pls visit the new and improved blog at www.dontreadthisblog.blog.com
thank you.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Multi-Task.. Do More With Less!
Hi Folks... the blog's back in action again.. here's the joke for the day:
The Hired Help
An old man and women owned a farm. The old man died and the woman couldn't handle the farm by herself so she was going to hire someone to help her. The only job applicants were the town drunk and a new guy in town, who was gay. So she chose the gay guy; they worked together for a week or so and got the farm back together.
The old woman was pleased with the work and worn out, so she decided to give herself and her hired hand the night off. Both went out to dinner, she with her friends and he with his. But when the old woman got home, he wasn't there. When he finally came in, she told him, "I'm your boss so you have to do what I tell you."
The gay guy said, "Okay."
So she said, "Take my shoes off," so he did.
She said, "Take my stockings off," so he did.
Then she said, "Take my dress off," and he did.
She said, "Take my bra off," so he did.
Then she said, "Take my panties off," so he did.
Finally, she said, "You leave this house wearing my clothes one more time and you're fired."
Multi-Task... a critical component of a successful person.. it happens to everyone at any point in time and especially so for the unprepared so it's good to identify it when the situation calls for it and adopt the appropriate strategies to overcome it. Here are 3 things I do when I'm forced to Multi-Task:
1. Prioritize
Stop whatever you're doing. Just stop. Sit down. Reflect. Think. Understand what is needed more than the other and the time required to accomplish the task. Immediately take some action at resolving it, be it a small action or massive action. You'll feel much better and breathe easier.
2. 1 Min Rule
I love using the 1 minute rule. Apply 1 minute to all matters that are not of importance for the current moment. You'll be amazed at how efficient and decisive you'll become when you can solve 5 issues in 5 minutes. Of course this takes practice so practice the 1 minute rule to any matter that is not of importance. NEVER and I repeat, DO NOT EVER, agree to anyone or anything ("Yes" man) without categorizing if its of any importance. (refer back to first point)
3. Return The Monkey
Delegate. Delegate. Delegate. Yes, some of you are thinking, but you're the boss! You can delegate as much as you want. Trust me, if I were to do that, my staff would probably faint from the workload and resign the very next day! What I'm referring to is identifying the issue and delegating it it to the rightful owner. It helps to visualize issues as "monkeys" (adapted from the One Minute Manager). For eg: Supplier insists on a purchase order before supplying goods. You do not have a template. Delegate the "monkey" back to the supplier who had created the "monkey" in the first place! Explain your situation, ask if he could prepare the purchase order on your behalf and go a step further by asking your secretary to supply him your company's letterhead. If a project team member didn't do enough research, reassign the research to him again or someone else more detail oriented. The list goes on..
Words of Wisdom:
"Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it." Walter Chrysler
"There are managers so preoccupied with their e-mail messages that they never look up from their screens to see what's happening in the nondigital world." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Things may be done simultaneously but oftentimes, focusing on one item on the agenda at a time prove to be the more efficient method of the two. Prioritize your workload with the big picture always in mind. Remember, it's not how much work you do but where you're headed that's more important.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Bounce..
The blog owner is terribly sick... haha... sorry for the lapse of blogging for the past few days... but I'm only human... =).. anyways, here's the usual joke of the day:
Who's the Boss?
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss.
The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money."
1. Bounce - The ability to move on from one setback to the next..
2. Multi-Tasking in view of the Big Picture
3. Passion
4. Talent
5. Leadership
Today, I'm just going to talk about the first trait. Bouncing. Good Bosses generally are able to face setbacks on a daily basis and turn them around into success stories. One thing happens to be common from all the success stories of celebrity Entrepreneurs. They failed. They failed big time. Did you know that before Microsoft, Bill Gates had numerous businesses which failed. In fact, he was so disappointed with everyone copying windows that at one time, Microsoft was up for sale at just $10 000. His highest offer was just $5000 so he decided to stick with it.
When Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky, no one was willing to finance it. When someone finally offered $30 000 for it, he refused to sell unless the was the main actor. No one was willing to cast him, a nobody back then. After 2 years, with no money left in his bank, he was finally offered a decent sum but he was asked not to star in it. He refused again, saying that he'll do it for free. And the rest is history. Until today, Rocky Balboa has catapulted him into instant fame and success.
George Lucas wanted to be a formula 1 racer but a freak accident caused him his dreams. His next goal was to be a movie director. No one believed in Star Wars. In fact, his investors pulled out last minute when he was hospitalized and told him that if he didn't deliver that very night, Star Wars was over. He immediately got out of hospital, pulled together his crew and finished Star Wars, despite it not being up to his standard. He is a billionaire today, thanks to Star Wars.
