Monday again. I am back in the office. Lights are on. keys are stored away. Travel coffee mug companion is next to me. With a certain Monday-like hesitation, I sit.
My lists are many, but I have carefully put them to one side, Pandora is playing in the background. Oh, right—the lists. Hmmmm, which one first? Where have I agreed to go today? What does my schedule tell me to do? Even when the tasks are easy, it can be so hard to do the real work.
I (maybe you too) sit and stare at screens, get caught in internet distractions, delayed by phone calls, follow ups (insert another long list). Almost like the overwhelming blog. But the piercing details of arriving at the office desk, are, at times, truly painful reminders of the mundane, and non billable time as an individual sole proprietor. I constantly ask myself, ‘what client gets priority?; Who do I begin with?
There is ping pong in the break room… Yea! Sure I love to play. Why do it if it’s is not fun? I get pulled in so many directions, with the best intentions for each request. But there are days when I just want to do what I choose. The million dollar question: how do I make doing what I want to do into a profitable business including strategy, personal, and professional satisfaction? Back to work… I'll kill a few things on the list.” A regular: comb through, and clean up my email. This is almost guaranteed to jar loose some more tasks, projects, bills, (insert another long list) for the pile of unknown and unexpected which gets washed into the bliss of the age of communication. But shit, there is ping pong in the break room! Who is in? Rat a tat tat. The white ball resonates on the table and wall. As there are always many balls in the air for my team we all know what rings true for us. I am, and we all will always be bouncing a variety of balls. The important part is the rebound of reactions to achieving goals that make them easy for me to cross items off list- kill. Incentives are good, and after all, I love ping pong in the office.
How To Play Ping Pong AND Focus
I’m not just talking about what is nearsighted and close by, rather a common mission to do the next best thing. And in my case–the business and entrepreneurial model–t is about chasing the dollars. The task itself truly is not gratifying. On top of that, it is awfully bad for focus, in my opinion. This philosophy that takes away from what is apparently in front of us and who we are. If we actually tease out the real goal (aside from money), the planned communication of future technology projects with partners and collaborations that enables efficient and solid success. We will go after that, then the money follows the work with authenticity. Eye on the ball, soft touch rebounds easily; hard smash takes laser reaction and decisiveness. But the outcome of the continued volley (chasing the dollar sign) yields the same result.
How I Make the ‘Hard’ ‘Easy’?
If I only knew the magic shortcut! It’s a dance really. A smile after a good client engagement, a firm handshake representing my dedication. The thought of not only reflecting what you say with your body is standard operating procedure at Mosedale Integrated Solutions. Language is not just voice or sound or diction. It is movement and flow. It is just as much active listening, and eye contact.Recently, I attend a technology meet up with liked minded individuals. The group had a diversity of backgrounds and interests.
I flashed back to my sand box with Kelly Pinkerton. Parallel play translated into major production of roads rivers, and bridges all of the tonka truck city... I refocus, and chime in on the meeting tech speak of assembly language and remember the white ball bounces and keeps its momentum whether it be a soft subtle stroke, or a slammed top spin curve. The hard shots do become easier as does the momentary gaze of the initial office entry and computer screen glare.
I love this bumper sticker, “Earth first we’ll log the other planets later.” It makes me laugh. But really it’s a lofty suggestion, thinking big, dreaming. At Mosedale Integrated Solutions we set forth goals by way of small lists on yellow paper, or executing major projects in full swing putting in antennas on a wall while on ladder. It is boom! We get through our lists, our projects on earth. Then as I have suggested to many of my clients, at the end of a job, next for MIS, we will go to Mars and do it there. It’s a balance between decisive execution and being authoritative rather than arrogance that makes that makes the hard easy. No matter what the task, ping pong ball rebound, or overwhelming stare at the screen and/or list –we keep looking forward and upward.
As Always
@amosedale
@techmosedale
@mismakers
www.radandy.com
www.moseis.com
www.mismakers.com
www.shredderbot.com
andy at moseis.com
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