Freigeben über

99% inspiration, 1% perspiration

  • Artikel

So 2007 is a year where I want to focus on inspiration.

Last year, I set out to thank as many of my mentors (and they are legion) as I could. I probably missed a couple hundred.

This year, I have a loftier goal: to thank the folks who presented the spark of inspiration.

Now they say with success, it's 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and that always made me think the ratio was 1 bottle of tequila for every 99 gym towels. I mean 99% perspiration is quite a lot of sweating there. Get a deodorant, man!

But that 1% is what makes all that sweat really matter. Or even take place. It's hard to put all your gruntwork into a project if you don't have that spark that makes it all come clear for you.

Say your job requires a bunch of rote, Excel type work. You know. Fill in the address labels or update the spreadsheet. You can tell yourself that you are a drone, doing drone work, thinking drone thoughts, and thats' what will happen to you. Sure the work gets done, and the droning goes on.

Or, you could say (cue dramatic bass overtones) : I am BEANCOUNTER! I am typing my way to FREEDOM! I have 1,001 more of these to go, and I escape the EVIL OVERLORD ZOGON and his TENTACLED MINIONS OF DOOM!

The second way, still requires the same boring work. But that 1% changes the game. And you can bet, if all it took to escape the evil Overlord Zogon was typing into an Excel, well, I'd be nailing that Overlord to a tree. Doubletime. With no typos. Maybe even work up a macro or three.

So, as I set about compiling my inspire list,  I challenge the blogosphere to make their own and send that note (or comment) of thank yous. Bloggers can be born, not "made" but a heck of a lot of us were "made men" - someone got us started, showed us where the post button was, how to blog smarter. There's a lot of sniping and egos in the blog world, but there's also room for the graciousness too.

Who inspired you to make that gym towel necessary?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 29, 2007
    It looks like you and I are working along the same paths looking for that little bit of something extra and sparkly!  Here are a few sites that may wet your appetite:   * BrainPark: http://www.brainpark.com/   * John Wilson: http://www.greatapps.blogspot.com/   * Sheamus Maclean: http://bigbrook.blogspot.com/   * Think Lab: http://thinklab.typepad.com/   * Motivation on the Run: http://www.larryhendrick.com/motivate/These are just a few, I'm in the process of compiling all sorts of little gems regarding innovation, inspiration, motivation, ideas generation and so much more for a new site, but it's taking a little while to compile some of it.  BTW I hear you may be in London for the future of web apps here in london.  If you do happen to be around let me know and I'll send you the info on the London Girl Geek Dinners. :)
  • Anonymous
    February 11, 2007
    The comment has been removed