changelog

Cybercrime expert Mikko Hypponen talks us through three types of online attack on our privacy and data -- and only two are considered crimes.

What does a bill like PIPA/SOPA mean to our shareable world? At the TED offices, Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume.

I had a long break, while I was doing some other work, but I was also thinking about the restructuring/new-orientation of my work and cocoate.com.

I went several times through the cocoate.com homepage (built with Drupal 6), followed all links and got lost some times. When that happened to me, it might happen also to our visitors. The site has been developed over the last three years and we added everything what seems to be valuable and interesting, and tried to keep the red thread.

The name cocoate is a composition of consulting, coaching and teaching. We structured our homepage according to these three areas, in three languages because our clients are from different countries.

How do I get into the situation, to not have time?

It happens as follows:

• Scenario 1:
  I meet (one or more) people, that I find interesting, with whom I'm on the same wavelength, together we are thinking and discussing a bit about different topics, and before I know it, a new idea is born, which we want to realize together.
  This is fun, inspiring and I also earn money with it.
• Scenario 2:
  Something annoys or inspires me, I develop an idea to change that or to create something new. I am looking for like-minded people, create a project, look for funding and realize the idea.
  This is fun, inspiring and I also earn money with it.
• Scenario 3:
  I am so curious, the world is so big and colourful and I have always wanted to do this and that ......
  Then there is Scenario 1 or 2.
  This is fun, inspiring and I also earn money with it.

Suddenly, I have so much to do, and I do not have time for other things or time to rest.
The three scenarios are a very good explanation, but what drives me to this restlessness?
I'll have a closer look using the models of the transactional analysis (TA).

I was on travel for few days and all the time I was incidently thinking on my change process.
The "magic" three words which occurs in all three languages are time, process, result.

So, what do I really want?

Time
I will have time.
Hmm, I have time. To get more time is not really possible, there is a natural limit, or ;-)?
I do need to be more precise: I want to spend my time differently.
In order to do WHAT?

Long pause for thought.
I know what I do not want. But that does not answer my question.

Long pause for thought (Honestly, I already think about half an hour. My neighbors coming alonge and ask me how I feel, why I am not going to the beach- it is sunny and warm here).

I want to rest.
I want to have time to be at home here in Fitou, time to restore our house, time for reading books, time to learn French, time to travel -  just for fun.

Process
What detains me spending my time like that?
What went wrong there? I mean, millions live just like this: go to work for some houers, go home, have free time, make holidays ,.... Why not me?

I want to find that out!

Wished result
 A calmer life, more serenity, time for leisure.

The comments on my first German changelog entry signalize understanding and agreement, perhaps the authors are/were in a similar situation. For Thomas sounds, what I have written even after burn-out, but that word do not fit to my situation.

There is a cool tool for the generation of tag clouds, wordle, and I have my text thrown into that generator to see, what is the strongest words are:

My key words in English are: time, change, process. Even in German and French are the results are almost identical.

To start a change process, I consider the necessity to describe the situation in which I / cocoate is, in detail. Because, if I want to change something, it is good to analyze the actual situation and also to reflect how does it came to that situation.
Only then am I really in a position to define potential problems, to develop a strategy to solve these problems and also, calrify my real goals.

Even though that might seems to be too theoretical, I am convinced, that this approach is a prerequisite for sustainable change. I do not want to change the surface and play with the symptoms, I want to change my life.

It is time again for a big change.
Well, I actually change myself and what I do constantly. But this time it's different. I want to do a deeper change in my life, I want to live differently.
My work takes a very big place in my life, I can't really distinguish between work and leisure time, somehow both parts overlaps always. This is ok for me, but I want to tidy up, because I am permanently busy and have only little time for recreation and that is not good for me.
So I thought I "clear out" my company cocoate.com. That means, I will analyze for what I spend how much time, with which activities I earn money and what do I like most. The result of this analysis is the basis for the modification of cocoate.com.

And I describe this process in public.
This is new for me, because until now I worked more or less concealed. But I would like to get hints, tips, ideas,suggestions. On the other site, I do show my skills and do incur public criticism and / or approval.

The process is more important than the result? The process is at least as important as the result!