Note to my clients: if you read this, be aware that none of this affects any of your projects

Is it just me, or does productivity come in cycles? Sometimes I’ll go weeks at a time and absolutely tear it up, getting tons done on client work, personal projects, etc. I feel great, motivated, etc. Other times, I struggle to get anything done and never really get into the groove. Why is that? I mean, I do get stuff done, but it just feels like such a freaking chore and I have to force myself to power through. These cycles seem to last several weeks each, perhaps a bit longer. I have a few speculations that I’ve pulled from thin air on why this might occur:

Natural biological process
It might be that there’s some natural chemical process in the brain that makes some people more or less productive and that this process tends to be cyclical in nature. I feel like perhaps I’ve read something about this…if it’s true, I’m not sure how much I can do about it other than be aware of it and try to use it to my advantage? For the record, I think this is the most unlikely of the three scenarios.

Reflection of what I’m working on
Perhaps I’m just more excited at times about things that I’m working on because they’re more interesting. This one is hard to evaluate, because I’m not sure if I’m feeling unmotivated because of boring projects or if the projects seem boring because I’m feeling unmotivated.

Motivational momentum
I think is probably the most likely scenario. Basically, I think that certain people (myself included) swim better against the current. When things aren’t going well and I’ve got a lot of pressure (both external and internal) to get stuff done, I tend to build up a lot of motivational momentum and push hard to get things done. On the way up this hill of accomplishment, things are good, as I’m getting a lot done, keeping up with all my responsibilities, etc. It feels great. But as I accomplish more and more, that pressure and stress begins to dissipate, and so does some of the motivation. At this point, I begin to crest the top of the motivational hill and the old feelings of being unmotivated begin to return. Over the next few weeks, stuff begins to gradually pile up again and the pressure and stress begins to build. But until it hits a certain point, my motivation doesn’t seem to really kick in. Once it does, the cycle starts over.

This has been an issue my entire life and I’m just now getting to the point where I can deal with it more effectively. In college, I dealt with it by keeping my schedule absolutely slammed so there was virtually no room for error. I finished 75% of my bachelor’s degree in 17 months and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. I say this not to brag, but just to point out that I had virtually no room to slow down or slack off. This is highly effective, but it carries two huge price tags: risk and stress. The risk is that you’re juggling so much that if you drop one thing, it can all come crumbling down. The stress comes from the fact that you have no margin for error. These two things feed off each other, as the high risk stresses you out and the high stress increases the risk that you’ll make a mistake. Obviously, this is not a viable long-term solution.

The core problem here (for me, anyway) is relying too much on motivation, which is a fickle emotion. It can be incredibly useful, usually at the start of a venture, to kickstart your efforts and give you that critical early boost in the right direction. But if you rely too much on it, you’ll find that it never lasts long enough to get you where you need to go. The primary reason that people fail is because they give up, and I believe that the primary reason people give up is because they rely too much on motivation. The going gets rough and they find that the only fuel they really had was an emotion that’s now gone, so they just kind of let things die out.

Here’s what I’ve tried to do: replace motivation (emotion) with decision (habit). This is the primary reason that I do my seven daily habits. These habits were carefully chosen as things that I want to accomplish daily to get me closer to where I want to be, regardless of whether I feel like doing them or not.

That doesn’t mean that motivation has no place in productivity and self-improvement, but I think that you can’t rely too much on it. To the extent that motivation does play a role in my productivity, I’ve tried to replace external motivation with internal motivation, where I’m pushing myself harder rather than waiting for other people to pressure me. As an example, one of my daily habits is to look at my goal plan every single day. I also carefully track my goals from month to month, recording what percentage I accomplished, and preparing a new plan for the next thirty days. I also carefully track the amount of time that I work on various projects and initiatives in my life. I do all these things not because I have some weird fascination with data (at least not primarily so), but because by carefully tracking my productivity and advancement towards my goals, I am often motivated to push myself harder because I’m not moving as fast as I would like. The adage that “what gets measured gets managed” is true for the simple reason that when we’re confronted with the data about how we’re spending our time and the results of our efforts, we’re often encouraged and motivated to improve.

I’d love to hear what other people’s thoughts are. Have you experienced cyclical productivity? If so, how do you deal with it?

