It has been exactly one year to the day I founded Mobiusly and became an entrepreneur. The year has gone by quickly, but I couldn’t have hoped for a better first year for Mobiusly. I’ve earned more money this year than I’ve ever earned in any other single year as a working professional and employee. In addition to the financial rewards, I’ve also grown more as an individual and learned more about myself than I could’ve ever hoped for.

It’s been hard work

Upon reflection, I see I’ve had to work harder this year than I’ve had to before. Throughout most of the year, I’ve held 3 “jobs” simultaneously – one full-time contract at the Ministry of Transport, one part-time contract at the St Vincent’s Hospital and finally the tech founder of an online startup. It’s been hectic for sure so it’s a good thing I know how to wake up early consistently.

At the Ministry of Transport, Mobiusly has helped build an online Payments Processing System which handles over $1B annually for all Bus Operator contracts in NSW (Australia’s biggest state). I go to sleep every night knowing I make it possible for school kids to get to school on time.

At the St Vincent’s Hospital, Mobiusly has helped build an online Pathology Results system to provide timely information to doctors about their patients. I go to sleep every night knowing I help doctors help people get better when they are sick.

As the tech founder of an online startup, I’ve helped architect, develop and shape a great product that I’m really proud of. Also, we’ve just launched! It has been an awesome learning experience. The startup also happens to be congruent to Mobiusly’s credo and mission to help people do what they do better with great yet simple software. I’m pretty excited about it, and hope it’ll really take off.

I’ve had to make sacrifices

I’ll be honest and tell you now that it has certainly been tough going and I’ve had to make sacrifices along the way. Most weeks I work about 80+ hours. I’ve had to use every trick in my personal development arsenal in order to stay focused – including minimising distractions, fighting off procrastination, working in time boxes and keeping motivated with well defined goals.

Of those 80+ hours I work, I get to do 40+ from home. Thankfully, throughout all this, I’ve somehow still managed to make time for my wife and 2 kids. Needless to say though, I wouldn’t have been able to make this year such a success for Mobiusly without the support of my wife – who understands my passion and believes in what I do enough to put up with me.

My friends however have been neglected – for that I am really sorry! I seldom found the time to “hang out” or have drinks at the local pub. Whilst my friends went to socialise or have dinners together, I’ve had to go home early to take care of the kids and work on my second and third “jobs”. It is definitely with grim determination that I soldier on.

It is totally worth it

At this point, you’re probably thinking … You’re crazy! Maybe you’re right. But I made a conscious decision at the beginning of this journey that my dreams and goals are worth attaining and that in order to do so, I (may) have to work as smart and as hard as I could. I also realised I may not be the smartest, fastest, most good looking or most articulate person out there, but these shouldn’t ever stop me from trying. I refuse to acknowledge that my limitations are anything but self imposed.

So was it really worth it? For me, the answer is a resounding Yes! And not just from a financial sense. As I’ve followed my dreams, I’ve become a more competent person. I’m also happier. I’ve learned that I am prepared to work hard, have the ability to stay true to my tasks and can keep going when faced with tough choices. I’ve also realised if I work at it, results and success do eventually come.

Theodore Roosevelt from a 1910 speech puts it better than I ever can

If you value your dreams in any way, you have to give them a fair chance of success. What’s a little hard work in the pursuit of dreams? For me, I didn’t want to be that guy on his death bed 50 years from now looking back at his life and wondering what might have been if only he tried.

I’m reminded of a speech I came across recently by Theodore Roosevelt. I quote:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Dare to dream. Work hard for it.

In the end, remember that dreams give us reasons to be better than who we are. Without them, we are but walking empty shells. Don’t listen to that part of your brain that fears failure. Don’t listen to that part of your brain that tells you that you don’t have time. Because if you want it bad enough, you’ll do it anyway and you’ll find the time to do it. No matter how busy you are.

It doesn’t matter whether you have more or less skills, charisma, contacts or time than the guy in the next cubicle. It doesn’t matter at all whether you come from a poor or rich background. It certainly doesn’t matter whether you were a B/C or A student in school. What matters is daring to have dreams and working hard to achieve them. Yes, you might fail the first few times. But you’ll learn and you’ll get better.

Eventually, you’ll succeed.

Create Self-Imposed Deadlines. With Punishment for Failure.

The longer version:

Many of you have commented about the lack of frequency in my recent postings. This is something I acknowledge to struggling with a bit! Trust me, it isn’t because of a lack of motivation or anything like that, because writing on this blog is something I would really like to keep going.

What’s wrong with Time Boxing?

I know I’ve been writing about Time Boxing, but it seems the strategies there alone aren’t sufficient to help me Get Things Done.

I don’t think there is any inherent flaw with the Time Boxing strategy. After all, if you want to finish something, you first need to allocate time to it, then work on it for a fixed period and finally judge if it is finished or not. The boxing aspect allows us to focus on the “time” or “duration” component of the task, without which we may aimlessly prod along without being conscious of how long something is taking.

