Brrr....

Last week was hard to want to get out of long underwear and fuzzy jammies.  With the freezing temperatures, the thought of going out for my km’s walking/drag, really wasn’t very appealing.  So instead I blew the dust off my treadmill (haven’t used it a lot since getting a dog) and went for a run.  I set up my dogs’ big pillow beside me hoping that my company would be enough to satisfy her and that she would let me off the hook for our km’s outside.   I was wrong.  She slept with one eye open showing little to no motivation but as soon as the treadmill stopped she popped up with her head pushed against the door, ready to go out.  Who could resist that face?  Needless to say, I put on several layers of clothing and off we went.  I have to admit that once out, the fresh air was fantastic, also was getting back into a warm house! 

The times I have the lowest motivation and drive are usually the times where it is even more important for me to push myself and stay with my routine (the best our life allows me).  The moment I strap on those boots or step out onto the mats, I am instantly glad to be there and always leave feeling uplifted and rejuvenated and looking forward to the next timeJ

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Where's The Quality?

We have a project going on around our home that has had a stream of different contractors coming and going for the past 2 months.  Unfortunately, this experience has had me questioning whether there is any such thing as quality anymore.  I have found out that the days of a hand shake and of honesty, accountability and trust is a hard thing to find.  Gone also seem to be the days of customer service and quality work.  The sad thing is that this attitude is being passed down from the more senior workers to the new guys who will soon be taking over.    What is the point of doing something half way, just enough or just altogether wrong?  How can a person feel good with signing their name to a job that is deficient and full of shortcuts? 

As I have seen the shoddy workmanship and lack of accountability and the path of damage along the way, I have struggled with how to handle this.  I don’t want to fly around on a broom yelling (although I have found myself close to it).  I want to approach these guys in a constructive way, getting my point across and still have my integrity intact.  I’ve never been good at any kind of confrontation (would rather run from it), yet it seems I’m being put in more situations these days than I like where I have to stand up, question and call people on certain things.  Every action I take and every word I say needs to be thought out before delivering.  How I react is going to affect not only how this project turns out but also in the end how I feel about myself.  I don’t want to feel disappointed and embarrassed with my actions. 

On the other hand, we have had 2 crews that have come in and been incredible.  They have been efficient, done an awesome job and been an absolute pleasure to deal with, and I am grateful for them.  I only wish that they didn’t seem like a minority!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca