Category: English

If you are not checking the map, you risk never reach your destination.

I was talking this week with a dear friend, and she was really frustrated, she explain to me than she feel that she is not even close to her dreams, that she is getting old, and may never achieve them now…
I ask her: what are your goals, what have you done toward your goals, how close are you in comparison with 10 years ago?
She answer me, with a blank face, and told me, I don’t know, but is not this.
A lot of people find themselves in a place they never dream to be, others are in a place they imagine impossible, others are walking in a place that they couldn’t imagine, but the difference sometimes is subtle but powerful, many people, had a map, a map that show them where they are going.
I ask my friends again about her dreams, and share about mine, her answer quickly make me real ice that she was right, she was Nefertiti going to reach those goals, she was too busy (her words) and did not have any time to do what she love or to simply find out what she loved.
I told her, that I am a writer, and I write when I can, I love to read, and read when I can, and I read a lot, my map shows a place with a lot of writing, speaking and reading on my future, hers, well she has no map.
Doesn’t matter were you are, but matter and is critical to know where you want to go, how is that future, because otherwise you will never reach that destination, if you don’t know were you are heading, any road will do, and in many cases, the different roads will never take you to cool places. You need to imagine and create the cool place, otherwise, you will never get there.
How is you map? You you have one?
This is mine:

The mystical place. Black Belt GTD

There is a mystical place called Black Belt GTD. I have been there, but I discover that you get there and you get out of there faster that you can imagine, you get to that zone, you get to be in Black Belt GTD, but that is not a permanent state or place, is a place you reach for a little amount of time, and them, you go back to wish that you reach it again.
Why I said is a mythical place, well we know exist, people talk about it, but we have been never able to stay long enough to show others that we are there.
The problem of Black Belt is that the better we get, the better we want to get, the reason a multimillion dollar’s industry has come around lifehackers is because the more you use lifehackers in general, the more you will want to use them, the more you can get things done with ease the more stuff you want to get done.
Black Belt and technology act in the same way, we have technology today that will allow us to work only twenty hours a week and accomplish more that what my grandfather was able to do on a month, but the result is that we work more hours, are connected more and never had any free time for anything. Same thing happen with Black Belt, you reach that place and begin taking more, and more and more and in many cases expect to do it much faster. That is the reason GTD Black Belt is a mystical place, no one can reach that level and not increase their extend projects and objectives to cover the new freedom.
Like with technology I would love to be able to get more done and have more free time, but I work today more hours than seven years ago, with the Black Belt Myth, I will love to stay there, but the more close I get the more I want to be able to do more and better things.

No eBook No Sale.

I am a writer, I am also an voracious reader, I love to read. Year ago a discover eBooks and love to read them. I had read on eReader, Kindle, and now the iPad, actually if you book is not on Electronic, I will not read it.
The problem is I am not the only one, most people if the book is not available, they will search for a copy on the Internet. Paulo Coelho, and Cory Doctorow put their copy of the book easy to find, you want the part of your audience than can’t or will not pay for your work to read your actual work, not something that someone put on the web, that can be real or not, at the end of the day is your reputation as a Writer.
I have make exceptions to my rule of no Paper Books, 2 in 2008 and 2 in 2009 0 so far in 2010. I must clarify that I have read over 100 books since 2008, so in general, if your book is not available in electronic version, thanks but I am not interested.
I can’t understand authors that don’t bring their books on Electronic Version, is ironic, that many of this authors that are against have their books on electronic version are also the most pirated ones.
Take J.K. Rolling as an example. You will not doubt her success with the Harry Potter series, and her books are not electronic, interestingly the collection is the one of the most pirated ones in 2009. I believe if you as an author decide to limit the eBooks, people will simply not read your book, or find a copy somewhere.
We authors, can’t stop piracy, but I am a firm believer that more people will happily pay to own an illegal copy, but be careful, this legal copy is on the format they need it, not the format you want it, that last part is what make iTunes an empire, people was willing to pay $0.99 per song, even many people stop using Kazaa and Napstper and begin paying for their songs, but the only reason that happen was because apple put them on the format that people want it, people didn’t want a CD or Tape anymore, they were looking for electronic versions. Books are going trough the same path, yes people will buy books, but more people will buy an read an electronic version than a paper one, so no eBook, No Sale!

