Proceed Until Apprehended

When Kerri and I got married, we chose to keep the wedding small. It was limited to our immediate family – parents, siblings, spouses and a nephew. It was a fantastic day, of course, and I believe it was in large part because the fun and joy of the celebration was contained and focused on a small number of guests we really wanted to share with. There were others that could have helped us celebrate, of course, but it’s a slippery slope to include more, all the while thinning out the direct contact and interaction with those that are there. It seemed there was a finite amount of happiness to be shared and we concentrated it among a few.

I’m reminded of this today as Kerri got a blank stare of non-recognition from a bride we saw get married a month ago. Evidence, perhaps, that size doesn’t denote quality.

There’s a moral here for our daily endeavours, as well. How much we’re taking on isn’t an indication of how much we are doing effectively.

Here’s a statement for your consideration: You have a limited amount of thoughtfulness and quality to offer.

The energy and skills with which we do stuff have finite properties, at least until you undertake a long-term effort to increase them. It’s pretty hard to quantify the quality you offer, but a limit is there. And if it is limited, how should you use it?

When you look at the way you’re using this limited capacity now,

• Are you creating quality connections or multiple relationships?
• Are you communicating with focus or responding to all the inquiries?
• Are you creating effective ideas or solving as many problems as possible?
• Are you pursuing meaning or juggling activities?

While I’ve written them as either/or propositions, they aren’t exclusive. Both options are arguably necessary. I’m simply asking if you and I are spending your time where we should.

Paradoxically, computers, the internet and social media create an environment where your finite thoughtfulness can be multipled and shared many times. We often misinterpret this as an increase to our limited capacity. Not so. All these advances simply offer a better distribution system for what we’re able to create.

This isn’t a comment about limits for your success or a containment of the reach of your brilliance, then. It’s the opposite. Your ideas can go further than ever before.

This post is a comment about an individual’s fixed capacity and the importance of treasuring it. When we acknowledge we have a fairly immovable constant, it can create a healthy sense of urgency… if this is all I have, am I using it right while time ticks away?

With brilliant simplicity, Seth Godin has offered an opportunity for his readers to connect with others in their area.

Here’s his post, but don’t click away just yet. I want to impress upon you how smart I think this is.

Presumably, Seth Godin’s readers are everywhere.  One of the problems, however, is that the ideas and concepts he’s sharing create short-term discomfort when you practice them. Being a Linchpin or leading a Tribe (his two most recent books) require you to buck convention, speak truth to power and stand up for change. In my experience, the large majority of people in your off-line world are going to react negatively to this behaviour. The ones that agree with you are hard to find and you can’t identify them. If only we had special hats or t-shirts. 

I humbly suggest that Regina, Saskatchewan, my location, is worse off than most. We’re a government town in a resource-based province. A new reality hasn’t really hit here yet.

Seth Godin just put his hand out to me. He said, “I know it’s hard. You’re not alone.” For one glorious evening, I’ll be able to see the people in Regina that are having a similar experience. If you’re in Regina and buy this stuff, I hope to see you there.

Why do I want change so bad? Is it just for the sake of something different?

I don’t think that’s it.

I think I observe a lot of change around me and I feel like I’m living in a world that’s out of sync. Perhaps I shouldn’t say I want change. I certainly don’t want it just for it’s own sake. I want t0 put my energy into things that are adequately in tune with the reality of the situation. I could actually be pretty content without change if things were static. Hey, I like quiet, serene and unchallenging environments more than most. The world is not static, however, and it’s clearly not going to be static. I want change only because it’s the best strategy to deal with reality. I want responsiveness.

I have a little analogy to throw at you. Have you ever been caught wearing your parka on the day spring weather arrives? Worse yet, you’re wearing a light fall coat the day winter blows in. It’s actually a pretty crummy day until you can adjust. If you’ve got a few hours before you get home to your warm coat, it totally monopolizes your day. I feel like that about the things I want to change. The discomfort makes for a lingering dissonance you can’t shake. Let’s adjust to the new order. We’d all be more comfortable.

The new reality is that we’re in an age of participation. It’s easy for everyone to have a voice and to engage with the things they care about. This rule of engagement now just resides there. It’s not up for debate. Somebody else’s change made that happen. The internet, Google, social media, the end of a Baby Boomer labour era, reality has changed. I’m going to accept this reality and adjust accordingly, but I really dislike this “get it” and “don’t get it” divide. I want my face-to-face community members to join me, yet I feel the distance growing.

