Comments on: Personal Quotas http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/ Personal Development for Smart People Sat, 09 May 2009 21:45:19 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Genuine Curiosity http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-3380 Genuine Curiosity Sun, 26 Jun 2005 22:33:48 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-3380 <strong>Tinkering in the garage of my mind</strong> You've probably seen those tinkering types who accumulate a garage full of miscellaneous spare parts (motors, belts, pulleys, etc.).  Then, one day they'll get an idea, go out to the garage, and make something out of all those spare parts. ... Tinkering in the garage of my mind

You’ve probably seen those tinkering types who accumulate a garage full of miscellaneous spare parts (motors, belts, pulleys, etc.).  Then, one day they’ll get an idea, go out to the garage, and make something out of all those spare parts.
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]]> By: Mik http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2684 Mik Fri, 03 Jun 2005 11:58:02 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2684 This quota thing is something musicians and artists have done through known history. You just can't get any better (on a serious level) without a minimum of three hours of practise per day - some go to five hours per day and some truly dedicated play from 8-11 hours per day if their physique can take it. Of course the intensity of all this is known to break lives...some do go insane. But to be good takes dedication and devotion and as such this amount of practise is the price you will have to pay... This quota thing is something musicians and artists have done through known history. You just can’t get any better (on a serious level) without a minimum of three hours of practise per day – some go to five hours per day and some truly dedicated play from 8-11 hours per day if their physique can take it. Of course the intensity of all this is known to break lives…some do go insane. But to be good takes dedication and devotion and as such this amount of practise is the price you will have to pay…

]]> By: Genuine Curiosity http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2237 Genuine Curiosity Fri, 13 May 2005 05:18:42 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2237 <strong>Raise your quota</strong> Well, Steve Pavlina's done it again - another great idea to improve focus, drive forward progress, and increase your personal ... Raise your quota

Well, Steve Pavlina’s done it again – another great idea to improve focus, drive forward progress, and increase your personal …

]]> By: Steve Pavlina http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2236 Steve Pavlina Fri, 13 May 2005 04:23:17 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2236 I don't see myself as either democratic or dictatorial internally. While sometimes I slant one way or the other, I generally operate from a combination of both. Some decisions are consensus decisions; others are command decisions. As you say it depends on whether I want short-term or long-term results. I generally do long-term planning via a consensus model, but I do execution via a command model. When I revise the plans it's back to consensus again. Deciding to go into speaking was a consensus decision. Exercising today was a command decision. I don’t see myself as either democratic or dictatorial internally. While sometimes I slant one way or the other, I generally operate from a combination of both. Some decisions are consensus decisions; others are command decisions. As you say it depends on whether I want short-term or long-term results. I generally do long-term planning via a consensus model, but I do execution via a command model. When I revise the plans it’s back to consensus again. Deciding to go into speaking was a consensus decision. Exercising today was a command decision.

]]> By: Insomniac http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2232 Insomniac Thu, 12 May 2005 22:54:49 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2232 Your article reminds me of something: In the long term communism of coursea is FAR inferior to democracy. But for short term things such as quickly preparing for World War II, or quickly industrializing a country, communism in USSR was actually superior to democracy. Why? Because in communism everything is under one command. The party can actually order the factories to start producing weapons for war. In a democracy, quickly preparing for war is a lot harder. The government can't simply go to a factory and order them "you will drop whatever you are doing and you will start producing guns and tanks". History confirms this difference about quickly ramping up for war. A few years ago I started wondering: Is the way in which I'm operating similar to communism, or to a democracy? I thought long and hard about this, and came to the conclusion I'm in fact similar to an insane, unforgiving nazi dictator. :-) Now this needs a little explaining. How can a human being be compared to a whole country? democracy = I listen carefully to each of my different parts and desires, and make sure that most of the parts are satisfied, and that I live in harmony with all parts of my being dictature = I let one part (for example the desire to advance my business) take command. That part becomes the dictator and orders me around, with stuff like "it doesn't matter that you feel frustrated - go write that code". One of my goals in the last 2 or 3 years was to become more democratic - in the sense I explained above. As a result, I'm a lot happier and a little more productive than before. I simply listen carefully to all my wishes, and try to reach a compromise. Now, the method you are proposing may be interpreted as a democratic or as a dictatorial method. However, my feeling is that the method is more dictatorial than democratic. And this is a bad thing. Your article reminds me of something:

In the long term communism of coursea is FAR inferior to democracy.

But for short term things such as quickly preparing for World War II, or quickly industrializing a country, communism in USSR was actually superior to democracy. Why?

Because in communism everything is under one command. The party can actually order the factories to start producing weapons for war.

In a democracy, quickly preparing for war is a lot harder. The government can’t simply go to a factory and order them “you will drop whatever you are doing and you will start producing guns and tanks”.

History confirms this difference about quickly ramping up for war.

A few years ago I started wondering: Is the way in which I’m operating similar to communism, or to a democracy?

