Imagine a circle drawn in the dirt and you standing in the middle of it.  Your goal in life and work is to stay centered (balanced is another term for it).  Here are some scenarios you may feel at the work place.

Pulled/Pulling – As an employee sometimes you are pulled into work that you don’t want to do.  Inside you resent being asked to do the work or you disagree with the method of how to go about the work.  First, fearlessly question (to yourself) what you don’t like about the work.  If you think there is a better method, find a way to express this to your boss.  If you just don’t like the work but you have to do it, find what piece works for you.  Recognize when you feel pulled and try to find how to define and practice your center.

As an employer you know the feeling of pulling an employee into work when they clearly don’t want to do it.  When you become aware of it, mention your observation and without emotion or ego, ask them what they like/dislike about the assignment.  Opening the conversation is the start of helping your employee be centered.

Chasing – When you chase an opportunity this implies that all of your momentum is going forward.  What happens if you don’t win the chase?  You’re exhausted.  Possibly you trip, and fall flat.  There is no need to chase.  It’s better to stay in the center of your circle, know what you do really well, and then announce that and converse from this centered position.

Driving – This implies control while remaining centered.  From the center of your circle, observe yourself.  What work do you choose to drive.  What really motivates you?  What do you really excel at and enjoy?   As a boss you can observe this of the people around you as well.  In work and life, empower those around you by recognizing what they choose to drive and passing work to them that fits within their circle.

If you feel yourself being pulled out of your circle, chasing an opportunity, or being pushed off balance, step into the driver’s seat and steer yourself back to center.  The center is where you will find true power.

David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails (a programming framework) and a partner in 37signals (creators of Basecamp and other popular web applications).  In 2008 he gave a talk which was sent to me recently.  There were a few good ideas in it that I want to pass onto you now:

1. He feels confident in setting a price for a good application as they do with the 37signals products.  He also believes in releasing some things for free.  He released Ruby on Rails to the world for free.
2. In our world we are conditioned to think that the ultimate success is the big hit.  We dream of being the next Facebook, U2, Michael Jordan, Pixar, or Apple.  The odds of becoming that next thing are very small yet the irrational hype drives us to desire it.
3. Combining the above 2 points, what if you charge $40/month for a subscription to your business (as they do).  Then you only need 2000 customers to be a $1M business.  Not bad.  His point is that having a business of this size is good and he doesn’t need to have the next Facebook if he has a business that is profitable and he feels good about.
4. They found that making products for businesses rather than end consumers was better business.  The businesses showed less turnover and were willing to pay a higher rate.  In other words, they found their ideal client.
5. At a certain point, having a “lifestyle business” – one that can sustain itself and makes good money – is more rewarding than the idea of making the company bigger.  Calling your own shots, being your own boss, not being in meetings all day, setting your own pace – this is a definition of wealth and a way to enjoy your own life.  Bringing in outside money to make a bigger company would take away many of these benefits.
6. Most start-ups are narrowly focused on growing a business then selling it off.  The idea is to work real hard, then sell it, make a lot of money, and live the good life.  Is that really the good life though?  What about the idea of finding something that you believe in, and working toward that?  A quote from Craig Newmark who started craigslist says “Finding a good cause is incredibly hard and time consuming.”  We all want to believe in something bigger than us.
7. There is plenty of space for loads of businesses.  There are thousands of nice Italian restaurants around the country.  It’s not like there has to be just one winner in business.  You can solve a niche and have a good business.  You can build a business that does the same old thing but better than the other guy (look at Zappos and selling shoes – people have been selling shoes for a long time but these guys just do it better).
8. Don’t be in a hurry.  Most great companies are not built over night.  Starting up businesses takes time.  Also, take it easy.  There will never be less work.  Set up your practices to have a good life.  37 signals recently reduced their work week to 4 days, about 8 hours of work per day.  Employees can work from anywhere.

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These are excellent ideas for our 2.0 World.  There are more ways to measure wealth than just money.  David mentions several of those measurements above: working for yourself, “working” less, working for a cause, working in a comfortable environment with a flexible schedule.  And mostly just being mindful of your desires and ambitions.  A great life can be had by living simply.

Thanks David!  You can watch the presentation here.

Here are some simple stories about walking, a reminder to enjoy the simple things in our day:

1. When I was a little kid, I grew up in the country.  At that age my backyard was an entire world – endlessly explorable.  I knew nothing else.  I walked all over that back yard, into the woods, into the neighboring farm, up on the hillsides, the stream, the pond, and around the house.  I loved it and needed nothing else.
2. In the summers we would go to Cape May, NJ for a one-week vacation.  The house we rented was in town and in the downtown was a pedestrian mall.  On the beautiful summer evenings we would walk from the house down the stone sidewalks, past the Victorian homes to the pedestrian mall where we had access to outdoor music, candy and ice cream shops, and people enjoying their time.  This was my introduction to “urban” walking and the benefits of home being close to commercial districts.  Those nights were magical.
3. This winter dumped several feet of snow on the east coast, especially in Virginia.  There were several days when residents of our small city were snowed in.  On these days, people were outside walking the streets, owning the streets really (because there were only a few cars on the roads).  People were smiling and saying hello to one another, much more than normal.  People were happy to be walking in such a beautiful scene.

