After more than eight months of searching for a home, we finally found it. Offers, negotiations and mortgage approvals = fun times. But the lesson learned was a valuable one: Always focus on the big picture. Somewhere along the road I lost sight of it. That will never happen again.

I often ride the line between being risk tolerant and risk averse. Being self employed does that to you. Regardless, sometimes you have to lay it on the line and think big. And today I did just that. I stopped thinking about tomorrow, or this summer, and thought five, ten and thirty years out. Not just what my family needs, or wants, but how we’re going to get there.

I encourage you to do the same. Think about the big picture and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Great things can happen.

The picture above was taken in Tofino, BC, one of my favourite places in the world.

On a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, I experienced this lesson first-hand. Seated two rows behind me were three individuals who decided to strike up a conversation about an industry I have years of experience, and countless contacts, in. Anything but discreet, the conversation lasted for nearly an hour with two of the individuals trash-talking several Board members from a respected organization I have worked with. Exiting the plane, I recognized one of the individuals as a former client of mine. Later, I saw these individuals jovially chatting it up with said Board members at a conference we were attending.

This situation encouraged me to always mind my surroundings. Conversations in coffee shops, cell phone calls in public, even discussions in an open office space – you never know who is listening. Unless you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by airing confidential topics and dirty laundry in public, I suggest you govern yourself accordingly. And for those who spread false rumours and gossip to throw people off, why bother? It’s a waste of your time and resources.

I always recommend people know who their trusted advisors are. Personally, I have four people whom I trust unconditionally. These people have never let me down and have always been the pillars I lean on for great advice. If you don’t have people like this in your inner circle, find them. If you do, take a moment to thank them.

For those in my circle, you know who you are. Thank you.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

1. Plan Ahead. I can’t emphasize this enough. If you know you’re going though airport security, take the cuticle scissors out of your toiletry bag. Pack light. Pack efficiently. Know what’s in your bag. I’m extremely habitual and always follow a systematic packing order: a place for everything and everything in its place.

2. Carry-On. Soon, your bags will cost more than your seat. Unless you’re moving cities, carry-on. I carry-on every time and never have a problem. Sure, I have to buy razor blades when I land, but it’s a small price to pay for knowing my bag is going to get there on-time. Think you need those extra seven shirts? You don’t. On the luggage front: spend the money and buy a quality rolling carry-on bag. My preference is Victorinox Swiss Army for its lifetime warranty… that, and I feel like a Navy SEAL with all the ballistic nylon.

3. Have iPad. Will Multitask.  The iPad is a multitasker’s dream. What other tool allows you to: read books, watch movies, listen to music, catch up on emails, downloaded blogs/articles and Excel spreadsheets on 10+ hours of battery life? My carry-on goes in the overhead and my iPad, iPhone and headphones stay with me in the seat. Sure, Kindles are great, but an iPad is the ultimate.

4. Silence.  I still remember buying my first pair of Bose QC headphones with noise-cancelling technology. WOW. This product is a religious experience unto itself. At $350, they’re not cheap, but are well worth the initial investment. Sure, people whine that these headphones are larger than in-ear models, but the sound quality and noise-cancelling they provide is unsurpassed. Buy them. Travel with them. Thank me later.

5. FlightTrack Pro.  Tired of wandering through airports looking for flight information – praying your flight hasn’t been delayed, or your gate changed? Enter FlightTrack Pro. This fabulous app tells you everything you need to know about your flights including: gate information and changes, flight delays, airport schematics and even arrival gate information. Having used this app hundreds of times, I can honestly say it’s more reliable than most airport screens, as it often updates flight delays and gate changes before its prehistoric counterparts. At $9.99 it’s a sage investment. The only pain is entering your flights one-by-one, unless you use TripIt. (Note: Don’t use the free version – it doesn’t provide real-time gate changes!)

