This morning, Mark Blevis wrote a free-form blog post, because he was encouraged by Chris Brogan to do so. My smart friends have motivated me to finally come out and do what I’ve needed to do for a while. It might be a clunker, it might be imperfect, but I need to say it, so I can keep going. Thanks, fellas!

A few months back, I announced on here that I was shifting the focus of my blog to talking about education and technology. I thought it was great that, after 3 years of blogging, I’d finally be able to say I had a “focus”.  After all, that’s what I’d been hearing more and more of from the blogging gurus – you should have a focus on your blog, certain topics that you exclusively talk about. The conversation needs to revolve around something, so you can build a community of interest.

That’ll teach me to listen to gurus.

Once I started in on my new spin, a couple of things started to happen. I started to struggle to find topics, so I wasn’t posting that often. Not that there isn’t a whole lot going on in the world of education and tech right now, because there is. I just haven’t yet found my voice in it. My conversations on the topic are taking place elsewhere right now. Across meeting room tables,  in my classroom, and so on. That’s where I am with it, and I’m totally fine being there.

But the biggest thing that happened is my community went away. Oh sure, a few stuck around (thank you!) but I realized that even though people were still reading, they weren’t commenting much anymore. I miss the conversation we were having.

So that’s why I’m coming back.

My personal blog started out being a dumping ground for all the stuff that swirls around in my head. It was an experiment. I have learned a lot, like that I love to write more than just about anything. I’ve gotten much better at it along the way, too. This space is my playground, where thoughts and ideas can come to sit, and where you can drop by, grab a coffee, and we can get to know each other.

At some point, I started to get self conscious about it. I started to over-analyze what I was doing here and I decided to try and improve upon it.

Well, it didn’t work for me. I miss you too much. The swirl in my head has started up again, and I don’t feel like I have any place to get it out. That sounds pretty silly, considering that this is MY space. I can do whatever I want with it.

And that’s really the point of this blogging thing, isn’t it? To create a space where one can talk about the ideas, and concerns, and stories inside one’s head; where we can share those ideas, and concerns, and stories with one another.

As of today, I’m stepping back in. I’m still going to write about education sometimes, because it’s a big part of who I am, and as I learn, I want to share that with you. But you’ll see me getting back to my old self a bit more too, writing about spirit, and productivity and social media, and video, and whatever I happen to be all riled up about at the moment.

I hope you’ll open the door again, and join me as I continue my grand experiment. Thanks for being here.

[photo credit: Runs with Scissors on Flickr]

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There are basically two situations we get into as self-employed people. Either we are completely overwhelmed because we don’t have enough clients, and therefore, don’t have enough money coming in, or, we are completely overwhelmed because we have so many clients, so many projects to get done and what would seem like not enough time.

Been on both sides of that fence? Yeah, me too. While the latter is obviously the ideal situation, it can be equally as stressful as the former. Having too much to do, and too many clients, especially when you’re self employed, is what my friend and former boss, Andrew Moizer, would classify as a “good problem”. But a good problem is still a problem, and even the best of problems can quickly turn into bad problems if they aren’t dealt with.

The thing about both of these problems – the one of not enough business, and the one of too much business – is that they have the same solutions. You see, both the good problem and the not-so-good problem create the same feelings of being overwhelmed. Therefore, it stands to reason that the path to stop these overwhelming feelings would be similar, right? Let’s explore some ways we can fight this, and reclaim our sense of calm and serenity in the midst of the chaos.

Always Baby Steps. I often equate self employment to climbing a big mountain. You start the journey, and you feel great. You are moving fast, and seeing the infinite potential and opportunities that lie ahead of you. Then, after a while of this, you realize you’re still climbing. You’re getting a bit tired. You’re running out of resources, and you still haven’t reached the first plateau. You slip, and slide back down the mountain, and have to start climbing all over again. Eventually, you get your feet under you, but not for long. Yes, you’re stronger now, but obstacles become more complex the higher you climb. You climb up a bit, slide down a bit, until eventually, you can see the summit.

Sound familiar?

The only way to get to the top of a mountain is one foot in front of the other. If you think that the moment you open the doors of your business, the money and clients are just going to fly in, well, I’m here to tell you you’re mistaken. (Don’t worry, we all made the same mistake.) It takes work, and sacrifice, and more work, and hustle, and courage, and not much sleep to start and run a company and make it successful. It also takes near infinite amounts of patience. Everest wasn’t conquered in a day, and every day you are working on your business you are on Mount Everest. And to get to the top, you have to do it like everyone else – baby steps, one foot in front of the other. Don’t overwhelm yourself by focusing everything you have on reaching the summit. Focus on the task at hand, then the next one, then the next one. Eventually, the top of the mountain will come into view.

