Sleeping is weird yet awesome. I’ve been doing some thinking about the whole idea of sleeping and dreams over the last few months and the entire idea could be covered on the X-Files. Sleeping is one of the most alien-esque things that we as humans do. Now, I thought I was alone in this thinking this way until I came across this quote from George Carlin that confirms I’m not alone in thinking that we’re a weird species.

“People say, “I’m going to sleep now,” as if it were nothing. But it’s really a bizarre activity. “For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I’m going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun returns, I will resume my life.” If you didn’t know what sleep was, and you had only seen it in a science fiction movie, you would think it was weird and tell all your friends about the movie you’d seen. “They had these people, you know? And they would walk around all day and be okay? And then, once a day, usually after dark, they would lie down on these special platforms and become unconscious. They would stop functioning almost completely, except deep in their minds they would have adventures and experiences that were completely impossible in real life. As they lay there, completely vulnerable to their enemies, their only movements were to occasionally shift from one position to another; or, if one of the ‘mind adventures’ got too real, they would sit up and scream and be glad they weren’t unconscious anymore. Then they would drink a lot of coffee.” So, next time you see someone sleeping, make believe you’re in a science fiction movie. And whisper, “The creature is regenerating itself.” – George Carlin

That however was not where my idea of sleep being odd ended. I needed some logic behind the idea of dreaming. To me, the whole concept of being placed into another world while sleeping didn’t make sense. While there isn’t a definite answer into what dreaming is all about – I went to Quora and came across an answer that is good enough to hold me over for tonight…The question:

What is the evolutionary purpose of dreaming?

One theory that hasn’t been mentioned here (but was explained on PBS NOVA) is that dreams serve to play out scenarios so that we may be better prepared when they occur in reality.

It’s well documented that sleep maintains and even enhances memories, from declarative to procedural, verbal to spatial. It’s been shown that mice visually replay running through a maze they’ve been trained on. They’re consolidating and practicing the neural connections from when they were awake.

So why is mental rehearsal of the past evolutionarily important? It allows us to reinforce what we’ve learned while also playing out actions and events that may happen next. We can act on those events without consequence and see their results.

To sum it up: Dreaming is kinda like training in the Enterprise’s Holodeck.

Answer from: Jimmy Chion

So where am I going with this post?

Bed. I’m clearly over tired.

Ten years ago, social networks like Facebook didn’t exist. The idea of being able to call your friend using video chat was a dream rather than a reality. Ten years before that, the Internet was still something that no one quite understood. It was a place where the geeks hung out and a thing the nerds played with. Many of you will even remember the days when you would go to work and write documents on a typewriter. Could you imagine walking into Starbucks and pulling out a typewriter? I don’t think so.

The world is changing and it’s changing fast. Thus, it’s hard to imagine what the world will be like in twenty years. If you asked me growing up what the future would be like, I would have said that cars would fly. Today, I’m still optimistic that I’ll get to drive a flying car like the Jetsons but let’s not get carried away.  Technology has drastically changed the world we live in and the shift has changed business. Businesses will continue to see the impact of technology for years to come, which means it will impact employees and society as a whole just the same. Here are three ways that I see technology further changing work in the next twenty years.

PRODUCTIVITY TRACKING

In many offices, more time is spent chatting, gossiping and creeping Facebook than actually doing work. In the past, productivity was a difficult (if not impossible) to measure. While many businesses are still wasting millions and millions of dollars every year paying for employee downtime some are striving to change that. Soon employers will be able to track what employees are doing and track exactly how much of their time is being spent productively.

The biggest impact productivity tracking will have on businesses relates to both that companies success and their star employees. The companies tracking productivity will find an increase in efficiency and in turn, an increase in the bottom line. As for employees, if you’re a star employee this is a win-win situation. The more productively you work, the more money you’ll make. Seniority will no longer guarantee you a job and office politics will slowly be thrown out the window.

TELECOMMUTING GOES MAINSTREAM

If you ask ten employees where they find they do their best work. I’d bet that more than half of them will say somewhere outside of the actual office. Studies show that an office space doesn’t always equal the best work. With technology continuing to evolve on a weekly basis it’s becoming easier to communicate with your colleagues without physically being around them. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my colleagues but alone time is without question the period of time when I am the most productive. This is something that is seen in many organizations around the world but is still ignored.

In Real Estate they say it’s all about “Location, Location, Location.” In the future, businesses will have one mindset – “Communication, Communication, Communication.” The companies who are able to communicate effectively through software like basecamp or campfire (37signals.com) will be able to find great success.  Landlines and snail mail will become a thing of the past while the cloud, tablets and interactive PDFs become mainstream.

