Not only did the sun come out and it's been warm but I got some time to enjoy it too. Well, you've got to get the work life balance right haven't you and having spent much of last weekend working, I decided to make the most of the fine weather and spend less time indoors.
Not only did I manage to cycle into town twice - exercise and sunshine, although the wind was still cold, so not quite as warm as it seemed, but I got to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a coffee at the Meeting Place one day and catch-up with a friend for lunch later in the week.
All change by Thursday. I spent the day up at Kingston dewpond near Lewes on a grey day with a particularly cold wind whipping across the Downs. As part of the South Down volunteer rangers, we were finishing the fencing round the pond and installing a gate. It was a joint effort between the Central and Eastern groups - although only two of us had turned up from Central this time, there are usually half a dozen. It took us about an hour to get the truck loaded up with posts, rails, gates etc. The rest of the team were waiting for us at the bottom of the hill by the time we got there.
It's incredibly hard work digging post holes, especially down into the chalk and flint. It took four of us the whole day to dig the holes for four posts round the gate, put in the bolts and rail. There were a variety of tools to break up the flint and extract the earth from the hole but most of it down to good old manual labour.
Much to Robin's delight - we managed to complete all the fencing and install the gate just in time. We'd been watching a large, ominous cloud getting gradually nearer and nearer. The rain started and the hail began just as we finished tightening the last bolts and hurried to get all the tools loaded up.
It made a change from sitting in-front of the laptop all day but I certainly ached afterwards.
Time management solutions for busy people - organise your business, your life and have fun.
Guess Who?
What do you think?
I had a very lovely and totally unexpected surprise, when this appeared in my Inbox earlier today. Drawn by the very talented Simon Ellinas and just because I'd happened to mention that I was missing his cartoon blogging talent on Ecademy.
Take a look at his site for more of his fabulous cartoons.
Better Business Focus - April 2007
My article on Handling Paperwork is being used in the April edition of Better Business Focus.
If you're interested in an internet-based monthly magazine that is personalised to your firm, underlining your credentials as a specialist business adviser. It will strengthen your clients’ confidence in your firm and demonstrate that you are a progressive and innovative organisation, willing to go that extra mile…
You can get the latest version and sign-up for a free trial on the Bizezia website.
Read some of my past articles on Time Management.
If you're interested in an internet-based monthly magazine that is personalised to your firm, underlining your credentials as a specialist business adviser. It will strengthen your clients’ confidence in your firm and demonstrate that you are a progressive and innovative organisation, willing to go that extra mile…
You can get the latest version and sign-up for a free trial on the Bizezia website.
Read some of my past articles on Time Management.
Spring Sunshine.
A lovely day and it really does feel like Spring today. I cycled into to Brighton and just for a change I wasn't battling against the wind and didn't have to wear layers against the cold, although there's still a cool wind blowing.
Added to the enjoyment by having lunch at the Meeting Place, along Hove seafront where I'd arranged a last minute catch-up with a work colleague. I spotted a few familiar faces also enjoying the sunshine and while I was waiting was joined by someone I'd met networking last year.
Far too nice a day to work but I did manage to drag myself back home, pedalling against the wind for a few hours work.
Added to the enjoyment by having lunch at the Meeting Place, along Hove seafront where I'd arranged a last minute catch-up with a work colleague. I spotted a few familiar faces also enjoying the sunshine and while I was waiting was joined by someone I'd met networking last year.
Far too nice a day to work but I did manage to drag myself back home, pedalling against the wind for a few hours work.
Health & Safety gone mad!
As seen on the BBC News - just a moment ago.
Two people standing in a stream with about one foot of water flowing through - wearing life jackets! Oh for goodness sake! Are they really in danger of drowning in a one foot stream surrounded by a camera crew?
They've also just shown a group of children doing the new cycling proficiency test and not a helmet in sight.
Have a good week everyone and make sure whatever you'd doing you're wearing helmet, protective gloves, glasses and your life jacket at all times ... you never know. :)
Two people standing in a stream with about one foot of water flowing through - wearing life jackets! Oh for goodness sake! Are they really in danger of drowning in a one foot stream surrounded by a camera crew?
They've also just shown a group of children doing the new cycling proficiency test and not a helmet in sight.
Have a good week everyone and make sure whatever you'd doing you're wearing helmet, protective gloves, glasses and your life jacket at all times ... you never know. :)
Spring Evening Run
Now that the clocks have changed, I finally got out for a run this evening just as the sun was setting but after a productive day.
