In a couple of days, the culmination of several months of hard work comes to a head for me when I run the 2010 Chicago Marathon. The race, conveniently enough, also happens to fall on my birthday. Which also happens to be 10.10.10 (yes, there are a lot of ironies all coming to a confluence here).
I've run numerous races, and more than a dozen half-marathons. But for whatever reason, I could never bring myself to sign up for a full 26.2 miles of running bliss (or hell, depending on how I feel when it's all said and done). Perhaps it was the sheer distance itself. As a former basketball player, running to me was punishment. You ran because you screwed up, not because you liked it. Or maybe it was the knowledge that I would have to put a lot of time and effort - commitment - into preparing to do it. But mostly, I think, it was that uncertainty bred contempt. I KNEW how to prepare and run for 13.1-mile races. I KNEW what I had to do to finish and feel like a human being the next day.
But given that this race was on my birthday, the fact that all the 10's came together and that running a marathon in something that's on my "bucket list," I signed up for it. Back in April. And the preparation began. I ran races in May and June, and no matter where my travels took me as I talked to folks in the HVACR industry, I'd find time to get a run in. Some of them were amazing. Some of them weren't quite so fun (they have a LOT of hills in Baltimore Maryland folks). But the goal was always the same - prepare for when 10.10.10 arrives.
So what does this rambling column REMOTELY have to do with you and the HVACR marketplace? It's simple. Are you doing things in your business, or servicing customers in a manner that follows the same pattern everyday? Have you set a goal for yourself to look at new options, like geothermal or solar solutions? Have you taken classes or looked into seminars on improving airflow to maximize system efficiency? How about integrating building automation or wireless devices into your customers' indoor-comfort solutions?
For years, the biggest hurdle I had to overcome wasn't the actual Marathon itself - it was the preparation and training that I had to embark on before the race that I was afraid of. In the world of HVACR, I've heard many techs and contractors say "I'd like to get more into (solar, geothermal, wind, add your own alternative energy option here), but I don't have the time to get familiar with some of the equipment." So rather than invest that time in something that they have uncertainty towards, they go with what they know. I'd like to personally challenge any of you reading this to jumpstart that thinking by looking at new options, technologies and choices. Don't be afraid of the education or time that you have to invest to understand these new comfort solutions. Because once you learn them, the actual jobs themselves (as we all know from our familiarity with current systems) become much easier.
All of these things are grabbing a bigger and bigger share of the HVACR marketplace. The November 2010 issue of the RSES Journal will feature an article on zoning, and also discuss how zoning and controls can maximize the efficiency of a geothermal installation. If you are a service technician, are you capable of installing or servicing such a system? Contractors...are you able to take on such a job if a homeowner or light-commercial building owner wanted to put this type of system in?
Looking long-term is something that we often talk about in our lives. How are we going to retire? How are we going to pay for our kids' college? How (unfortunately sometimes) are we going to be able to provide for our parents' care as they age? We have financial planners and bankers that all want to tell us how they can help us reach those goals. But when it comes to your career and those goals for advancement, the biggest planner is YOU. Take a minute to visit the RSES.org website and look at some of the upcoming seminars and conferences taking place. Visit NATE's website at www.natex.org and see where tests and programs are being offered. And talk to your local supply houses and suppliers to find out if there are industry-provided educational opportunities or training coming to your area.
The short-term option of coming home after a long day of work servicing customers and relaxing on the couch has a lot of appeal. Sometimes, it even is the necessary and right thing to do. But make sure you weigh that short-term thinking with some long-term planning. Take time to learn something new about the trade, get familiar with new technology, or get certified in a new area. The long-term benefits you'll receive will far outlast that hour of sleep you got on the couch after dinner. And it certainly beats blisters and shin splints.
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