6. Know Where Your Essentials Are at All Times.  A shout-out to my high school history teacher Steve Martin for teaching me the single most important rule of travelling: Know where your essentials are at all times. When we traveled to Italy in the eleventh grade, that meant my passport, wallet and plane ticket. Today, not much has changed, save the iPhone and emergence of e-tickets. Now my essentials are my passport, wallet and iPhone (in order of importance). My passport lives in my back right pocket, the wallet in the left. A quick swipe of my backside tells me they’re where they should be. Sure, it looks like I’m touching myself in public, but I swear I’m not! (Thanks, Mr. Martin.)

A few more words of wisdom: If you’re travelling outside of North America, always carry American currency in case of emergency. Also, take the time to upload yours consulate’s contact information and address for the cities you’re traveling to… you never know when you’ll need them!

Travel safe. Travel smart. And let me know any other travel trips you’ve accumulated.

If you think social media is free, think again. Social media is expensive.

By making most social media applications “free,” companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ are counting on low barriers to entry to expand their networks. Don’t be fooled. Social media is not free. It consumes your most valuable resource: time.

When you lose money you can make it again (in theory). When you lose time it’s gone forever.

Aside from the cost of analytics programs such as HootSuite and Radian6, social media consumes your time and resources. (Note: some programs, including HootSuite, offer free services with limited functionality)

I often see people wondering social media pages during work hours. Could their valuable time be spent more productively? (Disclaimer: I, too, have been guilty of this crime.)

Perhaps you’re employing multiple social media applications across numerous platforms. Perhaps not. Regardless, you need to be efficient when managing these tools.

For individuals: maintaining current and, more importantly, relevant content is crucial. Keep your online profiles and blogs up-to-date.

For organizations and individuals: write meaningful content, manage your groups and subscriber lists religiously, and reply to comments and posts quickly. I know of several companies that are hiring staff members solely dedicated to managing social media content and conversations.

Whatever you do, do it efficiently and with a goal in mind. Understand the cost-benefit of social media and always give more than you receive.

For my great uncle who taught me that nothing is free.

There is a written rule in scuba diving: First you plan the dive. Then you dive the plan. Unless an emergency arises, you rarely deviate from that plan. It is a straightforward process complete from start to finish. Follow it and you will dive another day. Don’t follow it and…

A little less dramatic, business is a lot like scuba diving. Most businesses have plans: business plans, marketing strategies, production processes, etc. Most importantly, you need to know when to stick to the plan and when abandon it. Do you need a plan to tweet on Twitter? Probably not, but you certainly need a plan to take a new product through the development/production process. Plans like these often rely on metrics to help you achieve your goals, or help you decide when it’s time to pivot.

Following Eric Ries’ Lean Startup movement, pivots are a necessary function in any great business. Throughout my career I have pivoted countless times without putting a label to it. And while you can’t pivot at every junction, a pivot might be the difference between absolute failure and unrivalled success. Take Apple for example: did Apple set-out to bring the movie and recording industries to their knees? No, but a change in management created an opportunity to pivot the company, which eventually accelerated the radical shift in these industries.

Have a plan and stick to it, but know when it is time to move in a different direction. Follow your metrics, follow your advisors. Most importantly, follow your gut.

Let me know if you have had any successful plans or pivots. I want to hear about them.

(For TP, a fellow diver)

Trivia for the day: Did you know that I am a PADI certified scuba diver – two certifications away from being a Master Diver?

“My time is more valuable than yours.” That’s what people are telling you when they show up late. Sure, flat tires happen and so do traffic jams, but there is rarely a good excuse for being late.

Would you show up late to an important interview, or to pitch to a potential investor? No, you wouldn’t, because their time is more valuable than yours. You are on their schedule.

A close friend of mine is always late. No matter how much planning, no matter how important our meeting, he is always late. And each time he comes with an apology and an excuse. All I hear is “My time is more valuable than yours.”

Next time there’s a possibility you might be late, don’t be. Respect your colleagues’ time, your friends’ time. Be on time.