The problem with Time Boxing however, especially for personal tasks, is there is no tangible effect from a delay. There is no accountability and no punishment for going over-time. Writing on this blog is a hobby, so if I don’t publish an article for another week or month, what’s the penalty?

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

In contrast, this is totally opposite when dealing with work related matters. We do it all the time. Homework is due next Monday, so let’s get to it now. The client demands a modification to a site or we don’t get paid, so let’s get cracking. Our boss is waiting for the status report, so we’d better launch the word processor and start typing.

The two biggest problems with doing personal tasks

I realised the other day, I don’t have well defined goals for blogging. This stems from the realisation that the two biggest problems with finishing personal tasks (like writing on a blog) are:

• The absence of a hard deadline
• The absence of punishment when failing to deliver

Seems obvious! Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Without a concrete deadline, how can I judge if I’m behind or not? Also, how can I plan my time to ensure I meet it? Also, if there are no real consequences for not making a deadline, what’s going to stop me from playing on my Xbox? And, what’s to prevent me from procrastinating time and time again?

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Treating work and non-work tasks the same way

The lesson here is that we need to treat our hobbies and personal projects exactly the same way we deal with work and other important things in our life. If we don’t, then it’ll always play second fiddle and we won’t get the great results we hope or expect.

This means we have to elevate personal hobbies, tasks and projects to the same level as our work. Yes, they may not be life-sustaining activities (ie doesn’t pay the bills), but if we want the same kind of results we get from our work, then we have to treat them the same.

Make yourself accountable in your startup

This applies to all you aspiring Entrepreneurs out there.

Are you having trouble launching your latest startup? Is it taking longer than you thought? Are you spending enough time on it? Is time being spent on a piece of code which won’t matter for another year? Are you working on the right things?

If any of this sounds familiar, then you’d do well to head my words.

Make yourself accountable for everything in your business. Every action and delay must be defined and quatified. How long will it take? What’s the benefit? What’s the cost? Who will be affected?

If you don’t have anyone you are accountable to (eg no investors and customers), then you have to make something up. For example, perhaps donate $100 to a worthwhile charity for every week you are late. Now, that’s going to hurt. Are you feeling more motivated now?

With great pleasure, I can now say Mobiusly is back on track. I deviated a little over the last couple of months, but it’s all good now especially since I committed to a deadline and understood the consequences of being late. I’m hoping to launch the first product in 1-2 weeks time, depending on how well beta testing goes. I’ll post more details here or via Mobiusly’s official blog, so make sure you subscribe to it too if you’re interested in seeing what’s being cooked up.

In the meantime, examine your own lives. Are you getting things done?

UPDATE: A healthy discussion is emerging at Hacker News about the disadvantages of focusing on the negative as motivators. More about it here.

A bootstrapper is someone who uses his own time, money and resources to get a business launched and be successful – whether it is a small one-man shop or a big multi-million dollar company. Bootstrappers believe totally in the viability of their businesses and their ability to execute – otherwise they wouldn’t be doing what they do. After all, they’re risking their own money!

Some folks have emailed me asking how I’m funding Mobiusly and the products we are planning to launch in 2009. The answer is by bootstrapping. Here at Mobiusly, I’m funding the entire operation with no outsiders. Instead of raising finance from angels, venture capitalists, friends or family, I’ve decided to put my (and my wife’s) savings into it. It’s not because I couldn’t raise the money, it’s because I don’t want to raise the money.

That’s crazy you say!

Maybe, but there is a method to my madness. Raising money with outside funds may be appropriate for some businesses, but I don’t think it is right for Mobiusly. If I was starting a company which required lots of initial funds (eg massive infrastructure, marketing, people, tools etc), then I wouldn’t be able to bootstrap.

The good news is I’m not building that type of company

Mobiusly is a micro-ISV. We’re small and lean but super agile. We’re completely virtual and operational costs are low. We don’t need common office space, so we don’t have to worry about rent. We don’t need a shop front as our services are all Internet based. We don’t need to run massive advertising campaigns – we’re hoping clever use of blogging, Twitter and other social media outlets can get the word out as effectively as a 20 second slot during prime time tv. We don’t need to hire developers to get things done. We write our own code.

So why bootstrap?

The obvious answer is because we don’t need the money. We’re doing fine on our own, despite the current lows in the global economy. The less obvious answer is because we like to embrace constraints.

When you have less money, you have less bull-crap. We don’t have 10 people in meetings that last for 3 hours. We don’t spend 2 months writing design documents before we start coding. We don’t go on expensive trips to meet clients or chase a sale. We don’t need to appease investors.

Instead, we meet for 5 minute sessions when needed. We think about a problem, quickly discuss options and then implement solutions. If they are not right, we see that early so we can explore alternatives. We don’t try to chase after the expensive corporate enterprise clients who are hard and expensive to win over. Our products focus on small to medium sized companies and consumers.

We could have that 3 hour meeting, take our time with documentation or go on expensive trips. But we don’t, because we don’t have the size or money to do so. Instead we embrace our constraints and organise our teams and processes in ways that make us effective, responsive and agile. We cut through the red tape and bureaucracy – something our bigger competitors cannot do. We’re quicker to innovate and we do so more often.

