Every one can be a blogger and can write daily

I have been writing my blog for past 4 years but doing it daily for the past few weeks. A number of people have praised this practice. Thanks. My friends think that this is something not so easy. But I think every one can be a blogger and every one can write daily. How?

You learn something daily. Don't you? And you also have a big repertoire of experience as well. On a personal blog what you do is you just share something, anything, out of your huge repertoire. You don't necessarily need to write large, well researched post every day.

Then why it looks so difficult to write? I think because we under estimate our learnings and experiences and think that these will not be useful for the rest of the world. This is not true. You are unique and you are capable and you can help the world.

Another thing perhaps is that you want to look perfect to the outside world who is having a look at your blog. You are not perfect and don't try to be. Make mistakes and thanks anyone who points out yours. It will just make you more confident.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

The best advice you can have: DO LESS

Download now or preview on posterous

doless.pdf (320 KB)

I often see the web pages of companies and individuals full of all
possible things they can do and just wonder what they really do and
what they really have experience with. Perhaps this strategy (we can
do everything) only dilutes their message.

The best lesson I have learned so far in my life (after doing the
exact opposite) is do less. And it has changed my life, for better.

With do less philosophy, you do not try to do every thing you can do;
you try to do the best thing you can do. And the best part is you are
going to be happy with your life and there is a good chance you will
make more money too.

This is what Seth Godin tries to convince us in the attached 7 page pdf.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

Running windows software on ubuntu linux

In a recent blog post I told you how to install and run Ubuntu Linux on your PC. You can also run Ubuntu Linux directly from CD without disturbing you PC. A number of people have installed and started using Ubuntu Linux as their desktop operating system on my suggestion.

One of the often asked questions is what to do if there is no alternative available in Linux to a particular Windows software. In such cases you can always run Windows and your favorite Windows software in virtual environment on your Linux desktop.

Sun/Oracle's VirtualBox for Ubuntu is a software which allows you to run Windows and its software in virtual enviornment. You install it on your Linux desktop, install Windows within virtual box environment and then run any Windows software.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

A great source of motivational and self-help pdfs by best seller authors

changethis.com is a great source of free self-help and motivational booklets in pdf format. These nice booklets are called 'manifestos'. These pdfs are nicely formatted and optimized for pleasant reading on your computer screen.

Many of these manifestos have been written by best seller authors. There are great manifestos on topics which include marketing, motivation, personal grooming, time management, creativity, writing etc.

changethis.com was founded by Seth Godin. I discovered this website many years ago when some one pointed me to a free pdf book by Seth Godin titled "The Bootstrapper's Bible".

Highly recommended.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

Triumph of simplicity

I love simplicity but I try to avoid mentioning it too often. After all I do not want you to get bored, angry or offended. :-)

Many years ago I was helping a business design a new system. The best brains in the organization gathered to make it the best possible one for the organization. I was with them but with a subtle difference. They wanted to add as many features as possible. I wanted to make it simple. They wanted to add an elaborate system of calculating the cost of items. I was against it. They wanted to manage inventory by incorporating all past practices, best practices and new ideas. I advised to design for simplicity. They insisted. I warned, protested, cried and then complied.

It took two painful years to realize that elaborate costing system was, yes, costing more than expected. And it took four more years to dawn that the inventory system which allowed all sort of 'real life scenarios' was nothing but pain to maintain. So it was decided to, yes, simplify it.

And it was decided today.

Simplicity; you are going to adopt it sooner or later. So better do it today.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

Learn to self-learn this summer

You went to a great school, a really great college and passed out with flying colors. Well done. You are also keeping yourself updated with all the latest tools and methodologies by going to all those workshops and conferences by gurus. Great.

But there is another possibility which you may never have tried to explore; you can learn something yourself without going somewhere. Its simpler than you think. How?

• Buy and read a book.
• Download a pdf or subscribe a blog.
• Use Google to find (possibly free) on-line courses.
• Wikipedia
  
• Experiment with what you have learned. Try again and again.
• Ask questions on Internet discussion groups/forums and mailing lists related to your subject.
• Send email directly to gurus. They will help you provided you have done your homework.
  

Don't be shy to experiment, ask or take failure as part of your learning process.

Yes, self-learning may be slow for the first time but not after that. The confidence you will gain from your self learning is going to last forever, not to mention the time and money you may save.

Should I tell you a little secret about successful people? They self learn.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan

Sales tip: get the most out of your ignorant customer

Seth Godin writes daily on his blog and never fails to inspire. I often refer to his blog posts. In fact I want to do it daily but I am sure it does not look good. So if you have anything, even remotely connected, to do with sales and  marketing, read his blog at sethgodin.typepad.com. An easier way to never miss his daily sermon is to subscribe with your email.

Sometimes he is so spot-on that I feel compelled to share his thoughts. Yesterday's post was one such.

I am not sure title of this post is going to make you happy or angry. But this is what happens when you buy something once in a while; you can be screwed by the seller, the marketer.

It is easier to buy an expensive laptop, a photocopier with features you are never going to use, a chemical with an obscure name, an aluminum kitchen, that expensive database software etc. just to name a few things. Ordinary buyers are no match to the power wielded by marketers and sales people who have spent their entire lives to master their art.

Here is what Seth Godin writes about the marketers who love dumb and/or ignorant customers:

Ask them to show you a recipe for how to make what they make on your own, and "it's a trade secret."

And this one is really a gem:

Their perfect customer is someone in a hurry, with plenty of money and not a lot of knowledge about their options.

And here is what happens when the competition does just the opposite and tries to make you, the customer, smarter and more informed:

if just one player enters the field and works to make people smarter, the competition has a hard time responding with a dumbness offensive. They can obfuscate and run confusing ads, but sooner or later, the inevitability of information spreading works in favor of those that bet on it.

That's the beauty of today's world powered by social media. Every one has a voice.

Thanks Seth Godin.

Posted via email from Saqib Awan