Personal Growth, Life Design, Journaling
Life Growth
Whatever is not growing is dying. This is the same with your vision and purpose. Every day your vision and purpose needs to grow. A bigger vision does not mean just more stuff. It means the value you create with your vision grows. Find a life path where your impact grows, where your personal growth […]
Use exponential growth
If you put away 100 dollars when you are 20 and it compounds at 10% you will have 7280.05 when you are sixty-five. It is far easier to put 100 dollars away than putting 2780.05 away. This works the same way with learning new skills. If you understand the basics then learning the next level […]
Test Interpretations
The important interpretations in your life, the ones you use to make big life decisions should always be challenged. Ask yourself, how can this interpretation be wrong? Really try and see if you can disprove the interpretations. No interpretation is black and white, there will always be reasons and circumstances where the interpretation is not […]
Discover rather than Justify
Our brains are very good at filtering things out. Don’t take on a belief and then look for supporting evidence. If we come to our conclusions first and then go and find evidence, our brains will filter out what contradicts our conclusion and will amplify what agrees with our conclusion. Observe first and then try […]
Good Interpretations
The more observations an interpretation can predict the more effective the interpretation. If an interpretation can specify a path that consistently produces an expected outcome it is an effective interpretation. Interpretations are models that allow us to face the future with a measure of control. The simplest interpretation that produces the exact same outcome is […]
Get Clarity on Facts
Facts are observations about the world around us. Facts are the observation, not the reality underneath the observation Facts are only as good as the method of observation Facts contradict because the interpretation of the observation is taken as fact Interpretations never become facts Interpretations can predict facts and observations Interpretations always have a chance […]
Create Wisdom
The recipe for wisdom is a simple five-step process. 1. Observe Facts 2. Interpret Facts 3. Predict New Facts 4. Test 5. Repeat Simply observe the world around you and create interpretations to explain your observations. Use those interpretations to predict the path of events in the future. Test the predictions and continue to refine […]
Find what makes you happy
Find what makes you happy and do more of that. Notice what makes you unhappy and do less of that. This is great advice but only if you are introspective and reflect on happiness now, and in the future. If you only think of today you will be unhappy tomorrow. If you only think of […]
Focus on the Practice
Don’t judge the outcomes. You don’t have control of the outcomes. Judge the process. Part of judging the process is determining how well you fit the process. No matter what the outcome you are trying to achieve, your process will be different than everyone else. The first part of judging a process is reflecting on […]
AI as sounding board
I am a person who looks to bounce ideas off people. The back and forth helps me refine my ideas. ChatGPT now gives me a resource where I can play with my ideas and ChatGPT gives me solid constructive feedback. I view ChatGPT as a person and interact as if I were bouncing ideas off […]
Always Review
It is so easy to forget. I create timelines of the memorable experiences in my life. When I review my timelines there are always events in the past six months that I have forgotten. Reviewing my timelines reinforces the perspective that I am learning and growing. Knowing my accomplishments in the past gives me a […]
Monthly Review
May Monthly Review What went well? My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey My treadmill, stretching, meditation, and diet habits are becoming ingrained The LKD module and the LWD modules of the Obsidian course are completed. What didn’t go well? I need to focus more time on […]
AI for refinement
As creators, everything we create can be refined by AI. AI, and it is only going to get better, has the knowledge of the internet. We can have the original idea, but the holes and the gaps can be filled in by AI. This is a practice that we need to get into. We create […]
School
School should put us on the path to realizing our life goals. If happiness and fulfillment are the metrics for our lives, then how well is school helping towards these metrics? Is school a success if we have good marks? Is school a success if we discover a life path that gives us happiness and […]
Growth is Slow
Growth is a slow process at times. We also tend to remember the past based on what we know today. The combination of these two means that we often tend to overlook growth. With timelapse photography, we can see how physical things change over time. For personal growth change, we need to record our experiences […]
Same Question
One way of learning more about yourself or about your life is to ask yourself the same question daily. It may seem odd to ask yourself the same question, but you won’t answer the question the same way every time. Part of making this process work is to answer the question without looking at your […]
Create Your Outline
When approaching learning anything new figure out the high-level groupings of information. These can be viewed as the hierarchy, the chapters, the key areas, or the main topics. The idea is to get enough understanding of what you are learning to create an organizing structure for placing the knowledge that you learn as you investigate […]
Measure Outcome by Values
Whatever we do in life produces outcomes. To judge our lives we need to judge our outcomes. Outcomes are judged based on our values. I value peacefulness therefore I value sitting on the deck watching my lake (stormwater pond). If we don’t know what we value we cannot determine how good or how poor our […]
Value in Knowledge
There is value in knowledge. The knowledge that you feed into AI today can be the same knowledge you feed in tomorrow. This is an aspect to keep in mind with your PBOK. Create your knowledge in a way that you can feed future versions of AI. Both the data that is fed in and […]
Organize Knowledge
Artificial intelligence requires knowledge. The current versions of AI like ChatGPT get their knowledge from the internet. This knowledge can be supplemented by other knowledge. Supplementing AI is going to become more important as the AI matures. To be able to bring your knowledge together with general knowledge will allow AI to produce output that […]
Create Constantly
Creativity happens in the process of creating. You are not creative first, it is part of the process. Therefore to be creative you need to create. Create constantly. Creating constantly does two things. First, it builds your skill of being creative. Secondly, a certain percentage of what you create will be good. Everything you create […]
You can always engage more
Being present is a skill. Meditation is a skill that helps a person practice being present. Like meditation, being present is on a continuum and is not either present or not present. Living in the moment requires you to be present. The better you know yourself the better you will be at being present. Awareness […]
Let Go
All we have is now. The future is a probability. The past is over. Live for today. What really makes you happy and fulfilled today? Don’t confuse happiness and fulfillment with excitement and gratification. Know what you value and how your actions are reflected in your values. Practice reflecting on your past and how experiences […]
Gathering Information is not Overthinking
A dangerous piece of advice that is given to entrepreneurs is not to overthink and to take action. There is a time to take action, but there is also a time to think. If you are gathering information to make an informed decision you are making an effective use of your time. Taking action too […]
Practice Journaling
There are many ways of journaling. Capturing your daily activities Capturing your daily thoughts and reflections Capturing answers to questions Reflecting on a topic Capturing different aspects of your life design Capturing connections between ideas Capturing goals and objectives Capturing dreams. Add different ways of journaling into your practice. Commit to a particular type of […]
Who do you want to be
One thread of creating your dream life is determining who you want to be and pursuing making that person a reality. The core of who you want to be is your values and beliefs. Typically, when we contemplate our future self, we think of personality traits or physical traits. I want to be outgoing, I […]
Life Satisfaction Metric
I asked ChatGPT for a measurement for how well a person is living their life and this is what ChatGPT produced. A common Likert scale for measuring happiness is the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), which is a 5-point scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” The SWLS measures global life satisfaction, which is […]
Happiness Metric
Measuring happiness is a skill that we can learn. Having a life metric for happiness allows us to see how well we are living our life. I use a Likert scale for measuring happiness 1 – No enjoyment, no joy, 2 – Activities you enjoyed 3 – Moments of joy 4 – Many Moments of […]
Happiness is the Metric
The best metric for measuring your life is happiness! It may seem like an easy, selfish metric, but if you really think about how different experiences make you happy you realize it is very difficult. Experiences that made you unhappy when you experienced them made you happy later. Experiences that made you happy when you […]
Build a Life
