#christmas

Tech Tips:

Grit and Grace of the Die-Hard Tradesperson

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Die Hard (1988). If you’ve never seen the film and want to avoid spoilers, I suggest skipping this one or watching the movie first before you read this Christmas tech tip. Here’s a fun thing to do at Christmas dinner: start the debate as to whether Die Hard is […]

The HVAC/R Island of Misfit Toys

It’s that time of year again. The tree has been decorated, cookies have been baked, festive family photos with my 10 kids have been sent out to friends, and we’ve had no shortage of service calls about “smoking” heat pumps. (Don’t worry, that’s normal.) You know how much I enjoy Christmas movies by now, and […]

A Story We Know

Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. That's the way Charles Dickens begins his “A Christmas Carol,” one of the most well-known pieces of literature in the modern world. A short story that can be read aloud in a few hours has to start memorably, and this one certainly […]

It’s a Wonderful Life (Compression Refrigeration Edition)

Every year. We watch it EVERY YEAR, and it still gets to me again and again. Call me a sucker, but especially living a blue-collar life working in the trades, It's a Wonderful Life describes the way many of us live. Even more so, it captures the way we can start to feel about our […]

A Christmas Meltdown

There's a moral to this story, though it is a bit more of a cautionary tale than most I write. While it doesn't rank with the story of three wise men or even Frank Capra's Christmas classic “It's a Wonderful Life,” you may find some common threads with both learning wisdom and remembering why throwing […]

Quynh Mai
#carrier #christmas #gorrie #history

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In this short podcast, Bryan talks about how to deal with too much at work and in life. He gives some practical tips to help you when you feel overwhelmed.

One of the best ways to get ahead is to wake up early, exercise, get sunlight, stay hydrated, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Taking care of yourself and giving yourself ample opportunities to set your mind and body up for success can ensure that you have the energy to tackle the challenges at work and in other areas of your life.

When you’re in the middle of an overwhelming mix of tasks, it helps to take a small break and take some deep breaths. Some people take smoke breaks. Once you have an opportunity to step back and clear your head, try to document all of the things you need to do. You can use a Google Doc with the help of ChatGPT to lay everything out. Once you have all of your tasks in front of you, pick 3-5 things that must get done today and then use your calendar, silence your notifications, and use all the tools at your disposal to focus on those things.

Perfectionism and people-pleasing can also get in the way of achieving all of your tasks. You have to be able to accept work that isn’t perfect and say no to meetings or unnecessary tasks. You can use tools like Loom to document quick notes instead of holding a meeting. When you can’t avoid meetings, try to batch them all at once. Batching, delegating, and automating tasks also come in handy, especially before tasks pile up and spiral out of control.

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