I promised in an earlier post that I would share my system and my favorite tools for keeping up with my reading of digital goods such as blogs, articles, e-news, etc.

For blogs.
I love Google Reader. It works really well on all of my devices (laptop, iPhone, iPad) and stays in sync regardless of where I access it. Within Google Reader, I use folders to keep things organized. I have a folder for “must read” stuff like things related to clients. Then I have folders such as Marketing, News, Business, Friends and Design Inspiration. Finally, I have a cluster called Waste Time. This serves as a home for those wacky sites that I simply enjoy looking at when I want to zone out, sort of like that time spent watching TV.

A couple of things about reading blogs. First, accept that you can’t keep up and don’t feel like you have to read every post as it’s written. I block out a certain amount of time each day and read whatever I can during that time. This is where a good headline helps since I skim those first and decide what I might like to read. I will also star items when looking on my phone and come back to read those later. Second, if you find that you’re never reading posts from a certain blog or feed, just unsubscribe. Too often, I’ve hit the “mark all as read” button over and over again only to finally realize that I just don’t read that particular blog anymore. It’s fine. You can always unsubscribe and reconnect later. But don’t you dare unsubscribe from my blog.

For e-news.
I created a separate “read” email address where I direct all e-newsletters and other things I want to read later. During my morning reading time, I simply pull one or two things out that I want to read. Blog rules apply here too. If you’re always deleting e-news stuff without reading it, go unsubscribe. You can always sign up again later.

For others.
I send links, articles and other things I want to read or look at to that same “read” email address. Once I’ve read it, I will either bookmark it, save it to a job folder or simply hit delete.

Having a stack of stuff to read is nice, but only when you realize you don’t have to keep up. Most of things I read don’t expire right away. That marketing article is just as good a week from now as it is now. At the end of day, you have to find what works for you.

P.S. Another reason I love my iPad is that I can read all of the above items along with my books, Facebook and Twitter all in one place. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the iPad is the perfect device for consuming content…not that I’m trying to sell you one or anything.

How potent are you when you show up to perform? What would it look like if we always gave things our best versus giving our most?

Giving your “best” means you’re like a ninja when you show up. You perform with such accuracy that people are simply amazed. You are a specialist at what you do and when that one thing needs to be done, you show up and deliver the goods. Your down time is spent dreaming and thinking; it’s spent sharpening those skills for when you’re called to perform.

Giving your “most” means you just continue to throw hours at something until it gets done. You think if you can just find six more hours in each day, you will get ahead. If you could just work seven days a week, things would turn out better. But at some point, you have to take a break. Better to do it before burn out sets in.

For me, taking a two-hour bike ride in the morning before work allows me to more than gain back those hours in the work day. Something about the endorphins and time to think just works for me.

Whatever it is you do, please don’t just show up and give your most. Take time to stay fresh so you can show up and give your best!

I once hated reading, but I disciplined myself to do it anyway and now have a genuine love for books. I always ask people what they’ve read recently and I’m always shocked when they respond with something like “Oh, I haven’t really read many books since college.” Oh really? Not only is that just plain sad, it’s a quick way to get passed up in the marketplace.

There are so many smart people out there writing such great stuff. Honestly, too much great stuff. I would read for hours if I could, but I’ve found that an hour a day minimum keeps me satiated. Here are a few tips for making reading a part of your day:

Commit to a time.
I personally like mornings. I get in early and clear a few things off my list. Then around 8:00 am, I take an hour for reading at the local coffee shop. I also enjoy an hour outside in the park as a great way to mix up my day.

Have a system.
My reading consists of blogs, e-newsletters, articles and books. I’ve given up on trying to stay current and clear out my RSS feed. I just commit to that hour. In that hour, I dedicate 40 minutes or so to my current book and another 20 minutes to the digital stuff. (Stay tuned for a future post where I will describe in detail my system for collecting and reading digital content.)

Share.
Finally, I share with my friends what I’ve been reading. I find it addicting to give away books or share a title that may prove helpful. You’re not just reading for you. You’re also building knowledge that you can give away.

