Lead a vivid life that does good

Month: May 2010 (Page 3 of 3)

220 |365 HRFC Mustangs Supporters Club

Day220.jpgA miniature field, a smaller ball, tiny goals and two groups of four boys bunched around the ball. That’s 4 to 5 year old soccer.

It was our first cold, rainy day of the soccer season. The grass fields combine with the rain to create mud and havoc for the boys as the trip over every third time they touch the ball.

There is actually quite a contrast between being a parent at soccer and a parent at hockey. Hockey is played on aquaturf, it's clean and there is shelter and food available. There are seats to sit on and railings to lean against. At soccer you stand in the elements with minimal facilities.  

My family were over and supported Kyla’s hockey and Jayden’s soccer. They got wet and cold. I’m sure for my parents it was a trip down memory lane.

They were their biggest supporters for the day, and I am reminded that they are some of my biggest supporters as well!

217 |365 A messy desk causes stress

Day218.jpgI can still remember Sharon a colleague at New Zealand Couriers walking into my office, seeing the paper and piles everywhere and boldly proclaiming she had no idea how I could find anything or how I got anything done.
 
It was my first office, and on reflection, to call it organised chaos was gross misuse of the term. It was anything but organised.
 
I took this photo of my desk one evening after four days of unexpected and intensive investigation into deep dark hole of bad stuff. In amongst the crisis, things started to pile up and I reverted to my naturally messy state of operation.
 
I have learnt over the years that messy is very unproductive.

  • A messy desk leads to a cluttered mind.
  • A cluttered mind leads to heaps of ‘open-loops’. Things that are not captured in a place I trust.
  • Open-loops lead to a greater feeling of stress and pressure, as I am subconsciously aware of all the commitments I am missing.
  • Stress and pressure, burn energy at triple speed and make me unproductive.

It has taken me a full 10 days to get my systems back on track with my GTD system. Inboxes empty, tasks captured, notes reviewed.
 
The difference in the clarity of my mind is undefinable.

214|365 My 40th

Sun set at RaglanAn awesome 40th birthday with my wife and kids.

Up at 5am for the ANZAC day dawn parade. It was a still misty poignant setting and a reminder that “freedom is never free”. Someone must always pay the price for freedom.

In the evening we headed out to Raglan to watch the sun set on the west coast of NZ, and eat fish and chips. A beautiful evening.

A fantastic day. (Even if I am now in my mid life)

210|365 Leaders are readers

Day210.jpgAll leaders are readers!

In some way shape or form they are. Even in this information age of podcasts and audiobooks and youtube, leaders are readers.

This is a shot of my work bookshelf. My books are available to borrow. Take them, learn from them, stretch your thinking.

Read.

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