An Un-Happy, Happy Ending...

I'm not going to make the pool tomorrow morning and I'm bummed... Yep! Words I thought I'd never hear, let alone utter. But, it's the truth. I got a call from the accountant at a consulting/coaching company I work with and the only time we can 'meet:' he's in Maryland, is tomorrow morning at just about the time I would be climbing out of the pool... And, that stinks!

Not as much as the Tiger Balm... But, it still stinks!

Now, I've got to figure out how I'm going to get that time in the water back or what I can substitute that will make me feel as good when I'm done. I could go to Krav tomorrow night. That would certainly be a test of the shoulder/elbow issues I've been dealing with. But, I'm not sure I want to know how that particular test will be graded. And, besides, the last time I was in this kind of pain I worked too hard, injured myself too deeply and stayed away far too long.

The way things look right now, it's going to probably move in the direction of acupuncture and a good, deep tissue massage - great place in Simi for both, by the way.

It will almost certainly guarantee a 'happy ending.' But, it's just as certain it won't be the kind of 'happy ending' you're probably thinking of right now!

Now, it's a shower, a couple of pain relievers, a few hours sleep; only to wake up in order to drown myself in numbers instead of water...

Tiger Balmy...

Well, if you've been following this series of posts you know I've been struggling with my swimming and a reinforced, reinvigorated commitment to 'wellness'... not necessarily in that order. Despite the desire to do more or better, I've been dealing with a body that seems more interested in going home or to bed than in going to the next level.

I haven't let that or the aches and pains slow me down or stop me... At least, not yet. Instead, I dragged myself out of bed in what felt like the middle of the night to be in the water and ready to swim at 6:00 A.M. If the number of headlights and tail lights on the road at that hour are any indication of the number of people up and about, I can tell you with absolute certainty there aren't many people up and about at that hour!

Nevertheless, I was... And, I was in the water warming up before Jessica - the Master Class coach - arrived on the scene.

Again, that sounds easier than it was. As certain as I am that there were few others up and about, at or before 6:00 A.M., who were not coming home or heading to a workplace somewhere: I am equally as certain, the one place in the world your body does NOT want to be is submerged! I am also pretty sure the reason fish don't hate swimming as much as I do is because they don't have shoulders or elbows, hips or knees! Shoulders, hips, knees and elbows can and often do get sore...

Does anyone out there actually know if fish can get sore? It would be reassuring as hell to know!

I did six or eight laps of various different strokes before Jessica realized there was someone in the water she didn't know and a lot more after she did. I learned a lot for a first class. I learned that I have a 'natural' breast stroke (It was news to me too...). I learned that you can - with an emphasis on 'you' so far - swim while practicing "bi-lateral" breathing: you can alternate breathes from one side of your body to the other, which actually seemed to work better for me than breathing only on one side. I also learned you don't have to breathe once every three or four strokes: but, that you still have to breathe! I learned that I have no endurance, at least not yet. Which was disappointing. And, that I still get winded much too easily... Even more disappointing.

Did mention that I've only been in the water eight or ten times and that I'm terribly impatient; or, have you already figured that out.

The good news was finishing more laps and more different strokes than I have ever - emphasis on: ever - completed in my life and I didn't drown, as evidenced by my typing this message some twelve hours later!

I should be back in the water Wednesday morning... Maybe, even tomorrow morning depending upon when I get done tonight and how my right elbow and shoulder are feeling. If I don't go to the "Y" to swim tomorrow morning I'll probably return to Krav (Krav Maga) tomorrow night. My thinking is, as long as my shoulder and elbow hurt anyway; why not.

Oh... And, if you read the last post: applying Tiger Balm before you get into bed at night is something you really shouldn't do unless you're sleeping alone. If you aren't sleeping alone, it isn't something you ought to do without first asking your significant other if that would be OK. If you don't heed my advice, it is almost certain you will be back in the water again, a lot sooner than you thought you would... Not at the "Y" and in the pool, but back in your bathroom and in the shower!

If you're lucky, any remnant of the "Eau de Tiger Balm" will find its way down the drain. And, you may find your way off the couch!

Everyone Back In The Pool

I went back to the pool again late Saturday afternoon. It was wonderful!

Well, almost wonderful... I went to swim, and the pool was wonderful. In fact, with the exception of a few little ones and their respective parents, I had an Olympic-size pool just about all to myself.