Because we don’t have investors, we don’t need to answer to them. We don’t have to write a business case or go through an approval process in order to get funds released from the finance department. Instead, if we see a product or feature worth implementing that obeys our credo and genuinely helps our customers, we go ahead and just do it.

We’ve got what our bigger competitors don’t

Our competitors boasts expensive offices and their sales people wear expensive suits. They have teams of hundreds of developers, designers and business analysts – all cranking away at their keyboards. Tap. Tap. Tap.

By constrast, I do product design, write code, create graphics and work on the marketing myself (at the moment). We will also answer all support questions and emails ourselves. We like to think we’re more personable and pleasant to deal with. Also, because this is our business and our money, you can count on us doing our very best to make sure you are happy and you get what you need.

If you have to boil things down to a few words, we have a small and agile team, who can innovate quickly and often. We don’t have red-tape to slow us down and we cut through the bureaucracy to get to the underlying problem. We don’t have investors, so we can make decisions quickly. We have low overheads, so we can take risks our competitors dare not.

Ok, so we are the underdog. But don’t we all love rooting for the underdog? Check back soon for our first product announcement!

Whilst I haven’t been able to write much, I have been extremely busy and productive! This blog has always been an outlet to describe my journey from being an Engineer to an Entrepreneur. Just because I haven’t been writing, doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy working towards my goal.

If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. So after years of procrastination and self doubt, I have decided to finally start living my dream and be an Entrepreneur.

Introducing Mobiusly

Mobiusly was registered on 3rd December 2008 with the Australian Securities and Investment Association as a fully fledged limited liability company. It represents my passion for creating great software to improve life and to help people do what they do better. Everything I do and every software I write will be governed by the company credo. Mobiusly will create things that:

• Get the job done: Always fulfill their intended purpose without exception or compromise.
• Make you look good: By allowing you to do amazing things with lasting effect.
• Are easy to learn and master: Thus allowing you to do things you couldn’t do before.
• Create quick and beautiful results: So that you get what you need when you need it.
• Work with you: By anticipating your needs and knowing your intent maybe before you do.
• You can really depend on: Because your life is precious and work is important.

Starting a new company these days mean you need to have an online presence. I’ve setup a website at www.mobiusly.com and have started another blog. If you’re interested in how I get on with Mobiusly, head over there to read about my journey, lessons learnt and product updates. You may of course get regular updates with your favourite feed reader.

Taking Action

I’ve talked about being an Entrepreneur for years with tips to accomplishing goals, staying focused and time management. Yet after 2 years, I still wasn’t any closer to being an Entrepreneur.

I don’t know if there is a single thing that finally triggered me into action. I do know that over this past year I realised (for various reasons) that life is precious and it is short so we shouldn’t waste it. If you’re unhappy and ever had dreams of doing something different, then you should act now! Don’t wait for the perfect moment. It will never come. If you’re unhappy in a relationship, try to figure it out or end it. If you’re unhappy at work (see Are you Happy Employee?), then change your job.

I can finally say I’m eating my own dog food. Here I am at last taking action and living my dream. What are you waiting for?

Renewing my commitment to this site

I look at my last post with mixed feelings. Whilst I’m really happy to accomplish a 6 year dream, I’m saddened by the fact that the post was dated 26th January 2008. I haven’t given this site the attention it deserves. I haven’t given you my readers the attention you deserve.

For that I apologise deeply.

Let me also announce then that I’ll also be rebooting this site, giving it new coat of paint and producing more awesome articles you have come to love and expect. It’ll be a challenge managing two blogs for sure (I have enough trouble with one already). But it feels good to be back writing. Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your comments, emails, kind words and loyalty over this past year. Your words of encouragement truly make it all worthwhile. I hope you continue to stick around and I can earn your respect and readership again.

Stay tuned for more exciting things here and at Mobiusly.

Apart from being Australia Day, today also has a special meaning for me. It marks the day I finally became an Australian. It has taken me over 6 years, since my arrival late in 2001, to accomplish this. Much like the early settlers, this has not been an easy journey. However, much like my predecessors, the rewards have been rich, gratifying and priceless!

If I could look at myself back in time in early 2001 when I decided to make Australia my future, I would see a naive but determined young man – eager to make his way in the world and to succeed in one of the greatest cities in the modern Western World (Sydney). That young man would dream of a great life, one filled with happiness and success against all odds. What that young man did not know then was how his dreams would pale in comparison with the reality over half a decade later.

Although I’m still a relatively young man by anyone’s standards and still have a lot to learn and experience, I count myself very blessed! I have a wonderful wife and daughter, which I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. I have great parents, a wonderful brother and his family. I have a great career in software engineering and creation, which happens to also be my hobby and passion.

On a daily basis, I learn and grow. I am constantly challenged everywhere I go and at home. I have the opportunity to eat ice cream whenever I want to. Whilst I am not rich, I have enough money to satisfy my “wants” in life. How can anyone ask for more?

