Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Space for Uncomfortable Goals: Part 2 - 'Definition and Examples'
A space for Uncomfortable Goals signifies a sincere attempt to leave ones 'comfort zone' and reach out into Unknown Territory.
Recently, I set an Uncomfortable Goal for myself. Exactly 8 weeks ago, I decided I wanted to run an ULTRA-marathon--a 50K race. At the time, I was only running about 20 miles a week. I was not in the shape to run a 30 mile race! However, I was in the mood for a challenge. I wanted to feel some pain and try and do something I was not really sure I could actually do.
Rather then set a practical goal I set an Uncomfortable Goal. I trained hard and gradually increased my miles, ate better and started feeling better about my chances. However, according to all the experts it was still a stretch to think that someone could train for an ultra marathon in 7 weeks. I was being slightly reckless and quite frankly...I was scared.
Nevertheless, last Saturday, I accomplished that uncomfortable goal. I ran 30.4 miles from near Mount Rainer to the Puget Sound in Washington State. I did not run fast and I thought a few times during the race that I was going to break down into small pain-filled pieces and crumble away into oblivion.
However, I did not break and I did not quit and I finally did it. Now, the universe is just a tad bit smaller and maybe even slightly less chaotic and incomprehensible as it was before...
Six months ago, I set a similar sort of uncomfortable goal for myself. I decided to switch careers in the middle of a recession while supporting a family. I was in a job I was good at and working with people I liked. However, I was not doing what I loved and I was not using my talents and abilities to the fullest. So, I decided to take a chance and set my feet toward unknown territory. Now, I am still friends with my previous co-workers but I have found a place doing what I love...all because I took a chance and pushed the limits a bit.
I guess in many ways, I have always lived my life this way. I guess it comes from being a runner and always seeking out Unknown Territory to explore. However, now that I am older and supporting a family and growing a career I see that it is harder to take chances. So, I have begun to think about the meaning, need and purpose of Unknown Territory and Uncomfortable Goals...
I do believe now that if we want to capture the truths we knew as children. If we want to truly live life to its fullest. We would do well to realize that Unknown Territory matters and that there should be a space for Uncomfortable Goals in our lives.
Try it and let me know what you find...:-)
Are You Linkedin? Here are Some Practical Uses of www.linkedin.com for Job Seekers
Awhile ago, I wrote a more philosophical piece about the nature and need of social networking.
http://anthropologyofwork.blogspot.com/2010/05/systems-thinking-and-trend-toward.html#links
Now, I would like to post a link to an article that gives some down to earth and practical advice about how to use linkedin.com in particular to find a job.
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/10-ways-to-use.html#axzz0qNgPONFH
http://anthropologyofwork.blogspot.com/2010/05/systems-thinking-and-trend-toward.html#links
Now, I would like to post a link to an article that gives some down to earth and practical advice about how to use linkedin.com in particular to find a job.
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/10-ways-to-use.html#axzz0qNgPONFH
Monday, June 7, 2010
A Space for Uncomfortable Goals: Part 1 - 'Unknown Territory'
I have always been a runner, even as a child.
In fact, I think most kids are natural runners, always in motion, always at play. I know I was. Most of my earliest memories involve some form of running. I even remember my first real ‘run‘, when I circumvented the city block in Colorado where we lived for the very first time. I distinctly remember feeling that running that far was unknown territory and I was not sure if I could do it. Yet, as I ran I was surprised at how quickly each corner came. My doubt and fear were slowly replaced by a sense of completeness. I had discovered something new.
Later, as a teen-ager I spent many miles on the trails and back roads of North Carolina, learning how to push that Unknown Territory further and further out ahead of me, thriving in the midst of myself, pushing through the limits imposed by doubt and fear. I won many races during that time. Yet, the real joy in running came from where my feet took me, the challenges I faced and the life-lessons I learned.
Running has always been like this for me, a combination of wonder and fear and movement and discovery.
It is this mixture of fear of the unknown and satisfaction of completing a difficult challenge that prompts us to do many of the activities in our lives, including running. We reach out into unknown territory, holding hope and perseverance in our hands like a lantern, and we end up finding new things that make our understanding of the world grow. Fear prompts action which in turn prompts discovery.
