Enough with the fog

and I don't mean in my mind.  It has been foggy here for about the last three days.  It is gloomy and dreary and just crappy out.  This does have an affect on us (OK at least me) after while.  I like rainy days, snowy days and sunny days - but I need the changes.  If  get too much of one I get out of wack (doesn't take much).  Oh well just needed to vent.

Motivation

My wife and I were having a discussion yesterday on how hard it is to stay motivated this time of the year.  It is like that every day for sales.  It is easy to let things slide, wait till tomorrow and rest today or even just do the fun things and postpone the difficult (things most people are doing this time of year).  In fact in sales you do need to do these things every ONCE in a WHILE, but certainly not the norm.  Sales is not rocket science, it is built upon cycles.  You need to recognize which cycle you are in and ride it.  Some days are the lay low and some days are the hit it hard, but never ride the cycle longer than you should.  Burn out internally or no sales will happen if you do.

Technology is AWESOME!!!

OK so for Christmas I got and gave some new technology (I know if you know me that will surprise you :) ).  I got a headset to pair with my IPad (Steve the S9s are awesome!) so that I can listen to my music or watch NetFlix (again thanks Steve!) without bothering (or waking) the family.  I gave my son Noah a XBox with Kinect (OK Kevin this thing rocks!).  Noah is at his mom's the rest of the week so I can't customize it too much (it is his) but what I have done so far is it rocks!  I love technology!!!

Great Christmas

So the week was awesome (and more to come).  I love spending time with the family (although the kids do drive me a little crazy) and helping them play with their new toys.  Also enjoy a little extra time with my better half just being able to talk.  The thing is - were you ready to come back to work?  I love time with the family but I really enjoy my work also.  I look forward to coming back and talking to the great people I work with and for (clients in some people's world).  Do you love what you do and who you do it with?  If not, why are you still there???

New Phone

So I am really wanting a new phone (I do love my technology).  I have been waiting for a Windows mobile 7 phone, but am getting a lot of feedback on trying a Droid.  What do you think?  I haven't been a huge Google fan up to this point, but someone (OK it was Steve) told me it would be good to try other technologies rather than just Microsoft (OK I do have my Apple IPad also).  That is a really good thought.  Thanks for the input Steve - now I have more thinking to do...

noah gets first step of braces today - just in time for holidays!

Christmas Week

So what are your plans this week?  Just sit back and enjoy the week of Christmas.  While I recommend spending time remembering what this holiday is about, and spending time with friends and family (the life blood of a good life) I really recommend putting the pedal to the metal.  This is the time when most of our clients and prospects are spending lots of time in the office - perfect time to call or stop by.  Don't slow down now - it is time to build for 2011!

The Game

Anyone else see life as a game?  I was trying to explain this to Noah, my 14 year old son.  It is not so much a win/lose situation but more of a situation where you need to figure the rules out as you go.  Also you better have fun with it, or it could destroy you.  I don't think he gets it yet, he says life is so unfair.  I told him it is fair once you play by the rules that are set for that day.  You have to love confusing the kids :)

lunch @ olde main with a great client/friend - good times

Mr. Schmooze

Have you read this book yet?  I LOVE IT.  It is in my top 5 books.  I have been trying to convince my son that book smarts will get you only so far, so am having him read it also.  I think it is one of those books to share and to read at least yearly.
Check it out.

gabe and taryn's first movie at the theater - tandled. went well but came out to a blizzard

what a beautiful day!

Staying Focused

Why is it that focus is lost in December?  Is it the holidays, the shopping or just needing to rest a little from a long year?  Doesn't matter.  Now is the time to keep going and get the plan done.  It sucks - I certainly don't like doing it either, but my kids like to eat and want that new toy under the tree.  I am also making plans for next year.  If you don't have a plan how the hell do you expect to get where you are going?  Just had to vent, now you can go back to your day.
Have a great one!