Creating the life you want is always a holistic endeavor. If you don’t address all life areas then the life areas that are ignored will pull you back. This doesn’t mean that you have to put the same effort into each life area, you just need to make sure each life area is addressed. The […]
Build Your Lego Set
The future is unpredictable. The only thing we can predict is that it is going to change and it is going to change quickly. Those who can adapt to the change are going to be the ones that thrive. One mindset to help adapt to the ever-changing future is to think of your skills, assets, […]
Financial Plan
Financial planning is simply money in and money out. For every transaction, determine the value the transaction has for you. For money coming in, this is usually related to work so the value assigned might be very low. For money going out, this is money that is buying something. Every buying transaction also has a […]
Pick a Lane
To truly create something of value takes time. The more time dedicated towards the creation, the more valuable the creation will be. We now compete with everyone in the world. To compete, you need to put in more work than your competitor. The only way this will work is if you pick a lane that […]
AI Makes Us Think
People are afraid that artificial intelligence is going to take away our ability to think. In some cases this is true. The mundane logic-based thinking will become less important as AI can do it better. The big picture, creative, innovative thinking is going to become much more important. You can’t guide AI unless you have […]
Big Picture
Big-picture critical thinking is going to be a key skill in the new world. Outcomes will be created by understanding the expertise and process required to make the outcomes. We may not need the actual expertise, but we will need to have a high-level understanding of the domain to leverage the expertise. You don’t need […]
Be Happy Anyways
Life is sometimes unfair. A reaction to the unfairness is to be unhappy. We feel that if we are happy then we are accepting the unfairness. We feel that if we are unhappy then we are validating the unfairness. Either way, it is an unproductive strategy. A better strategy is to call out the unfairness […]
Ying and Yang
Some say that we should only think of others and others who say we should only think of ourselves. Both of these are true. To love ourselves we need to be selfish. To love others we need to be unselfish. If we are on a plane that is crashing we look after ourselves first, but […]
Create Value
When designing a life we start with purpose, we start with why we were put on this earth. The only way this why makes sense is that the result of us being here is that it becomes better than it was before. The only way this happens is if we create true value. Your purpose […]
Find Joy Everyday
Joy is to be experienced every day. Joy is what you feel when you are truly being yourself while pursuing your vision and purpose. Joy is not just for the weekends. Find ways of living your vision and being who you are every day to create moments of joy every day.
Connect With Self
Connecting with yourself is a key activity for a fulfilling life. The first step for connecting with yourself is to know who you are. The more you know yourself, the deeper the connection you can create. The connection is an active experience, which means the connection is made while you are engaged in an activity. […]
Enjoy the Moment
Enjoy the moment has a double meaning. You need to enjoy and you describe the enjoyment. It is both what you bring to the experience and what you take from the experience. Enjoy is something you feel and something you do.
Awareness is Subtle
Awareness is subtle in how it changes you. You don’t change immediately, you change slowly over time in ways that you may not even notice. Awareness allows you to filter life differently, more in alignment with what you want. That filter allows you to see life experiences in subtly different ways which then change the […]
Find Patterns Organically
One of the most valuable parts of journaling is the organic creation of patterns that unlock your wisdom. The patterns are created from linking notes together with the use of links and hashtags. Adding hashtags as you create your notes allows the patterns to grow. Hashtags allow notes that are not directly related through links […]
Remove Friction from Journaling
One key for your journaling practice is to remove friction from your journaling. Making it easy is a personal thing. What is easier for others is not necessarily what is easier for others. Some techniques for removing friction: Keep your journal in a place where it is ready to be used. Even if you use […]
Whole Practice
Create a practice that incorporates everything in your life. A practice is simply the processes you follow on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Align your practice with your life areas so all parts of your life are being addressed. If you do not align with all your life areas, one or more […]
Your Experience
Your experience is the one things that is unique to you, no one else has the same experience that you have had. Artificial intelligence is going to amplify the value of your experience. Artificial intelligence will be able to combine your experience with the sum of all knowledge that is on the internet. There is […]
5 Links of Separation
“5 Links of separation” is a principle to follow when creating your PBOK. The principle states that you should be able to navigate from any note to any other note using 5 links. Any many cases the first link or the first note to navigate to is your overall note, what I call my practice […]
Use Irritability
Irritability is a sign that something is out of balance. Focus on what the irritant is. The irritant could be something that can be removed or the result of some action you are doing. Irritants that are the result of your activity require a learning process for replacing your actions with new actions that do […]
Separate Concerns
You can think of concerns, issues, or problems as a special type of process, and just like processes they need to be untangled and focused. When they are not untangled, they tend to make the organization go in circles as changes help part of the concern but are counterproductive for other parts. When you understand […]
Pick a Lane
The world changes so fast with new things popping up every day. It is hard to keep up. It is also hard not to jump to the next shiny object. If we are jumping around we end up scattered and going nowhere. One way to counter this is to pick the one area, one niche, […]
Business Analysis and Thinking
AI as sounding board
I am a person who looks to bounce ideas off people. The back and forth helps me refine my ideas. ChatGPT now gives me a resource where I can play with my ideas and ChatGPT gives me solid constructive feedback. I view ChatGPT as a person and interact as if I were bouncing ideas off […]
AI for refinement
As creators, everything we create can be refined by AI. AI, and it is only going to get better, has the knowledge of the internet. We can have the original idea, but the holes and the gaps can be filled in by AI. This is a practice that we need to get into. We create […]
Create Your Outline
When approaching learning anything new figure out the high-level groupings of information. These can be viewed as the hierarchy, the chapters, the key areas, or the main topics. The idea is to get enough understanding of what you are learning to create an organizing structure for placing the knowledge that you learn as you investigate […]
Talk to the Expert
If you could talk to the world expert on a subject that interests you, you would have a set of questions. It is no different with AI like ChatGPT What is the outcome? What do you want to be verified? What do you need to understand? What are the whys? Will this work, why not? […]
BA Pipeline
A business analyst goes through a series of steps from the initial business case to the big picture, to the business requirements, to the solution requirements to the build and test, and finally implementing the solution. With artificial intelligence much of the middle part of the pipeline is going to be replaced. A business analyst […]
What is the core data
Artificial intelligence is going to change the business analyst role. Artificial intelligence will write requirements. Artificial intelligence will turn requirements into solutions. It will be the business analyst’s role to feed the artificial intelligence the core data to be able to create requirements and solutions. The business analyst will be the quality assurance on the […]
Create Questions
When you are learning a new domain as a business analyst, you want to understand the domain well enough so that you can ask questions that extend the scope of the domain. The scope of a domain is extended by applying the domain to other areas, changing aspects of the domain such as speed or […]
Seek Clarity
A key outcome a business analyst creates is clarity. Good requirements build clarity in the solution required for a change. Informed decisions are informed by the clarity of understanding of the domain the decision is being made within. Facilitating a change requires clarity on the change and the effects the change will have within the […]
Russian Dolls
Every issue is part of a bigger issue. No issue can be solved without taking the larger issue into account. A change to resolve an issue may cause another issue in the bigger picture. People are always trying to reduce issues and ignore the larger context or the larger issue. We can’t solve global warming […]
AI Makes Us Think
People are afraid that artificial intelligence is going to take away our ability to think. In some cases this is true. The mundane logic-based thinking will become less important as AI can do it better. The big picture, creative, innovative thinking is going to become much more important. You can’t guide AI unless you have […]