REQUIREMENT: FREE TIME MBA

Education will continue to play an important role in your ability to enter the work force. However, it will not be the three letters at the end of your signature that predicts your future. What’s going to determine your ability to climb the corporate ladder will be how much time you’re willing to put into yourself. There are thousands of websites providing free content filled with knowledge and advice. Anyone who is not taking advantage of these resources will ultimately be left behind by those who are.

The web has made the concept of informal education to become a phenomenon that everyone needs to be aware of. We live in the information age; in the last five years there has been more data created since the beginning of mankind. The percentage of Canadians attending University and College continues to increase year after year. Yet, many of the lessons these students are learning will have little relevance to the next wave of businesses in 20 years.

In the future we will have more freedom and power than ever before. In the future, the ambitious will consider themselves entrepreneurs and their focus will shift from wanting a pay cheque to wanting to create value. Whether that value is found in community work or creating the next Facebook, our passion to make a difference in the world will define the future. So there you have it, these are my predictions.

Let’s just hope the Mayans were wrong about theirs.

This is an article I wrote for a column called Speak Geek this past month…

Here in North America, February is recognized as Black History Month. The year 2011 has also been coined the international year of people of African decent. Thus, I decided to commemorate the month with a quick post highlighting one of the most influential African Americans in History. Below you will find a great analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings famous, “I have a dream” speech. This commentary and video highlight why this speech was memorable and a few things to keep in mind the next time you present.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech analyzed by Nancy Duarte from Duarte Design on Vimeo.

Because 10 is just too obvious and Valentines day is here…

Google Ad: Parison Love

The Distance of Love

Nokia: Do you love me?

AT&T: I’m Falling for you

Durex: Happy Valentines Day

Journey Diamond: How can I tell you?

Community: This is for Keeps

Listerine: A Lesson in Kissing

Absolut: Love

It’s not often that an Axe commercial is able to get my attention in a mesmerizing way. This recent advertisement from Axe is not only a beautiful spot but also delivers their message in a way were not accustom to seeing. We’ve grown to see Axe as a brand built to connect with immature guys who keep count of the number girls they sleep with. Their brand messaging has always been about their product attracting females and this advertisement doesn’t shy away from this concept. What it does do however, is spread their brand message in a more elegant and captivating way. Sure everyone will always remember the first time they say the dirty balls commercial. But this spot is one that I’ll be remembering for quite a while…

Let me know what you think:

My teacher once asked what I wanted to be when I grow up. I responded, Shawn Michaels.

HBK Finisher -- Sweet Chin Music

Shawn Michaels is a WWE legend. In his prime he was known for back flips off of turnbuckles, somersaults into the chests of his opponents and putting on the best show week in and week out. Throughout a match Shawn was known for pushing his body to the limit and at times even defying gravity. Shawn Michaels, better known as the Heart Break Kid or HBK, knew his audience and week after week left them asking for more. In turn, after years of electrifying performances he earned the nick-name; The Showstopper.

What was amazing about his matches were his ability to captivate the audience all the way to the final bell. Throughout the match you were guaranteed to witness some high risk and high impact moves. But what always kept audiences glued to the television was the way he finished. Shawn Michaels ended each match with a finisher called “Sweet Chin Music”. A side kick to his opponents chin that would result in a knockout every time.Shawn Michaels understood the importance of not only having a great match but also having a good finish.

While wrestling isn’t real, a lesson that can be taken from this is the importance of a great finish. Consumers are more likely to remember the last few moments of interaction with a brand than the interactions leading up to it. If a consumer leaves your store feeling better than they were when they arrived, you have successfully finished. If the consumer leaves your store feeling no different, then you have some work to do.

The difference between being good and great is all in your finish.  Be a finisher.

What is cool…?

I found the best answer in the comments section – Find below.

Cool is being yourself, comfortable in your own skin, knowing that you’re going against the grain and being unswayed by what people think, what the rules say you’re supposed to be or do, and how you measure up against any of the aforementioned.

Cool is taking chances that most other people won’t. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. It often works more than it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, you make no apologies for it. Cool is saying ‘I tried’. Win or lose, your mission always remains the same.

Cool can be offensive, unrefined, politically incorrect. Cool can also create a sense of ease, simply by being steady in the face of chaos, or quickening the pulse in dull instances.

Cool isn’t manufactured. Cool doesn’t ‘try’ to be anything. That’s what makes it cool. Cool is organic, innovative, and intangible. Cool just is.

What has happened to cool? People ‘try’ to be cool. They try to figure out what people like and pattern themselves around it. That’s not cool. It’s a circus act. They’ll play themselves out because it becomes too exhausting to try to be cool.

Cool is effortless. Cool is soulful, an inner peace and calm within that’s radiated outward. Cool isn’t afraid to say or do anything. The uncool is. Cool is magnetic.