I had an office until a few months ago (that’s a story for another day). I’ve looked a little since then, but small and cheap offices are rare in my new neighborhood. I was getting a little tired of working out of coffee shops, but today I finally nabbed a sweet new office like 5 blocks from my house today. It’s in an old dilapidated medical building that’ll probably be torn down in the next few years for condos, but they’re renting out artist studios right now, and they let me rent one of the spaces. My office is pretty sweet because it’s on the ground floor with a huge window looking out on the street. I’m right behind the tree in the middle of this image:

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I’m hoping to get an office mate to help defray the cost, so if you know of someone who is looking for a sweet office, have them contact me.

Look back over the last week, the last month, the last year, and ask yourself this question: did I accomplish what I thought I would? Am I happy about the progress I made during that time? Am I likely to accomplish what I think I will over the next week, month, or year?

Truthfully, I can’t say that I’m unhappy about the progress I made over the last year, but it’s definitely less than what I had hoped for. I tend to look forward a year and imagine that things will have changed much more than they have. I imagine that my progress towards various goals will be much more substantial, that my life will look more different than it inevitably does, that I’ll have changed more than I have. Why? Well, probably because I’m an optimist. But also because change is hard.

There’s nothing really profound in this post, just some lessons that I need to remind myself of on occasion. Earlier this evening, I was sitting at dinner, pondering some conversations I had today about opportunities in the real estate market. The real estate market has taken a beating, and right now is a fantastic time to buy if you can make the deals happen. But financing those deals is hard, lenders are wary, and cash is scarce. On top of that, the general feeling in the real estate market right now is one of fear and dejection. The vast majority of people (even experienced investors) would conclude that this is a good time to sit on the sidelines for a bit and wait for sanity to return. But I wonder if times like these separate the timid from the titans. I spent some time today on the phone with lenders and people who are out there doing deals, and I’m much, much further along than I was at the beginning of the day, though perhaps still a long way from doing any deals. But the thing I realized tonight is that lack of capital, connections, experience, etc, etc. are not what’s holding me back. The only thing holding me back is me. The only thing keeping me from diving in 100% and making something happen is my unwillingness to do so, for whatever reason. Sure, lack of capital, connections, experience or whatever else will slow me down and make it that much harder. But it definitely can be done. I just have to want it badly enough.

As I think about what’s truly and honestly holding me back, I’m reminded of a quote:

“After a lifetime of making money and observing better men and women than I fall by the wayside, I am convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth.”
-Felix Dennis

What’s holding you back?

Ok, this post is going to be a bit weird, but I need your help. I’m 26 years old, but I feel like I still dress like I’m 16. I hate clothes, including shopping for them, taking care of them, selecting them in the morning, etc. As a result, I often just throw on a pair of jeans, one of the five shirts that I’ve had for years, and a hoodie. However, I’m getting tired of this. Previous attempts to improve my wardrobe have not gone over well, so I’m turning to the public at large for help. I know I can’t be the only guy (or girl) out there who wants to dress better but is completely lost as to where to start. I’d absolutely love any advice, from people who struggle with it, and from people who love clothes and fashion. But first, here’s a bit of background about the context of the problem:

My activities

Everyday
I’m a web developer / entrepreneur, so I spend a good portion of each day working from home or from my neighborhood coffee shop. I would like to look halfway presentable during these times, but comfort is a key factor here.

Professional meetings
As part of my work, I often have to meet with clients and potential partners. Obviously, this requires a bit more decorum than sitting alone at home does, but this is San Francisco, so I don’t need to show up in a suit or anything. Perhaps a button-down and a sweater when it’s cold?

Casual evenings out
Dinner with family, accompanying my wife to a play, grabbing drinks with an old friend. I don’t need to wear a tie, but perhaps a blazer or something?

Formal affairs
Weddings, funerals, very special occasions, etc. I have a good dark suit, so I’m pretty much set here, I think.

My criteria for clothes

Flexible
I don’t have a lot of cash or space, so it’s important to get staples that can be paired into as many combinations as possible. I’d rather not buy an item of clothing that can only be worn with one other item of clothing, for example.

Affordable
I’m willing to spend some money here, but I’m not paying more than $100 for a pair of jeans, for example. I’m willing to spend more for great articles of clothing that will last years and fit with a lot of situations.