It was good to stretch out on the run having been either hunched over the laptop or bent over digging. Why is it that I always seem to have a better run after a few days break. Not that I've been exercise free this week. I did run earlier in the week, had two cycle rides into town and a climbing session at the local wall on Friday.
I have to say, I spent most of the weekend working but with stints of getting out in the garden - clearing more of the beds of plants which have spread or seeded themselves where they shouldn't. The local cats will no doubt enjoy the newly tilled soil (aarggh!). Nothing against cats as such - just their toilet habits.
I find that I tend to get quite a lot of work done at the weekend, when I seem to have more uninterrupted time - especially if I don't have anything else planned and I can focus on one thing. That's the beauty of working for yourself, if you are able to plan your time flexibly and make the best use of the day.
It was good to stretch out on the run having been either hunched over the laptop or bent over digging. Why is it that I always seem to have a better run after a few days break. Not that I've been exercise free this week. I did run earlier in the week, had two cycle rides into town and a climbing session at the local wall on Friday.
I have to say, I spent most of the weekend working but with stints of getting out in the garden - clearing more of the beds of plants which have spread or seeded themselves where they shouldn't. The local cats will no doubt enjoy the newly tilled soil (aarggh!). Nothing against cats as such - just their toilet habits.
I find that I tend to get quite a lot of work done at the weekend, when I seem to have more uninterrupted time - especially if I don't have anything else planned and I can focus on one thing. That's the beauty of working for yourself, if you are able to plan your time flexibly and make the best use of the day.
Thanks Dorset Cereals
Now we're into warmer(!) weather - I'm into my morning muesli. The one I particularly like is Dorset Cereals, which have lots of yummy ingredients in several varieties - well worth the extra cost but look out for their special offers.
They have a great website and are actually interested in what their customers think, unlike most suppliers. Yesterday, I sent them some feedback via their site. Not expecting much - this morning I got a very nice email response from them.
Now doesn't that make a difference.
They have a great website and are actually interested in what their customers think, unlike most suppliers. Yesterday, I sent them some feedback via their site. Not expecting much - this morning I got a very nice email response from them.
Many thanks for your email. We do value all comments from our customers.
As part of our re-launch which took place last year, we moved from a bag to a box, however, this decision was made after a lot of thought. We had used the bag, with the same design, for over fifteen years.
Everyone loved being able to see the delicious recipes. So based on this feedback we made the move to a box with windows.
I completely agree that we (by we I mean all food manufacturers) need to do more in terms of the environmental impact of packaging. We have a very simple objective: to create a packaging format that stands up, is easy to open and store and can when empty be thrown onto a compost heap.
The standing up, easy to open and store bit we have achieved, the throwing onto the compost heap is more difficult.
We are looking at compostible / biodegradable bags and windows. Achieving this isn't as straight forward as it sounds. The most commonly used raw material for these forms of compostible / biodegradable plastic is maize, guaranteeing that this maize is GM free isn't easy.
There are also other issues such as making sure that these materials will keep the recipes fresh. We ARE constantly reviewing what we do and pushing our suppliers to come up with an answer that is more environmentally friendly.
Thanks for taking the time to write to us. We do care about the environment, for example we only use electricity generated form renewable resources, and are doing everything we can to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to us and let us have your views and comments.
Kind regards
Now doesn't that make a difference.
An Inconvenient Truth
I've just got back from a screening of Al Gore's film - An Inconvenient Truth which was being screened down at the local civic centre.
Having watched The Great Global Warming Swindle on Channel 4 last week, I thought it was worth taking a look to see the film that had added fuel to the climate change fire - so to speak.
Not overly long and full of comments, statements and a few zig-zag graphs. Pretty interesting stuff taken at face value but it does make you wonder how much 'spin' has been put on both sides of the story just to get everyone hyped up. As the saying goes - there are "lies, damn lies and statistics".
There is little doubt that climate change is happening. Winters are milder and wetter, summers are hotter, records are being broken year on year. Extremes of weather seem to be increasing but the earth's climate has undergone periods of cooling and warming over tens of thousands of years in cycles over it's past history. We've only recently come out of an ice age - a mere 14,000 years ago. Seeing as we're due for another ice age - perhaps it's not a bad thing that the climate is warming up! :)
How much of the recent change is due to human influence is also fairly obvious - IF the statistics are to be believed - although I couldn't find anything that supported the figure of nearly 600 ppm that was being quoted - it's around 380 ppm. In geological time it's only ever been that low in the Carboniferous - when all the coal reserves were being laid down. Over 500 million years ago it was around 7000 ppm. I'll go and dig out my geology books to see what the scientist say rather than the PR hype in the media.
