What made it easier for me this year was that I had already spent the past month or so, with pen and paper, figuring out what I wanted to do differently for the upcoming “unprecedented” economic environment that we’ve been told awaits us. 

Yes, I agree, for me and maybe for many of us, this will be a year of going back to basics.

So, I was surprised to find that even though I had clearly set up actionable goals, and I felt that I was all set to face the new year, when it came to write my first blog post of the year, I was still at a loss for where to start. 

How can that be?  I had goals that I could easily summarize into three simple words.  Words that Chris Brogan explains should be words that can ”get you started…(and) still be relevant when you’re almost at the big goal”.   (My three goal words are:  Shed. Convey. Strengthen. )

What I was torn between was whether I should write about what other bloggers were recommending (and doing themselves) or if I should write about something totally different, i.e., generally the common themes were writing the typical “2008 Year In Review Post” and/or the “2009 Resolutions Post”.

At first this made me think of the often quoted:  

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
                                   Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

I decided to let the thought settle for a bit.

It turns out it was quite pleasantly serendipitous for the following Tweet to cross my path on Twitter:

stevepavlina If you don’t seem to be following a well-marked trail, it probably means you’re seeing some pretty cool stuff. The scratches will heal. 1 minute ago from web

This enhanced the metaphor for me as I began sketching out two possible paths “diverged in a wood”.   After getting a bit creative, I realized that there probably weren’t  just two paths diverged in the woods.  There are paths all over.  Choosing one path doesn’t mean you’ll only get to one outcome.

Reinforcing that thought in my mind was this YouTube video that was recently blogged about by Stuart Tan that shows how not to get “hoodwinked into the outcome“, essentially another way to remind us to ”Enjoy the Journey”.

My 2009 Wishes for you:   Be sure To “Enjoy Your Journey Always”!!!

Photo Credit, respres

Important and fair questions that are often asked include:   “Can I even trust blogs?” and, “What do bloggers really know anyway?”  My answer to that would be:  “Probably more than you realize.”  And, the best way to realize and appreciate what blogs have to offer is to find out  for yourself by simply taking a closer look.  Here’s how…..

First, it’s always easiest to start small by reading just a few blogs at first to figure out what you like and find useful.  As your selections increase, it will become more efficient f0r you to subscribe to Blog Feeds and manage those subscriptions through a Feed Reader such as Google Reader. 

The benefits of subscribing to multiple blogs in a RSS Feed Reader (a.k.a., Aggregator)  include the following:

• There are some bloggers that regularly write so many great niche-relevant blog posts that you can practically make yourself a free custom-made book by organizing your favorite blog post printouts in a three-ring binder which you can continuously update with the latest information for free (e.g., for perspectives on using social media consider following:  Problogger, Copyblogger,  and/or ChrisBrogan). 
• Other bloggers, who are newer or not so niche-specific in their writing yet, will write the occasional great and relevant-to-you posts.  Skim through headlines to jump to the ones that catch your attention.
• Some bloggers have PhDs, others are experts-in-the-rough.  Words-of-wisdom do not become truer if they have a higher-education degree behind them.  Lesser-known or ‘differently-educated’ bloggers can have just as valuable nuggets of  life experience to share as the established writers and philosophers.  Consider them all.
• Being skeptical isn’t  always a bad thing.  I find that over-generalizations or blind acceptance of any idea is where we often get ourselves into trouble.  Social proof or group think might be good for a marketer’s pocketbook, and while it can be completely accurate and reliable, it can be just as wrong, too.  Consider this quote from this CNBC post entitled “Timeless and Time-Tested Warren Buffett Watch Predictions“:

The crowd will make mistakes.  Buffett cites this piece of advice from his mentor Benjamin Graham: “You’re neither right nor wrong because other people agree with you. You’re right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right—and that’s the only thing that makes you right. And if your facts and reasoning are right, you don’t have to worry about anybody else.”

