You may notice things appearing out of place, and links that lead nowhere. Don’t fret, my friends! I’m knee-deep in updates as I type this!
Soon there will be free assessments to take, media to enjoy, and brand new opportunities to take on!
Sorry for the current mess!
Stay tuned!
Blake
As projects get tackled left and right, I continue to find new opportunities to STRETCH myself and connect to new experiences. It got me thinking about college and what I learned while achieving my finance degree. Fund managers, investors, and financial planners all talk about diversifying your assets to achieve a better, and less risky return. While this is sound advice in the financial sector, it’s also brilliant advice in your everyday endeavors.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Take a look at the world around you. Everything is changing, and people are being asked to know more, do more, and learn more. What a perfect way to take advantage of the Jack of All Trades persona you already possess! Don’t kid yourself, you know a lot more than you’re letting on. No matter what you do, or what your area of expertise, you’ve most likely got a hobby or a passion for something completely unrelated. It’s time to throw that into your everyday mix!
One of the biggest secrets to success, in business or personal relationships, is a diversified skill set. A perfect example is Peter. Peter is a sound engineer, but fresh out of college, he wasn’t equipped with the experience to jump into the greatest studio and make his name known. Along comes this open opportunity to work for one of the biggest studios in all of California. He headed down there, resume and mixes in tow, in an effort to land his dream job. There was an incredibly competitive crowd trying to make themselves stand out for the job when he arrived. Peter got his chance, and when asked what else he could bring to the studio, he wasn’t sure what to say. The giant aquarium behind the control room chairs suddenly caught his eye.
“I know how to care for the aquarium. I’ve had exotic fish in all different types and sizes of tanks since I was 8, and I could make sure your set up is well cared for.”
He was hired that afternoon. Peter put what may have otherwise been an overlooked skill on the table, and it paid off. The world is a competitive place, and anything you can do to differentiate yourself can prove advantageous. Just the other day I was working on a server for one of my IT clients (another business I own), and I took a moment to reflect on how I got there. I landed this doctor’s account because I was there for an adjustment one day, and his computers were giving him trouble. I stepped up and fixed his issue without a second thought. The following week we wrote a contract, and I’ve been managing his servers and machines since 2007.
It’s all about diversifying your skills. Learn as much as you can about as much as you can! Doors are opening every day to opportunities of a lifetime, but if you’re too focused on only one facet of your skills, you may miss it! So here’s today’s lesson:
Make a short list of your skills. These will include your specialty, and what you know a fair amount about or enjoy. Now add the topics or activities you’re interested in, even if you know nothing about them right now. Your task now, should you choose to accept it, Mr. Phelps, is to begin learning and delving into the things that interest you! Join online groups or clubs that share your passion and enthusiasm! Not only is it free to get involved online, but the friends you make in these circles may need your help with a project, just as you may need theirs!
Life is all about experience! Go out and experience more of it! Share it! Learn about the experiences of others! Grow, connect, and see what doors miraculously open before you!
Peace, Love, and a Million Successes to you!
Blake
P.S. The Mr. Phelps, in case anyone was confused, is in reference to Mission: Impossible. Sometimes I like to throw movie quotes in for fun.
2010 has been officially declared “The Year of Action” in my circle. We are taking everything we’ve all planned to do over the last couple of years (sometimes even longer), and we’re creating checklists and plans to achieve everything we can. There really is no better time than now! It’s a brand new year, and a brand new decade!
A personal credo I’ve adopted this year is to try everything once – if it’s available, I’ll go for it. I’m not a fan of Calamari, clams, oysters – basically anything that has the consistency of snot or tentacles. Against my inner resistance, I was able to knock one of those off my ‘to-do’ list! While I won’t ever order it for myself, I feel good about telling my inner voice of fear to “cork it.” This was a tiny goal; an infinitesimal achievement in the grand scheme of things, but it made me think about how we all perceive obstacle, dreams, goals, and moreover, what we define as “insurmountable odds.”
Recently I went to the studio (Planet 10 Studios, Chicago) to hear a lecture on touring. Martin Atkins who has been in more bands than years I’ve been alive, has written a pretty phenomenal book on touring as a band. Tour: Smart is a thorough look at what it truly takes to succeed on a tour, and as a band in the industry. While it doesn’t apply to me because I’m not a touring band – I just play the local scene or fun – one of his points struck a bigger chord.
Don’t be intimidated by grand endeavors. We’ve been conditioned since birth that we can be anything we want to be, if we put our mind to it, but we’ve also been conditioned to fear taking on more than we can handle. This is the ‘more than you can chew’ analogy we’ve all heard. Atkins made a grand point by telling the story of his travel to the Great Wall of China.
“The Great Wall is definitely one of the Wonders of The World, but up close it’s just a fucking pile of bricks. Yes, it’s a LOT of bricks, but there’s no miracle here; it’s just a LOT of work done with the bigger picture guiding the job. Every huge thing is made up of very small pieces. A good life isn’t about the big things, rather, it’s the small things that make a difference.”
Brilliant words, no? It helps to remind us all to stay focused on the big goals, even if they seem too big or too far to reach. Ask yourself, “what is an insurmountable goal?” What do you define as impossible? What goal do you dream of achieving, but you toss it to the side because, “it’s just a pipe-dream?” If you took that virtually unreachable goal and broke it into its elements (parts), would it still be as scary?
It’s time to break it down and STRETCH. Stretching is reaching past what you know and understand to learn new things, and expand yourself as a person. This year, it’s all about stretching and developing yourself and your own personal power. When you set a goal for yourself, what kind of system do you put in place to measure your progress? Do you have a partner or supportive person to keep you encouraged and moving forward? I highly recommend partnering with someone to achieve great things together this year. Hold each other accountable, and push each other to STETCH.
Benjamin Disraeli said, “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake its existence on its purpose.” When you set your intention on achieving a goal and you take action to make it happen, purposefully and consistently, you will achieve it. It’s about being strong in your convictions and commitments. Stretch and expand yourself in everything you can, my friends. Remember, while the ladder may represent an incredibly difficult climb, it’s still just one rung at a time to the top. Take a few steps every day!
Peace, Love, and a Million Successes to you all!
Blake
After months of having the site down, I am finally back up and running! I’m going to be posting a lot of updates as I work my way into a new year, so stay tuned!
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