Manyana is something that I have struggled with for sometime and I have tried a variety of methods to overcome this, from paper to-do lists, to electronic to-do lists, task lists in Outlook as well as many more. What all of these methods have in common is that they all rely on personal accountability, which basically means 'how do you keep yourself accountable for not achieving the work you set out to do?'.

The curse of the procrastinator is that they will put off whatever task or work that needs to be done until such a time that putting it off is more painful than actually doing it. So the question must be, how do I ensure that it doesn't come to this point? Well the answer to that is very personal and you must explore what works for you as there is no simple answer. For me the answer is to be accountable to others; being accountable to yourself works well for some people but not so good for others. The key for me is to make the statement on what I need to do to either friends, family, work colleagues etc, that way if I do not set out what I aim to achieve then I have to answer to others why not. Now that, for me, tends to have more pain than not doing what I set out to do in the first place. It's not a perfect system but it is as good as it gets for now.

I'd love to hear what other have done or currently do to battle their demons.

So what is the title of this post all about?

Downtime is also the term that we use to describe our time outside of work where we relax and in this context downtime IS good. We live in a fast paced, always connected world where we are expected to always be available there is very little downtime. This is why it is more important than ever to plan downtime in your life. I have realised this more so this week as I have brought the family away for a break. This has been made possible by our good friends at TCG Computer Services and Data Systems who have been available to handle any issues that my business cannot handle. This has meant that I have been able to get some good quality downtime, what plans do you have in place for yours?

You can find some great tips here http://www.relaxfocussucceed.com

As always, your feedback is welcome.

- Rob

One of the things that I have always taken for granted is the ability to be able to rule the time that I spend and how that time is allocated. What the last 4 weeks have taught me is that there will be some times when things will rule me and while that feels very uncomfortable it is none the less necessary from time to time.

So what did this experience teach me?

• First and foremost *make* the time to stop and look at what you are doing with your time. While ever you are doing things as they hit you, without assessing their priority first you can never make progress.
• Take half an hour just to sit and think about all the stuff that you have running rampant in your head and get it down on paper, at least that way you can start to make sense of it all.
• Don't be that person that has lost their head. When you are bombarded by requests to do 'stuff', try to slow down and think a little more.
• Most of all remember that there's always tomorrow!

For me though I need to bring order to working life again as things are starting to get really busy...maybe time to start hiring again!

- Rob

We went away earlier this month for some well earned R & R and it was great but since we got back, which will be 3 weeks this Saturday, I have not been able to get back into the early starts which allowed me to go out for early morning runs and I have to say that I am really missing them at the minute. That compounded with the freezing weather keeping me off the bike it has not been a great month for exercise for me and it's starting to bug me now.

What I've had to do in my own head is to rationalise it and resign myself to the fact that I will not be back out running until the New Year now, which thankfully is only next week. It would be all to easy to allow myself to get completely demoralised by this and, in my own head, really start to beat myself up for being a complete failure at getting motivated. On this occasion I have been able to look at where I want to be and lay out a plan for me to get where I want to be. What I have done is to ensure that I don't demoralise myself further by punishing myself for failing but instead working out how I can move past this in a positive way which in turn will allow me to move forward.

So if you find yourself in the same situation then don't focus on what you are not achieving but instead focus on what you can do to succeed.

- Rob

What he did say was that, to relieve the coughing, I should run Vick VapoRub  on the soles of his feet at bedtime and then put his socks over the top. He said it had been sent to him from a friend overseas and it had worked for him as it had with others that he knew and as he said, it's not going to hurt so give it a try. I will try it tonight and let you know how Tom get's on as it's the coughing all night that is giving him the most hassle.

That said, a simple search on google has revealed that this is nothing new and lots of people have said they tried it with 100% success...take a look for yourself.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=vicks+rub+sole+feet

- Rob

I first heard this quote from a good friend of mine Neil Harvey from resQ Management Resources, it's a favourite saying of his as it reflects what he does for businesses all over the country. He specialises in Lean Manufacturing processes and the essence of the Lean principle is to look what a business does and do it more efficiently. What this quote does say is what we in the IT industry inherently do without even consciously doing. If you ask a IT service business why they do something a particular way you will generally get a blank look saying, "that's the way we've always done it". Now that really doesn't mean that what they are doing is wrong but if you can remove yourself from the situation then you may actually find that there is a better way of doing thing. This industry is full, as are many others, of people that are averse to change and really like to stay well within their comfort zone. But as the title suggest, the only thing that is constant in life is change and everyone needs to have a plan in place which deals with 'change management'.

