Rapid Fire Learning - Five for December

 

"How did it get so late so soon?
Its night before its afternoon.
December is here before its June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?"

- Dr. Seuss

It's December already ? This year is almost in the books, and this morning I'm reflecting on some things I've learnt this month that will help me grow and exceed even more goals in 2008.

1  Your next million dollar idea might be in the next twenty dollar book

Pretty good deal, eh? This lesson was first taught to me by the great Jim Rohn when I spent a few days learning with him in Texas this year.  This month, the lesson has really been hit home.

I'm almost done Dan and Chip Heath's phenomenal book Made to Stick , and I'm finding ideas and strategies to implement, completely overhauling the workshops, videoblogging and writing I do to make my ideas stickier and easier to remember. 

Instead of spending years testing marketing research, I can read a book where the authors have studied and collaborated with some of the greatest marketing minds... and I can buy all this wisdom for $20.

2008 Resolution: Read and listen to 2 books a week

2  If you think you know it all, you don't.

This is something I know, and I try to live, but we all need a reminder sometimes.  Luckily, it wasn't my actions serving as the reminder of how a swelling ego can cause you to stray.   

This week there was a bit of a shoving match in the RE.net (thats the cool kid's term for the online real estate community), when one A-list RE.net blogger decided to declare that another A-list RE.net blogger's instructional real estate videoblog  was "wrong, badly wrong, madly wrong, irredeemably wrong" and proceeded to preach to all about the 'correct' way to blog.   

Shockingly this 'do as I say not as I do' criticism was not well received, and the blogger who couldn't keep his preaching to himself is now being mocked as a self proclaimed saviour all over the RE.net, losing respect post by post.

2008 Resolution:  I can learn from every one and every situation - I don't ever know it all.

3  Videoblogging is fun and easy

Last week I put my first videoblog up.  I also put together a short instructional clip on holding seminars and workshops, and a video review of Bob Burg and John David Mann's new book The Go Giver.

It's easy to put a videoblog together.  I borrowed a camcorder from a colleague, put it on the tripod, and started talking.  Then I transfered the file to my computer, added a caption or two in Movie Maker, and uploaded it to youtube.  No advanced knowledge required. 

Now I have my own Youtube channel, just like the Queen.

2008 Resolution: Videoblog every week.

4  TV is bad for me

File this one under 'blindingly obvious.'

I don't watch a lot of TV.  Sarah and I have never had cable, and our TV is only used to watch the occasional DVD (and maybe some of the upcoming Winter Olympics...).  We don't even have bunny ears plugged in try to pick up a few channels.

At the other end of the spectrum, my parents have a fancy shmancy PVR system that records TV shows so you can watch them commercial free, at your convenience. 

Since I've been at my parents house this week, I find myself watching hours and hours of property flipping shows, shows about people looking at flats and castles in England, shows about how to decorate a small kitchen to maximize space....  the list, sadly, goes on.  Moral of this story - if I have TV, I'll watch it.

  2008 Resolution: Watch less, read more.

5  Charitable donations are more useful than martini strainers

It's no secret that I'm a bit mystified by the whole tradition of giving tons of presents at Christmas.  I'm Jewish, so I never grew up celebrating Christmas;  my partner Sarah is Anglican, so for the last several years we've spent Christmas with her family. 

Every year, dozens of presents are exchanged around the tree. Inevitably, everyone gets 1 really big nice present (Ipod, leather briefcase, few hundred bucks at Ikea etc), and a bunch of smaller presents.  In the past, I've received an electronic dolphin soap dispenser, a crystal martini strainer (I don't drink Martinis), a steel espresso cup (we don't have an espresso machine), a flashless digital camera weighing in at 0.3 megapixels, etc.  The list, sadly, goes on.

Sarah and I have decided to lead by example this year, and give charitable donations to people instead of materialistic presents.  Rather than spending a few hundred bucks on 'stuff' (see list above) we made cash donations to our local Humane Society and a small village in Honduras where Sarah's sister spent a few months teaching last summer.

When Sarah gave her sister the card with the picture of the village and a note about the donation, she started crying. It was the best present anyone got this Christmas.

I hope next year instead of the miscellaneous stuff, a donation can be made in my honour.  I know it would mean a lot more to me.

2008 Resolution: Give more.  Be generous when you can, and when you cannot.

--

What did you learn this month?  What about in 2007 ? 

Share with us by leaving a comment!

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

He loved 2007 and can't wait until 2008.  Are YOU this excited about what you can accomplish next year ?

You can find his blog at http://www.Kitchener-Waterloo-Real-Estate-Investments.com

 

Comments

[Rosa Say]

What terrific sharing Benjamin: Love how you have connected your RFLs with new resolve for the coming year so they continue to pay forward for you. Here is a quick listing of my RFLs for December, and I'll be taking your lead later this evening to further fine-tune each statement to serve my 2008 carry-on bags :)

1. Ma'alahi (where less is more) rules for Christmas! This holiday, one where we streamlined considerably, may have been one of our best ones ever.