Ironically, I think this is also why many of us stop challenging ourselves at some point in our lives. In confronting Unknown Territory we discover that sometimes darkness is hiding darkness and not all discoveries are good. [After all, it is this same psychological combination, fear + action = results, that has been used throughout history by those in power to convince people to do things they might not otherwise do. We are exposed to fear-based advertising on a daily basis. We are entertained by fear-based movies and TV. And at the most extreme, we are continuously kept ’at war’ with either real people (Iraq, Afghanistan…) or ideas (drugs, terrorism, poverty).] Bombarded by notions of FEAR at every turn, we grow weary and no longer care to explore Unknown Territory.
Nevertheless, running has taught me that it is exactly during these periods, when the world seems too dangerous and we are afraid to take chances, that we need to re-evaluate who we really are and what we really want in life. What are our goals and where is our journey taking us?
For this reason, I have decided to make a conscious decision these days to allow space for uncomfortable goals.
[part two]
In fact, I think most kids are natural runners, always in motion, always at play. I know I was. Most of my earliest memories involve some form of running. I even remember my first real ‘run‘, when I circumvented the city block in Colorado where we lived for the very first time. I distinctly remember feeling that running that far was unknown territory and I was not sure if I could do it. Yet, as I ran I was surprised at how quickly each corner came. My doubt and fear were slowly replaced by a sense of completeness. I had discovered something new.
Later, as a teen-ager I spent many miles on the trails and back roads of North Carolina, learning how to push that Unknown Territory further and further out ahead of me, thriving in the midst of myself, pushing through the limits imposed by doubt and fear. I won many races during that time. Yet, the real joy in running came from where my feet took me, the challenges I faced and the life-lessons I learned.
Running has always been like this for me, a combination of wonder and fear and movement and discovery.
It is this mixture of fear of the unknown and satisfaction of completing a difficult challenge that prompts us to do many of the activities in our lives, including running. We reach out into unknown territory, holding hope and perseverance in our hands like a lantern, and we end up finding new things that make our understanding of the world grow. Fear prompts action which in turn prompts discovery.
Ironically, I think this is also why many of us stop challenging ourselves at some point in our lives. In confronting Unknown Territory we discover that sometimes darkness is hiding darkness and not all discoveries are good. [After all, it is this same psychological combination, fear + action = results, that has been used throughout history by those in power to convince people to do things they might not otherwise do. We are exposed to fear-based advertising on a daily basis. We are entertained by fear-based movies and TV. And at the most extreme, we are continuously kept ’at war’ with either real people (Iraq, Afghanistan…) or ideas (drugs, terrorism, poverty).] Bombarded by notions of FEAR at every turn, we grow weary and no longer care to explore Unknown Territory.
Nevertheless, running has taught me that it is exactly during these periods, when the world seems too dangerous and we are afraid to take chances, that we need to re-evaluate who we really are and what we really want in life. What are our goals and where is our journey taking us?
For this reason, I have decided to make a conscious decision these days to allow space for uncomfortable goals.
[part two]
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Barefoot Ted's Adventures: So, you wanna start running barefoot?
Barefoot Ted's Adventures: So, you wanna start running barefoot?
--For anyone even slightly interested in trying barefoot or minimalist running please read this article above...I have been 'running toward minimalism' for some time now and it does make running more fun and my body more in tune with the process. However, as the article above shows, you have to take it slow!
I started by taking the insoles out of my trail shoes (which is still the way I log most of my weekly miles). I run in Brooks Cascadias which are already a pretty minimalist shoe (designed by Ultra Marathon runner Scott Jurek)...With the insoles out you really get more feedback from the trail and street and your feet have a little more room to move around in the shoes. Just by taking out the insoles and focusing on taking shorter and lighter steps (not rolling from heel to toes but instead running on the balls of my feet) I have noticed a world of difference. My feet, ankles, legs and knees all feel stronger and my chronic (though mild) knee pain and Plantar Faciatis completly disappeared.
