As technology changes our world, the world becomes smaller - or rather, our personal horizons become wider. There are two things that hold each of us back from experiencing these wider horizons: 1) customary conditions in our jobs and lives, and 2) personal beliefs about what is possible.
In my page on Facebook, SF startup@bizdynamo, I have chronicled the historic time in Silicon Valley when the web became a global phenomenon. That movement is still in process, and every day there are new tools and techniques that make it easier for each of us to expand our impact on the world, and experience more of what the world has to offer. The rate of change is astounding, and it continues to accelerate. At the same time, the famous "network effect" continues to bring more and more of the world's population together.
Where are you on the learning curve?
In my page on Facebook, SF startup@bizdynamo, I have chronicled the historic time in Silicon Valley when the web became a global phenomenon. That movement is still in process, and every day there are new tools and techniques that make it easier for each of us to expand our impact on the world, and experience more of what the world has to offer. The rate of change is astounding, and it continues to accelerate. At the same time, the famous "network effect" continues to bring more and more of the world's population together.
Where are you on the learning curve?
FREE BONUS: For a limited time I will send you WiFi Millionaire for free! Details below. |
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I am sitting in Tokyo enjoying a very nice quality of life, and I am learning every day. Even with a 30-year career in the technology industry, I still find more to learn about - the latest tools and trends, different countries and economies, people's psychology in different parts of the world. One thing I know for sure is that people are fundamentally intelligent, and given the right environment, they will learn. Countries with massive populations are rapidly moving up the learning curve, and both developing and developed countries are innovating more rapidly than the US. At Wikipedia, I saw the power of crowd intelligence firsthand. Well, the global crowd is learning fast.
Let's address personal beliefs first. There is so much stuff out there about self-actualization and unlocking your potential. Yeah, ok, that makes sense at a high level. But when it comes right down to it, we are sensory animals, and we tend to believe what we experience or what we are taught. And we are taught to specialize. So as life goes on, we actually focus on less and less. Our horizons shrink.
I am not saying you should throw away your career or leave your family and move to Tahiti. That probably wouldn't work for most people and chances are you would get bored. But I am saying this: open your eyes. Make some effort to soak up new technology, new ways of thinking, new approaches to health, new career opportunities. The specialists around you won't help with that. In fact, most people around you won't help with that, because they are stuck in their ever-narrowing funnels.
Read something you haven't read before, browse Medium or TechCrunch or some blogs you've never seen. Find some interesting meetings on Meetup and attend them. And take a vacation in a part of the world you never imagined going to. Open up your sensory receptors to new experiences, new knowledge. That will have a direct impact on your personal beliefs, because you will see for yourself what you were not seeing before.
Once you start doing that, feel free to define your goals here. Or change your goals if you already sent them to me.
Now let's talk about the customary conditions of our jobs and lives. And let's be practical. Most of us can't make huge jumps and disrupt the lives of people depending on us. You have to think about incremental changes, small movements leading to bigger movements. Some changes will work with your temperament and situation, some won't. In some parts of the world, including most startups in Silicon Valley, jobs are all-consuming. You can be running so hard that it's hard to go take a dump. I've been there, I know.
I've also been a work-at-home dad, so I sympathize with anyone, moms or dads, who have newborn babies or kids up to six or seven years old. That is tough stuff, and your life is not your own. You get five minutes to focus on something if you're lucky. Sleep becomes a luxury, in some cases for years. How can you possibly learn or do something on the side?
Where there's a will, there's a way. During my first few years in Japan, and when my first kid was born, I studied Japanese at one in the morning before falling asleep. Sometimes that was for five or 10 minutes. But it gradually sank in. I still use that method years later because it's actually a good way to imprint things on your mind.
Here is an offer to consider: a business you can start on the side without really running a business, using the latest technology to generate income and work from anywhere. Sounds like a lot of hyped-up stuff out there, I know. But in this case I've been through the program and it stands far above other similar-sounding offers. For one thing, the business model actually works, and for another, it includes actual coaching with real mentors.
