Some Assembly Required

The replacement parts for my mitre saw came today. Of course there are about 50 pieces in a box and no instructions on how to assemble them together.

If anyone needed the instructions on how to rebuild this death machine, it would be the imbecile who was using the saw incorrectly in the first place causing the destruction all safety gadgetry.

The next post I write may be using my toes or a pencil held between my teeth.

Thumbs and Mitre Saws Don't Mix

So, I almost lost a digit yesterday. While cutting a lopsided piece of wood for a neighbor, I had to hold the "blade guard" up so it could cut properly. But somehow the thick plastic blade guard got sucked into the blade's path causing a deafening noise while shrapnel exploded across my front yard.

After I checked to make sure my son and neighbors were OK, I felt a horrible pain in my left thumb. The very thumb that was holding up the blade guard just moments before. Was I going to look down and see half my thumb missing?

My thumb was still there. Luckily. But the thumbnail was lifted up during the explosion -- it will probably fall off in a few weeks and look really ugly.

So, the moral of this story is simply, "don't be dumb" and "always wear safety glasses".

Five Tips to Reduce Your Stress: Tip #3

If you’re like most people, including me, your task might require its own Dewey Decimal system. Do you get a dozen new tasks every day, on top of the dozen you were handed the day before? Although it may seem impossible, there is a way to get the most important things done.

Tip #3: Plan or Perish

If you’re like me, you have multiple projects. Each with dozens of sub-tasks that need to be done “right now.” Right? To get through this jumble of projects you must do one simple thing: plan. It’s as easy as that. It’s no secret. It’s pure and simple common sense. Try out this process and you’ll see for yourself.

1. This coming Sunday night, before your work week begins, review your list of tasks.
2. Prioritize the ones that are most critical to your team’s goals.
3. Identify those tasks that you can easily delegate to others (see my previous post).
4. Identify what meetings you have during the week and find tasks that can be accomplished during those time periods.
5. Then, every morning, before anyone else comes into the office, take five minutes and review your list. Check off things you’ve done, review the day’s appointments, and adjust your tasks as necessary.

If you’re a user of Microsoft® Outlook® or IBM® Lotus® Notes® you might consider checking out some quick and simple Time Management webinars offered by FranklinCovey. They’re only about 1 ½ hours long and will provide some amazing techniques to help teach you how to use these tools while you plan your days.

In my next post, I’ll cover tip #4: “No” is not a four-letter word.