Week of January 4, 2010

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Here we go, a brand new year!  I love the opportunity it presents.

My 2010 started with a quick and very cold trip to New York where I had my second meeting on the idea of a new set of project s that would stretch throughout the year.  It would be a fantastic opportunity and forum to share my ideas around the Repeatable Successful Acts platform.    Then back home to Dallas where it is colder than New York!

My 2010 calendar is getting full and I had the first conflict on a date.

Next week I am off to San Francisco for a new project and I’m staying an extra day to touch base with my other Bay Area clients.

Wow, thanks for all the requests for my movie list.  I think I have sent out almost 200 hundred.  That’s really weird, since this whole idea started as a request I had from a client over 10 years ago.  Now I start getting requests for the list at the first part of November.  Recently at a party someone asked me; “what makes you a critic?”  I said; absolutely NOTHING.  She asked if I was paid for my opinion, that would make you a real critic she commented.  I said no, I wasn’t paid, BUT I get about 300 requests a year.  She said, DAMN, you are a critic!  Ha!

THE ANNUAL TOP 10 AND BOTTOM 5 MOVIES OF 2009 LIST IS READY TO ROLL.  SEND ME A NOTE AND I WILL GET YOU A COPY

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Have you sat down and thought about this yet?  What can I do to make an impact on my career, on my company?  First things first.  I’m sure you figured out the key filter for this type of thinking;  you make an impact through the things you have a sense of control over.  Thus, market conditions are not a player in your impact decision.  You have NO control of any major bubble burst or market collapse.

There are three key measuring points to consider:

• Experience:  This is a tough one to control.  You only have as much of this as you have.  You may think of it as a time related point.  My son is just starting his career in insurance and he doesn’t have a any real experience.  But by looking for a mentor, someone WITH experience they can accelerate your learning.  Now, not only do you begin your time journey, but you have someone who can ADD their experience to your time.  Organizations that have actual mentoring programs can accelerate the experience curve.
• Knowledge: How much do you know about what you do?  Want a test?  Define what you do in 15 words.  This gives you a feel for how you describe what you know.  Now to gain more knowledge.  Some comes from experience but you can aggressively pursue the acquisition of knowledge.  Start by thinking outside your industry.  True, you need industry specific knowledge and that needs to be an element in your pursuit, but mix in some general business info.  Use Google Alerts or follow people like Guy Kawasaki on Twitter.  Build real time in your schedule to learn.
• Skills: How are your “chops”.  Do you spend time and money on getting better at what you do?  How are your communication skills?  How are your thinking skills?  Your skills are the foundation of your career and most people don’t make it a key mission in their life to just plain get better.  Take advantage of seminars offered by your company.  Go to lectures.  Make it your mission to find opportunities to learn.

Create a three part career plan for 2010 based on these components and you will have a simple, powerful leg up on the competition.

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES: :  We are in the typical first of the year movie phase.  Nothing to drive me to the theater.

NetFlix Fans:  The Informant: Quirky and goofy but Matt Damon does a great job.

TV: It’s football time with the NFL playoffs starting (come on Cowboys).  Most of my favorite shows resume next week.  New House on Monday!

BOOKS:  Influencer – By a bunch of authors.  This was a Christmas gift and it is written in a very readable fashion.  It is about how the power to change things.

MUSIC: The Boss doing an acoustic version of Blinded by the Light. Yep, he wrote that in 1973 (I think).  Though Dylan first recorded stream of consciousness songs, this it Bruce’s version.

WEB SITES: Interesting stuff, leaning to science.  You have to remember I am a scientist by education.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

One of my favorite writers is the clearly weird, odd, creative genius, Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/ ).  Neil recently wrote a piece on where ideas come from.  In keeping with Neil’s kind of blunt answer he said; I make them up out of my head.”  Now that may seem obvious, but if you have studied the creative process like I have you would find that answer refreshing.

• Nobody really wants a three hour lecture on creativity.  They are simply interested in how creative people do it.  You watch a professional paint a room and you get it.  Read a riveting novel and you are thinking; how in the hell did he or she do this?
• Neil said he does not get ideas from his dreams.  Dream logic makes no sense at all.  Don’t believe me?  Ask someone to describe their dream.
• Ideas aren’t hard, it’s the connecting to a process that’s tough.
• You get a lot of ideas from being bored.  The difference is that some people actually notice the value of the thought.
• We ask questions, open ended questions – What if?  If only. . . .    I wonder what would happen?   If this goes on what next?

I loved Neil’s honesty.

Drop me a note with your comments at steve@creativeventures.com

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.