At the tail end of the dot-com boom I talked with a friend who just got laid off from his job. He was distraught, and concerned about finding another job. Having gone through this myself earlier in the year, he asked for my advice on how to approach being without work. My answer was not what he expected. I told him to take advantage of this time – sure he was unemployed, but he had a block of time to take care of things or do thing he otherwise wouldn’t. Sure, he should be looking for work, but my managing the time and not letting it manage you, balance can be achieved.

Several weeks after our conversation I talked with him and asked him how things were going. He told me that he did not have a job yet, but that he took my advice… and went to Vegas! Shortly after we talked he was gainfully employed again, hopefully paying for whatever memories stayed on his trip.

I recalled this story as I sat down to write my first blog post in almost a week, the longest period I have gone without writing anything. I even missed Wordless Wednesday last week! Though it would be nice to say I went to Las Vegas that did not happen, instead a cornucopia of tasks and events that kept me busy, productive and feeling both capitalistic and philanthropic, but nonetheless kept me away from blogging.

Where many times I talk about how things only happen when you schedule them, this is only half the battle. One must also be accountable to that schedule. When it is just you, it is easy to let things slip or other things take priority. The mere fact that something got done ends up being the justification, even if whatever was done was not at the top of the list.

There are many ways to be more accountable. Software can track your time, running in the background as you are doing whatever on your computer. Friends, colleagues and even family can review your tasks and schedules to make sure everything is on track. But in the end it is up to you, and there’s no time like the present to start down the track of accountability.

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I saw a brief Associated Press article on Crain’s Chicago Business’ RSS feed last night that spoke volumes to me. It was about the upcoming sale of the Chicago Cubs by the Tribune Company. As there have been delays in the overall acquisition of the Tribune by billionaire Sam Zell, there have also been delays in the sale of the storied baseball team.

Mark Cuban, the billionaire tech entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has publicly acknowledged he wants to buy the team and that he has submitted an application to Major League Baseball to do so. There are rumors, and this article states it as well, that other baseball team owners may not want Cuban to be one of them, namely due to his highly energetic and outspoken style as an NBA team owner.

Here’s his response to this query:

"I don't do things just for the sake of doing them. It's a passion project, it makes great business sense for me, there's a lot of leverage there. There's so many business applications, so many technology applications I can do in Chicago. There's a lot of opportunities."

Business applications? Technology applications? Awesome!

Mark Cuban’s investment of money, time – even his attention – to the tech and business community in Chicago would be very much welcome addition. Especially in the tech venue, where attention in the US is mostly directed to the Left Coast of the country, Cuban’s investment in the heartland will go well with the rest of us who have done the same.

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With Hanukkah tomorrow, time is limited to get the best gift to someone on short notice. As just about every store and business takes gift certificates or cards, it may be the best gift anyway, especially for the people who are hard to shop for.

GiftCertificates.com offers a wide selection of gift cards, or you can give a general gift card, called a SuperCertificate, which lets the recipient select their own store or merchant. Gift cards and certificates can be given as a tangible item or sent via email. Check their Web site for complete details.

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In this season of giving, one of the best gifts is to make a donation in the name of someone to a charity. I am fortunate to support several organizations with their Web sites, and one of them is YouthBuild Boston.

The tagline for YouthBuild Boston, located in Dudley Square of Boston's Roxbury neighborhood is “Strengthening Youth, Rebuilding Communities.” They achieve this by training youth in the community in construction and related industries. They also have a technology program that gets computers to people in the community. Their Web site lists complete details on their mission and programs.

You can support YouthBuild Boston with a monetary donation online, donating an item on their wish list or participating in their unique UBuild program. YouthBuild Boston is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. I have been proud to support them throughout the years and recommend others to explore this organization and do the same!

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