Randomness, Observations, Experiences

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

For today, in no particular order or connectivity—just writing from experiences…..

People are better at constructing, building up, and expanding than de-constructing, tearing down, retracting. But sometime life calls for more deletion, simplification, deconstruction. This is true personally and professionally.

When all else is stripped away, the the first priority of any business is survival. It’s not fancy, but survival is 1st. Sell work, do work, bill work, collect for the billed work, profit by spending less than we take in. Being visionary or doing long range planning is a waste of energy if we aren’t dealing with sustainability of delivering excellence over and over and growing outward.

Cash is underrated. We can’t eat (literally) off of equity (unless it’s in land producing food.) We can grow wealth by equity, but we need cash for daily life. Each has its place. Don’t mistake one for the other.

It can be healthy to consider the “least plausible explanation” for an outcome or occurrence. This is threatening to some people, but it can be refreshing to consider.

Conspiracy theories are only such until they aren’t.

Much can be discerned from pattern recognition. This is not really emphasized in most formal educations. Patterns, broken patterns, changing patterns can reveal much. Sometimes we call this “trusting our gut,” but it really isn’t about the gut. It’s about awareness and processing patterns. Don’t discount it.

Everything matters, small or big. So finish it.

Making the bed in the morning really is the start to a more organized and ordered life. It sets in motion a pattern of getting things done, owning the day, developing healthy habits. (We own the bed, the bed doesn’t own us.)

Agility and resilience are key qualities of people, families and businesses that continue to endure in spite of constantly changing circumstances.

Buildings constructed without a qualified Building Envelope Consultant under-perform compared to those constructed with one. This is a key investment that provides a short and long term ROI (return on investment) in better comfort, longevity, aesthetics, capability, reduced risk. The old phrase, “pay now or pay (a lot more) later” applies to this in every instance.

It may sound obvious, but builders, architects, and engineers all have their role in the built world. Don’t confuse one for the other. Engage each according to their value to a project

The Antarctic Ice sheet gained significant mass from 2021 to 2023, reversing the trend of mass loss. This doesn’t make headline news. Look it up. This is not a political statement, just a fact.

Accounts receivable (collecting cash payments for billed services or products) is the hardest part of managing a small private business in B2B world. The “work” of the business is easy. Keeping AR moving is hard unless we can dictate terms 100% of the time, which is not reality. Every client has a different process, platform, payment method, chain of command, etc. Be wise, be sensible, be reasonable, but set boundaries.

Outsourcing anything is a mixed bag; it’s two sides of the same coin. It requires sacrificing some measure of control for convenience. Assess and monitor regularly

That’s it for today. Randomness. I had to get that off my chest. Comment if you choose.

The Suffering Index

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Unemployment data for the United States was recently published showing somewhere in the range of 4.1% unemployment. I guess this is supposed to make people feel reasonably positive that 95.9 in 100 people of working age in America have a job. Excellent. But what does it really mean? How does it align with our reality as an individual, a family, a group, town, region, state, area, market, segment, category, industry? What the numbers don’t show is how well people are thriving or how much they may be suffering. So in this analysis and reading of data we must leave room for critical thinking.

Data is data. Macro data has a wide filter. It doesn’t capture the fine stuff. So let’s look deeper; let’s look at what I am calling “the suffering index.”

What is this index? Well, I made it up. It’s a qualitative measure within the unemployment index to assess how well I think people and businesses are doing financially, physically, emotionally, and what they are experiencing in terms of buying power, dissonance, negotiations.

Just because the government publishes a statistic that implies we should feel good, doesn’t mean we should ignore what the eye sees, ears hear, mind captures, checkbook says, buying power creates. Employment is one measure. How well it facilitates life is another measure.

From my observation, my own experience, the business of life, talks with peers, company owners, clients, my adult children, and others, the suffering index has increased steadily the last 2 years. It’s obvious. I am not the only person that sees it this way.

