Happy New Year, Let’s Start With A Plan

I have always been a dreamer, I like to contemplate my future in different scenarios. I remember my 3rd grade teacher wrote on my report card, “Daydreams in class, could do better.” I took the advice to “do better” seriously, and have been a lifelong learner. The daydreaming though, I could never give up (Thank God). January is a natural time to daydream – to consider your future without limits and restrictions. Brainstorm and dig deep, then establish the goals that will inspire you and create roadmaps to achieve them. All the potential and possibilities are before us.

So in doing my annual review this year I decided I wanted to create a vision board to help me stay focused on my goals this year. I know that if I have a visual of the thing I want to achieve, I will find a way to do that. I have used this technique for multiple large asks from the universe, and it always works. I did a little research and found that the most effective vision boards utilize the Feng Shui foundations, because it has a resonance with how people interpret the world. The vision board has 9 sections, so I also used these categories to inform my goal setting.

I found the Feng Shui very interesting and will follow up on that later. For reference –

“Both schools of feng shui use the same remedies and cures for any sector/quadrant negatively impacting your life. The feng shui remedies can transform the negative energy by attracting auspicious chi energy.” https://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/Bagua_Map

Feng Shui Bagua – 9 Areas of Life

1. Health & Spirituality
2. Creativity
3. Love & Marriage/Family & Relationships
4. Wealth & Prosperity
5. Family & Leisure
6. Knowledge & Growth
7. Social Contribution & Career & Success
8. Travel
9. Fame & Recognition

Considering your life in these different areas can bring you to consider improvements and set goals that will truly bring you more happiness and fulfillment. I still maintain the discipline of handwriting my goals on a template, because if you write it down it cements that commitment to yourself to work for what you want. Download the pdf if you are curious. The next step is creating the roadmap for each goal. I’ll share my process for that next time. Until then, stay curious and spread joy.

Autumn Adventures

As the autumnal equinox approaches, which is the equilibrium of day and night, it signals the change of seasons and the transition from growth to harvest. The  air cools, the frenzy of summer gives way to back-to-school routines, and the open window season brings respite from Augusts’ dog days. The pace slows a little, we focus more and the trees start their color show. Next month, my husband and I will celebrate our 34th anniversary on Sao Miguel in the Azores. I am soooo excited to return two years after our first visit when we literally fell in love with the island. It is green, lush, stunning calderas and mountain views, beautiful coasts, hot springs; and no billboards, no huge signage, not commercial. Unlike anywhere else I have been on the earth.

Americans had a day of remembrance on 9/11, 20 years after the terrorist attack. Those of us who witnessed the buildings collapsing and smoke rising from the Pentagon will always remember the feelings of that day – horrified, powerless, awed in disbelief. For a brief moment, it felt like an Orwellian “War of the Worlds” event, but the live news coverage dispelled the disbelief as professional journalists described in detail the heartbreaking scenes of debris and bodies.

Americans came together after that day, united to preserve this country. Funny how it takes a disaster to bring us together.  As September takes hold, it’s time to start planning for what’s coming – the holidays!

Q’s birthday is approaching to open October. How quickly and slowly this year has gone. I have not adjusted yet to retirement or the pandemic, and I hope our upcoming trip will not be disrupted by another surge of Covid cases. We are being vigilant, got our vaccines, masking up in public and keeping our distance socially. I can’t help but wonder what’s around the next corner, what does this new season hold?

I will embrace the change and adapt. For more inspiration, see Simon Sinek’s video. Next, I will explore downsizing therapy.  

The Metaverse Continued…

An article in The New Yorker caught my eye and kept me thinking about the #metaverse. As I was pondering what the writer was saying about Facebook’s strategies and positioning, it made me imagine a virtual war between consumers and companies inside the metaverse. Are individual governments obsolete in the virtual world? How will we organize and how will governance be enforced? Will each site have it’s own sheriff? Will we have virtual demonstrations and/or boycotts?  Will we create virtual cities that are democratic, or will autocracies arise as brands have more power and control. Think about if you have to pay rent to Facebook for your little slice, and they have completely ridiculous HOA rules. Then what?

Social shopping is trending upward (especially in China), and in the context of the metaverse it makes sense. Now if Facebook buys Shopify, I’m going to worry. Including VR (Oculus) to make the purchase journey more engaging is next – virtual try-ons/try-outs (already available for some brands). Consider this: Imagine strolling the virtual mall with a group of friends. Being able to buy something physically gives you an NFT so you can wear/have it virtually within the metaverse, bringing your physical appearance closer to that of your virtual avatar.

