I've worked from home for over 20 years and found that being able to pick and choose my time with other people suits my tendency to introversion. Despite being happy with my own company, however, I've always been surprised by how often I need to 'top up' by getting out and talking to others. But often I've abandoned plans for trips out because I felt I couldn't afford the time or the expense involved.

I changed my mind recently, as I'm currently on Daniel Priestley's Key Person of Influence programme and, as a way of preparing for joint ventures and partnerships, he encourages us to pick up the phone and invite someone we'd like to know to meet up for coffee. The people I wanted to meet are all in London so I went up for a couple of days - and lots of coffee!

I was blown away by how much energy and inspiration I got just by talking to people who have clever ideas and run successful businesses, and I'm sure the investment will repay me many times over. I'm so convinced of that I've made a resolution to repeat the trip regularly.

I was recounting all this to a friend and he replied, 'Ah yes, Barbara Sher says that isolation is the biggest killer of dreams.' I had only vaguely heard of Barbara Sher, but those few words hit me right between the eyes.

It is a fact of life that left too long in its own company (and everyone has their own limit), the human brain seems to circle inward on itself, making horizons narrow and possibilities disappear. The danger is that the process is so imperceptible that you may not even realise it's happening until something happens to bring you up sharp.

My resolution for 2011 is not to let my dreams be killed stone-dead by too much time on my own, tempting though that may be. They need to get out there just as much as I do, encounter other thoughts and ideas, and start to find expression in the big, wide world.

Don't you think it's worth a try?

Photo Credit: CC Chapman

I said goodbye to traditional office life some 17 months ago, yet still struggle with defining my workday. Whether open-door, closed-door or cubicle-bound, office life offers a stability and consistency that come with scheduled work hours and responsibilities.

Upon entry into the Workshifting realm, the before, during and after work all become one. And, as is the case for many workshifters, your load will effectively increase if you become responsible for your own IT, marketing and the like.

How You Start and End Your Day Influences What Happens In-between

So, now, productivity not only becomes more challenging, it becomes more integral to successfully reaching any destination along the workshifting highway. Here are some ideas I am tinkering with, in order to move into the HOV lane of productivity.

Create a morning routine which invokes a positive flow of energy and ideas through the remainder of your day.

In physical terms, this ritual could involve a swim, a walk with the sunrise or a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. Sometimes, just having your coffee in a different place and checking your personal email or reading a few edifying articles will prepare your mind for the work that is ahead!

Mentally, the activity should calm you while at the same time awaken your brain to remain open to a flow of ideas throughout the day. Life coach and author, Wendi Blum, suggests that you start your day with a gratitude list - i.e., on a positive note. Or, perhaps, set the intention for what you would like to/need to accomplish on that day. Different from mere calendaring or goal-setting, setting the intention implies a connection and commitmment to the task at hand and the possession of the talent/skills/discipline needed to achieve!

Remember that the key to the morning "routine" may be keeping it exactly the same each day, or switching it up sometimes depending on what type of flow of thoughts/creativity/ energy you seek!

Create an evening ritual which encapsulates the positive aspects of your day and sets you up for success tomorrow.

As workshifters, it can feel as though our 'work'day never ends! Therefore, it's that much more imperative that we create a physical and/or mental separation to transition from work to relaxation. Whether it is an evening social activity or walk outside - find a way clear the clutter of the day.

Stop, ask your mind/heart/soul to receive the wisdom and knowledge you need to fuel the next day's tasks. These requests of yourself act like the automatic "Windows updates" your computer performs at night, readying it with the latest tools it needs to work at optimum levels.

What are your morning routines and evening rituals that make you most productive?

Photo Credit: outdoorPDK

Workshifting requires regular doses of inspiration. This year, I was fortunate to find great inspiration. I thought it would be nice to share some of the names of the people that made me better. A better writer, a better listener, better wine drinker, better father, more patient, more giving, more focused, less inhibited, and just plain made me stand up and pay attention. My hope is that they will do the same for you.

This list isn't exhaustive, and they aren't in any particular order, but I wanted to pass their names along simply to shine a light on some people that deserve to be recognized. Some I know personally, some I don't know at all. Some are recognizable, some are not. People tend to think that the recognizable don't need more recognition. To that, I say we all need to be inspired, and sometimes, a simple thank you may be all the inspiration that's needed.

Phil Terry

Alex Beauchamp

Youngme Moon

Amanda Rose

AJ Leon

Melissa Leon

Scott Harrison

Lynn Koves

Chris Brogan

Georges-Edouard Dias

Terri Holley

Tony Porter

Keith Saarloos

Amber Naslund

Dad-O-Matic

TED Blog

Justin Levy

Budi Kazali

Tim Hayden

Jessica Randazza

Jim Long

Salman Khan

All the best in 2011!

