Today I started, in earnest, two new projects. The first is by far the least interesting, the Alex Jonathan Brown Resume Carpet Bombing™ (Henceforth AJBRCB™). It’s a terribly complex process of sending my resume to absolutely anyone who might have a job I’m even a little interested in.
Aside: HM+C, I’d really like to work for you. The carpet bombing is why I applied for the job with a Big Rig Dealer.
The second project, the one I’m much more interested, even though it will probably prove much less financially lucrative over the long run, is inspired by Merlin Mann.
Mann developed Inbox Zero, the e-mail management system, and while he’s gone on to do (in my opinion) things that are much more intellectually stimulating, I’m going to blatantly rip-off Inbox Zero right now.
The point of Inbox Zero is developing a way to deal with e-mail the second you see it, knowing what you need to address immediately, what needs to be deleted before it can steal one more second of your time, and what can be put off later until you can deal with it more comfortably. The goal is to stop those little things you keep putting off from sneaking up to overwhelm you later, and get you back to the business of doing whatever the hell it is you do.
Take that philosophy and substitute “petty bullshit” anywhere you see e-mail and you’ve a good idea of what I’m going for here.
I’ve gotten far too wrapped up in everything that doesn’t matter, at the expense of everything that does. I’m working to turn it around.
I’m done scrutinizing the work of others without creating any work of my own. I’m done watching how many people are following me, and I’m done following people out of guilt.
I’m over the bullshit. And it feels good.
Now, after a brief pause, the AJBRCB™ will continue.
Posted on Thursday, 6 August 2009
