Erich Stauffer

Blog

  • Attitude…How You Lean

    In light of the US Airways flight that safely crash landed into the Hudson River yesterday, my mind raced through what I might do in such a situation, both as a passenger, and as the  pilot.

    As a passenger, I would probably break the “no cell phones during flight” rule and call my children, if there was even time for that.  I would assume that death was at hand and prepare to meet my maker.  Maybe my mind would flash back to scenes from the movie Castaway and how Tom Hanks’ character actually did survive a water landing.  The nearby island might be a little bit more inhabitable than his, but I digress.

    More than likely, I would assume the worst, until the plane stopped its free fall and I found myself still breathing and able to move.  Really, what can you do when you are trapped and strapped inside of something that heavy going against the force of gravity?

    Now, as the pilot, my brain starts spinning things in a more heroic direction.  Even though the plane is fighting a losing battle with gravity, I still feel some sense of power, since I can control the wings.  Perhaps I can see the terrain below and choose an ideal crash site, like a river.  Not only do I want to save my own life for myself and my family, but I have so many others who will benefit from my opportunity to steer us closer to safety and away from a more clear danger.  The goal would be to save lives and just plain (no pun intended) do my job.  But, as was the case with the pilot, C.B. Sullenberger, I might become a hero overnight.  Just responding the way that I knew I needed to respond would bring great appreciation and accolade.

    Repetition

    One thing that C.B. Sullenberger had going for him (and everyone else on the plane, for that matter), was that he was passionate for safety procedures.  Even though this was his first jet-airliner crash, it didn’t seem “new” to him, because he had rehearsed it in his mind so many times before.  He was aware of the risks of flight, and didn’t fly airplanes hoping that such a situation would never happen.  He was prepared for any possible situation and took the “responsibility” aspect of being a pilot as fully as the “fun” side.  Because he had practiced the crash landing mentally, his body knew how to respond, even though the stakes were much higher.  You can probably see where I am going with this, but it is absolutely true that practice and repetition will serve you better than just “showing up” for game time, whatever your game might be.

    Control

    The biggest difference between my response as a passenger and my response as a pilot is control, or at least, and understanding of control.  Is control an illusion?  Maybe.  But it is absolutely true that we can alter the course of our lives, every day.  Even in situations where we feel like we have no control, most often WE put ourselves in that situation.  WE chose to get on that airplane.  Yes, the odds are small that it could crash, but the odds are still there.  That was our choice.  We controlled that choice.  Just like we control where we work.  What town we live in.  What type of society we live in.  The value of money.  When we have freedom, we have control.  With freedom, there should be less fear.

    Attitude

    Finally, our attitude strongly impacts our outcomes in life.  We all know what the word “altitude” means.  It is the relation between the airplane and sea level.  In the flight world, a plane’s “attitude” refers to whether it is leaning left or right.  With our choices in life, we can either lean in a positive direction, or a negative direction.  Think about magnets, and how a negatively charged magnet repels objects, while a positively charged magnet attracts things.  When you are charged negatively, you are pushing things and people away, saying “I don’t want to be a part of this.  I can’t help myself, so how can I help you.  Woe is me!”  When you are charged positively, you are drawing people and things to you, saying “I am in control.  Trust me.  We can do it!”

    I think that it is clear how we all want to lean in terms of our attitude.  There is something very attractive about a positive attitude.  Magnetic even.  Maybe that’s why I relate so much to this guy.

    This is a guest post by Zac Parsons.

  • Who Limits Your Success?

    This is a guest post by Zac Parsons. Enjoy. – Erich

    Seriously.  Think about that question.  Maybe first you need to look at how you define success, but that’s easy because the only person that this question matters to….is YOU!  Maybe you define success by how much money you make.  Maybe its how many people respect you.  Perhaps its how close you feel to God.  We all know of a place in our lives or a state of being that we wish we were at.  Something that we are working towards.  The closer we get to there, the more successful we feel.

    So, maybe your parents didn’t teach you the right things, or did teach you the WRONG things.  Maybe you didn’t have the best teachers growing up, or you couldn’t afford the right kind of schooling/training after high school.  Maybe your friends just don’t have the tools or attitudes that you need to move closer to “success”.  Is your town the right place you need to be in to achieve that success?

