Fuck... but I'm tired.

I should point out that as I write this I’m refreshed and have been sleeping really well ever since I beat an annoying head cold — I know this because the withings fitness watch I got for my birthday says so; I’m also up to date with my average heart rate and the number of steps I’m getting in per day. But I digress.

I don’t actually think about how tired I can get unless I’m actually very tired so I only bring this up after watching PBS. Lately I’ve found myself pushing back on the noise of the world; the opinion; the questionable facts; the loud shout overs — I crave the facts, a balance of opinion, and a long format perspective of things. All of this has brought me to the PBS News Hour or The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Again, I digress.

Recently I watched Amy Walter (from Politics Monday with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith) in Iowa just before the Iowa Caucuses were about to start. I will say I’ve always been fascinated with the “great experiment” the founding fathers* set in motion over 240 years ago; maybe I just find the lessons of history so interesting and valuable — again with the digression. Normally when I watch Amy Walter in studio she’s fresh, sharp and articulate but in this case her exhaustion was apparent; it showed on her face and in her words. I couldn’t help but say, “Oh honey, you’re exhausted; it looks like you haven’t slept in days”. There was Amy Walter, fighting through exhaustion to get the job done.

I was looking at the type of exhaustion that’s thrust upon you and you have no choice but to push through it — and I’m not talking about a couple of nights of restless sleep but day after day of sleep deprivation, deadlines, stresses, expectations, crying babies, crying bosses, and sore feet. This is something we’re all familiar with, and instinctively know it’s not good for our wellbeing. It’s something that when we’re experiencing it, it’s never helpful to get the obligatory advice we should get some sleep, because trust me, it’s at the top of the list when we’re so tired the tears are running down your cheeks. We know it’s not good for us, although, it does offer insight into resilience and grit, both of which are crucial components to success.

I have no profound advice other than try to get out of it as quickly as you can, summon the courage not to quit, focus on getting the job done, and take pride you are still standing. I would also like to say if you happen to be coming off a good night’s sleep please have a little sympathy, understanding, and appreciation for those at the front of the room who obviously didn’t.

iamgpe

*I have noticed people are now calling the founding fathers “the framers”. Don’t ask me why… I’m Canadian

The first (and maybe only) core principle for success...

I will have to say blog writing has become a little more difficult of late — the reasons when I look in the mirror seem to revolve around my inability to come up with a topic, sensing I have said it all before, being too busy (a lame excuse to be sure), possibly a lack of imagination on my part to expand out of my current way of thinking, or maybe the weather; all valid in my mind to varying degrees.

Maybe there’s a natural life expectancy for writing 500 work blogs around whatever I have some sort of opinion on — what I’m experiencing could simply be the natural order of things. However, maybe it’s possible that after writing blogs for such a long time I’ve naturally boiled everything down to what is most important — the key principles for whatever I think I know. And in that, naturally limited myself.

In effect through my blogging, I’ve identified what is at the core for increasing your chances for success, and now I have nothing else to say.

How you define success is your business, but it’s probably best to define it as achieving your goals. I suppose i could have titled this “The first (and maybe only) core principle for reaching your goal…” but frankly the word success offers more food for a person’s imagination (and interest).

As I reflect on past blogs, such as “A man who carries a cat by the tail…” and “The most effective way to do it, is do it”, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve incorporated many pithy sayings on the topic of action into my blogs over the years.

“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person. Your behaviour does”

“Talk is cheap”

“SSFFS” (Sell Something For Fuck Sake)

Et Certera

It seems, in one form or another (and I’ve started to tire of saying it), my perspectives revolve around the importance of taking action and doing something — by taking action you will progress, expand your knowledge, experience, and if you’ve linked your actions to your goal there’s a very high likelihood you’ll be successful. Don’t dream about it, don’t think about it, don’t eventually get to it, don’t wish it, and don’t talk about it. Action is everything, and based on all my blogs, it seems to be the only thing.

The first core principle for success — take action and do something that is aligned with your goal(s).

This has been a core theme over the years, and now there’s a realization that it’s either very, very important or maybe there truly is a lack of imagination on my part to expand out of my current way of thinking.

Either way, I did write a blog and I now have something important to think about.

iamgpe

As credos go, it may be the most important...

There are reasons we needed to move seven cubic yards of gravel through 175 yards of forest to a meadow (that’s 160 meters for those of you who prefer the metric system). And because of this task, a number of facts got researched on the Internet —

• Seven cubic yards of gravel will weigh between 16,800 – 20,300 pounds (6,616 – 9,205 kilograms)

• You can use either a two cubic foot wheelbarrow or a three cubic foot wheelbarrow for this kind of work.

• There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard

• On average a cubic foot of gravel weighs 330 pounds (or about 150 kilograms)

• Approximately six shovelfuls (heaping) make up a cubic foot

• There are somewhere between 9 and 14 wheel barrow trips per cubic yard (depending on the size of the wheel barrow and how much gravel you put in it)

• The maximum sweat rate for a trained athlete is about 2-3 litres/hour; this results in a 2-3% decrease in body weight (I’m not an trained athlete and definitely a “sweater”, so let’s say it’s more for me)

The pile was something we had been working on over the past couple of weekends and my goal was to move what was remaining so we could get onto other things — I affectionately call it Egyptian slave labour because it involves moving stone from one place to another without dying on the way.

With food and water to power my way, one pile got smaller while another got bigger — and as the day progressed, my sweat soaked shirt started to weigh on me and I needed to set the wheelbarrow down more regularly between piles. As I dumped the last load I said to no one, “I’m done”; I wasn’t making a statement but rather a realization that there was no more I could do.

I wasn’t finished moving the pile of gravel and I wasn’t quitting — I was just spent, and could do no more.  

When I came back to the small pile I tried to motivate myself to finish it off — there really wasn’t much left but I couldn’t; I had done my best and after giving it my all, I fell short. What else can you can ask when you have done your best and there was no more to give? (As an aside, is it me or does life seem like one big meme.)

I should also point out that all of this was accomplished while staying true to the Egyptian slave labourer credo, “Do it without dying on the way”. Because after all, there is always tomorrow and you’re still alive to make it happen.

 iamgpe