thinks

OK. I’m late to the game on this one. Probably way late. But, you need to watch this:

My wife just read Randy Pausch’s book. I’ve just started it. Here’s what I’ve gotten so far - from the video and from the book: Don’t you dare let anything - not one damn thing - stop you from achieving your dreams. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Whether it’s business, life or love, go get what you want. Now. The only thing between you and your success is what you allow to be there.

A couple weeks back, I managed to lose my right hand, er, my Blackberry Pearl. Suddenly, I lacked access to my email, voice and data applications that I have increasingly taken for granted over the last several years. No email. No texting. No mobile web browsing. No Twitter. Gah.

So, what did I learn?

• Voice remains the killer app. While I didn’t have access to the many mobile web elements I use regularly (GReader and Twitter tops among them), not having a phone while at the grocery store or on the train to keep in touch with family, friends and work was the biggest concern.
• The connectedness of your network (the people kind, not technology) drives your mobile killer app. Because most folks use their phone primarily for voice, it continues to dominate. Email was important, too (not surprising for a Blackberry user, I suppose). And losing both essentially cut me off from the world.
• Mobile broadband access offset the pain. While whipping out my laptop and starting both its mobile broadband connection and Skype is a much bigger pain in the rear than using a phone, it was no less effective. As mobile broadband becomes more common, will multifunction devices (palmtops, tablet PC’s) take some of the function of mobile phones? (Or is it vice versa?)
• My phone also serves as my main address book. And, apparently, I don’t know anyone’s phone number anymore.
• My productivity didn’t change. This surprised me more than anything. Most people - me included - assumed I’d get more done while disconnected. And while I did catch up on some (print) reading, I spent so much time looking for network connections or landlines or phone numbers or email addresses I that I couldn’t get other things done near so quickly or easily as usual. The lack of interruption made it easier to accomplish a single task. But managing the myriad moments of my day suffered massively.

It’s becoming popular to declare the mobile web dead in the water. I disagree. As your network - or your customers’ - starts using their mobile device for data as much as voice, expect that adoption to grow. We’re only just starting to see the birth of innovative mobile apps, be they Slifter, WorldMate or social tools like Facebook and Twitter. Google CEO Eric Schmidt thinks mobile advertising is set to explode. Mobile devices have achieved faster penetration than any prior technology. Give them a little time and they’re likely to change the world. Just like they’ve changed mine.

What’s the longest you’ve had to go without your mobile device? How did you manage? Tell us about it in the comments.

Since the Web is awash in April Fool’s jokes today, I felt it best to leave it to the professionals:

• The Onion - “America’s Finest News Source”. Satirical and often hilarious
• JibJab - Online animation at its best

If you’re not interested in April Fool’s jokes and looking for information about ecommerce, ecommerce strategy, online marketing or the social, mobile, local web, try these popular posts:

• Compare site hosting for small business websites
• What sales channels matter most to a small business’ ecommerce strategy?
• Four tips to help you decide the right amount to spend on your website
• What it means to be a geek marketer
• Google shows how customers use mobile search to find local businesses
• Follow these 7 steps to keep your website alive
• The 12 most important business books of the last 10 years
• What happens to your brand when corporate bloggers leave?
• Why is your business still invisible online?
• What is the business value of Twitter?
• Is Twitter an ecommerce driver?

For the first time in 14 years, I’m not wearing my wedding ring. No, my wife hasn’t come to her senses and tossed me overboard (and I hope she never does). I cut my finger and my ring was digging into the spot. Painfully. But I don’t like not wearing my ring. Like the old “tie a string around your finger” trick, it’s a reminder of a deep, meaningful commitment. It’s a reminder of responsibility. It’s a reminder of more than 14 years of my life, its ups and downs, and, of course, of who helped me through it all.

Businesses don’t often recognize commitment. Some would argue they don’t make commitments, willing to toss aside employees at the first sign of financial hardship. But I don’t believe that - not for all, anyway - and especially not among small businesses. You demonstrate commitment every day, in the way you treat your employees, your customers, your neighbors. It may not be as culturally meaningful or as universally recognized as a ring, but the counsel you give, the service you provide, the support you offer symbolizes commitment, too. So celebrate your commitment. And watch you don’t hurt your finger.

In my life, I have only really coveted three jobs:

• Rock ‘n’ roll superstar - I saw Elvis in GI Blues or Jailhouse Rock on the channel 9 Saturday afternoon movie when I was a little kid in the 70’s and thought, “That’s the life for me.”
• Center fielder for the New York Mets - Same as above, except instead of Elvis on channel 9, it was Tommie Agee.
• User interface designer - Sure, it’s a bit of a switch from the other two, but years of working in recording studios in the 80’s taught me exactly how important it was that products met people’s needs. Time is money, after all.

These days I do marketing and e-commerce and spend most of my time worrying about how customers experience brands online. So, I’ve achieved the last of these, in a fashion that satisfies me.

Jesse James Garrett, a sort of rock star user interface designer, and the author of the damned-fine “The Elements of User Experience” provided terrific life advice a few weeks back that you should check out. It may sound like “fake it ’til you make it.” But my experience tells me that you only achieve your dreams when you go after them.

Happy New Year everyone. Make 2008 a great year. Here’s hoping you get everything you want.

Peace.