• So, for me, I think it’s always important to stay open to considering alternate counter-opinions even for beliefs that you hold strongly.  At the very least it helps you understand other people’s perspectives about why or why not they believe certain things while also helping you consider things that you may not otherwise have come across yet.
• Above all, trust is a powerful and fragile element.  In this free medium, trust differentiates the great and respected writers and philosopher from the rest.  The more exposure you have to someone, their behaviors, and their opinions, the more you are able to get a truer sense of what they are really about.  Trust must be earned over time. 
• Yet, trust can be misplaced, too.  In this CNBC post: “How to Tell the Madoffs From the Buffets“, you get an extra glimpse at how to figure out who to trust.  Look for bloggers that teach, share freely, and build relationships for the long-term. 
• I also like to notice how often an idea is repeated or referenced by others.  Sometimes you might find that the person you might be idolizing for his or her ”unique” ideas might just be referencing commonly held theories from circles of people that you have not encountered yet.  On the other hand, unconfirmed beliefs and theories can be supported and refuted further as well.
• To further round-out the broad array of writing out there, you may even want to monitor bloggers from other niches that can provide ideas that are transferable to your field of interest.

I hope some of these ideas resonate with you and that I was able to show you the value that blog reading and Blog Feed Reader subscriptions have to offer. 

Let me know if you have additional thoughts, ideas, or questions by leaving a comment below. 

Happy Blog Reading!

Extra Bonus:  To get started, if you are interested in Social Media, Writing, and Psychology-related* blogs, you are welcome to download and use the List of Feed Subscriptions that I’ve put together.  Here’s how you can import my manually created list of Feed Subscriptions into your Google Reader:

1. Download my (OPML) Feed by right-clicking on this link and “Save Target As” to a location on your computer that you’ll be able to find later for Step#6.
2. Go to Google Reader.  Sign up for your free account.  Log In.
3. In the lower left corner, below Subscriptions, click on the “Manage Subscriptions” link.
4. Go to the “Import/Export” Tab.
5. Click on the “Browse” button under ”Import your subscriptions”
6. Locate the file you downloaded in Step#1 (i.e., google-reader-subscriptions_12-27-2008.xml)
7. Click on the “Upload” button.  And, that’s it!
8. Click on the “Back to Google Reader” link to see the Subscription Folders on the left.
9. Expand the different folders to find the RSS Feed subscriptions listed within each folder.
10. Feel free to delete, move, rename, add, and “star” your favorites as desired.

Consider finding and adding other blogs of interest via Google Blog Search.   Enjoy!!!!!

*Note:  This feed subscription list  includes 100 Fascinating Brain Blogs.

Whether you believe in good karma or not, it is not often disputed that if you are helpful to others without expecting anything in return, you’ll be surprised at what does come back to you in return.  If your intent is the opposite, you may still get results, but more than likely not the same as if you did otherwise.

For me, the tricky part is in knowing what other people find helpful.  Being helpful means different things to different people.  There are many ways to be helpful. 

I would say that the extremes on the ’scale of helpfulness’, if you will, would probably range from being totally selfless to being totally selfish.   If helpfulness were put on a scale, I would put the following fifteen ticks on that ruler (generally ranked here from better to worse, though I’m sure some of you might re-arrange  the order somewhat):

• Selflessness: Giving all of yourself for the benefit of others, e.g., Mother Teresa
• Philanthropy: Gifting others something that is of high value to you and to them
• Teaching Someone to Fish: Showing someone how to become self-sufficient
• Being a Pebble in the Pond: Giving assistance to others who then Pay It Forward
• Doing Something For Others: Helping in non-financial ways e.g., Habitat For Humanity
• Matching Program:  Enhancing the contributions of others
• Contributions: Helping in a hands-off way e.g. making a financial donation
• Goodwill: Donating something that has more value to someone else than to you
• Reciprocity: Helping others who then want to help you in return for the favor
• Offering Temporary Assistance: Loaning someone something of value
• Bettering Yourself:  Becoming  self-sufficient, no longer relying on others
• Quid Pro Quo: Helping others in exchange for them helping you
• Enabling Others: Helping others to continue to be dependent on you or others
• Providing Entitlements: Providing subsistence to people who expect, demand, or don’t appreciate it
• Helping With the Expectation of Payback

Good determinants to keep in mind when deciding how helpful you want or are able to be to others is to consider the following:

• Why are you helping others?
• What Effort is required?  How much is needed and what can you afford?
• What are the Costs and Benefits  to you and/or others for helping or not helping?

