Too Many Options

Today’s post has to be short and to the point because I have a whole lot to do.

I recently met a young man who is dating a friend of mine. Nice guy, well dressed, drives a beautiful silver Mercedes. Several words came to mind as I learned about him. Words like, simplicity, focus, direction, and uncomplicated. I realized that I have allowed myself to take advantage of too many options. Instead of focusing my energy I’ve allowed myself to get involved in too many activities and study too many subjects. I’ve allowed my energies to dissipate over too large an area.

Well no more! I decided to go on a quest to de-clutter my physical and mental land-scape. I think I’m in good company. I recently read about Fred Astaire. He focused on only a few activities. I decided to become more ruthless than ever to get rid of things in my life that I’m not going to need immediately. I will be much more ruthless when it comes how I spend my time.

I’ll let you know how things work out.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

Finding Your Purpose

Is there anyone who doesn’t know that it is important to set goals? Maybe a few. However, I believe your first priority should be to find your purpose. Once you’ve found your purpose, setting goals becomes easier and more meaningful. Why? Because knowing your purpose provides a framework for your goals. Knowing your purpose gives value to your time. It makes it easier to choose good goals. Setting priorities for your time and money becomes easier. Without knowing your purpose you could pick goals that are at cross-purposes with each other or give in to peer-pressure or laziness

Some books try to sell you the perfect goal setting strategy. After reading a few pages you begin to believe that the right techniques will assure the achievement of every goal. Success, therefore, will be inevitable. So, the next day you run out your front door ready to carpe diem. You trip over the garden hose and do a face plant in the rose bushes. So much for goal setting. When you pursue your life’s purpose one setback is just a bump on a long and interesting road.

Here’s an example. If your goal is to visit the Eiffel Tower and terrorists bomb it to the ground like they did the World Trade Center then your life suddenly loses meaning. However, if your purpose is to visit other cultures to gain understanding and to relate that understanding to others then the terrorist bombing only changes the type of stories you’ll tell about that one area. Your purpose provides the foundation upon which you can develop skills, resources and life.

Of course this begs the question, “How do I find my purpose in life.” I wish I could tell you what your purpose in life is or give you a formula for finding your purpose. I cannot do either. I can, however, give you some ideas based on what I’ve discovered. Choose to view finding your purpose in life as an adventure and not a chore. Don’t give up! Keep looking and keep trying. Besides, discovering your purpose for yourself is much, much more rewarding than having someone tell you.

I believe there are two main components that form the foundation of your life’s purpose. The first is your talent set. The second is your available resources. Believe it or not most people are not fully aware of either component. They don’t know what their talents are because they only think of talents in terms of job descriptions. When they hear the word talent they think of acting, singing, dancing, or painting. Acting is not a talent, it is an activity that requires talent and skill. People also underestimate their resources because they only count money as a resource. Anything that you have or can use is a resource. The imaginative combination of mundane resources and finely honed skills is at the core of many great people.

First let’s talk about your talents. Actually, I don’t even like to use the word talent because it tends to evoke images of someone who sings or paints. I prefer the word capacity or inclination. When I talk to teens I usually ask them what they like to do. The majority of the time I get an “I don’t know!” response said in tones of desperation and frustration. Then they elaborate by giving me a list of jobs that parents or friends have suggested. You must not fall into this trap. Do not confuse capabilities (or talents if you must) with a job. Having a great sense of color and proportion does not mean you should be a painter. There are a variety of jobs that could make use of that talent. Besides, you need more than talent, you also must possess skills. Talent is the raw material. Skill is developed by adding study and practice to your talent.

