Thomas Dreller's Virtueller Lebensraum

"If you keep telling people over and over again not to take you seriously and not to listen to you, I promise you that eventually they will oblige." (Dave Wascha)

Going to celebrate another birthday on board of a long-haul flight, typically earning me a bottle of Champagne (which I can’t enjoy because of the stupid “security” restrictions at airports), I was musing about the fate of friends who have already retired, or even died. Two jewels from the research these sinister thoughts had caused:

“The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down.” (George Eliot)

"One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it's such a nice change from being young." (William Feather)

Ha, obtaining a senior citizen discount, while outpacing the kids who believe to be young, is quite some fun: If youth knew …

“The only acceptable reason to lose a customer is death (bankruptcy) or marriage (acquisition).” (Byron Deeter)

One of the things I learned a long time ago is to celebrate every single success. No matter how small the step, it’s one more step towards your objective. An example: Tonight I decided to run a 10k – spontaneously, just for fun, unintended. I had originally planned this milestone event for September, but I have some very good excuses for the delay. And despite the lack of training I thought tonight would be a good night and Sao Paulo is an attractive venue anyway. So what the heck.

Some 40 minutes later I was a bit disappointed at first, but while thinking about the result the analytic brains came to rescue. Compared to my last 10k,

• My time increased by a little less than 40%,
• My weight increased by nearly 75%,
• My age increased by 175%.

So taking these environmental conditions into account I feel I’ve achieved a terrific result. Actually I think I’ve done much better than last time. I’m also sure to be able to improve the result – was too dehydrated today. Though not sure if I’ll ever get to the sub-30 again, we’ll see.

But my key message here is about motivation: Nobody asked me to do this, there’s no incentive for doing it, and no reward for the result. It’s just me, wanting to do it. Or, as Ayrton Senna had conveyed it 1988: Success, it’s a mind game.

Maybe I’m really starting to get old now ….

“The biggest risk is the question you forgot to ask, because the danger is always something you don’t know.” (Wilbur Ross)

Having all the answers definitely doesn’t mean that you understand the subject matter. It only means that you haven’t been looking hard enough for people asking the right questions. Try again, fail better.

“This country doesn’t avoid problems. It solves them.” (Warren Buffett)

Sure, you have to pick your fights,but you also have to know what you stand for. And instead of looking backwards, and grieve, it seems to make much more sense ‘to boldly go where no one has gone before’.

“If you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman.” (The Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, a.k.a. TINA)

Being in business since three decades for getting things done I think I should have a word with The Right Honoureable. But the fact that I hesitate to gout on a limb does not prove her wrong. Especially not when observing the typical American loudmouth sales executive in action. By and large her point is well taken.

“Great feedback from the sales force on loss reports: We don’t suffer any losses. We only see postponed wins, or disengaged opportunities.” (Jeffrey Kahn).

“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” (Douglas Adams)