Staying Focused on Tasks That Matter

I am constantly getting sidetracked and distracted throughout the day and focusing on the tasks that matter, most importantly, those that pay is a key focus area of improvement for me in 2010

This post by Ali addresses the issue and offers some great advice! Make sure you check out her blog after you've read her article!

Jason R. Ayers asked in a comment:

With no sales, a business is just a bunch of untested ideas. So, my biggest challenge is making sure I spend 80% of my time focused on selling my products and services. It’s awfully easy to get sidetracked into operations, technical issues, paperwork, and other non-essential issues.

My questions is this: What are your best strategies to insure you spend the majority of your time selling your products or services so you can maintain adequate cash flow in your business?

I’m going to tackle this with a focus on small business, since that’s what Jason is asking about – but much of what I say will apply to any area where you need to keep your focus on the aspects of a project which really matter.

Strategy #1: Figure Out Your Major Tasks

This is an obvious point, but it’s one that I know I sometimes manage to miss out myself. Before you do much else, you need to be clear about what your major tasks involve. These tend to be the things that are absolutely fundamental to your business existing – the ones which take it from being “a bunch of untested ideas” to a business.
Here’s a couple of examples from my own life:

Business: The majority of my income comes from freelance writing for a handful of different blogs. I write anything from one post a month to two per week for each blog, and I get paid per post. Focusing on my major business tasks means that I tend to do all these blog posts on Mondays and Tuesdays (playing catch-up later in the week where necessary).

Non-business: I’ve been working on a novel for the past year, and I’ve finished the first draft (150,000 words) and am about 55,000 words into the second draft. To get the first draft done, I had to focus on the really major task of a novel – the actual writing! – rather than spending hours researching little details, or reading similar books, or chatting to writer friends.

What are your major tasks, in your business or on a particular project? What absolutely needs to be done in order for that business or project to exist?

Strategy #2: Use Your Best Times for Your Big Work

Use the times of day when you’re at your most creative and engaged to work on your major tasks. Again, this is an obvious point – but an easy one to overlook, especially in the day-to-day minutae of running a business.

For me, that means (wherever possible) doing the bulk of my writing in the mornings, and leaving administrative work like emails, and marketing work, until the afternoons.

I suspect you already have a good gut feeling for when you’re at your best (and worst) in terms of productivity and ability to concentrate on something sustained. Whether you do or not, give Charlie Gilkey’s Productivity Heatmap a try – I found it a great way to get an overall feel for my peaks of energy during the day. (It’s also an excuse to play with crayons…)

Strategy #3: Develop a Routine

The word “routine” can be rather off-putting if you’re a creative, impulsive, follow-the-muse type … and many freelancers find that no two days or weeks look alike:

Sometimes you work late into the night, or sometimes you take mornings off and then make it up by working Saturday afternoon. This does afford a lot of flexibility, but sometimes it’s good to know that you’ve put in a solid day’s work and you can enjoy your evenings and weekends like the rest of the working world.

(Cyan and Collis Ta’eed, How to be a Rockstar Freelancer – reviewed here, p52)

Having a routine doesn’t mean that you should start planning out your life like a school timetable (though that works for Glen); rather, I’m suggesting that you pattern your week so that you’ve got clear and sacrosanct blocks of time for your major tasks.

That might be as simple as spending Monday mornings on product creation, Tuesday afternoons on marketing, and the whole of Thursday on client work.

On a day-to-day level, a routine that allows you space to step back and see what you’re doing (rather than rushing from moment to moment) can really help. I like to take five minutes, first thing, to look at my plans and commitments for the day. Lunch-time is often a good chance to figure out what went right during the morning – and what’s a priority for the afternoon.

Strategy #4: Use the One-Two-Three Method of Prioritising

When I start losing focus, or when I’m staring at my task list trying to figure out where to begin, I shove an asterisk against the most important thing (not necessarily the most urgent), two asterisks against the next, and three against the third. Here’s part of my task list from Monday:

Part of Monday's task list

(I wanted to give a real life example, so excuse the messiness!) If it helps you to what’s going on, I cross out tasks when they’re complete. I wrote two posts for Diet Blog, and had a lot of other paid work – and some household, admin and volunteering tasks – on Monday. To make sure I could focus without feeling overwhelmed, I took ten seconds to mentally and physically prioritise the rest of my paid work.

I find that thinking three tasks ahead is comfortable; going up to four or five makes me feel overwhelmed again.

Strategy #5: Avoid Distractions and Interruptions

This is yet another obvious one, but it’s one that I find myself struggling with most weeks! When you’ve blocked out time to get the major tasks done, you need to actually do those tasks. Phone calls, checking Twitter, answering emails, and tidying the kitchen aren’t going to get you any closer to completion.

You know what distractions you give in to – especially the ones which tempt you when you’re working on something that requires a lot of energy. You also know what interruptions tend to crop up. Don’t be afraid to tell colleagues, family members or housemates that you’re busy.

There’s another, slightly less obvious point here: an unattractive working environment is a distraction in itself. (For a tongue-in-cheek look at this, try my Dumb Little Man post on 10 Ways to Create a Work Environment That Drags You Down…)

Strategy #6: Create a System for Routine Tasks

In any business – and probably in any big non-business endeavour – there are going to be a lot of little tasks that you do on a regular basis. The effort of simply remembering all of these can drain your time and energy. Taking five minutes to schedule them into your calendar, diary or planner means they’re off your mind and into your workflow.

Mark Forster’s Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play has some very useful thoughts about systems in the chapter “Structuring Your Work”:

Do you wonder why your correspondence always ends up in a pile of unactioned papers? It is because you do not have a system for dealing with it. Do you wonder why you cannot keep up with your e-mail? It is because you don’t have a system for dealing with it. Do you wonder why you are always having to waste time popping out to the shops to buy something you have run out of? It’s because … well, you’ve got the picture by now!

(Mark Forster, Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play – Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk, p13)

Beyond that, many tasks can be partially automated. That might mean using template emails for contacting clients, rather than typing out information each time. It could mean having a particular time slot in the day – perhaps when your creative energy is low – to check various stats.

Don’t make things harder on yourself than they need to be. Get all your emails coming into one place (I used to have four separate accounts – now they all direct into my Gmail inbox, and I can send and receive from each different address there). If you manually visit a bunch of blogs trying to keep up with them all, then start using RSS. If you have routine formatting tasks – like getting your Word document or blog post to look right – then see if there’s a more efficient way. Nine times out of ten, there is.

If you’re struggling to find a quick, workable system to catch up with a backlog and stay on top of your email, I strongly recommend getting your hands on Charlie Gilkey’s Email Triage – reviewed here.

Strategy #7: Separate Work Tasks and Home Tasks

I’m far from perfect at this one, so I hesitated to include it – but I will as an encouragement to myself. ;-) And if you have any particular advice or tips on this, please do leave them in the comments…

If you run a small business – or if you’re still in the fledgling stages of starting one – then there’s a good chance you’re working from home. This has many advantages: I love being able to take a shower in the middle of the day, for instance, or pick up groceries when the shops are quiet. However, it’s also incredibly easy to end up spending time cleaning, tidying, washing up, shopping online and so on… and this doesn’t make for a productive work day.

I’m not sure I’ve found any perfect solutions yet! One solution is to grab your laptop and head to a coffee shop (I use my university library) – then you can’t go and put a load of laundry on when you’re struggling to keep up the motivation to work. You could also try working set hours, or working for time blocks (such as 9am – 11am).

If you’re a small biz type yourself, how would you answer Jason’s question at the start of this post? What strategies do you use to keep on top of the work that actually brings in the money? And if you’ve got a solution to working from home without letting a dozen household tasks creep in, let me know…!

Big Thanks to Ali for such great advice!!

A fantastic way to live

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old


To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

6. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

7. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

8. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

9. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

10. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

13. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

14. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer...

