There is no shortage of quotes posted on Twitter every minute of every day. 

Many are the motivational kind.  The kind of quote that is easy for Tweeters to find, post, and re-Tweet.  The kind that people can instantly feel inspired by regardless of how helpful it actually is or isn’t.

[I don’t want to digress too much, but the following sidebar might be worth considering in this context.  Consider this post that points out how overemphasizing motivation, and ignoring ability and triggers, is what makes Facebook Behavior Change Apps ineffective: “5 Reason Facebook Behavior Change Apps Aren’t Working”.] 

But I digress a bit with that.  Getting back to my point….

Sometimes I, too, enjoy the clever words in motivational quotes. 

However, more often than not, these quotes also just make me want to point out the non-universality of their contrite claims.

I don’t know why, but I often feel compelled to want to reply to those quotes with a “Yes, but…” answer.  I rarely do, publicly, but, if thoughts could talk….

Here’s an example of the type of quote I’m talking about here.  This one came across my Twitterstream earlier today: 

“No farmer ever plowed a field by running it over in his mind” ~ George E. Woodbury. 

Ok. I get it.  Thinking about something isn’t going to get that something done.  That makes sense.

However, instead, my first reaction would be to reply to this apparent bashing of the thinking process with something like this:  “Maybe there is a good reason why the farmer didn’t want to plow the field right away.”

Maybe I should instead be asking myself, why do I even bother arguing with myself over quotes anyway? But that’s probably a question for another day.

Maybe it’s just that I believe “thinking” and “restraint” have served me well over time. Though maybe this  is why I find it harder to write more often than I currently do, too.

At the same time, I believe I’m open enough to consider a possible self-contradiction here.  Today I also came across a blog post which happened to have a very similar concept to the quote I wanted to argue with above.  Same concept, but this post instead strikes an emotional chord with me that I can relate to on a more specific level.  Consider this post by Ken Robert, @MildlyCreative: “An Angry Letter from Your Big Idea.”

Maybe I just seem to prefer more words, details, and explanations (e.g., the Who, What, Where, When and Whys of a concept) rather than over-generalizations and over-simplifications.   Maybe it’s more about how those words are expressed rather than their bottom line anyway.  

But that’s what motivates me.  What about you?

There were some recent news reports that the board game, Scrabble, was changing the rules of the game to now allow Proper Nouns.  

But, before anyone, who hasn’t yet heard the whole story, gets overly excited about nothing, be comforted to know that any kind of sacrilegious move like that would not apply to the Classic version, but would only apply to an upcoming Family Friendly version of the game.

While Scrabble really is “just a game”, our first knee-jerk reaction to the initial news reports does tell us something about ourselves. 

Probably the more outraged people are either really serious players or simply very rules-based people, as opposed to the more casual player who is happy to play to any set of agreed-upon rules.  Which are you?

Maybe you are the type that takes comfort in traditions?

Or, maybe you are someone who has worked hard to master the strategy of the game by memorizing the right words to take advantage of those double and triple letter/word scores?

Personally, I enjoy finding long words which surprisingly amount to very few points compared to those strategically placed short high-point combinations.  For some reason, I don’t seem to want to change my ways in order to get more points?  What does that say about me?

Or, maybe you are the rule-breaker who would be the first one to get your friends to agree to not play by the official rules anyway?

Could we even go so far as to suggest that if you experienced a strong adverse reaction to the initial news reports, that perhaps this reaction may have to do with more than just the Scrabble game, but might reflect how you feel about the need to follow rules in other areas of your life?  …and vice versa?

I don’t know.  What do you think? Is it okay to mess with the Classics?

As you may have noticed, it’s been a few months since I’ve last updated this blog. 

As you may not know, this wasn’t exactly a planned hiatus.  Probably not unlike other writers out there, somehow I got myself into this rut where I didn’t believe I had anything worthwhile to say that wasn’t already probably being said by someone else.  So, I stopped writing.  Though, that is not to say that I didn’t miss the satisfaction of getting my thoughts down in black and white, which I truly did miss.

