I am a sucker for processes. Maybe somewhat of a productivity junky even. Systems and to-do list apps, team collaboration and project management are all topics that i can get really excited about. I enjoy the planning, organising and understanding involved with any idea, plan or business.

So, staying true to that, once i decided to read 12 books in 2013, i sat down and worked out a plan – how many weeks, how many books, how many pages per day etc. You get the idea. Little did i know that the 1st book i read posed a serious challenge to the way i automatically think about business and planning.

The name of the book, “Execute“.

A highly recommended read that tells the story of a software developer who came up with an idea, built it and shipped it in 3 days! The book explores the process, or rather anti-process that inspiration can bring which allows us to make our ideas happen in much shorter time periods and with much more fun than compared to a more traditional project-planning-approach. That process and planning that i love so much!

In fact the book itself was written using the same methodology (i almost want to say philosophy, but don’t want to remove the actionable advice in this book too far from reality as it would not do the authors proud) and was taken from idea to complete in 8 days only!

Do not read this book if you are not willing to have your organised, plan loving self to be challenged. I found the book incredibly inspirational and motivational (an interesting position to find yourself in when you read it while on holiday in Zambia without any internet and trying to relax and “switch off” for a few days…

Once back home, fueled by the motivation of the book’s ideas still fresh in my memory and inspired by something i saw online, i designed, built, populated and re-launched this website in less than 3 days. (I did not stay up all night and i still enjoyed the weekend with my family)

I must admit, i might not entirely let go of all my lists, apps, systems and plans in lieu of the Execute approach, but if you’ve had an idea for a long time and have been waiting for a kick in the butt to help you make things happen, this quick read might just get you think about a different way of getting your ideas shipped.

Photo & video from http://executebook.com/

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Being someone who has created numerous websites for other people over the last couple of years, i have always felt that my personal website is extremely lacking. I have tried many themes, customisations, hacks and “start-from-scratch” versions of this site and have never really liked the results. Until now.

Over the weekend, with a burst of inspiration and excitement, we designed and built the site in 2 days and launched it last night. (I say we because Christine helped with the design – especially the colours, i would not have picked the green, but i love it now). To find out more about this interesting, inspiration driven productivity workflow process, that got me to complete this website in such a short period of time, check back to the blog later this week… UPDATE ->Here is the post: http://iaanvn.com/2013/06/execute/

So, here it is. New design, layout and content. Also expect a little more frequent blogging from now on…

Do you like? Anything i need to change?

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The title of this post is probably a bit more dramatic than needed, but it does convey a little of what i felt when i realised that it is already June!

Now i know that it is June for everyone and that time moves fast for everyone and that no one can believe that so much of the year has passed already etc etc. So i wont write about those things as i am very sure that you will not gain anything from reading about this. You might even be upset as you just wasted so much time reading about me talking about how precious time is and how we should not be wasting it.

What is this post about then? It is about me realising it is June and not feeling like i have accomplished anything significant in 2013 yet. Not even 50%. I did not like the feeling.

I decided to make a list of things that i want to get done this year. And if i have done these things, i would feel that 2013 was a great year. Anything on the list that would not contribute to the year being described as “great” would be taken off. For example, I really would like to run a half-marathon under 2 hours. But, if i do not accomplish that this year, i would by no means feel that the year was a failure. Also, if i accomplish this, but nothing else, the year would still be pretty lame.

So as you can see, this is not a normal to-do list, goals or even a bucket list. This is something different. I had to find the most basic, most essential accomplishments that would qualify an entire year as a success. Something like a minimum effective dose. Not too much (life goals or bucket list) and not too little (daily tasks). Let’s call it a Goldilocks list. (You don’t have to call it that).

I challenge you to make a list like this. I found the exercise to be extremely challenging and enlightening as it forced me to ask myself some critical questions:

• How am i really feeling about my life right now?
• Why do i not feel how i want to feel?
• What is stopping me from feeling the way i want?
• What do i need to do to change that?
• Am i willing to do this?

Here is the most interesting conclusion for me – The list was extremely short! I have not taken enough time to consider the implications of the list being so short, but i found the result very surprising. I expected the list to be much longer as there are so many things i work on everyday- things that keep me busy, things on my to-do list, things i want to get done.

Suddenly, having six months left to accomplish the things on the list were not ridiculous. It became very possible. I could now figure out what needs to be done to make that happen, who should get involved and when what needs to be completed.

I closed my notebook being excited for the year ahead and motivated to make great things happen.

Have you ever made a list like this? What did you learn from the experience?

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It is however the one thing that we all have in common. Put differently, the moment you took your first breath, you started dying. Yet, we never talk about it. We choose to not think about it. Still, death (or the denial of death) is one of the primary driving forces of everything you do in life…

Now before you choose to phone me up to see if i’m okay. Maybe some context is needed?

My grandmother passed away this week. She was an absolutely wonderful and delightful, inspirational person who personified love and grace in such an enormous way that, as children, we did not even understand it. We could only bask it it when we were around her. I cannot recall any memory of her which is even remotely negative in any way…

The last couple of years were not so pretty however. Illness stripped her of so much of who she was. It was difficult to see the grandma i grew up with. When i heard the news that she was finally freed from the confines that life has placed on her. More than sad, i was relieved.

