Check Your Facts

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get all fired up about what I think and not what I know. Let me explain.

Out the front of our house are about 10 large pine trees. The previous owner planted them about 15 years ago thinking they would be a nice 1.2 metre (4 foot) hedge. Being trees rather than shrubs, they grew (and grew and grew and grew and...) and now they are about 6 metres (20 feet) high and skillfully blocking all of the sunshine that could be shining into our house.

When discussing getting them cut down my wife and guessed it was going to cost about $5,000 - $10,000 based on an old quote from a few years ago. Being a little financially conservative, naturally I allowed more for the $10,000 than the $5,000. So we didn't worry about them. They are not a priority and we could get them cut down at a later date.

For some reason last week, I had the feeling to find out how much it would cost to get them removed. There was a firm who I had seen around a bit and I knew them to be reputable and will full insurance coverage. I rang and booked for a quote (and then promptly forgot about it!)

When they came around today, I was pleased to find out it was on $2,500 to get all the trees and stumps removed. We will still probably defer it as it is not a priority, but it is good to know the facts.

How many times have you or your company made decisions without the readily and easily available facts? Guesses, ideas, feelings, vibes, intuition and plucking it out of the air can not compete with facts. Don't get me wrong, sometimes these things are good enough or even essential, but sometimes it is the facts that make the difference.

So for this week, my challenge to you is to channel your inner Joe Friday (from Dragnet) and ask for "Just the Facts".

I guarantee it will make your decisions a lot more clear cut.

Enjoy


Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
http://www.warwickmerry.com/
http://www.getmoreshowsuccess.com/

Some Imponderables!

I was sent this by a friend and thought that some are worth the time to ponder!!

• If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?
• If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
• Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
• If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
• If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
• Why is it that the man who invests all your money is called a broker?
• When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
• Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racing car not called a racist?
• Why are a wise man and a wise guy … opposites?
• Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
• Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
• "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
• If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
• What hair colour do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
• I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered what Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?
• Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the postmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
• You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
• No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
• Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.50 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
• Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?
• If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diaorrhea, does that mean that one enjoys it?

What is it that has you pondering today?

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Happy Anniversary

It is a month of anniversaries!

Today my lovely wife, Sam (see the picture for her loveliness), and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary. That 12 months has gone soooo fast yet also it has taken ages. During that time we have had many experiences and achieved some great things.

Later this month her parents celebrate 40 years of marriage!! Crikey!! That is something to aim for.

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we went out to a lovely little Mexican restaurant, had some yummy food and considered the last 12 months. What were the highlights, what were the key learnings and what were our favourite moments. We then looked at the 12 months ahead. What sort of things did we want to achieve, where did we see ourselves in 12 months, how would life be for us. Granted it wasn't totally "romantic" but it was fun creating plans and ideas together.

When did you last do a review? May be it is time for one now.

Luckily I have an out line for you - sort of, here's one we prepared earlier!! Visit my website and on the resources pages you will see the regular results review. Download this and follow the instructions. You will be surprised at how much you have achieved and what you are capable of.

Consider it my anniversary gift to you!

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry

The Get More Guy

http://www.warwickmerry.com/

Get out of your road!!

I have been Twittering with @AlohaArleen and @TheDailyBlonde about the the joys of Australia. They are both from the USA and said they would love to visit one day.

It got me thinking.

So many people get in their own roads for doing things. Rather than focusing on reasons while they can do something, they look for reasons why they can't:

• It's too far
• I don't know anyone there
• What would I do
• Where would I stay
• They speak funny
• I don't think I can afford it
• I don't want to go by myself
• What if I need to get back in a hurry
• I don't like flying

... the list goes on!

That is not just for a frivolous trip half way around the world. I have also heard:

• What about the economic crisis
• I've never done that before
• I have other responsibilities
• You can't be spiritual and rich at the same time
• People wouldn't understand
• It's too hot
• It's too cold
• It's too hard
• It's too easy
• I could never do that
• People will laugh
• What will my husband/wife/kids/parents/friends/counsellor/postman think

... and the list goes on.

Get out of your own road!! If you really want it, go for it. Go for it with everything you have. Don't let what you can't do get in the road of what you can do.

So what are the reasons you WILL be doing what you have always dreamed of?

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

How to Get Up when you're feeling down

Ever had those moments?

Everything seems to be cruising along nicely. Relationship is good (if not getting better and better), friends are good (still get invites to go out), hobbies are good (love cruising on the motorbike or doing what you do), health is good (could always do more exercise and eat less but on the whole it's good), work is good (love what you do and do what you love), weather is good (sunny day after a bit of rain) so basically, life is good!!

Then it hits! Wham! You feel like crap!

It has no obvious source or reason, you just feel bad. Self doubt kicks in, your self esteem crumbles little by little. Arrrrrggghhhh!!!

Ever had one of those moments?

