8 hours agoIs reading work?In episode 179 of The Long and The Short Of It podcast, hosts Pete and Jen argue that reading for knowledge should be considered “work”, and therefore it’s acceptable to do during the workday. I don’t disagree, but it’s tricky. I read quite a lot, and most of it is…2 min read
1 day agoThe odds don’t feel rightThere are times in our lives when it feels like something should happen more often than it does, but the math proves that it’s actually on track. For example, the Atlanta Braves made it to the postseason 14 straight times (1991–2005) but only won the World Series once. It feels…3 min read
2 days agoBackups for your backupAt GreenMellen, we use Google Workspace for much of our work, including Google Drive for all of our files (totaling 173,405 files, 627,810 emails, together taking up 391 GB of storage). Google Drive is great, because it’s essentially an automatic backup of your files. …2 min read
3 days agoAn overwhelming number of inputsWe have a lot of things being thrown our way. In a typical day, most of us will have to deal with requests coming via email, text messages, social media, to-do lists and a variety of other places. It can be a lot! As Khe Hy said in a recent…2 min read
4 days agoEfficient isn’t the same as effectiveI strive to be a very efficient person, as evidenced by the well over 100 posts in the “productivity” category of this blog. I try to be careful, though, as efficiency has very little to do with being effective, and the latter is far more important. Kevin Paul Scott laid…2 min read
5 days agoWhat type of problem is it?The best way to start to solve a problem is to first understand what’s really being asked. In David Epstein’s book “Range”, he says: “Whether chemists, physicists, or political scientists, the most successful problem solvers spend mental energy figuring out what type of problem they are facing before matching a…1 min read
6 days agoImportant stuff can be hard to measureI’m a big believer in using data to help inform decisions. From Google Analytics to our weekly scorecard, we measure as much as we can, and then take appropriate action based on the data. That said, some of the most important numbers can be the most difficult to obtain. As…2 min read
May 9That was a dumb decision, right?We all make bad decisions from time to time, though it’s often a good thing. Thomas Edison failed on nearly 6,000 types of filament for the light bulb, including some crazy tries like hairs from a friend’s beard, but that’s what helped lead to his genius invention. When I make…2 min read
May 8Early objections come from premature solutionsOne thing I’ve really been working on for the past few years is listening. Listening to clients, staff, friends, leads, etc. More listening tends to lead to better results for everyone. A place I’ve really noticed this is when talking to potential clients. The more I can just sit back…1 min read
May 7Routines versus practicesHaving strong daily practices can be a great way to get ahead in life. With solid practices you can consistently work to become healthier, smarter, and more well-rounded. When I was using the Full Focus Planner regularly, it focused a lot on daily practices (which they call “daily rituals”) and…2 min read