I am grateful to be employed as a business owner and professional. I have some options, I have work. I am not complaining. I am responsible to shape my reality, keep my head up, be resilient, move forward one day at a time. But running the business now compared to prior to all the years prior to 2020 is not the same. Running the business in 2024 vs 2022 is not the same. Change always happens. Regulation is greater. Taxation is higher. Buying power is decreased. Inflation is still not under control (which is a problem created by a government and up to them to solve.) Reluctance to do deals is higher than prior. Commercial building is very slow. People are not returning to offices and will not all do so unless most companies mandate. That is unlikely and would lead to additional shifts, retirements, repurposing.

There’s an old phrase, “figures don’t lie by liars figure.” And another, “If you torture the data long enough it will tell you exactly what you want it to.”

Unemployment measures matter to some degree at the macro level in terms of trending. But I don’t need to see them. It doesn’t matter to anyone other than the government, speculators or trend followers. I prefer to judge reality on my own, based on my observation, experience, and realm of influence.

I know how to suffer well. I can be joyful in lack or in plenty, most of the time. It’s a mindset. I know when suffering is increased or decreased. I know how to be resilient based on long experience in the game of life and business.

But the suffering index is high right now. This is based on what I “feel and see.”

And that’s alright. It’s my index. I have no other data to back it up. It’s based on thousands of inputs over thousands of days.

How are you?

Not Setting Goals – Systems and Process

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

On the matter of setting goals, this subtle shift in mindset is a profound change in working toward desired results:

Instead of thinking and saying, “It’s my goal to_______________________ (fill in the blank,)” or “I really want to _______________,” replace it with “I am the type of person who does ____________________________ (fill in the blank.)”

Be specific. Actions drive results. Mindset drives actions. To achieve desired results it takes thought, intention, and action. Set a standard. Create an identity, a process, a system, a standard, and execute to it.

Here’s some examples:

Replace: “I really want to lose 15 lbs,” with “I am the kind of person who works out daily and focuses on clean eating and hydration.”

Replace: “I really want a better relationship with my spouse,” with “I am the kind of person who plans and does a weekly date night with my spouse.”

Replace: “We would really like to see the business grow to $5m in revenue,” with “we are the type of people who meet once per week to report scorecards measuring activity in operations, sales, marketing, and client satisfaction, to sustain revenue growth.”

Replace; “We really need to get on top of our spending,” with “I am the kind of person who spends time at my desk tracking expenses daily, maintains a cash flow forecast and balances the checkbook weekly.”

Being a person who sets a standard creates continued improvement toward desired results. Once focused on process and systems, results follow. More energy can then be applied toward new and better outcomes over time. Maintaining to a standard requires less energy than getting there. Plus, it’s easier to calibrate and adjust when we eliminate variables.

I’m the kind of person who likes to share ideas with the world and write, so I maintain and publish a blog.

I am other things too.

So, what kind of person are you?

Go Big or Go Home?

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Not really.

Do the work in a way that is natural to the context.

Do what you’re led to do.

Do what the vision inspires.

Not everything is meant to be big or scalable.

If it is, great. If not, no worries.

Stick to the essence of the vision, mission, and value being expressed.

Find your sweet spot.

Enjoy it.

What Time Is It?

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What time and season is it for you?

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. “

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Be aware of the time, and the times.

What I’m Doing Now

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Working a lot. I have been super busy with the totality of work at www.wheatonsprague.com. The business has been very dynamic, as has been the market. This requires constant focus and awareness. We’ve made many changes, the biggest being the implementation of the business operating system known as EOS Worldwide. I am in the position of CEO (Visionary in EOS terms) and also running the Building Envelope Consulting Division at present. We’re experiencing growth there, and I am enjoying bringing more enterprise definition, process, scale, and continuity to it. We are also growing in our other division and various practice segments. EOS provides an A.D.D. idea guy like me a clear operational structure to work within and a path for creating and operating with definition. I like the structure of it, and we are getting results.

Exercising. I am continuing my pattern of exercise, which I have done for most of my life. Right now that means walking every morning, then alternating various forms of resistance work daily, upper body, lower body, core strength, flexibility exercises. The pattern is working and it’s just part of whom I am. This is seven days per week. I only miss if there’s some extenuating circumstance, but I always do something every day. I am working my body in some way about 350 to 360 days per year

Journaling daily. I read the bible daily, write out an observation, an action, an application to whatever I am studying or reading. I also monitor my energy, sleep, nutrition, and take a brief inventory of emotional, relational, spiritual, physical, mental inventory and assess if I am trending positive or negative. It takes adjusting daily to stay on a solid course in increasing measure.

