Needs Improvement

Transition, it is always filled with variations in emotions and questions. Issues such as what do I want to accomplish? What will best serve my intentions in life and help me grow towards those intentions? What specific skill set do I wish to build? All important questions certainly but more recently I was posed with the notion that I was lost, out of sorts and confused as to what direction I should proceed in. This was quite the contrast from how I felt at the outset of that very same day. I had opportunity without it being actively sought out, the advantage of time on my side and the knowledge of what is important to me going forward in order to address the above questions. The reason cited for this view of where I am was in large part due to the following identified weaknesses. Keeping in mind that I do appreciate constructive feedback I decided to analyze the following weakness by first stating the area of improvement and expanding on these and then giving my opinion as to whether I feel this is a true weakness and any possible solutions or approach.

1-Lack of Organization/Structure: This is an area that I have had scarce success in. I acknowledge that I am not the best when it comes to creating a situation which is fool proof. I believe this feedback was meant more towards working within an organizational structure and reporting to a 'boss'. I think that this criticism is unfounded to a large extent. Mainly because when working withing a structure I have had little problem reporting to a higher level and no problem with authority. This is an area where I believe I need to learn how a hierarchy is created and maintained effectively. I believe that my last experience lacked this mainly because of the ability of both the boss and employee (myself). Possible solutions are being my own boss and creating this structure through trail and error, or going to join a large corporation and work within a strict and established structure.

2-Inability with respect to Execution/Completion: I would agree with this criticism to a large degree. When tasked with completing smaller parts of an end goal I find no problem is doing so. However, in my post university work life there is really no large project that I have been able to see through to completion with the company and team. I feel one notable exception is being a large part of building a property management business both in theory (operations) and in practice. Solutions to this are largely internal in that I need to work on my focus and dedication to a specific task with the end result in mind. There is an aspect of making all the parts and players work but I believe for me this on my personal level.

3- Self Control: This is a critique that I came up with. Dealing with two aspects in particular. One is to do with toning down my partying and the level of intoxication I allow and the corressponding fallout that can and does occasionally occur. The second part is to digest, refelct and then act appropriately in a measured way to achieve a desired response. Specifically I want to learn how to better achieve an end. I tend to act on impulse and need a more though out approach sometimes more delicate and at other times timely and assertive. The solution here is quite apparent. Thinking further into the matter will resolve impulse and moderation in any excess is something I need to excercise more frequently.

I believe that in recognizing and addressing these issues it allows me to be more effective in moving forward with a good decision. I do not allow myself to believe that I am lost as was pointed out to me, as I tend to buy into what other have to say especially considering the source. In this instance I choose to believe in myself with the knowledge there is room to improve.

Song of the Day: Mos Def-No Hay Nada Mas

Skill Set vs. Materialism

I have had a lot of change occur recently and certainly lots of uncertainty ahead of me as a result of my actions. I took my last piece of advice about time rather seriously and decided to act accordingly. So I resigned from my job. At that point in the conversation when the ‘I Quit!’ moment came out of my mouth I immediately felt the unease that comes without the security, certainty and comfort to which I am now accustomed. Immediately following that I felt the energy come back into my skin, the true feeling of being relieved and the realization that in all that uncertainly lay infinite options.

One of the exercises I have been meaning to blog about is something I, and probably others who have an entrepreneurial bug, struggle with constantly. The question of resources or more specifically the scarcity of those resources, do I have enough in order to make things work? More often than not the word resources can be replaced with money. So I decided it would be wise to take on the opposite question of what if I did have the resources. What if I had the following amounts $50K, $100K, $1 Million or even $10 Million?

The answer to the last one is quite simple as it’s high enough a number to justify not having to work anymore and simply live off principal and interest. But the other three amounts result in a similar answer. They differentiate in varying degrees corresponding with each amount. With a million most people would save some spend some and do any number of things with the rest but in this day it’s unlikely that it will last you the rest of your life especially if you’re young. With the other two amounts its pretty much guaranteed that production and income is still required. All of this is relative to the individual depending on spending habits, and decision making but in absolute terms it simply isn’t enough to survive on.

