There’s a 747 in your garage.

Passion is contagious. We just want to be around people who believe in a cause and won't take 'no' for an answer. If you can find a way to ignite that 'fire within', you will be surprised what you can accomplish.

A friend of mine gets a charge from the world of financial advice. He’s able to relate the changes in our tax code to the real world. Confused over the many mutual fund option? He clearly and concisely presents the best choices depending on your financial goals.

Another friend of mine really enjoys guitars. He is able to discern how different types of wood affect the guitar's sound. He can look at a guitar and almost routinely recite the make, model, and serial number. He's all things six-string.

These two individuals are experts in their ‘craft’ and display an enthusiastic passion for their area of focus.

The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article on one man’s obsession with Pan Am.

Anthony Toth grew up admiring all of the specific details and interworkings of an aircraft. In fact, when he accompanied his parents on overseas vacations, he would document all the particulars of the flight attendants, the service, the audio announcements – anything that he could capture.

Mr. Toth’s focus was mainly on the now-defunct Pan Am Airlines. This once-proud airliner shuttled people around the globe in style. This was a day when you got much more than a bag of peanuts for your journey. Linen tablecloths, fine china, roomy cabins were the norm – not the exception.

This passion has consumed Mr. Toth to the point where he has recreated a 747 Pan Am cabin in his garage. He works in the industry for United Airlines and sometimes holds meetings, mixers, and events inside the cabin replica in his garage. This is a man that knows his industry. Never satisfied, Mr. Toth is always searching for that next napkin, straw, or swizzle stick to add to the authenticity of the scene.

How committed are you to your passion? If you are lacking commitment, what changes in your life do you need to make to align yourself with your passion? Everyone has a passion deep inside – the key is to clear away the clutter that is obscuring us from this truth.

Here’s the full article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125650482699406669.html (Subscription Required)

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Have a Focused Day

The Product Camp Austin event was remarkable (it's hard to believe that this happened two months ago!!). The free six-hour session was jammed with networking and learning opportunities that will certainly have me attending next year.

Product Managers, or any professional for that matter, you always have more work than can be accomplished in one day. The key is focus. Colleen Heubaum, one of the Product Camp presenters, expertly described work-days as Buffer Days or Focus Days.

Buffer days are days where you are prepping to focus, typically moving quickly from task to task. Context switching rules the day in a ‘buffer day’ and routinely zaps productivity. As a Product Manager, it is inviting and easy to stay in the Buffer day ‘zone’. One is making progress on small deliverables, but never dedicating extended time on the most important things.

Ms. Heubaum encouraged us to spend more of our days as focus days; this is where progress happens. We’ve identified the most important item that needs our attention and we’re not distracted by the ebbs and flows of the day.

This mindset is explained further in Dan Sullivan’s book titled, “The Strategic Coach.” I strongly encourage any professional looking to improve performance to browse Sullivan’s book.

Until next time,

Dan Naden