Moody Monday's Meandering Mind

I don’t know how other bloggers work, but I generally have an idea of what I am going to post a few days out. I will often cue up a few posts if I know my schedule is brutal. Our tendencies in this regard probably mimic how we work in general, and I am a type-A worry wort who’s gotta have stuff ready and on a self-imposed time schedule. I thought that I might adopt a more fluid approach to blogging because I don’t HAVE to post at all if I don’t want to. Nope!

I am thankful for my discipline, because it helps me be successful. On the other hand, I really do need to learn to chill out more (I can hear the echos of my friends and husband thinking, “you can say that again!”).

I find myself sitting here Monday evening without a plan for Tuesday’s blog post. I have some ideas for things I am working on, but I have used up my brain cells for the day so those topics will have to wait for another time. Here’s what’s on my mind and easily accessible :-)

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I would love to spend several weeks writing my next book in a sublimely cool place. Perhaps in my favorite state of New Mexico, or even more inspiring - in France or Tuscany. If you could spend a month somewhere - where would it be and what would you do? I want to, if even for just a short time, live the cliche writer’s life of musing and reflection. Winter in Key West is an obvious option. Visit Hemingway’s cats daily. This is Charley Chaplin, a 6 toed Hemingway cat.

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I want to create more awareness about my book. Few know it exists. I have some print PR coming out soon. What ideas do you have for how to create more buzz? I am proud of the book and hope people get past it’s long title. This preoccupies my mind a lot, as it should. I need to be patient. I’ve been dabbling in yoga - love Ali McGraw’s tape/DVD because it has great music and is set in beautiful White Sands National Monument.

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Can you remember when traveling by air was COOL? I worked for a big company in the early 90’s. Had a USAIR club card and traveled in style. It was fun. I am much more into driving now. I love driving in fact. One of my favorite drives is along the Columbia River, including the Columbia Gorge National Monument. Take the drive from Portland all the way to either Richland or Lewiston. Drive on both the WA and OR sides, because they look different. Where else can you drive right through the Cascade mountain range? There are fun places, like Hood River, to stay along the route. And the wine...... (after driving, of course).

I would love to build my business nationally and internationally, but I am most interested in building my business in the states that are within driving distance from my home. WA, OR, ID, NV, Northern CA, maybe Utah, BC Canada. Maybe even all the way to Arizona and New Mexico. Have your views about traveling for business changed in the last few years? I will still fly, but I prefer to drive.

I have a 14 year old car that is the car of my dreams. I may have to face the facts one day that I will need something more reliable. But until then, I will enjoy the sunny days. Have you noticed that you smile when you are in a convertible, top down, on a pleasant day? So why aren’t all cars convertibles? I can’t imagine not buying a convertible if I had the choice. Here’s a shot of my wheels. You like? Only 130 brought to the US in 1991, most are scrap metal by now. Do you have anyTHING that you hold dear?

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What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you? Something that made you feel wonderful. It’s nice to remember those things. When was the last time you made someone else's day by sharing why you think they are special (even at work!)?

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Who are you being when you are GREAT? We all are great at one time or another. Some of us more than others. But it is useful to think about who you are being when you are great. What are you thinking? How are you feeling? How do you begin the day? What does your voice sound like? What can you achieve? How do you choose (and we do choose) when to be great?

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How we feel each day is a choice - why would we select to have anything but a great day? There are ways to make each day a positive one(except when tragedy strikes, perhaps). Today, I let my guard down a bit and let a part of the day languish in worry. I don’t want to do this tomorrow. I have to remind myself of this one every day.

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Returning to a topic I have discussed before and has been shared by other bloggers like Curt Rosengren. I make at least 5 big requests every week. More is better. It’s just something I do that helps me produce breakthroughs and move forward on my key projects or goals. Occasionally something really cool happens, like I get to meet or spend time with someone I really admire. What if you gave this a try, what would you ask for? This exercise is not about asking for “things” necessarily, but to make requests that will help you progress a hope, dream, project, or task. This is not about being selfish either, because when we are productive humans, everyone wins. Here’s one of my requests for the week and it goes out to all of you:

Request: Share this post with others. I have asked several open ended questions, please participate in these questions. Some of my questions ask for ideas and are clearly for my benefit, others are more philosophical and can benefit everyone. Share the questions and share your answers.

