As an author, information technology has flipped the script on how we write. The three major areas it helps are: 1) rough drafts, 2) collaboration, 3) publishing.
With that being said, let me provide some examples.
Drafting
The key to rough drafts are speed. The faster you get words on paper the better. I call it word-vomiting. In the past I used to hand-write or type out rough drafts. The problem is, you think much faster than you can type or write. If you’re not fast enough, you can lose some great ideas. However, now that smartphones have a dictation feature speed is a non issue. You can talk much faster than you write or type and the phone will capture the nearly all of your words. Despite the fact that a degree of fidelity lost in translation this is still far more effective for the rough draft. You can easily mitigate errors in future drafts and editing.
Collaboration
After your drafts are done, you eventually need to send your work to an editor. In the past this used to be a cumbersome process of e-mailing back and forth. Version control can quickly become problematic. However, with collaboration tools like Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Skype, and MS Project (to name a few), teams can quickly coordinate in near real time. This speeds up the process and while allowing effective collaboration.
Publishing
Lastly, publishing has always been the bane of a writer’s existence. Particularly new authors. Although many are great at creating engaging stories, they’re not that skilled at obtaining legitimate publishers. However, with the advent of self-publishing and it’s adoption by behemoth companies like Amazon, information technology has provided a great venue for first time authors to showcase their work. Furthermore, large publishing houses can rate “new talent” based on real life sales, opposed to taking large risks with no name authors. What about you? How do you use technology to write in the 21'st century? PS.com... If you want to see more on this topic, and why I believe everyone can write their own book, check out the following video:
Follow Josh onYouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tipperdy Or Twitter: @Joshumusprime
Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm
And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy
And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/
Death is not the worst thing that can happen to man--Plato There is something far worse than death that plagues humanity... A force that devours dreams. Defiles dignity. And steals of the souls of men. Mediocrity. Since the beginning of time, this fiend has seduced many into a false sense of security. Unlike most vices, which lurk in the darkest corners of our mind, this creature comes out during the day to play. It disguises itself in a cloak of comfort and waits until we are at our weakest to strike. When victims are weary from work. Tired of toiling. And ready for relief. This is when mediocrity slips in, singing songs of "someday" and lulling us with words of want. We drink deep from the deep from the wells of desire. Food. Alcohol. Entertainment. Indulgence after indulgence, we spin out of control, and eventually fall into complacency. We settle in. Settle down. Settle for. And settle with... Mediocrity picks us up off the floor with a paycheck, and buys us some time. But money only blinds us from the reality of the situation. The more that we consume, the more we are consumed. A house. A car. A TV. All building blocks of the grand facade. This, is where Mediocrity lives. On the road that leads to status quo. With each new thing Mediocrity sinks its fangs deeper and deeper, poisoning us with momentary thrills. Mediocrity feeds on our greatest gifts; creativity, ambition, and resolve. In return we get just enough to keep us at bay. The marks of it's bite can be seen on the blank faces of it's victims. The living dead. Zombies trudging through the world with no purpose. No motivation. No life. But no one morns these lost souls. Why? How can one ever die, if one never truly lived? Answer: They never existed in the first place. Becoming another drone in this army of average is a terrifying thought. Buzzing about from one place to the next. Completely submissive to the hive mind. Never daring enough to think for themselves. Never willing to go out on their own. There is only one thing that can protect us from the same horrific fate. Greatness. Mediocrity fears Greatness. For Greatness knows no boundaries. It has no equal. It will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. It has no excuses. Nor does it complain. Greatness doesn't give in or look for the easy way out. Greatness has inner strength. It is bold. It willing to fight. Greatness acts and does not mind failure. Not even Death can stop Greatness from continuing on. Greatness is remembered. It is celebrated. It is replicated. Through memory and song. Through laughter and pain. Through books and buildings. Most of all, through the actions of those whom it touches. We must look for greatness everywhere we go. In everything we do. Lest we spend the rest of our days roaming the wastelands of inexistance in search of mirages that only lead us closer and closer to oblivion.