There are several ways to find your talents. As far as I’m concerned you should use all of them in your quest. Listen to your parents (no matter how old you are). What do they have to say about what you’re good at or what you enjoyed when you were younger. However, there is the danger that a parent has a predetermined motive about the job they think you should have. As a result they may super-impose the matching talents on you. Make use of your friends. What things do you do almost effortlessly that your friends don’t do well, can’t do at all, or hate to do? Can you easily remember words to songs, numbers or puzzle solutions? What do your friends tell you you’re good at? Friends get jealous too. So, don’t treat what they say as the final word concerning your gifts and talents. School and work can be a great source of discovery. In which classes do you get good grades? Which classes are the most fascinating? Which job-related tasks are the most interesting to you? As with parents and friends, we must exercise caution in this area too. If you have poor study skills or are in with the wrong crowd, poor grades and class performance may mislead you. I know a teen who was naturally good at math. However his friends looked down on geeks and good students so he staunchly refused to do homework. As a result his grades suffered. If he believed his report card he would be completely misled about his mathematical gift. A grumpy or over-bearing teacher can often take an otherwise fascinating subject and make it unbearable. The last piece of advice I’ll offer in this area is to ask yourself what you would like to do if friends and family where not involved. If you’ll keep track of the input you get from family, friends, school, work and self-questioning you will quickly develop an inventory of your set of talents.

By the way it’s common to have only a few talents. Don’t confuse talents with skills. Most likely your talent list will be short but your skill list will be long and will continue to grow throughout your life. It is possible to develop a skill in an area where you don’t have much talent. However, you will find that someone with talent will develop a skill with a lot less effort than someone without talent in a specific area. Skills that you developed joyfully are a good indication of your talents. Skills that you use, but hate to use, are probably a result of dedication and hard work not talent. However, to reach gold medal standing you must apply dedication and hard work to your talents. The jury is still out on this idea but I suggest that you concentrate on your strengths and compensate for, rather than overcome, your weaknesses.

While you’re spending some time discovering your likes, inclinations and preferences, you must also take inventory of your resources. Resources include more than money. Time is a valuable resource that many people overlook. I read about a guy that became a computer expert by dumpster-diving at a computer manufacturers regional office. Do you have a lot of relatives? Is there a library, used book store, or a neighbor with an extensive library close to you? Are any of your relatives experts in a field that interests you or can they introduce you to someone who is? Do you have a car, bike, or do you like to walk? Do you have tools, paint or paint brushes. All of these are resources. You can often make up for lack of money with time and persistence. Its faster to develop a skill by paying for a class. However, if you don’t have the money but you have plenty of time you can make use of the library or other low-cost or free information sources. Remember our dumpster diving computer expert. The library may not be as efficient as attending classes but if that is your only avenue you’ll have to take it. Friends and family are also a resource that should not be overlooked. I know it’s easy to get discouraged because you don’t have a lot of resources. Don’t let yourself get down. Imagination and diligence are your most valuable possessions. A lot of people have accomplished amazing things by combining imagination and persistence.

Talented people are a dime a dozen, or cheaper. Businesses the world over are looking for people with skill, imagination, and a good work ethic. Finding your purpose in life makes the process of developing your skill-set more efficient. Knowing your purpose allows you to channel your imagination along its optimum path. When your imagination is pumping and you are developing skills based on your talents, work becomes more like play. What looks like a fantastic work ethic to others is really you just doing what you love. Finding your purpose in life can be a great adventure. Start first thing in the morning. Just watch out for that pesky garden hose.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

4 Ways to Be Happier

Would you like to live a happier life? In your mind, is that a dumb question? Many people want a happier life but they delegate their responsibility to someone else, like their lover, parent, teacher, or the government. If you want to live a happier life the first thing you need to do is take responsibility for your life. You cannot control every aspect of your life but you can control how you respond to the circumstances.

Replace grouchiness with honest thankfulness. I read about a man who suffered a severe back injury. While convalescing at home he just couldn’t get to sleep. Finally, he acted on the advice of a close friend. The friends advice was simple but required diligence. He started verbally rehearsing everything for which he was grateful. He started with the green grass in his backyard, then the flowers his wife had planted. From there he moved on to the trees and a variety of other things. With each new item he found he was getting happier and more relaxed. After several minutes of thankfulness he fell asleep and slept soundly for the first time in weeks. The key: you must choose to be thankful for the people, things and circumstances of your life. People respond much better to honest gratitude than to sarcasm or rudeness. I want to emphasize honest appreciation. Saying “I love you” to a Starbucks server just because they made you a large cappucino will probably reek of insincerity. Instead, keep it simple and direct by looking the person in the eye, smiling and saying something simple like “Thank you.” Acknowledging the good in your life by way of thanksgiving is a great way to boost your spirit and overcome the doldrums.

