All posts by steve@kerrzone.com

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Overcoming Adversity

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Captain Edward Murphy is attributed as originator of the famous quote “If anything can go wrong, it will”.  This has become known as Murphy’s law.

It resonates with everyone because it is pragmatic and allows us to shrug off unfortunate events.  This much like it’s sister phrase “it is what it is” (which I believe arose organically).  Both concepts can let us accept the challenge and move on (shit happens is another good example).

Perspective

In the case of Murphy he was an army engineer and at the point in his career when he was quoted he was working on military projects at Edwards Airforce base.

His experience included many unexpected set backs and he became a bit of a pessimist with a purpose, that is acknowledge, accept and move on to success.

Murphy very much believed that in the face of adversity the best approach was not to break down in despair but rather accept that shit happens, fix it and move on.

Prevention

A key concept of project management is recognizing and being prepared for risks.  Murphys law is not about risks you can recognize and prepare to overcome in advance.

Rather it is a recognition that the unexpected can, and will, rear it’s ugly head from time to time.  This phrase is not about preparing for these problems but rather not panicking when they occur.

In my experience adversity can also be resolved to our personal satisfaction in a reasoned and logical way.  Accept that bad stuff can and will occur and deal with it.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Government Spending

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With the release of the first United Conservative budget for the  Canadian Province of Alberta, the screaming has begun.  It is an austerity budget.

Reducing spending and increasing revenue are difficult steps to take.  For the many constituents of the province, the cost of funding the government and its services rises while the services provided a drop.

Deficit Spending

It is common for governments to spend more than they receive in revenue.  Deficit spending has become an endemic practice.  The main question though, “Is it sustainable”?

When the latest gas and oil production slump arose 5 years ago the Province of Alberta revenues became impacted accordingly (ie., they dropped).  The response, take on more debt.

Debt can be a useful tool to assist the government in maintaining and increasing prosperity but it can be a dangerous approach as well resulting in just the opposite (e.g., rampant unemployment, inflation, recession).

Give but don’t Take

One of the little-publicized problems of rampant spending is the difficulty to go back.  It is basic human nature.  It is much easier to give things than to take them back.

Successive governments experience this issue quite frequently.  Adding programs and services is relatively painless but reducing programs, services and employees will typically create a great outcry (e.g., present-day Alberta).

I do admire the fortitude of leaders and political parties that are willing to push forward with their principles in the face of great opposition  (particularly in the case of fiscal responsibility).

It will be an uphill battle but returning the province to an era of balanced budgets is an admirable cause.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Counting on the unknown

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Nothing is known with certainty except for the existence of the unknown.   We can speculate, anticipate, predict and plan based on the things we know, but not the things we don’t.

Could things change?  Will the unexpected rear its ugly head?   Of course, these questions cannot be  answered with certainty.  We can determine the best or most likely scenario but always there will be an element of uncertainty.

Be Prepared

The boy scouts motto is “be prepared”.  Underlying this sentiment is the knowledge that no matter how rigorous your analysis and detailed planning the unexpected can occur.

In fact, the things we do not know might not impact our plans or goals.  Or, yikes, they might.  Being prepared is all about managing the risk of unknown factors having an impact on something.

This could be a good impact or a bad impact but either way, being ready for things we did not know about and consider helps ensure they do not derail the plan.

Mitigating your Risk

Anticipating impacts that might occur, that is guessing about the results of unknown factors to the best of your ability is a good way to be prepared to respond effectively, without panic.

The things you can do to resolve unpleasant surprises, mitigating actions, can be determined and prepared in advance.  Given they might never be needed spending a lot and time and effort is not the idea.

Most importantly is just having alternate ideas/concepts/tools etc. ready.  Awareness of the unknown and readiness to combat it is the key to being a good scout.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Live in the Moment

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While this is not a new or entirely fresh concept, being conscious, aware and in the present with all of your senses at all times (except when sleeping) leads to the best life experience.

This is about not dwelling on the past, it is what it is, nor being anxious or worrying about the future.  This is not about ignoring the past or the future but rather accepting and using the past and being optimistic about the future.

