Archive for the ‘Lloyd’s Rants & Observations’ Category

Now, this is not going to be a blog post on how I achieve so much in a day or how to get things done. This is because procrastination and getting though my own to do list is probably my biggest problem.

I start off with all the right intentions and sometimes even fool myself that what I am doing is getting me closer to my goals but this is not the case.

It frustrates me no end. In fact it gets me that annoyed at myself that I get even less done.

I discovered that I have ADD some time ago and this is a problem that a lot of people have and I have tried all sorts of methods to overcome it with varying degrees of success.

One of the big problems is that it is very difficult for me to get into a rhythm and I start a system up or buy a diary and commit to writing everything down or adding everything to the latest project manager or auto reminder software only to forget after the first day and end up doing none of it.

They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit but I am not so sure.

I suppose there is no such thing as the perfect system.

The one thing that I have found to work the best is to stick to doing one thing at a time. Now this might sound easy to a normal person but to me I find it incredibly hard not to get sidetracked or start up 5 things at once.

IF you have one thing to do and do NO do anything else until that one project or job is finished then I do tend to get so much more done.

Now the question is, if I know this and if I have experience of this, why do I still end up getting sidetracked and doing other things half way through?

Like writing this blog entry for example when I should be editing the pictures and adding them to our new site www.portraitpaintinggallery.com ?

Who knows, but unless I stop now and get back to it, I will still be trying to get it done in 3 days time.

Wish me luck and let me know of any sure fire methods that are guaranteed to help me and I will give them a try. 

Portrait Painting

Our new website the portrait painting gallery is up at last.

The quality of the work is incredible, they hand paint in oils from a photograph. They can take several diffrent photos and convert them into one oil painting  even.

One request we had was for a picture of Michael Jackson next to the client so that it looks like they were together.

It was not until we started looking into it that we realised just how many styles of painting there are. Some people want a photo realistic painting. Although this seems to defeat the object of having a painting done. You might as well just have a photograph made into a poster size. My favourite is the impressionist where the painter puts his or her own style into the painting. Then there are the characutures where the painter takes prts that really stand out and accentuate them.

Anyway, the site should be ready to take orders later this week so if you are looking for an unusual gift, if you cannot think of what to get him or her for Christmas then take a look at having a portrait painting done.

take a look and let me know what you think. All comments and criticism of the site will be greatfully received.

Well we have been in Bali for 3 months now and life is great. When I first came it was work, work, work 6 or 7 days a week and 10 to 12 hour days. With little reward or appreciation and never a thank you!!

I think I forgot the actual reason we were moving away from the UK and that was to have quality time together with Sharon and the Kids.

So, now I finally got it and have spent the last week doing very little. We toured the north of the Island and got myself a motorbike (YESSS)

We have a number of things going on mainly internet based, of course, as we plan to travel around Asia over the next year or so and need to be flexible with our workload

We have also had a good response to our sourcing service which has been setup to find products that are made in Asia to send back to spain, the UK and the US.

We have chosen a range of great products and plan to sell them for a smallish profit to build up a good reputation and still make some money.

We have met a very experienced export and shipping guy who has been a great help in setting everything up.

So, at last I realised what I was here for which means we are all a lot happier.

I cannot belive just how stressed out I had become in Bali… Hard to imagine in theis Island paradise.

So, take note.. it always pays to take time out to sit back and look at our life and make sure you are really doing what you should be to get the most out of it.

Bali is a fantastic place to live. The people are friendly and helpful, the weather is great and we all just love it.

Thanks to Mark Attwood, one of the hardest workers and focussed people I have ever met, the family packed up our house and we winged our way to this sunny island in Asia.

They call it the Island of the gods and you can see why, apart from the fact that the majority of the Balinese are Hindus, each with their own temple which they provide offerings several times a day, but also because of the fruits that Bali provides and the beauty that surrounds you.

We moved into a house with fantastic panaramic views out over Nusa Dua and onto the Indian Ocean. Waking up every morning as the sun rises (not ut of choice but the kids start school at 7.30 ouch) and another blue sky just makes you feel good.

After living in Lanzarote and Tenerife for many years and then spending the last 3 years in the UK I was surprised that I had forgtoten how much of a difference it makes living in the sunshine. Ther is definitely a feelgood factor that you do not have when you wake up in the dark which slowly lightens to a dull grey.

