Posts Tagged ‘planning’
“No, it has to be three weeks” I compromised with my husband as he expressed his wishes to drive across Europe to Germany, then down to southern France and back to Ireland, covering 4500km in 2 weeks. To my horror, he was actually calling this a holiday!
So we settled on 3 weeks and one day, including the ferry trips. The Germany part was attending a birthday party, but the Southern France part was for more obvious reasons – sun, sights and food (ok, maybe the wine too).
I was so looking forward to warming up my bones after a disastrous winter here in Ireland. Our garden was still reeling from the adverse weather conditions earlier in the year. We packed our bathing suits, sunscreen, blankets for sunbathing, and summer clothes. Getting off the Oscar Wilde in Roscoff and feeling the warm sunshine on our faces, we were just about ready for a good break, a good rest, great food, and plenty of sight-seeing.
Our first week involved a lot of driving. In fact, the majority of the overall journey was done in the first 2 days. Arriving into the Alsace area of France from Germany, we were ready for the famous “Massif Central”, an area well known for Read the rest of this entry »
I was watching a Song Thrush recently collecting twigs and grass for its nest. I was thinking it was quite late for her to start, but I am sure she will catch up lost time, and speed up the process of having and raising a family before the summer is over. In fact, she could have 2-4 clutches of eggs.
Why was this song bird so picky about her pickings? It’s all to do with foundations. If we do not built a strong foundation, then the structure on which it stands, will not stand the test of time.
We have seen this in Ireland over the past two years. The structure that was our economy and public services was all built on a promise, not exactly a sound foundation on which to survive.
We know now that it would never last. We seemed to think that it would. So as I manage my business, I think of the initial work I put into the foundations laid down. It takes time to set up a business, that time varying depending on the type, size, shape and location – just like a nest!
So what needs to be in place, for the business to stand the test of time? Read the rest of this entry »
I was recently introduced to a great band called Mumford & Sons. They sing an interesting song called ‘The Cave’. The scenes of the video that accompanies the song uses themes and content from two famous bands of old: The Beatles (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) and The WHO (Quadrophenia). The video continues with a connection between the new band and the old favourites.
I am also reading a book called ‘Made to Stick’ by Chip & Dan Heath. The books discusses how to make ideas stick, and how some ideas stick more than others.
The fascinating thing about both the song and the book, is that a great idea does not need to be an absolute original. The Heath brothers discuss the meaning of experience, Read the rest of this entry »
Friday, April 30th 2010. I was in the mid-sentence with a client during a coaching session when a waiter came up to us to collect our empty glasses. He informed us that Gerry Ryan, the much-loved Irish radio broadcaster, had died. He then continued with his hypothesis, when I had to say “Thank you for telling us”. He promptly left us alone again. It brought back memories of Michael Jackson’s death, Lady Diana and Rory Gallagher.
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when the Omagh bomb blew the street apart on 23 June 1985? Or Lockerbie on 21 December 1988? What about when the Air India flight blew up over Ireland on 23 June 1985?
Gerry Ryan will be buried today after 11.30 Mass as the country continues to mourn. This day will be etched in many people’s memory and some will struggle to remember.
The average small business owner can be found renting an office or office space in a town (urban) or on the town’s periphery (rurban). Another type of business owner is the entrepreneur working from home in a rural [an undeveloped or lightly developed and sparsely populated area] setting, perhaps using a virtual office. They may have their incoming phonecalls and mail “processed” by a service provider whilst dealing with the outbound selling and administration themselves.
Working in Rural Ireland can feel isolating
Despite a thriving business, the small business owner can often work in isolation. Read the rest of this entry »
The former Vice Chairman of Coca-Cola Brian G. Dyson wrote this. It was used as Georgia Tech’s Commencement Address in 2008. I share it with you today because it is perfectly appropriate for us heading into 2010 (Twenty ten or Two thousand and ten?)
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them Work – Family – Health – Friends – Spirit, and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that WORK is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS and SPIRIT are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
- Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
- Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know Read the rest of this entry »
Seefin Coaching has the pleasure of being featured in Catherine Connors winter edition of De-Stress Magazine. Head on over to page 5 to read the article on dealing with the approach of Christmas:
Catherine is the owner of Stress Solutions for Life and is a well respected Stress Management and Time Management practitioner as well as an Holistic Therapist. She produces this fantastic magazine full of stories, tips and tricks on how to get more out of life, be less stressed and more productive.
Its a great read, especially as we feel the tension rising as we approach December. I have some great tips and advantages on page 5 for organising yourself better for the run up to Christmas.
Enjoy,
Elaine