Quixoting™ - A Quest for New Ideas

The Narcissistic Nature Of Being An Entrepreneur

Starting something - anything - requires a real dedication.  A lining up with a life's purpose and a significant sacrifice in other parts of your life. It also requires guts and determination.

When you think about it, though, it also requires that you fall in love with your idea and, in so doing, with yourself.  Because on the tough days when things feel headed down the toilet, only you will be singing the praises of your idea.  And if you stop singing, well, you won't even need to flush.

If you aren't familiar with the term "narcissism", you may at least know that it has a negative connotation.  Its origins lie in greek mythology and tells the story of a boy, Narcissus, who falls in love with an image of himself in a pool, not realizing it is a reflection of himself.  The modern use of the term is to characterize people who think mostly of themselves.  Self-absorbed.  Sound like someone you know?

My point here is that I don't see how you can be an entrepreneur without spending some serious time staring in the pool.  The difference, of course, is the purpose for your visit to the pool. How many of us have looked in the bathroom mirror before a presentation or big meeting and said to yourself:  "You can do this.  Go kick some tail out there".  Being a cheerleader for yourself and for your idea or company may be narcissistic, but full of larger purpose, it is pragmatic and necessary.

What do you think?

So, why am I writing about narcissism?  Well, I saw a quote the other day from Albert Einstein that I had forgotten but had once guided some of my decisions.  The quote?

Only a life lived for others is worth living.

Kind of socks me in the gut every time I read it.  My issue is that this sentiment runs headlong into a typical entrepreneurial mindset, does it not?  If you are working 12-16 hours a day trying to build your business, what time is there left to help others?  Really.

Well, certainly building a company can add jobs in the long term.  And building up a large workforce helps the economy.  Also, once you become CEO of your own creation, you get to choose how you treat your employees and their families.  You can have a big impact on a lot of people.

You can also, I guess, steer your company toward community pursuits.  A non-profit perhaps.  You can take the Paul Newman approach and give your profits (or a portion) to charity.  That works.  How about starting a company that supports the new green economy?

But there is another aspect that still bugs me a bit.  And it has to do with this blogging business and social media in general.  But it really stretches to include more than that.  The aspect?

The need for self-promotion

You see, blogging is a highly crowded arena.  It's like being a drop of water in a 40 foot wave breaking on the shore of Oahu.  Every other drop of water is trying to be bubbling white on the crest of the wave and shimmering in the Hawaiian sun. Of course, there are no elbows being thrown.  Everyone is very nice. And everyone is wiling to help you find your way.  It is just a sheer battle of will and determination.

So the ones who succeed, as far as I can tell, do so by being excellent self-promoters.  They also tend to have started a number of years ago when the market was less busy and they have built a following with excellent content.  Original, useful and/or personal content.

I've struggled a bit with the self-promotion part.  You see, I've always wanted to have a curtain of humility over things I've done in my personal life.  "If people like what I've done/written, they tell others and, over time, those others will come."  The problem is this is not a static market.  In fact, it is always changing.  I've learned that if you are not self-focused to some extent, the 40 ft wave will pick you up, drop you in the sand and drag you out to sea.  OK, that's a bit dramatic, but it can feel that way.

So, if you are someone who is not ready to self-promote in the traditional way, you need to find a way to do it that works with your philosophy. But, I'm afraid, if you don't do it you'll struggle.  There are some I've seen that are really good at it.  My first reaction to them was one of consternation. The arrogance!  But I've met a few of them and they are actually really nice people . . .

Yes, there is a narcissism in social media as well as in traditional entrepreneurial ventures.  You have to believe in yourself even when it looks like you shouldn't.  And you have to tell people about what you are doing in ways that might make you uncomfortable.  Or not.

So, don't be afraid to look in the pool.  If you fall in love, don't sweat it.  And, remember, you'll need all the love you can get on those days when no one seems to be listening, buying your product . . . 

. . . or reading your blog posts.  :-)

Ready to do something great? Are you sure?

This post was inspired by another I read this morning by Thom Singer on his blog "Some Assembly Required".  Thom was kind enough to highlight Quixoting in his post (Thanks Thom!).  But, more importantly, his larger message is one that resonates well here.

His message?

Believe You Can Accomplish Great Things In Life.

I absolutely love that because your ability to make it through the difficulties of life relies upon a confidence built up at some other point in your history.  Each victory.  Each successful struggle (and often the unsuccessful ones) build character and strength that can be tapped for the rest of your life.