Sales

I saw a Dilbert cartoon a while ago where Dilbert was put into the sales department.  While calling on a prospect he figures out that if you merge sales and talk you get stalk.  Pretty funny stuff.  Got me thinking though.  I also see if you merge sales and talk you can get tales - as in stories.  Do you use story telling to help your client understand how your offering will help them?  It is the best tool out there!

preschool pickup time

Christmas shopping day - half done already :)!

working in st joe office

picking up taryn at preschool

day off - cleaning and spending time with noah. picking up taryn right now

on way to kc - very early morning

on the way to kc

preschool pick up time!

picking up noah - ready for him to be home

@ valley west mall's playland

lunch @ cayanne's with a client

on way to training in st cloud

on my way to training in st cloud

up early to go to itec

hickory park for dinner - we derserve it, right

off to pumpkin patch - wrong to need ac on in bthe car

home - great meetings with vtn but looking forward to seeing wife and family

at the airport ready to come home to the family :)

supermassive by sonicwall meeting - scared as hell now from new internet security issues

Travel Day

Have not had lots of time lately but right now am flying over Nevada on my way to San Francisco to spend a few days at a conference. Traveling is a double edge sword for me. I love to do (love to visit other areas, meet new people, see new things) but I really miss my family a lot. I love my family and really enjoy the time I have with them (I know that relatively soon they will be gone so need to make the best of what I have). I also enjoy my wife, who also happens to be my best friend (pretty luck that way). Hope everyone has this problem, compared to some years ago it is pretty good.

HP wants to connect everything with a digital heartbeat - love that term

day 1 @ VTN and lots of info already

in SF for a couple of days - miss the family already

a good game and a great win!

gilbert football!!

Vacation

Time to get back at it. Do you love your job? Like it? Hate it?
Why and what are you going to do about it? Do you really want to do
something day after day for years that you don't enjoy? That's called
a slow death, find something you love to do and go for it (but keep
your current job till you find it - you need to pay bills and be
productive - a lot of people don't seem to think about this point).
Once you find it enjoy and do the best you can!

Rain Rain Go Away

Like Ron White says, "When life gives you lemons, find someone that life gave Vodka and have a party".  Last night we got another 4 inches of rain (if you didn't hear about the flooding we had about 3 weeks ago - go Bing it, it was amazing).  So with water in the basement again and more rain on the way what should I do.  Well most people are complaining and whining about it.  Myself, I think I will celebrate.  My grass was looking rather brown - this way I can get more excercise by mowing (Noah has football and can't do it with his schedule).  Also with the new puppy this washes away the "bio" deposits in the back yard so I don't have to worry about them.  Lastly - I really do like storms.  I love lightening and thunder and some (key work is some) rain.  So I guess I will just enjoy what I can, and screw the rest!

Another Big Day

A worry at the Hicks household the last day or two is what do to with Kinnick during the day.  Now most people would say - he is a dog, he will be fine, but we treat him like we do our kids (OK it is called spoiling them).  Yesterday our day care provider, who happens to love dogs, suggested she could keep him during the day.  So as of today we have three kids in day care - two human and one furry.  Dropping him off went very well, he was very excited (note tail wagging here) and running from child to child to sniff them.  Time will tell if this was a good move, but as of now I am at least not worried that he is by himself.

Addition to the Hicks Clan

Well we did it this weekend - we got a dog.  At the end of the day it is good for the kids to learn responsibility and the damn thing is cute.  There are so many great times I can remember with the dogs I had growing up (I grew up on a farm, come on we had a new one almost every year).  I hope to share those great memories with my kids (along with the chores of feeding and picking up poop).  It will be tough (last night's sleep, or lack of it, shows that) but in the long run will be a great move by the Hicks family.

Another Day

Wow yesterday started off as a good day and ended on a bad one.
Politics (office) take up a lot of resources and burn me out. Why do
we deal with it? Because I love people... So guess I will put on my
big boy pants, put a smile on my face and enjoy a great day. So
please either join me or get the hell out of my way.

Comfort Zone

A great weekend in the books! Do you try different things and get out
of your comfort zone? My wife and I went to a party at a friends
house that we would know no one at. It made us (yes me also) nervous
since we did not know anyone. Ended up we did know a few people and
had a fun time (left Noah at home with the kids so couldn't be gone
too long). When is the last time you went out of your comfort zone -
it is good for you!

Making the Home a Happy Place

Do you ever have one of those days that everything seems to need you to make the decision?  How about a week / month  / year like that?  I have had a few days in a row but my wife is having a year like that.  It sucks both life and happiness out of a person.  Am considering what to do to make her have a smile.  I usually buy her flowers (about every other month and guys it is worth it, and do it for no reason - they don't expect it and the love it).  Any ideas?  I think I need something new.

