Do Everything As If You'll Be Remembered For Only That One Thing

I am currently reading and enjoying A User's Manual For The Human Experience by Michael W. Dean. It is an interesting book with some gold nuggets of advice in a variety of areas. One passage in particular made me stop for a moment and reflect on what he wrote. Here is that passage:

"DO EVERYTHING AS IF YOU'LL BE REMEMBERED FOR ONLY THAT ONE THING - I do everything I do with the idea that it might be the one thing I am remembered for, because it just might be. I give the same mindset to working on a year-long book that I spend answering a single respectful e-mail from a stranger. I take this same care with brushing my cat's fur, vacuuming the house (all that cat hair!) or eating my dinner. It's all part of a big equation, the long, beautiful science and math project that is my life, and it's all equally important."

Think about this for a moment. How much more would you accomplish if you lived by this simple rule? Would you stop squandering time and insist that every moment count? Do you really want to be remembered for being a couch potato? I'm not saying that sitting and watching television with a bag of chips is inherently evil, I've done it and will probably do it again. However, it is just a sometimes thing as a way to relax and I choose what I want to watch. (I am also usually doing small tasks that don't need a lot of attention at the same time)

Wouldn't you rather be remembered for positive accomplishments? Wouldn't you like to create something that helps the world? (or at least a small part of it) Don't you want to be remembered for something good? Something great?

We all know that we don't know how long we will be here. Every day we are reminded by the untimely passing of someone. It only makes sense to maximize the time we have. Accomplish more. Love more. Enjoy more. Help more. Treat every moment as special, because it is.

Dan Millman titled one of his books No Ordinary Moments, and that is exactly what Michael Dean referred to as he said it is all part of his life. We must treat each moment as special and ensure that everything we do is done as if we'll be remembered for that one thing, because we just might.

Re-Think: A Business Manifesto For Cutting Costs and Boosting Innovation by Ric Merrifield - A Review

"Re-Think: A Business Manifesto For Cutting Costs and Boosting Innovation" by Ric Merrifield was a good quick read with some interesting examples of how different companies learned to cut costs, strengthen innovation, and profit from change. The author's objective is for people to "Re-think" their business to improve efficiency and productivity, and I believe this book will get readers to "Re-think" the what and how of their respective businesses. While this book can't give you all the answers, reading it should stimulate your thinking process to create ideas for your own business.

One of the main ideas in this book is to get businesses thinking about the bigger issue of "What" the business is doing and why, due to getting swamped down with the "How" to do the job. Merrifield calls for readers to get back to the big picture and exam what they are doing and why, and then worry about how to get it done.

Another important theme you will notice throughout the case studies is that of "Change." Successful businesses must change with the times. Technology and other advances have made it a must for successful businesses to be innovative to not only keep up with the changing tides but to lead them. "Re-Think" is about leading the change.

A simple formula that can be interpreted from this book consists of identifying the "whats" or things that are valuable, determining what you are good at, making connections, predicting what you can, and then making your own rules.

I enjoyed reading the case studies and found them motivating and a spark to ignite thinking about what can be done with innovation and determination. Some of the companies used as examples include ING Direct, Eclipse, Cranium (I especially liked this chapter due to being a fan of this company's games, but never having known the story behind them), Amazon, and Procter & Gamble.

At the end of the book there is a short chapter on key concepts accompanied by questions and maps to assist the reader in using the key concepts in their own rethinking endeavors. Over all I felt this was a good book to get people thinking about their businesses in a different way. It should help readers focus on what is important. The examples were fun to read. If you want a quick business read that will help you think of new ideas and innovations for your own business, "Re-Think" by Ric Merrifield is a book you will like.




Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.