To Book Club or Not to Book Club

May 3, 2011

I was sitting at the library earlier today and got to thinking about book clubs. Specifically, why the heck haven’t I joined one of those things? My local newspaper, the Kansas City Star, has a really big book club that they cover quite regularly. I’m a pretty big fan of this newspaper, especially considering it’s a papery paper that’s printed on paper and handed out as hard copy…papers.

So I dug around a little bit and found the list of books they’ve read since the inception of the club 11 years ago. It’s impressive. A nice mix of fiction and non-fiction, popular bestsellers and unknown authors.

The way this club works it that anyone can read along with the group, but only a select few are invited to actually participate in the discussions (aka. the opinions and photos that are published in the paper). They’re the “real” club members, I guess.

Alongside the list of books that the club has read was their contact information. If you wanted a shot at being part of the real clubby club, you had to email them a bit about yourself, what you like to read, and why you think you should be included in the discussions. I copied the address, jumped over to gmail, opened a new email, and…

…did nothing.

I couldn’t do it!

What if the book they choose was dumb and I didn’t want to read it!

What if I procrastinated (not that I do, of course, I’m just saying, umm, hypothetically) and didn’t finish the book in time!

What if I hated it but everyone else in the group loved it and I was too much of a wuss to say so!

What if I just wasn’t in the mood to read THAT book, gosh darnit!

What if I’m a control freak and I revolted against reading something someone TOLD me I HAD to read and I refused to touch it!

What if they were all smarter than me and picked up the underlying themes of the book and the psychology blah blah blah and I had no idea what they were talking about!

What if what if whatifwhatifwhatifWHATIF!

Sigh.

Are you a book clubber? How do you handle it?
Do you enjoy it? Hate it? Recommend it?
Are you thinking I’m crazy right about now?

Yeah. Me too. I seem to have an issue with book clubs.

I’m pretty sure I need to get over it.

(Maybe.)

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I’m totally one of these things

May 2, 2011

A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, “having learned much”)[1] is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath (or polymathic person) may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable. Most ancient scientists were polymaths by today’s standards.[2]
The common term Renaissance man is used to describe a person who is well educated or who excels in a wide variety of subjects or fields.[3] The idea developed in Renaissance Italy from the notion expressed by one of its most accomplished representatives, Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472): that “a man can do all things if he will.” It embodied the basic tenets of Renaissance humanism, which considered humans empowered, limitless in their capacities for development, and led to the notion that people should embrace all knowledge and develop their capacities as fully as possible. Thus the gifted people of the Renaissance sought to develop skills in all areas of knowledge, in physical development, in social accomplishments, and in the arts.

(from Wikipedia)

Because knowing how to install a light fixture AND debate the distinct differences between True Religion and Seven jeans AND explain what happened in the 2008 financial crisis AND differentiate between Home Run variety shrub roses and Knock Out AND clip my feet into my bike pedals without killing myself or any innocent bystanders…totally makes me a polymath. Right?

Right? Right?

Is this thing on?

Ok, fine. Maybe all those things just make me a geek. A geek who tries to pay attention to stuff.

I think I want to be a polymath, though. Or…maybe I’ll just insert it into conversation as often as possible.

It will totally make me sound smart.

—–

(Thanks, Grant, for the inspiration today)

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Cha Cha Cha Changes

May 2, 2011

Things are a’ changin, my friends. I’m going to start taking a different approach with my posts here on [AnnieSorensen.com], and I wanted to sit down for a minute to explain a few things.

I love to write, and I love topics like personal development and entrepreneurialism, so when I started this blog I put two and two together and decided I would write about personal development and entrepreneurialism. Seemed like a no-brainer. But what I have come to realize is that while I really love those topics and really love writing about those topics, I also love writing about other stuff, too. Or, I should say, I want to love writing about other stuff, too.

If I felt the desire to write about my canine-baby or my Hubz’s birthday or some embarrasing story from my college days, I would settle with writing it and saving it to my hard drive, where it would sit forever and gather dust. Because after all, topics like that didn’t fit with this ‘lil site.

But then I looked at the name on the website.

And then I looked up the name on my driver’s license. After a brief moment of comparing and contrasting, I slapped myself in the forehead and charged ahead.

From here on out I will be writing more about, well, me, I guess. ALL of me. The goofy stuff, the weird stuff, and the no-one-is-ever-going-to-visit-my-site-again-after-this-but-I’m-going-to-publish-it-anyway…stuff.