The iPad Air (an iPad review)

No, this is not another apple rumor, this is more about my current computer situation and a review of my experience with the iPad for the last week or so. I must begin saying that I am a heavy user of the iPhone, or should say, was, since for the last week or so, I have been using the iPad so much, that the battery of my iPhone last me all day, I should clarify, that I use to charge my iPhone at least every night  and at least one more time during the day, often twice in one day.
I currently have a Macbook white, with a 2.2 Ghz, 786Gb HD and 4Gb of RAM, in other words more machine that what I really need. I am a writer, a sales manager and a reader, or as Pat Moorhead said, a knowledge worker (I will also ask to keep the jokes for yourself). Basically, I spend my day on the web, on a word processor, spreadsheet and the email.
The problem, is that my MacBook is the closest thing to a desktop, is great to work in it, but it is heavy and I carry a lot of junk with me all the time to enhance the experience, also I am aware, that I can do with less power, and for that reason I have been thinking on getting a MacBook Air for the longest time, not really because I need it, but because I want a lighter machine for when I am traveling, or the weekend, my meetings or my writing adventures. The fact is I never got myself motivated enough to make the change, since I always convince myself that it was not going to really offer any advantage over my MacBook, so I always put the purchase on hold, and yes I try Tablets, Laptops, desktops, and netbooks, before I got my Mac on early 2009, In a moment I had 4PCs at the same time and was a pain. For that reason I never jump into the MacBook Air, was enough power for me, but not enough to have only one machine, or different enough to have more than one and I had already learn in a painful (and expensive) way that more PCs for different purposes doesn’t accomplish anything.
There comes the iPad. The iPad isn’t in any way a replacement for a Laptop, you can’t print. or share documents using the USB, or do many things that you will be able to do on a Laptop, but is different enough to be considered and evaluated, and honestly, so far has prove to be great for me. I am not looking to replace my laptop or iPhone, the iPad play in the middle, (as Steve Jobs sold us before)bringing something that I did not expect, a lighter machine for when I am traveling, or the weekend, my meetings or my writing adventures. The iPad is a light machine for all those moments that the laptop is too much and the iPhone not enough.
I am carrying my iPad to meetings, with the spreadsheets in numbers, taking notes in Notes, responding emails, writings on evernote or pages, showing the catalog of products on keynote, surfing the web, and reading web pages with Instapaper or PDFs with GoodReader. I am using this toy a lot, the screen is incredible, the typing is adequate (and if I need a better typing experience I can always go to the laptop).
I see myself, carrying this device daily, actually for the last week, the laptop has stay in the car, and I only get the iPad and iPhone at home, and I move around the office with the iPad with me, all the time. I am actually looking for a small bag, that will carry the iPad and maybe a couple of things more, to use more instead of the big and heavy backpack that I carry. Before you put in the comments to just empty the backpack, sadly I have learn to fill the space, the more I have the more I will carry, for that reason I will look for another bag.
I said before that I am knowledge worker, a writer, a sales manager and a reader.  Honestly the iPad will help me most of the time, and I see myself leaving the laptop behind a lot, not only when I travel, but even on my day to day activities. Visit a costumer, go to write in the Cafe, travel, meetings, and more, I see beginning to treat the laptop as a desktop and the iPad playing the the iPhone more as the tool for day activities.

It's NOT a horse. It's a Cow.

Dedicated to a dear friend. Yes its a Cow what you have on your hands, relax, you know how to handle cows.

