Here’s something that’s been irritating me: ever since I discovered that a colleague/client of mine has a blog dedicated to making him the #1 search result for his name on Google, I’ve started to worry about how I’m not the #1 search result for “Chris Minnick”. To add insult to injury, the #1 result is completely devoid of content.
I’m shallow, I know. But, now I’m obsessed. 23 of the first 25 results are me….why can’t I just have one more?
Top 5 things I wish I could forget:
1. The songs from West Side Story
2. actually, I think that’s pretty much it. Just #1.
I’m obsessed with YouTube and Google Video.
When I was in high school and college, I had a video camera and shot hundreds of hours of tape (which I’m starting to go through and digitize now). Watching this footage today, I realize that I never learned to edit, or cared much about editing, and that’s why most of the videos I made in highschool and college are unbearable to anyone but me.
I watch the videos that kids are making now and posting to YouTube, and many of them spend a lot of time editing and produce much more polished things than I ever did. They do have much better equipment than I had in the late 80s and early 90s, it’s true. But, I think they also see the potential of editing, even if they rarely get it right. I think that’s cool. What’s even cooler is that they have a way to get their videos out there so that I can watch them.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love the Internet?
I’ve been an insane ball of energy lately. I’m reading about 20 books and 10-20 magazines now, I’m learning 2 different programming language, making wine, planning events and more events, blogging and updating a lot of personal sites, running a growing business and a couple fun businesses, taking golf lessons, planning to start making cheese, swimming, practicing chess, trying to get a band together, trying to learn guitar, and some other stuff I’ve forgotten about.
I often enjoy having a million things going on. I’ve been trying to move at least one thing measurably forward per day. This isn’t always easy, especially with things like learning guitar where measuring progress is sometimes very difficult from day to day. But, that’s my strategy.
Lately I’m a bit worried that I’m not paying enough attention to my health, though. So, that’s the thing I’m starting to think about now. Now, here’s the big catch…I think I’d be healthier and less stressed if I worked just as hard as I do now, but on a lot fewer things. Is there anyone out there in blog-reading land who has gone from being a scatterbrain to being a focused person and found it less stressful? Can it be done?
You’re all insane!
Not really, I just wanted a snappy title. My post from yesterday has generated quite a firestorm of controversy. Not really, but hey, I can dream. Anyway, in my dream, I’m responding to my critics:
I’m not calling you lazy. I’m saying that you’re hung up on one aspect of starting a business (start-up money) and you’re neglecting the important parts–namely, that you don’t have a plan.
To the person who told me that I should take my own advise and start that bowling alley that I mentioned 5 years ago (see this), I say this:
It’s ok to forget about things you used to be obsessed with and even to drop them like hot potatos. If you keep hanging on to old stuff, you’ll be afraid to have new thoughts. I don’t care that I thought it might be a good idea to start a bowling alley once (and even did some research). Today, I know that running a bowling alley is something I don’t want to do and I’m ok with the fact that I probably never will. I’m also ok with getting interested in it again if I want to.
I used to do Kung Fu, take pictures, make movies, and lots of other stuff…but I don’t do those things now and I don’t consider myself to be someone who does those things anymore. To call myself a photographer or filmmaker or Martial Artist when I haven’t done any of those things seriously in years would just make me stressed out.
It’s the same with business ideas. If you get some new information that makes owning a record store/book store/cafe seem like a childish and dumb idea, just forget about it…even if all your friends think it would be really cool.
The standard advice I used to get from my creative writing professors was to write SOMETHING. I’m a firm believer in this, but not often a practitioner. I’m also a firm believer in doing some sort of exercise regularly…but, again, I don’t follow through most of the time. Although…look: I’m writing something now, and I just started swimming again, which just goes to show that people can change (at least when the weather is right and things aren’t too busy at work).
The reason I bring this up now is because I often get asked for advice about starting a business or some such similar activity. I don’t consider myself a business guru, but I have built something that’s allowed me to be self-employed for almost 10 years, so I guess I know a thing or two.
My advice to anyone who wants to start a business is this:
Do Something!
Talking and planning and dreaming are ok. But, why not put your ideas on paper? It won’t cost you anything and it’ll get you one step closer. Already have it on paper? Do the research and write a business plan…and DON’T spend more than a couple minutes researching the format of a business plan. AND YOU BETTER NOT GO BUYING A BOOK ABOUT WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN OR TAKING ONE OF THOSE CLASSES. I’m serious. I’ll kick your ass if you do. Formatting and style should be the least of your concerns at this point…why not start with answering these questions (off the top of my head):
Who will pay me money?
What will they pay me money for?
How much will they give me?
How will I do or make what they’ll give me money for?
Where will I do whatever it is?
When will this happen (make a schedule…who cares if you might miss a deadline?)
The one question you shouldn’t specifically answer just yet is “how much money do I need before I can do it?”. Save that for your second draft. Almost everyone I know who wants to start a business but hasn’t done it thinks that money is the problem that’s keeping them from their dream. I almost guarantee that it ain’t.
I read the first 20 pages of a lot of computer books. I’ve been trying to be better about making it through the whole thing lately, but there are just so many. Here are some of books I’m reading now that I intend to make it all the way through. I’ve decided not to link or list the publisher. You can find these at all fine book stores.1. Pragmatic Version Control with Subversion
2. Head Rush Ajax
3. The Art of SQL
4. Agile Web Development with Rails
5. Complete Book of Chess Strategy
6. Innovation Happens Elsewhere
7. Best of Ruby Quiz
8. Linux Server Hacks
9. Practices of an Agile Developer
10. The Horn by John Clellon Holmes
11. The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil
This site needs a blog, and so I’m breaking out my old one. I don’t know what’s in the archives here, but I’m feeling good about things, so I’m just going to leave it all around for anyone who cares.