Thought Sparks

Category Archives: Critical Thinking

Simplicity the New Mantra

Posted by Phil on July 29, 2008 – 6:15 am

Filed under Critical Thinking, Just for Fun

Every once in a while there is an idea that seems to touch on every area of my life. These recurrent themes cause me to stop and take note as they often lead to greater understanding. One theme I see recurring is the idea of simplicity, streamlined approach to organizational development.

Certainly the wave of economic shifts in response to the energy crunch would encourage a more conservative approach to operations from a business standpoint. More fundamental though I believe is a reaction to the complexity of life and a return to the essentials of getting things done. Perhaps there’s a deeper realization that "less is more" is really true.

Most recently this cropped-up at work with much talk in management circles about the book Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. The book essentially says find what’s fundamentally valuable to your customer, cut waste and deliver in an efficient and effective manner.

Borrowing some of the concepts of Lean Thinking in my personal life, we live in a small house, drive older cars and try to avoid a lifestyle of waste. By being effective and efficient at work I produce quality work that is rewarded thereby building wealth for my family.

A streamlined approach is also an effective means to advancing organizational objectives that are not economically driven as well. The application is broad as is the case with the book Simple Church. Drawing parallels from marketing such as the iPod and Google’s homepage, the authors point to a simple approach to church that is in sharp contrast to an organization that runs a plethora of programs. This book got me excited as I’ve been meditating lately on Acts 2:42-47 which gives a picture of the early church devoted to a few things that rocked the world.

Like loosing oneself from debt, letting go of waste, complexity and unnecessary baggage gives greater flexibility and freedom. I guess the writer of the ancient book of Hebrews had it right when he said in chapter 12 "let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us". Now that’s lean thinking.

Work Like Water

Posted by Phil on May 29, 2008 – 3:34 am

Filed under Critical Thinking, Philosophy, Productivity

In the quiet moments early in the morning I sometimes wax philosophical in pursuit of understanding my day-to-day existence. What is it that I really am doing? What difference does pushing 0’s and 1’s around? To the degree that I am successful, what makes my work stand apart from another? Is it creative ingenuity to solve problems? Yes, I think I have some of that. Is it a strong work ethic? Well, everyday I get up and do it again. Is it work done with integrity? Yes, I am not one to cut corners. At the end of the day I think a secret to my success is just getting stuff done. It has served me well.

I recently read a rather didactic book on productivity, familiar to many techies called "Getting Things Done." The basic premise of the book by David Allen is to immediately categorize info into buckets thereby either doing it, defering it or delegating it but not ignoring it and letting it pester you until you do something with it. By creating systems for storing tasks and projects you can literally forget about it and focus on solving real problems. I identified with it as something my first boss taught me many years ago.

While the system is tried and true, it didn’t help illuminate in my brain the way I work or more importantly the way my brain works. I have to categorize stuff constantly and come back to it frankly because my memory is just not that good. Half the time I forget my cell number or confuse numbers with my wife’s when asked by someone. So that’s fine and good.

Right now I’m staring at some pretty daunting deadlines this summer to launch an intranet, produce a video and create a website for an international symposium, develop some flash presentations and drive forward the regular agenda’s for development and upkeep of the main site at work. This doesn’t take into account the myriad of other processes and events happening outside of work.

I have come to see work like water. I have never been one to step-down from a challenge, but in the realm of productivity often I find from hour-to-hour the path of least resistance is the most productive. When it’s an opportune time to get a task done, do it. Constant evaluation of the full landscape reveals crevices in projects that I can fill.

As a random nonsequential thinker, I don’t know if I truly understand my thought processes. Left-brained thinkers like to break it apart for other left-brained thinkers. That is all fine and good and I appreciate its instructiveness. For me though, in the rubber-hits-the-road reality of today, this morning with much to get done, it’s just water flowing to the lowest points on the horizon.

Just hoping I don’t drown in the process.

What I Learned from the 35-Day No Caffeine Experiment

Posted by Phil on October 2, 2007 – 5:06 am

Filed under Critical Thinking, Fasting, Productivity

Day 35 came and went on Sunday and two days later I still have not imbibed on a caffeine drink. Why? I really haven’t gotten the urge. People have asked me whether I am going to start drinking coffee again and I don’t have an answer for them, well not a simple one. Here are some things I’ve learned as I sort through the process.