With the use of AI, could you create an avatar that can perform your mental work while you are physically sleeping? I once had a boss who’s goal was to make money while he was asleep, perhaps this is way to accomplish that.

So far this week there have been articles in VentureBeat, Wired, The Economist and ABC News about the metaverse. It is more than a passing fad, and I’m going to keep my eye on this trend. Thanks to Avacon for creating the wordcloud back in 2013.

Becoming an Expatriate

I am starting a new chapter, so let me start with the Bottom Line Up Front (or BLUF in military parlance). My intention is to move from the USA to a small island in the Atlantic Ocean called  São Miguel, which is part of the Portugal’s Autonomous Region of the Azores.

I have numerous reasons for wanting to move there, but no matter the reason, there is a process one must go through to make such a move. There are so many more aspects to consider than just a move across town. Come on this journey with me as I explore the mental, physical and digital considerations of becoming an Expatriate.

So, true to my nature, here is the approach I will take, while always keeping the end in mind (Thank you Steven Covey).

Make a decision – it sounds easier than it is. So many factor go into this very personal step. Once the decision is made, you MUST Set a Clear Goal. This is essential – it must be so clear that you can see it. See my previous posts about visualization. Now, you must understand the context which you currently live in and what you will be moving to.

Consider what must change – this will be affected by the configuration of your family. Once you have identified all important factors, Make A Plan. A WRITTEN Plan. See why this is important.

The journey has begun. First step is my upcoming trip at the end of October. More later. Please leave me a comment if there is a specific topic you are interested in.

 

 

Visualization and Goal Achievement

I retired right before the pandemic, and have been contemplating what to do with myself – I need a new purpose. The Olympics were very inspiring, it always makes me appreciate the training that goes into that kind of performance. Any kind of performance takes work, whether it’s musical, educational, business or entertainment. 

Visualization is a great technique for virtual rehearsing, it is also a way to make planning more effective. A great article landed in my inbox (Uncertain of your next career move? Develop a Life Vision) which picked up on this theme of visualizing goals and outcomes. It’s funny, I had a great career but I did not have an overall end goal or master plan to guide me along the way. I wish I had, the what if’s are haunting. I did have short and mid-term goals, and have to say that whatever I went after, I pretty much achieved it one way or another. I have attended training from the legends of my industries, and worked with incredible colleagues whose names you may recognize. And even though my career was fulfilling, I’m not sure what legacy remains. I am going to follow the process that the author Robert Hellmann recommended and will let you know my results. My Aunt Flossie told me, “It is never too late to find your passion.” She should know, she is awesome at 98 years old!

Speaking of visualization, I did want to note a new concept that is trending – #metaverse. For the uninitiated, according to Wikipedia

The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the Internet. Wikipedia

The metaverse can have it’s own economy, jobs, social interactions, etc. Cryptocurrencies play a big role in transforming how banking works in the metaverse. The metaverse is being embraced by Facebook, Microsoft and Tencent. I found Matthew Ball’s primer and excellent diagram to help understand this concept:

And recently, I read this in an investment newsletter:

We are pleased to announce that META — the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF — has surpassed $50 million in assets under management. The milestone comes less than six weeks after the fund’s launch.  “We believe the Metaverse is a multi-trillion dollar transformation that will reach and impact every part of the global economy. I’m delighted that so many investors – and many of the most valuable companies in the world – share that perspective and have decided to invest alongside us” – said Matthew Ball of Ball Metaverse Research Partners.  

It won’t be too long in the future that digital life will be more commonplace than organic, physical reality. The pandemic has shown us that virtual meetings via Zoom/Teams/Google etc can be as productive as meetings in brick and mortar buildings.  Let me know what you think, and if the pandemic has made you reconsider your life’s work. 

Olympic Aspirations

First, thank you to all the athletes who participated in the Oympics this year, the delays, uncertainty, covid protocols, and the emotional rollercoaster of the pandemic made training and competing all the more challenging. Thank you for sticking with your passion and representing your country.

An observation from seeing so many athlete backstories. I noticed that a LOT of the athletes had a goal to compete at the Olympics. Not just a goal, they had written it down. One had saved the paper since she was 8 years old, claiming her dream to compete and win a gold medal. I can tell you from experience that written goals are a key element to achievement. There is something about the writing process, committing something to paper, that helps us remember and obligate oneself to the ideal of the goal, and make an internal promise.

