Life Lessons Learnt at the Supermarket

Every now and then, we find some really simple life lessons in all the things we do in our life. Even the humble grocery shopping has something to teach us.


First of all you have to find a parking space. Some days there spaces are everywhere and sometimes you have to search for them. Then there are the people who’ll drive around the carpark several times looking for just the right spot – you know the one that leaves enough space on either side of the car, is not too far from the front door and is close to the trolley bay.


Then you get inside the supermarket and start your shopping. Through the maze of shopping carts in the aisle I go, like weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway. You have your slower drivers who need to check the scenery as they travel. Then you have your faster drivers. They know the direction they are going and the exit they need to get off at and get annoyed by the slower drivers travelling in the fast lanes.


You need to watch out for those weekly specials. The supermarkets will do whatever they can to make them enticing. Woolworths, Coles, etc? We shop at Aldi for our staples each week and their weekly specials are amazing; everything from BBQs to school shoes – rice cookers to chainsaws. And then there are the food specials. But it’s their job to sell you these items – even if you don’t need them. You wander through thinking; ‘oh that might come in handy’, only to put it away in a cupboard never to use it.


Of those fast moving supermarket commuters, most will have a list of the items they need. They won’t be tempted by the specials unless they need them for their already pre-planned weekly menu. They are happily unaware of what is happening around them and so they often don’t realise when they are in someone else’s way or when someone else is about to crash into them.


The last person you’ll usually encounter at the supermarket is the checkout attendant. So many times I see customers just get through the checkout barely acknowledging the attendant. I’ve seen people talking on their mobile all the way through the checkout. Guys; a smile, a kind word, a ‘how’s your day going?’ and a ‘thankyou’ doesn’t cost a thing. Gives you a good feeling inside to acknowledge another person and helps them feel like they are visible.


The Phil’s-osophy

1. Get out of your way – you don’t need perfection to get started. You just need to get started.
2. Be focussed on what you want to achieve. When faced with a decision on what to do next, go for the action that is in keeping with what you want to achieve.
3. Keep the focus. There will always be those little distractions. If you do get sidelined, acknowledge it, get back into focus and move forward.
4. A good way to maintain focus is planning. Keep it super simple. The daily “to do” list is a simple and effective way to start. Collate a list of all the things to be done and pick the most important three. Once these are done, the next three and so on.
5. Be courteous. A kind word or a helping hand goes a long way. It’s good for the person you’re helping and it’s good for your soul. You never know who it is you are helping and they may surprise you.

Lessons are everywhere you go – open yourself up and absorb them.
To your success,
Phil.
http://www.philipwagner.com.au/