As regular readers of my blog will know I am working in a menial job and have failed in a job that I didn't really give 100% to. Even in my job now, I don't really give 100% and even though at times I work long hours, I don't really work hard and sometimes that is frustrating.
What are 10 mistakes that I make on a daily basis and how can I fix them? Lets have a look.
1. They say if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. I am not a great planner, in fact I can say that I am a lousy planner. Even today I had a whole lot of things to do at my work and went from task to task with no structure in my work and in the end I just had to sit down for five minutes and think about what I had to do, prioritize them and get started on the most important thing on the list. I think I have talked before about the difference between urgent and important. Urgent things are going to make you feel good while important things are going to get you somewhere.
2. I think from the moment I get up, and this can take a while I have no drive. I mope around thinking that I should get going because I am going to be late for work. I know that if I wake up earlier and do my novel writing or do some reading or even write this blog post then I start the day on a good note. I get some momentum going and if I finish a task successfully then I'm looking to start something else. All of my life I have decided that staying in bed is the better option. Maybe that attitude is why I am where I am.
3. Yesterday in my blog post I talked about procrastination and this is what hinders my work effectiveness. If I follow the suggestions in this blog then I should be on the way up.
4. I have a tendency and this is been with me all of my life, I tend to find the most difficult ways of doing things. Also I don't think big picture and will spend a large amount of time doing things that are not very important and should only take a few minutes anyway. I noticed that last week. I was working with a particular guy and he would be doing three things at once and I would do my one thing and of course his way was much more effective. This comes back to I should have just thought about it and it would have cut off a lot of time.
5. I don't do the hard things. I shy away from it. In financial planning I didn't do the cold calling. In my current job, if we have something heavy to be moved I am nowhere to be found. I run away. I think I have written before that I am better if I run towards my problems, to embrace them, to say that I want to have them in my life to help my grow and in the same way if there is something difficult to then my hand will be up, volunteering to do the job.
6. People consider myself as being quite punctual. I will get to a meeting with lots of time to spare. But when it comes to getting up and going to work I am always exactly on time or even a couple of minutes past the time I should be. Only on precious few occasions do I actually get to work super early and prepare thoroughly.How can I fix this? Set my clocks forward 15 minutes? Think about the fun that I will have when I get there?
7. I don't use my intuition at work. Especially at the job I am at now I have to find out whether or not it is OK from a superior before doing it. On the occasions that I do something, the bosses usually back my work anyway, so what am I scared of? I know this isn't really good advice but what is wrong for just going for it. Throwing caution to the wind. Sure I am going to make mistakes but in all reality I am going to get results rather than playing it safe.
8. I don't work at a good pace. The Japanese have borrowed a saying from English and it is "my pace." That is certainly me. I do everything at a sedate pace. Some people at work have asked me if I am ever busy because they think that I never look it. Brian Tracy talks about trying to improve 0.1% everyday. What if I work at a pace 0.1% faster than the day before? After 100 days of work I would be working 10% faster. That is doable.
9. They say that work is work and it shouldn't be a place to socialize but you do spend a third of your life with these people so it would be better if you get to know your colleagues so then if you do have lunch with them you have something to talk about. I tried to talk to them today but one said that i am too brainy for them. Obviously I wasn't reading the situation very well and should provide more appropriate topics for discussion.
10. I think this is so important that I will write it again, my planning is terrible. Just take five minutes to plan and the whole day will be more productive.
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Tuesday 6 November 2012
Procrastination is the thief of time
I am a procrastinator, in fact I have a PHD in procrastination. If any of you want to ever procrastinate on anything and don't know how to do it then come and ask me. I'll show you what to do.
So, how can I stop this procrastination? How can I get things going? Let me think about that and I'll get back to you tomorrow. No, just joking, here are ten ways to nip procrastination in the bud.
1. Think about how good it will be when you have finished the task. It is like when you finish at the gym and you walk outside and you feel great. Sometimes writing these blog posts can be testing but when I finally finish it, I feel good.
2. Break the task up into pieces. I see these blog posts as 12 pieces. An introduction, a closing and 10 ideas. So if I look at it I have done 3 pieces out of 12. That is 25%. That makes me feel good as I am that much closer to the end.