Resolve conflicts as quickly as possible. Nobody is perfect and everyone has faults. However, the sooner you can resolve a conflict the sooner you can get life back on track. In a work situation, unresolved conflicts can destroy productivity. There are way too many aspects of conflict resolution to go into here. However, here are a couple of simple thoughts to keep in mind that may help. First, choose (it make take a lot of will-power) to recognize that the other person is a human being and has value. Second, remember that you’re not perfect. Even if the cause isn’t your fault a little humility can help disarm the other person and make it easier to resolve the conflict. Third, ask the other person to express their feelings without abusive language. Finally, reassure everyone that you’re willing to work towards resolution. Resolve conflicts early so that little battles don’t escalate to all out war.

Replace perfectionism with completeness. Very few things in life are perfect. But just because things are not perfect doesn’t mean they’re incomplete. I love potato salad in the summer but I hate those dinky plastic forks that people usually pass out at picnics. I could inform the host ahead of time to make they have sufficiently sturdy plasticware. Yeah right! Or I could remember to always bring my own fork. Get real! Or, I could simply take smaller bites. The third option is the one I’ve found to be the most successful. There are many aspects of our modern life where compromises have been made that don’t benefit us directly. You can either waste time and energy complaining about them or you can be more proactive and develop ways to cope. As long as the work is complete and correct a few minor imperfections shouldn’t cause any problems. If you’re the compulsive type, cut yourself and those around you some slack. and allow for some imperfection.

Eliminate physical and emotional clutter. I honestly believe that some people keep a cluttered desk or office as a means of hiding how little they actually accomplish. I’ve always found it fascinating that when I go to an expensive store, high class neighborhood or a good museum that everything is in order and uncluttered. An uncluttered mind has plenty of mental power to solve current problems and create new designs. An uncluttered heart has more room to appreciate friends and family. Be ruthless in eliminating physical clutter. Be just as ruthless in the realm of your soul and forget all those bad memories, grudges and wounds from the past. I can almost guarantee that the person who hurt you last year or last month isn’t wasting one iota of emotional energy on your wounds. Forgiveness has a greater benefit to the giver than to the recipient.

I know it’s easy for someone to say “be happy.” Happiness, like many good things in life, requires work. You must exercise your power of choice. Choose to show gratitude. Work at resolving conflicts quickly. Where appropriate, strive for completeness not perfection. Be diligent to keep your heart and habitat free from clutter.  These all take effort and choice but the results are well worth the cost.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

Enemies to Progress

Whether you are an independent consultant, a manager, or an employee you probably want to make as much progress in your professional and personal life as is humanly possible. However, for some weird cosmic reason progress is often resisted. In business as well as personal life, we want to make progress as quickly as possible because it often brings both fiscal rewards and a sense of personal fulfillment. But you must be diligent to guard against the enemies to progress. Here are a few of these enemies and what to do about them.

Lack of a plan is probably the single largest obstacle to good progress. Scientific discoveries are often accidental but product development, awesome theatrical productions, and human development must be founded upon a good plan. Even small projects like a pleasant date or an evening with friends benefits from a plan. A good plan can be as simple as a list of tasks and resources written on the back of an envelope. So don’t let a lack of a plan get you off the path to success. I’m told that General Patton once said, “I’d rather have a good plan today than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

I’ve often taken on a challenge to get something done without the necessary resources. When you’re short on resources it’s good to be long on resourcefulness. I’ve worked with some people who refused to learn a new technology or wouldn’t commit to a schedule until the project was complete. If you want a wedding on the cheap or you want to tour Europe for a month or you just want to make the biggest bang for the buck for a new product launch my suggestion is to focus on resourcefulness not resources. Enlist the help of resourceful people and shy away from those who demand that everything is provided for them ahead of time.

