January 6, 2010
“Things do not change, we change.”
- Henry David Thoreau -
What if I would invite you to a “Walden”-vacation, where you recreate Thoreau’s world famous 19th century retreat? You’d have to survive without your mobile, computer, internet, tv, car, Twitter and to make it worse also without electricity or indoor plumbing (sic!). Of course, you’d be carrying your own luggage, preferably a backpack. The planned excursions include starting a camp fire, sleeping in a tent, enjoying the beautiful scenery around you, getting closer to nature, creating friendships for life, contemplating on your life, setting up an action plan and doing nothing. Also enjoying the silence is an all-time favorite! 
Would you sign up? Thoreau did. And he enjoyed it. When I walked my camino to Spain, I enjoyed it too! I came a lot closer to nature those days.
Anyway, all this to tell you that Thoreau longed to simplify his life, free himself from distraction and find more meaning in life. He believed that by changing his environment, he would change something inside of him. A couple of weeks ago I changed my environment also. And it worked! More flow, more results and I started 2010 as a happy camper
As you know, we sold our house and we’ll change our environment again. I am looking forward to it!
So, are you ready to simplify your life? What are your next steps to change your environment?
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September 2, 2009
“Getting Things Done with Fun”
- Bert Verdonck -
This is definitely another perfect quote for me. GTDWF, Getting Things Done with Fun! What I really mean is that a lot of people are so focused on GTD alone that their life becomes a mechanical process. They might have a “mind like water”, but are they happy? Do they have fun? Some successful GTD-addicts don’t know what to do with their free time? How’s that possible? Why did they start applying GTD in the first place?
So, as a Creator, I know that I always want to improve things. I am great at starting new things and new projects. And I admit, I am sometimes less of a finsiher. But, I am always looking to have fun! And the fun takes me to some extra steps, sometimes the necessary ones to finish a certain project. Here is my advice : Have fun, always!
It’s up to you to do something with it (or not). And if you’d be looking for ways to improve your life, how would you approach GTD with more fun? What action do you take?
Anyway, have fun in the process, always
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July 4, 2009
“When you think you’ve got it, you didn’t get it!”
- Bert Verdonck -
Are you like most people when they think they’ve got it, in fact they didn’t?
I regularly give training on non-verbal communication (NVC) and when I ask a student if she got it, her NVC gives her away when she says ‘yes’ while nodding ‘no’. So she didn’t get it. Why want people make us believe they got it? Well, hundreds of reasons exist. I don’t want to look stupid. It’s not important, let’s move on. I wasn’t concentrating and won’t admit it. I don’t care. Etc. Etc. And that’s ok, but be aware that your body might show us something else…
On top of that, there are conundrums, a kind of riddle or puzzle, where you can’t think your way out of. You have to feel it, before you really understand it. Or it’s rather difficult, because most conundrums contain a kind of pun. So, when I give the solution of the conundrum, people very often state that they got it, but did they really get it? I am not convinced.
Oh, I get it, you want examples of conundrums, right? Here are a few. If you want to reflect on these or have meaningful conversations, they always work great at family parties or networking receptions. I am not sure if people really get it, but hey, that’s fun too, right?
- What came first, the chicken or the egg?
- If you don’t know the rules, you shouldn’t break them (Duke Ellington)
- When is a door not a door?
What is your conundrum? And when did you get it?
Have fun, always,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
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April 29, 2009
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.
- Voltaire -
Wise words from François-Marie Arouet, also known as Voltaire. Initially this quote was about how ministers should rule France. Today, I use it to inspire friends and clients to contribute to good causes. Being honest, I also apply it to myself. What can we do today to do good for someone else? It may be something big or small. What good did you do lately? What’s your excuse for not doing it everyday?
