© iStockPhoto/DNY59

So you have an idea? What to do next? Well you think about everything that can go wrong. You worry about how it will affect everyone…yourself included. You do research…maybe read a few books. But ultimately you do nothing because you can’t decide whether it’s the right thing to do.

You know what I mean? You analyze and think so much and eventually do NOTHING!

It’s the wrong time, you’re broke, what if people don’t like me! Good lord we drive ourselves nuts worrying about what might happen instead of actually DOING something. Most of the things we worry about never happen.

All this spinning around actually gives us the illusion that we are getting somewhere. I do it. So do other people I know. It’s a lie. So what’s stopping us?

Fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of success. Who knows, it’s different for everyone.

So what would happen if we took the risk? Just went for it? Well, if we failed we would end up back where we started but at least we took a leap. Not doing it well; we’d still be in the same place. But only then we’d be wondering what would happen if we had. We might even still keep doing “research”.

Just stop. Failure doesn’t kill you. It might feel soul crushing at times but ultimately it’s a growth experience.

Take a risk. Start with something small and build to the stuff outside your comfort zone.

Start today.

If not now, when?

You do NOT have to have everything figured out in order to succeed in business. You just have to know what the next question is, and who to ask. – Pamela Slim

That quote applies to life as a whole in my opinion. We don’t have to have all the answers to be happy and fulfilled.

© iStockPhoto/Funwithfood

This year The United States of America celebrates it’s 235th birthday. Some report it is the biggest birthday celebration in the world. Who is one supposed to ask to verify that anyway…. :)

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Freedom is never free. ~ Author Unknown

Have fun with your family and friends on this Independence Day. But let’s not forget countries where freedom is limited or our brothers and sisters who serve their country and aren’t home to celebrate with their loved ones.

Namaste.

© iStockPhoto/Laser222

June is National Women in Science and Technology Month. Who knew right?! But there are still few women entering the ranks of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

For the last few years Fast Company has published a list of the most influential women in technology. If you missed it check it out here. So it’s not like women aren’t doing great things it’s just that few women choose to walk the road in these areas for a variety of reasons.

A presentation in 2010 called Why So Few? from the American Association of University Women noted that

Girls’ achievements and interests in math and science are shaped by the environment around them

Bias, often unconscious, limits women’s progress in scientific and engineering fields.

I know I certainly got ignored as an undergraduate when I was a Computer Science major. I was the only female in a class of 15. I eventually switched to the Business school to study Management Informations Systems. There were still more men than women but the professors didn’t act like you didn’t exist there.

It’s interesting to note that:

Women in “male” jobs are viewed as less competent than their male peers.
When women are clearly competent, they are often considered less “likable.” – Why So Few?

How obnoxious is that?! We need to fix this. We as women need to let our children, our sisters…any female we can influence that being smart and studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is fun and exciting. And we need to let our little boys and men know that smart women aren’t less feminine or likable because they work in traditionally male jobs.

I like knowing how things work. Always have. I would have been bored out of my mind in a more “traditional” job. I get to play all day with technology. I get to shape experiences online that people actually want to use. Who doesn’t like that! Science, Math, Engineering and Technology all require creativity and a sense of wonder.

Frankly, anyone who says programming isn’t creative doesn’t know any great programmers.

I truly love the beauty of coding, it is the ultimate puzzle, moving from specs to beta code, the thrill of cleaning up buggy code all make me inordinately happy. Having worked in small companies where my coding skills have been stretched to include Systems Administrator duties I have to say give me code please. – AW

Someone I know sums it up quite well:

I often joke that working in design and technology is a little bit like adult play land. I got into it, because it is always changing so it allows me to continue learning and exploring the world with curiosity and wonder. Also, it is wonderful to realize that working with other smart people, design and technology that we can help empower others to accomplish their goals.
- Anonymous

The best part of being a girl geek is getting to play all day. Work isn’t a chore. Sure people can sometimes be annoying but that goes with any career. Being perceived as a geek in high school certainly isn’t easy but frankly that rubbish goes away as an adult. Geeks rule the world and make all the dough. ;)

© iStockPhoto/aluxum

In my first Milestones in My Own Journey post I talked about how I ended up as a programmer. Now I’m going to talk about how I got out of it.

What do you do when you realize you spent a ton of money on a degree but hate your job? Honestly, you freakout first.

First, changing direction didn’t happen overnight. To make the change I needed to admit to myself that I really hated what I was doing. I would say that was one of the harder moments. I’d worked hard, invested years of my time and lots of money to have the career I was in. The only thing I was sure about was that I wanted a Masters degree. I’d had that planned before college but I had made the decision not to go directly from undergrad to graduate school.

Going back to school isn’t an option or necessary to change careers. I love academia so school was the most obvious choice for me at the time.

Once I decided I needed to make a change the universe helped. I got laid off from a job that was driving me nuts. I took my severance and happily packed my box and left the office my last day with no plans for the future. I don’t think I ever been happier to leave a job than I was that day. The only thing I was sure of was that it wasn’t going to be more of the same.

I took my time and found several graduate schools to send in applications. While I wanted on the results of hours of research, writing essays and getting recommendations I decided to have some fun. My research included contacting alumni from each school and different graduation years to find out what they had to say about the master’s program. I highly recommended if you’re thinking about any school that you try that exercise. Well worth the effort.

So did I work before I went to graduate school? Nope. What I did do was look for the required jobs to get unemployment but I spent the rest of the time taking art classes. I learned to make mosaics, made Papier-mâché using balloons and  did some figure drawing on South Beach.

