Instigator Blog

A quick note: I’m in the midst of changing the domain name registrar for Instigator Blog.

If you experience any problems with accessing the blog please let me know; but everything should shake out in the next 24-48 hours.

Thanks!

You can’t police the blogosphere with process and systems. Nor should you.

I completely understand where the Blogger Code of Conduct is coming from, the sentiment is a worthy one, but it won’t work.

Those that decide to support the Code of Conduct are already abiding by its basic tenets: Be nice. Be smart. Be reasonable. Be open.

Those that don’t follow those basic rules of engagement just won’t follow the Code. If the Code were to reach critical mass, people could make judgment calls on which blogs they would read and participate on based on whether the blogs followed the Code or not, but it’s unlikely to reach that critical mass. And people can make those judgment calls without a Code already; let’s give them a bit of credit.

Many of the Code’s ideas make complete sense. Why wouldn’t you follow them?

But to try and implement a system and process for blogger interactions is impossible. Since the beginning of time people have been communicating as they saw fit - rightly or wrongly. There’s a place for dealing with issues of Free Speech, hate speech, etc. and I completely support smacking people around who abuse the rights we should cherish so immensely.

I read what I want to read. I hang out where I want to hang out. I socialize with who I want to socialize with. And I make decisions on what I personally publish, knowing full well that every single word I write sets the tone for how people perceive me. If you don’t realize that you should stop blogging completely.

When you blog, you put yourself out there. Often forever. Online content doesn’t disappear.

Systems and processes like the Blogger Code of Conduct are typically implemented as a knee-jerk reaction, the result of something done by a very small minority. Yes, there’s a ton of absolute garbage online. Hate speech. Flames and personal attacks. Death threats. It sucks. And if it’s against the law, it should be stopped. But ultimately a huge percentage of people already follow their own Code of Conduct, and it’s generally a decent one. The anonymity of the online world and the security of being behind a computer do increase the number of jerks, but it’s still such a small percentage. Just look around at all the great bloggers, great communities and open conversationa that people are having.

A Blogger Code of Conduct won’t stop the jerks. Ignoring them is your best bet. And if they take things too far, find out if you have legal recourse, get help and go after them.

We all need a little inspiration once in awhile. No one blazes full steam ahead 24×7, 365 days a year. It’s just not possible.

The problem with a lot of inspirational help is that it’s not always actionable. There’s nothing wrong with a dose of “cheerleader ra ra” once in awhile, but without a way to use that inspiration constructively it’s often forgotten.

After attending The Power Within I was struck with the inspiration bug, but wanted to take what I learned and experienced there and put it into a to-do list that everyone could use. The idea is to capture great feelings of inspiration into simple, quick things you can do every day.

1. Invite Your Fear In. This point was made by Michael Lipkin but he didn’t really tell us how to do it. I’ve thought about this a lot recently. Starting a new business with Standout Jobs means a considerable amount of fear. It’s more stress than fear; working to raise my game to the next level. But how can you invite your fear in as an inspirational to-do?

   I’m talking to it. That might make me crazy, but instead of letting fear eat away and get out of control unreasonably, I’d rather say, “Hello darkness my old friend…”

   Or try my two and a half year old son’s approach. He confronts his fear by throwing his hand out in a “stop” signal and saying, “We’re not afraid of you monsters!” (Hey, ya never know…)

2. Do a Tony Robbins. If you want to get inspired and change your mood, try cheering. Try jumping up and down and yelling “YES!” No, I’m not kidding. The key is to change your body’s mood in order to change your own. It might look silly for your co-workers or neighbors to see you hopping around, hootin’ and hollerin’ like a banshee, but so what? Let them stay stuck in their doldrums, you’ve got worlds to conquer.

   At The Power Within, Tony Robbins had the audience on their feet for the bulk of his 2-hour presentation. It was a bit exhausting, and feeling sick, the jumping around didn’t help. But it did have a positive effect. Eventually, I closed my eyes, bounced on my toes and listened to the waves of incredible noise. I was internalizing the feelings around me, and it was changing my body’s mood.