There will still be business-y posts, they will just now be mixed in amongst my obsession with popcorn and the story of how I *might* have pulled the fire alarm in the dorm my freshman year of college.

I hope you can handle it.

New flash: I <3 hoodies

This photo has nothing to do with this post. It’s just me. Right now. In my hoodie with my unwashed hair.

So I guess it has everything to do with this post?

But it doesn’t.

Sort of.

So for you, one of the 2.3 readers who frequent my little corner of the Internetz, I’m appreciative. I hope you like what you read. And I hope you feel comfortable sending me a note and telling me if you don’t.

Happy Monday!

All my geeky, book-loving love,
Annie

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The goofy one

April 28, 2011

I caught a goodun This? This is my husband.

I sure can pick ’em!

This shot sums him up quite nicely, actually. He’s up at the crack of dawn – a misty, overcast dawn – doing something outdoors. Usually something related to shooting or catching a helpless animal, swinging a club, or beating his heels against the pavement for no reason at all.

He complains every day when the alarm goes off, yet on one of the rare days where he could sleep in, he voluntarily chooses to get up even earlier. And there’s no complaining on these days. The dude SPRINGS outta bed. Hopping around all giddy and loud, loving every minute of torturing his poor, sleeping wife.

I don’t like that Before Dawn stuff, thank you very much. Before Dawn and me don’t get along. It’s a dramatic relationship. I don’t want to talk about it.

Why do men do this? This sacrificing sleep for outdoors, thing? Not only that, but the torture-the-poor-soul-still-trying-to-sleep thing?

Wait, I’m getting off track. Oh! The photo! That’s right.

Even with his 5am leaps out of bed and his serious addiction to the shooting/swinging/pavement stuff, he never leaves his goofiness behind.

That goofiness, my youngest-of-four-children Hubz is full of it. Overflowing with it, actually. Which is great for making sure I meet my daily giggling quota. But don’t get me started on the photos. He ruins photo after photo after photo.

Hey honey, turn around and smile, please!
Jackson Square, NOLANice.

Smile, dear!
Non-smile Oh geez.

Smile NORMALLY, please.
Cheez Sigh.

I guess I’ll live with the goofiness. You have other great qualities, after all.

Book geek You’re a book geek like me. Big bonus there.

Loving uncleYou’re a loving uncle, who…

Silly uncle

…oh heavens.

Fine. Fiiiine. You’re their favorite goofy uncle.

But I guess that’s ok. I still kinda sorta love you for it.

GratefulI’m glad this happened a few years ago. Giggles and all.

And by glad I really mean thankful and amazed and blessed and so so so happy.

Yesterday was your birthday, the big three-oh.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday, Hubz! I kinda like you.

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Things I Would Have Done Differently, Part 1

April 26, 2011

If I were to have the opportunity to start my adult life over again, I would do one general, albeit very important, thing differently: go faster.

Much faster. Taken action earlier, made the decision quicker, pondered less, acted more. Gone after the bigger fish right off the bat, instead of piddling around so long with the small stuff. Waiting until I had “enough experience” or “more time” before I went bigger, thought bigger, acted bigger.

I spent too much time being careful and thinking small.

I shoulda fished for the bigger fishies

Maybe I would have learned even earlier than I did that you get what you ask for. (Err, get what you fish for?)

If I were to start over, I would have read Rich Dad Poor Dad earlier.

I would have taught myself sales and customer service and rejection and leadership via network marketing younger than the old – cough ahem cough – age of 26.

I would have obtained my real estate license sooner. Invested sooner.

I would have networked and prioritized my likeminded friends sooner.

Ohh, the places I could be now. *sniffle*

Sorry. I just turned 30 and I’m feeling old and nostalgic. Bear with me, I’ll get over it eventually.

Maybe.

Anyway, if I could start over with a clean slate at 22, fresh out of college, that’s what I would do.

More. Sooner. Faster. Earlier.

Is this what everybody says, though? I think it is. Hmm. What does that tell you?

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A List

April 25, 2011

1. I wrote a guest post a couple weeks ago for the lovely blog, HappyVolunteers.com. It’s run by a Twitter friend of mine and celebrates the dedication and love and goofy things about volunteers everywhere.

I wrote about my gut. It’s a bit more appealing of a topic than it sounds.

Sort of.

Here it is: I mean, seriously, who fails at volunteering?!

2. Can I make a scatterbrained list into a blog post? Is this allowed?

So excited 3. Miss Juta is so jazzed about this list. She lifted one eyelid just to prove it to you. SO.EXCITED. Beyond excited.

Ecstatic, really.

