Many of us have jobs that require us to travel on airplanes a lot. This can be the most stressful thing if we let it. I am traveling right now. Going through security, waiting in lines, crying babies, delays, and on and on. The key isn't the stressful event, but rather our response to it. If we can manage our response, by staying laid back, life is much easier.
TBL: We can't control the environment, but we can control our response to it.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Alternate Transportation
With gas prices skyrocketing and CO2 emissions warming the earth have you started to think twice about driving your 20 mpg car to work? I have.
My boss just bought a 150cc motor scooter on ebay (brand new) for $599. It gets 100 mpg and goes 60 mph.
This comment came in on a recent posting:
"To go along with the exercise portion of this posting I would like to encourage everyone to consider an alternate form of transportation to get to work...biking. I used to think it was too far, would take too long, etc, etc, and this is when I lived within a mile or two of work. I now live 7.5 miles from work, bike most days and I love it. It works out conveniently to have an exercise facility 200 yards from my office to clean up. As for the too far, too long, it takes me 30 minutes to ride in to work as opposed to 15 minutes to drive.
Benefits: great excercise, 1 gallon of gas per day (around $600 per year at current prices), a good wakerupper in the morning.
Costs: 15 minutes."
When I go back to work in the fall, I plan to do my best to spend less on gas and get exercise as part of the deal.
TBL: How could you reduce your gas expenditure and increase your fitness?
My boss just bought a 150cc motor scooter on ebay (brand new) for $599. It gets 100 mpg and goes 60 mph.
This comment came in on a recent posting:
"To go along with the exercise portion of this posting I would like to encourage everyone to consider an alternate form of transportation to get to work...biking. I used to think it was too far, would take too long, etc, etc, and this is when I lived within a mile or two of work. I now live 7.5 miles from work, bike most days and I love it. It works out conveniently to have an exercise facility 200 yards from my office to clean up. As for the too far, too long, it takes me 30 minutes to ride in to work as opposed to 15 minutes to drive.
Benefits: great excercise, 1 gallon of gas per day (around $600 per year at current prices), a good wakerupper in the morning.
Costs: 15 minutes."
When I go back to work in the fall, I plan to do my best to spend less on gas and get exercise as part of the deal.
TBL: How could you reduce your gas expenditure and increase your fitness?
Monday, June 18, 2007
TBL is Back
Hey There!
Fishing was fun. Aaron Wenger is the most interesting person I know. To spend 6 days with him is like being on a 144 hour learning binge. We all had fun.
Today's post is about hate. For some reason we all end up with people in our life who we have a reason to dislike so badly it could be called hate. The problem is that by putting ourselves in this position we end up spending tremendous emotional energy on a non-productive venture. Nothing good comes from this. Years go by, we emotionally damage ourselves and the hate dissipates to the point where the reasons seem foolish.
I don't know the solution, but perhaps we should all think about how to spend less energy on this worthless endeavor.
Fishing was fun. Aaron Wenger is the most interesting person I know. To spend 6 days with him is like being on a 144 hour learning binge. We all had fun.
Today's post is about hate. For some reason we all end up with people in our life who we have a reason to dislike so badly it could be called hate. The problem is that by putting ourselves in this position we end up spending tremendous emotional energy on a non-productive venture. Nothing good comes from this. Years go by, we emotionally damage ourselves and the hate dissipates to the point where the reasons seem foolish.
I don't know the solution, but perhaps we should all think about how to spend less energy on this worthless endeavor.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Gone Fishin'
This post is about balance. When asked last night to describe a family trait through the generations, by my daughter for a college paper she is writing, I wrote about work ethic. The people up my family tree worked hard to provide for their families and to get ahead in life.
This is a good trait. People from our part of the country are often known for working hard. You will succeed and advance in your company by being a person who works hard to get the job done and done well.