I got accepted to New York University’s Interactive Telecommunication program.

What can I say about graduate school?
Well it achieved its purpose. I changed my career direction. Would I do it again? Definitely. Same school? Probably not. This has more to do with the fact that I’m not the same person I was when I applied to graduate school. My needs have changed. As with any educational endeavor you get out of it what you put into it.

So what’s next?
I thought I knew but now I’m mulling over my options. Is more schooling in my future? Probably. I take continuing education classes regularly. What about another graduate degree? Perhaps a doctorate? Not sure but what I do know for sure is it’s definitely not in my immediate future.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in my evolution. With me you never know what’s next. I reserve the right to change my mind and my direction as often as it pleases me.

• Over-thinking is the reason posts take longer to write than they need to
• Noisy neighbors are distracting. Headphones are your best friend.
• Being tired isn’t an excuse not to finish what I started. There is always going to be something!
• Finding new ideas is a challenge. Keep a notebook handy.
• Write about things you are passionate about. Or else you will have writer’s block.
• Save your posts often if writing in your browser. You never know when the stupid thing will crash. Better yet use a offline editor like MarsEdit (Sorry only works on a Mac OS).
• I really don’t feel like writing a lot over the weekend. I need a break
• Most importantly…write when you have something compelling to say on a topic

February is around the corner not sure yet what I’m writing about but so far it’s been a great motivator to participate in the challenge.

1. We were in the right place at the right time
2. We know where you go online…
3. ….and we hope you don’t mind being tracked offline, too
4. Your account isn’t exactly secure
5. If it feels addictive, it probably is
6. We give brands fans – and the occasional headache
7. Get ready for some awkward moments
8. Apps can be tough to police
9. We aren’t the only game in town
10. You’ll have to wait to get a piece of us

Item 4 isn’t exactly news since privacy issues have plagued the social network for quite some time. And anyone who is waiting on the Facebook IPO is going to have to wait. Rumors of a 2011 IPO offering are just that…rumors.

Regarding item 8 Facebook claims to be trying to do a better job of policing the apps that run on its platform. So far they aren’t doing that great of a job. Apps have access to a user’s data once the user has granted access. Facebook needs to do a better job of making sure app developers don’t violate user rights and use the data collected for something other than it’s original purpose.

You can read the full story on the online version of the article at Smart Money.

© iStockPhoto/Franck-Boston

Getting organized is always a resolution for a large majority of people at the beginning of a new year. Most people don’t get very far. It’s a resolution that’s kept as much as the losing weight intention is. Clutter has an energy. Get rid of it and it’s surprising how much better you feel.

I am by no means an expert organizer. I can create a gigantic mess with the best of them. Anything in my digital life is organized but the physical world is another matter entirely.

Books I’ve found helpful for getting organized in general

• Unclutter Your Life in One Week
• Organizing from the Inside Out, Second Edition: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Dealing with my finances

• Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
• Mint.com – so I know how much I’m spending and hopefully saving too!
• Statements from banks and credit card companies are all digital. Save a tree. Sign up for electronic statements.
• Receipts have a home at Shoeboxed
• BillMinder from return7 simplifies your life by tracking your bills. One time or recurring expense it doesn’t matter.

Try something new… see a professional

• Open Spaces Feng Shui from Ann Bingley Gallops offers a more holistic approach. It isn’t just about getting organized. More like energizing your Chi.
• Spacial Harmony from Dara Finkel working with her could bring “serenity and peace”.

Even though I have a iPod Touch and a Blackberry I use a notebook as a daily log. Simply because it’s hard to talk on the phone and type. Sketching during a meeting is simple. I just start each day with the date at the top and scribble from there. I don’t write to-do lists in there because they already have a home.

There are tons of websites and books to help you create a system that works for you. Stick with it for a few weeks at least before you give up. Changing habits require at least 30 days according to the experts.

My final word is to pick just one thing and finish it. Don’t try to get rid of a year’s worth of clutter in 1 day. It won’t work. Start small but start. It won’t get better by just thinking or staring at it. If it worked that way we’d all have clean desks or houses and a working schedule just by wishing it were so.

Chris Garrett has a great post “Saying No” that really has some great reasons why you should say “no”.

My top 5 reasons for saying no are:

1. I don’t have the time to commit properly
2. I simply don’t want to. And frankly I don’t feel I need to explain why. It just is.
3. I need some time to recharge my batteries
4. I don’t do freebies. In the long run it costs me money to work for nothing.
5. I’m already have plans

Ultimately when you say “yes” for the wrong reasons…be it guilt or something else. It shows. If it’s a client you say yes to when you’re tired. You do crappy work or miss deadlines. If you go to a party you aren’t in the mood for well you aren’t going to have fun. Why bother going? The person you’re torturing the most is yourself.

We are at our best when we honor yourselves. Say “no” when you need to. Don’t justify it or make excuses. Just do it.

The people who don’t understand that you can’t over-commit don’t really care about you anyway.

© iStockPhoto/rubenhi

• What I learned during “Presentation Skills for Introverts
• Hate Networking?
• Why taking breaks is good :)
• Lessons Learned: Self Promotion for Introverts

Thanks for reading my musings. Getting past writer’s block is worth it on a good day.

© iStockPhoto/alexsl

Begin the journey into the promises of 2011. Here are some quotes to help ring in your New Year with style.

• Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~ Helen Keller
• If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. ~ Yogi Berra
• One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~ John Burroughs
• We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce
• We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~ Ellen Goodman

Also here are some books to help put a new spin on 2011:

• Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever
• This Year I Will…: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True