The original point of the exercise, as I believe was intended by the person it was given by, was to discover that money in itself is really not a valuable resource. The more valuable thing is having the experience to make the money work effectively and of course to make it multiply. I on the other hand take a slightly different lesson from this. I fully agree with the latter portion about multiplication, but I have and probably always will have a difficult time accepting that experience is the best teacher, perhaps due to my youth and comparative inexperience. I believe that the real insight is that to a point it is almost irrelevant how much money you have to start pursuing the next steps in life, but that the most valuable resource is the ability to think beyond the obstacles that present themselves and just take that step and the associated risk anyway and push beyond any perceived limitations in resources; whether this be money, lack of faith, or in my case the fear of success.

Song of the Day: Bah Samba-Calma

The Family Business

I have had a ton of ideas and topics that I have been meaning to post about the last couple of days. Everything from goals and growth to networking and even the ideal woman. Interestingly they are all linked. The best way to start would be with my trip this weekend to Vancouver for my cousin's wedding (probably where the ideal woman comes in). The most interesting part about my family right now is the incredible amount personal growth that is happening and how it is positively impacting the whole family dynamic. From my perspective we are all so much more self aware and consciously act accordingly. It is such a pleasant thing to experience the openness of communication and lack of political and emotional baggage that sometimes surfaces. So with that being the background context I think I can move to how the environment was a fertile ground for me to do some of my own growth both personally and in a business perspective.

The main thing that I learned was that there is actually little use in having material wealth if it is not well balanced with other aspects that make that material wealth actually useful. Not to say that I did not already know this but the point was driven home. I did discover that it is actually the most gratifying point in life is when you are a ‘complete’ human and always trying to better oneself. This is not intended to be a mushy statement but actually in the way I mean it, it is rather selfish. If you work on bringing aspects that add value into your life you are really just aiding your own well being. For example having children and participating in their lives, being well educated and continuing to discover for the simple joy of learning and how that spills over into other aspects of life. Including people you want in your life by being open and very honest about your thoughts. Not just being a good communicator but actually putting a hidden agenda aside and getting real results, progress, and tangibility in those relationships that matter most. First hand experience would be this weekend with my cousin Nadeem with whom I have had a pleasant and cordial relationship with but of little substance and understanding. That changed considerably this weekend in a positive way. I am very excited and a little overwhelmed at the amount of work I have to do to get to the point I want, but it is an opportunity and challenge I look forward to taking on.

In the business arena I learnt an age old lesson; surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. I learn more and more and even though I don’t realize it my learning curve is expanding at a pretty good pace. At a meeting I had with a potential business partner and with the help of some influential people in my life who I really trust it was brought to my attention that in order to build what I want, I need quality people who bring instant recognition and a skill set superior to that of mine. If my sisters are still working for someone else it is definitely a sign that those who should be millionaires on their own often end up working for a six figure salary, so why not utilize it. And it actually gives me even more confidence that I can make my vision happen faster (more to come on this...the vision that is)

Song of the day: Damn Arms - Destination Pt. II

A Hint of Randomness

A few little tidbits that I am picking up here and there lately, my own version pearls of wisdom, so I thought why not share.

Pearl 1: Be yourself. It seems that people in general really respond and place a value on independence and self confidence. I think at least in my perspective this is due in large part because people struggle with being and expressing themselves as they are, making it that much more unique if you are able to do so. Besides conformity sucks. Avoid trying to look good it usually leads to being a douche.

Pearl 2: Feedback. The four stages of effective feedback. The facts, the story made up, the feeling behind the story, and your intention behind giving the feedback. Simply separate the facts from what you believe actually happened. Then share exactly how it impacts you and in what way. Lastly what you hope to convey and gain by giving this feedback. And always remember to end it with a Thank You!

Pearl 3: Its always the case that with family or business comes complexity. This is often compounded further when the two mix. I don't have any real solutions to mixing the two (I challenge anyone who claims they do) but what I do know is that while more often than not intentions are good, it usually leads to a cluster fuck of emotions. I say compartmentalize. It's probably a cold approach but typically logic prevails over emotions which are susceptible to irrationality. Clearly define expectation of all involved and manage those expectations. Disappointment is the result of having any expectation at all.

Pearl 4: Leadership is when one can compel a group to work in a coordinated manner to successfully achieve an objective (the leaders vision). Dictatorship is when one divides to conquer in order to achieve a fragmented and un-fulfilling end.

Pearl 5: There is huge difference between paper wealth and real wealth. Paper wealth can dissappear real quick. Cash in while the gettin' is good and invest in the latter.

Now for a divine 5 minutes that is the Song of the Day Evol Intent-Middle of the Night