Many chase after Greatness, but their efforts are in vain. For they look on the outside. But Greatness resides within. In our hearts and our minds. Greatness isn't found in plans or ideas. It's found in actions. Little moments of boldness that cross the lines between Fear and Madness. Greatness holds a balance between both, which are always trying to pull us over the edge. Because of this, Greatness never rests. It's always on the move. If you stay in one place for too long, you'll lose it. But there's no mistaking when you've found Greatness. Because it speaks loud and true. All those who hear it, listen. It lifts us out of obscurity, and raises us to new heights. Each new challenge we face broadens our horizons. Mediocrity is too lazy to fight against Greatness. Instead, it retreats, hoping one day we'll get tired and fall back into the mundane routine. This is why we must dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of Greatness. Not as a chase. Rather, as a dance across time and space. Revolutions and revelations of life itself. And in the end, when the waves of darkness come crashing down, we will walk hand-in-hand with Greatness along the shores of Eternity. No wants. No regrets. Just transcendence.
Follow Josh onYouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tipperdy Or Twitter: @Joshumusprime
Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm
And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy
And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/
"One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals." -- Writer/Novelist, Michael Korda I couldn't agree more. But what happens when you don't achieve your desired outcome in the projected time? How do you stay focused when a goal is taking for~eeee~ver? How do you stay motivated? MANIFESTATION LISTS Manifestation lists are a great tool to keep you in the right mindset. Basically you write down everything you've achieved in the last few weeks/months. Anything counts as long as you think it's important. Maybe you finally got little Jonny to put his shoes on the right feet. That counts. Your elf-wizard, Dumbledork69, just leveled-up and you can finally use that destruction tome on the goblins in the Golden Wood. *points wand in your general direction and screams, "lightning bolt!"
Write it down.
"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." --Billioniare and multi-best selling author, Tony Robbins We all tend to be our hardest critics. Sometimes we focus so much on the new goals we've set for ourselves that we forget how much we've already done; how much ass we already kicked. Any time I feel static, bored, or unproductive, I use manifestation lists to remind me of recent accomplishments. When I see everything on paper, it puts things in perspective. This keeps me motivated. and helps maintain momentum. The following is a real life sample of my most recent manifestation list.
Become a sexy superhuman:
Ran a 5k--finished in 28:35
Did more cardio--ran/sprinted over 25 miles last month
BEAST MODE--achieved 430lb low bar squat with perfect form and solid depth #BAMF #squatslayer
Deadlifted 500lbs #deadliftdestroyer #alldayson!
Professional Polymath:
Selected as a program manager in my company; providing more value to my company and leadership to those I serve
Took more college courses--the psychology course I'm in right now is blowing my frick'n mind
Family Freedom:
Took family to RenFest--ate the shit out of some turkey legs!
Went sailing with two close friends--had a peaceful time on the water and learned a little bit about boats too
Attended my cousin's wedding--partied like a rock-star
Attended "Dad's make a difference" day at kid's school
Visited relatives for thanksgiving and celebrated my grandfathers 70th birthday
Become greatest story teller EVAR:
Won NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)--wrote 52,000+ words. My NaNo page is here
Maintained a badass youtube channel--released 30+ new videos, recieved 500+ more views than last month
Became a toastmaster--won first two table topics, won best speech on my ice breaker (first speech), won best evaluator and was nominated to be Seargant at Arms
Got first batch of published books--time to start handing them out to people!
But enough about me.
