Curious about Organization: Are You Organized and Does It Serve You Well? What about the Organizations to Which You Belong?

Definition of Organization: The act of organizing; the act of arranging in a systematic way for use or action. The state of being organized; also, the relations included in such a state or condition. That which is organized; an organized existence; an organism. An arrangement of parts for the performance of the functions necessary to life.

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.” - Napoleon Hill, American writer

I picked organization for this week’s theme, because I feel its importance in my life, my writing and products, my websites, my classes, my programs, my apartment and garden, my appearance, my health, the groups to which I belong and also work for, and much, much more.

How about you? With our lives moving so incredibly fast today, you and I must call upon organization to keep from constant overwhelm and always feeling behind in everything we want to accomplish. Time management does play a role, but the organization of those parts of my life that I listed above is more than that.

I find that the better my planning and organizing for the day, week, and future, the more control and productivity I experience. Also, having systems in place for my Portfolio Career – many careers at the same time – has helped with organization. And, surprisingly, Yoga provides structure, clarity, and focus, along with calmness and control.

When I started reading the plethora of quotations from the experts, I found more about organizations and their success than about how we, as individuals, can organize. However, these were also helpful for running or being part of an organization.

Let’s get to them:

• “The five separate fingers are five independent units. Close them and the fist multiplies strength. This is organization.” - James Cash Penney, American businessman
• “I don't think anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the education of our children controls our future.” - Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee stateswoman
• “The Girl Scouts is an organization that constantly gives you new goals to achieve and that's what life is all about.” - Maria Bartiromo, American journalist
• “The five essential entrepreneurial skills for success: Concentration, Discrimination, Organization, Innovation and Communication.” - Harold S. Geneen, British businessman
• “Routine is not organization, any more than paralysis is order.” - Arthur Helps, British historian
• “Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers.” - Donald Rumsfeld, American politician
• “Life is like a cobweb, not an organization chart.” - Ross Perot, American businessman

They were all so interesting and varied, here are some more:

• “Once an organization loses its spirit of pioneering and rests on its early work, its progress stops.” - Thomas J. Watson, American businessman
• “To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson, French photographer
• “It is because the body is a machine that education is possible. Education is the formation of habits, a superinducing of an artificial organization upon the natural organization of the body.” - Thomas Huxley, English scientist
• “The person who figures out how to harness the collective genius of his or her organization is going to blow the competition away.” - Walter Wriston, American businessman
• “The clarification of visual forms and their organization in integrated patterns as well as the attribution of such forms to suitable objects is one of the most effective training grounds of the young mind.” - Rudolf Arnheim, German artist
• “The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.” - Marcus Aurelius, Roman soldier
• “Executives owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate nonperforming individuals in important jobs.” - Peter Drucker, American businessman

Do you have some favorite organizational tips that you could share with us. I know that everyone can learn and benefit from them. Thanks!

Curious about Involvement: In What and How Involved Are You?

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” - Martina Navratilova, American athlete

Martina’s quotation is humorous, but also sums up perfectly the difference between involvement and commitment. I chose the theme involvement for this week’s blog, because I find that it is so easy for me to become over involved in volunteer activities. Yes, I think it is great to be known for one’s commitment to an organization or group, but when it starts to drain you and take you away from your involvement in your own business, you should consider pulling back.

That’s what I am working on doing now.

If you are at all like I am, I find it hard to say, “No” when asked to volunteer, to run for a club office, to write an article – or even to edit a newsletter, to be membership chair or any other time consuming position. And, I have done them all. I rationalize that they will help me become known and then, in turn, help my business. And they do. But I suggest that we must find a workable and productive balance.

The quotations I found cover a wide range of types of involvement, so here goes:

• “Family involvement is a valuable thing and playing together actively can be the '90s version of it. Instead of just watching, you can do it together... something we don't spend enough time on. We can motivate and excite each other about fitness.” - Alan Thicke, Canadian actor
• “I love children, and most of my involvement now has to do with children or youth programs.” - David Dinkins, American politician
• “I recognized that teaching and research institutions vitally depend on the involvement of active scientists also in management functions.” - Richard Ernst, Swiss scientist
• “I recommend limiting one's involvement in other people's lives to a pleasantly scant minimum.” - Quentin Crisp, English writer
• “Just as the development of earth art and installation art stemmed from the idea of taking art out of the galleries, the basis of my involvement with public art is a continuation of wall drawings.” - Sol LeWitt, American artist
• “Past conference topics have included strengthening the role of fathers in children's lives, the impact of the media culture on children, the delicate balance between work and family, and family involvement in education.” - Tipper Gore, American celebrity

And, a few more:

