FULLIFE COACH SAYS

WHAT THE OLYMPICS THAUGHT US;

O – Outlook. What is your outlook on life? I am sure Chad le Clos thought it was nearly impossible to beat his hero Michael Phelps, yet that didn’t stop him from trying and actually doing it. Oscar Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympic Games by becoming the first double amputee to compete on the track and make an Olympic final. Despite his disability and the many odds stacked against him, Oscar's outlook has always been positive and encouraging.

Is your outlook in need of a spring cleaning? Get rid of the negative thoughts that are holding you back and start being a possibility thinker. Have an outlook that believes your dreams are possible.

L – Love. Olympic athletes know about sacrifice. They have to sacrifice time away from family, sacrifice socializing, certain foods and many other things to ensure that are 100% prepared for their race. But to them it’s worth it, because they love what they do. They don’t mind getting up at early, eating bird seed and going to bed while others are partying the night away, because they love what they do for a living.

When you love what you do, it makes any sacrifice worth it. Are you sacrificing for something you love? We spend 80% of our time at work - make sure your sacrifices are for something you love or at the very least enjoy. If not find your dream job today.

Y –You. Success starts and ends with you. Olympic athletes could blame their coaches, the weather or their shoes, but if they want to win gold, they need to acknowledge that they are responsible for their efforts, their training, their eating and their results.

If you want success, you need to take personal responsibility for the results you are currently achieving in all areas of your life – your health, wealth, relationships etc. Taking responsibility for your life is the starting block you need to catapult you to Gold.

M – Motivation. Zig Ziglar once said, “Motivation doesn’t last but neither does bathing. You have to do it every day.” I am sure young Chad le Clos didn’t always feel like getting up at 5 am every day to swim for 2 hours before school, but he found the motivation to do so, and it has paid off.

To be successful you need to find practical ways to motivate yourself on a daily basis. Some of the ways I motivate myself include listening to uplifting music, exercising first thing in the morning to give me a boost of energy, and focusing on my Vision Board.

Finally and possibly the most important form of motivation is surrounding yourself with people who support and inspire you. My highlight of the Olympics must be Chad Le Clos’s dad. Chad was destined for success with this loveable man by his side.

P – Plan. Success doesn’t happen by accident, it takes planning. South Africa’s rowing team who won Gold, said their success was down to planning. Their coach, Paul Jackson, commented that their position in the race was according to a plan of having an even-paced race strategy.

Planning is vital when it comes to living your dreams. Break your dream down into manageable steps and set goals for each milestone. Goals are powerful to channel your focus and measure your progress. 

I – Innovate. If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got! Sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. What do you? Do you give up? No, you try again.

However don’t do the same thing and expect different results. Change your strategy, and be innovative in your approach. Nike doesn’t sell the same pairs of sneakers it launched in the seventies. It has advanced, developed and innovated to be one of the best. Likewise we need to continually innovate if we want to succeed.

C – Commitment. Leadership guru John Maxwell said, “Success doesn’t happen in a day, it happens daily.” Commit to making today successful, and do that every day. Soon you will have a succession of successful days, which will result in a successful life!

Success takes commitment in the face of adversity and failure. Commit to handle anything that comes your way, commit to achieving your goal until you do.

S – Success deserves celebration. Too often we are just focused on success that when we get there we forget to celebrate and rather focus on the next event/ goal. You may not be rewarded with an Audi R8 Spider like Cameron van den Burg, but find a way to physically acknowledge your success and the sacrifice it took to get you there. Acknowledge those that supported you along the way, and celebrate your victory in a big way.

Written by Jacqui O’Bree (Fullife Coach www.fullife-coach.com)

Jacqui O’Bree is the owner of Fullife Coaching and a qualified Life Coach. Her vision is to help people live with Purpose, Passion and Possibility in both their personal and professional lives. Jacqui runs group workshops and offers one-on-one coaching, with a special focus on career, parenting, work/ life balance, and financial freedom. Jacqui is a regular contributor to magazines and a popular speaker at events. She resides in Fourways, Johannesburg. You can contact her on jacqui@fullife-coach.com or visit www.fullife-coach.com

QMS Training Results

Congratulations to the Head Office Staff attending the Standard Procedure, Quality Policy Manual, QMS & ISO Awareaness Training - 14-16 August 2012

Results;

