What am I waiting for?

As I sit here in front of my laptop with my phone beside me I wonder,what did people do before we had these devices?

They are valuable resources, yes, but they also suck time away and tie us to one position for hours on end.

I look forward to having time to read my book away from a screen and the many distractions that it gives.

Time; you always hear people say they don't have time. We are living longer than ever but we don't have time. We feel guilty if we just stop and do nothing. How many people sit on a train and look out the window or sit in and cafe and people watch anymore? Why are we stuck to our devices? What are we waiting for?

The indigenous people of Australia have a interesting concept of time. In their culture there is no such thing as depression because they say that they will get something done when it is done. There is no stress to get it done.

We are in a time of rush, rush, rush, getting this done now, expecting results straight away, achieving instant happiness without the struggle. Where is the balance? We talk of life work balance but do we really make it happen?

I think BALANCE is the key. You are going to have bad days, and you will have good days. You have to use your devices but there are times to turn them off and' smell the roses,' as they say.

What do you want to do today?

Write a book? Start your own business? Climb a mountain? Get fit?

My friend said he has no time to see a movie. Why is this even answer? Going to a movie is a chance to get out, maybe meet up with a friend, cuddle a loved one, you can take the time to make yourself look nice, go try an eatery that you've been wanting to try for a while. It's not just about seeing a movie.

I have another friend whose mood changes if she doesn't get to catch up with friends and decompress. The population of the planet is growing and yet we connect less and less with the people around us. I like nothing better than laughing with friends and family.

If there is something that you have always wanted to do there's no one stopping you other than yourself. For me it's about living in the moment. The hardest thing is starting, then the next hardest thing is finishing. But if you take it moment by moment eventually you'll get it done.

So if there is something you want to do:
- turn of your devices and just spend some time thinking about it or discuss it with someone
- turn your devices back on if you need them to achieve your goals but make sure you're not distracted by other stuff.
- get started, even if it is writing down a thought
- make time in your day to do it
- find like minded friends who you can share your ideas, failures and successes
- plod away at it without putting too much pressure on yourself
- enjoy the process

Stop waiting and in the wise words of Nike,'
'Just do It!'

Change: The success of future business: Time to collaborat...

Change: The success of future business: Time to collaborat...: There is much talk of Innovation and Technology and the next big thing, unicorn businesses(Companies that start small and expand exponential...

The success of future business: Time to collaborate and share

There is much talk of Innovation and Technology and the next big thing, unicorn businesses(Companies that start small and expand exponentially so that they become billion dollar companies in as short time), Start ups (New businesses), Tech Hubs (Places to tryout new technology), Hackerthons (Groups of people thrown together to work on an idea and see if it is a viable idea or business), Co-working spaces/ launching pads (Places where young startups can lease a space with other businesses and have the opportunity to share information, collaborate on problems, businesses can give and receive support and advice from peers, It can even be a place for businesses or government to come to for help to solve problems by posing it to community in the space.

So now we have this new hip jargon that a new breed of business owners will use and benefit from, but what about the non- hip businesses that still work in a 'Silo,' or in their own confines. They are sort of hiding from the rest of the community doing their own thing. That maybe ok for the short term but in the long term they can miss out on so many opportunities. In 2014 Glasgow, Scotland held the Commonwealth Games. There was no one builder that could build the Games village on it's own. So four Glaswegian building companies came together to win the successful bid on the Games village.

Sharing and collaborating in this day of very fast changes to technology means that businesses can stay current and work together to take on the big jobs. Ebay would not be the massive $36.6 Billion it is worth with out all the small businesses and individuals using it's website to sell goods. If you look at nearly all the big organisations they are allowing people and businesses to collaborate together and reach as many people as possible while also teaching new methods of acquiring clients and customers.

The future of any business is for it to be aware of what is happening in it's space and adapting to the changes to survive. No one big or small is immune. It is more important than ever to connect with your own staff, customers, other people and businesses, to be creative and think outside the box. This challenges many business owners and may even scare them but it is important to become part of the process. I still believe in gut feelings and having confidence in what you are doing. It is the confidence part that scares people away from new technology. The fear of stuffing things up. Luckily new technology is generally made so that it is easy for people to use. Or you can employ someone that is good at it an be kept informed of the progress. Communication is the key.

A single moment in time that Sparks a 'CHANGE.'

Many writers are writing about disruption, a moment in the future when technology such as Artificial Intelligence will change life as we know it. This is an interesting concept because people experience revelations everyday that changes their lives just that little bit. I was talking to my friend the other day who recently sold his mechanic shop and semi retired. He had been working in that mechanic shop for a good portion of his life, 6 days a week going to the same place, on his day off he would just want to relax. When I spoke to him he was so excited because for the first time he had time to go on a short day trip and saw things that were so close to home yet he had never experienced them before.