3. Taking the first step is most important. What is that Chinese proverb? "A journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. I think for me, the sitting down part and thinking about what I am going to write about is difficult. But as soon as I figure it out then the first three or four ideas can flow at quite a rate.
4. Sometimes I like to use music. The music on occasions helps me concentrate or it can be quite inspirational as it reminds me why I am writing these blog posts.
5. I like to use my stopwatch on my iPhone. What does that mean? I divide my time up into 10 minute slots and I do a task for 10 minutes, then I do another task for ten minutes. Sometimes I have three things going on at once (who says guys can't multitask?) and it allows me to get things done instead of concentrating on one thing when I know that if it is going to take me so long then I will procrastinate on it.
6. This is something that I may do subconsciously , I don't know but I believe that you need to reward yourself for doing stuff. However, on the other hand if you don't do anything then you are not allowed to go out tonight and have those beers.
7. I think that I am very lucky. I have a friend who checks my progress and will praise me when I have done good work and give me a good kick up the ass when I become lazy and unengaged in my activity. Your friend is someone that you can use to bounce ideas off and also you can have your friend hold you accountable.
8. This is something that I don't do because a. I'm lazy and b. my schedule is erratic. I don't know what I am going to be doing from day to day but it would be good to be able to schedule in my blog writing time. For example from 8am to 9am I write my blog. I could have done this this morning but this is not applicable for me tomorrow morning as I have an early morning start at work. It would be good to have a routine however.
9. Of course an idea to beat procrastination, I'm not sure if it is good or not is to put the task away for a length of time and do something else productive. By this I don't mean watching TV or checking Facebook, I mean putting that task to one side and doing something else which would start the momentum that allows you to do the task that you have been putting off.
10. In the seduction community, they talk about the 3 second rule where if you see someone you are attracted to, you should obey the 3 second rule and go up to them and say hi. I wonder what the eliminate procrastination rule is. Maybe it is if you think about something to do then you have 3 minutes to start it. That sounds interesting. Maybe I should try it.
I hope these ideas help and if you are like me and struggle to get started then realize that you are not alone. I'm sure 99.99% of people have this problem of the course of their lifetimes. Don't panic, take a deep breathe and focus on what you want to do and achieve. I'm sure that you will get results.
So, how can I stop this procrastination? How can I get things going? Let me think about that and I'll get back to you tomorrow. No, just joking, here are ten ways to nip procrastination in the bud.
1. Think about how good it will be when you have finished the task. It is like when you finish at the gym and you walk outside and you feel great. Sometimes writing these blog posts can be testing but when I finally finish it, I feel good.
2. Break the task up into pieces. I see these blog posts as 12 pieces. An introduction, a closing and 10 ideas. So if I look at it I have done 3 pieces out of 12. That is 25%. That makes me feel good as I am that much closer to the end.
3. Taking the first step is most important. What is that Chinese proverb? "A journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. I think for me, the sitting down part and thinking about what I am going to write about is difficult. But as soon as I figure it out then the first three or four ideas can flow at quite a rate.
4. Sometimes I like to use music. The music on occasions helps me concentrate or it can be quite inspirational as it reminds me why I am writing these blog posts.
5. I like to use my stopwatch on my iPhone. What does that mean? I divide my time up into 10 minute slots and I do a task for 10 minutes, then I do another task for ten minutes. Sometimes I have three things going on at once (who says guys can't multitask?) and it allows me to get things done instead of concentrating on one thing when I know that if it is going to take me so long then I will procrastinate on it.
6. This is something that I may do subconsciously , I don't know but I believe that you need to reward yourself for doing stuff. However, on the other hand if you don't do anything then you are not allowed to go out tonight and have those beers.
7. I think that I am very lucky. I have a friend who checks my progress and will praise me when I have done good work and give me a good kick up the ass when I become lazy and unengaged in my activity. Your friend is someone that you can use to bounce ideas off and also you can have your friend hold you accountable.
8. This is something that I don't do because a. I'm lazy and b. my schedule is erratic. I don't know what I am going to be doing from day to day but it would be good to be able to schedule in my blog writing time. For example from 8am to 9am I write my blog. I could have done this this morning but this is not applicable for me tomorrow morning as I have an early morning start at work. It would be good to have a routine however.