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Walking gives us the opportunity to notice the delicate trim work on the house we pass every day.  We can look our neighbor in the eye, smile, and say hello when we pass them on the street.  The spring blooms smell delightful.  Walking feels good and allows you the chance to access enjoyment in simplicity.

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P.S.  Please share your favorite walking stories, memories, or observations.  Click the little button below to “comment.” Thanks!

The word “business” carries a definite meaning for many people.  By definition it means “the occupation, work, or trade in which a person is engaged.”  I hear people say: “I could never run my own business” or “I don’t like business.”

The way I see it everyone is in business.  Everyone.  You are in the Business of You.

As an employee, you think you have a job.  Here’s another way to look at it: you have a client, not a job.  You have one client that supports your whole business.  Like any business, you had to sell your service to that company to get the contract.  In the Business of You, there is monthly income and expense.  If you lose that client (i.e. get laid off) it hurts the bottom line.  The nice thing about this business is that in the macro view it never fails – it just is.

Running your business is challenging but it can also be great fun.  In your business you get to decide exactly how you want things to run.  You’re the boss in the Business of You.  Remember that.

You are on a path.  Whether you feel successful or frustrated and stuck – you are exactly where you are, on your path.

If you are successful, you are thinking of where you want to go next.  If you are frustrated, you are thinking of where you want to go next.  In either case, you’re looking forward and forgetting that this moment is perfect for what it is.  You are forgetting that you have achieved some of your goals in getting to this point.

For perspective, let’s look back 2 years.  There is no question that you have advanced.  In some way you are absolutely more advanced (and thus successful) than you were then.

2 years ago you were on your path.  Right now, you are on your path.  2 years in the future you will be on your path.  You need this moment to see where to go next.  Where you are going next starts in this moment right here.

“Here and now” is only a few degrees of separation from “there and then” and can only be affected right now.

I’ve had the term “World 2.0″ on my mind for a few days.  Yesterday, I googled it .  There were a few articles using the phrase but it doesn’t seem like there was a widely accepted definition for the term.  Therefore, I am going to use it to describe what I have been observing in the world.

To me, World 1.0, was the evolution of civilization up through the latter half on the 1900s.  World 1.0 was defined by civilization’s urge to grow beyond day-to-day survival.  Granted, this wasn’t a goal that all of civilization agreed upon and set in stone.  But if you look over history you will see that this was a significant factor driving civilization.  As an aggressively growth-oriented civilization (western civilization especially) we have been looking forward for a long time now, racing to get to the finish line – to get to our unspoken goal.  Currently in western civilization people rarely, if ever, die from starvation or exposure to the elements.  In this way, the leading edge of civilization has reached the goal – we have gone beyond day-to-day survival.

So what then is World 2.0?

First off, World 2.0 is about realizing and deeply internalizing that we (especially westerners) have gone beyond day-to-day survival, that we have crossed this finish line.  (Close your eyes, take a deep breath, slowly exhale… and read that line again).  Seriously, take a second to really feel this and realize it.  Yes, you worry about your finances or getting a bigger house… but you’re not concerned about having enough food for the winter or dying of malaria.  Appreciate this moment that all of our ancestors collectively achieved.  It is amazing.

World 2.0 is about appreciating this moment, and then turning around for the first time to look back at the millions of people still running the race.  It is about looking around to see what we have created while our heads were down and we were driving forward.  It is about looking inside and asking the hard questions about what we see, what we have created, and what we have left behind.

World 2.0 is about refining what it means to be a human within civilization and nature once basic needs are met.

World 2.0 is here and there is an open invitation to be a part of it.  No need to RSVP.  Just show up.

Remember GoBots from the mid 80s?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobots

Each individual robot was a force fighting for good.  But to tackle a significant threat they would join together to become something greater and more powerful than their individual parts.

This is the future we are building.  People are the smallest unit.  The small businesses and organizations are the next biggest unit.  Each one is flexible, able to understand its whole business end-to-end, and able to feel how to integrate best with community for the greatest good.

How these units become greater than their sum is by combining and sharing information.  Through databases, knowledge bases, and internet communities these businesses will learn from each other.  Each business/organization becomes better through this shared information.

In the future, big won’t be about economies of scale – bigger companies, bigger buildings, more employees.  Big will be economies of information shared among many small entities.

Even if robots aren’t included, there will be exciting times ahead.

