A friend of mine left me a message a couple of days congratulating me on surviving A Year Without News and asking what was next. I have 143 days to go yet, but I'm still chugging along. I sometimes wish it had been 2010 without news, but... a year is a year.
Of course, the question of what will come next is one I keep hearing, from others and from myself. What will I do when this year is up, what will this experience mean? Will I look back with fondness or will I wonder what on earth I was doing, or some combination of both?
I guess the beauty is that I really don't know what will happen when the year is up. I don't even know what I will write about tomorrow. I think this will serve as a journal, providing insight into what I was like as I approached 40. I think my children might enjoy reading it one day. I hope they will.
So, as for what's next, I guess we'll see tomorrow. Whatever else, it's been fun. I know some of the posts have been better than others, and I'm okay with that. Writing nonfiction every day is hard work. But this is a lot like going to the gym. This is about the simple discipline of getting up and doing what has to be done. Really, what else is there?
143 days to go. Seems daunting. This isn't a leap year is it?
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Showing posts with label work ethic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work ethic. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
Day # 190 - Free at Last
For a while now, I've been writing about certain situations, mostly related to business and management, without giving too many details. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to know I was referring to my own job and my unhappiness with it. I was cryptic because I was being respectful of my employers and protective of my job.
Well, that's all over now. After months of misery, of being under-appreciated, overworked, and underpaid, I resigned. There was no fit of rage, no "Jerry Maguire" speech, no AK-47. I didn't even stop and say good-bye to my co-workers. I simply responded to yet another insulting email written in broken English by a person who is not my boss, with: "Effective immediately, I resign my position as director of sales." I hit send. I walked out. I came home, made lunch, and helped Abby with spring cleaning (I know it's not spring - you get me.)
The calls came after, along with promises that all I deserved was just around the corner, like the drunk who promises his wife as she walks out the door that he was planning to go to the meeting next week. Too little too late.
My former boss asked how I could make a decision as serious as this one in a moment of anger. I told him the moment I walked out was the end of my anger. It was an easy decision, one that instantly brought peace. It wasn't about them or about me; we just weren't the right fit.
I learned more in the time working for this company than in any other similar period of time in my life. I learned:
- Get it in writing. Although we want to believe the best in people, written agreements help define what that is. Although most of us would never steal or kill, knowing there are laws meant to punish those who do provides comfort to us, as well as a behavioral guideline.
- Set the expectations. I gave too much for too little. It's hard to get someone to expect any different once you spoil them.
- Stand your ground. Not an inch of our territory, not a stone of our fortress. If you give someone an inch, they will take you a mile. Draw your boundaries and adhere to them; if you don't, no one else will.
- Respect: Give it, earn it, expect it, demand it. If you allow yourself to be disrespected once, you'd best get used to it.
- Know your value and demand it.
I may eventually sit down and write a memoir of this experience. It has been eye-opening and educational. I learned a lot about what not to do in business and I think the world could benefit from the knowledge - especially younger people coming up in business.
I am free. I know where I've been. I know where God is taking me. I'll let you know when I get there.
God bless you. Make it a great day. Be free.
- Adolfo
Well, that's all over now. After months of misery, of being under-appreciated, overworked, and underpaid, I resigned. There was no fit of rage, no "Jerry Maguire" speech, no AK-47. I didn't even stop and say good-bye to my co-workers. I simply responded to yet another insulting email written in broken English by a person who is not my boss, with: "Effective immediately, I resign my position as director of sales." I hit send. I walked out. I came home, made lunch, and helped Abby with spring cleaning (I know it's not spring - you get me.)
The calls came after, along with promises that all I deserved was just around the corner, like the drunk who promises his wife as she walks out the door that he was planning to go to the meeting next week. Too little too late.
My former boss asked how I could make a decision as serious as this one in a moment of anger. I told him the moment I walked out was the end of my anger. It was an easy decision, one that instantly brought peace. It wasn't about them or about me; we just weren't the right fit.
I learned more in the time working for this company than in any other similar period of time in my life. I learned:
- Get it in writing. Although we want to believe the best in people, written agreements help define what that is. Although most of us would never steal or kill, knowing there are laws meant to punish those who do provides comfort to us, as well as a behavioral guideline.
- Set the expectations. I gave too much for too little. It's hard to get someone to expect any different once you spoil them.
- Stand your ground. Not an inch of our territory, not a stone of our fortress. If you give someone an inch, they will take you a mile. Draw your boundaries and adhere to them; if you don't, no one else will.
- Respect: Give it, earn it, expect it, demand it. If you allow yourself to be disrespected once, you'd best get used to it.
- Know your value and demand it.
I may eventually sit down and write a memoir of this experience. It has been eye-opening and educational. I learned a lot about what not to do in business and I think the world could benefit from the knowledge - especially younger people coming up in business.
I am free. I know where I've been. I know where God is taking me. I'll let you know when I get there.
God bless you. Make it a great day. Be free.
- Adolfo
Friday, November 19, 2010
Day # 176 - Bridges
We've all walked away from someone or something. It may have been a job, an organization, a relationship, a neighborhood. When leaving a situation for a better opportunity, it's tempting at times to think you'll never have to look back and to therefore leave in a bad, or inconsiderate, manner.
I have witnessed this several times in the last few months, where people, when deciding to quit their jobs, have gone off on management, sending out lengthy, insulting emails, and copying - wait for it - the entire company. It's done in the hopes of taking a parting shot at their now-former bosses, but these people are hurting no one but themselves. We've all been disappointed with a job, we've all been treated unfairly, and we've all wanted to tell someone off.
What I've learned, thankfully, by observation and experience, is that the world is small and the circles of your chosen industry are even smaller. You never know who your next boss will be.
I was once part of a team that followed a director of marketing from one hotel to another. Just about every manager and every quality employee left the hotel en masse. The general manager we were abandoning asked me where I was going and I explained that this seemed like the right opportunity for me. We parted on good terms. A few years later, this man became my general manager again. I was terrified. But the fact that I had been respectful and had given my notice, and done things in a professional manner, left me with nothing to worry about. There were no hard feelings and we worked together fine.
People will come in and out of your life. That's normal. What you want to be sure of, though, is that you leave them all with the right impression, that you never have to worry what you've made someone think of you. I am not suggesting you spend your life worrying what people think of you because this will never lead to success. I am suggesting you behave in a manner which will ensure that you never have to worry what people think of you.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
I have witnessed this several times in the last few months, where people, when deciding to quit their jobs, have gone off on management, sending out lengthy, insulting emails, and copying - wait for it - the entire company. It's done in the hopes of taking a parting shot at their now-former bosses, but these people are hurting no one but themselves. We've all been disappointed with a job, we've all been treated unfairly, and we've all wanted to tell someone off.
What I've learned, thankfully, by observation and experience, is that the world is small and the circles of your chosen industry are even smaller. You never know who your next boss will be.
