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Are you in control of your story online?

story_google_ed

 

Who are you?

If someone wants to know who you are, they type your name into Google.

Before the meeting,  you have been googled.

Before the interview, you have been googled.

Before the pitch, you have been googled.

What is Google saying about you?

What did you give Google to say about you?

It's an interesting exercise to Google oneself ... interesting and sometimes surprising!!

Right there is a little window into how people might be seeing you.

That is the story people are seeing and reading about you - your personal brand story, your business brand story.

Did Google put it there?  No.  But Google chose which parts of it to put in front of searchers as the first thing they saw.

Did other people put it there?  Yes.  Your clients comment on your business and connect with you.  Your friends comment on you and connect with you.  You listed yourself on other websites, and commented or interacted there.

So to some extent, this is happening without you.

Consider, though ...

You gave your clients something to comment on.  What was that?

You connected with them.  What impression did that give?

You gave your friends something to comment on.  What was that?

You connected with them.  What impression did that give?

You associated yourself with other websites.  What impression does that give?

Everything communicates.

My mother said to me often and often, "Put your words on the palm of your hand before you say them."

She probably said that as I grew into a teenager with attitude, and not much thought for what I said, or what the consequences might be.

Everything communicates, especially words, but actions too.

So everything we do on the internet communicates something and it's not always what we might expect.

Google, and the internet as a whole, gives us an unparalleled opportunity to communicate, to share and to build a brand, and there is nothing so challenging, nor so rewarding as to to watch that brand build and grow.

Enjoy!!

Author:  Bronwyn Ritchie.  

If you would like help telling your story on-line, please contact me.  I have a "Connecting the Dots" programme that helps my clients find the story they need to tell.  

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Eight Examples of Good Self-Discipline

To be self-disciplined, you need to be able to motivate yourself to meet the goals that you set for yourself. You don’t need anyone’s outside help to get done what needs to get done. You do what you said you would - whether that was said to yourself or someone else, and even if you don’t feel like it. To get a bigger understanding of what self-discipline is, let’s look at some examples.

1. Wake Up on Time – The ability to get yourself up before work, get properly dressed, fed, exercised and out the door on time to get to work is a trait of self-discipline. Sure, if you’re late enough, you may get fired, so there is some outside push there. However, for most people, it’s simply self-discipline that gets them going each day.

2. Act Respectfully Toward Others – Everyone has thoughts in their head about people they meet during the day. That person who cut you off? That person who is walking too slowly in the store when you’re in a hurry? With good self-discipline you will still be respectful toward everyone regardless of your feelings, hunger, or mood at the time.

3. Eat Healthily – There are so many things out there to eat that aren’t good. A person who chooses to eat healthily 80 to 90 percent of the time is demonstrating excellent self-discipline by saying no today to short-term pleasure in exchange for being healthier long term.

4. Daily Exercise – Some people really do love exercise and get a true "high" or addiction off it. But most of us don’t. A person who goes ahead and does their exercise anyway each day because they have goals is showing how self-disciplined they are.

5. Meet Deadlines – Sometimes you’ll see the words "self-starter" in a job description, but what they really want is a person who is self-disciplined enough to make and meet deadlines without a lot of outside influence.

6. Avoid Temptation – A truly self-disciplined person doesn’t allow temptation to be a factor in their lives because they work to avoid it. If they're tempted by donuts, they don’t walk into a donut shop. If they want to save money, they get it taken out of their paycheck; they’re never tempted to spend it since they don’t see it.

7. Follow Through – A self-disciplined person tends to do what they say they’ll do. They have follow-through. If they say they’ll get done on Friday, they will do what they can to get done on Friday without anyone reminding them.

8. Create Good Habits – A person with self-discipline knows that the best way to stick to any goal is to create good habits surrounding that goal. For example, a person who has the goal to get up an hour earlier to go to the gym knows that it’s going to be only willpower the first month, then after that, a habit will be created.

Self-discipline doesn’t mean that a person never has fun. The ability to let go of weakness and do what you know is right is the best example of self-discipline. It doesn’t matter if you’re at work or at home; being able to control yourself is essential to your happiness and success.

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8 Benefits of Setting Goals

Whether you want to progress in your career or develop healthier habits at home, goal setting can be an essential tool.

Those who set goals are much more likely to achieve success than those who don’t. Not convinced? Check out these 8 benefits of setting goals you can expect to experience.

  1. It keeps you focused

Setting goals helps to keep you focused on the tasks that matter. When you don’t have focus or a direction, it’s difficult to progress. You’ll be much more susceptible to procrastination if you don’t have a clear goal in mind.

