The QLog

Silent Cal Says Press On

Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933) was the 30th President of the United States. Although his administration is consistently ranked as mediocre (or worse) by historians, it is clear from his speeches and writings that he was a thoughtful individual. His observation on perseverance is still valid today:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Bottom Line: If you have a big enough WHY, you'll find the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and HOW. Do not give up in the face of setbacks. PRESS ON!

Just Four Minutes!

What can you with just four minutes? More than you probably think. Since 1954, after Roger Bannister broke the four minute barrier, many people have run an entire mile in less than four minutes! WOW. That is productivity at it’s best.

Here are a few things you can do in four minutes with less training:

• Make a phone call
• Clean your desk
• Compose an email
• Do 30 push-ups
• Read a short article
• Post a blog entry
• Consider a problem
• Create a plan for the next four hours.

The Bottom Line: Do not treat micro-blocks of time as inconsequential. Just as enough drops of water will eventually create an ocean, wasted minutes become lost hours. If you are both effective and efficient, you can produce big results within small increments of time.

Ideas, Not People

Give up gossip today and choose to talk about something interesting instead!

This choice will put you in a unique class. Decide today to have the majority of your discussion focus on solutions and strategies instead of about what someone else did or did not do. Employ creative and critical thinking to become an expert conversationalist as well as someone who offers real value, intelligent commentary and constructive criticism.

Trade people as a subject matter for topics that center on ideas.

The 30-Second Integrity Litmus Test

The world is complex and not every decision is clearly 'bad' or 'good'. Here are three questions that will help clarify murky situations:

1)      Would I be proud or ashamed if what I was saying or doing was printed on the front page of the newspaper?

2)      Would I be proud or ashamed if my Mom knew?

3)      Would I be proud or ashamed if my kids found out?

The Law of Action, part 3

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." – Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963.

I certainly believe that MLK had a grand vision; however, he did not only rely on the Law of Attraction. He believed that a worthy cause is achieved through decisive action, even when it is unpopular or dangerous.  On April 16, 1963, MLK was arrested for participating in an anti-segregation protest. That night in his cell, he wrote his landmark document "Letter from Birmingham Jail" which outlines his philosophy that individuals have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws. This open letter was a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963 titled "A Call For Unity" which argued that although social injustices based on race were real, the fight against this racial segregation should only be a legal one, fought within the court system, and removed from the public streets. King’s responded was that without forceful and direct actions, real civil rights would never be achieved in the South. As he put it: "This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.'"

Likewise, Rosa Parks was a brave woman in 1955 when she chose to act against the current customs which treated some people as second-class citizen. Her refusal to give up her seat at the front of the bus to a white passenger was the event that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and launched the Civil Rights Movement in America.

The Civil Rights Movement has many, many heroes such as those 436 ‘freedom riders’ in 1961 who tested the new federal laws that prohibited segregation on public transportation. Many were severely beaten during those trips as local police often did not interfere when the angry mobs attacked them at depots for defying the local social mores.

Yet, without the thousands of men and women who helped this cause with action (marching, protesting, writing, preaching, voting), often putting their livelihood or life at risk, it is certainly possible that the South could still be a legally segregated society in 2007.

The Law of Action was the real catalyst for change.

The Law of Action, part 2

I’ll admit it: it would be wonderful if all the effects within our world could always be distilled down to a singular causes. This would make learning about how the universe works so much simpler as it would mean that most phenomena could be explained via a few simple formulas such as If X, then Y. If everything were this easily deconstructed, instead of many years of schooling, one would be able to achieve a world-class education in a matter of months. Alas, this is not the case.

Even after several hundred years, the reductionist program within the sciences has only scratched the surface of the observable world as our cosmos is both subtle and complex. Although many entities can be explained by breaking them down into their components, few real-world things can be reduced to a single cause, rule, or law alone. The same applies to the human experience.

Success is like a mighty oak. It begins as a hopeful, yet small acorn. When the conditions are right, it takes root, and begins the journey towards becoming a large tree. If this blog were an advice column for young, green saplings, I might suggest the following 'rules' that are essential to reach one's leafy potential:

•           The Rule of Dirt: Avoid sand, swamp, and clay. These are poor conditions. Your choice of location is vital to you reaching your dream. Choose the best soil possible. 

•           The Rule of Bright: The Sun is your friend! There is great pleasure within feeding one's leaves in the warms of the sunrays. Photosynthesis is the key to fast growth. Do not allow yourself to sprout within the shadow of others, instead, always pick an area with good light. 

•           The Rule of Wet: Water is the true key. It is pure; it is good. Wetness is the one path to treeness. Avoid deserts and seek a moist home.

Bottom Line: could one expect a tree to grow if all three of these rules were violated? The answer is a resounding no. Additionally, farmers would not be happy to learn that an entire growing season would occur without just one of these important variables (e.g. light, water, soil).

Yet, it is impossible to claim that one of these is more important that the others. Although the general outline for becoming a tree can be broken down into easy to understand principles, it is impossible to claim any one thing as the only important element for this outcome. The lives of humans are much more complex than even the tallest oak. As a result, it should be no surprise that there might be a multiplicity of important rules to thrive as a sentient being, with some factors influencing outcomes more than others. While a number of authors have advocated that the main tenet for our happiness is the "law of attraction," I suggest that this law is better understood as secondary, and the much grander formula is found within the "law of action".

The Law of Action is nothing new. In fact, it is the core of the Protestant Work Ethic. The Law of Action is an ancient concept and appears to be found within all the world religions. In the West, this idea is best captured best by the Christian aphorism "as you sow, so shall you reap" which is based on several New Testament passages (II Cor. 9:6, Lk. 6:38, Gal. 6:8). The older Hebrew Bible discusses this idea as well, such as Hosea (8:7) which states "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind" and the Book of Job (4:2) says "Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same." Likewise, very similar ideas exist within other traditions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, for what is the concept of karma but the embodiment of this very same ethos? The whole teaching of Zoroastrianism can easily be compressed into three simple commandments: Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta (translation: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds). It starts with ideas, but ends with action. 

