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Today’s episode introduces “Practical Nerd News”, where I review a few headlines from the week, and then I talk about the overdramatic attitudes of people attached to their possessions, i.e., their TVs, gadgets, cable/satellite, etc. If nothing else, tune in for the opening song and the news.
As always, if you can’t see the “play” button at the top of the post, click on the title! Thanks for listening!
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Time for another edition of Big Pile o’ Links, where I feature some of my favorite links and groups of articles from all over the wonderful world we call “The Internet”:
Ah, Evernote. It’s one of the most useful and versatile programs/cloud storage ever, and yet so few Cooler People use it. It’s not just for tech bloggers and people with lots of crap to write about – it’s also incredibly useful for normal people in their day-to-day lives. I use mine every day, and I can’t tell you how useful it has been at the office, at home, or even running around. Here are some great links from recent times that list a bunch of great, easy ways you can start using Evernote more often in your life:
Job got you down? Feel like you’re headed the wrong way? Here are a handful of great articles (and one AWESOME documentary!) to help you make some changes:
It makes the world go ‘round. Here’s a quick handful of resources to further your knowledge on the subject:
Phew! There you go! Another Big Pile o’ Links for your pleasure. If you have an article or site or tool or whatever that you want featured in the Big Pile o’ Links, send it my way at tom@thepracticalnerd.com (it doesn’t have to be yours either, just something you like!).
Click the ol’ “Play” button at the top of this post to learn how success in life can be compared to flossing those pearly whites of yours. Also, make sure you click to hear my favorite lead-in song yet, courtesy of Steve Martin. As always, if you can’t see the “Play” button at the top of this post, just click on the post title and it should appear. Thanks for checking in!
As I wrote about in my post detailing the value and awesomeness of podcasts, I’m a big fan of Dave Ramsey. He’s got a great sensibility, he’s brilliantly smart when it comes to tackling and defeating consumer debt, and he’s a Christian man, too. I listen to his podcast every day while I’m at work, and a couple weeks ago, he made a statement that has pushed me forward since I heard it. It was beautiful in its simplicity, while really making you think.
“We are all self-employed.”
Think about that. Doesn’t it just nail it right on the head? We’re all self-employed, each and every one of us.
You work for you. Sure, the boss signs his name on the checks, and he has the power to hire and fire you, so you do what you can to keep him happy. But that’s not why you do it. You do it for you. You do it because of the benefits that come to your life because of it, like financial security and the ability to provide for the people you love, and for yourself. You do it because it gives you the opportunity to advance in the company, down the line. Even if you’re at a dead-end job, you do it because you need a job.
I enjoy throwing on a tie when I go to the office. But when you are just answering emails all day, nobody is going to see you. So a lot of people see that as an excuse to wear whatever they want, despite the dress code. But when I stroll through with a tie on, I get smart comments like: “You’re making us all look bad” or “Oooo, THIS guy was paying attention at orientation! ‘Dressing for the job you want, not the job you have!’” Let ‘em talk.
I take pride in my appearance when I go to work, and what’s more, I take pride in what I do when I work there. I’m surrounded by people that have nothing better to do than whine about how crappy the job is. Hey, it’s not a dream job, but it pays rather decent, and it’s an opportunity. I’m thankful for that.
Self-employment tax is well-known as the crappy side of being self-employed. Full Social Security tax, a straight-up “self-employment” tax, and having to buy your own health benefits are all big chunks out of your income. With a full-time job, you get those things in the paycheck, but you give up the freedom of hours and the control over how you work.
No matter what line of work you are in, there are certain concessions you have to make. It’s just a part of working.
When you are self-employed, you take stock of every client you get – and you use that experience to propel you into your next gig. How is that any different from working in an office? You use your experience to propel you into a better position. It’s the same thing. Successful businessmen and successful office workers understand that each opportunity to work is an opportunity to show what you are made of. Even if you aren’t crazy about that job description, you go in there and you destroy it. Bring it and you will reap the rewards.
I thought my job was quite dead-end. Answering emails. Yee-ha. But I find fulfillment and growth in other areas, too. I find it in my own business-building, I find it in my relationships with my friends and loved ones, and I find it in The Practical Nerd. Don’t let your life be defined by your work. You are more than your job. A job is just 8 hours a day. You are you for all 24 hours.