Setting goals shows you what you need to do to achieve your dreams. Whatever it is you want to do, goals will help you get there.

  1. Helping to keep you motivated

You’ll also see an increase in your motivation when you work towards goals. However, that’s only if you set the right ones.

The key is to create small, achievable goals. As you tick off each goal, you’ll feel motivated to work towards the next. Contrary to popular belief, motivation doesn’t just present itself. Instead, you need to work on it and build up your motivation over time.

So, if you struggle to stay motivated, setting and completing small goals is going to help.

  1. They make larger goals manageable

Often, the goals we set for ourselves are quite big. For example, you may want to lose weight or gain more financial freedom. These goals may take a while to reach, which can ultimately make it difficult to stick to them.

By setting smaller goals, you’ll be able tor each your large goals much faster. You’ll also find it easier to stay focused as you’ll be seeing some level of progress.

The key to motivation and sticking to larger goals is to see progress. If you don’t, you’re much more likely to give up. Write down your large goals, then break them down into smaller ones to make them more manageable.

  1. You will consistently improve

Life is about learning and developing ourselves into the best person we can be. Goal setting can help you to consistently improve. It can help you to break bad habits, learn something new, and develop key skills to better handle life’s challenges.

If you’re looking to improve your life and become a better person, goal setting is a great tool you can utilize.

  1. Increased satisfaction

Did you know that those who set goals are typically more satisfied in life than those who don’t? This is because, as mentioned earlier, you see a lot of progress being made.

It is also down to how they feel after ticking off their goals. When you reach a goal, you set for yourself, it boosts confidence, and gives you a great feeling of satisfaction.

  1. They put you in control of your future

Goals give you the power to shape and alter your future. You can use them to achieve new things, develop good habits, and change the course of your life.

If you feel like you lack control, it’s going to deter you from changing. However, as you start to achieve the small goals that you set for yourself, you’ll feel motivated to carry on.

  1. Goals boost productivity

Setting goals also helps to boost productivity. If you struggle to get things done, having a goal to work towards can motivate you to work faster and harder.

The focus placed upon achieving the goal helps to push you to get it done.

  1. Freeing up time to spend on other things

As you’ll be more productive and achieve more with goals, it frees up time you can spend on other things. How often do you feel like it’s impossible to get everything done? If there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, start setting goals to boost your productivity.

The free time you end up with can be spent on self-care or taking care of chores that never get done.

These are the main benefits of setting goals. You can set them for every area of your life. However, there are a lot of things that you can get wrong. Goals are only effective if you know how to set them.

The secret to setting effective goals

Want to start setting effective goals? The secret is to make them SMART. This is a common method that stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timely

Your goals need to be as specific as possible. That means they need to be targeted, rather than general goals. An example would be you want to lose weight. If you simply set your goal to lose weight, this isn’t very specific. However, if you were to set a goal to lose 2 pounds in a week, that is a much more refined goal.

You should also make sure that the goals are measurable. That is, you need to be able to clearly see progress as you work towards them. Taking the weight loss example again, you can measure your progress by how you feel and what the scales say when you step onto them.

The third thing to focus on is that your goals are achievable. After all, there’s no point setting them or working towards them if they aren’t.

The goals you work towards need to be relevant to what you are trying to achieve. What is your overall goal and are your current goals helping you to get there? If not, it’s time to make some changes.

Finally, the goals you set yourself should be timely. That is, you have a deadline to achieve them. If you don’t set a specific date or time to finish a goal, it can lead to procrastination. So, set a deadline and stick to it. Just make sure the deadline is realistic otherwise you’ll miss it and become demotivated to continue.

If you follow the SMART goal setting method, you’ll see much better results.

How to stick to your goals

Following the SMART goal setting method will go a long way to helping you stick to your goals. However, there are a few more tips you can follow to make achieving your goals easier. These include:

  • Choose goals that you are passionate about
  • Stick to working on one goal at a time
  • Give yourself a reward when you achieve a goal
  • Share your goals with others for accountability
  • Write your goals down

It’s important to focus on goals you’re passionate about as this makes it more likely you’ll see them through. If you aren’t interested in the goal, you aren’t going to work hard to achieve it.

Avoid working on more than one goal at a time. It’s hard to multi-task and working on one goal allows you to give it all of your focus. This ensures you complete it faster.

These are some of the best tips you can follow when setting goals for yourself. Don’t be afraid to make your goals smaller if you are struggling. The key is to find a method that works for you.

