Monthly Archive for June, 2008

Throwing Good Time After Bad Money?

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on June 17, 2008
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Last weekend, Doug and I drove to Albuquerque. Doug’s sister had given us tickets to Spamalot. We used the opportunity to visit friends and shop a couple stores our hometown doesn’t have.

I made a mistake. When I sorted the purchases into ones I could leave in the car and ones I couldn’t, I missed a bag of small, individually wrapped chocolates. They were in the car in one hundred degree weather for two days. They changed from fifty separate mini-bars to one chocolate-cemented mass.

So, yesterday I found myself trying to disentangle them, and thinking about the value of my time.

The chocolate had flowed out of its wrappers. Paper-thin slices of it slid off as I worked to separate it from the folded plastic. It was over one hundred degrees outside, and pushing eighty inside. The slivers of chocolate melted immediately on contact with my fingers. I was soon up to my knuckles in melted chocolate.

Earlier that day, I’d paid a cleaner $15 an hour to clean my house. I’d been glad to do it. She does a better job than I do, and not only is that three extra hours I can put into my business, it saves me all the time I used to spend berating myself for not cleaning house. I profit by hiring her because my time is worth more than $15 an hour.

As I tried to salvage the bits of chocolate, attempting to contain the slivers that flew off, and creating an awful mess anyway, with bits of chocolate melting on my shirt, scattered across the table, and even pockmarking the freshly mopped floor, I began to realize I was likely to spend an hour on this project.

What was I doing? I was throwing my valuable time after a $10 bag of chocolate.

I kept working - after all, I was already covered in chocolate - and I started to think. Why was I doing this? Because I would feel bad wasting food. Because I had residual fears that I wouldn’t get more chocolate. Because I had forgotten to count the cost before I started. I have coaching tools to help with all those why’s.

And I counted that self-knowledge far more valuable than the chocolate I salvaged.

Would you value knowing similar things about yourself? You could try getting knuckle-deep in goo and see if they come to you. Or, you could call me at 575-640-0979. I’m trained in asking good questions, and helping you decide where to go with the answers.

And I won’t spatter your kitchen with chocolate.

To your success!
Anna

Small Steps - June 17th, 2008

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“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space: Sign the Presidential Science Debate Petition

Our country has been losing the edge in science. We need a strong base in research and education to continue into space. Show that you consider science an important priority by signing a petition to have the presidential candidates publicly state and compare their positions. Go to Science Debate 2008 and add your name to the many who want to bring public attention back to science.

Book Review - June 17th, 2008

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Variable Star by Spider Robinson and Robert Heinlein, unabridged audiobook, read by Spider Robinson

I usually prefer reading my science fiction to listening to it. Reading is much faster for me. On a long car trip, audiobooks become a great use of my time. Spider Robinson does a fantastic job of bringing out the nuances of the characters and language here. Variable Star is an interesting artifact. After Heinlein’s death, his heirs discovered a partial outline of a novel among his papers. Robinson jumped at the chance to write the book. The result mixes the styles and concerns of both authors. Joel Johnston is a college freshman aspiring to be a composer and deeply in love. When his new fiance reveals a secret that destroys his marriage and career plans, he flees to a starfaring colony ship. Just as he is beginning to redefine his life, multiple disasters put him in danger of losing it. This book has a few quirks. It definitely passes the miles quickly, and has memorable characters and dilemmas.

Good Work

Published
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on June 3, 2008
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I took a small tour through corporate work. I didn’t like it. It strongly reminded me how much I like small freedoms and working to my own ends. It was keeping me from doing the work I am best at and take joy in.

So I quit.

That’s one side of the equation. It’s good to know what I don’t want. On the other side, I’ve also had a small trend of meeting people who do work they love, and plan to continue it as long as they can.

Some of them are working on space travel here in New Mexico.

And here’s Roger Ebert writing about how he plans to persevere in his work:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/05/how_studs_helps_me_lead_my_lif_1.html

What makes good work? It often has a creative element. Writers, musicians, and engineers don’t lose the desire to express themselves at a certain age. It may involve service to people or to a cause. Coaches, healers, and senators fall in this category. People who chose to continue working find the work enjoyable and meaningful. They seldom spend their days doing what someone else chooses for them.

I’m beginning to wonder if retirement isn’t a bribe - put aside your own work for forty years, and then you can do whatever you want. Is that a good trade-off? What if, instead, you could be doing work you wanted to do right now?

For me, guaranteed benefits and steady pay were not worth leaving the work of my heart. I tried it to see if it would suit me. I’m glad I did. The knowledge was worth having.

I’m even gladder I quit, to go back to what I love.

And you know what? My own work has been going better, and feeling easier, since I experienced the high price of leaving it.

Small Steps - June 3rd, 2008

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on June 3, 2008
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“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space: Give a space scholarship.

Most universities have a Foundation that will gladly help you give a one-time scholarship or create a fund that will give scholarships year after year. You can earmark the money to be given to a student
in a particular major, or according to other criteria. Even a few hundred dollars can have a large impact on the budget of a student.

Contact a university with an Aeronautics or Aerospace Engineering program and find out what your options are.

Book Review - June 3rd, 2008

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on June 3, 2008
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Fallen Angels by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Michael Flynn

When two citizens of a space habitat fall to an Earth that has turned its back on technology, their only allies are a loose association of science fiction fans and renegade scientists. Well-written and lots of fun. Look for the cameos by well-known personalities in fandom.