I was once part of a team that followed a director of marketing from one hotel to another. Just about every manager and every quality employee left the hotel en masse. The general manager we were abandoning asked me where I was going and I explained that this seemed like the right opportunity for me. We parted on good terms. A few years later, this man became my general manager again. I was terrified. But the fact that I had been respectful and had given my notice, and done things in a professional manner, left me with nothing to worry about. There were no hard feelings and we worked together fine.
People will come in and out of your life. That's normal. What you want to be sure of, though, is that you leave them all with the right impression, that you never have to worry what you've made someone think of you. I am not suggesting you spend your life worrying what people think of you because this will never lead to success. I am suggesting you behave in a manner which will ensure that you never have to worry what people think of you.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Day # 173 - The Right Moment
Have you ever felt the urge or the desire to do something big, something out of the ordinary, and then stopped yourself because it didn't seem like the right time? I don't mean buying a sports car you can't afford or a $1,000 pair of shoes. I mean something of substance, something of importance.
Have you been thinking of starting a business or going back to school? Have you thought about switching careers and doing what you really love? Have you thought of quitting everything and backpacking across Europe, or the U.S.? How about training to run a marathon? Where does it itch?
I can tell you from my own experience that waiting for the right moment is no different than deciding not to do it at all. Why? Because the right moment will never arrive. The stars will never align just so. The right moment is the moment when inspiration strikes. Do not doubt your gut. Your gut is the voice of God whispering in your ear. If that still, small voice says it's time, then you'd better believe it's time. Don't fear failure. Don't fear rejection. The biggest failure is the failure to act. The biggest, and most painful, rejection is when we reject what the voice is telling us; when we put things off, waiting for another, better, moment.
Whatever it is that's been itching, scratch it. Do what you have to do in order to do what you want to do. All you have in the end are the memories. All you create will be left behind. Decide what that will be and then make it happen. You don't want to lay there at the end of your days, wishing you had done something. People who find themselves there will tell you there was never a right moment or a wrong one, but that every moment could have been the moment, if only they had chosen to make it so.
- Adolfo
Have you been thinking of starting a business or going back to school? Have you thought about switching careers and doing what you really love? Have you thought of quitting everything and backpacking across Europe, or the U.S.? How about training to run a marathon? Where does it itch?
I can tell you from my own experience that waiting for the right moment is no different than deciding not to do it at all. Why? Because the right moment will never arrive. The stars will never align just so. The right moment is the moment when inspiration strikes. Do not doubt your gut. Your gut is the voice of God whispering in your ear. If that still, small voice says it's time, then you'd better believe it's time. Don't fear failure. Don't fear rejection. The biggest failure is the failure to act. The biggest, and most painful, rejection is when we reject what the voice is telling us; when we put things off, waiting for another, better, moment.
Whatever it is that's been itching, scratch it. Do what you have to do in order to do what you want to do. All you have in the end are the memories. All you create will be left behind. Decide what that will be and then make it happen. You don't want to lay there at the end of your days, wishing you had done something. People who find themselves there will tell you there was never a right moment or a wrong one, but that every moment could have been the moment, if only they had chosen to make it so.
- Adolfo
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Day # 170 - Traffic
There is an expression: "There are no traffic jams on the extra mile." It's true. Truer words may never have been spoken. It's when you are going above and beyond that you will encounter the least resistance. It's when your out early or out late, that that the noise has quieted down or gone away and you are free to do your best.
You can accomplish anything if you don't care who gets the credit or who sees you doing the work. If you are willing to work in solitude, in the shadows, far from the eyes of your peers and far from the chatter of the proverbial water cooler, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
At least twice a month, I head into my office at about 7:00AM and I catch up on the work I don't like doing, but have to do. I get it out of the way before the phone starts ringing and people start popping into my office, and I clear the junk off my desk, answer emails, file, and all the other stuff that takes time I don't have. After one of these sessions, I feel completely revived and energized because the nonsense is out of the way. Now, I can focus on clients and the parts of my job I enjoy.
Make a little time every day for yourself. Not "Calgon, take me away" bubble bath time, but time to do a little extra, time to travel the extra mile. You'll be glad you did.
- Adolfo
You can accomplish anything if you don't care who gets the credit or who sees you doing the work. If you are willing to work in solitude, in the shadows, far from the eyes of your peers and far from the chatter of the proverbial water cooler, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
At least twice a month, I head into my office at about 7:00AM and I catch up on the work I don't like doing, but have to do. I get it out of the way before the phone starts ringing and people start popping into my office, and I clear the junk off my desk, answer emails, file, and all the other stuff that takes time I don't have. After one of these sessions, I feel completely revived and energized because the nonsense is out of the way. Now, I can focus on clients and the parts of my job I enjoy.
Make a little time every day for yourself. Not "Calgon, take me away" bubble bath time, but time to do a little extra, time to travel the extra mile. You'll be glad you did.
- Adolfo
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Day # 164 - Confessions of a Dangerous Banker
The Great Recession has affected my family like it has affected most families. I lost my job, my business went down the tubes and my lifestyle has changed. Yet, I am happier than I have been in a long time. While I make and spend less money, I have found ways to experience life in a more positive, fulfilling way.
I was thinking about my years as a banker and financial advisor and the lies I told people during that time. Mostly, I was saying what I was trained to say. I was ignorant of the truth. This is not an excuse. It's inexcusable to knowingly give destructive advice and it's inexcusable to regurgitate information, even if it comes from your boss, without verifying it first.
For years, I told people not to pay off their mortgage. I convinced them they were better off investing the money with me and keeping the tax benefits of the mortgage (interest deduction.) Now I know better. The amount of interest the average person pays in a year is enormous compared to the tax benefits. It makes no sense in most cases to stay in debt.
I sold debt as a good thing, convincing people they should take out equity lines and loans and credit cards. There is nothing good about this. When your banker tells you to get an equity loan for emergencies, beware. Their intentions may be pure, but will you have the discipline to really use it only for emergencies?
I tried to convince people that it was always their fault when they overdrew their account. Truthfully, if you overdraw your account, it is your fault - with the exception of fraud or the rare bank error. However, banks stack incoming items largest to smallest regardless of the time they came in. Why? If you have $1,000 in your checking account and seven items come in totaling $,1079.00 in ascending order (smallest to largest) by paying the largest item (let's say $900) first, the bank will clock you for 5 or 6 overdraft fees. If they let them post in order of arrival, with the large one being last, they can only hit you once. It's disgusting. I was one of the space monkeys convincing people this was done for their own good because larger items are typically more important (rent, health insurance, car payments, etc.)
Of course, you are ultimately responsible and should have enough money to cover your bills.
Don't ask me which bank I worked for, it doesn't matter. They're all about the same.
If you decide to work with a financial advisor, ask for his credentials. Licensing means nothing, you need to know what his experience is. Most of these guys are just good salesmen. Do your homework and ask tough questions. You may be better off doing your own investments with the help of your CPA. I knew one "top producer" who had previously been a waiter at Denny's. I don't mean to make ends meet while earning his MBA, I mean he was a waiter! And now he was offering "sound" financial advice. What he really was was a commission hound slashing and burning his way through his prospects.