So, there you have it, the benefits of setting goals and some top tips to get you started. When you start to set goals, you’ll start to see real change in your life.

 

 

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How to make more time for your life

Do you wish you could work less and play more?

Are you so stuck in the rut you can't see a way out? Have you ever said I wish I had more time for me?

Well there is hope. First of all you have to be aware of your situation, have a strong desire to change and then take action.

Jackie's Story
Jackie is 31 yrs of age and the Business Development Manager for an insurance company.

She always arrived at work at 8.00 a.m. and never left the office before 6.30 p.m. most nights. She bemoaned the fact that work took over her life.

Through the process of coaching we discovered that the only reason Jackie didn't have a personal life was because she never planned to have one.

She realised she buried herself in her work needlessly. She avoided going home as she had nothing to look forward to. Jackie lived on her own, she wasn't in a relationship and had no hobbies. So she defined her purpose in life through her work. It made her feel worthwhile and wanted. Although her career was blossoming, Jackie was unhappy. In fact, she was lonely.

We worked on getting Jackie on purpose in her personal life.

Through the coaching process we concentrated on three key goals which would be achievable and realistic over a six month period. Why? Because that timeframe is long enough to achieve measurable results and make long term changes.

Jackie's main goal areas related to her career, health and fitness and relationships. This is what she came up with:

Career
Leave work by 5.00 p.m. each day.

Health and Fitness
To be able to wear my black skirt. (Jackie had put on so much weight that she couldn't do the zip up.)

Relationship
To be in a loving relationship.

There were a number of secondary goals, however these three were the key ones that Jackie was the most passionate about and was prepared to take action on.

Define the Goal

Once the goals were defined we then worked out the strategies to reach them and then the actions to take to achieve them.

Career - Leave work by 5.00 p.m. each day
We looked at Jackie's time management. I had her fill out our Weekly Planner which also can be used as a time sheet. We discovered she wasted at least two hours a day on unwanted interruptions and being unable to say 'no'. We showed her simple ways to plan her day more effectively and get more done.

Health and Fitness - To be able to wear my black skirt.
Jackie had no exercise routine and her diet was inadequate. Together we worked out the best solution for her physical activity which was to join the gym near her work. By attending the gym at 6.00 a.m. each morning she was able to bounce into work instead of dragging herself in.

In fact the gym was a double bonus as there were a few good relationship prospects who attended at that hour.

Jackie never planned what she would eat. In fact she didn't shop regularly and therefore would often grab fast food for lunch and dinner. By showing her healthier alternatives and planning time to shop, it was easy for her to improve her diet and overall well-being.

Relationship - To be in a loving relationship
Through the coaching process Jackie realised she would have to be proactive in this area and needed to meet more people. She had always wanted to do photography and enrolled in a TAFE short course. By doing this not only did she meet a nice unattached guy but fulfilled a deep seated need to do something creative in her life.

Once Jackie realised that she wanted to have a life and was focused on her goals, everything changed. On her own she would most likely not have made any significant changes as it would have been too overwhelming and require her to move out of her comfort zone.

The fact that she was investing her own money in herself and had someone to be accountable to, made a huge impact on the results she achieve.

5 Simple Ways You Can Make More Time For Your Life

#1 Learn how to manage your time so you can be as effective as possible.
You can read books on time management, attend courses or the most effective way is to have a coach to work with you.

#2 Say "no"
You don't always have to say yes to everyone else’s requests. You can say 'no'. Perhaps you need to learn how to be more assertive.

#3 Lighten your load
Wherever possible look at ways of delegating or outsourcing tasks to free up more of your time, i.e. at home have a cleaner or gardener. At work see who else can help to lighten your workload.

#4 Do similar things at the one time
Do all your errands in one trip. Visit clients on the one day. Allocate a block of time to return phone calls or respond to emails each day.

#5 Timetable Your Life
Plan in your diary when you will take time out for you. Maybe every lunchtime you'll go for a 30 minute walk or attend the gym three mornings a week, have a facial or massage fortnightly. If it's not in the diary chances are it won't happen.

The Final Word
Many people often float through life with no particular purpose. They'll make the excuse "I haven't got time". It's easy to say "I haven't got time" or "I'm too busy" to avoid having to change and stretch themselves. However, what is the alternative? Continually do the same thing and getting the same results or making changes and getting different results?

The choice is yours.