Anyway, a number of different inspirations have come together for me lately to inspire me to recommit to some new goals for this blog and I wanted to start by sharing these insights with you here.  I’m hoping these will guide me on a new course, one that we’ll both consider worthy of sticking around for.

My latest realizations are:

(1)    I am truly impressed and inspired by what blogger, Josh Hanagarne of the “World’s Strongest Librarian“, has accomplished with his life and his blog in the past year.  Read about it here: “World’s Strongest Librarian is One Year Old”.

(2)    In reading Chris Brogan’s challenge to blog about the importance of story in your life, I  realized I need more “story” in my life.  Not the kind of made up stuff, but the kind of real “experiencing life” kind of things.  I’ve spent enough time around other people’s “campfires” listening to their stories and I now need to take my turn and find my own stories to tell.

(3)    Like many others, health and fitness has finally become much more of a priority in my life.  I love “The Biggest Loser” and I enjoy following people like Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper online.  And as my fellow bloggers write about the role that fitness is playing in their lives, I’m finding more and more positive influences to follow.  I was particularly motivated by Josh’s post on Adam Glass’s blog and I believe in their message of “Nobody To Impress But Yourself“.

(4)    I was also glad to come across Problogger’s reminder post on “How to Choose a Niche to Blog About“.  I’ve been at this “lost” place before, but now I feel closer to a resolution.  I’m an analyst by trade and know there has got to be some way to create a niche around “thinking” that can be fun and interesting.  I’m on a quest to find (or create) that path, believing it can and will be found, again feeling encouraged by this “Go After Your Goals” post.

(5)    Then there is this steady stream of news reports that I keep reading about studies that contradict conventional wisdom. Studies and statistics always seem factual, yet are still easily misleading and confusing.  Consider the following:

Long-term use of osteoporosis drugs linked to hip breaks
Experts debate merits of breast cancer screening, mammograms
A Wine Diet Study Shows Alcohol Helps Women Lose Weight
Can Your MultiVitamin Give You Cancer?
New Studies Eat Into Diet Math

What do we do with studies such as these?  Don’t they just kill our trust in everything?  (And, that’s not even mentioning what is being reported about politics these days.) Either way, I look forward to exploring philosophies around these kinds of topics with my fellow bloggers and readers.

While by no means am I an arrogant person, I do feel confident to state that I realize I do have things to say, as I believe everyone does.  I’m hoping that what I have to say and how I say it helps others in what they have to say. 

Anyway, who knows what the next 365 days will hold for any one of us.  All I know is that not writing is not going to get me any closer to working through any of my many thoughts and inspirations.  So here begins one analyst’s quest for some worthwhile stories to tell….

The latest “rule” about the “new economy” and the “new job market” (or, rather, on how to take advantage of the economic downturn by becoming an entrepreneur) seems to be: “get ahead by breaking the rules”. 

I’ve always found that advice to be a bit suspect or a bit too “convenient”, overshadowing the role that luck and selective memories often play. 

Of course, that’s not to suggest that we don’t benefit from the “learning opportunity” of missteps, whether due to breaking the rules or not.  However, when it comes to rules, sometimes the “learning” is that some rules aren’t meant to be broken in a willy-nilly way.

Now, you probably don’t really need my advice on this.  There are lots of books on this topic, for example:  “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell;  “Ignore Everybody” by Hugh MacLeod;  “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter.  I’m not shooting down any of these authors or their books.  I actually have all three of those books on my book shelf.

