Sometimes the things we say are essential, and the things we take the time to do, are often different. I am not sure exactly why that is. What I know is that it is a significant phenomenon that affects most people.
I have a course I’m working on completing. I also have a book that I have been waiting a year to read, and I just got it. Somehow reading that book eats not only spare time, It also eats the time I could be spending in course development. It makes me wonder if I need stronger dividing lines between the things I do.
We all have these temptations in our life. What would life be without a few temptations thrown into the mix? The trick is to balance our life structure, knowing that we are human. We will divert from time to time with temptations. We will have overwhelming work we need to get done. I guess the trick is to plan time for both.
Just as solid fences make good neighbors, well-planned time and time barriers make for good work and accomplishing everything you want.
When did you last have desires and needs clash over time? How did you successfully solve it?
Sometimes we complain that each day is like the one before it, and the one that will come next. Fortunately, this is true only If we allow it to be. It is up to us to make each day, hour, and minute what we want of it.
We can often find ourselves trapped as we do now with Covid-19. Covid-19 is deadly. Other trappings could be financial or weather-related. They could be caused by people around us or those dear to us.
Yet, we are in control. We control what we want to do and how we want to do it. We cannot control anyone else, nor can others control us. Whatever others think of us is none of our business.
If we want to change our days to better ventures or at least better than what we think we have now, we need to start with the person in the mirror. What is that person doing to make each day better? What organization or planning has the mirror person put into place to do what they want to do?
And yet, No one is an island. No one person lives completely alone. We are all inter-dependent, one upon the other.
If the person in our story has other people, people they care for, or care for them, where those other people ask for input? If the people do not wish to provide feedback, that’s up to them. At least they were offered a voice and choice.
Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
When I was young, I hated habits. My standard defense to them was we should not do things out of habit, we should do things that just need to be done. And, by the same token, we should not do things which are a waste of time. If I slept in the bed last night and I was going to sleep in it tonight, and nothing was going on in the bedroom, why should I make the bed in the morning if I was just going to mess it up again that evening?
After many years, and a lot of growing older, I realized that I wasn’t getting rid of habits, I was only choosing the ones I wanted to follow. Watching TV every night is a habit. Whether you get up early, get up a little later or just turn off the alarm and go back to sleep, if you do it again and again, it is a habit. Stopping by the store in the morning to pick up a donut is a habit.
The truth is, we are all creatures of habit. We cannot help it. As I have grown older, I have come to understand that the trick is not to get rid of habits. Instead, we need to understand which habits get us to where we want to go and what we want to do, and which ones do not.
Do I really want to waste my evening, every evening just sitting in front of a television? Or sometimes what I like to read a book, go out to see a movie, or do something on the computer? Once we realize the choices are ours to make and we don’t have to just follow a pattern, life gets more interesting. We get to do more things. If our surroundings look better, we feel better.
I have learned that I can empty and fill the dishwasher is less than seven minutes. I can pick up a messy office in less than 10. And as for making the bed, every article I read about those who have made their billions in high-tech or other entrepreneurial endeavors, they all make their bed when they get up in the morning. It does set a good start to the day.
Thank you for being here. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
We are collectors. As we go through life, our hunter and gather her genes live strong within us. And as we settled down into a regular life with the domicile we stay in for more extended periods of time, we start to feel crowded out by all those things we’ve hunted and gathered.
When this crowding starts to happen, we must convert to givers and re-taskers. If we keep absolutely everything we’ve ever gained in life, the house starts belonging to the stuff, and we find ourselves crowded into a corner. And that is a shame because getting your house in your domestic life back is actually easy to do.
Don’t feel alone or ashamed about having to take back your house from everything you’ve collected. I had to do that myself about a year ago. Gather everything that belongs in a particular room into that room. Yes, this will cause a bit of a mess and stacking to start with.
Once you have everything that belongs in the room, in the room, pick up one thing. It can be anything it doesn’t matter just pick up something. Ask yourself a question or two. Do I need this? Do I want this? Why could I not live without this? If you convince yourself to keep it, you have to find a place for it. Nothing that belongs in the room can go to any other room just for the sake of cleaning the room. If you want the item need it, you have to find a proper place. The things you either do not want, do not need or do not have a place to keep, need to be given away or disposed of. The first few are the hardest. Once you get through the first few, you will find it is easier than you think.