A Little Fun

I went to the Iowa State Fair yesterday (haven't gone in a long time and it is always good to get back to eat food on a stick - basically anything you want).  Had a great time with the wife and oldest (it was Noah's birthday gift to go see Jeff Dunham) and really enjoyed the day.  The link below is for the guy who opened for Jeff (Brian Haner) who I thought was funny as hell (and had a pretty good message).  Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Looking Back

Wow has it really been 14 years. I can't beleive it. It seems just like yesterday (ok no it doesn't but 14 seems too long). I am not one to look to the past and dwell on it, but zometimes you need to remember. My oldest (who is now a freshman in high school) was born. Kids are the greatest thing to happen to you while being the most difficult. They teach as much as you teach them. They are grown before yu know it. I took today off to do something with him (golf is out unless you can play it under water) but he did mention wings at Hooters!

Noah and His Ark

Luckily my oldest son's name is Noah because we might need to build an Ark soon. With most roads closed yesterday in town and the water shut off it is certainly trying. Water to do? Well as Ron White says "when life gives you lemons find someone that life gave Vodka and have a party". Life is too short to sweat the small stuff and at the end of the day isn't everything the small stuff? My family is great, house is fine and we have food to eat. Really what problems do I have???

Enough with the Rain

OK so we live in Iowa - the weather here is not always the best.  For the last three days (feels like a month) it has rained a lot (over 9 inches is what I am told) and is hot (heat index is over 100).  Enough already.  I am tired of tearing my carpeting up in the basement due to water.  I am tired of people scared to do things they should (or are paid to do) because of the floods (or chance of them), and most of all I am tired (my kids don't sleep well with the storms).
I know that the weather is not horribly exciting to discuss (unless you are a farmer and since I grew up on a farm I still consider myself a "farm boy") but things have to change quickly.
Now that my rant is over you can go back to your life - there is not much we can do about it anyway.  Sometimes you just need to blow off some steam though.

Last Night

Last night I was not in the best mood. Just one of those days. You know what changed it? A good old fashion squirt gun fight with the kids (ok I had the hose - I am the dad after all). Getting really wet while running around was just what I needed. Hearing the laughs and giggles from my kids (and we did get Christina involved in the end) was music to my ears. Sometimes it is the simple things that are the most precious - don't miss them!

Integrated Life

For a long time I tried to run a balanced life with work and family. What did I find - there is no such thing! Now I am working on a integrated life. Work and family don't happen at certain hours of the day. They happen all the time! I am getting better at integrating everything but it takes prioritizing what's important at that time. Honesty and focus are necessary to make this work but so far things seem to be working well. I will keep you posted.

Your Day

Hat is important to you? Can you prove it? I was reading a blog yesterday (can't remember which) that said look how you spend your 24 hours and that will show you what truly is important. OK so here is my pretty typical day:
5:30 - 7:30 = getting ready and spending time with family talking about the day (ok I usually do watch the Weather Channel while getting ready)
7:30 - 5:30 = work (yes I do work it isn't just all golf and games :))
5:30 - 9:30 = time with the family (usually playing but maybe a little TV)
9:30 - 11:00 = maybe a little more work and also talking time with the wife

So what doe this show? Well I work a lot (cause I love what I do) and I also spend a lot of time with the family (TV viewing doesn't count in my book). I feel like this is a pretty good mix in my life. What does yours look like?

Email - part 2

Life is what happens to you when you are reading email.  I think this is my new mantra.  I have found that life goes on, even when I am not reading my email every minute.  Actually, sometimes, things get corrected before I even get involved now.  Maybe I am not needed as much as I thought.  Guess this gives me time to get out there and network.  I love being out from behind my desk!

Email

I have had a lot of discussions lately with friends and my wife in regards to email.  When did we become the slave to it, instead of it being a communication medium?  How many of us are constantly watching it and dealing with items the minute they drop into our inbox?  I have been like that in the past and am tired of it.  My new (well OK have been only doing this for one day but will let you know how it is going) way of doing things is as follows:
1. I have Outlook open, but not on my screen at all times.  I will focus on what I am doing and check it every so often, but it won't be in front of me.
2. I will stop thinking I need to respond immediately and set the new framework that if you need me right away - pick up the phone (thanks Larry).
3. I will pick up the phone and talk to my clients more often.  Email is great for details, but should replace a phone call or, even better yet, a personal meeting.
4. I have set my phone to check for email every 15 minutes during work hours and every 60 after hours (OK I set work hours as 5 am to 6 pm).
What do you think?  I would be interested in finding out.

