I just came across this blog, Daily Guilt: My 101 in 1001 My first thought was: damn, why didn’t I think of that? Immediately followed by: I really need to revisit my goals (note: after doing a Google search, I realize that 101 in 1001 is not a new concept, however it’s new to me)

Because I’m a major list-maker, a few years back I started a journal dedicated solely to my goals (both biz and personal). I created a master list in which I check off completed goals, tweak existing goals and remove goals that no longer apply. Let’s see how I’m doing with the first 5…
1. Practice guitar every day for at least 15 minutes (daily) - failing miserably
2. Host a dinner party (monthly) - partial CHECK
3. Go to Italy - CHECK
4. Go to California - nope, not yet
5. Find 3-5 new clients, preferably in new areas (music, real estate) - CHECK

Not bad, but the list is definitely in need of a revamp. One technique I’ve found useful for achieving goals is to expand on the WHY and HOW: WHY is it important? HOW can I achieve it? (i.e. steps).
For example:
GOAL: Practice guitar every day for at least 15 minutes
WHY: because I secretly long to be a rock star; because I love having music in my life
HOW: sign up for class at Old Town School; just pick up the damn guitar, already!

Seeing it on paper makes it seem more doable and it’s oh-so-satisfying to check off the HOWs. Alternately, you may realize a specific goal is not that important after all, and you can cross it off and replace it with a fresh, new one…

Anyone else have goal-related ideas, tips, techniques they’d like to share?

Dee sent this around to the listserv, but I also think it deserves a little mention here in our blog. Gary Kamiya (at Salon.com) writes lovingly about the value of a good editor, and I raise my glass to him. Having just gone through an edit for a client, I can relate.

Thanks for the idea, Dee!

I’m walking down the street when I have this great idea. So I whip out my trusty cell phone, speed dial #6, and a woman’s voice answers right away:

Woman: Who do you want to Jott?

Me: Me.

Woman: Jott what you think. (BEEP!)

Me: Let the folks in ideaXchange know about Jott.

Woman: Got it.

Next time I check my email, I get a transcribed email with my “Jott” - and a link to the audio version should the transcription be a little off (but it’s usually really good).

Enter the incredibly useful, and FREE, service call Jott. The days of stressing over remembering something to do when I’m away from my computer are gone. All I need is my cell phone, and I can quickly and soooo easily capture those ideas right away, and then stop stressing about remembering them later. Since I use my computer and email for all my to-do lists, reminders, etc. - this is a better, and faster, way of recording short notes than lugging around a laptop, PDA, or even a notebook. All my “Jotts” arrive in my email, and I can then process them accordingly. Accidentally deleted a Jott? They’re archived on the website, and I also get a Daily Jott journal with a list of all my Jotts for the day.

This can also be used as a collaborative tool. You can setup other contacts, and when asked “Who do you want to Jott?” you can Jott Mom or Jethro or whoever else has been setup in the system (though I’ve just been jotting myself - sometimes numerous times a day).

Folks, I can’t tell you how awesome this is - especially with life being as hectic as it is (running a growing biz, planning a wedding, honeymoon, meetings, stuff to buy at the store, design/writing ideas, etc.). And if you’re a GTD person, this is especially perfect.

So when you’re out and about and need to note something - Jott it down, and then stop worrying about it.

I’m curious to hear tips about how you work when you travel. Things you’ve trained your laptop to do? Your favorite PDA? Your favorite wifi spots? Strategies for remembering daily tasks (because clearly, I forgot to post our weekly theme while I was gone!). Let’s talk travel, people!

Here’s a resource everyone should know about: Bob Baker. He’s an expert on the marketing and promotion of indie songwriters, musicians and bands, but I’ve mined his materials for ways to promote a variety of clients. Check it out. www.thebuzzfactor.com

If you reference case studies in your proposals, here are a few sites I like for interactive projects: ClickZ, MarketingExperiments.com, and Online Publishers Association. If you don’t typically do this, check out my thoughts on how case studies can supplement your conversations about strategic direction with clients. Either way, I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts.

