Balance February 8, 2010

Obviously, I’ve taken a little time off.  In early and mid-January, I couldn’t devote attention to the blog because I was finding my zone in my day job.  It was quite exhilarating at times, like I’d found my stride, but recently I felt the effects of staying “in the zone” for a long period of time.  The effects of prolonged good stress are comparable to the effects of prolonged bad stress.

So I carved out some vacation time, reclaimed my lunch break, and took a yoga class.  Then I unplugged from the internet for a whole two days this past weekend, which shouldn’t really be as remarkable as it was.

I feel better, but I was clearly out of balance.  Balance, in my mind, comes when I’m consciously saying yes to the things I want in my life.  The Zone I was in for the past month was only about saying yes to success in and fulfillment from work, which has its time and place, but also its limits.

As I work on better boundaries and a better life, I’m glad I only got out of whack for a month.  Now I need to focus on not just recovering, but rejuvenating and re-balancing.

I’m pretty good about working a tight 9-5, but I’m often tempted to go in early.  So when I feel that pull, I’m going to go for another cup of coffee or another round on the elliptical machine.

I’m not very good with internet withdrawal – I’m so weak, I rush to the coffee shops with wi-fi on my days off!    And for what?  A few minutes on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, even though I know Saturdays are slow days for news.  When I log on, I can feel the anxiety rise.  It’s a form of induced ADD, checking all the social networks and blogs.  So I’m going to take the dive: no internet on my days off.

I struggle with my evenings, though.  I get home by 5:30, make dinner, and before I know it, it’s time for bed.  Where does my precious evening go?  I’m going to try a few things that might bring me down from The Zone after work, like yoga, meditation, a cup of tea, and maybe some Dinner Jazz.

Well, friends, that’s a start.  It’s also helpful when I remind myself that all things, like balance, exercise, yoga, even Life, is a practice, not a goal or destination.

The Definitive Overview of 2009 December 29, 2009

This presentation by Jane Hart is the definitive overview of 2009.  I highly recommend watching it, especially if you’ve ever wondered what some of these newfangled web tools are or how to use them.

With this slideshow, and my comment that this is the definitive overview of 2009, I’m highly aware that these are all web-based tools.  I also realize that much social activity is now taking place online.  But where does our work in community development, non-profits, and the arts come in?  When do we get ink on our hands or share a meal with colleagues or shake the hand of a client or student?

While I embrace social networks and the power of the internet, I think one of my New Year’s resolutions will be to give more time to civic reflection and community development in my consulting work and on this blog.

Still, though, the power of these 100 tools is pretty amazing, isn’t it??

December 24, 2009

I just completed the Concept2 Holiday Rowing Challenge!!!  100,100 meters to be exact.  It was not easy, to say the least.

But now it is done.  And I will not return to the gym until Monday! 

First Night Montpelier December 22, 2009

The place to be on First Night is Montpelier, Vermont.  For sure.

To learn more, visit the Montpelier Alive website.  I’m looking forward to Dave Keller, Willem Lange, Anais Mitchel (oh my goodness!), Rusty Romance, the Starline Rhythm Boys, and the Gordon Stone Band.  Do I need more reasons to go?  How about the Noisemaker Parade, Fireworks, and the overall exciting festivities of ushering in 2010!

Volunteers are still needed – from a recent MDCA newsletter announcement:

“How do you get a button for FREE?  Vounteer!  Montpelier Alive is seeking nearly 200 volunteers for button sales, set-up, clean-up and office help. There are positions for individuals, couples and families. In exchange for working a two-hour shift, volunteers receive a button for admission to all events plus a meal ticket for the First Night cantina. Contact Charlene McCarney at 229-3228 or 485-8072 or email cmccarney@nationallife.com for information on volunteer positions.”

I’ll see you there!

Challenged by the Challenge December 19, 2009

Hopefully, next Friday, I’ll be able to post a blog saying I’ve achieved complete success in this Concept2 Holiday Rowing Challenge.  Hopefully, by then, I’ll have rowed a whopping 100,000 meters at my local gym, First in Fitness.

But right now, this Challenge is kicking my butt.  I’ve increased my speed and decreased the time it takes me to row 5,000 meters, which is my goal for each session.  But there was one day this week that my muscles needed a break and then today all the rowing machines were being used.  I have five days left that I can make it to the gym, in which I’ll have to row 5,831 meters each day to achieve the goal.  Ugh.

However, a lot of great things are coming out of this.  For one, if I make it to 100,000 meters, Concept2 will donate money to the Center for an Agricultural Economy.  That’s my motivation.  But another good thing is that this challenge has really (and I mean REALLY) pushed me hard at the gym, right to the outer edges of my capability.  I’m not straining myself in an unhealthy way, but I’m certainly learning what my body can do in a real workout.

I suspect this will carry over to my workouts after the Challenge.  I don’t think I can get on the elliptical machine or the treadmill or the nautilus equipment without knowing that my body is strong and vibrant and feels better when I’m workin’ it.  I’m so happy about all of this because I so often live in my head or online.  I’m a desk jockey by choice.  But I still want to help my body carry me through many, many more years on this earth.

