2K11 24/7

The 2K11 24/7 CCXCII: Planning to Fail

Those who fail to plan plan to fail. How true it is. Planning isn't something that comes naturally to me at all. I rather do things flying by the seat of my pants, forever improvising and adjusting my path to achieve success. It's worked pretty well so far — I'm not incapable of thinking ahead, I just don't like to do it. But you sure do learn a lot through the planning that you failed to do.

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The 2K11 24/7 CLXX: Commit Your Plans to Paper!

We all want to accomplish something in this world. Big or small, I'm certain we all have wishlists of things we'd like to do before we die. You can see some of mine in the problems I'd like to see solved as detailed in yesterday's post. But if you never write it down, you'll never have a clear idea of WHAT it is that you're trying to accomplish. They'll merely be intangible thoughts that could blow away in the wind as soon as your attention is directed elsewhere. So commit your plans to paper!

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The 2K11 24/7 CLXI: Achieving Without Assistants - Part 5

Today I present Niya's final post of her five-day series of achieving
without assistants! I hope you've found them just as useful as I have!

--Casey E. Palmer

***

Inspiring Support

How is this different than marketing? How is this different from step
3, about mobilizing your network? Is this last piece tacked on because
she promised to write five posts for Casey, and only had enough "real"
material for four? All reasonable, possible questions.

This post is just as real as the others. I promised five posts, and
didn't intend for any of them to be fluffy. Hopefully you haven't
found them that way. If you have, please say so. I'm more than happy
to clarify and concretize concepts for you. Some of this has been high
level, and a bit abstract. That works for some people, but doesn't
work for everyone. I get that. If it's working for you - say so. It's
never too late to make amendments.

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The 2K11 24/7 CLX: Achieving Without Assistants - Part 4

Part 4 of Niya's highly useful 5-day guest post series! Enjoy!

--Casey E. Palmer

***

Maintaining the Vision

It sounds preachy/cult-esque and vaguely multi-level marketing
oriented, doesn't it? This isn't about divine vision, or drug induced
vision, or biological vision. Those are all things you can maintain on
your own, should you decide you want to. I'm sure there are other
reasonably well written blogs that can help you with those things.

This is about the vision that you had when you made that plan.
Remember the one, way back when, with a project charter, and Gantt
charts? Okay, so many you don't have a Gantt chart. Regardless, that
vision of the project that you're working on, the one of what it'll
look like when it's complete. That's the vision I mean.

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The 2K11 24/7 CLIX: Achieving Without Assistants - Part 3

Part 3 of Niya's 5-day guest post series! Enjoy!

--Casey E. Palmer

***

Networks and the importance of mobilizing them.

This is and isn't about marketing. Contradictory? Sure. Confusing?
Hopefully not by the end of this post.

You started this exercise with the intention to have the sort of life
where you can make extraordinary change, and that you can manage
gracefully, and easily, without an assistant. You made a plan. You're
keeping your word to other people (and ideally to yourself). So now
what?

Nothing that makes a serious impact happens in a vacuum (the science
may be wrong, but the metaphor works for the moment). The best way to
make real change, and to make it happen quickly and effectively, is to
tell people about it. I don't mean in an annoying sales pitch,
marketing sort of way. I mean genuinely sharing opportunities, stories
and information. Talk about what you're up to, especially those
impossible things you've committed to making real.

The best people to tell are the ones you know. I've tried it with
strangers and the return on the investment of your time makes talking
to your friends about the stuff you're up to seem very attractive.
Plus they're your friends. They like you, and are generally interested
in the things you're doing...and if they're really good friends,
they'll help.

This help is why mobilizing your networks is a crucial part of having
this sort of life, and doing it without an assistant. You'll get the
help you need, from people who love you. This is extra important,
because sometimes you'll make promises that you can't quite keep.
You've committed to keeping your word, and you're aware of the impact
it'll have when you break it. So use that life line, phone a friend.

There are of course ways to do this gracefully.

