Kevin Koym » superempowerment

Not sleeping well?

kevin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:06:10 +0000

Not sleeping well? Me neither. As it ends up, there might be a technology reason for this… and after doing a bunch of research looking into the root causes of my condition, I believe that I have have found something- so much so that I was quoted on CNNMoney.com website about it. Research that has been sponsored and published in Europe has shown that adults that use their cell phones close to bedtime might get to sleep fast, but sometimes don’t enter into the most restful phases of sleep for an extra hour. I posited in my own case that my insomnia was possibly caused by working too late- yet it was not untill I started limiting my wireless internet usage that I started noticing that wifi might have something to do with this as well. A key quote from the aritcle by the original research that I uncovered:

Bengt Arnetz, the Swedish professor who led the study, says there is no doubt that cell phones “have measurable effects on the brain.” He believes that the radiation from phones activates the brain’s stress system, making people feel more alert and decreasing their ability to wind down and snooze.

I have noticed over the last few months that when I stop using the ‘net by 10 pm, but even if I still work on non-computer task, I am able to get to sleep and sleep much better. If I allow myself to do computer related work after 10 pm, I have significant problems falling to sleep, and I don’t sleep as well.

I can not conclusively state that wireless internet signals create the same issues as noticed by the researcher concerning cell phones- but I do believe that there is some connection both based on the research, and my own personal experience.

If you suffer from insomnia- I have included my original email to the writer of the article in the more section of this post. Post a comment- and I can point you at more information as well.

Following is the original email that I sent:

Anne,

I have had severe sleep problems, that although I can not ground in specific sales numbers, I can tell you they have been a royal pain in the you know what. Given that I don’t have exactly what you are looking for, but that I am keenly aware of the problem, if you can, please keep me in the loop about what you find and when you publish.

An example of this week… I am in San Miguel de Allende this week on vacation. Two days ago I tried to go to sleep at 12 midnight… and did not fall asleep until sometime after 5:00 am. There are no pressing issues in my business, nothing that should be keeping me up at night… and I am on vacation… what a spoil of the next day this was.

I have tried Ambien, vallarian root, melatonin, meditation, neurofeedback, exercise, magnesium pills, and on and on (many other things, these are the ones that come immediately to mind. Some quick reflections:

1. Ambien feels weird the next day…. supposedly it is “out of the body” by the next day… but it still feels weird after taking it. I have subsequently stopped taking it, and only use it if absolutely desparate.

2. I have noticed that touching a computer after 9 pm or 10 pm has a direct correlation to being able to sleep. I suspect that wifi has something to do with this. I have no way to prove this, but this article does show a basis between mobile phone radio waves and bad sleep. I never had sleep problems before using wifi. I can not prove causation, but I do see correlation. Because of this, I am getting even more strict about turning off the wifi at home at night, especially after some point in the evening.

I am very interested in learning what you find. Sleep deprevation is the number one personal issue that screws with my personal performance concerning my business. I have learned to just deal with it, especially when I have a large presentation (e.g. 70 plus people the next day). I don’t like the limitation that I feel in these large crowd limitations with what happens after not sleeping… (I am just not as sharp as I am after a full night’s sleep)….

Let me know if this prompts any other questions, and certainly, please do keep me in the loop, if possible, on what you find.

Thank you.
Kevin Koym

Entrepreneurial drive remains strong in US, even in poor economy – Austin Business Journal:

kevin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:48:57 +0000

Despite the recent news about layoffs in Austin, Americans are still thinking about owning their own businesses… Why? “The most popular was individuals’ desire to be passionate about what they’re doing.” Yahoo Small Business commissioned a national poll showing that “nearly two-thirds of the adults surveyed have thought about owning their own business in the past year.”

As you have heard here at this blog, the shift towards the superempowered individual and the attitudinal shift towards work will drive entrepreneurs to create businesses that follow their passions. No matter where the economy takes the US in the short term, this long term outlook of aligning individuals with their passions in their work bodes well for the future.

What is needed most, though, are structures to support these entrepreneurs. In the coming days and weeks I will be blogging about new initiatives that we will be doing to create large scale efforts of supporting entrepreneurs. Get in contact (through email or comments on this blog) if you are interested in being a part of these efforts in your community.

Seth Godin speaking about Conceptual Shift #3- an Attitudinal Shift Towards Work

kevin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:44:11 +0000

As you have heard here before- there is an attitudinal shift that is occurring towards work, largely driven by the Millennial Generation. Here is what Seth said recently on this blog about this new class of jobs and workers:

A new class of jobs (and workers) is creating a different sort of worker, though. This is the person who works out of passion and curiosity, not fear.

The passionate worker doesn’t show up because she’s afraid of getting in trouble, she shows up because it’s a hobby that pays. The passionate worker is busy blogging on vacation… because posting that thought and seeing the feedback it generates is actually more fun than sitting on the beach for another hour. The passionate worker tweaks a site design after dinner because, hey, it’s a lot more fun than watching TV.

We are seeing a new class of worker emerge. This worker is taking advantage of Conceptual Shift #1- the Superempowerment of the Individual. Passion is what is driving “superempowerment”. It is also what is driving a massive shift in how work is being done- and this will force a major change among individuals and companies into the future.

Superempowerment at your doorstep

kevin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:05:51 +0000

The following New York Times article “Personal Assistants on Call, Just Not in the Next Office” is further evidence of a growing trend of entrepreneurs hiring, at a few hours at a time, personal assistants to lower the “80 percent of their time on the trivial 20 percent of tasks”. As I mentioned in a previous post about the Superempowerment of the Individual we are at a time that entrepreneurs that allow themselves to get bogged down in the minutia won’t be focused on their true strategic value… These entrepreneurs should be embracing support at very affordable prices, allowing them to live easier, while still building their businesses. And this is not just about offshore resources. Local Austin companies are providing these types of services as well. It is great to see support to be now in reach of the individual entrepreneur or employee, at a level that has never been present before. Expect access to these types of services to expand, as our economy shifts from being a knowledge economy to an knowledge ecology, with further specialization of services that are available on an hourly basis, at an inexpensive price, as needed.