Podcasting; The Creating Structure Podcast https://creatingstructure.buzzsprout.com is a high priority for me, and one of the reasons why the blog has not been populated regularly. The podcast has a strong, consistent audience, and is growing in popularity. Much positive feedback has been received. People look for it, wait for it, and affirm it. Vocationally, this is my “public service” work at the moment. I don’t need to do it for money. I do it because I enjoy it and because I seek to provide content that is encouraging, interesting, and of value in some form. Everyone should know what they do for “free” and for “fee.” I do engineering and consulting work for “fee” (for money.) I provide solutions to clients. I do podcasting for “free,” at least for now. There may come a time when that changes, but now is not that time.

More on the daily exercising; I am walking every day in the early morning. I see the sun come up almost every day. I walk the same path every morning. Some may find that boring, but there’s a hidden beauty and adventure in it; I get to observe the patterns and changes along the path every day. The creativity and beauty is in the observation of the little incremental differences experienced every day. The extra leaf that falls to the ground. The small game path and trails. The deer that like certain locations. Trees that have fallen. The smell of late summer, and the coming autumn. Being outside every day bring more clarity to me on the cycles of days, weeks, months, seasons, patterns. It’s a fascinating experience.

The Garden; I have stepped back from my work in our community garden plot this year. It’s been painful, but there have been too many other priorities in my personal life, so it’s the right thing to do. I haven’t stewarded the plot the way it really should be done. It has been more of a triage exercise. I am reconsidering the commitment to the community garden and what the context might be next spring and summer. I have my seed cache already, but still need to decide what is an appropriate investment for this life season. I’d love to have an abundant, sustainable, fully functional organic garden on my own property now. More on that later. I do have, and have enjoyed, a flower garden I groomed, expanded and have been working for 2 years. This one is at my home. It has Zinnias, Marigolds, and Cosmos, all heirloom seeds. Most of the seed was harvested from last year’s flowers and saved over the winter. I like having a place for pollinators to come and to enjoy. It is connected to a long patch of goldenrod that is thriving with many types of native bees, butterflies, dragonflies. I find it meaningful to have the color and to support the pollinating community.

I’ll leave it at this for now. It’s been a while, so I’ll be back with another post soon. Thanks for reading and being a part of this blog community

Sunday Spiritual – Easter

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Just me being me on this significant day called Easter.

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ, is one of the most well documented events in human history. He was executed, confirmed dead, his body made ready for burial, then placed in a guarded tomb. He was not present in the tomb on the 3rd day. This was verified. But it wasn’t just that the tomb was empty. He then appeared bodily to many, hundreds, actually. This was documented as well. He spoke to those to whom he appeared, further explained what was up, what it all meant,  how he had told them about it, that he was leaving to go back to the heavenly realm, and that he would  send the “one my Father promised,” the Holy Spirit.

The doctor, Luke, carefully records this in his letter to Theophilus, which we now call the gospel of Luke. Many chose to undertake to write an account of the life of Christ and Luke’s account stuck, along with the accounts from Matthew, Mark and John.

Here’s a brief account from the end of Luke’s letter, with direct quotes from Jesus, after he rose from the dead:

“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.” – Luke 24:45-48

I never knew anything about this until I was 19 years old, when I heard about it for the first time. At 24 years old it became life changing. Literally. That was when I felt such a great burning with the reality of this truth, that I had to make a commitment and follow Jesus.

It is just too good to keep bottled up. Anyone who knows me, should know that if I can be forgiven eternally and walk in peace, anyone can. I don’t deserve it, but none of us do. We’re all cracked pots. Thanks to everyone who helped along my path. There were many, some of whom may be reading this.

Personally, I dont think the questions are whether Jesus existed or not, or whether he really died or not, or really overcame death to live again or not. That’s old stuff.  I think the question is “What are we going to do about it?”