9. Of course an idea to beat procrastination, I'm not sure if it is good or not is to put the task away for a length of time and do something else productive. By this I don't mean watching TV or checking Facebook, I mean putting that task to one side and doing something else which would start the momentum that allows you to do the task that you have been putting off.
10. In the seduction community, they talk about the 3 second rule where if you see someone you are attracted to, you should obey the 3 second rule and go up to them and say hi. I wonder what the eliminate procrastination rule is. Maybe it is if you think about something to do then you have 3 minutes to start it. That sounds interesting. Maybe I should try it.
I hope these ideas help and if you are like me and struggle to get started then realize that you are not alone. I'm sure 99.99% of people have this problem of the course of their lifetimes. Don't panic, take a deep breathe and focus on what you want to do and achieve. I'm sure that you will get results.
Sunday 4 November 2012
There is no such thing as a free lunch
I was reading this article today about how Kim Dotcom wants to build a new internet link from America to New Zealand and in doing so provide individuals in New Zealand with free internet. Sounds good to me. At the moment, New Zealand has some of the highest internet rates in the world, so it would be welcome especially amongst us Kiwis who are, lets says, careful with money. It comes from our Scottish heritage, just in case anybody is wondering.
So what else can we provide free? What other services could be provided free of charge to the consumer. Lets see:
1. Air travel. Now before you start telling me that you are crazy and get your head out of the clouds let me just explain that on this website they were offering flights from Christchurch to Palmerston North and vice versa for $0. That is not a typo, it was $0. How can they justify that and why don't they have that throughout the year? I just couldn't understand it. Are people who fly been ripped off? I don't know but if they have $0 seats then maybe we are.
2. In Palmerston North, if you are a student or a staff member of Massey University then you are eligible for free bus services. Sounds quite good, doesn't it? Unfortunately if you are not a student then you have to pay full fare. What about people who pay taxes etc who have had a connection with Massey University? We would like the same courtesy. Don't we count?
3. If internet is going to be free then can individual homes get a get a free telephone line. Still pay for your calls but you get the telephone line for free. Part of Kim Dotcom's plan is to have free internet for homes but charge businesses and the government. Why not the same for telephone? C'mon Telecom, what can you do for us?
4. Lunches for primary schools. When I was teaching in public junior high schools in Japan, everyday we would get lunch. It was generally three days a week with rice and two days a week with bread. They varied the menu about quite a bit and it was interesting. Do you think New Zealand schools could do something like that? We hear stories about children going to school hungry and having nothing to eat, this would change that.
5. No fees on ATM. Please those banks out there, you are taking our money and making money of it lending it out to other people at good interest rates, why should we be charged for using your ATM's? Can't you give us that service for free?We are giving you quite a bit of our money, your interest rates are not the best at the moment for savings. Cut the ATM fees please.
6. I've heard that overweight baggage is a relic from a bygone era where the technology wasn't as it was today and they had weigh the bags carefully. Apparently it doesn't apply today so why do some people get charged big money? Surely within reason you can let us go with a fe overweight bags.
7. Do we have to pay for a cat or dog? Now, I'm not a big animal fan but it is beyond me how some people pay big money for a domestic pet.
8. Television licences. I know that in New Zealand that this has been abolished. I think that it was 1999 when they scrapped it. In Japan they have it which is about 15000 yen a year but not may people pay it because of scandals involving the state broadcaster, NHK. Abolish it all together Japan. A lot of people pay for satellite television, so why should pay for programs that are funded by our taxes?
9. Corkage? Why do we have to pay for drinking wine in a BYO restaurant? It doesn't make sense. They don't even open it for you. You open it. Sorry, this one is beyond me too.
10. This is a dig about a certain part of New Zealand culture. Why does the birthday person have to shout? I just don't understand that. Surely the birthday person should be getting a birthday cake etc from other people. They should be getting it free, not forking out for heaps of money for their colleagues who may not even like the birthday person. New Zealand, this is a weird custom.
Can you think of any more ideas?