The part that wasn't so wonderful was the 'getting older' part of working out. It's that; "Eighteen-Year-Old Brain: Sixty-Three Year-Old Body" stuff again.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I haven't been to the gym in a while and when I was going I wasn't swimming.

How long is "a while?" Let's just leave it at "a while," and move on. You can fill in the blank if necessary. However long it's been, it's been too long and now I'm doing something I've never done before and my body is crying, "Foul!" as a result.

So, tomorrow morning I'll be at the "Y" before it opens to take a class. What kind of a class? A swimming class so I can move from something that must look almost like drowning, to something that looks almost like swimming. I've decided I have to become more comfortable in the water... which is hard to do when the water is one of those places you are the most uncomfortable. I'm going because Saturday's sojourn at the pool was a definite improvement over my previous attempts at drowning. And, it was an improvement because I stopped trying to muscle my way through the swimming and slowed everything down to a "crawl," if you'll pardon the pun.

I focused on the obvious skills: floating, breathing, relaxing in a foreign environment and just moving through the water. Instead of trying to cover as much distance as quickly as I could, I keep things under control and focused on 'smooth' instead: no thrashing, no splashing, no gasping and no trying to breathe water! And, to tell you the truth, it actually worked... a little. I didn't run out of air as often. I didn't get as tired. My heart didn't try to explode out of my chest, and as a result I felt a hell of a lot better when it was time to get out of the pool.

Why swimming, if it's so uncomfortable; so unnatural?

Because...

Because it is uncomfortable and unnatural; at least it is to me. I'm doing it because I don't want to do it. And, because I know the results will be more than worth the effort if I prevail. If I can manage to stay with it, my endurance and stamina will increase as well as my overall fitness. I know this to be true because I can see the difference it's made in my son's Tri training and the training he is doing for the Iron Man he's enrolled to participate in.

All I have to do is work my way through the injuries, the pain and the discomfort. That takes a lot of positive self-talk and the encouragement of friends and family: and, a healthy sense of humor. I'm working on the self-talk and my son is both a great example and a wonderful cheerleader. The sense of humor part seems to be taking care of itself and we'll have to wait and see how or if the rest of the family signs on.

In the meantime, I've got to get ready for tomorrow morning and that means a hot shower, ice on my elbow and shoulder, followed by a little Tiger Balm on both.

I'm not exactly sure how the Tiger Balm rub down is going to go, however. It may turn out to be part of the sense of humor and the being able to laugh at yourself you really need to get through something like this, especially after a long absence.

I was applying some Tiger Balm in the locker room after my shower and before I got dressed on Saturday when one of those 'little ones' I referred to a minute ago, turned in my direction and said, "Yuch! What is that, and why does it smell so bad? That stuff is really strong! "

I told him it was Tiger Balm... And, that I was using it because I was sore.

Do you know what happened next? He looked at his Dad, and then at me, and said, "Mister, I been to the Zoo and I seen the Tigers... And, know what! None of 'em smelled anything like that!"

I'm going to shut down, take a shower and apply some Tiger Balm to my elbow and shoulder before I go to bed... and, and wait to hear what my wife has to say about the stuff. I'm not sure, but I'll bet it won't be as funny!

As Good As It Gets

I’m not sure if there has ever been an industry more poised or ready for great change than the automotive aftermarket as it currently exists. While a great deal of technology has found its way into the everyday operations of most of the business concerns operating within the aftermarket you would be hard pressed to call any of them ‘innovative.’ The model is, if nothing else, traditional in both its construction; and, ultimately, its execution.

Business is being done largely as business has always been done for the last hundred years.

Certainly, there have been changes. Instead of looking up parts applications in a physical catalogue and then writing an order by hand… Or, accepting a motorist’s vehicle for service; writing and entering customer information on the work order by hand; looking up both labor and parts in physical books, guides, manuals and catalogues; and, then finishing the process manually: you can accomplish virtually every operational step online and by computer. But, exactly what has changed?

We are doing the same kinds of things the same kinds of ways… Perhaps, a little faster: Perhaps, more accurately: Perhaps, more clearly: Perhaps, accompanied by easier lookup, documentation and retrieval: Perhaps, with the aid of digital image here and there.

But, exactly what has changed?

There is no argument: the computer has made all of our lives easier... and, faster. But, many of the same tasks are still being accomplished much the same way as they have always been accomplished.

The question isn’t whether or not automation is a major contributor to gains in productivity. It is.