Yesterday our family got together to celebrate her life. And, inevitably, face death. Not just her death, but our own. In western culture, death is not something to be considered or talked about. It is to hide behind the grandiose, hubris induced illusion of wanting to be immortal and living forever.

In our conversation, we discussed the effect of facing death and considering the reality of it. The result might not be so morbid as you might expect.

• You develop a very quick value for what life is about when considering the fact that life is in fact limited and not to be taken for granted.
• The effect is that you start to consider what is truly important. And what is not.
• Living in the “now” is suddenly much more comfortable. Normally life is lived in “yesterday” and “tomorrow”. Death removes those options and you are left with the moment you are in. Where you are. With the people who are with you.
• When hearing the wonderful stories people are telling as they recall memories of my gran when she was alive, you need to wonder what stories you want people will tell when they get together when you die. Then you wonder why they are not telling those stories right now, while you are alive. When do you become the person you want people to remember when you are gone?
• Your to-do list, number of twitter followers, Klout score, Google analytics, YouTube views, marketing plan, latest product, newest toy, or awesome business idea suddenly drops off the scale of things that are important.
• People close to you rise to the top of the “what’s important” list.
• Gratitude overwhelms you

I find it fascinating that something so seemingly morbid and negative has the ability to draw so much good out of us. Maybe death is not as ugly as the selfish, emotional pain we feel when we miss someone. Maybe we should consider death on a daily basis to help us live life in a way that is worthy of the extravagantly unmerited blessing that life truly is. Maybe this post is just to say, Thank you Ouma, i love you. i will miss you

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I’ve realised that lately though, the amount of blog posts, articles, tweets etc have been taking more of my reading attention than actual books (printed or ebooks – i don’t mind the format).

There is something about reading a book that is very different from reading a blog post. Books are, as Seth Godin puts it “a complete idea”. That is why reading a book and putting it on my shelf feels like earning a trophy and showcasing it. I conquered, completed and achieved something – like a little badge of honour related to that specific idea or concept.

Finishing a blog post or finishing a book is very different  A book allows you to explore a topic in a very different manner than a blog post or magazine article would. When reading a book, i feel like i’m on a guided tour which starts slowly, picks up speed, offers some surprises and concludes appropriately. You leave enriched, informed and look at the world differently. I miss that.

This is not a post about reading books, or the nostalgia of printed goods. This is about growing, learning and habits. I want to read more. So i have decided to read 12 books in 2013 (not counting anything i have read already this year). That means that i have about 6 and a half months to get that done. Put differently, i need to finish a book every 2 and a half weeks. Every week. Until the end of the year.

That’s why i’m writing this post. You can check up on me! I am planning on writing a blog post every time i complete a book so you can track progress – or chat about a specific book or topic.

Here is the list of books i’ve got lined up (not necessarily in order):

1.  Lean Entrepreneur - Brant Cooper
2. Retire young, retire rich – Robert Kiyosaki
3. E-myth revisited – Micheal Gerber
4. Like a Virgin – Richard Brandson
5. Thou shall prosper – Rabbi Daniel Lapin
6. The Happiness advantage – Shawn Achor
7. The art of the deal – Donald Trump
8. The Icarus deception – Seth Godin
9. The millionaire next door – Thomas J. Stanley
10. Businessmodel Generation – Alexander Osterwalder
11. Execute – Josh Long (My blog post)
12. Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money – Dave Ramsey

Some of the books i’ve read before – years ago. I want to read them again and see if i can learn different lessons as i believe that i am looking at these topics from a different point of view.

I know it is probably not the most “balanced” list of books in the world. I’m okey with it. You should be too

Here are some ways i am going to try and get this done:

• Speed reading – I have always wanted to be able to do this. I have started a simple book on speed reading and implementing techniques as i learn them.
• Dedicated reading time – This will require focussed, dedicated reading time. Reading when “i have time” will not cut it. Reading before i fall asleep will not allow me to focus and concentrate and learn form the content.
• Planning – i know how much time i have for each book. Before starting each book i know ho many pages i need to read each day [insert cliche about eating an elephant one bite at a time here]
• Room for error – I left some space for slipping up and missing reading days. The plan inclues this so that everything doesn’t come crashing down  if  i miss a day of reading.

Which of these have you read and enjoyed? Which should i take off the list? What should be added?

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If you know me, the title of this post should make you wonder if i have developed a split personality of sorts. I am the guy who loves theory. I want to understand and explain things. I want to summarise, simplify and condense concepts. The thought of talking in front of people excites me, because it is an opportunity to take complicated facts and circumstances and make definitive, simplified, abstract conclusions.

One of my most interesting classes during my 5 years of studying at University was “Introduction to Law”. I have never told anyone this, because I’m sure that anyone who had that class would not want to continue to talk with me after learning that i actually enjoyed it. I still remember the revelation of learning about the power of making something abstract (like how a map is more useful than a photograph in certain circumstances). The “Law” is of course one of the most abstract, theoretical fields of study. The classes were filled with questions from students beginning with the phrase “But what would happen if…” as the students tried to make sense of the theory by applying it to facts. These questions were not meant for the study of law, rather for the aplication of law – the practise of being a lawyer, advocate, judge etc. These things never sparked my interest.