Keep in mind the difference between a ten dollar donation from a Rich man versus a ten dollar donation from a Poor Man.  In the end, it’s still a ten dollar donation.  However, the intent and sacrifice can be totally different for each (whether someone is around to see it or not). 

Helping others doesn’t have to involve major sacrifices on anyone’s part.  Small changes add up.  Start by simply being that pebble that ripples through the pond.  What you can do today will probably be different from what you can do at a future point in your life.  And, don’t forget that improving yourself helps others (your family, friends, and society) in the long run, too.

So, how helpful are you to others?  How helpful can others be to you?   And, please feel free to let me know what I can do to be helpful to you?

HAPPY HELPING!!!!!

In New Jersey, as in many states, due to the current economic crisis, food is down, funds are down, and demand is increasing.   More specifically, “requests for food have gone up 30 percent, but donations are down by 25 percent. Warehouse shelves that are typically stocked with food are bare and supplies have gotten so low that, for the first time in its 25 year history, the food bank is developing a rationing mechanism.”

It might be of interest to you to understand how the role of  the CFBNJ food bank is different from that of the local food pantries, soup kitchens, or shelters in the state.  The CFBNJ is like a wholesale distributor which provides food to these smaller locations, i.e., more than 1,700 non-profits, which serve more than 500,000 people a year throughout the state.  The food bank does not give food directly to individuals; instead, the food bank accepts large-quantity (truck-load-size) food donations, as well as monetary donations which they stretch to purchase food at wholesale prices. Keeping this food bank open is clearly a vital need!

While the need and impact of the CFBNJ food bank is large, some suggestions on what you can do to help out the hungry are not.  Please consider helping out in any of the following ways:

1. Make a monetary contribution: Visit www.njfoodbank.org.
2. Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at a local pantry directly: a listing  by county can be found here: www.sefan.org.
3. Organize a food drive: Call 908-355-FOOD for assistance on logistics of getting started. 
4. Help “Check Out Hunger:” Look for the “Check Out Hunger” coupons at  your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small!

Please join 100 New Jersey bloggers in supporting this cause and spreading the word to your family, friends, and organizations as well!   Thank you!

(Additional Note :  This blogging campaign is part of the larger “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” campaign that was kicked off with the support of  Bruce Springsteen in ads that first ran in mid-November of this year.)

When people are short for cash, it is not uncommon for them to choose to do “whatever it takes” to turn that situation around.  For some people that means working extra hard, yet for others that could mean “taking advantage of others”.  Both paths may even succeed in acheiving financial goals in the short run. That is why financial goals should not be your only goals.  Differentiate yourself by providing trust and value for the long-run.

It’s important for entrepreneurs to realize that both buyers and sellers can become “desperate” when they are in a “survival” mode.  It is not uncommon to believe that when identities or livelihoods are threatened that people can and will revert to a “dog eat dog” mentality.   Instead, strive to adopt and encourage a mentality of abundance of opportunities (i.e., think of  a never-ending number of pies) rather than scarcity (i.e., where there are only a limited number of slices in one pie).

Once trust (or naivety) is gone, both buyers and sellers might, at the very least, become suspicious of one another.  When this doubt exists, the tragedy is that Buyers looking for solutions might not find the Sellers that are offering the best solutions for them.  Your market might not have evaporated, but the trust in it may have.   Trust and credibility are vital to long term success and that takes time to build.  (I don’t see any quick and easy in that.)

Just because you play by the rules doesn’t mean that others will realize that you do.  Don’t give people reasons to doubt your motives. 

