Thinking Chair

It doesn't really have to be fancy in order for you to get the job done.  

"If you want to be a writer and you don't know how or when; Find a quiet tree and use a humble pen" - Paul Simon

Or in our case... A highly connected, fully charged, picture taking, Super Computer that can fit into your pocket.  

Times may change, Technology may change, But the key principles of discipline, consistency and focus are fundamental laws that are timeless.  

Use what you have. Don’t always think you need more, because generations before you have achieved a lot more with a lot less so we have little excuse. 

Operate using the Bare Maximum.  

Fork in the Road

The proverbial Fork in the Road 

It happens often, if we are wise enough to recognize it. Choosing a path leading down one road, means that you must forego the opportunities that are on another.

From the start of the year already I’ve had to make some tough choices for what I’ve felt would be for the greater good on my quest to doing this musi business thing full time. 

One of those tough choices, was choosing not to apply to go to South by Southwest, in order to focus on plans to build my business. That was a tough one for me as I have absolutely loved the experience of SXSW and all the energy, ideas and people that come with it.

But sacrifices must be made for long term gains. And nothing worthwhile comes without a cost. So while I juggle a full time project management job and keep my Side-Hustle running it’s inevitable that choices will have to be made that I may not always like but will be rewarding done the line.

Its like going to the gym, saving or eating healthy, Continually choosing the right path even if it doesn’t feel good in the moment can lead to big payoffs.

Question:

What are some tough choices you have had to make recently? 

Leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter. I’d love to hear from you 

One man's junk is another man's treasure

It's a sad fact of life but it absolutely rings true. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Recently the South African economy was down graded to junk status by Standard & Poor's. Political instability is largely to blame for this.

And in other seemingly unrelated news…

My wife recently gave away an old knitting machine that has been taking up space and collecting dust in the house. We were both very glad to see it go. We gave it away for free. It had potential but in the end it was junk to us. But here's the thing. The lady who received it was very very grateful and had an idea of what she was going to use it for. 

She was excited and prepared to execute on her idea. Cleaning it, fixing it, Has an idea of what she wants to make and where she wants to sell the goods.

The items potential never went away, it just needed to be unearthed.

So just because someone else's opinion says that it's "Junk" doesn't mean that it actually is.

Important Management Lesson in two words

When I am often asked to do things that don't play to my strength zone and could impact on the affectiveness of the team, two words often come to mind.

Diego Forlán.

I don't often use sports analogies but when they describe a situation perfectly it's hard to resist.

The story of Diego Forlán's unsuccessful career at Manchester United, is one of those perfect examples.

When Forlán joined Manchester United on the 22 January 2002, for an estimated £6.9 million he  must have thought he was making the best career move of his life. After all, MU was a legendary football club with lots of money and with arguably the best head coach in the world in the form of Sir Alex Ferguson. 

With his talent and a pocket full of money, the stars seemed aligned to give him a stellar career. But unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. 

He scored a few goals, made a few headlines but never seemed to really fit in with the big red machine. He eventually left Manchester for a smaller club in the form of Villarreal and his skills and ability seemed to really takeoff. Even becoming the star performer at the 2010 World Cup.

You need to recognize when your leader is not playing you in your strength zone and do something about it. 

Sometimes you will be blessed with a wonderful boss or manager who understands your position and wants to help you play to your strengths.

Hey, It doesn't happen often but it's been known to happen.

For most of us unfortunately, we won't have that luxury. We can't sit down and have a heart to heart with our boss about what we feel they are doing wrong in leading us so we have to get smart about how we lead ourselves.

Doing well at our jobs inspite of our bosses not because of them is an important lesson to learn.

This will require a lot of internal motivation, so don't be expecting any "High fives", pats on the back or that a boy! while you work on getting this process right.

I recently read a wonderful quote that said, and I'm paraphrasing here: "Everybody has genius within them. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it could go the rest of its life believing that it is stupid."

My challenge to you:

Know what game you are playing.

Are you an employee or an entrepreneur?

Are you going to do this thing you are passionate about as a hobby or are you going to be a professional? Decide and own it!

Know what plays to your strengths. And focus on your strengths.

And play your position to the best of your abilities. Not someone else's.

So the next time your boss wants you to operate from a position of weakness or you find yourself continually in an environment that plays against your strengths. Remember these 2 words.

Diego Forlán.

Question:

What do you think your strengths are and how can you operate more from them? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you. 

Manic Monday Morning

Vodacom - VodaWorld. Daytime Hustle

Monday morning. Just caught the red-eye flight to Joburg. And to think if I was touring more this would be a regular...

Thinking about the destination is always such a buzz kill these days. I've been trying to embrace the whole enjoy the journey mentality. Because truly life can be more interesting if you plan to make the most of every moment. Otherwise, most of your time will be spent idly waiting. And that's really no fun!

Opportunities and ideas are really endless. What matters most is execution. Honestly, i can't say it enough times and in fact bears repeating.

Opportunities and ideas are really endless. What matters most is execution.

Choose the ideas and opportunities you believe are right for you at this present moment. Say no to the others. Shelf them if you must. Then focus and execute like crazy.

Start one. Finish one. Move on.

Why fairness isn't always fair

Fairness, with all due respect is a bunch of polony!

Just like when someone says with all due respect - know that the next line to come out of their mouth is probably going to be something disrespectful.

Similarly, When a person says that it's only fair...

Or I think that that is fair...

Know that it probably isn't fair.

Fairness is such a subjective thing. 

Your employer probably thinks he is paying you a "fair" wage. And let's face it, he probably isn't. 

You probably think you put in a decent day's labour. And I would bet that your employer would probably disagree with you.

The next time you make a deal with someone don't look for what is fair, seek to be generous.

Generosity. That is the difference between abundance and scarcity.

Diva antics

Why oh why oh why would you want to be a diva?
If you behave like the world should revolve around you do you really think people would want to work with you?

If your attitude is; drop whatever you're doing so that you can do what I say, then the only message you're communicating is that you believe you are more important than the other person. 

"I've been touched by the hand of God so you mere mortals must listen to me."
That becomes a sad state of affairs when you believe that that is what being charismatic is about.

It's not. Being charismatic is about caring enough for the other person to actually want to make a difference in their life. Caring so genuinely that if you are not around your absence is truly missed.

So stop being a diva just because a few people know your name and you have been on television.

Money, power and fame don't make you  better, they merely amplify who you really are. If you are generous, kind and loving you will be more of those things. 

If you are a jerk... Well.