I took this picture in Mexico City many years ago, It’s NOT a horse, It’s a Cow!
This picture reminds me of the how we can perceive things in our brains, and how this things can generate a paralysis on our action, in this case I am sure you are smiling, but in many cases there is no laughing matter.
When you get paralyzed, because you are going to do something great, but create in your brain an image that you don’t know if will be real, when you get paralyzed when you need to deliver hard news, and create in your mind the answer this person will give you, when you imagine that taking a risk, will not only fail, but make you a looser or will make you die from starvation without ever be able to fix it, you are seeing the horse. On all those situations and many others you are seeing a Horse, and we know, you don’t know how to ride the horse.
What will happen if you sit for a moment, calm down, and observe the horse, yes, you will discover is a Cow, and also you will remember that you know how to handle cows.
Before you stop, and freak out, and stress out because you don’t know how to handle a Horse, because you only know about Cows, contemplate the image in front of you, if you discover you are seeing a Horse when is really a Cow, tell yourself, ‘thanks for sharing’ and pay attention to the Cow.
If you need any help, look for a real horse, or deal with the also real cow you have on hands.

An unexpected surprise with the iPad

I have been reading ebooks since the Palm III, at that time in a green screen, to the color and beautiful screen of the iPad. I am an avid reader, and honestly love spend time reading, but when I got the iPad last Saturday I was not expecting that the iBooks application that apple release was going to create a significant shift on my liking for read books. I am heavily invested in books in the Kindle, as I was in the past in books from eReader, so this is not the first time that I am not willing to move outside of my platform to embrace a new one.

Image Courtesy of Apple

The problem was that I never tough on two page reading until Apple put it in from of me, the Kindle, does not do that on the iPad yet, I even went and send an email and I hope they modify their application to accomplish this, otherwise, on the summer, when the iBooks application gets into the iPhone as offer by Steve Jobs today on the Apple Event, I will be leaving the Kindle behind, and move to iBooks.
Honestly, read there was a pleasure, actually, was so nice, that I am reading at this time two books, one in iBooks and one in the Kindle, one I can read anywhere, the other only on my iPad, but the two pages is such a treat (and I am carrying my iPad anyways all the time for now) that doesn’t matter.
Again I really hope that the Kindle, gets updated soon, and provide this same two pages layout. In case of doubt, I have found more than one complaint on this on Twitter, so I know I am not the only one.
In the mean time, I am going back to read on my iPad and continue enjoying one of those ePub books that I put there myself.

Mientras Caminaba… While I was walking…

Mientras caminaba por aquellos viejos caminos, donde caminábamos juntos, me vi reflejado en un charco que habĂ­a dejado la lluvia de la noche anterior, te vi, y me vi a mi a tu lado, simplemente estamos mas viejos, con los mismos sueños oxidados de olvido, y con unos cuerpos que ya no responden como antes… apartando eso, es lo mismo
While I walked those old roads, that we use to walk together, I saw myself reflected on a water pond that last night rain had left there, I saw you, and I saw myself next to you, we were simply older, with the same forgotten rusty dreams and old bodies that don’t react like before, aside of that, we were the same.

Chess with Friends

When I was a child, my uncle use to play with his best friend, what they called ‘Distance Chess’. Basically, they send letters to each other (I am talking letters because they use to leave in different countries during the summer and the actually use the Postman to deliver the mail), yes this was before Pine, email or IM.
The idea was simple, you make a move, write a letter and send it to your friend, he receive the letter and do the same.
I use to play like that, many years ago, my first ‘Distance Chess’ was done over IRC, later on over ICQ, and sometime after that it got lost.
Last week some friends from Florida sent me an invitation to play with ‘Chess with Friends’ on the iPhone, a new game by NewToy inc.
Honestly had been a blast to begin playing chess again, I use to play a lot, and love the game, but I love the social part of the game that the computer never provide for me, now with ‘Chess with Friends’ I am playing again and having a blast.
This application, works on the iPhone or iPod touch, and has a premium and a free (with ads) version. It has been great to be back to my child days, and to discover how much I need to play again to improve.

My Twitter Office Hours

If you think something is important, you must make it important, be rudless, and give it the importance that really had in your life.

That is the most important thing I have learn on Personal Productivity, if something is important, make it important, otherwise, you are saying is not. I love twitter, but it is not important, I love the interaction, the content, the people I have connected with, but it is not important, on the contrary, I love reading, and it is important, and I make sure, I crave time on my day to read, everyday, also i have a personal goal to read more than 52 books a year, last year I read 56, this year, 24 so far.
A lot of times, we get into the busy trap, last night after read a post from my friend Dan Stratton, I leave the following comment to him:

I am glad you did your Weekly Review. Wake yourself up early is hard, but worth it every time. People (like me) insist on the night work, when really we are much more effective on the morning, I think in my case, that came from the times in witch I was busy, instead of effective.

