Bachelors; let's talk

This is for my bachelor friends—and for the “married bachelors” who somehow still dress like they’re on laundry day… every day.

Let’s address the issue directly.

Many men treat shopping like a root canal. The outcome? A wardrobe built on survival tactics: two pairs of jeans, a rotation of faded T-shirts, and at least one questionable sports jersey worn in completely inappropriate settings.

We’ve all seen it: A full-grown man, in a Seahawks jersey, confidently attending a formal-ish event—without the faintest idea who the Seahawks are.

That’s not style. That’s a cry for help.

And then there’s the fit. Or lack thereof. Jeans that sag, shirts that strain, sleeves that swallow hands. Ask for a waist size, you get a guess. Ask for a collar size, you get a shrug. Bootcut vs slim fit? Might as well be quantum physics.

Let’s be clear: dressing well is not a luxury. It’s a baseline expectation.

Maslow placed clothing alongside food and shelter—not “optional extras if you feel like it.” And with the average household spending around $1,000 a year on clothes, the real problem isn’t spending—it’s spending badly.

Which brings us to the solution.

A trusted associate of mine is offering a structured, no-nonsense wardrobe consulting service designed specifically for men who would rather outsource this problem than keep getting it wrong.

Here’s the proposition:

Clothing/Wardrobe Consultant Agreement

Effective (date), between JG of Atlanta, GA and (Your Name).

You engage JG to provide professional wardrobe guidance based on experience, current trends, and—most importantly—what actually works for you.

Scope of services:

• Identify your actual clothing needs (not what you think you need)
• Audit and refine your existing wardrobe
• Style you for your current body, not your 2012 body
• Provide hands-on personal shopping support

All services are tailored. No guesswork. No random purchases.

Fee: A monthly consulting retainer (to be agreed). Any purchases made on your behalf are reimbursed within 30 days.

The return on investment?

You walk into rooms looking intentional. You stop second-guessing what you’re wearing. You eliminate wasteful spending on clothes you never use. And most importantly—you look like a man who has his life together.

Because like it or not, people make decisions about you before you speak.

So let’s retire the random jerseys at work. Let’s end the “one good outfit” crisis. Let’s upgrade from accidental style to deliberate presence.

Gentlemen, this is not about fashion. It’s about standards.

And it’s time to raise them.

My Sobriety Journey

I am proud to say that for the past  7 years, I have been sober. Of all the physical and mental challenges I have taken on in my life, none has tested me quite like quitting alcohol.

To put this into context, I started drinking in the mid-1990s. I first quit in 2004 and managed to stay sober for six years, until 2010. Then I went back to the bottle. What followed was nine years of relentless drinking.

My journey through alcohol had its own strange progression. I started with Sangria wine, moved on to Bud Light, flirted with Corona, and eventually graduated to hard liquor. By the end, my preferences had settled on vodka—Cîroc and Tito’s—and whisky, mainly Crown Royal and Jameson. Looking back, I sometimes joke that I drank enough to keep a bar in Isiolo fully stocked for a year.

But there was nothing amusing about what followed.

My quality of life steadily declined. My relationships became shallow and short-lived. Financially, I was bleeding. I surrounded myself with the wrong company and found excuses to drink at every opportunity. Every occasion became a reason to indulge. All the while, I lived in denial. I blamed everything and everyone—genetics, friends, neighbors, even my partner—anything but myself.

After years of abuse, my body began to give in. My hands trembled so badly I could barely sign a check or write my name. My appetite disappeared. I could not function without alcohol in my system. My temper worsened, and my life grew darker by the day. I knew, deep down, that I was in free fall. It was becoming a matter of quitting or dying.

I neglected responsibilities. I broke promises. I avoided people. Trouble with government agencies followed. Financial obligations piled up. At one point, I was dangerously close to losing everything, including a place to live.

Then one Monday morning, after drinking a 1.75-liter bottle of Crown Royal through the night and into the next day, something shifted. I decided to stop.

There was no ceremony. No Alcoholics Anonymous. No gradual tapering. No expert consultation. Just a decision.

I told my partner and close friends I was taking a break. No one believed me. To be honest, I did not fully believe myself either. When I told my daughter, she simply asked, “For how long?” I could not blame her. After nearly a decade of daily drinking, doubt was reasonable.

Quitting, as it turns out, was the easy part.

Staying sober is the real battle.