   Really, this is a pretty easy inspirational to-do. If you’re feeling a bit glum, try yelling at the top of your lungs and bouncing. Don’t hurt yourself though…

3. Ask Why? The more you ask the question “why” the further you get to real answers. It’s a fairly simple question, but it does force you to be honest with yourself. And honesty can be inspiring, even if you get an answer you don’t really want.

   This won’t work if you’re asking “why things are happening to you.” It’s not about external forces impacting your life, or why you’ve had a string of bad luck, or anything of the sort. It’s about asking yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and why you care about what you care about.

4. Think Like a Kid. Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? It’s easier when you have kids cause you get to watch them in action. Tony Robbins used a great example…

   An adult is walking down the street and is faced with a puddle. What does he do?

   He walks around it. Not only that, but he curses at the puddle at the same time, pissed off that the puddle got in his way.

   What does a kid do? He jumps right in it. Not with one foot, but both. And he jumps as high up as he can and lands with as big a splash as possible. And the kid laughs and cheers the whole time.

   Think like a kid. More than that, act like one. It’s not hard if you tap into what makes kids so damn fun and funny. And contrary to popular opinion, you do have enough time in the day to go jump in a puddle…

5. Watch the Free Hugs Video. I’ve already linked to the video in my comments on Mitch Joel’s presentation at the Power Within, but it’s worth repeating. Every time I watch that video it picks me. It’s a quick and easy inspirational to-do. For you it might be something else. It could be any bit of content - a quote you’ve got pasted on your wall, another video that makes you smile, laugh, cheer. Whatever works: keep a few of these gems close by and when you need a motivational jolt go back and check them out.

   It works because it reminds you very quickly about what’s important to you. And that’s always inspiring.

We can all get inspiration from different places. What many of us miss are those quick steps we can take to get re-inspired and re-motivated during the day when we’re hitting a slump. It’s very hard to be inspired passively - taking concrete, albeit simple actions can make a big difference.

How do you get inspired?

b5 media has a great opportunity for an entrepreneur blogger. They’re looking for an entrepreneur - someone with business experience - to write their blog Startup Spark.

Yup, they’re replacing me!

For those that remember, I launched Startup Spark a few months ago, but with the increased pace of my new startup - Standout Jobs I’m no longer able to give Startup Spark the attention it deserves.

Take a look at b5 media’s job ad for the entrepreneur blogger position.

Blogging takes a lot of time. And as much as I enjoyed Startup Spark I just don’t have the time to do it justice.

b5 media is a very cool company. Trust me, they’re going places. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to connect with some worthwhile, fun people, give this opportunity a thought. Even if you’ve never blogged before, this could be a great way to get started, because the b5 network will hold your hand along the way.

I’m sorry I have to leave b5 media and Startup Spark but it has to be done. And in the meantime, I’m sure my replacement at Startup Spark will do a great job and take the blog up a notch or two.

The online job market is broken and too many people don’t spend enough time hiring the right people.

So what are we going to do about it?

I’ve made some allusions here recently about starting a new business, and I’ve spoken to a few people directly. Today I’m announcing the start of Standout Jobs, a company I’ve founded with Fred Ngo and Austin Hill.

We won’t be giving out a lot of details in the near future, but check out the landing page and sign up to receive news.

On a personal note, I’m thrilled to be working with these guys on this very cool project. I’ve already learned an absolute ton, been inspired more than I have in years, and met some amazing people. We’re building a great team, pushing a great idea, and you can be sure that we’ll knock some heads and raise some eyebrows along the way. Maybe we’ll get a few gasps and cheers too…

Standout Jobs is about helping employers find the best candidates faster. It’s about opening up lines of communication and taking the boring, unending processes out of hiring. We want to change the way you recruit, because the way you hire people right now doesn’t work.

Stay up-to-date at http://www.standoutjobs.com.