Google Reader instead of Television

Having made a conscience choice not to watch television anymore has given me enormous freedom!
Not that we don't have a tv sitting in our livingroom, it's just that we never watch it. The only one watching cable in our house is our babysitter! And I'm very ok with that!
It's not that I am against television, it's just that the amount of garbage is too much. So much input that is uninteresting - it's filling up room in my head!

(picture from: Free Stock Photos at 123RF)

I like to be in charge of what I'm watching and reading. With the amazing development of internet we can now be much more in charge than before! Now I get to decide what to watch, and when. (No, I'm not convinced that interactive television gives me that same kind of freedom. I'm still being directed in what other people want me to watch - and when)

But how do you get 'the right content' to you, without spending hours of searching the web?!
My suggestion: create your own streams of content. Let your greatest websites bring you the items and the news YOU want to receive - not what 'whomever' decides is relevant.

How do you get this great content in one spot?
I use Google Reader. It's a great RSS-feed program that helps you bring the best of anywhere together in one place! Your lap!

How does Google Reader work?

1. Go to www.google.com/reader
If you don't have a google account (think aobut accounts on Gmail, Picassa, Youtube) you have to create one first. I would suggest to make one that uses your full name. It just looks profesional :)

2. Click on the 'Subscribe' button
You create little subscriptions to websites you like most!

3. Copy/paste the web address of pages your like.
Make sure you copy-paste pages that have 'news' on them, or have regularly new items. Pages that never change won't bring you any good articles of course! 

Many pages have a 'RSS feed button', but it's a myth to think that you can only use those pages!
I find the best way to check if the page you like to 'stay in touch with' has RSS-ability is by just trying to copy-paste the address in the subscription part. Google will tell you right away if the link works or not!


4. make folders for quick viewing
You can put all your streams in one big folder (I did this for years) or you can devide them in separte folders. In that way you can pick and choose better 'what kind of content' you want to look into.
Just recently I started doing this. Some of the folders I've made:

• Marketing - any side that gives me great marketing news/ideas
• Friends - all the blogs of friends that have blogs (if you have a blog, let me know, so i can add!)
• Listen - my favorite folder! All great podcasts I like to listen too! I always seem to go to this folder when I have some time to listen to ANYTHING. Like when I'm driving or traveling
• God - all websites that bring great spiritual input
• World - I just put all news-stream in this one
• Great - Some of the great websites that bring POSITIVE news! I tend to read this folder more often than 'world' 

5. start reading! 

Google Reader can be used in many different ways. For example, I  have a Reader installed on my phone. So whenever I spend some time waiting, I go to my Reader, and instantly I get to the articles, programs and podcasts I love best! Google Reader even keeps track of the posts I read - so the content is always 

I realize that you might be using a program like Google Reader that's even better. Or maybe you use the Reader in much more advanced ways. Do you? What am I missing out on?

No excuses - keep on blogging

Why is it that the things you like doing most get sometimes squeezed out of your everyday flow...
For instance - I truely enjoy sharing. In sharing I find that whatever it is that I share - if it helps an other person - I feel better! Really better!
Yet - in everyday life, the times I truely share are ... less and less. Oh yeah, I give out to others a lot (like work, being dad, husband etc.) but the REAL sharing seems to get lost sometimes.

I have decided to go back to blogging. Blogging for me is sharing. Sharing of my life. My experiences. My experience. The good (those things help), the bad (those things help even MORE!) the ugly (those things are just fun to read).

So when I think about 'getting back into blogging', I see myself sharing again!
On this blog I won't share about just any kind of good, bad or ugly. On this blog I will share about my journey as a social entrepreneur. I will share about:

1. My Own experiences.  What I discover about building business and brand around our social-profit-fun-park Tjeko.
I would love to get your feedback on how you see this develop

2. My own learning material. Unlike my wife, I like to share any kind of resource I discover (part of the sharing desire I guess!). Great books, a good website, maybe seminars or podcasts?
I would love to hear from you - if you find anything worth sharing!

3. Inspiring other social-profit businesses or entrepreneurs. There are soo many amazing people out there - doing such amazing work. As I find them - I want to share them!
Are you? Do you know somebody? Do you buy or support anything like this? Share it too!


4. Family. Yeah - if you know me - you know I love working. You know I love God. And you must have noticed I LOVE my family. And that brings a natural friction sometimes. Because having two todlers and a 3rd one coming just brings its own set of oportunities.
If you have tips, good laughs or horrible examples - join the fun :)


5. Faith. The one ingredient that drives me constantly! Faith in God, in people, in anything. I think faith for me describes something on the inside of people that keeps them going. Somehing inside of them makes them believe that what they do matters. And it does.
Got faith?


My commitment to get sharing again! I am going to print it, and put it anywhere I can.
Every morning I will grab this post and tell myself I made a commitment. I share.


 Do you reconize the feeling of not doing something anymore that you know you really should? How do you get back into the routine? (i know there's even some of you that should get back into blogging yourself!)