I was fortunate to catch a U2 show last weekend in Oklahoma. The tickets were a present from a groomsmen for my wedding. Aside from my love for the amazing band, it still never ceases to amaze me how timeless they’ve made themselves.

Over the past 30+ years, U2 has created a monster brand. And they’ve been incredibly successful; one of the most successful bands of all time. They’ve

• created over 12 studio albums
• sold over 145 million records
• been named one of the greatest 100 greatest acts of all time by Rolling Stone
• been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• tied Stevie Wonder for the most Grammys from a contemporary group (23)

But the most incredible thing I think U2 has done over the past 30 years is stay relevant to the time.

They’ve made themselves “timeless”.

Being Timeless

The modern web is a relatively new place. I mean, most popular sites only go back a few years in their history, and at most 10 or so. The Internet is still a very new and wild place.

For those of us who are in it to make a living from it over “the long haul”, it’s kind of hard to predict where the Web is heading. Who would have guessed five years ago that microblogging would be so insanely popular? Not me.

So, how do we ensure that our content or products that we’re creating are timeless? How do we keep our work relevant? After all, we don’t want the content that we’ve so painstakingly created to become irrelevant in the next 3 or more years.

Let’s take a few lessons from one of the greatest rock bands of all time to creating a brand that is immortal.

Be timely, but not tied to time

Photo by Tiger Pixel

It’s not that U2 hasn’t changed their sound over the years. They’ve done that aplenty. The band’s sound has been influenced by the changing musical styles over the years, and their current sound is a mixture of everything. They’ve managed to do something special: stay relevant to the time period, while retaining their own, unique characteristics.

The same should be true with what you create. You may change your scope slightly, but you’ll still be under a certain heading###.

For example, I’m trying to focus less on productivity and more on helping people create. That doesn’t mean that I won’t ever be writing about productivity, etc., I’ll just be doing more bigger picture writing. While productivity, GTD, and all that are popular right now, they probably won’t be in a few years.

That doesn’t mean that you should be oblivious to current trends and pop culture. In fact, one of my most popular posts of all time had to do with a current popular movie.

Whatever it is you do, capitalize on current trends and what’s hot now. Just make sure your overall focus is timeless.

Show that you can outlast

U2 was far from an instant success. They formed in high school, but didn’t have an international single until 4 years later. They didn’t have a commercially-successful album until 3 years after that, and still another 2 years were needed before U2 started building a following and selling out arenas. Nine years is hardly what anyone would call an “instant success”.

Many failures come from just not having the fortitude to stick it out, to play all nine innings. Many bloggers give up too quickly, many book writers give up after their first book, and many bands throw in the towel after a couple years together.

Sometimes it just takes time to refine and become successful. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell estimates that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice or experience before expertise is achieved.

Oftentimes success is just a matter of outlasting.

Stay away from cliche

U2’s songs tend to be about timeless things (love, historical events), and while their sound has evolved slightly over the years, they still stick to the same components. The Edge’s guitar sound is one of the most recognizable features of the band. The drum sound has remained somewhat constant over the years. You won’t hear Bono using auto-tune to create R&B-like vocal effects. They haven’t let pop musical fads overcome their core, distinctive aspects.

For us bloggers, that might mean doing simple things like using the word “write” instead of “blog”. Who knows how long the “blogging” platform will be around? You certainly want your writing to outlive it.

Evolve

It’s amazing what time can do for a band like U2. Recordings from Boy sound drastically different than their latest album No Line on the Horizon.

Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. I think a portion of their fans would go back to their earlier sounds. Others might like the “newer” U2 better. One thing is for sure though: U2’s success has been impacted greatly by their ability to evolve.

All successful systems evolve over time. I would imagine the reason that the band has been able to put out amazing records for the past 30 years is because they’ve been creative and evolved slightly. Can you imagine playing the same sounding things for 30 years? I’d go crazy.

Don’t forget the fans (and be thankful)

Photo by r_w_h

Part of U2’s success stems from the fact that they’re very thankful to the fans that have supported them over the years. At our concert Bono made a specific point to thank the fans for the life they’ve given the members of U2.

It could be easy for a band like U2 to think that their success is directly because of their talent. But they know better. Their rabid fans are a critical reason for their success. There are gobs of bands with talent oozing out of their ears who have yet to even be signed to a label.

Fans are the difference between one hit wonders and a successful career that spans thirty years.