Durable
I hate clothes that shrink in the dryer, get stretched out after just a few times of wearing them, fade easily, etc. I’m looking for good stuff that will last awhile. I’m also looking for classic items that are durable in the sense that they won’t go out of style in six months. I think guys have it easier here, fortunately, but there are still fads that I want to avoid, at least for the most part.

Comfortable
If I’m not comfortable in my clothes, I won’t wear them. I’ll revert back to my jeans and tshirt “style”, which is not what I want. Not sure what people can suggest here, but there it is.

Easy to take care of
I hate to iron. Seriously, anything that doesn’t require me to iron it for twenty minutes has a huge advantage. If I can just throw it in the washer and dryer without worrying about ruining it or having it shrink, that’s a big plus. I’m willing to do some work to take care of things, but I’m not sure I’m into hand-washing and line-drying all my clothes.

What I need help with

What to buy (and what NOT to buy)
What are the absolute essentials? What are some ideas for good combinations that fit the criteria above? What should I not buy…are sweater vests still awesome? Something like this, for example:
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 2 pairs of dress slacks
- 4 button-down dress shirts (2 dark, 2 light)
- 2 sweaters (1 dark, 1 light)
- 2 pairs of shoes (black dress shoes, brown casual shoes)
- etc, etc.

Where to buy it
Should I be looking at Brooks Brothers, Old Navy, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Banana Republic, or some funky thrift store? Ok, a couple of those were jokes, but seriously…what kinds of stores are great to find what I need? Links to online stores are definitely appreciated.

How to buy it
Is it worth waiting for sales? Should I be more opportunistic and buy stuff that strikes my eye, or should I come up with a plan and stick to it? Should I only buy stuff that fits perfectly, or should I consider buying and having things tailored? Which kinds of clothing work well with that strategy, and which don’t?

Other resources
Good books, blogs, or sites that are geared towards helping young professionals dress appropriately in a variety of social situations. most of the books I’ve looked at for men’s fashion were clearly written for people who are trying to decide what combination of tie and dress shirt to wear with their suit every day. I need to wear a suit perhaps once or twice a year. Links to particular articles of clothing would also be interesting. Even TV shows or movies where you like the wardrobe styles would be helpful at this point.

This post turned out a lot longer than I had envisioned. I was just thinking I’d ask for a bit of advice. Am I being too…structured here? I really want to get better at this area of my life, so I welcome any and all suggestions. Please post something in the comments…I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

Confession: I love to argue. I love the clash of ideas and defending a position for the fun of it. Sometimes this gets me in trouble, as I find myself defending a viewpoint against someone who is deeply offended because they don’t share my love of debate. Putting that issue aside, my question is this: does it even make sense to debate these hot-button issues that get people’s emotions flared up so easily? Can anything constructive come out of a discussion over liberal ideology vs. conservative ideology? Or do they inevitably devolve into name-calling and insults? How can we keep these discussions constructive and discover truth? I’ve got some ideas on the subject that I’m going to share in an upcoming post, but I’d like to hear people’s thoughts. Post yours in the comments.

Ok, this video is old, but it’s a good reminder of some important lessons that are to be kept in mind if you want to start a company in this economic climate. If you thought it would be easy, you were wrong. If you thought you could ignore things like revenue, profit, and customer service, you were wrong. If you thought you could cash out for millions in a year, you were wrong. Entrepreneurship isn’t about the quick and easy road to riches. It’s about building something that has value, being in control of your destiny, and hopefully being rewarded for your hard work. If that’s what you’re after, this is a great time to start a company. If not, better hang on to your day job.

Don’t worry though…the next bubble is probably just around the corner

The heart and soul of America is stirring to life. I won’t offer any tired speeches about how we’re fed up with the same-old brand of politics and power. I won’t tell you how important it is that you get involved. I’ll just point you to this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/on-the-ground-2008

If over a thousand college student can drag themselves out into the cold before 7am on a Tuesday morning, you can too. If millions of people all around the country can brave long lines, snow, rain, freezing cold, and the loss of their valuable time, all to make sure their voices are heard, so can you. There is something incredible happening out there today. Please go be a part of it.

