I have too many meetings. Here are my thoughts on what is needed to reduce them and why there are so many. When deciding to set a meeting, the goal of that meeting should be determined. Then you should decide if the goal could be met through better means. Maybe it would be better as…
Put An End to Email Ping Pong…Get on The Phone
Too often, I read email conversations that go back and forth many times. It is typically because the individuals communicating do not understand each other or they are having an indirect professional disagreement. There are other cases where a team member mentions that they are having trouble getting a response from someone, often someone outside…
The Art of Confident Forecasting: A Blueprint for Engineers to Embrace Project Deadlines
Forecasting completion dates for projects can be a challenging task for engineers. While management expects them to provide these dates for accountability and coordination purposes, engineers often grapple with the inherent uncertainties and variables that could impact their ability to meet those deadlines. However, by adopting a systematic approach and implementing a few key strategies,…
Improving Enterprise Software: Revolutionize Your Workflow and Stay Ahead of the Competition
In today’s competitive business landscape, knowledge work companies must embrace software solutions to stay ahead of the curve. Failure to effectively leverage software can result in being outpaced by competitors who excel in this area. Let’s delve deeper into the challenges faced by knowledge work companies in implementing enterprise software. Consider the typical scenario observed…
Career Conversations
I discuss career plans with each of my team members at least two times a year. These conversations are usually awkward. Partly because we are engineers, and partly because of the many underlying expectations we feel we are not meeting. Our culture tells us we need to have a defined plan in life. Long-term goal…
You are checking email too much at work
I have limited checking email to 1-2 times per day most of the time for 14 years. My stress level increases whenever I fall off the wagon and start checking email more often. When I tell others they should try this, they worry that they will miss something urgent. This has never happened to me.…
We Are Under Seige
I feel like there is a siege on my house that I am losing. As much as I try, stuff keeps being catapulted over the walls (gifts, mail, toys, stuff that I am enticed into buying). It is a constant onslaught and I am losing ground against everyone who is trying to convince us to…
Now It Is Gone, How Do We Keep It Out?
Now that we are getting rid of all of this junk I don’t want to collect it again. I don’t want to waste the money and I want to hold on to the freedom. We need to change our philosophy and stop operating on autopilot. We need a pattern interrupt. Here are some ideas: Regularly…
What if We Lost Everything-What Would We Replace
What would we replace if we lost everything in a fire? Some clothes, our computers, our cars, some kitchen stuff…maybe the TV. Probably not the PlayStation. We would replace the things that we use every day. There would be so much that we wouldn’t replace. What would I not even notice that was missing? Imagine…
My “Stuff” Addiction
I need a separation from all of my stuff but I cannot get myself to leave this unhealthy relationship. As I write this I am sitting in my basement where most of our junk is stored. It is an effing mess but I can see the freedom at the end of the tunnel. I…
I Feel Like I have Been Tricked Into Buying Things
I wonder if I have been tricked into buying a bunch of stuff that I don’t need. Companies spend billions of dollars a year to persuade us to buy things. Many of their methods use psychology and our natural tendencies against us. With the overwhelming psychological knowledge in their hands, do I even have chance?…
Why Do I Continue To Collect All This Stuff?
I have been asking myself “why do I continue collected all this stuff?” while barely using most of it. A lot of it is junk that I don’t need. There are many possible reasons: I wanted something new, it made me feel good, I thought I needed it, I did not have any barriers to…
Maybe I Should Move to A Tiny Home
Have you heard of the tiny home movement? There is a small percentage of people who have chosen to trade in their standard sized house for a one-room house. This is appealing to me. What if I only had one room, how easy would it be to clean? How easy would it be to save…
What If I Lived Out of One Bag
What if everything I owned fit into one bag? My house would become obsolete. I wouldn’t have to maintain a yard, a car, a garage or the vast majority of stuff I currently take care of. Yes, I would spend money on things that I don’t own (eating out all the time) but wouldn’t be…
I Used To Have More Freedom With Less Stuff
I am starting to realize that the extra stuff in our house is a problem. It costs us money (buying another one because we cannot find it), adds stress, and adds more work (like cleaning). I want to get rid of most of it but, for me, this is not so easy. I want to…
Josh’s Retirement Investing
The thought of investing for retirement used to bring only negative emotions; confusion from the conflicting information, regret that I have not invested more, fear of losing our savings, overwhelm by everything I had to learn, and distrust of most investing information because it feels more like they are trying to take my money rather…
My Obsessive Weight-loss Program
Below is the weight loss program I have been using to drop some ell-bees. I can get obsessive about things and this happens to be one of them so if this is too much for you I would try the slow carb diet. Many diets work but you have to find the one that works…
When you want to breastfeed but can’t- My Wife’s story
I thought it was important that share this for new moms and maybe you can use some of the information in feeding your baby. My wife planned to breastfeed our daughter when she was born. She was completely distraught when she found that she was unable provide enough milk for our daughter. I understand that…
Easy Tricks I Use to Naturally Increase My Testosterone
Your sexual health is a leading indicator of your overall health. Here is a list of the things I do to keep my testosterone up naturally. Maybe you can try a few of these and ask me if you want me to explain any of these. Avoid using plastic for food and drink Get vitamin…
Why I take cold Showers and Maybe You Should Too
I take cold showers for: Fat burning improved tolerance of cold and discomfort in general Improved testosterone production boost immunity I don’t sweat while getting dressed Don’t use all the hot water for the rest of the family save a little money on heating water improve mood improve sleep