Dec 26 2015

TIME marches on… do YOU? — Happy 2016!

What ARE you waiting for?

upsidedown clock_______

I know, I know. You’re waiting for a parade? The doctor? Next Christmas? Someone else to go first? Your parent’s approval? Ah, your boss’s approval? A work order? 5PM? Lunchtime? Oh, right, vacation? Your birthday? A full moon? High tide? Rock bottom? Another way out? The Mets to play the Cubs in The World Series? (HA!) The car in front of you to get out of the passing lane? Your child to become President? Your Father to strike oil? Aaaaaah, of course, a winning lottery ticket.

___________________

If you seriously answered “YES” to any of the above, you may be too filled with excuses to make a success of yourself. I really can’t help you. My, um, best guess is that Psssssst! YOU NEED A SHRINK! Visit here again sometime after therapy! 

                                                                        

Now. Anybody left out there? Good. Well, there’s still hope for those of you who actually read this far. Since time truly does fly, if you’re truly not waiting for some event or person in order to move forward with your life –and especially your business and career pursuits– then odds are you’ve just been procrastinating. Christmas has passed.

Putting stuff off is okay sometimes. It happens to all of us. But you might need to give yourself a smack alongside your head, or if you can work it out, kick yourself in the butt (?). At least get yourself in gear to answer the two following questions:

Question One:

How much more productive can you be with your waiting time? (Like bank lines, traffic lights, bridges, RR crossings, commuter trains, subways, boats and buses, the dentist, Motor Vehicle Bureau?) Rate yourself 1-10 (with 10 being “a whole lot more.”)

Question Two:

What’s normally in your pocket, briefcase or purse while you’re waiting? IF. . . your answer does NOT include items like: a pen and paper, a tablet or laptop, voice recorder, cellphone or digital camera, pocket pad or sticky notes, or a book or e-book to read . . . THEN . . . the answer to Question One above is that you can be a LOT more productive just by carrying these items. 

I know people who’ve put together complete photo essays standing in line at the post office. I met an engineer who says he stimulates his brain by sketching vehicles and machinery while waiting for trains and bridges.

I know highly acclaimed novelists and playwrights who write as many street and business names down as they can see while stopped at red lights (that they can cherry-pick from later when they’re seeking character and location names for their works of fiction).

The point is, like the old Schlitz Beer commercials used to proclaim, “You only go round once in life!” (Well some maybe do a few trips, but most of us, well . . . ) and how convenient that we all only remember how short lifetimes can be when someone close to us passes away. You’re here to make a difference, aren’t you?

SO, stop fooling yourself with delays, excuses, nonproductive and unproductive waits. Stop staring into space wishing you were somewhere else. Stop bemoaning the lousy delay experiences and start DOING the stuff you’ve been saying, “Well, someday, I …”

 T O D A Y is “someday”!

 Some action is always better than no action. And remember that it’s ALL YOUR CHOICE because all of behavior is a choice. So choose to march shoulder-to-shoulder with time, not ahead of it, not behind it, but with it.

Make the most of 2016.  Make your mark.

Make a difference. Make 2016 YOUR year!

Love, health, and happiness to each of you!

# # #

931.854.0474    Hal@BusinessWorks.US

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You.

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Feb 24 2009

BUSINESS WAITING . . . . . . . .

What are you waiting for?

                                                

“Annnnny-daaay, noow . . .”

                                                                                               

The once famous bank commercial mocking out competitors for their loan waiting times seemed appropriate. How much time did you spend waiting today? How much of that time was a total waste? 

WE WAIT AT, AND IN: lines, offices, reception rooms, hallways, cars, trucks, construction sites, showrooms, restaurants, parks, parking lots, airports, taxi stands, bars, elevators, boardrooms, alcoves, bathrooms, meetings, conference rooms, the water cooler, fax and copy machines, roach coach, training centers, message centers, traffic, bridges, trains, busses, hospitals, airplanes, taxi’s, garages, food lines, courtrooms, examination rooms, visitation rooms, toll booths, ticket counters, lobbies, check-out counters, subway stations, ferries, zoos, concerts, planetariums, sporting events, banks, drive-in pharmacies and fastfood windows, doorways, road construction lanes, and 487,000 others.

AND WE WAIT FOR: bosses, clients, doctors, lawyers, co-workers, underlings, salespeople, associates, lunch dates, online connections, conference calls, on-hold, dinner dates, traffic, bridges, trains, busses, airplanes, taxi’s, breakfast dates, coffee breaks, lunch whistles, clocks, scheduled events, calendar pages, waiters and waitresses, deliveries, contractors, news, alarms, prisoners, bankers, seminars, meetings, accountants, patients, families, friends, people who beat us to the bathroom, and 269,000 others.

AND WHILE WE WAIT, WE SUFFER FROM:

  • ANTICIPATION.
  • ANXIETY.
  • WORRY.
  • ANGER.
  • EMBARASSMENT.
  • EXPECTATIONS.
  • DISAPPOINTMENT.
  • STRESS.
  • INSULT: BEING “STOOD UP” OR FORGOTTEN.