You must make the time to watch your money. You must make a budget. You must balance your checkbook. You must put money away for retirement. You must save for your children's college. You must get out of debt. These things are simple, but not easy.
You wouldn't take medical advice from a waiter at Denny's would you? Of course not! Do you really think financial advice is different?
Go to daveramsey.com and see about getting into Financial Peace University. It's a great way to learn about money management.
More than half of divorces are on account of money. Mine was. I don't wish divorce on anyone. Especially over something as common as money.
You do have the time for this. You can learn these things. Shut off the TV and get serious about it. Social Security will not be around much longer and do you really want to spend your retirement clearing trays at McDonalds? Didn't think so!
God bless you and your finances. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I was thinking about my years as a banker and financial advisor and the lies I told people during that time. Mostly, I was saying what I was trained to say. I was ignorant of the truth. This is not an excuse. It's inexcusable to knowingly give destructive advice and it's inexcusable to regurgitate information, even if it comes from your boss, without verifying it first.
For years, I told people not to pay off their mortgage. I convinced them they were better off investing the money with me and keeping the tax benefits of the mortgage (interest deduction.) Now I know better. The amount of interest the average person pays in a year is enormous compared to the tax benefits. It makes no sense in most cases to stay in debt.
I sold debt as a good thing, convincing people they should take out equity lines and loans and credit cards. There is nothing good about this. When your banker tells you to get an equity loan for emergencies, beware. Their intentions may be pure, but will you have the discipline to really use it only for emergencies?
I tried to convince people that it was always their fault when they overdrew their account. Truthfully, if you overdraw your account, it is your fault - with the exception of fraud or the rare bank error. However, banks stack incoming items largest to smallest regardless of the time they came in. Why? If you have $1,000 in your checking account and seven items come in totaling $,1079.00 in ascending order (smallest to largest) by paying the largest item (let's say $900) first, the bank will clock you for 5 or 6 overdraft fees. If they let them post in order of arrival, with the large one being last, they can only hit you once. It's disgusting. I was one of the space monkeys convincing people this was done for their own good because larger items are typically more important (rent, health insurance, car payments, etc.)
Of course, you are ultimately responsible and should have enough money to cover your bills.
Don't ask me which bank I worked for, it doesn't matter. They're all about the same.
If you decide to work with a financial advisor, ask for his credentials. Licensing means nothing, you need to know what his experience is. Most of these guys are just good salesmen. Do your homework and ask tough questions. You may be better off doing your own investments with the help of your CPA. I knew one "top producer" who had previously been a waiter at Denny's. I don't mean to make ends meet while earning his MBA, I mean he was a waiter! And now he was offering "sound" financial advice. What he really was was a commission hound slashing and burning his way through his prospects.
You must make the time to watch your money. You must make a budget. You must balance your checkbook. You must put money away for retirement. You must save for your children's college. You must get out of debt. These things are simple, but not easy.
You wouldn't take medical advice from a waiter at Denny's would you? Of course not! Do you really think financial advice is different?
Go to daveramsey.com and see about getting into Financial Peace University. It's a great way to learn about money management.
More than half of divorces are on account of money. Mine was. I don't wish divorce on anyone. Especially over something as common as money.
You do have the time for this. You can learn these things. Shut off the TV and get serious about it. Social Security will not be around much longer and do you really want to spend your retirement clearing trays at McDonalds? Didn't think so!
God bless you and your finances. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, November 5, 2010
Day # 162 - Immigrant Values
There was a time when people came to this country looking for an opportunity to earn a paycheck, not just have one handed to them. I know because I witnessed it growing up. I was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Miami and Hialeah. I remember the house I lived in when I started kindergarten: my parents owned it. They had been in the country less than a decade by that point. They still didn’t speak any English. They had low-paying factory jobs – more than one apiece. I like to tell people I grew up in a family that was in banking. It’s true, because my parents moonlighted cleaning banks and since they couldn’t afford a babysitter, they brought me with them. I became a bank robber at an early age, stealing candy from the teller’s candy dishes.
Around the time I was seven, I needed an ear, nose, throat operation. My parents took me in for the surgery, and paid for it by selling their house at a profit and buying a less expensive condo. Eventually they sold the condo and bought the house my mother still lives in. They took 15 years to pay off the house, in spite of the 3 mortgages, one of which was a 30 year deal. They never asked the government to pay for anything. All they asked for was an opportunity. It’s all they deserved. An opportunity is all anyone deserves.
Yet, we live in a time when people want more than opportunities, they want guarantees. There is nothing more dehumanizing than telling a person they are not responsible for their own fate. When we look at successful people, we should admire and even emulate them. Instead, we are told by the “leaders” in Washington that those people somehow cheated their way to where they are and that they don’t pay their fair share (they pay well beyond their fair share – they also create jobs.) Politicians use class envy to keep their jobs, but the other, intended, consequence is that the people they tell these lies to believe what they are told and never reach their potential. They believe the only way to get anything out of life is by coveting that which another man has earned. It’s nonsense and the losers in Washington know it.
If you come to this country (legally) you should have every opportunity my parents had. Every opportunity Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren Buffet, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and millions of others have had. Yes, you deserve the opportunity. No, you do not deserve any guarantees of success. And no, their success did not cause you to fail. There is nothing unfair about it. It is the most fair and perfect thing there is, that a person should reap rewards equal to their effort – no more, no less.
Immigrants of way back when looked for opportunity. They came to America and thanked God for the opportunity. Now, politicians hand them a check, try to make them citizens right away so they can get them into the voting booth, and teach them to throw rocks at the producers instead of becoming one. People have changed, because the system has changed. Rather than coming here and absorbing American values, they come here and try to turn this into the very system they abandoned, not understanding that if they get their wish, the system will, once again, abandon them.
Work for what you want. Don’t expect it to be handed to you. Earn it, so you can appreciate it. Educate yourself, so you can become a person of value.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Around the time I was seven, I needed an ear, nose, throat operation. My parents took me in for the surgery, and paid for it by selling their house at a profit and buying a less expensive condo. Eventually they sold the condo and bought the house my mother still lives in. They took 15 years to pay off the house, in spite of the 3 mortgages, one of which was a 30 year deal. They never asked the government to pay for anything. All they asked for was an opportunity. It’s all they deserved. An opportunity is all anyone deserves.
Yet, we live in a time when people want more than opportunities, they want guarantees. There is nothing more dehumanizing than telling a person they are not responsible for their own fate. When we look at successful people, we should admire and even emulate them. Instead, we are told by the “leaders” in Washington that those people somehow cheated their way to where they are and that they don’t pay their fair share (they pay well beyond their fair share – they also create jobs.) Politicians use class envy to keep their jobs, but the other, intended, consequence is that the people they tell these lies to believe what they are told and never reach their potential. They believe the only way to get anything out of life is by coveting that which another man has earned. It’s nonsense and the losers in Washington know it.