Photo credit: Kicki

As students, we could pull all-nighters, cram hours before exams and prepare for weeks for one term paper. As humans and adults, we know whether we are morning people or night owls, if we can awaken without an alarm clock or if we are simply gluttons for sleep. In other words, for the most part, we know our internal body clocks...whether we choose to listen to them is another story entirely!

As workshifters, knowing your body and mental clocks is more than just human habit - it's a necessity to maintaining work flow and ensuring productivity. Over time, as we age into adulthood, we all know on some level (be it conscious or not) when we think best, when we write best, when we perform in meetings best, etc. This self-knowledge becomes more than interesting trivia when we become the managers of our tasks and we are our own employee. In fact, one of my greatest challenges as I transitioned into a workshifting lifestyle, was prioritizing my time. Initially, I thought it would be easy! I had worked 8-18 hour days for the previous 11 years and always performed at the top of my game, so my productivity would surely be limitless once the limits of the office cubicle walls were removed! Right?

WRONG. Managing client demands and deadlines were not the problem. But, managing my personal productivity and maximum performance would be. No longer confined by clock-watching, office hour tunnel vision quickly cleared, and my time was my own and certainly wide open. I could respond to email with the Today Show keeping me company and my laptop propped up on my knees; I could work from the moment I awoke to the minute my head hit the pillow at night, taking as many breaks or running as many errands in-between as I needed to. Wow! What a life!

...An unproductive, undisciplined life, that is. I had always prided myself on discipline and never missing a deadline. But now that my schedule was flexible, so, too, it seemed were my efforts and results being affected. I simply could not afford for my work to suffer nor my project deadlines to slip; so I realized that I had some reflecting to do:

• Did I really concentrate best with the company of Oprah or was my mind trying to do double duty and absorbing nothing nor producing anything...? When I put soft music on instead, how is it that I lost track of time and wrote some of my best proposals?
  
  
• My brain always freshest and sharpest in the morning, should I waste that precious window of clarity to respond to banal email or could I use that time more wisely to strategize, research new concepts, sales techniques and perform new project brainstorming? The email could, and always would, come later.
  
  
• Would sleeping in just one extra hour assist me to stretch that morning clarity into the late afternoon, thereby not only extending my output but also providing me a whole new work window within which to operate?
  
  
• And, was working 16 hour days really the best thing...? Sure, I could, but why would I? As workshifters, often times we are our own Finance, Marketing and Operations departments in addition to trying to get actual work done. So there is never enough time...Closing my office door after a certain hour or moving my office to a different room in the house farther away would signal a mental light switch to go off, so my brain could rest and rejuvenate. Sometimes, we need to disconnect to connect....

I still do not have the exact recipe for the ideal workshifting schedule, but I do know that it's more about my unique and personal mental rhythms than it is about a clock or a deadline. When you are on your own schedule, responsible for your own hours and output, success is solely determined by how effectively you work. So go out there and get your PhD in YOU, listening to your body and mind for its most alert moments, and watching out for the productivity which will surely follow.

When are YOU at your most productive? What unique scheduling tricks have you put into place to reap the greatest benefit from your workshifting schedule?

Photo Credit: comedynose

By now you probably have a sense of my curiosity about how others interpret the working life. You might even say that I'm a bit of a voyeur when it comes to catching a glimpse of the way people work and what keeps them productive.

La Vie Active

The French have an intriguing term for the working life. They call it la vie active. Even if you aren't a Francophile, you can certainly recognize a familiar word in there: Active, as in doing, moving or functioning.

That's certainly an apropos way to describe one of my workshifting neighbors. Carri Priley is what you might call an über-active creative type. This woman exudes creativity. Even her garden drives me to thoughts of sabotage during annual tours (particularly when my garden follows hers on the itinerary). She also happens to be a workshifter extraordinaire.

Interestingly, Carri has always been a workshifter. She's never once worked in a traditional workplace environment as a regular employee. In fact, she's built a prolific professional career working exclusively outside the box.

She's also always been an innovator. Back in her college years as an art history major, she helped launch Zenith City Arts, a Duluth-based arts magazine, and collaborated in the creation of a non-profit performance art space, also in Duluth, Minnesota. After college, she opened a decorative arts gallery in St. Paul with her brother.

