Saturday, February 14, 2009

10 Things I've Learned This Week

Two-thirds of the way to my goal, and I've learned a few things this week.

10. If you stand up after sitting at the computer for six hours without a break, 54-year-old legs creak and wobble in protest. You have to move around every hour or two.

9. Coffee shops are wonderful meeting places, but three or four meetings for coffee in one day can alter your brain chemistry. Best to switch to tea after the first meeting, or at least the second.

8. No one cares what you're wearing if you've got a good idea, especially one that might help them make money.

7. The world is a very small place. A friend in LA probably knows someone you need to know in Minneapolis.

6. Keep contact information for every person you know or meet. When someone reaches out, do everything in your power to help.

5. Written records lead to resolutions. If you've got an issue, keep the name, ID, and contact info of every customer service person you speak to. Faced with hard facts, it's easier for a company to do the right thing.

4. Apple is one of the best companies on the planet. They make excellent products and stand behind the word of their employees. (I'm typing this on the brand-new MacBook Apple gave me to replace a nearly two-year-old MacBook with persistent problems.)

3. Few things in life are better than laughing at a Japanese game show with your daughter at 2:00 am.

2. Every project is a building block for the next opportunity. Your work is your calling card to the world.

1. You don't have to be brilliant if you have brilliant friends.

7 comments:

Deb Shucka said...

I think brilliant people have brilliant friends. So glad you're having this adventure. So grateful to have you to watch in this process as I begin my own new journey into the unknown.

Carrie Wilson Link said...

Great list! Couldn't agree more - except don't know anything about Japanese game shows, and never see 2:00 AM - under any circumstances!

love.

Go Mama said...

eh herm, brilliance attracts brilliance m'dear. It's a ruling principle.

And Carrie, you should see the other side of 2 in the morning once in a while. It's good for the soul! :)

Amber said...

#10-- yes. 36 year old legs, too.

#1-- Lucky for me, then.

;)

mamatulip said...

9 - Yup.

7 - It sure is, isn't it? I sing It's A Small World to my kids a lot. Because...it is.

5 - That's something my mother always told me to do - write it down. Make a note of it. Very good advice.

4 - That is awesome. :)

1 - Very true...

luckyzmom said...

3 - Or on the television in the room you're sharing with your best friend at the Holiday Inn in Pennsylvania after a lovely meal in the restuarant which included several drinks.

kario said...

Good thing you're brilliant and you have brilliant friends - sounds like you're ahead of the game.

Love your ability to find the lessons after your frustrating day.