Simon Manley

My WordPress Weblog

Author: simon


Saying no is strategy not a negative

Daily writing prompt
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

I have a real problem saying no. I rarely do it, and it gets me in a bind sometimes.

But going forward as soon as I’m set up again I will be saying no more often. There’ll be a strategy to it but it’s something I have to do for my sake and for the sake of my clients.

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.

Warren Buffett

Automotive Telepathy

Daily writing prompt
What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

Being able to diagnose a car over the phone. Now that’s a skill I’d love to have.

The amount of times I’ve had people call me and ask to tell them what could be wrong with their car just because the check engine light is on.

Or hold their phone to the engine to ask can I hear something, unfortunately all you can really hear is the wind.

But never fear, the technology does now exist to make this kind of scenario possible. So very soon it will be commonplace.

The ICON socket comparison

I just got my first ICON socket as a free gift from Harbor Freight. If you spend $34.99 or more you had a choice of one of three free gifts. I chose the 10 mm socket set, a deep and a standard in both 1/4 and 3/8 drive.

The 10 mm socket pack is a play on the old mechanic story of always losing or finding a 10 mm socket

My sockets are mostly Snap-On so I was curious to see an ICON because of all the hype around this Harbor Freight brand. If you watch any YouTube car repair stuff you’ve definitely seen some of the creators use these tools and say they are equal quality to the high-end brands.

To put it in perspective this set is normally $9.99 and that’s for four pieces. I don’t think you’d get the 3/8 drive deep Snap-On on its own for that. At the time of writing this it’s just over $30.

First impressions are that this socket is an exact copy of the Snap-On. It feels the same, has extremely similar markings and its size is the same in every way – such as wall thickness etc obviously the size of being 10 mm is the same – it really feels like they went out of their way to make this a copy.

At this stage I’ve used it a couple of times but it’ll take a lot more use to say if the quality of the known brand is there.

Considering my oldest Snap-On 10 mm socket is almost 30 years old and still works well it won’t be a like-for-like comparison but I’ll see in a year or so if it’s still doing the daily grind.

Compliments: A Reflex, Not a Tactic

Daily writing prompt
What was the best compliment you’ve received?

I feel I give more compliments than I receive. That’s not a cry for attention or an invitation for them. I just feel some people will give them and others won’t; I do it without thinking about it if the situation warrants.

Especially in business if I find someone who I’m drawn to because I feel they’re like minded I will always comment on their work or brand.

As I said I do so without thinking, it’s not a tactic – It’s just me.

Because I tend to give compliments on quality workmanship the best compliments I’ve received have always been to do with my work and the services I provide.

What mode of transport are you taking?

Daily writing prompt
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

I’m definitely going to choose the car.

Even if the distance is in Plane or Train territory I’m still choosing the car. I know it’s possibly the unpopular choice for many reasons but it’s in my control.

Negativity. Block it out.

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

Writing posts on the web brings negativity on a regular basis. It’s hard to deal with sometimes. But you have to remember that negativity is not necessarily aimed at you. It’s the person who’s writing it and their frustration at themselves.

I imagine them being in a worse place than me because I have an outlet for my thoughts but they’re scared to show themselves and it’s pent up anger releasing. And what better way to release it than to take it out on a stranger in an anonymous way over the internet.

So the best stratagey? Just let it go, keep busy and hope they find the peace you have. Sounds easy but it takes work to get in that mindset.

Internet is a deep hole

Daily writing prompt
What activities do you lose yourself in?

The Internet is a fantastic resource and I use it to great effect when looking for information or looking up data for jobs I’m working on.

But sometimes it just robs you of your time. I can lose hours there without even realizing it, and often not even finding the answer I’m looking for!

TV and movies binge

Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

I don’t binge new Nextflix or Amazon – or whatever other services are out there now – shows, I’m not up to the minute with all the new content that exists, but I do watch old shows or at least have them on in the background. I know them off by heart. I fall asleep to them. They are just there to kill silence when needed. Is that even rewatching?

Diagnostic View