Be upfront about the situation. If you don't give them all the
information, they'll find out eventually and probably won't like you
nearly as much for not trusting them.

Ask for help, not for favours. Favours pile up and can lead to a lot
of resentment down the road, especially if your friends are the sort
who keep score. Also, they're your friends, they aren't going to judge
you for needing help.

Don't abuse the help, or the friendship - and know that you have to be
willing to offer them the same in return.

Thank them properly. Appreciation, both immediate and over the long
term means you're more likely to get the help you need when you need
it in the future.

So put that network to good use. Tell them what you're up to. Tell
them what you need to make those impossible seeming things happen. If
you don't ask, you absolutely will not get anything. And if you do
ask, the worst you'll get is a negative response. You've a healthy ego
- you can deal with it. It's not you they're turning down - it's what
you've asked for, when you've asked for it. So hop to it already! And
come back, because there's more on this next time!

159/365

The 2K11 24/7 CLVIII: Achieving Without Assistants - Part 2

Day 2 of Niya's series!

----
Words with Friends and the importance of keeping them.

This post isn't about iPhone Scrabble. I'm not about to give you
strategies, tips and tricks to boost your score, have your friends
curse you as you wipe the Scrabble board with them, or generally make
you a better Scrabble player. Frankly, I'm a terrible Scrabble player
because I don't play strategically, so I'm the last person who should
be giving advice.

No, this is about words in a different sense. It's about those
promises that you make, those things you commit to, those words that
become your bond. At it's core, this is about integrity. To clarify, I
don't mean integrity in any sort of moral sense. If that's what you
want it to mean, that's perfectly fine. Integrity in this case,
however is about consistency
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consistency). It's about deciding what
you you're going to stand for when it comes to your actions, values,
methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes - and then
actually standing for it. This means not making promises you aren't
going to keep, both to yourself and others. These are differences from
promises you intend to break. These are the ones that you didn't
realized you didn't have the time, resources, skills etc to keep.
Essentially, do what you say you were going to do, when you said you
were going to do it. Stick to that plan. Scary as it sounds, commit.

It's so much easier to say these things that it is to do them. We
spend so much time talking that words have ceased to hold real meaning
- which is why being your word and maintaining your integrity is so
important. Life gets really interesting when you get a sense of which
promises you keep, and which ones are easier to break than others. I'm
known for serially breaking the promises I make to myself, but very
rarely breaking my committments to other people. It probably says a
lot about me. Think about your pattern when it comes to keeping your
word. What does it say about you?

When you learn to only make promises that you can keep, and about how
far you can push the bounds of the reality you know, in order to keep
the more unreasonable promises you want to make, you'll find yourself
in a life that's more feasible. Not overcommitting (i.e. Yes, I'll
proofread your paper even though I have 5 other priority items that
actually matter), or being guilted into things (i.e. Yes, I'll spend
the weekend with your parents because I love you even though I'd
rather be doing anything else), or agreeing because social convention
dictates you should (i.e. Of course I'll volunteer for your
fundraiser, even though I'm working on 6 others, because if I say no,
I'll look like a terrible human being) means you can stick to the plan
you created.

What does integrity have to with making an impossible seeming life
workable without an assistant? If you only make promises you can keep,
you'll have a much easier time remembering them. Also, knowing which
promises you can keep means you have to have a pretty good handle on
your time and resources, which means you're aware enough not to need
an assistant.

So keep your word. It's vital for the next part of how to achieve
really mind blowing things without an assistant: Networks and the
importance of mobilizing them.

158/365

The 2K11 24/7 CLVII: Achieving Without Assistants - Part 1

Shortly after really getting to know Niya, I realized that I'd likely
discovered thevfemale version of ME. However, unlike yours truly,
she's organized, she doesn't take CRAP from ANYONE, and she'll hold
you accountable for whatever you do.

So who better to educate you on the ways you can sort out that crazy
life of yours without an assistant?

No one, that's who. Enjoy her 5-day series - you'll be a better person for it!