What's yours? Let me know some of your recent achievements. How are you manifesting your dreams/goals/desires? If you haven't, take a second to figure out what you could knock out in the next week or so? Why wait for New Years when you can make resolutions now... If you want even more information on the manifestation lists, check out my YouTube video here:
I'll close with a quote from my one of my favorite orators ever, Earl Nightingale, who said: "We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile." -- author and motivational speaker, Earl Nightingale
Follow Josh on Twitter: @Joshumusprime
Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm
And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy
And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/
In a word: YES. Of
course this style of learning is more engaging. This is because humans
like to learn by “hands on experience”. Ever since we were hunter
gatherers we learned by trial and error. Not someone standing in front
of us pontificating. So rather than listening to a lecture for hours and
hours or reading lines and lines of text, nowadays students can
interact with video, visual aids, and games on topics that interest
them. This allows them to get right into “it” and start experimenting. I
believe this is why military members have such an advantage in the
workforce. Unlike regular college kids, they’ve gotten experience on the job
training while training. Digital media is essentially replicating
this paradigm by providing learning based simulations that are geared
to stimulate children's minds, while engaging them. It’s a chance for
them to learn by tailoring to their pace/needs.
I
believe that getting rid of digital media in the classroom, would be
like trying to remove cars of the road. Even if they cause harm in some
cases, humanity relies too much on them to ever take them away completely. If we’re ever going to find a happy medium we have to
take the following steps:
Stop blaming technology for a flawed education system
Take
steps to overhaul the education system--it was built for the 20th
century and we’ve outgrown it. The first step in this process is to ask a
very important question: What is school for? (Seth Godin does a great
job of explaining this here)
Educate
students and staff on how to use these tools appropriately--both
technically speaking and socially.
Constantly
evolve practices and procedures to pace with current technology. One
great thought is using more organic methods. Charles Leadbeater explains
this here:
For example, technically you can eat red meat every day (don't ask me why anyone would want to do that...). But let’s say that you decide to eat burgers all week. Sooner or later, your taste buds are going to get as bored as a kid watching Transformers 4. Eventually, you’ll lose your interest. Your appetite will stagnate, because your palate desires variety. (Unless it’s Five Guys. Let’s face it, that shit’s delicious!). However, if you switch things up; eat tacos or meat-lovers’ pizza or spaghetti and meatballs, then you can happily continue eat red meat like a boss for months on end.
The same holds true to any skill you’re trying to learn.
Repetition alone is not the key to success.
You must have variety.
Variety maintains interest.
Like sex, sometimes you need to change positions to get a better angle. This spices things up and engages the mind. It allows you to view the subject from multiple angles.
I call this the polymathic mindset.
This polymathic approach keeps you engrossed in the topic for the long term. You get the full experience by enjoying all of the different “flavors” a subject has to offer. Furthermore, you can satisfy your hunger for knowledge without neglecting your desire for variety.
If things are feeling stagnant, try looking at the problem from a different angle. If you’ve been reading books on the subjects, try switching it up and listen to them on tape. Or, better yet, try videos. If you’ve been chained to your computer for weeks, try to go out and get physical. If you’re used to doing sprints on the track, try doing them on hills, or in the pool, or on a bicycle.
There are endless combinations to choose from. You just have to get creative.
Moreover, there are several parallels to life--and success--just waiting to be experienced through sports or physical activity. The more radical the change, the better.
By J. Rachel Spencer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
What do the following (below) all have in common?
Galileo
Stephen King
Oprah Winfrey
Joss Wheadon
Hugh Jackman
Thomas Edison
50 Cent
Steve Jobs
They're all polymaths, and they're all consistent. Nowadays, everyone fusses about quality versus quantity. Especially in the corporate sector. Should we get things out fast and focus on the quantity? Or should we take our time focus on quality? Neither is critical! Sure, both help in certain situations. But nothing is more convincing and effective than consistency. Consistency is key. It's the best strategy for long term success. Continually bringing a message that's congruent with your beliefs, style, and voice is what will separate you from everyone else. Whether we look at Da Vinci or Einstein (or Schwartzneger), polymaths throughout history focus on this one thing. Consistency. It is a staple of the modern day renaissance man and it may be the one thing holding you back. It's showing up at the gym--even when you don't feel 100%. How do you think Arnold got so damn "paaamped-aaap" anyways? It's writing on a Friday night--even when you'd rather be out partying (yes that's me right now...). Do you think Steven King could have been nearly as prolific of a writer, if he had went out for beers with the boys every weekend? It's being there for your children--when they need you, not just when it's convenient for you. You never know, your kid may end up becoming the next Gates or Zuckerberg... It's making sure projects are turned in on time--not late and mired with excuses. How do you think the public would have reacted if Steve Jobs pushed back the launch of the iphone due to "personal issues"?