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie... Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive everyone everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

31. Believe in miracles.

32. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

33. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

34. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

35. Your children get only one childhood.

36. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

37. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

38. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

39. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

40. The best is yet to come.

41. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

> The Charlie Schulz Philosophy
> (This is marvelous!! Scroll thru slowly and read carefully to receive
> and enjoy full effect)
> The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the
> 'Peanuts' comic strip.
> You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight
> through and you'll get the point.
> 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
> 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
> 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
> 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
> 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
> actress.
> 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
> How did you do?
> The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
> These are no second-rate achievers.
> They are the best in their fields.
> But the applause dies.
> Awards tarnish.
> Achievements are forgotten.
> Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
> Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
> 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
> 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
> 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
> 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
> special!!
> 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
> Easier?
> The Lesson:
> The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
> most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
> They simply are the ones who care the most!
>

Concentrate on this Sentence

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009
including me, if that's what is in your heart.
Try to collect 5 ; it's not easy!

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

I've just finished Mitch Albom's book, 'The five people you meet in heaven.' It's only a short story, but comforting nonetheless.

The following text struck a chord with me:

"You died. You were forty-seven. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."

She took his hands. "No, you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway.

"Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.

"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."

While the book is talking about the love bonded in marriage, I feel this is also true for the love in a family, which is the the reason why I wanted to share it with you.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her t o the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean , mother?'

Her mother explained that! each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff ? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The b ean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy..

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

The Top 10 Personal Development Blogs You Wish You Knew About Earlier

by JosephYi of Viralogy:

When people think of what the top personal development blogs are they commonly think of blogs such as the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss or Zen Habits. While these are great blogs that offer some top notch content, their are plenty of other great personal development blogs that not everyone has heard of. We realized this and decided to put together a list of the Top 10 Personal Development Blogs You Wish You Knew About Earlier. While some people may recognize some of the blogs on our list, for those of you who still haven’t discovered them we hope you enjoy them!

http://viralogy.com/blog/rankings/the-top-10-personal-development-blogs-you-wish-you-knew-about-earlier/

How to Become an Ad Expert in 10 Steps

In his early career Jo Owen was responsible for Daz. He put the blue speckle in Daz, and he writes, his career has been downhill ever since. Here he writes, how to become an Ad Expert in 10 steps.

"From this flimsy start, I am often able to fool people into thinking that I know something about advertising. So here is how you can be an advertising expert.

First, know the purpose of advertising. Advertising agencies think that the purpose of advertising is:

* To make lots of money
* Have an excuse for long liquid lunches and even longer arguments
* Win creative awards at industry bashes in exotic locations.

Surprisingly, the purpose of advertising is to sell stuff, in my case Daz. Winning awards is irrelevant. It does not matter if people like the advertising: no one likes Daz advertising, but they remember it and they buy it. So the ultimate tests of any advertising are:

* Do people remember it?
* Do they buy the product?

To figure out if advertising is likely to work, before spending a few million airing it, there are ten tests you can apply. Apply this to any advertising you see: you will find many campaigns are expensive failures, others work even if you do not like them.

1. Does it meet the brief we agreed? Daz washes whiter — OK?
2. Is it differentiated versus nearest alternatives? Ariel for stains, Dreft for woollens: you get the idea.
3. Does it give a compelling reason why I should buy? If you do not want white clothes to look grey, buy Daz
4. Is it relevant to the people we are targeting? For people with white clothes, yes.
5. Is it credible? Daz has the “Blue whitener” to keep white clothes white. Give a reason why your product works.
6. Is the brand clear? Forget celebrities and clever artistry: stick the brand up front so people remember Daz, not the artistry or celebrity.
7. Does it project the character of the brand? Daz cheap and cheery, versus high tech Ariel, etc.
8. Is it simple and memorable? One brand, one message: Daz washes whiter.
9. Is it consistent with other material? Easy to use on TV, radio, posters, magazines.
10. Is it sustainable economically, and creatively over time? Daz advertising has not changed in fifty years, because it works."

The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time

Memorable travel quotes are like messages found on the beach; beautiful, timeless, and read at just the right moment.

My favourites:

26. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by.” - Robert Frost

19. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

25. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

From the editor’s introduction - Tim Patterson: I’m typing on the deck of a hostel in a little Uruguayan surf town called Punta del Diablo.

Travelers are chatting around me; the usual conversation about where they came from and where they’re going next. Down on the beach, surfers are catching the last waves of the day and men driving horse-drawn carts haul firewood into town.

In many ways this is an idyllic scene, but to be honest, for a while today I was feeling a bit tired and jaded about travel. When you’re on the road too long the spark of newness fades, and travel can feel like a long, pointless slog, a detour from loved ones and from life.

Then I started reading the quotes you’ll find below. Some made me laugh. Some made me wince.

But all of them rang true, and reminded me of why I travel: to learn and grow, to challenge myself, stretch my limits and foster an appreciation of both the world at large and the chair waiting in front of the woodstove back home.

I hope you’ll find similar inspiration in these quotes. Without further ado…

The quotes are here

Twitter and e-mail aren't making us stupider, but they are making us more distracted...

A new book explains why learning to focus is the key to living better.

As Laura Miller writes, "Here's a fail-safe topic when making conversation with everyone from cab drivers to grad students to cousins in the construction trade: Mention the fact that you're finding it harder and harder to concentrate lately."
She continues to write that the complaint appears to be universal, yet everyone blames it on some personal factor: having a baby, starting a new job, turning 50, having to use a Blackberry for work, getting on Facebook, and so on.

This fascinating book delves deeper into the understanding that as long as we remain only dimly aware of the dueling attention systems within us, the reactive will continue to win out over the reflective...

Read more here

Happy 30th Birthday John

My brother John is 30 today!!!

Happy Birthday John.

Free Ebook: So… You’ve Decided to Get in Shape (Again)

Imagine a FREE fitness ebook that takes 20 – 30 minutes to read, and addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues. It was written for those who are genuinely ready to change, their attitude, their lifestyle and their reality – forever.

In this FREE ebook Craig discusses:

The First Bit – The Head Stuff
The Second Bit – The Exercise Stuff
The Third Bit – The Food Stuff
Craig’s book contains powerful common sense suggestions based on his twenty five years of helping people create positive physical change.

To get your FREE copy of “So… You’ve Decided to Get in Shape (Again)” simply input your email address here and click on ‘Get It’. If you already receive Craig’s email updates and are unable to re-input your email address, contact john at john@craigharper.com.au and he’ll email you out your FREE eBook.

The Top 50 Productivity Blogs Of The Year

Productivity for an entrepreneur is as important as musicality for a dancer. Anyone can setup a small business or step onto a dance floor, but it's important to get the most out of every action or it's wasted energy.

The problem is that many entrepreneurs lose motivation and focus because they lack the formal infrastructure of working for someone else. You see, it takes a disciplined personality to set accountable actions in order to become a successful small business owner. However, the good news is that being productive isn't a born trait, but an acquired one.

With the help of EvanCarmichael's "The Top 50 Productivity Blogs Of The Year", you too can shorten your journey and reach your goals sooner. The illustrations for the top 3 category leaders are provided by Happy Worker, a creative agency that makes custom action figures and custom toys. You can also view last year's list.

http://www.evancarmichael.com/Tools/Top-50-Productivity-Blogs-2009.htm

If you want to live the life you want, make a blueprint...

Hot Topic CEO Betsy McLaughlin still consults the life plan she made as a college freshman.

She says have a plan and stick to it. Be prepared to make sacrifices.

McLaughlin drew up five headings--Career, Salary, Assets, Health and Personal/Social--and set goals for herself at different ages. By 20, she wanted to own a car free and clear. By 25, she wanted to own a home. At 28, she wanted to put 5% of her income in a 401(k.) At 40, she wanted a new hobby.

She accomplished all of them because she learned how to compromise.

More here

I personally believe in living and savouring every moment.

Why sacrifice the espresso latte today and save the pennies for a dream retirement, when you can have the latte now and have the dream retirement.

What's to say we can't use McLaughlin's approach and live the life we want today??

The sports teams in a league of their own

As spending on footballers soars, Stefan Szymanski asks if we could learn a lesson from the US.