    Ok, now think about how many of those things are in your control.  How many of those problems are based on choices that you have made or continue to make?  Ok, so the parents doesn’t really seem like a choice.  But, if you can identify that some of the things taught to you were right and others were wrong, then you are close to identifying what you need to add or subtract in order to reach you closer to your goal.  Then, once you have identified those things, you have to ask yourself the question:  “How do I assimilate those things into my life?”  So, once you answer that question, it is a matter of choosing to follow it or not.

    Laziness

    It is nearly impossible to find a successful person that is lazy.  Now, there are some people that work HARD, and are not successful in the way that they say they want to be.  As we all probably know, the key is working SMARTER.  Creative thinking, and understanding WHAT you want are key to being successful on your terms.  But, once you have developed some ideas, you have to DO them!  This is where I have tripped myself up in the past.  Sometimes I call it fear, but a lot of the times, I know that it is just laziness.

    I have to understand and believe that I have the power to change the situations around me.  I live in freaking America in 2009!  I have the opportunity to change my location, my vocation, my education, my social compilation, my sexual orientation, and ANYTHING ELSE!  Who’s stopping me?  Who’s stopping you?  Quit being a victim.  Go change the world.  Start with yourself.

  • How to Have a Happy New Year

    How to have a happy new year:

    1. Tell yourself you are going to have a good year.  Give up on the thinking that for every good thing that happens there will be something bad.  It doesn’t have to work that way, but will if you want it to.  Say you are going to have a good year and that it doesn’t have to be offset by bad.  Then write it down and speak it out loud.

    2. Ask yourself what you want.  Be specific.  Narrow it down by using actions and places.  What do you want to accomplish at home? What do you want to accomplish in your business life? What things would you like to own? Where might you want to go to see or show someone?  Write down your answers, then speak them out loud.

    3. Take inventory of your assets and liabilities.  Surround yourself with family and team member who share your positive outlook on life and eliminate or narrow your exposure to those who are constantly negative.  Cut out things in your life that are busy work or that are uncessary.  Ask yourself why you are doing something.  If you don’t know the answer, stop.

    4. Take a step towards one of your goals each day.  Action cures fear.  A goal like debt reduction or quitting your job can be scary and seem insurmountable.  It is probably impossible to do in one step so don’t.  Figure out the next action, then write it down.  Speak the action out loud and set a deadline of accomplishing this action within the next 8 hours.

    5. Develop a system to manage your thoughts or ideas.  If you’ve followed these steps you have been writing things down.  They may be on the back of an envelope, on a receipt in your car, or in an email or text message.  USe whatever you feel comfortable with to collect these musings into one cohesive place.  Only use a calendar for hard and fast dates, not for action items.  Try to avoid using email as your method of choice if possible.

    6. Relax. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Take time to smell the roses and the aftershave.  Unplug.  Check your email less often. Read the news less.  Take more walks.  Lay down outside.  Feel the ground. Decompress.  Take a deep breath at least once a day.  Laugh. Forgive. Love. Visit your mother wherever she is.  Don’t make lists, take actions. Conquer fear.

  • A Rainy Day is the Best Time to Sell and Umbrella; How to Become Successful in a Recession

    Now that America is in an Awakening, we need manufacturing more than ever.  Start in the ground.  What raw materials do we have to work with?

    • Fossil fuels for energy (hundreds of years of coal, at least ten years of oil, and some natural gas to boot)
    • Copper (a third is still in the ground, a third is in use, and a third is in landfills – we’ve got to go remining)
    • Iron (used to make steel and the first Industrial Revolution, it will be used again for the Awakening).

    Lets start with US automakers.  GM, Chrysler, and Ford.  Go Rockafeller and bring it home, vertically.  Fire the unions, convert unused factories into foundries or merge with a metal manufacturing company such as US Steel.  Second, convert other factories not needed for road vehicle manufacture and begin making locomotives or “mag lev” transportation.  BE TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES, NOT AUTOMAKERS.  Consider partnerships with GE and Boeing (and get your head out of your ass).

    America needs a SWOT analysis and to act as a cohesive whole to make the Awakening work.  What tools does America have to work with?

    • Large amounts of energy – dams, wind, nuclear, coal, natural gas, wave, thermo, and solar.
    • Large educated workforce – we might not be the best educated, but we are a smart population.
    • Willing workforce willing to innovate – Americans are bred to take risks, that’s how we got here

    US financial industry, you were like the son who asked for his inheritance early only to squander it, but we took you back, even threw a party for you under a big TARP tent.  Start lending.  Take a risk.  Be entrepreneurial, invest in those who need investment, and give hope a chance.  If you fail, you already know America will be there to catch you when you’re too big to fall.