I remember when I was busy all the time, I remember when I was busy trying to accomplish everything, and many times leaving the most important things to the midnight, honestly I don’t miss those days, now I focus on those important things first, after that, anything that gets accomplish is a BONUS!
Years ago, while I was in college, one of the teachers had a sign on her door, mention her office hours, and I think that perfectly apply to my twitter hours, so officially since today, this are my Twitter hours:

How I use and what I use on my iPhone

* Inspired by Michael Hyatt post on 3/21/2010 (http://michaelhyatt.com/2010/03/my-current-iphone-apps.html)
I got my iPhone on March 2008, and it is one of those little devices (and the first one for me) that I have no need to change, I love my iPhone.
The iPhone has change the way I do mobile computing, I noticed how much I spend on my iPhone instead of the MacBook, and it is one of the reasons I believe the iPad is going to be a success, I spend a lot of time on my iPhone, I am expecting to spend also a lot of time on the iPad.
My complaint is the battery, but not for the reasons people has, I am aware, that my battery issues had nothing to do with the iPhone and everything to do with the use I give to the tool (same as the rest of the users, just they haven’t discover that, and instead blame the device). I charge my iPhone at least twice a day, on weekends sometimes is more than that, but I understand that I use my iPhone a lot. Technically I abuse the iPhone, but I am not ready to admit that, guess I just did.
I use my iPhone to read, surf, email, twitter, write, chat and much more.
One of my favorites things is the spotlight on the iPhone, I believe that change the way I interact with the iPhone, I have on the first page, my use all day apps, everything else, I search using spotlight.

Not counting the ones that come pre-installed on the iPhone, I have nine applications that I consider key, and make it to the main page.
Notebook by Appigo: I have here all my reference memos, this were many of the Memos from my old Palm days end up. I have as this writing over 175 memos or notes, from things related to Work, Personal, CheckLists, Reference Information and more. I rely on this application, and I recommended all the time.
Evernote: This is something that came recently to my iPhone, I installed, and uninstalled, because you could not access your notes offline, all that has change, and Evernote is my Writing Notebook, actually this post was wrote on Evernote, and finalized on WordPress (for the iPhone). Actually Evernote is one of those applications that I am looking forward to see on my iPad next week.
Tweetie 2 by Atebits: I love twitter, and I do a lot on the Mac, but I love the portability of Tweetie on the iPhone.
Byline by Phantom Fish: This is what I use to read my RSS, and I am eagerly waiting for version three. The reason is mainly integration with Twitter and Instapaper. Sadly until that happen, I tend to mark the stuff and then open RSS Flash G by Ebisu Soft, that allow this 2 things. I hope Phantom Fish release version 3 soon.
Instapaper Pro by Marco Arment: There is no enough words of praise for this application, Marco Arment, has done an incredible job, and it is without a doubd my favorite application on the iPhone, and most likely one of the applications that I am looking forward to play on the iPad next week, this application is probably the best application on the iPhone.
Kindle for iPhone by Amazon:I am a library rat, I love to read, and most of my readings today happen on the Amazon Kindle, I also have eReader By FictionWise (Part of Barnes and Noble), since I have over 150 books that I have bough to them over the years, and also use Stanza By Lexicle (part of Amazon), since allow me to convert other kind of unprotected files and read them on the iPhone.
Finally, I use OmniFocus by OmniGroup: I have been a GTDer since 2003, and when I move to the Mac in 2009 I got Omnifocus, syncs over the air with my Mac and iPhone and is a really powerful application, if you take the time to learn it.
I use many more applications on the iPhone, but this ones are my key ones, if I lost all the others, I will be able to continue moving forward. I want also to make a special mention to: WordWeb that I use for my Dictionary, Calling Card, Splash ID and  Mint, since even that they didn’t make it to the first page, are applications that I access constantly.