Just remember your motivation – do you have goals in life? How is this job getting you there? Answering emails doesn’t get me any closer to running a business, but it pays my bills so that I can take the time to build my business properly and let it grow naturally, rather than forcing it out of desperation as I’ve tried in the past.
So who do you work for? Your boss, or you?
Boy, do I hear this stuff a lot.
I’ve got friends and family who will ask about The Practical Nerd, and then they’ll spout off some reason why they don’t follow it and apologize to me. First, it’s not like I get offended for every person that doesn’t read what I have to say. My words aren’t for everybody (though, in most cases, they should be reading this stuff!). But as a blogger, you tend to thicken your skin towards that stuff. But the Cooler People of the world have an excuse for not reading a few blogs, and they think they need an excuse for everything. Just think of some of the long, drawn-out explanations you might hear for the following topics:
And the list goes on. Today, however, I want to go with the three reasons I hear most often for people who tell me they don’t follow The Practical Nerd, or blogs in general. Consider it my rebuttal to the Cooler People of the world.
Hey, back off! It’s only for nine months!
Yes, I have recently moved back in with my parents to save some dough before I get married and be a grown-up forever. But I want to list just a few types of people who have very successful blogs: brilliant marketers, people who have successfully morphed their lives into dream lives, sports commentators and pundits, best-selling authors, people who lost weight without having high-priced personal trainers scream in their ears while millions of people watch, and personal finance experts. These are not people who live in their parents’ basements. These are people who have changed lives and are darn good at what they do. They have valuable life experience and they share it with you. This leads to…
Bloggers do rant, there’s no doubt about that. But here are a few blogs I follow that have some ridiculously useful information:
That’s just the tiniest footprint of all the blogs out there. Sure, some are full of idiots who just want to complain about [insert topic here]. Some are celebrity rumor blogs like that piece of crap Perez Hilton. But some are honest, interesting people who are trying to teach and help. Those are the people I follow.
In addition, there are plenty that give you a good laugh after a long day, like 11 Points, Awkward Family Photos, Calvin and Hobbes (the best comic strip of all-time, every day).
This one is easily the most common one I get, and usually the word “life” is emphasized as a way to make me feel like some kind of loser.
Do you ever read a magazine? How about the newspaper? Ever watch anything on TV? Then you have time. It’s that simple.
What is the best use for your time? Is it watching another crappy fake “reality” show? These are shows with people who add nothing to society other than generally wanting a bunch of attention so that they can justify their giant contracts and sponsorships by playing to your emotions with overproduced crap. Why not experience the true reality of people’s lives and actually learn from and enjoy their experiences without corporate involvement? That’s what a blog does. The blog is the ultimate reality show. There are podcasts, video podcasts, and plain ol’ blogs that all exist for people to bare their lives. There are some captivating stories out there that would put the “I’m a single father with three kids and instead of getting a job I traveled all the way here to sing for you” stories to absolute shame. Put down the remote and belly-up to the monitor for a few minutes.
Newspapers and magazines are going by way of the dodo. Think you’re going to miss much? Most magazines have their articles on their websites, and most can be subscribed to. Same with newspapers. You can get your daily dose of news just about anywhere, and you can tailor it to just be news you’re interested in.
Then use an RSS subscriber like Google Reader to pull them in. Instead of searching through each individual website, it will highlight all the new content, pull it to the front, and you can move through it, skipping articles you don’t want to read and highlighting the ones you do. The other reason I use Google Reader is because it’s web-based, so I can access it on my work breaks or on my phone’s web browser, which is great for waiting rooms and other times where you just need to kill a little time. Plus you don’t have to carry around anything extra – you already have your phone! And finding that article from the past you were just thinking about is as easy and entering a few terms into the search box. All your sites are saved and past content can be searched in seconds.
The truth is, many blogs are written by respected, well-rounded people with inspirational and practical advice for you that can be read any time. You have the time. Start following a few blogs and see how your life will change for the better as a result. Or not. Then you can go back to sitting on the couch and watching Jersey Shore instead. I’m not here to judge.