If the above paragraph is too long and seemingly irrelevant, in short, i love theory.

Here is the problem:

I wanted to qualify that by saying ‘mostly’ or ‘almost never’, but the more i think about it, the more convinced i get. Theory can not ever win.

You see, in business, there is no reward for understanding something (even if you are a consultant). Simply understanding Social Media, or Marketing or Photography will grow your business by exactly ZERO. To believe the opposite would mean that you can also expect to get fit by reading about running and knowing the best training program off by heart.

The person who does something will always outperform the person who understands something. Even if the person who has the wrong understanding of business or the industry get off their butt and do something, anything, they will be one step ahead of the person still thinking about the best way to do something.

Why do i still love theory? I think a sounds understanding can enable you to do things better, simpler, more efficient, smarter and with better results. Just like running a race in running shoes will get you to your goal faster and with less pain than running in high heels. The theory however means nothing if i do not start running. So even if i run in high heels, i will be one step ahead of the person researching the best kind of running shoes available.

My challenge is this (to myself, but you may feel challenged too if you like) – Understand things only to the point where it allows me to do things better. Only then is there value in learning more. The simple act of learning is a brilliant distraction from doing something (while still feeling like I’m making progress.)

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I am extremely proud to say that we successfully launched an online video based photography school – Lunchbox! You have no idea what kind of emotions arise when I read that sentence or say it out loud.

The exhilaration, the hard work, the what-if’s, the expectations, the surprises, the assumptions, the potential, the late nights, big plans and reality is like no roller coaster ride in the world could offer.

We have been working on Lunchbox for more than 12 months actively with the idea being around for more than two years (in fact, more than 10 years if you ask my wife). To this day, i am still the only person on the team who has met all the other 12 people who made Lunchbox possible, face-to-face. This has been a great experiment in working remotely and it has been extremely liberating to build a company in this way.

One of the toughest things in this whole process has been to accept the brutal reality that Lunchbox will never be perfect. It will always be growing, changing, testing and evolving. Right now, just more than  24 hours after launch, we have enough ideas and plans to keep our designers, developers and animators busy for another 12 months. And we plan to! The implication of the above reality is that we had to be happy to show something to the world that I know is not the reality of our ultimate dream. It is merely the first step…

Why is this so scary? It is a weird kind of vulnerable that is very hard to explain. I think it is the kind of vulnerable and exposed feeling that only creatives, entrepreneurs, artists or any kind of person who has the balls to start something new and show it to the world can know! And that feeling is strangely exhilarating as it is scary!

One of the most valuable experiences I take from this crazy awesome roller coaster journey I am on, is the incredible people I have the privilege to work with! They are an inspirational batch of creative entrepreneurs who are willing to share in a dream and do what it takes to make it happen. Every one of you inspire me

Please read these blog posts written about Lunchbox by other members of the team:

Receiving the first dollar – Adii Pienaar

Lunchbox is alive - Christine Meintjes

Bite-sized Photography Lessons - Andrew Schar

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I had the massive privilage to attend a DSLR Video Masterclass last week with Philip Bloom (big thanks to Andre from Blixem Productions) Yes, i have a secret facination with video and the storytelling power it holds… Unfortunately my ability is less than my passion (for now)

During the masterclass we played around with some super slow motion videos. I ended up being one of the models/guinea pigs with some rather amusing results.

If you are interested to see some more (and also find out where the name of this post comes from, just watch the BTS footage in the video above)

Looking forward to your response and kind words

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For the last few weeks, Christine and i have had the privilege of traveling between Holland and Belgium, presenting seminars to photographers on photography in general, Christine’s journey in her business and social media.

It really was an incredible experience and we enjoyed every part of it. We loved meeting new people, learning about the differences in industries and making new friends. We really hope that we can be back in Europe next year to do something similar… Thanks again to Jonathan and James from The Forefront who planned everything and took great care of us.

You might have caught some pics on Facebook or Twitter, but in this post i am sharing the slides i used for my talk. Obviously some details are missing – i was also talking and not just reading what was on the screen! I would love to know what you think is interesting or noteworthy?

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We often exclaim with loads of confidence that “business is not about the money, it is about changing the world”. It is not often that you see projects who are living this statement and doing just that.

Via Twitter, i found this company, ZAMBikes

. Building bikes in Zambia and changing the world while doing. Just watch the video…

“Not just quality of the product, but quality of life and of people”

In the second half of the vid, you get to see bamboo bikes! I love the idea of using cheap, renewable material to build a bike that, in many, ways are better than the traditional kind of bicycle. If you are not convinced, have a look at this awesome set-up (which is totally on my wish-list!)

Photo: http://zuribikes.com/en/bikes-en/urban-fixie-red.html

PS – Projects like this excite me more about business than any book, conference or course ever has. Also… watch this space for some news on Rise Up Bakeries

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