Month: May 2015

For some unknown and crazy reason, I have been unable to putt anymore. This has lasted a few months now, and no matter what I try I cannot shake it off. On average I miss two to four putts per round within just a couple feet. This is driving me crazy and I am desperate to discover what the root cause is. Yes I've got the putting yips and would give anything to find the cure. More than likely there is something loose in my head, some kind of mental block and nothing more. No matter how many extra hours I train on the practice green, it doesn't help at all. C'mon, just loosen up and relax. Stroke the ball confidently straight into the hole in one smooth pendulum-like motion. Do not doubt, just do stand up and address the ball like a man and do it. Time to fill my mind not with what I do not want the ball to do but what I want the ball to do.

Mantra: straight back, straight through and roll it into the middle of the hole.

Remember this album? I must have listened to it at least a million times as a freshman. Love it still.

Now it's a long dark road. Yes, a long dark road. And you know I loved you. Yes, you know I loved you ...

In his book Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change For Your Technology Business, David Anderson comes up with a a so-called recipe for success.

Basically, it is an ordered list of key steps for the starting technical function manager to follow in order to create positive change and make progress quickly in a volatile and chaotic environment.

The recipe for success looks like this:

• Focus on quality
• Reduce work-in-progress
• Deliver often
• Balance demand against throughput
• Prioritize
• Attack sources of variability to improve predictability

I had a pretty good drive but it was a little bit too far and ended up right behind a tree. The ball was leaning right against the trunk and to make my shot even more impossible the ball had settled right between two roots which radiated out from the trunk like two thick octopus legs. I felt pretty frustrated but upon closer look I noticed something very special. Despite my actions and random thoughts about what club to use, the tree was there in total acceptance in all its natural glory. The bark consisted of curls and other intricate patterns, and other pieces of life like purple and green moss, hundreds of little insects and other beings running around in the minuscule universe. Managed to chip safely into the fairway and par the hole. Have a closer look yourself by clicking on the image at the left.

Looks like it's back to getting up early again, well actually not that early. It's a great feeling having work and a new purpose in life. Much better than sleeping late and having nothing to do all day but golfing and hanging around the house. Tons of new stuff to learn, but like I always say proudly: I am never too old to learn new stuff.

Waiting for the train.

The total travel time is: 10 minutes by bike, 5 minutes wait for train, 40 minutes in the train plus 15 minute walk to the office equals 70 minutes, 40 minutes of which I can relax and read a book in the train, so not that bad I guess.

Walking from the train station to work.

Being so busy the whole day takes some getting used to, but I can really appreciate my free time now like enjoying the evenings and playing golf in the weekend. My golf game is suffering but let's stop taking this sport so seriously and enjoy it as an extra form of entertainment.

This is the building where I work.

Never underestimate the powers of your Buddha shrine. Every time I pass this treasured spot in my house, I let my body and mind absorb its spiritual and healing force. Just a slight glance is sufficient, a moment in time, a sliver of thought.

Looks like it's back to work for me. After a short period on the dole, I've managed to get myself hired as a release manager at Blokker Holding in Amsterdam. They've launched a new state-of-the-art ecommerce platform called Nextail and I will be responsible for the software releases. As I always say, you're never too old to learn new stuff.