So what else can we provide free? What other services could be provided free of charge to the consumer. Lets see:
1. Air travel. Now before you start telling me that you are crazy and get your head out of the clouds let me just explain that on this website they were offering flights from Christchurch to Palmerston North and vice versa for $0. That is not a typo, it was $0. How can they justify that and why don't they have that throughout the year? I just couldn't understand it. Are people who fly been ripped off? I don't know but if they have $0 seats then maybe we are.
2. In Palmerston North, if you are a student or a staff member of Massey University then you are eligible for free bus services. Sounds quite good, doesn't it? Unfortunately if you are not a student then you have to pay full fare. What about people who pay taxes etc who have had a connection with Massey University? We would like the same courtesy. Don't we count?
3. If internet is going to be free then can individual homes get a get a free telephone line. Still pay for your calls but you get the telephone line for free. Part of Kim Dotcom's plan is to have free internet for homes but charge businesses and the government. Why not the same for telephone? C'mon Telecom, what can you do for us?
4. Lunches for primary schools. When I was teaching in public junior high schools in Japan, everyday we would get lunch. It was generally three days a week with rice and two days a week with bread. They varied the menu about quite a bit and it was interesting. Do you think New Zealand schools could do something like that? We hear stories about children going to school hungry and having nothing to eat, this would change that.
5. No fees on ATM. Please those banks out there, you are taking our money and making money of it lending it out to other people at good interest rates, why should we be charged for using your ATM's? Can't you give us that service for free?We are giving you quite a bit of our money, your interest rates are not the best at the moment for savings. Cut the ATM fees please.
6. I've heard that overweight baggage is a relic from a bygone era where the technology wasn't as it was today and they had weigh the bags carefully. Apparently it doesn't apply today so why do some people get charged big money? Surely within reason you can let us go with a fe overweight bags.
7. Do we have to pay for a cat or dog? Now, I'm not a big animal fan but it is beyond me how some people pay big money for a domestic pet.
8. Television licences. I know that in New Zealand that this has been abolished. I think that it was 1999 when they scrapped it. In Japan they have it which is about 15000 yen a year but not may people pay it because of scandals involving the state broadcaster, NHK. Abolish it all together Japan. A lot of people pay for satellite television, so why should pay for programs that are funded by our taxes?
9. Corkage? Why do we have to pay for drinking wine in a BYO restaurant? It doesn't make sense. They don't even open it for you. You open it. Sorry, this one is beyond me too.
10. This is a dig about a certain part of New Zealand culture. Why does the birthday person have to shout? I just don't understand that. Surely the birthday person should be getting a birthday cake etc from other people. They should be getting it free, not forking out for heaps of money for their colleagues who may not even like the birthday person. New Zealand, this is a weird custom.
Can you think of any more ideas?
Thursday 1 November 2012
Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday!!!
Compared to Japan, there seems to be less public holidays for New Zealand people. I think that there should be a couple more public holidays especially between Queen's Birthday and Labour Weekend.
So, if you were in charge of these things, what holidays would you have? Lets go through my suggestions:
1. October 23rd - All Blacks Day. Not everyone is a rugby fan, I know, but whether those people like it or not when people think of New Zealand, the country is associated with rugby and the All Blacks. So why not celebrate the win by the team at the 2011 World Cup. This could extend Labour Weekend or produce a Japan type Golden Week with another holiday in that week.
2. How about a holiday celebrating our farming community. Agriculture is a big part of our nation's economy and these people and industry could be celebrated. The day could be noted as us townies been invited onto the farms or the farmers are invited into the nearest towns for a kind of festival or celebration.
3. Why isn't St. Valentines Day an official public holiday? I know many people will say "bah, humbug" but isn't love a good thing to celebrate? Surely if we sat down and thought about it the lack of love is what causes most of our problems in this world. So why not emphazise it and call February the 14th an official public holiday?
4. Lets create a day like Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, Australia. Would it be popular in New Zealand? I think so, if you had a big enough race. Awapuni could be the course where it is held and the Palmerston North Cup, with the right marketing and right prize money could be a great sporting extravaganza for the Manawatu and New Zealand. I can imagine a huge crowd at Awapuni for this.