It is fitting then that today, on Australia Day, I become an Australian. It is a fitting ending to this chapter in my life. Being an Australian and living a wonderful and happy life here has been a life-long goal of mine. I came to Australia only with my luggage in hand and a pocketful of money. Whilst the journey hasn’t been easy, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have worked hard for it and earned my right. Finally, I have my reward! Oh how sweet it is…

If there is one thing I learned through this process, I’ve learned the importance of self-belief. If I didn’t think I could do it, I wouldn’t have tried. If I had let self-doubt and negative thoughts to dominate me, I wouldn’t be sitting here.

There is no goal unattainable if you believe in your own abilities to accomplish them.

Good luck for all your dreams in 2008.

Including this blog, but most notably fun and leisure!

A couple of months ago, I started at a new client side. Because the client is new, environment is different, technology and type of work unfamiliar, I’ve had to work extra hard to get things done with my usual tenacity and productivity. Although the road has been bumpy and steep, I’ve kept my head up and have persevered through the tough times.

That’s all good, but I miss the fun times!

So how do we make work fun? Well, you can do it like my friend, who at this very moment is running rampant about Sydney doing a massive treasure hunt! From what I read on this blog, the folks at Atlassian are having a great time on their ‘Cutlassian Pirate’ day – having dressed up as pirates, kicked out of the Google offices and generally causing mayham! All I have to say to him is go Team Yarrr!

Those guys at Atlassian sure know how to have fun.

Why aren’t other companies like this? In all seriousness, most of us spend at least 40 hours at the “office”. Given that this is a significant portion of our week, why can’t it be more fun? There shouldn’t be any reason whatsoever.

So, what can we do to make work a place in which we look forward to going? For the budding entrepreneurs out there, here are some initial thoughts.

• Employees need to know they are working on worthwhile things
• Employees need to know they are appreciated
• Employees need to receive compliments on their work
• Employees need to know their input and opinion is valued
• Employees need to know their work makes a difference
• Employees need to have work which is interesting and challenging
• Employees need to feel they are learning and growing
• Employees need to feel they are making progress in their career
• Employees need to be fairly remunerated for their work
• Employees need timeout – treasure hunt anyone?

In many ways, our employers dictate how happy we are at work. A fun workplace could instigate treasure hunts, morning teas, dinners to celebrate project milestones etc. While this may be true in some instances, it’s not a very nice way of living and thinking.

I subscribe to the belief that we make our own fun and happiness. Two people working at the same place, doing the same thing could have totally different viewpoints on how much they enjoy their work. In the end, we have the freedom to choose how we perceive things. Instead of looking at the negatives, try to look for the positives. Instead of looking for problems, try to look for opportunities. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, try to look for constructive solutions.

Ask yourself, Are you a happy employee? If not, what can you do about it?

I’m interested to hear about what your workplaces are like, especially if you have had problems and have found ways to overcome them. Leave a comment.

Oh, and good luck Team Yarrr.

Let me first start by saying that waking up early has made a huge difference in my life. I used to be the complete opposite – late sleeper and late riser. These days, I wake up at 5:30am everyday.

What I like most about being an early riser is getting that extra quiet time in the mornings to work at a few next actions even before the day officially begins. Lately though, I’ve opted to go to work earlier, so that I can clock in my 8 hours, leave at a reasonable time and still have a few precious moments with my baby daughter before she heads off to bed. Being able to maximise my free time doing things I rather be doing has made all the difference to my quality of life.

Here is a list of things that worked for me:

1. Have a good reason to get up.

I’ve found this to be the single most important element in being an early riser. Days in which I did not crystallise the reasons for getting up were more likely to result in sleep ins. Now, I make it clear the night before what it is I want to wake up early for. Initially, I found writing things down to be helpful, but this isn’t always necessary, as long as it is clear what the reasons are.

2. Be productive in the mornings.

It wasn’t enough to just be an early riser. If I had committed to waking up early for a reason, I’ve found it was crucial that I followed through. Not following through is like slow working poison. Over time, this has a cumulative effect and makes it harder and harder to rise early. This was a huge drain on motivation for me, especially when I was losing sleep and yet not getting the things I wanted to done. So stick to the plan and be productive.

3. Get enough sleep.

Your body is trying to tell you something if you constantly feel overly tired during the day. I’ve found it wasn’t really worthwhile trying to get up early if I didn’t get enough good sleep the night before. In the short term, I might get more discretionary time because I was sleeping less, which is good for coping with the spikes in workload. However, in the long term, things generally evened out – either because I was tired and couldn’t work as fast or I was sick as a result of a weakened immune system. My advice is to ensure you get enough sleep.

4. Go to bed earlier

One simple thing which helped me get enough sleep was to … well … go to bed earlier. Instead of constantly staying up past midnight and feeling tired the next morning, I now start preparing for bed around 11pm. I’ve found, around this time of night, I’m generally winding down anyway and not engaged in productive work. So shifting the hours around slightly has meant that overall my free time gets used more effectively – which is the primary reason for being an early riser! The amount of sleep needed is different from person to person and day to day. So, I listen to my body when it tells me that it is tired and it is time for bed.