     And what do you DO when you’re thrown into that jungle described above? What did you do today in delay? And don’t try to excuse yourself with some haste makes waste explanation because I know that you know that each of the bullet items above is a CHOICE! The only thing that makes waste is waste. Waiting time is valuable.

     HOW ABOUT CHOOSING FOR THE WAITING TIME TO BE HAPPY AND PRODUCTIVE TIME, AND USE IT TO: Write? Take notes? Take pictures? (I met a guy created a complete photo essay while standing on line at the post office, and actually published it!) Text Message? Make phone calls? Plan? Follow-up? Research? Read? Make contacts? Make contracts? Network? Study?

     Can you, in other words, do something more constructive with your valuable time here on earth than to stare like a zombie at some waiting room TV tuned to some negative news network? Just because you have to wait, doesn’t mean you sacrifice your humanity for sheepdom.

     Always carry pen and paper and/or laptop and/or tape recorder and/or camera and/or a book you’re reading and/or a cell phone and/or some luggage to put all that stuff in . . . and don’t forget the umbrella and parachute . . . hey, ya never know! 

     Some action, remember, is always better than no action . . . unless “action” to you means smoking, drinking booze, eating candy bars, snorting or shooting up drugs, punching/biting/kicking, stabbing, shooting, or bank robbery.  

     And you may think, like the song, that “My time is your time,” but it’s not! Because you only ever have NO time or LOTSA time, or ANYtime, or SOMEtime, or have been having a HIGH time for a LONG time. Oh, right, there’s America’s PASTtime, which is a great way to PASS time in the SUMMERtime or SPRINGtime, but seldom in the WINTERtime.

     If all that’s not enough for you, remember that “Time and tide wait for no man.” (No mention of women in that philosophy so it must be because women have “THAT” time), and then there’s “He who hesitates is lost” (which most men are!). Okay? Okay. Laterhalalpiar     

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Dec 31 2008

TIME MARCHES ON . . .

What are you

                                   

waiting for?

                                                           

I know.  You’re waiting for a parade.  The doctor?  Next Christmas?  Someone else to go first?  Your parent’s approval?  Your boss’s approval?  A work order?  5PM?  Lunchtime?  Vacation?  Your birthday?  A full moon?  High tide?  Rock bottom?  Another way out?  The Mets to win the World Series?  The car in front of you to get out of the passing lane?  Your child to become President?  Your Father to strike oil?  A winning lottery ticket?   

                                                                     

If you answered “YES” to any of the above, or anything even remotely resembling any of the above, you are too filled with excuses to make a success of yourself.  I can’t help you.  You need a shrink.  Happy New Year and come again sometime.

Now.  Who’s left out there?  Anybody?  Good.  Well, then there’s still hope after all.  If you’re truly not waiting for some event or some person in order to move forward with your life –and especially your business pursuits– then odds are you’ve just been procrastinating. 

Putting stuff off is okay sometimes.  It happens to all of us.  But if you don’t want to end up like those I dismissed in the second paragraph, you might need to give yourself a smack alongside your head or (if you can figure out how to do it) kick yourself in the butt, and get yourself in gear!

How much more productive can you bewith your waiting time (you know. . . bank lines, traffic lights, bridges, RR crossings, commuter trains, subways, boats and buses, the dentist, MVB)? 

Next question: what’s in your pocket or briefcase or pocketbook right now? 

 

If your answerdoesn’t include a pen, paper, or laptop, or a cassette recorder (remember those?) or cellphone (no, not to call that hot date for after dinner suggestions, but perhaps handle a few business calls that don’t require extensive note taking) or blackberry (no, not to text message –er, sorry, txmsg– cousin Bertha to see what time she’s headed for the local gin mill, but perhaps to send yourself some notes of ideas you get so you needn’t carry them in your head?) or digital camera or pocket pad or sticky notes, or a book to read . . . the answer to the first question is that you can be a LOT more productive.  [Hint: These are all tools or avenues of productivity except as noted!]

I know peoplewho’ve put together complete photo essays standing in line at the post office.  I know highly acclaimed writers who write as many street and business names down as they can see while stopped at red lights (that they can cherry-pick from later when they’re seeking character and location names for their works of fiction).  I know an engineer who says he stimulates his brain by sketching vehicles and machinery while waiting for trains and bridges.

The point is, like the old Schlitz Beer commercials used to proclaim, “You only go round once in life!” (Well some maybe do a few trips, but most of us . . .) and we all only conveniently remember how short lifetimes can be when someone close to us passes away. 

                                                                                                        

SO . . .

  • Stop with the delays, excuses, nonproductive and unproductive waits. 

  • Stop staring into space wishing you were somewhere else. 

  • Stop bemoaning the lousy delay experiences and start DOING the stuff you’ve been saying, “Well, someday, I …” TODAY is “SOMEDAY”! 

Some action is always better than no action.

 

And, by the way, remember that it’s ALL YOUR CHOICE because all of behavior is a choice.  So choose to march shoulder-to-shoulder with time. 

Make the most of it. 

Make your mark. 

Make a difference.  

# # #

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