One striking figure that came out in the film, was the growth in the human population that has already doubled in our lifetime. That is going to have a major impact on population migration if/when sea-level does rise, as many of the poorest, undeveloped areas are only just about sea-level. You can say goodbye to the Maldives and the Netherlands as well as some of the major cities like London and New York.
You'll be pleased to know that I cycled there and back so no CO2 emissions were generated by this blog - well, apart of course from the electricity driving my laptop. I'm not sure I can say the same for Al Gore who seemed to spend much of his time being driven around in a car or flying in a plane.
Having watched The Great Global Warming Swindle on Channel 4 last week, I thought it was worth taking a look to see the film that had added fuel to the climate change fire - so to speak.
Not overly long and full of comments, statements and a few zig-zag graphs. Pretty interesting stuff taken at face value but it does make you wonder how much 'spin' has been put on both sides of the story just to get everyone hyped up. As the saying goes - there are "lies, damn lies and statistics".
There is little doubt that climate change is happening. Winters are milder and wetter, summers are hotter, records are being broken year on year. Extremes of weather seem to be increasing but the earth's climate has undergone periods of cooling and warming over tens of thousands of years in cycles over it's past history. We've only recently come out of an ice age - a mere 14,000 years ago. Seeing as we're due for another ice age - perhaps it's not a bad thing that the climate is warming up! :)
How much of the recent change is due to human influence is also fairly obvious - IF the statistics are to be believed - although I couldn't find anything that supported the figure of nearly 600 ppm that was being quoted - it's around 380 ppm. In geological time it's only ever been that low in the Carboniferous - when all the coal reserves were being laid down. Over 500 million years ago it was around 7000 ppm. I'll go and dig out my geology books to see what the scientist say rather than the PR hype in the media.
One striking figure that came out in the film, was the growth in the human population that has already doubled in our lifetime. That is going to have a major impact on population migration if/when sea-level does rise, as many of the poorest, undeveloped areas are only just about sea-level. You can say goodbye to the Maldives and the Netherlands as well as some of the major cities like London and New York.
You'll be pleased to know that I cycled there and back so no CO2 emissions were generated by this blog - well, apart of course from the electricity driving my laptop. I'm not sure I can say the same for Al Gore who seemed to spend much of his time being driven around in a car or flying in a plane.
Avoid The Phishers, Scammers and Junk Mailers
Sometime ago I installed McAfee Site Advisor (it's free) and it just sits in my browser checking out the sites I visit or google and advising on the status of the sites.
Out of curiosity this morning, I clicked on a phishing email I'd just received (I normally give them the treatment they deserve and just delete them) - it's for a Halifax Account and of course I don't have one - but I just wanted to see how good and convincing the site would be requesting all my personal financial information.
I didn't even get that far, Site Advisor intervened and told me that this was a phishing site, why and what to do about it. Good for them. It's also advised me when a site I've visited has been a source of spam or unwanted junk mail.
Perhaps if more people had this or similar software installed - less people would get taken in my these emails. I'm assuming that some people still fall for these emails otherwise they'd have switched to something else.
If you ever receive an email requesting personal information - especially from a bank - however convincing it may seem, NEVER click on the link. Your bank will always address you by name. Another way to check is either manually type the web address into your browser or if you hover over the link - it will usually show something that is obviously not the correct link and takes you to a false site.
If in doubt delete it.
Out of curiosity this morning, I clicked on a phishing email I'd just received (I normally give them the treatment they deserve and just delete them) - it's for a Halifax Account and of course I don't have one - but I just wanted to see how good and convincing the site would be requesting all my personal financial information.
I didn't even get that far, Site Advisor intervened and told me that this was a phishing site, why and what to do about it. Good for them. It's also advised me when a site I've visited has been a source of spam or unwanted junk mail.
Perhaps if more people had this or similar software installed - less people would get taken in my these emails. I'm assuming that some people still fall for these emails otherwise they'd have switched to something else.
If you ever receive an email requesting personal information - especially from a bank - however convincing it may seem, NEVER click on the link. Your bank will always address you by name. Another way to check is either manually type the web address into your browser or if you hover over the link - it will usually show something that is obviously not the correct link and takes you to a false site.