However, do not confuse working hard with over-working. It is ok to put in some 50 or 60 hour weeks to ensure that a project gets done on time. But do not let that be the normal work week for salaried compensation. If your company has an expectation that you will work far in excess of 40 hours you are working for the wrong company. There is an old quote "nobody asked to have written on their headstone - I wish I would have spent more time at work".
Here is another, "it is right to work for a living, but not to live for your work".
This being said, I'm going fishing with Ronnie and Aaron. TBL is taking a break until Sunday or Monday. See you then.
TBL: Do what it takes to succeed, but not at the sacrifice of personal and family time.
This is a good trait. People from our part of the country are often known for working hard. You will succeed and advance in your company by being a person who works hard to get the job done and done well.
However, do not confuse working hard with over-working. It is ok to put in some 50 or 60 hour weeks to ensure that a project gets done on time. But do not let that be the normal work week for salaried compensation. If your company has an expectation that you will work far in excess of 40 hours you are working for the wrong company. There is an old quote "nobody asked to have written on their headstone - I wish I would have spent more time at work".
Here is another, "it is right to work for a living, but not to live for your work".
This being said, I'm going fishing with Ronnie and Aaron. TBL is taking a break until Sunday or Monday. See you then.
TBL: Do what it takes to succeed, but not at the sacrifice of personal and family time.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Voicemail
How do you leave a proper voicemail?
1. Speak clearly and not too fast.
2. Greet and then identify yourself.
3. Leave a concise message.
4. Leave your return phone number speaking slowly.
5. Repeat name and phone number.
6. Sign off.
Example:
Hello Amber, this is Ron Ulseth from Itasca Community College.
I am calling to inquire about the cows you have for sale. We are interested in buying a few cows for our engineering program. How many cows are for sale? Do they have a penchant for getting out of the fence? and How much are you asking?
Could you please call me back at 2 1 8 - 3 4 9 - 9 1 5 4?
Again this is Ron Ulseth and my number is 218-349-9154.
Thank you. Goodbye.
TBL: This may sound like common sense, but fewer than 50% of the voicemails I get follow the right etiquette.
1. Speak clearly and not too fast.
2. Greet and then identify yourself.
3. Leave a concise message.
4. Leave your return phone number speaking slowly.
5. Repeat name and phone number.
6. Sign off.
Example:
Hello Amber, this is Ron Ulseth from Itasca Community College.
I am calling to inquire about the cows you have for sale. We are interested in buying a few cows for our engineering program. How many cows are for sale? Do they have a penchant for getting out of the fence? and How much are you asking?
Could you please call me back at 2 1 8 - 3 4 9 - 9 1 5 4?
Again this is Ron Ulseth and my number is 218-349-9154.
Thank you. Goodbye.
TBL: This may sound like common sense, but fewer than 50% of the voicemails I get follow the right etiquette.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
New Professional - I'm bored and I don't know anyone.
Moving to a new place to start a new job is a tough transition in many ways. A big one is what to do when you are not working. One of the most frequent concerns I hear is about the frustration of not knowing anyone and not having anything to fill the void created when homework quit taking up all possible free time.
This is a common part of the transition to a new place. I do have some suggestions. Two in particular are to be active and to be patient.
By active I mean find good ways to fill your time. I would start out by saying you should be spending an hour a day exercising and an hour a day reading for pleasure. These are two activities that when taken in these doses make for an incredible overall quality of life for the duration. If you haven't been a reader, I recommend Harry Potter number one - maybe listen to it on audio to get you into it then buy and begin reading number two. It is how I went from a non-reader to 50+ books per year. For exercise, it can be as simple as walking or joining a gym. Also look for social groups to join. I belong to a kayak club. There are lots of opportunities out there.
By be patient, I mean don't expect each thing you try to have immediate and fulfilling results. It takes time to meet new friends and it will take several tries to find social groups that fit who you are.
TBL: This is a completely different lifestyle than what you have lived before. It will be rewarding, but it takes some getting used to.
