Paying attention

Quite recently I've been paying more attention to the thought of paying attention. So many things pass over our heads on a daily basis simply because we don't pay attention. One can easily be distracted by their thoughts and fail to realize what's taking place in the world around them. I believe it is this attention to detail that makes all the difference between successful and unsuccessful individuals.

A more sophisticated terminology would be mindfulness. In my weekly reading of Office Vibe they presented an article on the topic and its importance in the workplace.  I won't go into great detail about the concept as it can be easily researched but I will say that it is mind blowing. Over the last decade I've worked with many supervisors/managers, some who I believe to be more mindful than others.

The proof is in the pudding as they say. Those individuals who were more aware of what they were doing and why they were doing it were easier to communicate with and were more precise when giving instructions. Working alongside  these individuals inspired me to be a better worker and to deliver as best I could.

 There's much to be said of individuals aren't paying any attention to the details of their work/lives and as such may be stuck in a vicious cycle. Though my journey to that place isn't yet complete, suffice it to say that I am now paying attention.

Manners Maketh A Man

My first blog post for the year comes two months in. Hopefully everyone made it through January (longest month ever after getting paid in December) safely and have now settled into February quite nicely. For those who have resolved to make changes in their lives, hats off to you. For those who have not, hats off to you too.

This post was inspired last Saturday afternoon while I was picking up my cousins classmate for them to go hang out. While he was getting in I heard his mom says “John” (not his real name)”yes mom”, “ do you have everything you need in life?’. At this time I looked over at my aunt who looked back at this 11 year old kid with the same blank expression I had. His mother then said without missing a beat “manners and clean underwear”.

Well this made my day as we all couldn’t help but laugh. Strangely enough though his mother was more stern than amused. It got me thinking that not many parents in today’s society enforce the value of good manners on their children. Though light hearted the moment may have been, the seriousness of it was definitely loud and clear. In my day and age I could not go a day in school without hearing one of my teachers repeat the adage “Manners maketh a man”. Of course at per-teenage years such sayings meant little or nothing. It was only until entering the world of work I realized how far your repertoire of pleasantries and “manners” can carry you. Whereas skill, knowledge and networking might get you in the door, other factors like agreeableness, personality and positive work ethic might keep you there and help you to excel.

So for 2013, when heading out to the wonderful world of work, be sure not to forget your manners or more so your clean underwear.

Life's work

Earlier last week I was listening to an afternoon program on the radio and heard the presenter ask the question, what is a career? The options given included; A. your life’s work, B. A part time job and two other incorrect answers. The answer clearly was option A. The phrase life’s work stuck a nerve when I began to think about my life’s work. Pondering what would be the end result of my years of toil and labor made me both hopeful yet sorrowful. Ideally I am in the prime of my life. I have energy, enthusiasm, and drive just to name a few. But one must ask of himself at the end of everyday, did I really make a difference in anyone’s life today while being gainfully employed. Did I make any positive contribution to my life other than drawing closer to my next pay cheque? Did I DO anything worthwhile? This point hit home for I plan not to be one of those individuals who are only as good as their last pay stub. The reality is that it happens to the best of us no matter how good our intentions are. To keep this post short and to the sweet I will end with the old proverb that goes something like this:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The question I ask is this, what will be lost for the want of a job? Will it be your childhood dream, your relationships, your health, your pride etc. all for the want of a pay cheque!

Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers says the following “Hardwork is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig”.