• “The printed page conveys information and commitment, and requires active involvement. Television conveys emotion and experience, and it's very limited in what it can do logically. It's an existential experience - there and then gone.” - Bill Moyers, American journalist
• “We have to provide good teachers, good environment, community involvement with schools.” - David Selby, American actor
• “What people really want in the theater is fantasy involvement and not reality involvement.” - Edward Albee, American dramatist
• “A good basic selling idea, involvement and relevancy, of course, are as important as ever, but in the advertising din of today, unless you make yourself noticed and believed, you ain't got nothin'.” - Leo Burnett, American businessman
• “Democracy is the only system capable of reflecting the humanist premise of equilibrium or balance. The key to its secret is the involvement of the citizen.” - John Ralston Saul, Canadian author
• “As all of us with any involvement in sports knows, no two umpires or no two referees have the same strike zone or call the same kind of a basketball game.” - Herb Kohl, American politician

So, how involved are you in your life? How? In what? I would love to hear from you.

Curious about Impact: Are You Creating an Impact? How? What Impacts You?

Definition of Impact: To drive close; to press firmly together: to wedge into a place. Contact or impression by touch; collision; forcible contact; force communicated. The single instantaneous stroke of a body in motion against another either in motion or at rest.

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” - Tony Robbins, American author

Let me tell you the story that prompted this week’s theme of impact – my impact and what impacted me. As I have mentioned before, I teach 12 fitness classes a week. These classes are part of a program called SilverSneakers. The participants are members of health clubs hand picked by the program. They are paid for by their health insurance companies and are all 65 years of age and above.

Our goal is a functional one to prepare the students for their activities of daily living. Our mission includes fitness, friends, and fun. We work with resistance tools for muscular strength and range of movement, along with cardiovascular health. The size of the classes – 30 to 35 participants – indicates part of the impact I am making and the participants’ enthusiasm and fitness progress provides me with impact from them.

On Monday – when I teach three classes in a row – I was informed when I got to the club, that the workout studio’s air conditioning wasn’t working and they wanted to cancel all my classes. The participants were devastated and begged me to teach. I made them promise that if they stopped feeling well from the heat that they would leave. I ended up teaching all three classes and no one left. What an impact that had on me and on them! Commitment won! Hooray!

So what makes an impact on you? I am impacted by the Internet and all of what I am learning there. I am impacted by superior customer service. Aren’t we all? I am impacted by genuine smiles, by positive words, by sincerity and by caring.

Now, let’s share what some of our experts had to say about impact:

• “Design can have such a positive impact on the way people live and on their relationships and moods.” - Genevieve Gorder, American designer
• “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” - Solomon Ortiz, American politician
• “I think journalism is a great way to do public service, to have an impact on your community.” - Bob Schieffer, American journalist
• “We're at unique point in history where the things that we are building are going to significantly impact our social, political, economical, and personal lives.” - Anita Borg, American scientist
• “Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.” - Harold Kushner, American clergyman
• “I have not fully had the opportunity to evaluate the impact of cameras in the courtroom.” - Lance Ito, American judge

And, a few more:

• “It is important to remember that all business has an impact on the lives of real people.” – Lee R. Raymond, American actor
• “Pictures can and do make a difference. Strong images of historical events do have an impact on society. They can help with change.” - Charles Moore, American photographer
• “So I started chanting when I was nineteen, which was about twelve years ago, and it really had a huge impact on my outlook, happiness, and general creativity.” - Duncan Sheik, American musician
• “We expect all our businesses to have a positive impact on our top and bottom lines. Profitability is very important to us or we wouldn't be in this business.” - Jeff Bezos, American businessman
• “Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change - it can not only move us, it makes us move.” - Ossie Davis, American actor
• “I can't imagine a more fulfilling thing for a writer than that you've made a strong impact on the lives of other people. Just because I've heard it before does not mean I don't want to hear it one more time.” - Armistead Maupin, American novelist

And a true, but humorous, one from English business woman, Anita Roddick, “If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.”

So, how are you making an impact? And, what is impacting you? I would love to read your feedback.

Curious about Skill: What Is Your Skill or Are Your Skills? Is It True That We Love Using Our Skill and/or Skills?

Definition: The familiar knowledge of any art or science, united with readiness and dexterity in execution or performance, or in the application of the art or science to practical purposes; power to discern and execute; ability to perceive and perform; expertness; aptitude; as, the skill of a mathematician, physician, surgeon, mechanic, etc.

“I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability, or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.” - Dean Koontz, American author

I chose skill for this week’s theme, because I have been working on my new e-book, How to Reap the Rewards of a Portfolio Career, which in actuality makes use of the many skills we have developed. Because I have also discovered that entrepreneurs thrive on the variety afforded by having more than one career, they love making use of many different skills.

It is also known that when we are doing something we enjoy and have the skill and/or skills to do it easily, well, and successfully, we will experience the world of flow and automatically work with passion.

