Hip & Sage

Six Pixels of Separation

Check out this post from the folks at 800CEOREAD for Six Pixels of Separation. First, I want to give cudos to the author and/or publisher for a GREAT book title. Titles natter. Second, I would like to encourage all you sage hipsters out there to check this out (and perhaps buy it for your not-yet-hipster friends). This notion of the connectedness of things and the new ways we can and need to navigate through the virtual human web (VHW - you heard it here first) is so critical for our success and hapiness. Well, unless you are independentally wealthy enough that you can buy your own remote island and live off shellfish and coconuts.

Here is the link for the book on Amazon - there is a nice short video clip that explains the focus of the book.

Overwhelm is a Choice - Ways to Combat Overwhelm

Two people who experience the same challenges can, and often do, react very differently. Some of us get overwhelmed relatively quickly, some of us rarely feel overwhelm.

Overwhelm is a choice. How we respond to the needs of our jobs, families, networks, friends, is unique and discretionary. What is your tendency? With all the new technologies out there, it is easy to let interest turn into feelings of "ought to" and them feelings of "not doing enough." Resist the urge to define learning in terms of enough and not enough.

To keep from feeling overwhelmed, try the following:

• Put things into perspective - what do you really NEED to get done and what can wait?

• Enlist support and help. Make requests that help you make your schedule more manageable.

• Be willing to let go of some things, even some things you enjoy or want to do.

• Focus on doing fewer things well and don't set expectations for doing too much. Life and time is precious.

• Do a little bit each day and you will make significant progress.

• Repeat this mantra: "Overwhelm is a choice and I choose to not let these circumstances put me in a way and place where I cannot do my best work."