I could go on and on. It's clear. If you want to succeed, you have to bounce. =)
Words of Wisdom:
"The turning point, I think, was when I really realized that you can do it yourself. That you have to believe in you because sometimes that's the only person that does believe in your success but you." - Tim Blixseth
"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas Edison
If you want to succeed at any thing you do, you must be mentally prepared to fail. Oftentimes, the bigger the failures, the greater the tenacity to succeed and achieve something extraordinary. So fail. Fail again and fail some more. Who's counting anyways?
Who's the Boss?
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss.
The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money."
And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs, and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up. All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work.
Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the boss, so the motion was passed. All the other parts did all the work while the boss just sat and passed out the shit!
Moral of the story: You don't need brains to be a boss - any asshole will do.
Ok... jokes aside... not everyone can be a Boss... a good Boss.. that is well love and respected... if you wish to start a business, there are certain qualities that all good bosses possess:1. Bounce - The ability to move on from one setback to the next..
2. Multi-Tasking in view of the Big Picture
3. Passion
4. Talent
5. Leadership
Today, I'm just going to talk about the first trait. Bouncing. Good Bosses generally are able to face setbacks on a daily basis and turn them around into success stories. One thing happens to be common from all the success stories of celebrity Entrepreneurs. They failed. They failed big time. Did you know that before Microsoft, Bill Gates had numerous businesses which failed. In fact, he was so disappointed with everyone copying windows that at one time, Microsoft was up for sale at just $10 000. His highest offer was just $5000 so he decided to stick with it.
When Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky, no one was willing to finance it. When someone finally offered $30 000 for it, he refused to sell unless the was the main actor. No one was willing to cast him, a nobody back then. After 2 years, with no money left in his bank, he was finally offered a decent sum but he was asked not to star in it. He refused again, saying that he'll do it for free. And the rest is history. Until today, Rocky Balboa has catapulted him into instant fame and success.
George Lucas wanted to be a formula 1 racer but a freak accident caused him his dreams. His next goal was to be a movie director. No one believed in Star Wars. In fact, his investors pulled out last minute when he was hospitalized and told him that if he didn't deliver that very night, Star Wars was over. He immediately got out of hospital, pulled together his crew and finished Star Wars, despite it not being up to his standard. He is a billionaire today, thanks to Star Wars.
I could go on and on. It's clear. If you want to succeed, you have to bounce. =)
Words of Wisdom:
"The turning point, I think, was when I really realized that you can do it yourself. That you have to believe in you because sometimes that's the only person that does believe in your success but you." - Tim Blixseth
"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas Edison
If you want to succeed at any thing you do, you must be mentally prepared to fail. Oftentimes, the bigger the failures, the greater the tenacity to succeed and achieve something extraordinary. So fail. Fail again and fail some more. Who's counting anyways?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Mission Statement..
Today.. I'm going to share about something that is secondary of importance only to The Vision... the Mission.. how to get there.. but here's a joke first..:
The Lost Guide
A group of hikers were being led through the wilderness by a guide. On the third day, the hikers noticed that they had been traveling in circles.
''We're lost!'' One of the hikers complained.
''And you said you were the best guide in the United States.''
''I am,'' the guide answered, '' but I think we may have wandered into Canada.''
If life was an aeroplane, I guess the pilot would be you. The destination would be the vision. Your passengers would probably be the people you support. Petrol would be food or money. Your crew would probably be the ones who support you. Your co-pilot, probably your very good friend or buddy. But how you end up at the destination, the route you take, would probably be your Mission statement. You could fly to Africa, China, India and finally end up in USA. So its really important to understand and realize what's your Mission in order to take the shortest route.
So what is this Mission statement? Wikipedia defines it as which a person has been charged with or adopts as his or her main purpose. If your Vision to be become a well loved and respected person, then your Mission Statement would probably read "To spread goodness and joy to everyone around me." Its easy to find out your Mission when you realize what's your Vision. So wassup with all this Vision and Mission hocus pocus? At the end of the day, its what you want to be remembered as when you leave this earth. Will your tombstone read:
".. here lies a man of incredible faith, who never failed to help others and better society.." or will it be just.. a normal tombstone. The choice is yours.
Words of Inspiration:
"What matters is where you want to go. Focus in the right direction!" - Donald Trump
"We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you don’t have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared." - Mary Kay Ash
Think of your life as a blueprint to a dream house. Start building it. You need to be able to visualize the complete picture and then start building the masterpiece bit by bit, starting with what materials you'll need to buy, what window frames etc. The Mission is the Process of getting there. Stay in the Process and you'll reach your destination. Cheers to all our dream homes! May you reach what you want in life this new year! God bless!
