details

Oct 27, 2009

I’ll admit that I can be anal when it comes to details. Just ask Perry — I constantly pick apart email he sends, ideas that he has, and just about everything else I can think of. It drives me CRAZY when little things aren’t perfect, and I verbalize when I should simply keep my mouth shut. (I suck at delegating work too – imagine that!)

I understand that we all make mistakes, but sometimes I think I’m the only one that pays attention to detail. This flows over into my personal life as well — like…why am I the only person that notices when the trash can is so full it’s overflowing onto the floor? No one else can see that? Or when there aren’t any spoons because the dishwasher hasn’t been turned on. Or when clothes hangers are left in the closet instead of returned to the utility room. Seriously — y’all think there’s a hanger fairy that gets those out every single time??

This morning, as I was working with Scott to set up an online meeting scheduled for today, I noticed a couple little details that I have been ignoring. First, right behind my desk is the bathroom. Although this would NEVER happen during a “real” video meeting or presentation, in our prep time Perry emerged from that door. Funny stuff — and a gentle reminder to keep that door closed. But as I look closely at the video I’m projecting, I notice something less than professional in the background. Do you see it?

A trash can! So it doesn’t have trash sprouting out the top, but I could certainly find something more suitable to project. So what about you? Do you ignore details? How much do you think they even matter?

excuses

Oct 25, 2009

I subscribe to a bunch of blogs — some because they are funny, some because they have awesome business insight, and some because I can. I don’t even know which category I would put Chris Brogan’s blog in, but you too should subscribe. He’s a social media expert (but posts a bunch of other info too if that’s not an interest of yours), and he posts too darned much (my opinion only here kids!). Every single time I look, I’m behind 2 or 3. Like today, I listen to a vodcast he’s posted, but it’s part #3 in a 3 part series. Anyway, the series is called ‘Overnight Success’ which really didn’t make me perk up or anything. I don’t think Chris Brogan or anyone else could tell the world how to be an overnight success in 3 short vodcasts. Still, I watched part #3 — and I’m glad I did because it got me thinking. Deep thoughts.

This particular segment was on making excuses. And yanno, for me it had nothing at all to do with being an overnight success, but everything to do what I see every single day of my life.

We all make excuses sometimes for the things we can’t get done. But do you pile excuses in the way of your goals, desires and what might move you down the road? … I don’t feel great this afternoon. I’m depressed or anxious or too tired. I didn’t have time to get that done today….

You can excuse yourself right out of everything that’s important to you! You can. Really. Success isn’t going to be handed to you. Just like Chris Brogan, not one person has dropped by and handed me a bag of money. Not once has anyone written me a check and said, “Shelley, you rock. Take this bajillion dollars and go buy yourself a new house.”

Getting to another point in your life or reaching a goal is hard. You have to struggle. You have to make sacrifices for anything and EVERYTHING that matters! Excuses are simply barriers in the way of the work you have got to do to get where you want to be. You gotta’ put the throttle on. You gotta’ push and stretch past what is easy.

But you know what? If you really don’t have goals, and you really don’t care about getting to another point in your life — then you can keep right on doing what you’re doing, and making excuses for why you can’t. Pretty simple, huh?

it is amazing

Oct 24, 2009

So yesterday I’m working at my computer and I get an email from my brother who is ON A PLANE telling me to sign into iChat. I do; I send him a message; and he invites me to a video chat. I’m feeling sick and really don’t want anyone to see me, but he’s my brother and he HAS to love me no matter how bad I look so I accept. Did I mention he’s on a plane?

He was wearing headphones so when I yelled that he was really a terrorist, he was the only one that heard me. Sisters are mean like that. (Ask him about the time I shut his head in a car door. *snicker*) But all these people going to the bathroom kept looking at his computer screen as they passed by and I swear one chick did a double take and smirked — probably because I looked sick and she was wondering if H1N1 could be transmitted through a plane’s Internet connection to a computer as a virus and then infect everyone on board.

So then my phone rings and our assistant comes on and tells me that Harrison Ford is on hold. Seriously. I take the call and this dude asks where my brother is and I tell him that he’s traveling and his flight doesn’t get in until evening. He asked if he could get a call-back on Sunday afternoon. I’m thinking my brother who is still on the plane and on iChat might think this call is pretty important so I ask him if he can call Harrison Ford on Sunday evening. So the guy that says he’s Harrison Ford says, “I thought you said he was on a plane.” I say, “He IS on a plane!” But I could tell by his sigh and tone that he figures I’m a big fat liar. At least it wasn’t Brad Pitt or anything.

It’s truly amazing isn’t it? I’m thinking that I could play World of Warcraft my next flight and maybe I won’t be scared. Arienne isn’t afraid of anything!