Nicholas Bate

The Essential Tools for Excellence: 6: The Skipping Rope

Man is a generalist. No harm in that: he/she is remarkably adept at adapting and to enhance this process has created a batch of tools which allows him/her to perform to the highest levels.

When push comes to shove, what are the essential Tools of Excellence?

6: The Skipping Rope.

It's perfect. Instant CV work-out. Heart rate raised, challenged and calmed in the briefest of workouts. But the necessary demands made of muscles and bones, too: arms, legs, back. 

It's perfect: light, small and easily transported. You can even get it through carry on at the airport.

Choose carefully for your height, start with the classic school play-ground 'single under' and then speed up those wrists and achieve some boxer's 'double-unders'.

It's a tool for excellence for staying fit, strong and agile.

The Excellence Kit-Bag so far:

1: Notebook & pen

2: The Play-list

3: The Single-gear bike.

4: The Compass

5: The Wall Planner

6: The Skipping Rope

Somebody Else's

book shelf is always interesting.

The Essential Tools for Excellence: 5: The Wall Planner

Man is a generalist. No harm in that: he/she is remarkably adept at adapting and to enhance this process has created a batch of tools which allows him/her to perform to the highest levels.

When push comes to shove, what are the essential Tools of Excellence?

5: The Wall Planner.

Excellence requires perspective, overview, long-range planning and the ability to zoom-in and zoom-out.  It requires a staring at the big stuff but a managing-in the peripheral vision-of the small stuff.

Phone calendars are simply too small. Laptop calendars require too much scrolling and or too many windows. But the poster-sized  2015 wall planner allows you to seriously take on the world as you pace your work area/study/cubicle.

Plan big. Think big. Act big.

The Excellence Kit-Bag so far:

1: Notebook & pen

2: The Play-list

3: The Single-gear bike.

4: The Compass

5: The Wall Planner

Every Time I Was Being Rejected

actually...

Jagged Thoughts for Jagged Times: 134

Monday: look beyond the label.

Wow...

caves it'd be nice to visit.

The Essential Tools for Excellence 4: The Compass

Man is a generalist. No harm in that: he/she is remarkably adept at adapting and to enhance this process has created a batch of tools which allows him/her to perform to the highest levels.

When push comes to shove, what are the essential Tools of Excellence?

4: The Compass.

In the world of the clock, time races. A glance at the time on our phone, a flick of the wrist to see how much of the hour has disappeared, a stare at the airport screen to realise we haven't long to get to the gate. In the world of the clock, we are up against it like the perspiring hero in a thriller who keeps getting closer but never actually reaches his goal. In the world of the clock, efficiency is chased: doing stuff and doing more stuff. And doing more stuff than last week.

In the world of the compass, direction is important. Where are we going? Why excatly are we once again on a Monday morning running for the gate? In the world of the compass we are concerned less about 'getting stuff done' and more about getting the right things done. Do those and we invariably have to get less stuff done tomorrow.

Buy a simple geographical needle-spinning compass. No, make that two. Place one on your desk, a hand width from your mouse. Place one at home wherever you drop your keys when you arrive home.

The Excellence Kit-Bag so far:

1: Notebook & pen

2: The Play-list

3: The Single-gear bike.

4: The Compass

How

to tell your story.

Making the price free is easy. It avoids the hard work.

Cont. with Patrick Rhone.

The Essential Tools for Excellence: 3: The Single Gear Bicycle.

Man is a generalist. No harm in that: he/she is remarkably adept at adapting and to enhance this process has created a batch of tools which allows him/her to perform to the highest levels.

When push comes to shove, what are the essential Tools of Excellence?

3: The single-gear bike.

In a world of complexity the single gear bike is elegance in motion. Stripped of over-engineered gearing needed only by those living in the Yorkshire dales or competing in the Tour de France the bike becomes lighter, easier to maintain and you rapidly and easily become fitter as you tackle the terrain in a true and honest relationship. You and planet Earth in perfect harmony.

Complementing your walking it takes you the further distance or at greater speed.

Be bold and perhaps make it a true 'fixie' and one of the brakes can be jettisoned. Start your considerations with Matthew Lang who posts a mouth-watering selection, often on a Friday.

The Excellence Kit-Bag so far:

1: Notebook & pen

2: The Play-list

3: The single-gear bike.