The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

The Mayberry Way

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

: Lessons from Barney Fife:

"Nip it in the bud!" is one of those catchphrases that came from the popular Andy Griffith shows that aired weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1968. The widowed Sheriff "Andy" would hear that phrase from his deputy Barney Fife, along with other catchphrases.

The audience at the 25th Annual Ag Strategies Banquet put on by First State Bank of Illinois, La Harpe was thoroughly delighted with humorist Rip Roberts, a highly rated Nashville clean-cut comedian who entertained a full house for 45 minutes, in Carthage Monday evening.

Roberts in the character of Barney Fife, kept the audience in stitches, but along with his humor, he gave the Andy Griffith's straight forward lessons that came from Barney.

The Mayberry way is simple.... "Now the minute it looks like there's going to be trouble, we got to Nip it in the Bud!"

Roberts, took off his Barney police hat for a minute and focused on the waste that goes on in our lives-at home and at work-due to distractions. He said $650 billion is lost in businesses due to distractions. Twenty-eight percent of our day is interrupted-that's every 12 minutes! "Nip distractions in the bud." That includes YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, phone calls and texting which can eat up a good part of your day.

He showed the statistics of multi-tasking and the inefficiency of it, even with the best of them they found only 2.5% of them could be good at their work if they are trying to do several things at once. "Focus on one thing at a time," he said. Using the Pareto (80/20) principle, that helps you manage the things that really matter will make sure the important things that count get finished.

Impulsiveness can get us in trouble too. Fifty percent buy grocerys items on impulse. "And how many people have a Snuggie in the house," bought on impulse? Making rash decisions are avoidable, he reminds.

"Keep your bullet in your pocket," was his final note. "Own up to your mistakes quickly," then it can be done with, or else "it will own you!" "Nip it in the Bud!"