Sunday afternoon:

Me: “Hello, I would like to order 16 pizzas and 24 drinks for tomorrow’s team meeting at Noon!”
The Owner:  “Sure, we’ll get it delivered to you tomorrow. I’ll send you the EFT details and please make the deposit by 9am.”

Me: “OK”

The next morning
08:00 The owner sends me the banking details
08:15 I make the funds transfer at 08:15 and send him proof of payment.
09:00 Him: “I am sorry but the money isn’t yet in my account so I can’t deliver the pizza to you.”
10:30 After ranting and raving (denial stage), I order from another place (acceptance) because 25 people are expecting to get free lunch in 90 minutes. The money leaves my account again(~$200)
11:30 Pizza delivery guy is at the gate but security guy won’t let him in.
11:45 After ranting and raving (denial stage), I grab an executive and a golf cart to help me pick up team lunch (back to reality).
12:00 The team meeting starts.

I have just spend eight hours to get 16 pizzas and drinks to this room.
This meal just cost me: $400
Measure of frustration: Infinite
The joy from the team getting a treat for a job well done: Greater than infinite

I have to put on a smile before 25 people walk through the door.

Lessons learned: 
1. Never order from this guy again
2. Don’t forget about customer service and set the right expectations
3. Even pizza can cause stress!
4. Keep the promise
5. Smile

 

from your last seven years with your company?
“I miss the people. That’s it. I don’t have any recollection of good memories involving projects.”

It’s always about the people, isn’t it? People do stuff. Some people don’t.
Below, an email response I just received:

“[the thing that was due last month], I have it on my radar ( I could have completed if not for my excel breakdown last Monday) but currently  in progress as I had to shift all my focus on doing new things.  Please give me some time as I have very limited bandwidth now,”

I wish he just told me the truth: “I haven’t done it because I don’t want to”, or “the dog ate my homework”

I will remember him as the “poker” who always has an excuse for not doing.

 

Long time ago, I was given a map with four marked spots, compass, and two bottles of water before a school bus dropped me off in an unknown location. Only four hours to figure out where I am before planning my route to get to all four locations, get moving and return to the base.

I am not alone. I am surrounded by others going through the same exercise. Except we’re dropped off in different locations with varying coordinates. We are not allowed to talk to one another.

It takes me half hour to plot out the lines on the map and write down four coordinates. I put one inside my shirt, and the other is in my left hand.

I walk forward. I panic. I can’t find the piece of paper anywhere. I look inside my shirt pocket to find another copy. I let out an audible sigh. I’m delayed. I have just lost 30 minutes.

??@#$@#$!!
Keep calm. I’ll be okay. Remember! Trust your azimuth. Trust your pace count. Take a deep breath. 

The compass sits just above the bellybutton and is held level to the ground. I turn my body to align to the azimuth of my first destination. I lift my head and look far into the distance. I put the compass away. I shoot for a straight line, as the crow flies, towards the tree with what I hope have distinct branches. I count my steps. Every 52 steps is one yard. I have ten beads hanging on my left shoulder strap. Every 52 steps, I mark one down. Until I hit the distance towards my azimuth.

Thank goodness, there is a marker with red and yellow tape. I write it down.

I get to my third marker. I see panicked people everywhere. Some people are following others. The thought had entered my mind. I wish I could just follow, hoping perhaps that we are headed towards the right direction? Except we all started somewhere else. No two of us are alike in our quest.

I shoot my last azimuth. There is a swamp separating me and my next tree. 20 minutes remain.

??@#$@#$!!
I can’t swim. . I may got lost and lose my ‘tree.’ I have no choice but to go forward.
I wade through the muck that reaches just below my shoulders. I exit and find myself in front of two markers.

!!@#@?#&
I choose the one closest to the tree.

I run as fast as I can.
Ten minutes before I disqualify.
I am the last person among the 200 to finish.

I hand in my codes aligned to coordinates to the man sitting at an old desk.
He glances at me, looks over the sheet, and hands me a piece of paper: 4/4.
100%

A decision taken is a good one if afterwards, I feel great. If think I should have done it sooner. There are no, “I shouldn’t have done that”.

I just bought my first electronically trade fund (ETF). After doing a bit of research, I decided on one fund based on:

• Its low expense fee;
• Positive correlation to a major US Index (close to 100%); and
• Management structure of the company issuing the ETF

Before I hit the OK button, my friend asked, ‘what will you do if the stock market crashes or you need money in few years’ time?’

My investment strategy is simple. Load cash into efficient investment vehicle. Once invested, it’s gone from my mind for decades. Inaction takes over.

The beauty of compounding interests leading to money making more money babies.

At the end of January this year, I wrote to few US senators in response to the executive order banning people of color from entering the USA. The current US president would like to wield his influence to fill 120 judiciary spots. How do we maintain the checks and balances across the three branches of the US government as per founding fathers’ original design: legislative, executive and judiciary?

What can we do?

I’d like to ask you for your help to uphold the American Dream.

I ask you to address the latest Executive Order denying entry to those with legal right to enter the United States with dignity and respect they deserve.

I am a first generation immigrant. I’ve learned to think and speak in English, better than my mother tongue.

I am a naturalized United States citizen. I have served in the US military.

I’ve earned Army Commendation medal and Achievement medals. I’ve been part of the support command to ensure safe and timely deployment of thousands of soldiers.

