Archive for the ‘The Real Deal’ Category

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Fan of the Times

May 30, 2011

I like reading the NY Times online. Their quality of journalism is certainly higher than most others. Since they have moved to a 20 articles free per month limit I’ve been thinking about exactly how much I like the times. Enough to actually pay for the content?

I think the answer to that question is yes, but as a marketer I can’t help think of a few methods the NY Times could use to drive up their revenues in addition to the subscription model. Another model would be sharing. I already share a lot of NYT articles on twitter because they’re interesting. In addition to me perusing their site and absorbing ad-impressions, my sharing activity drives more visitors back to their property who in turn read, see ads and also share…and that’s a value to the NY Times, feeding into their advertising revenue model. I think there could be a viable advocacy system here where non-paying readers can earn additional free articles each month by sharing. This could be gamed, but there are likely a number of checkpoints the NY Times could install to prevent abuse. Especially if they leverage their existing login/share platform – Times People.

So if you are listening, NY Times execs, this enhanced freemium approach could be worth looking into to.

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Mistakes I won’t make again

April 10, 2011

This post will be updated as often as more content is generated (i.e lessons are learned)!

-running with lower-back pain (herniated disc). This rolls up to larger “listening to your body” category…

-buying house surrounded by trees (cleaning gutters)…

-running a marathon in February (obvious)…

-pulling a work all-nighter…(again obvious)

What mistakes have you learned from? Let me know by leaving a comment  – and keep it clean!

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Learning about your parents – Y2K style

February 6, 2011

At the time of this writing, I am 34 years old while my son is 4. The last five years of my life have been fairly well documented via social media.

I have been actively maintaining this blog since 2008 and have somewhere between 70-80 posts capturing the thoughts and stories circling around my mind. I have also had and been updating my Facebook and Twitter handles for the same or more amount of time.

This presents a unique generational event – when my son and kids of other Gen-X’rs are grown, they will have a window through which to view and learn about their parents. Assuming WordPress, Twitter and Facebook don’t shut down, all of the gripes, joys, thoughts and interesting share-worthy articles over the years will be showcased in a chronology that tells my/your story over years.

Pretty cool to think about. I wish our parents would have had a similar opportunity to document their lives and thinking – but I’m glad my son will have that available to him when he wants to learn more about his Dad.

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The New Years Eve purge

January 1, 2011

2011 is basically here as I write this at 8:06PM Eastern Time on December 31st. For the second straight year i find myself cleaning / purging / dejunking / donating / tossing / shredding / filing like crazy in the days leading up to the the new year. I’ve found the fresh start & clean slate a new year brings are even more satisfying when I can rid myself of the mental dross and physical junk that has crept into my life over the past year. Here’s to happy tossing – and a happy new year!

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Some Inspiration for You

November 28, 2010

I was scanning my Twitter Favorites tonight and came across these 4 inspirational tweets lined up back to back.  Check them out and let me know what you like (or don’t like about them)…

InspirationalTwitterQuotes_christopherboynton.com

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The Quest for Balance

September 5, 2010

Ferocious is the only word that can describe the workout I just put myself through. I needed if. Up til 1AM last night then awake by 6:30am this morning. Add a lousy cup of coffee and you can guess how I’ve felt all morning.

The workout consisted of 43 minutes at 90% effort on rollerblades. While flying around that quickly is fun, exhausting and feels great (now that it’s over), part of me can’t help but wonder how much better I would have felt on a full night of sleep. Perhaps more benefit would have accrued to my overall health and fitness level? Instead, a fair amount o that benefit had to be applied to taking the figurative burrs off. How much nicer would it have been to wake refreshed and then have taken on that work-out?

Seems to me, excess anything will lead to peaks and valleys which is more draining than the balanced steady state. I believe that moderation and discipline keep you on the path of least resistance and maximum benefit. Sleep, food, work, exercise, fun, whatever. Too much or too little of any of it isn’t good. Now it’s time to act on that internalized belief. Are you with me?

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So now what?

May 7, 2010

Ever been at a point in life where “so now what?” has been the poignant, sticking question to answer?

Usually it happens with a lull in day to day activity. So Now What doesn’t play favorites – it’s just as relevant coming off a major triumph as it is your lowest, most vulnerable moment. I’ve wrestled with it 3 times in my 33 years and come to realize that So Now What represents, without a doubt, a defining moment in life. My 3 answers over the years have led to overwhelmingly successful outcomes … which due to my tender age, I attrribute mostly to good luck. What I realize now is that well thought out perspective (about life, your purpose, principles, vision, goals and areas of focus) is the key to tackling this important question.

Check out David Allen’s latest book “Making it all Work” for more info and guidance on defining these elements of perspective for yourself. Cheers.

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A highly leveraged way to live

March 27, 2010

Since our son was born 3.5 years ago, and with a demanding job, the speed of life has increased exponentially with a proportional drop in discretionary time. No longer can I disappear for 5 hours on Saturday and Sundays for rounds of golf. I can’t easily logon to work email and catch up on balance of the week activity on weekends. And if something prevents me from being around from 8-10pm on weekdays, I miss quality time with my wife. For a person that tries to maintain and exceed standards, the need for leveraging your time has never been greater. I’m getting better at this everyday, but here are some of the ways I do it:

-Computer work on train commute, to and from work
-Make calls while walking or driving
-Combine fun & exercise: In my case, playing hockey
-Use a list/task manager that syncs from web to handheld to help remind me of errands to complete when I’m out and about or projects to do when I’m home

GTD (Getting Things Done) helps with this immensely. What ways do you leverage your time?

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Merlin Mann is wack-job

February 22, 2010

…and this video about Inbox Zero proves it

But sometimes I like wack-jobs. Especially those with occasional intriguing or insightful thoughts. This video proves that too – with emphasis on the “occasional” part. Enjoy.

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Freedom and Order

February 9, 2010

I’m reading productivity guru David Allen’s latest book “Making it all Work” and have encountered an eye opening and insightful quote about life and the wants and needs we have at various life stages, particularly from the perspective of getting organized. Hope it’s as useful for you as it is for me…

“For the first 25 years of my life I wanted Freedom. For the next 25 years I wanted order. For the next 25 years, I realized that Order is Freedom.”
-Winston Churchill

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