Profiting in Perspective

"Our responsibilities are far greater. We must always ensure that the business that we run day in and day out doesn’t simply produce a profit for the owners, but also benefits all of society. Profit isn’t a goal; it’s a tool. We need profits, too, to change the world, but we should never confuse a goal with a tool"


Steve Jobs’

Success as a Workflow

Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.




- Tyron Edwards


- Posted from the iPhone

Luck and Discipline

One half of life is luck; the other half is discipline -- and that's the important half, for without discipline you wouldn't know what to do with luck.
- Carl Zuckmeyer

Good bye Flash - what took so long

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/tech/mobile/adobe-mobile-flash-wired/index.html?hpt=

Invention, Innovation and Opportunity

Industrial Invention 1793 - 1860
When Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and Cyrus McCormick the mechanical reaper, it signaled the beginning of a change for the global economy, markets and society. During this era, technology and innovation delivered vastly more efficient ways to harvest natural resources and moved the scale and size of industry to an entirely new level. New markets were born out of this change and the net effect on the global ecosystem was one that can be seen as having resulted in significant benefits.

Technology and Innovation 1993 - 20xx
In the current landscape Jobs and Wozniak might be names one would use to find such comparisons to where technology and invention have had such a global impact. Not mincing words, these innovations are the cause / effect of where our free markets are today. When innovation brings on efficiencies such as those seen in our modern age, its resulting global adoption brings with it massive change. Today's technology has changed the way we do nearly everything. These digital innovations now manage every facet of our lives wherein just 50 years ago much of what we did was analog and manual. Along the way, our global landscape has changed. China has become the number one manufacturer in the world ending 100+ years of this being the United States. The biggest company in the world this year (for the first time ever) was the US technology company (APPLE -AAPL). Among all this is the opportunity for prosperity and further innovation. Technology has spawned new markets and will continue to spawn new markets. Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc are prime examples of how new markets have been created from technology and innovation.

Final Diatribe
As with the cotton gin and mechanical reaper the invention is only a signal of the change to come. Studies show that when change occurs, one third will be early adopters, one third will be disillusioned participants, and one third will resist. With this comes opportunity. As often is the case, our history can be a guide to the future. The metaphors of the industrial era are certainly playing themselves out as they did in the past. One constant throughout it all is the theme of improvement through innovation and as opposed to it's alternative, its a much better place to be.

Steve Jobs - Quote

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future,"

Steve Jobs - Stanford University

Leo Buscalgia Quote

There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control.




- Leo F. Buscalgia

Success is a Choice!

Choose, Survive, Persevere, Succeed

George Washington Carver

How far you go in your life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.




- George Washington Carver

The Boys of Summer

Cooperstown

Here nestled among the green rolling hills and dew filled mornings is the center of it's past. Keeping tradition buried in innocence helps keep it in the shadows and the perfect gem for those whose ultimate journey is to find its gift. For what this place is has less to do with the physical and tangible but everything to do with preserving an experience. While many places are like this, none compare to the awesome pedigree of tradition and history for this institution. While some flock with a religious zeal others pass by what is (some say) a microcosm of metaphors for life. One thing is for sure; those who are lucky enough to find it are forever touched by it.


For those looking for direction you must start the journey from within. There is no quick way to get here. Highways and shortcuts can get you close but in order to find what your looking for each must find their own path. When you arrive you'll find lavish amenities that enrich the experience, each one customized for the individual. Time has a universal effect, so spend your time wisely, the ability for it to cast deep shadows with it's passing is a precious commodity.


For those who wish for guidance in their journey I deeply recommend you begin your search in June or July. Pick a warm day and cancel plans for the next day. Bring something to capture your moments and come prepared to have them.

-R.Zullo

George Washington Quote

we do not determine greatness by success
we determine greatness by overcoming difficulties
greatness is always formed and forged in the crucible of tension and difficulty

Walt Disney

Somehow I can't believe there are many heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret can be summarized in four C's. They are: Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy, and the greatest of these is Confidence.




- Walt Disney

Change TimeMachine Backup Interval (OS X)

Link
(sudo pico edit /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.backupd-auto.plist)

How To Change Your Time Machine Backup Interval

Time Machine is Apple’s all-in-one backup solution that takes a snapshot of your hard drive and incrementally backs up any files that have changed since the previous backup. The default configuration is pretty sparse; there’s an On/Off slider, Disk Selection, and an Options area where you can exclude folders from the backup.

You might think hourly backups are a bit excessive. Apple does not give you a convenient way to change the default backup schedule. Luckily this is easy. Here are two ways you can change the hourly backup schedule to one of your choosing.


Modifying the system files

If you just want to change the default interval and not schedule anything fancy, follow this method.

Warning: this tutorial involves modifying System files. As always, be sure to make copies of the original files before changing anything.

1. Navigate to

/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
You’ll see a list of .plist files. Scroll until you see com.apple.backupd-auto.plist

2. Make a copy of this file somewhere else on your hard drive.

3. Verify that you (as an administrator of your machine) can Read and Write to this file. Highlight com.apple.backupd-auto.plist and “Get Info” (Command + I). If you don’t see “admin – Read & Write” or “[your username] Read & Write” you’ll need to add yourself to the list.