He writes in today's Daily Telegraph, "Many fans are in denial, but the reality of professional sport is that money buys success: spend enough and the balance will tip in your favour. Of course, there are no guarantees, but year after year the teams that spend the most on player salaries tend to end up at the top of the league and those that spend the least end up at the bottom. This is not only true for football. The New York Yankees have won baseball's World Series 26 times (the nearest rival has won it only 10 times) and no one doubts that the financial muscle of the Big Apple lies behind this feat.

But there is a limit to the ambition of the Yankees; as an American economist observed 45 years ago, their prayer must be "Oh Lord, make us good, but not that good". Without credible opposition, who wants to watch the Yankees? At times, the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian cricket team must have pondered the same question. Unless your rivals have a reasonable chance of success you risk becoming a freak show followed only by a few diehards.

When Formula One became the Michael Schumacher Show, audience figures declined (except, of course, in Germany). Men's tennis is enjoying a revival not because of Andy Murray but because at last there are credible rivals to Roger Federer (something Pete Sampras lacked). Tiger Woods still draws the crowds to golf, but even if "freak" is not the right word, the exceptional gulf between him and almost anyone who has ever played the game puts his dominance into a special category.

A successful competition must imbue the teams with an unquenchable desire to win while denying them the means to kill off the opposition permanently. Real Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, is so concerned about the unequal contest in La Liga that he is calling for an enhanced, European super league to feed him more worthy opponents. This might work, since there are big enough teams in England, Italy and Germany to give them a game, but what if Real tried to buy its way to the top of a super league?

American leagues have faced up to this problem and introduced measures to stop teams remaining dominants. American football's NFL, the world's most lucrative sports league, boasts that "on any given Sunday, any team in this league can beat any other team". It aims to achieve this by a combination of limiting squad sizes, sharing gate and TV revenues and imposing salary caps. Most famously, it has a draft system that gives the bottom team the right to choose the best new player entering the league in the next season – an incentive to lose rather than to win. But here's the rub: the NFL is a business, a socialist business run by billionaire capitalists who make a fortune since their restraints also hold down salaries. What's more, they don't allow any competition to play at their level: there is no promotion and relegation. They call this "leaguethink". Every team owner is devoted to upholding the interests of the NFL first, their franchise second.

Ironically, it is European football that is the torch bearer of rampant capitalistic individualism, while America espouses sporting socialism. But that is because the Americans are not playing for fun, they are playing for money, and they know the rules of that game better than anyone else."

An interesting analogy, but what perhaps is most interesting are the reader comments here

Roadblocks to Success

Here are some career mind-barriers found especially among new entrants to the workforce, from News From Kaplan, a fact sheet published by Simon & Schuster.

• Waiting to be discovered. Instead of making contacts, such people think they will be magically rewarded with fame and riches.
• Impostor belief. Some people feel they're not really qualified to do the kind of work their employers want them to do. They're afraid of being exposed as incompetent.
• I shouldn't get paid for what I do--It's easy for me. This belief usually crops up among people who are talented and love their work.
• Fear of failure. New workforce entrants often fear they won't be hired or will end up penniless.
• Fear of success. Some people are afraid of doing well because they can't imagine being recognized as experts in their fields. They may even think that fame and fortune will hurt them in some way. They may think that family and friends will like them better if they stay "small."

The 12 Qualities of True Business Professionals

Adapted with permission. Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Advanced Systems

Professionalism is a word embraced by many, but honesty demonstrated by far fewer individuals. Its Latin origins come from the word profess which means, "to avow before." So the question is: who are these individuals that believe themselves to be true professionals avowing before? The answer may be found within the word professional.
1. P = Positively proactive. Professionals demonstrate behaviors that are positive, proactive instead of negative, and reactive.

2. R = Respect. Through this ethic and value of respect, professionals are known and trusted within and without their respective organizations.

3. O = Opportunities to help others. Those who avow before understand they have a responsibility to help others whether it is to grow self-leadership skills or provide some expert advice.

4. F = Follow-up. No one likes to wait for un-returned phone calls or emails. Professionals make it a habit to follow-up on everything and accept responsibility when they fail to engage in that behavior.

5. E = Empathy. Professionals know how to be empathetic. This characteristic is a one of the signs of high emotional intelligence and a predictor for leadership success.

6. S = Self-confident. When individuals are self confident, they do not have to put others down at their own expense. These individuals have a high sense of balanced self-esteem and role awareness.

7. S = Sustainable. Professionals are truly sustainable in that they can continue forward when times become difficult. Their ethics and beliefs keep them focused.

8. I = Integrity. Integrity is putting your values into action; doing the right thing when no one else is looking without personal gain or benefit; and accepting a potential personal cost.

9. O = Optimize all interactions. This is critical because professionals do not negate the value of people. They look to see how one interaction can benefit someone else even before himself or herself.

10. N = Nimble. Being flexible and open to change allows these individuals to be quick on their feet and nimble to the opportunities that they encounter on a daily basis.

11. A = Awareness. A high level of awareness of themselves, the marketplace, the community and even the world helps these individuals continually stay on top of things.

12. L = Leadership. Last, but not least, professionals demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and even more importantly self-leadership skill. For if you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead others.

© Copyright 2009 (ASTD

I loved this….hopefully you will too! Takes about 3 min to read.

Every great salesperson was once a beginner.

“That’s easy for you to say! You’re already a great salesman and a successful author and speaker,” someone yelled from the audience as I was answering a question about how to brand yourself and position yourself to create the law of attraction.

Now the audience was waiting for my answer. It wasn’t a time for humor. Every person was looking for the bridge between where I am and where they are. And not just an answer – a path to get there.

I began by telling them of a book I had just purchased called, Every Great Chess Player Was Once A Beginner. The title rocked my entire thought process. Although it was obvious that everyone starts someplace, it’s hard to imagine A-Rod playing little league, or Bret Favre playing Pop Warner football. Hard to imagine Bill Gates in his dorm room cooking mac and cheese on a hotplate as he struggles with his 128k computer to create the future of software. But they all did.

Then I gave them a glimpse of my beginning and my renaissance.

REALITY: No, it’s not easy for me to say anything, or do anything. Yes, I’m somewhat successful now, BUT I didn’t start with nine best-selling books. I started by writing one 750-word column. Actually I started studying sales in 1972. And made sales for 35 years. I had no idea I would write. I just loved sales and wanted to be the best salesman in the world. When the opportunity to write about sales appeared, I jumped on it. Now I write about my personal experiences, observations, and thoughts.

When I moved to Charlotte in 1988 I was starting over. Beginning again. I knew no one, and had limited capital (definition: broke). I joined the Charlotte Chamber. I subscribed to the local business journal. I networked my butt off. And I tried to get business for others. I connected and made connections. I became known as a person of value. I took a leadership position at the Chamber.

Here are the insights that drove me:
As a beginner you have to trust your instincts, and you have to “BE.”
• Be willing to risk.
• Be a constant student.
• Be a consistent performer, even in a losing cause.
• Be a value provider.
• Be friendly and likeable.
• Be passionate about your product or service.
• Be willing to dedicate the time it takes to become great.

And you must BELIEVE you can do it. Your mental strength is more important than your skill and your product knowledge. Mental strength stems from your attitude, your enthusiasm, and your willingness to work hard. It’s a struggle, what’s your point? Struggle is part of greatness. So is hard work. TV is not.

GREAT NEWS: Your earnings in sales and business are only limited by your ability to convince others to buy.
REALITY: You have to read, study, and practice.
EXAMPLE OF PRACTICE: Cold calls are a lousy place to make a sale, but they’re a great place to learn how to sell.
REALITY: Rejection is part of the game – all sports have winners and losers. If you can win 30% of the time, you’ll win awards, make president’s club, and earn a fortune – that means you’ll get rejected seven out of ten times. Get used to it and get over it.

Think of it this way: Every “no” gets you closer to a “yes.” There, that feels better now, doesn’t it?

Where do you “begin” becoming great?
What is your beginning?
Maybe you have already begun.

