Category: Rants

Goal-setting is a popular topic on social media, in books, and around the virtual and physical watercoolers of the world. It’s akin to Monday morning quarterbacking and critiquing the latest film and how you would make it better than the seasoned professional. In other words, it’s easy to talk about, much more challenging to do for yourself and your team.

Most people evangelize the gospel of S.M.A.R.T. goals. If you haven’t heard of them, S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic (or Relevant), and Timely. Sounds great; a perfect and memorable framework for goal-setting.

I’ve also heard of S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals. I can’t remember what the last two letters are—maybe energy and risk—but all I know is that the E and the R will undoubtedly make your goals “smarter.”

Snarky, I know.

Is there a way to rethink S.M.A.R.T. goals? Perhaps there is. Welcome to my new goal-setting framework. Building upon S.M.A.R.T., I’m adding three additional elements.

First, Awe-inspiring. If a goal isn’t awe-inspiring, why are you doing it? How many goals have you honestly set out of context with what you want to accomplish? By connecting what you want to do to something bigger than yourself, something humbling, something awe-inspiring, you can assess whether the goal is worth the time.

Second, Soul-driven. Intrinsic motivations drive many people—the satisfaction of a job well done, growth, learning—and others find momentum in external validators such as success and money. What if the expression of the deepest parts of yourself drives your goals instead? However, it doesn’t stop at your soul because it could also be the soul of your organization, community, and collective.

Third, and finally, sufficient. Sufficiency is my favorite because it implies a limit to the goal. Humility? Perhaps, but it’s a sense that I am enough and the goal is enough for this moment. With sufficiency as the final element of the framework, we can make sure that what we pursue does not overtake us. That we can rest and we can live.

Welcome to the S.M.A.R.T.A.S.S. framework of goal-setting.

I am completely intrigued by the process of modern politics: Look good, promise everything, say nothing, and attack the opponent.

I don’t often share what I think, but here is a cartoon summing up a few thoughts regarding the Romney/Obama debate.

I have friends on both sides of the “color” divide (I’m not talking race). They regard “their” candidate with religious fervor, holding them up as the savior of the people. But ultimately, the only difference between “the candidates” is the color of their tie. The results will be the same until we the people realize that change does not come from an elected politician or an official political party. It comes from the convictions of individuals, exercised for the benefit of those around them, in order to create a more humane and beneficial society for all.

The latest billboard in town is about fast, painless relief for hemorrhoids.

I have nothing against hemorrhoids or Advanced Gastroenterology. My beef is with stock photography and the nausea-inducing ease at which a pretty girl can be transformed from: “Give me surprise” to “Surprise, you’ve got hemorrhoids.”

I doubt this lady got into the business to appear on a hemorrhoids billboard in Vancouver, Washington. I’m sure she has grand aspirations for her career.

But, until she makes it big, you can buy her on iStockPhoto.com for your next advertisement. Perhaps I’ll buy this image to advertise my business because nothing says telling your unique story like a stock photo used by a gastroenterology clinic.

*I found this lovely Instagram photo on Google Images. I would love to credit the photographer, so let me know if this is yours.

 

Ever since The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy it seems that filmmakers and studios are attempting to maximize and extend the profits and storytelling capabilities of works of literature. Long books are becoming two part epics, trilogies are becoming quadrilogies, and what was once a bastardized art form of ruining the novel in visual form has become a humongous business model.

Harry Potter, Hunger Games, The Hobbit, and Twilight all have been extended into multiple releases in order to “tell the story.”

However, the fate of some series died on the first attempt: The City of Ember, Lemony Snicket and The Golden Compass come to mind. Other series have been revived a few different ways, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, only to have the marketable stories told  (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and leaving the rest to the imagination of the reader.

Hollywood, stop milking the trilogy for the sake of profit. Everything that is in a novel will not translate to the silver screen. Especially glitter.

 

People wouldn’t be reading 50 Shades of Grey, Bone or Steve Jobs.

