DISQUS

Awesome stuff, BG! :-) BTW, my wife just had a shower and brought home one of those diaper cakes. What in the WORLD are these women thinking?! :-D

Thanks for sharing your excellent advice! Eric

I think it's absolutely amazing how many of us still pay bills one at a time. I'm one of them and it's an unproductive system that eats away at my valuable time.

Thanks for laying out the process in such detail. This is something I've wanted to do for a while now, but haven't set aside the time or had a kind of guide like this to hold my hand. Not that its brain surgery or anything, but this was very helpful. Much appreciated, Eric.

Excellent post! I love the analogy of just shoveling our work around, never really getting anything accomplished. I can easily get caught up in:

"Looping between checking statistics, checking email, and then responding to other people’s requests."

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It sounds like you're not into shoveling which is great for your clients! :-) Eric

I think your first tip can't be said enough. Too many people trying to follow their dreams end up jumping the gun with their steady paychecks and find themselves broke and frustrated. From my own personal experience I can certainly say, don't quit until it actually makes sense to do so. Sure, we have to put a foot forward in faith, but foolishness is not a virtue.

Thanks for bringing up a great topic and adding your excellent insight! Eric

Yeah, I've gone down that road and will probably go back. Like you said, it ends up offending a few, but I figure it's my body and it's ME who end up feeling crappy if I don't eat foods that are good for me. And yes, October will be a BIG test. :-) Eric

Hey Maya, I thought it looked different.  Very nice!Great story.  I keep hearing others share their children experiences (Sean has great examples on Writer Dad as you probably already know).  This makes me more and more excited about our little one on the way.  But until then I just have to live through you guys.  Thanks so much for sharing!  Eric

I remember you recently made the comment about using the 'Leo Model' and dropping high impact posts. Well, Sid, this one DEFINITELY falls into that category. Well done! (I LOVE the chart!) :-)

I've recently been struggling with sticking to my low sugar/white flour diet, as Liz and I have had a bunch of events back to back that involved dinner out and dessert (Birthday cake and such). I definitely wouldn't NOT go to these events as they are important. So it's a self discipline issue.

As bad as I feel when I can't sleep at 3 am, I keep giving into the temptation when the cake is staring me in the face. Anyway, it's just something I struggle with on occasion, but I really like you're focus on NOT blaming the situation. By doing that, we take the power out of our own hands. Eric

Very in-depth and well layed out post, Maya. As a kid I really found it hard to let go of friends. I was quite insecure and worried that if I let go they would run away. Instead, by holding to tight I PUSHED them away. I think it's like this in any relationship (as you've laid out so eloquently) and this is a skill that we all need to master to harbor solid relationships build on trust and not fear. Eric

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Solid post, Leo! I've always believed in the lean, mean, power of the small business. But as you pointed out, focusing on doing a few things, very well, is always the way to go.

As @Stott Mahler just pointed out, today's economy is creating restraints that only effecient, small businesses can flourish in. Become too bloated and get eaten alive.

Thanks for the heads up! I love Picasa and just about any Google product. One less reason to dual boot my MacBook.

Wow, Sid! What a great resource. Thanks!

Also, I saw the picture of you sitting next to Leo while he was in Hawaii, at zenhabits. That must have been an interesting experience. He's a really nice guy, so I'm sure you all had a fun time. Eric.

Hey Diana, I really like your blog. Great stuff in general, but even more so for someone this early on!

I haven't really tapped into the power of Facebook yet. My wife, Liz, uses it all the time and I have a profile and all, but haven't really spent the time to learn all it has to offer. This is a great post for chewing on it's power and possibilities. Thanks for the run down! Eric.

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Another excellent article, Ali! Thanks for sharing her with us again, Sid.

I generally go with my gut when it comes to getting rid of clients. I can usually pretty quickly determine if a client is going to be a worthwhile recourse of income or just a waste of time. The 80/20 rule just tries to make this principle more concrete. But like you said, this can't be applied to everything, all the time. Eric.

Very unique post, Sid. I love the insight at the end that reminds us to make the most of our days by using our foresight to speak to us. Great stuff! Eric.

Hey Maya, stories are some of the greatest things we can share our fellow human beings. Because they not only replay life events, but they do so from a unique perspective that no one else embodies.

Thanks for sharing all the great stories you mentioned and I look forward to seeing yours unfold more and more on the pages of this blog. :-) Eric.

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Great to learn more about you, Daniel! Keep up the good work and unique offerings of your blogs! Eric.

What a great concept, Sid! So simple, yet so often never considered. I think we often feel like going forward with our commitments are the only options, even when going forward is worse then not going at all. I'll remember this post the next time I'm stuck in that corner. Eric.

"The single most effective way to reclaim your week is to devote time to yourself early in the morning."

This is a great tip! I used to ride my bike to work when I had a J-O-B and I always felt more refreshed and ready to go once I arrived. Just having that little bit of time to myself on my bike gave me a chance to get my thoughts together. I also felt great from the extra exercise. :-)

Maya, your points hit home with me by adding the pet pictures. We have two Miniature Dachshunds and they are a hand full. And yet we love the just the same.

I think if I could say one thing that they teach Liz and I, it would be the importance of laughter. As much as they can stress us out, they always keep us laughing out loud as they act like...well...dogs. :-) Eric.

Wow, Sid, you hit this one out of the park! Really good job. I read it earlier on my iPhone as I was waiting for some files to transfer at a client's office. Loved your comparisons to relationships and love and really got a lot out of it.

Thanks for putting together this excellent post! :-) Eric.

Hey Maya, I just stopped by to check out your latest post and came to find this. Congratulations! You deserve it. May your blog grow as you help others in your writing. :-) Eric.

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"Ever notice how successful people tend to be successful in many of the things they do? This is because they understand how to be successful."

Well said. Once you 'get it' you've got it! Great guest post. Thanks for sharing, Eric.

"...we try to do everything!" Exactly! Eric.

Wow, Diwali sounds like Thanksgiving mixed with the 4th of July!

"Instead, let us learn when to ignore these differences and when to enjoy them. When to respect the differences and when to celebrate them."

I think this is such a great point, Maya! This can be a tough line to not only follow, but see clearly. Walking around on eggshells doesn't help anything, but pretending the differences aren't there to begin with is just as bad.

What a wonderful and well thought out post! Eric.

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Lesson #4 is something I struggle with. I often try to take on too much at a time and the quality of the work suffers. I've been learning the benefits of sticking with a few core tasks and doing them well, as apposed to getting many things done, but with sub par results.

I loved the way you used the game as a parallel with life. Nicely done and very helpful for our visual minds. Eric.