There are guidelines to consider:
The first is dedication. To yourself, to your excellence, and to your desire to become the best at whatever you do.
Become a product of the product.
Live your outcome and results.
Study the history of your product.
Visit customers often. Work at their place of business for a day, for free.

Yes it’s nice to have natural ability -- to be gregarious, humorous, honest, hard working, reliable, and trustworthy, and to have the knack for picking up concepts quickly.
Yes it’s nice to have a past history of success.
Yes it’s nice to have a great reputation.
Yes it’s nice to have a great home environment.
Yes it’s great to have supportive people in your life.
And yes it’s nice to have a solid financial foundation.
But these situations and characteristics are not “musts” for greatness.

If you’re trying to grab the brass ring, it comes from within. Energy, desire, dedication, and passion are integral to making the grade, or should I say the GREAT.

In just 20 years I have become an overnight success.
I wish the same for you.

The human face of the death penalty

In a series of alarmingly frank portraits and accompanying audio interviews, British portraitist Claire Phillips reveals the painful and inflexible sharp end of the U.S. penal system, littered by broken souls who have all known extreme violence.

Tattooed inmates make up only a few of the portraits on show, which also includes those on the sidelines: senators, campaigners, jurors. The recorded interviews often reveal much more than the artworks themselves. Marietta Jaeger-Lane, for example, whose face is both kindly and steely at the same time, stares out from a calming grey ground. Only her voice tells us that her daughter, Susie, was snatched and killed a week later. Later still she became an anti-death row campaigner; once Susie's killer was captured and killed.

Don Cabana stares broodingly from a blood red canvas, an unsympathetic looking warder who has presided over two executions. Only in the audio do we find that he is horrified when an inmate refuses to absolve him; only in the audio does he tell the story of a chemist driven mad by the responsibility of mixing gas for the chamber.

By the end these disarming portraits and utterly contradictory audio together tell of America's complicated relationship with the death sentence and the mixed up, polar lives of those who inhabit the spooky corridors of death row: killers, relatives, lawyers, warders, all.

The Human Face of the Death Penalty is at the.gallery@oxo , Oxo Tower, London, from July 1 to July 5. Video is here.

60+ Creative and Clever Advertisements

As Hongkiat writes, we are sucker for creative advertisements, particularly those that convey messages with sense of humor, or deliver ideas in ways we have never expected.

He posts something light to digest to start the week - 60+ creative and smart advertisements we’ve collected around the web. Some of these advertisements come in series, click this link to view more.

Wonderbra - You have 918915 friend requests


WWF - When you leave the light on, you’re not the only one who pays


More here

Quote for Today...

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates.”

While many new grads tend to look for jobs near their college or hometowns, scores are considering places they might not have four or five years ago.

While there’s relief that classes are over, exams have been taken and term papers turned in, what lies ahead for the Class of 2009 is an extremely challenging and competitive job market.

For new grads who plan to expand their job searches beyond their college or hometowns, Apartments.com and CBcampus.com just released the “Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates.” The list is based on the ranking of the top U.S. cities with the highest concentration of young adults (age 20 - 24) from the U.S. Census Bureau (2006), inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience from CBcampus.com (2009) and the average cost of rent for a one bedroom apartment from Apartments.com (2009).

According to Apartments.com and CBcampus.com, the top 10 cities for new grads are:

1. Indianapolis
Average rent:* $625
Popular entry-level categories:** sales, customer service, health care

2. Philadelphia
Average rent: $1,034
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management

3. Baltimore
Average rent: $1,130
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care

4. Cincinnati
Average rent: $691
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care

5. Cleveland
Average rent: $686
Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, customer service

6. New York
Average rent: $1,548
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, admin-clerical

7. Phoenix
Average rent: $747
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, marketing

8. Denver
Average rent: $877
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care

9. Chicago
Average rent: $1,133
Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, customer service

10. San Antonio
Average rent: $696
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management

If you are considering expanding your job search to other cities, here are some tips:

* Contact an alumnus from your college who lives in that city and join your alumni chapter if there is one.
* Get an insider’s perspective by familiarizing yourself with the local media and other resources. Read up on the city’s business and community news.
* Develop a list of companies within the area and learn about their businesses and company cultures.
* Register with a national recruitment agency; interview with a recruiter in your local office and have that person put the word out to other offices in your target cities.
* Consider spending a few days in your desired city to learn more, network and set up informational interviews. In your applications and cover letters, tell hiring managers the dates you’ll be in the city and available to interview.

Although this is a challenging market for new grads, remember: Attitude can be the key to your success. The reality is that the job search will take longer for these new grads thrust into the “real world” but the right mind-set can make you resilient.

Do you Prioritize your Schedule, or Schedule your Priorities?

A time management consultant speaking to a small gathering of young professionals offered the following story to help make a memorable statement about managing priorities…

He held up a Mason jar, and said, "Imagine each of you had a jar exactly like this sitting in front of you and in it, you placed these rocks."

One by one, he placed the rocks into the jar. After placing five rocks in the jar, there was room for no more. He held up the jar. "Is it full?" he asked?

Many responded out loud, "Yes."

"Perhaps not quite full," he suggested, as he reached into his pocket and produced a small bag of gravel and began pouring it into the jar. He shook the jar gently from time to time, to help the gravel work its way into the spaces between the large rocks. When the jar would hold no more gravel, the speaker again asked, "Now, is the jar full?"

Not to be fooled twice, many in the class responded, "Probably not."

"You're catching on," he observed as he reached into his other pocket and removed a small bag of sand. As before, he began pouring sand into the jar, shaking the jar a bit so the sand would fill the spaces between the gravel and the rocks. "OK, can we agree that the jar is full now?" he asked.

Expecting that a trick remained up the speaker's sleeve, a young woman blurted out, "Water!"

"You're right, of course," he replied as he produced a glass of water and poured it gently into the jar. The group finally agreed that the jar was at last full.

"Tell me, then," he continued. "What did we just learn?" The same woman responded confidently.

"That no matter how busy you are, there's still room to fit something else into your schedule."

"That's interesting. And there's probably some truth to it. But there's a much more important point we can learn from this humble jar. Anyone else care to offer an opinion?"

The room grew quiet.

"What this demonstration teaches us is that we need to put the Big Rocks in first … or we'll never be able to place even one of them in the jar. The Big Rocks are our metaphor for the important things in our lives, or in our careers.

"There are many Big and Important Rocks to consider. At home, we have loved ones, friends, possibly an important community activity, continuing our education, and certainly, maintaining our health, along with taking time for ourselves and, for many of us, our spouse or significant other. If we let the little things — the sand, the gravel — get into the jar first, they'll fill it up so fast we'll never have time for what's really important. We'll be majoring in minors, constantly distracted from what we truly care about most... Of course, the same can be said for our careers."

"Don't prioritize your schedule. Schedule your priorities." — Stephen Covey.

"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." — Johann Goethe.

Free Internet in Philadelphia

On a recent flight out of Philadelphia, I was dismayed to be delayed without free wi-fi.

Turns out, the normal cost for wireless Internet access at Philadelphia International Airport is $7.95 for a 24-hour connection; $39.95 for monthly unlimited access.

This is not a good investment when you don't know if your flight is going to be 10 minutes or 10 hours!

After speaking to staff though, I discovered that there is a way to access Wi-fi for free.

Charles Isdell, Acting Director of Aviation said, "Philadelphia International was one of the first airports in the country to offer wireless Internet access. We're pleased to take that to another level and provide free access to college students every day and to everyone on weekends."

In order to access the free Wi-Fi service, students present a college identification card at any Airport Information Counter and obtain an authorization code to connect when prompted to do so on their computer screens. The code enables the students to log onto the Internet for up to 24 hours on their laptops.

Even though I graduated in 2006 - I still carry my student card. And that's why!

On weekends no authorization code is needed to access the Internet - and all members of the public can log on for free.

And, if you're staying in Philly - check out this LINK for more free wifi spots!

Deepest Fear...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)

Video: Inside Emerging Twitter-Based Media Companies...

