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It is hard being on the road over 200 nights a year...away from your family, isolated in many ways. It definitely isn't for everyone. This blogs represents the thoughts of just one such person. Read along and find out if the road is for you.
This is my new blogchalk:
United States, Georgia, Gainesville, Unity of Gainesville, English, John, Male, reading, RE Investing. :)
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Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Is this necessary or even worth it? No, there isn’t a 1 Ago today. I have a good excuse, but I don’t need one either to skip today.
I guess I am having my Andy Rooney moment here. Because…
Do you every wonder if the things you do really make a difference in life? I used to think that I was making the businesses I visited better in some way. Lately, I am not so sure if they really even want to be better. Sometimes, I really don’t know why they bring me in.
And then I just wonder if in the long run, are my efforts worth the toil that I put into it. I mean if I care more about the outcome than the owners or the employees, what is up with that? On the other hand, Da Company doesn’t seem to care about their people (of which I am still one, somewhat to my surprise I might add).
So what is a person to do? I want to know that my toil is not in vain and that I make a difference in peoples lives and their business. How do you know that your actions do make an impact in the people you touch?
In some regards, I feel like I am just going through the motions. And life shouldn’t be like that, since there are in fact no dress rehearsals. It is times like this that make me really want to get something going with my life. My heart is still with the coffee house, but maybe there is something else out there for me.
Other folks seem to have their lives in order. Jenny is going to write a book and already works in the community. Rebecca ministers to people. Mine is still a work in progress.
On the work front, the clients are trying to put me into the middle of their squabbles regarding turf. The system admin complains that the CFO who is the head prima donna won’t let him have the permissions he needs to perform the job. The CFO is a major control freak. And everyone is telling how everyone but them is messed up.
Oh yea, we are having fun now!
posted by John Panico at 10:32 PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
- Mark Twain –
The 1 Ago’s are back.
I like quotes. They simplify our existence.
The quote above sounds easy. I used to teach sales techniques and had a saying about a particular task, “It’s simple, but not easy.” Just because something is simple in concept may not mean that it is easy to accomplish. But that is what I am focusing on these days.
Simplifying my life and how I set about doing so. Some things like exercising everyday just takes practice. And I have done so daily for the last 3 weeks. Other issues like having an attitude of gratitude and not judging others present tougher challenges.
Well, I am here in New Orleans. I am beginning to have serious reservations about how Da Company’s folks help our new clients get started with our system. It seems that whenever I go to a client that is in the process of implementing our windows product that they have so many holes in their processes, it isn’t funny. I suppose to be training how to use the system, not deciding how your company is going to manage a particular transaction.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that all implementations are difficult to pull off without pulling your hair out. I understand that. But the project managers that Da Company has guiding our clients tend to get more involved in getting data into the system than reviewing processes. So I guess there is some frustration in that regard. This new system brings out a different breed of system admin person. They seem to be major control freaks.
I have had a slight earache all day, so I am not feeling as chipper as I might otherwise. I think I got it from being out in the cold all weekend looking at houses. Tomorrow is another day.
posted by John Panico at 8:52 PM
Monday, November 18, 2002
Life is complicated! (but it doesn't have to be)
Just when you think you have things under control, you find you don’t. The thing that gets me is that I really know better than trying to control life. But hey, if you aren’t trying….
I have spent most of the weekend out in either bitter cold or hard rain looking at houses. I don’t know if I am any closer for the effort, and maybe that is my frustration at the moment.
I thought I had pretty much made my mind on a new house that I had seen a few weeks back. Upon revisiting the model, I noticed some differences that were major to me. The house I was looking at didn’t have the same steps and hall closet that the model did. It is really just the matter of the contractor being cheap. The realtor who handles the property said, “You could get a handyman to add that for you.” If I spend this type of money on a brand new place, I don’t want to add more expense or even have to use a handyman in any way, shape or form. So that has me feeling a little ill about things.
I have also come to the conclusion that I may not get this done in the time frame I want (there I go wanting to control things again.). I wanted to have the house bought before year’s end, but it would take some tricky maneuvering to get it done and me in by the New Year. Still, the right and perfect house is out there waiting for me. At least while I am renting, I am putting good cash away.
Still processing the retreat from two weeks ago. It has me thinking.
I am going to New Orleans tonight. Thanks to the illustrious coordinator who changed my flight from 6:30 to 8:45 because he had a client for me to see locally, I am doomed to another late night. Which wouldn’t be bad, except for the fact that the client cancelled. Notice how he didn’t change it back. Thanks Jim!
I really don’t have good feelings about this customer in general. I did some phone training with him last week. You know you are in trouble when the system admin person asks you where a file is on his computer. It is going to be a long week.
Monday’s Mission is done and in the books. Check it out. Been lax about the 1 Ago. I will get back to them tomorrow. I like the idea and want to keep with it. I want to re-design things, but haven’t yet.
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