Give back

U2 donates tons of their time and talent to help support causes like the ONE campaign, Project Red, and many others. Activism is a critical part of U2 and their songwriting.

If you’re doing everything for money, power or fame, you’re not going to last. People can quickly see through that. But they’re more willing to support everything you do if you’re willing to give back. If you can use your platform for improving the world, you’ll win followers.

Too often we don’t think enough about the future, and get sucked into the tunnel of the current trends and fads. What’s here today might will probably be gone tomorrow.

This Saturday I’ll be getting married to the most amazing woman in the world. In case you can’t tell, I’m really excited :)

After the wedding on Saturday we’ll shove off from Miami for a week-long Caribbean cruise. We’ll be posting pictures on our site from the cruise.

So, next week I’ll be publishing posts in advance, so you won’t be getting any followup comments from yours truly. Don’t let that stop the discussion though. I’ll be weighing in when I get back.

Thanks again everyone. Here’s to writing the next chapter!

How much time do you spend on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites? It’s estimated that Robert Scoble spent over 2,555 hours on Friendfeed and Twitter in 2008, which is way more than a normal full-time job (2,000 hours).

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Robert has essentially worked a full-time job with overtime for these two companies, pro bono. And don’t kid yourself into thinking that he’s the only one either.

But here’s the kicker: people like Mr. Scoble spend a lot unhealthy amounts of time building up profiles on sites they don’t even own.

Those of us who have spent enough time around the web realize that sites and services come and go, and to trust that one will be around forever is absolutely bonkers. Friendfeed, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter… who knows what these sites will be in the next 10 years.

Sure, one could argue that Robert’s involvement on these 3rd party sites ultimately improves his personal brand. But if Friendfeed goes under, so does all those hours Robert spent on the site. Poof. Heck, Friendfeed was purchased by Facebook in August. Who knows what the future of Friendfeed?

The best way to safeguard yourself into losing everything you’ve worked so hard to create is to become your own platform, and not rely solely on a third-party to publish your content online.

Creating Your Platform

If you’re going to be a “creator” on the web, you can’t put your faith in a single platform like Facebook or Twitter. You’ve got to create your own.

I’m a huge fan of Twitter, and it’s an incredible tool to connect and gain an audience. When you put all your content’s eggs in one basket, you’re putting yourself at a huge risk. While I don’t think sites like Twitter or Facebook are going to go away any time soon (knock on wood), we don’t know how this Web thing will turn out. You may find in 20 years that all those hours you spent creating content on Tumblr or Twitter might just be lost for good.

But more importantly, when you’re trying to brand yourself, it doesn’t help when people only see you as a Twitter user first. You want YOUR brand first then the platform, not the other way around.

Be Everywhere, But Don’t Live Everywhere

Photo by Evil Erin

I can already hear the next question asked: “So how do you develop a following and gain attention without leveraging popular platforms like Twitter and Facebook?”

You’re right: you have to utilize them. You just can’t rely on them. It’s a fine line to walk.

Sure, you still need to be on other platforms. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and a few other places. But I don’t live there. Those places only help my personal brand. They’re only tiny pieces of my digital identity. Sure, it would stink if one of those places shut down one day, but I’d still have my own personal platform.

But where I spend most of my time is working on things that are 100% my own. If Twitter is ever bought by Nazis, I’ll still have LifeDev. Or Web Jackalope.

Note: I have no idea if Nazis are interested in a Twitter purchase, but from what I hear everyone is giving Twitter offers these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Nazis haven’t put in a bid too. But I think we can all agree that if Twitter was run by Nazis, we would all spend a LOT less time there. And we’d really regret all the previous time we spent sending tweets.

It’s Not Just Me

Look at the really successful content producers on the web who have Twitter and Facebook accounts. Sure, they tweet often and keep their followers engaged. But you can bet your biscuits they spend twice as much time creating content for their blogs and own sites.

Here are a couple easy tips to creating a personal brand that’s invincible to the ever-changing winds of the Internet landscape.

Make it about YOU. If you’re going to use 3rd party services like Twitter, try and make the focal point of the pages you by adding a unique design that mirrors your brand in some way. I tried to do this as much as possible with both my personal Twitter profile and Web Jackalope’s Twitter profile with designs that were similar to the original sites.

Keep the balance. Be conscious of how much time you’re spending on third-party sites as opposed to creating your own content. Try making a 1:1 rule, where for every 20 minutes you spend on Twitter/Facebook, etc., you’re spending 20 minutes writing content on your own site.

