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	<title>GigaOM &#187; motivation</title>
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		<title>GigaOM &#187; motivation</title>
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		<title>Be passionate about work: No job change required</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2011/12/30/be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2011/12/30/be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:01:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Stillman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[@NYT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alexandra Levit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Chang]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=462258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We often think being passionate about work involves finding the right activities to suit our strengths and interests, but what if career passion was as much about how you work as what you do? Then you might not need to change jobs to get it. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=462258&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/1029073322_af93a676c8_m.jpg"><img  title="1029073322_af93a676c8_m" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/1029073322_af93a676c8_m-e1325172220500.jpg?w=708" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-462262" /></a>When it comes to work, it’s natural to think of passion as a function of what you do. We speak easily of passion for an activity or topic of interest, like when we say, ‘he’s passionate about photography&#8217; or ‘she’s passionate about design.” As a consequence, many of us wonder if passion isn’t limited to a few driven, talented or just plain lucky professionals. But is finding that thing you really love to do the only way to bring passion to your workday?</p>
<p>Not according to a short but interesting piece <a href="http://blog.alexandralevit.com/wcw/2011/12/how-to-start-thinking-about-passion.html">Alexandra Levit recently posted to her blog, Water Cooler Wisdom</a>. In it, she comments on a book by Richard Chang, called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Plan-Richard-Y-Chang/dp/0787955981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1314916704&amp;sr=8-1"><em>The Passion Plan</em></a>, which draws a distinction between two kinds of passion:</p>
<blockquote><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Passion Plan</span></em> describes passion as both content-based (activities like writing, hosting events, or racing cars) or context-based (themes like innovation, nurturing, and risk-taking).  Chang says that we can experience both types of passion in our work, and can often find ways to weave our passions into a current job without making a drastic career change.</p></blockquote>
<p>It’s a powerful idea for those struggling in a job they find less than enthralling. Rather than spend your time daydreaming about making a career change to another gig that suits you better, why not attempt to alter the context of your current job? You could push not only for more of the type of tasks you like best, but also more freedom in terms of where and when you work (and <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/why-are-web-workers-happier/">whom you have to interact with regularly</a>), as well as more learning and development to ensure you feel both <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/why-the-web-worker-lifestyle-is-good-for-your-health/">autonomous</a> and <a href="http://www.mindflash.com/blog/2011/12/no-cash-for-raises-try-training-instead-survey-says/">nurtured</a>. Of course, that won&#8217;t work if your boss is an inflexible ogre, but these types of changes may be a possibility in many workplaces &#8212; you won&#8217;t know until you try.</p>
<p>For those struggling to enjoy their jobs, changing how they work may be far more manageable than changing what they do, but the idea that context sometimes trumps content is also a powerful one for managers looking to get the most out of their teams. You may not be able to change what your employees need to get done, but by making changes to the environment in which work is accomplished, you may be able to create a more passionate, and therefore more productive, workforce.</p>
<p><em>When it comes to passion for work is context as important as content? </em></p>
<p><em>Image courtesy of Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/71905821@N00/1029073322/">Piratex</a>.</em></p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=462258&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=493348"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=493348" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=462258+be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required&utm_content=jessicastillman">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/02/practical-business-content-collaboration-personal-tools-show-the-way/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=462258+be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required&utm_content=jessicastillman">Personal tools lead to practical business</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/07/millenials-in-the-enterprise-part-1-strategies-for-supporting-the-new-digital-workforce/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=462258+be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required&utm_content=jessicastillman">Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/a-2011-newnet-forecast/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=462258+be-passionate-about-work-no-job-change-required&utm_content=jessicastillman">A 2011 NewNet Forecast</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Are Attitudes to Web Workers Changing in Asia?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2011 15:01:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Stillman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cost saving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[remote work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[telecommuting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=340804</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When it comes to remote work, is the point cost savings or employee motivation? Maybe it depends on the continent, suggests a ZDNet Asia article. It notes that while telecommuting is frequently used for cost saving in the U.S., in Asia it's used for employee morale.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=340804&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia/5042440367_f0659b9a81_m/" rel="attachment wp-att-340814"><img  title="5042440367_f0659b9a81_m" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/5042440367_f0659b9a81_m.jpg?w=708" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-340814" /></a>When it comes to remote work, is the point cost savings or employee motivation (or both)? Maybe it depends on the continent, suggests <a href="http://www.zdnetasia.com/firms-mobile-workers-say-no-to-pay-cuts-62208628.htm">an article in ZDNet Asia</a> . Contradicting <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/t/it-jobs/it-workers-would-take-10-percent-pay-cut-telecommute-012">a recent survey by Dice Holdings</a> that found many employees would be willing to take a pay cut for the right to telecommute, the piece asserted that Asian “mobile workers… expected to draw the same salary as they would, working in an office.”</p>
<p>This conclusion is noteworthy for anyone looking to hire web workers in Asia, but it’s also interesting for the gap it describes between U.S. and Asian attitudes. The ZDNet Asia article quotes Gavin Henshaw, head of Kelly IT Resources, who sums up the difference:</p>
<blockquote><p>while telecommuting may be money-saving alternative in the United States, it is &#8220;definitely more for employee morale and retention&#8221; in the Asian context.</p></blockquote>