If you come to this country (legally) you should have every opportunity my parents had. Every opportunity Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren Buffet, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and millions of others have had. Yes, you deserve the opportunity. No, you do not deserve any guarantees of success. And no, their success did not cause you to fail. There is nothing unfair about it. It is the most fair and perfect thing there is, that a person should reap rewards equal to their effort – no more, no less.
Immigrants of way back when looked for opportunity. They came to America and thanked God for the opportunity. Now, politicians hand them a check, try to make them citizens right away so they can get them into the voting booth, and teach them to throw rocks at the producers instead of becoming one. People have changed, because the system has changed. Rather than coming here and absorbing American values, they come here and try to turn this into the very system they abandoned, not understanding that if they get their wish, the system will, once again, abandon them.
Work for what you want. Don’t expect it to be handed to you. Earn it, so you can appreciate it. Educate yourself, so you can become a person of value.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, October 29, 2010
Day # 155 - Tough Love
My daughter is in 2nd grade. She has a spelling test consisting of about 15 words each week. The teacher gives a pre-test on Wednesday s. If the student gets 100%, there is no second test. If they miss even one, they must take the test again on Friday. Our way of training Melissa has been to have her write each word twice. We dictate the words, she writes them. Afterwards, we review her work. Any misspelled or sloppily written words are rewritten three times. It’s why she’s batting .1000 in spelling.
This week, Melissa misspelled one word in the pre-test. I beat her with a rubber hose. Just kidding. I did, however, tell her we would do each word once. She wasn’t happy about it so she decided to skip ahead and work from memory instead of writing the words as I recited them. I made her start with a fresh sheet of paper and write each word twice. About six words into it, she again decided to go out on her own. I made her start with yet another fresh sheet of paper and write each word three times. I then warned her that if she did it again, I would have her write each word five times and we would stay up all night if necessary until she learned to follow my directions.
Melissa is a very bright kid. She is capable of great things. Sometimes, smart kids are the hard ones to manage because they get bored and they want to go out on their own, ahead of the teacher or the parent. I know, because I did the same thing at her age. Yes, in case you’re wondering, I used to be bright. The trouble was, my parents didn’t know exactly how to keep me in line. It wasn’t their fault, they just didn’t know.
I tend to be soft on my kids, but I am realizing that I am doing them no favors. I don’t need to be their best friend. They will have thousands of friends. They only have one father, and I have to make sure that that means something. Melissa was upset at my sternness, and part of me felt bad and wanted to ease up. I bit my tongue and stayed the course, almost afraid she would end up mad at me. When she finally finished the homework assignment, she went to play with George (our rabbit – yes, a rabbit. My house is turning into a zoo!) She then took a shower before going to sleep. She was completely fine, joking with me as she always does. She insisted on two good night kisses and asked for a glass of water. She told me she loved me and she went to bed. Good night, sweet angel.
The point is my relationship with my daughter was not damaged. She loves me as much as she would have if I had allowed her to skip homework and watch TV, but the love is being deposited in an interest-bearing account of sorts. Because I am being a father and not a buddy, she will love me more when she grows up. She will appreciate me more, and she will know that I was a part of the success I know she will ultimately achieve.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
This week, Melissa misspelled one word in the pre-test. I beat her with a rubber hose. Just kidding. I did, however, tell her we would do each word once. She wasn’t happy about it so she decided to skip ahead and work from memory instead of writing the words as I recited them. I made her start with a fresh sheet of paper and write each word twice. About six words into it, she again decided to go out on her own. I made her start with yet another fresh sheet of paper and write each word three times. I then warned her that if she did it again, I would have her write each word five times and we would stay up all night if necessary until she learned to follow my directions.
Melissa is a very bright kid. She is capable of great things. Sometimes, smart kids are the hard ones to manage because they get bored and they want to go out on their own, ahead of the teacher or the parent. I know, because I did the same thing at her age. Yes, in case you’re wondering, I used to be bright. The trouble was, my parents didn’t know exactly how to keep me in line. It wasn’t their fault, they just didn’t know.
I tend to be soft on my kids, but I am realizing that I am doing them no favors. I don’t need to be their best friend. They will have thousands of friends. They only have one father, and I have to make sure that that means something. Melissa was upset at my sternness, and part of me felt bad and wanted to ease up. I bit my tongue and stayed the course, almost afraid she would end up mad at me. When she finally finished the homework assignment, she went to play with George (our rabbit – yes, a rabbit. My house is turning into a zoo!) She then took a shower before going to sleep. She was completely fine, joking with me as she always does. She insisted on two good night kisses and asked for a glass of water. She told me she loved me and she went to bed. Good night, sweet angel.
The point is my relationship with my daughter was not damaged. She loves me as much as she would have if I had allowed her to skip homework and watch TV, but the love is being deposited in an interest-bearing account of sorts. Because I am being a father and not a buddy, she will love me more when she grows up. She will appreciate me more, and she will know that I was a part of the success I know she will ultimately achieve.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Day # 149 - Build Your Ark Before it Rains
Keith Ferrazzi, the relationship marketing master and networker extraordinaire, says of networking: build it before you need it. You don’t put on your seatbelt after crashing your car. You wouldn’t trust a doctor with your kids if he was walking into the operating room with “Tonsillectomy for Dummies” under his arm. Preparation is crucial.
I see this time and again in my business and personal life. I find myself making the same mistakes sometimes and it all comes to preparation – or the lack of it.
The thing about preparation, or whatever necessary steps there are to the successful execution of any process, is that we know the steps, we know what we have to do, and we often choose to take a shortcut, and the result is always the same: subpar performance.
Remember the 7 “P’s”: Proper-Prior-Planning-Prevents-Piss-Poor-Performance
But it isn’t always a matter of planning. Is there anything in your life right now that you need to do? Something you may not want to do. It could be boring or expensive, or tedious, but think about the consequences if you don’t do it. There are plenty of things that don’t matter – until they matter. You know what they are and you know what you have to do, so get off the couch and do them.
Whoever said good things come to those who wait should have explained a little further. While patience is a virtue, inaction is a vice. Waiting for things to happen will only ensure that they happen to other people or that you will miss them when they happen to you. Prepare, and get out there and make it happen. No one ever became successful by not taking care of the simple things and no one ever became successful by waiting for something to happen.
I have a friend who has the makings of a major director. For years, I have tried to entice him with all kinds of projects and ideas and his answer is always that he is too busy or some other lame excuse. Now, the small film-production company I have been involved in for the last year is about to take some big steps. We will need directors. Will I be calling him? Of course not. Why would I expect him to be ready for the big things when he was too busy for the little things? Why should I have confidence in a person who wasn’t willing to build his ark before it rained?
The lesson is: Do not ignore the little things. Little things mean everything. Be prepared for anything and don’t procrastinate. The only thing that comes to those who waits is the disappointing news that they missed their opportunity.
