Author: Jon
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Your time is limited. Clear space for what matters. [quote]
“As a creator, you don’t have time to waste. Time is your greatest commodity, and spending it on experiences you think you should have instead of experiences that feed your soul is a waste of time. Cutting the experiential clutter out of your life will free room for you to do great work. “Of course […]
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Grammar Police: Towards vs Toward
I’m re-editing a paper for my doctoral program based on some recent feedback, and I came across an interesting edit I disagreed with. (Well, it’s interesting if you find anything dealing with grammar interesting. Which I think comes from my days in journalism. Which probably means it’s not really interesting.) I used “towards” in the paper […]
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Don’t lose the room: Three elements of a compelling presentation
When you’re speaking or teaching, how you say something matters more than what you say. Yes – content matters. You’ve got to start with something worth sharing. But most who are willing to get in front of a group have something worth passing along. The problem is, that kernel of amazing insight gets lost in the rest […]
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Creating space for connection
APU’s new recreation complex is almost completed, and it’s already packed with students playing soccer, basketball, and sand volleyball every night. It reminds me how important third places are for community – in cities and on college campuses. As we focus on improving the overall college experience, don’t forget those spots that aren’t the classroom […]
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Reconsidering textbooks in a digital world – or – Why a $100 ebook is crazy
I’m jumping back into the world of education as I start studies for a PhD in Higher Ed in about a week, and as I start that journey, I’m reminded of some of the joys of life as a student. Like that some books cost $150. Some people are outraged by this. I’m hit with […]
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How Facebook Camera changes the way we share our lives
Facebook is evolving. It’s been a slow shift, but over time, the site’s purpose has changed. At first, the goal was to collect your friends and acquaintances in one place. You could see what was happening with your best friend and check in on that classmate you haven’t seen since high school. As the site grew, Zuckerberg and […]
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The job hunt – Are you moving to or from?
It’s that season in the Higher Ed world. People across the country are scouring the job listings for open positions. If you’re looking for a “next step” in your career, there’s an important question to consider. Are you running to something or running from something? One is healthy and natural. The other should at least […]
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Innovation belongs to the tweakers
Malcolm Gladwell writes a great article on why Steve Jobs’ genius wasn’t so much in how he invented or pioneered but instead tweaked ideas. “The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world. The tweaker inherits things as they are, and has to push and pull them toward some more nearly […]
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Just ship it!
Sometimes we can get overwhelmed and bogged down in trying to make an idea perfect – so much so that great ideas never make their way to reality. Seth Godin talks about how shipping – the art of getting something out the door and into the real world – separates the “ok” from the great. And it’s […]
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Know what you stand for, and make it accessible
What does your organization or department stand for? What do you stand for? Clearly defining our core values is one of the most difficult and most important things we can do. We’re going to make decisions daily. We can either make them with pre-established guidelines that reflect what we truly value, or we can make them […]
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Does social media contribute to or distract from your main thing?
John Mayer spoke to students at Berklee College of Music this summer, and one thing he talked about was the impact social media had on his creativity. While it helped him connect with his fans (millions of followers on Twitter), it robbed him of creative power for his main thing – music: “The tweets are getting shorter, […]
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The Wednesday List
It’s been busy around here (hello August!), but here are a few things that have caught my eye. This TED presentation by Salman Kahn, founder and teacher for the Kahn Academy, deserves a post of its own. The implications for how we teach and learn are huge. But for now, just watch the video and see […]
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The Wednesday List
TED curator Chris Anderson has a list of new principles (rules?) for email. I’m on board. (David Pogue has a few more suggestions) I don’t trust any zoo that would allow me to ride the lion. If I had about $100 million in my bank account, I don’t think I’d leave my ATM receipts lying around. Sleeping […]
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Stop it! Rework it! Reclaim time and sanity by cutting things that don’t matter.
Sometimes we get it all wrong. In order to achieve a better life we feel like we have to have more, do more and accomplish more. Sometimes more helps, but most of the time “better” is about doing the right things, not more things. Sometimes when we’re feeling behind and overwhelmed we need to SIMPLIFY, […]
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The Wednesday List
We’re moving about 200 yards down the street today, so wish us luck! That’s a lot of packing for a short distance! Think you have to create what you’re doing from scratch? Watch the first two episodes of this online series and remember that Everything is a Remix. Saying someone has too much time on […]
Jon Sampson 