<p>Are Asian companies increasingly positive about web working? And is it true that they&#8217;re developing  a rounded outlook on the subject, seeing it as a way to retain and motivate talent not just cut costs? Survey data and a handful of stories support this view, including <a href="http://www.asiaone.com/Business/SME%2BCentral/Dollars%2B%26%2BSense/Story/A1Story20080701-73985.html">a 2008 poll commissioned by Avaya and conducted by IDC</a> in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong, India and China, which showed that web work is indeed increasingly accepted:</p>
<blockquote><p>81 percent of respondents in the Asia-Pacific either agreed or strongly agreed that telecommuting improves productivity, compared to only 61 per cent in 2005…. in 2008, 76 percent of those surveyed in China and 78 per cent of those surveyed in Singapore saw telecommuting as a means of improving work-life balance among their employees.</p></blockquote>
<p>Several recent trend pieces underline the point that opinion on web workers is shifting in Asia. In <a href="http://www.hrmasia.com/site-search/the-motivating-factor/81990/">a discussion of changing HR practices in Singapore</a> in Human Resources Magazine Asia, for example, Ben Chew, Regional Business Manager of TBC HR Consulting, Singapore says that there “it has become increasingly clear that both employees and employers are more interested in the end-results more than the location of where the work is being completed.” AsiaOne Business reports <a href="http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20110111-257647.html">the civil service in Singapore is increasingly embracing web working</a>, while <a href="http://www.hrmasia.com/site-search/indian-working-women-seek-flexi-hours/82250/">Indian firms are apparently offering more web working</a> to help women balance their responsibilities.</p>
<p><em>If you have experience at Asian companies, have you noticed a shift in attitudes toward web work?<br />
</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/5042440367/">Image</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">courtesy</a> of Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/5042440367/">Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com</a></em></p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=340804&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=467771"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=467771" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=340804+are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia&utm_content=jessicastillman">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/the-future-of-work-platforms-an-overview/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=340804+are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia&utm_content=jessicastillman">The Future of Work Platforms: An Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/07/opportunities-abound-as-the-rules-of-work-are-broken/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=340804+are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia&utm_content=jessicastillman">Opportunities Abound as the &#8220;Rules of Work&#8221; are Broken</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2013/01/how-hr-can-make-the-case-for-workforce-analytics/?utm_source=tech&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=340804+are-attitudes-to-web-workers-changing-in-asia&utm_content=jessicastillman">How HR can make the case for workforce analytics</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>6 Tips for Keeping Your Remote Team Motivated &amp; Happy</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2011/02/17/6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2011/02/17/6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[@NYT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virtual team]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=298667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In last week’s post, I wrote about what it takes to become a virtual CEO, after speaking with Chris Ducker of Virtual Business Lifestyle. During our conversation, Ducker also shared his tips for keeping a virtual team happy and motivated.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=298667&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-298668" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy/happy-team/"><img title="happy team" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/happy-team.jpg?w=300&#038;h=204" alt="" width="300" height="204" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-298668"></a>In last week’s post, I wrote about what it takes to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/becoming-a-virtual-ceo/">become a virtual CEO</a>, after speaking with Chris Ducker of <a href="http://www.virtualbusinesslifestyle.com/">Virtual Business Lifestyle</a>. During our conversation, Ducker also shared his tips for keeping a virtual team happy and motivated.</p>
<p>As Ducker says, “I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference between motivating someone from a virtual standpoint and motivating somebody [...] where you’re working in real time with each other under the same roof. It just comes down to simple things, like being a nice guy, being understanding, being flexible, [and] wanting to spend a bit of time with them, above and beyond just giving them tasks.”</p>
<p>Here are a few things Chris recommends to help <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/how-to-use-communication-to-establish-trust-in-remote-teams/">build stronger relationships</a> with your virtual team:</p>
<ol><li><strong>Have an open door policy. </strong>“I always make time for my management,” Chris explains, “My management fundamentally run my company for me, and I’m well aware that without them, I would have to come in and start working ridiculous hours every single day. If they need to speak with me, all they have to do is pick up the phone, and I’ll make time to speak with them.”</li>
<li><strong>Provide opportunities for career growth. </strong>Chris says, “I never want to hire externally, unless I truly have to. I’ll always look internally to try to promote people, if possible. That creates a great culture within a company.”</li>
<li><strong>Provide opportunities for education. </strong>“I think there [are] other things you can do,” Chris says, “not only spending the time with somebody and giving them career opportunities, but also investing in them. I regularly put my management on different types of courses, training and things like that. It’s developing them as employees, and it gives them the opportunity to better themselves, and they appreciate that.”</li>
<li><strong>Provide support resources. </strong>“We created our Live2Sell library, which now has just over a hundred books on everything from self-help to how to get over issues and problems in the workplace,” he explains, “People can come up to the HR department and borrow the books, just like in any other library.”</li>
<li><strong>Spend time together as a team. </strong>“We do one yearly team-building weekend,” Chris says, “where we go out and stay the night at one of the resorts here, and everybody is together.” The purpose of the weekend is to build stronger connections in a fun atmosphere. He adds, “I’ve found that I have a lot in common with [team members]. We enjoy the same things. There is a lot more in common with workmates than a lot of people think.”</li>
<li><strong>Treat your team members like family. </strong>“We have ten core values, and the first one is, ‘Treat everyone as family.’ That’s really important for any company,” Chris says, “We recently launched our company culture website, <a href="http://www.live2sellfamily.com/">Live2Sell Family</a>. It’s open for the public, but it’s all about us, [and] we’re now giving out little mini birthday cakes to everybody on their birthdays.” Another example, he adds, one of his assistants is a big music-lover, and every so often, he emails an iTunes gift certificate, because as Chris says, “The little things make big, big differences.”</li>