There’s another life. It’s available here and after our time has passed here. Life to life.

Happy Easter.

He is Risen. And that makes everything different.

The Island

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You can see it in the feet. The tan lines, the little cuts, the dirt under the toenails, the weathered soles. “Island feet.” Shoes are optional. Flip flops are the norm. Barefoot works often as well. Feet on dirt, feet on grass, feet on sand, feet in saltwater, feet on the warm deck wood. All feelings we lose in contemporary society as adults. Unrestrained feet. It’s strangely freeing. I am reminded of this every time I go to the island to spend some extended time. The roads are all dirt. There are no cars, just golf carts, fat-tired bikes, and legs for transportation.

Tee shirts are the norm. The more eclectic the better. Collared sport shirts are considered dress-up. Clothing decisions are simple. Getting dressed takes a minute or so. Shorts, shirt, flip flops, go.

Most weekends, just put on the bathing suit and water gear in the morning. No need then to change. People understand. No one really cares or judges by clothing choice anyway. It’s the island.

Islands have their own rhythm. Wind, sun, rain, tides, sunrise, sunset, fish movements, all are variables that impact the rhythm. Weather has a lot to do with it. The more remote, the more impactful these realities of nature. Sun up, sun down. What’s the wind speed? Is it a beach day or bay day?

The island I am referring to doesn’t have a bridge, so it takes work to get there. It’s only accessible by boat. When I say boat, I mean a private boat service, or your own boat, not a public ferry. So if you’re there, you’re there for a reason. For an island, the more remote, the harder to get to, the less infrastructure, the more intentional a person’s presence becomes. This creates a culture; a certain common thread. People there for a reason. Certain mindsets.

Friends get together on “island time.” Island time means “go ahead and drop in,” or “come on over.” Island time means “sometime around 4:30,” but it’s not rigid. Island time is fluid. It’s less restrictive.

“Friendly” is a big value on an island. If you don’t need someone now, you’ll need them at some point for a tool, a boat ride, flour, an extra set of hands, and for a hundred other things. Mutual dependence is normal. Community creates a much better experience.

Tired at night is really tired. Island tired. Days are long, nights are dark, fatigue settles in quickly. Physical fatigue, not just mental and emotional. The fatigue of being out in the elements, using the body heavily. The fatigue I remember as a kid in the summertime after running all day from early to late.

It’s an island. The feet know it. The body feels it. It’s simpler. It’s slower. It’s freeing. It’s life giving. Once experienced, it’s tough to live without it.

Backwards

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

I think that we often have our values reversed; or maybe it’s just me.

Why would we want to sleep longer in the morning on our day off ? Don’t we want to get on with our free time?

Why would we want to spend the best of our energy during the work day prioritizing answering emails? Shouldn’t we save it for later, when we have used up most of our creativity on more important problems or value propositions?

Why would we consider it a win, like we’ve cheated the system, to skip a workout day, or a good nutrition day, as if we deserve it? Don’t we want to pursue health every day in some form?

Why do we prioritize the tyranny of the urgent over that which is important? Do we always want to be responding to other people’s priorities for us to the exclusion of everything else?

Flip the paradigm. Own rather than be owned. Initiate rather than just respond. Rethink the value system. Start in some measure immediately.

“Limbo”

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There’s a word and phrase in my culture that we may speak to ourselves when we feel stuck, delayed, or unable to make a clear decision- “I’m feeling like I’m in limbo.” Or “I don’t like being in limbo.”

The other day I woke up in that space. There was a conflict in my mind between two major issues that unexpectedly presented themselves, issues that required attention, disrupting the exact timing on another major event I scheduled many, many months ago.

My first thought was, “I can’t be in limbo anymore about this.”

Then I reflected. There really is no “limbo.” Limbo is a mental construct. Limbo is the tension created internally between what I want to do versus what the situation is requiring me to do now; the true NEED versus my WANT or DESIRE.

Limbo is a signal that I am not living in the moment. That I am not being present in what’s before me.

Once I made the shift, I moved out of that tension. There is no LIMBO.

I get to choose. You get to choose.