Actually, I probably don’t even need to write a whole blog post about this, especially since I could pretty much consolidate my main point into 140 characters as I did on Twitter here:

Yet, if I were to elaborate a bit, I’d suggest that maybe there should be some rules, or at least guidelines, on what to know about rules before breaking them. If such rules on “how to break the rules” were to exist, here’s what I think they might include:

1. Know what rules exist, both explicitly and implicitly, in your realm of operation before trying to change things. Don’t assume rules do or don’t exist as you imagine them.
2. Know why certain rules exist.  “It’s always been done that way” shouldn’t always be blindly accepted, but may not be without merit either.  Investigate.
3. Know who created the rules, when, and for what intended purpose.
4. Know if the right rules were created and if they are meeting their intended purpose.
5. Know when to push the boundaries and when to respect them.  Don’t naively mess with strong forces like Mother Nature.
6. Know when “the times” have outgrown previously necessary/useful rules.  Rules seem to have pseudo- unwritten expiration dates.  Know when they are fresh and need to be respected.  Know when their time is about up or overdue.
7. Know if rules are being appropriately applied.  When the context, situation, and players change, do the rules need to change, too?
8. Know if existing rules are being respected and consistently enforced.  If not, find out why before taking action on it.
9. Know if old rules need to be tweaked, tossed, or replaced by new rules.  Chaos and anarchy isn’t always the best and only counter rule.
10. Know if the rules are hindering, hampering, or hurting more than they are helping.  Are they hampering creativity, productivity, efficiency, and flexibility?  Creativity, innovation, or uniqueness are key differentiators.

In general, whether we like them or not, rules do serve a purpose. They maintain order.  At the same time, rules aren’t always perfect; some are good, others are not so good (and there exists a full range of possibilities in between). 

For example, consider basic road traffic rules.  They basically work (e.g., what side of the road to drive on; what signs and symbols represent; etc.) 

Other rules are more subjective (e.g., company cultures, dress codes, ethics), but are still necessary to create guidelines of behavior, fairness, and civility.

There is also that much quoted phrase that goes something like this:  “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”  But as I began this post, I’ll reiterate the point about our selective memories; let me know if that blanket statement about “asking for forgiveness” has never bit anyone in the behind before either.

What do you think?  How easy is it to succeed at “breaking the rules”?

What makes my thoughts or ideas any more or less prophetic, important, or meaningful than anyone else’s?  

I’m sure I could say some things that some people in search of such wisdom haven’t heard before.  They’d probably be rather impressed with what I’d communicate.  Who knows though…if I were referencing commonly held beliefs or affirmations often heard in circles that others just haven’t encountered yet, perhaps they would hear the same thing somewhere else along their journey anyway. Isn’t there a phrase about: “When the student is ready, the teacher will be there”? 

At the same time, sometimes we just need to hear things multiple times in different ways before they sink in or trigger us into action. 

I could spend a considerable amount of time writing something like an ebook that no one will ever read either because it wasn’t of interest or because I didn’t know how to get it in the right hands. 

What’s the opportunity cost of anyone’s time spent doing anything? 

If “laughter is the best medicine”, might we all not be as well off  just watching a bunch of sitcoms rather than doing something futile? 

Yet, keeping an unwritten idea alive in one’s mind takes up a lot of energy and space that could likely be utilized more effectively for other things.  True?

I guess in the end we never know what really matters.  What makes us happy could be one criteria.  What pays off in some way (either for our own pocketbooks or in helping someone else)  might be another possible criteria.

Then there’s the “do no harm” part that we could all inadvertently cause in spite of the best of intentions, too. 

Maybe simply adding a disclaimer that the writer don’t know everything about anything might help portray the provided ”advice” as “food for thought” and prevent it from inadvertently being blindly followed by anyone. 

But then again, being polarizing is what attracts attention and sells.

In the end, this just makes me wonder how marketable something intricate, compelling, yet interestingly inconclusive could possibly be?  And, there is just one way to find the answer to that question…and it seems that will involve doing, and not only thinking and wondering about it.

Confidence and conviction are admirable traits.  Thus, many of us are familiar with the phrase: “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” 

Yet , when it comes to things like political discussions, even the civil ones, with all the divergent points of view out there, I always wonder how anyone can be 100% sure that their view is the only right (or best) view. 

