The all-leather, NFL-regulation football, inscribed -- 1963 Chicago Bears

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

STRAIGHT FROM THE GURU'S MOUTH

There I was, working from seven in the morning to seven at night and still not getting everything done. I was losing heart as quickly as I was losing ground. No matter if I worked the 12 hours or quit in two hours, there was so much to do I'd never get it done anyway. My job might as well have been emptying the ocean with a bucket.

I was discouraged, disillusioned and just plain tired. I needed some time management help.

Attending seminars, reading books and absorbing videos only put me further behind. Then while watching a documentary on TV (when I probably should have been doing something else), I heard the answer to my problem.

The answer came from that well-know, world-renowned, time management guru -- Arnold Schwartznegger. (We have learned recently just how he was using his "free" time.)

Arnold was telling a story of how in the past when he was a body building champion he was having difficulty finishing his workouts in the 2 1/2 hours he had allotted. They always ran longer. He (unlike me) was aware of the reason. He was a very gregarious person and would get to talking to others in the workout room, and his time would be up before his muscles were.

So Arnold's solution was to set a time limit. In 2 1/2 hours he would be done. There would be no staying longer to finish what he had not accomplished. That provided him with definitive criteria with which to make a decision. "Do I talk to Franco or finish my workout?" Either-or, he didn't have time for both. This worked for Mr. S.

I then decided to apply the Schwartznegger technique. I went to work at 7 a.m. but set 5:30 p.m. as quitting time. Then when a coworker would come to the office and inquire if I had a few minutes, I would ask myself "Could I meet with her and still get out at 5:30?" If so, the meeting was on. If not, we scheduled for the next day. Previously to my Arnold fix, I would have said yes, then added the extra time on the end of the day.

When you view your time as elastic there is a tendency to try to cram 30 hours of work in a 24 hour day. Set logical, attainable expectations, establish a time limit, and stick to it. The ocean may not get emptied, but you'll sure feel better about it.

Thanks, Arnold. You should have stayed with pumping iron.


Lesson: Time is life's currency; spend it selfishly.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

TODAY LING-LING SAT ON A PIE

In 1972 the People's Republic of China presented a treasured gift to the people of the United States,

This unique gift was presented to then President Richard Nixon when he visited China in 1972.

This cherished gift was bestowed as a gesture of peace and harmony to our esteemed Leader.

This beloved gift made its home in The National Zoo in Washington DC.

This rare gift was a pair of giant pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing

In 1992 to celebrate 20 years in this country, the prized gifts of Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing each were given their favorite treat, Sweet Potato pie.

Ling-Ling, the treasured, unique, cherished, beloved, rare and prized gift bestowed to solidify the relations of two great countries, in all his majesty...

sat on his pie.


Lesson: Sometimes you just gotta do what comes natural.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

OH YOU POOR BABY...

Imagine you arrive home about an hour later than usual. You drop your coat on the floor and yourself on the couch. With a concerned look, your politically correct spouse/partner/significant other/companion, observes your glazed appearance and says, "We have to talk. These last couple of months you have been especially uncommunicative with me and the kids. You've been argumentative with the neighbors. You do little else but stare at the TV, and half of the time it's not even on! And you're drinking more than you ever have. What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong. My boss won't get off my back; customers are constantly complaining; policies keep changing; rumors about reorganizing are running wild; and all my coworkers have bad attitudes. It's a jungle out there that's why I'm the way I am."

Your s/p/so/c responds, "Oh, you poor baby, have a glass of wine and relax."

"Thank you," you say with a slump and sigh.

Now let's change the scene a bit. You go home at night about an hour later than usual. And drop your coat on the floor and yourself on the couch. Your s/p/so/c comes over to you and says, "We have to talk. These last couple of months you have been especially uncommunicative with me and the kids. You've been argumentative with the neighbors. You do little else but stare at the TV, and half of the time it's not even on! And you're drinking more than you ever have. What's wrong?"

"This time you respond, "I'll tell you what's wrong. My boss won't get off my back; customers are constantly complaining; policies keep changing; rumors about reorganizing are running wild; and all my coworkers have bad attitudes. So I'm choosing to be this loser you see slumped over on the couch. Could you get me another drink please?"

If you do get another drink, it's a good bet that for telling the truth you'll have to get that drink yourself!

Lesson: When you make others responsible you get sympathy, when you make yourself responsible you get control.