Too busy being FABULOUS!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 337 Monday 27/06/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,it seemed like a fun thing to do at the time but like a lot of ‘spur of the moment‘ things it could have turned to custard.The puddle looked harmless and not that deep but it was too late to pull out once committed!We aquaplaned awkwardly as the ‘puddle’ (lake) engulfed the car!  We were too busy having fun to worry much however on reflection it wasn’t that bright! Once the brakes and normal transmission resumed I realised that allowing my son to encourage me to drive the car through what turned out to be a rather deep puddle was irresponsible…(but heaps of fun J!).

Fletcher reckons; it’s a bit rich blaming him for submerging the car for a thrill when all he did was spot the puddle and agree it was a cool idea!Crikey Dad you should have known better shouldn’t you?

Rainy windy weekends used to be cosy and romantic however these days are more a test of human endurance and patience with our wonderfully energetic Jones child! Parents of the world I salute you!!

I was devastated recently to discover I had misplaced my favourite T shirt I couldn’t believe how upset that made me! How on earth would anyone know they were ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ if my shirt with JONES on the back was lost?After meticulously retracing my steps over previous weeks I was able to locate the missing threads much to my unbelieveable relief (really!).

I did my bit yet again to save the postal service on both sides of the Tasman by penning yet another conventional letter to my dear Auntie in Melbourne.In my own silly way I cant wait till she receives it or to get her hand written reply…….ahhhhhh those were the simple old days werent they??

Speaking of which,have a great week ahead keeping it exactly that….simple…..Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they are all too busy being fabulous these days!!

 

 

“If everyone is thinking alike,then someone isnt thinking”.George S Patton

 

I am a morning person and I will tell you why I know…..

I have the most amazingly brilliant ideas in the morning when I first get up, they continue out running or in the gym and then hit their absolute best in the shower!

I have learned to harness the ideas flow and ride the wave as the unprecedented thought clarity at this time is like no other time of the day.

I reckon it is because for me it is the purest time of the day, no other thoughts,stress or coffee J has had the opportunity to invade my mind which is an open canvas.

I often think of solutions to problems, issues and challenges that have overwhelmed me the day or sometimes for up to weeks before.

So rather than zoning out at this time I make sure I am present and have started taking time out to record my thoughts and ideas in the mornings rather than trying to recall them later.

I reckon this is vitally important and as something that I wasn’t doing and need to do more of.

‘They’ do say that we wind ourselves up so much sometimes within our work and personal lives that we don’t spend enough working ‘on’ either.

So, your challenge should you accept it is something you need to or would like to do to is like me  take some time out to work on ideas and thoughts to turn them into reality….make them happen!!!

As part of this challenge you will need to identify your best ideas time when you find you have thought and idea clarity.

This differs for all of us so it is essential the time you are ‘in the zone’ is the time you choose to spend focusing ‘on’ you.

For me this has improved my performance all round and given me a new perspective on work and personal life. I hope it does the same for you!

 

“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought”. Albert Einstein

Captain America hits the West Coast!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 336 Monday 20/06/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,remember Fred Dagg back in the day?He is the joker who used to sing (in his rugger shorts, black singlet and gumboots) ‘we don’t know how lucky we are’.I reckon he was spot on and think about the song title often when I hear and see what is going on around the world on a daily basis.We live in a Paradise compared to millions of others and I also reckon we should think about that more often!

Fletcher reckons;we will be ok now Captain America (him) is living at 48.He has vowed to protect us by teaming up with the Ninja Turtles to ensure our safety (see attached photo).We are truly blessed having a super hero kid although I think the only thing at threat is the refridgerator!!

Speaking of the fridge I thought I would have a crack at cleaning the kitchen this weekend.Crikey I underestimated that challenge!I coudnt believe how many cupboards and shelves or associated stuff was involved!It was suggested the bathroom be included while I was on a roll however exhaustion thankfully saved me till next weekend….something to look forward to!!

Funny story….I was in the City Friday for a meeting and saw a sign saying ‘casting here today’ so not one to pass up an opportunity I bowled in.I announced I had heard they were looking for handsome 50 somethings to audition and here I was.By this stage the open plan Agency office were all looking at ME gulp…..then a very nice casual Friday type ended my career before it started by announcing to all that as youthful as I looked I would not be required for the childrens casting session that day!!!

I had no idea what made me do that but it made my day and amused some trendy agency types whom I would never have ever said boo to otherwise and vice versa……moral of story..have a crack!

I hope you are also out there getting yourself noticed,have a great week ahead…..Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon Captain America is a dude but they just want peace!

