This is originally from February of 2010…

When beginning my career, after starting to work in the real world (per say) – I would spend my time on ironing boards.

I would neatly press all my shirts and slacks, usually on the weekends. I would hear from people about how they took everything to the cleaners. Had everything pressed, starched and dry cleaned. I was never the one to do such a thing. I had the time so I did it myself. On Sundays, I would get everything ready for the week. Maybe have a little time for television. This way I would not have to do so much and rush. This is not so easy to do now.

Old habits are old habits for a reason. Those habits get tired too. Their bones begin to ache and those habits, they may be forgetful at times. So it is hard to get back into the routine.

Last night I found myself in my basement. Getting ready to get ready. Intending to iron one sweater. I ended up continuing with the other sweaters, shirts, pants, etc. Weird how relaxing it was. It was simple, minute and arbitrary.

We all have certain things that take absolutely no thought. These actions allow our minds to be completely blank. Allow us to go to a place void of worry. Cause us to forget what may have happened over the course of a day or even what we may face for the next. For me, it is washing the dishes, scrubbing them clean by hand when I know I could just as easily place them in the dishwasher

or…

mowing the lawn. Trying to get the track of lines in a yard perfectly aligned and parallel. So careful not to damage the baby tree that has so much to look forward to. Even when I’m washing the car… vacuuming it out… taking the towel to remove gook… from all the nooks and crannies. Detailing the details.

We need time to reflect. In order to be better at work, professionally and personally, I believe we need these small and at-first-glance meaningless events. Events that we have some power to contain. The power and ability to remove all thought from the regular, daunting and otherwise engaging moments outside of our personal lives. If at no other time, we can feel right.

The moment we as individuals realize that we are not in control of everything… all that happens to us, we may then see how we might gain control. Sometimes we try so hard to have that control that we press to hard and become sprained. We can control our reactions. We can control some of the things within our own space. Yet we cannot control everything.

I don’t wear starched shirts and well-designed ties as much as I use to. My shoes have no need to impress my colleagues as much as they needed to in the past. Every event and interaction in my life… I do not always get right…

but my space… those little things that matter, I am in need… to get those right. So I will…
iron the shirts,
clean the car,
wash the dishes and
mow the lawn

because those are the small moments… the little things that are needed to stay sane.

Everyday you do a  job. That job serves some kind of purpose. A purpose for the business, for you or for others around you. However, so often people are so caught up in the job that they don’t think about the importance of talking with people!

When many writers, bloggers… people in general essentially spat the talk of it’s all about the business or you come to work to work not to deal with the personal’s of people, I just don’t buy it. Sure you need operations to run smoothly. However, I firmly believe that while you can understand your business, if you don’t understand the people… then you will never know your business!

The following is a short profile of a New York City curio collector whose home is regularly mistaken for a vintage shop. He invites people in, telling them nothing is for sale!

“This Is My Home”

This Is My Home from Mark on Vimeo.

We have power but WE can’t do it all on our own…

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It is always amazing to me the individuals I come across with the mindset of

“I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone, I can do this all by myself” or

“It was me. No one helped me. I did it on my own”

I do not argue that we have a power within us to overcome all odds if we choose to unleash it. That regardless of the circumstances we face, that we can overcome as long as we have an attitude and faith in our own ability. However, I do not believe that we can do everything on our own. Our struggles, accomplishments, our losses and victories in our battle of life is contributed to and from others.

There is something about an audience

There is something about others encouragement and support that builds us up. That makes us proud and accomplish more. There is power in the collective!

In the video below Budweiser Canada surprises two recreational league hockey teams from Port Credit, Ontario, with professional-league-grade theatrics, including a flock of fans, play-by-play commentary, and other accouterments of a professional game.

Often we are not really that busy. More often then not, when any of us complain that we never have enough time it is really stemmed from the fact that we DON’T take enough time to just focus on a few things and get the project or task completed or over with. Now just imagine how much time the following things take:

• complaining
• pointing fingers
• waiting on someone else to make a decision
• waiting on someone else to give instructions
• waiting on someone else…
• blaming
• offering opinion and suggestions but never any alternative actions
• etc, etc…

When all you really need to do is (1) sit down (2) organize your priorities and (3) complete them in order!

Who knows maybe if you did that huge pile of “too busy” will become an empty stack of “relief”

Don’t over complicate things by making things over-complicated!