A 39 year-old can change his habits. They say it takes 30 days to make a habit. Fasting from caffeine for 35 days pushed it out just a bit further to the point where I had to go through a series of adjustments in my mind.
My identity was wrapped-up in coffee. I started drinking coffee around the age of 19. That’s twenty years ago, two decades, most likely a quarter of my life. I was a coffee drinker, that was just who I am, or at least I had told myself.
Getting started is the hardest part. When I say getting started, I mean getting started and making it through the first week. I’ve changed many habits for a few days to a week. It’s relatively easy to hold ones breath for a couple of days. getting 10 days out and beyond is the tuffy.
The time was right. I sensed there was a window of opportunity that I can’t explain. I would call it God gracing me with the ability to take the step in this season. I knew if I passed-up that window, for whatever reason, it would be harder down the line.
Setting a time limit was effective. If I said, "I’m quitting caffeine, no more coffee for me" I would have been a goner. Maybe I would have made it through a week. Actually, I know when I would have cratered. I started on a Monday and the following Friday was no fun. That would have been the day.
Telling others about it was important. Being public about the experiment, very public by blogging about it, telling friends, family and co-workers kept me on track. That kind of accountability was extremely powerful.
I was motivated towards change. Though I called it my "35-Day No Caffeine Experiment", the emphasis in my mind was towards the end results. The focus was on the word "experiment" rather than "no caffeine". It made it more interesting and reminded me of the reasons I was fasting in the first place.
The reasons for change were clear to me. I was fasting towards better physical health, stronger mental clarity and spiritual pursuit. I had some minor physical ailments that cleared-up shortly after beginning the fast. I have found my thought processes and energy level to have stabilized through the day with the release from caffeine and white processed sugars. In desperation for strength I turned to God and found it in Him.
Change breeds change. The first week on the fast I noticed my sugar intake start to increase. I knew that was not a good thing. By the second week it was back to normal and by the third I started a fast from candy. I used to eat way too many candy bars at work, the little ones you can pop in your mouth and donuts too. My interest in sweets has dropped dramatically.
Change is empowering. A number of areas in my life have begun to be refocused. It’s as if someone turned a light on to darkened corners of my life and made plain what could be re-ordered. I have a new sense of my ability to address issues or circumstances in my life towards a better outcome.
Habits are powerful. The main reason I have not started drinking coffee is that I’m out of the habit. Positive or negative, habits are one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Changing habits instigate fundamental change in circumstances.

Will this change be permanent? I’m leaning in that direction. I believe change breeds change. If I continue to intake healthy food and stay clear of refined processed sugars I will most likely not experience the highs and lows that strengthen the urge to be buoyed-up by caffeine. I know that fixating on it is of no help to me. The focus remains on the positive effects.

So, what’s next on the horizon? Time. I need to reshape how I spend my time. There are many areas I can address in that arena but I’m going to start with one item and go from there. It will probably be daily exercise. First though, I need to review my list and think through something that matches-up especially to points number 6 and 7. I need the right motivation and the reasons for change to be clear.

Is there some change you are contemplating? Have you made a change in your habits? What were the driving factors?

Blogging on Purpose

Posted by Phil on June 26, 2007 – 9:01 pm

Filed under Critical Thinking, Web and Tech Helps, Writing

Living life on purpose is something I strive towards. I enjoy looking at cause and effect, the end results. Writing to a blog is a process that is done with definite goals in mind. I wrote about the Top 20 Reasons I Blog back in March. In reviewing those reasons, by-and-large they are still the same.

Doing the Math

Today, I did a quick look at my web stats using Google Analytics. I’ve seen a 22% increase in visits from the previous 30 days. Sounds impressive. So, making the blanket assumption that I will see a 22% increase each month from the previous one, I figure that by next April I will have a whopping 186 visits per day. If I were to purposely monetize the site and saw a 3% return click rate on ads at .25 cents per ad, I’d be making roughly $42 a month. If for some reason I was able to triple the return I would be making $126 a month by next Spring. If you figure I spend at least 30 hours a month blogging including reading and commenting (and probably many more, I’d hate to count), I’d be earning $4.20 an hour. Wow, does that motivate you or what?

