A Sticky Situation

 

The other day my Dad said he was proud of my stick-to-itiveness and determination. Of course I took this as a compliment and immediately realized my being a word geek comes honestly. I mean really, who actually uses the word "stick-to-itiveness"?! My Dad and me!

Anyway, I know a lot of people think stick-to-itiveness is a made up word or basically a bogus word over used by basketball broadcasters. But I found the word in Webster's dictionary as well as a number of online dictionary sources. Stick-to-itiveness is a REAL word!

My favorite definitions came from http://www.urbandictionary.com/. The word is a noun meaning: The ability to stay with a project and see it through to completion. According to urbandictionary.com it also means: "The ability and determination to continue doing something despite difficulties." It is attributed to either Thomas Edison or Albert McGeachy. Basically it means persistence. Thank goodness ole Tom Edison had stick-to-itiveness or I'd be writing this with paper and a feather dipped in ink, in the dark and delivering it via carrier pigeon!

I think persistence or stick-to-itiveness takes a strong belief in yourself and your goals. You just can't give up! This is a trait I sometimes struggle with and am happy to report that when I practice it...it works. I've been trying to teach my son the value of this trait too. Granted, he's only in kindergarten, but he gets so frustrated when he doesn't understand or accomplish something quickly. He's finally coming around to the understanding that being persistent and practicing whatever the task, makes all the difference.

You don't have to tell me how difficult it is to embody this trait in today's unpredictable economy. All I can say is that like sales Coach Chris Alexander says, "To make things happen you need to put energy out there." So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and dig deep for the energy that makes you happy. Be persistent in the pursuit of your happiness. Your stick-to-itiveness is bound to make things happen.

Of Dubious Origin

I firmly believe to be a good writer you need to be a good reader. Reading how an author weaves his story and defines his characters and their conversations will open your mind to new ways to do the same in your own writing.

Interestingly enough, in addition to reading, listening to the way people use words when they speak can also be an excellent tool. Take for instance one of my favorite people to watch - Tim Gunn from Project Runway. His vocabulary is peppered with great word nuggets. Sometimes when I hear him speak I wonder “who really talks like that?” Well, after seven seasons of watching my favorite show I can safely say…Tim Gunn does.

His words are said with purpose and that sense of purpose compelled me to use one of his words as this week’s blog post.

Tim applauds designer Ben's use of color in episode 5, but is "dubious" about his fabric choice for the belt. See what Tim had to say http://bit.ly/aGJJSN

Dubious…it’s a fabulous word right? So why don’t we use it more? When I looked dubious up in the dictionary, seeing the definitions helped me to determine how I could use the word.

1. Marked by or causing doubt a dubious reply
2. Unsettled in mind; uncertain; doubtful
3. Of doubtful quality; untrustworthy a dubious reputation

4. Not certain in outcome

Dubious comes from the Latin dubius wavering. Tim Gunn was dubious about a choice Ben was making. Sure he could have said he was uncertain or doubtful, but to be dubious created so much more power. In the end, Ben ditched the purple metallic belt and he placed in the top three. Had he stuck with the purple belt? I’m dubious.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Destination...Communication

As a marketing and communications professional, communicating to and for my clients is my main objective. And, in today’s world of communication overload it is more important than ever to understand how and why we COMMUNICATE.


The verb communicate’s origin is [1520-30] Latin for commūnicātus, to impart, make common. Whether that is: 1. To convey information about; make known; impart. 2. To reveal clearly; manifest. 3. To spread to others; transmit. 4. To have an interchange, as of ideas. 5. To express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood. 6. To be connected, one with another: *

We communicate first and foremost to be understood. Secondly this communication enables us to be connected with others. No matter how we convey or impart information it is essential to be clear. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Think before you speak,” which is good advice when communicating orally. Conversely, taking the time to thoroughly review your written communications whether it is an email, hand written note, proposal, contract, tweet or post will make all the difference in how it is received.

This review obviously includes checking your spelling and sentence structure but more importantly should include re-reading the information to be sure someone who knows nothing about the subject could discern the gist of what you’ve written. So when communications can be as short as 140 characters and can be read by thousands of people every word counts. This is not to say communications should always be short because explaining or describing things may need more words to be understood.

Plus if that were the case…I’d have been cut off 1,541 characters ago!
*Definition and origin from www.dictionary.com The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

First Thing's First!

You will experience a number of firsts in your life. The first step, first kiss, first car, first job, first home. So for the In Other Words... first blog post I thought we'd start with just that - the word FIRST. It being a new year and a new decade many of us will surely do things for the first time. But what does first really mean?
Looking at the word FIRST as a noun already brings up numerous meanings: 1. The one before the second; 2. Any person, thing, class, place, etc. that is physically first; 3.The first day of a week, month, or year; 4. The beginning or start; 5. A first happening or thing of its kind; 6.The best quality of merchandise or service; 7. The winning place in a race or competition.*

When you identify your company, yourself or something you do as the FIRST, the best thing you can do is back it up. What I mean is...if you are doing something for the first time (like this blog) be sure there is a second, third, fourth, etc. If it is "your first and only" isn't as significant unless it is your first and only marriage or first and only child. What comes after the first is what makes the first so important. Make sense?

Being the best and top of your game personally and professionally is another terrific way to use the word - first. Only, to be first takes a lot of hard work and determination. Again, it is typically what comes after being named "the first" or the best is usually made even more vital by what comes next. The amount of effort to stay first can take more than it took to become first. But the benefits can be limitless!

So...do you have it in you to be first or do something for the first time?

Well...there's always a first!

*Definitions of  the word first were modified based on the defiinitions listed on www.yourdictionary.com.