Professional Geekery

Weekly Challenge: Cultivate a Seed

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What we are in the future is determined by our past and our present.  The past is, well, past.  The future is yet to be determined.

So it's what we do in the present that matters.  We can miss this fact as we're looking too far back or too far forward.

So here's your weekly challenge.

Right now there's something you want to be or do in the future.  You aren't there yet, but you will be and hope to be.  Much like creating a garden, you've got a few planted seeds that you are hoping to cultivate into something wonderful.

Identify one of your "sees" right now.  Maybe it's trying to exercise more so you loose weight.  Maybe it's to learn a programming language to be a programmer.  Maybe it's to read more and get smarter.

Pick one of these seeds and ask yourself what you're doing to cultivate it and protect it so it can grow.  Are you reading up on eating better to improve your health?  Are you studying every day to improve your programming skill?  Do you have a big sticker on your television to remind you to read a half hour a day?

Identify what you're doing to protect and nurture that seed.

After that, maybe you'll want to take a look at the other seeds you've planted for the future . . .

– Steven Savage

Pro-Fan Pride: The Power of Thinking Differently

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Whatever your career, it helps to think differently. Thinking differently helps you solve problems others see no solution too.  Thinking differently lets you blaze new trails and find new things.  For that matter, thinking differently keeps you from getting bored.

This is one of the things that makes me proud to be a progeek – because progeeks, the fans and geeks and otaku who make their hobbies into careers, are great at thinking differently.  It's a great edge in your career.

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Weekly Challenge: Carry Out One Inspiration

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Last week we discussed inspiring someone.  But inspiration can't do much unless you carry it out.

It's easy to get inspired, but too often it fades away in time.  We forget, we get busy, or worse we get lazy.

Following up on inspiration is a habit – and a skill – that has to be developed, maintained, and improved.  You have to make an effort, often a conscious one, to develop the ability to make ideas real.

So your goal this week is to take one piece of inspiration, either one you had recently or one you get this week – and make it real.

Write a column or a blog post.  Do that waiting piece of art.  Research that college you considered going to.  Something, anything, pick one thing this week that you're inspired to do and go and do it.

Come to think of it, maybe you could make a habit of this . . .

– Steven Savage