</ol><p>“Above and beyond monetary gain,” he adds, “the fact of the matter is that, as long as you give opportunities to people, you’re nice, and they enjoy working for you, they’re not going to go anywhere. As long as you’re treating them well and with respect and paying them what they’re worth, you don’t need to lose people, unless you’re not managing your company properly.” By establishing these little connections, you’ll build better relationships with your virtual team and build a greater sense of unity and purpose.</p>
<p><em>How do you keep your virtual workforce happy and motivated?</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjmartin/5126543291/">Photo</a> courtesy Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjmartin/">cjmartin</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong></p>
<ul><li><a title="Report: The Real-Time Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/05/are-you-empowering-your-mobile-workforce/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298667+6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy">Are You Empowering Your Mobile Workforce?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298667+6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy">How to Manage Consumer-Grade Collaborative Tools in the Workplace</a></li>
<li><a id="ccfm" title="Top Remote Work Trends to Watch for in 2011" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/top-remote-work-trends-to-watch-for-in-2011/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298667+6-tips-for-keeping-your-virtual-team-motivated-and-happy">Top Remote Work Trends to Watch for in 2011</a></li>
</ul>
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			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
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		<title>In 2011, Stop Putting Off Your Dreams</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/12/30/someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/12/30/someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[@Not for Syndication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal organization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Randomly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=258953</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some of us make attempts to accomplish a few life and business goals. But how many people do you know who put everything on the line to pursue their deepest, most life-changing dreams? How many don’t wait until “someday” to go after the things they want? <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=258953&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-258955" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams/dream/"><img title="dream" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dream.jpg?w=300&#038;h=199" alt="" width="300" height="199" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-258955"></a>I recently had a conversation with a friend about how much fun it would be for her to open a bakery. We imagined ideas for desserts she might serve, and how she might <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/passion-18-hour-days-and-lessons-from-mister-rogers/">run her business</a>. But the conversation ended with her saying, “Maybe someday I’ll do something like that.” Immediately, I knew that she probably never would, and I felt very sad — for her, for myself, and for so many other people who sit on the sidelines dreaming, but who never make an effort to pursue their dreams.</p>
<p>Certainly, some of us make half-hearted attempts to accomplish a few of our life and business <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/ambition-are-you-hungry/">goals</a>. But how many people do you know who put everything on the line to pursue their deepest, most life-changing <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/a-challenge-stay-true-to-your-intentions/">dreams</a>? What are the rest of us doing, and what are we waiting for?</p>
<h3>Choices and Challenges</h3>
<p>Of course, circumstances get in the way. There are <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/4-obstacles-to-starting-and-completing-challenging-projects/">challenges</a>, setbacks and detours. But each of us has a choice. Although it won’t be easy to navigate back to the right path, if we say that we can’t find our way around obstacles, we’re making a <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/success-are-you-getting-in-your-own-way/">choice to leave things as they are</a>.</p>
<p>Last night, I was reading about Roald Dahl, author of such hopeful and imaginative books as <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em>. That might be my absolute favorite story about an underdog who <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/3-ways-to-overcome-inertia/">overcomes obstacles</a> while continuing to believe in something, even when all is stacked against him.</p>
<p>It turns out Roald Dahl was a lot like his character Charlie. Dahl’s personal life was filled with <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/dealing-with-the-avalanches-in-life-and-business/">hardship</a> and tragedy. In spite of all the challenges he faced, he remained positive and achieved great things. As it says on <a href="http://www.roalddahl.com/">his website</a>, “The series of misfortunes and tragedies Dahl… suffer[ed did not] made him more bitter. Loss and physical adversity seemed to stimulate his enormous energies to positive action. He fought misfortune as if it was a dragon to be slain.”</p>
<h3>Time to Dream Big</h3>
<p>I hope that 2011 will be a year of great progress toward achieving our deeply-buried dreams, and a year of doing things that require us to step out of our <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/become-comfortable-with-the-unknown/">comfort zones</a> and test our abilities, even if they lead to failure or, even more frightening, success.</p>
<p>I <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/a-challenge-stay-true-to-your-intentions/">challenge</a> you, as we round out these last few days of 2010: dust off those gutsy dreams and ambitions you’ve kept to yourself until now. Dare to put yourself out there; do something big this coming year. It doesn’t need to look big to anyone else, but you’ll know it is, because it will require you to go out on a limb and do things in an entirely different way.</p>
<p>For 2011, live the way you truly want to live, and achieve what you’ve only ever dreamed you could achieve.</p>
<p><em>What big, audacious goals do you have for 2011?</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31878512@N06/4945216951/">Photo</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">courtesy</a> Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31878512@N06/">Neal</a></p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong></p>
<ul><li><a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=258953+someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></li>
<li><a id="oe.8" title="Email: The Reports of My Death are Greatly Exaggerated" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/04/email-the-reports-of-my-death-are-greatly-exaggerated/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=258953+someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams">Email: The Reports of My Death are Greatly Exaggerated</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=258953+someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams">How to Manage Consumer-Grade Collaborative Tools in the Workplace</a></li>
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<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=258953&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=203183"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=203183" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/2010/12/30/someday-maybe-are-you-putting-off-your-dreams/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
	
		<media:thumbnail url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dream.jpg?w=150" />
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			<media:title type="html">dream</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/514801c1de3f91183bee6f8e61f92b3a?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