Business Analyst as Conductor
A future role for a business analyst is as a conductor of artificial intelligence. The large language models of artificial intelligence will require prompting followed by the routing of results to different agents. This is simply a business process initiated with a good question. The business analyst will identify the major business outcomes and then […]
Find Patterns Organically
One of the most valuable parts of journaling is the organic creation of patterns that unlock your wisdom. The patterns are created from linking notes together with the use of links and hashtags. Adding hashtags as you create your notes allows the patterns to grow. Hashtags allow notes that are not directly related through links […]
Untangle Processes
When processes are tangled, complicated tools are required to handle the processes. The tool needs to cover the whole process. When you untangle the processes, it becomes simpler to apply a tool to the process. When tools talk to each other, the combination of tools handle very complicated processes. When the processes are untangled it […]
Have Clear Direction
A plan provides a high-level roadmap that outlines how you are going to go from where you are to the future state you desire A plan consists of a set of tasks and associated outcomes/deliverables that will from the path to the desired future state. Each of the major outcomes/deliverables as well as the final […]
Understand Data First
A clear understanding of the data is the starting point for understanding other aspects whether that is processes, stakeholders, goals, vision, etcetera. Data is the core of everything. Processes simply change data from one state to another. Reality is captured by data. Stakeholders deal with data even if the data is directly representing reality. A […]
Keep Vision in Mind
As a business analyst, you always need to have a future vision in mind. The future vision is the ultimate future state you are striving towards. Even if the future state is far in the future, it is still relevant for making decisions going forward. The path from the current state to the ideal future […]
Separate Tools from Process
The ideal for a business analyst is to completely separate the tools from the processes that require the tools. When the two are separate, it does not matter which tool you use, the tool is just enabling the process. When the two are completely separate, swapping out one tool for another tool is a simple […]
Outcome Versus Requirement
An outcome is a statement about the state of the future. An outcome is the result of things that we do. A requirement is a statement about something that is done or will be done. Walking 30 minutes a day is a requirement. Losing 10 pounds is an outcome. A requirement can always be stated […]
Big Picture
There are two big pictures that need to be understood for any business analysis engagement. The domain big picture and the deliverable big pictures. The domain big picture is the overall understanding of the patterns, principles, and paradigms of the domain. This knowledge is required as it sets the stage for any decisions that take […]
Refine Based on Big Picture
A philosophical approach to business analysis is to refine based on the big picture. Clients and stakeholders may get lost in the weeds, but a business analyst with an understanding of the big picture can determine the path out of the forest. Understanding the business requirements at the highest level creates the big picture. Decisions […]
Fear what you don’t know you know
We all know what we know. Some of us know what we don’t know. What is to be feared is the things that you don’t know and you don’t know that you don’t know them. The more we expand our knowledge and our perspectives that more we can at least learn of things that we […]
Business Analysis Plan
A business analysis plan outlines the business analysis activities that will be performed to fulfill overall project goals. A good business analysis plan states the outcome, activities, techniques, deliverables, and risks. The outcome states what will be gained from executing the business analysis plan. Most often the outcomes are a better understanding of different areas […]
Good Business Analyst
A good business analyst is a person that empowers clients to make well-informed decisions. A good business analyst is a person that empowers clients to gain new perspectives. A good business analyst is a person that empowers clients to see problems and opportunities in new ways. A good business analyst is a person that empowers […]
There are very few facts
A fact is something that is 100% verified as true. When we apply first principles thinking we realize that most facts are either interpretations or observations. Observations can be interpreted in many ways. We observe what the temperature is today. We observe what was recorded for temperature yesterday. We interpret these observations as climate change. […]
Know Your Facts
If you are referring to something make sure you have the facts and you are not just regurgitating someone else’s opinion. If you say something is something but you don’t have facts to back it up it is just noise. Creating an interpretation is not hard, it is just reflecting and putting facts and observations […]
Clear Scope
The key aspect of achieving an outcome is having a clear idea of what the scope is. Always have a clear scope whether at the project level or a low-level task level. Knowing scope means you know what needs to be accomplished. Knowing scope means you have a definition of done. Knowing scope means you […]
Clear Thinking
There are facts, observations, and interpretations There is never 100% confidence in an interpretation therefore any interpretation could be wrong. Understand all interpretations of the facts and observations. Understand the facts and observations that support or oppose every interpretation and add your % confidence to it. You should never disagree with someone else’s interpretation, you […]
In Head or Paper
Ideas take up space in our heads and there is finite space to be used. Ideas that we stress over take up more room which leaves even less room for new ideas. The solution to free up our minds is to journal to get things out of our heads and onto paper. For stressful ideas, […]
Hold Opposing Ideas
Our world is becoming increasingly more complicated. In many situations, there is merit on both sides. We need to foster the ability to hold opposing ideas in our heads. Every idea you have needs to have a confidence percentage that you have in that idea. No idea ever has 100% confidence. Thinking in this way, […]
One Role Many People
In business analysis roles and individuals are two different things. An individual can have many different roles. This is true in personal life as well as in business. On the personal side, you can fulfill a parenting role, a friend role, etcetera. In the business world, you can have a position that requires you to […]
Standard Requirements
When software solutions were first developed, the requirements for building the solution needed to be very specific. As we understand solutions better the requirements can be at a higher level. As solutions are built using frameworks or are built on existing platforms the requirements can be at a higher level. When we are looking for […]
There are New Ideas
It was Mark Twain who said There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. I think Twain was wrong. If it is putting existing ideas together in different ways then AI will be able […]
One Thing One Definition
In data modeling, part of the normalization process is that every field has one and only one definition. This is a principle that applies everywhere. Each process should have one defined outcome. If there is more than one outcome and the process is trying to satisfy both, the process becomes ineffective. In a RACI chart, […]
Agile Systems
A key perspective when evaluating information technology solutions is how the solution can adapt to change. Change is inevitable, things tomorrow are going to be different than today. We just don’t know what those differences are going to be. Systems are interconnected. Any given solution is part of a larger ecosystem of systems that are […]
Data First
The most important part of a system is the underlying data. If you understand the data, you will understand the system. Oftentimes the data is not understood by any of the stakeholders. Data has inconsistent, unclear, or contradictory definitions. If the time is taken to really understand the data, the system, and the processes become […]
The Roadmap
When implementing a new software system, the installation is just one small part of the entire roadmap. Other milestones on the roadmap include: Phases of the transition between the old solution and the new solution. The phases range from big bang to smaller groupings of data or functionality where both the new solution and the […]
Data Model First
One of the most valuable assets a business has is its data. A focus for a business analyst is the data model. The data model is the foundation for all data-related decisions within the business. The data model defines the structure, relationships, and constraints of the data, and it is used to ensure data integrity, […]
Why What How
Understanding the business outcomes and the business goals creates the context for what needs to be in place. The business outcomes and business goals define the “Why”. Why is it that the business is doing what they are doing? A clear why or a clear set of business outcomes and business goals determines what needs […]
Metaphors for Understanding