How are you DOing? At the present time, I have somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 projects on the go. I wrote them all down on my white board the other day, just to see what it looked like. At first, I thought it was going to send me into a panic. But when I saw it all laid out in front of me, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, I was kind of excited about it. There’s a lot of cool stuff going on!

A lot of people assume that when I say “projects” I mean “paid work”. I have a tendency to lump everything in together. That way, I can be sure that even the stuff I’m not being paid to do gets enough of my attention. I have some fun little creative side projects right now. They are a good break from my professional work, and that balance is critical.

So, do two things. First, make a list of all your projects…and I mean ALL of them. Yes, that scrapbooking project counts as a project. So does your podcast, your blog, and that going away party you’re planning for your cousin. Writing it all out helps you to see where your head is at and where your focus is. You can group them and categorize them any which way that makes sense.

Then, once you have your high level categories, start to make your task lists. Take each project, and write down all the associated tasks you need to get done. Put them in a To Do list. I use a combination of Evernote and Egretlist, because they are integrated and sync across systems. I tag each item with a priority and group it under a project. That way I always know what needs doing where and when. You can even keep your list in your calendar, or (GASP) a paper notebook or Daytimer.

What’s cool about having all your tasks laid out is, it becomes super easy to get started at something. Simply pick something from the list, and do it. I tend to have times where I’ll bang off a bunch of shorter items, like sending emails or small writing or research tasks in a group, then slot in some time to tackle the larger things. Crossing off 4 or 5 things in one go is a great way to feel like you’re accomplishing things, and it frees up space for the larger tasks too.

But whatever you do, don’t try to keep your To Do’s in your head. It never works, and you’ll forget stuff, and chaos can quickly become catastrophe. Writing it down gets it out of your head, so you don’t have to keep thinking about what needs doing – and you can just focus on doing.

Being busy, whether it’s hustling for new clients or managing the ones you have, is a good, good problem to have. As overwhelming as it can be, it’s important to not let it get to you. By focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, crossing off one task at a time, you’ll walk away from each day having climbed a bit higher up that mountain.

So, get yer hiking boots on. We got a hill to climb.

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I have a problem with email.

The problem I have is not email itself – it’s a marvellous tool, and when used well, it’s extremely effective, highly efficient, and wonderfully convenient.

The problem I have with email is that it’s been running me.

Over the past several months, I’ve gotten involved in lots of different things – 12for12k, SAW Video Co-op, Algonquin College, this blog, an arts and entertainment web site (launching soon!) – this, combined with my day to day work and personal email, meant I was receiving upwards of 200 emails a day. It was getting out of control, and fast. I have 3 email accounts that I use regularly, plus I monitor several others for my business. Going through my incoming mail was confusing at best. Inbox=0 was not even an option.

Then I discovered AwayFind, and the free e-book I got when I signed up, and things started to change. (Disclosure: I wrote a review about this tool ages ago when they were first starting out and they were kind enough to provide me with an account to try out – but that’s not why I like them! This is simply an excellent tool!) I learned how to filter and categorize my incoming email so I was only dealing with that which was most important, and leaving everything else till later. I unsubscribed from lots of automated services that did nothing but send me junk. I started filing my email using Gmail’s labels and I never looked back. Now, Inbox=0 is a reality for me much of the time.

I’m up and running smoothly with my email system now, but I have to admit that I’ve fallen off the wagon in the past while in some ways. Since I got my iPhone last year it’s been all too easy to pay attention to those new messages as they fly into my inbox. I found myself checking way too often (sometimes 2 or 3 times an hour!), to the detriment of my productivity and sometimes the people around me. You see, it’s one thing to check in on messages, it’s another when the content of those messages pushes you to action – whether it’s dealing with a situation immediately, or even just putting it in the forefront of your mind, so you can’t focus on the task (or meeting, or lunch with your Mom) at hand. Something had to give.

I’m taking some new steps with my email, starting this week. Although I don’t think I’ll ever be Tim Ferriss (who apparently checks his email only once a week or so), I think I can get to a point where I’m only checking a few times a day. There are a few things that need to happen in order for this to be successful.

It’s not just my behaviour that has to change. I can “not” check email. The problem is, we live in a culture of immediacy now. Some are worse than others, but there’s this expectation that if you receive an email that you will reply almost instantaneously, and if you don’t, well, I’ll have to find other ways to get your attention. We all know people who email, then text us, then leave a voicemail to say “Did you get my email?”. Ugh. If I’m going to change the way I deal with email, I need to also set the expectations of those who email me. AwayFind helps this some. But it’s also letting people know that this is how I choose to use the tool, and if you need me urgently, this is the path you need to take. Of course, there will always be the issue that what’s urgent to someone else may not be urgent to me. I haven’t quite solved that one yet.