So, speaking of sharing…read any great books lately? Feel free to comment about your favorites.

When I was in Denver last month, I took in a session at the HOW Design Conference. The speaker, Cameron Moll, talked about good vs. great design and shared some of his techniques for achieving greatness. For me, one the best parts of the talk was when he talked about the difference between “inspiration” and “influence.”

Influence is something you can find. For example, if you were creating a logo, you might look at another designer’s work or visit a site like LogoPond.com. By looking at other examples, you may get ideas for the logo you’re going to create. This is influence.

Inspiration, on the other hand, seems to come and go when it pleases. Inspiration is earned. For me, it’s earned by not working too hard and finding outlets that give me time to process and think. Cycling is one of the ways I earn inspiration. I know for sure that my mind works non-stop when I’m riding and that some of my best ideas come to me when I’m on the bike.

The tricky part about inspiration is capturing it when it happens. More than once, I’ve had ideas flash across my brain only to lose them. I have two methods now that I use to capture inspiration before it vanishes.

First, is a trusty Moleskine sketchbook. I carry mine just about everywhere and I always sketch or jot ideas as they come.

My second and favorite new method for recording inspiration is a brilliant application called EverNote. I have the app installed on my computer, iPhone and iPad. It also works online. The best feature of EverNote is that it syncs whenever any of my devices connect to the Internet. I love love love EverNote. I’m using it now for all sorts of things.

Ultimately, you have to find the system that works for you. But I believe that the more time we spend doing things we love and taking time to rest and exercise, the more inspired we will be. Just don’t forget to jot it down before it’s gone.

People are always surprised when I dive right into an awkward conversation with little or no fear. The truth is, nobody (myself included) likes awkward conversations. But I would much rather talk about the elephant in the room when there’s still hope of getting him through the door instead of waiting until he grows so big that he punches the roof off the house.

Here are a few things that I’ve found helpful when approaching a tough subject with someone:

Respect.
Regardless of how awkward or perhaps hurt you feel, a little respect for others can go a long way. You blow your top and nobody wins. Be mad at the situation, yes, but not the person. This takes humility, but everyone wins when people are humble.

Clarity.
Being clear about how you feel and defining the desired outcome will help you keep some of the emotion out of it. Being passionate is fine, but if your emotions get the best of you, that’s when the false accusations start to fly. If the situation warrants, you may also want to put together a list of things to cover or solve in order to keep the conversation on target. In some situations, this list can be emailed in advance to prepare everyone for some elephant herding.

Courage with the end in mind.
It takes courage, but approach the situation with the end in mind. How much energy and time is wasted avoiding awkward conversations? The truth is that some things just won’t go away on their own. You can wish all you want, but at some point that conversation needs to happen. The sooner you dive in, the sooner it will be over, no matter the outcome.

What is that thing you’ve been avoiding? That conversation that just needs to be had? It’s time. The elephant is getting bigger while you read this. Take steps to deal with it this week.

[photo credit]

I’m not talking about Donald Trump here. Back in the olden days, many tradesman had an apprentice that learned whatever skill that tradesman practiced. It seems that we’ve lost some of that in the modern era, which is really sad. This post goes out to both the mentor and mentee.

For the mentee.
Find yourself a mentor, someone who’s been around the block a few times and will be open to sharing their experiences with you. In my 14 years of business, I have always had someone wiser that I spend time with. It started early on with my dad before we even started Crossgrain together and I was growing up in the family business. I was his apprentice and learned a ton about business and hard work. It continues for me today in the form of an advisory board. My point is that it can take on all sorts of forms, but you should always have a mentor. Be transparent and be humble and get out and find someone to meet with.

For the mentor.
You are needed now more than ever. So many young entrepreneurs are looking for guidance and it’s really your responsibility to show the young guys the ropes. That’s right, I said “your responsibility.” I feel like every successful person has achieved success because of the people and experiences in their life. To me, that means they owe a debt and the only payment due is to share that knowledge with someone else. Don’t wait for someone to ask, insert yourself into a young person’s life and give them the gift of your experience.