Consider avoiding those popular, yet empty, keyword phrases such as:  ”Make Money Online Quick And Easy”.   Have you ever considered  that the people that want you to buy their ”get rich quick programs” might actually be trying to do the same thing that you are?   Consider, too, whether wanting quick and easy money is what might not have gotten you into trouble to begin with.  Consider whether the solutions being sought/provided really address the problems being experienced.

Consider not accepting some of the typically recommended marketing and sales tactics.  Sales copy is persuasive for a reason, it still seems to work.  Though, personally, these days, I won’t even read long sales copy.  I’m not interested in being persuaded by sales tactics.  Also, I don’t believe any more that individual testimonials taken at events are indicative of everyone’s experience with a product.  And, in this digital era, I don’t believe in scarcity of product availability either.  Maybe I’m not the only one on whom these typical marketing tactics don’t work anymore.

Looking at things from the point of view of “The Jaded”, think about what happens when people experience or witness corrupt or compromised work environments that are allowed to flourish for an extended period of time (as in: machine politics; synthetic financial instruments; or Bernie-Madoff-like Ponzy schemes).  Both buyers and sellers (in the right circumstances) can feel tempted to succumb to the lure of purported “easy money” especially since “others seem to be getting away with it.”    The best way I have found to avoid approaching that slippery slope is by following the time-tested advice of  “focus on creating value“ (i.e., solve a problem; provide a solution; fill a need –beyond just the financial ones.)

Since success is defined differently by different people, I can only suggest that you consider choosing the traditional path of “hard work pays off”.  Consider positive role models such as these for inspiration: 

• Seth Godin’s post “Too good to be true (the overnight millionaire scam)”
• Entrepreneur Magazine’s “A Step Down That’s a Step Up.  Model successful people. Learn what makes them and their success unique.  Find your own way.
• Life on a Shirt’s blog post:  “The impact of timing: why this financial crisis is our biggest break“.
• YouTube video about working hard:  Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library), Building Personal Brand Within the Social Media Landscape“

So, what do you think?    Does this sound do-able?   Do you have more thoughts or comments to add?  Please feel free to share your suggestions or advice below. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

My best advice is to start small and build from there.  And, always remember that “starting small” is not the same as “playing small”. 

Here are fifty things that I believe are best figured out along the way:

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF

 1.  Decide how much personal information you are comfortable sharing about yourself online.  Your comfort zone will relax over time.

 2.  Figure out what you want to say about yourself on your “About” page and in your online profiles.  Get started with some basics, then refine over time.

 3.  Don’t worry about having a professional headshot of yourself at first, you can get one later once you are more established.

 4.  Find out what you like to write about without the pressure of deadlines.  Where will you get ideas? From other bloggers, or online magazines, books, newspapers, TV, friends, radio, feeds, etc.  Try them all.

 5.  Practice varying your post lengths:  share links, quotes, advice, tips, lists, Book Reviews, rants, opinions, etc. Experiment with writing catchy titles and adding meaningful images to your posts.

 6.  Develop your Writer/Commenter Confidence. At first, it can seem scary committing your thoughts and opinions in writing, but that’s part of the fun, too. 

 7.  Get used to the unpredictability of not getting comments when you think you should, and getting comments when you don’t expect to.

 8.  Learn how to keep writing, sharing, and contributing, even when you might not get the feedback or traffic you are hoping for. Trust that it will pay off in the long run.

 9.  Realize that ’seemingly unnoticed’ work is never lost, it can easily be re-purposed into traffic-generating articles or e-book content for redistribution (and profit) later.

10.  Trust that the more online activity history you have, the more credibility you’ll build for yourself.  People are less likely to trust those with just a few posts to their name.

 LEARN HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME

11.  Figure out an editorial/publication schedule that you are actually able to stick to. Realize that it takes time to develop a writing habit.  Readers are a little more forgiving for newcomers that may have occasional gaps in their posting history.  Work to eliminate gaps altogether.

12.  Work towards being more efficient in how long it takes you to write a post, and how many words you really need to convey your message and still hold a time-strapped-reader’s attention.