Late Night

Wow a late night last night for my wife, Christina. After being gone
on vacation last week the work on her desk just kept building. She
was up past midnight, and is not close to being caught up. Tonight
might have to be another night of it (dad is not nearly as good as mom
when kids get tired) but I try to help her stayed as focused as
possible. I use to keep track of this sort of stuff but I know that
you never get ahead doing that (learned that from reading The Go Giver
- great read if you haven't done that yet). Give this concept a try
if you keep score - it is quite the freeing feeling!

What is your day like?

So I am back after a week and guess what - not too overwhelmed. A
few email during vacation with a phone call or two and everything is
running fine. Is this what you are like, or are you needed all the
time? I would rather have the process in place for the tasks do I can
work on the relationships - bring it on.

Back to Work

So vacation is over and now it is back to work. While it is sad to
think about on one hand (waking up to an alarm clock is one thing) I
look forward to getting back at it - I miss it. Can you say that? If
not find something you can say that about - life is too short!

Day 3 = Fishing

Well day 3 is in the books, and so am I, well almost. We left Dubuque and travelled the hour south to the farm. What beautiful landscape - I had forgotten. We got to the farm and played for a while (four wheeler, mule and golf cart were out) before we headed to the neighbors pond for a little fishing (one hour and 2 fish). I forget how peaceful the farm is and miss it sometimes, but think it too would get old. Oh well, overall another fabulous day with the family!

Day 3

Well day 3 is in done and I seem to be more tired than when the vacation started. Museums and water parks (oh yeah and a 13, 3 and 2 year old) will do that to you. It is amazing that reading your email only 2 times a day (when no one is looking) you can stillbe productive. How does that happen? I thought you needed to watch email all the time. Guess this is one more thing i didn't understand correctly. Oh well i am sure it won't be the last :)

Day 2

Day 2 is over for vacation and it finds us very tired. We visited UNI and Loras and ended the day at a great water ark in dubuque. Nothing like ending the day overlooking the Mississippi (beautiful river) with loving family. This is the longest vacation i have taken with the family and am really enjoying the time - is was long over due.

First Day

Well vacation starts today and it has already been completely different than my plan (and I am not as flexible as I wish I was). It started with our basement flooding again this weekend - so we have been pulling up carpeting again and trying to dry everything out (seems to be going better than last time). Then the storms closed the golf course - so no golf with Noah and Christina (which is good and bad depending on how my game looked). Christina and I did have "adult time" with a nice lunch and now going to a movie (can't remember when that happened last time) but had to make time for a confernce call. This is what I mean when I say an integrated life - there needs to be time for everything but you need to prioritize things correctly (and correctly is different for everyone).
Well need to get back to the conference call (and email, paying bills and the 20 other things doing at the same time).

Stop to smell the golf ball

I had a great afternoon of golf with a good friend. I needed some time to relax and discuss everything from our wives, to our kids, to work, to sales. I never realized how important a person, I will call him a brother, can be to vent to share and to laugh with was until you for a little while with out one. I love my wife and kids but every so often you need another guy to talk to - and I know that Mike will always be there for me, and I for him.

RMA

Today for my Relationship Mastery Academy (see Keith Ferrazzi for more
information) I was to work on a story from my past that I could share
with others. This was to help create a bond with others without being
fake. A way to be real and to show vulnerability (one of the four
mindsets from Keith). While thinking of this it made me think (and I
know my wife Christina would agree) that most people hear my stories
all the time. There is no wondering if this is real, I always roll
like an open book. Do I get screwed sometimes by doing that? You bet
- but I wouldn't have it any other way. Life is too short to be
fake. Be real or be gone!

Sent from my mobile technnology!
Thanks!
Joddey Hicks
The highest compliment you can give us is the referral of a new
client. If you know of anyone who could benefit from any of the
services we provide your company, please keep us in mind. Thanks!

Renewal of Dedication

OK so here we go again. I think of blogging not so much for others, but for me to vent/put thoughts down / think out loud. I think this is very theraputic and I miss it (it has been a while). I will try to continue with this and see where it takes me.

wow what a great day - golf anyone?

chili dog friday!

its friday and cal/wheat is in the state tourny tonight - great day!

time to find my desk again and try to get somethings accomplished in the office - hard to do when it is so nice outside

wow another wierd weather day...

-20 degrees, think i will stay in the office today