 

 

“The bad news is time flies,the good news is youre the pilot”. Michael Atshuler

 

I find having a plan is the plan but it is so easy to get sidetracked isnt it?

I have priorities and deadlines I know are pressing in on me and need to be done but when I look at my calendar and diary these things seem to never get ticked off?

I find there are so many things that can and do steal my time every week and they continually cost me dearly when it comes to ticking off some of the so called ‘must do’ priorities.

I find it hard to say no to stuff and then find myself with regrets for saying yes to stuff that clearly isnt in my best interests or a priority.

So recently I decided I needed to focus more on what I thought was important rather than what others thought was important.

I put the following simple plan in place;

• I regularly ask myself ‘what is the most important use of my time right now?’.
• If the answer to that is not what I am doing then I stop what I am doing and refocus.
• If I consider meeting invites or calls/emails are not important then I ignore or delete them.
• I set aside periods of time for answering emails rather than answering them as I receive them.
• I set aside periods of time to make priority phone calls and emails.
• I set aside time t follow up on daily meetings with thank you emails and proposals.

This is not working faultlessly at present however it has given me a better focus on MY priorities.

Clearly there are only so many hours in a day/week and like the sands in the hourglass of time they quickly run out if we don’t make the most of every one…..so what is the best use of your time,NOW?

 

“We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right”. Nelson Mandela

Bold,brash and bodacious!

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 335 Monday 13/06/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,when you invite some friends for dinner is it rude to excuse yourself to watch the footy?When faced with this dilema Saturday night I found out a number of things:1)Always check the All Blacks calendar before inviting guests.2)There is a limit to the number of excuses(and times) one can make to leave the dining room during the game. 3)The size of the distraction is directly related to how our boys are doing ie; if game is in the bag then relax,if game is on a knife edge so are guests!4)If you are the sort of person who needs to watch in your own world don’t invite guests.5)If you are a bad loser, don’t invite guests.6)If you havent got a life outside footy invite guests and get one!! J.

 Fletcher reckons; Dad is funny when he is trying to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one.Anyway Dad at least the All Blacks won and I got to eat your icecream when you were glued to the big screen!!Can you please invite more guests for next weeks game!!....Go the ABeees!

On the project front we went on a mission looking for some trolley wheels at the local Transfer Station (nice name for rubbish dump!).We didn’t find any wheels but we did discovery other treasures including a cool copper fireplace base frame and guard for our $10 Kauri surround.We made a ridiculoius offer and the rest is history…(see attached).Its the simple and inexpensive things that are so often the greatest source of fun and satisfaction.

On that note, have fun this week keeping things simple and they will be successful …Cheers Jonesey

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon old age is a Bitch!

 

 

“Confidence is contagious.So is lack of confidence”. Vince Lombardi

 

I was again reminded last week about the ‘Upbeat’ benefits of being bold and brash!!

I had been booked in for a while to do a presentation to a group of Primary School Principals.

The theme and thrust was sustainability, environment and new business opportunities.

Pretty straight forward from a sales perspective so I was reasonably relaxed about it.

On the day and on the way I decided boldly that I would do something completely different to what I had originally intended……..so I did and I was a lot happier and so was our audience.

My angle was all about inspiring new generations of New Zealanders through our involvement with education and schools. Throw a novel fundraising idea some cool equipment and the 100% NZ owned Green Gorilla made a disruptive impact on some previously traditional thinking so called intellectuals!

What a start to what became an unbeatable/indestructable day for me in the field of opportunity!

The day culminated at a client function we were invited to as a supplier by a loyal customer. There were some formalities where our host thanked us as suppliers and went on to specially recognise some long serving key staff. I stood there thinking it would be nice if someone spoke on behalf of the suppliers present so as the formal speeches concluded….you guessed it I seized the day!!!!

I was bold, brash,brief and bodacious…..the key message was one of thanks too for their loyalty to us as suppliers,a rare and valuable thing in todays dog eat dog business world.

It went down well and was appreciated by all and capped off a perfect ‘Upbeat’ day for me. It reinforced the advantage of getting off to a positive start and staying on a roll all day with positive after positive. The feeling or ‘high’ is something we need to crave daily because success attracts and breeds or multiplys success. Interestingly I had a discussion with a real estate agent friend of mine who does nothing but focus on this ‘knock on’ selling effect. She had just sold 4 houses in a month by painstakingly finding the right houses for a couple of buyers who then became vendors.Success breeds success but you need to be bold and brash by getting yourself out there so you can be  positioned favourably in the first place…..good luck, go for it, seize the day…TODAY!!

 

“Vulnerability without boldness is weak.Boldness without vulnerability is brash.Our perfect balance is being both vulnerable,brash and bold”.Alan Rob Neal .