Point back to you. Virtually all social media and social news sites allow you to create profiles where you can point to your site. Make sure all the 3rd-party services point to your own domain.

Own, Don’t Rent

Photo by turkeychik

When it comes to online presence, you want to be an owner, not a renter of your brand. Just like in the housing industry, there are plenty of reasons that renting is appealing. If you’re an online renter, you don’t have to worry about servers, design, or many other things. But at the end of the day, you still don’t own anything.

All the resources that you put into building profiles at social networking sites and gaining followers show for nothing if the platform crashes.

Be your own platform, and reap the benefits.

Robots are wonderful machines. There are times like today where I look at all that has to be done and wish I could flip a switch and turn into a robot.

I could fly through all that I have to do, in less than a fraction of the time.

How? With my robotic capacity, that’s how.

I’d be a special robot with the most advanced Get’er Done chip and a WillPower 3.0. And while we’re at it, a giant Flux Capacitor on my chest.

Unfortunately, as much as we might want to be, you and I aren’t robots. We’re far from it.

• We get distracted
• We don’t always get it right the first time
• Our timing is off
• We misinterpret things
• We forget
• We make decisions based on emotions
• We get tired
• We break commitments
• We make mistakes
• We aren’t perfect

While I wish I might have more robotic qualities, I’m glad I’m not a robot. Because the things that keep us from awesome robotic qualities are the things that make us unique and better than our hardwired hombres.

• We have the ability to learn, grow and adapt
• We can override the system
• We can love
• We can choose
• We can change our mind
• We can think outside the box

So the next time you wish you had an iron will and the concentration to last a full work day, remember that it’s a small price to be pay for being a creative being.

Something to think about anyway.

Let’s see a show of hands: Anyone in the audience tried to sell something online, but failed miserably?

(Here’s to hoping I’m not the only one with my hand raised….)

We launched the Making Web Video that Sells toolkit a while back to a “meh” reaction. This floored me.

I had put so much time and hard work into a product, only to see it flop miserably. I’ll be honest with you: the sales stunk.

It’s a pretty humbling experience to watch something that you’ve poured yourself into for months do a cyber bellyflop.

A Growing Trend

Some Most iPhone developers are noticing that it’s not all popcorn and cotton candy developing iPhone apps. In fact, it’s hard for many to break even. Most iPhone developers are forced to drop their app price down to $0.99 in order to get traction, even though the application cost a lot to make.

It seems that people are content to pay less and less for digital goods, and expect more out of them. Shoot, most of us in our Google-filled existence have come to expect paying nothing for fantastic products. (Read Jonathan Field’s excellent post on the FREE movement.)

For those of us who create digital goods, the future looks bleak.

Or does it?

The Toolkit

We had initially priced at $67, which is what we thought that people would pay for a resource of it’s nature.

But I don’t blame the poopy economy or anyone else for the toolkit’s dismal launch.

The fact is, the poor launch was my own fault.

But before I get into why the toolkit didn’t sell well, let’s get something clear first.

I know people are paying for premium products.

In fact, people are always paying for premium products. Case in point: Apple.

Apple is managing to have another absolutely stellar year in the midst of a recession. Yet compared to other competitors, their products are sometimes twice as expensive. On paper, Apple’s company ship should be sinking. But they’re far from doing that.

Apple easily outsold the competition because they ruled in perceived value.

It’s All About Perceived Value

How much do people think your product is worth? Ask nearly any Mac owner and he’ll tell you that his laptop or iPhone was worth every penny. But was it really? Do you think Apple can justify their much higher pricing?

It doesn’t matter.

Apple could charge three times more than what they currently charge for an iPhone, and if people still bought their products, then that’s what the iPhone is worth.

Value is only perceived. Which brings us back to my selling problems.

The reason that the toolkit did so poorly wasn’t because it was priced too high or too low. The problem was that potential buyers didn’t think it was worth the price.

I did a poor job of conveying value. I didn’t know the first thing about copywriting, and the sales page only showed what the toolkit did, and didn’t focus on how it could really help potential buyers. I did a pitiful job inspiring people, instead only giving them the benefits.

Do I think that the toolkit is worth every penny? Absolutely. I know how many hours Doug and I worked putting it together. It’s a one-of-a-kind comprehensive resource. But until I can convince the buyer that it is an incredible resource, the sales will remain flat.