I really, really don’t want to write this post. However, in the interest of accountability, I must. The fact that this is one of the few blog posts you’ve seen from me in October should be a tip-off: my October goals and habits did NOT go well. Here’s the damage:

• Out of 23 days for my seven habits (I do them mon-fri), I did them an average of 33% of the time, down from 54% last month
• My weekly habits were done 40% of the time, down from 50% last month
• I completed both of my monthly habits, or 100%, same as last month
• Of 18 goals, I completed 0, or 0%, down from 54% last month

Ok, I know, I know. These numbers are absolutely abysmal. There’s no excuse, but here’s what happened:

• I spent a lot of time applying to and obsessing about YCombinator
• I got too wrapped up with client work
• I lost focus

The only feeble defense that I can muster is that I came very close on about half of my goals, and a few more are things that I’m contemplating dropping, for reasons that I’ll explain later. Regardless, I’ve moved all the goals that I’m still committed to into my Nov. goal list, so now this month is going to be tougher than ever. Please, don’t hesitate to ask me how things are going; apparently I really need it.

Warning: this is yet another post about politics. Ugh…I know. Hang in there; it’ll all be over soon.

The election season is simultaneously a frustrating and enjoyable time for me. I enjoy talking about politics, and I’m always frustrated to see the way that campaigns and public discourse deteriorates over time. I enjoy talking to friends and family about political perspectives and hearing about how people make the decisions they do. One of the most common sentiments that I hear from people is some variation of one or more of the following: I don’t care, all politicians are crooks, my vote doesn’t matter, etc. This kind of political cynicism is very common and understandable. Are politics twisted at times? Yes. Do politicians have egos and pursue their elections with a certain selfish aim? Absolutely. Does that make politics worthless as a national concern? No, I don’t believe so.

Politics and and public policy are infuriating at times, but they do matter. They have a tremendous impact on the people of this country, the world, and future generations. Not everyone has the disposition to read and ponder the arcane language of some obscure piece of legislation, but it’s worth remembering that those pieces of legislation have a real impact on people’s lives, and they deserve our scrutiny and consideration as a result. I also think the best chance that the average person has to impact these things is vote. How do you as an individual have an impact upon the economic situation in this country other than your vote?

I understand the anger and frustration with politics and our obsession over it during election season, but I also think that we must be careful that we don’t go too far in our anger. Political cynicism is tempting because it’s an easy and seemingly reasonable retreat from the 24-hour news coverage and obsessive nitpicking over trivial minutia that goes on in the final days of an election, but it’s ultimately the most dangerous position of all, because cynicism leads to apathy. And apathy among the masses leaves our nation and its future in the hands of those who are unlikely to protect it.

“The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

~Plato

With the economy in shambles and the outlook for the next couple years looking pretty bleak, is now a good time to leave your safe job to start something of your own?

It depends.

VCs and angel investors are telling their portfolio companies to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst, which doesn’t bode well. Money is going to be very tight and every company out there is going to have to do some serious belt-tightening. Getting investment is going to be even tougher. Exits are going to be extremely difficult and rare for awhile. We’re going to see layoffs, consolidation, and lots of bankruptcies as companies are not able to raise the cash they need to grow or sustain operations. It’s going to be very ugly.

That being said, downturns can be a great time to start a company, depending on the type of company you want to start. If you want to start something that’s focused on getting lots of eyeballs on the back of millions in venture funding, with little thought of profitability, now might not be the best time. On the other hand, if you’re starting something that truly adds value, has a clear revenue model, and helps individuals or companies be more efficient, then perhaps now is a great time. The key is going to be keeping things lean and understanding that the odds of a fast exit for untold millions just got a lot slimmer.

One practical note: throw a touch of realism into your plans. If you’ve got a great job with good benefits and no savings, now might not be the best time, especially if you have a family to support. Take the next six to twelve months, build up some reserves, build your company on the side, and then strike out on your own if it’s working. It’s very, very difficult to build a startup on the side (I speak from experience), but you don’t want to get into a situation where you quit, it doesn’t work out, and you’re homeless because you didn’t have a safety net and there are no jobs available. Think ahead and think defensively.

Tighten your belt, put your head down, and just keep trudging towards the goal of adding value at maximum efficiency. It’ll pay off eventually.