Now that seems to be really formal and probably sounds quite boring but the fact is that if something unexpected happens in your life, whether in your business life or your personal one, then it can really knock you for six and can disrupt your life. However, if you have some process that allows you to deal with change in a constructive and logical way then it will help you to move forward with minimal stress. One of the great books that I read recently was Notes from a Friend by Anthony Robbins which really helps you to change your perspective on life and the things that life throws at you. I would highly recommend anyone who has not read any of his work to start with this as it will really help to change the way that you look at the challenges in your life and is very light but powerful reading.

Here are some of the points that I picked up from the book:

• You can make things happen - by changing the way that you look at things in your life you have the power to control what happens but you have to change the way you see the things that happen
• Your past does not equal your future - what you did yesterday does not matter, after all there is nothing you can do to change yesterday. What matters is what you do right now and in the future
• Never focus on the problem - you should never focus on the obstacle in front of you, but instead focus on how best to overcome it so you can move closer to your goals

Those who know me already know that the last 4 1/2 years have been difficult on our family, for those not familiar you can read here, and those years of struggling really did take their toll on me. During that time I had a roller coaster of emotions which, if I'm honest, affected me on every level so changing my thinking from a negative thought trail to a positive one was not an easy thing but it is very possible to do.

I am no expert on the subject, in fact I have had a tremendous amount of help from a very good friend of mine who over the last 3 years has helped me to change the way I look at what life throws my way. But it is a slow and steady change which is ultimately worth the effort. So the best advice I can give is that the only true failure in life is to give up trying.

- Rob

This morning I was up at a little after 6am and got myself ready to go out running. When I got downstairs and looked out of the front window the ground was thick with frost, I knew this before I got downstairs but this was proof. So I put on my gloves, thermal jacket and woolly hat and went out running for half hour. It was cold, not arctic cold but it was -2c outside and it was starting to freeze my gloves by the end of the run but it really felt great. So what actually possessed me to get up so early and run in sub-zero temperatures. It was motivation, motivation towards a particular goal which in this case is to complete the First day to 5K plan from podrunner. However, this is not all of it as this alone will not make me get up that early in the morning as I am not pre-disposed to getting up so early. In my case I opted for a hypnosis session which helped with this and really kick started my routine.

I have always been envious of all those folks out there that just seem to be able to do things naturally, seemingly without having to work hard, those people that always seem to be naturally slim or athletic. I realised in time that it may not be the case that this happens naturally and in actual fact this may even be something that they have to work hard at. This was some kind epiphany for me as it made me feel like I was not woefully inadequate and that it was something I really could achieve. So why this blog post? I guess it is really just to say that what I am doing is hard, it's hard to get up early every morning and go running/cycling in the cold when I could be tucked up in bed but it is possible. So whatever it is that you want to achieve just set your mind to it, make a plan and follow it. Don't ever worry about finishing, it is getting started that is most important.

Let me know your stories or experiences

- Rob

Onwards

At 6.09am on 11th July I set out on my challenge to ride from here in Ilkeston to Skegness and back in 1 day with only myself for company. I left Ilkeston very quietly and began what was to be one if the hardest days of my life. As I started out it felt good, and I mean really good as the pedals spun easily and the pace was quick. Over the last few months I had been training hard to get to where I was by going out most mornings and getting in around 20 miles, then at weekends I did 40 miles. However, the most I had done was last week when I undertook a 90 mile tour of Derbyshire. This was a reality check for me as it really took it out of me and made me aware of how much food and drink I would need to get this done.

After less than an hour I had passed by Nottingham and was well underway averaging around 17mph along the way. This, in itself, was a great pace and well over the expected 15mph I had planned on. Before I knew it I was passing by Bingham and well on my way to Newark. Despite the solitude of this challenge I was still feeling good as I new folks were following the updates via twitter but while the pedals kept spinning so easy the moral was high. After just 2 hours on the road I had passed Newark which meant I was well over 35 miles into my challenge with a total of 179 miles. This meant that I was well over a third of my way towards Skegness. After Newark it got a little more complicated as it meant negotiating some of the back roads and I wasn't familiar with which meant more frequent stops to check the map.

Throughout the journey I had been eating regular and stocking up on energy bars, gel packs both of which taste quite nasty and for the life of me I could not comprehend anyone eating these under any other circumstances. At the 50 mile mark I decided to take a well earned rest of around 15 minutes while I ate some more and restocked the water bottles with the extra water I had in the rucksack. One of the things you don't realise is that you really have to make sure you eat and drink LOTS when running any kind of distance on a bike. On average you will consume over 800 calories per hour and need to replace fluid at around 750ml per hour, this is not an easy thing to do.

