#Life Lessons

by Winston Ash on #Life Lessons

Words Matter

Do you remember the song? 

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” 

Well, that is a children’s rhyme. Adults know the truth. Words Matter. 

What you say matters. How you say it matters more. And why you said it is the culmination.

Be thoughtful. Think. And say what truly counts. 

 
by Winston Ash on #Life Lessons, Business

2017 Goals

#Writer

  1. Don’t break the chain – Document Daily 
  2. Get Better

#Runner

  1. 5K
  2. Spartan Race 
  3. Tough Mudder

#Manager

  1. Hit all budget goals
  2. Exceed my expectations 
  3. Set the standard higher

#Family 

  1. First Priority Always

#Business

  1. Hit revenue goals
  2. Hire 2 employees
  3. Document, don’t create. 

#Coding 

  1. 30 minutes of learning a day 
  2. Create 1 portfolio project per month

#Life 

  1. Win. 
  2. No regrets 

#Productivity

  1. GTD everything.
  2. Focus on applying the framework 

#Fitness

  1. 235 lbs. 
  2. See #Runner
 
by Winston Ash on #Life Lessons, Founder Journal

Vacation Time

It’s that time of year again.

People going away. Spending time with family and loved ones. It’s also that time where we really feel the sting of friends and family members that have passed. Not a fun reminder, but always in the back of our head. This year let’s celebrate the ones no longer with us – celebrate their life.

Vacation Plans

Worked hard all year. Now time to relax and evaluate.

What worked this year? What will I adjust for the upcoming year? Lots of questions to answer. But, no pressure. Relax. Evaluate. Plan.

This year, I have solid goals.

But, goals aren’t enough. This is what I’ve learned. The process to get to the goals has to be defined and clear. Most importantly thinking through what can throw you off the straight and narrow. And accounting for that grey area.

They say planning is art and science. Now, I understand.

What has helped me recently:

  1. GTD – This framework created the needed clarity, space, and organization that allows me to focus.
  2. Calender – Hard edges on items that have to be done including early reminders to get started. Works wonders to know how to effectively use this tool.
  3. Evernote – I have been able to accurately track my lists, assignments, folders, and projects.

Worthy of Your Attention:

  1. Gary Vaynerchuck: Want to learn the philosophy behind doing business in the 21st Century. Focus Areas: Marketing, Self-awareness, and Building Businesses. I have re-read his books and they are the basis for my business style.
  2. Seth Godin: The man is great at pattern recognition and spelling out exactly how to accomplish what you want. Read most of his books and have subscribed to his daily blog for about a year now.
  3. Austin Kleon: Need help with your creativity. This is the man to read. He keeps it simple, to the point. Love his style of writing and what he has to say, mostly.

2017 … Here. We. Go!

Get out there and do something. Anything.

“We each walk the path that we have chosen.” – Choose Wisely!

 
by Winston Ash on #Life Lessons

On Choices

Break life down to the important parts.

What does that look like?

Simple. Most of life is hard and not reachable. Decisions made daily determine your future.

Life itself is a series of choices. Left. Right. Fast. Slow. Each one is a choice we make. The real question, do we spend the time to look at our choices? Do you understand the choice you made and why?

The more I read, listen, and study. The clearer everything gets. Life is neither good or bad. Your thinking about it makes it so.

And therein lies the rub. You are the driver. You are the decider. So yep, the good and bad that happens are just circumstances of life. How you feel about them and your actions create your life.

How do I feel?

To paraphrase Mark Manson, learn how to focus and prioritize your thoughts effectively.  Pick and choose what matters to you and what does not matter to you.

There is a whole lot to this choice thing. And even more to life. But this at least gets you started thinking.

Use that thing between your ears.

 
by Winston Ash on #Life Lessons

Clarity in Writing

The Basics

I like to talk.

I want to write more

And I think it’s important to document where you came from and where you are going.

The Issue

When I think about writing my brain goes in so many directions it is hard to understand.

I start in one place. But follow tangents that are only slightly related.

When I write how I think than the reader will have a hard time understanding

The Solution

Now, I do the exact opposite of my thinking.

I structure my thinking into an outline before I get into my subject.

Taking it back to my school days.

Outline. 1st Draft. 2nd Draft. Final Project.

Instead of rushing the assignment the night before.

And, I realize that I have a lot to say that is new.

Before my problem was that I didn’t know how much or how little to put down.

But with my framework, I know exactly what to do and can write much more than before.

[Tweet “Writing with clarity and style is easier with a framework.”]

And that is the goal, clarity in writing.

Expressing myself and sharing my knowledge with you.