This won't be for everyone. But if it fits your temperament, it will almost for sure fit your situation, because it can scale from a small level to very large levels. It's up to you. Once you have it set up and running, the business can definitely be run on the side.
It is also excellent training for any business you may already have or want to start. That's because every business needs marketing, and today there are many powerful ways to do marketing. This could even become a new career for you, if you want to continue being employed or transition to a consulting style of employment.
So, you can leverage an existing business, or enhance your own business or career. It is entirely up to you.
Take the small leap to check this out. If you decide it's not for you, get a refund. Make this incremental step to widen your horizons, and let me know if you have any questions.
Let's address personal beliefs first. There is so much stuff out there about self-actualization and unlocking your potential. Yeah, ok, that makes sense at a high level. But when it comes right down to it, we are sensory animals, and we tend to believe what we experience or what we are taught. And we are taught to specialize. So as life goes on, we actually focus on less and less. Our horizons shrink.
I am not saying you should throw away your career or leave your family and move to Tahiti. That probably wouldn't work for most people and chances are you would get bored. But I am saying this: open your eyes. Make some effort to soak up new technology, new ways of thinking, new approaches to health, new career opportunities. The specialists around you won't help with that. In fact, most people around you won't help with that, because they are stuck in their ever-narrowing funnels.
Read something you haven't read before, browse Medium or TechCrunch or some blogs you've never seen. Find some interesting meetings on Meetup and attend them. And take a vacation in a part of the world you never imagined going to. Open up your sensory receptors to new experiences, new knowledge. That will have a direct impact on your personal beliefs, because you will see for yourself what you were not seeing before.
Once you start doing that, feel free to define your goals here. Or change your goals if you already sent them to me.
Now let's talk about the customary conditions of our jobs and lives. And let's be practical. Most of us can't make huge jumps and disrupt the lives of people depending on us. You have to think about incremental changes, small movements leading to bigger movements. Some changes will work with your temperament and situation, some won't. In some parts of the world, including most startups in Silicon Valley, jobs are all-consuming. You can be running so hard that it's hard to go take a dump. I've been there, I know.
I've also been a work-at-home dad, so I sympathize with anyone, moms or dads, who have newborn babies or kids up to six or seven years old. That is tough stuff, and your life is not your own. You get five minutes to focus on something if you're lucky. Sleep becomes a luxury, in some cases for years. How can you possibly learn or do something on the side?
Where there's a will, there's a way. During my first few years in Japan, and when my first kid was born, I studied Japanese at one in the morning before falling asleep. Sometimes that was for five or 10 minutes. But it gradually sank in. I still use that method years later because it's actually a good way to imprint things on your mind.
Here is an offer to consider: a business you can start on the side without really running a business, using the latest technology to generate income and work from anywhere. Sounds like a lot of hyped-up stuff out there, I know. But in this case I've been through the program and it stands far above other similar-sounding offers. For one thing, the business model actually works, and for another, it includes actual coaching with real mentors.
This won't be for everyone. But if it fits your temperament, it will almost for sure fit your situation, because it can scale from a small level to very large levels. It's up to you. Once you have it set up and running, the business can definitely be run on the side.
It is also excellent training for any business you may already have or want to start. That's because every business needs marketing, and today there are many powerful ways to do marketing. This could even become a new career for you, if you want to continue being employed or transition to a consulting style of employment.
So, you can leverage an existing business, or enhance your own business or career. It is entirely up to you.
Take the small leap to check this out. If you decide it's not for you, get a refund. Make this incremental step to widen your horizons, and let me know if you have any questions.
FREE BONUS: If you try the offer, for a limited time I will send you WiFi Millionaire at no cost.
This book gives many tips about using current technology to pursue any kind of business endeavor, and also introduces a system for leveraging an existing business. Just enter some details below and, after confirming your email address, you will see the offer and some testimonials. If you purchase the offer, just send me the receipt by email and I will send you the book, WiFi Millionaire at no cost. Normally the book is sold and this is my way to give you added value - for as long as I am allowed to do this!
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