		</media:content>

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		<title>Use Downtime Projects to Recharge, Try New Work Habits</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/12/28/ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/12/28/ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Georgina Laidlaw</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How Do You Work?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downtime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=280894</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many web workers are taking advantage of the holiday break to focus on personal projects that really spark their passions. Here are a few ideas to help you stay focused and motivated on personal projects, while enjoying the holidays at the same time.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=280894&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-280899" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break/1280184_pencils_texture/"><img title="1280184_pencils_texture" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/1280184_pencils_texture.jpg?w=708" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-280899"></a>What are you doing this holiday week? Many of us are sitting back, playing with new gadgets and eating things we shouldn’t. But quite a few web workers take advantage of the break to focus on new or ongoing personal projects that spark their passions.</p>
<p>It’s no wonder. When else do we get a good ten days (or more!) off work, and can actually spend that time at home? For me, this is a good chance to make serious progress on projects, try ideas I’ve been toying with but have had no time to work on, and fuel the inspiration that will kick-start the new working year.</p>
<p>If you’re working on a personal project, or you’re considering resurrecting one over the break, here are a few ideas to help you stay focused and motivated, while enjoying the holidays at the same time.</p>
<h3>Make Sure Your Break Is a Break</h3>
<p>First and foremost, you’ll probably appreciate the break more if you accept that this is holiday time. For me, recharging the batteries is imperative — that’s what holidays are for. So if you can afford to, don’t force yourself to work if there’s something else you’d rather do. The idea of the passionate personal project is that it fills you with a sense of adventure, fun, and excitement — not that it feels like work. If the thought of working on your project seems blissful, do it. If it doesn’t, do something else.</p>
<p>The fact that you’ve decided to work on a personal project doesn’t mean you need to dedicate the entirety of your break to it. The thing I love about this time is that I can work when and as I feel like it. If I wake up and the sun’s out, I might spend the day outside instead of at my desk. On the other hand, if I get right into my personal project and want to pull an all-nighter, I can. Don’t force yourself into a timetable.</p>
<h3>Experiment as Broadly as Possible</h3>
<p>It can be good to use this time to experiment with the peripheral aspects of a project, as well as with its focus. I’ve found that this approach can help me understand what motivates and supports my work, and can make my money-earning tasks more enjoyable.</p>
<p>So don’t just experiment with your discipline, experiment with everything. As a remote worker, I like to change my work location while I’m focused on personal projects. Instead of sitting at the desk I use for the other fifty weeks of the year, I move around, and the simple change in location somehow alters my perspective.</p>
<p>I also rely entirely on my level of interest (rather than any of the usual motivations) for getting work done. I’m trying a different approach to milestone setting, as well as testing various discipline-specific techniques I’ve never used before. Doing things differently gives me more interest in continuing my personal project, because I’m not just creating something, I’m learning all the time. What I learn can be applied to my day job after the break.</p>
<h3>Find a Balance</h3>
<p>Working as you feel like it is great, unless you get to the start of the new year and feel like you need a holiday to get over your holidays! Giving yourself over to your passion for a personal project can be extremely fulfilling, but it can also burn you out. Balance is important.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to take time off, see friends or family, and have fun doing other things. By mixing things up and pacing yourself, you can maintain the impetus for your project without running yourself down or squandering valuable opportunities to be with the people you love. Balancing your desires can help you get more out of your project than a rigorous work schedule might.</p>
<h3>Share Your Passion</h3>
<p>When I’m working during a break, I tend to hole up, shut down my email and phone, and immerse myself in my project. That’s great, but occasionally it’s good to come up for air. One beneficial way to do this is to get in touch with someone else who’s also working on a personal project.</p>
<p>This gives me a sense of support and solidarity. Although I might be tucked away in my own world, I feel connected to others who share the same sense of passion (even if their areas of focus are completely different from my own). But finding out what others are doing can give me ideas for experimenting with my own approach, style, or project — all of which may improve the outcomes of my efforts.</p>
<p><em>What’s helping you stay inspired while enjoying the benefits of time off during the holidays?</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1280184">Image</a> by <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/">stock.xchng</a> user <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/pepo">pepo</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=georginalaidlaw&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=280894+ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break"><br></a></p>
<ul><li><a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=georginalaidlaw&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=280894+ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/08/by-the-numbers-running-a-coworking-space/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=georginalaidlaw&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=280894+ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break">By The Numbers: Running a Cow﻿orking Space</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/06/making-coworking-corporate-scale/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=georginalaidlaw&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=280894+ramp-up-personal-projects-during-the-break">Making Coworking Corporate﻿-Scale</a></li>
</ul>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=280894&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=78430"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=78430" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">1280184_pencils_texture</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Georgina Laidlaw</media:title>
		</media:content>

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		<title>Ambition: Are You Hungry?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/10/14/ambition-are-you-hungry/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/10/14/ambition-are-you-hungry/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ambition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=165578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<em>ambition, n.: an earnest desire for some type of achievement and the willingness to strive for its attainment</em>

Thinking about ambition reminds me of Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford. The words “stay hungry” have followed me ever since reading them.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=165578&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a rel="attachment wp-att-165579" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/ambition-are-you-hungry/athlete/"><img title="athlete" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/athlete.jpg?w=300&#038;h=246" alt="" width="300" height="246" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-165579"></a>ambition, n.:</strong> an earnest desire for some type of achievement and the willingness to strive for its attainment</em></p>