4. Open this file with a text editor. Property List Editor doesn’t let me save any changes for some reason.



5. In a text editor, find the lines

StartInterval
3600

Change 3600 to the amount of time you want between backups in seconds.

6. Save and you’re finished.

Time Machine Editor

Another way to manage your Time Machine backups is the very handy TimeMachineEditor utility. In addition to changing the default backup interval, it allows you to dictate your hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backup schedules with a very high level of detail.



Assign the rules you want and then click “Apply.”

TimeMachineEditor is free.

Do you have any other methods you use to increase Time Machine’s functionality? Leave them in the comments!

What Lucky People Do Different

Great Excerpt from an article by Jonathan Fields on Lucky vs Unlucky people

Recently I came upon a fascinating study by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire. Wiseman surveyed a number of people and, through a series of questionnaires and interviews, determined which of them considered themselves lucky—or unlucky. He then performed an intriguing experiment: He gave both the “lucky” and the “unlucky” people a newspaper and asked them to look through it and tell him how many photographs were inside. He found that on average the unlucky people took two minutes to count all the photographs, whereas the lucky ones determined the number in a few seconds.

How could the “lucky” people do this? Because they found a message on the second page that read, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.” So why didn’t the unlucky people see it? Because they were so intent on counting all the photographs that they missed the message. Wiseman noted,

“Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner, and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through the newspaper determined to find certain job advertisements and, as a result, miss other types of jobs. Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there, rather than just what they are looking for.”

Why be open

Great insightful article on why companies are "open" with products and ideas

http://bit.ly/e7YmkE


- Posted from the iPhone

Bernard Baruch-quote of the week

Whatever you undertake, do it with all your heart and soul. Always be courteous, never be discouraged. Beware of him who promises something for nothing. Do not blame anybody for your mistakes and failures.


- Bernard Baruch


- Posted from the iPhone

IT and Speed

Peter Hinssen on the speed to value proposition in IT today..


"velocity is more important than perfection"

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

by Heidi Grant Halvorson


The Conversation

Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

1. Get specific. When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. "Lose 5 pounds" is a better goal than "lose some weight," because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you'll "eat less" or "sleep more" is too vague — be clear and precise. "I'll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights" leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you've actually done it.

2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it's not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.

To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., "If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I'll work out for 30 minutes before work.") Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.

3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don't know how well you are doing, you can't adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.

4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.

5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won't improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The good news is, if you aren't particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don't have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking .... well, there's no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.

7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control "muscle" is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn't get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.

To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you'd honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don't. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur ("If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.") It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that's the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.

8. Don't tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it's important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don't try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don't put yourself in harm's way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.

9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., "Don't think about white bears!") has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.
If you want change your ways, ask yourself, What will I do instead? For example, if you are trying to gain control of your temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like "If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down." By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely.

It is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage from now on. Remember, you don't need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It's never what you are, but what you do.

Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. is a motivational psychologist, and author of the new book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals (Hudson Street Press, 2011). She is also an expert blogger on motivation and leadership for Fast Company and Psychology Today. Her personal blog, The Science of Success, can be found at www.heidigranthalvorson.com. Follow her on Twitter @hghalvorson

Eddie Robinson Quote

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential -- these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.


- Eddie Robinson

WEB-M and Google's Move with Chrome

If you've haven't heard, Google is removing native H.264 support from Chrome and going with WebM. Probably not the best move but the market is being led by content (Mobility and Content post) and those who control content and mobility will win the game. With the lack luster sales of GoogleTV one wonders if this is a reactive move more than some Machiavellian planned play but either way we've begun the "codec wars" (cue Star Wars Theme). Apple, Adobe and now Google, hmm I wonder where this one.

Add to this the iPhone now going viral (grin) and now on other networks and what we have is a heavy weight fight between H.264 devices and ... and.. and ... other devices that play Flash? no wait other devices that use WebM? Hmm... now let's not forget that YouTube was bought by Google and perhaps that's factored into this somewhere but I would guess that the chess game isn't completely thought out and someone is winging it. Apple after all has relationships with most if not all the major media outlets and let's not forget whose in charge down at Disney. Google/Adobe, uhh.. not so much. Verizon, okay they might be able to do something with NFL as they seem to have a deal with them, and Sprint has NASCAR, T-Mobile has... has.... has ... okay enough.

Time will tell, it's going to get interesting though

Corporate Consulting and Thinking

IS YOUR CONSULTANT ENRICHING YOUR JUDGEMENT?

Ignoring the comparison of New York to a prison camp run by "the prisoners" today's article by Tom Davenport for HBR truly paint's a picture that we've seen many times over long term consulting engagements, that being the dumbing down of an organization.

Now with 20 years in the IT business the use of consulting services is certainly something that has to be endorsed. Nobody knows it all, but as Tom reveals in his article, the over reliance on an external resource for enriching judgement without building internal bench strength can and will often result in the "dumbing down of an organization".

Your thoughts?