Finding Problems

Based on some ideas I heard on a podcast, I’ve started writing down things that annoy me.  I’ve got two plans on this.  One, I want to know whether I’m focusing on issues that are important or issues that are completely out of my control.  But second, and most important, was that it provides a list of potential opportunities that can be fixed.

So to do this, you simply need to write down three annoyances a day.  You do this every day for 30 days.  After those 30 days, then you have a list of problems that you have the potential to solve.  What I’ve found is that I’ve trained myself to not complain.  And I’ve been trying to start this project for several days. 

But I drive around, and I work, and I run into things that annoy me.  And they piss me off for about 3 seconds.  And then I’m off again, without any remembrance of what made me mad.  So I’ve had to take special effort to both remember what pissed me off.  And I also have to take special notice to write down those things that piss me off.

 

Funny thing is… once you’ve trained yourself to not be so critical of the world, it’s hard to go back to be critical.  But those observations are just what you need to find opportunity.

Breakfast thoughts

As a person who is chronically scrawny, I find the weight gain segment of the market heavily under served.  Though the solutions to both weight loss and weight gain are simple, it seems like ten thousand books have been written on weight loss, and only 1 or 2 on weight gain.  I guess people see it as a non-problem.

I've been reading The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  It's quite an interesting jaunt into the world of the highly improbable.  I've made it through chapter 5, and I'm beginning to agree with most of what he has written.  I'm guessing it's very easy to underestimate the importance of things the can scale.

The thought I had while sitting in church was fairly simple.  Maybe it's the one I should be paying attention to.

Are you working on a solution that scales?  If it doesn't, stop.  

Scaling is the only hope of financial explosion. 

Which, that fits correctly with everything else I've read.  It ties in nicely with Robert Kyosaki, and countless others.  The problem is a simple one: the employer only gets paid for the work they do.  If you want to get paid more, you have to put in more time.

The entrepreneur creates one thing that can be sold to many people.  The thing is created once, and then you sell it for as many as you can possibly make money on.  Because of scaling, your idea went from one to millions in a short period.  Your financial situation was thrown for a loop.  Why?  Because you realized a profit on your idea that scaled.

Anyways... the day is calling.

Time to go think of things that scale.

 

A New Beginning

It’s a new year and a new beginning.  What could I say about it? 

I’m not sure.  Because my current blogging status is based off whim, I really haven’t had anything to say.  Or at least I don’t think I have.  The problem with operating by whim is you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what you are going to say.  It’s time spent waiting for inspiration to show up.

Which is exactly opposite of what I normally teach. 

So maybe the answer is I should start talking about the complications and problems associated with trying to get something started.  But then, most of those are mental.  And the answer is “quit procrastinating” and do something.

It’s really that simple.

Whenever you get the idea, start then.  Don’t wait until the beginning of the week.  Start right then. 

Hopefully, you’ll get a small victory before the grind sets in and it becomes a lot like work. 

And if it doesn’t, happy grinding.