I one thing I am leaving in 2011 is about 55 lbs. This is not the first time I have been here. I dropped 110 lbs between 2006 and 2007, bu I never burned the boats. After reaching a low of 203 I let an injury, laziness, and falling into old habits push me back above 260 in true yo-yo fashion. Let me tell you, 260 sucks.

I’m not going back. This time I am burning the boats. Last week in New York I bought three new suits – 42 slim. To say they fit nicely is an understatement, I look amazing in them. I also picked up a nice cashmere top coat. Today I grabbed four sportcoats.

Here is what is on the way out. Thats six pair of slacks, two sportcoats, and a suit. They are nice garments, in perfect condition… only for a guy 6 sizes bigger than me.

Twenty-twelve will be for me a year of living with intent. A year of experimentation in the service of choosing concisely the best way to live my life. I will be sharing my experiences, if you are interested in following along check out The Fred Project and @thefredproject.

And I wish all of you a fantastic 2012… remember, don’t turn back, don’t surrender, burn your boats.

So I’m not doing very well with my nine dollar daily commitment. And I’d really like to start blogging with more consistency so I bought Dragon NaturallySpeaking. In honesty, I actually bought Dragon naturally speaking about two months ago, however until today I never actually have taken the time to set it up.

So far the results have been lackluster. I find myself having back and edit a few words every line that I speak. I also had no success getting commands to work like:  ’the late’ ‘Billy’ ‘D. Lee’ ‘believed’ … delete.

I’m not sure how much I’m actually going to use Dragon. It definitely shows a glimmer promise and I must say that I like being able to speak my thoughts and watch them appear rather than having to actually keyboard them in.

Enter Chicago Counts, Net Squared, and my friend Heidi Massey (@HeidiEKMassey). Heidi Massey is the organizer (and heart) behind the Net Squared Chicago Counts Conference Uniting Nonprofits & Technology. The conference is Sunday, September 12th at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm.

I am excited to support this opportunity to bring together technology professionals seeking meaningful volunteer opportunities with organizations struggling to manage their technology needs. Featured speakers include Geoff Livingston (@geoffliving) co-founder of Zoetica, and Nate St. Pierre (@itstartswithus) founder of ItStartsWith.Us. Rumors are a-buzz that non-featured speaker Fred Cadena might also be presenting a session.

If you are in Chicago, involved in technology, and have a heart for giving this is the place to be September 12th. Tickets available now.

The meters are notable for many reasons, not the least of which is the technology. Not only are the meters able to accept cash and SFMTA cards, but also credit and debit cards. Hardly a unique feature, but one this occasional Chicago driver finds missing far too often. Here is where the unique begins. Sensors embedded in the street communicate with a data hub that tracks which spaces are open and which are filled.  SFpark plans to make this data available to drivers via online maps as well as San Francisco’s 511 (information) system, mobile devices, and text message. No word yet on how drivers will be able to access the information while driving under California’s stringent cell phone ban.

The real secret sauce, however, is the other use for SFpark’s sensor data – demand-responsive pricing. Rather than the current static pricing of $1.00 to $3.50 per hour, in the SFpark pilot areas rates will vary from between 25 cents to $6.00 per hour. The goal of the project is not to increase parking revenue, but to maintain 20% availability of parking spaces for both metered spaces and city owned garages.  By tracking parking use, SF parking will raise or lower prices to achieve the targeted availability. While meter rates will fluctuate by day and time of day, no one rate will be adjusted by more than 50 cents per hour and rate changes will be done no more often than once per month.  Rates at city garages will adjust more frequently to encourage use.

So, what’s the environmental benefit? According to data from SFMTA, circling for parking accounts for approximately 30% of city driving. Less city driving means less emissions.  Not only will drivers benefit from greater availability of parking spaces, but having access to parking availability and pricing data will help people make better decisions about whether to drive, walk, bike, or take public transportation – each of which helps reduce auto emissions.

Don’t look for these meters all over quite yet.  The initial pilot is scheduled for two years and will include Civic Center, the Financial District, SOMA, the Mission, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Fillmore, and the Marina in addition to Hayes Valley mentioned above. The upgrades to make the dynamic pricing possible aren’t exactly cheap either. Cost to install and network the 5,100 meters for the pilot will run just south of $25 million.