When we look at experts’ forecasts about what the future holds, we don’t have to look too hard to find almost every possible point of view vehemently defended by someone. In the end, who is ultimately most accurate will only be revealed by time.  Someone will clearly be right, whether by design or by accident, it’s just a question of who, what, and when.

Recently on Bloomberg radio I remember hearing “the future” described as this: “the future by definition is unknown and unknowable” and it’s about “tilting the odds in your favor”.

Let’s consider that theory of “being Contrarian” as one strategy for tilting the odds in our favor.  Certainly doing the opposite of what the masses are doing or expecting will put you in a smaller pool of players to stand out in. 

Popular “Contrarian” examples include: Warren Buffett’s investment style; the book “The Contrarian Effect” by Michael Port; and the fictional character of George Costanza, from Seinfeld, whose fictional life turned around when he started doing everything opposite of what he normally would do.

But like any theory, life isn’t operated like a programmed computer.  Not all equations have the same calculable factors, circumstances, or solutions. People are human.

Contrarian or conventional wisdom isn’t always right (or wrong).  I truly believe there is value in regularly, fairly, and reasonably questioning any theory or strategy.  On the other hand, remember, too, that you can also be fundamentally correct in your assessment of a situation, and things could still turn out quite opposite from what you expect.

I believe that there is often more than one theory or strategy that can work as a potential solution to a problem depending on the situation, players, and circumstances involved (known and unknown).

So, I find that the “common sense approach” is always a good concept to bring into the mix.  No matter what theory or strategy we choose to pursue, it seems to make sense to be flexible when other valid points of re-consideration present themselves.  But then again, it depends on what our “common sense” is based on, too. Either way, if we’re not looking for the possibility of a theory having flaws, we are much less likely to notice potential flaws even if in plain site.

I personally have found that there’s nothing wrong with taking your time when making decisions about which strategy or strategies to pursue, especially when potentially large consequences are at stake. “Slow and steady” can win the race over “fast and sporadic”.  We can learn from anything, but I don’t believe we need to experience every possible misfortune to learn about life either.

What do you think about “Tilting the odds in your favor”?  Is it possible?  Is speed of action a game-changer?”

When people argue over politics, the arguments usually eventually always come down to the same cliché positions that puts you either on the side that “government is necessary” or “government should not intrude.” 

The pro-government people defend their idealistic view that government can efficiently provide services and opportunities to the less fortunate in order to level the playing field.

At the same time, the anti-government people focus on their idealistic vision that self-regulation and personal responsibility is their cure-all for society’s ills.

Pro-government advocates, just like their anti-government counterparts, generally don’t ever acknowledge that any inefficiencies, flaws, or limitations exist within the system they believe in.  

In reality, does either system alone really function ideally? Don’t we probably really need a blend of both?

Absolutes of “all of one” and “none of the other” just doesn’t seem to be the way reality works.  We hear more and more about irrational consumer behavior and the need for practical application of economic theories.  Academic textbook theories just don’t play out that way in real life.

I guess it would be equally idealistic of me to hope that someday we might see each side acknowledging the merits of the other to the degree that we can almost no longer tell which side someone is on. 

But then again, if arguments didn’t have sides or didn’t end with clear winners and losers, wouldn’t that make the news rather uninteresting then?

I’m hoping that news outlets (traditional and/or new media) can work towards finding a way to generate interest in a more productive dialogue than just 30-second sound bites.  Or maybe a grassroots effort is where a solution is more likely to be born? I don’t know. 

Either way, it seems we are at the point of figuring out ”when” and “how” public political debate should change.  I’d say we’re way beyond questioning ”if” they should change.

What about you?  What do you think it will take for some of the current public political discourse to rise above the level of pointless schoolyard squabble?

In this fast-changing world of ours, decisiveness is clearly the name of the game.

In the book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell, we learn that those with expertise in a particular subject matter can be quite accurate in their quick instinctual gut reactions to certain claims or situations.

