Ignore Everybody and 20 Other Keys to Business and Social Media Success

Part 1: Based on a brilliantly delivered book Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity (Amazon Affiliate Link) by Hugh MacLeod.

Key No 1. Ignore Everybody.

We care WAY TOO MUCH what other people think.

We are conditioned to care about what other people think. After all, we are social animals and our very survival depends on other people liking us.

Or if you are an online animal, our survival depends on people “linking” (to) us :-p

In The New Secrets of CEO’s (Amazon Affiliate Link) Richard Branson states the following.

I totally ignored the established business theories and strategies and struck out determined to do things differently”.

When it comes to Business, Social Media, or life in general, it seams that not only is everyone full of shit but few are equipped to offer up any useful advice anyways.

All advice is a model airplane.

A model (toy) airplane is a scaled down version of the real thing. Not only in size but also in complexity.

It’s easy to make a toy airplane while knowing how the real thing works. But try making a full size, working Boeing 747 using a toy airplane as your reference.

What a great idea for a gift this season!!! Click here to buy a Boeing 747 for your favorite kid this season on Amazon.

Making a Boeing 747 using a toy airplane as your reference might prove to be a challenge.

Don’t you think?

• Would you like to know how great companies are structured? Read Good to Great. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Would you like to know how to succeed in Social Media?  Read Darren Rowse, Chris Brogan, Brian Clark…Dino Dogan?
• Would you like to know how to get “more” out of your life? Read Anthony Robbins (Amazon Affiliate Link) and various fitness and life gurus, and so on…

But Understand This.

The only thing any of them are able to give you is a toy airplane. Go ahead a build your own 747 using the toy airplane as your model. Good luck.

When “gurus” are peddling their wares its not surprising they often call them “models”.

Besides. What got them there wont keep them there and it cant get YOU there either.

But wait! There's more!!! ~Billy Mays. Rest in peace buddy. We miss you.

But wait! There’s more.

What you have in mind should be fresh, new and original. In which case no one is able to give you any advice.

Why?

Because originality and good advice don’t exactly exist in the same universe.

“Oh, that’s ok. My friends and coworkers are able to give me great advice. I’ll ask them.” I bet you’re saying to yourself.

Your friends are the last folks you should ask for advice.

You and your friends have a dynamic that depends on everyone maintaining their role within the social group. If you flip the script, where does that leave them?

I had a friend; lets call him John because that’s his name.

We were best of buddies when I was making 30K a year.

Great guy. He would often pick up the check and buy a beer. But when I started making lot more money than he, the power-shift occurred.

I was no longer the loser friend who couldn’t afford lunch; and where does that leave him?

If I’m not the loser friend than who is?

I’m NOT for a second suggesting that the amount of money a person makes is a measure of his loserdom; what I’m suggesting is that THAT is EXACTLY  how some people think.

So what’s the big idea YOU have?

Maybe I can offer some advice :-p