Here’s a captivating little article from a blog called Simplicity, which is authored by a professor at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has some pretty cool entries, so I may have to incorporate it into (another) one of my regular blog stops. Uh-oh, if I find any more tempting things like this to waste my time, Milkweed Studio may have to figure out how to switch from graphic design to blog-watching…!

I have recently become aware that when a client desires you to create something “beautiful,” they will make the mistake of granting you free license to explore. This will likely result in a negative outcome.

I used to dislike it when a client asked me to do something similar to a previous work. Now I am no longer bothered. It’s much simpler to know what they actually want. Everyone saves time in the end.

For a client to ask for something “new” then the goal is clear. Creative folks like to do “new” things. There is a match.

But when asked for something “beautiful,” the client normally has an a priori idea of what he/she considers of beauty. Thus they should come clean with what they want as it is only honest.

If they want something “new” and “beautiful” the proper response is, “How new? And how beautiful?” They should make the choice clear from the start. Because what is truly new, will always take some time for it to register as beautiful. If a deadline looms, the correct request should be for beauty (as specified in clear terms) over the danger of the new. Most people don’t have enough time to figure it out in the end because we’re always in such a hurry. New is something that can only be appreciated by those that do not worry about deadlines.

I guarantee this knowledge, for the professional creative, will make his or her life much simpler in the long run.

Does anyone subscribe to beforeandafter mag? Looks terrific but I’d like group feedback if there is any….
thanks!

A few months back I had some work done on my house, and great quality work at that. But as time went by, I started to wonder if it was free… Then, the other day, I got a call from the company just to check in on how everything went and if I was satisfied. I was indeed very satisfied, and then the topic of payment came up, and it went a little something like this:

Caller: So how would you like to pay for this?

Me: I’d like you to send me an invoice, and then I can cut you a check.

C: Do you still have the estimate we gave you?

M: Yes.

C: Well, you can just use the amount on that, and write us a check.

M: I would really prefer to have an invoice for my records.

C: But it’ll just be same amount.

M: I would still prefer to have an invoice for reference.

C: Well, OK…

Is it really that bad? I don’t think so. Sending an invoice just makes for good business. It’s strange, as back when I first started running my own biz there was always this sense of guilt when sending an invoice, as if I really didn’t deserve to get paid or something along those lines. But as the years have gone by, that quickly changed. I now have an invoicing schedule, and I stick with it.

But this also brings up a perspective that is easily forgotten - as a client, I want that invoice. Give it to me and I’ll pay you. I’ll then be able to accurately keep track of my expenses, feel like the job is really done, and move on with my life. And if something goes awry, there’s that magical thing called an invoice number that we can reference.

So pretty please, with sugar on top, send those invoices.

I was perusing the AccidentalCreative blog the other day and ran across this article about how important “community” is to creativity. Of course, I immediately thought of our fine group of people and how much you all have contributed to my creative process as well as so many other things—both in and out of the studio. I thought the last line rang expecially true to IdeaXchange: “…spend some time thinking about who you need to connect with… You might discover parts of you are lying dormant that can only be brought to life by other people.” Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Here’s an (edited) excerpt, but this will take you to the full article.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of “community” in the creative process. There is a dangerous stereotype of the artist as the loner - the depressive and socially awkward island - who labors away day after day without any need for interaction. If you look at the lives of many great artists, not only is this a false stereotype, it is dangerously opposed to the processes that will consistently bring about the best ideas. When we neglect relationships in our lives, we are limiting ourselves to our own perspectives and opinions. We begin to see the world in only one way, which naturally limits our ability to interpret it for others. Finding the right group of people to generate creative synergy can be difficult. They must have diverse experiences. Try to find people who may see the same data and offer alternative solutions to your problems. They must have connecting points. There must be some sense of commonality within the group or some similar basis for understanding. It’s a waste of time to be continually explaing the context for your conversations. It’s more important to spend your time on solutions and possibilities. There must be a sense of freedom to express without consequence. You must like them. Community will only be successful if you look forward to getting together.