Charmaine Buttrick (PA to MD) - 91%

Leandi Smith (Procurement Data Capturer) - 100% *Top Student

Bruwer Potgieter (Procurement) - 89%

Louwrens Minnie (HR) - 97%

Frans Monene (Store Controller) - 87%

Jaco van Nieuwenhuizen (SIte Manager)  - 89%

16-08-2012

From Left to Right;

Bruwer Potgieter, Louwrens Minnie, Leandi Smith, Charmaine Buttrick, Frans Monene

and Jaco v Nieuwenhuizen

Audits

Here is a example why Audits are so important in any working environment - The QMS Audit teams wishes it was this easy?  Order, Guidance and Results are what drive Audits to create a "perfect: environment to be compliant to systems.

 BEFORE and AFTER

Advice

Ten Reasons Winners Keep Winning

Whether the game involves competing every four years in the Olympics or every day in a business, winning brings advantages that make it easier to keep winning. To understand sustainable success, Rosabeth Moss Kanter compared perpetual winners with long-term losers in professional and amateur sports and then matched the findings to business case studies. The sports were a comprehensive mix including women's soccer, men's and women's college basketball, major league baseball, U.S. football, international cricket, and North American ice hockey.

Winners gain ten important advantages as a result of victory - and smart leaders can cultivate and build on these advantages to make the next success possible.

1. Good mood. Clearly everyone feels good about winning, while emotions sag at failure. Emotions affect performance. Positive moods produce physical energy and the resilience to persist after setbacks. While losers use any excuse to stop, winners sometimes play on even while injured, lifted by a kind of winners' high. Moreover, psychologists find that moods are contagious. Winners' exhilaration is infectious. Losers' gloom can be toxic.

2. Attractive situation. Whether at children's soccer games or in the office, losers go home early. Winners stick around. Studies show that there is less absenteeism or tardiness in organizations known for their successes. There is also more solidarity, because people spend more time together feeling good about what they can accomplish. More time together brings more chances for information-sharing and mentoring.

3. Learning. Losers get defensive and don't want to hear about their many failings, so they avoid feedback. Winners are more likely to voluntarily discuss mistakes and accept negative feedback, because they are comfortable that they can win. Because they are confident about the possibility of winning, they see practicing as a route to a positive outcome, not as a punishment. For athletes, practice matters. Winning is often found in mastery of the details. As a former student found in studies of swimmers who did and didn't qualify for the Olympics, excellence consists of examining and improving many small processes and routines.

4. Freedom to focus. As every golfer and tennis player knows, you must keep your eye on the ball. Losers often punish themselves in their heads. Winners have fewer distractions. Golf pro Tiger Woods won nearly every championship until hit with personal problems of his own making, which was followed by loses on the golf course.

5. Positive culture of mutual respect. For anyone who plays on a team, winning makes it easier to respect and listen to one another, because after all, if you win together, then the presumption is that everyone is a good player. Winners can maintain high aspirations and act generously toward others. Losers are more likely to blame others and disdain them as mediocre, creating a culture of finger-pointing and infighting.

6. Solid support system. Behind every high performance athlete or team is a cadre of coaches, friends, and fans that fuel motivation. Winning enlarges the circle of backers. Losing erodes support.

7. Better press. It's not just the buzz at time of victory that separates winners from losers, it's also the more favourable story about the past and future. Winning provides a halo that makes everything seem to glow. Losing causes observers and analysts to probe for reasons in a rewritten version of the past that makes continuing losses seem inevitable.

8. Invitations to the best parties. Really. Winners get invited to key conferences or exhibitions. They gain access to networks and relationships that confer benefits that maintain winners' momentum, such as early information or better deals. Who invites the losers?

9. Self-determination. Winners have more control over their own destiny. "Why tamper with success?" we often say. Winners are left alone, getting a free pass on reviews. Losers get attention of the negative kind. They are encumbered with "help" - special committees, audits, reviews, frequent visitors. Enough of that, and losers spend their time in meetings instead of practicing and improving performance.

10. Continuity. Lose too often, and heads roll. More time spent getting people on board leaves little time to fully execute any particular game plan. It's hard to start winning again until the situation stabilizes. Winners have the luxury implementing long-term strategies and planning for orderly succession.

