The Invisible Mentor

Archive for October, 2009

On many blogs you have the option to subscribe by email or RSS Feed. But what is an RSS Feed, and why is it important? Here is a YouTube video “RSS in Plain English” which explains everything, simply and clearly. It has had over 1 million views so far.

Readers of this blog may have figured out by now that I am a voracious reader, but what some of you may not know is that I often integrate what I have read into my personal and professional life. Reading is a way for me to expand my body of knowledge. In How to Read a Book , the authors Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren suggest that there are three reasons for reading – for entertainment, information and for understanding. I read for all three reasons. What are your reasons for reading?

However, when I read, I do not read in a vacuum, I build on what I already know, so I am continuously furthering my knowledge. This has served me well as a writer and researcher because I am able to question things that do not look right to me. This has also served me well when working on projects. For instance, while I worked on a project for an association where I had to write 15 stories for an Anniversary Booklet, because I read extensively and broadly I had a large pool of knowledge to draw so I was able to do a good job and make the stories very different.

Recently, I have found myself writing many articles, and studies have shown that over 80 percent of people read an article because of the title or headline. So how can you increase the chances that your information gets read? To answer this question, I will demonstrate how reading has helped me tremendously with writing good headlines. I am not a master headline writer, but the more I practice writing headlines, the better my headlines, and the more they grab attention.

In the 1926 book The Art of Thought, Graham Wallas, an American psychologist, adopted and expanded, Hermann von Helmholtz‘s process to develop an idea. In the book, Wallas describes a four-stage process for generating great ideas – preparation, incubation, illumination and verification. (I have mentioned this book before)

In the preparation stage, a period of study and fact-finding, you gather information to resolve any issues, challenges or problems that you may be facing. This phase includes activities such as reading about the subject matter to identify what’s been done before, interviewing subject experts and any other means of collecting opinions or ideas on the subject. When you become stressed, bored, overwhelmed, or distracted, or feel that it’s futile to gather more information, it’s time to take a break. Stop thinking about the problem(s) and let all the information incubate. Mull it over for a while. Though you are not consciously working on your issues, challenges or problems, your subconscious or other than conscious is busy working at connecting the different pieces of information to form ideas, creating something different and new.

When you least expect it, you have a sudden flash of insight, an “aha” moment where the new ideas to resolve your issues, challenges or problems surface to your conscious mind and you suddenly become illumined – the light bulb goes on. The great ideas that surface could be implemented the way you conceived them, or you may have to refine them so that they’re workable.

So, even though The Art of Thought was written to help people generate new ideas, I have expanded that concept to help me generate better titles and headlines. I prepare myself by knowing the material that I am writing about inside out. I also have a list of 52 headline archetypes and a headline file I have been building with some of the most successful headlines over the past 100 years. I practice using the archetypes to write my headline. Sometimes I will write at least 100 headlines as practice for coming up with the right one. When I feel as if I have done enough, I forget about it and move to another task. Incubation is a very important stage for the appropriate headline to form. Suddenly the light bulb goes on and I have the right headline. The time it takes to move through this four-stage process varies. For me, it has taken as little as under an hour to as long as two months. One thing is sure is that the process works.

So, the next time when you are reading, have a notebook and pen handy. Think about what you already know on the topic that is covered in the book, so that you bring it to the forefront of your mind. While you are reading, capture interesting and useful information in your trusty notebook for further use. Combine the new infromation with what you already know because ideas are formed wheb you unite elements in unique ways. Practice this technique until it becomes second nature and remember that nothing exists in a vacuum.

How do you create great headlines? Let’s keep the conversation going, please comment.

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Related Posts

Books to Get the Most out of Your Reading

Summary of a Technique for Producing Ideas

Reading in Motion

How to Carve Out Time to Read in a Busy World

To Read Or Not to Read, Now That’s the Question

Photo Credit: Flickr Free License

I have often heard it said that reading, working on puzzles, learning a word a day and other such practices help to prevent dementia and Alzheimer.

Seven years ago while studying the program Lead the Field, Earl Nightingale stressed the importance of learning and growing. He suggested reading a book a week and learning a word a day. I mastered reading a book a week and now read on average eight books a month.

Initially, I had problems learning a word a day. I subscribed to a website that sent me a word every morning, and I purchased vocabulary builder books but I didn’t stick to the programs because either the words were so ridiculous that I didn’t want to waste time learning them. Or, the system was not easy to use and too time consuming.

Later, I purchased the Vocab system on tape, but didn’t stick to it because I believed it was too much of a hassle to rewind the tape, and I often didn’t remember all the words. But, while reading the book Superlearning 2000: New Triple Fast Ways You Can Learn, Earn, and Succeed in the 21st Century, I discovered that the best way to learn words is to hear them on a tape, while playing 60 beats per minute baroque music in the background.