    The construction industry, you were the straight man, emerging in the Awakening as the “victim” of the collapse.  Its time to use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.  Lets renew our inner cities and small municipalities.  Stop all new construction until existing buildings are repaired or in use.  We’ve got to right the ship.  The immigrants are leaving the country.  You’re losing your workforce and potential new home sales.  There are enough lead-paint, 16-gauge, non-grounded fire traps in America’s small towns to keep every home builder in business for a decade if not a generation.

    So how can you become successful in a recession?  Same as always:

    1. Stop doing what doesn’t work and resolve to be open to change.
    2. Write down a dream or a goal (ask yourself what you want to have, become, or do).
    3. Build a team – surround yourself with like-minded individuals with similar goals.
    4. Pick a distribution channel (Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, your own website).
    5. Figure out who your target market is (who your customer will be).
    6. Pick a product or service (something to resell, rebrand, license, distribute, or sell).
    7. Find out how much it will cost to make or do and what you will charge for it.
    8. Test with your target market (if successful, go on, if not, start back at #1).
    9. Let people know about it (promote through trade magazines, or online through PPC).
    10. Create procedures so that you can sell your business and start another.

    I highly recommend three books for those who want more detail on how to start a successful business in good times or bad:

  • How to Turn the Ship Around – Just Say the Word, Captain

    Have you ever heard the expression that, “It is not all about semantics, it is ALL about semantics.”?

    Why are we in a recession? Because we said we were – and so it was.  Ask and you shall receive.  This could be a domino effect from excessive margin trading on Wall Street, a multi-national debasement of currency, or it could simply be the effect of real-time media spouting “RECESSION IS COMING! RECESSION IS NEAR, ALAS RECESSION IS HEAR!” My wife actually mentioned to me the other day, “Did you hear the government officially announced we are in a recession?”  My wife knows nothing about the news or economics.  All the news she reads is in a forum from other like-minded stay-at-home moms.  That means the other stay-at-home moms are also talking about it.  It is truly a household expression.

    We are in a recession.  Now what? If semantics got us into this, can it get us out? While possible, it may be harder because terms for the opposite of recession like bull market are not household terms.  What if the Big Five advertising companies got together and announced a new term for the opposite of recession?  It would have to be something that exemplified American spirit, a phrase or preferrably a word that encompassed growth and prosperity, something that is the opposite of the word recession or depression.  Lets give them a start:

    recession – noun. two or more consecutive quarters of negative growth in the economy; a slight depression or indent; a period of rest when productivity stops, such as when a court or classroom breaks for recess.

    [opposite of recession] – noun. two or more consecutive quarters of positive growth; a slight rise or bump; a period of growth and increase in productivity, such as when more available people and equipment are in use.

    Words that would mean the opposite of recession that would stick in peoples minds and could become a household term:

    • incession
    • uncession
    • unionsion
    • producsion
    • improvsion
    • lacession
    • warcession
    • growthcession

    Words that do not end in “sion” that might also come to mean [opposite of recession]:

    • warcycle
    • beatperiod
    • upturn
    • uptick
    • growthturn
    • fastbreak

    Phrases that might also mean opposite of recession:

    • AMERICA: My boyfriends back.
    • AMERICA: The sleeping giant wakes up and wants to know what’s for breakfast.
    • AMERICA: Build it. Buy it. Bring it.
    • AMERICA: Growth for OUR sake.
    • Power up, America.
    • Don’t mess with US.
    • Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, America. Its time for you to stand up so the world can stand down.

    Is America’s role as an economic world leader over?  If the events of the past three months are any indicator, the answer is an astounding NO.  China and India, the future of world growth, tripped at the first sign of America’s financial collapse.  Conspirators may hypothosize that America’s role was being compromised, but by debasing the worlds currency’s, America, which still has relatively wealthy citizens is now poised to take advantage of all the new “deals” around the world in the prime growth markets.  But conspiracy theories aside, for nearly 100% of the world it doesn’t matter anyway.  We have to deal with things as they are, no matter who controls the purse strings.  So lets get out there and start talking POSITIVE!

    Its time to “break the fast” and welcome America to the AWAKENING, the opposite of a recession in America.