Winning streaks eventually end because winners can get over-confident, slipping into arrogance or complacency, or because the competition gets better. But leaders can build on the advantages of winners to encourage a positive spirit, disciplined focus, mutual respect, lots of practice on the details, and lasting support systems that can make successes and comebacks more likely.

NIC - Areas of Concurrent Operations

Mozambique

CLIENT ~ Aggreko
PROJECT ~ Ressano Garcia, Mozambique
DESCRIPTION ~ 275 kV Substation and 1.5 km of 275 kV overhead lines NIC was the EPCM Contractor on this project and was responsible for the following:

Approved engineering
Appointed subcontractors for Civils and Engineering
Carried out the electrical installation

• Stringing of HV lines
• Control and Signal Cabling
• MV Installation
• Panel fitment and protection

Carried out the mechanical including

• Installation of Gantry Structures
• All HV Equipment Structures

Maintained overall responsibility for the completion and success of the Project

What makes this project truly groundbreaking is the length of time it took to complete. A "normal" project of this nature takes anywhere from 6 to 12 Months to complete. NIC achieved this in 2 months; something we think has never been achieved before!!
DURATION ~ 10 May 2012 on site work began to 15 July 2012
REFERENCE ~ Roy Cursley

Mozambique

http://africa.aggreko.com/news-events/press-releases/power-station-mozambique/

NIC is working on this project with Aggreko - this is what Aggreko has on their company website;

Aggreko Inaugurates Ground Breaking Project to Supply 107.5 MW of Power to South Africa and Mozambique

  Mozambique, 18 July 2012: Aggreko, along with its joint-venture partner Shanduka Group, has officially opened and delivered power from its 107.5 MW interim gas-fired power station at Gigawatt Park in Ressano Garcia, Mozambique. The project was inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Armando Emilio Guebuza, during a ceremony held today at the project site.

The project is the result of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that Aggreko have signed with Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the Mozambique power utility and with Eskom, the South African power utility. The project will produce 107.5 MW of power to supply baseload and peak power to both companies until July 2014.

The power station is situated in Ressano Garcia on the Mozambique / South African border, 90 kilometres north-west of Maputo at Gigawatt Park, a development of Gigawatt Mozambique S.A. It is powered by natural gas from the Temane gas fields in Mozambique and its output is being injected directly into the national grid of Mozambique/ EDM on site via a purpose built substation. The power generated at the plant is being split between the two utilities, with EDM utilising 15 MW and Eskom 92.5 MW.

This is a ground-breaking project by a private company to supply fast–track, cross-border power to two utilities in Southern Africa, and it underlines the potential benefits that can accrue to countries sharing resources. Both countries will get much needed additional power, and the project also underlines the importance of Mozambique as an energy hub for the entire Southern African region.

Aggreko has invested in the construction of a number of significant infrastructure projects to bring the overall project to fruition. This includes the building of a 1.2 km high pressure gas pipeline, gas processing and de-pressurising infrastructure, a major substation and 1.5 kilometres of 275 kV transmission line. The construction and commissioning of the entire project has been delivered in the space of 14 weeks. The fast-track deployment of significant power generation infrastructure of this type is a hallmark of Aggreko’s worldwide operations.

Rupert Soames, Chief Executive of Aggreko said, “This is a very important project for Aggreko, and for Southern Africa, as it underlines the benefits of countries working together for the common good.  We hope it will be a pathfinder for other countries seeking to make the most of their resources to optimise the supply of power across the region.”

“While this is a temporary power solution to meet the immediate needs of South Africa and Mozambique, it is likely to have a lasting impact. It provides an excellent model for public-private partnership and cross-border collaboration that can be used as a benchmark for future ventures.” said Cyril Ramaphosa, Executive Chairman, Shanduka Group.

As part of the social development plan which will run alongside the project, Shanduka will bring its successful Adopt-a-School programme to Mozambique with the sponsoring of a local primary school in Ressano Garcia. “The adoption of the Escola Primaria Completa school will result in a significant improvement in the learning environment at the school over the next five years and will leave a lasting, positive legacy in the local community,” continued Ramaphosa.

“EDM, in its role as the national power utility and system operator in Mozambique provided the support required to make the Aggreko Ressano Garcia project a reality,” commented Augusto Sousa Fernando, Chief Executive of EDM. “By adding fast-track, additional power to the national grid, EDM is directly contributing to the development of Mozambique while at the same time supporting the socio-economic development of the wider SADC region”.