I have this bizarre habit of visiting a McDonald’s in every foreign country that I visit. I don’t do it because I’m homesick I do it because McDonald’s Corporation requires consistency among their franchises yet allows for regionalization. In the Southwest you can get green chili on your burger, in Japan you can get a teriyaki burger or a squash shake. The Big Mac tastes the same in all countries but the regional options allow some of the local flavor to shine through. However, one of things that is not consistent across the international boundaries is the level of service. And I hate to say it but I’ve often received the poorest service right here in the good ol’ USA. Some servers won’t greet you or tell you the total. I’ve had my food tray slammed on the counter or slid across the counter too me as if it was to tiring to take one more step to hand it to me. It is very hard to find employees, especially for low paying service jobs, that are diligent and serious about their work. However, I’ve seen the same problem in high-paying jobs when employees refuse to treat their co-workers with respect, or carry their share of the work-load, or avoid schedule commitments. Whenever possible, eliminate laziness in yourself, and surgically remove it from your support team. If a person is lazy in their work they are probably lazy intellectually as well and may have other personality traits that will sabotage your project. Get rid of them quickly and avoid hiring them in the first place.

One enemy of progress that is particularly difficult to deal with is a lack of trust. If you want to get something done as quickly as possible you need to earn the trust of the people working with you. Without trust, people won’t commit to the unusual demands and schedule of the project. They may grow suspicious that the accelerated time-line is just an excuse to get more work for the same pay. To avoid trust issue you have to be as open as possible about the issues involved and you have to set the mark for dedication to the project. If your staff is working extra hours but they see you leave early, take long lunches, or have highly animated phone conversations with a lover they’ll lose their respect for you and resort to extended breaks or gossip sessions that will most certainly impact the time-line. If you want something unusual make sure you lead by example.

Strife among the team is another nasty problem to deal with. The best way to deal with it is to avoid creating a fertile environment for it to grow. If you lack a plan, don’t have resourceful people, have lazy team-mates, and a lack of trust you can be absolutely certain strife will flourish. People often perform at their best when they’re challenged at a level that is a little higher than they’re used to. However, if you assign a task that is way out of line with a person’s capabilities you are creating a time-bomb for yourself. If you find that a couple of team members have a particularly difficult time getting along you need to act quickly to get some level of agreement. They don’t have to become “best buds” but you should insist that they get along amicably and professionally for the sake of the project.

There you have it, 5 enemies to progress and a few suggestions on how to defend against them. Progress is great and provides us with a great sense of fulfillment. You’ll make the most progress when you have a plan, gather resourceful people, avoid laziness at all costs, build trust, and inculcate a culture of quick amicable conflict resolution. Progress isn’t always easy, but I bet you knew that already.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

1, 2, 3, 4, how can I do more.

Let’s cut right to the chase. If you’re reading this you probably already know that this world rarely rewards the lazy. The productive get higher wages, more promotions, and usually live a fuller life. I’m betting that you already are a go-getter and are looking for a few quick tips on how to get more done in a day. So, let’s jump right in. First, you need to remind yourself to identify what needs to get done. Second you need to prioritize each task. Third, focus on the tasks and do not allow yourself to get distracted by anything that can be postponed. Fourth, you must move with dispatch while staying quality-minded. Simple tips that could yield big rewards. Send me a cut from your next raise.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

How to Make a To-Do List

Making a to-do list may seem obvious to you. However, I have to remind myself from time to time that nothing is obvious until you see it. Everybody has to start somewhere, so, I want to talk, for a moment or two, to those who aren’t comfortable writing a to-do list.

I have a friend who was a paralegal for many years. That job came to an abrupt end and she found herself managing a book and gift store. I noticed, whenever I talked to her that she frequently interrupted herself. She would be right in the middle of a sentence and interrupt herself with another thought and then interrupt that thought with another. She seemed agitated about all her new responsibilities. I suggested she make a list of what needed to be done. Her response, “Oh no, I know exactly what I need to do.”

The weeks passed, during my next visit, the same scenario replayed itself. I broached the subject again. I explained to her that the human brain can remember a lot but it can only keep about 6 or 7 things at the forefront at a time. Since the brain doesn’t really keep time very well it reviews the list in an endless loop so a list of 4 items can seem like a list of a hundred items. As the list is reviewed time and again a feeling of anxiety grows. Here’s what I told her, “Write what needs to be done on a list. The next time it comes up in your mind, check the list. If it’s not on the list add it. If it’s on the list say, ‘be calm it’s on the list.’” She tried it for a day, but kept losing her list.

