Addicted to Distraction

December 10, 2015December 26, 2018 ~ Ben Messick

I’ve retained my longtime ritual of deciding the night before on the most important thing I can accomplish the next morning. That’s my first work activity most days, for 60 to 90 minutes without interruption. Afterward, I take a 10- to 15-minute break to quiet my mind and renew my energy.

The article is a good reminder of how much so many of our lives are driven by the Internet. (As I sit in the waiting room of the dentist reading my phone.) The quote is a good reminder for me to some deep and important work done first thing in the morning.

Compton’s 10 Commandments

June 2, 2015December 26, 2018 ~ Ben Messick

You have to give people a mission, a clear understanding of how to achieve that mission and a road map for choosing the appropriate steps for action
Either serve the customer superbly or don’t even try.
Change is not something that happens. It’s a way of life. It’s not a process, it’s a value. It’s not something you do, it engulfs you.
How do you get the people who built the box to think outside it? You get new people.
Forget outside consultants. They come in, make a mess, then walk away.
Technology is never really the problem. The problem is how to use it effectively.
The wrong answer rarely kills you. What it does is waste time. And time is an absolutely limited resource.
The weak link in reengineering is will. It is a huge job and it is agonizingly, heartbreakingly tough.
Once people catch on to reengineering, you can’t hold them down. It’s a lifetime venture.
When I see somebody more radical than I am, I’ll know we’re getting somewhere.

Source: Unknown. I found a photocopy of this in one of my old folders and thought they were worth passing along. If you know the source, let me know so that I can cite it properly. ↩︎

Prioritizing For True Success

March 24, 2015December 26, 2018 ~ Ben Messick

Warren Buffett:

Know your ‘Avoid at all Cost List‘ and stick to it

An interesting article about not only focusing on clear priorities, but perhaps even more important is to stay away from almost-top-priorities.

Consistency and Perseverance

February 22, 2015December 26, 2018 ~ Ben Messick

Joshua Becker:

Consistency is an important element in success. And the only prerequisite for consistency is perseverance.

Perseverance can be hard. But, here’s the beautiful part: Perseverance is one secret of success available to each of us.

Small Talk

February 14, 2015December 26, 2018 ~ Ben Messick

Paul Ford on Medium:

Here’s a polite person’s trick, one that has never failed me. I will share it with you because I like and respect you, and it is clear to me that you’ll know how to apply it wisely: When you are at a party and are thrust into conversation with someone, see how long you can hold off before talking about what they do for a living. And when that painful lull arrives, be the master of it. I have come to revel in that agonizing first pause, because I know that I can push a conversation through. Just ask the other person what they do, and right after they tell you, say: “Wow. That sounds hard.