13.  Develop a commenting strategy.  Others are more likely to comment and find your work if you comment on theirs.  It takes some time to find meaningful places to comment.

14.  Find tools that can help you manage your time, such as search, feed readers, bookmark, tags, alerts, marked/shared Favorites. Build in efficient ways to monitor those information streams.

15.  Figure out how many people you can comfortably follow on each service/tool.  A manageable load at first will eventually need to be managed differently as it grows over time.

16.  Determine whether you get better results by growing your follower base by inviting/following people, or more organically as people find you, or a combination of both.

TAKE YOUR TIME GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE

17.  Take advantage of being new and get to know your potential competitors without being seen as a threat to them.

18.  ‘Test out’ people before deciding whether or not to approach them with business dealings, partnerships, hiring them as consultants/mentors/coaches, or getting deeply involved in their circles/tribes. You only truly know someone after following them for a while.

19.  Choose a circle of people to interact with where you feel comfortable (e.g., Are they overly political, religious, sales-y, or not enough?)

20.  Decide if the circle of people that you network with is your customer or your industry peer group.  Do they stand for what you believe in?  Does it matter?

21.  Establish your presence and build your credibility over time. Let people get to know you, too. 

22.  Find your voice.  It is more fun and authentic if you express yourself naturally rather than under pressure.  Enjoy a freedom and flexibility that you might not always have once you are more established.

23.  You can’t get accused of Spamming people if you aren’t selling anything. Selling can come later, and might even be more lucrative if based on true word-of-mouth and solid endorsements.

24.  Take the time to learn the netiquette of participation.  How, how often, when, and where is it best to submit comments, respond to replies, agree/disagree, share information, generate and participate in conversations?

25.  Take notes on how other people ask you to check out their posts in non-spammy ways.

LEARN THE TOOLS (i.e., you don’t need everything on Day One.)

26.  Use, then choose, a few core tools to start with.  Don’t abandon these when other tools come along. 

27.  Get used to new tools always being introduced. Some you’ll try. Some you won’t. Some you’ll like.  Some you’ll like better over time.  Some you’ll drop. Some you’ll outgrow.  Don’t neglect your core.

28.  Determine what parts of your online identity is transferable and what parts are tied to a tool, e.g., changing hosting companies, vs changing domain names, vs. changing your design or brand identity.

29.  Take the time to find where your preferred audience is hanging out.  Try new services/tools and don’t feel obligated to keep using services that don’t work for you just because others swear by them.

30.  Play around with Feeds and aggregate what you do on different services so that you can more efficiently reach different audiences in each environment.

31.  Decide what stat measurement tool works for you.  Start with free services and only upgrade to paid services when you really need to. 

32.  Get a feel for how much “flair” you want on your site.  What widgets or badges work best for you? Which affiliate products do you want to endorse? Experiment.

33.  Figure out if you really need every bell and whistle.  You might like to have a forum, but do you really need one before you’re really established?

REFINE YOUR BUSINESS IDEA

34.  Refine and condense your objective to a 30-second elevator pitch or 140-character Twitter-length description.

35.  Listen for the keywords used by your target audience.  Become aware of what can be tracked and what is missed by just tracking only select keywords.

36.  Figure out if the domain name you start out with is going to be the one you want to stay with long-term.  The earlier you figure this out, the better.

37.  Determine if you need or want to compile a business philosophy about how you go to business and how you disclose your affiliations.

38.  Decide what privacy policies you like and need. You might not need this right off the bat, but you will need some form of this over time.

39.  Determine how important it is for your business to have an email auto-responder or a newsletter in addition to a blog.  Neither is probably needed at first.

40.  Create a body of work, then check if it is consistent with your stated purpose.  Decide which needs to be adjusted.

41.  Evaluate whether or not your business idea is too broad or too focused.  Do you have one area of focus or many?  Can they co-exist or do they need to be split up?

42.  Test different ways to monetize your blog. Which ways are consistent with your reputation and mission?  Which are effective?

