'Good ' pressure

         

 

 

Edition 231 Monday April 28th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,you know its time to stop painting when;

• Your wife asks when you will be doing the wall you have just finished!
• Harry visits you to check on progress and assists by brushing a wall(attached).
• You discover you have just done the ceiling twice without noticing.
• You fall asleep in the sun between coats !
• The sealant you are using appears to make holes, cracks and gaps worse!
  Yes another long weekend on the tools for this DIY warrior at 48!! Looking good (better).
   
  One of the many things I love about my wife is her cool calm collected nature especially under fire or in a crisis.There tends to be a lot of opportunities around our house for her to train to overcome these situations! Now in an effort to use these skills to assist others in our community Christine has enrolled for a three month probationary training program with our local Volunteer Fire Brigade! Fletcher and I are extremely proud of her and we know deep down that it was our ‘in house’ training that has made our ‘Volly’ what she is today! Behind every heroine there are multiple crisis at home that  shape the passion, character and spirit of that person. Good to see that now you are a ‘Jones’ you have accepted the challenge and are indeed setting the pace!.....Good luck sweetheart!
   
  From the Fletcher file; you think you are pretty cool when your bike seat needs to be adjusted up a notch to accommodate recent leg growth!! Crikey you will be taller than the old man soon!(not hard).
   
  Unfortunately we didn’t get to an Anzac parade on the weekend but did take some time out to relax and remember the people who made sure through their personal sacrifice we are free today.
  I hope you had an equally relaxing and poignant Anzac weekend with family and friends.
  Don’t forget Mothers Day this Sunday May 2 !!.….…………Cheers Jonesey!!
   
  The Hendersons reckon Harry looks Scooby Doo with his new white go fast stripes!
   
  
  “You already know something you don't even know that you know.” Dr. Milton Erickson
   
  Talk about a one armed paper hanger or a one armed brick layer in Baghdad J !!
  Faced with a three day week and no staff, having drawn the short straw and been left holding the fort, it was time to stop navel gazing, crying, moaning and stand up to be counted!
  There is no way failing was an option and the pressure was on but in a good way.
  Pressure to perform is a good thing and used positively can motivate us to make sure we bring our A game every day.Perform or perish may be a bit dramatic but lets face it we need to accept ownership, accountability and responsibility for performing to the best of our ability under bit of pressure or why bother?
  People going through the motions don’t handle pressure to perform because it interferes with their plans to cruise through the day.No place for mediocrity during a three day week and so this Green Gorilla made the decision before the week started to get excited and go for it.
  Yes there was the normal list of challenges to deal with however they were totally overshadowed by the high number of opportunities to do business that came our way.
  The exciting part for me was fielding the initial enquiry and transforming it into a total solution to much more. I got a buzz from transferring my enthusiasm and belief in what we are doing to my potential customer and so it seems did they……yes I am a bloomin legend !!!! you better believe it !!!!
   
  “What great energy, intelligence, and magnificent beautiful eyes... But enough about me, how are you doing ?” Jonesey

Life or death....your simple choice

         

 

 

Edition 230 Tuesday April 22nd 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,what is it about the importance of ‘early detection’ that most guys including me just don’t get? I was invited to participate in a free bowel cancer screening program about six months ago. Since then both my parents have had successful colonoscopy surgery and a good friend had the scare of his life after having cancer of the colon, chemo, the Op and the whole nine yards and only just living through to tell the story…..Yet I still hadnt got my act together to have the tests!!!!....hello !!!!. My friend and his family were traumatised but realise he is one of the lucky ones and I was thankfully convinced to pull my finger out(excuse bad pun)to get tested so I too can join the lucky team. Crikey,if you are in the same boat, do your self and your loved ones a favour and get tested or insist they do!!

We had a productive Easter break getting plenty of projects knocked off, I am going back to work for three days rest so I can get some more chores completed over the up coming Anzac weekend. We have been looking around for ages for an old school bird bath for our garden. The ornate mozaic concrete ones can go for over $300 so we were amazed and estatic to score one on Trademe for $5!!!  We felt so guilty we paid $10 to make ourselves feel better about stealing it J…YAY !!!