Metaphors are a useful tool for business analysts to use to create common understandings between different stakeholders. When you can create a metaphor that encapsulates an understanding of a domain that everyone can relate to it builds understanding. It allows individuals to bring their understanding of the metaphor to build an understanding of the domain. […]
Quality Questions
Questions are one of the most effective tools in a business analyst toolkit. To make questions as effective as possible they need to take in many factors. It may be the same information you are trying to uncover, but the wording is not always the same. Factors to take into account when crafting the wording […]
Business Analysis Curiosity
A key trait for a business analyst is curiosity. When learning a new domain or understanding business and solution requirements, curiosity is what motivates a business analyst to learn what is required. Curiosity allows a business analyst to ask open-ended questions and genuinely wants to keep digging to obtain a complete understanding. Curiosity drives a […]
Many Perspectives
You can look at a domain or an issue from many perspectives. Each perspective will have slightly different models, frameworks, and other representations to understand the domain or issue. The perspectives are judged by their usefulness. As there are many different reasons for understanding domains or issues, there are many different uses for the information. […]
Understanding Starts with Organizing
Approaching any new project, issue, situation begins with discovery and then to understanding what is discovered. The first part of that understanding is organizing what is discovered. What are the groupings, frameworks, threads, patterns that can be applied to what is discovered. Some of these will be useful and some not. The idea is to […]
Every Engagement is Different
A business analyst has a wide range of techniques for understanding a domain and the requirements of a solution. A business analyst also has a wide range of deliverables, models, and diagrams they can create. There is no formula that applies to an engagement. One of the first tasks for a business analyst is to […]
Importance of Clarity
Clarity in project work is very important, especially early on in a project. The result of focusing on creating clarity early in a project is simplicity later in the project. Clarity results in simpler ways of understanding. Clarity results in more effective planning. Clarity results in less work. Take the time and effort to create […]
Determine Outcome then Deliverable
When determining what deliverables are required for a project the first step is to determine what the outcome is. If the outcome is shared understanding, then what is the deliverable that will best capture the understanding? If the outcome is signoff of what a new solution will be, then what is the best deliverable to […]
Know the Why
The first thing that needs to be understood in any situation is to understand the why. The why is the beginning and the why ultimately leads to the outcome. In order to know the “why” you need to know the outcome. In order to know the outcome you need to know the why. Understanding the […]
Perspective Changes Everything
If you are looking at a physical object there are an infinite number of angles from which you can view the object. There is also an infinite number of contexts the object can be in. The context could be lighting, fog, flashing light, blue light, red light etcetera. It is the same with domains or […]
Combine with a Roadmap
A roadmap is an excellent tool for combining a set of activities or objectives into the big picture. The roadmap shows the big goal that is pursued through a set of activities that typically take a period of time to achieve. The roadmap shows how the completion of the different activities ultimately leads to the […]
System Agility
A key perspective in implementing new solutions, especially information technology solutions is how you can transition out of the solution when it becomes obsolete. Sometimes it is difficult to transition out due to proprietary data models, or access to the underlying data. These types of solutions should be avoided. Systems are constantly evolving so any […]
Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Create Your Outline
When approaching learning anything new figure out the high-level groupings of information. These can be viewed as the hierarchy, the chapters, the key areas, or the main topics. The idea is to get enough understanding of what you are learning to create an organizing structure for placing the knowledge that you learn as you investigate […]
Talk to the Expert
If you could talk to the world expert on a subject that interests you, you would have a set of questions. It is no different with AI like ChatGPT What is the outcome? What do you want to be verified? What do you need to understand? What are the whys? Will this work, why not? […]
Structured Data and AI
Large language models don’t handle structured data very well. The AI doesn’t have the context that is represented in the structure of the data. If we can create reports/mail merge where the context is added back to the data and then that is fed to the AI it works much better.
Create Constantly
Creativity happens in the process of creating. You are not creative first, it is part of the process. Therefore to be creative you need to create. Create constantly. Creating constantly does two things. First, it builds your skill of being creative. Secondly, a certain percentage of what you create will be good. Everything you create […]
Gathering Information is not Overthinking
A dangerous piece of advice that is given to entrepreneurs is not to overthink and to take action. There is a time to take action, but there is also a time to think. If you are gathering information to make an informed decision you are making an effective use of your time. Taking action too […]
Build Your Lego Set
The future is unpredictable. The only thing we can predict is that it is going to change and it is going to change quickly. Those who can adapt to the change are going to be the ones that thrive. One mindset to help adapt to the ever-changing future is to think of your skills, assets, […]
Idea Versus Implementation
The first phase of AI is the democratization of expertise. The second phase will be a set of apps that encapsulate the implementation of the expertise. If you want to create an app for managing a family reunion, there will be a set of apps/agents that will do the implementation. You describe what you want […]
Wealth is Reach
The number one piece of advice that I would give young people is to build their platform. In the digital age, it is the number of people that you can connect with, interact with, and exchange information with that is going to determine the opportunities in your life. Young people today have the opportunity to […]
Pick a Lane
To truly create something of value takes time. The more time dedicated towards the creation, the more valuable the creation will be. We now compete with everyone in the world. To compete, you need to put in more work than your competitor. The only way this will work is if you pick a lane that […]
Valuable Assets
What will be valuable assets in the future? The value of an asset is related to its scarcity. Expertise, which will become democratized due to AI, will not be scarce. Assets that perform a function and can be reused will be valuable. Your abilities when they are focused on creating an outcome will be valuable. […]
Big Picture
Big-picture critical thinking is going to be a key skill in the new world. Outcomes will be created by understanding the expertise and process required to make the outcomes. We may not need the actual expertise, but we will need to have a high-level understanding of the domain to leverage the expertise. You don’t need […]
Don’t Invest to Win
The stock market is too complicated and there are too many factors that affect the price of a stock. Trying to pick a winning stock puts you in the wrong mindset for success. Trying to win means you are trying to understand all the complexity and all the factors that affect a stock. You are […]
Create Value
When designing a life we start with purpose, we start with why we were put on this earth. The only way this why makes sense is that the result of us being here is that it becomes better than it was before. The only way this happens is if we create true value. Your purpose […]
Be Your First Customer
Create what you would buy. If you become your first customer then you automatically come out ahead. The worst-case scenario is that you gain a product that you value. As unique as you think you are, there are thousands of people like you in the world. Once you have the product that you value, the […]
Create Ideas
Creating ideas is a skill that is becoming increasingly more important. Doing the work to make the idea a reality is becoming easier and easier. There are so many resources, platforms, automation, etcetera that makes the work less time-consuming. Executing and orchestrating the work is another skill but you only need a few to coordinate […]
AI Shifts Focus
Entrepreneurs of today are those who execute ideas. Entrepreneurs of the future will be those who have great ideas, AI will execute those ideas. The skills of the future will be creativity, imagination, and communication.
Build You
There is the you that is determined by your genes and there is the you that you can choose to be. If you are six feet tall it is very unlikely that you could become an NBA player. You have traits, strengths, and weaknesses that are inherent in who you are. You need to understand […]
Design so it can be improved
When designing or creating anything, keep the perspective of constant improvement in mind. A solution that resists change is hard to improve. Search for solutions that have options that can be used when things change. Before deciding on an option, ask yourself what it would look like to move away from the option.
