Yes, yes, yes, I know, this is highly embarrassing - look
at my profile on the Zest web site and you will understand why! http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/business_coaching_consultant_profiles.php
Yesterday I was sat in a classroom, TLR Crowthorne speed
awareness course, with 25 other dejected individuals. Until a couple of months ago I was the proud
owner of a Ford Galaxy people carrier, affectionately or sometimes mockingly
referred to by my friends as ‘the van’ or ‘the brick on wheels’. In the year two thousand with the arrival of
child number 4 I forlornly handed the keys to my BMW 3 series in (my ultimate
symbol of free will) and swapped said liberty for this 7 seven seater,
economic, low carbon, environmentally efficient, reliable, benign
transport. Jeremy Clarkson reviewed this
model in top gear magazine and I quote ‘people carriers are for people who have
given up all hope’. Should I buy the
carpet slippers now? Not so, over the
forthcoming decade this miraculous piece of machinery conveyed 4 children, plus
equipment, several tonnage in garden waste, dump runs, golfing trips with six overweight friends and
their expensive clubs; on one occasion this miraculous engineering phenomenon
emptied two bedrooms including two
double beds and conveyed the contents to Berkshire from Kent. Oh, and sometimes I would have to remind my
trusty steed that it may need to consider drinking some fuel now and
again. So synonymous was I with this car
that greetings would align as ‘Hi Paul how’s your van?’ Then one day, two months ago, tired of a long
cart horse life my Galaxy said ‘sorry about this Paul but I am going to have to
blow up now’ and in true Galaxy style kept its word and did.
Moving on, children now at that age (subject of another
blog), space not needed etc. I found myself hurtling along the road in my new
acquisition and of course new car equals test drive equals showing off to
friend in passenger seat. And, suddenly,
camera, 47 in a 40, letter, speed awareness course. Welcome to your new liberation.
Here is the correlation.
I had a very strong belief about my future life in the ‘Galaxy’ world
which was manifestly untrue once I had experienced the reality benefits. I had very strong beliefs about speed cameras
as did the majority of the class, in fact I was fervently struck by the
strength of emotion expressed by a large group about something so
straightforward. Expressions of ‘revenue
generation’ ‘persecution’, ‘oppressive
government’, ‘police should catch real criminals’ - this wasn’t Stalag Luft 49B
but TLR Crowthorne! A group of middle class middle England professionals being
spoken to by a gentle experienced driving expert who simply explained that 10%
over the speed limit you are 80% more likely to kill that child, speeding is on
average only likely to get you to your destination between 5 and 8 minutes
earlier, but guarantees you will be in a considerably more anxious state.
So ask yourself these questions
·
Where do you ‘speed’ in business?
·
Where does it really get you?
·
What effect does your anxious state have on you
and others?
·
Which parts of your business do you kill when
you rush?
·
Does anyone want to sell me a Ford Galaxy?
Go beyond multi-tasking, its much safer and you achieve
much more.