The question is, or at least should be: Is what we are doing, or the way we are doing it the most effective, most efficient way to serve the needs of our customers? Or, perhaps, more to the point: Is there another way, a better way, a different approach altogether?

After forty-four years in the business, all these enhancements look like variations on a central theme to me. These variations can be beautiful, but I can’t help but think it may be time for a new ‘musical score,’ a new piece of music altogether.

The problem as I see it is one of imagination. We can’t conceive of something new and different while continuing to embrace what is old, comfortable and familiar. Most of all, it may not be reasonable to ask the industry to reinvent itself while still invested in the current paradigm. Ultimately, both the answer and the pressure to change must to come from the motoring public. It must come from the person burdened with the care and custody of the vehicle because that’s whose wants, needs and expectations we must exceed in order to achieve any measure of success: it will have to be aligned and consistent with the vehicle owner’s life and life style choices.

We (the industry) keep offering you (the motoring public) service options that we choose based upon what we think you may want or need from us.

We keep asking ourselves: Will this work? Is it acceptable? Is it adequate? When the question should really be: What is optimum?

So, I present you with that question: What is optimum? What is it you want, need or expect from us? How would you like those products and services delivered?  

If you are a vehicle owner; a member of the motoring public: What do you like about the current model? And, what would you change if you could?

If you are reading this and you are a member of the manufacturing or distribution communities, I’d like to ask you the very same questions. And, if you are a member of the service industry, what do you think about all this? Are things ‘good’ just the way they are? Is this as good as it gets? Or, could things be better?

Better for you… Better for me… Better for your clients.

Complacency...

There are few things in the world that get me crazier than average. Average drives me nuts!

No one I know strives to be average, at least no one I actually want to know or continue to have a relationship with.

Striving to be average is all about giving up, coasting, taking the easy way out, accepting 'good enough' as good enough. It's about complacency... accepting things as they are because doing nothing is less complicated and takes far less energy than doing anything.

I'm not talking about someone who is trying the best they can but can't prevail because of circumstance, limited opportunity or limited ability. I'm not talking about the people who can't do any better or try any harder... By definition, they are trying as hard as they can to be the best they can be; to do the best they are capable of doing.

I'm talking about the people who could make a difference, who could do better: but, after careful consideration, choose not to. Generally, at the risk of putting themselves or someone close to them in danger of some sort. They would rather work at 'getting by,' than work at getting better. And, I think what bothers me most of all about this social or cultural phenomenon is that it seems to be growing.

People come by the shop to take an order or solicit our business either representing themselves or other companies and they just barely manage to follow the script as if showing up was enough. They don't bring anything of value to the relationship, they don't create anything of consequence, they don't move information up or down the pipeline. Hell, sometimes they don't even say Hello!

I can't live like that. I don't think I would even if I could: could, as in allowed. I'm not wired that way and neither are any of the people I work with. They are constantly trying to learn more, get better, accomplish something significant, overcome obstacles, attain success. Now, they may choose to define success a little differently than the majority might define it. Their success isn't always about 'stuff' or money. More often than not, it's about that feeling of satisfaction that can only come from doing something extraordinary. And, extraordinary rarely occurs without a serious compliment of exertion.

I think the answer is not only simple, it's obvious. This level of performance - Or, perhaps, more appropriately - this level of non-performance, should no longer be accepted as adequate by anyone anywhere anymore. Complacency should be banished, and its practicioners and advocates no longer tolerated or accepted.

I think I'm going to give it a try... And, the sign at the driveway will read: Average No Longer Tolerated Here!

It Sounds Easier Than It Was...

It's been an interesting weekend following an even more interesting week.

I guess in a way all my weeks and weekends are like that.

At work, we managed to 'clear the lot' after a busy week yet again. That's our term for completing... and, delivering, all the work in the shop. No one would be walking or struggling to make alternative arrangements for transportation because we were unable to meet or exceed wants, needs or expectations: that's a pretty big deal in my world.

Big enough for me to follow that statement with an: "It sounds easier than it is!"

The week itself included interviewing prospective job applicants; beating my way through a marketing campaign, that like bread dough with too much yeast - kept oozing out of the pan; and, just about losing it with an outside sales representative who has been serving our account for more than twenty years and through two different suppliers.

It also included the completion of two difficult... No, let me re-phrase that: Impossible! diagnostic problems that we were finally able to put to bed. The sense of accomplishment... and, relief is more than words alone can describe! And, I started working out again... in the pool, at the local "Y."

