Posts By: Thom Quinn
Life Management
When reflecting on today’s topic, I was reminded of poem by Stephen Crane: A man said to the universe: “Sir I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation.” Time is much like the Crane’s depiction of the universe. It constantly passes without waiting. Once a day […]
Read MoreFocused Procrastination
A while back, I wrote about serial tasking. The flip side of this approach is focused procrastination. Together they make up different parts of the same strategy. As a thinking, sentient agency in the world, it is important to realize the following about your actions: All activities are choices. You decide who to see, where to […]
Read MorePlay as a Strategy
Last night, I spent the evening at Summerfest, one of the largest and longest running music festivals, on the shore of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was an ideal mix of summer weather (cool breeze, clear skies, setting sun), amazing music (Brandi Carlie, Paul Simon, The Revivalists), great company (old friends), and local cuisine […]
Read MoreGolf and Life Management
On Father’s Day for years, my Dad and I would play a round of golf. This year, instead, we are attending the US Open Championship at Erin Hills together. In honor of the holiday, I thought I’d look at the Seven Ways that Golf is Like Life Management. I hope you enjoy this analogy. Goal-Oriented: […]
Read MoreChoices, Time, and Impact
I believe that all actions and their consequences should be viewed as a cohesive whole. Of course, a finite human mind cannot conceive all possible outcomes and unknown outside influences; yet, realistic efforts should be made to understand a problem and calculate the potential solutions plus long-term effects as best as one can. If you […]
Read MoreSelf-Deception Question
Question: In what ways are you deceiving yourself? This is a tough question to answer, but a worthwhile exercise as our conscious mind sometimes plays a mental shell game and we attempt to ignore the evidence. We can be very good at fooling ourselves at one level, even if we know something does not actually […]
Read MoreOf Robots and Men (apologies to Steinbeck)
As advanced automation, AI, driverless cars, and other robots begin replacing jobs in the 21st century, it is worth reflecting on the ‘rules’ that smart non-human agents should utilize. In other words: how does one construct robot ethics? This is a useful exercise as involves an element of reflexivity: one must consider some ideas about […]
Read MoreReverse Tithing
In ancient Babylon, the standard tax was a simple one-tenth of one’s assets were reserved for the state. It was an easy code that anyone could understand and calculate. At a later time, this political idea of giving 10% to a worldly king was transferred to giving that same amount to God (or, more realistically, […]
Read MoreAlpha and Omega
I am the light everywhere All is who I am. Everything has poured from my lips, All will flow back to my heart. I am the eternal source. Split the atom: I am there. Decode the genome and There you will find me. Note: this unpublished poem, Alpha and Omega, was composed in November, 1996. […]
Read MoreThe 70/30 Rule of Time
This rule is for managers and others who do not have full control of their time. I developed this ‘rule’ 15 years ago when I was managing an IT department with 20 associates, 200 projects, and 2000 computers…and I learned this lesson the hard way. Often, due to the number of meetings I had to […]
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