|
Home Page |
Personal Quote for May, 2006 Thom Quinn, from Slicing Infinity |
|
Wake The Kids! Please forward your browser to: The
Best of QLog (2005) Click here for the archive. The Metagoal Metafiction is fiction about the underpinnings of fiction. Likewise, metaresearch is research into how research functions. What is a Metagoal? Most simply, this can be defined as the (life) goal to have (life) goals. Several different studies suggest that less than five percent of the population have any goals at all. Why? They do not have a metagoal. What is OTO? FTF stands for First Things First, a time management technique where one does the toughest, hardest, or most important task first. However, sometimes a task list can be distracting and, like a menu, offer a variety of temptations, especially if the first task is unpleasant. One variation of FTF that I have used now and again is OTO, which means One Thing Only. Occasionally, when I have something so important to complete, instead of creating a ‘to-do’ list, I simply dedicate my day to a single item to insure it is completed without having to worry about less important projects. I offer OTO to anyone as another methodology to include within your own time management toolkit. Be Rheophilic! June 2, 2005 The Modern Paradox A manager’s compensation is directly
related to the amount of times spent attending meetings. A highly paid
manager attends many meetings. Nevertheless, the manager’s importance to
their team and the relationship to the overall output (e.g. bottom-line
results) of that same team are inversely proportional to the amount of time
logged within meetings. It is this contradiction, this modern paradox,
between these two fundamental principles that seems to drive the insanity of
business life. Cat or Dog? There is an old joke that goes something like this: a dog says, 'you
pet me, you feed me, you play with me, you shelter me, you love me;
therefore, you must be God.' A cat
says, 'you pet me, you feed me, you play with me, you shelter me, you love
me; therefore, I must be God.' I
believe this joke works on several levels, beyond poking fun at basic canine
and feline behaviors. First, I think most would feel that the cat has made
the greater error (perhaps because it smacks of the choice of Lucifer?). Yet,
it is important to realize neither the dog nor the cat are
correct as they have misidentified the deity. Moral: Do not make yourself the
center of your world. Be more dog-like, be thankful and humble, but never
worship others or put them on a pedestal, even those who are benevolent or
heroes. How to Succeed June 23, 2005 I’ve heard a number of people explain ‘how to succeed’
with the same two concepts several times in the last week, and both of these
correspond to the ‘Midwestern work ethic’ which my parents taught me. To date,
I have not met a single person who has put these to practice and has
regretted the outcome. Good things
happen when you: 1. Always tell the truth and do the right thing. 2. Always put forth your best
effort in all you set out to do. How to Succeed: Simplified June 24, 2005 2. Work Hard.
|
How to Succeed: Meaning and Love June
25, 2005 Clean Your Workspace Daily Clean Your Inbox Daily Too June 27, 2005 The same holds true for you
physical inbox. First, if you do not have an inbox on your desk, make sure
you get one. Second, I highly recommend having an inbox both at home and at
work for the collection of documents and related material. Third, before you
leave for the day, go through the entire inbox and process each paper.
Fourth, remember this simple rule: if you do not need it, through it away.
Finally, I suggest doing this with your home inbox too, or, at minimum, once
a week. Work Hard Now June 30, 2005 "Work hard now, or work hard
forever" - Phil Gerbyshak The above quote was coined this morning during a
conversation with my good friend Phil while we discussed the benefits of
entrepreneurship. He agrees with me that all endeavors require your best
effort. You never know which project will result in success or recognition by
others. Many people never put forth that extra effort and remain stuck in the
game of ‘working’ forever without much growth. Without hard work, it is
highly unlikely you will become a leader nor find much advancement beyond the
standard annual increase in pay. Magic isn’t the key to extraordinary
achievement, but hard work is the true path.
Like Phil, my advice is to ‘work hard now’ to find your own treasure.
Phil has a great website which I
highly recommend. The Eighth Deadly Sin August 25, 2005 In the post-modern world, where atheism and nihilism
have blended ever-so-subtly with consumerism and commercialism, a time when
the traditional value systems have been hijacked by the fundamentalists
within a number of faiths, and heroes are few and far between, I ponder the
fact that the most common ‘sin’ is that of Acedia
(from the Greek "akedia," or "not to
care"). Apathy is everywhere. The Greek monastic theologian Evagrius of Pontus (345-399), created the original list
of eight wicked passions: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory, and pride. In fact, Evagrius reports that of all the passions which threaten
monastic life: “the demon of acedia—also called the
noonday demon—is the one that causes the most serious trouble of all.” I hold
the same is true today within our secular world. Like many great thinkers, after his death,
he was condemned by several Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church (the
Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth to be exact) for some of his ideas; however,
during his lifetime, he was celebrated for his ascetical lifestyle and
profound spiritual writings. Of course, most moderns know these vices through
the ‘definitive top 7 list’ of the Seven Deadly Sins, which are the result of
some editing by Pope Gregory I (e.g. St. Gregory the Great): he combined
vainglory with pride, added envy, and culled acedia.
How unfortunate that the Papacy tinkered with the original categories. Today,
it is easy to see how the American ethic of ‘rugged individualism’ is only a
stone’s throw away from callous indifference, the main path to apathy. Apathy
is what leads many to isolation, outrageous overeating, reckless sex, and
illicit drug use, as one who becomes lost within the trance of acedia finds their
world and life to be boring, empty, and lacking. Acedia should be considered
the 8th Deadly Sin, as the absence of caring,
be it for God, oneself, friends, family, strangers, or
society-at-large, is the surest path to our own destruction, as the message
acedia whispers is ‘we are meaningless’ and that leads to mundane and banal
(and also the horrible) thoughts, words, and acts that echo this sentiment.
Choose Empathy. Choose Compassion. Care to Care!
|
|
All content and material of both QLog and Thom
Quinn Online, unless otherwise noted, is solely the intellectual property
of Thom Quinn.
©
2005, 2006 Thom Quinn
Disclaimer
and Legalese: This website was crafted using only 100% pure electrons and the
freshest photons possible. Batteries not
included. No salesperson will call. Past performance does not guarantee future
results. Please enjoy responsibly. No lawyers were
harmed during the creation of this website.