Many people like to hold yard sales. I donate to places like Goodwill or DAV because it allows the item to be reused, recycled, and the money it earns helps those who could use a hand. The joke I have with my local Goodwill is that I drop the goods off at the back door and then drive around to the front and go inside to see what I want to buy back.
I like to keep things which other people have given me. When I look at them or use them, it reminds me of the person. I still can’t keep everything, yet the things I keep mean something.
Have a great day, and I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
Sometimes getting started is hard. When these times come, the real heroes are the ones who get up and take a step forward anyway. What direction they go, or how far they go, or how fast they go does not matter. The important thing is that they make the initial move. Starting to move is always harder than keeping the momentum going.
Many things can get in our way of that first step. Whether it is a physical problem or a mental block does not really matter. The seeming inability to get started, always feels the same.
There is a trick I used to teach my team when anger, fear, resentment, or other problems blocked a path to moving in positive directions. This is something that I have used and seen work, and I’ll share with you now.
I used to supervise an assembly team for computers and servers. Whenever grumblings, complaints, or other items that detracted from our ability to work would show up, I would take everybody into a conference room. I would explain to them that they were all outstanding workers and yet we had some concerns about actually getting the job done and doing it right. And then I would put a trash can in the middle of the conference table with an entire team of up to 27 people sitting around the table.
I would look at the trashcan and look at the people. And I would explain to them that we were carrying things we absolutely did not need, and these items hurt our ability to build. The elements of this pain were the contrary ideas we had. The thoughts were also destroying our ability to have a fun and productive shift.
I then had everybody take their hands and wind-up all their negative feelings in a ball. They wound up all the petty problems, all the trivial concerns that were preventing them from having a fun and productive shift.
I would have them take this imaginary ball that they had built with their own hands, smooshing it together as tight as possible so nothing would get loose. And, I would have them throw that ball into the trashcan. With the concerns now on the trashcan, I explained to them some of the good things that they had done in the past, and some of the great things they were capable of in the future. Then I explained we were going to go back to work. I said to them that no one was to reach in the trashcan on the way out and take their ball back out with them.
This actually does work. It is a physical moment in which people can clear their mind, leave troubles behind, and actually go forth to do great things. You don’t have to have a team of 27 people to do this. You can do this by yourself. Just set the trashcan on your desk or in the center of the room. Get all those disturbances which are blocking you from doing what you want to do out of your head, and into the trashcan. Sometimes, it’s even reasonable to take the trashcan out the back door and empty it.
Have a great day. Please do not pick up any imaginary problem balls on your way out.
Ever get tired of the city and the rat race and want to give it all up? Have you ever considered moving to the country? There are positives and negatives to both. Before you choose one in favor of the other, there are some things you should consider.
In the city, people seem to be stacked on top of each other. Everything costs money. Therefore, you have to work to be able to afford to live. The city seems to carry more stress because you’re bombarded with more information and everyone once a piece of your paycheck.
At the same time, the city offers a certain level of security, your neighbors are closer, medical care in emergency care or both more prevalent and Food is as close is the grocery store or corner cafe.
The country is much more peaceful. You don’t have the traffic you do in the city. You can grow your own food and Enjoy the flora in the fauna. If you have neighbors, you probably have enough acreage between the 2 of you that you are given some privacy. When you want to have something all you have to do is cook it.
The country life also has some other things you need to consider. Longer trips to a grocery store mean you have to stock up on the things you need for cooking and other tasks. You need to plan in advance, consider the weather, and realize the price of a peaceful existence is putting everything else further away. In many areas of the country life, the medical staff is further away, and emergency assistance is harder to obtain.
I think the trick is to live far enough out of the city to enjoy some of the country life and close enough to the city that you can actually enjoy those things you desire or need. With the understanding that for some of our desires we need to have tradeoffs with others.
