How do you do something?

It seems that everywhere you look someone or something is exhorting you to just do something. Whether you should be innovating, leading, motivating, thinking, there is an advertisement or two that will greet you when you turn on the TV or the computer. (The the IBM stop talking start doing type of commercial)  I struggle to believe that there is a substitution for a well thought out plan that is flexible enough to be executed despite problems that may arise.

If we spend all of our time doing things we will spend a considerable amount of time redoing things later. In today’s society that is focused on “me” and instant gratification there is a tendency to avoid the mundane. The mundane often involves planning, critical thinking, and research. The easy way out is to simply rush into a project. Careful planning will take into account the need to move quickly, research as the project evolves, or even wait for a more appropriate time. There is a tendency to look at planning as a first step, nothing more. The best plans evolve with a project. They are not abandoned as the project moves forward.

Most teachers admonish students to think things through. You hear mantras such as, “Anything worth doing in a rush must be worth doing twice.” There is a time for instant reaction, gut instincts, and the like, however, I believe that time is much more rare than the time that calls for a careful study of the problem at hand.

As I sit here typing I am taking a fresh look at several of the projects I am involved in, both at work and at home, and I am wondering how well I am following my own advice. I know there are projects I am more interested in seeing done than studied.  As much as this post looks at the way society perceives, or wants us to perceive the world, it is a trip down memory lane to the teachers and coworkers who have tried to keep things in focus. 

Random thoughts....

Sooooo….things have been a bit hectic.

My random thought for the day: I don’t have that many truly random deep thoughts.

Things that have crossed my mind lately:

·         Fearing change is a counterproductive way to live life in a world that is constantly changing

·         I wish I had more time to cook.

·         I wish I had more time.

·         There is no excuse for not having at least some knowledge in this information age. There are a nearly unlimited number of resources that provide at least some worthwhile facts in an instant.

·         I would like to shake the hand of the person who invented the air conditioner.

·         Long weekends seem shorter than regular weekends.

·         People forget things, even important things.

·         You can burn your foot on a George Forman grill (Yes, I am watching The Office)

Organization can help in so many ways. There is no excuse for not trying to get more organized. I keep trying to convince myself of this. Sometimes the hardest thing is to move from knowing something to doing something.

Are you going to have a good day...

I have just two quick stories to share today.

First, I have been walking to work for several weeks now. Most mornings I pass an older gentleman on his porch swing about halfway between home and work. At first we just smiled and nodded to each other. Last week we began exchanging good morning. Today I said hello first and asked him how he was doing. He smiled, nodded, and said, “Are you going to have a good day…..SAY YES!” Of course I smiled back and said I would have a great day.
It was a great reminder that so much of our day is determined by our own attitude. If you start the day in a funk and let every little thing get under your skin you will have a funky day. If you start with a smile and a determination to have a good day you won’t guarantee yourself a good day. But you will guarantee a much greater chance of a having a good day.

As if that wasn’t enough entertainment for the morning something else happened one block later. This may seem like a strange story to relate, but here goes nothing. I heard braches rattling high above as I walked down the street. As I got close I stopped and looked up to see what was going on. I looked up just in time to see a squirrel begin a rather rapid, unplanned descent from the tree. The poor squirrel landed right in front of me. He immediately hopped up and ran off. The amusement is not that a squirrel fell out of a tree. It is that I believe it was the same squirrel that fell out of a tree on the same block last week. It was just a strange coincidence that made me smile again.
I hope everyone has a good day (say yes!)

A show about nothing...

I have been thinking that my blog is on a track similar to the TV show Seinfeld. Without a theme this is rapidly remaining a blog about nothing. I have had several thoughts about possible themes, each quickly countered by a good reason to avoid that topic.
Here is at least a partial list:
· Work related: Do I really know enough to offer professional insight? No.
· Education: No longer actively teaching I am sure I would run out of insights quickly.
· Humor: hmmmm….that just seems dangerous
· Sports: I can’t name all the starters on any team I like. Obviously not a good start.
· My life: Am I really that interesting? This gets a “has possibilities” rating…I am different enough to be at least slightly interesting at times.


At this point any insights are welcome!

Keeping the momentum

Despite a busy few days I wanted to make sure to get a post in. I had grand designs of posting over the weekend but moving took care of that. While it was a relatively easy move, it still drained more energy and time than expected.
I am still searching for a theme for my blog other than random thoughts. As I still meander through topics I have decided to list a few of my goals in life. It can’t be a bad idea to keep your hopes and dreams in front of you.
(These are in no particular order)
· Write a book
· Have a loving family
· Have something I do be labeled a “tour-de-force”
· Visit all 50 states
· Coach a youth sports team
· Create a volunteer program
· Live in a small community


I know some goals are more easily achieved than others. I also know that this list has changed over the years and will continue to change. It is nice to have your goals in front of you though.

Yet another start

I have been reading several blogs lately. They have been a mix of professional blogs I read for work and several friends’ musings. I have noticed the most successful bloggers seem to be passionate, opinionated and dedicated. I may have discovered why my blog has repeatedly failed to take off.
I have updated my reading list on the blog. I have been making a concerted effort to read more often and to actually finish books, instead of stopping for months at a time 50 pages in. My reading and love of history often lead me to biographies and autobiographies. I can’t help but notice that many of the world’s most interesting people kept a diary or journal starting rather early on in life. I couldn’t help but wonder, is there dedication to a simple task each day a simple sign of the dedication to their beliefs? Or, is it the reason that we know so much about them?
Looking back at my own history of journaling I have found a few things. Most notably, two aborted notebooks (the longest running journal lasted just over a week) and a blog with several false starts. While I don’t imagine this will become a daily habit I do hope to post with some regularity my thoughts and opinions.

White Sands, New Mexico. One of the stops on the wedding tour this year. It was amazing how much the sand looked like snow. While the weather was nice the sand was cold on the feet!

Return

So begins my return to blogging. I figured this would be a good way to share some pictures and a few random thoughts. This picture is from Notre Dame. The back ground is out of focus on purpose (the sepia tone was added later). It is actually the dome.


So...if anyone sees this let me know.

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