It made me think; what other complex things in life can be simplified with easy visual instructions like these?

Happy knot making—don’t forget the dimple.

How to Tie a Four in Hand Knot

Tying a Half Windsor Knot

How to Tie a Necktie with a Kent Knot

How to Tie the Double Windsor Knot

How to Tie a Prince Albert Knot

Images courtesy of Bows ‘N Ties

Another reason for sharing this with you is to help me organize my process and document it. It’s as much as a journal of my thoughts as it is a guide for you.

I once read the saying that went something like this: “A plan is God’s idea of a practical joke”. While I agree that you cannot predict or plan everything, no plan is planning to fail. More importantly, planning helps set my expectations for the year and becomes a great analytical tool that I can review and tweak as I go.

So let’s dive in, in no particular order:

Goal Planning 2010

1. Better Reporting: For the last couple years I wanted to move into a more thorough accounting system, one that I can access anywhere, anytime. After spending a ton of time researching different solutions, I settled on Xero, a fairly comprehensive, web-based accounting system that will allow me to view create invoices, track payments, and performs all of the functions your standard accounting package does. What I really liked about Xero was the ability to do reporting. If I wanted to see what percentage of my business was Web Design or Logo Design, I can easily run the report. Sure, I can do this in Excel, but why? For 2010, I will have better reporting. I will know how many clients I have, what projects have the longest payment milestones, which projects are most profitable, and more.
2. New Web Site: This year I’m overhauling the studio 22 design web site. My goal in the redesign is two-fold; provide a better experience for the visitor and make it easier to maintain for me. The most important area to redesign was my portfolio. I didn’t like that you couldn’t dynamically sort the portfolio by project type. This was an important feature as clients always asked me to see work relevant to their project. I wanted this to be easy for them, so I added in a JQuery script that allows dynamic filtering of the projects. It’s a slick feature that is actually quite usable. Another area I’m improving is my contact section. Currently, you have to click on contact to get phone, email, etc… The new site will have the contact info dedicated to the footer of each page including project form, newsletter signup, email, and social media links. This satisfies my goal providing better communications with my clients as well as more ways to connect.
3. Social Media: The jury is still out on how this will improve my business, but at the most basic level it will help me to interact with my clients, current and potential. And although best practices are still evolving, there is no question that it helps with branding and communications. I’m keeping an eye on this in 2010 and may do a more aggressive push in social media, but probably not until Q2.
4. New Clients: I have a very short and very specific list of potential clients I intend to convert to clients this year. Basically, my goal is to convert 3 out of 5 before 2011. These are big, bold organizations that I have a personal interest in and who, I believe, I can offer a great deal of value to. The benefit of having a short list is that it forces me to focus on making connections and building relationships rather than cold calling.

These are just a few select areas of my goal planning for 2010. Other areas include financial, new revenue sources, and scheduling goals which I’m still working on.

What’s included in your goal planning in 2010?

Remember the movie Short Circuit from the mid-80’s? An experimental robot (#5) gets electrocuted and becomes “intelligent”. It escapes from the Army base where it was designed and instead of destroying everything in its path, it looks for “inputs”. “Number 5 needs more inpuuuuts!”

Often times we focus on inputs. We read far more than we write. We watch far more YouTube videos than we upload. And we read more tweets than we post. Most of us probably fall into the 80/20 camp—80% inputs, 20% outputs (or worse!).

What if we all were to up or outputs by 10%, so 70/30? Or more?

If we focused on what we output rather than what we consume, then we are better participants, right? Think about the areas in your life were you can up your participation by 10%. Your blog, your school, your business, your social network, your friends, and your family.

If you want to make a difference, maybe you can focus more on your outputs while being more selective about your inputs?

I’m not totally sure why I get so darned excited about a magazine, but I have a hunch it has to do with the challenge. The challenge of creating something new. The magazine inspires me to create. What else can you immediately take action on no matter what time of day it is?

With food, the possibilities are endless. You can mix this with that, add a little more this…give it a little taste, add a bit more that. It’s chemistry without a Ph.D or fear of burns on 80% of your body (unless we are talking deep-fried turkey, but that is another topic).

Unlike graphic design, where you have to constantly be thinking about outcomes, cooking allows you to set your mind on auto-pilot and be 100% creative without fear of failure. Sure, if you don’t pay attention you may have a fallen soufflé on your hands, but that is it. You can start over and learn about what you did wrong (“Ah, it called for 3 egg yolks”!).

I’m writing this not because you need to know that I love to cook (and I really do!). I’m writing this because some of the lessons of cooking can be applied to everyday life and business:

Patience

Especially with baking, patience is critical. If the cake takes an hour to bake, it takes an hour to bake. You can’t turn up the heat to 500° and bake it in 15 minutes. To get it fluffy and moist, carbon dioxide has to be released. If you rush it, this reaction will not occur and you’ll have a nice stepping stone for your garden. The lesson here is wait for things to naturally occur to get the expected outcome. Don’t rush things into failure.