P.S. The rule of being mentored is that at some point you have to give back as well. Even if you don’t feel like you have anything to give, there is always someone that you can pass along your knowledge to. Knowledge is not for you to hoard; it’s for you to share with others. This is why I never turn down a coffee or lunch with a young designer. I might not be able to share much, but I can certainly share myself.

(photo credit)

This Thursday I will be a guest on the online radio show Critical Mass hosted by Ric Franzi. Should be a fun interview. Feel free to give a listen online Thursday at 4:00pm. [click here]

Update: Here is a link to the recording if you want to check it out. [click here]

One of our “intangibles” (as Tim Sanders calls it in “Love Is The Killer App”) is our network. He talks about sharing our network openly, about how we sometimes grow our network for the sake of others. It’s similar to my belief that we read books for the sake of others, I prescribe them like a doctor would medication; a “read this and call me in the morning” sort of thing.

When it comes to connecting people in your network, the old school of thought is that you maintain the middle man position and see what you can get out of it. I think brokering a product can be a good business model, but brokering relationships can get sticky and make you come across as selfish. I believe that if we support the success of others, it will come back around. Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” So true.

So, what is the best way to connect people? Well, face-to-face is the most personal approach, but also the most time-consuming. That’s why I love email for this purpose. It’s the quick and perfect way to connect people. Here’s how to share the love amongst members of your network:

1. Send one email to both versus sending separate emails. It takes less time and gets you out of the way sooner.

2. Include a little blurb about each person, perhaps how you met or brag about a project you did together or a service they provided. It’s your stamp of approval.

3. Include both parties contact info so they can connect. I like name, email and a phone number. If they have a website, that’s a good tidbit of info to provide too.

4. Finally, preface that you just wanted them to meet and encourage them to connect. This shows that you are thinking about both parties and shows your value as a “connector.”

I find this to be a very efficient way to connect others and grow the overall value of our networks. Remember, all ships rise with the tide.

There’s something about getting things out in the open that really helps us work through our junk and keeps us humble. It’s easy for us to buy into the lie that we are the only ones facing a certain issue, that somehow our problems are unique. I believe every human being is unique and special, but our problems are shared.

When I finally open up and share something, that’s me choosing to move beyond denial and arriving at a point where I can learn something. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened up and been inspired by someone else’s comments. Most people love to help. People don’t like to ask for help, though. Funny how that works.

Now I’m in no way suggesting that you become someone who complains or constantly begs for help. At some point you have to push through your stuff solo.

But being transparent is about helping others. You’re transparent FIRST so that others may be encouraged by your struggle and determination to work things out, Second, you’re transparent so that you can learn something. Being transparent is different than asking others to take away your problems, it’s about all of us learning together.

Be more transparent, I say. We have much to learn from each other. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You get laughed at? I’ve been laughed at before. You cry? Yeah, I’ve done that. You get yelled at? Sure, that’s happened before too. Trust me. That person you think has it so figured out? He is just as broken as the next guy.

Unlike cars, we don’t depreciate over time. The more miles or experience we have should allow us to charge more for what we do. Something may only take me a couple hours to figure out but that efficiency should be a gain for us both. As a client, you get the good ideas, the perfect solution. As the vendor, I get the benefit of doing what I do well and charging accordingly for that service.

However, like cars, I think if we aren’t careful, we can begin to tarnish and rust over time. I’m shocked at how many people I meet that haven’t read a book since college. The world is moving at an incredible pace. If you don’t do things to continue learning, you will soon find yourself left behind.

Experience + continued learning = a very valuable person in any market.

Some young guy might have the learning but lack the real world experience to make things happen. Likewise, a more experienced person might have the years, but may have grown stagnant and as a result becomes a dinosaur at his trade. So keep learning, read constantly, be open to new ideas and put in the miles.