What is your life work
In the past, people had the opportunity to leave behind their life’s work in the form of a book, or a work of art. As physical works there was a limited variety and they all aged over time. Now, people have the opportunity to leave behind their life’s work in a digital form. Whether this […]
World Benefit
We work to create the world we live in. Each of us individually contributes. As individuals, we should not be taking more than what we are contributing. Each of us has to ask if what we are contributing is moving the world closer to the world we want to live in. Each of us has […]
Vision then Tools
There are so many tools available to help you to create. Software is continually improving, and now we have artificial intelligence becoming mainstream. It is becoming more and more essential to have a clear vision before starting to use the tools. A strong vision creates the focus required to use the tools effectively. Back when […]
Build an Audience
Whether picking a career, a niche, a blog, or an entrepreneurial pursuit, there is the underlying domain knowledge. The underlying domain knowledge needs to be a topic you are interested in the long term. It is a topic that you would explore even if it had nothing to do with making money. If you are […]
Why First
For most people, the “Why” for our work is to make money to pay our bills. Our side hustle gives us the opportunity and the freedom to have a different “Why” Having a why other than money means that even if our side hustle doesn’t make money it is still worth doing. Within our side […]
Track AI
It is going to become increasingly more important to keep track of AI and the associated AI tools. What is a novelty today will be very sophisticated tomorrow. Keeping track of where AI is going gives you the opportunity to start using AI when it makes sense. The use of AI is going to give […]
Power is Options
One way to define power is in terms of options. The more options we have the more power we have. The better the options we have the more power we have. It is the wide range of options that allows us to be adaptable. We have the power to choose the option that is most […]
Find Who Values You
Part of finding your path in life is finding who values what you have to offer. You will not be valued by everyone. You will be valued by some more than others. If you are an artist, not everyone is going to enjoy the type of art you create. If you are an inventor, not […]
Create First
Contrary to what many entrepreneurs preach, I believe you should strive to create something of value first and then find an audience that values the creation. If you aren’t creating first you are selling “smoking mirrors” or “glossy brochures” You don’t really know what you will create until it is created. If your focus is […]
Skill Outcome
The best skills to have are the skills that directly produce an outcome that a client wants. Many skills that people have are enabling skills, skills that move a process forward. With these types of skills, you end up being a cog in a machine without control of your opportunities. An Uber driver has a […]
Always Competition
A customer is always trying to get the best deal. Therefore, if you are creating any kind of business where you are trading value for money there will be competition because there is a customer trying to find the best deal. Only the customer knows what their criteria are. There is always more than one […]
Package your experience
If you create an outcome for someone you are creating value in the world. If you teach 10 people how to create the outcome and they create the outcome you are creating 10x more value. By taking the time to package your experience so that more people can use it you are increasing the value. […]
A Website is a Conversation
People browsing the internet are searching for answers, information, and entertainment. When the information is presented in a readable way, it will be consumed more effectively. The communication between a website and the reader ideally becomes a conversation. When the reader can consume the content on a website as if it is being delivered by […]
Pomodoro efficiency
One way of structuring your day in a way that facilitates metrics for how well you are living is to structure your day into short Pomodoro sprints. Each Pomodoro sprint has a specific focus or objective. Whatever that focus or objective is, metrics can be created to track it. The metric could be either subjective […]
Is a broken clock ever right?
When trying to determine the value of a service or product there are two different value perspectives. There is the value perspective of the consumer, of what value they are going to get from a product or a service and how they value what they are going to get. The other perspective is the value […]
Ethical Marketing
The content you produce falls into two buckets, value for your tribe or for promotion. Don’t mix the two. Focus on creating real value for your tribe. Create content, whether it is blogs, digital courses, templates, or infographics, with a focus only on creating value for your clients. If you are doing it for marketing […]
Your Movie Character
A personal brand is about clarity of who you are. Think of a character in a book or a movie. A great movie has deep characters with well-defined traits. A good movie is built from deep characters. A great movie cannot have mediocre characters. What is your character for your movie? Who you are What […]
Build Something
The mindset of building over simply doing allows us to take advantage of the cumulative effect. If we take on an endeavor without the idea of walking away with something at the end, all we end up with is the experience. If, on the other hand, we are always trying to create assets that we […]
All Business is Publishing
The internet has changed everything. With the internet, you have direct access to a worldwide audience In the old world, the number of connections you could make was limited by your time and your effort. In the new world, you can make thousands if not millions of connections online every day. The most significant factor […]
Create a Friction List
Many people have to-do lists, backlogs, not to do lists. One thing that I find very helpful is a friction list. A friction list is anything that annoys, irritates, or frustrates me. Anything that slows me down or makes me less efficient. On a regular basis, I review my friction list and brainstorm possible solutions […]
Focus on Outcomes
Business is just a collection of processes. The first step in creating a business process is gaining clarity of what the outcomes of the processes are. The outcomes don’t change. You may change how you create the outcomes, or who will create the outcomes. Having clarity in the outcomes results from having clarity of your […]
Start with Process
When you are starting any new endeavor, begin with defining your processes. Understand the processes and how those processes will lead to the outcomes you are looking for. Once you understand your processes, focus on refining them and making them more efficient. Once the processes are in place and you have the practice of continually […]
Perceived Value = Outcome Value Divided by Work
Another formula to help understand value. Value of the outcome divided by work to create the outcome = perceived value Work is a function of effort over time. The longer something takes the more work is involved. The more effort required the more work is involved. Value of the outcome is how valuable the outcome […]
Always Create an Elevator Pitch
Creating an elevator pitch for any project you are working on is a good practice to get into. Even if the project is small such as planning your next holiday or writing a blog. Take the time to encapsulate your understanding of your undertaking at a level where it can be explained in a minute […]
Analysis Paralysis is Good
This may not be a popular opinion, but I find too many people these days using the Analysis Paralysis concept as an excuse not to think. We are in too much of a rush to get going without the proper preparation. Unfortunately, with this approach, there are going to be people that get lucky and […]
A Decision Matrix is not for Decisions
A decision matrix consists of criteria, weightings, and scores for the purpose of making a decision. At least that is what it appears to be on the surface. We have all had the experience of creating a decision matrix, finding the winning decision, and then going back and changing the scoring or weightings so that […]
Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom
We all get the same amount of experience, we all get the same 24 hours in a day. To create wisdom, we need experiences that we can connect with knowledge. Knowledge in and of itself is free. Anything we want to know is on the internet. It is when we get to experience what we […]
Reduce Friction
One perspective to help live a better life is to be attentive to friction. What are those things that annoy, frustrate, and slow you down? Note what those are and spend the time to remove them. When friction is removed it allows us to get through the day without being slowed down. Some friction that […]
Your life is your digital product
We are all on a journey through life, trying to make it as far as we can. What we experience, what we learn, and the mistakes we make are extremely helpful to the next person on the journey. How much further can we make it on this adventure if we know the dead-ends to avoid. […]
Value Multipliers
As an entrepreneur, there are two types of value you can create. You can create something that has value in and of itself or you can create value that increases or multiplies the value of something else. Oftentimes, what an entrepreneur creates is the second type of value. If an entrepreneur can create a way […]
Find Your Game
In our interconnected world, you are competing with everyone. Don’t play other people’s games, figure out what your game is. What is it that you naturally do well? Focus on becoming better at what you naturally do. The better you become, the more valuable the outcomes will be that you can create. You don’t need […]
Focus on the Good
The practice of gratitude is an essential practice for everyone. The practice is not always easy. Sometimes because of events or circumstances, it is hard to be grateful. One thing that helps me is to allow myself to vent, to get my grievances, or my bitterness, out before I do my gratitude. I give myself […]
Futurism, Ideas an Opinions
Sentient AI
One outcome of artificial intelligence becoming sentient is that it will help us determine why we are sentient. It is funny that we are worried that AI will become sentient when we don’t even know why we are sentient. It may be that what makes us conscious is different than what we think makes us […]
AI and Decisions
I foresee a time when we will use AI to make our decisions. AI can gather more information on the pros and cons of a decision. If we can feed the categories and the weightings for a decision, AI should be able to do the scoring and make the final decision. This will result in […]
BA Pipeline
A business analyst goes through a series of steps from the initial business case to the big picture, to the business requirements, to the solution requirements to the build and test, and finally implementing the solution. With artificial intelligence much of the middle part of the pipeline is going to be replaced. A business analyst […]
What is the core data
Artificial intelligence is going to change the business analyst role. Artificial intelligence will write requirements. Artificial intelligence will turn requirements into solutions. It will be the business analyst’s role to feed the artificial intelligence the core data to be able to create requirements and solutions. The business analyst will be the quality assurance on the […]
Organize Knowledge
Artificial intelligence requires knowledge. The current versions of AI like ChatGPT get their knowledge from the internet. This knowledge can be supplemented by other knowledge. Supplementing AI is going to become more important as the AI matures. To be able to bring your knowledge together with general knowledge will allow AI to produce output that […]
Russian Dolls
Every issue is part of a bigger issue. No issue can be solved without taking the larger issue into account. A change to resolve an issue may cause another issue in the bigger picture. People are always trying to reduce issues and ignore the larger context or the larger issue. We can’t solve global warming […]
Idea Versus Implementation
The first phase of AI is the democratization of expertise. The second phase will be a set of apps that encapsulate the implementation of the expertise. If you want to create an app for managing a family reunion, there will be a set of apps/agents that will do the implementation. You describe what you want […]
Agility is Key
In the future expertise will be available to everyone. In the future resources, especially digital will be available to everyone. What will set people apart is how quickly they can create valuable outcomes. This requires individuals to understand and be able to take advantage of the tools, especially the AI tools that are out there. […]
Democratized Expertise
Artificial intelligence is going to democratize expertise. We will be able to access expertise the same way we can access the internet. The question becomes, if expertise is readily available then what is left? We will still need connectors who can connect people with the expertise they require. The use of expertise to create outcomes […]
Democratized Expertise
Expertise such as doctors, and lawyers, will become democratized with artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT. Once trained, AI will be able to fulfill these jobs more effectively than their human counterparts. The AI will be scalable almost instantly all around the globe. That is the path for expertise to become democratized.
