consumption, describes your identity.  Is it possible to be defined by what we consume.  I don’t think so.  I read an advertisement that said that my watch is supposed to communicate who I am.  I certainly hope that nobody will try and understand me by my watch.  It is an expensive and attractive watch, but it is sitting on my desk with a flat battery.  There is simply no way that I could possibly express very much about my identity by what I consume.  At best, our consumption gives off tiny clues about our priorities.  It is not what goes into us but what comes out of us that truly explains who we are.

Consumption is a necessary and wonderful thing, but it is also becoming a crippling and addictive drug for many.  Life offers so little when it is reduced to an endless stream of possessions bought and shown off, food eaten but barely tasted, and music owned as a display on your shelf, like trophies. 

Are you thinking about your own life when you read this?  Well you should be.  Excessive consumption involves all of us these days.  Even a habit as innocuous as consuming knowledge can be holding you back from a more meaningful and productive life.  But there is another way.

Why not try gradually replacing consumption with production. 

Right now, instead of continuing to search for new articles to read, why not write an article of your own.  I know I am shooting my own blog in the foot, but instead of continually consuming other people’s work, why not develop your own.  There is something that you can share with the world.  Work out what it is and write about it.  If you have nowhere to publish it, start a blog (there is a link down the bottom to a free blog set up.  If you don’t want a blog, write it up and send it to me.  I will be your audience if that is what it takes to get you producing.  Start it right now while the urge is still fresh.  Stop consuming and start producing.  Let this be the beginning.

There are endless oportunities for replacing consumption with production.  I am not advising anyone to take all of them on, just a few.  Of course we still have to consume to survive and have a fulfilling life.  I just think we should try to get back to a sense of production/consumption balance.

Here are a few types of production that are especially easy and accessible for most people:

1. Instead of being transported (consuming transport) why not produce transport by walking or cycling
2. Instead of buying a music CD, why not make one.  Or more simply instead of listenning to music, why not sing?
3. Instead of going out on a shopping expedition with friends, why not invite your friends in for a craft or writing or cooking night?
4. Instead of continually reading other people’s blogs, why not start your own?
5. Instead of reading my list of examples, why not make your own list

Production isn’t the answer to all of our problems but it will help us to enrich our lives and build our self esteem.  Every night we can go to sleep knowing that we have done something with our day instead of just being a spectator.

 This is just an introductory rant about consumption.  Stay tuned for some more practical articles about productive living over the next 2 weeks.

2 Quick links to get you started (not that you need to consume more links)

 Make magazine  is a great place to find inspiration for what you can produce with your hands and your brain.  Use it to start, not limit your creativity.

Blogger.com is a very easy and free way to get up and running with your very own blog.  Start a blog, write an article, press publish and give it to the world.

Produce your own comment:  What is the most prevalent form of consumption in your life and what can you do about it?

So it happened again.  You longed for that job and someone else landed it.  You wanted to win but you came in second.  You set your goal and did what you decided had to be done, but it didn’t work.  What is wrong with these goals?  Why don’t they work? 

The problem comes down to deciding what is a controllable, predictable goal and what is just an outcome.  Let me explain. (more…)

Viral concepts travel faster than you or I could.  They seem to bounce from one hand to the next, one brain to the next, faster than comprehension can keep up.  They are fueled by the forward button and a thumbs up.  Their reach is only limitted by the network that they travel in. 

Every one will agree that an idea that goes viral is an idea that has power. But what sort of power? 

Way back before the World Wide Web, there was a forgettable B-grade horror film called The Stuff .  The story line was weak, but it started with someone discovering some weird Stuff oozing up from the ground.  For some reason, they ate it and loved it, so they packaged it up and sold it to the world.  

In today’s terms, this Stuff went Viral.  Everyone, everywhere wanted it and it was a massive success.  It went from first discovery to popular acceptance, in only a couple of weeks.  It is a marketers dream.  A self selling product.   Word of mouth marketing. 

But there was one problem.  It wasn’t long before people realized that The Stuff ended up eating your brain and turning you into a zombi.  A pity really.  People ate The Stuff and The Stuff ate the people.

Is it possible that some of the ideas that travel virally around our world today are as dangerous?  Would we really know?  We see information, concepts, products and services going from zero to world saturation in what seems like minutes.  A report or a video or even a joke can circulate the globe faster than any of us could, as it is passed from person to person, email to email.  Of course some of it is priceless, but there is a lot that is very popular but useless.  Some, I believe are downright dangerous.

Today, virality - rampant popularity - is seen as credibility.  If we hear the same idea coming from a number of directions, all in a short space of time, how could we not take it seriously.  If the sources that pass the message to us are usually trustworthy then we are likely to trust the message, and so we pass it on.  If something goes viral, it has received the people’s stamp of approval. 