I thought long and hard about this, and came to the conclusion I’m in fact similar to an insane, unforgiving nazi dictator. :-)

Now this needs a little explaining. How can a human being be compared to a whole country?

democracy = I listen carefully to each of my different parts and desires, and make sure that most of the parts are satisfied, and that I live in harmony with all parts of my being

dictature = I let one part (for example the desire to advance my business) take command. That part becomes the dictator and orders me around, with stuff like “it doesn’t matter that you feel frustrated – go write that code”.

One of my goals in the last 2 or 3 years was to become more democratic – in the sense I explained above.

As a result, I’m a lot happier and a little more productive than before.

I simply listen carefully to all my wishes, and try to reach a compromise.

Now, the method you are proposing may be interpreted as a democratic or as a dictatorial method. However, my feeling is that the method is more dictatorial than democratic. And this is a bad thing.

]]> By: Steve Pavlina http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2216 Steve Pavlina Wed, 11 May 2005 17:17:00 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2216 Yeah, it's scary that other people sometimes know me better than I do. :) Yeah, it’s scary that other people sometimes know me better than I do. :)

]]> By: Ria http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2213 Ria Wed, 11 May 2005 16:28:26 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2213 Sri, the top ten list was funny. :-) Sri,

the top ten list was funny. :-)

]]> By: Jim Jones http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2184 Jim Jones Tue, 10 May 2005 19:57:18 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2184 Steve, generally I hate keeping track of time, but I found this software to be invaluable. http://www.sphericaltech.com/ It tracks time usage on the computer relating to application and document usage. If you've been away from the keyboard for 30 minutes, it's smart enough not to record that time. You can setup "projects" where certain documents are billed under certain projects. e.g. 4 hours of typing within book.doc can be billed to the project "Upcoming Book" while visiting bankofamerica.com can be billed to "Personal Activities". It really takes the tedium out of logging computer activities. Jim P.S. I am in no way affiliated with this company. In fact, there are a couple other competitors out there that attempt to do the same thing (e.g. JobCapture) Steve, generally I hate keeping track of time, but I found this software to be invaluable.
http://www.sphericaltech.com/
It tracks time usage on the computer relating to application and document usage. If you’ve been away from the keyboard for 30 minutes, it’s smart enough not to record that time. You can setup “projects” where certain documents are billed under certain projects. e.g. 4 hours of typing within book.doc can be billed to the project “Upcoming Book” while visiting bankofamerica.com can be billed to “Personal Activities”. It really takes the tedium out of logging computer activities.

Jim

P.S. I am in no way affiliated with this company. In fact, there are a couple other competitors out there that attempt to do the same thing (e.g. JobCapture)

]]> By: Steve Pavlina http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2183 Steve Pavlina Tue, 10 May 2005 19:12:37 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2183 Most likely I'll simply self-publish the book. Most likely I’ll simply self-publish the book.

]]> By: sri http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/comment-page-1/#comment-2181 sri Tue, 10 May 2005 17:32:13 +0000 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/personal-quotas/#comment-2181 [Oops, messed up formatting on that one]: Top Ten Book Titles for Steve Pavlina's New Book 10) Getting Things, Don (Get it! Leave off the 'e'! Capitalize on David Allen's readership!!) 09) After the Giant Awakens: He still needs Time Management, Motivitation, Goals, Courage, Momentum, Balance, Fulfillment, and most of all Purpose! 08) Seven Habits of the Most Effective Person You'll Ever Meet: Me, Steve Pavlina! 06) No more a Single, Double your Time, Triple your Productivity, Quadruple your Income, Quintuple your Happiness, Sextuple your Fun, Septuple your Love, Octuple your Clarity, Nonuple your Talents, Decuple your Lucid Dreaming -- Guide to Living Consciously. 05) Lucid Dreaming: Now DayDream in your sleep, Also! 04) Yeah, You should've Really Done It By Now. 03) How to Do It All in No Time (aka, ReIncarnation, who needs ReIncarnation?) 07) A Daily Dose of Courage to the UnConcious. 02) Stop Seeing Patterns where There are none, and Getting Upset when it break down. 01) I Planned For you to Read this book -- so read it, NOW! [Oops, messed up formatting on that one]:

Top Ten Book Titles for Steve Pavlina’s New Book

10) Getting Things, Don (Get it! Leave off the ‘e’! Capitalize on David Allen’s readership!!)

09) After the Giant Awakens: He still needs Time Management, Motivitation, Goals, Courage, Momentum, Balance, Fulfillment, and most of all Purpose!

08) Seven Habits of the Most Effective Person You’ll Ever Meet: Me, Steve Pavlina!

06) No more a Single, Double your Time, Triple your Productivity, Quadruple your Income, Quintuple your Happiness, Sextuple your Fun, Septuple your Love, Octuple your Clarity, Nonuple your Talents, Decuple your Lucid Dreaming — Guide to Living Consciously.

05) Lucid Dreaming: Now DayDream in your sleep, Also!

04) Yeah, You should’ve Really Done It By Now.

03) How to Do It All in No Time (aka, ReIncarnation, who needs ReIncarnation?)

07) A Daily Dose of Courage to the UnConcious.

02) Stop Seeing Patterns where There are none, and Getting Upset when it break down.

01) I Planned For you to Read this book — so read it, NOW!

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