Be a Craftsman
Artificial intelligence is going to replace much of the knowledge work that is done today. Many white-collar jobs will simply be replaced by AI. The question becomes, what is left? It will be the craftsmen or craftsperson that will have high-paying jobs. It will be the jobs where you need to create a physical skill […]
Your Experience
Your experience is the one things that is unique to you, no one else has the same experience that you have had. Artificial intelligence is going to amplify the value of your experience. Artificial intelligence will be able to combine your experience with the sum of all knowledge that is on the internet. There is […]
Agree on Facts
The start of any debate or discussion on an issue should start with the presentation and agreement on the facts and observations. Oftentimes, facts and observations are entangled with interpretations. In the beginning, the focus is untangling the facts and observations from interpretations so all parties can agree on the facts. With agreed facts and […]
Fuller Experiences
We gain enjoyment and fulfillment from our life experiences. The greater our understanding of a situation the greater the enjoyment and fulfillment of the situation. We take photos and write in our journals so we can continue to get enjoyment and fulfillment from our experiences. Understanding the threads and themes helps us learn about ourselves […]
Personal AI or Generic AI
AI is a tool that is fed with knowledge. That knowledge consists of verified facts, unverified facts, falsehoods, observations, and interpretations. Naturally, there will be bias in the knowledge based on the people who have supplied the knowledge. AI will become mainstream. Understanding the tool and its uses as well as its limitations is crucial. […]
The World Wide Web and AI
When the world wide web was created it was empty. The world wide web was built as people built websites that connected to other websites. AI such as ChatGPT will grow in a similar way. Instead of websites being built, people will create verified facts, observations, and new ideas. The more the AI knowledge bases […]
There are New Ideas
It was Mark Twain who said There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. I think Twain was wrong. If it is putting existing ideas together in different ways then AI will be able […]
AI is a Tool
It is important to understand that artificial intelligence (AI) in its current form is a tool. It may be able to produce some amazing things, but in the end, it is just a tool. It is just an algorithm that is being applied. Knowing it is a tool puts you in the right mindset. You […]
What is Creativity
If you ask ChatGPT if AI is creative it will say that AI does not have the capacity for human-like imagination The output that ChatGPT can produce can seem creative, so the question is what constitutes creativity. I would say that it includes an element of something new. AI is limited by the data that […]
AI Requires Focus
A question that we will need to ask is: when we are creating value, what is the core of what you are creating? If it can be done by AI it is just a skill. Separating what are you trying to build from real creativity is key in using artificial intelligence. The core creative part […]
AI Raises the Bar
Every time there is major progress such as the industrial revolution, the printing press, electricity, and the internet, people become empowered. They have more free time, they have more influence, and they can create more with the tools they have. Once freed they become innovative and create what would have been impossible before. When the […]
Facts More Important
With the rise of artificial intelligence, facts and observations are going to become more and more important. Hopefully, there will be a way of having verifiable facts and verifiable observations. If we have confidence in the facts and observations, we will have more confidence in the interpretations that artificial intelligence comes up with.
Take One Small Step
Today is the first day of 2023. For many of us, we stayed up late and are still in holiday mode. My suggestion is to take one small step towards your goals today as a symbolic gesture. A way of signaling to your brain that you have the resolution to pursue your goals in 2023.
Track AI
It is going to become increasingly more important to keep track of AI and the associated AI tools. What is a novelty today will be very sophisticated tomorrow. Keeping track of where AI is going gives you the opportunity to start using AI when it makes sense. The use of AI is going to give […]
AI orchestrators
Artificial intelligence is going to make us all into orchestrators. AI will become part of all the tools we use and will result in everyone being a craftsman. Everyone with an idea will have the expertise to make the idea a reality. Whether this is writing, drawing, painting, or building, AI tools will be able […]
We will become artists
The future will be one where we take our seeds of creativity and make them a reality. Artists start with a seed of creativity and they make attempts at making that seed a reality. It may take many attempts over a long period of time. The progression of a creative idea sometimes becomes a creative […]
AI will change the world
ChatGPT is demonstrating that artificial intelligence models are beginning to become mainstream. ChatGPT is producing amazing results now. The underlying models are going to become exponentially better meaning it is not going to be decades before the next iteration, it is going to be months. Each iteration will be significantly better than the last. Those […]
Knowledge Connections Create Opportunity
Opportunity is a function of knowledge that can be combined. Everything is interconnected, everything has some effect on everything else. You can understand these effects by understanding the associated knowledge. The better understanding of the knowledge, the better understanding of the effects. When you understand the effects, there is the potential to create an outcome […]
Two World Views
There are two overarching world views that influence all of our decisions. These views affect our personal lives and they affect how we view other people and how we deal with other people. To a great extent, they also affect politics and what types of rules and policies we feel should be in place. The […]
Know what you want to experience
A key to a fulfilling life is knowing what you want to experience. Material things come and go, but you get to keep your memories forever. When designing your life make a list of all the different experiences, feelings, and memories you want to have. Some of these can be specific such as the experience […]
Exponential Change
It is important to keep track of technologies that have exponential change. These technologies can make a significant impact on the quality of your life or make a significant difference in your business. The rate of change is increasing resulting in the time between the technology not having an impact to having an impact is […]
Future Lull
In terms of where the world is at I sense that we are in a bit of a lull. There are many pursuits that may end up changing the world in massive ways. – SpaceX – Tesla – AI – Cryptocurrency – Metaverse I believe we are going to enter a time in history where […]
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas! It is my wish that everyone is enjoying Christmas day with friends and family.