Most courses online fail not because they do not have useful information. They fail because you get the course, are wished luck and then find out you are on your own. My course is different because you get a Facebook Group with me and everyone else taking the course. You get my Email, and I will answer within 36 hours. And If you ask, I will give you a call.
I have taught professionally for over 15 years. I have taken classes all my life. I promise you that what aggravated me will not be a thorn in your side.
I understand how scary, frustrating, and expensive a life transition can be. Especially If you aren’t really sure about what you’re doing.
How do I know?
My dad was career Army, and I was career Air Force. Every time we moved, it was a significant change to lifestyle.
I retired from military service, and that was a BIG lifestyle Transition.
I became a Supervisor and trainer in a high-tech contract manufacturing plant, working 12-hour shifts. The lifestyle change came 14 years later when the plant closed and went overseas.
To keep the positions, I had earned in a life of transitions, I went back to school. First, to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, then a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training.
So, what makes me think I can help you with Life Transition?
I have been through more transitions than you can imagine during my 60+ Years. Not only that, I’m willing to bet I’ve probably made every mistake that can be made. And, from that, I’ve learned.
I have a new course out which will save you a lot of time, protect you from more grief than you could ever imagine, and help keep you from spending or losing between $10,000 and $75,000.
I have learned how to do Life Transitions right, how to get where you want to be and be doing what you want to be doing and living the lifestyle you want to be living. And how to do it in a sane and orderly fashion.
Gate to Your Future?
When we need to make a change in life, some people fall into a rut or a metaphorical hole. A place in our minds that we just cannot get out of. Quite often we just feel stuck there, and unable to get out. Unable to see the path to our next position. Sometimes we find it by luck. Sometimes we never find it, and sometimes we find it because someone came along and saw us in that hole and jumped into it with us. Metaphorically speaking, I am here to help keep you out of any holes, and if necessary to drop into the hole with you. You may look at me like I was crazy. I could hear you say ‘now are both stuck in the hole.’
It is okay, I’ve been there, and I know the way out.
And for those of you not in the hole yet, even better. Having been there, I can now warn people about the holes and help them not to fall into those holes to start with.
If you spent three years moving between two or three jobs as you try to work out a lifestyle transition, you’ll probably lose about $10,000 worth of earnings that you could’ve made by staying with one company and are better if you can get into the right company to start with. This course teaches you how to research and know the good and bad about the company before you apply for a job.
Map Your Way
I have many friends who came out of either the military or college and went into something that they thought they wanted to do. To gain the new credentials for the positions, they spent time getting advanced degrees, thousands of hours in some cases going through internships or externships to earn certifications. And after all the time and money spent they learned one escape the inescapable fact, “They hated that job.”
If I you can save a little money along the way that’s a beautiful thing. But that’s not the most important thing I should be doing for you. As silly as it seems, money is a renewable resource. You can always go out somewhere and earn more money. The one thing you cannot gain more of is time. We each have so much time on this earth, and then we’re going to be gone. And the worst part is, we have no clue exactly when our time is going to be up. If I can help you save a little time that’s much more than all the money that I could ever imagine saving you.
Think of what you could do with some extra time to grow in your company, to live the lifestyle you would really like to live, enjoy your family and kids.
I have three wonderful boys. I learned that they don’t stay small forever. They grow, they go to college, then they leave the house. I miss them so does their mom.
To know little about me, I’ve been teaching professionally since 2003. I have taught everything from corporate training, teaching technology at a contract manufacturing high-tech plant, to teaching people how to write their resumes and prepare for the interview and earn their next job. I’ve taught live classes. And I have converted live courses to online courses. And I have developed online courses some of which are for sale today. I am a certified Six Sigma Greenbelt. My Hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. I am a member of the Delta Mu Delta business honor society. I earned a Master of Arts in Education Majoring in Adult Education and Training.
My course is like no other. Why? In this course, I am focusing full attention on to your success. I will give you my email and make it possible for us to communicate via Facetime or ZOOM whenever you need to talk to me.
If the future were left to those who believed the status quo was the best that we could be, we would never evolve to find our full potential.