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Dayna was right about something else as well, you don’t need to make 100 great connections - or even 10. One great connection can open up a host of possibilities and opportunities you have never imagined. Her challenge to you is to get excited, find a conference/seminar/event, and go find your ONE connection.

My challenge to you is different – get excited, find a conference/seminar/event and go BE that one connection.  Yes, we all want to get ahead – and that is the point – lets ALL get ahead. Hydrologists have a term ‘drawdown;’ it is the measure of the lowering of the water level in a reservoir as it is being pumped out. The lower the ratio of drawdown to water extracted the greater the aquifer’s ability to replenish itself. Networking is a lot like hydrology, if you don’t take time to replenish the well… eventually it will run dry.

The approach I strive for is to simply be a net giver. To approach every situation from the perspective of how can I add to the relationship. Note I didn’t say BEFORE taking; it is more a practice of giving selflessly. Every time you give this way in your professional relationships you are literally replenishing your well – of goodwill, of opportunity, and of success.

So when you meet someone, take the time to listen – really listen – to who they are, what they are passionate about, and what they need. Then reflect on your network and resources to see how you can help them along.

Earlier today I bought another handy piece of consumer technology known as the Blu Ray player. Mind you, I have no intention to to out and buy a bunch of Blu Ray disks. I don’t put a lot of value in the difference between 1080p and 720y or whatever the designations are; and frankly on my 48 inch TV I am not sure it makes much of a difference (especially considering it spends most of its time in the off position). No, this purchase was mostly utilitarian – for Kate’s occasional late Saturday night movie suggestion or for my son to watch Curious George or the like when he is over.

My old DVD player was a… I think the technical term is POS. It was bought hurriedly at Walgreen’s (that Electronic powerhouse) a year and a half ago to replace my prior DVD player that had broken mid ‘Monsters Inc’. I could have replaced it by plunking down another $39 for an off-brand frill-free DVD player. But instead gracing my mantle is a shiny new Blu Ray with the curious ability to stream web content.

I am sharing all this not to prove that I am doing my part to boost 3rd quarter consumer spending, but instead to ask the question why did I wait?  The only thing I can think of is that the realities of our new ‘Freemium‘ economy has resulted in slower adaptation of technologies that come with an initial cost – at least for me. I have been conditioned to a try-it-before-you-buy-it (or instead of buying it) model that I am more reluctant to pay for something upfront even when there is an expectation of high value.

This cant be only me. Imagine the effect on producers of physical goods which generally don’t lend themselves well to a freemium model. Are you in the manufacturing industry?  If so, what are you doing to adjust?

No, for the last several days I have been sporting a $9 per day accountability habit.

It doesn’t take much scrolling down this page to see that my blogging is rather anemic.  I want to blog in that abstract sense we all have of wanting things but it ends up taking a back seat to the other priorities in my life. So starting Monday, July 26th I asked my loving girlfriend Kate to hold me accountable for blogging once per day. “But Fred,” I hear you exclaim from your end of Cyberspace, “it is now Wednesday, July 28th (at 10pm no less) and when I scroll down I see your last post was in February.”

That brings me to my $9 per day habit. Every day I don’t blog I get to pay Kate $9.

So, two things inevitably come to mind. I know – $9 is an odd sum it doesn’t divide up easy. Second, I am going to guess you fall into one of two camps: a) wow, $9 a day is a lot to pay for nothing -OR- b) wow, big spender, $9 – why don’t you make it a penalty that will really hurt?  Thats the bugger with accountability. For it to be effective you want it to bother you. But that bother needs to be closer to the annoyance of an itchy clothing tag than a sucking chest wound. It would do neither Kate nor I any favours to set up a system where the penalties were so big we end up resenting each other or fall in the trap of wanting to let the person we love off the hook. While $9 is not a lot for me, I will still feel it.

And remember, I am the guy who just said I order Keurig cups in large boxes months ahead of time to save a couple of bucks a day on coffee. This is a $9 per day habit I am in a hurry to break.