The moment I stopped, it felt like the world conspired against me. Every advertisement seemed to promote alcohol. My fridge was stocked with it. My social circles revolved around it. Alcohol had quietly embedded itself into every corner of my life.

And then came the void.

Days grew longer. My calendar emptied. The time once consumed by drinking and related social activities stretched endlessly before me. I began to understand why so many people relapse. It is not just about quitting—it is about what comes after.

At this stage of my life, I was not ready to pick up a new career or dive into demanding hobbies. I was not fully engaged in work either. The idle time became a breeding ground for temptation. Staying sober began to feel like a full-time struggle.

Over time, I realized something important. The real challenge is not how to quit—it is what to replace alcohol with.

We can all find reasons why people drink, and we can list countless strategies on how to stop. But the real question is: what fills the space that alcohol once occupied?

Each person must find their own answer.

Nature abhors a vacuum. If you do not consciously fill that space, something else—often the same destructive habit—will return to occupy it.

My approach has been simple, though not easy. I focus on one day at a time. Each day, I make a deliberate choice not to take the next drink. That single decision, repeated daily, has become more manageable over time.

I have also begun to fill the void. I read more. I take long drives. And now, I write.

These small but meaningful activities have brought a sense of fulfillment I had long forgotten. Today, I can say with confidence that I no longer miss alcohol.

This is a long journey—perhaps a thousand miles. But I have taken the first steps, and for the first time in a long while, I am moving in the right direction.

Missing the bus

I used to live in Eastleigh, near Pumwani, and commute into the city by public transport. Like many others, I preferred getting a seat, even though it was common to stand when buses were full, especially closer to town.

One day, I waited at the bus stop, letting several buses pass because none had empty seats. Eventually, a conductor tried to convince us to board as standing passengers. I refused, insisting I would only take a bus if I could sit. He looked at me and casually asked, “Are you seated where you are?”

That question stayed with me.

There I was, standing at the bus stop, rejecting progress because it was not comfortable enough, yet I was already uncomfortable. In trying to secure a better option, I had delayed my own journey. If I had boarded the first bus, even without a seat, I would have reached the office much earlier.

Life often mirrors this moment. We wait for ideal conditions, a perfect opportunity, the right timing, complete certainty, while time quietly moves on. We tell ourselves we will act when things are more comfortable, more secure, more aligned. But in doing so, we end up stuck in the same place, standing still while opportunities pass us by.

Sometimes, missing the bus in life is not about a lack of opportunity. It is about hesitation, overselectiveness, or the illusion that something better is guaranteed if we just wait a little longer.

The truth is, progress often requires movement before comfort. The imperfect bus still moves. The standing passenger still arrives. And the people who get ahead are often those willing to start the journey, even when conditions are not ideal.

Take the step that is available to you now. Do not wait for perfect conditions before you begin. Choose progress over comfort when necessary, and trust that movement will create better opportunities along the way. Because in the end, it is better to be on the bus than to keep waiting at the stop.

Personal Development Plan

This personal development plan is designed to strengthen self-awareness, enhance professional capabilities, and position me for sustained career growth. It focuses on four key areas: self-assessment, formal education, job experience, and interpersonal development.

1. Self-Assessment

Self-assessment serves as the foundation of my development strategy. By evaluating my values, strengths, preferences, and personality traits, I will gain clarity on the type of work that aligns with my strengths and delivers personal fulfillment. This process will guide informed career decisions and provide a framework for continuous improvement.

2. Formal Education

In the immediate term, I will complete my program. To complement this, I will undertake targeted training in social network marketing to strengthen my digital and marketing competencies. I will also leverage internal training opportunities to enhance my skill set. Over the long term, I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in Training and Performance Improvement to deepen my expertise and expand career prospects.

3. Job Experience

Recognizing limited upward mobility in my current role, I will take a proactive and flexible approach to career development by maximizing available opportunities. Key strategies include:

- Expanding responsibilities through job enrichment

- Broadening skill sets via lateral movement

- Increasing task diversity through job enlargement

- Gaining cross-functional exposure through job rotation

These approaches will enable me to build a well-rounded skill base and remain adaptable in a dynamic work environment.

4. Interpersonal Development

I will actively cultivate professional relationships to support my growth. A key priority will be establishing a structured mentoring relationship with an experienced professional aligned with my career goals. This will provide guidance, accountability, and valuable industry insight.