I love to program in postscript so I wrote a program to draw 6 to-do lists on a page. You simply fold the paper in half and then in thirds. This gives you 6 panels on which to write as many tasks as you can fit. I put a check box next to each one. I gave her 2 sheets. The first one I used to demonstrate how to fold it. The second one is used as a master to make more copies. When you take a regular sized piece of paper and fold as described it will easily fit in pants pocket, shirt pocket or purse.

Within two days she was much calmer. Anytime something popped up she would check her list and either add or reassure herself that everything was under control.

The primary reason for making a to-do list is to prevent energy sapping anxiety. The second reason is to make sure no important task is left undone. I’m sure many would switch the order of priorities but I’ll stick to my guns because I’ve seen too many people operating at reduced efficiency and effectiveness simply because anxiety was slowing them down and draining their creative juices.

What else should you know about making a to-do list? Well, I believe, and several authors seem to support this idea, that you should have more than one to-do list. Different authors have different suggestions on what kinds of lists you should have. Here’s my suggestion, start with two and grow from there. The first list should contain items that meet one or more of these criteria: a) it must be done today, b) it can easily be done in one step today, c) you will have time to do it today. The second list should contain items that don’t go on the first list such as project-like tasks, tasks that can be postponed or delegated, or tasks that require research.

Once you’ve mastered the creation and use of the two-list practice you’ll be able to branch out to gain finer control over your tasks. You may decide to add a projects list or a great idea list or a “I really want to do this someday” list.

What medium should be used for a to-do list? Some people like computer programs. I have never had good success with those because the majority of my work is away from my desk. Sometimes, I’ll type a list, print it, then carry the list with me throughout the day. I’ve had the most success using either a spiral bound notebook or a regular piece of paper folded to create 6 panels. Experiment with different media and see what works best for you.

So now you know. Make one list with your top priorities. Make a second list to hold whatever can, or should be postponed. Use a medium (paper, computer, 3×5 cards, etc.) that fits your style. Let me leave you with two final thoughts. Don’t spend more time organizing your tasks than you spend doing them. Finally, remember the principle of “continuous forward progress.” Even slow progress is better than no progress. Happy “to-do” listing.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

The Number One Key to Getting Things Done

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about personal productivity and about a variety of successful people. I’ve read about tickler files, and folder systems, notebooks vs. day planners and so on. The common thread, and the very reason for all these systems, is to get work done. I’ve got to admit that I’ve caught myself spending more time on organizing my tasks than actually doing them because I got caught up in trying to find “the best approach.” J. Paul Getty complained that too many executives confused activity with productivity. They substituted reports for action, but he preferred action to reports. This is not to say that he advocated thoughtless action. No, his point was to follow careful thought with quick, decisive action.

Here’s what I’ve gleaned from all these books. The number one key to getting more done is simply to consistently take action. Try this: without delay, and for the next hour, act on everything you can do right now that’s on your to-do list. When you get tired, slow down or take a rest. As soon as you can breathe again, get moving. Get stuff out of your head and out of the way and simply put your self in motion. How simple is that?

Posted in Life Tips | 1 Comment »

Stumbling Toward Poverty

Few people actively plan to become poor, that is to say, without resources. Most of us hope, and a few of us plan to come into some measure of wealth. However, there are certain character traits or habits that seem to naturally propel a person towards poverty. I’m sure none of you have any of these frailties, but let’s play it safe and double-check ourselves. Why? Because even a little bit can slow us down. I don’t know about you but I want to move forward with dispatch.

Arrogance is typically portrayed with an upturned nose and a downward glance. Some people lean backwards so they can look down their nose at you. If you’re really tall, or they’re really short, this can be humorous as you watch them struggle to maintain balance. In reality, we’re being arrogant anytime we fail to acknowledge that someone else may have expertise in an area we don’t or has more expertise in an area where we do. Arrogance goes by another name, pride. Pride will turn a blind eye to flaws and exaggerate strengths. When pride takes over you’re easily blindsided. In fact, one way to take down an enemy is to feed their pride. Unfortunately, arrogance and pride can exact a heavy toll on the culprit and innocent bystanders as well. As an example the Enron scandal was a result of a few people thinking they were better than everyone and above the law. They were not the only ones to suffer the consequences. The antidote to pride is a healthy dose of acknowledgment of others’ contributions mixed with gratitude. You may have have aced the bar exam but the waitress bringing dinner still deserves of your respect because she’s willing to serve you in the best manner she can. As you liberally distribute acknowledgment and gratitude you will build yourself a network of people who are willing to support your endeavors. Pride, on the other hand, creates a cadre of people looking forward to your fall.