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- February's Shorty Awards event, which honored the best creators of 26 categories of Twitter content, was just one part of Gregory Galant's strategy for building a Twitter-based media company. In this nine-minute "About Digital" video interview, the Brooklyn entrepreneur discusses his own Sawhorse Media as well as other companies that are actually generating revenue from Twitter-based marketing activities.

The Brooklyn-based Sawhorse Media has launched a series of web sites that aggregate Twitter content. For instance, one of them is MuckRack.com, which compiles the daily tweets of the country's top journalists. Another, Musebin.com, aggregates Twitter music reviews.

Video is here.

Selling in a Recovering Economy

Here's some great advice for all advertising sales executives from Jim Taszarek:

There's a huge change in selling in the New Economy - YOU are the product. The clients can buy lots of advertising, but today the deciding factor is more likely to be trust, confidence in YOU, your professionalism and the perception that you can help them.

I met Jim at a Missouri Broadcast Association meeting three years a go at The Lake of the Ozarks. For more great advice, check out his website, TazMedia.

What are your four key elements of business relationships?

Anthony Bloch recently spent time analyzing what guides business relationships as an owner. He's narrowed down four key elements that he incorporates into his business transactions and relationships.

Anthony has over 7 years of experience as a business professional and is the founder and owner of a news, political and sports commentary website.

He writes that business relationships should be an extension of how you interact in personal relationships.

Why shouldn’t your customers and business partners receive the same standards that your friends and family receive in personal relationships?

According to Bloch in his own words, the four key elements of business relationships are:

Trust - I need to be able to trust a business partner and vendor. If I find that a partner is not living up to their obligations in being trustworthy, then I need to sever that relationship.

I believe that the same expectation must be extended by me to my customers and business partners. If I’m not honest with my customers and business partners then why would they continue to do business with me? They wouldn’t.

Business relationships are a two way street. Both parties should come out of the relationship having gained something. If only one party wins, then it’s an unfair relationship.

Reliability – I believe that it’s my duty as a business person to offer reliable services to my customers. In the case of my business, most of my products and services are provided by third party advertisers. I receive a commission when my site leads to a confirmed sale. While my legal obligations are minimized, I do my best to partner with reliable advertisers.

I always allow customer feedback and encourage my site visitors to contact me if they encounter problems. I do my best to resolve any issues that my visitors may have.
In this way I’m providing my visitors/customers with a reliable outlet to conduct their shopping transactions.

Honesty – Since my site ItsTherightWay.com is a news and sports commentary website, my obligation to my visitors is to provide them with honest content.
When providing a commentary to my visitors, I’m honest and to the point. I present the facts the way that I see them.
While my visitors may disagree with my point of view, they hopefully will come to see me as an honest person.

I believe that people need to present the truth as they see it and be honest with their customers, visitors and business partners.
If your partners and customers see you as an honest person then they will be more likely to do more business with you.

It’s definitely in your best interest as a businessperson to conduct yourself in an honest manner.

Integrity – Integrity is defined by dictionary.com as having a strong moral and ethical code. In my personal life I think about how my maker would want me to act in a certain situation. This guides me in me in all my relationships.

Each person has a different code of morals and ethics and I’m not saying that it has to come from religion.

I believe that every businessperson needs to form their own code of conduct. That code of conduct needs to have a set of morals and ethics.
This set of morals and ethics is like a road map and must be consistently applied.

If you adhere to your set of morals and ethics you will conduct yourself with integrity.
Your business partners and customers will see you as a principled person who has a set of standards that can be trusted.

I believe that incorporating trust, reliability, honesty and integrity into your business relationships are vital to being a success in business.

Market Research: Cinco de Mayo Isn't US Independence Day but its connection with U.S. history might surprise you...

As Cinco de Mayo festivals get canceled across the U.S. because of swine flu, and anti-Mexican sentiment appears to be raising its ugly head, it seemed appropriate to highlight the potentially important impact that the Battle of Puebla (aka Cinco de Mayo) had on U.S. history. In other words, it's not just about Corona and carnitas, you know.

As this article by Rochelle Newman-Carrasco states, "By now if you're still referring to Cinco de Mayo as Mexican Independence Day, you probably aren't reading this blog. You may not be reading anything at all. That said, most of us are aware of a few Cinco de Mayo facts, mostly focused on the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexican Army, against all odds, was victorious against French intervention."

As she points out, from a marketing standpoint, it is also commonly known that Cinco de Mayo celebrations are mostly a U.S. phenomenon initiated by Latinos in the U.S. and embraced by the U.S. Hispanic advertising community as a promotional opportunity for clients ranging from alcohol to zoos. The holiday is celebrated in some areas of Mexico, but not at the national level.

But an aspect of Cinco de Mayo that isn't often discussed is the role the victory at Puebla had in keeping the U.S. safe from one of two history-changing scenarios: 1) Confederate victory during the Civil War and 2) French intervention in the U.S.

The Battle of Puebla took place in 1862, the same year that Abraham Lincoln was wrestling with a Civil War on U.S. soil. The following historical perspective, taken from North Carolina's Fayetville Observer and confirmed via other sources, puts a new U.S. twist on the legend of Cinco de Mayo.

During this time, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was enjoying success, and had the French defeated México at Puebla, France would have aided the South in the American Civil War in order to free Southern ports of the Union Blockade. The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen.

This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla. ... Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French.

The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico City. It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?"

So as Rochelle Newman-Carrasco writes, rather than indulge in Mexico-phobic attitudes and question your Hispanic marketing efforts in reaction to xenophobic pressures, take a moment to reflect on the interconnected nature of the U.S. and Mexico (not to mention the rest of the American continent). Swine flu will come and go, but the fifth of May is here to stay, so unless your heritage is French or Confederate, you might want to make the most of it.

60+ Useful Photoshop Actions For Photo Enhancements

Hongkiat's done it again!

Here are 60+ fantastic photoshop actions that will take your personal pictures to a whole new level!

As he writes:

Each Photoshop action stores a sequential series of tasks/jobs, and by hitting the ‘play’ button you get the same effect again and again without the need to repeat steps individually. Photoshop actions are powerful and great time saver when it comes to batch photo processing.

Adobe Photoshop comes with a default set of actions pre-installed that could give you a pretty good idea how thing works. In this post, we want to show you a list of 60+ Useful Photoshop Actions For Photo Enhancements.

Check them out here

How to Fold a Dollar Into a Heart

Have you ever received a two dollar bill as change and did not want to use it? Fold it into a heart and keep it in your wallet or give it to a friend. A $20 bill can be used instead to make a cute gift.



Click on this link for a closer look

6-Minute Meals for 6-Pack Abs

Ted Spiker & David Zinczenko describe a meal plan that will shrink your gut -- and fill it at the same time!

Abs, after all, aren't made in the gym, they write -- they're made in the kitchen. What you put into your mouth is far more important than what you put into your workout.

For example, in an analysis of 33 clinical trials, Brazilian researchers determined that diet controls about 75 percent of weight loss. Of course, that doesn't mean exercise isn't an important part of the fat-burning formula. But if you want the fastest results, a smart eating plan is the foundation of your gut-busting program.

So that's why they're introducing the Abs Diet Arsenal: easy guidelines that can make you lean for life. They're based on their book The Abs Diet, which has guided more than a million people in making permanent changes in their food intake and fat output.

This is a highly recommended read, and the article can be found: here

20+ Free Passive Income Resources

According to Donald Latumahina, passive income is our key to financial freedom. The more passive income we generate, the less dependent we are on our job. At one point, when our passive income exceeds our expenses, we can stop working anytime we want and still live the lifestyle we desire. That is financial freedom.

But passive income takes time to build. You can’t expect to start working on it now and be financially freedom next year unless you are very lucky. So the best time to start is now. The earlier you start working to build your passive income, the sooner you will reap the results.

That’s why he put together this list of passive income resources. There are a lot passive income resources out there, but he's put only the useful ones here.

How to Wake Earlier When All You Want to Do is Sleep

If you are interested in waking earlier, the following are a few things the author has learned that may be of help. Perhaps most important is the quality of sleep not the quantity!