Life Path Experience View
Planning for the new year requires you to take several different views. One of those views is the experience view. What are the experiences you want to have, the things you want to see, the people you want to meet, the feelings you want to feel? Some of these are your big bucket list items, […]
Causation Versus Correlation
Two concepts that I feel should be better understood are causation and correlation. Causation is where an action causes the outcome or the secondary state. Correlation is where there is a relationship between the first state and the second state. The problem comes in when there is a correlation and it is taken as causation. […]
Remembrance
Remembrance day is a day to remember all the individuals who sacrificed themselves so that we enjoy the freedom we have. What are we willing to sacrifice to make the next generation better?
Provider or Implementer
As an entrepreneur, I see two different types of companies in the future. They are providers and implementers. Providers create the tools, platforms, software, that are used regardless of the niche they are used for. They provide value to entrepreneurs allowing them to create value for their clients. Implementers use what the providers produce to […]
Living in a Simulation
Just a thought … If we are living in a simulation then I believe the simulation was created for it’s beauty and we were created to witness the beauty.
Remembering 9/11
Today is a day to remember the victims and the families of the victims. Today is a day to remember the events of 9-11 and how we have all been affected. Today is a day to remember the heroes who risked their lives to help. Today is simply a day to remember.
Our Time on Earth
I am just returning from a week of camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. One revelation that really strikes me is that dinosaurs were on the earth for about 174 million years. The Mesopotamian Civilization is the oldest civilization which was about 5500 years ago. That means that dinosaurs were on earth about […]
Contemplations
I am currently on vacation and the following are some of the thoughts and ideas I have been contemplating. Do digital pictures accelerate history? Where do personal rights end and community rights begin? Has the intent of the democratic system in Canada been lost? How can we be the only ones in a vast universe? […]
Always Involve Business
A business analyst is an agent for change. It is important to remember that the change is being made by the business, not by the business analyst. It is the business that has the responsibility for making the change. As business analysts, we are there to facilitate the change. The business needs to be fully […]
What If?
Here is a thought for those who question how far we should go to protect people during COVID. What if you get COVID, and within you, the virus mutates into a deadly version that decimates the human race? Do you want to be that person? My belief is that whatever we can do, even if […]
Creating Vision
Creating a vision takes effort. A vision has to be big enough to drive us forward, but not too big as to be unattainable. It is easy to imagine a billionaire’s vision, but it may not be as motivating as something you are more likely to achieve in 3 to 5 years. Creating a 3-5 […]
Vaccination Day
Today at 4:51 PM I received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I am now protecting myself, my family, my community, and the rest of the world. There is a lot riding on one little shot.
Different People, Different Perspectives
One of Ray Dalio’s principles is “Remember that people are built very differently and that different ways of seeing and thinking make people suitable for different jobs.” As a business analyst, you can use this principle to improve your work. You work with stakeholders who are all participating to create a change in the organization that you as a business […]
How I Cope with COVID
It has been a long year! It was more than a year ago the last time I was at Chapters having a coffee – one of my favorite pastimes. So, how do I cope? Luckily, just before COVID started I got a new puppy who has kept me company throughout this pandemic. My top 5 […]
What will Post – COVID look like
We have been dealing with COVID for over a year now. It has forced many companies to handle their business remotely and has forced many people to live their lives very differently. The question I have is once the pandemic is over what will the new normal look like? A few facts/assumptions of where we […]
Happiness versus Fulfilment
How are happiness and fulfillment related? Happiness Fulfillment In the moment Long-lasting Temporary Lasting Provides motivation short term Provides motivation long term Day to day Legacy May or may not be good for us Connected with our values Based on our genes Results from pursuing our goals When the path towards our fulfillment makes […]
My Journey
April Monthly Review
What went well? My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey My treadmill, stretching, meditation, and diet habits are becoming ingrained The LED module and the LPD modules of the Obsidian course are completed. What didn’t go well? I need to focus more time on investing as well […]
March Monthly Review
What went well? My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey My treadmill, stretching, meditation, and diet habits are becoming ingrained I am focusing on my personal life and the creation of the Obsidian life design course What didn’t go well? The Obsidian course is taking much of […]
February Monthly Review
What went well? My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey My treadmill, stretching, meditation, and diet habits are becoming ingrained I am focusing on my personal life and the creation of the Obsidian life design course What didn’t go well? The Obsidian course is bigger than expected. […]
January Monthly Review
What went well? My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey I am focusing on my personal life and the creation of the Obsidian life design course What didn’t go well? I fight FOMO at times I am trying to instill my treadmill, stretching, meditation, and diet habits […]
December Monthly Review
December Monthly Review What went well? I had a wonderful Christmas holiday with my family My PBOK is refined and working very well for capturing everything about my life journey What didn’t go well? I am still trying to do too many things. This will change with my 2023 life plan What is the focus […]
November Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. 8 out of 34 modules of the Obsidian life design course have been written I am starting my yearly review process. From now until Christmas is […]
October Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. The Obsidian life design course outline is complete My practice is in place and the different projects are progressing What didn’t go well? I am still […]
September Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. The Obsidian life design course started What didn’t go well? I am still trying to do too many things at the same time but at this […]
August Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. My summer holidays are over and I am switching gears into the last part of the year. I have a lot of energy to push to […]
My Vacation
I am back from vacation. New perspectives and a refreshed body and spirit. Continuously create the life you want Live today within your plan for tomorrow Learn to let go Complexity can be created with a few simple things. Watch the clouds or the waves Life is meant to be joyful
July Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing the information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. I am in the midst of my summer vacation camping at Kootenay lake I am continuing to refine my life design templates I am finding […]
Vacation Mindset
Today I am leaving for summer holidays. For me, a big part of vacationing is cutting the bonds from all the daily responsibilities. It is a time to be free, to disconnect for a while so that you come back with a clearer more objective mindset. From that perspective, I won’t be posting anything for […]
June Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing the information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. I have lost another 2 pounds. I am at a bit of a plateau. I need to foster the belief that if I continue to […]
May Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing the information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. I have lost 10 pounds and I am halfway to my goal of 180 pounds. Losing weight has been more about me rather than about […]
April Monthly Review
What went well? I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing the information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. What didn’t go well? Some of the objectives I am working towards are vague. These objectives need to be re-evaluated to have a stronger understanding […]
March 2022 Monthly Review
What went well? The content on the JournaledLife site has been converted. There are now 598 notes in my FIT framework. I am continuing to add knowledge to the FIT framework and learning new design patterns for organizing the information. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. What didn’t go well? Too many activities […]
What I Learned by Posting for 500 Days
Today is my 500th post. Creating these short little posts is now part of my life. I have a rhythm and it gives me an outlet for things I am thinking about. Getting the ideas on paper free up my mind to think of other things. Some lessons Think of posting as a practice. The […]
February 2022 Monthly Review
February 2022 Monthly Review What went well? I have been doing an experiment for journaling 5 items I learn every day into my FIT framework. I now have 420 notes for my learning this year. My daily blogging practice is still going strong. What didn’t go well? Too many activities are taking up my focus. […]
Make Decisions In Advance
Today was an embarrassing day. While walking the dog this morning a slipped on the ice and fell and hit my head. Luckily for me, I have awesome neighbors who came and helped. The decision that was hard to make was whether to have the ambulance come and take me to emergency to get checked […]
January 2022 Monthly Review
What went well? My daily blogging practice is still going strong. Refining my planner templates based on my yearly review What didn’t go well? Still working on the JournaledLife articles and implementing the redesign for the website. I am close but not quite ready. What is the focus for next month? My practice now consists […]
Microlearning
Microlearning is learning one little thing at a time. If you have a good documentation and organization system microlearning grows into something significant. If you learn one principle a day, you will know 365 principles after a year. If you learn one technique in your area a day, you will know 365 techniques after a […]
December 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? My daily blogging practice is still going strong. I had the week after Christmas off which allowed me a lot of time for reflection and the creation of my 2022 plan I had an awesome Christmas with my family My to-do list is now much more focused What didn’t go well? Still […]
November 2021 Monthly Review
November 2021 Monthly Review What went well? My daily blogging practice is still going strong. November was another very good month for investing. I have started a set of self-learning where the notes are being documented within Obsidian Slowly reducing what is on my plate that is increasing the focus on what is remaining What […]
Remembrance
Remembrance day is a day to remember all the individuals who sacrificed themselves so that we enjoy the freedom we have. What are we willing to sacrifice to make the next generation better?