I am a big believer in “the secret” – the law of attraction. I have used this principle throughout my life, incorporating it into my thought processes at an early age because of the influence of my loving parents, who told me I could do anything or be anything I desired if I was willing to put in the work. Set goal, believe in your purpose, put the effort in to accomplish the goal, savor the accomplishments and get on with the next goal. Visualizing positive outcomes is a key to success, and rehearsal visualization is a technique often used by athletes.

Here in Hampton Roads, we are going to celebrate area athletes at Elevation 27 on September 7th between 6 and 8 PM. Join us to celebrate and welcome our athletes home.

Novel Confessions

I have a confession to make. I’m a Baldacci snob when it comes to Audible pleasure listening. Since retiring from Microsoft, one of my true pleasures is to be able to get lost in a story, and Audible makes that very easy with the array of titles they offer. I had remembered my books on tape from commuting days, and once I drove around the block three times just to hear the end of a Baldacci story. So when Audible presented his novels as chosen for me, I eagerly downloaded one, then two, then a boxed set of three…you can see where this is going, I got totally hooked. Addicted. Waiting for the next credit became torturous, I had to buy three extra credits to get my fix, they had me.

Since my vision is deteriorating, listening instead of reading has become my main source of information input. I have many days that are cloudy despite the sunshine outside, and listening has become a coping mechanism as well as a respite. I enjoy my story listening, not multitasking while the narrator takes me into other places and characters. Since I have finished so many Baldacci novels in the last three months, I decided to try a different author, so I downloaded a Tom Clancy novel. I’m sorry, the storytelling is not nearly as good at capturing your whole attention as David Baldacci’s writing. So there’s my confession, and now you know…

New Economy in Outbreak Times

I have been observing the evolution of this outbreak and how it is impacting American’s daily lives, habits and economy.  The stock market is still rocky, and will be until we figure out a way to survive with new ways – no touch and social distancing, no gathering events (sports, church, music), more online purchasing (which will dampen retail even more) and other behavioral and cultural changes we will need to make. Read the Statista summary for the chart above (https://www.statista.com/chart/14854/online-food-and-alcohol-sales-in-the-us/)

Some things I think we will see right away – service workers getting laid off for lack of work and store closings (consolidation), an increase in the amount of order online and pick-up services (especially groceries), a huge increase in video conferencing and concomitant decrease in business travel. Being in Virginia Beach, a tourist destination, I think we will see really see the impact here, as leisure travel is curtailed.

So stay safe my friends. Let’s order local and keep our small businesses in business. What are your ideas for pivoting to stay in business? Post your ideas and comments to continue the conversation.

Risk Assessment in the face of virus pandemic

I have been a project manager for many years, and risk assessment is always a challenge because it requires speculation about an unknown future state or alternate scenarios that depend on some “factors”. I have never had to assess for what to do in case of widespread infection before. Truly scary times!
I keep hearing medical professionals and government officials saying some form of “I don’t know…how…”. I feel better that it seems the red flags have been acknowledged and measures are being taken to prepare and reduce the spread by restricting travel and public gatherings.

Here is a link to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html

We have limited data to use to model the likely spread and volume of cases within the US, so being a data geek, that means that my risk radar or spidey sense is now on high alert. I am urging all my friends and family to avoid airline travel especially, and cruise ships are a total no no. I predict that Video Conferencing Services are going to have a surge in the near future! Until next time, keep the faith, be safe and be careful.

Contemplation on a rainy day

It’s grey and damp, not unusual for a January day in Virginia. Better off than the poor souls being battered by ice, snow and tornados. The house is quiet with only a lone siren in the distance, interrupted by the train whistle. And then, quiet again, perfect time for some Q3 Important but not urgent activities.

Since retiring from Microsoft, I have had to purposefully restructure my daily activities, seeking more balance and contemplative time. It is Covey’s Sharpen the Saw habit that I have always found most challenging. Me time. Now, I’m trying to start writing again, and it is more challenging to get both time + the inspiration concurrently. I am also learning about a whole new set of tools for content curation, collaborative teamwork, websites and virtual assistants.

Pocket for content curation:  https://app.getpocket.com/discover

Microsoft Teams for collaboration and file organization: https://teams.microsoft.com/start  (There’s a good free option to start)

Go Daddy for websites (including Managed WordPress sites):  https://www.godaddy.com/

And of course, the family business is very busy right now, preparing for a significant upcoming event. F3 is temporarily on hold, but still being developed. Esports is taking hold in this area, with winter season beginning now.

The results of my contemplation today is an affirmation that I will use my time with purpose to achieve the most good. What is your thought for the day?