5. Sleep more effectively.

The other thing I noticed about sleep is sleeping longer doesn’t necessarily translate to sleeping better. Somedays I can have 8 hours of sleep, yet feel like I haven’t slept at all. Other days I can be fully alert, productive and cheerful after only a few short hours.

If you find that you are still tired after a good stretch of 6-8 hours, chances are you’re not sleeping well. Most people just don’t need much more sleep than that. Sleeping well can be attained in various ways. I find having a good mattress and pillow with some quiet reading time before bed to be helpful.

6. No more another 10 mins.

I think everyone including me has two conflicting aspects to their personality. There’s the one which is good and generally seeks to self improve and be productive. Then there’s the other one – the little voice in the head urging us to sleep in for another 10 mins. I’ve learned the hard way that this little voice rarely has anything good to say. My advice is don’t ever have a discussion with him or indulge in anything he says! Sleeping in for another 10 mins is guaranteed to lead to another 10 mins and then another. The next time you hear that little voice, just say “No” out loud and …

7. Jump out of bed.

One trick I’ve found to be very effective in being an early riser and to stop myself from rationalising is to simply jump out of bed instantly. Once I am outside the comforts of the warm and cozy bed, I’m more likely to actually wake up and stay up. Someone once suggested to me by leaving the bedroom immediately, you also leave no doubt about your intentions to actually wake up and start doing things. Jumping out of bed and leaving the room actually works. They have prevented me from sleeping in on many a cold winter morning.

8. Use an alarm clock, just not the snooze.

Every day without fail, I wake up before the alarm goes off. I’m tempted to say setting it might not even be necessary! However, I take comfort in the knowledge that it’s there and waiting to go off, so I don’t have to worry about sleeping in. The trick with the alarm clock is to make it loud, annoying and not easily accessible. Try placing it away from arms reach, so that you can’t turn it off or get to the snooze button unless you get up out of bed. For me, this works wonders, because when it goes off, my wife and daughter are both still asleep and I instinctively try to get to it as quickly as possible.

9. Establish a stable routine.

What I recently learned from being a new dad is babies thrive on routine. My daughter now knows that bath time is followed by reading time and then bed time. Initially, she put up a fight resisting the bed. Now, she expects it!

In many ways, things are no different for us adults. I view the body as an instrument which can be trained. I’ve found establishing a consistent routine to be a key factor in becoming an early riser. This means waking up at same time everyday, not just the days I have to. This includes weekends, which typically aren’t as busy as the weekdays. Now, my body doesn’t even remember what it was like to sleep in and being a late riser.

10. Have something to look forward to.

Waking up early can be hard work, especially when you are used to sleeping in. Having a purpose is a good start, but this isn’t always enough. I mean, come one, are you really going to get up early to work on some TPS report for work? What I do in addition to having a purpose is to have a reward or other attractive incentive to get up for. It can be anything. I personally look forward to having time to check my emails in the morning, eat breakfast and drink a cup of tea.

11. Be aware of the consequences.

As I’ve written about previously, when faced with doing something we don’t want to do, we’re generally motivated not just by Pleasure, but also Pain. I’ve found that it was very effective to be aware of the consequences of sleeping in. For me, losing that extra 2 hours in the morning can have a significant flow on effect to my day and the rest of the week. Everytime I sleep in, I have to stay at work later and sacrifice quality time with my daughter in the evenings. This is something I clearly want to avoid, so being aware of this has been really effective in keeping me motivated when the alarm goes off.

12. Remove the option completely.

One trick I’ve found to work well also is removing the option of sleeping in completely. If we don’t have the option to sleep in, we won’t. The best way of doing this is schedule meetings and deadlines early in the mornings. This leaves one with no option at all but to get up because by the time the morning comes round, it is too late to cancel or reschedule a commitment. I’ve found this to be very effective because my actions now impact not just me but others as well.

13. Have a similarly motivated buddy.

Over the year, I have mentioned to various friends my desire to be a consistent early riser. Being encouraged by my example and results, they too have adopted the drive to be early risers. Not only is it gratifying to be helping others improve their productivity and quality of life, but having friends similarly committed helps keep me motivated and on track. Whenever we meet up, we always ask each other how we are doing with respect to being early risers. If anyone has fallen off the wagon, as a group we try to get them motivated again. Your spouse may be a good buddy even if only to kick you out of bed.

14. Keep track of your times.

Have you ever told yourself that you can sleep in just this once because you’ve already been good the whole week? I have. Unfortunately, my perception on how good I’ve been is subjective and often inaccurate. Sometimes I consider sleeping in because I feel that I’ve been good when in fact I’ve already slept in twice this week or six times this month. I’ve found keeping track of the days I have been good and not good to be immensely useful. I review this list periodically and whenever I find I’m falling behind, I use this list to renew my motivation and commitment.

15. Review all the things you got done.

I’ve written about the 10 R’s to success before. If you haven’t read that post, take a moment to do so. One of the more important R’s is Review which describes the importance of looking back on how successful you have been with your goals and what you’ve managed to accomplish. If things aren’t working out or the results weren’t as expected, then adjust your approach. Looking back at all the things you’ve managed to get done in the early mornings is a great motivator to keep you going.