<p>Thinking about ambition reminds me of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc">Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford</a>. The words “stay hungry” have followed me ever since reading his address in a magazine soon after it took place.</p>
<p>It also reminds me of my first years in business and of my first venture that was a real success: my web design business, which has since taken a back seat to other ventures, but still has the power to motivate me when I think of it.</p>
<p>In the first full twelve months of starting the business, I had earned what was for me at the time quite a bit of money, but I didn’t really pay attention to that fact in the beginning. I just did the work. Now, though, I can appreciate that accomplishment and how I achieved it by myself, and for me, that’s what ambition is all about.</p>
<p>Take away spouses and parents, mentors, physical possessions. Take away everything, and you’re left with yourself; knowing that, no matter what, you can create something from nothing, and you can survive. Knowing that makes you think anything is possible.</p>
<p>It’s not about being on your own or not having anyone to help you, quite the opposite. The greater that inner source of power, the more you have to offer those around you and the more you appreciate the true strength that can result from coming together around a shared passion.</p>
<p>However, it is important to know that we can build something with our own hands, that we have that ability within us. When challenges find us, and they will, we need to know that we are resourceful and that, as before, we will find a way through them or around them, whichever comes first.</p>
<p>That’s so very powerful, but <em>wanting </em>something and being <em>willing </em>to do whatever it takes to get it are two very different things, and lately, I’m coming to appreciate how you need both the wanting and the <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/the-emotional-labor-of-building-a-business/">willingness</a> in order to achieve.</p>
<p>I’m starting to apply that distinction to my own decision-making when it comes to where I spend my energy. I’m coming to accept that if I don’t want something bad enough, I’m never going to do the work it will take to reach it. My time and energy would be better spent on something I actually want to achieve and for which I’m willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish: those things that make me want to get up early and stay up late, where sleep becomes unnecessary and something I have to force myself to do, because I simply can’t wait to do whatever is next on the list to move the vision forward. It truly is a hunger.</p>
<p>Over the last year, I’ve found it especially difficult to build a team of people who take pride in their work and are ambitious when it comes to their own success or sense of accomplishment. I’m not sure what the ultimate solution to that problem will be, but when I think about adding someone to my team, I know that it’s important for that person to have dreams and goals of his or her own.</p>
<p>I’m OK with the fact that he or she might see my business as a stepping stone, a means to an end, because that means that while that person is with me, he or she will be striving, reaching for something. He or she will be ambitious, and I need, we all need, people like that around us in order to make each of our dreams a reality.</p>
<p><em>Do you let ambition drive your business and the decisions you make around it?</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/4887341309/">Photo</a> by Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/">familymwr</a>, licensed under CC 2.0</em></p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=165578+ambition-are-you-hungry"><br></a></p>
<ul><li><a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=165578+ambition-are-you-hungry">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></li>
<li><a title="Report: The Real-Time Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/01/report-the-real-time-enterprise/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=165578+ambition-are-you-hungry">Report: The Real-Time Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a title="Social Media in the Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/social-media-in-the-enterprise/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=165578+ambition-are-you-hungry">Social Media in the Enterprise</a></li>
</ul>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=165578&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=595933"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=595933" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">athlete</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">athlete</media:title>
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		<title>The Moving To-Do List</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/30/the-moving-to-do-list/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/30/the-moving-to-do-list/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accomplishment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[failure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=161310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the end of the day, we look at our to-do list list, but there’s one item that didn’t get completed, so we move it to tomorrow’s list, but tomorrow, the same thing happens, and it keeps happening. I call these items a “moving to-do list"<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=161310&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><a rel="attachment wp-att-161312" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/the-moving-to-do-list/to-do-list/"><img title="to do list" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/to-do-list.jpg?w=300&#038;h=180" alt="" width="300" height="180" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-161312"></a>We all have to-do lists. There are things we want to accomplish and things we think we <em>need </em>to accomplish, so we put it all in a list, and we get to work. At the end of the day, we look at the list, but there’s one item that didn’t get completed, so we move it forward to tomorrow’s list, but tomorrow, the same thing happens, and it keeps happening, until we finally realize that we have no real intention of getting that one thing done.
<p>I call these items a “moving to-do list,” and I’m always on the lookout for them. They’re those things that follow me around for weeks or months on end, until I finally own up to it and say, “I’m never going to get to that. I might as well quit moving it forward.”</p>
<p>I’m not talking about those pesky to-dos that eventually really do have to get done. I have a couple of them on my list right now, things like fixing a mirror on my vanity or the trip lever on my bathtub. Eventually, if I keep ignoring those to-dos and moving them forward on my list instead of just doing them, the mirror on my antique vanity will break, and my bathtub won’t drain (not good). Hopefully, I’ll get to those things before that happens, but the point is, eventually, as annoying as they might be, we get to these kinds of things, because if we don’t, there are <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tips-from-the-trenches-fending-off-procrastination/">consequences</a>.</p>
<p>What I’m talking about are those things that might not have obvious consequences if we fail to do them, or that have consequences we’re subconsciously willing to pay. These are things like:</p>
<ul><li>Writing that book we’ve been meaning to write, or</li>
<li>Launching that new product or service. or</li>
<li>Making changes to our service offerings or websites so that we stop taking on certain types of clients.</li>