What I Learned from a Year of Blogging
It has now been a year where I have posted every day. Here are a few of the things that I have learned. When I look back on what I have written, I feel better about it than when I wrote it. Writing every day has pushed me to come up with explanations of different […]
October 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? My daily blogging practice is still going strong. October was a very good month for investing. I have incorporated automatic daily questions into my journaling practice. What didn’t go well? I am still working on reducing the number of things on my plate to increase my focus. This is proceeding but still […]
Ten Reasons I Journal
Ten Reasons I Journal To improve myself To document my life experiences To cultivate gratefulness To organize my life A medium to ponder life’s big issues To document my goals and objectives To discover things about myself To find and refine my purpose in life To keep an account of what I have done To […]
Unraveling My Ideal Day
I have struggled with figuring out how to aspire to a day that I would rank a 10 out of 10. I have had awesome days in my life due to something special happening. These are days that I would rank a 10 out of 10. But what would that mean for the rest of […]
September 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? My focus on creating a daily practice is starting to pay dividends. My journaling practice related to my daily practice is now allowing me to optimize and expand my daily practice. I have incorporated metrics into my daily practice. The metrics allow me to visualize the effectiveness of my daily practice. My […]
Finding Focus
I am slowly building my practice. I am not a type-A personality that can have a rigid schedule down to 15-minute increments. That simply does not work for me. I am trying to make a practice that is fluid, that keeps the spontaneity but allows me to focus on core activities so that they get […]
August Review
What went well? Daily practice is becoming refined. 31 posts for my personal blog. Obsidian version of JournaledLife is progressing. Camping in Jasper and Dinosaur Provincial Park. What didn’t go well? July and August are always the toughest months in terms of productivity because they are the summer holidays for my kids. What is the […]
Value of Photography
For me, after I have had an experience the feeling part of the experience starts to fade. I can remember that I experience something exciting, or breathtaking, or insightful, but being able to relive the feeling becomes harder as time goes by. Photography captures the feeling of the experience so that I can relive the […]
July 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? Daily practice is becoming refined. Consistent blogging for personal blog Spent more time camping with my family What didn’t go well? July and August are always the toughest months in terms of productivity because they are the summer holidays for my kids. On the other hand I get to spend much more […]
Family Value
One of my values is family. The connections with my children are the most important part of my life. My family brings so much joy, learning, happiness, opportunity into my life. I get to relive life lessons through my children. I get to share in their ups and downs. I get to pass on everything […]
June 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? Consistent blogging for personal blog Created routines for blogging, investing, learning Received my second COVID vaccine Spent time camping with my family Finished most of my to-do list so that I will be focused next quarter Office is organized Filing is caught up Budget is in place What didn’t go well? Not […]
May 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? Consistent blogging for personal blog Business Analyst contract going well Created long-form blogging process in Obsidian Received my COVID vaccine What didn’t go well? Finding a routine to get everything done Not enough content for JournaledLife What the plan for next month? Execute on my blogging process Finish up the quarter strong […]
Working on you To Do List
Now that I have my Life Design Planner in Obsidian another distinction I have made is my to-do list and the list of things I am working on. In the past, my to-do list has become long because of all the things I focus on, my projects are on the to-do list. I now have […]
Meditation Experiment
Starting April 10th I am going to execute a 30-day experiment on meditation. I have a muse meditation band that measures my brainwaves as I meditate. I fully admit that I have not used it yet this year, hence this experiment. Starting next quarter, April 1st, I will meditate each day, gather the metrics from […]
What I am reading
Here is the list of books I am currently reading. So far “The Practice” by Seth Godin has been excellent. The Practice by Seth Godin The Art of the Impossible by Steven Kotler The Nuclear Effect by Scott Oldford Cumulative Advantage by Mark W. Schaefer
How I Cope with COVID
It has been a long year! It was more than a year ago the last time I was at Chapters having a coffee – one of my favorite pastimes. So, how do I cope? Luckily, just before COVID started I got a new puppy who has kept me company throughout this pandemic. My top 5 […]
March 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? Consistent blogging JournaledLife course released Started new Business Analysis contract What didn’t go well? COVID restrictions fatigue What the plan for next month? Start marketing the JournaledLife course Continue to put myself out there Publishing content
OneNote or Obsidian
Now that I have found Obsidian, am I going to throw OneNote away? The answer is …… No. I have too much in OneNote to ever move it all into Obsidian. Even if I could I don’t know if that is the correct decision. I will still continue to use OneNote for capturing information off […]
My Creativity Value
One of my values is creativity. To make this value meaningful, I need to understand what the word creativity means to me and how it affects the life that I live. For me, creativity is a form of discovery. It is collecting facts and ideas about a subject and coming up with something new. It […]
Advice I Wish I had 10 Years Ago
What are the top three pieces of advice I wish I had 10 years ago? Create and publish content Creating and publishing content, like I am doing with this blog, helps you find your voice, improves your communication, builds an audience, and creates an asset you can use moving forward. Even if no one reads […]
February 2021 Monthly Review
What went well? Consistent blogging Course units for JournaledLife course nearing completion Investing returns still paying the bills What didn’t go well? COVID restrictions What the plan for next month? Complete JournaledLife course Contemplate if I need to take a business analyst contract Continue to put myself out there
FOPYOT
FOPYOT – Fear of putting yourself out there. Many of us, myself included have a fear of putting our thoughts and ideas out there. The fear is a combination of imposter syndrome, fear of the unknown, and fear of judgment. What could happen if you put yourself out there? 1. Positive reaction This is the […]
Heuristic Thinking
There is an app called flow that I play with my son. We race to see who can get the puzzles finished first. The game has a grid with different colored dots that come in pairs. The aim of the game is to connect all the dots of the same color. When I first played […]
Life and Fairness
One of my life values is fairness. I realize that life is not fair, luck and happenstance make it that way. Fairness, on the other hand, is a stand, a way of we as human beings should confront the fact that the world is not fair. I want to live in a world that is […]
How Far We Have Come
I still have the first computer I ever bought. I keep it frame on my wall as a reminder of much things change. The computer was an Ohio Scientific Superboard II I was a 1 Mhz CPU with 8K of memory. It was connected to a television via UHF and used a tape recorder to […]