Shut it up. I used to have my iPhone set so that it would go out and check for new emails every 20 minutes or so and automatically chime when new mail was received. Well, with 200 emails a day, you can only imagine how irritating that got. Not to mention, looking at that little red new email indicator saying “25” after a one hour meeting was quite disheartening. So first, I turned the notification chime off. Then, I went a step further and only let the phone download new messages when I opened the email app. Then, I went a step further than that, and moved my email icon off my home screen to the second page. Out of sight, out of mind. Now, I check email on my phone when it’s convenient for ME. Or I use the tool to send a message to someone from the road. No more distractions!

Schedule email time. We’ve all heard this one before, and this is the one that’s hardest for me. I am trying to check my email only three times a day – once when I logon in the morning (anytime between 6:30am and 8:30am), once after lunch, and once either before the end of the business day or in the evening after dinner, depending on my schedule. I’ve only been at it a couple of days so far, but it seems to be working. I’ll let you know how it goes (Ahem….I could use a little “go Suze!” encouragement right about now – hint hint! ;)

Don’t let it get to you. Whatever happens in email, stays in email. If you are being good, checking a few times a day, then you won’t be ruled by what is lurking there when you’re not on it. When you sit down to work on your email, then focus on working on it. If you get an undesirable email, which we all do from time to time, don’t respond right away. Reactionary responses are almost always a bad idea. Give it a day (or at least a few hours, if you can’t manage a whole day). And whatever you do, don’t take it personally, and don’t drag the negativity around with you. When you need to deal with an email that is unpleasant, or even hostile, stop. Take a breath. Put it out to the Universe. Then wait some. You’ll get the answers you need, and then be able to deal with it in a rational, focused way. Remember – it’s just email. It’s not life or death.

Well, that’s the stuff I’m trying. I hope it’s somewhat helpful to you. I don’t have all the answers, to be sure, and this is just what works for me. I want to know – what’s working for you? Share your suggestions in the comments, ok? And thanks!

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I have a problem with email.

The problem I have is not email itself – it’s a marvellous tool, and when used well, it’s extremely effective, highly efficient, and wonderfully convenient.

The problem I have with email is that it’s been running me.

Over the past several months, I’ve gotten involved in lots of different things – 12for12k, SAW Video Co-op, Algonquin College, this blog, an arts and entertainment web site (launching soon!) – this, combined with my day to day work and personal email, meant I was receiving upwards of 200 emails a day. It was getting out of control, and fast. I have 3 email accounts that I use regularly, plus I monitor several others for my business. Going through my incoming mail was confusing at best. Inbox=0 was not even an option.

Then I discovered AwayFind, and the free e-book I got when I signed up, and things started to change. (Disclosure: I wrote a review about this tool ages ago when they were first starting out and they were kind enough to provide me with an account to try out – but that’s not why I like them! This is simply an excellent tool!) I learned how to filter and categorize my incoming email so I was only dealing with that which was most important, and leaving everything else till later. I unsubscribed from lots of automated services that did nothing but send me junk. I started filing my email using Gmail’s labels and I never looked back. Now, Inbox=0 is a reality for me much of the time.

I’m up and running smoothly with my email system now, but I have to admit that I’ve fallen off the wagon in the past while in some ways. Since I got my iPhone last year it’s been all too easy to pay attention to those new messages as they fly into my inbox. I found myself checking way too often (sometimes 2 or 3 times an hour!), to the detriment of my productivity and sometimes the people around me. You see, it’s one thing to check in on messages, it’s another when the content of those messages pushes you to action – whether it’s dealing with a situation immediately, or even just putting it in the forefront of your mind, so you can’t focus on the task (or meeting, or lunch with your Mom) at hand. Something had to give.

I’m taking some new steps with my email, starting this week. Although I don’t think I’ll ever be Tim Ferriss (who apparently checks his email only once a week or so), I think I can get to a point where I’m only checking a few times a day. There are a few things that need to happen in order for this to be successful.

It’s not just my behaviour that has to change. I can “not” check email. The problem is, we live in a culture of immediacy now. Some are worse than others, but there’s this expectation that if you receive an email that you will reply almost instantaneously, and if you don’t, well, I’ll have to find other ways to get your attention. We all know people who email, then text us, then leave a voicemail to say “Did you get my email?”. Ugh. If I’m going to change the way I deal with email, I need to also set the expectations of those who email me. AwayFind helps this some. But it’s also letting people know that this is how I choose to use the tool, and if you need me urgently, this is the path you need to take. Of course, there will always be the issue that what’s urgent to someone else may not be urgent to me. I haven’t quite solved that one yet.