If in doubt delete it.
What Are Your Top Time Wasters?
Often things that end up wasting our time are because we're being reactive rather than proactive with our time.
We have a tendency to react to every phone call, email or interruption that comes along as it arrives, which results in a fragmented day.
Better to be proactive and decide how you want to spend your time rather than have others decide for you.
It's also about setting boundaries and expectations - both with yourself and with your clients. Are your clients really expecting an instantaneous response to an email or is that the expectation you've set for yourself. Emails are rarely that important and given the unreliablility of email systems or over-zealousness of spam filters it can take a few hours for an email to get through to it's destination. Yes, 90% of them arrive almost instantaneously but there's always those that don't. Set yourself a realistic timeframe in which to respond - whether to phone calls or emails.
Set a boundary around your time. If you're busy or need some uninterrupted time - allow calls to go through to voicemail and respond as soon as you can. If you frequently get interrupted by colleagues - learn to say 'no'. That classic question "Have you got a minute" - which a) has already distracted you and b) never really is a minute.
If you work in an office - close the door and tell staff and colleagues that if the door's closed you're not to be disturbed. You can even stick a "please do not disturb" sign on the door just to get the message across. If you work in an open plan office you can still try something similar - I used to put a sign up at my desk - the equivalent of the do not disturb sign.
Book a meeting room if you need some quiet time or work from home - you can get a lot more done. If you work from your own home office and still get bothered by interruptions - go elsewhere. Take a pile of paperwork, research material or your laptop to somewhere where you can't be tracked down or interrupted - hotels often have an area where you sit undisturbed for a few hours with a coffee.
Organise you day so that you can deal with emails, phone calls and meetings in chunks of time. Plan your own time into your diary in the same way you plan meetings.
If email or the internet is a big time waster for you - take a look at my articles on these two particular topics or send me an email and I can send them to you.
We have a tendency to react to every phone call, email or interruption that comes along as it arrives, which results in a fragmented day.
Better to be proactive and decide how you want to spend your time rather than have others decide for you.
It's also about setting boundaries and expectations - both with yourself and with your clients. Are your clients really expecting an instantaneous response to an email or is that the expectation you've set for yourself. Emails are rarely that important and given the unreliablility of email systems or over-zealousness of spam filters it can take a few hours for an email to get through to it's destination. Yes, 90% of them arrive almost instantaneously but there's always those that don't. Set yourself a realistic timeframe in which to respond - whether to phone calls or emails.
Set a boundary around your time. If you're busy or need some uninterrupted time - allow calls to go through to voicemail and respond as soon as you can. If you frequently get interrupted by colleagues - learn to say 'no'. That classic question "Have you got a minute" - which a) has already distracted you and b) never really is a minute.
If you work in an office - close the door and tell staff and colleagues that if the door's closed you're not to be disturbed. You can even stick a "please do not disturb" sign on the door just to get the message across. If you work in an open plan office you can still try something similar - I used to put a sign up at my desk - the equivalent of the do not disturb sign.
Book a meeting room if you need some quiet time or work from home - you can get a lot more done. If you work from your own home office and still get bothered by interruptions - go elsewhere. Take a pile of paperwork, research material or your laptop to somewhere where you can't be tracked down or interrupted - hotels often have an area where you sit undisturbed for a few hours with a coffee.
Organise you day so that you can deal with emails, phone calls and meetings in chunks of time. Plan your own time into your diary in the same way you plan meetings.
If email or the internet is a big time waster for you - take a look at my articles on these two particular topics or send me an email and I can send them to you.
Cowboy Junkies in Brighton!
Yes, it was a rare treat. The Cowboy Junkies performing their Acoustic Tour at the Komedia. It was a sell-out, with a very mixed audience of all shapes, sizes and age. Not surprising for the eclectic mix that is Brighton. Considering I bought almost the first two tickets for the show - I was surprised and pleased to see it was a sell out as they're not that well known in this country but word had got round.
Hailing from Canada the group is made up of brother and sister team Mike and Margo Timmins. Accompanied on this tour by Jeff Bird with his strange looking mix of stringed instruments and the haunting harmonica sound that features in many of their tracks. Margo has the most amazing voice - which is just stunning and suits their acoustic style just perfectly. Their music is a mix of blues, folk and country. Mostly soulful tracks - some as Margo observed - downright depressing.