People want someone solid. Someone they can depend on. Someone consistent. I'll end with a quote from one of my favorite speakers ever, Tony Robbins: "In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently."
Some scholars believe his dad abandoned the family, while others
note that he may have died.
Poe started writing poetry and criticisms at the ripe old age of 13.
Because of poor money management he only attended college for a semester.
He joined officer school at West Point Military Academy to pay off gambling debts.
Soon after, his drinking habits
caught up with him and he was kicked out!
He only turned
to writing as a job after becoming desperate for work.
He married his 13 year old cousin
and lived with her for 7 years until she died an untimely death at the
hands of tuberculosis.
Because several of his stories are told from
the first person point of view, and because the characters know
intimate details of drug use, several critics believe that Poe was
pulling from his own personal experiences.
According to myth, he died under mysterious
circumstances which many attributed to his heavy use of alcohol.
Needless to say, Poe's life (and death) was as sad, mysterious, and crazy as his writing.
As a polymath, you need to know how to articulate your thoughts and ideas effectively. Writing is one of the fundamental building blocks of communication. And, as a writer, dialogue can be extremely challenging. Unlike grammar and spelling, which have pretty cut-and-dry rules, dialogue is far more subjective. Whether we're talking about fiction or non-fiction, the challenge is the same: How do you get your words (and thus your characters, AND THUS, your story) to sound authentic? The answer: DIALOGUE Just a few words can make your story pop like fireworks... or fall as flat as a tire. So what can we do to hone our craft? In his book Writing Dialogue, Tom Chialarella gives age old wisdom to help aspiring writers--steal from other people! Not literally. But sort of. You see, one of the best ways to find great dialogue is to go out into the real world and see what real people are saying. Chialarella suggests storytellers should write down anything that strikes them as interesting. I 100% agree. And actually I do this exercise with dialogue all the time. I love picking out little quirky things that people say. I always eavesdrop on conversations. Especially out in public. In a bar, at work, mall, gym, airport. Just about anywhere you can find people talking, you'll find dialogue worth stealing. Below are just a few that I’ve found that really stuck with me:
At a bar (guy to girl):
“Um, could you do me a favor…”
Coffee shop:
“Diligently studying?”
At work:
“You had to read the bible front to back. I mean, who the hell knows who Hammond was?”
“It was a shit show.”
“I was struggle-busing in the whole day.”
Dentist office:
“That’s not hot,it’s sizzl’n.”
Military personnel:
“Got to take care of the beans and bullets.”
In the Grotto:
“He’s ethnically Mexican.”
“He’s what?”
“He. Is. Ethnically. Mexican.”
“Okay, I get it. I just never heard of it like that before.”
AND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE: “I can do the impossible. I can eat cereal without a spoon!” Recently a familiar source (albeit unexpected)--my son--provided me with a real gem. I don't know when he picked it up, but a few months ago he started using a particular word in almost all of his speech. At first I thought it was a passing thing, but now am convinced it’s more permanent. Hahaha, it’s kind of funny.
After a while I realized this dialogue quirk was very similar to that of Gollum, from Lord Of The Rings. He’s always using the term “precious” in similar contexts. So, I decided to incorporate my son's word in one of my stories. The point is, if you're struggle-busing to create dialogue that rings true, try looking in the real world. Listen everywhere you go. At church and work. The skating rink and park. Even with your own family and friends. You'll be surprised at what you might find. So what about you? Have you ever stumbled upon interesting dialogue?
Salutations Interverse! Some of you may be asking, "What the heck is a polymath anyways?" Or more importantly, why is this blog worth your time... The below video serves as an introduction of sorts; to the polymathic mindset and why it's so important for poeple now-a-days. Enjoy.