Embrace Each Moment

I am not a fan of the trite or obvious and the statement that “life is a gift, don’t waste it” probably does not feel right for everyone and seems like just a catchphrase.

For me, it actually is a bit of a mantra.  I can believe their are no bad times, even though I get frustrated, excited, angry, nervous, etc, along with everyone else (I am pretty sure to some degree the emotions plague us all).

Believing in the magic of every moment, accepting they are all precious both happy and sad, allows me to be firmly convinced that (watch for it, another trite phrase) “it’s all good”.

It is about me

The often misunderstood statement that it’s all about me is not in any way selfish or conceited (both things with a bad context).  In fact, it is just a simple and logical recognition that the things that impact my life, and that I impact, are mine.

I own them!

To be clear embracing every moment includes helping others and doing good for everyone if that works for me, and it should.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Making Decisions

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Typically the best decisions are based on a thorough review and analysis.  (Although this is not universally so, luck and good guessing do play a role).

Accurate calculations based on the known data and clearly defined and reasoned assumptions enable a logical review and interpretation.

Keeping Track

While it is not feasible in every case to document all the reasons for proceeding a certain way (that is how the conclusion or resolution was arrived at), it is worthwhile to track the rationale including the options considered to the greatest extent possible.

The process itself of capturing what the key considerations are together with pros and cons aids in the quality of the overall analysis.

Taking the time to write down your thoughts can drive your thinking processes down a logical path.  Relying on your thoughts of the moment can reduce the level of focus and thus you may overlook a key element.

Eye on the Past and the Future

Often when making decisions we focus on the present.  The question we ask typically starts with “What will happen if I do this now?”  Good decisions include reference and consideration to both the past and the future.

Consider past results of similar decisions if you have any archival information focusing on the analytical calculations of the pertinent facts and how they ultimately related to the outcomes.

This approach helps you avoid past mistakes.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, it is wise to give consideration (based on assumptions) to what the future holds and how it will impact your decision.

While our decisions are usually focused on the current state keeping them in the context of both past and present often proves to be of good value.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Differences lead to Strengths

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Disagreement can be the hallmark of a strong relationship.  Respectful interactions with others from deep friendships to casual acquaintances do not require agreement to be successful.

In fact, just the opposite.  The ability to use disagreement to reach stronger and higher quality conclusions can be  misunderstood.  Due to the negative emotions often associated with disagreement we do not always see the potential value.

The Power of Diversity

Differences can have a very powerful impact on results.  Adversity is a challenge (for sure) but overcoming it can lead to great rewards.  Both from the satisfaction of resolving conflict and because the result is most likely improved by multi-participation.

A key part of successful collaboration is harnessing the differences to create a unified approach that encompasses the best everyone has to contribute.

Leverage to Agreement

Disagreement only builds a relationship and leads to better results when it is used to develop consensus.  Success does not require all to agree but it does require acceptance and buy-in.

In the best cases, disagreements morph from separate positions to a unique but ultimately better-unified position.  This modifying of perspectives is not only a cornerstone of innovation but also a powerful way towards improvement.

A combination of everyone’s ideas, perspectives, experience, and background will typically lead to a stronger chance of attaining the desired goal.

Embrace Disagreement

In essence, disagreement is not something to be discouraged or treated with dislike.  Rather use the differences as a springboard to results.

Put aside the adversarial aspects of disagreement and leverage the opportunities they can provide.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Deciding to Feel Good

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When you encounter a happy, friendly, optimistic person do you ever wonder why they are behaving that way?  Perhaps something good just happened or good things are on the way.

Or it could be they choose to feel that way.  After all feeling good is really just a state of mind. The sense of satisfaction and well being is defined by your emotional state.

Take Charge

I begin this section with the caveat that the recommendations herein are much easier to write about than to actually undertake.  However, while hard to achieve, the personal value associated with owning and controlling your state of mind is immense.

You can identify when you are not feeling good pretty easily.  I will go out on a limb and say everyone has felt shitty at some time in their lives and you just feel it.

How you feel is under your control, although subconscious and external influences definitely play a big role.   Positive self-talk can change your state of mind as well as taking an optimistic approach.