In reality, all that going viral means is that enough people feel comfortable enough with something to pass it on to their neighbours.  Virality, tells us nothing about truth or integrity.  Virality is neither a test of quality or a guarantee of usefulness.  All virality is, is a popularity contest.  The concept on the move, is close enough to conventional wisdom to make it into your inbox and not outrageous enough to make you delete it.  It has the exciting flavour of something new and essential and so you forward it on or give it a thumbs up. 

This doesn’t give me much hope for finding wisdom in a viral message.  If it is really popular or widely accepted, then at its best it will usually be watered down, conventional wisdom with a veneer of something new.  It has to be old news to be accepted by such a range of people.  At its worst, viral messages can hold dangerous prejudice or hidden manipulation carefully cloaked in familiar and agreeable concepts. 

Try watching the front page of Digg for a while and see what patterns you notice coming up.  This is where we see viral ideas on the move.  Some are great, some are useless and some should set our warning bells ringing.  If something has made it to the Digg front page it is already in the viral process.  What do you see there?

Everyone wants to create Viral Stuff or at least to discover and pass on Viral Stuff.  It is power marketing, social approval and credibility all rolled into one.  A dangerous concept can travel just as virally as a useful one, so we have to use our judgement.  We have to be careful about our acceptance of Viral Stuff.  We have to be doubly careful of being the vector that transmits dangerous or misleading viral content. 

 ”Are you eating it or is it eating you?” (David ‘Mo’ Rutherford in The Stuff)

Self development is a catch-all phrase, that has been used and misused for all sorts of purposes.  People use it interchangeably with self help, self improvement, popular psychology, personal development and a few other less popular terms.  Pedantics aside, what we are talking about here is pursuing your potential or pursuing a series of goals. 

Self Development has become a pseudo joke for many people because they automatically think of motivational million dollar speakers, cheesy catch phrases and worthless mantras.  A popular image of self development is portrayed in the film Little Miss Sunshine.  The father in that story is an up and coming self development guru, hoping to make it to fame and fortune, but never actually getting his own life together.  From images like this, we can be forgiven for believing that self development is often more fluff than fact.  That it is all about show business and manipulation for profit.

In reality, self development is something that effective people have been doing for centuries.  Who knows when it all began, but I assume that the first time that prehistoric man set his sights on something in the future - something out of his reach - he gave birth to self development.  From there we have come a long way.  We have developed and tested many tools, methods and processes to help us in pursuing our potential.  We have recorded inspiring stories and case studies of all sorts.  We have watched as the world has changed and morphed into what we now see, and to no great surprise, self development still counts as an extremely popular topic for learning, practice and living.

Some people use self development concepts in order to keep up.  It is reasonable to assume that the correct tools and methods can help us catch up and keep up with the rest of society.  If you feel significantly left behind, then this sort of self development will help you.   

Others, on the other hand, are interested in getting ahead, and need a completely different kind of toolkit.  The conventional tools that help you catch up with the population, rapidly become useless if you seek to do something extraordinary.  While an effective diary system may serve you well in your attempt to get through your day, it just may be the thing that holds you back from flying really high.  While becoming indispensable may be great for reaching the top of a company, it may be terrible for launching your own company.  This is the same whether we are talking about physical tools, psychological concepts, mental concepts and even actions.  We all need the right tool kit related to our desired level of performance.

Is there one best way to self develop?  These days, self development comes in many different shapes and sizes.  There are so many that it becomes baffling which you should follow. Perhaps up to half of the self development out there is useless.  This will become clear to you when you study it, and try to put into action the cliches and apparent wisdom that it is based on.  The other half comes in many different flavours and styles, because it is developed and packaged by people who appreciate different things.  The good news is that there is some style to suit most people out there.  These styles range from cold hard action at one end, to emotional, flowing, warm concepts at the other.  What you find cold and intellectual, I might find exciting and easy to put to work.  What you find warm and nurturing, may make me feel nauseated and demoralized.  I consider that LifeGoalAction clings closer to the action end of the spectrum than the emotion end, but I guess that depends on your perspective.  The main point is that there is something for any taste and today it is easily available.

Despite the variation, there is one overall principle that guides effective self development.  When you find a system of self development that suits you, it is imperative that you settle down with it, and persist for a relatively long period of time.  No matter what tools, methods, and sources you use, it will take time and patience to see results.  This time could be weeks or years depending on your goals.  Either way, if you continue to chop and change, you will hardly ever see success.  Always following the latest philosophy or technique may be exciting and motivating, but it is hardly ever as productive as finding what works and sticking with it until you see your results. 

To be really effective in pursuing your goals, find one stream of personal development and stick to it patiently.  Experiment and trial elements of that stream but stick to one basic concept for as long as it takes to really try it out.  If you do this patiently, you will find that self development can take you closer than you ever dreamed to your potential, no matter what that is.