Brian Dames, the Chief Executive of Eskom, said: “We are pleased that we are now receiving power from this innovative cross-border project. Our relationship with Mozambique is very important to Eskom, and we are keen to see more cross-border projects in the region.”

NIC - Get to Know

The BLOG is wanting all staff to "get to know" each other a little better so here we go this month with the Finance Department;

Getting to know Amelia Zwiegelaar - Finance Administrator  (Head Office Unit 2 - Finance Department) a little better you will learn she loves the colour green and can't resist dark chocolate!

What kind of music do you listen to? 70’s & 80’s but like blues in particular

What is your dream car? Volvo and Mini cooper

What’s your biggest pet peeve / dislike? Bad smell in the house

Do you have any pets? No, really miss having a cat

If you could paint this office any color you wanted to, what would it be?

Shades of greens

Do you prefer white, dark or milk chocolate?

Dark chocolate. The darker the better-Lindt!!!

Do you have a favorite animal? All animals in the Cat Family

Where would you choose to live: by the ocean, in the mountains or in the woods?

All 3 in one please?

What is the 1 thing / achievement in this world you are most proud of?

Being helpful to needs of friends and family

Do you have any hobbies? Dancing, movies, beading, soduko

What’s your favorite cartoon character? Donkey (Shrek)

What was your favorite TV Show? Boston Legal

Where were you during [NIC’s Inception in 1986] Standard 9

What other languages other than English do you know? Afrikaans

Have you ever won anything? What was it?

A few things – money, GPS, Weber, Coolerbag

What’s your favorite fruit/vegetable/food? All fruit, vegs + steak and lamb

What’s your Least favorite fruit/vegetable / food? Apple and patty pans

If you could be on any TV game show, which one would it be? Survivor

What’s your favoriteu color? Sjoe! How can I choose – I love them all

What’s a fear you’re proud to have overcome? Loneliness

Which sports team(s) do you support? Stormers

What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

The suggestion of buying lazyboyz for the office

Have you ever met anybody famous? Do you have any photos?

Yes. A few but nothing to mention.

If you had just 1 box for all of your stuff, what would you put in it?

Toiletries, lighter, knife, comfy shoes, and clothes for all weather types.

If you could go back in time to any era, which would it be?

1652 when Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape

Which superhuman power do you wish you had?

To forgive & forget easily (cause I think it is super human to be like that)

Are you right or left handed? Right handed – but boy will I be lost without my leftie

What did you want to be (career) as a kid? Animal rescuer

Birthday (Day and Month) 27 July

If you won R2 Million what would you do with it? Buy a coffee shop

Funny

Talk about confusing??

Olympics 2012

If you had the chance to watch the London Olympics 2012 you might have been inspired?
South African athletes had us at the edge of our seats and cheering at their victories - Proudly South Africa Athletes will be returning with;

3 GOLD -

Mens 4 Lighweigh Rowing, Chad le Clos 200m Butterfly
& Cameron vd Berg 100m Breaststroke

2 SILVER -  

Caster Semenya 800m & Chad le Clos 100m Butterfly

1 BRONZE -

Bridgette Harty Canoe Sprint

So if you are inspired - here are some ways to set your goals;

If you have never set inspiring goals before, or lost yours along the way, here are 7 simple steps to get you started;

1. Set SMART Goals - specific, measurable, attainable, resonant and thrilling.

2. Visualize how it will feel when you achieve your goal. Imagine in great detail using all your senses, the experience of achieving your goal.

3. Stretch yourself by setting big and audacious goals. Don't be afraid to dream. Whatever sends shivers down your spine, or keeps you awake with excitement - these are goals worth achieving.

4. Get support. You cannot do it alone. Ask for help from friends, your partner or even a professional.

5. Break it down into manageable steps. See the big picture, but focus on what is in front of you. Looking at the end result can be daunting. Take it day by day and you will get there.

6. Have fun. Enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Don't be a misery to be around, have fun along the way.

7. Be kind to yourself. You will stumble and it's OK. Get up and try again, and again, and again. Achieving goals take persistence.

