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We develop our inner “superhero” from a young age. For most of us we don’t even know we have super strengths.   In the book Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification by Christopher Peterson and Martin E. P. Seligman they identify several character strengths that are categorized under  six core moral virtues. These are the strengths that make each of us a “superhero”.  We just need to appreciate our strengths and use them to support our actions and our contributions to society and others.  I would like to think I have some of these all figured out but as you get older you realize that you have just begun to scratch the surface of these strengths.

I thought one mind-map (one picture) of the core moral virtues and the associated character strengths would be worth sharing.    

Book Notes - Character Strengths and Virtues

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Time is our most precious commodity. Too much time focusing on the past or thinking about the future, reduces our time to contribute and live for today.

I have tended to be someone who thinks little of the past, spends too much time planning for the future, and could do much more in the “now”. As I have gotten older I’ve started to appreciate that planning in both life and work is good, but can often be a great form of procrastination – always planning -but never really doing most of what gets planned. Another way to state this is – “A lot of thought and no action”.

As mentioned in the About page of this site – the site is a mechanism for turning ideas into actionable operational initiatives. The reason for this, is based on my need to focus on the now. The initiatives being created through this site, have been in the planning stages for many years. The time to act on them is now!

“Focusing on the now” will be a major theme as this site develops. Feel free to contribute through comments as we explore the details of this subject.

Originally published billcraig.info on June 2, 2013.

Well it’s been a few year’s since I read Daniel Pink’s  book – A Whole New Mind. I have never been one to read an entire book over the weekend – but this one I did!   I loved the book, and have purchased many copies for friends and recommended it to others.  Every gift book given or recommendation made led to nothing but wonderfully insightful feedback about the book and its ideas.

About a week after reading the book I came up with the idea of initiating a community for people that may have similar interests in developing the skills identified in the book. As with most  ideas I let them brew for a few months – or in this case a couple years.  Sometimes ideas come back to me or, like many ideas they disappear forever.  This one came back!  Then disappeared for a while, and now is back after many friends have motivated me to get it going again.

The community is for everyone interested in developing the skills to thrive in the new world!  The skill’s identified by Daniel Pink in A Whole New Mind:

• Design,
• Empathy,
• Meaning,
• Play,
• Storytelling, and
• Symphony

have been adopted along with many additional skills including:

• Experience Generation,
• Learning,
• Social Transaction,
• Being Genuine,
• Visual Communication,
• Community,
• Creativity,
• Innovation,
• Selling,
• “for the World”  thinking – Mundi,
• Writing,
• Awareness and Effective Use of Time

as the set of skills for thriving in the new world.  Daniel Pink’s subsequent books (Drive and To Sell is Human)  have helped validate some of the additional skills I have identified.

The purpose of the community is to share stories, thoughts, ideas, news, publications, tools and techniques related to developing and applying these skills to help us all thrive in the new world.  I’m reworking the community web site and will announce when it is ready to shine bright.

Originally published on billcraig.info September 8, 2013

Wow – what a great motivation for exercise!   I found this image at http://nilofermerchant.tumblr.com.  The list is from Neila Rey. Over the last 5 years I have had the ability to increase the amount and frequency of exercise in my life.  I have thankfully experienced many of the benefits.  The last one on the list – improves Quality of Life is true!!   Stick a copy of this on your message board or fridge for that gentle reminder.

Originally published on billcraig.info Sept 7, 2013

I was reading the book driven to distraction at work, by Edward M. Hallowell this weekend.  As I read the introduction and the first chapter it felt like the author had written this book specifically about and for me.  His description of Attention Deficit Trait in the workplace described everything I was going through in work and other initiatives I’m focused on (or at least think I’m focused on).   The author lists symptoms of Attention Deficit Trait, then states if you answer yes to one or any of these symptoms and you answer yes to all of them, then chances are you need to read the book.

I’ve listed the symptoms below:

• A heightened distractibility and a persistent feeling of being rushed or in a hurry, even when there’s no need to be, combined with a mounting feeling of how superficial your life has become: lots to do, but no depth of thought or feeling.
• An inability to sustain lengthy and full attention to a thought, a conversation, an image, a paragraph, a diagram, a sunset-or anything else, even when you try to.
• A growing tendency toward impatience, boredom, dissatisfaction, restlessness, irritability, frustration, or frenzy, sometimes approaching panic.
• A tendency to hop from task to task, idea to idea, even place to place.
• A tendency to make decisions impulsively, rather than reflecting and taking time to think them through.
• An increasing tendency to avoid thinking altogether, as if it were a luxury you don’t have time for.
• A tendency to put off difficult work or conversations, coupled with a tendency to overfill your day with feckless busywork.
• A tendency to feel overwhelmed, even when, in reality, you’re not.
• Haunting feelings of guilt about incomplete tasks, coupled with resentment that the tasks were imposed in the first place.
• Difficulty in fully enjoying pleasant moments and genuine achievements.
• Too often saying to yourself, “I’m working really hard but I’m not getting to where I want to be,” both at work and in relationships.
• A feeling of loss of control over your own life and a nagging feeling of “What am I missing?”
• A recurring thought that “Someday I will make time for what really matters, but I don’t have time to do that today.”
• A growing, compulsive need for frequent electronic “hits,” for example, checking e-mails, speaking on your iPhone, sending or receiving texts, Googling random subjects, visiting favorite websites, or playing games, coupled with almost an addict’s yen for them when they are unavailable.
• A tendency to overcommit, make yourself too available, allow too many interruptions, and say yes too quickly.

I have also documented the introduction and first chapter in my booknotes mind map format. Can download the image below or the pdf file at the end.

Book Notes - Driven to Distraction at Work Mind-Map

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Originally [published on billcraig.info on January 4, 2015