Tag: Blogging

The ‘F’ button has helped me become an albatross

Posted on by philipdodson

OK this is it, the big one, the big 30.

I have been building up to this one and I am aiming to do it in record time too. So excuse the fcuking seplling mistkaes!!

So when I have written about another 710 words and the magic green square pops up to say I’ve completed my 750 words today, then I will be awarded my albatross badge.

Yessssss!!!

Now all I’ve got to do is come up with another 670 words. This sometimes just flows nicely and now I am under the pressure of writing fast and well, to hit a target, the brain is ceasing up, the words aren’t coming……arghhhh!!!

Well isn’t the weather nice for September.

OK, enough fooling around, time to write properly and seriously, whatever that is???

Shame adding endless question marks doesn’t add to the word tally. So I am flying now in terms of speed and the typos aren’t too bad, yet!

I have been asked to write a few articles recently for various people and previously I might have said I would do them initially, then panicked about the work load and gone back to them rather sheepishly saying ‘sorry but no time’. Now having done this for 30 days in a row, I am more confident that I can write decent stuff (OK a bit of an exaggeration) and do it at speed.

I am really getting the writing bug now and that is something I have always wanted to do, however,I told myself the usual excuse of ‘never enough time’. Well, as a book entitled ‘Get off your arse’ by my mate Brad Burton will tell you, there is always enough time. You have just got to stop ‘dicking about’ as Brad puts it.

What he means is, if you are really determined to get something done, then look at what you’ve been doing over the last 10-15 minutes write it down and keep doing that, until you actually realise just how much time we do waste in our day-to-day lives.

I have realised that. It is sooooooo easy to lose focus, as we are all constantly distracted by vibrations. I don’t mean the sort that come from some mystic cult or from earthquakes, I mean the alerts that come on our phones. An new tweet, a Facebook Like, a RT, email, text and so on.

This is the challenge for all of us, as we realise the value of staying connected and making new connections. I do talks about the Connected Generation, how it is all now about the shared experience and how vital this is for the future of our businesses.

However, when you’ve really got to get something done, then you need to switch that stuff off. When I am doing my 750 words, I always try to find somewhere quiet to do the writing, however, if I can’t, then I just put my headphones on and shut out the world around me by playing music.

So I have now decided to write down an action list of all the things that I absolutely need to get done that day and I make that a short/achievable list. So this isn’t my much longer list of things that are to do. This action list is what I start with each day and I have learnt from reading ‘Eat That Frog’, that you pick the biggest/ugliest frog to eat first and you eat it bite by bite until it’s all gone.

However, sticking to that, is easier said than done if you allow the distractions to come in and then the dicking about will start up again.

So I have created an ‘F’ button, you heard it here first by the way, and this is an imaginary button that sits on the dashboard in my brain. The ‘F’ stands for focus. So the minute I start to feel that I am going off track………..press ‘F’ and then back on to it.

This might sound a little weird and might not work for everyone, but since I have been using it, my focus, productivity and results have all improved.

So I am into the home stretch now, just 50 words to go to get my albatross badge. I am imagining them opening the envelope on stage at the ‘750 Words all time greatest writers award’ ceremony. They are calling out the names of the contenders and then yes, they call me to the stage to get my award. There it is an albatross.

photo (8)

That’s it done, sadly though, 1 minute over my fastest writing time of 19 minutes.

Freedom

Posted on by philipdodson

Freedom

Day 3 of 750Words.com and I’m getting addicted to this.

Today has been a great day and is one of those days that make you feel alive. I started the day of #AtTheHUb (@Work Hubs my co-working space) with a great networking breakfast that we host every 2 weeks for 4Networking.

I always love these meetings as it’s a chance to further connections and create new ones. That is so important to life. I no longer feel I work, I feel life is a series of connections and some lead to absolutely nothing and others lead to great things, that’s not measured by money.

I have been a member of 4N for about 3-4 years and it’s only in the last 1 & 1/2 that I have really got it and started to see the benefits of just building relationships. So many people use networking to sell their stuff, often relentlessly. I use it to make connections and build relationships, I never look at it as an opportunity to make money.

The fact is, that when people trust, know and like you, they will buy your stuff over ‘randoms’, when the need arises. So you can be completely chilled about it and not look at everything with the ‘ROI specs’ on.

The benefits I get in terms of advice, connections, fun and friendship will always outweigh whatever financial benefits that might come.

After that I headed over to Hackney Wick to catch up with Bernie & Neil, my #iCollDay buddies (International Collaboration Day) at 90 Mainyard, my favourite co-working space after the hub. Always enjoy these meets and today was an important one in terms of cementing the future of this event/movement (we’re changing the world as we know it LOL).

My top core value is freedom, not like the freedom to lie about on a beach all day or to roam the planet like a nomad. I mean the freedom to make my own choices, decide my own direction in life and be free to pursue the dreams/goals that I have.

So days like today remind me that I have that freedom to choose what I do and when I do it, one of the biggest pluses of self-employment.

So many are stuck in jobs that they hate and are trapped by needed to earn enough money to live the lifestyle that we’re all ‘sold’.

Therefore, I am grateful that I can do what I want, which also means that I need to stay focused and use the time wisely to ensure I stay free and happy. In order to maintain this freedom I need to work hard.

There are no short-cuts to success in life in whatever you are doing or want to achieve. There must be ownership of your life, commitment, discipline and responsibility.

I am now sitting writing my 750 words for the 3rd day in a row, this discipline is important for me in a number of ways.

Firstly, I want to improve my writing, as I have always wanted to write a book. So like anything in life, if you want to get better, there is no substitute for hard work and practice. As one famous golfer said ‘the more I practice, the luckier I get’.

The second thing about doing this every day, is it allows me to think, reflect and go through what is happening. We are all guilty of going from one day to another without reviewing or reflecting.

The third benefit to this, is a time-out from the normal daily routines, which is a huge benefit. I put my headphones on, music playing and I drift off in to my own thoughts and world. Otherwise you run ragged.

Lastly, if the piece isn’t up to scratch it doesn’t matter, as it is my choice to share it or not. So it’s a great place to brain dump, let off steam, and to exercise the mind.

Today, hasn’t finished yet, I am about to catch up with Bernie on what’s happening in the sharing economy. Instead of doing this in a stuffy meeting room, we are going to take a walk through The Olympic Park to Stratford.

This is another benefit of the freedom of self-employment, you don’t have to follow the old school norms that are ingrained in to most organisations.

Lastly, the best part of the day for me is the evening walks I do with #TeamDodson (my family). We have been going for a walk most evenings now altogether, as often as we can, for about an hour. We walk through the countryside around where we live. It’s chance to talk about our days and to share stuff, at the same time as getting some good exercise.