Shortly after ditching the insoles I also purchased these simple shoes used by pretty much everyone in China, martial artists, traceurs , and all the Shoalin Monks :-) ...I have put 200-300 miles on them since December...usually 3-5 mile runs but a couple longer ones... (pretty much like barefoot running but with some protection..plus they only cost $20:-)
...finally, I have been doing 2-3 mile runs barefoot as my body/feet allow it...have gotten to the point I can run on any surface for a few miles and be fine...but I am taking it very slow and I recommend the same to anyone out there who thinks they want to shun the shoe companies and actually run the way our bodies were meant to run...:-)
I started by taking the insoles out of my trail shoes (which is still the way I log most of my weekly miles). I run in Brooks Cascadias which are already a pretty minimalist shoe (designed by Ultra Marathon runner Scott Jurek)...With the insoles out you really get more feedback from the trail and street and your feet have a little more room to move around in the shoes. Just by taking out the insoles and focusing on taking shorter and lighter steps (not rolling from heel to toes but instead running on the balls of my feet) I have noticed a world of difference. My feet, ankles, legs and knees all feel stronger and my chronic (though mild) knee pain and Plantar Faciatis completly disappeared.
Shortly after ditching the insoles I also purchased these simple shoes used by pretty much everyone in China, martial artists, traceurs , and all the Shoalin Monks :-) ...I have put 200-300 miles on them since December...usually 3-5 mile runs but a couple longer ones... (pretty much like barefoot running but with some protection..plus they only cost $20:-)
...finally, I have been doing 2-3 mile runs barefoot as my body/feet allow it...have gotten to the point I can run on any surface for a few miles and be fine...but I am taking it very slow and I recommend the same to anyone out there who thinks they want to shun the shoe companies and actually run the way our bodies were meant to run...:-)
Friday, May 7, 2010
‘Systems Thinking’ and the trend toward ‘Social Networking’
The frame is in place but the picture is blurry…
For some, social networking is an arbitrary outlet for texting-addicted teenagers, pampered socialites, and uber-professionals. For others, it has been an interesting but fleeting source of entertainment. Finally, for millions and millions world wide, social networking has become a regularly used tool—for everything from ‘conducting business’ to ‘none of your business’.
The social networks are all there and we all fall somewhere along a continuum that runs from ‘fatally allergic to them’ to ‘can’t live without them’. Yet, most of us do not really understand why Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and all the many other social networking sites are so widely used. More importantly, we do not see how they can serve a positive function in our lives.
Yet, by focusing on some essential themes the picture suddenly becomes a little clearer...
Seen from the right vantage point, this new communication medium holds tons of potential. It is truly more than the sum of its parts, and social networking can make our lives easier and more successful…maybe even more fun!
Social Networking is a new technological phenomenon. It combines the eminently vast reach of cyberspace with the seemingly innate need for humans to connect with like-minded humans. At times, this esoteric combination of ‘human invention’ and ‘human nature’ make social networking seem unapproachable and even unnecessary for many people. However, it is important to consider that although social networking is new, it is actually rooted in two ancient themes that most humans can appreciate—and a third that we all can benefit from.
The first theme expressed in Social Networking is ‘Freedom’. As is the case with the Internet in general, social networking allows for people to break through communication restrictions imposed by space and time. It provides access to vast stores of information and innovation that were otherwise unattainable. In this age of global capitalism, it also expands the power of individuals, providing a forum for a 2-way conversation between consumers and companies and employers and potential employees. By offering more choices and more resources for communication we are given a chance to see a broader picture of the world around us. Perhaps more importantly, social networking allows us the freedom to present to the world the story of ourselves as we want it told. We are free to be who we want to be.
Related to this first theme, social networking also offers amplified access to ‘Community’. We are no longer confined to relationships of proximity. With social networking, we now have the ability to connect with groups of like-minded individuals and access otherwise unattainable information. Our community is made instantly more personal (made up of people we actually share things in common with) while at the same time giving us the potential for a globally diverse audience. Community becomes our network and our network is our community. Wall posts, clubs, forums, tweets, chat rooms and blogs bring us face to face with ideas, assumptions, personalities and perspectives that we choose. Far from isolating people behind keyboards, this sort of access allows for us to bond with like-minded individuals and feel a part of something greater than ourselves. The world is speeding forward and technology sometimes seems to outpace our imagination (and usefulness). Yet, in social networking we are given the opportunity to cling to the ancient human social need for ‘community’.
With these two concepts in mind, there is a third aspect that must also be considered if we are to see the full value of social networking. Probably the newest and least understood principal driving the social networking revolution is ‘systems thinking’—the ability to see how things interact and influence each other within a whole. Consequently, it is not the tools themselves in as much as the ability to see and interact with ‘systems’ that drives us to create and use current social networking sites. These tools were born out of this concept (unilaterally with the concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’) and conversely they help to influence and foster systems thinking in those who use them. By using social networking we become more adept ‘systems thinkers’ and as that ability improves we actually use these tools more effectively. We flex a muscle that is becoming more and more important in the complicated world around us. (Ironically, the more we do to help ourselves learn and develop our ability to be ‘systems thinkers’ the less complicated the world becomes.)
