Retro

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 317 Tuesday 09/02/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,too often I think I must get around to doing something and never do!Well in the last week I did two things Ive been meaning to do and had a ball.The first was a much overdue visit to the Avondale Sunday Market!I love that place especially the car boot type section where others junk is often my treasure.This visit was no exception as we discovered a beautiful old ornate Kauri fire surround tucked away behind a typical Westie style SUV something or other and trailer.It stood out a little awkwardly in amonst the normal bric a brac and we were magnetised to it and mesmerised by it!!

Ten bucks (cash) later it was ours!!!We still cant believe it nor have we decided just where it will fit in our seaside bach however it was such a thrill to buy we don’t care really!!! Hahahaha such fun!

The second visit was a little more costly but just as exciting as we visited a new local ‘Industrial Vintage Antique’ shop.I have driven past twice a day for twelve months saying I must drop in so I decided now was the time and did!I fell in love with a vintage AWA sterogram circa 1970 and after checking with the boss decided we had to have it! Crikey what a blast from the past (see attached) as we spent the rest of the weekend spinning some of our favourite old vinyl LPs including some childrens nursery rhymes and stories for Fletcher who kept asking where to look for the pictures!!

Fletcher reckons;old stuff smells,what is AM radio?,who is Supertramp,Steeley Dan or Neil Young? No wonder his parents cant dance when you listen to the music they thought was cool in their day??

Speaking of blasts from the past we have been sending and receiving handwritten letters and cards to my Auntie in Melbourne for sometime.It is such a buzz to write,send,receive and read the handwritten word.I am determined not to let the side down and promise to do it regularly…try it!!!

Have a great short week ahead….make the most!!……..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon having to look for golf balls out walking sux but admit quietly to pretending to look while running riot!

 

 

“Correction does much but encouragement does more.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

 

As a follow up to last weeks admission I am fully committed to a salvage job ( pride,reputation,peace of mind)after having followed all my own advice from last week in bringing things to a head.

I hate being on the back foot and having to admit I was wrong and both caused me to get a little down rather than being my ‘Upbeat’ self.

It reminded me that there is sometimes a thin line between being or seeming to be supremely confident and yet actually lacking all of the above!

So when I was too easily ready to concede defeat and go down in a screaming heap without a fight it was my wife with no industry or sales experience who said to me…..”there must be another way”?

She along with Doctor Google searched for answers to the issues I had and put together a rescue plan for me to follow if I was willing to fight.

Hmmm it’s a little difficult to give in if someone on your team is displaying the fight you yourself are not,yet quickly realise you should be!!

So I picked up my sorry bottom and poured my heart and soul into my wifes salvage plan and have managed to move it from longshot to shorter shot, it felt good to push back in rescue mode!

It might not work but  it has restored my faith in myself and my ability to see the difficulty I have created as an opportunity to solve something another way.

Above all else it has reminded me that I am surrounded and supported by some amazing people who are there for me unconditionally and that I don’t and cant take the world on my own all the time!

Worth remembering and appreciating more….hmm maybe a nice vinyl album(33) of love songs?? J

 

“Stop acting so small.You are the Universe in ecstatic motion.” Rumi

Surfs Up !!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 316 Tuesday 02/02/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,the thing you notice about surfers is their total addiction/passion and that they never leave the water without a smile from ear to ear.Through Fletcher’s growing  love for our beach and the raw power of the waves we are getting hooked too and none of us can stop smiling!!We have had a ball this weekend in the sun surf and sand at our local and cant wait to do it all over again next week!!

Happy birthday Auckland we had fun soaking up the rays at a number of local favourite haunts, man we love long weekends……..bring more of them on! 

Fletcher reckons; every budding surfer needs two chaperones devoted to getting him out the back, wave launched and rescued when necessary. Spiderman loves Monarch butterflies (see attached)!

Hats off to the local surf rescue team who have been working overtime this summer to make sure we swim safe, even after their surf tower was trashed by low lives before Christmas grrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I often start my day early at the local pool which has a retractable roof exposing the sunrise and the amazing countryside vista that surrounds….I would love to know what the local horses think and say to each other as they look on with interest(and maybe disbelief)?!!

We even got to check out a bit of the Wellington sevens, what about that final….holy cow what an amazing finish…..proving it is never over until the Ioane brothers sing !!!!! bring on the Olympics!!!!!

I hope you are loving the weather and making sure you enjoy it with  family and friends.

Have a great short week and upcoming Waitangi weekend……..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they are ‘hot dogs’ in the Summertime!!!

 

 

“Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucious.

 

No matter how good we think we are there is always room for improvement.

