Category: Tools I Use

Tools I Use: Visual Metaphors

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Ever try to explain a concept to someone by using analogies, metaphors or storytelling to get your point across?

There is an easier way. Imagine if you could simplify complex ideas visually. Fewer words, more images, and often, a faster understanding.

Enter the world of visual metaphors or creative visualizations. You may have seen these illustrations on LinkedIn or elsewhere online. At first glance, they appear to be comic strips. However, the reality is these are bite-size, visualized concepts that we can see, consume, and understand the gist of concept within seconds. These are so much faster than verbal or written explanations due to their clarity through visualization. Some look like cartoons or other art forms that tell a quick story about a concept or glimpse of an idea that sparks more thought.

Here are some of my favorite artists who create visual metaphors and some of their links:

Maria Luisa Engels

https://sketchnotes.marialuisaengels.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-luisa-engels/

Roberto Ferraro

https://www.robertoferraro.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferraroroberto

Pejman (PJ) Milani

https://idea-milanicreative.beehiiv.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pejmanmilani/

Janis Ozolins

ozo.art

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozolinsjanis/

Who is your favorite visual metaphor artist?

Learn, enjoy and feel free to leave a comment below.

How do I: deal with accountability

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Accountability is a two-way street.

At least one group is held accountable for deliverables and another group is following up and holding them accountable.

If you take responsibility or you are assigned responsibility, you need to own that responsibility and be accountable for it. No excuses.

When you begin, you ask as many questions that come to mind as you need answers to. The only reasons you will not get answers are if it is a test or if there are no answers yet.

If you are accountable to yourself, set smart goals, share your goals with other people so they hold you accountable for that goal. This will also help with follow up.

If you are ask/assign/hire/contract someone to do something and they accept, you can hold them accountable. Part of that acceptance should be a timeline of when deliverables are due. Deadlines can be set. It is not a matter of whether they hold themselves accountable or not.

See Extreme Ownership for more references on accountability:

How do I: deal with constant change

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When it comes to change, remain aware of it. 

Accept it or reject it. It will not care either way. So why should you?

Dance with change when possible. 

Then, move forward, with or without that change in mind.

Change is rarely within our control, so it should not control our lives unless we allow it. 

We may zag when it zigs, and we should be ok with that.

It is not about feelings because change does not care.

We can try to be an agent of change.

Don’t wait for acceptance or approval. Otherwise, very little gets done.

Move forward regardless of change. 

Move purposefully with a clear focus, forward momentum, and good intentions. 

Worst case scenario, we learn more.

Tools I Use: not-to-do list

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Lots of us have to-do lists.

Some of us schedule the to-do (task) with the time assigned on our calendar.

Fewer of us have a not-to-do list. Literally a list of things we should not do ourselves or at all. Why?

Our time is limited, and valuable and we don’t need to do it ourselves. Or eliminate the task all together. You could also delegate it or automate it. Find out how below.

Kudos to Tim for the idea of the not-to-do list. Tim Ferriss has his not-to-do list, which are great ideas.

What is on my own not-to-do list as far as tasks?

  • Creating lists of contacts/companies to reach out to (use Upwork instead)
  • Copywriting for marketing purposes (ChatGPT, yes, use a machine to do it faster and often better than a person)
  • Coming up with gift ideas (ChatGPT)
  • Scheduling calls with back-and-forth messages (All calls scheduled through calendly.com with my fixed availability for calls each month that updates with my one master calendar)
  • Recording podcasts asynchronously (Try Rumble.studio and record podcast interviews without the podcaster and interviewee speaking together)
  • Editing podcasts (use Upwork instead)
  • Proofreading or editing my own book (Upwork)
  • Technical tasks (Upwork that are not worth my time and effort to do myself)
  • Creative tasks (Fiverr and not pretend I am a designer)
  • Shop at many different brick-and-mortar stores for the same product (this is what Amazon or Google Shopping is for… to stop wasting your time).
  • Buying wet and dry food for my pets (Petco.com repeat delivery every three months solves this too)

What is on your own not-to-do list?

What to talk about productivity? Schedule a call.

How do other authors struggle with writing?

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There is an assumption that published authors have an easy time writing books. Not true.

Writers do need to write though.

They may systemize parts of the series of books they write. They may have techniques to keep them writing. They may use assistants to help organize or assist them virtually.

Writing is hard because almost no writers will ever write once and publish exactly what they wrote.

Editing and rewriting can seemingly take forever.

Here are a few known writers who wrote about the struggle of writing and how to overcome these struggles: