Don’t put it off

Efficiency and effectiveness are often at odds with procrastination. As humans we tend to do the stuff we enjoy or prefer in favour of those rather mundane, awkward or disliked chores/functions/tasks.

The last few weeks have taught us a very valuable lesson. “Do it now, while there’s time”. No one expected or predicted the force of the vandalism, looting or pillaging that occurred in KwaZulu Natal and parts of Gauteng in South Africa. Putting ‘stuff’ off will have a ripple effect on those around you. If you don’t do what needs to be done, then others can’t do what they need to do. As an entrepreneur that can have a devastating effect on your business or your clients or even yourself. You’ve heard it before. “Time is of the essence”! It truly is. Don’t put off what you could do today as you do not know what tomorrow will bring. Don’t ‘faff around’ and miss the ‘zero hour’ for any reason at all. Make you “To Do List’ and stick to it. Where possible delegate to allow you to ensure that you look after yourself and your business. There is a difference between urgent and essential.

Find you trigger points, those things that distract you. How can you manage them better? Routine usually works well to help with distractions. Manage your time. Take note of what distracts you and what eats into your time. I’m willing to bet it’s emails and WhatsApp chat. Switch them off. Close them down. Focus on the task at hand. You will get it done far quicker, and better if you choose to focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking and being efficient do not fit into the same sentence or way of life.

https://thewhoot.com/life/15-things-give-today?omhide=true

Using gratitude

#Walking4Woman has given me many opportunities to reflect on how grateful I am for so many aspects of my life.

According to The Secret, Daily Teachings, by Rhonda Byrne, ‘To change your life fast, use gratitude to shift your energy. When you put all of your energy into gratitude, you will see miracles take place in our life.
To change things-quickly, commit to writing 100 things you are grateful for each day, until you see the change. And FEEL the gratitude. Your power is in the FEELING that you put into the words of gratitude.”

Today’s walk took me to the Mandela Capture site, where I was able to walk through the forests and grasslands surrounding this famous site in South Africa. Every time I have the opportunity to walk in nature, I get the time to reflect. I allow my mind to relax, not have any conscious thoughts. I just allow my mind to be open to the silence, the sounds of nature. Clearing my mind is a type of therapy, whereby the creativity of my mind can take over. How fortunate are we that we have this opportunity to walk in freedom and in the open spaces to reflect, to meditate in a sense, and be able to go home at the end of the experience. Unlike Nelson Mandela who was locked up in the Prison at Robben Island. He didn’t have the opportunities that I had today until he was released. And when he was released he showed gratitude in so many ways. An amazing man who was a superb role model.

Wide open spaces

Through grasslands and man made forests I trailed. Enjoyed the sights, smells, sounds and freedom. I have the privilege of walking as a hobby. Many women in South Africa don’t have that option. They have to walk to work and back. They may have access to public transport but they still have many kilometers to walk to get to the taxi ranks from home and from work. The #Walking4Women campaign is endeavouring to raise awareness amongst employers to be empathetic to women who have long distances to walk and who have to stand on their feet all day at work.

This plant is possibly the smelliest plant I have ever had the displeasure to smell. Yet it attracts hundreds of insects, which are its food. Aseroe rubra, commonly known as the anemone stinkhorn, sea anemone fungus and starfish fungus, is a common and widespread basidiomycete fungus recognizable for its foul odour of carrion and its sea anemone shape when mature. Wikipedia
There is amazing diversity in nature. Thank goodness. Can you imagine how boring life would be if everything was the same.

Back to gratitude. Be grateful every day for all the good things (small and large) that you have in your life. I’m glad I’m not that shongololo.

Every woman needs a champion 20.08.2018

Ted Talk “Every kid needs a champion” was shared on social media.  I don’t usually open up video’s as I find them tiresome and tedious and often vocally laborious.  But something made me listen to Rita Pierson.  She was down to earth, real and right.  Every child needs a champion.  Every child needs someone to believe in them.  So does every woman.  This made me reflect on why #WomenInBusiness was formed.  We are not a glorified business organisation that caters to sponsors and successful women.  We have survived for 13 years (founded July 2005) without major sponsorship, without huge amounts of money, without glamour and glitz.  We have survived through sheer dedication and voluntary support by our members to one another.  We have stood alone and not been dictated to by sponsors or donars because we feel that we represent and support our small enterprise entrepreneurs. Why have we survived?  Because we have been champions for one another.  We can reach out at any time on numerous platforms and find someone to talk to even if its only virtually.

The networks that have been established over the last 13 years are extensive.  We do not necessarily have to have functions and events to prove our existence.  We exist to support our members – via social media and face to face.  We don’t charge anyone to join our social media platforms.  Interaction and sharing of ideas and information is encouraged.  No one is on an ego building power hunting journey.  We just do what we do because we are champions for one another.  Just like Rita Pierson says in her Ted talk, every kid needs a champion, so does every woman need a champion.

 

SPAR Ladies Race 19.08.2018

Today was bold, beautiful and sunny.  The complete opposite to the weather yesterday.  It’s almost as if I changed countries given the extreme difference in weather conditions in the past 24 hours.

10 kms #SPAR ladies.  The hype, excitement and energy was truly encouraging.  I was very pleased that there were no water sachets.  Participants were given a bottle of branded water at the start and were specifically asked to dispose of the bottles in a rubbish bin.  Sadly a number of participants threw their bottles down when they had dispensed with them, some even throwing down bottles that were unopened or partly drunk. What is it with the human race that we just ‘throw’ stuff away without thinking?

Dargle Trails Festival 18.08.2018

I woke up in the early hours of this morning to the sounds of soft soaking rains on the roof.  The sound of rain on a corrugated iron roof is calming and therapeutic. I turned over and drifted off into a sound, content and peaceful sleep to be rudely awoken by my alarm.  It was time to get up and get going to the Dargle Trails Festival.  I switched off my alarm, listened to the rain and decided it would be too wet and dangerous to walk today.  So I turned over and decided I would go back to sleep!
A nagging thought crept into my consciousnesses.