--Casey E. Palmer

***

First off, I'm so thrilled that I've been allowed to write not one,
but five (yes, you read that correctly!) guest posts for Casey! It's
quite the expression of trust. Hopefully you find this series as
useful and informative as you find the regular content here. Frankly,
I was a bit intimidated at the thought of writing this many guest
posts since my blog (http://deartoboys.tumblr.com/) is a rather
eclectic collection of musings, inspiration pieces and though
triggers. I knew that just wouldn't do for this exercise. Then I
realized I actually had stellar inspiration for this series of posts.

I often joke with Casey that he should get an assistant. He does so
very many things, and could use at least one, perhaps even two. I've
actually had this conversation with a number of incredibly bright,
talented, charismatic young men who take on the world every day, and
are really committed to making a huge difference in their spheres of
influence. Given that I may be unemployed soon, I've offered them my
services, but I know I can do better than that. I can give (and you)
some insight into how I've made my life incredibly workable, without
an assistant.

Of course, you may wonder what makes me qualified to give this sort of
advice (other than the fact that Casey likes and trusts me enough to
publish this). I'm one of the co-organizers for Toronto Bakes for
Japan (http://www.tiffintales.com/bake-for-japan/), a weekend long
bakes sale for the Japanese Red Cross Society. We recently raised over
$30,000. My partner planner and I put it together, while holding down
a full time day jobs, making it to the gym, going to our
extracurricular activities (she's taking FSL classes, I sit on other
planning committees) and maintaining some semblance of a social life.
We were nice to people, and to each other during the whole process.
And no, we don't have assistants. Granted it was only a bake sale -
but it's a great example.

So here's how you can change the world, or just make your life more
workable, without an assistant.

1. Plan
2. Words with Friends and the importance of keeping them
3. Networks and the importance of mobilizing them
4. Maintaining the Vision
5. Inspiring support

I'm a big fan of planning and I love lining up dominoes. Knowing
exactly how the story is going to progress and end is the biggest
rush. I know not everyone feels this way. Some of you are far better
at executing plans (I'll confess to getting a bit lazy when it comes
to this) and others of you like the spontaneity of diving headlong
into things and figuring it out as you go along. These approaches work
for some things - but if you're going to change the world, or if you
don't have someone to take care of all the little things (like booking
appointments, following up on correspondence, doing laundry) entropy
will eventually take over and life will get chaotic and stressful. It
doesn't have to be that way.

I'm not saying you've to plan out every last detail, though I won't
ever advise against it. I am suggesting you take a page from your
favourite project manager's book and come up with a project charter.

Define exactly what it is you are going to do. This means  the scope
for your project (and sticking to it within reason!). Set your
objectives and be SMART (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria)
about them if you can.

Determine your resources. This means time, man power, budget,
supplies, mentors etc. This will help you see what holes need filling
(which is important for part 3 and 5). This will help when you
allocate tasks.

Figure out your tasks. Sure you know what you're going to do...but how
are you going to make it happen. Everything is a process, and
processes are historical. If you've never done whatever it is you are
going to do before, look it up. Better yet, talk to someone who has
already done it. I know you're fabulously innovative, wonderfully
unique and that there's no possible way anyone could have done what
you're setting out to do...but just like there are no original
thoughts, just fantastically creative amalgamations, someone else has
probably done something quite similar to what you're going to do. And
it really couldn't hurt, so tamp down that ego a bit, and talk to
people.

Delegate. You can't do it alone (that's why you think you need an
assistant) and you have friends. They have skills, so ask for their
help, and then trust them to do things that you need done. Remember
that they aren't your assistants, but they are your friends. So long
as the arrangement has some degree of reciprocity or reward, your
friends will want to help you succeed.

Schedule! This will make all the difference. Use whatever scheduling
tool you know works for you. I like my moleskine, because I can layer
in lists, drawings, business cards etc. Maybe you love your google
calendar, or your smart phone. Whichever you choose - make sure it's
one you check regularly (by which I mean every few hours/once a day).
I prefer to schedule every last thing because the devil is always in
the details, but you know yourself best.
Track. Use a Gantt chart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart),
build a critical path
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_path_method), or create a
work-back schedule
(http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_02.htm). Remember to
build in buffer days so that things can go awry and you can fix them.
Put the dates in your calendar of choice (with reminders 48 hours
before the deadlines).