These actions, though, should not be taken blindly or without true belief as otherwise, they will just backfire.

Root Cause

Changing your state of mind begins with understanding what is driving you to be sad, fearful, annoyed and so on.   In reality there is no reason to feel anything but full of joy.

We only have one life to live (as far as we know so far) and both logic and common sense dictate enjoying it to the fullest.  Why not?

Understanding what is bringing you down and putting into perspective, it is transient and probably minor in the context of the universe.  This approach will enable you to adopt a state of mind that puts you in a happy and good place.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

What is it?

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It’s not what you see that matters, you are impacted more by what you think you see.  One of your brain’s key functions in interpreting the data received via your eyes.

Vision is the ability to perceive things with your eyes (i.e., sight).  What you see is based on perception, not the truth.  However, from a personal perspective what you perceive is the reality of the moment so perhaps it is the truth.

Avoiding Confusion

We co-habit the world with a multitude of other people.  If everything we see is subject to personal interpretation rampant confusion will reign.

From birth we learn from our parents and others how to recognize and provide common labels.  For example we don’t see the colour green and label it as such.  It is learned.

The basic parameters for interpreting things, from labels to the definition of what it is, (e.g., thats an animal) is all part of the learning experience.

Perception/Perspective

Although we learn common names and meanings for the things we see obviously the learned items form just a baseline.  It is not possible for every single thing you in your lifetime to be identified and taught.

This need to figure out and define what we are seeing (i.e., not seen or experienced before) applies to everyone.  Hence there are times when we use our baseline knowledge to decide what we are seeing.

Our perception will have commonalities but each of us could see the same data input and arrive and dramatically different conclusions as to what we see.

When viewing and describing things to others keep in mind there is always room for interpretation and open discussion to clarify can help avoid confusion.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Success

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Your accomplishments are a key part of what defines you, both to yourself and to others.   These successes are dependent on your belief the purpose or aim has been accomplished.

To be successful begins with understanding what success looks like (i.e., your purpose or aim).  If you are not perfectly clear on the goal or objective (what you are trying to achieve) how will you know if you achieved it?

In Isolation

In reality, however, if your only measure of success is personal and subjective without considering the views of others, you might not be as successful as you think.

Taken in isolation believing in the achievement of personal success can still be of value to you, however, it might not be a singularly defining factor from another perspective.

That is you may consider your achievements as important and valuable.  This can be personally motivating and lead to self-aggrandizement.

Unfortunately, if it is not a common view.  This leads to the question, “Have you been successful if it is not validated by others and from alternate perspectives?”

Your Happiness

Is success what you define it to be or is it defined by those around you?  Perhaps this is best answered by the rhetorical question,  “Who is in charge of your happiness?”

Remember those around you do not define your goals, they may influence them but you own them.  Living within the context of others approval might be needed to supplement your personal success but it should not be over powering.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Navigating the Maze

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I visited a corn maze on the weekend.  It was an interesting experience and got me thinking about the parallels to life.  Things like traveling down one path only to be blocked.

All around me are 8-foot tall corn stalks with narrowly defined paths through them.  Daylight trickles down from above, enough to see clearly but the question remains, which way to go?

Following the Clues

Like life, a maze is simply a network of defined pathways with clues as to the best path but ultimately a bit of a puzzle through which one has to find a way through.

In the case of the maze, the objective is to get out.  In the case of life, the end is inevitable (you will get out at some point) but the objective is similar, select the optimal paths to achieve the best outcomes.

The main question, both for the maze and life  is how to achieve the objectives?  What clues will guide you to ensure the achievement of your objective?  That is, how do you avoid wandering around aimlessly in the maze, fearful and hoping for the best.

The answers are a bit philosophical.

  • not just listening, hearing
  • more than seeing, understanding
  • don’t just touch, truly feel
  • seeking the delicious taste not just the ordinary

Escape

In life you will not leave the maze until death, what is most significant for you is the quality, enjoyment and pleasure you take from the journey.

My trip through the earthly maze this past weekend was worthwhile because I made it so.