Motavational, Really?

Condescending statements not good motivators.

Risk taking

I profess that risk-taking–scaring ourselves silly as an infrequent antidote to the benality of nine-to-five living–teaches us humility and respect and shows us that we are no greater or lesser than any mountain or beast of the wilds.
-Jonathan Waterman, In the Shadow of Denali

Making Progress

Folks say the darnedest things

This something I wrote awhile ago and just found in my draft folder it might not be considered safe for work because of the language, so you are warned
I was telling Al about a conversation I had last night and she said
“you need to start writing some of this stuff down. Why do people feel compelled to tell you some of these things?”
I don’t have an answer as to why folks find it easy to tell me stuff, but some of the things I hear are great! So, last night’s conversation…
I was getting off my train that was 40 minutes late and walking to my truck. A local police officer that I have talked to in passing a few times pulls up next to me in his truck and rolls down the window.
Police Officer (PO): Evening.
Me: Evening, how’s it going tonight?
PO: Long and slow…
Me: Sounds like the train I just got off.
PO: Ha! Yeah, I cruised through the lot earlier and saw some woman blowin’ a guy at the end of the lot. I pulled on and just parked.
Me: Really? {slighty perplexed why this topic has come up}
PO: Yep. I just sat here and waited. She got out of one car and went to hers. I ran the plates and they came back to her and her husband. I am willing to bet that wasn’t her husband’s dick that was just in her mouth. Anyway, careful driving home, the leaves are slick.
Me: Ok, thanks. Have a great night.
PO: Yeah, you too. If I don’t see you, have a great Thanksgiving.
Me: Thanks. {wave to officer, get in my truck and think WTF was that?}

Just make it fun…

Karma – One Point in my Favor

So this past weekend was the dam release on the Tohickon Creek, an event that usually marks the end of the kayaking season for the Mid-Atlantic region. Well on my last run down the creek I saw a paddle caught under some rocks below pyramid rock. I was able to eddy out and grab it. It was a very nice paddle and knew I would be pissed if I had lost my paddle, let alone have to fork out a few hundred bucks to replace it. So I brought it down to the take out with me and when I got home posted a note on the Philadelphia Canoe Club’s message forum. I was contacted by a few folks who had lost paddles over the weekend. But I was also contacted by a person who was able to describe the paddle all the way down to the ‘PUFF’ sticker.
I am glad I was able to get the paddle back to the person. I know it does not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but maybe more of those little things will be beneficial in the long run. I hope he remembers this situation and is able to reciprocate.

Maggie

Social Media – meh…

After paddling more than a week ago, I was saying good bye to a few close friends and one said something that I thought about for the whole drive home. She said:

even if I don’t see you before next season, I’ll know what your up to just from Facebook.

I will admit that I have been an early adopter of social media. I have had this blog (and it’s many iterations) for a number of years , I have used Twitter for a couple of years as well as the aforementioned Facebook page to put up things I found interesting as well as catch up with some folks that I haven’t seen in a long while.

But two things have changed:

1. I am trying to simplify things so I have enough time to get what I need to accomplished plus have some semblance of a life
2. Marketers have determined that these sites have the opportunity to generate revenue and site traffic

When my friend said she could keep up with me via Facebook and not have to see me till next season, I thought, damn I do spend a lot of time posting things to that site. But at what expense? Twitter same thing, I kept TweetDeck open on my machine from start of business to close of business. I felt like I had my finger on the pulse of what was going on in my little world as well as contributing to it. Again, at what expense?

So I ran a test, I have not used either for over a week now and I honestly have not missed either. I am now more focused at work so I pay attention to the task at hand and not what everyone else is saying. Facebook same thing, didn’t look at it and haven’t missed a single thing.
But to circle back to the marketing that is going on. No longer do I feel like I am sharing with folks, I see more requests for help in knocking someone off in Mafia Wars than I do meaningful posts from friends.

Long story short, I think I will drop them as a means of communication and use the time for something more meaningful.

Side Note – I did tweet something the other day…at our marketing director’s request

Kaya @ Round Valley

A fresh start

So I have been thinking about this blog a lot lately. To be honest, I have been thinking about a lot lately. The original goal of this blog was to write about things of interest to me, but then I tried to make it about geospatial technologies and things that interest me. And then it went through another transition to outdoor events, geospatial technologies interest me, I think you can get the picture.

I have been reading a lot of articles recently about simple productivity and ways to simplify a relatively hectic life. In the book, The Tao of Pooh there is a chapter titled Bisy Backson. One paragraph does a really good job in describing the way I have felt recently:

Our Bisy Backson religions, sciences and business ethics have tried their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it.

Now I am not saying I am going to stop working, kick back and not try. Instead I am referencing principles that say with less you can do more. In one of Leo Babauta’s blogs Zen Habits, there is a great post, 8 Ways Doing Less Can Transform Your Work & Life. It is not a unique perspective. The folks at 37 Signals have adopted a similar perspective in their business culture.

“Less is More” implies that more is better. It’s not. Less is less. Less is just right. Less is better. – Jason Fried

Getting Real talks about ways to be more productive by doing less. Not only more productive, but also building a better product.

So with all of this being said, this site is not going to try and accomplish everything. It is going to be half, not half assed.