Thanks, and I can’t wait to hear from you. If you have an idea that you want to send me directly, email me at lisa at haneberg-management dot com.

P.S. How does this relate to management? I bet there are a set of questions in your meandering mind that would be helpful to discuss with your team members and peers. Sometimes, it's these off the wall conversations that make things happen. Give it a try!

Comments

[Curt Rosengren]

Yowza! Lots of stuff to chew on. I think I'm going to have to take the rest of the week off to ponder.

Good for you for going "planless" today! Feels kinda liberating, doesn't it. ;-)

[Tim Stanley]

Good questions. I will think about them and add more later. You think about a lot of stuff.

[Lori Richardson]

this is a wonderful post, Lisa. I have spent some time thinking and deliberating. I was with my fiance shortly after we first met. I was talking (as usual) and after a few sentences, he stopped me mid-stream. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that he just enjoyed listening to the sound of my voice. Wow. Talk about losing track of a topic. It was a comment I will always remember - not just what he said but how he said it.

[Troy Worman]

Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for the open ended questions. Now, I will attempt to answer them in the same fashion by which they were posed. By the way, I love your blog and hope, someday, you will see your way clear to add me to your blogroll. :)

If you could spend a month somewhere - where would it be and what would you do? If I could spend a month somewhere, anywhere, it would be in Athens and I would spend my time soaking in the history.

What ideas do you have for how to create more buzz? I am constantly trying to create more buzz for Orbit Now. That is, I am constantly trying to generate more traffic for Orbit Now, but I am not sure this is a good thing. At times, I feel like I have lost my purpose. Evelyn Rodriguez blogs today about purpose. I agree with her when she says you must answer the question "why do we exist" first. Once you discover this, you can begin building your brand and your buzz. So, I'm not sure I am a good person to answer this question, but I will nonetheless.

5 ideas for generating buzz: 1) bumper sticker, 2) create one of those silly holiday letters all about your blog and send it to everyone you know, 3) pass out/post business cards with your URL on them, 4) write a poem about your blog, go to a poetry reading, get on stage, and shamelessly plug away, 5) visit a local university and pass out flyers... Note, all of these activities are off-line...

Can you remember when traveling by air was COOL? Yes. Smoking onboard was allowed then, as well.

Have your views about traveling for business changed in the last few years? Absolutely. Now, I have a 2 year old and 5 year old that greet me at the front door each night when I arrive home from work. I don't get that when I travel for business, and I miss it. I missed it tonight. (I'm in Ft. Worth).

Have you noticed that you smile when you are in a convertible, top down, on a pleasant day? So why aren’t all cars convertibles? I have noticed that I smile more when I am in a convertible, but I don't own one and I don't know why all cars aren't convertibles.

Do you have anyTHING that you hold dear? I hold my family dear.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you? Thank you.

When was the last time you made someone else's day by sharing why you think they are special (even at work!)? Friday.

Who are you being when you are GREAT? Daddy. What are you thinking? Don't grow up. How are you feeling? Lucky. How do you begin the day? With a shower. What does your voice sound like? Sparkly. What can you achieve? Whatever I can conceive.

How do you choose (and we do choose) when to be great? I try to give a 1000% everyday.

How we feel each day is a choice - why would we select to have anything but a great day? Because we are feeling sorry for ourselves? I don't know. I don't think there is a good answer to this question. This is a trick question! We shouldn't choose to have anything other than a great day everyday. I agree. It is a choice.

What if you gave this a try, what would you ask for? Stretch goals...write more...love more...smile more...try to learn something for everyone I come in contact with...try to get home by 6 PM...

How does this relate to management? Self-examination and reflection are critical components of personal improvement/continuous improvement. Managers/Leaders should continual strive for personal/organization improvement.

Don't wait for permission to succeed!

Troy

[Lisa Haneberg]

Thanks for sharing, and thanks to those who sent responses directly to me!

Troy, thanks for introducing me to your blog, too.

Lori - What is nice thing for him to say - he's a keeper!