43.  Find your own way. Your online experience might even turn you into a social media adviser without that even being your goal at first.

44.  Watch which conferences your peers go to. Read their reviews to figure out which, if any, you might benefit from attending, too.

PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED (just in case)

45.  Build up your skills and workflows before a crisis hits so that you are ready to respond like a pro (not an amateur that doesn’t understand the space).

46.  Realize that mis-steps are more easily forgiven or even noticed when your audience is smaller and knows you are still getting your feet wet.

47.  Observe the online spats or disagreements that occasionally arise from certain personalities.  Learn what not to do, too.

48.  Notice how and when things go viral and what happens when they do.  Get a feel for the unpredictability of social media.

49.  Have fun.  It’s easier to take risks with less at stake.  Start small, but don’t play small.  Use your start-up time as a playground to test different approaches.

50.  Appreciate that as a beginner, you can more easily re-invent yourself if your idea or audience morphs into something more interesting or desirable.

To summarize: There is never only one way to get started. Figure out what works for you. One guarantee I can give is this:  “Your needs will change as you grow.”    The key to achieving in this space is to simply get started, stick with it, learn, and grow along the way.  I hope that at least a few of these ideas have demonstrated that there is no better time to start that ball rolling than now!

The book I’ll be referring to in this post is George Soros’ “The New Paradigm for Financial Markets:  The Credit Crisis of 2008″.  I am by no means any kind of a financial expert. While I’m sure that different people will focus on different aspects of this book, my aim is to simply express the main point that stood out for me.  That happens to be the human element of the equation. 

In his book, Soros demonstrates how the long-held belief that markets naturally tend towards equilibrium is actually a misconception. He states that markets trend away from a norm as often as they trend towards a norm (assuming a ‘norm’ even really exists).  He goes on to explain that markets are not scientifically predictable because the decisions of the market participants and the regulators are not predictable. 

He writes about the resistance he receives to his ”no equilibrium” theory due to the fact, which he also agrees with, that markets can appear to be self-correcting to a point, especially in normal conditions.

Yet breakdowns can occur.  These boom-bust cycles, or bubbles, occur due to what Soros describes is a “self-reinforcing but eventually self-defeating” interaction between a misconception and a trend which ultimately becomes unsustainable, for example: “whereby valuations affect the fundamentals that they are supposed to reflect”, or “where the willingness to lend influences the value of the collateral.” 

He argues that this potential for a breakdown is what creates the necessity of oversight, regulation, supervision, or eventually intervention of some sort. And, as Soros openly acknowledges, it is also true that regulators can be as wrong as the markets at times, too, so that’s why it is so important to get the regulatory environment right. 

Soros covers so much more in his book, but it is the dynamic of the human element being both the cause and the solution to the problem that intrigues me most.  In his own words: “the future is dependent on the participants’ decisions” and the current financial crisis “is a vivid demonstration of how much damage misconceptions can cause.”

How will we learn from the past?   Could the general public become a regulator of sorts, too?  Can we individually and collectively take more responsibility for doing some of what Soros suggests is needed, such as: finding a way to stay in touch with reality as objectively as possible; being aware of when thinking deviates from objective reality, or is carried too far; noticing when old rules no longer apply to new circumstances; and avoiding practices that aren’t fully understood. 

How will we address the present? How will we help each other recover from this devastating man-made Housing Bubble?  And what “New World Order” will develop if this is the “end of a long period of relative stability based on the United States as the dominant power and the dollar as the main international reserve currency”? 

With the future being determined by human choices and not being predictable by scientific laws, what kind of a future will we decide to create for ourselves?  These questions remain an open book.
___________________________________________________________

For other perspectives on this book, more book reviews can be found at: Goodreads.com .

Clearly ”Thought-Provoking” isn’t a subject that one can easily build a business idea or a keyword strategy around.  People aren’t likely to go to a store or to Google looking for something “Thought Provoking”.

Either way, ”Thought-Provoking” seems to be a viable and growing category of books which might include a mix of psychology, sociology, philosophy and science.  Such books are perhaps just as likely show up in the Self-Improvement section as in the Business section of a bookstore.