Haste is probably one of those values that modern people have started to believe is actually a virtue rather than a vice. So, let’s be clear, by haste I mean the willingness to take action without a plan. Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name” song is a sad and humorous ditty about the effects of acting without a plan. Plans are for more than buildings and careers. Plans are important for dates and, as Carrie warns us, for nights at the bar. Thousands of home loans were made without adequate forethought about the consequences of rising interest rates, gas prices, and a stalled economy. A few CEOs lost their jobs but even more people lost their houses, savings and credit ratings. Haste is evil!

I’ve only met one person in all my decades of living that admitted to being lazy. I take that back, I’ve met two. Laziness creeps up on all of us. It usually masquerades itself as a well deserved break. It can be devastating. You let something slide today just because you’re tired or bored. Maybe you don’t do a thorough check of a gauge or setting and nothing bad happens so you’re lulled into a false sense of security. I’ve discovered that most people don’t know what “couple” means. As in, “It’ll take just a couple of minutes.” Or, “What’s the big deal? I was only a couple of minutes over on my break.” From casual measurements of people using that phrase I’ve found that they usually mean anywhere from 5 to 10. If one of your employees extends their morning and afternoon break by just a “couple” of minutes everyday, by the end of the year you’ve been deprived of more than 43 productive hours (2 breaks x 5 minutes x 52 weeks). Multiply that times the number of employees doing it and you’re talking some serious productivity gaps. If you’re self-employed or you’re paid according to your performance then that productivity loss comes right out of your pocket. One antidote for laziness is decisiveness. Make the decision to “be here now” by giving the current project or task your full attention. Also, don’t leave your life to chance. Make a plan even for small things. Now “plan” doesn’t necessarily mean reams of paper with everything scheduled to the minute. It could be 5 or 6 lines on a notepad. The more plans you make, the more efficient at planning you’ll become.

Of all the vices I’ve seen the one that gets my vote for being the most damaging and the most insidious is visionlessness. Having no vision manifests itself in any number of forms such as procrastination, depression, hopelessness, despondency, violence, suicidal tendencies, and substance abuse. A person, a community, or even a country can be plunged into poverty and servitude to the one who does have a vision. A person without a vision doesn’t use time, they kill it. I believe that somewhere deep, deep inside the human soul there is something that passionately wants to move upward. By upward I mean from wherever you are to somewhere that is in someway better. If there isn’t anything on which to focus that drive or someone tries to force the focus onto something unimportant to us, we rebel either aggressively or passively. Throwing money at a person will not help them. In fact it will kill them. You have just provided the means to upgrade their method of escape – drugs, alcohol, sex, video games, any kind of distraction. A person with vision, a really hotly desired vision, will create money, seemingly out of thin air. They will make time not waste time. The world is setup in such a fashion that it rewards the go-getter, be it manor bird. When you have no vision you are bound and gagged. Every decision you make is meaningless because it does not move you toward a better place. So what’s the cure? Honestly, I’m not sure. I think it starts with enforcing one choice, then another, then another along a chosen path. I don’t believe the dream has to be grandiose like curring cancer or becoming president. I believe you can start with something simple like losing ten pounds (even if you should lose 50). Add to the dream a reward and a set of steps and you have the makings of a first rate plan. Dr. Joyce Brothers once decided to lose some weight. If I remember correctly, she decided to swim to her son’s home in another state – figuratively speaking. She broke the distance into the number of laps she needed to swim. She set a schedule and started swimming. There were days when she didn’t want to swim. She enforced the choice to swim anyway. Once she swam the distance she boarded a plane for a visit with her son. There’s an old saying that you can eat an elephant one bite at a time. You can build a better life one small vision at a time. The key is you must have a goal and you must push yourself to take each step to get there. Then, set the next goal.