I can refer you to a long line of people that will tell you I’m being unreasonable. In my defense, I don’t think I’m pushing for something because it’s shiny or exciting. I just want equilibrium. To create that balance one side has to catch up…  or it’s going to be replaced.

Hungry People gave me an early Christmas gift. They interviewed me and put it up for their audience to see. It’s kinda neat, getting a little attention. I’d much rather have a conversation with someone than just yell into the town square.

By the way, I see big things coming for Hungry People. They are creating conversations and content that’s worth reading. Chief Storytelling Officer Jay Jaboneta is proving that this game can be had with a plan and a work ethic.

A while ago, I read a Chief Happiness Officer post by Alex Kjerulf called “My job is…”

He points out that if you start a Google search with “my job is” it will auto-fill your search with the ways that search phrase is typically finished in Google. The results are fascinating, though perhaps not surprising. Here’s the screenshot of the list Alex found:

When I decided to toy around with Google Adwords, Alex’s post was in my mind. I could think of no better way than to use some “long tail” search terms that are in this same style. I’m presenting ads in the obscure, rare moment that you’re staring at your computer, at the end of your rope, unable to fathom what to do next at work. At that moment, the best my target recipient can do is type their frustration into the Google search field… viola, there I am. With my little text ad, I say:

Here’s a fun little game. See if you can find my keywords. Try a “frustration search.” If you find it, you can click on it and take up to ten cents off my net worth.

Even the most reticent among us now acknowledge that the way our economy works and the way a large majority of us produce value has changed significantly. If you’re not there yet, you should perhaps watch the latest version of Did You Know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3rqW_n1Y8o&feature=youtube_gdata to get a sense of how this world is asking something different of you.

This fundamental shift clearly hasn’t been matched by a smooth adaptationd by our population. Personally, I’ve experienced a significant lag between my realization that the world had changed and the creation of strategies to feel like I’m actually engaged in the shift.

Here’s some rules I’ve now put in place. Perhaps they’ll be of assistance:

Make information work for you
Set up filters and categories in your email, through RSS and screen your phone calls. If you don’t manage the flow coming at you, it can be constant and very distracting.

Document your best ideas and share them
The name of the game is now reputation. People won’t seek you out for your knowledge like they used to and letters behind your name now mean less than they ever have. If you want people to have confidence that you have the smarts for the next problem, solve some existing ones without being asked.

Become a student… and a teacher
Along with increased availability of information is an accelerated pace of change. The approach I advocate is to institute a self-study course that makes you an eternal Master’s student. You can never be on top of it all, but to be relevant in the discussion, you have to be informed and carry an opinion. Teaching is a no-brainer. It’s how we learn. There’s also a huge audience as we all try and figure it out.

It’s DIY
In The Pirate’s Dilemma, Matt Mason references a punk magazine that showed the neck of a guitar and three possible chords. It said, “Here’s a chord. Here’s two more. Now go form you own band.” Go nuts. There are no restrictions. At little to no cost, you get to try what you want.

Embrace your new role
Most of all, beyond any advice I’m providing, I urge you to find a way to enjoy this environment. It’s not going away anytime soon. There are plenty of discoveries, perspectives and unconventional sources to keep things interesting, but they can also drive you nuts. Make sure you have the right frame of mind. It’s more of a pick-up game than league play. No-one is looking over everything with the right answer, not even Seth Godin.

There is no single source. YOU are a source. I’m a source. Isn’t this fun?

On the surface, this doesn’t seem all that big, but I’m blown away that from my little corner, I can engage so broadly with people.

First, people scattered all over the world have read my blog:
Additionally, another blogger has reviewed and commented on my manifesto.

People I’ve never met have taken the time to post my manifesto on Twitter and some of the writing meant enough to be tweeted by others.

Admittedly, these have all been in small numbers, but I find it exhilirating. When I started sharing stuff through online media, I had the hope of adding my voice to the thoughtful things I read by such people as Seth Godin, Leo Babauta, Pam Slim and Chris Guillebeau.

This gives me some feedback that I’m contributing to a conversation that’s happening worldwide. I’m proud to be a small part of it.

Wow. Just today, I started to understand social media and the value of blogs, twitter, squidoo, even facebook. Thanks to Seth Godin and Laurel Papworth. I also need to take in a big dose of Guy Kawasaki.