It's only a job

I was re-reading a link that a colleague sent me today and with what's going on in my work life at the moment it seemed quite apt and valid to share it (apologies for length...as they say on b3ta)!

1. Simple rules
There are a lot of choices to make over the course of a lifetime. That’s why it’s important to have some simple rules in place to guide one’s actions. As odd as it may seem, something as basic as “be nice to everyone” saves a lot of time and thought.

2. Surround yourself with people who are better than you
This morning I spent twenty minutes on the treadmill. Whenever the fellow beside me sped-up, I found myself instinctively wanting to do the same.People who are better than you help you forget your own perceived limitations.

3. Choice and outcome

For everything new I do, I learn something; therefore, it can’t be a waste of time. Repeat efforts, however, have to be measured carefully to ensure they are not just time-consuming bad habits.

4. Talk to your clients like they are your spouse
When I start to think of others as “them”, something is lost. When I can find a way to cut through the formalities, however, something real happens.

5. Perception is sometimes more relevant than actuality

Garrett has silver hair, a charming smile and wears a pair of smart, dark-rimmed glasses. He is intelligent and speaks with confidence. In a room of executives, everyone takes notice and listens intently to what he has to say.One day I bumped into him on the street. He was as articulate as ever, but his hair had grown somewhat long, and he wore a less flattering pair of glasses. I found myself somehow less “taken” by the discussion.Other than two small aspects of his appearance, nothing had changed; yet, this was enough to detract from his message. What you say is often less important than what people hear (or see).

6. Set the bar high

If you want to run a 5k, become a marathoner. As a result, you’ll find that 5k runs become a piece of cake.By setting goals higher than you feel achievable, even your failures can be spectacular.

7. Busy-ness as a path to nowhere

There’s a fellow down the street that picks up bottles all day. He works much harder than the executive in the office tower but earns far less. It’s not by any means fair.Most of us get caught up in being busy, instead of concentrating on what are accomplishing. This feels satisfying, as all of our peers are doing the same. (Logic suggests this is simply a bad habit.)Get “un-busy”; determine where your wealth and happiness come from, and put your resources into that.

8. Take a moment

The urgency to respond to a situation can be perilous.When confronted by unwelcome news try this: breathe, acknowledge, and continue about your business.In five minutes you’ll see the situation more clearly. You might appreciate not having leapt to a response.

9. Today’s problems

It’s easy to look ahead and start thinking about potential problems and how you might solve them.Some of these problems will never occur, so this is time wasted.There are always plenty of problems needing to be solved. Just concentrate on today’s.

10. They won’t shoot you

When you are really stressed out at the office, rushing about in a frantic mess, try to remember that there are very few mistakes that will result in you getting shot. Take a breath and put the situation into perspective. It is probably a smaller issue than you think (at least in the long-term).

...and with that I am off home to put my feet up.

Perspectives and vanishing points

It's strange how easy it is to get wrapped up in your own crap and loose perspective of what is really important in life: Family, friends, loved ones, companionship, compassion, empathy, charity to name but a few. Last week was a disappointing one for me, but no one died, no one really lost anything that can't be replaced, no one's life really changed. There are more important things in this world, but peer pressure, the media and others dictate that it is the be all and end all for a happy life. Bollocks - sure we all need money to live, but there is so much more to it than that. Career means many different things to different people. I was always taught that it was very important which created pressure, but also motivated me, but at the end of the day is it only a bloody job. Admittedly I am lucky to do something I enjoy (even though I don't enjoy the environment I work in or respect the company I work for that much), but if  I could provide for my family, we had enough time for each other, hobbies and interests, and was content with myself I would be happy doing something else. Some of the happiest, wisest and most intelligent people I have the pleasure to meet in my 35 short years have shunned said pressures and achieved in other ways much more admirable in my eyes: Inspiring parents and teachers; Thought provoking artists; Selfless charity workers; Fearless moral activists; Confiding friends with infinite patience, compassion and wisdom. I would be proud to class myself among these.

What I'm getting round to is this: Maybe recently I've missed the point and have become quite insular about what really matters and selfish in my priorities - can I blame it on the rat-race and living in London. I think not, but some of the conversations at work make it all seem like a competition to stroke egos and congratulate material possession. Family and friends have always come first (even though I have been more absent in the years of late), but much of my waking time is spent pushing myself to make money for someone else, whilst pulling in a livable wage for myself and my wife. I don't have children (though I hope we will soon) so automatically have much less responsibility and worry than many others. In fact as much as I moan about long hours I probably have more free time than I realise and still procrastinate. I got to know someone better this weekend than I did before. The struggles she has had in life and continues to have made me so respectful of her and what she has achieved. You are an inspiring individual and I hang my head in shame at my current self-centered attitude to life. Just look at how many 'I's' are in these two paragraphs to confirm this! This ramble is not searching for absolution of any kind - it is just a recognition of values and truths I have always believed in, that have become blurred as of late. Hopefully it will help me focus into a better person and make a valuable contribution to the world as human being. 80 people died in Tibet today in the name of free speech, religion and equality. In a newspaper on the same day Peaches Geldof was moaning about champagne. What the hell is going on?

After all that my weekend reportage seems all a bit trivial and irrelevant, but here's is a quick round of another week that was: 

Work: Busy, stimulating, stressful, kerned, pre-flighted and actionscripted.

 

Drinks with friends: Heather...lovely evening and good drop of Ardmans.

  

Purchases: Sennheiser CX500 headphones...I hear clearly now the hiss has gone.

 

Visitors:  Stu and Sarah...top evening at Goucho Grill and various poncey Soho cocktail bars...great to see you guys and safe journey home.

Tunes: Duffy - Rockferry...No really, she has an incredible voice and the song writing is brilliant, also REM's free dukebox CD in this month's Q Magazine - check out Christopher Reilly's genius interpretation of Radiohead's Paranoid Android. 

Book: Ska'd for life by Horace Panter...excellent. Best muso-biography I've read for ages. A personable, but dry witted story-teller and great journey of young music fan into Ska mega star. Also, I learnt oodles about a genre and label (2-Tone) I knew little about. 

Signing off.