Quick notes to help you get more done in less time. . . next week.
In this issue:
- Techniques for FIT
- Being Human
- Random Stuff
Techniques for FIT
- Don't argue, succeed. That means you have to decide if it's worth the effort. If you're engaged in frequent battles, you're doing it wrong.
- Organize only those things that you use regularly. Trying to get every part of your life under control is next to impossible and just leaves you feeling down. So what if it takes an hour to find the soldering iron if you only use it once a decade? Don't beat yourself up.
- End the day by listing three things you need to get done tomorrow. Tomorrow, do them and relax.
- A friend reminded me of this Jimmy Buffett quote: ". . .life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party."
Being Human - What did you expect happen?
I'm watching my dog, Wilson, investigate what has to be a snake in our butterfly garden.
He's nosing around and then jumps about 3 feet in the air when the little thing turns and strikes at him. It's happened before, causing me to mutter, "well, dog, what did you expect to happen?"
It reminds me of something I read in Ben Horowitz's book "Hard Things." He reflects on a simple truth for programmers and managers alike: “all decisions were objective until the first line of code was written. After that, all decisions were emotional.”
That applies to anyone making a decision, not just programmers. All decisions become emotional once you start.
To combat that, before you begin, set a metric for success. . .and another for the minimum acceptable standard.
That way, once you get started and get emotionally attached, you can honestly answer the question, "what did we expect to happen?"
Random Stuff
Typos. I write enough to produce my fair share of them.
I am testing an ad on Facebook and it includes an egregious error. The wrong form of "its."
As in, ". . .nearly doubled it's value by using FIT."
Rookie mistake, I admit.
As you can imagine, it took less than a day before someone reached out. Using the opportunity to practice their snark. "Pro Tip:" he writes.
I admit that it makes me see red for a second. (inspiring Technique #1 above)
I go to his FB page looking for something to comment on.
Then I see my opening, "Hey." I type. "I like you're kid's jersey. Go Bears."
That'll teach him.