I am dedicating a percentage of my time to charities, like “Go Bananas“. On top of that I am giving away a percentage of my profit to local charities of the countries I visit to deliver speeches, trainings or seminars. For my trip to New Zealand, I am talking to volunteers of a Maori village. I’ll visit them and besides providing resources will discuss with my team what we can do to help them even more. Get in touch if you want to contribute too
Of course, it’s easy to give away when you have plenty, but even when you have little it’s important to do good and help others too, even if that means sharing with others. A lot of people have excuses for not sharing with the needed. This is where my quote fits in : “By letting go and through effective giving, we get whatever we want”.
The thing is, can you afford not to give to others? What happens if you don’t do your part? What impact does it have on their lives? Did I tell you not to take yourself so seriously?
So, instead of focusing on myself, I now look at what it is I can do to help others. Not just by giving absurdly, but also by always looking for doing things better, so there is more to give away. If I settle for mediocracy, I am guilty of not creating enough wealth and good for others, denying them of a better life. By stepping up and playing my game at a higher level, the world becomes a better place. Everyone can make a difference! The question is: are you up for it? Or are you guilty?
Give absurdly, start today,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
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April 6, 2009
“There are two types of people who will tell you that you can not make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”
Ray Goforth
Most people who are afraid of something, don’t want you to try it either, because they are afraid of it. So, they talk you out of it! Or at least they try…They downgrade your effort and they find a number of reasons for NOT letting you do it (the easy way : finding excuses!). So, don’t let these people scare you. Of course, it can be polite to listen to them first, but remember it’s your decision. Believe in yourself and just do it! You can make a difference!
Then there are these people who are afraid you will succeed. I sometimes meet these people, when I come back from a course that I followed. They see that I have changed and are afraid of losing me. So, they ask me to “behave” or become “normal” again. Hmm, interesting! Then, I have 2 choices, follow my instinct and really apply what I’ve learned or go back to my old pattern and nothing really changes. You see, only a minority actually creates changes in their life after attending a seminar or life changing course. Several try, but are brought back to their daily pattern by the ones surrounding them. They are afraid of losing you, when you are successful. Because you will change when you are successful, you’ll behave differently, have new friends, etc. So, this is what your current friends want to avoid. They are afraid of your success and so, they don’t let you be successful. And here I am, thinking that my friends would wish me all the best That’s at least what I am wishing for ALL my friends. If they are successful, I will still be wishing them even more success! It thought that’s what friends are for…encouraging each other, next to being there for them, whenever they need you.
Having said that, I know that you will not be influenced by what your friends and the people around you think about you. Of course, I am the only one
By the way, do you recognize any of these 2 types of people? I surely do. I could name a few
Lessons learned : if you want to be successful and make a difference in the world, go on and be successful, don’t let others scare you with their fears! Everyone can make a difference!
Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
Create, Connect & Contribute
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March 4, 2009
“If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?”
- Laurence J. Peter -
Do you have a messy desk? I do. Most people do. And if you’re like two out of three people, you feel guilty and ashamed about it, as well as about the lack of neatness and organization in your home, your office, your business, and everywhere else in your life. And other people probably give you grief about it. But are messiness and disorganization really such terrible things? If so, why do people who keep their desks very neat spend an average of 36 percent more time looking for things at work than people who keep a fairly messy desk? I’d rather spend that time on having fun. And yes, I can still find my way around in my mess
Last week, we had dinner at friend’s place and while she was in the kitchen I found a great book ( A Perfect Mess) in her library. It demonstrates that moderately messy systems use resources more efficiently, spur creativity, yield better solutions and are harder to break than neat ones. Yes! Stop letting the neat-freaks push you around! I found out why a certain amount of messiness and disorganization was already working in my favour, but I lacked evidence (sometimes) to proof it to others.