That awkward moment of silence in church where a new song is sung and people can’t read the lyrics would increase.

IKEA instruction manuals.

People wouldn’t be able to comment on all of the annoying status updates they “saw” on Facebook, Twitter or a random blog.

More and more people would accept what they heard on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Bill Maher or Bill Moyers as the truth.

Libraries would become a place of scorn and embarrassment by the literate instead of a place of refuge and learning for all.

History would be rewritten to be concrete and clear as opposed to the paradox that it is.

Propaganda would be embraced for its entertainment value.

We would be okay with incorrect statements of equality such as 1% > 99%.

I am Grateful for Literacy

I am grateful to be literate. I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t have an insatiable appetite for reading and consuming knowledge.

As I become increasingly aware of my level of literacy, I embrace the reality that there are others struggling with the foundations of literacy.

With that, I offer these encouraging words from Jeff Smith, creator of Bone: “I learned to read because I wanted to know what was going on in Peanuts.”

I remember my dad reading The Chronicles of Narnia to me as a kid. I remember reading Stephen King’s The Stand, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and thousands of other books over the years.

It has never been easier to read.

It has never been more difficult to find the time and necessary focus to read.

Literacy can start with comic books or reading to your kids.

It just takes the desire to know what Charlie Brown is saying.

What I love most about learning is reading a word like egalitarian because immediately I go to the dictionary and confirm that it means what I think it means. Side note: I misused the word pontificate in a conversation once and haven’t heard the end of it, so I look things up to make sure.

Egalitarian simply means upholding a belief in the equality all people.

It is often preached, but rarely practiced.

Instead, we get elitism.

Snob-ism.

And troll-ism.

Elitism says I’m better than you because of what I have, what I am, who I know, what I know, where I work, and that I don’t need toilet paper because I have a bidet.

Snob-ism, a made up word, says that my stuff is better than your stuff because I have it and you don’t. It also says that your stuff will never be better than my stuff (even if it is). In many ways, it is a lot like elitism, and for purposes of this blog post, they can be interchangeable because what matters is the last paragraph.

Troll-ism, another made up word, says that my beliefs are right, you are most definitely wrong, and I will hide behind my digital avatar, tearing you down for attempting to build a bridge between two polarities or partisan views. Trolls live underneath bridges and I also think they don’t like new bridges being built because that means territorial troll-gang fights on social network commenting systems used by local and national news organizations, but I digress.

I dislike all three of the above attitudes. No, I hate all three of those attitudes. They make me angry when I witness them in others and in myself. Yes, I am human. I have moments of elitism, snob-ism, and troll-ism. I don’t like it, but thankfully I have friends that correct me when necessary.

Elites, snobs and trolls only hurt people with their actions and words because they are above correction and human decency. It’s one thing to justify your viewpoint with a freedom of speech argument, but the reality is that there will never be a constitutional right to be an asshole.

I had a friend recently congratulate me on the success on my freelancing business. Initially, I was very appreciative. Business has been increasing this year, thank you for noticing. However, after thinking about it for awhile I realized: I hate the word freelance.

Dictionary.com defines freelance as “working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company.” In other words: a worker that can’t commit. At least that is what I hear.

The reality is that I am not freelancing, I’m running a business. I am no different than any other business out there. I work for different companies at different times as do all businesses. Differentiated market segments are no different than multiple businesses. The size of a business and whether it is on the Fortune 500 list of businesses doesn’t matter either. It has no reflection upon your label as a freelancer or a business owner.

The truth is that I am permanently employed by one company: Chris Martin Studios Inc. My own. I started it, registered to become a for-profit corporation in Washington state, filed the necessary paperwork with the IRS to be an S-Corporation.

So, for all of the designers, developers, artists, and entrepreneurs out there being okay with the “freelance” label: Own the label of “business owner.” You might just thank me, and you might not be expected to work for free. Because after all, free is the beginning of freelance.