The Rich And Powerful ARE Above The Law

Some media people are saying
certain rulings prove
the rich and powerful
aren’t above the law.

That’s bullsh*t.

If you or I had done
the things
a certain
rich (or perceived so) and powerful
person
has done,
our a$$es would have been
in jail a LONG time ago.

His perceived wealth and power
bought him nearly a lifetime
of freedom.

We aren’t playing
by the same rules
as the rich and powerful are.

Realize that.
And be very cautious
about using their actions
to justify yours.

Luck IS A Factor In Success

You do everything you can do
to ensure a project
is a success.

It still fails.

Hey, this happens to me.
Often.
It happens to everyone.

Because like it or not
(I vote for not),
good luck is a factor
in EVERY success.

We need a bit of good luck
to be successful.

Acknowledge that.
Accept that.

Try to minimize
the impact luck has
but know that a little bit of it
IS necessary.

And also know
that, eventually,
if we try hard enough,
work wisely enough,
we WILL get that little bit
of luck.

If A Project Doesn’t Start On Time

We’re completing a
major renovation.

Thus far,
the start date
has been delayed three times,
for a total of two weeks.

The reason given
for all these delays
is the previous project
ran over the time allotted.

The probability
our major renovation
will take only the five days
the project manager
proposes it will take
is now,
based on my experience,
zero.

A late start
means predicting the time needed
to complete a project
is a challenge
for the project manager.

They’ll
miscalculate
the amount of time needed
to complete ANY project.

Including any projects
we’re involved in.

If a project starts late,
know that it will take
longer than
the project manager expects it
to take.

Plan your life accordingly.

There Are Always Exceptions

I was told
I absolutely couldn’t participate
in an event.

I didn’t qualify.
The event was full.
There were no exceptions.

Except there are ALWAYS exceptions
and yes, when I talked
to the correct person,
I became one of the exceptions.

There are ALWAYS exceptions
for EVERYTHING.

If you really want
to be the exception,
continue asking,
continue pushing
until you achieve that goal.

Can You Finish This Project?

Even if I decide
to continue with
the Romance Novel business,
the business will change.

Right now,
I write series books.
It takes about 5 books
to complete an overall storyline.

That’s 2 years of publishing time.

With the way things are going
in the Romance Novel Industry,
I don’t know
if I would have 2 years
of publishing time.

I don’t know
if I could finish that project.

Not completing a project
is frustrating for everyone.

My readers would be angry.
I would be disappointed
in myself.
It would be a mess.

So, if the Romance Novel Business
continues,
I’ll write
standalone stories instead.
I’ll focus
on shorter projects.

Ensure you have the timeline
to complete
the projects you’re tackling.

If you don’t have the timeline,
focus on shorter projects.

Business Credit Cards And Personal Credit Scores

As business owners,
our business finances
and our personal finances
often mix.

And sometimes
we might be tempted
to use our business credit cards
for everything
and get rid of
or not use our personal credit cards.

Do NOT do this.

Our business credit cards
build a credit history
for our business ONLY.
It does NOT build
a credit history
for us as individuals.

If all our credit
is in the business’s name
and we close that business,
all that credit history
is gone.

Also
if we try to get
a personal mortgage
or a personal credit card,
we’ll likely be denied.

Because we’ll have no credit histories as individuals.
We won’t have a credit score
and our credit reports will be blank.

Ensure you have a personal credit card.
And use that credit card
once in a while.

Your future self
will thank you.

If The Reason For The Question Is Unclear

Yesterday,
someone on social media
contacted me
via email
(which can be creepy as hell
on its own)
and asked
what my educational background was.

That’s all they wrote.
They didn’t explain why
they cared.
They didn’t explain
who they were.
They didn’t explain
how they were using
that information.

I don’t plan
to respond to them.

Because I don’t know
why they need that information
or
how they plan to use it.

And in today’s world,
their reason for asking
that question
is more likely to hurt me
in some way
than to benefit anyone.

If you want answers,
explain why you’re asking the questions
and what you’re using
the information for.

If you’re being asked questions,
be very cautious
about responding
if the askers
aren’t open about how
they’re using your responses.

Accept The Apology

I apologized to someone
for rushing her off the phone.

I explained
I had been awaiting news of
a loved one’s medical emergency
when she called.

She told me to
just say that
next time.

I wanted to tell her
to stop being a b*tch
and just accept the f*ckin’ apology.

Apologies are hard.
And they don’t need
to be extended.
At all.

Unless you require
that person’s behavior to change
for your relationship
to continue,
don’t critique their apology.

Accept it
and move on.

Plant Many And Thin or Plant Few And Watch

There are two main schools
in the gardening world.

There are the gardeners
who sow a sh*tload of seeds
and then thin the plants
as they grow.

And there are gardeners
who plant only few seeds
and then watch those plants
closely.

Both schools of gardening
work.
Both can result in great harvests.

New product development
is similar.

There are those of us
who develop a sh*tload
of products
and then launch
the best of those products.

And there are those of us
who develop one product
at a time
and do our d@mnedest
to ensure that one product
makes it to launch.

New product developers in both schools
are successful.

But, as the processes for each
are very different,
it helps to know
in which school we belong.

Are you a new product thinner
or a new product watcher?
which school

Preparation Is Part Of The Project

In project management,
we often focus on
the planning and the implementation.

Those ARE important parts.

They’re also exciting parts.

Planning involves dreaming
and what ifs.

Implementation involves
taking big action
and seeing the project come to life.

The part very few of us
get excited by
is…
the preparation stage.

We’re implementing solar
in our house, for example.

Before the skilled tradespeople arrived,
we had to prepare the key work sites.

That involved moving shelving
and cleaning spaces
and other tasks.

These were boring tasks.
But they were essential tasks.
And they increased the probability
of the project being successful.

Remember the preparation part
of the project.

It might not be exciting
but it is key.