I also wonder what other strengths and/or capabilities I have that just haven’t been tested this way yet.

First Date Website December 10, 2009

What do you bring on a first date?  Tax forms from 1989, divorce/custody paperwork from a previous marriage, diary entries, and three letters of reference, right?  No!  lol

On a first date, you bring a big smile, your charming personality, and some witty conversation.  Combine that with wearing clean clothes and doing something mutually interesting and you have a great first date.

Now, let me clarify: Local Resources Consulting isn’t in the business of matchmaking or in giving relationship advice.  I’m not really talking first dates here….I’m talking websites.

Your website is a first date.  Your only goal is to get a second date, not a marriage proposal.  Okay, let’s stick with the website terms: your website’s purpose is to make people want to visit the site again or take some sort of nominal action, like requesting more information or subscribing to a listserv.

Finally, I found someone speaking my language, on the Huffington Post, no less!  Greg Weiner, CTO of DoSomething.org, writes “I can point to dozens of orgs that create sites that are essentially fundraising brochures with donation buttons and paragraphs about the history of the organization. There are also not-for-profits that take the WYMM [Will You Marry Me?] mistake beyond web sites and into their social media strategies, advertising opportunities, newsletters and partnerships.”

He offers three ideas on what your website should really be doing: 1) Recruit volunteers or supporters, not donors; 2) Ask for e-mails, use a form; and 3) Tell a story.  I would also add two others points: Give visitors a reason to come back (dynamic content) and show them how else to connect with you (phone, e-mail, visiting, social networks, events).

So, the first date/website: relax, smile, and put your best foot forward, but leave all the baggage at home!

Book Review: Robin Hood Marketing December 8, 2009

Have you read Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savy to Sell Just Causes?  You should.

Katya Andresen wrote a great book to really kick-start a forward thinking, new approach to cause marketing. It so clearly points out that our passion for our causes doesn’t always translate to the average citizen taking (or not taking) action. Then it proceeds to instruct how to make this transition.

I’ve been as guilty as the next person of preaching to the choir.  We have our newsletters, our website, our boilerplate of basic information, and it’s all very convincing and passionate, right?  So why aren’t more students enrolling?  Or why isn’t domestic violence decreasing?  Why are families still unable to feed their kids?  Well, because we’re not always as effective as our cousins in the marketing departments of large corporations.

When you think about your audience, think about how to retain your core customers/clients/donors/volunteers.  Then think about those folks on the fringe of that group – the sometimes volunteers, donors, etc.  The third group you might want to think about is the one not engaging your organization at all.

Wouldn’t it truly be a revolution if we learned how to get domestic violence prevention information into the heads of abusers?  What would it take to make something as complicated and un-sexy as alleviating poverty a national priority with a sustainable action plan?  What would it mean for your bottom line if, as an artist, your artwork was bought to hang in places no one has ever even thought about hanging art?  Hmm.

Robin Hood Marketing helped me think about these questions.  I like any book that can flip my paradigm on it’s head.  Exciting stuff.

The Online Organization December 7, 2009

“Facebook or MySpace?  To tweet or not to tweet?  Am I Linkedin?  And what in the world is this Delicious thing – do I even Digg it?  I’m not even sure people are finding our website!!”  Are these the thoughts going through your head?

If so, you might need a map for this journey.

74,855 left in the Rowing Challenge! December 4, 2009

Last week I committed to the Concept2 Holiday rowing Challenge.  My goal is to row 100,000 meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I’m glad to report that I made it to the gym every day I needed to and that I’m totally on target!

There are two great things about this Challenge.  The more personal is that it is really pushing me in my workouts.  I’ve realized that my past visits to the gym, while regular, have not really extended my physical limitations.  But being on the rowing machine and having a distance I need to row really makes me push my speed and time down.

The other benefit is that my rowing raises money for the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, Vermont.  They “engage agricultural leaders in the emerging 21st century food system to build capacity and inspire the public in supporting and implementing this system.”  The Center inspires me because it pulls together great companies like High Mowing Seeds, NOFA-VT, Claire’s restaurant and Bar, and Pete’s Greens, plus it congregates and connects local resources around existing farmers, businesses, land (community gardens), and community members.  Very cool!

So I get back on the rowing machine tomorrow (Saturday) and I’ll try to chip away at the 74,000+ meters left in my challenge!

Local Celebrities December 3, 2009

Fast Company magazine suggests enlisting a celebrity spokesperson for your charitable cause.  The article offers valuable and interesting advice…if you have a multi-million dollar budget and friends in high places.  That isn’t to say that non-profits in Vermont don’t have friends in high places, but if you’re feeling awfully far from Hollywood, consider local celebrities.

Enlist popular local “stars” to support your cause in ads, letters to donors, and at events.  When I was on the Advisory Council of the Northfield Boys & Girls Club, I asked Norwich University President Rich Schneider to donate “lunch with the President” to the annual Gala/Silent Auction.  Maybe your community has a mayor that everyone would want to spend an hour with.  Or a local high school sports star that’s willing to coach a few kids.  Is there a recognizable mascot or community leader willing to appear in pictures or sign off on thank you notes to your volunteers?

Look local for assets and resources.