If you aren’t familiar with the concept of a dance marathon then you are not alone. When Keri Lockett reached out to me to see if I would be interested in partnering with the Chicago Dance Marathon I  wasn’t sure what to expect – I certainly wasn’t expecting to stumble upon a cultural phenomena dating back to the 1920s. While this event is a bit lighter on the dancing, and the time commitment, the dedication to having fun and raising funds are just as strong.

The 2010 Chicago Dance Marathon has been formed as a partnership between Children’s Miracle Network and Children’s Memorial Hospital. In case you are not familiar with Children’s Memorial Hospital, they are one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the U.S. serving more than 140,000 seriously ill children from throughout the Chicago region, all 50 states and 36 countries around the world in 2009 alone. They offer a complete range of health care services for children, from newborns to young adults. They are also home to one of the leading centers for pediatric research in the world.

I encourage you to get involved with the event in any way you can. Register as a ‘dancer’ to solicit donations, alone or in a team (I still have a few slots on the YPC/CNP team). You will have a blast on the day of the event dancing, Wii-ing, bagging, and doing whatever else you like from a standing position for 13.1 hours; contact me if you would like to join our team or you can sign up right on the Chicago DM website  If that seems a bit intense for you or if you are otherwise engaged on March 6th I hope you will consider donating to the YPC/CNP team on this page.

More importantly, know the value of laughter. This is a foolproof stress buster. Sharing your humor with others helps to ease the pressures of the workplace. Say something silly or crack a joke (just not in the big meeting) because sillier can sometimes be better. If you’re not comfortable delivering one face-to-face, send it via email. To avoid blurting out inappropriate remarks to the boss, talk with your friends and colleagues. You will soon get to know them well enough to understand which things they’re not comfortable talking about or making fun of.

The balance you are seeking should already be found within. It just needs to be rediscovered and unearthed. Embrace what you have right now and celebrate what is yet to come. Remember, you are all capable of great things. Fear limits what you can achieve and you must remove this from your heart. Remember, your psyche knows no boundaries, so live a little but always remember that you also have to be responsible about the things you do.

If it sounds too good to be true…

So what if I told you recent studies suggested that creative visualization not only didn’t help people realize goals, but was actually a hindrance. A study by Lien Pham and Shelley Taylor looked at the relationship between visualizing success and achieving success.  A group of students were asked to spend a few moments each day visualizing themselves doing well on an upcoming test tracking how much time they spent studying. When compared to the control group, which did not engage in the visualization exercises but were still asked to track study time, the students who visualized themselves doing well on the test preformed far worse. Digging further into the study they discovered that the visualization techniques lead the students to feelings of overconfidence which significantly lowered the amount of time they spent studying compared to the control.

You have a bad attitude…

Another study by Gabriele Oettingen and Thomas A. Wadden tracked obese women who were actively participating in a weight reduction program. The women were asked to describe how they would react in various situations when tempted by food.  The responses were ranked on a scale from highly positive (ie. I would not even consider touching it) to highly negative (ie. Wild horses couldn’t hold me back from eating it). Which group would you think most successful after a year in the program? If you thought it was the ‘highly positive’ group, think again; they lost an average of 26 pounds less than the ‘highly negative’ group.

Adopting Newspeak…

This is where the doublethink comes in. Decidedly not a psychologist, George Orwell explained Doubethink in 1984 as: “The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” As it happens this is a remarkably adept description of the most effective form of motivational visualization. Going back to the Pham/Taylor study above, there was a third group of students in the study. This third group was asked not to visualize succeeding on the test, but instead were asked to visualize the process of study and review that would be needed to succeed on the test as well as track their actual study habits like the other two groups. The results were remarkable; the grades of the third group were significantly better than either the control or the group that visualized only their success.

When tied in with the second study I conclude that what is lacking from traditional creative visualization techniques is the complete dismissal of acknowledgement and preparation for the barriers that will no doubt be faced along the way. Next time you set a goal you wish to achieve try this doublethink technique. Start by visualizing your success and write down what the benefits you will achieve. Then spend time visualizing the obstacles and problems you will face along the way and record these as well. Pick your top two or three form each group. Now the doublethink: alternating between the benefits and the obstacles, elaborate on each. Combining the visions of achieving success with the visions of the reality you will face long the way will be far more effective than either technique on its own.

Try it and please share your thoughts in the comments.