Things I learned in 2008
This last year has not been a insignificant year for me. There has been a lot happening in my life good and bad; even some life changes that we all go through and I wanted to share some thoughts that I have been reflecting on for 2008. I want to start by saying I don’t believe in new years resolutions. I prefer to reflect and course correct where possible, but when I look back at the last year there are a few things about this last year that come to mind.
Productivity can be a trap
I spend a lot of time thinking about how to be more productive and remove the daily noise, but productivity obsession can be a distraction just as easily as the guy who wanders into your office twice a day. The fact is that productivity obsession can be a drug we take that helps us lie to ourselves about what we are achieving.
The reality is that it is a lot less about getting more done than it is about getting impactful things done. One other concern that I have is that time optimization often puts people at the bottom of the pile. One CEO that I know says he “Considers the ROI of every conversation”. While I agree we need to make tough choices about how we spend our time, I am concerned that the ROI approach means that I am the center of my world. I want to be a person that puts others first.
Mint the best web app ever
I won’t lie, personal finance has never been my thing. The money comes in, and the money goes out. But success in personal finance comes when you plan, budget, execute and manage. Success is about living within your means and spending less than you make. This year I discovered a tool that has continued to improve how I manage the money I have and plan for the money I would like to have. This app is Mint.com.
I have thought that quicken has sucked forever, you need a degree in personal finance to use it and the endless options means that setup and use is time consuming. Money was better although not much, but I have multiple machines and I want to access my accounts wherever I am and whenever I need to. I also had problems with various banks and access.
Here is the thing, Mint took me 30 min’s to set up and I spend 30 minuets to wire in my budget each month. Mint looks good and makes me feel happy about managing my money, especially now that I have the iPhone App so I can manage my money on the go. I expect that I can meet my financial goals this year, because I can easily track my progress.
Hockey is back
For the last few years I have lived in denial and I ignored the sport of my youth. I dreaded the idea of putting on a pair of skates and I all but avoided any Hockey on TV or in the stands. But this year something came over me. It started when Detroit won Lord Stanley’s Cup. I spent many a Sunday afternoon at the Gym running while watching Detroit dominate almost every team in the league. Then in the NCAA, both North Dakota and the unlikely Notre Dame had great seasons which renewed my faith in college hockey as one of the most exciting leagues in all of sport.
This year I got over my fear of getting out on the ice. It is not that I haven’t skated in the last few years between when I quit playing and now, but I really had no desire to play. Then something changed; I can’t say what for sure. I just picked up some new gear and just showed up to play. I have been enjoying my late night skates in a way that I cannot explain. I genuinely love being out there. All this in spite (or maybe because) of the fact that my first skate left me with crushed cartilage in my wrist.
Failure is good
I had a number of failures this last year. I think the one I regret the most is failing to recognize when I was failing and not failing faster. That may sound silly, but I think this is a often overlooked point. I won’t dwell on this other than to say, failing is good. Learning from failure is better.
Other things I learned (that are self-explanatory)
- Sometimes smaller is better (Microloans, Microdonations, Microblogging)
- Be a peacemaker
- Twitter is a waste of time and I love it
- You have to be self critical, but not a self crippler
- My iPhone is the killer application for my productivity needs. (Sorry MS, but it needed to be said.)
- Clover machines make the best coffee (now, where can I get one)
- I should upload my photos to flickr more often
I hope that 2008 was a good year for you. I hope you laughed a lot and ate great food. I hope you avoided false sentiments and instead shared your heart with the people in your life. I hope you used technology to improve your life and gave back from your bounty to those in need. May 2009 bring us all peace, joy, and love.
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