Conclusion

This plan provides a structured yet flexible roadmap for my professional development. By integrating continuous learning, practical experience, and strategic relationships, I aim to enhance my effectiveness, expand my opportunities, and achieve long-term career success.

High-Tech Training:

High-Tech Training: The impact technologies have and will continue to have on how people learn and interact, and their implications for training

Web 2.0

Platt (2007) describe Web 2.0 as the collective ability to use the Web to write as well as read rich content which allows people to interact with the Web, with online content, and with one another. Web 2.0 represents a fundamental change in the way people interact with content, applications, and other users; the new Web is a platform for harnessing and promoting collective intelligence. In the future, learners and learning will no longer be merely consuming content and applications: They will be participants, creating content and interacting with different services and people. The availability of high quality image and video continues to provide a very low cost and simple way of providing training and demonstration materials. This rich content, when integrated with subject matter experts in the community and active discussion groups will provide a powerful and simple training and education environment.

E-Learning

This refers to instructions and delivery of training by computer online through the internet or web (Noe, 2010). This includes web based training, distance learning, virtual classroom and distance learning.

Online learning has several advantages. These include;

· Several features can be built into online learning

· It is accessible any place and any time

· Can be provided through dispersed geographical areas

· Can be provided faster and easier

· Eliminates paperwork

· Link learners to other content, experts and peers.

Online learning will blur the distinction between training and work (Noe, 2010).

Blended learning

This is coming in to fill some of the limitations of online learning. Blended learning combines E-learning, face to face learning and other methods of learning and instruction. It provides increase learner control over the program, allow self-directedness and requires learners to take more control over own learning. It has been found to be more effective than face to face learning in enhancing learner motivation. There is the thinking that blended learning has an advantage as it capitalizes the best aspects of face to face and online learning. Today blended learning primarily functions as a replacement for or extension of face to face environments. In future, blended learning will provide the needed face to face social interaction while still enhancing the capabilities of the other learning methodologies.

Bonk and Kim (2004) have identified 10 future trends in blended learning that will be linked to expansion in blended learning.

This will include;

· Mobile Blended

· Greater Visualization, Individualization, and Hands-on Learning

· Self-Determined Blended Learning

· Increased Connectedness, Community, and Collaboration

· Increased Authenticity and On-Demand Learning

· Linking Work and Learning

· Changed Calendaring

· Blended Learning Course Designations

· Changed Instructor Roles

· The Emergence of Blended Learning Specialists

Simulations

Noe (2010) demonstrates how the improvement in software development and computer technology has transformed simulation and how it is affecting learning. Online simulations and role play of different animated business customers offer training on various customer service challenges. In certain colleges, Clinical rotations have tremendously been reduced due to availability of simulated clinical experiences that are better than the real thing.

Full-Body Pregnancy Simulator allows training in a variety of obstetric procedures with interchangeable models for extra scenarios. The Manikin includes realistic anatomy and Scenario easily adjusted with additional models. The prohibitive costs associated with simulation development costs will be continue to decrease making them a popular training method.

Wikis

A wiki is a type of website that permits users to edit available content. Wikis are designed with the philosophy of making it easy to correct mistakes through collaboration. The theory is that a large audience will overall provide more accurate information than a single expert or source.

Some of the benefits of wikis include:

• Allows for access to posted information at any time from any location.
• Allows for the posting of multimedia including links, images, music, and videos.
• Allows the instructor to track submissions and changes to group projects.
• Useful in collecting data from groups of students.
• Allows students to collaboratively write reviews of courses or assignments.
• Provides a low-cost but effective communication and collaboration tool.
• Promotes the close reading, revision, and tracking of drafts.
• Allows students and instructors to collaborate to create simple websites.
• Allows groups of students to peer-edit and evaluate documents for group projects.
• Allows groups of students to group author papers and projects.
• Can be used in place of presentation software such as PowerPoint.
• Reduces the amount of paper-based assignment submissions. Additionally, wiki posts are time and date stamped allowing for instructors to enforce submission due dates.
• Tracks revision history allowing for users to go back to former iterations or undo changes.

In the future, wikis may be used to;

• Create a repository of information such as definitions, descriptions of theories, encyclopedia entries, research data and more.
• Use as a platform for group projects.
• Utilize as a repository of information across courses or semesters.
• Utilize as a training manual such as how to perform tasks.
• Allow student to edit the manual to improve it for future students.