If you look at the money and time that goes into organizing, structuring and archiving stuff in companies, I sometimes wonder if all the efforts are really worth it? Do you really need all these applications, filing systems, neatly organised desks? I already told you about the Pile, don’t File-approach and A Perfect Mess gives more insights on how you can take even better advantage of the benefits of disorder. Don’t take my word for it, read the book, get convinced and keep a fairly messy desk, like mine
Enjoy your mess,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker
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January 27, 2009
“Even if you are on the right track,
you will get run over if you just sit there.”
- Will Rogers -
This is so true! Too many people are on the right track and then they loose speed. They slow down even to the point of standing still. I know, some take a detour and loose track easily, but I am talking about those who are staying on track and who do nothing (very little?) to get to their (next) destination.
What’s keeping them from going forward? Maybe they have a false feeling of security knowing they are on the right track? Or are they exhausted of all the hard work before getting on the right track? Who can tell? The fact is, they will get run over if they just sit there. On top of that, it becomes even harder to get moving again and you might even get distracted and get off your right track!
So, where are you? Already on the right track? What’s your cruising speed? Or do you need more guidance? I can help you with the right action(s) to get you back on track. It’s up to you to take the first step…
Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
Create, Connect & Contribute
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January 6, 2009
Life is too short,
eat the chocolate first!
- Bert Verdonck -
Yes, I know, a lot people hear me saying this regularly. Time to put it on my blog as well
So, why did I come up with this quote? I enjoy life! As you probably know, my motto is “Enjoy every day!”. You must know that for most Belgians eating and drinking are very (very!) important. Most of you know that Belgium is chocolate’s heaven…And there is a strong link between having fun and eating chocolate, right
Now, why would I share this with you? Well, every day can be our last one and I see too many people waiting too long before they have fun. They work too hard and keep postponing the fun part for another day or they will benefit from it, once they retire. They tend to forget that some never reach retirement. So, why are we so seriously all the time? Why don’t we play anymore and have fun like when we were kids… How enthusiastic were we with the smallest things in life? Did you forget that too? Well, I don’t and I insist on having more fun too!
On the 31st of December, I had a great conversation with a friend and fellow coach, who needed some clarity on his bigger purpose in life. I asked him : “Why are you here?” He told me all he wants to do, is play! Playing and having fun are his biggest drivers. He is so enthusiastic about playing that I am convinced he could inspire a lot of people to play more! So, one of his intentions for 2009 is…play more!
At the beginning of this new year, I think it is important to reflect on our lives again and look forward. Time to create a new set of wishes! And let’s be careful with what we wish for, because we might get it So, what are your wishes?
Anyway, I’ll be an example and start by having fun today (and by eating a magical piece of Belgian chocolate )!
Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
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December 8, 2008
I was born unknowing,
and have had only a little time
to change that here and there.
- Richard Meynman -
I was also born unknowing and the older I get, the more I realise that there is always more to explore, to create and to learn. The amount of knowledge seems to grow exponentially. Time goes faster and faster too!
So, it’s time to sit down again, reflect on what I am doing, where I am going and what I want to achieve in life. I am creating an ecourse on life coaching and as a test, I am going through it myself now. And I am excited about the results already
What I have already learned, is that my ability to learn is improving every year. Next to that, I am aware that I am only skilled in a very few fields, compared to the universe of knowledge. That is not stopping me of sharing and helping others with the little knowledge that I have.
I have been privileged to work at the forefront of emerging environments, such as the commercial internet almost 15 years ago and biometrics, which is still a quite unknown field for a lot of people. Recently, I have moved on to life coaching and lifehacking. These fields of expertise are now building at an incredible speed and it reinforces my contribution to those unaccustomed to the benefits of the digital age. I will create more and more practical guides and tools to help everyone to master the magic of technology. I tell you this, because these are areas where I have changed from not knowing to knowing.
What about you? What did you learn? What do you know now?
Something to reflect on, right?
Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach
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November 21, 2008
Your work is to discover your world
and then with all of your heart give yourself to it.
- Buddha -
So, what are YOU working on lately?
Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Create, Connect & Contribute
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