The relationships she forged during her five years co-owning a gallery proved invaluable to her as she segued to freelance work as a set stylist. "At that time, there were lots of films being shot in town," Carri explains, which increased the demand for local experts with a keen eye for style, historical accuracy and a certain creative je ne sais quoi. The rest is (art) history.

Says Carri of the freelancer's working life: "You don't have downtime. If you're not working, you're not billing. And you either work or you don't get hired again. I'm not hired to sit around."

Her freelance work is, of course, entirely project based. "When I'm given a project," she says, "I eat, drink and sleep it. If that means getting up at 2 AM with a great idea, that's what I do."

The progression of a project usually starts with a client meeting to determine focus, followed by shopping and research. Soon her brain begins to move languidly around creative concepts. But it's not always glamorous. Sometimes she has to do something as banal as hiring a builder to tile a backsplash or some other requisite set element. "It's an evolutionary process," says Carri. "It builds and grows. That's the rush, the euphoria of making it all come together."

During production, she can be found just about anywhere but a traditional office--unless, of course, a traditional office happens to be the desired location for a photo shoot. How does she stay productive when juggling research, shopping and location scouting? For starters, her hand is fused to her iPhone. Other tools of her job include a thick skin and a healthy self-esteem. "Sometimes the chemistry doesn't work," she says. "The important thing is to have enough clients so that not all your eggs are in one basket."

Speaking of clients, Carri's range from national retailers to local art institutions. Perhaps most notable, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts hired Carri during rehabilitation of the Purcell-Cutts home to bring furnishings back to their original Prairie School state.

According to Carri, Facebook has proven to be a key professional networking tool because it keeps her in front of clients--at least virtually. "Facebook is a valuable tool for staying in people's minds," she says.

The greatest advantages of the creative working life? For Carri, it's all about flexibility, freedom and collaboration. "I'm really pleased with what I do," she says. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Carri's success depends on the quality of her relationships with clients and other creative freelancers. Word of mouth is a powerful influencer in this business. But as you might imagine, Carri always gets the last word. She sends handwritten notes of appreciation at the completion of every project. Now that's style.

Photo Credit: Mr. T in DC

When the student is ready, the teacher appears-- Buddhist Proverb

I consider myself a life-long  learner. I TRULY enjoy the process of learning about new   ideas, concepts, recipes, languages, cultures, and ways of being. As a person with a portfolio career, who has worked/continues to work in different arenas, I have learned the power of informal and formal education.

My father often says, that he received his degrees from  U.C.L.A > The University of the Corner of Lenox Avenue in Harlem.  A great deal of his education came from growing up in Harlem.  The "lesson plans" were not always structured, planned, or even safe, but they were life lessons taught by people, situations, and life experiences. They were lessons that have shaped my father, and in turn me and my sisters.  The important early childhood message of valuing informal education is one for which I am very grateful.

I have been fortunate to experience a very good "formal education." I also have been able to be a participant in wonderful professional development sessions that have spanned topics areas including coaching, "difficult conversations," educational reform, human trafficking, project management, the art of Zen cooking, among others.  I attend film festivals, university lectures, and discussion groups. These structured programs and workshops have truly enriched my personal and professional life.

And yet, I am a firm believer in the teachers and teaching situations that present themselves to us on a daily basis as we life or mobile lives on planes, trains, in coffee shops, in the nail salons, and on the "corners" of streets around the world.

The skill for many of us, involves being open to hearing "life lessons" from people who may look and sound different, and as my father says "may not have a lot of letters after their name." 
 
We can go many places with this conversation. We can focus on organizational structures that may only value certain voices; we can acknowledge that many of us have been taught to value specific social capital; we might even be able to venture into the area of multi-tasking, where we are often texting, tweeting, updating our status, or talking on our mobile  phones - -keeping ourselves busy, and not available to connect with people. Or, we can focus on gratitude, and being grateful for the opportunity to meet so many different people who in their different lives bring richness to our learning and day-to-day living.

It has happened more than once, that I have been going about my day, and have come in contact with someone who has helped me see something differently, shared their story with me, or simply showed a sense of warmth and sincerity that can be a treasure in our fast paced world.

I once titled a piece that I wrote "the Sheroes and Heroes Among Us."  I think many of us have heard of stories from people that are our neighbors, colleagues, etc. that are powerful.  Sometimes, the stories are not BIG, or even about heroism.  Sometimes, the stories are very simple, and the learning just as important.