References

Bonk, C., & Kim, K.-J. (2004). FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKPLACE LEARNING SETTINGS. In C. J. Bonk, Handbook of blended learning: Global Perspectives, local designs. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Publishing.

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.

Platt, M. (2007, july). Web 2.0 in the Enterprise. Architecture Journal,(12 ).

The Truth About Training

Staff training in a globalized business environment is no longer a discretionary activity but a core business strategy. Organizations that invest in structured and effective training systems consistently outperform those that do not.

Training and continuous learning drive both personal and professional growth. They enable employees to acquire the skills needed to adopt and utilize emerging technologies, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness. As a result, employees become more valuable by staying relevant and capable of meeting evolving demands in a dynamic global landscape.

Organizational training also plays a critical role in aligning employees with business strategy. Without it, different teams and individuals may lack clarity on strategic direction, leading to fragmented efforts. Effective training ensures that the entire organization works cohesively toward common goals.

Beyond skill development, training serves as a powerful motivational tool. Organizations that invest in employee development tend to experience higher retention, particularly among high-performing staff. Retaining skilled and motivated employees strengthens organizational capability and supports long-term success.

In essence, training is not just about enhancing capability; it is a strategic lever for alignment, motivation, and sustained competitive advantage.

Analyzing Scope Creep

 

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside. The enemy of the ‘best’ is often the ‘good.’” – Stephen Covey.

The Project

I worked at a school that conducted Allied Health Courses using the tradition face-to-face method. The school decided to convert the face-to-face Home Health Aide (HHA) class to the online format. Since HHA had only 20 contact hours, the administration assumed it would be easier to convert it to an online class. The management selected the Administrator to be the PM. The administrator identified and selected a project team that included the SME and the technical Designers. The SME was to provide the material and the technical design team would re-purpose the material to address the issues relevant to the online medium. The project was scheduled to be completed in two months.

The Scope Creep

Greer (2010) identified scope creep as those seemingly reasonable requests for “little add-ons” or enhancements by stakeholders, which eventually get the project budget and schedule to be blown out, and eventually making the whole project team to be blamed. In the instant case, the scope started changing when the SME had to leave the project due to personal issues. The new SME came with all new ideas and concerns. She wanted to introduce video sections that had not originally been included in the initial plan or budget. She also wanted to include other aspects of the curricular such as CPR that was not part of the original scope. Having come from an organization that had a functioning HHA online, she wanted to make our online HHA class to take the same format and design of her previous engagement.

Project Creep Management

The stakeholders did not address this scope creep very well. Instead of reviewing the effects and the impact this scope changes would have on the project, the Project Manager let the SME have a free hand in the new process. Consequently, the budget almost doubled, and the timeline exceeded the initial plan. Several project members who had time pressure could not be available in the new expanded project, the finance office did not have the money to pay for some of the new activities, and the project team all but collapsed. The project was an utter failure. We did not succeed and we abandoned the project without the team producing anything tangible despite the costs and time spent.

This project had many flaws. 

There was no written plan or even a project charter. The lack of the project charter left the project open to different interpretation of scope by different stakeholders. The Project Manager was also very weak. Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer, (2008) avers that a successful Project Manager require targeted skills and techniques to steer the project to successful completion. Our Project Manager Influence and control over the overall project was weak. He adopted a laissez faire approach to project management. To ensure successful completion I would recommend greater scope control and a clear communication of the project milestones and deliverables. Dr. Harold Stolovich (n.d) recommends that the Project Manager should let any person introducing a change of scope know that though you value their idea, the change cannot be accommodated right away. He also recommends a use of a change of scope document. This would have made the organization achieve success in the project.

The other key issue I would address would be the key assumptions project members had for the project. The tacit assumptions were that the entire team would be available for the life of the project. There was also an assumption that the project had an unlimited budget and the aim was to develop the best online HHA course. These assumptions were not grounded on facts and became a major handicap during the implementation.

I would have revised and clarified the project purpose, developed a project charter and have it approved by the management and have any change no matter how innocuous be accompanied by the change of scope document that would outline the impact of the change on the schedule and budget of the project.

References

Greer, M. (2010). The Project Management Minimalist:Just Enough PM to Rock Your Projects! Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Ed.

Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., Sutton, M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project Management - Planning Scheduling and Controlling Projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stolovich, H. (Writer), & Laureate Educational Inc, (Director). (n.d.). Project Management Concerns: Scope Creep [Motion Picture].