For those who would rather read, I've placed a modified transcript below:
Hey guys how the going!
Josh here from Polymathics and let me tell you first how excited I am that you're here!
You have no idea what it means to me. I've been putting a lot of effort into getting this thing going. So you know bare with me as the site starts to build up with more content. But my hope is that no matter how small the piece of information is, that you can find something--some tidbit--that you can take back to your real life; and apply it to some sort of problem or project that you working on right now. And get great results.
So, I hope you see value in that.
And the purpose of this video is to serve as an introduction of sorts. So I'm not going to explain to you what all the buttons do. You've been to plenty of web sites before to know how that works.
So what is a Polymath anyways?
Because I'm sure some you guys are asking. Right?
You probably never heard of the word, so why should you care?
So let's get right into it!
The term "Polymath" comes from the Greek, and it's broken down into two root words:
"Poly" meaning many.
And "Math" meaning subject.
So in the Renaissance this would refer to someone who was an expert in several different fields. Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect example of this. You know--The Everyman. Artist, philosopher, scientist, inventor etc… This is not to be confused with a jack of all trades and master of none. No. No. No.
That would have been a common workman.
There's a bit of a difference between your local smithy, and Leonardo Da Vinci. So, the nuance here is that a polymath would have been a jack of all trades master of ***SOME***
And therein lies the true key.
The polymathic mindset; the way that they look at life, and attack problems. So because of their mastery they could look at problems differently? It wouldn't just come at them from one one angle, or from two. They could see it from multiple angles; all at one time. Because of their mastery in different fields, they were able to make connections between seemingly unrelated topics. And because of that, instead of seeing multiple problems, what they really did was identify big problems--as a whole---and where the root of the issue originated. And then they were able to tailor the appropriate solution.
It's this same mindset that allowed humankind to enter into new horizons. A new era of understanding and invention, bringing mankind new heights.
So let's look at the way technology has advanced over the past few decades. Information is coming out at an alarming rate. And the problems that we face today are far more complex than former generations. More convoluted than those that our fathers faced, and more difficult than thos of our grandfathers.
And that calls a different approach.
Ever since the Industrial Revolution (roughly around that time frame) we--the Western culture--have focused on a "specialist mindset".
The age of the monomath.
Sticking to one thing and being good at it. Going to school and aquiring one skill--usually the same one your parents learned. Working for company for years and years and years... And finally retiring and living happily ever after.
But that was the twentieth century. This is the twenty-first. Times have changed!
Well now (as time progressed) we're starting to see that technology is taking care of those more simpler tasks. And what people are really good at, is getting creative solving problems that computers/robots/automation can't. And that's really where I feel as though the pendulum is shifting from the monomath to the polymath.
The purpose of this site is to give you the tools--and more importantly--the mindset on how to become a modern-day polymath.
We see them popping up everywhere nowadays. People who are skilled in several different fields and different subjects. This allows them to come up with solutions; grand solutions to great big juicy problems. And if we (as the human race) intend to ever get off this rock and do anything further, then we need more people like that.
So I hope that this gives you an idea of what a polymath is, and I hope I didn't bore you to tears. = )
I promise I'm not always so serious!
I have Avenger's paraphernalia and x-men stuff. And I'm a huge Video Game Nerd... AND a movie buff. So I'm sure there'll be lots of conversations about that.
Honestly there's a whole mindset that goes along with being a polymath. It seeing the world from a different point of view (ompared to what the normal everyday person would anyway).
And in just by the fact that you're here visiting right now, and stuck through this long introduction, means that there's something inside you; that you're telling yourself this makes sense. So, if you find this interesting, if you want to learn more, please continue stop by.
As I said before, hopeful you you can find just--even that one piece--of information that you can apply to your everyday life or to help with a problem, or some sort of product that you have going on--it will be worth your time.
But anyways... until I see you next time, take it easy!
