The injured wrist

My injured wrist after the cross country on Monday

And this is me, still with the injured wrist, after solo cycling on Friday. It's still painful.

Cross Country on Monday

Steven' Bike - Tank Easton

Damned awesome bike. I want those tyres too, but couldnt afford it yet. Next time babeh, next time...hehehe

Attract Success

Do you find yourself butting your head against the wall of success? Are you caught up in a revolving door going around and around? When you look at where you are in life, do you think you should be further ahead? Not long ago, I reviewed my goals. If you know me, you might realize that I am a dreamer. I have BIG dreams. But there are days when I, too, am frustrated. I feel like I am spinning my wheels of success in one place. On the outside, many people think I have it all together. They think I am so successful and I have arrived. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with the success I have had so far in my life. I am living my dream in America. I am blessed! I face everyday with excitement and passion. I am doing something I truly love. My vocation is my vacation. I have friends in high places. I am way ahead of many. Life is wonderful compared to what it was. I am successfully pressing on to greater things. But I have had my share of frustration along the way. Well, unlike many who are too busy trying to make a living instead of designing a life, I took the time to examine what I might be doing wrong. And my findings are really astonishing. I discovered that my doings are not in alignment with my being. And that may be your problem, too. Let me explain. Imagine for a moment that your mind is a garden. It is impossible to grow mangos from a watermelon seed. But it seems as though that is exactly what we are trying to do when it comes to aligning the seeds in our minds versus the harvest we want as a result. Seeds of doubt and fear planted in our minds can reap their own sort of crop. If you wake up doubting whether you will make it or not, it doesn't matter how much you have done for the day, you will not make much progress. You must believe! That's why you and I can't afford to let others dump their negative opinions in our heads and take them as the gospel truth. It's dangerous to our success! Most people will not utter one sentence without injecting some kind of fear or doubt in us. And keep in mind that the more influence others have on you, the more damage you allow them to do. One seed of fear is like a weed. Once allowed to enter our minds, it can grow wild and suffocate the good in you. I am sure you have heard that success is an inside job. We must first create it in our minds and intensely believe it is ours before it can become a reality. God never lets us down. We let ourselves down. Does that make sense to you? Until we meet again, take a good look at your own personal garden (your mind), and notice all of the weeds that may have overtaken it. Do you know how those weeds got there? Five years from now, if you are not careful, you may become what the people around you believe instead of what you wish for yourself. Be sure to always surround yourself with positive and successful people..

True Leader

A mark of a good leader is to be able to provide consistent motivation to his team encouraging them to attain excellence and quality in their performance. A good leader is always looking for ways to improve production and standards. Here are six management skills you can develop as a leader in working to create a quality effective team.1. Observation This is an important aspect that often gets neglected due the demands on a leader's time and schedule. Observation and regular visits to the work environment are a priority and should be scheduled into the calendar. Observing employees at work, the procedures, interaction and work flow is foundational to implementing adjustments to improve results. To have credibility, a leader needs to be seen and be known to be up to date with what is happening in the work place.2. Monitor Employee PerformanceEmployee performance needs to be monitored in mutually accepted ways. Policies and procedures need to be clear. Conferencing should be on a regular basis and not just when there is a problem. Assessments and evaluations should not be merely all formality or viewed a necessary paperwork to be done and filed away. Individual and group conferencing should be undertaken not only to monitor performance, but with the expectation of on going professional development and support. There should be frequent encouragement and clear criteria for on going goals both for the group and individual.3. Implementation of Professional Development ProgramsA good leader evaluates weaknesses and provides training and development strategies to strengthen the weaker skills in the team.4. Demonstrates Working Knowledge and ExpertiseGood leadership comes from a place of strong knowledge and experience of the production and process leading to results. If a leader does not possess all the expertise and knowledge personally, then regular consultations with experts involved in the departments should be held. This is important in order to maintain an accurate and informed overall picture.5. Good Decision MakingGood leadership is characterized by the ability to make good decisions. A leader considers all the different factors before making a decision. Clear firm decisions, combined with the willingness and flexibility to adapt and adjust decisions when necessary, create confidence in the leadership.6. Ability to Conduct and Evaluate ResearchOn going review and research is vital in order to keep on the cutting edge in business. While managing the present to ensure on going excellence in product and performance, a good leader is also able to look towards the future. Conducting and evaluating research is an important way of planning and being prepared for the future.Excellent leadership is always pro active rather than reactive. By developing these six managerial skills builds a solid foundation for success.