Some recent stories and teachers for me:

• Engaging in conversations and learning from the taxi driver in Washington, D.C. who has been driving in a city for over 30 years, who has experienced the issues of gentrification, race relations, and the changing of political parties as an insider;

• Learning about the current substance abuse counseling work of the car service driver that worked in the fire department in downtown Manhattan on September 11th;

• Hearing the fascinating story of the woman in the nail salon that came to the U.S. for a better life, and took the dangerous journey familiar to many immigrants;

It can mean reflecting on the life of the young soldier on the plane, who was heading back to base, after coming home to bury a friend.

Their stories, sense of humor, and commitment to what they do, are part of my ongoing learning.

Questions to ponder:
-    How do you value our informal education?
-    Where are your "corners" of learning in the world?
-    Do we value some voices over others?


Photo Credit: Jeff

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

Leonardo da Vinci

This makes perfect sense for a painter who is an arm's length away from his work most of the day.  Its only once he climbs off his scaffold and glances at a full view of his work that he can see clearly the areas that need improvement.  I feel like a painter sometimes.

Why can't we take this same approach for the projects we are working on.  Often, we get so mired in the day to day stuff that it becomes increasingly diificult for us to remember what the whole picture looks like and to get creative with its direction.


(Shot at Mont Saint Michel, France)

How do you get a clear picture of your business projects?  

Like many of you, my work consists of traveling in planes, trains, and cars, and staying in hotels of different varieties.

Some of the locations are stunning, and the landscapes are postcard perfect.  Other trips involve projects where I may not get to see the outside of the hotel, or client office space.
The research about the future of work presents us with a picture of an increasingly mobile workforce, working as "nodes on a network," and working on different projects, with different people, at an increasing faster pace.

A recent IBM report has been creating quite a buzz, has people thinking about the future of work and what will be important. The report states that "chief executives believe that -- more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision -- successfully navigating an increasing complex world will require creativity."

Most of the work we do now, and into the future, requires us to think creatively, come up with new ideas, and work with new groups of people.

The challenge can often be --- how can we be creative, or stimulate our creativity if we are constantly moving, working, creating, and "on the road?"

I have found that travel can in fact spark creativity, and reflection. I have learned that long plane rides do not need to always be filled with a good book, or my carefully created playlists. TIME TO THINK can be gift.  I have found myself coming up with a new strategy idea for a client, or a new perspective about a personal challenge while thousands of feet in the air.
Social psychologists have discovered that creativity is not only a characteristic of the individual, but may also change depending on the situation and context.

For those of us who are "road warriors, virtual nomads," or have travel as part of our work, this is a reminder that in fact our lives can be great catalysts for the nurturing of creativity.  Many of us change the "situation and context" of our lives numerous times a week. Our mini-journeys although often challenging, can help us flex and develop our creative muscle.
Here are some suggestions for nurturing, finding, or strengthening your creativity while on the road.

A different seat, a change in plans, a different view: I have found that changing my preferred seat on a plane, or going down to hotel restaurant if I usually order room service, can literally change my view --- and maybe the way I see things. We create habits and routines, even on the road - and yet a change in our surroundings, can often spark new ideas. As often as I can, I try to walk around a city or town, and if possible get to a gallery or museum where I can see how others have viewed the world. (The Antoni Gaudi architecture in Barcelona Spain vividly comes to mind. On my first trip to Barcelona, I remember thinking "this is what can be created, if you do not allow things to constrain our thoughts." WOW.)

Creativity Toolkit: Blogs, Twitter, and TED Talks: I am a convert to the wonders of social media. Information, Inspiration, and virtual communities are part of benefits of social media. I have been far away from my "home base," and able to experience the benefits of a twitter friend's blog, blog radio, or webinar. I have been able to "tune in" to TED Talks, and feel like I have a front row seat to world class learning. ALL while "on the road."

YOUR notebook (Thank you Daniel Pink): One of the tips that has been most helpful for many of the students in my classes, has been the suggestion to carry a creativity notebook. Ideas, thoughts, "teachers," can come to us at many different times, in many places. A small creativity notebook allows us time to jot down our thoughts, or insights, and keep moving.

Mindfulness: The practice of mindfulness is one that encourages awareness  and focus. One of the most different experiences of my adult life, has been my participation in a Mindfulness retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh. I learned about the incredible power of deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness. This could be an article in itself...and could be in the future. There are many, many resources on mindfulness. I might suggest the work Thich Nhat Hang, and Jon Kabat Zinn.

"The World House" (Thank you Dr. King): I would not feel complete, if I did not mention the core of what I do for a living ...other people...different people...diverse people can also spark our creativity. Meeting different people, learning about their culture, country and history can bring our own level of learning and awareness to new heights.

Many of us ARE our "product," and out being able to think clearly, and be creative, is what we are expected to do. 

