Note (September 26, 2011): I wrote this post several years ago and readers will sometimes email me asking me to identify snakes for them. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SNAKES! That’s why I wrote this: because I found a helpful resource in the North Carolina Online Snake Identification System. Try that web site if you [...]

This blog has had the same design for over 3 years, and it was long over due for a change. I’ve been working on the redesign for the past couple weeks, and I’m finally ready to unveil it.

Although I am a web designer, I’m no longer doing very much design work–it’s just not my passion [...]

This is probably the strangest hack I’ve ever posted here, but I’m posting it anyway, just because I wish I had thought of it sooner, and some of my readers have probably wanted the same thing.
I was traveling out of town this past week and realized that I had used up all my deodorant. I [...]

One of my goals for 2007 is to Develop the Ricky Spears (Empower. Challenge. Advance) Brand. I wasn’t quite sure how to quantify this goal, since there will not be a point where I can say, “The Ricky Spears brand has been developed.” However, I did list several next actions and projects that would all [...]

This post updated on July 17, 2007; November 11, 2007; and November 12, 2007. See the updated sections at the bottom.
In June, my wife and I had a new deck built onto our house. The old one was only 10′x8′ and was rather well worn. The new one is 12′x20′ and we have really been [...]

My friend, Brad Isaac just posted about 8 Proven Strategies For Defeating The Fear of Public Speaking and 4 Myths That Won’t. I especially like this one:

6. Picture a standing ovation – Ahhh the standing “O”. What a night you’ve had if you get an ovation. It’s enough to give you a big head if [...]

Brett Kelly over at The Cranking Widgets Blog, just wrote a good piece on Why Most People Don’t Care about GTD.
Like Brett, I love sharing with other people how much the GTD methodologies have changed my life and improved my prodcutivity. Because of this, I used to loan out my GTD books and audio [...]

I’m continually experimenting with new productivity methods and tools. About a month ago, I ordered a Spiral Bound Planner Pad Organizer in the 8-1/2″ x 11″ size. It came with a nice instructional CD and printed instructions explaining how the Planner Pad system was designed to be used. The dated pages for the one I [...]

I live in the somewhat small town of Thomasville, North Carolina (population ~20,000). Most of the people here are friendly and it’s not uncommon to strike up a conversation with someone you’re standing in line with at a store, or at the table next to you at a restaurant. The town is too big for [...]

As gas prices continue to rise, it seems that automobile owners are more aggressively seeking out the stations that offer the cheapest price on gasoline. A number of web sites have risen in recent years to assist you with this, and many local radio and television stations will point consumers to the places with the [...]