Recipes are meant to be rewritten

A recipe is a guideline, not a rule. Recipes are foundations which you can build upon. If you want your mousse to be more chocolate-y, add more chocolate. Better yet, add some cayenne pepper and go Aztec. In business, don’t feel like you have to conform to the status quo, in fact, you should stray away from it as much as possible if you want to stand out (and who doesn’t want to stand out?). Use basic principals and build out from there.

Use the best quality ingredients

It’s a fact, you will spend more on great quality ingredients. But why would you not buy the best? Why would you rub baby back ribs with poor quality or worse, old paprika? Why would you use imitation vanilla in your crème brûlée just to save a buck or two? Poor ingredients (or even one poor ingredient) is the kiss of death to food. Same is true for business. I’ve seen it. One bad “ingredient” can ruin and entire office. Hire people based on the quality of their “ingredients”—what’s inside, not their cost or even their experience (which can be misleading). Build teams on complimentary and even contrasting flavors and textures not homogenous view points.

Control thy temperature

One of the most important aspects of cooking is temperature control! Ribs are smoked “low-n-slow” to allow for the smoke flavor to permeate the meat and to prevent the proteins from binding too quickly (ie: stringy and tough!). We all know that when we lose control, or worry, or make decisions based on stress that we usually make poor decisions despite having the best intentions. The lesson here is to turn down the temp and slow down. Make important decisions after you’ve cooled down and relaxed. Let the positive thoughts permeate your important decisions.

Time to get back in the kitchen for me—I have more analogies to cook up.

My family: what I'm really grateful for!

It takes patience and reflection to truly be grateful, it’s definitely not automatic. Living in one of the most expensive parts of the world can be frustrating at times, but I’m grateful for spectacular weather and proximity to world-class venues.

I’m also grateful for the supply and diversity of business opportunities Silicon Valley offers—this is not a one trick pony like many other areas of the US such as Detroit’s auto industry or steel in Pittsburgh.

I live in an area that fosters and supports small business, entrepreneurship, and risk and for that I’m grateful. I live in a diverse region with a large immigrant population. People with many different ethnic backgrounds have come here looking for opportunities; a chance to upgrade their life and support their family. One city is home to both Google, one of the most innovative companies in the world, and a day laborer center—where else can you find such dichotomy and acceptance?

I’m grateful for many other basic but nonetheless amazing things in my life as well like, health, family, transportation, and clean water. The things we assume as automatics.

But I guess the thing I’m most grateful for is having the perspective and understanding that I live in a bubble and most other people in the world struggle far greater than I do. I’m sure 80% of the world population would scoff at my troubles. Poor countries worry about; food, disease, medicine, running water, shelter, and education—not if there is a Starbucks nearby.

Be grateful.

No matter if you work from home or an office, sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Swapping locations can enhance your energy and bring you new ideas.

Some locations can be an energy suck. I’ve had to work in offices that were poorly lit and had zero natural light. These locations are not creative for me. They bring my energy level down and is not conducive to creativity. Your space is very important.

For me, it’s never about finding silence. A silent environment is too sterile for me, I need energy, noise, and large sums of caffeine. I don’t mind the bustle of people coming and going, the jarring sound of a coffee grinder, and the steam escaping from an espresso machine. This may sound crazy to some, but these “distractions” allow me to “hyper-focus” on the work at hand—it’s almost hypnotic. But noise aside, getting out of your normal work environment can be efficient and productive.

What’s most important is that you have the tools you need to get the work done and nothing else to distract you. When I’m in a coffee shop there are only three things on my table: coffee (most important), my Mac, and my phone. It’s a minimalist setup and helps keep me focused on what’s important. If I really need to be focused, my e-mail is closed and I only keep the apps open that I’m using. This virtual desktop needs to be clear of distractions, too (no IM)!

When I’m in my groove, I can work at at least 2x my regular, at home, speed. This means less time working, and more time thinking about new ideas, taking photos, or spending time with my family.

Perhaps it means getting up before everyone else or working somewhere less distracting. The point is to give yourself the opportunity to do what’s important to you, not what is important to everybody else.

What I’d like to discuss is how to start your day out in a positive way and what works for me. But first, let me tell you how I started my day just six months ago.

I’d get up around 7:15am, and attempt to wake up my 7-year old daughter for school. This was always futile. She acted as though I was a prison camp guard trying to send her off to work in the quarry. After 10 minutes of convincing she’d get up and I’d go make her breakfast. At 7:55am we were off to school. We were never late, but always rushed.

I’d get back home at 8:15am and immediately go check my e-mail. This was a huge mistake. I was opening a portal into someone else’s jet stream! I’d delete the 20 or so unimportant or junk mails and then quickly scan e-mails from clients. Stress immediately ensued as I was reminded how much work I had that day.