That's a really big deal, especially for me. It's that Newton/Inertia thing: A body at rest tends to stay at rest! Yadda, yadda, yadda...

I didn't make it back to the studio that night as I had planned. But, I hadn't planned to knot up a muscle in my calf either. The studio (Krav Maga) will have to wait for this coming Tuesday morning or evening. I did, however, make it back to the pool at the "Y" for some laps with my son Saturday afternoon after going to the shop, filling up the car, getting a hair cut, having brunch with my daughter and visiting my Mom at the Jewish Home for the Aging, where she currently resides.

There is something very special about doing things like that with your child or children, especially if it includes visiting a parent or parents: something profoundly inter-generational. So, if there are any fathers (Or, mothers....) out there reading this with adolescent, or even adult children; I highly recommend doing something - anything - with your kids. It's time well spent and something really special!

Ryan and I trained in Chinese Kenpo and tested for our Brown Belts together...That too, sounds easier than it was!  But, it was an incredible experience that would be hard to duplicate and harder to explain.

Currently, Ryan is training for an Iron Man in Arizona this coming November. His drive, discipline and determination are inspiring and motivated me to get off my butt. That would have probably been enough, in and of itself. But, having him guide me in the pool yesterday with form and fitness pointers was especially 'sweet.' It builds a kind of closeness I've rarely seen shared by other parents and children I've watched over the years and would be one of those things the MasterCard commercials would suggest are: Priceless.

I started today with a trip to the shop and normal weekend regimen of paperwork that I finished just before beginning this entry: four hours of payroll, metrics, documentation and planning. In between starting and finishing, we had lunch and went to the Annenberg photography exhibit in Century City with some close friends - very cool place, very cool exhibit of sports photography. I highly recommend it!

Oh, and did I mention the book I just started reading that I am now more than half way through? If I didn't, brace yourself! I'm going to be talking about it a lot over the next few weeks! The book is thoughtful, provocative and full of insights into both our culture and current economic situation. More than that, it offers a way to overcome it all.

I think there are times when it's all about cramming five quarts of whatever substance you would like to visualize into a four quart container! Impossible? I don't think so. And, if you don't believe it can be done, call me... Or, better yet, come down and I'll show you how it's done!

Now, it's off to bed so I can get up an hour earlier than I normally would to be at the "Y" when it opens. I didn't manage to drown myself last Tuesday and did lots better on Saturday thanks to my son's coaching. The water is calling me and like Ryan, my goal is to do just a little bit better with everything I do every time I do it! You can't do that without showing up!

TPMS

I just got off the phone following a twenty minute interview conducted by a Vice President at one of the nation's (The "world's," actually...) largest and most respected public relations companies. The interview was focused on our experience with TMPS - I know, it sounds like the interview was all about really 'cranky' tires. But, it was really about what you know about these highly sophisticated Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and how what you know impacts what we do in the field: "We" being the repair community.

To tell you the truth, while interesting from a philosophical or theoretical point of view, or on the basis of the marketing program it will ultimately generate - there was nothing all that extraordinary about the interview with one small exception, and that exception was a sliver of insight I was able to garner, a glimpse of what success in our relationship should really be all about... from your perspective: the only perspective that matters.

If my experience has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that the only way you can make anything automotive 'relevant' to a vehicle owner is to demonstrate that it is 'meaningful.' The interview I just completed helped me clarify that; perhaps, even quantify it more than anything I've ever done: especially, when it comes to anything even remotely 'technical.'

It's really all a matter of three questions, maybe four. The first question should be the most obvious: What does 'it,' whatever 'it' might be, mean? And, that should translate to: What does it mean... to me! How will it impact me: economically, from the standpoint of safety, as a matter of inconvenience, et al.

If this is relating to a warning lamp, noise or a potential  mechanical problem, the second question is or should be: How will I know? That question is really all about how to tell if there is something going wrong before it actually fails and really goes wrong.

The third question is really a two part question: What do I do about 'it:' whatever 'it' might be? And/or, what do I do to avoid 'it' altogether.

The fourth questionis, if there really is a fourth question, is: How will all or any of this impact me (meaning you)?

I'll be exploring these and other questions over the next month or so if for no other reason than to help me find better, more appropriate, more meaningful, more relevant ways to help you.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to let me know. Like the computer in your car or truck, this will work better if the communication is bi-directional. But, we can talk about that later!