One Particular Harbour
Thoughts about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness from Dave Darby.
All posts in organizing
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Email alerts – I love you man
Oct 15, 2009Posted by Dave Darby
Read more »I love email alerts I just don’t usually talk about them. But this week I’ve been improving my systems to be more efficient – more efficient for clients, family and dammnit, for me. So today when I see a few email alerts that save me time and aggravation, I have to grab the bullhorn and talk about a few things that are helping me grab life’s bull by the horns.
First up, vehicle diagnostics email from GM. Both right side tires are 2lbs low – gotcha. Next gas trip, I’m on it.
Next up, quick link to BaseCamp reports for time sheets – tomorrow is payday and these new reports allowed Julie and I to quickly review everyone’s time and get everybody paid in less time/effort.
Finally, Kohl’s statement alert – this is a big one folks because we just opened our first ‘charge’ account in, I don’t know, 10 years?? You know how every store clerk asks the obligatory, ‘would you like to save 10% today?’? Well, I usually respond with ‘what, so you can try to hook me for 30% tomorrow? (I smile when I say it, I think it’s cute but maybe it’s not.) Well, I was ‘in the mood’ at Kohl’s last month. See, I don’t shop and we’re pretty low key when it comes to shopping and I don’t give a squat about social norms. We buy what we need when we need it (like NFL Sunday Ticket) and we pay cash. BUT – Kohl’s offers really exceptional, ongoing deals to credit clients sooooooo, we did it.
So why did I really appreciate that email alert today? Because it was our first one and it quickly dawned on me, whoa, it’s been about 5 weeks since we opened that and, whoa, their automated system used our old driver’s license address (we moved 6 weeks ago) and we had to call to have them cancel/resend new cards and, WHOA, I’ll bet those bastards hit me for 30%!!!
Yep, payment turns out was due last week and we weren’t in the system for last month’s notice. Well to Kohls’ “credit”, they quickly reversed those charges and I promptly paid the account online ‘in full’ – no finance or late charges. Whew – that was a close one.
So, email alerts, because you this week we will get our team paid with a record minimal effort, improve the safety, fuel efficiency and wear/tear on the suburban and we won’t get jacked up by ridiculous finance/late charges. I love you man.
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It's "Trash Time" You Vultures!
Jun 22, 2007Posted by Dave Darby
And the father of the year award goes to: ME!
Well, at least that’s what I told the kids this morning. That’s right. I walked up to my office – which is an open study area upstairs – and I was halted by a massive pile of crayons. The same crayons that for 2 days now have been the target of my idle threats.
It seems our extra work load this week has created an opportunity for the kids to take advantage of us and leave their work/play behind. We’ve had a daily grind of ‘clean up that room’, ‘clean up this room’, ‘clean up that room again - hey, wasn’t that room just cleaned??’. Jeez – makes me dizzy.
Kids are like angels. Kids are like vultures. Kids are angelic vultures! You ever see those who flirt with danger on the Animal Planet channel? What do they always say when handling wild, dangerous beasts? “Never show fear!’ Ditto with kids. On a great day – angels – the minute you show fear or weakness – vultures.
Right? They’re kind of smart like that.
So this is weak week – Mommy & Daddy are dragging butt. Vultures. If I’ve said ‘pick up that mess’ once this week, I’ve said it 100 times. So today – new tactic.
I’ve used this tactic before with success, but I warn you, it’s like any good negotiating and the #1 rule of negotiating applies – if you are not prepared to walk away (or carry through the threat in this case), then you lose.
So, today I say to the kids, ‘Kids, I am am about to make you the happiest kids in the whole world, which surely will qualify me for Dad of the Year!’ Oh, their eyes were wide open and I even think I saw their ears turning forward and towards me – you know, like cats and horses do. I said, ‘Cleaning sucks! Picking up after yourself sucks. So starting right now, you no longer have to clean up your mess!’ ‘Oh boy’, they must have thought. Surely, this must be like the kiddy lottery. Grins started crossing their faces as the only thought I could imagine they were thinking was ‘Ah ha! We’ve finally beaten our parents into submission! Great joy!’
Vultures. That’s when I let them know why they no longer have to clean up. “You no longer have to clean up after yourself because everything I find on the floor, I am throwing into the trash. I shall relieve you of the heartache and misery that accompanies cleaning.” Smiles are gone by this time. Their eyes are no longer trained on me with excitement, instead they are exchanging glances of ‘Did he just say trash?’
But again, you’d better be prepared to follow through for this to work. Knowing this, I started with the crayons. In the trash they went. Must have been like 84 crayons on the floor. Well, more like 168 1/2 crayons and crayon wrappers. To the kids – this is their art – their creativity. To me, I’ve just thrown away some screwed up crayons begging for death. Next week, while at Target, we will pick up a new box of crayons for $3. The kids will once again experience creative joy and I will relish knowing that we have whole crayons again in a box that has it’s dignity intact. Zip-locs are for food!
Sounds like I’ve used this trick a few times eh? I have. But be forewarned, you can only pull this off maybe 2 times a year depending on the age. Once they catch on, they’ll throw all their old toys on the floor knowing you will throw them out and get them new ones. Vultures.
So, right now they are cleaning like crazy. Stopping to occasionally ask for clarity. ‘It’s simple’, I say, ‘if it is touching the carpet it’s outta here.’ To which Jonathan says ‘Even my desk?’ Vulture.
The house is clean and it didn’t cost me the time and aggravation of yelling. It cost me a $3 box of new crayons. I win Vultures – if only for today.
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Family, Leadership & Legacy, Learning & Teaching, Life Coaching, Parenting -
Help for Random Writers
May 14, 2007Posted by Dave Darby
Read more »When it comes to reading newspapers (people still do that??), I prefer the online versions and I enjoy the likes of the Washington Post and New York Times. Being a more global thinker, I obviously enjoy more global news.
One of my e-newsletters is about book reviews. Admittedly, I rarely actually read this newsletter beyond the captions, but occasionally something jumps out at me. Today, it was advertisement.
The advertisement is for??Circa customizable notebooks by Levenger. As an aspiring author, I immediately ‘get’ and appreciate this concept of ‘movable, organizable’ pages.
The perfect tool for random thinkers who write on anything that sits still. Now, if they’d just put a pen holder in the toilet paper dispenser. Don’t laugh – I have actually made notes on toilet paper before. Call it diarrhea of the brain.