Month: January 2015

During our workout today, Brian and I got talking on management and leadership.  He said I should and will like The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard.  I did some research on the guy and was totally hooked!  Ken Blanchard is an excellent speaker!  Here is one of Ken’s TED talks on collaboration, which I also think it’s critically imperative for any successful organizations.

I had my first performance coaching session with Nicole today.  Nicole was sensational.  Her messages and stories were powerful.  It was a great conversation from which I learned plenty.  I’m already looking forward to speaking with her next time.  Some of the highlights and takeaway messages are:

• You can’t force people to follow you.  You have to earn people’s trust so that they are willing to follow you.
• Conflict is healthy.  What we need is better managing conflict in a project team environment so that productivity can be maximized.
• Situational leadership is understanding individual’s desire and what makes them tick so that positive relationships can be built and maintained.

First workout of 2015 was a short one with Brian.  It was a leg day!  I arrived late due to finishing up and submitting a briefing note.  Brian was all sweaty and third way through his workout.  I ended up finishing the same leg workout, which would normally take 45 minutes, in half an hour.  I was dying by the end of it.  It was a serious kick in the butt, but much needed workout to start the year.  Arms tomorrow!  Oh yeah!!

Day 2 on the reno at home.  Some good stuff got done on the path.  I’m looking forward to seeing more progress inside the house.

The month long construction at our Crownwood house started today.  Ryan, the landscaper, showed up in the morning to scout out the situation.  Then he came back with his worker and a machine digger to create the outline of the path on the side of the house.

 

Anya and I finished emptying the rest of the downstairs area.  Everything is ready for the inside to get started now.  Things are happening!

Not much happened today.  At the same time, lots happened today!  A lot of moving!  More moving than yesterday.  About six hours of moving furniture and boxes up and down.  A good combo of strength and cardio training, I guess.  Derek came and we moved the big and heavy furniture up.  Thanks for being awesome, Derek!  You are a life saver and an arms and lower back saver 😉  Pretty much all done now.  My blood is now filled with beer!  It was a very productive day!  Below are some pictures to show what the new rooms looked like when they were done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will be very minimal moving tomorrow.  I NEED to work on my thesis.

We are preparing ourselves for the renovation in hopes of renting out downstairs in a couple of months.  I started moving things today and realized how big of a move this will be.  Three rooms worth of stuff need to be moved upstairs this weekend.  Constructions will start next Monday, so we have to also put things away and make sure affected areas are cleared.  I exhausted myself this afternoon for four hours carrying boxes and furniture up and down.  Derek will be helping me to move the larger furniture tomorrow; Thank goodness!  Hopefully all will be done by tomorrow.

I’m so sore from the workout with Brian yesterday.  Damn it, Brian, but I love it at the same time!

I should be working on my thesis; however, I’m too physically exhausted and buzzed from this pear cider someone brought to one of our Christmas parties.  Lying on the couch and watching Gone Girl with the wifey is a good way to spend the weekend, I guess.

More moving tomorrow, urgh…

It was super awesome to arrive at work this morning with a Starbucks Americano already sitting on my desk.  Thank you, David!

Most people on the floor had taken the day off.  It was very quiet for a good change!  I was fairly productive: writing a briefing note, preparing for a coaching session, and planning projects for the new year.  Brian and I had a great chest and shoulders workout!  I’m already feeling sore in the shoulders region.

It will be a busy weekend ahead with moving and prepping for the renovation.

Anya has this perpetual calendar on her bedside table.  She writes something on it every night before she goes to sleep.  She started this in 2010.  I remember thinking that was a strange idea because it reminded me of back in elementary school when I had to write diaries and I would struggle so much to come up with things to put down on papers.  It’s been four years since Anya started her perpetual calendar.  I have to say that I enjoy the occasional, surprising fun-facts she shares with me: “Did you know that it snowed three years ago today?”, or “Wow, two years ago today you got that job offer!”, or “Last year tomorrow we found out that Serena was a girl”.  I like Anya’s habit of recording daily activities so much that I decided to adopt it and use it on my blog.

Getting over the fact that 2014 went by way too quickly, I’m hoping to cherish moments in 2015 more than the efforts I made last year.  I would like to record something everyday this year.  On this very first day of 2015, I have set three goals for myself to accomplish this year.  They are:

1. Get my masters degree.
2. Finish basement renovations.
3. Be a better communicator.

Here’s to a fulfilling and rewarding new year!