There you have it. Four paths that lead inexorably toward having less resources than you want. But with extra effort you can avoid those dead-end roads. If you acknowledge and appreciate what those around you have to offer, you’ll build a support group deep and wide. Don’t waste time by being hasty. Instead, spend the appropriate amount of time to check the facts and make a plan suitable for the occasion. Don’t allow yourself to be tricked into laziness by either doing nothing or spending time on fruitless endeavors. Finally, and most importantly, develop and guard the vision for your future. It will make all the difference between having more than enough and poverty.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

Reward Yourself

It’s funny but everyone seems to want to get rewarded in some way. Sometimes they want a “thank you” sometimes they want something much more substantial. Oddly, many people won’t reward themselves by seeking a job that provides maximum rewards. I don’t mean maximum pay. There are more ways to gain satisfaction then just money. Jobs that reward you for your performance are a great way to gain satisfaction. I knew a woman at a diner who made more money in tips than a journeyman carpenter made for a full week’s work. One of my bosses was especially enamored with the role of the salesman. He said, “A ditch-digger doesn’t dig a ditch until the salesman sells the contract.” When I was 16 I had a job that paid by the piece. I was so fast at it that I was making 5 times minimum wage as a junior in high school.

Are you unhappy in your current position? Maybe you need to either change jobs or find a way to measure and improve your productivity. If you’re a hostess keep track of how many people you seat and greet. Or look for a job where friendliness is rewarded in other ways. I knew a programmer who kept track of how many new lines of code he wrote every day. Knowing that he beat a previous record gave him a sense of accomplishment in addition to his paycheck. If you need to change jobs, then you need to exercise some guts and honesty by finding out what you like and what you’re good at (they are probably closely related). Then, find a job that rewards those characteristics. My waitress friend liked serving tables and being around people and her pay reflected her passion and expertise. So, don’t just work for a paycheck. Reward yourself with a job that will employ your talents and reward you accordingly in both money and satisfaction.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »

The Key Ingredients

Like you, I have read a variety of personal development books and articles aimed at getting more things done. Some are imaginatively illustrated with cute characters other are littered with profound quotes from authors famous and obscure. I can’t really say any of are bad. Every one of them provided me with useful tips and some degree of motivation.

However, try this simple test if you dare. Take all the books, articles, day planners, and software and lock them in a room and come back in an hour, or a day, or a year. How much work was done? I’ll bet none! The prime ingredient to any successful personal productivity program is you. You’re the only one that can really get things moving.

At this point you’re either saying “duh!” or “doh!” depending on who your favorite characters are. Pointing out that you’re the prime ingredient may not be the most imaginative statement, however, it leads to the second most important ingredient. The second most important ingredient is the habit of taking personal responsibility. A lot of managers, parents, and teachers often use “personal responsibility” as a sort of whip or pointing device to emphasize that “it’s all your fault.” Well, that’s not what I mean. What I mean by personal responsibility is an act of your will that executes your decision to take action or make something about your life better.

If there is anything I could give you, or help you with, it would be to improve the quality of your life. Everything I’ve read and everything I’ve seen leads me to this conclusion: regularly exercising your will to put action to your decisions is, by far, the most important ingredient to improving your quality of life. It may be true and undeniable that you are too fat or too thin, too young or too old, or born at the wrong time or in the wrong place. But after we pat you on the head, agree with your misery, and give you a chocolate chip cookie what will you have? Nothing! You’ve lost a few more moments of precious, precious life that can never, ever be replaced.

So, now what? Well, do it! Take up the challenge. First, do some soul searching and decide what you really want out of life. Second, no matter how bad your life is right now, it probably has several positive attributes so make a list of the good things. Third, identify those things that would make your life better, not a lot better but just a little bit better. Fourth, take action. Do something that will move you toward your better life. Don’t ever permit yourself the luxury of blaming anyone else again. No, I don’t mean take the blame for the waiter spilling soup all over your outfit. Simply realize that it is a fact that it happened but that you and you alone determine how you react to the spilled soup. You could scream, you could cry, or you could just enjoy the rest of the meal.

Can’t stand your job? Start looking for a better one, patiently. If necessary, start studying to achieve the desired position. Do you hate where you live? Where do you want to live? Not ideally, like a penthouse or a palace. Instead, find that place that is one  level better, then make the necessary adjustments to get there. You can make your life better.  You are the only person who can. Keep at it.

Posted in Life Tips | No Comments »