Conclusions

Being an early riser is tough work, but I’ve managed to do it consistently. To be honest, I didn’t realise how hard it would be when I first started. I might not even have tried if I knew better in the beginning. However, I’m glad I did because the rewards are amazing. I get much more done now and my quality of life has improved.

If you want to be early risers yourselves, try out the tips I’ve highlighted. Some of them may not work for you, but I can bet that if you applied at least a few of these, you will see immediate results. Feel free to experiment and refine the process until you find a healthy balance you can sustain.

Good luck! Let me know how you go.

It will change your life. I promise.

I have been an independent software contractor for several years, performing all sorts of IT development services for clients about town. The agency whom I have been representing at client sites is currently undergoing a major change – they have just been sold to a big consultancy.

Boom! Scary!

As a result of the merger, lots of change is happening. Some folks are questioning where things are headed, what management have planned, how their lives will change etc. Most certainly, there will be job losses as the two companies consolidate things, in particular administrative positions.

With the chaos that’s been unfolding, I’ve thought a bit about “change” in general. What is it? Why do people resist it? Is it always a good thing? What should I do?

With some reflection, I realised that with all inspiration, creation, thought and progress, some form of change must be a precursor. Things just don’t happen on their own. You know the old scientific principle of “energy cannot be created, only transformed”? Well, I think it applies here with change too. These things need to come from somewhere – they’re not born out of the ether. Synapses fired, decisions made and actions taken before change occurs.

In my case, someone must have decided that selling the company is something worth pursuing and that things shouldn’t keep ticking along they way they have been.

So from this respect, change is a good thing, without which there is no action or result.

In my readings, I came across the Satir Change Process model, named after Virginia Satir, an American author and psychotherapist. Her model is best represented in the diagram below which describe Performance fluctuations as a result of change.

The diagram depicts several stages of accepting change. The first stage is known as Status Quo (Gray Zone), a state where everyone is generally comfortable with the way things are. The second stage is a point in time a Foreign Element, trigger or change agent is introduced. What follows is a period of Resistance and Chaos (Red Zone), personified as a result of people being scared of the uncertainties the change has brought about and how their lives will be impacted.

The level of performance generally drops off and fluctuates more greatly between the Gray and Red Zones. There are various reasons for this – people may reject the change to protect the status quo; are confused with the change and are unsure of what to do; or simply become less competent with the new tools and processes introduced.

This describes why people by nature resist change. They don’t want to become less useful than they already are.

I see this every day. In my line of work as a software engineer, I work with tools and technology which change often. You may start on a project using a best-of-breed library, but by the time the project ends, chances are there’s a new version out or even a completely alternate way of doing things. Unless you keep abreast with changes, your skills can lose their edge, even become obsolete.

As a would-be entrepreneur, I too see this everywhere. Many new startups are created each day, but few survive. In order to survive, the entrepreneurs have to develop a business model that meets the market demands and deliver an economic return. To do so, they have to change and adapt as they learn and as opportunities arise.

Most people know this, yet change is often resisted. Why? The reason is simple really. Once someone has become comfortable with the way things work (Status Quo), they naturally find it hard to embrace something different (Foreign Element). Doing so, would mean they instantly become less competent, effective and efficient.

In today’s world and globalised marketplace, being less is scary. It’s drilled into us as children. We must be better than our peers. Faster. Higher. Stronger. Only by being more than the guy in the next cubicle can we get ahead in life.

This is why change is always scary. Yet, it is the Secret to Success.

Embrace change. Override your first instinctive reaction to run the other way. Adopt an open mind. Look at the change not as a threat to your current situation, but as an opportunity to learn and grow.

If the change is justified, well thought out and has the best of intentions, eventually your performance will improve. In the Satir Change Process model, this is classfied in two subsequent stages. The first being Integration and Practice (Yellow Zone), which occur once the chaos subsides. The second being the New Status Quo (Green Zone) in which the change is fully embraced, new processes become second nature and the benefits realised.

Writing a personal development blog has put me in touch with a lot of folks who ask for help in the form of emails and comments. I also strike up more interesting conversations with people I meet, either raised as a result of someone reading my articles or simply because I have this frame of mind.

Regardless, whenever someone asks me for advice on how to improve their present situation, invariably I always say to them the following:

If you want to be happy or your life to improve in one way or another, don’t expect things to radically change, unless you do something about it. If you keep doing things in the same way you have been doing, expect the same result. If you continue to cruise along the same highway, expect it to lead you exactly where it has always done.

To change your life for the better, you have to introduce a Foreign Element, trigger or change agent. Shake things up. Do things differently. Adopt an improved mindset. Be a different person.

Your life depends on it.

Here’s what it would look like on a diagram:

The reality however is people are seldom logical. As humans we’re governed partly by our intelligent mind and partly by our feelings and desires. Maybe we’re avoiding a task because we have a low sense of worth or a self-defeating mentality. Maybe we’re avoiding a task because it’s small, petty and annoying (not worth doing). Maybe we’re avoiding a task because it’s too big and we don’t know where to begin (too hard).