Therefore, when we take into account that social networking actually helps foster traditional notions of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’ along with newer trends toward ‘systems thinking’ the picture becomes clearer. Social networking is more than a ‘fad’. and social networking sites are more than ‘toys’. Used correctly, social networking can be used as a tool for making our lives a little easier and helping us deal with the pressures of a globalizing world.
(Of course, a good hike in the woods works too…:-)
For some, social networking is an arbitrary outlet for texting-addicted teenagers, pampered socialites, and uber-professionals. For others, it has been an interesting but fleeting source of entertainment. Finally, for millions and millions world wide, social networking has become a regularly used tool—for everything from ‘conducting business’ to ‘none of your business’.
The social networks are all there and we all fall somewhere along a continuum that runs from ‘fatally allergic to them’ to ‘can’t live without them’. Yet, most of us do not really understand why Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and all the many other social networking sites are so widely used. More importantly, we do not see how they can serve a positive function in our lives.
Yet, by focusing on some essential themes the picture suddenly becomes a little clearer...
Seen from the right vantage point, this new communication medium holds tons of potential. It is truly more than the sum of its parts, and social networking can make our lives easier and more successful…maybe even more fun!
Social Networking is a new technological phenomenon. It combines the eminently vast reach of cyberspace with the seemingly innate need for humans to connect with like-minded humans. At times, this esoteric combination of ‘human invention’ and ‘human nature’ make social networking seem unapproachable and even unnecessary for many people. However, it is important to consider that although social networking is new, it is actually rooted in two ancient themes that most humans can appreciate—and a third that we all can benefit from.
The first theme expressed in Social Networking is ‘Freedom’. As is the case with the Internet in general, social networking allows for people to break through communication restrictions imposed by space and time. It provides access to vast stores of information and innovation that were otherwise unattainable. In this age of global capitalism, it also expands the power of individuals, providing a forum for a 2-way conversation between consumers and companies and employers and potential employees. By offering more choices and more resources for communication we are given a chance to see a broader picture of the world around us. Perhaps more importantly, social networking allows us the freedom to present to the world the story of ourselves as we want it told. We are free to be who we want to be.
Related to this first theme, social networking also offers amplified access to ‘Community’. We are no longer confined to relationships of proximity. With social networking, we now have the ability to connect with groups of like-minded individuals and access otherwise unattainable information. Our community is made instantly more personal (made up of people we actually share things in common with) while at the same time giving us the potential for a globally diverse audience. Community becomes our network and our network is our community. Wall posts, clubs, forums, tweets, chat rooms and blogs bring us face to face with ideas, assumptions, personalities and perspectives that we choose. Far from isolating people behind keyboards, this sort of access allows for us to bond with like-minded individuals and feel a part of something greater than ourselves. The world is speeding forward and technology sometimes seems to outpace our imagination (and usefulness). Yet, in social networking we are given the opportunity to cling to the ancient human social need for ‘community’.
With these two concepts in mind, there is a third aspect that must also be considered if we are to see the full value of social networking. Probably the newest and least understood principal driving the social networking revolution is ‘systems thinking’—the ability to see how things interact and influence each other within a whole. Consequently, it is not the tools themselves in as much as the ability to see and interact with ‘systems’ that drives us to create and use current social networking sites. These tools were born out of this concept (unilaterally with the concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’) and conversely they help to influence and foster systems thinking in those who use them. By using social networking we become more adept ‘systems thinkers’ and as that ability improves we actually use these tools more effectively. We flex a muscle that is becoming more and more important in the complicated world around us. (Ironically, the more we do to help ourselves learn and develop our ability to be ‘systems thinkers’ the less complicated the world becomes.)
Therefore, when we take into account that social networking actually helps foster traditional notions of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’ along with newer trends toward ‘systems thinking’ the picture becomes clearer. Social networking is more than a ‘fad’. and social networking sites are more than ‘toys’. Used correctly, social networking can be used as a tool for making our lives a little easier and helping us deal with the pressures of a globalizing world.
(Of course, a good hike in the woods works too…:-)
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