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In my dream last night, I was standing by the Pacific Ocean in Northern California.
Smooth rocks greeted the ocean, while the waves patiently tapped the earth.
To my right, in the water I saw the white face of what appeared to be a polar bear break the surface.
Two young guys reached down to pet the bear’s head.
I thought:  That’s dangerous. Those guys are crazy. Polar Bears eat people.
What’s a polar bear doing in Northern California? It’s not cold enough here.

Next scene, the bear had climbed out of the water and was on a large boulder next to and above me.
The bear was very large and now I could see it had dark fluffy fur, with a white face.
I thought:
Is that a panda bear? I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s big and looks threatening.
My friend next to me informed me that she thought it was a brown bear.
We backed slowly away because great speed would alarm it and perhaps provoke an attack.

Next scene, behind the boulder an SUV was parked.
The “bear” had climbed into the back seat and was leaning into the front, happy and licking its owner in the driver’s seat.
“What is that?” I asked to the owner.
He explained the breed of dog – large like a bear, but fluffy like a poodle, and harmless like a stuffed animal.
I petted the dog, enjoyed the friendly exchange, and said goodbye to the owner.

End of dream.

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In life we encounter all sorts of new and strange creatures – a new boss, a stranger on the street, new environments. We have the tendency to approach these strange creatures with a mix of fear and curiosity.  Fear can be good because it keeps us safe from obviously dangerous situations. It keeps us from petting the polar bear.

The curiosity in us asks the questions about what we are seeing that we don’t completely understand. The curiosity inside us asks “Why are those guys petting that thing on the head?”  Curiosity is good, it’s the thing that keeps us learning and growing.

The problem comes when the fear trumps the urge to vocalize the question. When this happens, we keep our curiosity inside. We ask the question inside but we are afraid to externalize it.  Our thirst for knowledge (our question) goes unanswered.

What I propose for this new world we’re building is Fearless Questioning. Fearless Questioning is when the urge of curiosity trumps the fear we have inside.  Fearless Questioning leads us to ask questions out loud because we are not afraid of the answer, or afraid we will look stupid or silly.  Fearless Questioning makes us yell across the rocks “Hey, What is that Strange Creature you’re petting?”  Fearless Questioning creates the opportunity to learn something new, to start a new conversation, to make a new connection.  In short, Fearless Questioning creates.

In context of your projects, your life, your business:

Statistics and data offer an analytical view of your actions.  This is the black and white view.  Analysis is important since it provides a factual (not emotional) view of your efforts.

Critics by definition, judge both the merits and the faults of a work.  Approach criticism from your position of power: you are the creator, yet you are balanced enough to learn from someone else if there is something to learn.

“Doing it for you” is the most important aspect of these three.  This should be the core of every iteration.  When you choose to take on a new project, a new line of work, a new exercise – find your reason for doing it for you.  If you are assigned a certain task by your boss that you don’t want to do initially, reframe it in such a way that you can find the opportunity in it.  Make the project yours, take ownership of the reframed perspective so you see your benefit from it.

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If you can successfully frame your work and life so that you are doing things for you, then you’ll see analysis and criticism as teachers leading you down the path of improvement.  This is satisfying.

Several years ago I was at a Phish concert in a large amphitheater.  If you’re not familiar, Phish is a band known for improvising significant portions of their show.  Watching this show, it became clear to me that the artists and the audience were engaged in a dance – an exchange of energy and attention.  The band circled through three stages:

Driving - At times, the band would crescendo (get louder and faster).  This would send the crowd into a frenzy.  At these moments the band was clearly putting out a big amount of energy.  The audience would absorb it and the music would drive them to dance.  Imagine the energy from the band getting injected into each person.  The band couldn’t sustain this for an entire show.

Cycling – Often times after a crescendo the band would pull it back down into a pre-scripted part of the song (this part not being improvised).  At these moments the energy exchange seemed about the same.  The audience knew the words, the band knew what to play.  This is like hitting even ground on a run or going through the fundamentals at your job.  It’s kind of easy compared to the hills.  Though it was an equal exchange of energy it appeared to be a more superficial exchange.

Absorbing – Then there were the times, often for extended moments and before the crescendo where the band would open up into an improvisational jam.  Often times these started slow and open.  The music created more of a landscape that invited the listener to step into it.  It was in these moments that the band clearly absorbed energy from the audience.  In this case, the audience was “paying attention”.  With the audience investing their energy it allowed the band to recuperate a bit and pull in more energy in preparation for the crescendo.

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The best concerts are ones where both the performer and the audience walks away Refreshed.  This doesn’t mean they have more energy than what they started with.  It means that they spent a huge amount of energy but they got an equal and different amount in return.

These concepts are illustrated here with music but they are universal.  Your greatest interactions are no doubt the ones where you get as much back as you put into it.  Since we are all artists of life, you could ask yourself the same question performing artists ask themselves on a nightly basis: how to we increase the energy exchange?

If you want to walk around energized and refreshed, then work on getting your balance of cycling, driving, and absorbing.  Once you get it down, you’ll feel the applause all around you.