Last week was a good week. It is good to start on a good note. Three weeks ago I would have started with, “I think I will look for a full time job.” Seriously. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that the alternative to working for myself is to work for someone else, and possibly sell my soul to another corporation. So, it was a bad little stretch, but last week was good.
I had two pivotal meetings. One was a follow up meeting resulting from a proposal I had sent in, and the other was a lunch with a colleague who works in a different part of the industry, but who is at the same stage in life as I am.
The first meeting resulted in an agreement in principle to accept my proposal, and after March Break we will hammer out the details. This is good. Money is good.
The second meeting led to some interesting brainwaves that may have my friend and I starting a unique sort of venture (more on this as it becomes more real). We both decided to mull it over the break, but both of us are very energized by the ideas and prospects. I read once that the whole idea of the Mmmuffins franchise was hammered out through a series of such coffee or lunch meetings by the two principals who were both a little down and out, at least in terms of direction and new ideas. If this is wrong, I really hope no one out there bursts my bubble. Sometimes you have to believe in fairy tales in order to have the energy to do entrepreneurial things.
Speaking of believing in fairy tales, ever since I had my lousy spell a few weeks back I have decided to cut down on reading the news, and have picked up some more motivational literature to start the day off. I find I have a real issue with motivation if my day starts with headlines such as "200 dead in Spain", "More bombs go off in Iraq, many feared dead", "Another suicide bus bomb in Israel", "Another corporate crook led out in handcuffs after destroying the livelihood of millions", etc., etc..
Someone once told me that the reason those stories make the headlines is precisely because they stem from very weird and unusual human activities. But reading about them regularly makes it feel like they are the norm, and that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. I also feel so bad for the people suffering that I find it tough to focus on human triumph.
So, this morning like almost all of my others (I am not that self-disciplined after all) I am going to start the day reading about another successful entrepreneur, a Nobel prize laureate and his/her life, a happy, long and successful marriage, or something in that vein. I’ll read the news in the afternoon after my brain is well programmed with the positive.
This coming week looks a little slow due to the break. Still, I have managed to arrange for two networking meetings, and my committee activities will have me busy and will add some welcome structure to my week. I also still have some office set up activities. That is one thing I completely forgot about from my first foray into entrepreneurship: how long it takes to set an office up. So far it has taken me twice as long, and cost me twice as much, and I am still not done. Plus, I am a bit of a techno-loser so if there is a technical glitch, there goes my day.
However, since so many people feel they deserve this week off, I think I will treat myself to a half day off, and will spend an afternoon with my wife playing hooky and looking at furniture. Not that we will be buying anything, but it will be fun imagining and planning.
Peter Hadas has over 10 years consulting experience working for major national clients in the Biotech, Distribution, Retail, Financial Services, Professional Services, Energy & Utilities and Public Sector industries. His area of expertise is working with senior management to plan and implement complex change initiatives resulting from rapid growth, post merger and acquisition integration, or large scale systems implementations. Contact Peter Hadas Consulting at 905-470-7703.
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