(Source)

As you’ll see in the video – Cool is an influencer and an influencer is cool.

While skimming through my Monday morning internet pit-stops I came across Six Keys to being Excellent at Anything by Tony Schwartz. What stood out the most about this article was the similarities the author had about his tennis game as I do with my golf game. While I understand I’ve only been golfing for a little under 5 months, I can only say that I’ve often been frustrated with my performance.

The advice below is a list that can be applied to every field, every challenge and every job. Feel free to share this around…

Pursue what you love. Passion is an incredible motivator. It fuels focus, resilience, and perseverance.

Do the hardest work first. We all move instinctively toward pleasure and away from pain. Most great performers, Ericsson and others have found, delay gratification and take on the difficult work of practice in the mornings, before they do anything else. That’s when most of us have the most energy and the fewest distractions.

Practice intensely, without interruption for short periods of no longer than 90 minutes and then take a break. Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time that we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity. The evidence is equally strong that great performers practice no more than 4 ½ hours a day.

Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses. The simpler and more precise the feedback, the more equipped you are to make adjustments. Too much feedback, too continuously, however, can create cognitive overload, increase anxiety, and interfere with learning.

Take regular renewal breaks. Relaxing after intense effort not only provides an opportunity to rejuvenate, but also to metabolize and embed learning. It’s also during rest that the right hemisphere becomes more dominant, which can lead to creative breakthroughs.

Ritualize practice. Will and discipline are wildly overrated. As the researcher Roy Baumeisterhas found, none of us have very much of it. The best way to insure you’ll take on difficult tasks is to ritualize them — build specific, inviolable times at which you do them, so that over time you do them without having to squander energy thinking about them.

The Brand Advocate

Brand advocates are the people who will support your brand no matter the circumstances. While marketers and PR professionals refer to these people as brand advocates, a popular term used to reference this kind of behaviour is: fanboyism. Brand advocates prefer the things they own because they rationalize their past choices to protect their sense of self. They in time find such an attachment to these brands that they become a walking advertisement (See image).

So the question that many business owners are likely to ask is, how do we leverage these individuals? How do we make these brand advocates a part of our marketing plan and truly leverage their voice for our benefit? Well, the first thing you need to do is identify where they are and how you will connect with them. Once that’s been figured out you can do a variety of different things.

Give them direct access

When I say direct access I’m referring to direct access to the people who make decisions. This can be done in a variety of different ways and can be as personal as you would like it to be. A great example of a brand providing it’s brand advocates direct access is Starbucks and their social networking website, MyStarbucksIdea.com. This site allows brand advocates to share ideas, vote on concepts, discuss the concepts and see the concepts being executed upon.

Give them brand-ownership

This is one of the most important things that businesses need to get used to. Essentially, your brand is only what the consumer believes your brand represents. McDonalds may want their brand essence to be  healthy and affordable fast food but in reality, McDonalds brand essence is whatever I want it to be. As marketers, rather than developing programs and campaigns that are complete from start to finish we need to leave a gap that allows the consumer to interject and take control of the campaign.

Create Relationships

This is one of the most difficult tasks for large business but for small business this is simply a necessity. When it comes brands like Nike, I have no relationship with anyone at this company. However, at a local cafe the owner always says hello and the staff knows exactly what I’m ordering when I walk in the door. A few months ago I walked in the shop and only had debit – something they didn’t take. They told me it was on the house. Did I tell people about it? You better believe it. Did I blog about it? You better believe it. Create relationships with your customers and reap the benefits.

Use their feedback as R&D

Similar to the Starbucks example discussed in the first concept, you really have to listen to what your customers are saying. Not only do they provide you with truthful opinions they offer you some information that can truly turn a troubled business around. These are the people who love what you offer and simply want to share it with the rest of the world. If you’re able take your brand advocates opinion and use it to developer a bigger and better product/service; you’re one step closer to creating a brand evangelist.

Let them know you care

It can be any kind gesture that lets your customers know you appreciate them. If it’s your customers birthday give them a free dessert – Heck, give them a free meal if you have too. It’s clear that restaurants have some of the highest mark-ups in business. If you’re not in the food business you could send them a card or even give them an extra something the next time their in the store.

When I was 10 I dreamed of being a point guard in the NBA.
When I was 13 I dreamed of becoming a Fighter Pilot.

When I was 16 I dreamed of becoming a actor.
When I was 18 I dreamed of success.

Our dreams change.

Dream

It’s quite common to find someone with a dream. Yet, it’s quite rare to find someone who has actually put forth their best effort to accomplish it.

A wise-man once said,

All those who have achieved great things have also been great dreamers.

Their dreams may have shifted over time. But none-the-less they’ve always kept dreaming. The only difference between them and everyone else is the fact that when they wake up from their dream they don’t see a difference.