bookmark_borderAlive!

It’s Monday morning. Ain’t that great! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, a light breeze ruffles the leaves in the trees. Ain’t life grand.

If you want to achieve a similar outlook on a Monday morning simply follow these instructions – they worked for me:
1. Ensure your personal listening device (iPod) is playing something loud and uptempo – Foo Fighters, All My Life was on mine.
2. Start thinking about what your day holds as you finish the short walk from the station to your office.
3. Glance round as you start to cross the road.
4. Spin round suddenly as you realise you’ve just stepped out in front of a large lorry, which is moving quite fast.
5. Revel in the adrenalin rush as your heart reaches 250 b.p.m.

Simple.

Feel free to alter the specifics of the instructions, you could be walking to the shop, it could be a road sweeper rather than a lorry (although that wouldn’t really be that scary now would it…), just remember that the main aim is to get that adrenalin flowing, raise your heartbeat, leave a tight, sicky feeling in your stomach and a slight tremor in your hands.

Then all you need to do is wobble into work, plonk yourself down and enjoy the rest of your day life.

bookmark_borderIntrospective

Not only is the title of this post a rather good album by the Pet Shop Boys (one of my favs), but it also sums up the last few weeks of both my life, the real bit, and my life, the blog bit.

Got a lot going on ya see, and I tend to be bad at focussing on the things that are important (my current project at work) with a tendency to focus on the easy stuff (switching hosts for this ‘hobby’ site of mine).

I’ve talked before at being bad at keeping in touch, and I’m already resigned to that fate I guess, but every now and again I catch myself and mentally scold myself for falling back into that “do what’s easy” trap. I know it is because of a lack of confidence, and knowing that does actually help me deal with that habit of mine but it still annoys.

Anyway…

How is everyone else?

bookmark_borderMan Dig Hole


Front Garden – top view, uploaded by Gordon.

So here are the results of a heavy weekend’s work – just to the right (out of shot) is a large 30 year old cherry blossom tree. Roots everywhere meant fun with an axe, definitely feel like more of a ‘real man’ now, what with all that lumberjack action.

And no, I don’t wear suspenders and a bra (well not ALL the time).

bookmark_borderAre you here?

I’m here. I think. If you are, leave a comment so I know it’s all working!

BTW, HERE = www.gordonmclean.co.uk

bookmark_borderAll quiet

Working at home has it’s advantages. I get oodles more done as there are no interruptions, impromptu meetings or random co-worker distractions (I’m as good/bad as anyone at all providing all of these mind you). Yet home working is still viewed with some scepticism.

Sure it means you can structure your day differently than a 9-to-5 day in the office but that does not mean that your productivity goes down.

For example, I will be working at home today. I will start around 8am. Take a break around 12noon and go out and do some light gardening for 45 mins or so. I’ll grab some lunch and work until Louise comes home at 6pm.

Add to that the 4 hours I’ve just done, and the few hours I’ll do over the weekend and what do you have? Well around 8 hours extra time worked at easily double the productivity. It’s not always like this mind you, it just so happens that I’m researching some new ideas and working practises and will be trying out some of the supporting technology. Just the thing to motivate an “idea implementor” like myself.

It also means that I’m not helping the stats that say we (in the UK) have the longest working hours in Europe, but for once I’m feeling good about the direction my team is heading in and I’m determined to make it happen.

Right, that’s enough about work, it’s 1.05am and I’m off to bed. Expect things to be quiet around here tomorrow today.