From the Fletcher file; he reckons ‘his’ new bird bath is just the right height for creating  some serious mayhem in our garden (see attached). If any birds think they will ever be bathing in there they have another thing coming!!! Apart from that outdoor fun a first visit from the Easter bunny and turning the house upside down on the ensuing Easter egg hunt were traditional and messy highlights! Looking forward to his first Anzac parade on Friday too!.........we will remember them..

I hope you had a happy and safe Easter break with family and friends and that you enjoy the coming week in ‘Upbeat’ fashion whatever you may be up to….have fun, take care.….…………Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon whoever said chocolate is no good for dogs was dreamin!

 

“Doctors are great as long as you don't need them.” ― Edward E. Rosenbaum

 

Crikey, imagine if you upset your Doctor and then had to seek an appointment for help?

I would suggest this would be an awkward situation at best and a dangerous one at worst!!

So you can appreciate when faced with a potentially difficult refuse removal dilema I was more than a little interested in resolving the situation for my GP!

Seems his nurse (pleasant by normal patient/nurse standards but not to be messed with) had been mucked around by members of our staff when enquiring about missed services.

I got involved late in the piece and was able to save a disaster and resolve things satisfactorily after going to extraordinary lengths to personally pick up three weeks accumulated trash in my car!!!

I was happy to do this given my personal interest in ensuring the next injection I got from the nurse did actually go in my arm and not somewhere else!!!!

There was some associated spin off as my next consult was free of charge given how impressed the Doc was with my efforts !!!

Just when I though it was all sorted along comes Easter weekend and public holidays to upset normal service days.

Unbelievably service was missed again and we ended up with a boot full of rubbish over the break to ensure the waste was taken care of,yes there will be words this week but all in the name of service and taking personal responsibility for making sure the job gets done no matter what.

Interestingly it was Christine who suggested we step into the breach this weekend not me…..funny how the family becomes an important part of the team in your job/work/business !!

So the moral to the story  is if you want accurate medical diagnosis and a happy J syringe wielding nurse then make sure you or your company dont upset your doctor!

 

“Service means going the extra mile with a smile !!!” ….Joneseys wife !!!!

What drives you?

         

 

 

Edition 229 Monday April 14th  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,we live in an old bach on Aucklands west coast.It is pretty cool doubling as our home and holiday home all in the one. Like most baches of its era it is and remains a ‘work in progress’.For a non DIY guy and someone reluctant to admit defeat or get a ‘subbie’ this presents weekly challenges….some that I meet and beat and others that do the same to me! So with Easter and Anzac weekends rapidly approaching we have decided to confront some of the ‘big list’ items for a serious crack and hopefully a big tick along side them come Sunday 27/04,watch this space!!! As a warm up this weekend we converted a quiet corner of the yard into a feature garden, there was some sweat(a lot) but in summary a promising curtain raiser and even a hint of affection for gardening as a potential pastime!

From the Fletcher file; bit crook and grumpy lately but happy to have clocked up 21 months on this earth and looking forward to the run in to the big 2! Yes we do wonder where that two years went?

I was moved to ponder seriously “what drives me” last week after a couple of wake up calls talking and listening to friends. You see I think we can and do lose sight of the important things in our lives sometimes with the pace, constant change and pressure of life. We don’t mean to and its not like the things that are important to us become any less so but sometimes without realising it we become lost or consumed by other emotions and feelings. By focusing on what drives and is important to us regularly we can stay grounded and connected to our reasons for existing. Being reminded and clear about what these are is essential to us all and ensures that we maintain an inner strength and belief in ourselves.It also allows us to identify when we need to make changes to assist us to stay on track.

So wake up and smell the coffee the roses and be thankful that you can,and for everything you have. Then ensure you acknowledge the important people in your life and make sure they know why!

I hope you are loving the Indian Summer and enjoying good health…. …………Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon wet and sandy fur is part and parcel of bach ownership!

 

 

“There's a drive in me that won't allow me to do certain things that are easy.”Johnny Depp

 

‘What drives you?”……this is also a good question to ask yourself about your job as well.

So I did exactly that last week and looked at all aspects of my role.