If thoughtsparks.net were to become profitable one day, I would probably give the money away. I strive towards a personal integrity that is not about compromising my posts to win popularity or even to turn a quick buck. If I don’t challenge, educate, delight or encourage my readers, then I will banish myself from the blogosphere. This blog, while autobiographical at times, is really about the readership, about you. Truthfully, the well-formed comments speak to this site becoming an online community of folks who are thinkers and are looking for honest information and encouraging pros.

Why I Blog, Simple Really

Learning. As a professional web developer, blogging keeps me on the bleeding edge of new technology. As a communicator it sharpens my writing and critical thinking skills. As a student of people it teaches me the unique and dynamic nature of the human condition.
Giving. Blogging is an opportunity to share lessons I’ve learned and tricks of the technical trade. It’s an avenue to offer assistance to people near and far.

What Motivates You?

Statistically speaking, the number of wealthy bloggers are very few. You stand a much greater chance of making serious income in many other pursuits. So why do you blog? What really drives you and gets you up every morning? Is it pursuing financial gain? Is it altruistic concern for others? Is it a creative thirst for expression? What’s your bottom line? I’m curious to know.

Sowing Good Ideas

Posted by Phil on May 2, 2007 – 7:04 am

Filed under Critical Thinking, Productivity, communication strategy

My mind is an idea generator. Just about every day I wake-up with a new one. Some of them are not more than passing thoughts, some are glimpses of a growing concept and some are a collective of several ideas. Being the verbal processor that I am, I readily share my ideas with others. Fortuanetly for me, I’m married to a wonderful wife that listens to me and has the wisdom to know the difference between passing thoughts and serious intentions. She’s an amazing gift to me. In the work place I bring in new ideas to supervisors and peers. I have learned to expect an immediate negative reaction. It’s no fault of theirs, just a typical response. Most people don’t like change and are uncomfortable with new ideas. So, I make it an old idea by bringing it up in different ways.

Idea generation is like planting a garden. In the picture above I planted and cultivated the rose bush and the salvia in the background. The beautiful primrose however were planted by the birds. While the primrose are wild they are not completely unplanned. The thin vertical rod is a bird feeder which brings birds, who drop seeds, which produces flowers. How wonderful to reap the benefit of good sowing.

There is a process in my mind I follow for advancing a good idea. While it can vary, here are the basic elements:

An idea is born. I wake-up with an idea or come across something that triggers a thought.
The idea brews and sometimes even lays dormant.
Sub ideas or connection points are made that strengthen the idea. This is important as these become the selling points or counter points to skepticism.
I challenge the idea and poke holes in it myself. This strengthens it by shoring-up the weaknesses.
I float the idea past one or more people.
I get positive and negative feedback.
I mull over the idea and find more connection points.
I repeat step 4, 5, 6 and 7 multiple times until the positives far outweigh the negative. The more significant the idea, the more lengthy the process.
I develop a concrete plan for implementation and re-assert the idea. The idea is no longer a new one per say and is more readily received.
I present the idea now as a plan with action points. In the work place setting, use of PowerPoint or a formal document may be beneficial. At this point, I’m more assertive and confident in the idea. I go for it and am ready for negative feedback. If I’ve done my homework I should have an answer for most detractors.

So go for it, sow good ideas. There’s an age old law, the law of sowing and reaping. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." Galatians 6:7. This one verse, this one concept can change a persons life. Much like a garden, what you sow reaps a result. If you sow good ideas, you will reap a good return. Like the clothing guy says, "I guarantee it."

The One Degree of Difference

Posted by Phil on April 9, 2007 – 9:19 pm

Filed under Critical Thinking, Productivity, perspective

There is a difference between good and shoddy work. It’s a one degree difference. One definition of perfect is: "excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement." Being perfect, complete in ones projects sometimes is the difference of a few minutes well spent.