God bless you. Go out there and make it your best day yet. Do it now!
- Adolfo
I see this time and again in my business and personal life. I find myself making the same mistakes sometimes and it all comes to preparation – or the lack of it.
The thing about preparation, or whatever necessary steps there are to the successful execution of any process, is that we know the steps, we know what we have to do, and we often choose to take a shortcut, and the result is always the same: subpar performance.
Remember the 7 “P’s”: Proper-Prior-Planning-Prevents-Piss-Poor-Performance
But it isn’t always a matter of planning. Is there anything in your life right now that you need to do? Something you may not want to do. It could be boring or expensive, or tedious, but think about the consequences if you don’t do it. There are plenty of things that don’t matter – until they matter. You know what they are and you know what you have to do, so get off the couch and do them.
Whoever said good things come to those who wait should have explained a little further. While patience is a virtue, inaction is a vice. Waiting for things to happen will only ensure that they happen to other people or that you will miss them when they happen to you. Prepare, and get out there and make it happen. No one ever became successful by not taking care of the simple things and no one ever became successful by waiting for something to happen.
I have a friend who has the makings of a major director. For years, I have tried to entice him with all kinds of projects and ideas and his answer is always that he is too busy or some other lame excuse. Now, the small film-production company I have been involved in for the last year is about to take some big steps. We will need directors. Will I be calling him? Of course not. Why would I expect him to be ready for the big things when he was too busy for the little things? Why should I have confidence in a person who wasn’t willing to build his ark before it rained?
The lesson is: Do not ignore the little things. Little things mean everything. Be prepared for anything and don’t procrastinate. The only thing that comes to those who waits is the disappointing news that they missed their opportunity.
God bless you. Go out there and make it your best day yet. Do it now!
- Adolfo
Monday, October 18, 2010
Day # 144 - Finding Myself
At my age, I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Probably because I have not resolved to grow up. My sister grew up and became a school teacher. She always wanted to be a teacher, according to our mom. When she was a little girl, she would line up her dolls like students in a classroom and teach them whatever it is little girls teach their dolls. She knew. She had a vision, a desire.
I think I should have been an actor. This would have given me the opportunity to be all the things I have always wanted to be. Or just play them on TV. Or audition to play them on TV between shifts as a short-order cook at Mel's Diner.
I wanted to be a writer. This is something I discovered around age 21. I became a father at a young age and I realized I needed to provide for my kids, rather than pursue dreams. Of course, I did some of both and the practical eventually won out. Maybe I did grow up.
In some ways, I am a cautionary tale. Kids should pursue their dreams while they are kid. Too often they get confused and wind up chasing adulthood. This is what happened to me. Don't let it happen to your kids. Talk to them about the importance of being where they are when they are there. Remind them that once they are adults, they can't go back, and unlike their X-Box, there's no reset button or do-over in real life.
Lessons:
Live in the moment.
Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Better yet - don't grow up at all.
Determine your dream and follow it relentlessly.
- Adolfo
I think I should have been an actor. This would have given me the opportunity to be all the things I have always wanted to be. Or just play them on TV. Or audition to play them on TV between shifts as a short-order cook at Mel's Diner.
I wanted to be a writer. This is something I discovered around age 21. I became a father at a young age and I realized I needed to provide for my kids, rather than pursue dreams. Of course, I did some of both and the practical eventually won out. Maybe I did grow up.
In some ways, I am a cautionary tale. Kids should pursue their dreams while they are kid. Too often they get confused and wind up chasing adulthood. This is what happened to me. Don't let it happen to your kids. Talk to them about the importance of being where they are when they are there. Remind them that once they are adults, they can't go back, and unlike their X-Box, there's no reset button or do-over in real life.
Lessons:
Live in the moment.
Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Better yet - don't grow up at all.
Determine your dream and follow it relentlessly.
- Adolfo
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Day # 142 - Prepare for the...
Yesterday was a great day - in spite of my expectations. I was so angry about what I was expecting that I didn't sleep on Thursday. It was a kind of nervous, anxious anticipation. Not the kind you feel when waiting to see the love of your life or before a big event. It was a death row kind of feeling. Not scared, but angry about being an innocent man about to ride the lightning.
Then I couldn't find my keys.
Since I hadn't slept, and I knew I was going to be pulled out of my office for several hours to be hazed, I decided to go into work early and get everything done. I am most productive in the morning, so I decided to head to work about 7:00 AM, but I couldn't find my keys. I did, eventually. They were in Abby's car. Always the last place you look, right?
I made it to my office by 7:30 and started on paperwork. Filing papers that should have been filed weeks ago. I didn't turn on my computer and I had even snuck in quietly so no one would know I was there. (I work in a hotel, so there's someone there 24/7.)I got so much work done that within an hour I was caught up. I had written my to-do list the day before and tackled all of it by 8:30. My day was done before most people's day would have been started. Now all there was to do was wait. And like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers told us back in the 80's: The waiting is the hardest part.
I had been in a bad mood since the night before, the thought of sitting on my hands while lesser mortals stood in judgement of me was eating away at my soul. I envisioned every possible outcome, including the Bruce Lee solution which consisted of me single-handedly pulverizing 30 black-belts.
I went to the meeting, taking one last look at my pristine office before going. I sat at the table and was praised from head to toe. I expected hell and the reality was not even close.
Now, I know I have preached about how we will get what we expect. One thing made the difference. I corrected myself every time those negative thoughts filled my head. I reminded myself that it was all in God's hands and that if God is with me, who dares to stand against me. I reminded myself that I am better than those thoughts, that while those thoughts might sneak in from time to time, I was the decider of whether they manifested or not.
Even better things happened to me throughout the day. I was relaxed, happy, and satisfied. I went to bed early last night and dreamt the strangest dreams and woke reluctantly, like a kid on a school day. Knowing how God and positive thinking (sort of) would make the difference. I am wiser today then I was yesterday, which means yesterday was a very good day indeed.
Of course, Abby called in the middle of all this to tell me her keys fell down a storm drain. More on that another time...
God bless you. Make it your best day ever.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Then I couldn't find my keys.
Since I hadn't slept, and I knew I was going to be pulled out of my office for several hours to be hazed, I decided to go into work early and get everything done. I am most productive in the morning, so I decided to head to work about 7:00 AM, but I couldn't find my keys. I did, eventually. They were in Abby's car. Always the last place you look, right?
I made it to my office by 7:30 and started on paperwork. Filing papers that should have been filed weeks ago. I didn't turn on my computer and I had even snuck in quietly so no one would know I was there. (I work in a hotel, so there's someone there 24/7.)I got so much work done that within an hour I was caught up. I had written my to-do list the day before and tackled all of it by 8:30. My day was done before most people's day would have been started. Now all there was to do was wait. And like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers told us back in the 80's: The waiting is the hardest part.