Irrational Buyers

Most of the things we buy aren’t out of necessity. We buy them because our emotions tell us to. It’s been proven that smells, sounds and other sensory stimuli are the catalysts for purchasing. The senses arouse emotions, and more often than not our emotions decide what we buy.

Armed with this helpful insight, than it’s clear that people will pay for something if they literally feel that it will make them happier, skinnier, or wealthier. Cold, hard logic doesn’t have much to do with it.

So if emotions are writing the checks, then what do we have to do to make the sale?

The Number One Secret to Digital Sales Is…

If you’re going to be successful selling digital goods (or physical goods), you have to inspire people and get them excited about the product.

It’s as simple as that. Sounds simple, right?

Excited customers love what they buy, and in turn share it with others. They’re your best form of advertising.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share my experience struggles trying to sell a premium product. I hope me writing about my mistake will help you if you’re trying to sell a product on the web. Because it can be done, and it can be done well.

Just because selling on the Internet can be difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Learn, adjust, and try it again.

We’ll get the hang of it.

But until we do: Remember that it’s only work. There are plenty of things more important than commercial success of a product. The second you get wrapped up into the success of something you’ve created, that’s when you start making decisions for the wrong reasons.

There are plenty of things that are more important.

Guest post by Mr. Self Development.

Everything that exists has a purpose. My computer has a purpose, my shoes have a purpose, my watch has a purpose, if I had a dog, he or she would have a purpose, and most importantly, you have a purpose.

You showed up on this planet for a reason. Maybe you showed up to sing, or to dance, or to teach, or to write, or to entertain, or to act, or to talk, or to cook, or to paint, or any other thing, but you showed up for a reason. There’s a purpose that you came here to fulfill. Don’t “sell out!”

In other words, don’t settle for a life of doing a mundane job that you’re not passionate about. You only live once, you must live your life to the fullest; you must die empty.

Don’t buy into the thinking that it’s too hard to become a singer or whatever else you’re passionate about. It’s exactly that thinking that will make it appear like an impossible task, and your perception will become your reality.

Yes, it will take work; you and I both know that anything worth achieving is going to take a ton of work, but we also know that it will be worth it in the end.

Everyone is born a diamond in the rough; we just need to be uncovered. The truth is, if anyone else can succeed in this world, so can you. No one is any better than you.

So don’t sell out! No matter how long it takes, I don’t care if it takes the next 45 years; you owe it to your creator and to yourself to live out your intended purpose.

You will never be truly happy until you’re doing what you were created to do. Yes, you may be able to settle and push your feelings of dissatisfaction to the side, but there’s nothing like the exhilaration of doing what you love and watching others benefit from it. Even if you never make a dime from it…the joy of doing what you love is priceless.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid of how much work it will take

Even natural-born hunters like lions must spend years practicing before they’re any good. It’s definitely going to take a lot of work to live your passion. Probably many hours for many years, but when you’re doing what you love, you’ll enjoy it, and you’ll work hard to ensure that it doesn’t take you forever to succeed.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid of how much time it will take

You’ve probably heard the story of the guy who wanted to be a doctor, but was unwilling to go back to school for eight years. When asked by his friend why he wasn’t going to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor he said, “I would love to become a doctor, but I would have to go back to school for eight years, and in eight years I’m going to be 40 years old! His wise friend responded, “Well, how old will you be in eight years if you don’t go back to school?”

The point is the years will go by, the time will pass, you will eventually get into your future; make sure you arrive there having accomplished what you were created to accomplish. So what if it takes you a little longer than normal, so what if you succeed at 60 instead of 16, will it matter at 60? No. The only thing that will matter is if you sold yourself short, if you settled for mediocrity when you were born for greatness.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid you’ll fail!

You will eventually succeed. If you work in an area you’re passionate about and give your best, you will eventually experience success.

In conclusion, do what you were created to do, even if you must do it while you’re working your “9-5” job, with seven kids, a dog, and a hamster. Make the time; nothing is more important. The world needs what you have, and the world is waiting for you to be manifested. Success will be yours when you do!

This guest post was written by Mr. Self Development. Please support Mr. Self Development by subscribing to his blog. Mr. Self Development is a motivational author who offers a practical guide to success and wealth.

What do you do in the morning that inspires you?

Creativity depends on hard-nosed routines, but also needs to be inspired on a regular basis. I’m definitely a morning person, so a lot of my inspiration comes in the AM. Here are a few things I do to ensure I’m getting my morning jolt of inspiration.