Here’s what this would look like on a diagram:

Whatever the actual reasons are, generally when the Pain associated with doing a particular task increases, so too does the level of Procrastination. That’s just human nature – we run away from things which cause us pain.

Let’s consider a couple of typical examples.

• Doing the school report: I’d have to do some research at the library and online. I’m going to have to read lots and take notes. After all that, I’d have to compile the data and write the actual report.
• Going for a 5km run: I’d have to wake up earlier than I normally would. It’d be freezing cold in the morning. I’d have to go to bed earlier. Then there’s the actual run itself – painful and exhausting.

I’m sure you can think of better things to do than that school report or 5km run. It wouldn’t be hard. Let’s see, how about sitting in front of the TV and watching the latest episode of Heroes or Desperate Housewives? Or, calling Jane, your best friend whom you haven’t spoken to for a month? Maybe, you could be making a nice ham and cheese sandwich instead since you had a small lunch?

The good news is Procrastination is a function of both Pain and Payoff. In reality, the relationship is more like so:

As before, Procrastination increases along with Pain.

However, this tapers off as things become more urgent and important. For instance, looming deadlines can kick start us into action this instant! That report is due tomorrow, so we’d better get cracking now. There’s only two more months to the wedding, we’d better start getting up early for a run.

The Payoff also seems more real and tangible. Doing that report 3 weeks in advance has no perceivable increase in Payoff compared to doing it 2 weeks in advance. However, if the report was due tomorrow, the Payoff of doing versus not-doing the report is now very significant. It could be the difference between a pass or fail. Again, similarly with the run. Wedding photos don’t lie so if we didn’t want to look fat, we better start losing the weight now or there won’t be enough time.

So given this information, what can we do to combat Procrastination?

Stop for a moment and think of a particular task you’ve been avoiding. Why have you been putting it off? Is it because of the amount of effort involved? Is it because you don’t have enough time? Is it because you don’t know how to begin? Whatever the reasons, consider the following tips:

• Experience Quantification: Use the Experience Quantification technique to increase the attractiveness of a task by either downgrading the associated Pain or boosting the associated Payoff.
• Set aside some time: Use time boxes, schedule them in your calendar and when the time comes stick to the plan.
• Develop some positive patterns and habits: Get into the habit of doing things and working around good patterns. You’re more likely to keep at things when they become second nature.
• Look at alternate ways of doing things: Don’t just assume every problem is a nail if you have a hammer. Try to look for alternative approaches which may simplify things.
• Pace yourself: Don’t go our strong only to burn out before you get to the finish line. Pace yourself. Break the problem down into smaller chunks and tackle each in turn. You may also apply other great problem solving nuggets.
• Stay motivated: Big and important tasks often require hard work and dedication. Often it’s not a sprint but more of a marathon. Keep yourself motivated with appropriate rewards at key milestones and work within the 10R Success framework.
• Do it now: Don’t let the Broken Windows Theory eventuate. Take on problems early and often, before they get too big and too hard to overcome.

I believe there is a threshold associated with Procrastination. This action/inaction boundary is determined by both Pain and Payoff. These simple tips are all designed to either reduce the Pain associated with a given task or increase the Payoff.

Good luck in your fight against Procrastination!

Six months or so ago, my life turned a corner. Here I was thinking I’m a busy person, but with the birth of my baby daughter, life is suddenly a whole different ball game.

Not only am I completely time starved, I find it is also difficult to plan around the unpredictable behaviour of a baby – when she screams you just have to drop everything instantly!

This begs the question – How can we cope with a demanding life?

Here’s my list of 15 tips.

1. Reflect on what’s important

I find we are taking on more than our parents ever did. We’re just having busier lives. In today’s world, between working, socialising, exercising and parenting, where’s the time for relaxation? For many of us, I suspect we’ve operated in auto-pilot for so long, we don’t even know if what we’re doing is congruent to our values and goals in life. My advice is to take some time and reflect on what’s truly important in your life then structure your schedule accordingly so you can focus on the right things.

2. Be the master of your own destiny

This is your life. Remember, you can be happy if you choose to and our limitations are mostly self imposed. If there is an aspect of your life which you are unhappy with, then you owe it to yourself to change and make a difference. Unless there are external factors involved, your life won’t get significantly better unless you do something about it. Take charge and be the master of your own destiny. Too stressful at work? Take on less responsibility. Delegate some tasks. Quit. Anything – just take action.

3. Simplify where possible

Human needs are fundamentally basic. From a physical perspective, all we need is food, clothing and shelter. Our emotional needs are more complex, but as long as we’re happy, everything else is just bonus. Take a moment to look at your life, what you have and what you do. You might find that maybe there are aspects to your life and routine which add to your stress but aren’t really essential to your well being. Eliminate these where possible.

4. Learn to cope with stress

Sometimes, things can’t be further simplified. Instead of making our lives less stressful, we can improve our stress coping abilities. Some people read a novel or practice yoga, whilst others spend hours at the golf course or take time out to go on holidays and recharge. Whatever suits your fancy, but do spend the time to de-stress. It is not healthy to operate constantly under high levels of stress.