2. Seems December is best for "things which take only 5 minutes to learn." In a Christmas Day lull yesterday I took Joanna's lead and started a Tumblr-log. Will write more about it soon. Earlier this month I learnedhow to use Amazon.com's aStore offering, and how their Listmania! feature works - quite cool!

3. Deep-cleaning your old stuff for a property move or sale is a great way to curb your desires for new stuff gluttony at Christmas, especially when you DIY and involve the entire family.

4. In the early weeks of the month before my annual SLC/HP hiatus, I learned that the message of aloha is needed more than ever. Very affirming.

5. When you are a blogger, it is way easier to take vacation time when you are part of a community like this one, where everyone pitches in! Mahalo everyone!

[Steve Sherlock]

Ben, thanks for the kick start to the Rapid Fire this month.

I would 'quibble' with you on your first objective as being too agressive. I would go with one at a time to allow for a better digestion and incorporation into the thought process rather than two books a week.

I read Made to Stick earlier, I agree that it is a good read. I am just about to finish "everything bad is good for you" and he provides some insights into how TV is good. I need to more fully digest this as the arguments don't sit well with me. I don't watch much TV (only an occasionally sport event or news broadcast) so I agree with you on not watching TV. There are better things to do (like blogging).

[David Zinger]

Ben,
I appreciated your learning. All the best with your video blogging. I watched the video with the cards, I liked how the guy did it, I wonder about his permission to use music in the video, we must pay a royalty or get creative commons music. I have stated to do videos too, not very good yet but they will get better in 2008! I have someone help with editing and shooting so that I am more than a talking head (even thought I loved the band...Talking Heads!).
Have a great 2008.
David

[tim]

Great learning recap. I would say that Made To Stick is my book of 2007. I'm going to relisten to it again at the start of this year and begin my search for my book of 2008.

I still watch TV, but I don't watch it like I used to-the way I watch it has changed. With access to programming online and my DVR...I watch when I have scheduled time to watch. I can't remember the last time I watched a program at it's original airing time. This has helped me better schedule my time and spend leas of it watching TV.

Thanks for the encouraging comments on video blogging. I am hoping to do more of that myself in 2008.

[Joanna Young]

Ben, thanks for the prompt and as the old year is nearly here already I'm glad we get the chance to do this "rapid!"

1. Reading books - I'm interested in this one. My book reading has slowed down to maybe one a month which is almost unheard of for me. It's because my mind is full of ideas I've got from reading blogs. I think this has been okay for 2007 but need to take more of a stretch back to print books in 2008

2. I'm so new to this I know I don't know it all - which makes it easier on me!

3. Videoblogging - brilliant. There's so much possibility out there, so many ways to teach and learn. I tried out my first camtasia tutorial (on using stumbleupon) and it wasn't brilliant (far from...) but good enough and I had fun doing it

4. TV - has also gone by the wayside as a result of blogging. I have no desire to switch it on when there's always some place more interesting to go online

5. Giving. Absolutely. Maybe we could develop this theme more for this time next year. I wrote a piece about it at the giving hands - bit too late on to influence buying behaviour but you might find it of interest
http://thegivinghands.org/environment/how-to-buy-gifts-without-wrecking-the-planet

Joanna

[Ariane Benefit, Neat & Simple Living]

Great Post Benjamin!

- I'm definitely putting Made to Stick on my reading list.

- Congrats on the video blog!!

- LOVE the donation idea. We do that with some of our friends too. We aren't quite there with family...but we have all committed to only one gift and it must be clutter free...like giving money for college, and things like that. We only give what we know is needed.

- Re: TV
I also watch TV using my DVR. I don't watch commercials, and mostly watch shows I learn from. though I do have a few guilty pleasure shows too. I'm not sure it's bad for me...as it helps me laugh and relax so I can sleep. In fact, I became inspired to become a professional organizing coach by a TV show called NEAT. I never knew this career was possible before then. That show made me see that helping people organize was very therapeutic and required much more skill than just cleaning stuff up. I guess like everything else, it's not the thing itself that is evil, but how you use it : )

Happy New Year and thanks for the thoughtful and inspirational post!

[Kevin Eikenberry]

Benjamin -

That is one great post - and among your resolutions, I beleive anyone could find at least one of value for them. Your reading and tv ones are similar to mine, and as for videoblogging, it is on the list, but we'll see how far up the final list (still working on it) it makes it!

Thanks again!

Kevin :)

[Benjamin Bach]

Rosa,
Glad you enjoyed your vacation.

Steve, I'm going to go get this book you reccomend - I'm intrigued!

David, I believe the content is more important than the quality, at first. I'd love to see a video blog from you on JJLN!

Tim, please let me know what becomes your book for '08. I just finished a fascinating book called The Last Tycoons. A story of what not to do in your rise to 'the top.'

Joanna, what I do to increase my level of reading is to read a little bit in the morning, and a little bit before I go to sleep. I'll also have a book with me during the day, so when I am a few minutes early for a meeting, or waiting for someone, I can get a few pages in.

Ariane, thanks for sharing how TV has helped you launch a new business! See Steve - your book was right after all!

Kevin, thanks for stopping by. YOU are Remarkable!

Happy New Year !