And, conversely, those without expertise in a particular area of focus generally don’t fair so well with this kind of quick decision-making.  Hence, the phrase “rushing to judgment” doesn’t have such a positive connotation.

“Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.” ~Brian Tracy

So, what do we make of this common advice that:  “making any decision is better than making no decision?” We could all probably readily agree that it is true that inaction, like procrastination, has let many high-potential projects go uncompleted or forever remain un-started.  But should that really be the only criteria we are considering here?

“Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast.” ~Tom Peters

Either way, in the end, whatever decisions we make are ours alone.  We are our own best judge when it comes to knowing whether or not a quick decision is in our best interest or not.

For example, salesmen often want us to make quick decisions so that we don’t talk ourselves out of doing what they want.  Yet, jumping on a sale isn’t always a bad thing, especially if you’ve been shopping around.  But, we all know, too, how compulsive/impulsive buying can quickly get us into trouble, too.

When someone rushes us to decide something, they want us to avoid coming up with and considering “what ifs”.  When they suggest we are over-thinking something, they probably fear we will change our mind about something away from what they desire or expect.

On the other hand, it is also true that waiting till we are ready to make “the best decision” will put us at risk of over-thinking things, since a “best decision” doesn’t even really exist (unless we’re talking about multiple choice tests). 

So many situations can really have multiple acceptable outcomes.  In such cases, we’re easily better off not worrying about “the best decision” but instead focusing on making a good decision rather than a bad decision, or a better decision over a worse decision.  And, hoping that luck is on your side can’t hurt either.

“I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” ~Brian Tracy

Either way, you can’t be over-thinking something that you haven’t given any or much thought to yet.  Thinking something through shouldn’t always be considered a bad thing.

The next time someone tries to rush you into making a quick decision by suggesting that you are over-thinking things, maybe consider being less afraid of over-thinking things and more afraid of under-thinking things.

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Greg Hayes from Live Fit Blog. In today’s guest post, Greg shares some great advice on the key ingredient needed to get healthy – advice that can easily be applied to making changes in all areas of our lives.

Note: Greg is one of the great people I’ve met through fellow blogger, Josh Hanagarne of World’s Strongest Librarian.  Josh is really building up a great network of like-minded readers (with an intriguing range of interests) via the openness of his blog, his guest blogging and commenting.

After reading this post, be sure to visit Live Fit Blog and World’s Strongest Librarian at any time for more (or just to say “hello”). We always enjoy reading any and all comments you’d like to share.

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Why Change? – A Guest Post by Greg Hayes

Most of us can probably agree that we should be paying more attention to our health.  Turn on the news at any given time of day, and you’re apt to hear someone debating this subject.  Inevitably, the discussion turns to obesity and its contribution to rising healthcare costs.

Seven years ago, I could have been their poster child.  By any metric, I was obese.  Not that I saw myself that way.

I’ve had several people ask me how I lost weight and got in shape.  To be honest, I think the more correct question should be “Why?”  A moment stands out clearly in my mind.  At 30-years old, I was visiting family when my Mother, a nurse, decided I looked “bad,” and she wanted to check my blood pressure.  It was high.

Very high.

I distinctly recall lying on the floor, with my feet propped on their sofa, thinking how ridiculous the situation was.  And more importantly, that if I continued down this path, I may not live to play with my grandchildren.  That was the day I decided to change.

Weight management and exercise are personal lifestyle decisions.  These are the choices we make every time we sit down at the dinner table, go to the snack machine, grab a soda, or skip a workout.  No one can force us to change those habits.  The currently proposed government schemes, taxes, and employer sponsored gym memberships can’t make us live a healthier lifestyle, either.  That decision must come from within.  It’s a conscious choice to avoid the largess of our society, and food is only one small part of that equation.

How to make that choice?