</ul><p>These are those tasks that we’re <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/4-obstacles-to-starting-and-completing-challenging-projects/">avoiding</a> for some reason, and we need to figure out why. A few of the possible reasons?</p>
<ol><li><strong>Obligation.</strong> We keep saying to the people around us (business and accountability partners, customers and clients, family and friends) that we’re going to write that book. We say that it’s something we really want to do, or we say that it will bring in additional revenue for our businesses, but it turns out that we’re not really all that <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-fast-motivators/">motivated</a> to do it, yet we keep moving the task forward, because we’ve promised that that’s what we’re going to do.</li>
<li><strong>Guilt. </strong>We think it’s something we <em>should </em>do, maybe because everyone else manages to get it done or because it’s our “responsibility” to do it, but internally, we’re doing it for all the wrong reasons and don’t really want to do it, and we feel guilty because of that, so we just keep moving forward and saying that we’re going to get it done.</li>
<li><strong>Motivation (or lack of it).</strong> A lot of the tasks we take on are driven by financial <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/9-traits-of-a-successful-entrepreneur/">motivations</a>. Maybe we want to (or think we should) make more money, but in reality, we’re quite comfortable where we are, so even though we might think or say that we want to achieve greater financial success, the financial motivation alone is never going to be enough to make us do the task, but we keep moving it forward, because we think we should want more money.</li>
</ol><p>At the end of the day, it comes down to acceptance. Acceptance of what we really want, of our own definition of <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/whats-stopping-you/">success</a>, and of who we really are (and who we’re not).</p>
<p>Once you accept all those things and are OK, saying, “You know what, I just don’t even really want that. It’s not who I am, it’s not what I want, and it’s not important for me to be happy,” give it up. Take it off the list and file it away as a “someday/maybe,” if you think it will ever come back on the radar or if you need that little bit of security, just in case you change your mind.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that a moving to-do list adds unnecessary stress and frustration and a feeling of failure, when really you’re just attempting to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/3-ways-to-overcome-inertia/">achieve</a> something that you don’t even want or that’s some arbitrary achievement that won’t even matter to you if you do accomplish it. Let it go, and be OK with it. Free up that mind space for something that you actually do want and that you stand a chance of accomplishing, because you won’t get in your own way.</p>
<p><em>What needs to be taken off your moving to-do list?</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em> </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkbud/4772858837/"><em>Photo</em></a><em> by Flickr user </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkbud/"><em>bark</em></a><em>, licensed under CC 2.0</em></p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=161310+the-moving-to-do-list"><br></a></p>
<ul><li><a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=161310+the-moving-to-do-list">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></li>
<li><a title="Report: The Real-Time Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/01/report-the-real-time-enterprise/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=161310+the-moving-to-do-list">Report: The Real-Time Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a title="Social Media in the Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/social-media-in-the-enterprise/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=161310+the-moving-to-do-list">Social Media in the Enterprise</a></li>
</ul></div>
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			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
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		<title>Entrepreneurship: How Sweet It Is</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/09/entrepreneurship-how-sweet-it-is/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/09/entrepreneurship-how-sweet-it-is/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=154573</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The entrepreneurial spirit is infectious. I caught the bug quite a while ago, but this morning, the chronic (although at times dormant) symptoms reared their heads again, so I thought I’d share the inspiration and hopefully stir that spirit in you, too.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=154573&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><a rel="attachment wp-att-154574" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/entrepreneurship-how-sweet-it-is/cupcake/"><img title="cupcake" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/cupcake.jpg?w=300&#038;h=200" alt="" width="300" height="200" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-154574"></a>The entrepreneurial spirit is infectious. I caught the bug quite a while ago, but this morning, the chronic (although at times dormant) symptoms reared their heads again, so I thought I’d share the inspiration and hopefully stir that spirit in you, too.
<p>A <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/looking-for-work/">post from Chris Brogan</a> stirred my entrepreneurial spirit. In it, he discussed how the phrase “looking for work” used to mean mean looking for (and creating) opportunities to work, rather than just looking for a job. He laments that, “We’ve somehow decided that ‘security’ equals working for someone else who has all the cards and pulls all the strings.”</p>
<p>Brogan goes on to describe how people can create their own work by being entrepreneurial. Certainly, that applies to creating opportunities where others might say they don’t exist (starting a new business, for example), but it also applies to how you look at your business right now.</p>
<p>For the guy running the screenprinting shop, don’t just make t-shirts; create <em>opportunities </em>to make t-shirts. For the lady running the bakery, don’t just make cupcakes; create opportunities for people to <em>want </em>cupcakes.</p>
<p>For each of us, we have something we want to make, do or sell, but we can’t just do the work; we have to actually create the <em>opportunities </em>for doing the work.</p>
<p>So, how does this work in practice? Let’s take the cupcake lady. Business is slow. People aren’t buying cupcakes. She needs to find a way to make people <em>want </em>to buy cupcakes. How can she do that? A trendy idea I like is people <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/consumedbycake/3694373158/">substituting cupcakes for their actual wedding cake</a>, so why couldn’t she position herself as the local baker for the job? She could find and create unique wedding cupcake displays and showcase them in her bakery window or in posters around her shop. Certainly, in big cities or in trendier locations, this might be something seen at every bakery, but what if she’s the first in her area to offer it? Cupcake gold, at least for a while, and then she’ll have to create a new reason for people to want cupcakes.</p>
<p>So, how can you implement this for your business? You just need to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/feeling-stuck-these-web-toys-might-do-the-trick/">think outside the box</a>.</p>
<p>Think about your product or service. How do people use it now, and is there a way that you can get them to want to use it more? No matter what your business, your customers and clients all want the same thing, whether that’s more time, more money, less aggravation and annoyance, or a greater sense of security, well-being, acceptance, or achievement. How can you help them get one or more of those things?</p>