The Lost Guide
A group of hikers were being led through the wilderness by a guide. On the third day, the hikers noticed that they had been traveling in circles.
''We're lost!'' One of the hikers complained.
''And you said you were the best guide in the United States.''
''I am,'' the guide answered, '' but I think we may have wandered into Canada.''
If life was an aeroplane, I guess the pilot would be you. The destination would be the vision. Your passengers would probably be the people you support. Petrol would be food or money. Your crew would probably be the ones who support you. Your co-pilot, probably your very good friend or buddy. But how you end up at the destination, the route you take, would probably be your Mission statement. You could fly to Africa, China, India and finally end up in USA. So its really important to understand and realize what's your Mission in order to take the shortest route.
So what is this Mission statement? Wikipedia defines it as which a person has been charged with or adopts as his or her main purpose. If your Vision to be become a well loved and respected person, then your Mission Statement would probably read "To spread goodness and joy to everyone around me." Its easy to find out your Mission when you realize what's your Vision. So wassup with all this Vision and Mission hocus pocus? At the end of the day, its what you want to be remembered as when you leave this earth. Will your tombstone read:
".. here lies a man of incredible faith, who never failed to help others and better society.." or will it be just.. a normal tombstone. The choice is yours.
Words of Inspiration:
"What matters is where you want to go. Focus in the right direction!" - Donald Trump
"We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you don’t have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared." - Mary Kay Ash
Think of your life as a blueprint to a dream house. Start building it. You need to be able to visualize the complete picture and then start building the masterpiece bit by bit, starting with what materials you'll need to buy, what window frames etc. The Mission is the Process of getting there. Stay in the Process and you'll reach your destination. Cheers to all our dream homes! May you reach what you want in life this new year! God bless!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Rejections..
Let's start it off with the usual joke... :
Story of 3 Explorers
A Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker were exploring the jungle and were captured by a fierce tribe. As they sit in a hut, awaiting their fate, the chief comes to them and says, "The bad news is that now that we've caught you, we're going to kill you, and then use your skins to build a canoe. The good news is that you get to choose how you die."
The Frenchman says, "I take ze poison." The chief gives him some poison, the Frenchman says, "Vive la France!" and drinks it down.
The Englishman says, "A pistol for me, please." The chief gives him a pistol, he points it at his head, says, "God save the queen!" and blows his brains out.
The New Yorker says, "Gimme a fork." The chief is puzzled, but he shrugs and gives him a fork. The New Yorker takes the fork and starts jabbing himself all over -- the stomach, the sides, the chest, everywhere.
There's blood gushing out all over, it's horrible. The chief is appalled, and screams, "What are you doing???"
The New Yorker looks at the chief and says, "So much for your canoe, asshole!"
What do you do when you face rejections? When things don't go the way you wanted it to? We're all too familiar with rejections. It started during our adolescent years.. when we weren't selected to be in the first squad for the soccer team. Or when that young pretty lass turned us down HARD.. commenting how ugly we looked and how appalled she was. Some of us turn into self-hating demoralised losers. Some.. become like the New Yorker, vowing revenge and inflicting as much pain that he was inflicted with.
Whatever the case, there is a perfect and simple solution to all rejections. The answer is simple: "Alternatives". There're alternatives to every rejection out there. For eg, when you don't excel in soccer, you could always join the table-tennis team or find another sport where you excelled in. If the pretty girl dumped you, find another pretty girl. Trust me. The whole world is a vast ocean. Besides, she wasn't so great in the first place to start with, if she rejected you after everything you've done for her. In the words of a dear friend of mine, stop wasting your time and money. This is not another one of those lessons to turn you into an optimistic person. This is the real world. There will always be rejections. Face them. Deal with them.
Words of Inspirations:
"Sometimes you just got to give yourself what you wish someone else would give you." - Dr Phil
Never give up. Overcome your rejections one by one. The best wood obtained from the forest are often those trees that have overcome storms and fierce winds. Rejections shape you into becoming a better and stronger person. Always remember that the next time you face a bitter rejection. Turn it around. Make something out of it.
Story of 3 Explorers
A Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker were exploring the jungle and were captured by a fierce tribe. As they sit in a hut, awaiting their fate, the chief comes to them and says, "The bad news is that now that we've caught you, we're going to kill you, and then use your skins to build a canoe. The good news is that you get to choose how you die."
The Frenchman says, "I take ze poison." The chief gives him some poison, the Frenchman says, "Vive la France!" and drinks it down.