Perhaps this new category has been spurred by Malcolm Gladwell’s success with his books, Blink and Tipping Point.  As a recent article from Timesonline.co.uk entitled, “The 10 secrets of Malcolm Gladwell’s success“, suggests, the popularity of “arcane” books like his might be due to a “sociological transformation of the past 25 years”.  An interesting premise.  Could there be a “more intellectually curious” business-mindset developing out there?

Are we at a turning point?  As the economy slows down and people pull back to take the time to rebuild their net worth and adjust to potentially widespread structural changes, will a new mindset and new work ethic arise, too?

Might not the next ten years be a time when a new set of successes show up to challenge Gladwell’s assertion that there’s not a shortage of talent in the world but that there’s a shortage of people willing to put in the 10,000 hours it takes to become successful?  Could these “Thought Provoking” books be a sign of something new to come….

Everywhere you turn, there is talk of change.  I even started off planning on writing about this upcoming change.  That’s when it occurred to me.  I was surprised to find that everything I was writing down, regarding change, could just as appropriately be grouped under a heading of “personal responsibility”.

So, below is a list of eight observations about the kind of a mindset that I believe we will need to adopt in order to learn from our past and to successfully navigate the upcoming structural changes we all will be (or already are) facing.  

This is how I see the mindset of personal responsibility:

1.  Don’t rely on a formal education alone. Become a lifelong learner.  I believe that we go to school to learn “how to learn”.  After graduating, we need to continue learning.  Supplement that formal education with self-education.  Be informed.  Consume information.  Be aware of what’s going on in the world around you so that you can judge for yourself what is in your best interest. Put yourself in the position that you are not dependent on someone else (with other objectives) to do this for you.

2.  Don’t blindly follow old or new ways of doing things.  We’re in a time when a lot of the old rules or ways of doing things no longer apply (e.g., 401Ks are no longer the best way to save for retirement; investment in real estate isn’t always a safe bet;  spending without saving does not create a healthy and vibrant economy).   New times call for new strategies.  Know what you want.  Be aware of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Re-evaluate often.  The days of ”set it and forget it” no longer exist.  Learn how to recognize and anticipate when things are no longer working.  Regularly evaluate, re-assess, and make adjustments accordingly.

3.  Don’t accept things at face value.  Look below the surface to notice what is appropriate for you.  Advice these days can sound good, yet we need to instinctively look deeper.  “Look before you leap” might be good advice for someone who is recklessly impulsive. “He who hesitates is lost” might be good advice for a procrastinator.  Neither statement is fundamentally untrue and neither is universally relevant or appropriate either.

4.  Don’t be dependent on others, but do ask for help when you need it.  Know what role you played in your own circumstances.  Don’t be passive and wait for, expect, or demand that Help find you.  Learn how to help yourself.  Ideally begin networking before you need help, but know it’s never too late to start. Ask for advice or guidance.  Learn and share.  

5.  Don’t isolate yourself.  You’re not alone.  Others are going through the same thing.  People help each other. “Misery loves company”, but don’t commiserate with complainers and blamers.  Find an empowering group to associate with.  Take solace that others are going through (or have gone through) similar situations as you.  Share experiences.  Learn from each other.  Don’t be too big to accept (or extend) a helping hand.  Pay it forward.

6.  Don’t only look outside of yourself for solutions, look within, too.  Be active in your own success. Experience and experiment for yourself.  Take purposeful, not random, action.  Take calculated, not impulsive, risks.  And, don’t rely solely on the law of attraction to manifest itself and come to your rescue.  Don’t invest in seminar after seminar without using what you’re acquiring.  There’s a lot of free information and resources out there, use it as a stepping stone.

7.  Don’t expect technology or gadgets to solve your problems. There is so much information out there.  Pro-actively look for answers, options, and potential solutions.  Use technology to your advantage to filter the fire hose of information out there. Do not drown yourself in in-actionable or irrelevant distractions that can disguise themselves as information.  