Location, location, location - Bargain hunters take note.  Foreclosure forces sale of perfect Fixer-upper.  Run down, but with plenty of potential.  In need of TLC.  Apply with in.  Price on Application

When you buy something like a house, you are faced with a mass of different choices.  You are forced to decide what is most important to you.  What are the essentials, what are the desirables and what are you trying to avoid?  This can be a handy way of evaluating your life.  It can really help you understand what is important to you and what you should change about your current situation.

Step 1 - Write an advertisement page.  Pretend you are going to put your life on the market.  You will be selling your relationships, work, lifestyle, possessions, experiences, physical self, psychological/emotion self, spiritual self and everything else that is part of your life.  If you like you can just make a list of points rather than spend the time writing convincing copy.  Make sure you include everything that is significant about your life.  This will end up being a sort of inventory of your life today.

Step 2 - Take out a highlighter.  Mark everything in your list that you would not want to be without, in one colour.  Mark everything that you’d be happy without in another colour.  Take some time over this and try to think about what is personally important to you, not anyone else.

Step 3 - Get out another colour and add to the list anything that is really important to you but is not there yet.  What is missing from your life as it is?  What people, experiences, satisfaction etc. is not there.

Step 4 - Hold the page as far away as you can from your face and let your eyes go out of focus.  Try to get a general impression of what colour shows up most on your page.  This will give you an idea, not only of how many of each different colour there are, but how much you wrote about each item.  If you are anything like me, you will write more quantity - be more specific - about things that are important.  What do the relative quantities of colour tell you about your life?

Step 5 - Put your page away for a day or two and come back and see if you agree with what you wrote.  If it still describes your life and the bits that are missing, then you have an extremely important document in your hand.

Now I am not advocating that you put your life up for sale, as I believe there has to be something illegal about that sort of thing.  Just imagining that you will put your life on the market will help you decide how you are going with crafting your ideal life.  No life is perfect, but how does yours compare with your ideal.  What are the big areas for life renovation?  What areas are you content with?  What areas are completely missing from your life today?  Now that you know the answer to these questions you are better prepared than most people, to be able to effectively pursue your ideal life.  So get to it. 

P.S. If anyone finds that they would like to sell their life after this analysis, I am in the market for a spare one.  I’d love to have another life to fill up with all of the things that I want to do but don’t have space for.  Just drop me a line.

Thanks

Tom

Our Western world seems to be heading further down the road of individualism and self actualization every day.  We believe that we are in control of our own destiny and we know that we hold the power to shape our futures.  While this is true, it must be held in balance with the knowledge that all of our lives are interconnected. 

If we focus only on our own actions then we are heading down a long lonely road to disappointment.  The reality of life in our world is that every time we act, there are others involved, turning our action into an interaction.  Missing this point has been the down fall of individuals and organisations throughout history but never so much as today. 

If we see an action that is truly effective, a closer look will show us a stream of important interactions.  Test this out.  Take any example of an important action and look for the interactions that occur before, during, or after, that bring power, meaning or fulfillment to the situation.  If you look hard enough, you will find that an effective action is always surrounded by vital interactions.

The effective people in our world instinctively know that they are always interacting with real people, whether it is obvious or not.  They are able to see these links and maximise the mutual benefits of the interaction no matter who is involved.

The ineffective people in our world seek to make short term gains by acting without thinking of the others involved.  They believe that they can succeed at the expense of others.  Take the example of most online money making schemes.  No doubt you will have received many propositions from people who would love to help you make “Big Bucks Online”.  While I am sure there are a few reputable companies that get mixed up in this group of scams, the majority are based on one sided - Action only - thinking.  The focus is all on what you do, what you will receive, what you will spend it on.  In most cases there is a total disregard for the other people that you will inevitably interact with along the way.  Your product, your message or whatever you seek to distribute to the world will be accepted or rejected by real people.  Even if you are doing business online, there are genuine, thinking, breathing people behind these interactions.  If you create or perpetuate a scam then it will be real people who will be scammed.  If you spread pipe dreams or lies then real people will get hurt or disillusioned as a result of your actions.  This is no way to live an effective life.  Exploiting others will harm them, harm the medium, harm your peers and eventually harm yourself.

It becomes obvious, then, what we have to do.  Look for the signs of real people in all of our actions.  A person assembled the PC that you are reading from.  A person runs the ISP that enables you to read this.  Real people around the world are reading this article at exactly the same time as you.  And believe me, a real person is writing this for you.  Temporarily forget about statistics, URLs, Page views, minutes, brands and every other construct that obscures the faces of real people and you will see millions of interactions in your life that you never saw before.  If you are able to connect with just a few of these people - people that you are already interacting with - in an uncommon and particularly human way, then you will be on the road towards making a positive impact in the world around you.

The other option is to treat the world like a toolbox that you can use for your own purposes, and that is all it will ever be for you.  The choice is yours.

Think of a situation when recognising that an action is actually an interaction, will help you to be more effective tomorrow.  Then write it in the comment box here for us all to see.

Thanks

Tom

Photo credit:DSC_0404.JPG by Riccardos on Flickr