Facebook has been around for sometime but when my mother discovered it, it allowed her to keep in touch with family and friends everyday in every country. When she got her first Apple iPhone she could Face time her granddaughter in Taipei at any time, see and talk to one another. A day before she was using International phone cards to call overseas.


Generally, we are creatures of habit, we don't like change and we don't like to move outside our bubble. Technology is now letting people of any age the ability to keep learning new things everyday that changes their lives. Science and Technology has helped the human race live longer and with a little coaching helping to make life easier, in particular keeping people in touch with others. We will soon be able to see and speak to one another through 3D virtual reality holograms. Friends and family will be able to interact with each others holograms in the same room even though they could be anywhere on the planet.


Imagine a child hearing for the first time after receiving a Cochlear implant. This is a single moment in time that will change that child's life forever due to technology. It's not  just big changes, it could be learning to make pancakes for the first time. It's such a simple recipe but if you don't know it you can't make it. If you love pancakes then learning to make them yourself is a life changing experience for you, because then you have them anytime you want


Getting back to disruption, the word itself can  mean, '  To cause (something) to be unable to continue in the normal way : to interrupt the normal progress or activity of (something),' or 'To throw into confusion or disorder.' It's all a matter of perception. I personally don't like using  the word 'disruption,' as it has a negative connotation. Change however can be positive, a new beginning, a new experience, a new way of living.


Taking yourself out of your comfort zone. Trying something new and enjoying the journey is part of the change that helps you to grow as a person. If it doesn't work out then you have learnt something and will be aware of what not to do next time. Like riding a bicycle, just keep getting back on until you have it. You generally need someone to show you how to ride that bike so don't be afraid to ask for help or accept help. Don't be afraid to learn something new, accept CHANGE and don't stop learning.


My pancake recipe:


1 cup of sifted self raising flour
1 heaped dessert spoon of sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup of milk with 1 tsp of vanilla essence
gently mix with a whisk until combined.
In a medium hot frypan add a dob of butter and when melted
Spoon the batter in to the size you choose.
When the top of the batter bubbles turn it over.
Check to see if it is brown on each side and take off the pan.
Add what ever you like on top and eat.

The Age of SMART PEOPLE

It is an interesting time in history at the moment. We went through the age of the Industrial Revolution where machines made things faster and generated more end product but created much more pollution and waste.


Now we are experiencing a new revolution and this time it is people that are going to have to be smarter. The trend is not only Innovation and technology but also the environment and humanitarian issues which in fact is a driving force for innovation in many occasions. We are moving way from factories with monotonous lines of people doing menial work to having mechanical machines or robots replacing them. What does this mean for the millions of workers that will be out of jobs? I see a great divide here. It's funny I can meet a really smart person, chat and laugh with them but they don't perceive themselves to be anything but a footy player, a mum, etc. They choose not to see themselves in any other light and don't want to change because they are comfortable where they are. They don't realise that with social media and general life interactions that they are changing and becoming smarter and adapting everyday.  We should always be learning new things, we should also consider learning new things that can contribute to new jobs.


We now have smart phones, smart cars and more to come, including more artificial intelligence. We have a small percentage of smart people paving the way for change. This is going to have to grow as new jobs are created. When we were young we could happily play using our imagination, creating and building. Some where along the line we have lost the ability to do this, to have wonderment at life and innovation. Can we really sit in front of the TV all night and watch reality TV all the time? I'm not saying don't watch it but not all the time. Spend some time with friends, nature, sport, a hobby. Be inquisitive, learn something online, create, write, enjoy. Find your passion. Through that be active and innovate. If you think the writing is on the wall for your job learn something new. Most of us will still have to put up with jobs we don't like and people that we don't like but instead of letting them affect you. You can create a new you change your attitude and it may rub off on the people around you or learn something new and get a new job.  I can hear a few people say, 'I'm too old to learn something new. It's all too hard.'' I say, 'You are never too old..' 'Make a few small changes.' and never say, 'I can't.'


Innovation and technology, we are not all scientists, we don't have to know exactly how things work but we can appreciate the latest innovations and support the people that have come up with new ideas. As companies become global or seek to follow in the footsteps of leaders in that particular field we will be taking up this new technology and innovation faster than we have ever had to before. This scares people, the word Disruption is being used a lot. It was first coined by Harvard Professor Clay Christiansen. I find at the moment Disruption is being used a little too much and not for what it was intentionally coined for.


What 'Disruptive innovation means is,' described by a process by which product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of the market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established companies.' So if we have an expensive product that for example is being used to make a smart phone screen and scientist come us with a metal that can do the same job 300 times cheaper than current screens, phone companies better take note because the new technology will quickly take over the old and companies that don't keep up will be too expensive and forced out of the market.


It is important to know what is going on in your own industry. If you want to be an industry leader then it is important to spend money and time in research and design. Don't forget what your business goal or mission is but be adaptable to trying new methods of delivery. Look at industry standards. Use them and adapt them to make them unique to the companies needs.