5. Talk to yourself

Talking to yourself is a powerful tool everyone should have in their personal development arsenal. I find it is useful for so many things and in all sorts of situations. When I’m faced with a stressful situation, talking to myself gets me calm so I can focus on the task at hand. When I’m unsure of what to do, I reflect on what it is I’m trying to accomplish and walk myself through the steps to get things done. When I’m distracted, talking to myself allows me to regain focus and apply the Diminishing Distractions technique. What you do and how you react, is determined by what you say to yourself. So make a habit to say the right things, to help ensure the right results.

6. Talk to others

When life feels too demanding and stressful, find someone you can confide in. Talk about your fears and problems. Don’t keep things bottled up inside. It’s easier to let steam out a little at a time than to wait until the pressure is so strong that you explode! Remember, you don’t have to live life alone. Talk to others – family or friends – and get their emotional support. Not only can they be a good sounding board, but you might find they can offer solutions to your troubles which you haven’t thought of before.

7. Leave work at work

Many people I know don’t stop working when work stops. They take work home or work overtime and get home late. I find one of the most useful tools one can have to cope with a demanding lifestyle is having boundaries. Leave work at work. Make sure the planning provides sufficient time to get things done without breaking your back. It’s ok once in awhile to bring work home, but don’t do it consistently. Learn to draw boundaries and allocate suitable time boxes to spend on things. This applies to everything and not just work.

8. Remove the clutter

I happen to like working with a clean desk and spacious surroundings. I feel less cramped and my brain has room for creative freedom. Not everyone works the same way of course. I have friends whose desks are literally filled with so much paper, you can’t even see the colour of the wood underneath. However, if you have an overly demanding lifestyle, try to remove the clutter. Make sure things are filed in the appropriate places, so that when you’re working on one thing you only have the material related to what you’re working on within arm’s reach. Everything else is a distraction and shouldn’t be easily accessible until you’re ready to work on them. If you work in a chaotic environment, you’re going to live a chaotic life. So clean things up. Get organised.

9. Write things down

If you’re a follower of David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology, you’d know the importance of writing things down. He believes that if you have too many things in your head, you’d inevitable forget something and they don’t get done. I echo the same sentiments with the addition that if you have too many things in your head, your stress levels tend to be higher. For example, imagine you’re at work and you’re trying not to forget to call the plumber to fix the leaks at home. Or when you’re at the park playing with your children and you’re thinking about the big meeting on Monday. Life feels a lot more complicated, doesn’t it? So, if you haven’t got a task list, start making one. Write things down and free your brain to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

10. Finish things off

Whether you’re a busy professional, a college student or stay at home parent, at any one time you probably juggle several things simultaneously. Whilst multi-tasking is a good skill to have, try not to handle too many things at the same time. Instead, make a point to finish things off. I find that whenever I have unfinished tasks, part of my brain is always working on them, even though it may only be at the sub-conscious level. You may not realise it, but these unfinished tasks contribute to your resting stress level. So try to get things done and closed off, instead of leaving them partially done and occupying precious brain cycles.

11. Learn to say ‘No’

If you find yourself being overwhelmed with the pressures of your current commitments, learn to say ‘No’ to new commitments. Saying ‘No’ isn’t an admission of weakness or reflection on your ability to cope with the pressures of life. It just means, that for now, you don’t have sufficient bandwidth to take on new things. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s better to give your existing commitments the time they deserve and do a proper job rather than take on too much and do things poorly.

12. Ask for help if you need it

The smartest thing you can do when you feel like you’re overwhelmed and can’t fulfill your commitments is to ask for help. Many people are afraid to ask for help. To them, asking for help is a sign of failure or inability to get things done. To me it is the complete opposite. Asking for help shows maturity and highlights a person’s desire to do a good job. I’d rather work with someone who knows when to ask for help, than someone who works crazily, to the detriment of the project and their health.

13. Accept that life is a series of ups and downs

I don’t know what the proper name for it is, but there are people who observe their health on a daily basis. Every time something unusual happens, they think it’s a terminal medical condition! Similarly, I find there are people who take life just a bit too seriously and are adversely affected emotionally whenever something bad happens. My advice is to take life a little less seriously. There will always be ups and downs. Don’t get too stressed out. This is just life.

14. Adopt a positive outlook and approach to life

It won’t change the reality of your present situation, but it will change your perception of it. You can choose to either look at the obstacles life presents as problems or you can look at them as opportunities. Though it won’t relieve you from your daily pressures, adopting a positive outlook will affect how you approach life’s challenges for positive gain. Remember that life is a journey to be enjoyed. Start now and change the way you look at life.

15. Have faith in yourself

The last tip I have to help with coping with a demanding life is to have faith in yourself. I’ve always believed that the human spirit is our greatest strength. Only when faced with the most difficult situations, challenges and danger do we learn and grow. Believe in yourself! Persevere. If life is tough, then be tougher. You’d be surprised by how amazing you can be if you give yourself a chance.