The Top 100 Business Blogs

While there are many great business blogs about, they are not always easy to find amongst the legions of make money online blogs.

The author of Business Opportunities And Ideas has gathered together this list of what he believes are the Top 100 Business Blogs on the Internet.

Warning: There's plenty of reading here to keep you busy!

Can/Should you eat meat on Good Friday...?

I'm determined not to slip up accidentally and eat meat this Good Friday. I nearly always do it and only realise as Im about to take my second bite!

This year I've refocused on Lent and am determined not eat meat though, but it's going to be tough - albeit mostly due to absentmindedness rather than carnivorous cravings.

But, I know what many non Roman Catholics are thinking... Why can't you eat meat in the first place?

And even if you know why you can't, should you?

Well maybe this article may help:

In Ye Olden Days, meat from land animals was a luxury food. Very expensive, mostly eaten by rich people. Fish was what poor people ate, since anyone could catch fish (with a piece of string and a bent pin with a bug on it).

The Bible tells us that Christianity was started by a guy who believed that wealth was a sign that you weren't all that moral, so if you were poor you were holier. So for many many centuries, one day a week, Friday, was a day on which everyone had to eat fish, and no one could eat meat, to put everyone on the same level for a day. During Lent no one could eat meat at all (about 40 days without a steak). Only in the 20th Century was this changed to "no meat on Fridays only during Lent" in Vatican II.

Grandma was pre-Vatican II. One day in June about six years ago we offered to take her off the Central Kansas farm and out to a fancy restaurant in a nearby bigger city ("Pop. 50,000 and growing!"). This turned into a spirited roundtable discussion amongst the cousins because it was a Friday and she had *never* eaten meat on a Friday. Central Kansas, a landlocked region, is not known for its fish dishes. Eventually we found a place which had fresh salmon airlifted in on Fridays.

Now, this rule is merely doctrinal and not set in stone (provided you are a post-Vatican II Catholic), so dispensations and odd rules have been added over the years.

For example, Irish-Americans have grown used to "corned beef and cabbage" for St. Patrick's Day supper. St. Patrick's Day occurs during Lent. In 2000 and 2006, St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday, which would have nixed the traditional Irish-American "corned beef and cabbage". Realizing which side their Irish soda bread was buttered on, American Bishops granted dispensations in those two years for the consumption of "corned beef and cabbage" on the Friday St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The next time this same dispensation will have to be granted is in 2017.

Another interesting detail about "no meat on Fridays" deals with religion's unfortunate disconnect between itself and "reality". Thanks to some odd Catholic Papal ideas about what constitutes an "aquatic fish", the following types of meat are defined as "fish" for the purpose of "no meat on Fridays": beaver; capybara (a large South American water-dwelling rodent); muskrat (Canada and the Northern U.S.); sea turtle; and iguana (the desert used to be underwater, dontcha know).

Finally, England's government was firmly Protestant/Anglican during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but that didn't stop the strong Catholic feelings. Nor, apparently, did it stop the rule prohibiting the consumption of meat on all Fridays. Lord Burleigh, Queen Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, kept the rule in place even after she brought England back to Protestantism, because he didn't want the fishmongers to suffer.

This last bit was immortalized in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" during an exchange between Polonius and Hamlet, where Polonius asks if Hamlet knows who he is and Hamlet (acting insane) refers to Polonius as a fishmonger. Since Polonius has often been considered by Shakespeare scholars as a poke at Lord Burleigh, this is a comment on Lord Burleigh's retention of the "no fish on Fridays" rule to protect the fishmongers.

courtesy of eternal0void

What does Christianity, 911 and The Federal Reserve all have in common?

Okay I may be a little slow on this one as it was originally released in 2007, but this weekend I watched Zeitgeist the movie and have to recommend it.

It is a 2007 documentary film released online free and on DVD, presenting Christianity, the September 11 attacks, and the US Federal Reserve Bank as being instrumental for social control.

According to the movie:

"The last thing the men behind the curtain want is a conscious informed public capable of critical thinking. Which is why a continually fraudulent zeitgeist is output via religion, the mass media, and the educational system. They seek to keep you in a distracted, naive bubble. And they are doing a damn good job of it."

While I never take any form of media at the face value, the thing I enjoyed the most about this movie is that it's got me thinking. You can argue the facts, opinion and speculation presented within, as you can with any form of media. But the fact that this has the potential to make you look at the world in new light is the reason why I recommend it.

I'll let you decide where to take things from there.

Can anyone actually own water?

To mark the international observance of World Water Day, we watched Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.




The French-born filmmaker spent five years interviewing experts, activists and corporate representatives about topics affecting both poorer countries, such as the deadly lack of safe drinking water and the polarizing privatization of the water supply, and wealthier ones like the United States, where scarcity is a growing concern and where the bottled-water craze continues despite very little regulation and environmental concerns.

The film is unabashedly anti-privatization, decrying contracts massive companies like Nestle, Veolia Environnement (spun off from Vivendi) and Suez Environnement have to distribute drinking water in countries such as Bolivia and South Africa. These firms, the argument goes, have a primary interest in profit, not in ensuring safe and affordable access to water.

This movie will change the way you think about bottled water in a big way!

11 Ways to Get Free Stuff

Why pay for what you can get for free? These sites (courtesy of Free Geekery) can help you get all kinds of stuff at a steal.

1. Freecycle: Trade goods with other members of this group in your area. It keeps stuff out of landfills and allows you to get great free stuff.


2. Freesharing: Get rid of old stuff you don’t want any more and get free items from others trying to clean out their stuff on this site.


3. PaperbackSwap: Want some new reading material? Don’t head to your local bookstore, sign up for this site and you can swap your old books for new titles.


4. AroundAgain: Find a local chapter of this organization in your area to get and trade goods without spending a small fortune.


5. FreeMesa: Whether you need to get rid of your own stuff or find some cheap or free goods for your home you can do both through this organization.


6. ReUseIt Network: Meet members of your community that are giving away all kinds of useful stuff on this site.


7. MakeUp Alley: Ever bought a shade of lipstick you hated after trying it on? Now you can keep from wasting it by trading it with others who’ve had similar experiences on this site.


8. Gigoit: Find used items being given away all over the world through this great organization’s site.


9. LocalDataPlace: Place an ad for items you no longer need or find things that people in your area are giving away on this site.


10. SwitchPlanet: Add some new DVDs or video games to your library with this site, which allows users to swap free of cost.


11. TextSwap: Textbooks can be a big expense for college students, especially for those with less than deep pockets. You can save a few bucks by trading your old textbooks for new books you need on this site.

Free Guide to Healthy Sleep

Despite the mounting support for the notion that adequate sleep, like adequate nutrition and physical activity, is vital to our well-being, people are sleeping less.

This free guide looks at what makes you sleep, what sleep does for you, what disrupts sleep, common sleep disorders and much more.

From NHLBI: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep

6 Ways to Get Free Books and Magazines

While on vacation in Colorado this week I stopped in the public library and discovered they had a free book swap.

"Leave a book, take a book" the sign said.

Don't you think this is a great idea! How many people do we know that have used books gathering dust at home?

This idea got me thinking, and so (courtesy of The Geek’s Guide to Getting Free Stuff) here are 6 ways to get free books and magazines:

1. BookCrossing. Book exchange. Leave a book somewhere in public, then post it’s location at the site. Make it sort of a treasure hunt.


2. BookMooch. They do the book swap a bit differently. You ship it out to the person who requests it, and they pay postage.


3. Freebies.About. List of magazine subscription offers, including some for anime and Windows computer games.


4. PaperBackSwap. Book exchange.


5. Project Gutenberg. Free classic copyright-free/expired texts in digital format, with some mobile e-formats.


6. Title Trader. Book exchange.

Simple Guidelines for Workday Quality Over Quantity

I don't know how I came across this at work today, but this article reminded me of some of the rules from Tim Ferris' 4 Hour Work Week and is worth a post to help improve the efficiency of the work/professional part of your enneagram.