8.  Don’t give up.  Make lemonade from lemons. Don’t forget to be grateful for the blessings of your life.  You can always find something around you and within you to appreciate, if you choose to.  Consider adopting the philosophy that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.  Look at challenges as learning opportunities.  The advantage of looking on the bright side is that it puts you in a resourceful state to see more options available to you and then to take meaningful action.  Remember that small steps add up.

The unknown horizon before us can seem complex and formidable. There are no guarantees.  But there are opportunities. Take personal responsibility for your journey.  It’s a good feeling to be self-sufficient. 

In this interconnected world, we need to recognize that there is a huge difference between helping each other versus being dependent on others.  We can help each other grow stronger. 

Personal responsibility and learning to trust our own judgement can seem scary, yet it is also something that will only improve as we continue to exercise that muscle. It’s a skill that is absolutely worth the effort to master and will undoubtedly provide lifelong benefits to those that do.

So, let me know.  Has this advice been helpful?  Do you have other tips or insights to add?

Amid all of this social media enthusiasm, there have also been recent reports about how the older forms of Web 2.0, namely, blogging, is dead or at least dying.  This has prompted some to wonder if we should be dropping the old tools for the new. 

I do not believe that blogging is dead, but I agree that it is changing.  So where does blogging fit into the picture?  Sure, some people (maybe even many people) simply don’t have the time, patience, or interest to read or write a post that is over a few hundred words in length.  Nor do they have the inclination to put together a relevant or thoughtful comment, or to set up and build a meaningful filter (via a feed reader such as Google Reader) on the fire hose of information coming at them. 

But that’s okay.  I’m still proud to call myself a blogger and, at the same time, also a “new media practitioner”.  I believe in the power of the Web to get the word out to a relevant online audience that wants to hear that message, whether it be (1) for social cause activism, or (2) for B2B and B2C communication, or (3) for small business, or (4) from thought leaders and authors to influencers, or (5) government/citizen involvement.

I am not of the typical demographic for social networking sites.  But as I see it, while I’m a few years over 40 years old, I know that Howard Dean, Al Gore and Barack Obama are older than I.  And, they have made their mark with it.

I consider myself to be an internet enthusiast, though I only participate on a part-time basis and am not the typical early adopter.  I started blogging in August 2004 (though infrequently, generally not more than once weekly, with a few months off here and there).  I think I joined Facebook in 2007.  I’ve been on Twitter since April of this year (and Tweet about twice a day). I’ve never used Skype, Instant Messenger, and rarely send Text Messages on my cell.  To me, this is just more proof that we all will use the internet, and are reached, in different ways.

Personally, I also love exploring what’s down the Rabbit Hole.  That’s how this post began….first I read a Tweet by Jason Falls referencing Mark Dykeman’s post, “Do you think blogging is dying?”, which referenced one post by Rough Type entitled, “Who Killed the blogosphere?”, and another post by The Economist titled, “Oh, grow up“.  Sykemann’s post had a comment by the Catch Up Lady who wrote ”I’m Shutting Down My Blog Because Wired Said So…” where she referenced the Wired article “Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004“.  Whew!!  Lots of reading, but it gave me a good picture of opinions that meshed with my own.

For me it’s worth it to take the time to read, listen, think, comment, collect, capture, and craft a representation of thoughts into one complete stand-alone piece.  I enjoy blogging and plan to continue doing so.  The newer social media or social networking tools have their place for me, too.  I keep “what works for me”, and discard what doesn’t.  So should you.

My motivation to blog is not solely or primarily celebrity or monetization. For me, it’s about a feeling.  Writing a blog post that accurately captures and represents my thoughts and feelings is something that I find satisfying, whether anyone reads it or not (though having people read it certainly makes it even more satisfying).  I also like the feeling of being a part of a community, contributing, interacting, and participating.  Getting into the game sooner rather than later just gives me the added benefit of feeling a part of evolutionary journey, too.  Clearly, there is room for both the old and the new in the big picture.