You’ll know you’re ready to change when you’ve found a reason that is more important than the indulgence of poor health.  Mine was my children.  For someone else, it may be different.  But if you’re really looking for the willpower, sit down with a pen and paper and list out all the things of value to you.  Write them down.  Consider them for a few days.  Think about how your current habits may conflict with those values.  This is where your motivation to change comes from.

There are a million ways to get fit and lose weight, and they’ll all work.  The hard part is finding the reason to change.

A friend who’s overweight recently asked me why he should change.  After all, there’s a pill to control his blood pressure and another for his diabetes.  Ditto for cholesterol.  And he’s right.  But those things will eventually take a toll on your body.  And, the earlier in life you begin taking them, the greater the price they may exact.  We joked back and forth a bit, but he’s not ready to change yet.  He knows it.  I know it.

But I sure hope that day comes.

About the author:  Greg Hayes writes Live Fit Blog, a blog with advice about living a balanced lifestyle, fitness, what it means to be a father, friend, husband, and much more.

For me, one of the best things about the internet is meeting people that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise met.  One such person, who I’d like to introduce you to, is Josh Hanagarne (pictured below), writer of the blog: World’s Strongest Librarian.  

I first “discovered” Josh via a guest post he had written for Problogger.  I’ve since come to love his writing style. He is a great storyteller.  He’s funny and smart and not afraid to share his personal side, too.  He has an equally intriguing set of readers that regularly leave thoughtful comments on his posts (which he freely replies to, as well). 

I’m proud to share the following guest post that I asked Josh to write as part of the Guest Post Ultra-Marathon he has embarked on.  Let me/us know how you like it.

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Two Questions To Ask Yourself Before Making A Difficult Decision  – A Guest Post by Josh Hanagarne

By the time a person with an average respiration rate is fifteen years old, they’ve typically taken upwards of 150,000,000 breaths.  Of course, when you’re panicked, you breathe more than usual—like when you’re faced with questions, problems, and dilemmas that don’t have easy answers.

But before you start sucking wind and saying, “Oh man oh man oh man what do I do?” there are two questions you can ask yourself that will guide you—provided you can actually answer these questions. 

Question One: Do I Live By A Code?

It doesn’t always work for me, buy I always try to act, think, and weigh my decisions against this code:

Don’t make anyone’s day worse.

Of course, this isn’t always possible, but this code has served me very well throughout the most recent years of my life.  As long as it doesn’t require me to compromise professional integrity or put other people in danger, it’s as good as anything else I’ve found for solving problems. 

It helps most people I’ve known to have something systematic to weigh their decisions against.  It may mean religion, the laws of the land, their mother’s wisdom, or Newton’s laws of thermodynamics—whatever works as a safety net and compass. 

Personally, it’s my loathing for rudeness and cruelty this little mantra I use.  Life is hard enough without becoming the dark spot in someone else’s day. 

Question Two: What Are My Goals?  

If you are always working towards several goals, you will have a useful tool when faced with a dilemma. 

When you have to make a difficult choice, which direction is most likely to derail your goals?  Whether spiritual, financial, emotional, educational, mental, or other—if you have goals, ask yourself honestly which choice is going to be the biggest setback to them.

This one-size-fits-all approach will often fly out the window in the heat of the moment.  And it certainly isn’t to say that people can’t be happy and productive and reason their way through difficult decisions without codes or goals. 

But I’ve yet to meet the happy person who would turn down greater happiness.  Or the successful person who would turn down more success. 

For me, answering these two simple questions has made some really sticky situations a lot less intimidating and agonizing. 

If you know where you’re going, the inevitable forks in the road are easier to navigate.

Josh Hanagarne
Get Stronger, Get Smarter, Live Better…Every Day

About the Author: Josh Hanagarne is the twitchy force behind World’s Strongest Librarian, a blog with advice about living with Tourette’s Syndrome, book recommendations, buying pants when you’re 6’8”, old-time strongman training, kettlebells, and much more. Please subscribe to Josh’s RSS Updates to stay in touch.