I had been in a bad mood since the night before, the thought of sitting on my hands while lesser mortals stood in judgement of me was eating away at my soul. I envisioned every possible outcome, including the Bruce Lee solution which consisted of me single-handedly pulverizing 30 black-belts.
I went to the meeting, taking one last look at my pristine office before going. I sat at the table and was praised from head to toe. I expected hell and the reality was not even close.
Now, I know I have preached about how we will get what we expect. One thing made the difference. I corrected myself every time those negative thoughts filled my head. I reminded myself that it was all in God's hands and that if God is with me, who dares to stand against me. I reminded myself that I am better than those thoughts, that while those thoughts might sneak in from time to time, I was the decider of whether they manifested or not.
Even better things happened to me throughout the day. I was relaxed, happy, and satisfied. I went to bed early last night and dreamt the strangest dreams and woke reluctantly, like a kid on a school day. Knowing how God and positive thinking (sort of) would make the difference. I am wiser today then I was yesterday, which means yesterday was a very good day indeed.
Of course, Abby called in the middle of all this to tell me her keys fell down a storm drain. More on that another time...
God bless you. Make it your best day ever.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, October 15, 2010
Day # 141 - Better Late Than Never
I normally would have completed this post about 13 hours ago. I had a long night and a long day and here I am on a Friday night writing to you, dear reader.
Why am I doing this?
Because 141 days ago I started on a quest to better myself and to write for 365 days while not watching news.
Today was long, but productive. The lessons learned today are: Expect the best and you'll likely get it, and keep your promises.
More tomorrow. I want to go hug my daughters.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Why am I doing this?
Because 141 days ago I started on a quest to better myself and to write for 365 days while not watching news.
Today was long, but productive. The lessons learned today are: Expect the best and you'll likely get it, and keep your promises.
More tomorrow. I want to go hug my daughters.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Day # 119 - Running out of Poetry
I remember, for some reason, being at a party about 15 years ago (I was six years old at the time - yeah right!) and telling someone I was running out of poetry. At this point I had been writing for about five years.
I went on to write many more poems and still write poetry now and then. Ironically, I think I might have said that to be poetic. It reminds me of each time someone comes up with the newest, latest idea and you hear someone say there is nothing left to invent, or something to that effect.
I guess this would be true if there were limits to human potential, but we've barely scratched the surface. We use about ten per cent of our brains. If you can squeeze eleven out of your noggin, you could probably rule the world, cure diseases, colonize Mars, or a million other things.
The truth is we never reach our full potential. This is the beauty of the human experience. We can always get better, stronger, smarter. We can always advance and find new ways to help our fellow man. We can always do more. We can always be more. The simple act of trying to improve yourself makes you better than the you who doesn't try. The chase is the reward.
Find your poetry. Find your calling, your meaning. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Read to an elderly person in the hospital or just spend an hour holding their hand and listening to them. Help paint someone's house. Volunteer to teach kids how to read. Yes, you do have time. If you see a scrap of garbage on the ground, pick it up - beautify your environment. If each one of us did one little thing to improve our immediate little area, the trickle-down effect would change the world.
I know now that I have poetry left to share and that not sharing it is a failure. Poetry is not only words on paper, it is emotion in action, it is the smile you offer a stranger, it is the hand up you offer to someone who has fallen. It is in your ear when you listen. It is in all of us.
Make it your best day yet by helping to make it someone else's day better. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
I went on to write many more poems and still write poetry now and then. Ironically, I think I might have said that to be poetic. It reminds me of each time someone comes up with the newest, latest idea and you hear someone say there is nothing left to invent, or something to that effect.
I guess this would be true if there were limits to human potential, but we've barely scratched the surface. We use about ten per cent of our brains. If you can squeeze eleven out of your noggin, you could probably rule the world, cure diseases, colonize Mars, or a million other things.
The truth is we never reach our full potential. This is the beauty of the human experience. We can always get better, stronger, smarter. We can always advance and find new ways to help our fellow man. We can always do more. We can always be more. The simple act of trying to improve yourself makes you better than the you who doesn't try. The chase is the reward.
Find your poetry. Find your calling, your meaning. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Read to an elderly person in the hospital or just spend an hour holding their hand and listening to them. Help paint someone's house. Volunteer to teach kids how to read. Yes, you do have time. If you see a scrap of garbage on the ground, pick it up - beautify your environment. If each one of us did one little thing to improve our immediate little area, the trickle-down effect would change the world.
I know now that I have poetry left to share and that not sharing it is a failure. Poetry is not only words on paper, it is emotion in action, it is the smile you offer a stranger, it is the hand up you offer to someone who has fallen. It is in your ear when you listen. It is in all of us.
Make it your best day yet by helping to make it someone else's day better. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Day # 118 - Be Persistent
I took a spin class last night. Lots of fun. I recommend it. My high threshold for pain gives me a bit of an advantage - it makes me seem like I'm in better shape than I really am. That's not necessarily a good thing. I refuse to stop during the class regardless of how much I want to. I drink enough water to keep going, I don't indulge. I am persistent about it.
Anyone will tell you that persistence is key to success. The author, Stephen King, credited much of his success to persistence. What makes one athlete better than the other? Persistence. Don't believe me? Ask Michael Phelps. His routine was extremely consistent and his persistence in training led to his eight Olympic Gold Medals.
Years ago, when I quit the hospitality industry and became a financial advisor, I was given 90 days to earn my Series 7, Series 66, and insurance license. If I earned the licenses within that time frame, I would receive a bonus. Of course, I had, at the time, three kids and one on the way, so I couldn't just sit around my house studying.
What I did was I read the books out loud, recording every word in my own voice, and for the next 10 weeks, listened to nothing else. I took a job as a banquet waiter and worked long, hard hours, spending every free moment listening to those tapes or reading the books. I would go to the library between shifts (I often worked more than one in a day, with a few hours in between.) I even had a security guard at the library in Miami Beach confuse me for a homeless person because I fell asleep in the library. I explained to him that I was exhausted and studying, not drunk and loitering.
When the time came for the test, I caught food poisoning. I tried to reschedule but it was too late. I passed, though only by about six points. But you know what you call the guy who graduated last in his class from medical school? You call him Doctor!
I had no experience in finance at the time, I had worked in hotels all my career. But I decided I wanted something and persisted until I got it.
Decide today that you will be persistent in the pursuit of your goals. It is one of the most important characteristics of a successful person. I am reigniting mine.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
Anyone will tell you that persistence is key to success. The author, Stephen King, credited much of his success to persistence. What makes one athlete better than the other? Persistence. Don't believe me? Ask Michael Phelps. His routine was extremely consistent and his persistence in training led to his eight Olympic Gold Medals.
Years ago, when I quit the hospitality industry and became a financial advisor, I was given 90 days to earn my Series 7, Series 66, and insurance license. If I earned the licenses within that time frame, I would receive a bonus. Of course, I had, at the time, three kids and one on the way, so I couldn't just sit around my house studying.