This succinct set of workday guidelines is a nice blueprint for getting productive on the important stuff and ruthless about cutting the crap. Written on a unknown "major corp" whiteboard pictured here, they read:

QUALITY vs quantity, UX process.
Check email ONLY:

* 10AM
* 1PM
* 4PM

Send any time
Set email to check every 3 hours.
NO email on evenings.
NO email on weekends.
EMERGENCY? = Use phone.

FOCUS 1-3 Activities max/day
LOG 1-3 Succinct status bullets every day on team wiki

MINIMIZE chat
MAXIMIZE single-tasking

OUT by 5:30PM
~No excuses~

These common productivity edicts are worth repeating; and the author recently advised Harvard Business readers to use a daily three-item task list themselves.

He points out that on top of sleeping, showering, eating, working out, commuting, cooking, and communicating, the reality is that three things DONE is a bigger set of accomplishments than it seems!

The full article is here

Do you have what it takes to be a successful blogger?

I stumbled across this article today and couldn't help but reposting it as it touches on many areas that can be applied to success as a whole and are crucial for developing your Enneagram of Life.

The author posts 10 characteristics of a successful blogger, and much to my pleasure writes that a successful blogger is a healthy blogger, that in order to keep a sharp mind, a healthy body is required.

My other favourites are numbers 7 and 9:

"7. A successful blogger is always ready for change - He knows we live dynamic times that require a dynamic mind and personality.

9. A successful blogger wants to be better - He never thinks about becoming successful. He constantly tries to improve, as, the better the quality he will provide, the more appreciated he’ll be. He’s constantly climbing a mountain without a visible top. He know how much he has climbed, knows he can go further and simply presses on."

How many can you check off? Are there other characteristics needed for success??

How to Fix Your Water Damaged Cell Phone

It's happened to all of us - whether you've dropped your cellphone in a beer, in the kitchen sink, or even accidentally flushed it down the toilet... This article explains what to do when if you drop your cellphone in water.

The first few moments are crucial, so make sure you remove the battery, remove the SIM card and all the covers. Then it says use a vacuum, shake it dry and leave it on a papertowel before putting it in a box of dried rice overnight.

The key thing is that under no circumstances are you to try and switch on the phone!

And yes, the reason for this post is because all three of the above examples have happened to me, and while so far I've got the first two phones back to working order - I'm currently working on phone number 3... It is possible though, so good luck!

Will You Take The Lent Spiritual Challenge?

I came up with this idea for Lent a couple of years a go but never took any action on it.

The idea is based around the question, what can we learn from other religions that challenges us, and can challenging our own thoughts and beliefs ultimately make us better people?

Swiss Psychologist Carl Gustav Jung believed so. He wrote, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

And while other religions may not necessarily not irritate us, would you agree challenging our beliefs is paramount to learning a greater understanding of them?

Galileo Galilei once wrote, “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

For example, I was raised Roman Catholic - I'd never even heard of Lutheran churches - and after I did - I had no desire to step inside one...

Yet, after I had, I saw a refreshing take on Christianity, and this in turn made me appreciate what I see in Roman Catholicism even more. It made my own faith stronger.

Obviously, the similarities between RC and Lutheranism are greater than the differences, but it's a good starting point for this challenge.

Lent is, after all, a Christian event.

So, for the next four weeks my challenge for Lent is to visit four different denominations of the Christian faith to develop a greater understanding of your own denomination and beliefs.

Now, some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans or Baptists), while others are just a few small churches, and in most cases the relative size is not even evident.

Then there's modern movements such as Fundamentalist Christianity, Pietism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement sometimes cross denominational lines, or in some cases create new denominations out of two or more continuing groups, (as is the case for many United and uniting churches, for example).

So yes, this could be tricky. But I still urge you to take the challenge and see what you discover!

Looking for something to give up for Lent? Here's an idea...

If you're stuck struggling to think of something to give up for Lent and want to avoid the typical cliches like chocolate, booze or smoking, this article from the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph (Lent: Are we giving up for the right reasons?) may help you look at Lent more broadly....

The author writes, "Lent, in the Christian tradition, is usually a time to think of someone other than yourself. Most obviously Jesus, whose 40 days of suffering, deprivation and temptation by the Devil in the desert is the blueprint for Lent. We are meant to find some - embarrassingly pale - way of following his example.

He stuck it out, the gospels report, to save us from eternal damnation. And so, in our Lenten fasting, we need to be doing something for others..."

Would it be possible for you to give something up that at the same time would benefit others?

The article suggests finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint and giving that up for Lent.

"We should all give up carbon emissions for Lent." The author writes, "Or at least reduce our footprint. It will involve real renunciation - aka mortification - by curtailing our travelling and turning down our central heating. It will therefore save money, which can be directed to charitable ends.

Reducing your carbon footprint will also benefit others - both by tackling global warming and by making us acknowledge that we are collectively responsible for the world's fate."

Perhaps my favourite part of the article is this:

''Mortification," Pope Paul VI wrote in 1966 on the subject of doing penance in imitation of Christ, ''aims at the liberation of man, who often finds himself almost chained by his own senses."

The Deserted Island Exercise

Step 1: Imagine yourself on a deserted island. The sky is clear. The wind is calm. The sea is smooth. You will be on the island for only 15 minutes. Also, imagine that you have arrived on this island without roles - such as husband, wife, salesperson, golfer, engineer, and so on.

Step 2:With this in mind, rate the You that is left; a You without roles. In other words, what is the value you place upon yourself devoid of all your roles in life?

Step 3: Using a separate sheet of paper on a scale of 0 to 10, indicate this rating; 0 denoting a low self-value and 10 denoting a high self-value. You can decide to place your rating somewhere between 0 and 10.

Step 4: After you have determined this rating, write a description in 25 words or less, of how you see your "role-less" self.

Step 5: Now state the one or two words that define your description - sort of like writing a definition first and then the word which stands for the definition - a Webster's Dictionary in reverse.

What "bars" do you jump over?

A Winner...

...has no-limitation in him/herself.

...knows the exhilarating feeling of success.

...has developed a lifestyle of winning.

...gains valuable lessons from not winning.

...judges his/her role performance not by his/her intentions, but by the end result of achievement.

...knows how to laugh at him/herself.

...doesn't judge others by him/herself or him/herself by others.

...refuses to allow his/her role performance to conform to the mold of an average person.

...is totally oblivious to the cheers or jeers of the crowd.

...welcomes a challenge, and is always ready to tackle the competition.

Benefits of Football/Soccer over Gym

I've signed up to play indoor soccer for the next 7 weeks to add to my fitness regime at the gym.

It's been about 9 months since I last played so I was ready and raring to go tonight. After the game I was reminded how physically demanding indoor football/soccer can be.

Even though I've been working out at the gym each week since I last played, the constant twisting, turning, sprinting and tackling had me worn out after the 2 hours.

And, there were two other key things I noticed while playing:

The first was that I found there were periods during the game when I pushed myself harder than I would at the gym because I was forced to by the intensity of the game.

The second was that I was having so much and was so focused on scoring goals and helping the team that I didn't notice the feeling of strain and muscle pain. This meant I played a lot longer than I would have typically ran at the gym.

The benefits of playing football versus going the gym have also been proven in studies too. This Danish study showed that a friendly game of soccer works off more fat and builds up more muscle than jogging.

One of the best things about this study is that the players were untrained - everyone can benefit from playing. As the study points out - a lawn, two goalposts and a ball is all you need to begin a health-promoting training regime for 22 people.

So whether you're a veteran or a first timer, what are you waiting for? :)

How You Can Master Photoshop Photo Effects Step-by-Step

I recently acquired a copy of Photoshop CS3 and while its array of advanced features are impressive they can also be overwhelming. In fact, knowing where to start and what to do with your pictures is an art in itself!

The work that Photoshop is capable of producing is phenomenal and yet when you look at your pictures, you may have no clue on where to start, what tools to use, and what those tools (if you did know) would even do!