Shut it up. I used to have my iPhone set so that it would go out and check for new emails every 20 minutes or so and automatically chime when new mail was received. Well, with 200 emails a day, you can only imagine how irritating that got. Not to mention, looking at that little red new email indicator saying “25” after a one hour meeting was quite disheartening. So first, I turned the notification chime off. Then, I went a step further and only let the phone download new messages when I opened the email app. Then, I went a step further than that, and moved my email icon off my home screen to the second page. Out of sight, out of mind. Now, I check email on my phone when it’s convenient for ME. Or I use the tool to send a message to someone from the road. No more distractions!

Schedule email time. We’ve all heard this one before, and this is the one that’s hardest for me. I am trying to check my email only three times a day – once when I logon in the morning (anytime between 6:30am and 8:30am), once after lunch, and once either before the end of the business day or in the evening after dinner, depending on my schedule. I’ve only been at it a couple of days so far, but it seems to be working. I’ll let you know how it goes (Ahem….I could use a little “go Suze!” encouragement right about now – hint hint! ;)

Don’t let it get to you. Whatever happens in email, stays in email. If you are being good, checking a few times a day, then you won’t be ruled by what is lurking there when you’re not on it. When you sit down to work on your email, then focus on working on it. If you get an undesirable email, which we all do from time to time, don’t respond right away. Reactionary responses are almost always a bad idea. Give it a day (or at least a few hours, if you can’t manage a whole day). And whatever you do, don’t take it personally, and don’t drag the negativity around with you. When you need to deal with an email that is unpleasant, or even hostile, stop. Take a breath. Put it out to the Universe. Then wait some. You’ll get the answers you need, and then be able to deal with it in a rational, focused way. Remember – it’s just email. It’s not life or death.

Well, that’s the stuff I’m trying. I hope it’s somewhat helpful to you. I don’t have all the answers, to be sure, and this is just what works for me. I want to know – what’s working for you? Share your suggestions in the comments, ok? And thanks!

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I’ve been observing lately what it is that makes someone successful. Success for many people means money, and sure, that’s part of it (who doesn’t love money?). I mean truly successful – fulfilled in work and life, unbelievably productive, surrounded by amazing people and love and positive things, and yes – financial stability.

I look around me and it’s pretty easy to spot the people who are truly successful. You can look around you and do the same. I can also see some that are faltering. Look around – yep…there. And over there.

This post is not intended to “call people out” or be self-righteous in any sense. I’ve been trying to determine for myself how to gauge success in my own work. What I’m sharing here are some thoughts that I’m using to guide that.

I want you to look at the lists below, and put yourself into them. Go down each list, and put a little mental asterisk beside each thing you are doing on a day-to-day basis. It’s the day-to-day basis that’s critical here. Because what I’ve learned is, as much as it’s important to think long-term and big picture, it’s the actions you take every single day that will move you closer to your goals.

Real Work

• Building relationships
• Planning. Creating. Delivering. (These three go together. Always.)
• Delegating
• Building Trust
• Maintaining Trust
• Thinking about what’s possible.
• Negotiating contracts

Not Real Work

• Spending more time getting others real work than getting yourself real work. (i.e. being too helpful).
• Going to every social or networking event in town or all over the country just because everyone else is.
• Talking incessantly about the tools.
• Talking about how busy you are.
• Doing “busy” work just so you can be busy.
• Thinking about what’s NOT possible.

How does your list balance out? Remember, think in the context of the activities you are doing every day. Do they constitute “Real Work”, or “Not Real Work”? If your balance is more in the ‘Not’ category, then I suspect you may be wondering why you are not getting any closer to those goals you set back in January.

Now, you might be thinking…sure this is fine and well in YOUR industry, Suze. This makes sense because you are an entrepreneur, a media producer, whatever. This is what YOU need to do to gauge YOUR productivity, YOUR success.

Try something. Pretend for a minute that you are want to be the most successful Bartender, professional hockey player, or  cab driver ever. Go down the list, as one of those people, and put it in context of what that person is doing on a daily basis. If that list was unbalanced, with most of the stuff in the “Not Real Work” category, how successful do you think they would be?

It’s not about how full your to-do list is. It’s not about the superstars you hang around with. It’s not about the tools. It’s not about the tools. It’s not about the tools. It’s not about being busy for the sake of “busy-ness”. It’s not about the reasons you can’t do it.

What’s holding you back from real success?

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