I earned my coast guard license. I have added value to American employers. I have been called to and attended jury duty. I pay my taxes.

What if I hadn’t become an American citizen, but remained permanent resident, and from Iran? What if I had visited Iran to tour, conduct research, or meet business partners? Would I find myself in limbo, stuck at an airport? The country that I’ve been calling my home from childhood long lost to me, to find myself having to go to a place that thinks and operates different from my mind, though they look the same from the outside?

Permanent residents should be treated with the same care and respect we extend to our citizens, no matter their travel destinations and point of origin? Law abiding residents committed to live in the USA without causing harm, only adding value?

How about extending respect to our consulate and embassy staff? Have they not applied the latest immigration law by vetting and screening everyone allowed entry? Are we disrespecting their work and commitment? Do we break our promises?  What message are we sending to our citizens, allies, and our enemies?

The American people deserve better. Please look out for the safety of our people in North America and those living abroad. How about US soldier, tourists and travelers scattered around the world?

I’d appreciate your reply on this matter soonest.

Too much admin for a Sunday.

• Pack up boxes before movers come on Friday – 95% done
• Take inventory – Not done
• Power of attorney. Last will and final testament. Reassessing retirement performance against goals – #%$^@#!  This takes so much time to understand. Not done!
• Open an investment fund account – Done
• Pay credit card bill – Done
• Updating the Living in South Africa page – Done
• Dale Carnegie’s “How to make friends and influence people” – Done! Finished the book
• Understand the difference between mutual funds & electronically traded funds (ETF) – Done

Two articles I’d like to recommend after 6 hours on the web:

• Why ETFs are superior to Mutual Funds
• “Why procrastination will steal your future wealth”

“If today is your 20th birthday and you begin a system of saving $263.67 every month—that’s $3,164.04 per year—for 45 years, never pay any taxes or investment fees on it and earn 7% a year, you will have $1 million in the bank when you hit age 65.”

7% annual return is the average return of US indices like Standard and Poor’s (S&P)… which means we need to create appropriate investment vehicles to park our cash. If you were me from yesterday (without today’s all-day research), this probably makes no sense to you.

I feel your pain. I really do.
In the next few days, I’ll translate ‘super scary and gibberish financial talk’ to regular people speak. Starting tomorrow, I’ll start investigating appropriate ETFs with lowest management fee , zero transaction costs, and efficient tax vehicle.

My goal is to park excess cash into an ETF by 10 May.

 

Feeling awkward around people. Feeling rigid and unsure of myself. Feeling disconnected from the world. Spending too much time inside my head and most likely not getting out. The writer’s depth of thinking increases with every letter I type. It feels as if the serious writer has taken over this body. I’m still stuck on me from a year ago when everything was too much and too fast.

Have you found yourself stuck in the past? How do you bring yourself to the present?

“I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to read your blog but I just haven’t had the time!” says a good friend.

It’s okay! The blog is for me. I’m the biggest customer. On top of my personal goal of becoming a better writer, I get additional joy from having a fan base of four loyal readers located in the USA, EU, and South Africa. 

I wish people wouldn’t feel bad about not doing the things they don’t want to do. Not having to make excuses for living the life of their choosing. Many don’t like to read. Online content could be off-putting and distracting.

I flirted with the podcast idea. However, there is beauty with print that is like no other.

Words have the freedom to enter our minds and shape the imaginative world of our own creation. The shades of rainbow to color the world within, and textures of our choosing to give meaning where they belong. To create necklace of words that can be worn around our hearts.

Back at gym after a month’s hiatus.
Five days later, the body revolts in pain.

10 months to get strong.
3 weeks to lose it all.

It takes four days of practice to be at work by 7 am and push out meaningful content. I often underestimate how much time it takes to get used to something or someone.

It takes ~5 times more energy to start something. The starter motor’s sole function is to start the car before internal combustion takes over. It must disengage quickly, otherwise it’ll burn out. Once started, less energy needed to keep the wheels turning.

Is my starter motor doing what it’s designed to do? To start me up before the procrastination monster takes over and leaves me immobile?

My starter motor is powered by the stillness of early morning before the world invades my personal space. When my mind is clear and full of possibilities, it takes less to do what I’ve set out to do.

The starter motor must engage and disengage with precision. Mindful of the new things started and existing ventures to be maintained. I only have one tank of gas to get me through the day.

Am I prioritizing my start up and maintenance efforts to get to my next destination on time, before I run out of gas? Am I stopping too often? Am I stopping too often, only to start back up again?

I attend a meeting with no agenda and no venue (so I am late).

“What is this meeting for? What is the desired output?” I ask. The facilitator fumbles through an answer. I ask questions that go unanswered. I comment on the absence of key decision makers from two functional areas. He’s been trying to set up a meeting for 3 weeks without success.

Instead of listening, he attacks. He makes blanket statements. “You won’t even look at this document and because of it, you’ll prevent us from moving forward.”

To which I reply with a smile, “We are here to support the business. Please present us with facts and options analysis on the back of a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model for us to have a thorough discussion. He doesn’t hear me because he’s not here to listen. He’s here to pummel a decision through. No benchmark has been done aside from simple diagrams.

The dangers of working in silos and not listening to understand.
If he can’t even get key stakeholders in one room, how is he equipped to facilitate difficult discussions that require sensible answers to tough questions?

The power of facilitation is often underestimated. Who are you putting to task?
Is it the right person to represent your brand?