I reluctantly walked into the kitchen to fix breakfast for myself feeling already in a deficit for the day. I’d also grind some coffee beans for a fresh pot of joe, I’ll be needing it!

Since I didn’t plan to go to the gym, my workload dictates my fitness regime and I have another cup of coffee instead of working out—maybe I’ll go in the afternoon? Anyway, I have all these “important” e-mails?

At some point, late in the morning, I decide that I know longer want to be working in PJ’s and go change into real clothes. This seals the deal for visiting the gym and I postpone that until the next day (hopefully).

Since I didn’t schedule my workload, I’m skipping around from project to project and prioritizing the work by the order of my e-mails. I felt like a lab chimp! Whenever new e-mails arrived, I immediately had to read them.

By the time I reached the end of the day, I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to and started feeling like crap. I guess I’ll have to work late again.

After dinner and once the kids have been showered and teeth brushed, they are off to bed. It’s now 8:00pm (later if the kids choose a ridiculously long story for me to read). It’s back to my computer for the same schizophrenic work method. Not to mention I’ll only be 40% working as I’ve moved from desk to couch and have one eye on the TV and the other on the laptop. This is not efficient or effective as I’m not accomplishing work and I’m not enjoying TV!

Prime-time passes and the talk shows are starting. It’s feeling late. I contemplate putting on some coffee but fear tossing and turning in bed until 3:00am. I opt for bed and hope the the next day is better.

The next day is not and the cycle repeats.

As you can see from what my schedule was, it was not very inspiring or organized. I didn’t put my goals first and I really should have. Here is what I’m doing now. I’m still modifying this as I go in hopes to optimize my time.

I wake up at 5:45am and flip the coffee pot on. I prepared it the night before so I didn’t have to grind beans (or do anything else for that matter) in the morning, just flipped the switch. As the coffee brews I do some simple stretches to get the kinks out, I’m talking 5 minutes max. During this time I contemplate what I’m going to write about that morning (this is part of my new writing goal that I spoke about previously and is part of this Life2 project).

Once the coffee is ready, I sit and write. If I need a launch point, I’ll read a quote from my Pocket Positives book that is filled with only positive quotes. This is a great way to start your day. The morning headlines are not! In fact, I find that if you read something inspirational or positive first thing in the morning, you will take it with you all day. It’s a great boost for staying positive and an essential part of every morning.

Once 7:15am comes around, I should be done with all my writing (my goal is at least 500 words per day, I’ll up this later to 1000). I no longer have to wake up my daughter because she has an alarm clock and gets up on her own. My very organized wife sets out her clothes the night before, so she is dressed and ready to go without any intervention from me (except hair and teeth). So, my jet stream isn’t really effected by this and now I really enjoy taking my daughter to school, especially since we walk.

I return from school around 8:15am and have breakfast with my wife. I no longer check e-mail first thing in the morning and only check it a couple times throughout the day. More on e-mail in future posts, but I can thank Tim Ferris for this.

My work day is also very regimented and I have more time to do other things. Because I plan my day the night before, I don’t feel like I have to deal with “fires” all day. Of course urgent matters do come up, but they are far and few between. I’m working smarter because I have a schedule, my schedule.

I also put rules in place. Because I primarily work from home (or coffee shop), I need to have discipline. I’m trying to eliminate working from the couch or working past 5:00pm. This is taking some time to get used to, but It’s something I’m working towards. Also, if I give myself a limited time to get work done, then it will get done in the that time. If not, I tend to string it out. For rules to be effective, you have to know your own weaknesses and use the rules as a patch.

By not working beyond 5:00pm, I’m more patient and relaxed. I’m not trying to rush the kids off to bed so I can work. By starting my day positively, I’m able to take the time to achieve my goals and spend quality family time.

This is a work in progress and I’m learning just as much as I’m accomplishing. I’d like to hear from others. Do you have ideas for this work/life balance? What’s your story? How do you start out positive?

Over the next few months I’ll be discussing my journey in regards to a few new ventures I’m starting including this project, Life2. I hope that they will inspire my readers to think bigger and to discover other ways to earn income. Here is a quick run down of what I hope to do over the next six months. You’ll notice that some of my goals are loose and some are fairly tight. I plan on adjusting this as I go along.

Life2 Project – This is my writing project and most current venture. I was very inspired by Chris Guillbeau’s The Art of Non-Conformity project and his 279 Days essay. If you haven’t read it, you should and it’s free. I don’t plan on advertising on the site, but I will add paid content that will offer a lot of value. This paid content will be very high-quality and will be written as a guide or handbook format. They will be tools for success and worth every penny. I honestly don’t know when I will have my first download available, but I’m shooting for sometime in the fall. My goal for Life2 is help others through my experiences while providing supplemental income for my family.

studio 22 design – This is my bread and butter so to speak. It’s my graphic design firm I founded in 1997 and I have been chuggin’ along ever since. I am planning some new service offerings and pricing models to accommodate small businesses and start-ups. You can see some of my work here: www.studio22.com.