Steaming ahead

As I carried on, I was still steaming ahead regularly thundering along at over 20mph which was awesome. At the time I put this down to the fact that the land was flat and I had spent the last few days stocking up on food by eating plenty, as well as continuing to stay fueled up on route. By 10.45am I saw a sign that read 17 mile to Skegness and I was truly amazed by the great time I had made, this meant that in 4hrs and 45 mins I had covered 71 miles which was far better than I had ever dreamed. I finally arrived at a rather busy and very hot Skegness at 12.02pm which meant that I had made it in just under 6 hrs, in actual riding time I had done it in 5hrs 6 minutes at an average of around 17.3mph.

There was no 2 ways about it I knew I had travelled 88 miles but I still felt good. However, in all my preparation with regard to food, drink, bike setup, money etc I had forgotten sunscreen.

While I admit, not the best looking legs around, they are bloody burnt to a crisp and today the sun burn hurts far more than the aching from all that cycling. Enough about that on with the story.

After less than 45 minutes of rest and stuffing my face with lots of sandwiches that i brought with me along with more energy bars and drinks it was time to go again. As soon as I started the journey back I realised what had happened on the way there. Without knowing it, I had been pushed along by a tail wind, when I say a tail wind I mean a 12+mph tail wind which had made it so much easier getting there. However, coming back this friendly tail wind became a vicious head wind which was hell bent on sapping every ounce of energy from my body. That combined with the less than aero dynamic rucksack, severe back ache and a very sore butt it was going to make it hard going.

Tough going

After a total of 120 miles I stopped again to buy more water as I knew I would not be seeing anything for the next 20+miles and I needed to make sure that I had enough fluid. At this point the average speed had dropped from 17.3mph down to a mere 15.7mph, for the most part I was only able to get up to 10-11mph which compared to the journey up was not so good. From this point on things started to get much more difficult as I found it hard to focus and concentrate on what I was doing. Throughout the journey out I had carefully tracked my fluid intake to make sure I was drinking regularly every 10-15 minutes. Now I was unable to remember when I last drank any fluid and it became more guess work than anything else which was not good as the temperature was around 26c out, though with the wind it didn't feel that hot.

It was shortly after this that I took a wrong turning which was to cost me over 5 miles of extra travelling and had it not been for my iPhone and Google Maps I would have continued on the wrong route. Before too much longer I was crossing the A15 and back toward Leadenham but I was really hurting now. I was having to stop every 45 minutes to give my bum and back a break as it was really starting to hurt now and I was having to stand on the bike and stretch every 5-10 minutes. I continued on through Leadenham and on toward the A17 heading back into Newark but turning the pedals now felt like running through treacle only it hurt more. Once on the A17 again I had to stop just 20 minutes after my last stop. The pain in my back was immense and mentally I was broken but I continued on despite the heavy traffic on the A17 on account of the Americana that was taking place. After a gruelling 7 miles more I came in towards Newark and I could take no more, I was broken and could not take any more. I sat at the side of the road trying to find some way to continue on the final 35 miles back to Ilkeston but it was 6pm, I was hurting, I was mentally beaten. No matter how I tried to break it down to smaller milestones they just looked to far to travel.

Defeat

I then called Julie to tell her that I could not continue on followed by a call to my Dad to ask for a ride home. So there I was sat at the side of the A46 waiting to be collected feeling thoroughly defeated and while completing 145 miles solo on a bike was no small feat it was not what I set out to do, and I cried. We've all seen programmes where people cross the finish line a cry through all the pent up emotion and personally I used to think 'what a load of b******s' thinking that people just don't do that, but that was exactly how I felt. The whole thing was just so enormous.

What did we learn?

So what did I learn from all of this? First and foremost never underestimate the challenge that you have ahead of you. Preparation is absolutely everything in these situations, a lesson which can carry you through into your professional life and one that I have learned the hard way. In retrospect I should have done more training of longer routes to ensure that I would be better prepared for the distance. Secondly, never underestimate the motivation that you get from working with others. This can be especially helpful when you are finding it the most difficult to push on.

Conclusion

I am still gutted that I did not complete the challenge especially as I was doing this for a very worthy charity. Some of the people I have spoken to have said that they will still donate the money as what was achieved was no small effort and for that I truly am thankful.

Would I do this again? Yes I definitely will, in fact I have already decided I want to go next spring. If anyone is interested in joining me next year then please let me know.

