A young man wasn’t sure what the next step in his career should be. He went to his mentor to get advice and the mentor said only this, “If you only have a year left of your life to work, what work would you choose to do?” The young man quit his job the next day, moved, and started a new career doing exactly what he wanted to do. Not what others thought he should do, not what he thought he should do. He did what he wanted, what spoke to the very deepest part of his heart. If what you’re doing right now doesn’t make the fibers of your being sing, if you aren’t at least steadily working toward that place, you’re wasting your time. And that’s not something you can afford. Make a change. Take this man’s mentor as your own. Do the work you were meant to do.
I’m now on Flipboard as @christanyc and created 4 magazines to curate content in travel, product design, workspace design, and stress reduction. I hope you’ll stop by and check them out: Travel on Purpose – use your travels and vacations to build a better world
Today’s impossibilities are tomorrow’s realities. That’s why I’ve been inspired by Alice in Wonderland, my favorite book, to take up a new morning ritual. As soon as I wake up, I write down 6 impossible things before I have breakfast. It gets my creative engine running right off the bat. Give it a try and let me know what you come up with!
My 6 impossible things lists so far:
7/22/14
– The ability to send people messages through dreams
– Trees that grow everything we need – even bicycles
– A composter that could recycle anything and everything – zero trash
– Grass that cuts itself when it gets too long – and we get to decide what’s too long!
– A memory bank where we could house everything we ever learn and believe and experience forever
– A way to truly understand exactly why another person has a certain opinion and everything that lead them to that opinion
7/23/14
– A system that quickly and easily moves water between flood areas and draught areas so everyone has enough water
– Fireproof trees and shrubs
– Shoes that give us energy
– A machine to turn our steps into energy that we can use anyway we want
– Self-monitoring plants that tell us when they need water and food and how much – for those like me who are green-thumb challenged!
– A machine that can take an image in my head and translate it onto any surface
7/24/14
– Compressed food that stays fresh and ships easily and grows if you add water
– A body scanner that we could use to check our vital signs everyday
– A filter that would alert us when we are about to say or write something hurtful before we actually say or write it
– An individual environment control to give us control over the temperature around us
– A way to save and review dreams after we wake up
– An automatic way to remind us of the good things in our lives when we are having a tough time
7/25/14
– A map to the end of a rainbow
– A way to instantly fix anything broken, especially in our bodies
– A way to see how our lives would unfold if we made different choices
– A way to record the world with only our eyes
– An instant language interpreter for every language so we could communicate with anyone, anytime, anywhere, even with animals
– Cars that generate their own energy without needing outside fuel
7/26/14
– Books that come to life
– Vehicles that drive, fly, and swim
– An emotion changer
– A thought releaser
– A brain health monitor we can use at home
– On-command suction hands and feet
– Breathe underwater without equipment
7/27/14
– Connect every town and city by high speed train
– A world where we can take our dogs everywhere
– Clothes that grow with us
– Hair that grows or shortens on-demand
– Instantly repairing skin
– Eyes and ears that never grow old
7/28/14
– Self-decaying tech that you decide when it should decay
– A meter that tells you how many positive and negative thoughts you’ve had in a day
– Something that makes me aware of every time I think something negative about myself so I can stop doing it
– A dog translator – canine to English and English to canine
– Instant basic knowledge of how to play any instrument
– A self-cleaning house
We often defeat ourselves with our attitude. Something troubles us and we see it as a burden. If you’ve got a problem, make it a game. Bend, mold, twist, and turn it in your favor. And have fun. The best part of life is figuring it out.
My friend, Alex, looks at all my new project ideas because she sees my blind spots. The one she always points out is that I don’t give enough credit to my own experience and point-of-view. When you pitch a new project, you make a list of resources you have. Things like money, time, and connections probably make the list. Do you list your talents that make you the best person to get the job done? You should. You’re what matters most. You are your best asset. Thanks for the lesson, Alex!
Check out Alex’s latest venture, Stargrass Paper, purveyor of keenly curated cards, journals, and writing instruments. (In full disclosure, I’m a member of the company’s advisory board and I think it’s awesome!)