As evidence of that, check out the picture above.  Do you recognize the world class athlete pictured above?  Probably not, because he's not famous yet.

To save you the suspense, it's me - resting after my January 2007 Orange County Marathon.  Don't see the connection?  Well, here it is simply.

Do something great in your personal life and you build a general confidence that you can do anything. I trained my tail off for that marathon.  I spent hundreds of hours training for the marathon with very few people watching.  Sadly, even fewer watched on race day (where was ESPN?).

The point is that I, along with thousands of others that day, set out to do something big.  And the large majority of us made it.

So?

On the days when I wonder whether I can do something new in life.  For example, start a successful blog, write a book, build an idea website or anything else.  I consciously or unconsciously go to the place in my mind that quietly remembers what it felt like the day I crossed the tape with my family cheering me on.  It's like an auto-reminder that prevents doubt from seeping into my active thinking.  

It manifests into a basic thought:

Yeah, I can do that.

So, if Thom's phrase above isn't an automatic for you.  If your brain isn't wired for as much confidence as you would like, go out and do something big in another part of your life.

Everyone needs a great challenge.  And the rewards of being in the game are huge . . . 

A logo, a design and now . . . a new tag-line

In a few recent posts, I shared with you the new logo (and suggested a process for working with a designer).  I also shared thoughts about the new blog design - one that was a long time coming but was well worth the wait.

Done, right?  Nope.

I already had a logo descriptor (a quest for new ideas) which helps people categorize what your idea (blog, product, etc) does or what category you play in.  

Now I have a added one last piece.  A tag-line.  

A tag-line is there to position your idea in the mind of your audience.  When you think about it, the name of this blog, Quixoting, does not have the same meaning for everyone.  

Some think "What?"  Some think "Oh, I get it. The guy who tilted at windmills."  Others say "Who is Don Quixote?".  So I've given myself a challenge - one I knew was there the moment I chose the name.

So, for this blog, defining its purpose is crucial.  No matter how obvious your positioning is, make sure you do everything you can to establish it.

The tag-line I chose is in the banner above and seeks to build a position and a personality.

Take Action.  Be Courageous.  Have Fun! 

These three phrases sum up my life story over last few years.  The first 18 months included a sense that the time was coming to act.  The last 6 months included a crucial decision to get started.

Take Action - I spent years writing down my ideas and promptly stuffing them into a bottom drawer. My lack of action on them left me feeling repressed and generally bummed out.  Why?  Because not acting on my ideas sent a quiet message to my soul that, well, the ideas must not be that good.  So finally I decided to act . . . and that has made all the difference.

Be Courageous - It's not easy to throw yourself out there.  You risk people criticizing your ideas.  The courage to get started includes the decision to sacrifice your personal time and the time of those around you.  It is a lot of work to start something brand new.

Have Fun! - It is amazing what happens once you get started.  Each effort adds on to the one before it. And as you move forward, little successes arrive and it feels great.  An energy starts to build up around what you are doing.  While it is certainly not wine and roses every day, there is a cumulative effect. You find a happy place and drop your bags.     

So there it is.  I am thankful for the chance to write and to think.  And I'm thankful that you are here to read it (and hopefully share your comments).

What's next?  Well, lots of ideas and creative wanderings to come!  Also, there is a website in the works here.  What could I possibly put there?

Well, I have a few ideas . . .  

What is your relationship with time?

If you are at all like me, time feels like a strange bedfellow.  But more directly, I have a love-hate relationship with clocks.  Digital or traditional, on a watch or on a wall.  It doesn't really matter.

So how does it work?

I love clocks when they tell me what I want to hear.  For example, if I wake up in the middle of the night and accidentally see the time, I am happy to see a result between midnight and 5:00 AM.

I say accidentally because I go out of my way to avoid seeing the clock at night. Why?  Because I'd rather not know that I only have one hour of sleep left to go.  Psychologically, it matters.

During the day clocks are more of an objective tool.  Meetings start and meetings end on time (or are supposed to).  Although there are times when I race the clock on the commute home.  When racing, the clock becomes an adversary once again.  

Can't we all just get along?

Don't get me wrong.  I don't have anything against clocks.  I just want more control over them.

But here's one other issue I have.  Why do all digital clocks have such a bright glow?  The one by my bed could be seen through fog from far out at sea.  Now is that really necessary?  Some night I worry that I will wake up with a green sun tan or some disease from exposure to green light.  I think they call this particular malady "lime disease".