Did you take out a piece of paper and think through the project?
Did you anticipate the pitfalls and identify the solutions?
Did you take a break after the initial rough-draft of the project and reflect on the process?
Did you have someone review for errors? Spelling, grammatical, graphical, linkage?
Did you review the project as well looking for both errors and points of improvement?
Did you come away from the project with a sense of satisfaction that you did your best?

These are really simple suggestions, but doing your best is not neglecting the mundane elements of a project.

Today, I took a different look at the tasks and projects on my plate. I considered how to reconnect the dots between like projects for development that would accomplish multiple tasks: One set of code for multiple HTML Email, one Flash kiosk concept for multiple presentations, one reporting mechanism for multiple statistical reports, one code revision for multiple applications on the web. Efficient work gives me time to do a more effective job with strategic goals in mind. In the end, I will produce better work in less time because I thought through how to reuse code and design. It is the little things that make the difference.

Organic Thinking

Posted by Phil on March 25, 2007 – 8:13 pm

Filed under Critical Thinking, Productivity, communication strategy

This weekend I began the intensive ritual of Spring gardening. Beyond the cutting, trimming, fertilizing, watering, and weed pulling, there is the delightful process of transplanting seedlings that have spontaneously sprung-up over the course of the year. I also dug-up and transplanted some flowers that are virtually roots with seemingly dead stems. They are now relocated, to the yet disbelief of my nine-year old, and will bloom into beautiful lantanas in just a short while.

I was thinking today how thought, true thinking, is much like gardening. While our technical constructs may seem rigid, the development of new ideas and flourishing of endeavors is quite organic. Sometimes one idea is an off-shoot of another gaining a life of its own. Other times ideas may seem dead on the surface but can be given new life with the right environment and nutrients.

Web marketing is, at its core, an organic process. Who would have thought just a few years ago that the strategy for effective marketing would become as broad as it is today. B2B companies are waking-up to the reality that business today means:

Managing their online identity on places like wikipedia
Link building on sites and directories
Daily updating their online paid advertising
Producing weekly if not daily news and blog feeds
Daily analysis of web traffic reports
Responding to customers who demand instant response
Taking a proactive stance with search engines
Constantly updating their site
Posting media to YouTube, Flickr
Managing a barrage of spam and malicous activity while at the same time,
Continuing to dodge the black list bullets to reach customers
Do more with less resources as the competition goes global

Now, more than ever before, effective marketing, successful businesses require organic thinking individuals. Thoughtful technologists, marketers, sales and management people who respond quickly to new mediums for promotion will be leaders in the emerging economy.

Thought Sparks, Ensuring Minds are Moving

Posted by Phil on March 25, 2007 – 10:36 am

Filed under Critical Thinking, Thought Provoking

Thanks to Not Fearing Change for listing Thought Sparks as one of five blogs that makes her think.

She wrote, "Thought Sparks is awesome in bringing forth technological thinking and how things are moving. His whole blog is dedicated to ensuring our minds are moving."

Very cool. If I make you think, then I am living up to my goal of "Igniting Ideas for the Common Good."

Soon to come will be five blogs that make me think. Stay tuned.

How to Get Stuff Done

Posted by Phil on March 7, 2007 – 3:41 pm

Filed under Critical Thinking, Productivity

Procrastination is a productivity killer for many because it bogs them down into ambiguity that is both uncomfortable and confusing for folks. There are a few simple steps to take to move past this problem which will have a dramatic affect on your job performance. There are many self-help books, articles, etc. on time management, but it’s really not that complicated. I find that many long-standing business issues often take only a few minutes to a few hours to solve if you follow a few key steps. The implimentation of the action plan may take longer, but developing an action plan is usually half the battle.

To remove the ambiguity, write down as specifically as possible the following:

What do you know to be true or clear.
What specific issues are unclear.
Who can help address the specific issues.
Order the items in sequence, both clear and ambiguous parts into a list.
Put a specific timeline to those items.
Recruit or assign people to help with those steps.
Build-in accountability to management, co-workers, scheduling that holds you to the task.

Don’t let key projects slide. You may think you are getting away from the task by procrastination, but eventually it catches-up with you. Plan well, measure twice and cut once. Following these simple steps will win you accolades and admiration from your supervisor and co-workers.