That improvement comes from making mistakes and hopefully learning from them!

As unbelieveable as I might think it is I made a major mistake recently.

It is one that has caught up with me big time.

One thing sales people should never do is ‘wing it’!!

Winging it is something I do far too often and whilst I know it is risky it has become my MO!!

When you wing it you need a lot of luck and the reality is there isnt that much luck to go around so there will be a time when this approach will catch you out BIG TIME…..that moment for me is NOW!

So….time to fess up and address my lack of preparation and detail…easier said than done.

For me and often for others the cowboy approach not only affects me but others both prospective and existing customers!!

So I have had to look for the opportunity in amongst the disastorous carnage I have created and try to plot a way out of the corner I have painted myself and others into.

Lessons from this for me…(and you if ever faced with something similar);

• Come clean and get it out on the table (be honest)…..apologise but offer to help!
• Be part of the solution not the problem.
• Provide the missing link…the research or the analysis…..fill in the gaps.
• Be willing to concede and move on…be humble and objective not emotional.
• Be committed and willing to learn from the experience so it doesn’t happen again!!

No I don’t think I am too good for this to happen to me and this is a stark reminder that no matter how good I think I am at my job there is always room for me to  improve.

Wake up Jonesey, you are not Gods gift to selling….you are on loan to selling and the sales profession can decide it doesn’t want you anytime it wants not vice versa……so behave yourself.

An interesting week of self analysis and self correction…I have decided I need to do it more often!!!!

“Three things can not be hidden,the Sun, the Moon and the truth.” Buddha

Lace up and GO!!!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 315 Monday 25/01/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,no matter how many times Christine tells me….I know best….or think I do .So when I discovered some lonely peanut brittle begging to be eaten she advised me not to in the interest of my ageing teeth………..hmmm……but I ignored her because….I knew best!

On this occasion my decision to proceed will cost me significantly more than my pride!!!!

Arrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.I am dumb,I am dumb,I am dumb,I am dumb,I am dumb!

Fletcher reckons;he is excited about moving into his larger bedroom however still negotiating on the rental!He is learning a lot without even having to ask by watching Daddy!.

Whilst I am happy to be a role model for my son I wish the lessons werent so expensive(for me)!!

‘They’ say if a bird drops doodoo on you then it is good luck?....to test this theory we bought a lotto ticket when it happened to Christine recently!......crikey you wont believe it but we won a 3^rd division prize of $850!!!!...so we can reliably report whoever ‘they’ are is right !!!!The problem now is no matter how hard we all try we cant get another bird even slightly interested in repeating the favour!

As a high performance athlete it is important to have good running shoes and Brooks do it for me!!

You have to love their vision and philosophy clearly imprinted on every shoe box….” Lace up and go! These shoes are overflowing with possibilities.Show them the ropes.Pound the pavement.Tromp some trails.Thrill them.Give them adventure.Run Happy”…….Mr and Mrs Brooks….I promise to do my best!!

I hope you are having fun in the sun with people who care and matter most to you,Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon a doodoo on my newly cut lawn is their way of saying “Good job grumpy man, thanks!”.......Aaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

 

 

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”Dr Seuss

 

What makes you different…..anything or nothing you can think of immediately?

If you don’t have a noticeable point of difference how can you and why does that matter?

The other day I saw a Mainfreight truck and two things struck me;

1)The truck was immaculately clean and well presented,it was noticeably different!

2)It had a quote on the back that took my interest…….”A peacock who sits on its feathers is just another Turkey”…..also noticeably different.

Mainfreight have a policy that ensures their owner and company drivers wash their vehicles everyday before leaving their respective depots.To them appearance and image is everything and they are determined to establish and maintain theirs,which they do well…check out their vehicles!!

They also have positive thought provoking quotes on their fleet and I for one used that quote as a theme, keynote and focus in a number of  written and verbal presentations I did last week.

Amazing how two small things can make such a huge difference and be so noticeable to others!

So what makes you different….anything or nothing you can think of immediately?

Interestingly the wooden watch that Christine bought me recently has been a huge point of interest in meetings, presentations and events that I have attended. Quite cool to have something like this noticeably different and relavant especially in the sustainability sector.

My voicemail and phone signature that my existing and prospective customers receive is also purposely made a bit different and something that I receive regular and positive feedback on.

Being noticeably different doesn’t have to be rocket science just something specific to you that stands you out from the crowd.

So if you don’t have something that defines you then you need to be inventive and introduce something that makes you a bit different…..have some fun with it,be inventive and creative.

Good luck.

 

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” Coco Chanel