<p>No matter what you do, no matter what product you create or service you provide, you can find ways to create demand around your business. All it takes is a little bit of that entrepreneurial spirit and a good dose of creativity.</p>
<p><em>How can you “find a place to apply what you know how to do”? How can you “create work” for yourself instead of waiting for it to come to you?</em></p>
<p><em> </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimelle/3293422690/"><em>Photo</em></a><em> by Flickr user </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimelle/"><em>shimelle</em></a><em>, licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC 2.0</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.):</strong> <a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=154573+entrepreneurship-how-sweet-it-is">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></p>
</div>
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			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
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		<title>Become Comfortable with the Unknown</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/02/become-comfortable-with-the-unknown/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/09/02/become-comfortable-with-the-unknown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opportunities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[setbacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=152733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My friend Betsy Talbot and her husband Warren are forging their own path and making their own way. Two years ago, they decided that they wanted to travel the world. Life was too short, they decided, to wait for that dream.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=152733&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><a rel="attachment wp-att-152735" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/become-comfortable-with-the-unknown/path/"><img  title="path" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/path.jpg?w=300&#038;h=199" alt="" width="300" height="199" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-152735" /></a><em>&#8220;Forge your own path. Discover a route from one place to another that hasn’t been paved, measured, and quantified. So many times we want someone to tell us exactly what to do, and so many times that’s exactly the wrong approach.&#8221; &#8211; Seth Godin, Linchpin<br />
</em></p>
<h3>A Story About Change</h3>
<p>My friend Betsy Talbot and her husband Warren are forging their own path and making their own way. <a href="http://www.marriedwithluggage.com/2010/09/01/two-years-ago-today-is-when-our-lives-changed-for-the-better/">Two years ago</a>, they decided that they wanted to travel the world. Life was too short, they decided, to wait for that dream life to magically create itself. They had to figure out a way to make things happen &#8212; their own way, right now. They created a plan for saving money and paring down to make room for an around-the-world trip of one to two years, and one month from now on October 1, just over two years from originally setting out their intentions, they will be embarking on an adventure of a lifetime.</p>
<h3><strong>What’s Their Secret?</strong><strong> </strong></h3>
<p>Betsy and Warren’s story is very inspiring, but unfortunately, the most probable initial reaction as an outsider is to think, “<a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/success-are-you-getting-in-your-own-way/">I could never do something like that.</a> I have [x, y, z] obligations, and anyway, even if I wanted to do it, I wouldn’t know <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/3-ways-to-overcome-inertia/">where to start</a>.” The thing is, I have known Betsy for many years now, and she’s just like a lot of other people I know, myself included, and yet, somehow she and Warren have made this happen, so what’s their secret?</p>
<p>One thing that struck me that Betsy said recently was, “I’m becoming more comfortable with the unknown.” I don’t think it occurred to her that she and Warren had <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/4-obstacles-to-starting-and-completing-challenging-projects/">become comfortable with the unknown</a> quite some time ago.</p>
<p>I’ve watched them carry out their plan over the past couple of years, and at almost every step of that journey, they were <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tackling-big-projects-and-getting-things-done/">not exactly sure what to do</a> or how things would go, and yet, they kept going and remained confident that they would <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/perfection-vs-excellence-in-your-business/">figure things out along the way</a>, and that’s exactly what they did.</p>
<h3><strong>When You Don’t Have the Answers</strong><strong></strong></h3>
<p>As business owners, we have to get used to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/be-willing-to-put-yourself-out-there/">not having all the answers</a>, knowing that if the answers were easily found, anyone and everyone could attempt to start a business, and they would all succeed at it.</p>
<p>I think our first instinct, anytime we don’t have the answers or when things don’t seem to be moving along as smoothly as we might have expected, is to think, “<a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/glass-ceilings-are-you-limiting-yourself/">I must be doing something wrong</a>,” when in all likelihood, it’s just that what we’re doing has never been done before in quite the same way, and maybe that’s a good thing.</p>
<p>Instead of immediately thinking we should change course and do things the way someone else has done them, perhaps we might step back and ask ourselves, “Is there really one answer, one right way to do this? Has this even been done before, or do I simply need to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/the-emotional-labor-of-building-a-business/">become comfortable with creating my own way</a>?”</p>
<h3><strong>Working in Spite of Not Knowing</strong></h3>
<p><strong> </strong><br />
Perhaps the biggest part of it is learning to <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/the-pivotal-point-not-giving-up-too-soon/">stay the course</a>, even when the course doesn’t yet exist. There’s no path laid out ahead of you, and you’re learning to navigate as you go. Learn to keep going, in spite of not having clear directions. Create a plan you believe is most likely to succeed by studying the cues of those who have succeeded before you, but accept that you are forging a new path in many ways, so the answers may not always be immediately available.<br />
<em><br />
How have you learned to become comfortable with the unknown?</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em> </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinothchandar/4278047231/"><em>Photo</em></a><em> by Flickr user </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinothchandar/"><em>VinothChandar</em></a><em>, licensed under CC 2.0</em></p>
</div>
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			<media:title type="html">Amber</media:title>
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		<title>The Pivotal Point: Not Giving Up Too Soon</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/07/29/the-pivotal-point-not-giving-up-too-soon/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/07/29/the-pivotal-point-not-giving-up-too-soon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Singleton Riviere</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-To]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[failure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[promotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=36480</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You've come up with your big idea, and now comes the hard part: Getting the word out about your business and, more importantly, hanging in there while you get the word out about your business. The hard part now becomes not giving up too soon.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=36480&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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<p id="zw-12a1a5f21d9xhXan4236c1c"><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/climb.jpg"><img title="climb" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/climb.jpg?w=300&#038;h=171" alt="" width="300" height="171" class=" alignleft"></a><em>Many of life’s failures are   people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave   up. — Thomas Edison</em></p>