Or, she may have spent all weekend cavorting with my parents Westie and therefore has not budged from this chair all day.

One of the two.

4. There is a squirrel outside my window right now that is performing some type of acrobatic move in order to eat the feed in our bird feeder. And succeeding.

I have zero idea what to do about this.

5. I’m currently reading: The ABC’s of Property Management by Ken McElroy. I have so much to learn about the real estate world it’s not even funny. But this book actually IS funny, and straightforward and educational and highlighter-friendly.

Big thumbs-up so far.

6. That link up there was an Amazon affiliate. Mmkay?

7. Once a month we sit down to update the spreadsheets for our Vemma business. Sales, growth, drop-off, etc. In reviewing everything this morning, our membership has grown 23% since January 1st. Holy growth Batman! Thank you.

Thank you!

Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

8. The Kansas City Public Library has a great blog that cranks out daily content. If you’re a library person, or a book person, or a Kansas City person, or community person…or a person person? take a peek. They’re well-deserving of the attention.

You can find them, here: KCUnbound: The Kansas City Public Library Blog

9. I love blog comments.

10. Just sayin.

11. But seriously, let’s chat. I was thinking this morning about attending conferences and how people have such strong opinions – for and against – about the benefits of traveling to and networking and learning at conferences.

Some love, some hate. Really, really hate. I attended quite a few last year, and will be at only one, maybe two, this year for a whole host of reasons. Actually, I even wrote about why I didn’t attend SXSW.

You? Will you be adding a conference or two or three to your calendar this year? Have you already? Why or why not?

Beneficial? A waste of time? Let’s hear it.

Ack!
12. This was fun! Thanks for being you.

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Easily Digestible Tidbits

April 22, 2011

The Elephant - on Flickr, by doug88888

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

An old line. But a true one.

Instead of seeing projects or progress as giant mountains to climb, why not break things down into smaller, more focused pieces. I think a lot of us, present company included, tend to default to seeing the whole picture for, well, all that it is. Kind of hard not to.

Your goal is to replace your entire salary with your side business.
Your goal is to read 52 books this year.
Your goal is to pay off all your debt.

How do you make progress on such huge accomplishments? How do you know what you should be doing today, this very minute, to get a smidge closer to making them happen? I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t have vision that focused.

Break it down, place your focus on the tidbits. The monthly, weekly, daily digestible tidbits.

Digest one at a time, over and over and over again. And before you know it, that elephant will be yours.

Yum. :)

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Why I Didn’t Go to SXSW

March 16, 2011

SXSWi Crowds, on Flickr by JenniferConley The short answer to this question is that it simply didn’t mesh with my priorities.

In case you’re not as much of a nerd as I am, South By Southwest (SXSW) is a huge music, film, and interactive (read: geek) festival that takes place every March in Austin, TX. It’s, in a word, craziness. It’s by far the most widely attended conference all year amongst the technical/social media/entrepreneur/start-up set, and is often referred to as spring break for geeks.

I attended Interative last year, barely two months out from quitting my job. I networked my face off, made a bajillion new friends, got way too little sleep, almost threw up on the flight home, and ruined a solid three business days trying to recover from the madness. While actually at the conference I attended about ten educational sessions, two or three of which were useful and applicable to my business, the remainder, not as much.

Last year, fresh from the shackles of the corporate world, my priorities weren’t really defined. I guess you could say that the purpose of my business was figuring out what the heck the purpose of my business was. Therefore, networking was worthwhile. Experiencing a huge tech conference was, too. As was familiarizing myself to the current trends, the of-the-moment start-ups, and the possibilities. It was fun personally, and eye-opening professionally.

Wandering around without defined priorities was great last year. For a while. But by the time the second half of 2010 rolled around I was flailing, trying my hand at so many projects that making measurable progress on any of them was practically impossible. Come January 1, 2011, things needed to change.

My priorities are supporting and growing the two businesses that have always been my priorities, I just tried to add a dozen other things in amongst them; Vemma and real estate.

So, personally, would spending five days in Austin last weekend have been a blast? Most definitely. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss being there. But I have big goals this year, and moving my Vemma business forward and further developing our real estate investments are the priorities at the top of the heap.

That doesn’t mean that the remainder of the heap will be completely ignored. But if it comes to an either/or, the decision will be automatic.

And, that’s my story.

Now, please, for goodness sakes, stop asking me. :)

(Did you attend south-by? What made you decide to go? Or not to go? Do share! Let’s make make each other feel better about the decisions we made. ;-) )

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