“The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.” – Brad Bird writing as Anton Ego of Ratatouille
Uber and Airbnb are two companies that challenge traditional industries. They face uphill regulatory and consumer battles every day. Can they be trusted, relied upon? Every new idea, product, service, and place faces this challenge: doubt. I love the new because it indicates growth, creativity, and evolution. I’ve made a pledge to befriend the new – to be open to new ways of thinking, doing, and being, for myself and of others. Will you join me?
Have you ever thought of posting a project to Kickstarter? Inventor Ryan Grepper and his COOLEST Cooler have quite a few lessons for us about perseverance, timing, and content. Ryan’s first COOLEST campaign in December 2013 wasn’t successfully funded. His revamped campaign that launched this month was successful and funded at 13,676% of its goal! I studied Ryan’s two campaigns and this is what I learned that I will apply to my own Kickstarter projects. I hope these insights help you, too!
1.) Timing matters
Ryan’s first campaign for his cooler was timed to hit around Christmas time. Few people are thinking about coolers during the winter months. Timing his new campaign in July, prime time for summer products, worked much better. Also, holiday time is an expensive time of year for people with gift giving and this impacted his ability to raise the needed funds.
2.) Keep the total as low as possible
Ryan wanted to raise $125,000 the first time. His second campaign had a total of $50,000. Consider how much you really need to do a project, not how much you’d like to have.
3.) Get to the point
On Kickstarter, get to the “what” as soon as possible in the description. Explain the product clearly and succinctly with features prominently placed as soon as possible in the description. Put the detail further down in the write up.
4.) Have clear rewards
It’s common for Kickstater giving levels to have different rewards. Make sure those rewards are clear and listed early on in the general description.
5.) Have FAQs and answers
Think of likely FAQs that people may have about the campaign and answer them on your page.
6.) Be conscious of giving levels
Think carefully about the number of giving levels you have and the range of the options. Kickstarter’s community is filled with people who can give modest amounts of money so make sure to have plenty of opportunities for support at the low and mid-tier giving levels.
7.) Keep shipping simple
Many people, myself included, feel cheated when it comes to online shipping. The original COOLEST campaign had complicated language concerning international shipping. In the second campaign, that language is cleaned up and that seemed to have an impact on the number of international supporters.
8.) Don’t give up. Learn and revamp!
I love that Ryan didn’t give up on his idea nor on the Kickstarter campaign just because the first time wasn’t successful. He asked a lot of questions, reflected on his experience, learned, and tried again. After all, you can’t beat someone who doesn’t give up!
Congrats to Ryan and his COOLEST team! Have you run a successful Kickstarter? What advice do you have for readers?
“Your attention is precious. Don’t squander it. Don’t let anyone or anything steal it from you. Own your attention — it’s all you really have.” -Jonathan Harris
Your attention is your greatest asset because it harnesses your energy and time. Here are 5 ways I safeguard mine:
1.) Keep a book of ideas
My friend, Crystal, bought me a journal for my birthday with the words “brilliant ideas” on the cover. I use it to house my ideas about anything and everything, brilliant or not. This journal reminds me to tap in.
2.) 6 impossible things
Influenced by the famous quote from Alice in Wonderland, I just started writing down 6 impossible things before breakfast to get my creative juices flowing first thing in the morning. More on this in a future blog post!
3.) Meditate
It doesn’t have to be an elaborate, complicated practice. I sit up in bed when I wake up, close my eyes, and just focus on my breath for a few minutes. I remind myself that I am strong, healthy, and capable. I silently express my gratitude that I am alive and that I get to have another day to make a difference – my singular goal every day.
4.) Let go of “stuff”
I’ve never been a big “stuff” person. I don’t have fancy clothes, jewelry, or household items. After my apartment building fire almost 5 years ago, I became even less materialistic and I live without very many personal items at all. I recently had to downsize to take a short-term sublet as I figure out my next step in life. Giving away even more things to people who really needed them made me so happy. My life is richer with fewer physical possessions.
5.) Consciously look for beauty
On Monday, I went to the park with my nieces. My 4-year-old niece, Aubree, said, “Nan (her nickname for me), look!” She was staring out at the lake. “I don’t see anything,” I said. “What are you looking at?” “Look at the sunshine,” she said. “It’s so beautiful!” She is a wise little lady. The sunshine was beautiful. And I was missing it. Everywhere you go, look for beauty. It’s there and it inspires.
Christa Avampato 