I challenge you to change your seat, take some quiet time, learn from someone else, and celebrate the creativity teachers that is in and around the spaces and places in our lives.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Capt Piper

Two business researchers have a study coming out that suggests that many workers are afraid to speak out lest they be mocked by their peers and bosses. According to an HBR blog post, "we relentlessly work to avoid 'image risks,' ... In an analysis of responses from 425 employees in a variety of U.S. businesses, Yuan and Woodman found that worries about image risk significantly diminish employees' innovativeness."

In other words, people think shutting up is smarter than speaking out. And, in their workplaces, they may be right--which underscores the need for a broad culture shift to ignite innovation.

Can workshifters form the vanguard of this new movement?

This isn't an idle question. I was working on my own long before workshifting was a word and telecommuting was an acceptable business practice. I've found that workshifters innovate every day by trial and error, from testing new markets to tweaking our bookkeeping systems to something as mundane (but critically important) as figuring out the best way to recharge multiple devices on the go.

And we have one more big thing in common: we dare to be different.

Does workshifting make you fearless? If so, why?


Photo Credit: Man's Pic

"Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little,when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore." - Sir Francis Drake, 1577

"Should we be spending millions of dollars getting to Mars during a down economy?"  Recently a friend of mine tweeted out this question.  I answered in the affirmative, and was immediately challenged by good friend of mine in New York.  This tumulted into a regular 'ole 140 character style debate.  In summary, he appealed to the fact that so many in our country are unemployed and un-insured or under-insured.  This conversation got me thinking about the importance of poetry.  And particularly the importance of poetry in business.

(Let me just say, irrespective of your political thoughts on this issue, I assure you, my point is a philosophical one and not a political one.)

He's right.  Things are bad right now.  Maybe we should just shut down the whole freaking space program.  It's all a bunch of dweeby math geniuses with "Peter Pan" syndrome living out their Star Wars inspired childhood fantasies.  Isn't it?  I mean in times like these, there seems to be no pragmatic rationale that would lead us to look to the stars.  We have to fix the problems we have, we don't have time for that stuff. 

See what I did right there.  We always seem to relegate the idea of adventuring and pioneering and exploring to a subservient status.  They always have a seat somewhere, it's just never at the grown ups table.  But c'mon, they're noisy, they're messy, they're annoying, they're kinda weird and they don't understand the serious, the "real" issues.  The dreamers, the inventors, the explorers, the crazies...the poets... they still get to sit down of course, it's just at the clown shaped, water-colored kiddie table in the corner.  Until, that is, they discover America or turn on a light bulb or make men fly or help us easily connect with loved ones across the world in one click.

There is this false sense of maturity in business.  We can analyze, but we can't dream up something new, because that's a waste of time.  Especially during hard times.  During hard times, we're told to "hunker down" and "keep our nose to the grindstone" as if that will make it better.  As if focusing on the same problems will ever get us where we want to go.  As if the practicality of removing our eyes from the glitter of the horizon is somehow more sound and logical.  Someone has to keep dreaming, dammit!  Especially during the hard times.  I am completely cognizant that sometimes a storm may befall us and shift more of our focus on problems that need to be fixed now.  But if that's all we do, then we will never actually get anywhere.

No matter how tight your margins are now, no matter how close you get to missing your rent payment, no matter how slammed your back is against the wall NEVER underestimate the importance of conceptualizing new frameworks, anticipating new trends, exploring new methods, of dreaming and adventuring and pressing into the unknown and uncomfortable.  As workshifters, we have unique challenges, but in many ways, we are also pioneers.  We thought, "hmmm, maybe there is a different way to do this working thing", "maybe everyone else has been doing it wrong".  Keep doing that.  Keep questioning.  Keep challenging paradigms.  Yep, even in the hard times.

Recently, someone I desperately admire said, "this is business, there's no room for romance".  That is both incredibly disheartening and one of the dumbest things I have heard in all my life on this earth.  Business is not played in a vacuum, it isn't so damn special that it gets its own silo.  Exploring, adventuring, dreaming - that's all a part of life, and for most of us, its the part that makes it worth living.  Poetry is not only an element of business, it is the most important element.  

Since the beginning of time, the pragmatists have always laughed at the dreamers, at the poets, but for the most part, its the poets that inspire us and its the poets we remember.  Yes, we have to keep dreaming about Mars. Why? Because it's next.

Do you spend enough thinking about new ways to do old things?  Thinking about what the world will look like in 5 years, 2 years, 6 months and how you can prepare and capitalize on that?

Photo by: Diana Kimball