The Law of Action, part 1

The Secret, a best-selling self-help book and DVD by Rhonda Byrne suggests the following formula for success: ask, believe, and receive. The website for the book and DVD claims that many scientists and philosophers, including “Plato, Newton, Carnegie, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein” all knew this secret. Perhaps. However, what is historical clear is that they each devoted the majority of their time to their craft:

·                      Plato spent his entire adult studying, reading, writing, and teaching. His dialogues became the foundation of Western philosophy and required time to produce by hand. Of course, Plato advised wisdom and success were produced through a different methodology: the Socratic Method.

·                      Newton’s scientific output was outstanding, and yet this is only a fraction of his total writing (his private journals, thousands of pages, focus more on theology and alchemy) and spent most of his hours working. Any student within the History of Science can tell you that Newton was also a very negative person, a misanthrope, and quarrelsome. He was not using ‘ask, believe, and receive’ in the same manner that Rhonda Byrne suggests. In fact, on his deathbed, he stated that his greatest achievement was that he led “the celibate life.”

·                      Carnegie entrepreneurial success was certainly not accidental. He worked hard and put men of vision and action in high positions, such as Charles M. Schwab. In fact, one of his better known quotations demonstrates he also believed in the Law of Action: “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”

·                      Beethoven, although deaf, spent countless hours composing music he could not hear. Although best known for his 9 symphonies, 138 of his works have Opus numbers, and there are over 200 shorter works without them. He was one of the first freelance composers in history as well as a musical genius.

·                      Shakespeare’s plays are inspired creations that clear were also works that took considerable to time to write, produce, and perform. Can one imagine the English language without Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, or the Tempest? I am thankful that John Heminges and Henry Condell compiled the plays within the first folio so they did not become ‘Love's Labor's Lost’ and forgotten to time.

·                      Einstein had a day job while he conducted his thought experiments and balanced equations. In fact, in 1905, he had a dual career as he worked full-time as a Swiss patent clerk while he was also publishing in Annalen der Physik, the leading German physics journal. One paper was about the photoelectric effect and it lead to his Nobel Prize in 1921. Another proposed the special theory of relativity for which he is famous. 

This suggests that ‘believe, ask, receive’ is too simplistic a model as it ignores the principle of cause and effect. The above examples clearly illustrate that Action (yes, with a capital A) is fundamental to the process. I suggest you use the LOA...not the Law of Attraction, but the Law of Action.

I would like to propose what I consider the real secret of success: C.A.R.

Conceive – It all starts with an idea. Know what you what and why you want it.

Act – Do something! As Lao Tzu said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Create an action plan and move forward on it. Do not wait for pennies from heaven.

Receive – Results are produced through effort, not magic. The Wisdom of Paul is still true: “as you sow, so shall you reap” Galatians 6:7.

Finally, I would suggest that the success of The Secret itself used the C.A.R formula. From the excellent copy on the website to the high-quality production values of the DVD, it is clear a team of individuals were not just employing ‘ask, believe, receive” but were putting forth a real effort to make it a best-seller. The Law of Action was a very necessary component for the CD and the book to exist and then sell.   

K.I.S.S.S.

I am sure you've heard of KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. I have never liked this acronym for two reasons. First, it calls people stupid. Yet, even it the phrase has been ‘Keep It Simple, Smartie’ I would have not been a big fan, as this too wastes valuable information space. The last character is merely dead-weight.

I prefer my own K.I.S.S.S. principle which is an abbreviation for Keep it Simple, Strategic, and Systematic. Why? Simplicity, Strategy, and Systems are the keys to creating a highly successful business or life. These three aspects can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of any process or plan.

Three C's of Problem Solving: Context

When trying to solve a problem, if a solution is not instantly obvious, I suggest attempting to Alter the Context.

Context involves the terrain and environment. This may be an actual landscape or more subtle such as the marketplace or idea space. Context includes all the explicit assumption, tacit conventions, and social constructions. Context attempts to explain how the world should work and how humans ought to behave.

Imagine a glass of water. The water would be the content. The glass itself, giving a specific shape to the water, is the context. When one shift’s the contextual background, the data remains the same; however, new answers are often possible. Just as a straw is a way of changing the context of water from inside a glass to somewhere else (like a mouth).

A common example of altering the context is the serendipitous ‘mistake’ that led to the creation of 3M’s Post-it® Notes. In 1968, by Dr. Spencer Silver, invented the adhesive; however, it was not sticky enough for the designed applications. Normally, glue is used to hold something in place for a long time. However, in 1974, Dr. Silver’s colleague, Arthur Fry, a member of a church choir, grew frustrated that his bookmarks kept falling out of his hymnal at practice. He altered the context and applied this weak glue to his markers so they would temporarily stick. Eventually, this concept became the core premise one of 3M most ubiquitous products! Then, in 2003, 3M altered the context again, with the introduction of a new product: Super Sticky Notes. These have a different and stronger glue which can more easily adhere to vertical and non-smooth surface.

Three C's of Problem Solving: Intro

Although new ideas can be generated and old ideas can be improved with many different methods, I believe that the following three C’s are crucial for problem solving: Content, Context, and Connections.

Here is a skeleton outline of three important tactics that are implemented (often unconsciously) when attempting to solve a problem in novel and better way:

1. Increase the Content

2. Alter the Context
3. Create new Connections

I’ll go over each of these in more depth over the next few days.