Coffee Shop

For me, I enjoy working in a coffee shop, at least for part of the day. I like the smell of coffee and the constant stream of people coming and going. For whatever reason, the white noise helps me concentrate fully on my task. Oh, and the caffeine helps too.

Regular Browsing

I make it a habit to visit some of these sites:

• LifeRemix – Only the best lifestyle blogging in the world. (Of course, I might be slightly biased. I did co-found it.

  

• Google Reader – Ok, so this is my “gateway” site. I have a few sites that I follow every day in the reader, but the really cool aspect of GReader that’s grown on me is Friend Recommendations. When friends share links, I find about 95% of them to be interesting and relevant to me. It’s like having a personal recommendation system sending me interesting news and articles.

  

• Ffffound! – Ffffound! Is one of the best sites dedicated to inspiring and creative photography. Simply fantastic.

  

• Seth’s Blog – Seth Godin probably doesn’t need any introduction. Just know that I read him religiously.

  

Morning Exercise

Whether it’s a run or just a short walk, I have to have some sort of exercise in the morning. I do my best thinking while moving, and if I can’t have that time to jump-start my mind, then I’m a lost cause.

Morning Reading

I make it a habit to read every morning and reflect, at least for 15 minutes. This habit has probably had the most profound impact on my life, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

Ok, so that’s my morning. What about you?

You can have what you want or need without the cash to cover it. The only requirement is ingenuity, the willingness to put yourself out there and a genuine desire to create win-win situations.

There are people everywhere who can’t pay for things they would gladly receive. Things you have the means to offer, either tangible or otherwise. Search within or outside your network for people you can offer something in exchange for something else. Thereby, creating an optimal situation for both parties, while saving everyone the money.

A personal example

I wanted to increase my yoga classes but not the cost, so when I heard my yoga instructor discussing her interest in growth, I knew I could help. With a background in marketing, I dropped my elevator pitch and asked if she’d be interested in some guidance in exchange for extra classes. Not only did I get what I wanted, she got something she needed. We’ve become better friends and I’ve been able to help someone I feel passionate about.

Sound like something you’d like to do? Let’s get started then.

What are you good at?

Don’t say “nothing”. What do you help your friends with? People are looking for all sorts of help. It could be as little as errands or chauffeuring kids around to activities. Maybe you’re an amazing cook and a working family needs weekly meals. Redesigning your favorite eateries ugly logo might get you lunch free for a a few months. It doesn’t have to be career oriented. You surely have something, just think about it.

What do you need?

There’s something you could use. Is your bathroom leaky? New roof? Access to an art studio? I needed more yoga and I got it. Thinking about voids to fill in your own life may help you find good matches to approach. Anything is possible. Perhaps you need a little mentoring and since time is valuable to important people, offer something in exchange for their time. Ask people what they need to get what you need.

Put it out there

Bring it up a few times, to different people or establishments. You have to be vocal or no one will know what you’re doing. The more people you pitch the easier it will get and the likelihood interest will increase. Above all, speak up when opportunities present themselves. What’s the worst that happens? They say no. I mean, really?

Compromising & negotiation

Depending on your relationship, it’s best to discuss logistics before getting started. As with paying jobs, you still need to be mindful of who you do business with. I even recommend getting something in writing and outlining the agreement so both parties are clear on stipulations. The idea isn’t to go tit for tat on how much value you bring versus them. It’s relative anyway, based on what everyone’s needs and desires are. You must negotiate what this means and make sure you hold up your end of the bargain.

With trade, you need to be invested in helping others while benefiting yourself, not selfishness. People that are self centered shouldn’t play this game, they ruin it for the rest and should stay dealing with dollars only. If you are honest, you will find others that are too. Personally, I have never had any partnership backfire.

Photo by Ben MacLeod

Expanding endeavors

Diving into new careers, businesses or trades can be daunting. Offering services for swap will build experience while limiting risk. The odds are the other party wouldn’t need you if they knew as much as you, making you prime for improving their circumstances. Thus, giving you more chances to expand your horizons. Use this to break into that copy writing or decorating gig you always thought about. You should always do your best work, but informalities and expectations will be lower than when people pay for something, allowing for the breathing room needed to grow.

Possible paying jobs

When you do something well people talk about you. And if you are swapping something that others may be willing to pay for, then it could lead to monetary jobs. Let your swapper know to spread the word about what you’re doing and discuss how you can help each other’s life or business even further.