This is a common part of the transition to a new place. I do have some suggestions. Two in particular are to be active and to be patient.
By active I mean find good ways to fill your time. I would start out by saying you should be spending an hour a day exercising and an hour a day reading for pleasure. These are two activities that when taken in these doses make for an incredible overall quality of life for the duration. If you haven't been a reader, I recommend Harry Potter number one - maybe listen to it on audio to get you into it then buy and begin reading number two. It is how I went from a non-reader to 50+ books per year. For exercise, it can be as simple as walking or joining a gym. Also look for social groups to join. I belong to a kayak club. There are lots of opportunities out there.
By be patient, I mean don't expect each thing you try to have immediate and fulfilling results. It takes time to meet new friends and it will take several tries to find social groups that fit who you are.
TBL: This is a completely different lifestyle than what you have lived before. It will be rewarding, but it takes some getting used to.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Creativity
Ours is a profession dependent on our creativity to find solutions and form new ideas. It is interesting then, that creativity is not encouraged in our education.
I did not have any musical experiences in high school, I did not participate in drama, I did not take art past 9th grade. In college I took music appreciation - I did not appreciate it. For most of my life, I have been turned off by the thought of going to an opera, a symphony, a dance show, an art museum,or a play. My appreciation for the performing and visual arts has been pretty non-existent.
Upon self reflection, I would have to say my level of creativity is rather low as well. I tend to grind through all of the possibilities of a problem one by one analytically rather than search creatively - rather than think outside the box.
Over the past several months Aaron Wenger and I have been talking about the importance of creativity in engineering education. He has been trying to convince me that by creating in the arts a student learns the creativity necessary to be a creative engineer. At one point I said - "yeah, good idea, we could get engineering students to do the lighting or sound effects for a play". He said "no you idiot, that is not creative -- we need to get engineering students performing in a play or writing a play".
He is starting to win me over. I've read a lot lately about the brain and how people learn. The connections between creativity in problem solving and creativity in the arts exist.
Tonight and last night, I watched my daughter and two nieces peform in a dance show. The creativity they display is amazing. While watching, I wonder about the connections and how we could make those connections for engineering students.
Incidentally, the Reif Center was near full each night. Many community members were in attendance (not just parents and grandparents of performers). Guess how many engineers or engineering students I saw?
TBL: Appreciation for the arts is important - we should all do it. Participation in the arts would be even more powerful. For the first time in my life, I am wondering how I should try.
I did not have any musical experiences in high school, I did not participate in drama, I did not take art past 9th grade. In college I took music appreciation - I did not appreciate it. For most of my life, I have been turned off by the thought of going to an opera, a symphony, a dance show, an art museum,or a play. My appreciation for the performing and visual arts has been pretty non-existent.
Upon self reflection, I would have to say my level of creativity is rather low as well. I tend to grind through all of the possibilities of a problem one by one analytically rather than search creatively - rather than think outside the box.
Over the past several months Aaron Wenger and I have been talking about the importance of creativity in engineering education. He has been trying to convince me that by creating in the arts a student learns the creativity necessary to be a creative engineer. At one point I said - "yeah, good idea, we could get engineering students to do the lighting or sound effects for a play". He said "no you idiot, that is not creative -- we need to get engineering students performing in a play or writing a play".
He is starting to win me over. I've read a lot lately about the brain and how people learn. The connections between creativity in problem solving and creativity in the arts exist.
Tonight and last night, I watched my daughter and two nieces peform in a dance show. The creativity they display is amazing. While watching, I wonder about the connections and how we could make those connections for engineering students.
Incidentally, the Reif Center was near full each night. Many community members were in attendance (not just parents and grandparents of performers). Guess how many engineers or engineering students I saw?
TBL: Appreciation for the arts is important - we should all do it. Participation in the arts would be even more powerful. For the first time in my life, I am wondering how I should try.
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