  • Working Anywhere – The Search for the Mobile Office

    3G, WiMax, it was all supposed to make the Internet ubiquitous and the cost so minimal that it would be free.  It did not and is not.  So how does someone hopped up on the Four Hour Workweek Get Things Done while out on the road (or to avoid paying rent like the rest of the suits)?  I decided to find out.

    Wardriving is a term based on the act of wardialing (which is coined from the movie War Games), but adapted to driving around looking for WiFi hot spots.  Check your local law books on this one.  In some places its illegal, but this mostly applies to connecting to private networks.  Today I went looking for public networks to use for access to the great gig in the Skynet.

    McDonalds and Pilot truck stops both offered WiFi for a fee of around $3 an hour or $20 a month.  Pilot had unlimited for $150 a year prepaid.  This might be a good option for a trucker or someone who lives near a Pilot.  I can’t see getting too much work done at a McDonalds, but I suppose if the conditions were right you could.  Some hotels have free WiFi access, but you should ethically be staying there before using it.  Panera is hands down the place to go.  Its free and has a good atmosphere for it, just don’t abuse it.  Someone has been arrested for stealing Internet access from Panera after he was seen using it from the parking lot for over a year.  Just use the golden rule on this one and if its “free” like at Panera, throw ’em some change once in a while for a coffee or two.

    For more information on coworking, visit Nook Share.

  • Mornings are Made for Mini PCs

    It’s 4 Am, the time when song lyrics are written and mad capers are planned.  I keep an HP Mini 1000 next to my bed.  I got it for myself and to have something to show pitches to clients with.  I do web design in Indianapolis. I’ve been experimenting with how this PC fits into my life.  Its bigger than a cell phone, smaller than a normal-sized laptop, and has no optical drive (CD-ROM or DVD tray).  I couldn’t afford to get the 3G card or bluetooth (the truth is I didn’t have the cash for either the mini1000 or the color laser printer I bought on charge, but to get both and stay under the $800 limit, I had to cut those options.)  I did go for the upgrade to a 10.2 inch screen and then my wife found a coupon code to get us just under our HP credit card limit.  I could write a whole other blog about why that is a bad idea, but I tend not to follow my own advice.  I had two web clients in the wings, but only one landed so now I should be scrambling, but its more like floundering.  Anyway, back to the mini PC.

    I’m 6’5″ tall and  my hands are relative to my body, but the mind is a very powerful thing and even though the keyboard is smaller, the hands adapt quickly.  Everything seems to be where it should be on the keyboard.  I especially like the large shift keys which even my wife’s 17 inch laptop does not have.   I buy HP laptops primarily for the ability to turn off the touchpad when typing.  No other manufacturer has this feature.  HP is all in all a good brand though (HP, my referral check can be sent to PO Box 55, Tipton, IN, 46072, thanks.)  The speaker sounds like a tin can, which is to be expected.  Just use headphones.

    So how has the mini PC fit into my life so far?  I have been keeping it in my bedroom and can now watch movies instantly on Netflix before  going to bed, remote desktop into my PC downstairs for access to Photoshop or more power computing, or wake up in the middle of the night and blog at 4AM.  Its now my choice to make.  My neck hurts from looking down at the night stand.  If I hold the mini PC on my lap my legs hurt from having to “keep themselves together, man.”  If I lay on my belly, my neck hurts worse.  If I lay on my back, putting it on my belly, same thing.  In summary, the mini PC HAS to be used in an ergo friendly environment despite being so mobile it could be used anywhere (anywhere there is an Internet connection because without that, this thing is a word processor/paper weight albeit a light one).

  • Sameness…Differentness…Humor.

    I have such an unusual fascination with being different.  (At least, I think that it is unusual)  I want to feel like I am truly unique.  But, I still have a considerable desire for other people’s approval.  I want others to connect with me in some way and say: “Yeah, him and I are the same in that way.”  How can both of these be true at the same time?  Is there one that I truly want and the other is fighting me?  Or do I need both sameness and differentness to achieve some sort of “balance”?

    Comedy and Humor

    That seems to be what makes stand up comedy work. Somebody says something, and we say: “Yes, that is true! I see it the same way!”  And we bond to them.  We connect with them.  This (I’m learning) is why I always used humor as a defense mechanism in school growing up.  Some kid would call me a name, or make fun of my clothes, somehow to point out how I was “different”, and I would look for some way to get attention from others so that I could feel “the same” again.