Sharpen networking skills

Regardless of what you’re selling, you need to know how to sell you well. Without that, you won’t sell much. Since talking people up is pivotal to growth – even though most hate it – service swaps give you a chance to practice. You’ll harness pitching skills while learning how to charm people and highlight your strengths. All things that make for a better net-worker, interviewer and entrepreneur.

Don’t believe you can’t do something due to limited financial means. People are more open to alternative arrangements than expected. By finding your own marketability and strengths you create win-win situations while also sharpening your negotiation and networking skills. Now go out and capitalize on current and future relationships. In this stark environment, everyone’s looking for something, and you might be the very person able to give it to them.

Nicole is the author of Just Make It Better, a blog leading ideas and inspiration for social and personal advancement. She’s found this is a great way to do better than what’s currently being done. You should follow her one-liners @jmibetter.

I’ll be the first to admit it: I’ve become pretty jaded.

I receive emails every week to review some new life-changing productivity software/system/tool that will most certainly change my life.While all of these tools mean well, 99% miss on the most important part of product management.

Simplicity.

I’ve reviewed dozens of productivity tools, and I can say with certainty that the number one most important aspect of a good productivity tools is being drop-dead simple. Unfortunately, the number one most-overlooked aspect of GTD/organization software is also simplicity.

So, I do something a bit different, and it doesn’t require any schmancy tool that makes lists and a shot of espresso. I could use a sharp stick on leather if I wanted. (Note to self: get more leather at local tannery.) No, this system could be used on a phone, a computer, the back of a hand, turtle shell, anywhere. It’s the most versatile, ubiquitous system ever devised.

And I guarantee you’ll get more done.

Are you trembling with excitement, dreaming of all the free time you’ll have for doing all of those things you always wanted? You should be. This will change your life. Are you ready?

Photo by flash_nerd

The System

1. Write 3-5 major tasks/small projects/etc. that have to be done today. (These are your Most Important Tasks (or MIT’s.) Do them.
2. Capture all of the other little stuff that you have to do in the near future. Try to do a few of these each day, in order of when they need to be done (if there’s a deadline attached to them).
3. At the end of the day, make a list of tomorrow’s MIT’s, and add some of the smaller tasks below them.
4. Do this every day.

Are you picking up on my subtle sarcasm? You were correct in thinking there might be a little tucked in between the lines of this post. I can’t help myself, and it’s not because I’m disgusted with productivity software, the people who make it or the good people who read this blog that are interested in it. Everyone has their own system tailored to what works best for them (and they should!).

No, I’m disgusted with how many hours I’ve wasted fiddling, downloading, trying, tweaking, learning, changing, installing and comparing different types of productivity software that all promise to make my life simpler. Where has it gotten me?

Here’s What I’m Doing

Because there are those of you who still want to know what my personal system looks like, I’ll indulge. It’s still really simple, even though I use software to help.

I start with an awesome tool called TaskPaper, a really simple but powerful list organizer. It allows me to quickly add tasks, sort them, and tick them off when I’m done. And it outputs to simple text files, so even if I wasn’t using the TaskPaper software, I could still use the same system.

You don’t have to use TaskPaper to plan your day, or any other software for that matter. It’s just comfortable to me, and it’s basically the same as using a text editor with searching and tagging built in.

Photo by floodlama

If you’re thinking you’re still looking for the “perfect” software or tool to solve your productivity woes, it ain’t gonna happen. The problem is rooted deeper than that. It wasn’t until I realized that my productivity problems weren’t the fault of my software that I truly understood what it took to be really productive. It meant not using software and tools as an excuse to put of all the things I needed to do during the day. It meant taking responsibility for getting things done, and not relying on some tool to help me.

What about you? Do you find that your software or system gets in the way of the actual doing throughout your day?

In our Western culture, we’ve been educated out of our creativity, sponteneity and genius by being taught that, in order to make progress, we need to do more research, get more information, and learn more skills. We’ve been taught that wisdom is about adding knowledge, and our innate wisdom, creativity and responsiveness is devalued as childish, impulsive and naive, so we stop inventing solutions and we learn how to research and write articulate “clever” reports instead. We learn that not knowing is a bad thing – something that’ll earn you judgment and probably punishment too. So when we don’t know, we try hard to pretend that we do know and in so doing, we quell our natural curiosity that used to motivate us to observe, experiment and innovate. We try hard to avoid getting into situations where we’re uncertain, so we stick with what we know, and this only serves to dull our creativity, sponteneity and genius further.

