May 2009

Lessons Learned at 30

May 31, 2009

in Personal Growth

I turned 30 last Thursday. Looking back on my 20s, I’d be lying if I said there were things I didn’t wish I’d done differently, but mostly, I’m happy and grateful for the experiences I’ve had. If I had a chance to go back in time and share with my 20-year old self the lessons I’ve learned in these last 10 years, this is probably what I’d say.

1. Play, Experiment, Learn

I know you want a lot of answers. The thing is, impatient as you are, some answers won’t come immediately. They can’t. They can only be bought with experience and time.

Right now, be okay with not knowing. Play. Experiment. Learn. Use your 20s to discover who you are, what you love and what you want to contribute to this world.

You will be scared, but sometimes fear will point you in the direction where you need to grow most. Don’t chase perfection, you won’t get it. And don’t confuse knowledge for experience; the answers you seek will lie in action, not endless navel-gazing.

Photo by Pink Sherbet

Photo by Pink Sherbet

2. Work to Learn

If you’re ever offered a choice between doing something that will help you learn but pays less and doing something that won’t teach you anything but will make you more, go for the learning. You’ll be making and losing money all your life, but what you learn will always be a part of you, and without family depending on you or a mortgage to service, you can still afford to be a little broke.

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This One’s for the Turtles

May 2, 2009

in General

Another check from the Adsense takings on Life Coaches Blog has just been donated to Conservation International.

I’ll be frank with you and admit that I’m no saint – I sometimes feel like kicking myself for pledging all of Life Coaches Blog’s profits to CI. Especially when I start thinking of all the stuff that extra cash can buy.

But then I watch something like ocean researcher Sylvia Earle’s TED talk about the decline of our seas and I remember why I made the pledge in the first place, I remember this stuff makes a difference, and I feel a whole lot better again.

For my Friends, the Makers of Things

May 1, 2009

in Blogging,Creativity

HOWTO: 149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog with Credibility! a SxSW ‘09 panel by Merlin Mann and John Gruber, has been on my repeat play-list for the past few weeks.

Merlin Mann and John Gruber are wildly successful web authors. They are both amongst my favorite writers; this is their first recorded panel together and it is insanely funny. Despite the tongue-in-cheek title, not only is it full of great advice about how to blog well, but when you replace the word ‘blog’ with any creative endeavor – like ‘photography’ or ’3D animation’ – the advice translates across disciplines and gives insight about creativity, ownership and how to make something you can be proud of.

The first time I listened to the end of this one-hour recording, I forwarded it to my creative friends, because I knew they would get so much from it. But I was afraid they wouldn’t get the many (hilarious) Web 2.0 in-jokes and be turned off by the heavy blogging overtones.

So this short summary is for my friends; the makers of things.

Note: Quotes in this post are thanks to Jordan Cole’s full transcription.

1. Find Your Obsession and Your Voice

The core of the panel can be summed up in one simple phrase: find your obsession and your voice. Mann says:

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