There is healing in them there sun rays and makes life all that more enjyable, unless you are a penguin or a polar bear in which case you are in trouble with temperatures of 30 degrees celcius

oh well. off to the office which also looks out over the sea by the way. Are you jealous yet?

I went to the dentist again today and had  some work done. The dentist, quite an attractive lady, smiled at me as she stuck in the needles then saying how sorry she was, while still smiling of course.

Now call me a cynic, but I have a deep rooted fear of dentists as does almost everyone I know and those that take up the profession must know this and therefore maybe they enjoy watching us go through  the excruciating embarrassment that we go through whilst trying to act hard while secretly wetting our pants.

They know we are scared they can smell it I am sure. Well I am sure she could in my case as she wore a double mask. Although I got to say I was not really that bothered and whilst it may be uncomfortable and the injections sting a bit, it does not hurt.

Says a man that has not been to the dentist for 20 years

Well after dribbling for the last 3 hours the feeling and now the pain of the work is beginning to hit me so, I am going to drnk a cup of tea, now I can without dribbling and take 5000 milligrams of some very strong pain killer… Why? Beacuse I can..

Finding Villas to rent in spain is a lot easier today with the internet websites available. However, you do need to be careful where you go.

The sites that allow you to contact the owner directly so that you can ask questions and find out about local information for your holiday are the best ones to go to.

Self catering villas and apartments are a lot better than they used to be. They are very well fitted out and equiped with all the mod cons.

Have a great holiday this year in your own private villa with your own swimming pool and maybe even a Jacussi.

Make sure that you use a website like www.accommodationrental.co.uk and have a great holiday.

I am so happy to be married to a lovely woman, Sharon, who means the world to me. Not only that she is so organised compared to me.She keeps me on the straight and narrow. I would be totally lost without her.

I discovered some time ago that I have ADD (attention deficit disorder) and whilst there are many benefits to this condition there are a few downsides. The main one not being able to complete a task!!

This is not good when you are trying to pack to move house.

We are moving to Bali, Indonesia and have decided to not take a lot, compared to when we moved to the UK and had a whole container of stuff to bring back.

We figure that we will get over to the new place and buy what we need and then bring over what we can’t find.

Nick nacks don’t mean much to us men and Sharon is pretty good too. Which is great as the shipping costs to Bali are not cheap.

So, just the essentials, computer, xbox, playstation and some clothes for me and Daniel. A little more for the girls

My problem is I am able to empty out all the cupboards but sorting it all out is beyond me. I know this sounds stupid but if you suffer with ADD you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I am sure I am getting worse with age. I think that ADD is being aided by the early onset of dementia as I forget everything. What was it I was meaning to say….

Another problem I have is hoarderitis. Now I am not sure that this is the correct terminology for the said disease but an affliction it is.

I cannot throw anything out. There was a program on the telly where the council went in to this guys house to empty it, as he collected so much crap you could not get into the house. Without Sharon I would be the same I think. With that in mind it is time to get out of the house for a while and let the whirling dervish get on with throwing things out. Oh how that pains me!!!

I just got back on a flight from Goa. It was with Thomas Cook. I was really against flying on a charter for such a long haul flight.

The girl in the TC office sold me on the benefits of the premium cabin plenty of legroom only 2 seats across. What the woman failed to tell me was that the seats were more like wooden benches with hard pointy lumps in them.

Traveling with one of the other scheduled airlines would have meant flying from Manchester Goa via Heathrow and Mumbai.

However after an 11 hour flight sat on a chair made for torture, I will take the longer more comfortable route next time.

How many other people must feel the same way as me?

No wonder the idiots are losing money and customers when they fail to provide the basic comforts required for an 11 hour flight.

How difficult can it be to put a cushion on the seat to keep my bottom pampered the way I like it?

Mind you the entertainment was great. And I don’t mean the drunk girls that got escorted off the plane in Goa by Police armed with machine guns either.

I have decided to completely renew my blog.

Not being so good at contributing to the site regularly I had been using an auto publishing plugin to update the blog.

As there is no realvalue to this I am starting all over again.

We are working hard on the new www.startsmartsystem.com which should be ready soon.

So, if you wnt to stay posted then sign up to this blog and you will get the news as soon as it is announced.

I will try and add valuable content as and when I can.