How not knowing can make you smarter and more creative

Because we’ve been taught to fear anxiety and uncertainty, we’re sacrificing the natural process of our creative genius. You see, our minds are naturally compelled to find answers and solutions to the questions we have. As demonstrated by the Zagarnic Effect, when you have an unanswered question or problem in mind, your mind will commit itself to finding a solution, and your unconscious will continue to process the problem even while you’re consciously concentrating on something else.

A crucial part of this natural problem-solving process is the development of “creative tension.” Creative tension happens when there’s a gap between where you feel you are and where you want to be. That gap or dissonance creates tension, which motivates your mind to solve the problem in order to close the gap and relieve the tension. While it can feel really uncomfortable (especially if you’ve been taught to believe that not knowing is a bad thing that you’ll be punished for), the creative tension that results from not knowing and having an unsolved problem is a wonderful gift, because that’s exactly what flips your creative genius on!

Unfortunately, most of us find the anxiety intolerable, and so we do our best to get out of the unbearable anxiety of not knowing, by coming up with an answer as quickly as we can. Then we’ll try and run with the first solution or answer that comes to mind, and miss out on the genius solutions that our mind could have produced instead, had we been willing to bear the creative tension a little longer. If you can recognise that not knowing and the anxiety that comes with it is a springboard for your genius, and get more comfortable with not knowing, then you can enjoy unleashed, genius levels of creativity. So here are some tips on using creative tension to unleash your genius:

1. Create a gap between where you are and where you want to be by articulating a goal or a problem that you want to solve. As you articulate the problem to be solved and your intention to solve it, you’ll feel the anxiety of not knowing start to rise. If you don’t feel any anxiety, then either the problem isn’t actually important to you, or you already know how to deal with the problem and you haven’t articulated a challenging enough problem.
2. Give yourself a deadline for solving the problem and notice how that can increase the creative tension. Some people only really feel the creative tension when they’re under time pressure.
3. Carry around a smart question that relates to the outcome you want. Because your mind will always look for an answer to the question you carry, it’s never a good idea to ask yourself questions like, “What did I do to deserve this?” Instead, a useful way to phrase your smart question is in the following format: “How can I… (insert the outcome you want).” For example, when I realized that I wanted to travel again, but I was worried about how I could continue doing the work I love while I travel, I carried the question, “How can I do the work I love while I travel the world?” At the time, when I started asking myself this question, I felt huge anxiety, because I had no idea how I could make this happen. A part of me really wanted to swap this outcome for a more “realistic” outcome – an outcome where I already knew a bit about HOW to achieve it, in order the relieve the anxiety of not knowing.
4. Make sure that the question you ask yourself is an open question. I know there are techniques for asking “yes/ no” questions of yourself using muscle testing and pendants and such. This can be tricky because the success of those methods rests on the assumptions that 1.) you’re already aware of all your options, and that 2.) you can have either option, but not both options. So you’re limiting your options and placing a lot of constraints on yourself if you ask yourself a “yes/ no” question. Most of life is more complex than “yes” or “no” options. Alot of the time each option has some “yes” in it and some “no” in it, and you can often custom-design your own solution using the parts you love and cutting out the parts you don’t love.
5. Resist the temptation to accept the first answer you generate. Keep asking, “And how else can I… (insert your outcome)?” Continuing to hold the creative tension will result in you generating more answers to your question – often filling in the other missing puzzle pieces you need. And the additional benefit is that by continuing to hold your question, you’ll also learn to be more comfortable with experiencing creative tension and bearing the uncertainty of not knowing for a longer period of time – a great life skill in these turbluent times!

If you can suspend for a while that part of you that’s been dulled by our eduactional and corporate systems and needs to know HOW you’ll get to your outcome, and invest your imagination and attention into getting familiar with WHAT you want instead, and tolerate the creative tension that is created when you do this, you’ll be surprised and thrilled by the answers you generate. Here’s to not knowing and uleashing your creative genius!

“A true leader is not someone who feels fully informed but someone who continuously receives insight and guidance.” – Martha Beck

Through her Bottom-line Bookclub, “Resource Miner,” Cath Duncan offers accelerated learning programs for professionals who want to develop the Agile Living Strategies for thriving in these turbulent times. You can follow Cath’s blog at www.mineyourresources.com and on Twitter she’s @cathduncan.