OK, now you've got me started.  My kids have clocks that are the worst of them all.  Their clocks are digital, have bright readouts and . . . hold your hats . . . project the time on the ceiling above your head.  So my poor kids, little do they know, are being subjected to the worst kind of time exposure. Constant.  Poor innocent things are painted into a corner.  One brief opening of the eyes and ZAP! they are instantly exposed.

But perhaps this early exposure is not a curse but a blessing.  Perhaps this early exposure will allow them to grow up with a joy for time - even (gulp) in the dark of night.

As I shudder with fear at the thought of too much time, they will sleep like babies.  A small smile cracking their lips.

Like writing in the Sistine Chapel

Call me easily pleased.  I have been posting to this blog since September 1st under a fairly uninspiring template.  Every time I hit the publish button to send my thoughts or ideas to you, they were sent out in what I would call a blank envelope.

So now, thanks to my designer extraordinaire, there is a new logo and a new template that better supports the content in this blog.  This is because a brand, like Quixoting™, is more than just a word.  It is colors and fonts, images and sizes.  So forgive me for feeling a bit more "legit" than just a few days ago.

What's pleasing to the eye is pleasing to the mind.

But there is a risk.  Oh, a terrible risk.  Makes me shudder.  Writing under this design puts new pressures on a guy.  Gotta perform, right?  It would be like a young artist working on a painting while sitting in the Sistine Chapel.  How could the art ever match that of what exists above?

OK, this comparison may be a bit of a stretch.  You think?  Perhaps this blog design does not compare well to that of Michelangelo.  

But it inspires me all the same.

As an entrepreneur, artist, writer or anyone else involved in creative work, you need little wins along the way.  Things to keep you going.  When you feel like no one else is listening.

I love reading your comments on this blog.  I love getting new followers on Twitter.  It's all part of the true joy of creating something.

Sharing that something with others.

The power of dreaming - day or night

Dreams.  They can inspire, distract, empower or confuse you.

I had a dream (while sleeping) the other night.  Now, before I say more, I really don't remember the last time I had a good long dream.  You know those epics you used to have as a kid?  Multi-chapter dreams with well-developed characters were the norm in high school.  I used to wake up with a powerful memory of not only the dream, but the warmth of the emotions experienced.

Once I woke up having had a Star Trek kind of dream.  Yes, I could beam myself anywhere in the world. It was a powerful feeling and one that stayed with me for days.  And, yes, there were cool flying dreams and horrifying falling dreams.

The worst dream by far was initiated by my parents forcing me to sit out all day in the heat running a family garage sale.  During my sleep that night, if you can call it that, I felt genuine fear and anxiety. Every time I closed my eyes, the dream restarted with me in the heat.  A fanny pack around my waist, I was being approached by a constant stream of strangers wanting to ask me the price of some cheap item at my feet.

So back to the dream from the other night.  It is the only one that continues to reappear in my slumber. But why am I telling you about it here?

Well, I am convinced that this dream is in my life as a reminder to take action on my ideas.  As you may know, I spent years coming up with, writing down, and completely ignoring my ideas.  On September 1st, 2008 I made a decision to take action and have been happier ever after.

The dream is has some consistent elements:

First, they are all related to sports.  Playing sports was my joy in high school.  My passion.  It gave me my social life and my ego rub.  Anything that held me back from participating was incredibly stressful in my late teens.

Second, the problem is a lack of control.  I am unable to get myself to do certain things, although simple, even with the reward being playing a sport.

Third, the dream is very one dimensional.  The game has started without me and I am not ready.  

So, here's a typical dream:  I am in the locker room before a high school football game.  It is a big game and I am to play a big role (quarterback, wide receiver, running back).  But as the team heads out of the locker room, I identify a problem with my equipment that seems incidental.  A shoestring, a helmet clasp, a hip pad.  Seems simple, right?  But every minute I am delayed from entering the field, the anxiety grows.  The audacity of this simple problem!  How is it possible that something this minor could keep me from what I want so much?

So there is no resolution in this dream.  Nope.  It always ends the same way.  The continuing struggle to complete a simple task.

My prediction?  The simple decision I made in September will, over time, rid me of the necessity to be punished during sleep.  As I reward my soul with the act of pursuing my ideas, the dreams will cease to be necessary.  Assuming that necessity matters.    

Or maybe this is just wishful thinking . . .

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