My Daily Thoughts
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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?
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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,
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
It is important to understand that thinking takes energy. In order to think in an effective way requires work and effort on your part. It
Journal bad experiences and be ok with not being grateful at the time the experience took place. At a future time go back and see
Your experiences are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. You may not always see this at the time you are going through the experience. Reflecting
A key part of a journaling practice especially when you are creating a personal book of knowledge (PBOK) is to create connections between what you
A method for solving problems or creating new ideas is to use a new perspective. There are many ways to take a new perspective. If
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.
Cultivating wonder is a practice It is the emotion we feel when we see something that is beautiful, mysterious or creates a sense of awe
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
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
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
The outcomes are important when you are planning, but should be ignored when you are executing. A hockey player does not focus on the final
The world changes so fast. To live a life where you can take advantage of opportunities a 1-year timeframe may make sense. Get to the
Design your life so that you are building upon outcomes you have created. If you are not building on things, you are creating outcomes that
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
To create a life you will love, search for hard work that you enjoy. If you pursue easy work then the reward is small. If
You have a limited amount of energy for creating your life. There are activities you can do to increase your energy, but those tasks take
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
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
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
Seek clarity in everything you do. Start with the facts and the observations and then create your interpretations. Don’t blindly accept what others say, do
There are three major steps in life 1. Determine your self 2. Determine your practice – what will you do? 3. Determine your map –
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
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
The outcomes in your life are the result of the actions you take. The actions you take make up your practice. It is called a
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
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
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
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
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
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
Understand both sides. Every interpretation has a chance to be right. Understanding all sides pushes us to form interpretations from the bottom up. Take all
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
When you are making a point or you are defending a point of view make sure you know the definition of all the words you
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
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
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
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
We should all be creators of value. What value you create is your decision. A perspective on the value you create is to treat it
Part of finding your tribe is finding people who think like you and people who want the same type of life as you. If 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
When you are creating a life design, one of the factors to take into account is your energy. We all have activities that drain us,
Goals are a metric, your practice is what you focus on. You can have goals such as making a certain amount of money or losing
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
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.
AI is goal based algorithm. If you want to use AI to increase your satisfaction with life, or to help create the type of life
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
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.
Forgiveness is the flip side of freedom. When you don’t forgive, you are giving away part of your control to an outside entity. This results
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
You and you alone are responsible for your life. Life is unfair, you will have bad luck, and bad things will happen to you. You
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,
We create our personal book of knowledge so that we can extract wisdom from our life experiences and life reflections. Imagine what AI will be
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
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
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
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
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
A generic strategy is a strategy that can be used in multiple situations. The first step in making a generic strategy is to be aware
Our most precious resource is time. Time cannot be created or saved. The only thing we can do is make more effective use of our
“Atomic notes” is a principle for creating notes in your PBOK. An atomic note contains one single thought or idea. Atomic notes allow you to
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
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.
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
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
Your wisdom is the combination of what you have experienced and what you have reflected on. Studies show that people forget 50% to 70% of
If you take any spot, different people are going to take pictures from different perspectives. Some may take close-ups, and others will use different angles.
The circular practice can be applied to almost any activity in your life. It is a practice that builds learning and improvement into whatever you
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