My conclusion was interesting, you see it became obvious that some of the things I identified as my main drivers were things I wasn’t doing enough of because I had become consumed with other stuff.

This exercise allowed me to focus on some road blocks preventing my progress in critical areas that I was able to address. This also allowed me to formulate a cunning plan to free up more of my time for the ‘stuff’ that truly inspires and drives me. Interestingly these things are also hugely more profitable for our business than the ones that are killing/stealing my time currently.

This was liberating and inspiring from a personal perspective leaving me feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders all because I stopped for a few minutes to examine what I enjoy doing and what is important to me and if so why I wasn’t doing more of it?

In direct contrast to this I know people who are desperately unhappy in their roles, who know they are not doing ‘stuff’ they enjoy or that truly drives them. They are people who dread getting up and going to work. I say life and work life in particular is too short to be one of these people.

If this applies to you then you need to refer to the question above and go looking for a company and a role that fulfills this drive or try to introduce the changes required to your present role that will deliver this fulfillment. There is only one person who can make this happen………that’s right…YOU

Good luck, be happy and you and your company will more than likely be successful !!! Go for it !!!

 

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”Roger Bannister

Moments of truth

         

 

 

Edition 228 Monday April 7th  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, crikey where did the first quarter of the year go? 2014 certainly seems to be flashing past so fast.  I even found it hard to grab a couple of minutes last week to take stock and reflect on how things were tracking? I reckon it is important to try and do this or time can and does get away from you. With Easter a week away, school holidays starting and a long Anzac weekend all stacked up still to come in April I figured it would be May before I knew it if I didn’t take time out for a breath.

The Jones score card ‘ytd’ is a bit of a mixed bag with our wedding being the obvious highlight on the personal front however offset with a bit of a ‘need to pull finger out’ call on the business front! A quick review is about fine tuning to stay or get back on track rather than beating yourself up !

It’s a pity a few of our sports teams didn’t ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by doing the same review a little more often after some of their recent results,tough for me,Harry,and the Hendersons to endure!

From the Fletcher file; Wow, exciting weekend with a visit to the Zoo on Saturday and first night in his new ‘big boys’ bed on Sunday (attached) Some precious ‘moments of truth’ for our little boy!pity the concept of an extra hours sleep for his parents was lost on him thoughL

 

In a hurry as per normal the other day I jumped in the car and went to take off but noticed another motorist staring at me for some unknown reason? I couldn’t be bothered hanging around to find out what they were fixated with so a little annoyed and irritated I stared back rudely, it took me all my self control in my marked car to not add a gesture or two for good measure (yes I have improved!).

Anyway, I get down to the intersection and jam on the anchors to see the coffee I had just spent a fortune on and left on my car roof come screaming forward spilling on the windscreen and bonnet! L

Yes, yes, I now know why my fellow motorist was staring !! J…yes I laughed out loud after getting over the loss of my caffeine fix !! Good way to start your day with a laugh ay my expense !!!

 

I hope you have heaps of laughs this week with friends and family…. …………Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they would have loved to have seen the grumpy man lose his designer coffee!! They also enjoy a laugh at his expense every time the Blues play!!

 

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. Dr Seuss

If it doesn’t take much to stand out from the crowd then why don’t more people/businesses do it? Every day there are opportunities to do just that yet how many of us;

a)recognise the moment?

b)seize the chance and make the most of it?

From my recent experiences the answer to these two questions is ‘not many’.

My most recent example is recruitment companies !!

Christine applied for a couple of part time jobs last week and was amazed at the lack of response, poor attitude and communication levels?

What is the problem with acknowledging receipt of an application? If I ran a recruitment company I would make an effort to reply to all applicants within 24 hours of receiving an application. If I did this I would defininitely stand out from the crowd in this industry! Not hard to be a bit different, surely?

Most industries are the same, simple little things that could make a huge difference are often overlooked and business opportunities are lost all day everyday.

What are some things you can be doing to make sure you recognise and seize moments to make a difference in your job? You might be surprised at how small stuff can make a big difference to peoples experience with you or your company/product/service.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You”

Dr Seuss