posted
We've had a rough go of late... projects designed, quoted and ready to go, cancelling or delayed indefinitely for no appearant or good reason... there's been a string of them. What looked like a year plus of steady work just vanished over a little more than a week. Life is like that sometimes - at least at our house.
Each instance set me back emotionally, especially those big projects which looked like a slam dunk. But each time after I'm slammed back I pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back to business. Its all I can do for dwelling on the negative is something I just don't enjoy... its no fun.
Even with the cancellations I continue to keep my standards high, turning down a few projects which were not up to par... doing so would in an instant undo much of what we have spent years building. Merely keeping busy is not what I want to do.
We continue to make plans for the future, continue to answer calls, I stay at my design table and dream up new possibilities.
At first my eternal optimism feels pretty fake, especially to me, but as I take each breath I begin to believe it once again... life IS good! - LIFE IS GOOD!!!!
Then sure enough the phone starts to ring, new projects start to trickle in... I forget what's past and start getting excited about the new stuff once more. Some of the new projects are false starts, some will not make it off the drawing board, some will never make it to the finish line, but some are keepers which will challenge me and our team creativly over the next while. The end result will be well worth the struggle to make them so.
Four days later I'm ready to make final CD copies of the files of the cancelled projects and clean them off the hard drive, file away the presentations and start with in the brand new stuff. They are now but a memory of what might have been... another wonderful story to tell. The ideas we created may well surface on another project down the road.
Conversations with friends and coleagues no longer lamment what could have been but rather focus on what is coming up in the near future. I'm back to my positive and normal self once more and it feels good!
Friday, on one of my frequent passes through the shop Michelle noted that I was walking fast and singing to myself once more... she welcomed me back. Gave me a big hug too for good measure.
A little while later when I popped into the house Janis noticed the same. She gave me a big welcome back hug too. Little Phoebe also wanted in on the action and gave me the biggest hug of all. Nothing chases away the blues like a hug from the folks you love.
Now that I'm feeling better its so much easier to be truly creative once again...
You won't believe the projects we are now dreaming up in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well, Dan seems that I don't need to tell you this, I think you already know" When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade". I useed to feel really good if I got 50% of the jobs I was asked to quote. Good Luck, my friend. Maybe someday I'll get to Yarrow, who knows?
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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I must say, you have a very positive attitude about you of getting let down. I have JUST now started working full time for Chris at the shop, but have lived with the let down of many, many jobs that once looked so bright and grand - but than never came about for one reason or another. I must say the sign artisan business is a one with quite fickle customers...they know they need a "sign"..but yet some how so many just don't quite get it, and think a sign is a sign. I can't help but think that if Michelangelo had thought that about ceilings...the Sistine Chapel would be something like every other Walmart down the street. Keep the positive attitude!
-------------------- Barb Shuster BlueGrass Design, Inc. 16 Court St. Winchester, KY 40391 Posts: 45 | From: Winchester, KY | Registered: Jul 2007
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From one eternal optimist to another- Thanks, Dan!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I need to hear what you shared as I have had times that several job fall through all at once and have hit one of those time recently, and often cause me to look at were i went wrong. What could i have done better.
quote:Dan wrote Conversations with friends and coleagues no longer lamment what could have been but rather focus on what is coming up in the near future. I'm back to my positive and normal self once more and it feels good!
Man this is good stuff..and the core of our overcoming our let downs. I needed to be reminded of this!
i even recently had a customer return to me after they chose someone else for there work and was unhappy. I have had recent conversation with a friend who is a contrator, builds high end homes. He talked about the customer "buying experience" and that the desire is a pleasant one. They desire to be engadged and haveing a part in the experiance. I think you express those values. I take encoragement from your shareing!
Good stuff!
Lovelady
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
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