I was first introduced to their music several years ago with their stunning album The Trinity Sessions and have added most of their albums to my collection since - rarely disappointed. I saw them first on tour in Manchester a few years ago, supported by Over The Rhine whose album I bought on the spot.
Last night they played several tracks from their new album (due out in April) as well as old favourites and one of what I consider to be their best tracks, Misguided Angel , which they left until the encore. It was a relaxed, informal set with just the three of them on stage - Mike on the guitar, Margo standing or sitting to sing the songs and sometimes referring to her black book of lyrics as she occasionally slipped up (by her own account she sometimes forgets them) and Jeff with his . A vase of yellow tulips on the stage - you don't see that often, which she handed to a lady in the audience at the end of their main set and she even came back on stage with some tissues to wrap them in for the encore. Afterwards they were only to happy to come out to chat and sign things.
If you get a chance to see them live then do so - they don't come round very often. Get down to your record shop and checkout some of their albums.
Hailing from Canada the group is made up of brother and sister team Mike and Margo Timmins. Accompanied on this tour by Jeff Bird with his strange looking mix of stringed instruments and the haunting harmonica sound that features in many of their tracks. Margo has the most amazing voice - which is just stunning and suits their acoustic style just perfectly. Their music is a mix of blues, folk and country. Mostly soulful tracks - some as Margo observed - downright depressing.
I was first introduced to their music several years ago with their stunning album The Trinity Sessions and have added most of their albums to my collection since - rarely disappointed. I saw them first on tour in Manchester a few years ago, supported by Over The Rhine whose album I bought on the spot.
Last night they played several tracks from their new album (due out in April) as well as old favourites and one of what I consider to be their best tracks, Misguided Angel , which they left until the encore. It was a relaxed, informal set with just the three of them on stage - Mike on the guitar, Margo standing or sitting to sing the songs and sometimes referring to her black book of lyrics as she occasionally slipped up (by her own account she sometimes forgets them) and Jeff with his . A vase of yellow tulips on the stage - you don't see that often, which she handed to a lady in the audience at the end of their main set and she even came back on stage with some tissues to wrap them in for the encore. Afterwards they were only to happy to come out to chat and sign things.
If you get a chance to see them live then do so - they don't come round very often. Get down to your record shop and checkout some of their albums.
March Newsletter
Out now.
In this week's main topic - find out how to communicate more effectively by email. You might think you know what you’ve said, but have you?
Plus:
In this week's main topic - find out how to communicate more effectively by email. You might think you know what you’ve said, but have you?
Plus:
- What Is Coaching?
- Recommended Reading
- Fun Website Clip
- This Month’s Quote
Cut and Shut
It's not often I watch TV and laugh out loud but one of the programmes that often brings out a fit of hysterics is BBC 2's Top Gear. I know I really shouldn't, as anything that promotes ridiculously powerful cars with equally ridiculous gas-gussling mileage is not to be encouraged.
However, tonight's episode was no exception. Despite apparently being a programme aimed at men and motors - this is not a programme for petrolheads. The three miscreants that pass for presenters (Clarkson, Hammond - the one who had a 300mph crash and ended up, upside down with his head buried in the ground - and ... May) decided to end this series by creating a stretch limo of their own design but using your normal everyday cars. A Fiat Panda, an MG (oh no, not an MG) and a cross between a Saab and an Alpha Romeo. Well, you really need to watch the show to see what they turned up with and the antics they got up to in order to prove that theirs was the best. Yes, there's still a fair amount of testosterone getting in on the act but it's all good natured fun and at least they don't take themselves too seriously.
If you missed it - catch up with the repeat at 7.pm on Wednesday evening or alternatively there are videos available on the Top Gear site.
However, tonight's episode was no exception. Despite apparently being a programme aimed at men and motors - this is not a programme for petrolheads. The three miscreants that pass for presenters (Clarkson, Hammond - the one who had a 300mph crash and ended up, upside down with his head buried in the ground - and ... May) decided to end this series by creating a stretch limo of their own design but using your normal everyday cars. A Fiat Panda, an MG (oh no, not an MG) and a cross between a Saab and an Alpha Romeo. Well, you really need to watch the show to see what they turned up with and the antics they got up to in order to prove that theirs was the best. Yes, there's still a fair amount of testosterone getting in on the act but it's all good natured fun and at least they don't take themselves too seriously.
If you missed it - catch up with the repeat at 7.pm on Wednesday evening or alternatively there are videos available on the Top Gear site.
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