January 5, 2020
Take Three Words
just 3 words
I discovered the three words process only last year from Chris Brogan. It worked nicely for 2019, so I repeated the exercise for 2020. Since publishing the three words in my annual new year newsletter, a number of people have asked questions;
- where did the idea come from?
- what are the rules?
- can you tell me more about the process?
- is it ok to have four words?
etc etc
So first - not my idea. I got it from Chris Brogan - but I don’t think he started it. To fill in some gaps - this is what Chris has to say.
What is My 3 Words About?
The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day-to-day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”
My take : Rules are made to be broken. I get why three is better than one … for me - but whatever works for you. This is an exercise to help you shape your thinking and actions in a consistent way throughout a year.
How to Choose Three Words
I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were “Ask. Do. Share.” I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.
Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:
- Don’t make it a phrase. “Publish the book” is a terrible choice. “The” is wasted.
- Try to make the words actionable. “Expand” is better than “bigger.”
- The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
- Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I’ve changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can’t explain it. But I can report it.
- Years where I’ve tried “fancy” words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
- BUT the words don’t have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don’t worry about explaining them.
My take: Can’t argue with anything here. That last one is probably the most important. The three words are not for you to explain to others. They are your words, for you.
Review Them Daily
The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.
My take: I didn’t do this last year. I am going to try this year, particularly since this year’s words have a very specific direction in mind, whereas last years was more of a broader ‘raise the boat’ theme.
My Three Words
I have decided to follow Chris’ example and publish my words in a single place and so annually, will revisit this post and update.
2019 - Uncertain - Less - Different [published here]
2020 - Believe - Move - Ascend [published here]
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People First
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January 5, 2020
People: Kevin
people-first-stories
“Me? I’m from England … you’ve heard of the ‘Garden of England’?“
“I have - Kent right?”
“That’s the one - and every garden needs a compost heap - that’s the town I’m from, so my girlfriend and I sold everything we had, bought a couple of tickets and here we are.”
Kevin went on to tell me that he moved here because he had friends in the country and they spoke well of all they found. Recognizing that their options couldn’t be worse, they just did it. Where they work is thousands of miles from family and hundreds of miles from any of their ‘local’ friends but they’d both got jobs at the same place … so it was a ‘no brainer’, although he’d been working there twice as long as his girlfriend.
“She started today. Me? I started yesterday.”
Kevin and his girlfriend broke the chain of their ‘destiny’ and created their own opportunity. They don’t know how it will all work out … but if it doesn’t, they’ll just do it all again.
“No point in waiting for things to happen is there?”
You don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there, just waiting to be explored and shared.
Robbie Robertson
Travels Without Charley
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January 5, 2020
People: Jeffrey
people-first-stories
In a recent newsletter, I referenced a book; Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead which unbeknownst to me was written by a friend of a friend. Turns out the two friends used to swap Grateful Dead stories and on reading my post this story came to mind. When I read the story, it seemed a perfect addition to my Travels Without Charley series - so please read on and enjoy the first ‘guest post’ in the series.
One favourite was about a concerned father and his 16 year old son.
The affluent, NorCal dad arrange to meet with a well-regarded psychiatrist and youth councillor regarding his son. The father was troubled and anxious that his son lacked motivation. He further arranged for the son to also meet with the same Doctor. After a few months, they all agreed to have a face-to-face sit down.
During the course of the intervention, the Doctor learned the son was a Deadhead. The Doctor apprised himself of what that meant, and the recent activities of the boy. The Doctor immediately concluded his diagnosis and recommendation.
During the three-way meeting in the Fall, the Doctor asked the dad if he knew what his son was doing for the last three summer months. The dad really didn’t know. The Doctor explained that his son, his only spawn, had recently travelled to 30 different cities, in nearly as many states, saw around 20 Grateful Dead shows, all with no money, no car, and no visible means of support. The Doctor quickly allayed any fatherly concerns about ‘motivation.’
Eventually, the dad became a Deadhead, went to shows with his son, all while his son graduated cum laude from Leland Stanford Junior University aka Stanford, in Palo Alto, the ancestral home of the Grateful Dead.
I use this vignette to rail on the emetic notion of managerialism. The fact is the Deadhead kid was exceptionally motivated. It was just a different type of motivation. It was foreign to the father. Eventually and fortuitously it was embraced. Unfortunately, this metacognition is sorely absent in most orgs.
John Maloney
Travels Without Charley
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December 29, 2019
What Is A Gig?
As I was publishing this post from John Maloney, I thought I would look up the word gig … it makes for an interesting read.
A child’s pacifier or any object, as a cloth square, spoon, or the like, used as a toy; any object to which a small child is attached and with which he likes to play; any object treated by a child as a fetish; a gigi or ju-ju. Orig. Negro slave and Southern use. From “gigi,” the word is very well known to about 35% of the population, unheard of by the rest.