What would I do differently? I would get 1 or more people to come along on the challenge to help keep things motivated. Also, arrange for a "support vehicle" to accompany us on the trip to carry food and water for us. Carrying an extra 3-4kg on my back really did not help things.

Has this dose of reality changed my plans of doing end-to-end? I still want to go from John o Groats to Lands End in 5 days. What this challenge has taught me is that I will need to prepare much more for this challenge but it will be possible. I will also be looking for other people who are crazy enough to try this.

On a last note I would like to say a HUGE thank you for all of the support from everyone both in person and via Twitter. A thank you as always for my Dad coming out to collect me despite him having to miss the World Cup Final. Finally a last, but largest thank you of all for Me-Julie for all of her support before, during and after the challenge. I didn't take defeat too well, Julie has been a massive support for me and has helped me no end. So thank you to everyone.

- Rob

So here we are and on Sunday 11th July 2010 I will be making this epic journey and I still looking for sponsors for this moment of madness. Please take a moment to read a little about this below:

To whom it may concern,
Almost 4 years ago my son, Daniel, was born with a defect in his diaphragm which meant that his vital organs were in his chest crushing his heart and lungs. Thanks to pioneering surgery which was performed in London his chances were increased from 10% chance of survival to almost 50%. While these were still tough odd’s in a few short days he will be celebrating his 4th birthday thanks to the hard work of medical professionals. For the first 2 ½ years of his life he was in hospital spending time on a ventilator which allowed him to grow strong. Now that he is home safe and growing stronger and we wanted to do something to help a charity which helps families of children like Daniel, this is Breathe On UK.
I have decided to do a sponsored bike ride from Ilkeston to Ilkeston via Skegness in 1 day, around 185 miles.

I am asking you today if you can spare some money for a very worthy charity who support families when they need it most and who don’t attract the publicity that some of the larger originations do, any contribution would be greatly appreciated.

Why choose Breathe On UK?

Breathe On UK is a national charity dedicated to supporting the families and carers of young people who are life-dependent on mechanical breathing, or long term ventilation (LTV). Such a situation is recognised as being extremely traumatic and emotionally, physically, and financially demanding: often leading to both nervous breakdown and partnership failure.
Recent research and medical estimates indicate that more than 1,000 children in the UK exist with this condition and that the number is increasing by some 15 per cent annually. To date Breathe On UK has:
* Established a respite agreement in collaboration with the Association of Children's Hospices
* Been responsible for a bespoke oxygen delivery mask in conjunction with Respironics (Philips UK) which is now available off the shelf
* Worked together with Contact A Family - Legislation has now been passed to enable The Blue Badge to be given to families of LTV & Technology dependent young children under the age of two years.
* Provided Family liaison support in the South West Helped to re-create the statistics on families and children using tracheotomies

Many thanks

Rob Franklin
 

At this moment in time I have managed to secure £250 in sponsorship, most notable CompTIA as well as other individuals, and I would love to secure more than this for a very worthy charity. If you can afford to sponsor my pain on this event then I would really appreciate it as it will make the suffering all the more worthwhile You can contact me by emailing rob@freethecityone.co.uk

Thank for all the support

- Rob
 

But the end of Tuesday the handset had become very unresponsive. For example when you pressed the 'Power' button or the 'Home' button to wake it up, it would sometimes take 2-3 seconds for it to actually switch on. Also, when calls were coming in the screen would come on for a good 2 seconds before it would display the callers name or even start to ring. All of this was far too much when you use the phone as much as I do each day so I had to find a way to downgrade again.

After a little searching I found a process that claimed that it would to do the job and it did after I did it wrong a couple of time. This is what worked for me:

• Connect the iPhone to iTunes
• Put the phone into DFU mode
• Download Apple IOS3.1.3 or 3.1.2 (you can find this on a number of sites)
• In iTunes, hold {Option} and click Restore and point to the IOS file downloaded
• Allow it to restore. At the end it will error, this is normal
• Now use RecBoot to exit recovery mode (I had to use a Mac for this to work)
• Wait for your iPhone to boot up normally

A full video showing how to do this can be found here. This is not meant to be a 'step by step' guide on how to do as there are lots out there it is meant to be a brief guide. The information here is provided AS-IS.

Hopefully this will help others out there who are suffering with desparatly slow iPhone 3G handsets after the upgrade.

For those of you who would like to upgrade to the iPhone 4 but do not like the ridiculous handset prices from O2 et al then take a look at Tesco Mobile here as they have one of the best prices I have seen and if you didn't know they use O2's network anyway!!

- Rob