It’s not the sane and the rational who move us to new abilities. It is those who refuse to accept anything less, those who do not know it cannot be done, and the sheer willpower of the stubborn who declined to be defeated.
You have heard me state before, and it is true that up until 1900 knowledge doubled about every hundred years. Today it doubles roughly every 13 months. Except for some newer technologies. Nanotechnology and a few others are still doubling every 2 to 3 years. From our healthcare systems to our space programs, to our better understanding of our world, and even to the better understanding of each other, our lives are improved through the expedited growth we are enjoying in knowledge.
This is not the time to dig in heels and claim we have to slow down just because we don’t know or understand. Now is the time, like none other since the Elizabethan era, when we should learn everything we can, do everything we can, and find ways to help everyone we can. Why do we do this? Because we can, and now we are allowed to grow and be part of the solution like no other time in history.
For millennia, governments have feared change. Even our own government wanted to keep items such as breaking the sound barrier out of the news and ventures into space limited to the government people charged with doing so. Now government partners with the private sector to fulfill our future in not only spacecraft and space travel, but also a whole host of other initiatives which used to be the government’s domain.
This incredible resurgence and growth in knowledge are fueled in large part by significant companies once again willing to perform research to first discover and build the items that will then, at a later date, give them monetary success. The advantages we gave up when we curtailed our willingness to invest in unknown research are slowly coming back. We are not the smartest nation. We are not the best-educated nation. We are not the healthiest nation. Yet, hopefully, we are the nation back on the path and going back to where we’ve been before.
For a time, when I served in the Air Force, I worked for great Chief Master Sergeant. He worked very hard both completing a mission of vital importance, and training those who worked for him to be better workers, and better leaders.
The Chief always said one thing I never understood at the time. When people would miss a deadline, including myself, he would tell us we had to slow down. At that time, I did not understand the concept of slowing down. If I was missing deadlines, I felt I needed to speed up. It took me years to appreciate his wisdom in the statement of slowing down. And, today I know it.
The idea of slowing down is not one of ignoring what needs to be done. Slowing down means taking the time to do things right. To slow down correctly, you need to know the importance of each task you take on. And, allocate the proper time to those things that are important and must be done within a set timetable.
Will some things still not get done? Probably. Yet, knowing that gives us choices to make. The first choice, is this something I should do or is it better delegated to someone else? Is this time sensitive? If so, have I been given enough time to complete it. If not, have I asked for more time?
I understand now that slowing down doesn’t mean doing less. Instead, it’s doing the things that must be done, wisely. And, always ensuring you have the time and resources to complete any task you undertake.
Thank you for being with me today. Hope you’re here again tomorrow.
It’s a beautiful day today. And I am lucky enough to be able to sit in my house and listen to planes and helicopters flying and enjoying the spring weather.
Although most people would think of hearing aircraft as mere noise, the sounds remind me of how connected we are now as a people. And how good it is to be able to have that contact which is a lot closer timewise than it was even 75 or 100 years ago.
It used to be that we would get a fragment of a news report. Because of vast distances and slow communication, we would not be able to fully confirm nor deny the story. And, because of that vacuum in information, we would do what humans do best. We would think the worse until proven mistaken.
I’m not here to pick on us. Yet, think of how many times in our lives and how many times in history are dander is raised, and ire rule the day until more information is received. Is this unneeded concern a bad thing? Although usually not needed, I believe it is a primitive defense mechanism. If you don’t know what’s going on sometimes, the safest thing is to assume it’s not going to be good. We can always backpedal later.
Today we are lucky enough that we have excellent communication, good databases and easy ways to find the correct facts. I am not recommending that we should paint everything is rosy until proven otherwise. I’m just suggesting, a broad middle-of-the-road stance until we know for sure, is always a good policy. It is definitely better than shooting first and asking questions later.
Being knowledgeable, understandable, and a proper stance are things we should strive to accomplish. It makes a difference now as we live in our world and try to bring our global village together. It will mean more and be needed even more as we discover new things including new sentient species.
Thank you for being with me today. I hope you are with us again tomorrow.
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