The Tools of Your Art

Focusing on what we do is very difficult at this time of year (as you can see by the later than usual post!!)

Time seems to tick by quickly & with so many away or starting vacation in this week of North American holidays (July 1st in Canada, July 4th in the US), many people are simply not around.

Focusing becomes difficult.  If everyone else is out playing, then I should be too, right?

Not true.  This is the perfect time to focus on what you do.  Think of the quieter time as a gift - a moment to reflect on what you do, why you do it and the tools you use to create your art.

What tools do you have?  What forms your palette, brushes and creative material?
Reviewing and reflecting on this can help you refocus for the rest of the Summer and prepare you for the back half of 2015 (I know....uggghhh, I did write that!)

So start here:

• what tools do you use to track your work, your performance or your clients? (idea:  Freshbooks & time tracking, Trello & Evernote!)
• are there better ways to tweak your outputs?  or do you really need to? (idea:  post it goals for the day & week planned out over the summer)
• what tools do you use for learning?  how much time do you spend in learning mode? (idea:  download audiobooks for your daily walk or run)
• what tools do you use for creating?  what is obsolete & what is your go-to tool?  is it effective, still? (idea:  seek out cool tools on Indiegogo or The Grommet)
• where do you use your tools?  and consider how?
• example:  I read many books and post it note them to death....now when the weather is beautiful I get my butt off the couch or kitchen stool and head to a deck chair in the breeze...same work, new space...gives me new & fresh perspectives too.

Take a moment and tell me about your tools, share some tools you like to use & what value they hold.  Everyone creates differently, so sharing this information can help others move in new directions too.

The Micro-Micro Manager

Hi! Nice to meet you. I am your boss. I want to know your schedule for every second of every day. In fact, you will grant me administrative access to your Outlook so that I can see your schedule whenever I want. I can then call and check up on you, verify if you actually show up, just keep tabs on you.

Also, just a warning, I will freak out if you change what you are working on for the day and don't record it. I won't be there to see it, and it won't impact me in the slightest, I just need to be the one in control and you need to cater to my every whim! I am the BOSS!

Oh, and by the way, that will also give me access to your emails. I'll read them too, especially if there is anything interesting from your spouse (like what to pick up for dinner or your weekend plans, hey, maybe I can join you or plan a meeting that will ruin it!) or team-mate banter (to make sure I am not the brunt of jokes or general discussion - no fun allowed. I do not have a sense of humor that anyone but me would understand!). At least then I can be in the loop and know everything about you!

Have a nice first day at work.

Truly,

Your Boss

Have you had this message or scenario played out in your world? What would you do?

The Learnings

Interesting how kids interpret your work.  My son spent the day with me on Take Your Kids to Work day and he did learn a few things.

He decided that I spend too much time at the computer - and that I need someone to talk things out with on a regular basis because I would keep reading him things I wrote and ask what he thought.

He believes that I collect too many business cards and know too many people - after looking at LinkedIn with me and seeing how I use this social network to build my brand.

He also thinks that it is pretty cool that I can be flexible with my schedule and got to go for a run in the late morning because the weather was awesome - and yes, he did get to play Xbox while I was out.

Most importantly, he learned that you can do what you love and still earn a living and find balance with everything - a routine is not necessarily something that happens at the same time everyday - that work gets done due to effort and passion....not a simple checklist.

It was fun - he even investigated a few things for his own career.....imagine that!