So now you have a plan. Congratulations on getting into action on
creating a workable life that you can live with grace and ease. Watch
for my next post on realizing this plan. I'll fill you in on the
surprising importance of words with friends.

157/365

The 2K11 24/7 XXXIX: Less Talk, More Action!!!

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The 2K11 24/7 XXII: The Master Plan

Wow. Saturday's been pretty chill so far - I'm glad that I've just been able to stay in for most of the day and hack away at some of the crap lying around. But I wish that I had ideas for blog posts ahead of time. I was talking to Kev, who'd been talking to Jasmine (who now, apparently, finally got her shoutout…), and the topic had arisen of a "content calendar" - i.e. having a calendar for the future of things you'd like to write about. It would be awesome; I mean I already have vague ideas of things to talk about:

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The 2010 20K: Day 29 - Rich Dad, Poor Dad, So Sad.

Hey all,

A good evening for good reading! After the crazy week I had and a good solid power nap for a couple of hours, I'm pretty much recovered. Still need to get some more rest soon, but alive and kicking.

I'm glad I made it to the weekend in one piece - I have the odd tendency to really get into accomplishing things, and might forgo things like a decent night of rest here and there in the name of getting something done. Trying to find balance is helping me curb that habit, though.

One thing I did do tonight is spend some time with Sarah watching a bit of television. One thing we watched was Shark Tank, the type of show that always interests me since I like to see other business ideas and the moves that make or break them. Especially when people are making that first foray out and trying to get people to get as interested in their ideas as they are :)

The OTHER thing I watched... well, I guess I did check out a bit of NUMB3RS - what can I say? I'm a big fan of crime dramas. However, the OTHER thing I watched was Marketplace on CBC. Today's episode was based on the Rich Dad, Poor Dad seminars you see ads for all over the place - I've seen a bunch on the TTC as of late while on the way in and out of work recently. The episode was really good to watch - it, again, helps one realize that there's no easy way to make money in the world, and moreso that there are plenty of people out there who'll gladly take your money to make you believe that there is. It went over the seminars being run under a licensee of Robert Kiyosaki's company, and how they're running seminars that are essentially just cash grabs that become more and more expensive as time passes. From $500 the first time to $12-$45,000 the next. YOWZA!

Now, if you read the comments on the episode, it does point to the fact that the episode seems like more of a witch hunt than an unbiased view of Robert Kiyosaki and the successes he HAS generated through the use of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. HOWEVER, from the comments I did read, it seemed that those who were successful using Kiyosaki's system never attended one of these seminars - they used their own smarts and abilities to take Kiyosaki's teachings from the books and make themselves weatlhier in the process. I know my brother's been reading Kiyosaki - may be something I need to do myself.

Anyway, enough chatter there - please check it out for yourself below:

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2010/road_to_rich_dad/main.html

In other news, as usual I have several tabs open on my Firefox, including:

• The Coca-Cola Fannovation contest which I just found out is US-only, so closing that: http://www.cocacolazero.com/assets/flash/ncaa/fannovation/top-ideas.html (someone should just email me with a ton of Canadian contests I can enter - writing and design contests preferred - even if I have to record a video or sing a jingle, I'll do it!)
• How to Choose the Best Savings Vehicle: http://www.financialpost.com/personal-finance/rrsp/story.html?id=2470417&p=1

A quick glance at the clock tells me that I'm cutting it close. So, with that said, I hope you're all keeping warm on this freezing Friday night (The Weather Network says it feels like -27 C out there!), and thanks for joining me on yet another day of the 2010 20K!

The Math:

• The 2010 20K Running Total = $88.04

Have a great night and join me tomorrow - I think art will be the name of the game!

Adios amigos,

--case p.