What I did was I read the books out loud, recording every word in my own voice, and for the next 10 weeks, listened to nothing else. I took a job as a banquet waiter and worked long, hard hours, spending every free moment listening to those tapes or reading the books. I would go to the library between shifts (I often worked more than one in a day, with a few hours in between.) I even had a security guard at the library in Miami Beach confuse me for a homeless person because I fell asleep in the library. I explained to him that I was exhausted and studying, not drunk and loitering.
When the time came for the test, I caught food poisoning. I tried to reschedule but it was too late. I passed, though only by about six points. But you know what you call the guy who graduated last in his class from medical school? You call him Doctor!
I had no experience in finance at the time, I had worked in hotels all my career. But I decided I wanted something and persisted until I got it.
Decide today that you will be persistent in the pursuit of your goals. It is one of the most important characteristics of a successful person. I am reigniting mine.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Day # 117 - The Family That Reads Together
I decided that if I were to write an autobiography covering the first 39 years of my life, it would be called, "The Dangerous Middle." No, I'm not referring to my waistline. I'm referring to where I have spent a great deal of time.
Abby and I have gotten on the same page about our goals and we are setting and woring toward them together. It's a live-in buddy system and it will work great. We talk about our progress and our setbacks, we talk about ideas, goals and dreams. We (gently) critique one another, and we offer feedback.
Accountability is key. Not to say you can't do it alone, but sometimes the goals get too hairy and you have to call in backup. I have gone 117 days without news and almost 100 days without caffeine, my TV watching is down to about an hour a week (not including football, which doesn't count. Why doesn't it count? Because I said so - my house, my rules!) But these are only a few of my goals, a small step of the journey I must complete to become the person I'm meant to be. The road gets rough and it's nice to have someone in the passenger seat holding the roadmap. (Or the GPS - you get the picture.)
So we have set aside an hour every night to read self-help books, or listen to CD's currently "The Compound Effect," by Darren Hardy. We read the bible and discuss our ups and downs, with a greater emphasis on the ups. Moods are like people: if you ignore them, they go away. Continue ignoring them and make them feel unwanted, they'll stop coming around. It helps to have a wingman (or wingwoman) to give you the boost and the strength to make that happen.
So get a buddy - your spouse, roommate, friend, parent, co-worker, anyone you can trust - and get started.
Make it your best day yet (for you and your Buddy!) God bless you.
- Adolfo
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
Abby and I have gotten on the same page about our goals and we are setting and woring toward them together. It's a live-in buddy system and it will work great. We talk about our progress and our setbacks, we talk about ideas, goals and dreams. We (gently) critique one another, and we offer feedback.
Accountability is key. Not to say you can't do it alone, but sometimes the goals get too hairy and you have to call in backup. I have gone 117 days without news and almost 100 days without caffeine, my TV watching is down to about an hour a week (not including football, which doesn't count. Why doesn't it count? Because I said so - my house, my rules!) But these are only a few of my goals, a small step of the journey I must complete to become the person I'm meant to be. The road gets rough and it's nice to have someone in the passenger seat holding the roadmap. (Or the GPS - you get the picture.)
So we have set aside an hour every night to read self-help books, or listen to CD's currently "The Compound Effect," by Darren Hardy. We read the bible and discuss our ups and downs, with a greater emphasis on the ups. Moods are like people: if you ignore them, they go away. Continue ignoring them and make them feel unwanted, they'll stop coming around. It helps to have a wingman (or wingwoman) to give you the boost and the strength to make that happen.
So get a buddy - your spouse, roommate, friend, parent, co-worker, anyone you can trust - and get started.
Make it your best day yet (for you and your Buddy!) God bless you.
- Adolfo
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Day # 114 - Do I Feel Lucky?
I just read an article my friend Nicole posted on Facebook about how to get lucky. Essentially, the article explains how luck is a choice. I don't know why it took ten years of research to make this discovery, but I'm glad Richard Wiserman went to the trouble.
It proves what the Bible says, it proves the Power of Positive Thinking, it eliminates one of the excuses some people like to use.
I used to be superstitious. Years ago, I came to the realization that superstition is the absence of faith, it is letting go of control of your own life. I chose to live under my own influence and control. Black cats be damned. Direct me to the nearest ladder and watch me limbo under it. Friday the 13th still gets a T.G.I.F. from me.
I made the choice to be "lucky" a long time ago and I have noticed the difference in my life. I no longer blame God or luck for a tough break. I simply correct course and move forward.
Go and do likewise.
Here is the link to the article.
God bless you. Good luck (not that you need it.)
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
It proves what the Bible says, it proves the Power of Positive Thinking, it eliminates one of the excuses some people like to use.
I used to be superstitious. Years ago, I came to the realization that superstition is the absence of faith, it is letting go of control of your own life. I chose to live under my own influence and control. Black cats be damned. Direct me to the nearest ladder and watch me limbo under it. Friday the 13th still gets a T.G.I.F. from me.
I made the choice to be "lucky" a long time ago and I have noticed the difference in my life. I no longer blame God or luck for a tough break. I simply correct course and move forward.
Go and do likewise.
Here is the link to the article.
God bless you. Good luck (not that you need it.)
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Day # 110 - Hitting the Wall
Runners have an expression, "hitting the wall," which refers to that feeling of exhaustion that's so overwhelming it feels like you've literally run into a brick wall, which makes it pretty much impossible to continue running.
There are countless walls to hit. Writer's block is a wall. For years, I dreamt of being a writer. And then I hit a wall. The wall was personal, not creative, but I allowed that wall to keep me from writing for about five years. And I was on a tear when it happened. It's part of why I am writing this blog. I want to work my creative muscles and get the juices flowing. If I want to run a marathon, I know I need to train. If I want to use whatever skill I have as a writer or public speaker, I need to work those muscles, too. It's all a matter of training.
You will hit walls in your life. The question is how you will deal with the wall. Will you:
a) Stop and give up
b) Go around it
c) Go through it
If you stop, you fail. Think of yourself as a shark in this sense. What happens to a shark if it stops swimming? It dies. Now, don't confuse activity with productivity. You have to move, sure, but move in the right direction and move with purpose.
God bless you. Make it your best day.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
There are countless walls to hit. Writer's block is a wall. For years, I dreamt of being a writer. And then I hit a wall. The wall was personal, not creative, but I allowed that wall to keep me from writing for about five years. And I was on a tear when it happened. It's part of why I am writing this blog. I want to work my creative muscles and get the juices flowing. If I want to run a marathon, I know I need to train. If I want to use whatever skill I have as a writer or public speaker, I need to work those muscles, too. It's all a matter of training.
You will hit walls in your life. The question is how you will deal with the wall. Will you:
a) Stop and give up
b) Go around it
c) Go through it
If you stop, you fail. Think of yourself as a shark in this sense. What happens to a shark if it stops swimming? It dies. Now, don't confuse activity with productivity. You have to move, sure, but move in the right direction and move with purpose.
