Distractions Come & Go

My life today is full of distractions, in that there are just so many things to take the focus off of what I am 'trying' to do. Every now and then I get the chance or stumble up on, something which actually makes me stop, think and puts me back on track. Last night was a good example.

I attended a networking meeting in the Peak District Dales town of Bakewell, attended by a group of approximately 30 'like minded individuals which share a common interest' - there were a number of speakers myself included - un-prepared as ever ! Always good to catch up with friends made through business.

After the comfort / snack break, I sat and listened to a well written short presentation by a local chap, Paul Cox - he grew up in the village next to mine - Chapel en le Frith in the High Peak, Derbyshire. It was clear he had spent quite some time building up his presentation which was very personal to him.

Paul Cox of  Spin Less Plates builds small business software;  as a micro business he experiences much the same as I do and many others like us. The thrust of his presentation was (as I suspected he had been asked) to highlight the benefit of a 'Master Mind' approach - that is to say two heads are better than one and 3 than 2 etc etc. All true enough and we could all benefit from fresh perspective and networking with others especially those which a are head of their game. A read once that you can only improve your chess game by getting beaten by a better player.

However, for me Pauls' motivational talk re-focused my own perspective on the WHY do I work for myself doing what I do - it is the question we should all take time out to re-assess.

It is not my intention to put into type my 'WHY' - if for no other reason than my own privacy. Just to say that if I can give one bit of advice to any would be micro-business builders - ask yourself WHY. It makes all the other questions and answers flow far easier.

Talking of distractions, too often these take us further from the WHY on occasion to the point where we have in fact lost track of the WHY and replaced it with a BECAUSE - in an attempt to justify to ourselves at least the fact that we are 'off target'.

Caught up in the 'production of components' earlier in the week and for a brief period having lost track of the WHY as I moved materials around the workshop - my attention was re-focussed by a 'distraction'. Not the kids, or one of the various pets which come to visit the workshop... cats, chickens or dogs.  Not one of my retired former work pals. This came in the form of a streak of Blue & Orange with a very long sharp beak and pretty nearly collided with the back of my head.  After a few seconds of the poor thing getting lost in the workshop I recovered it from the window ledge and released it outside - it set off as they do with its load SQUEEK and characteristic jet speed back toward the small stream beyond the workshop.

The kingfisher - a bit of a 'Grab Shot' left handed with my mobile phone - still not many can claim to have held such a bird in the UK - protected as it is. Fiesty little thing as well. Stunning colours and quite a few years since I have seen one locally. After a week of running about after others and fitting in production time as and when I could - these simple few seconds of wonder made me re-focus on my WHY. 
I have to get out with my Nikon and do more of the things I like; creating new things, solving new challenges - which brings me to a new project for the Stove Fans - watch the blogs for more news soon.
WHY - well because I want to. !