The Englishman says, "A pistol for me, please." The chief gives him a pistol, he points it at his head, says, "God save the queen!" and blows his brains out.
The New Yorker says, "Gimme a fork." The chief is puzzled, but he shrugs and gives him a fork. The New Yorker takes the fork and starts jabbing himself all over -- the stomach, the sides, the chest, everywhere.
There's blood gushing out all over, it's horrible. The chief is appalled, and screams, "What are you doing???"
The New Yorker looks at the chief and says, "So much for your canoe, asshole!"
What do you do when you face rejections? When things don't go the way you wanted it to? We're all too familiar with rejections. It started during our adolescent years.. when we weren't selected to be in the first squad for the soccer team. Or when that young pretty lass turned us down HARD.. commenting how ugly we looked and how appalled she was. Some of us turn into self-hating demoralised losers. Some.. become like the New Yorker, vowing revenge and inflicting as much pain that he was inflicted with.
Whatever the case, there is a perfect and simple solution to all rejections. The answer is simple: "Alternatives". There're alternatives to every rejection out there. For eg, when you don't excel in soccer, you could always join the table-tennis team or find another sport where you excelled in. If the pretty girl dumped you, find another pretty girl. Trust me. The whole world is a vast ocean. Besides, she wasn't so great in the first place to start with, if she rejected you after everything you've done for her. In the words of a dear friend of mine, stop wasting your time and money. This is not another one of those lessons to turn you into an optimistic person. This is the real world. There will always be rejections. Face them. Deal with them.
Words of Inspirations:
"Sometimes you just got to give yourself what you wish someone else would give you." - Dr Phil
Never give up. Overcome your rejections one by one. The best wood obtained from the forest are often those trees that have overcome storms and fierce winds. Rejections shape you into becoming a better and stronger person. Always remember that the next time you face a bitter rejection. Turn it around. Make something out of it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
What's important to you...
Hello everyoneeee.... (not sure how many pple read this blog.. but hello anyways...)... Today I shall write about... Goals... what's important to you.. the destination.. let's start with a joke first.... =)
The Materialistic Lawyer
I think the Vision or Goal of a person's life help to shape or define the person. Its important therefore to take some time to reflect exactly what are your goals. Good goals are like principles. They never fail. For example, gravity is a principle. When you throw something into the air, it almost and surely comes down. Choose a goal that is everlasting and maybe, you might find true contentment and happiness in life.
Words of Inspiration:
"Who cares if you make a million dollars. Who cares if you didn't? Do you know where you're headed? And if you know.. do you like where you're headed? Its not too late to change. The decision ultimately lies with you but all so often, we listen to the advice of those who themselves do not know. Take some time. Sit down. Stop. Think. Do you know where you're headed?"
The Materialistic Lawyer
A very successful lawyer parked his brand-new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he got out, a truck passed too close and completely tore the door off of the driver's side. The counselor immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911, and within minutes a policeman pulled up.
Before the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically. His Lexus, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter what the body shop did to it.
When the lawyer finally wound down from his ranting and raving, the officer shook his head in disgust and disbelief.
"I can't believe how materialistic you lawyers are," he said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you don't notice anything else."
"How can you say such a thing?" asked the lawyer.
The cop replied, "Don't you know that your left arm is missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn off when the truck hit you."
"Ahhh!" screamed the lawyer. "Where's my Rolex!"
I think the Vision or Goal of a person's life help to shape or define the person. Its important therefore to take some time to reflect exactly what are your goals. Good goals are like principles. They never fail. For example, gravity is a principle. When you throw something into the air, it almost and surely comes down. Choose a goal that is everlasting and maybe, you might find true contentment and happiness in life.
Words of Inspiration:
"Who cares if you make a million dollars. Who cares if you didn't? Do you know where you're headed? And if you know.. do you like where you're headed? Its not too late to change. The decision ultimately lies with you but all so often, we listen to the advice of those who themselves do not know. Take some time. Sit down. Stop. Think. Do you know where you're headed?"
Monday, January 14, 2008
Expectations..
Hi everyone.. I'll start this post with something funny as usual..
A waiter asks a man, “May I take your order, sir?” “Yes,” the man replies. “I’m just wondering, exactly how do you prepare your chickens?” “Nothing special, sir. We just tell them straight out that they’re going to die.”
Today, I'll like to talk about expectations. But before that, let me talk about certainty. Expectations are somewhat affliated to certainty. Just like the chickens, who're certain of impending death. If you knew for certain that if you did this particular thing, you'll achieve success, then wouldn't you do that very thing? We all have to be certain about something. Otherwise, we wouldn't know if the roof is going to hold above our heads. Certainty is the belief or faith that we'll succeed, despite circumstances or people telling us otherwise. It is what holds the walls and ceilings together. So then what are expectations?
I've attended quite a number of self-help talks in my lifetime and most of them share this common denominator. Expectations. If you want to succeed, you need to have expectations. Some expect to lead ordinary lives. Others expect more. But one thing is certain. The higher your expectations, the higher the standards you set for yourself. It actually gets easier to reach your goals if you set higher expectations.
A motivational speaker used this for an illustration. He asked, "If you wanted to touch the ceiling right this very minute, what would you do?". Instantly, the audience replied:
1. Find a ladder
2. Stand on one another shoulders
Before anyone else could reply, he dahed to the nearest highest table and jumped right on it and shouted, "Who's closer to the ceiling now? You or Me?". Expectations represent that table he's standing on. The ceiling represents the goals you've set for yourself. By sheer deduction of common sense, the higher the table you stand on, the easier it is to reach your goals. Therefore, set high expectations and you'll achieve your goals with more ease.
I decided to take the bus today. Boy was it packed! Phew! What an experience! As I looked at the faces of the people sitting and standing on the bus, it became clear to me that they were people who didn't have high expectations. People who didn't expect to own cars or for that matter, be driven around in them. They looked pretty happy taking the bus. I wasn't! I guess the lesson I learnt today was, it doesn't matter if you're comfortable with your environment. Something needs to challenge you to reach out for something better. To grow. We all grow in different ways, some spiritually, some through family, some through wealth etc. But growth is somewhat linked to our goals. And our achievement of those goals, is indefinitely linked to... our expectations. So let's expect more of ourselves today, and spend some time reflecting on our expectations and the expectations of others. =)
Words of Inspirations
"Expect to succeed. Expect the unexpected. Problems and hiccups are bound to deter you or hinder your journey. Expectations help you to prepare yourself mentally the tools needed to win. But win gracefully and with integrity. Only then, can you gain something far more important than victory. Respect."
A waiter asks a man, “May I take your order, sir?” “Yes,” the man replies. “I’m just wondering, exactly how do you prepare your chickens?” “Nothing special, sir. We just tell them straight out that they’re going to die.”
Today, I'll like to talk about expectations. But before that, let me talk about certainty. Expectations are somewhat affliated to certainty. Just like the chickens, who're certain of impending death. If you knew for certain that if you did this particular thing, you'll achieve success, then wouldn't you do that very thing? We all have to be certain about something. Otherwise, we wouldn't know if the roof is going to hold above our heads. Certainty is the belief or faith that we'll succeed, despite circumstances or people telling us otherwise. It is what holds the walls and ceilings together. So then what are expectations?
I've attended quite a number of self-help talks in my lifetime and most of them share this common denominator. Expectations. If you want to succeed, you need to have expectations. Some expect to lead ordinary lives. Others expect more. But one thing is certain. The higher your expectations, the higher the standards you set for yourself. It actually gets easier to reach your goals if you set higher expectations.
A motivational speaker used this for an illustration. He asked, "If you wanted to touch the ceiling right this very minute, what would you do?". Instantly, the audience replied:
1. Find a ladder
2. Stand on one another shoulders
Before anyone else could reply, he dahed to the nearest highest table and jumped right on it and shouted, "Who's closer to the ceiling now? You or Me?". Expectations represent that table he's standing on. The ceiling represents the goals you've set for yourself. By sheer deduction of common sense, the higher the table you stand on, the easier it is to reach your goals. Therefore, set high expectations and you'll achieve your goals with more ease.
I decided to take the bus today. Boy was it packed! Phew! What an experience! As I looked at the faces of the people sitting and standing on the bus, it became clear to me that they were people who didn't have high expectations. People who didn't expect to own cars or for that matter, be driven around in them. They looked pretty happy taking the bus. I wasn't! I guess the lesson I learnt today was, it doesn't matter if you're comfortable with your environment. Something needs to challenge you to reach out for something better. To grow. We all grow in different ways, some spiritually, some through family, some through wealth etc. But growth is somewhat linked to our goals. And our achievement of those goals, is indefinitely linked to... our expectations. So let's expect more of ourselves today, and spend some time reflecting on our expectations and the expectations of others. =)
Words of Inspirations
"Expect to succeed. Expect the unexpected. Problems and hiccups are bound to deter you or hinder your journey. Expectations help you to prepare yourself mentally the tools needed to win. But win gracefully and with integrity. Only then, can you gain something far more important than victory. Respect."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