The rectum. From “gigi.” Used euphem. by some children, as part of their bathroom vocabulary, but not common to all children. Used by some male adults [taboo] as a euphem. for “ass” in such expressions as “up your gig.” 3 [taboo] The vagina. From “gigi.” Not common. Prob. Southern use.
A party, a good time; esp. an uninhibited party; occasionally but not often, an amorous session, necking party, or even a sexual orgy between a man and a woman. c1915 [1954]: “Cornet players used to pawn their instruments when there was a lull in funerals, parades, dances, gigs and picnics.” L. Armstrong, Satchmo, My Life in New Orleans, 100. 1958: “Life is a Many Splendored Gig,” a song title.
A jam session ; a jazz party or gathering of jazz musicians or enthusiasts. Orig. swing use. 1920 [1954]: “Kid Ory had some of the finest gigs, especially for the rich white folk.” L. Armstrong, Satchmo, My Life in New Orleans, 141.
An engagement or job for a jazz musician or musicians, esp. for a one-night engagement. 1950: “If I ask you to go out on a gig, it’s thirty-five or forty dollars for that night.” A. Lomax, Mr. Jelly Roll, 204. 1954: “On a gig, or one night stand.” L. Armstrong, Satchmo, My Life in New Orleans, 221.
Something, as a jazz arrangement, that is satisfying or seems perfect. Orig. swing use.
An unfavorable report; a demerit; a reprimand. Army and some student use since c1940. The relations, if, any, between a child’s pacifier or fetish, the rectum and vagina, a party, a sex orgy, jazz music, a pronged fork, and a reprimand are most interesting, and lie in the field of psychology rather than of etymology.
A fishing spear; a pronged fork as used for catching fish, frogs, and the like.
etc …. they forgot this one:
A gig, also called chair or chaise, is a light, a two-wheeled sprung cart pulled by one horse.
Who Knew?
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Language
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December 12, 2019
neve
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November 20, 2019
The Gig Economy is Dopey
a-gig
The following post comes courtesy of John T. Maloney, who sent me an email reply to one of my newsletters and it just was too good not to share. Thankyou John. Nicely delivered.
The ‘gig economy’ is dopey. Always had a problem w/the term.
For me, a gig is a trident tip spear used for gigging. Period.
A Trident Tip
A Trident Tipped Gig
Growing up in rural and coastal Connecticut, from April to November, gigging was a principal pastime. We’d go after anything gigable, but mostly bullfrogs and flounder. It was very effective.
Imagine it was quite unpleasant for the gigged fauna. (Not unlike the ‘gig economy.’) Most of the catch made it to the table. We could gig in the Winter, by simply cutting a hole in the ice, chumming and waiting. It was cold and not as fun.
Once moving to California, the prospect of gigging New England Style was not really available. However, gigging with a modest technological change, was even better than gigging in ponds and estuaries on the East Coast.
Supposedly the Hawaiians invented the ‘Hawaiian Sling’. It’s a gig with a piece of surgical tube attached. It is wicked effective.
From Santa Barbara to Mendocino got to gig/sling a lot. The best was the halibut at the beach at the entrance to Diablo Canyon in SLO at night. Wow. Could fill my freezer with one clean shot. (Later learned it was a key halibut spawning area, thus frowned upon.) It was fun and delicious while it lasted.
Gigging is a good metaphor for the gig economy. Just make sure you are on the right end of the gig. Avoid the King Neptune of Gigging, Dara Khosrowshahi.
Neptune and Amphitrite in the storm
Have to say … of gigging as described by John I know nought, but totally with him on the Dara reference and that is another story about why a gig is no solution.
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November 20, 2019
Careful Where You Publish Your Work
The-Scream
Doc Searls, Godfather of The VRM/Me2B Movement observed recently that he writes on 4 (what amount to) personal blogs … which made me feel a lot better about myself. In that same post he wrote;
Bigger than all four of those blogs is Linux Journal, where I wrote a great deal, including what amounted to blog posts on its website, for 25 years. That ended when Linux Journal ceased business in August. Also, as of today the entire site, with all its archives, is offline, erasing a third to a half of what I’ve written online so far.
Doc Searls
Think about that …. a third to a half of what you have written online is suddenly not available. And you wonder why I write articles like this.
The Scream ….
It’s a cautionary tale because Doc (who’s final position at Linux Journal was Editor in Chief) might reasonably have expected that whoever owned Linux Journal wouldn’t suddenly remove it from public view.
Rule Number One : When it comes to your IP trust no one. Keep your articles and writing in a place that you have access to and control.
Rule Number Two : There is no Rule Number Two.
On a side note, but keeping the theme of Doc … he recently published the links to the last three posts on the VRM Blog. They are good reads.
People are the real edge
We’re not data. We’re digital. Let’s research that.
What law might clear the way for VRM development?
Value
Work
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November 14, 2019
Good As Hell
The weekend’s nearly here! Here’s a little something to make the middle of the week easier to get through: Good As Hell by Lizzo
The video is fantastic as well:
🎧
🎵
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