Maintenance Debt

I just finished updating Being Seen into the new self-paced lesson format.

I gotta say, it’s made me really AWARE of how much maintenance is required for “property.”

Around this home, even though we rent, there’s yard work, cleaning, organizing, pressure washing the decks and touching up the paint, cleaning out the dryer vent pipe, etc., etc., etc. I could easily make a list 100 items long.

But WHOA. On thrivingnow.com and all the other areas (like this one, the email system, the invitation system, the shopping cart system, etc.) I could EASILY come up with 1000 items of “maintenance” to bring an article back up to date, to move content and categorize it, to take items and put them into the new learning system, to change and update link language (we’re circle members now, not the former “team members” as one example.

I’m trying to focus on what matters, what helps us move forward. There’s a part of me that just wants to trash all the “old stuff” but, you know, some of them see 50-100 people each year who actually spend time on them. Do I do the maintenance, then, or delete, or leave it?

I feel the “debt” – that each new piece of content or idea that gets going and then pauses (like the podcast) has with it a kind of “claim” – a debt, an IOU… or more accurately a U-Owe-Me.

Anyway, just needed to share that right now, as I seek clarity about what to keep and maintain (and upgrade, as I have been with the courses) and what to let go of…

Rick

4 Likes

I feel this as I am trying to downsize again more. You are so kind to keep all that you do for us and future members. I have heard a couple of past members say that they’re going back and listening to some of the old team calls again. How much do you feel U-Owe-Them? It feels quite daunting just like I ask, "what books, papers, receipts, writings do I keep and what do I let go of?

I trust that when it is time for us to know for sure we will know.

4 Likes

I feel that I can’t say this enough Rick…Thank you!! Thank you for every moment you spend in action and in thought in building and maintaining our Circle…our community. Plain and simply ‘we’ just wouldn’t exist without you. I imagine it must feel like a ‘thankless task’ at times…maybe most of the time…but I think about you (and I’m certain others must as well) and all those ‘behind the scenes’ hours spent creating and curating. You deserve a parade!!

image

3 Likes

Yeah, and and I am trying not to be ‘reactive’ – meaning tossing things just because I’ve got the bee in my bonnet.

I’m allowing myself to tune in, and allow it to unfold. For example, the blu-ray DVD player was sitting there, glowing its blue cyclops eye at me every day. When I went to try and open the drawer, it wouldn’t open. Last time I tried, about a year ago, I had to jiggle it to try and get it to open.

Recycling that felt so good…

There’s more, too, that is ripening. Noticing whether it gives me value or not, and also does it add value or freedom or service for others. I don’t so so much feel I owe except for things I’ve said are a part of membership, like the courses we already have. Few more to go!

Hugs,
Rick

4 Likes

From Seth Godin:

Carrying costs

How much does a puppy cost?

At the shelter, maybe you need to put up a hundred dollar fee or donation.

But that’s tiny compared to food, vet bills, time spent walking, chew toys, yak bones, bully sticks, groomers and those ridiculous dog costumes… perhaps $20,000 if you add it all up.

Yet we tend to focus on the cost of acquisition.

Twitter is free. Oh, it’s not. It’s not free at all. It costs a fortune in time and brain space.

Putting your business online is cheap. A simple web page. Except it’s not. It’s hundreds of thousands of dollars in management time and salaries.

Announcing the carrying costs upfront is a great way to avoid hiding from them.

2 Likes