My comment about “arguing in our spare time” was of course a reference to the Monty Python sketch, but also reflects the fact that I enjoy putting ideas in writing. At the very least it makes me feel good, and it may even help me organize my thoughts and understand things better. So it’s somewhere between recreation and work.

The real question, though, is whether there’s value in responding to other people’s posts on their blogs. Obviously it could just be a “spare time” activity. Then there’s of course the question of “networking” - that maybe some business relationships will result. And I guess that when we’re discussing business, we might come up with some brilliant ideas. But most of the discussions tend more along the line of, “good point.”

Maybe the biggest value is just that when you’re running your own business, there’s a certain element of loneliness. No matter how much camaraderie you develop with the employees, you’re still the boss. Having the chance to develop friendships and even brief moments of “yeah, I’ve been there!” with other entrepreneurs can be valuable for our morale :)

I’d say it depends on how open you want to be with customers, how much time it takes you and what your goals are.

For me it’s a resounding “yes”, but I do spend a lot of time on it. Probably three half-written posts languish for everyone that goes out. It’s semi-recreational though; I’m often writing in the evening when everyone’s asleep.

Or…

Then again, I could be arguing in my spare time.

13 more lines and we’d have a sonnet, at least… or, 4 more syllables and we have a haiku…

Yeah, rewards are great as long as you don’t get ‘em confused. A simple limerick will usually keep you on track; “shoes on for dinner with Stephen, off for suntanning”. (may not be a limerick)

If I have a brass ring to reach for, it adds a personal level of value to what I am working on, makes the process more exciting, and takes the time to acknowledge a win.

For example: I have 3 projects on the go right now - one is a detailed analysis (and making me go cross-eyed in Excel), one is writing documentation on a process for our global team, and one is developing a policy and its associated communication. When one is complete I am buying new shoes. When the second is complete I am taking Stephen and myself out for a fancy dinner.

When they are all done I am taking a Monday off and suntanning.

Those sorts of little things.

Nice to meet you. Getting together sounds great, and probably won’t be too hard since we’re just a couple miles from UH. Maybe next week?

PS: I checked out your blog - looks great but the RSS feed returned an error when I tried to subscribe.

Great post! In my organizational communication class I teach Peter Drucker’s book The Effective Executive. For him, effectiveness is getting the right things done. You illustrate this wonderfully in this post. Not sure what island you are on but I would like to have coffee with you (I am on Oahu, lecturer/student at UH Manoa). The freedback app could be used in academic/research settings in a very powerful way and I would like to explore this idea.

Cheers,
Jeff McNeill

It’s true, there’s something magical about crossing things off. Sometimes when it’s hard to get started I’ve found knocking off small/trivial todos helps to build a sense of momentum.