<p>There comes a point when being a business  owner gets really hard (and I mean <em>really </em>hard). You’ve come up with your big  idea, you’ve done all the initial legwork to set it up, and now comes  the hard part: Getting the word out about your business and, more  importantly, <em>hanging in there</em> while you get the word out about your  business. The hard part now becomes not giving up  too soon.</p>
<h3>The Real Work</h3>
<p id="zw-12a1a2ce77aoGAjFb236c1c">When you start a business, when you  start a new product or service, when you launch anything really, that’s  when you <em>feel</em> like you’re working really hard. That’s when you’re  willing to stay up late and get up early to get all the groundwork completed so that you can start  making money. As hard as it can seem during this time, you generally  know what to do, or you can at least <em>figure out</em> what to do, and you just plow through  getting the work done. Then you finish the work. (Cue sound of  crickets.) Now what?</p>
<p id="zw-12a1a387b4b1xkXaF236c1c">All right, now you figure out that you  need a marketing plan. Great, that gives you something else to do! You finish the marketing  plan and begin implementing it. (You believe in this plan. You’ve given  it a lot of thought. You feel really confident about it. It’s going to  generate the business you need.) You run through your plan for several  days, maybe even several weeks, and then … nothing. Nothing happens, and in our  instant-gratification-seeking world, this is where things start getting  testy:</p>
<ul id="zw-12a1a4128b3u6s1y-236c1c"><li id="zw-12a1a4128b65w0J_3236c1c">When  you’re over the rush of  your big idea,</li>
<li id="zw-12a1a4147f8NRLi1N236c1c">When you’ve completed the work of  creating it,</li>
<li id="zw-12a1a415e0cU0fzGi236c1c">When you need to pay the bills, and</li>
<li id="zw-12a1a417d8bSQWavs236c1c">When  it feels like you’re sitting on your laurels.</li>
</ul><p id="zw-12a1a41e00dDn8bku236c1c">When  you’re doing all that initial setup (building your website, creating  the product, etc.), it feels like real work. Marketing doesn’t feel like  real work, and it gets harder to justify and explain to those around  us, particularly those who don’t have businesses. <em>Marketing?  What’s marketing?</em> Building a  website people get; that sounds like real work. <em>Marketing?  Marketing on Facebook and Twitter? All right, now you’re just  playing around.</em> Those are  the conversations you have, both with yourself and with others, for  justifying what you’re doing.</p>
<p id="zw-12a1a2a9ca2hIIklr236c1c">Writing posts for your blog, replying and posting on social  networks, doing interviews, commenting  on other sites and forums, searching for opportunities to guest post —  all these things don’t <em>feel </em>like work, but they’re very necessary  for building a successful business, and sticking with these activities  for the bulk of your time each day for the six months or year it’s going  to take you to gain some traction seems impossible.</p>
<h3>Not Giving Up</h3>
<p id="zw-12a1a4b316exffytA236c1c">So, how do you do it? How do  you avoid giving up too soon?</p>
<ol><li><strong>You  make a commitment.</strong> Do you  want to do this? Are you willing to <a id="zw-12a1a4e064a3rksa0236c1c" title="bet the next 6-12 months on making this work" href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/07/27/the-superstar-effect/" target="_blank">bet  the next 6-12 months of your life on it</a>? You have to be willing to say, “This  is my commitment. These are the milestones I intend to reach. This is my  <a id="zw-12a1a504e2dD-stj2236c1c" title="intention" href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/04/08/a-challenge-stay-true-to-your-intentions/" target="_blank">intention</a>.”</li>
<li><strong>You maintain discipline.</strong> Each and every day, you have to say, “This is what I’m committed to  doing. These are my top priorities.” You have to focus on what you  believe to be the <a id="zw-12a1a551596zh0ymU236c1c" title='"highest and best use"' href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/05/27/tackling-big-projects-and-getting-things-done/" target="_blank">“highest  and best use”</a> tasks  that will get the word out about your business and start generating  income for you. You stay focused, not only on what you’re <em>going </em>to do, but also on <a id="zw-12a1a52b3c74ezOeA236c1c" title="what you're not going to do" href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/07/27/the-superstar-effect/" target="_blank">what  you’re </a><a id="zw-12a1a52b3c8q5E236c1c" title="what you're not going to do" href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/07/27/the-superstar-effect/" target="_blank"><em>not</em> going to do</a> (compulsively checking email, surfing  the Internet, taking a dozen breaks each day, etc.).</li>
<li><strong>You trust your plan.</strong> You’ve  given a lot of thought to the best way for promoting your business, and  now you just have to believe in it. Don’t keep switching plans and  changing things up. It’s going to take time to see results. Give  yourself at least a 90-day test with your current plan before doing any  tweaking.</li>
<li><strong>Be willing to stay up late and  get up early.</strong> Although  it’s not easy to think about, success isn’t just going to be handed to  you. You’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work  to get things going. No one’s going to do it for you. As you start to  get more successful, you still have to continue getting the word out,  and <a id="zw-12a1a695370GscqKV236c1c" title="juggling priorities" href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/07/22/managing-busy-ness-what-gives/" target="_blank">juggling  priorities</a> can be a  challenge. Know that handling incoming work and generating opportunities  for future work are equally important.</li>
<li><strong>Find support.</strong> Get an <a id="zw-12a1a5d9b82_VFXYV236c1c" title="accountability partner" href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/12/20/your-best-business-asset-an-accountability-partner/" target="_blank">accountability  partner</a> to help you  stay the course. It’s a lot easier to waiver when you don’t have someone  else holding you responsible and accountable for your original plans  and intentions.</li>
</ol><p id="zw-12a1a5ddb09E5hijb236c1c">Finding a way to hang in there and not  give up on your vision can be the hardest thing you ever do to see your  business to success, but you have to figure out how you’re going to  stick with it for the time it will take to gain some momentum and start  seeing results.</p>
<p id="zw-12a1a6111b9yqWRgz236c1c"><em>In the past,  how did you find ways to hang in there until your idea took hold?</em></p>
<p><em><a id="zw-12a1a64f436DWRU1Z236c1c" title="Photo" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/groundzero/96516632/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Flickr user <a id="zw-12a1a64c8f5NQ9AR236c1c" title="Link to  ground.zero's photostream" rel="dc:creator cc:attributionURL" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/groundzero/">ground.zero</a>, licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC 2.0</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.):</strong> <a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=tech&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=brownbugproject&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=36480+the-pivotal-point-not-giving-up-too-soon">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></p>
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