We all do. They will pass. The secret is to look at ways to help them pass faster. Here are a few that my clients have found very successful:
Music - play music that works for you, something that makes you feel more powerful
Exercise - any form of exercise will help endorphins start flowing and give you some of natures "happy juice"
Location - change your physical location. It could be just going outside, it maybe going to the beach, something that gives you different perspective
Talk - chat with a friend or colleague about what is happening for you and more importantly, what is happening for them. It takes the obsession off ourselves and turns it into caring for others
Write - ink what you think. This will get the never-ending tape out of your head and on to paper. By the way, typing doesn't count, the physical act of writing is required

There are plenty of other ways to get a sense of reality and move through the downer. Work out what is best for you and have it on standby for when these times hit.

If nothing else, follow the words of the late great James Brown.
"Get Up, get on up!"

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

Clean Feed or Internet Filters?

There has been a lot about clean feeds and internet filters that has come across my radar this week.

In summary, the Australian Government wants to filter the internet so that "naughty" sites will not be accessible. Different community groups and user communities have been expressing their opinions for and against the ideas. There are technology issues such as any filter is quickly made redundant by the people is was supposed to protect (the same way Dad used to bring me the headache drug bottle with a child proof lid because he couldn't open it and I could - I was in primary school!). Filtering will slow the internet down - the technology tests have proven it but commonsense does too. Look at any pool filter and you will see the water does not flow freely, it has to be pumped or sucked through, why should internet be any different.

There are issues in administering the filter. Who decides what is black listed and what is not? Who has input to the decision making? What guidelines will be used? Who creates the guidelines?

There are issues in the ethics of the internet filter. Should this be done? Does it impact our free speech? It it for the greater good? An extreme case of this can be seen in the film Serenity (that I have watched a couple of times this week). For the good of the whole the government meddles and causes a disaster. I know it is fiction, but how does the meddling start?

The thing that gets me is not whether the government should or should not have an internet filter , but why are they getting involved. Is it because parents are too lazy to do it for themselves? Many teacher friends of mine comment on how parents expect the teacher and school to teach EVERYTHING to the student. Not just reading, writing and arithmetic, but manners, ethics, social behaviours and a myriad of other skills. Granted the internet and technology is rapidly changing and it is hard to keep up, but surely it can't be too difficult to have them use the internet in a room where they can be supervised or limited in the number of hours they are on the internet? Heaven forbid that parents have a discussion with the child about pitfalls of the internet!! Next thing you know I will expect parents to listen to children read aloud to them!

The bigger issue that I see happening is one of responsibility. It is becoming rarer than ever in our society. Yet the people who take responsiblity for their actions and their lack of actions are the ones that move ahead in their life. They are not looking for an easy way out, a person to blame, someone to handpass the problem to, they look at what is their part in this issue.

In my life and in my presentations, I share with people what I call the "Two Killer Questions."
They are:
What is my part in this?
What can I do differently?

It means that as an individual I can look at what is my responsibilty. So with Clean Feed and Internet Filters, what is it that I want for my kids, myself or my workplace? Has this situation come about due to some action or inaction on my behalf? Maybe I have no part in the current situation but I want it to be different.

What action must I take. Do I need to supervise people, limit certain sites in the workplace, communicate an internet policy, write to the government and let them know my wishes?

Responsibility means that I have the ability to respond. I can take action to get the results I am after.

Beyond the internet filters, beyond the clean feed, beyond raising a family but in life as a whole, I strongly urge you to take FULL responsibility. It doesn't mean you have to do everything, you can ask for help (I am here if you need me!!) but do take responsibility for your choices, your actions and your lack of actions.

Remember the two killer questions:
What's my part in this?
What can I do differently?

Once you have done that, it's easy!!

Have a great weekend

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Yes, you can say No

This comes up time and time again in my workshops, with my coaching/mentoring clients and even with my friends. So I wanted to clarify this.

It is OK to say No.

You may not feel that way, you may feel that if you don't do it no one else will. Or maybe you can't say No because you "should" say Yes. You have a rule that family members, friends, colleagues, bosses, workers "SHOULD" perform in a certain way.

From my own bitter experience, I have found out that saying Yes all the time is great for everyone else, but really bad for me! They get everything they want and I get exhausted and resentfull. But the really kicker is that they want you to say No. They may not think it, but they do.

Your boss will continue to ask you to do things and when you are at full capacity, they want you to say no. Your friends will keep asking for favours and expect that if you can't do it, that you say no. It may not seem it at the time but they would much prefer you to say No up front than get to their deadline and have you inform them that because you have too much on that you couldn't do it. Your family would much prefer you say that you don't want to go along to the family trip versus whinging and moaning about it for months afterwards.

Yes, the short term is painful. Letting people know that you can't or won't do, say or be what they want is challenging. But the long term payoff is so worthwhile. Once you have established the boundaries of what you will and won't do, each party has a far better understanding of each other. Their are fewer assumptions and expectations and fewer opportunities for mixed messages.

So start practicing today! What do you need to say no to it? How can you say no respectfully and with care? Maybe you could start with smaller things and work your way up once your No muscle has had a bit of a workout?

But don't forget to practice the otherside of the equation also!! If someone says No to you, don't hassle them or berate them. Allow them the courtesy of saying what they need to for them. As we know, saying No is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile.

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com