Seems that I missed the crazy deals on “Cyber Monday” earlier this week.  But that hasn’t stopped me from fitting in a little online Christmas shopping.  That’s how I came across this shirt:

I’ve posted about procrastination previously, so I know that you know that I take it seriously.  But still, I couldn’t help but appreciate the irony!

NOTE: Just in case the FTC is spending its limited resources reading this blog, I’ll mention here that I am not an affiliate for the product mentioned above.  The shirt is silly and so am I.

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a box?

Not a real box, of course.  That’d be dark.  And kinda lonely.

I’m talking figuratively. About how you think. Specifically, about how you problem solve.

Are you?  Stuck in a box?

I recently made a post about my persistent neighbor who watered the grass outside his condo heavily, for weeks, insisting that the grass was not be getting enough water, otherwise it’d be growing. When another neighbor noticed the excessive watering, she explained that the grass wasn’t in need of water, but of sunlight. A large tree above was blocking the sun.  Ah! The light bulb!

So, instead of watering, it seemed that some trimming was in order. Problem solved.  Three weeks later, the grass is lush and my neighbor is happy.

This morning, I shared this story with a group of professionals, and then followed with an exercise that perfectly reveals the box that so many of us create, and don’t even realize it.

Are you familiar with the nine dots exercise?

Here are your dots:

 And here are the rules:

1. Connect all nine dots using four lines
2. You may not lift your pen/pencil from the paper
3. You may not retrace a line

That’s it. Those are the rules, and those are the only rules.

Now print this out, and give it a whirl. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings as you work on connecting the nine dots.

Just so you know, this is not “impossible” and don’t accept that you “just can’t get it.”

The truth is, you have the answer, but you are creating something with the nine dots that does not actually exist.

There, that’s your one clue.

Let me know how it goes, and what you realize from this insightful and eye-opening exercise about thinking outside of the box. If you want the answer, just say so in your comments and I’ll send it to you.

But only after I know you gave it your very best attempt!

How do people react when they find out what you do for a living?

I’ve found that I generally get one of the following three responses, after I’ve answered the famous question, “So, what do you do?”

A) “Oooh, I really need you!”

B) “Yikes, you would just die if you saw my office….but I can find anything when I need it.”

C) “Can you organize my wife/husband/teenager/boss, etc?”

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how to respond to these statements, but after years of office organizing and marketing my business, I’ve established a few set responses.

When people exclaim that they “need my services,” I now realize that they are often just making friendly conversation. I ask them, “What makes you say that?” and I’ll get a 2-3 minute description of their crazy busy life, of the chaos that entangles them, and how they just think being organized is some sort of pipe dream. (Not so!)

For response B, I delicately explain that I really dont’ care if their space is a complete mess, as long as it doesn’t bother them. But, if  it becomes a source of pain, and they acknowledge that pain….that’s when I have something to offer.  That’s when I can truly connect with them.  But until then?  We’re cool. Really.

Oh, but do note: recent studies show that another person’s opinion of one’s messy desk can create a perception of decreased credibility.  But like I said: I’m not bothered by general disorganization of a space, as long as it’s not my own!

And the humorous last response – example C - requires me to ask the next important question: “Does your wife/husband/teenage child/boss think they need to be organized?”

When the person replies “No, they think they’re fine…” then I share the wisdom that there’s limited success I can create with the wife/husband/teenager/boss if they aren’t the ones experiencing the pain. You know- like the first step to recovery is admitting there’s a problem.  I have unknowingly been brought in to situations where the ‘client’ was completely perplexed as to why their boss/spouse, etc thought they needed my services, and oh my goodness, it was interesting!

So I’m curious, what kind of responses do you typically receive when you share what you do for a living?  Of all the different professions out there, I’m sure you have a story to share… and of course, the wackier the better!

Today we’ll take a break from our normal focus on entrepreneurial productivity. 

Instead, I’ll give you a peek into the life of a very Crazy Busy Entrpreneur I know, Mr. Joe Polish of Piranha Marketing. 

Joe and Marty Edelston, found of Boardroom, Inc. have an ongoing game of one-upsmanship in the gift giving department.  From merely unique to outright wacky, Joe and Marty have sent some very strange items to each other over the years.  Until today, I thought that the turtle footstool was the most unusual of the lot.

But apparently Marty promised Joe a “bunch of chicks” for his birthday….and today he kept his promise.  Literally.

I can’t wait to see what Joe comes up with for Marty’s birthday.  What do you think he should send?