For consumers we generally aren't too concerned with what the technical blueprints are but we enjoy the benefits. Generally a new innovation or technology was made to make our lives easier or to entertain us, so that we purchase it and use it. 


For the younger generation find joy in doing things that you are passionate about. Find motivated like minded company. Never stop learning.

HYBRID Change

I have coined the phrase HYBRID change because I feel there is a big divide between fast ever changing technology and what people are comfortable with. There is plenty of Science, Technology and Innovation happening in the world but when you ask an everyday person about it they often say 'That's over my head' or' I hear the words coming out of your mouth but in a sentence I don't understand what you mean.' I have experienced this personally, I am a lover of Science and new innovations but there are articles that I read that really could be written in an alien language.  Luckily I do have some understanding and can translate and summarise them into words that I can understand, most of the time. I created a Facebook page called 'Debby's Simple Science Summaries' so that I can hopefully explain what I have read in my own simple words the wonderful daily innovations happening around the world.


So what I mean by HYBRID change is it is a blending of what we have now and new technology that is up and coming. Tesla motors is a great example of this. They currently use lithium batteries  as a power source rather than reinventing the wheel and making a new type of battery even though there are plenty of new options under R & D. They produce one of the most beautiful looking cars on the market and it is a 100% electric car. There are however only a small number of electric cars in the market place and very few places to recharge them in public. So what does Tesla do? They release the plans and technology free of charge into the market place so other much larger companies like General Motors can take advantage of their research and build their own cars but not only that they will increase production of parts and build electric car charging stations. So now there is a new model for business, Open sharing of knowledge that actually benefits each other and not to mention the environment.


How can we start this revolution in HYBRID change. Maybe by sharing information, communicating with people in the same industry or people not in the same industry. Networking, having meaningful conversations, creating meaningful friendships, having a luncheon with like minded people. Seeking new innovations and seeing how they could be used to enhance and build a better economy or business. The best leaders will be the ones that can think outside the traditional box that they are in. Most of all they will think how their consumers or the market will perceive them. They will introduce change without arrogance or authoritarian measures and they will find ways to reach a much larger market share then traditionally thought of.  They will look at what they already have, what consumers are already comfortable with and add a new benefit. It is essentially better customer service.


This way of introducing change will hopefully help fund more innovation rather than the millions of patents for new technologies or inventions sitting on a shelf being forgotten. New innovations are the catalyst for new start up businesses building a better economy and giving more people the opportunity to run their own business. HYBRID change a meshing of old and new.

Perception and Change

Perception is a funny thing. How one person sees something can be completely different to someone else. The most interesting thing is how we see ourselves. Australia for example is seen as the lucky country, rich in resources, great people, great food, great land and yet we are really quite isolated to the rest of the world. Our country is isolated and this may affect how we see ourselves and how we conduct business. Our political system is one of Local, State and Federal. These levels are intertwined but very rarely do they communicate effectively with one another. Information can easily get doubled up as one level researches something that another level has already researched. I brought this up recently with Kate Crawford who has a wide experience in the creative use of new information technologies to expand peoples ability to meet their needs and create new more sustainable ways of doing things. Her answer to me was 'open information, real open information.
I would like to add that the information needs to be short and to the point. No one wants to read 300 pages of waffle.


Currently China is again opening up the Silk road with it's 'One belt, One road' policy. This means that China is opening up trade and communication with the countries close to their borders and along the old Silk Road. China for many years was internal looking and now it's opening up to it's neighbours. They are expanding trade with nations big an small with in their community.


The current change in business sees organisation like Alibaba or Airbnb become $400 billion dollar companies because they take advantage of exponential market share. For example take a checker board. Imagine that's the earth. In the first box you tell one person about your product. In the next box there are two of you that tell two more about your product. In the next box there are 4 of you that tell 4 others about your product. If you keep doubling until you reach the last box you have nearly reached every one on earth.


So there is a shift in market perception. You reach out to the people around you and then they reach out to the people around them. You do this with the internet and social media. Australia would not be so isolated if we do this. We need to reach out to the countries that are not to far from our boarders. We need to communicate and trade with them much more than we currently do. We should not discriminate between the small countries and the large. We should not only concentrate on one large country when there are a wealth of smaller countries that are advancing much quicker than we are because they value innovation,  science, technology and investment into research and design more than we do. To this end we should embrace the new age of technology that is driving the surge in giant global companies that use current internet capabilities to market to the whole world, not just the physical radius around their physical head quarters. The great thinker and scientist Dr. Michio Kaku visited Australia last year and the first message that came out of his mouth was:
'You can cut the Science budget, but you will pay a price, 'What is the price? Poverty,' 'Commodities will be important, but they mean less in the future.' 'More and more value will come not from commodity but from the mind.' 'We need to encourage young people to leap into the forefront of intellectual capitalism.'
Australia did indeed cut our Science budget.
So do you think it is time to change our perception of ourselves? For our future. I think maybe it is.