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I helped write a paper about a year ago called "Sustainable Personal Rapid Transit Strategies for Congested Cities and Urban Communities."  The idea is to utilize this type of a system in order to reduce green house gases, costs, and ultimately eliminate the high volume of cars off the road. I just found out it was featured in planetforward.org. Here's the link. There's also a video explaining the summary of the benefits of a Personal Rapid Transit System.

Do you have a big idea, but have a hard time focusing on planning or executing the idea?  Do you end up browsing the internet?  Facebook?  Do you ever start working on a task, and then get bogged down because that fancy email alert comes up, and you have to immediately respond to the email?  Does your work space have clutter - to-do notes, papers, envelopes, empty soda cans, etc.? Focusing is not as easy as it sounds.  There are plenty of tips and tools out there to help you focus.  Here is an amazing visual of how to focus. I have some more details to add: 1. Read Getting Things Done by David Allen.  He's a guru on productivity.  This is one of those books you'll read in a hour non-stop.  There are real life examples in there of how much time is wasted every day.  His process and framework for productivity is drop dead simple and proven.  A must read. 2. Use OmniFocus to define all the actions, projects, and the context to perform these tasks. OmniFocus leverages the process and framework from Getting Things Done.  I use the iPhone app as ...

How much money do you need to earn to live? How much money do you need to earn to break free from your day job? Identifying your budget and cash flow gives you clarity on how much you need to earn to live. This could also be called the "Break Even Point" known in finance. Budgeting gives you a clear picture of how much money you need to earn and where your money is going. Here are some categories to think about when determining your budget: I would recommend the following steps in determining your budget: 1. Brainstorm every possible way you spend money in a month Whether it's giving a penny to a donation jar, gym membership, or filling up the gas for your car, brainstorm all the ways you spend money in a given month.  I prefer to brainstorm visually using a mind map.  Check out MindMeister or MindJet for mind mapping software, or just use pen and paper. 2. Input the last 2-3 month's spending per category in a spreadsheet I'm obsessed with spreadsheets.  Sifting through data and presenting visual trending graphs and "What if" analysis are cool, and this is where Google ...

Have you ever thought up a cool idea, but never elected to pursue it because of time or money?  Did you know there are tons of ways to get funding for your idea before you even pursue it? You've heard the famous quote "Ideas are a dime a dozen."  How do we validate our idea?  How do we know people will benefit and find it valuable?  One of the simplest ways to validate your idea is to sell it before you even do it! I have been researching a few sites that allow you to crowdsource your idea before inception. The following seem to be the most popular funding sites: IndieGogo.com Kickstarter.com Rockethub.com In a nutshell, here's how these sites work: 1. Sign-up and post idea Pretty straightforward.  Sign-up, register an account, read the terms, and post your idea. 2. Set funding goal and deadline The overall funding goal should essentially describe the total cost to produce your idea.  Let's say you want to build a widget.  After your research, you determine it will cost about $50 for a Chinese manufacturer to produce it, $500 ...

Have you ever read The Magic of Thinking Big? No? Then do it...now. Seriously, buy the book here. I read it once a year. It's inspiring and extremely motivational. If you're still reading this post, and still haven't read the book, then stop reading this post and go read the book. Seriously.  Do it...now! I am writing this post as a tribute to the creative genius Steve Jobs.  He truly embodies the essence of believing in success, thinking and dreaming creatively, and being a leader.  All of these concepts are covered in The Magic of Thinking Big.  Here are some of the highlights: Believe you can succeed and you will. Steve Jobs always believed in his products - iPod, iPhone, Pixar, Macbook Air, etc.  When you listen to his keynote speeches, you can really feel he is passionate and believes that his products are successful.  Personally, he also faced many criticisms and challenges throughout life, and quite franky I'm sure he thought he could succeed.  And, he did! Cure yourself of the fear of failure. When starting out with any business or idea, there ...

According the US Census Bureau, more than 78% of businesses in the United States have never hired a single employee. If you are competing for one of the jobs that less than a quarter of U.S. firms create each year, it may be time to think about joining the ranks of people starting their own businesses. Launching your own venture can be daunting, and in many cases it is the fear of failure that keeps people from pursuing their dreams. Whether it is being afraid of losing your benefits or getting lost in an ocean of freelancers, taking a step beyond fear and complacency is the first step to commercial independence. How do you know if starting your own business is right for you? These are the principles that motivate me: Have a Big Idea. Successful businesses have a big idea, or a proposition that is completely unique. You do not need to reinvent the wheel, but your business idea should inspire other people. Whether you enter the market as a freelancer or buy in to a successful franchise, you have something special to offer. Find it and ...