    Think about it. This is why we have “inside jokes”…and why they piss off the people who aren’t “inside”.  We are connected with someone in some specific way.  We share the same ________ (house, class, team, tribe, etc.), and it is only funny to those who share it with us.  We enjoy it because we are the same.  Others loathe it or avoid it because they are not the same, in respect to whatever is being joked about.

    So, why be different?  Why do we have Carrottop, Seinfeld, Chappelle, AND Ellen?  That’s what I’m trying to figure out!  Is variety a virtue unto itself?  Help me out here.

  • 5 Ways to Stay Alert and Focused

    How to Avoid the Afternoon Loss of Energy

    If you’re like me, you get tired in the afternoon just after lunch and just want to lay down.  Most employers discourage this (although some encourage it) and for those who want to fight off this feeling and get more done, here are five things I have found to help me keep going longer.

    Change what you eat.

    Drink more water, which fights fatigue and helps keep you fuller, longer.  When you do eat, choose foods high in protein, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates which can cause fatigue when they wear off, but in all things moderation.  Foods high in protein are usually also high in tryptophan which can cause sleepiness.  One way to combat this seeming contradiction is to eat a high protein breakfast when you are most rested, then eat less protein at each meal throughout the day, eating the least amount at supper.

    Learn your circadian rhythm.

    Every living creature has its own circadian rhythm, but each person also has their own intricacies which can be learned and used to your advantage.  Start by going to bed at the same time each day and waking up at the same time each day for a week.  If you’re not getting enough rest, move one of the times so that you get more sleep.  If you’re waking up too early, move the going-to-sleep time back until you find your optimal sleep time.  But here’s the key – when you find your optimal sleep time, its only effective if you stick to it.  Your body will know that it can run full steam all day long if it “knows” its going to bed at a certain time no matter what.  Otherwise, its just protecting itself from your erratic behavior.

    Cut back on caffeine.

    This sounds counter intuitive, I know, but caffeine only speeds up your heart temporarily, leaving you more tired afterward.  I sometimes even drink coffee at night timing the crash for when I want to fall asleep.  If you use a lot of sugar in your coffee or drink sugared colas, the crash is double as your heart slows down and your body crashes from the sugar drop.  If you can’t give up caffeine completely, try switching to a green tea, which has less caffeine or saving your caffeinated drink as a “secret weapon” for when you need it the most.  It takes about a half hour to kick in so if you have to, drink it at your desk a half hour after lunch to propel you through the afternoon.

    Change up your environment.

    Sometimes its nothing to do with the chemicals inside your body, sometimes its your surroundings that are lulling you to sleep.  Take a break to get some perspective on life.  Step outside and take a deep breath.  If you can’t get outside, find a window.  If you don’t have a window, close your eyes, lean your head back and take a deep breath.  Force yourself to smile.  The muscle movement will elect a feeling on your body forcefully.  If you’re a scrooge, you might not like this feeling so use with caution.  Also, if music is allowed where you work, it can both pump you up and take you to another place, giving you perspective on your current activities.

    Rest when you can.

    On the seventh day, God rested.  This was a good example for us humans, but we seldom do it.  If you can find the time during a weekend to rest, take a nap.  Yes, you are allowed.  If you work seven days a week, a power nap can work wonders, just don’t fall into too deep of a sleep or you will feel worse after waking up.  Limit yourself to less than twenty minutes.  This ensures you won’t fall into REM sleep, but your body will still feel rested.  If you can get out to your car, go and set an alarm or find a coworker you trust to wake you up.  I have found that I can put a “request ticket” out to my subconscious that asks to be woken up when slipping between stage 1 and 2 of sleep.  Not everyone can do this though.

    Give yourself something to look forward to.

    In life and everything else, we all need incentives.  Its how the world works.  You’re probably not working for someone else for free and you shouldn’t have to.  We just need to harness that same mentality to help us get through the day.  Create mini-goals and rewards throughout the day.  Everyone is working for the weekend, but that happens once a week and starts on Friday.  What do we do on Monday to stay motivated?  This might be the hardest task of all, but if you can master it, you’re well on your way to being more productive and alert during the afternoon – and time may just fly by a little faster.

    Summary

    Above all, use common sense.  If you’re too tired to stay awake during the day, you probably need more sleep at night.  Before taking any advice you read here or anywhere else, see your doctor to make sure these things are right for you.  I’d love to hear how you stay alert during the day in the comments below. Need more advice? Here is a complete website on how to stay alert.