5. In Japan, traditionally on the 10th of October, but now it is the second Monday of October is called Sports Day. This holiday celebrates the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. New Zealand is a land of sports lovers, so why isn't there a national holiday celebrating this love of sports? New Zealanders could be persuaded to go to their local parks and in organised events try sports that they might not normally play.I'm sure the participating clubs would get new members through this initiative.
6. From memory, I think that August the 1st is every horse's birthday. Is that correct? Am I mistaken? Pick a day in the year and say that that is the day that every university student is graduating. Can you imagine the carnage involved in that? For one night only the bars in Palmerston North will be like it's Mardi Gras.
7. This isn't really an idea as much as a discussion point. In 2012, are the holidays of Easter and Christmas very relevant in our society? Both are religious holidays and are to do with a Christian festival. Should we be celebrating these holidays when we are supposedly a secular country? They certainly are good. I'm not questioning that, just questioning it's appropriateness.
8. 20th of July. This is Sir Edmund Hillary's birthday. He is arguably one of the most famous New Zealanders to have graced this planet. Why don't we celebrate his achievements by naming a national holiday after him? I think that it would be a popular choice.
9. New Zealand is considered around the world as a clean and green country. It is nuclear free and that is non-negotiable so lets celebrate that. Something to do with the environment Day would be a popular one and maybe copied around the world, although in saying that, isn't may the 4th, Greenery Day in Japan? I can't remember.
10. Of course we could just keep the status quo. There is nothing wrong with them after all and why fix something that isn't broken?
So, if you were in charge of these things, what holidays would you have? Lets go through my suggestions:
1. October 23rd - All Blacks Day. Not everyone is a rugby fan, I know, but whether those people like it or not when people think of New Zealand, the country is associated with rugby and the All Blacks. So why not celebrate the win by the team at the 2011 World Cup. This could extend Labour Weekend or produce a Japan type Golden Week with another holiday in that week.
2. How about a holiday celebrating our farming community. Agriculture is a big part of our nation's economy and these people and industry could be celebrated. The day could be noted as us townies been invited onto the farms or the farmers are invited into the nearest towns for a kind of festival or celebration.
3. Why isn't St. Valentines Day an official public holiday? I know many people will say "bah, humbug" but isn't love a good thing to celebrate? Surely if we sat down and thought about it the lack of love is what causes most of our problems in this world. So why not emphazise it and call February the 14th an official public holiday?
4. Lets create a day like Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, Australia. Would it be popular in New Zealand? I think so, if you had a big enough race. Awapuni could be the course where it is held and the Palmerston North Cup, with the right marketing and right prize money could be a great sporting extravaganza for the Manawatu and New Zealand. I can imagine a huge crowd at Awapuni for this.
5. In Japan, traditionally on the 10th of October, but now it is the second Monday of October is called Sports Day. This holiday celebrates the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. New Zealand is a land of sports lovers, so why isn't there a national holiday celebrating this love of sports? New Zealanders could be persuaded to go to their local parks and in organised events try sports that they might not normally play.I'm sure the participating clubs would get new members through this initiative.
6. From memory, I think that August the 1st is every horse's birthday. Is that correct? Am I mistaken? Pick a day in the year and say that that is the day that every university student is graduating. Can you imagine the carnage involved in that? For one night only the bars in Palmerston North will be like it's Mardi Gras.
7. This isn't really an idea as much as a discussion point. In 2012, are the holidays of Easter and Christmas very relevant in our society? Both are religious holidays and are to do with a Christian festival. Should we be celebrating these holidays when we are supposedly a secular country? They certainly are good. I'm not questioning that, just questioning it's appropriateness.
8. 20th of July. This is Sir Edmund Hillary's birthday. He is arguably one of the most famous New Zealanders to have graced this planet. Why don't we celebrate his achievements by naming a national holiday after him? I think that it would be a popular choice.
9. New Zealand is considered around the world as a clean and green country. It is nuclear free and that is non-negotiable so lets celebrate that. Something to do with the environment Day would be a popular one and maybe copied around the world, although in saying that, isn't may the 4th, Greenery Day in Japan? I can't remember.
10. Of course we could just keep the status quo. There is nothing wrong with them after all and why fix something that isn't broken?
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