As I checked out the quotations using skill, I found a treasure trove to share with you. They are varied, thought evoking and special. Let’s start:

• “Learning how to learn is life's most important skill.” - Tony Buzan, English educator
• “Let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest.” - Sextus Propertius, Roman poet
• “No skill shapes a child's future success in school or in life more than the ability to read.” – Bob Riley, American politician
• “Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.” - James J. Corbett, American athlete
• “It is insight into human nature that is the key to the communicator's skill. For whereas the writer is concerned with what he puts into his writings, the communicator is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. He therefore becomes a student of how people read or listen.” - William Bernbach, American businessman
• “It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.” - Wilbur Wright, American Inventor
• “We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people.” – Sugar Ray Leonard, American athlete

And some more – they are so good:

• “If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it.” –
  James A. Garfield, American President
• “If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson, English author
• “It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.” –
  Baltasar Gracian, Spanish philosopher
• “There is no question that knowing someone in the business will get you in the door. But it is your skill that will keep you in the room.” - Vic Mignogna, American actor
• “There's many times this year I've sat back and thought, I'm making a living from making things up. It's the only skill I have so I've been really lucky.” - Colin Mochrie, Scottish actor
• “To know how to hide one's ability is great skill.” - Francois de La Rochefoucauld, French writer
• “Also, they don't understand - writing is language. The use of language. The language to create image, the language to create drama. It requires a skill of learning how to use language.” - John Milius, American director

Because I have a garden, I just have to share the following from American cartoonist, Doug Larson, with you, “A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.”

Take time to make a list of your special skills. I am sure you have many. And, if you have been thinking of changing careers, you might use your favorites in a part-time business of your own.

Curious about the Theme: Do You Ever Make Use of One? How Has a Theme Directed Your Life, Business and Purpose? Or Has It?

Definition of Theme: A subject or topic on which a person writes or speaks; a proposition for discussion or argument; a text. Discourse on a certain subject. That by means of which a thing is done; means; instrument. The leading subject of a composition or a movement.

“We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don't know where you're aiming, you don't have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared.” - Mary Kay Ash, American business woman

I picked this week’s blog theme to be “Theme” mainly because I use a theme in so many different areas of my life, my purpose, my communications, my designs and websites, and my businesses along with much, much more.

A theme helps hold everything together, gives us direction and inspiration, flow and meaning, and – especially for me – focus and clarity.

Before I share some of the enlightening quotations I found, let me tell you how I make use of themes. First, picking a theme for a storytelling performance helps with choosing the stories to tell, the marketing of the program, and keeping on track. It works the same way with presentations, speeches and workshops. A great way to create an effective presentation is to pick a theme and use three strong examples of the theme in action.

And, many of you know and read my bi-weekly e-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, which always has a theme which it revolves around.

Of course, on the Internet, having popular themes for information products, like e-books, special reports, white papers, and articles helps with sales, search engine rankings, and traffic. Remember, that “content is still king.”

By now, you may be wondering how I use a theme for my life. Several years ago, one of the e-newsletters I subscribed to suggested that instead of making resolutions, we should set a theme for each year. The American photographer, Dorothea Lange, reminded me of it when she said, “Pick a theme and work it to exhaustion... the subject must be something you truly love or truly hate.” My theme for this year has been “remarkable” – being, writing, teaching, and health. Note: it still isn’t too late to pick a theme for the rest of the year!

Now, on to some great and interesting quotations:

• “The idea that we cause harm by doing what we perceive to be the right thing, that's another theme that interests me. Because most people don't intend to cause harm, they cause harm by doing the right thing - in their mind.” - Andrew McCarthy, American actor
• “Ultimately, your theme will find you. You don't have to go looking for it.” - Richard Russo, American novelist
• “I really don't have a theme when I start a sculpture. The rock guides me to the final sculpture. I think that is true for many creative sculpture artists.” - Jimmy Carl Black, American musician
• “I set about seeking a thread, a theme, a style, in the realm of legend. Something that might allow me to give free rein to my juvenile sense of romanticism and the beautiful image.” – Leni Riefenstahl, German director
• “I would say my theme has always been paradise lost, always the lost cause, the lost leader, the lost utopia.” Marguerite Young, American author
• “If there were only one truth, you couldn't paint a hundred canvases on the same theme.” - Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist

And, a few more I love:

• “If you look at music, you see theme, variation, you see symmetry, asymmetry, you see structure, and these are related to skills in the real world.” - Dave Van Ronk, American musician
• “A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.” - Stanley Kubrick, American director
• “To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it.” - Herman Melville, American novelist
• “You can't tell any kind of a story without having some kind of a theme, something to say between the lines.” - Robert Wise, American producer
• “Even on the drum level, it's all about stating your theme, going back to certain things that need to be emphasized, not doing fills for the sake of doing fills.” - John Otto, American musician
• “Evil hiding among us is an ancient theme.” - John Carpenter, American director

How about you? Do you ever pick a theme for your day? It does help set the tone and path. I would love to hear your thoughts.