Tag Archives: life

August 14, 2015 · 9:34 am

Bad Choices

A little science for our Foodie Friday Fun this week, and a business point to boot.  I read about a study conducted by some Swedish scientists.  They were trying to understand why people make bad food choices.  You know what those are – the candy bar instead of the apple when we want a snack or the quart of soda when we’re thirsty.  Turns out that there is a scientific reason why we do so, and it’s not just the sugar high:

Scientists believe they have evidence that stressful situations really do affect the self-control mechanisms in our brain, making us more prone to unhealthy choices. In a small study, Swiss researchers at the University of Zurich found that people who were exposed to an unpleasant experience prior to making a food choice were more likely to go for the unhealthy, but tastier option. Scientists also analysed the brain patterns of people in the study and saw that exposure to stress altered connections between brain regions in a way that may have affected capacity for self-control.

That is from The Independent’s report on the study.  So stressful situations really do make us more likely to eat unhealthy food, but it appears that they cause bad decision-making overall as well.  That’s kind of scary when you think about it.  After all, how many of us lead completely stress-free lives when we’re at work?  There is always a deadline or a revenue goal looming on the horizon.  How does that affect our ability to make good choices?

There are some things we can try that might help.  First, stop beating yourself up.  No one dies when most of us fail.  I hate to get all Stuart Smalley on you, but we ARE good and smart enough.  Next, allow yourself more time – get to bed a little earlier, have more time in the morning to ease into the day, get to the office when it’s quiet and use the time to plan ahead.  Get up from your desk and stretch.  Walk around. Breathe, and remind yourself that this storm will pass.

You may think that maintaining a high level of stress keeps you energized, but you’re wrong.  It’s clouding your judgement and hurting your success.  Choosing the wrong snack is bad and it might hurt you in the long run.  Making bad business choices is worse and could hurt many more people than just you.

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August 5, 2015 · 8:55 am

60

I’m 60 today. In the words of Eubie Blake, who lived to 100, if I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself. That said, I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel like, but I certainly don’t feel like 60. That seemed very old growing up but I’m feeling as if I’m just getting started.

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to give you youngsters the benefit of a few things I’ve picked up along the way. You’re thinking “but that’s what you do every day on the screed.” I try, yes. These things, however, are more about you than about your business.

  • It’s ok to be nice. That doesn’t mean you need to be a pushover, but you can make your point and have your way more often than not without radiating hostility, negativity, or arrogance.
  • Listen more than you speak.
  • You’re not an island (thanks, John Donne) so appreciate that you need to work with others. More importantly, sometimes you need to trust them. You are going to get screwed every once in a while but you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised a lot more often.
  • Learn from it and forget it. Unless you have some time machine, you can’t unring a bell. Like Edith Piaf said, Non, je ne regrette rien.
  • Pick your battles, know you’re going to lose a few (but win the ones that count) and learn from the losses.  Stay positive and move on.
  • Be curious, ask questions, challenge answers. Learn something new every day.
  • Most importantly, get a life – something that will be there whatever your job.  You will make many many acquaintances in business.  You’ll find out who among them are friends when you can do nothing for them. On that last point, I’ve been extremely fortunate.  I’ve gone the last 7.5 years doing what my family lovingly calls my “phony baloney made up job.”  Nearly all of the clients I have and have had are because a friend put in a kind word.  Part of my job is to repay their faith.

Thank you all for indulging me today.  It will be back to our regularly scheduled stuff tomorrow.  See you then?

 

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July 29, 2015 · 11:48 am

What Motivates You?

A friend and I were talking about a few things the other day. He’s considering a new position and we were going over the pros and cons of the opportunity when he asked me a pretty basic question that really doesn’t have a simple answer. Let’s see what you think.

English: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Resized,...

Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The question was “what motivates you?” What he meant was why would I, or anyone, get out of bed in the morning and go to work. He wasn’t looking for a rehash of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs since I think everyone understands that we have to earn money somehow in order to live (unless you’re already wealthy). He was more interested in what would have to appeal to me in a position for me to want to spend as many hours as we all spend working doing that job.

I’ve found over the years that there is no one answer.  Some of the folks with whom I’ve worked are motivated by the need to prove themselves, either to a parent, a significant other, or maybe to a teacher or coach who told them they couldn’t do something.  It’s really an external motivation.  Others are self-motivated – they feel a deep desire to achieve.  Other people just fear failure, while still others are after material rewards.  It probably doesn’t matter since every one of those root causes can produce an excellent worker who feels fulfilled by their job.

I thought about my answer.  It really has changed over the years.  At first it was just the self-motivation to do a good job and to learn as much as I could.  Over time, not wanting to let down my team became really important.  I suppose that some of the other motivations mentioned above were part of the mix as well.  Thinking about it now, I’m at the point where it’s about the challenge itself.  How will it push me?  What will I learn?  How will I grow?  That sound strangely like the self-actualization that Maslow mentions.  Who knew?

So what motivates you?  If someone were to approach you about a new job, as they did my friend, what would be the first question you’d ask and why?

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