My fear is that by the time I've finished "tinkering," the end results won't be worth the time and effort it took to learn how to do it...

With the help from this article from Hongkiat.com though, I've found a way to produce stunning pieces immediately.

He lists 41 of the Nicest Photoshop Photo Effects that show you step-by-step what tools to use, and how, when and where to use them. Best of all, the end results are nothing short of breathtaking!

Spending time on each one will teach you 41 powerful effects on real photographs very quickly that you can then replicate with your own photographs for fantastic results.

Once complete with those 41, Hongkiat also lists an additional 30 effects for photographs here.

And, if that's not enough. Check out Deke's 101 Photoshop tips in 5 minutes

These resources will make you an expert in no time!

Of particular note: How to Clone Yourself Enjoy :)

A Simple Way to Diversify Your Knowledge

Donald Latumahina's blog "Life Optimizer" is fastly becoming one of my favourite blogs!

Today I just read his article: A Simple Way to Diversify Your Knowledge which recommends reading random Wikipedia articles to diversify your knowledge.

As he points out, Wikipedia has millions of articles that cover virtually everything you can think of. And, to boost your learning efficiency, he recommends this four point plan:

1. For most articles, read only the introduction
2. Read more if the article is interesting
3. Connect what you read with what you already know
4. Apply what you read to a problem you face

You can access random wikipedia articles through this link - bookmark it now!

If you haven't visited Donald Latumahina's personal growth and effectiveness blog Life Optimizer I highly recommend you to do so!

5 reasons why you should read history instead of the news

While flicking through news channels earlier today, I realized how disillusioned I've become with CNN, Fox News and the US mass media in general... There was barely any content - just speculation and opinion disguised as fact.

While these channels claim to break through clutter to provide accurate news, they are actually providing distortion or "noise" that limits the average viewers ability to apply critical thinking skills to comprehend what is actually going on.

According to Donald Latumahina, news is "among the most noisy kind of information you can possibly get."

Rather than rely on reading up on current events for knowledge, Laumahina writes we can learn more from history books than we can from current events.

He writes, "the single most important ingredient of effectiveness is clarity, and the only way to increase clarity is by minimizing noise. That actually is the reason why you should read history more than news: history has much less noise than news..."

His full article: "5 reasons why you should read history instead of the news" is here and a recommended read!

Superbowl Ads You Missed

Miss any of the commercials during the game yesterday? Here's another chance to catch the best and worst!

48 Hours in Pittsburgh

Arriving in Pittsburgh Friday night, we set out to see and do as much as possible with just 48 hours - hold on tight as we take you on some recommendations for a weekend in the Steel City...

Friday Night

Check-in: Renaissance Hotel, Downtown Pittsburgh
Right in the heart of the action on 6th St, the historic Renaissance Hotel is housed in a building dating from 1906, completely refurbished and reopened just a few years a go.

The staff were surprisingly unhelpful and cared little to make us feel welcome. With a big of haggling though we managed to persuade them to move us up from the fourth floor to the top floor - and the room offered some great views of the city and rivers.

Pittsburgh Steeler's Pep Rally @ Heinz Field
With the Steeler's big game the following weekend, we lucked out and arrived in time to experience the hype surrounding the city's Superbowl expectations with an organized Pep Rally at Heinz Field.



The honking and hollering on the roads around the stadium was as if they had already won the Superbowl!


PNC Park
With all the bedlam surrounding the pep rally, we opted to skip the taxi line and walk back over the bridge to the hotel via PNC Park.

Right next door to Heinz Field, this is home to the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team and definitely worth the walk on the way back to the city.

Primantis
The Sandwich that made Pittsburgh famous...

The Primanti Brother's sandwich is said to have its origins in the city's steel days when blue collar workers needed a hot meal mid-shift that would keep them full all day long. However, the workers had neither the time nor the utensils for such a meal. By combining the sides of fries and coleslaw with the sandwich, a Pittsburgh staple was born.

Of note: Primanti Brothers made the list of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA and Canada," by Patricia Schultz.

Next, depending on what your in the mood for, Friday night is a great night to experience either a musical or some of Pittsburgh's nightlife.

Menopause the Musical


With a title like Menopause The Musical, we opted for the latter and headed to the South Side and counted over 40 bars driving from one end to the other! We were certainly spoiled for choice on where to drink!

South Side
With an unbelievable amount of bars, a pubcrawl up East Carson Street could be a weekend within itself!




Saturday

Sightseeing Around the City
We decided to check out some of Pittsburgh’s 89 neighborhoods. From the steps in the South Side slopes to Little Italy in Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s eclectic neighborhoods are worth exploring.


Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Quite simply, stunning. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens have been inviting visitors to explore the beauty and mysteries of plants since 1893. Set amidst one of Pittsburgh's largest greenspace, Schenley Park, Phipps Conservatory stands as a cultural and architectural centerpiece of the city's Oakland neighborhood.



In recent decades, Phipps has evolved into one of the region's most vibrant, thriving cultural attractions, and is a great way to spend a crisp winter morning in the sun.



Cathedral of Learning

A local and national landmark, this is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood. Standing at 535 feet, the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cathedral (above) is the tallest educational building in the western hemisphere and the third tallest educational building in the world.

Heinz Chapel
The Heinz Memorial Chapel began as a gift. Henry John Heinz, the founder of the H.J. Heinz Company, wanted to honor his mother, Anna Margaretta Heinz, with “a building” at the University. To this day, it still hosts hundreds of concerts, religious services, and weddings.


Fitzgerald Field House Dance-Off
Flicking through a copy of the Pitt News, we discovered a dance marathon taking place for charity and couldn't resist stopping in...



Raising $36,713.09, this was the most successful fundraiser in the history of Pitt's student organizations, obliterating the former record of $15,000. Full story is here


The Church Brew Works
This converted 1902 Catholic church offers a variety of brewed-on-site ales and lagers (the brewing equipment sits front-and-center, on what was once the altar) and a satisfying menu - even the original stained-glass windows are still in place!

A great place to stop for a relaxing pint after seeing the sights and sounds of Pittsburgh!

The Duquesne Incline & Mount Washington
A great place for a romantic dinner to round off the day, this nighttime view from Mount Washington was voted the the No. 2 beauty spot in America by USA Today.



The author wrote, "Standing atop Mount Washington, the steep hill that rises giddily on the city's south side, sightseers enjoy the unforgettable panorama of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers flowing together to create the mighty Ohio, that waterway so essential in the nation's settlement. The rivers cup downtown's lustrous Golden Triangle, where landmark skyscrapers thrust upward like rockets. At night, lights twinkle on no fewer than 15 bridges."

Sunday
Our original plan was to head to Shady Side for a massage for madame while I watched the football. We slept in and ordered a complimentary breakfast in bed before driving through on the way to:

Carnegie Museum of Natural History
From the discovery of Diplodocus carnegii to the skull of Samson, the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skull known to date, and the brand new, yet to be named, species of oviraptorosaur, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has one of the finest dinosaur collections in the world.



Other exhibits include the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, the Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians, Polar World: Wyckoff Hall of Arctic Life, the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt, the Benedum Hall of Geology and the Powdermill Nature Reserve.



Carnegie Museum of Art
The Hall of Architecture, with its collection of over 140 plaster casts of architectural masterpieces from the past survives today as the largest architectural cast collection in the country, rivaled internationally only by collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and in the Musee National des Monuments Français, Paris.



Having persisted through changes of taste and decades of public exhibition, the Hall of Architecture offers an opportunity to appreciate a cultural phenomenon of international scope.



Summary
Pittsburgh's diversity really surprised me and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much the city has to offer. This was a very fulfilling weekend and we didn't even get to the Andy Warhol Museum, the nearby ski resort, or even a Penguins or Pirates game.

Once renowned as the smokey Steel City, Pittsburgh has reinvented itself as cultural and entertainment city. From Heinz Hall to Hindu temples, from The Warhol to the Inclines, from Kennywood to a Steelers game ... Year round there seems like there is always tons to do here and I'd definitely love to come back to do it all again, in addition to the moments we missed.