Written by Jacqui O’Bree (Fullife Coach www.fullife-coach.com)

Jacqui O’Bree is the owner of Fullife Coaching and a qualified Life Coach. Her vision is to help people live with Purpose, Passion and Possibility in both their personal and professional lives. Jacqui runs group workshops and offers one-on-one coaching, with a special focus on career, parenting, work/ life balance, and financial freedom. Jacqui is a regular contributor to magazines and a popular speaker at events. She resides in Fourways, Johannesburg. You can contact her on jacqui@fullife-coach.com or visit www.fullife-coach.com

International Left Handers Day

HAPPY LEFT HANDERS DAY!

NIC has a few left handers and we are wishing you all a super day!!

http://www.lefthandersday.com/

 

Did you know?

• Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater.
• There is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed.
• Most left handers draw figures facing to the right.
• Lefthandedness is primarily inherited.
• Twice as many males as females are lefties.
• Lefties have a higher recovery rate from strokes since they share more from both sides of the brain.
• Left-handers excel particularly in tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing.
• 4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed.
• Based on the discussions among members of the Left Handed Club, left-handers are generally more intelligent, better looking, imaginative and multi-talented than right handers

Famous Left Handers;
James A. Garfield, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, George Bush Senior and Bill Clinton, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Michelangelo, Prince Charles and Prince William of England, Henry Ford, Hellen Keller, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney of The Beatles, George Michael, Cole Porter, Seal (Musicians), Tim Allen, Amitabh Bachchan, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, George Burns, Charlie Chaplin, Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro, Fran Drescher, Greta Garbo, Whoopie Goldberg, Cary Grant, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Marilyn Monroe, Keanu Reeves, Julia Roberts 

EARLY TO RISE - Advice

http://www.earlytorise.com/your-overlooked-time-management-obstacle/

Your Overlooked Time Management Obstacle

by Craig Ballantyne on 06/11/2012 ·

 “If you don’t know what you want, you end up with a lot you don’t.” – The Doorman, Fight Club
Today we’re going to talk about what remains the BIGGEST hurdle in most people’s lives – Time Management (second only to procrastination, a deadlier time problem).

And we’re going to look at a hidden problem that most people don’t think about when it comes to using their time well.

In a perfect world you would have your day scripted, your phone turned off, and you’d work until noon without even checking email…

But there might still be one big problem.

You could be working on the WRONG projects.

When you break it down, the best time management strategy is to make sure you are using your time for the right things.

There is a difference between being busy and being productive.
Many people, as Dan Kennedy says, confuse “activity” with “accomplishment”. Writing things down on a white board is activity. Actually getting stuff done is accomplishment = BIG difference.

Here’s how you can use your time better. Start by asking yourself these questions:

1) What is the most profitable work I can be doing?
2) How can I spend more time on what is most profitable?

The answers to these questions should be major “A-Ha” moments for you.

I can’t imagine that using Facebook or Twitter would be the answer to question #1. Is it?

No, of course not. Spending time in concentrated thought devoted to your copy, your selling strategies, possible joint venture partners, and new product creation are all more valuable.

Think about that the next time you are tempted to update your social media status.

There’s another Kennedy quote that is burned into my brain that you can use a great evaluator for anything you do.

The question is, “Where’s the profit in that?”

Apply that to all of your daily work activities. Is there profit in checking Facebook?

If not, leave it for your leisure time. Don’t let it distract from your work.

Is there profit in reading seven blogs and news websites per day? If no, stop, and again, designate to leisure time or toss from your workday. If any of them are essential to your business, that’s fine, you can read them during work time, but be brutally honest with yourself.

Listen, the bottom line is that if you’re not happy with where you are right now, then you need to start making better use of your time.

If you’re struggling to get your product done, you need to STOP PROCRASTINATING.

Create an outline. Fill in the sections. Get it Done. The harsh truth is that you just have to glue yourself to a chair and get it done.

Or, if you’re filming a product, simply invest $300 (NON- refundable) and rent a hotel conference room for a certain date. Then prepare to film the content there. If you aren’t ready and don’t film on that date, you lose the $300. But I’m sure no one who follows that advice will let the date go by without getting it done.

(By the way, I’m taking my own advice. I have booked a hotel room and film crew to record a new set of online videos for ETR readers later this month. The hotel and crew are booked and paid for. Now it’s just up to me to follow through, and you better believe I won’t be wasting this opportunity.)

There’s NOTHING stopping you but yourself, and that’s a pretty flimsy excuse.

You can do it. Just get it done.

You can always make your product better in the future.

Do the right things at the right time.