I purchased Hemi Sync‘s Baroque Garden for Concentration and Vivaldi‘s The Four Seasons. Rewinding the tape was no longer a hassle because I noticed that if I counted to 15 while I rewound the cassette tape I would be exactly where I needed to be. It’s amazing how easy we can find solutions when we are truly inspired and motivated to accomplish our goals.

Even though I wasn’t exposed to classical music while growing up, like most things, the more you are exposed to them, the more comfortable you become with them. I used to have problems performing work which required concentration while the music was playing, but now it does not bother me. I guess it’s the type of music that has made a difference to my level of concentration. Listening to music stirs my heart and moves my soul and also makes me more alert. Does listening to music have an impact on you?

Now that I have developed the habit of learning a word a day, I do not have to listen to music while learning the word. I subscribe to A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg, which gives you the pronunciation, meaning, root and usage of the word.

What techniques do you use to build your vocabulary? Let’s keep the conversation going, please comment.

Download a copy of the white paper How to Build Intellectual Power from the Resources page of this blog.

I have often heard that each of us has at least one book inside of us, just waiting to bust loose, what is your one book? Each of us knows something that others don’t, is it your obligation to share it? What are your thoughts?

A psychic once told me that I have at least 10 books to write. I have written Tales of People Who Get It and there is an accompanying workbook Journey to Getting It, does that count as two books or is that one? It took me 4 1/2 years to write Tales of People Who Get It, what are my chances of writing the 10 books at that rate, if I listen to the psychic?

Writing a book is an investment of your time, and most people will never devote the time to actually write their one book. How do the benefits of writing a book stack up to the costs?

A few years ago I asked some authors, how writing a book help their businesses. Here are the responses.

Andrea Nierenberg, “The Queen of Networking” and the author of Nonstop Networking: How to Improve Your Life, Luck, and Career, Million Dollar Networking: The Sure Way To Find, Keep And Grow Your Business, and Savvy Networking: 118 Fast & Effective Tips for Business Success responded “It is very easy, my books have simply been the best calling cards I could ever ask for, I give away a ‘book a day’ and it has tripled my business.”

Heather Resnick, author of Women Reworked Empowering Women in Employment Transition responded, “Writing a book is my business! Generally speaking though, writing a book makes you an “Authority” in the eyes of the public. It opens doors for speaking engagements and people are genuinely impressed that you have actually written a book, knowing the amount of research/time involved. Books are regarded with esteem!”

According to Gail Blanke, “First, Between Trapezes: Flying into a New Life with the Greatest of Ease (as with Wildest Dreams and Taking Control of Your Life and [Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life]) provided a marketing platform for my business. Books describe your point of view and what makes you unique and provide the media with much needed angles and content for their particular communications vehicles. Second, potential clients and customers can access you through your writing and are motivated to buy whatever product or service you’re selling. Finally, it’s close to impossible to make money (other than recovering your costs) from a book. That’s not the reason to write them. In addition to the exposure they provide, disciplining yourself and refining your message are invaluable. You learn a lot about yourself from writing a book. And that can be priceless.”

Chris Widener author of The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You, Four Seasons, The Angel Within, and co-author of Twelve Pillars, had this to say, “It has been the best promotional tool, business card, advertising I could do!”

Will you write your one book? Do the benefits outlined above match the time investment? Let’s keep the conversation going, please comment.

Note: The links for the books are affiliate links.

Photo /Video credit: Image/Video via Apture

How important is it to have a job that really matters and makes a difference? Or, is money the most important thing at this stage of your life? As we grow older, our focus and priorities change, and also based on our situations, our priorities change as well. When you hear the term meaningful work, what springs to your mind? It doesn’t have to be lofty. For me, meaningful work is work that services a specific need, that I am passionate about.

When was the last time you reflected on your life? Are you happy with where you are, and what you have accomplished? If you and I were sitting here three years from today, what would have had to happen, for you to feel happy, fulfilled and satisfied with your your life? Think about this.

More and more I find myself wanting work that really makes a difference. I enjoy writing and reading, and I am interested in books that were written a long time ago. I have this theory that there is really nothing new under the sun. Yes, there are new inventions, but the inventors likely used pre-existing information and technologies and furthered them. What are your thoughts?

I have another related theory that we can use old ideas to solve today’s problems, so I am on a quest to find some of those old ideas by reading books written a long time ago. Is this meaningful work? I would like to think so. What if I discovered a technique to solve some of those pesky problems that plague our world today?

As a note of interest, people are finding work that matters in the second half of their lives. If this is something that you would like to further explore, please read “On Your Bookshelf: Encore – Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life.” In the review, they mention some programs in place that interested professionals can participate in.

Let’s keep the conversation going, please comment.