God bless you. Make it your best day.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Monday, September 13, 2010
Day # 109 - Alarm clock? Never!
I overslept this morning. Have I been away from my home planet too long? This tiredness is a little odd. I slept until 6:30 this morning. That's about 90+ minutes beyond my normal wake up time. Am I going to have to do what I have never done? Am I going to have to (gasp!) use an alarm? Heaven forbid. This is a matter of mind over matter. If I choose to wake up early, I will. If I do not make the conscious choice to wake up by a certain hour, I will sleep until...whenever.
And isn't that how it works? I slept until an hour when most of the world is starting to get up and I feel like I have wasted half the day. I rely on that extra 90 minutes every morning. It's my productivity time. It's my "Me" time. It's the time I use to stay sane, stay connected, stay myself.
So, I'm rushing because I have a meeting to get to. I have a long day of meetings, lectures, etc. I'm looking forward to it. No, really, I am. It should be interesting.
The lesson is: There is always time if you are willing to make time. What are you willing to sacrifice? T.V.? Hanging out? News? Sleep? If you will dump something you don't really need, you will be amazed at how much time you give up. I sacrifice sleep and it makes me more productive. And sacrifice is not really the word. There'll be time to sleep when I'm dead. (a hundred years from now!)
Make it your best, most productive day. God bless you.
Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
And isn't that how it works? I slept until an hour when most of the world is starting to get up and I feel like I have wasted half the day. I rely on that extra 90 minutes every morning. It's my productivity time. It's my "Me" time. It's the time I use to stay sane, stay connected, stay myself.
So, I'm rushing because I have a meeting to get to. I have a long day of meetings, lectures, etc. I'm looking forward to it. No, really, I am. It should be interesting.
The lesson is: There is always time if you are willing to make time. What are you willing to sacrifice? T.V.? Hanging out? News? Sleep? If you will dump something you don't really need, you will be amazed at how much time you give up. I sacrifice sleep and it makes me more productive. And sacrifice is not really the word. There'll be time to sleep when I'm dead. (a hundred years from now!)
Make it your best, most productive day. God bless you.
Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Day # 108 - Going Through The Motions
I'm not sure what it is, but I've been procrastinating this morning. I've been at the computer since 6:00AM, it's now 6:38 and I'm finally getting my rear in gear. Sure, it's Sunday and most of the world is still asleep (or just getting home from Saturday night parties) but I am awake and feeling unproductive even though I have plenty to do.
So, I sit here and I type, in the hopes of finding inspiration by going through the motions. Will it work? Only if I put my heart and soul into it.
How many of us are going through the motions? Like postal workers or other government workers, who do not have an incentive to provide efficient, quality service, but ain't going nowhere because of the retirement package at the end of the career rainbow. Do you feel inspired in your life? Do you wake up in the morning and feel like the day ahead of you is full of endless possibilities, or do you expect another endless day? You will get what you expect. May as well expect the best.
Going through the motions because you have to is a sure way to fail and be miserable. Going through the motions to find your flow is a great thing. It works. I am sitting up a little straighter than I was a while ago. I am typing a little faster. I am more awake and alert. All because I chose not to skip writing this morning.
Get up and do what you have to do. Do it with pride and do the best you can. You'll be glad you did.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
So, I sit here and I type, in the hopes of finding inspiration by going through the motions. Will it work? Only if I put my heart and soul into it.
How many of us are going through the motions? Like postal workers or other government workers, who do not have an incentive to provide efficient, quality service, but ain't going nowhere because of the retirement package at the end of the career rainbow. Do you feel inspired in your life? Do you wake up in the morning and feel like the day ahead of you is full of endless possibilities, or do you expect another endless day? You will get what you expect. May as well expect the best.
Going through the motions because you have to is a sure way to fail and be miserable. Going through the motions to find your flow is a great thing. It works. I am sitting up a little straighter than I was a while ago. I am typing a little faster. I am more awake and alert. All because I chose not to skip writing this morning.
Get up and do what you have to do. Do it with pride and do the best you can. You'll be glad you did.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Day # 107 - Change of Venue
Lead us not into temptation... We've all heard it before. I went into the office yesterday and just wasn't feeling it. So... I went home to work. I didn't come home and put on my Superman jammies and bunny slippers, I kept my work ensemble on. I fired up the laptop and went to work.
I was more productive yesterday than any other day in this incredibly long short week. I wasn't getting up to go to the fridge every five minutes. No one walked into my office to chat. No questions that should answer themselves. No B.S., no nonsense. Just work.
I made two sales, set two appointments and sent out three contracts yesterday. I also revised an agreement for what is becoming a very big and important client. In my business, that's a busy day. Better than busy, it was productive. The kind of productivity that translates directly to the bottom line.
I know not everyone has the option of taking work home, or to a coffee shop, but you can always come to the office a little early to avoid the crowd. When people ask if you have a minute, say NO! Or tell them yes, you have exactly one minute. For years I have wasted so much time because I never understood the power of No. Learn it, you'll be better at your job, and you will find the work-life balance we all need.
I would also recommend putting yourself in a position where you are not lead into temptation. Don't keep a lot of junk food in your house or in your desk, so that the Oreos don't call your name when you have work to do. It's human nature to be lazy and if your lazy brain has to convince you you're hungry to get you to stop working, it will. Avoid the pitfalls.
I am not advocating workaholism. I am advocating productivity. If you want to move up in your career, grow your business, or just prosper and be successful at everything you do, learn to be more productive. I learned this lesson late, but I plan to make up for it.
So, turn your desk away from the window, stay away from the water cooler and coffee station and get your work done! The right people will notice.
God bless you. Make it your best and most productive day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I was more productive yesterday than any other day in this incredibly long short week. I wasn't getting up to go to the fridge every five minutes. No one walked into my office to chat. No questions that should answer themselves. No B.S., no nonsense. Just work.
I made two sales, set two appointments and sent out three contracts yesterday. I also revised an agreement for what is becoming a very big and important client. In my business, that's a busy day. Better than busy, it was productive. The kind of productivity that translates directly to the bottom line.
I know not everyone has the option of taking work home, or to a coffee shop, but you can always come to the office a little early to avoid the crowd. When people ask if you have a minute, say NO! Or tell them yes, you have exactly one minute. For years I have wasted so much time because I never understood the power of No. Learn it, you'll be better at your job, and you will find the work-life balance we all need.
I would also recommend putting yourself in a position where you are not lead into temptation. Don't keep a lot of junk food in your house or in your desk, so that the Oreos don't call your name when you have work to do. It's human nature to be lazy and if your lazy brain has to convince you you're hungry to get you to stop working, it will. Avoid the pitfalls.
I am not advocating workaholism. I am advocating productivity. If you want to move up in your career, grow your business, or just prosper and be successful at everything you do, learn to be more productive. I learned this lesson late, but I plan to make up for it.
So, turn your desk away from the window, stay away from the water cooler and coffee station and get your work done! The right people will notice.
God bless you. Make it your best and most productive day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
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