Top Secret Startup – This next project is still in stealth mode, so I cannot discuss the details about it. Vaguely, it is a review site for a type of product that people generally do not have a platform to review. The revenue model is advertising-based and has some affiliate hooks as well. It’s my hopes that this venture soars to heights that I haven’t seen before! I will write about my progress as I move forward with this venture.

So there you have it. My multiple streams of revenue. Well, to be honest, I have one more…it’s also Top Secret! More on this in the weeks to come.

Working 9-5 or any other similar schedule is the norm in America. It’s when America wakes up and when America comes home. It’s also happens to be the worst time of day  to be productive. Here’s why:

Traffic: Everyone needs the roadway, subway, train, or bus at the same time everyday. These are peak commute hours that cause frustration and anxiety in our culture. Look how people drive in the morning and afternoon Monday thru Friday and compare that to 1:00pm on the weekend. It’s shocking. See if you can start earlier and leave earlier to avoid the congestion. If you work from home try not to schedule meetings before 10:00am or after 2:00pm, if you do, you’ll quickly realize why you love working from home.

Noise: If you work in an office environment you are probably constantly dealing with distractions and interruptions including phone and e-mail. If you need get things done, work from home and come in late. The last thing you need is to hear about what an awful weekend your co-worker had.

Jet-stream: I like to stay, “Don’t get caught in someone else’s jet-stream, get up early and get in your own”. This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned. It’s crucial to create your own momentum every day. Sometimes it means getting up early before everyone else and doing what’s important to you. This is your jet-stream and because you’re at 40,000 feet and moving at mach 2+, no one can pull you out of it! Set your morning goals the night before so you can jump right in come morning.

E-mail: A lot of people have written great articles about the problems with e-mail today and how to simplify your usage. We all know the problems of e-mail and its over-usage and inefficiency, but the problems go deeper. Many of us rely on e-mail to set our schedule for the day. We sit idle until a “fire” breaks out and then we have our marching orders for the day. It sets the tone and usually in a negative way. The solution is simple but takes a lot of discipline: Check e-mail only twice a day. I check it at around 11:00am and 4:00pm and that is it. No longer am I marching to someone else’s beat, I have my own jet-stream and I’m not going to let an early morning e-mail pull me out of it. I will write more about this topic in future post as it is one of the more critical elements and designing your work day.

Turn Filters On: I’ve been a big advocate for limiting your information intake everyday. This also took at lot of discipline at first but also paid huge dividends as far as time-savings. Here is what I don’t do anymore: I don’t read the newspapers or watch evening or local news. Most local news is very negative and almost 100% of it is sensationalized and not important to my day-to-day life. I’ll spend 5 minutes skimming the major headlines and that is it. I very rarely read a news article unless it’s related to my business, and guess what, “the world spins madly on”! I have only three magazine subscriptions; one business (Fast Company), one trade (Graphic Design), one pleasure (Gourmet). By limiting your daily information intake, you can keep more focused on what is important. Don’t worry about missing something, someone will tell you if a meteor is falling towards earth. Then again, maybe it’s better that you don’t know?

Chill Sessions: Get out of your work environment at least once a day. It can be hard during the 9-5 schedule to take some time to chill and recharge your batteries, but it is essential. Go grab a coffee (without work people) and while you’re at it. put the headphones on and listen to your favorite “chill” music (more on chill music in a future post). This 15 minute break will do wonders for your mind and spirit. It’s a free restart without having to go to sleep.

Avoid Debbie Downers: Remember the co-worker who has to tell you about how awful her weekend was or about how her boss is treating her? Stay away! These people are vampires and love sucking the good energy out of us to help raise their meters. Don’t let it happen. If you do get blind-sided by one of them, tell them you have a meeting or phone call and you can catch up with them later. Remember, don’t allow people to get up in your jet-stream.

“My name is Chuck, and I fight clogs, braze copper, and generally make life easier for people.”

Now this is compelling. It’s a more fun way to introduce yourself and will definitely get a few follow up questions. However, you need a story as well. Story telling is one of the most ancient and powerful forms of communications, yet today, it’s almost never utilized except for entertainment. Why not use it in your business? Chuck could proceed with a story about a very positive experience a recent customer had and how he saved the day. Maybe inject a little humor to get people laughing.

So, the next time you are at a business event, mixer, or dinner party, think about your “super power” as Seth suggests. Then look around the room and find for the biggest cluster of people. Chances are in the center of that group you’ll find a single person who is a master story-teller and a very successful business person.