Lorraine Pirihi is the founder of Relaunch Your Life  , a consulting and coaching practice where she specialises in helping baby boomer professionals who are tired, worn out and over it to get their mojo back in business and in life.

 

Corporate Storytelling – Three Things You Must Know

Storytelling in your organization is taking place every day regardless of its official status as a "program." However, you will find that with focused training and implementation, storytelling will raise the bottom line of any company. Before you begin adding the power of narrative to your workplace, there are a few things you need to know.

1. Storytelling in Corporations Requires Time to Grow

For many years, I was involved in a variety of companies that jumped from one fad management idea to another. First, we were Moving Cheese. Then, we were tossing stuffed Fish around the room. And we were doing it all in just One Minute. While some of the ideas of these management romps may have been momentarily implemented at my workplaces or yours, it seems that most of these programs have moved on.



Corporate Storytelling is not a fad. Everyone person who has contact with your company has a story to tell about that contact, both the good and the bad. Storytelling has been around since the beginning of time and the first moments of oral communication. It will work for your company if you are willing to think about long-term implementation of storytelling to your corporate communications. For best results, the power of story needs to be understood as a tool for all departments in your organization, not just sales and marketing.

I suggest that when your company does want to invest in storytelling for their internal and external customers, they begin with a small and dedicated group of employees who are first taught the art and science of storytelling. Our "Executive Speaker Training" Workshop is a great place to get this initial training for your employees who already have a basic background in public speaking.



2. Storytelling in a Business Must Come from the Top

One of the people on this initial team should be a member of senior management. I have worked with companies who originally conceived the idea of storytelling in one department and then set out to find a great trainer. They assured me that the "bosses" were in line with this new program. Then, as the training sessions started, the folks with their arms crossed at the back of the room or otherwise practising "active non-listening" were the senior management staff. You cannot expect that the average company employee will adopt a program that the leadership will not embrace.

3. You Must Integrate Storytelling, not Just Talk About It

Your new storytelling must be practised at every business gathering, from the smallest meetings to company-wide events. Be sure that your training sessions include plenty of time for practising storytelling instead of presentations all on theory.

When you are developing this program, be sure to look for trainers and presenters who have extensive experience in actually telling stories. Does your trainer actually know how to tell (not write) stories? Did they just recently begin to add storytelling to their work or do they have a lifetime of expertise?



Learning to share the company stories is financially and personally rewarding. Please take some time to learn this fundamental communication skill for your workplace.

For more information about Sean's workshop that teaches you to harness the power of business or corporate storytelling, please visit our website at http://www.executivespeakertraining.com You are also invited to follow Sean via his Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/storyteller today.

 

Covid-19 and Our Money: Managing Money and Staying on Top

Money can be a slippery customer at the best of times. Maybe we don't quite hit our projected income targets for a certain period. Perhaps we ended up spending a little more than we would like to. Or it could be that we simply can't pin down the reason our finances don't quite add up.

This is because money management is... well, it's tricky.

Factor in global issues like Covid-19, and it becomes even more tricky. The coronavirus has had far-reaching effects across the planet, causing death, misery, social division, and economic depression.

When faced with something like this, keeping on top of our finances becomes more than tricky - it becomes downright difficult. Difficult, yes, but not impossible.

It all comes down to adopting the right approach. We are talking about confidence and positive attitude, of course, but we are also talking about practical solutions to make us financially resilient, even in the face of such challenges.

And this is crucial. This is how we are going to re-stimulate the economy - both in our home countries and across the globe - as we push through this difficult situation. This is how we - all of us - are going to do more than survive - we are going to thrive. It all begins when we empower ourselves, and our finances.

Let's take a look at some of these practical money management tips.



Be Realistic with Your Short-Term and Long-Term Budgeting

Now is the time to bone up, and to really get to know your finances. You need to know your current income situation, how it has been affected by the virus, and how your finances will fluctuate in the near future.

It is crucial to avoid the debt trap here. Sure, it might seem like putting a load of purchases on a credit card is fine because you know that, when things pick up again, you'll pay it off. But make sure this is a last resort. Instead, consider how you can keep yourself thriving even when your income has taken a hit.

This requires realistic planning, and a proactive approach to spending reduction, at least in the short term.

Be sure to put pen to paper on your budget plan. Making the plan real in this way makes it much easier to follow, and you will, in turn, find it easier to keep your finances healthy.

Leverage Any Assistance You Need

None of us are alone in this crisis. We share the burden, in our communities, our nation states, and right across the world. We are in this together, and it's important to remember that.

This is why, if you need and qualify for help, it is important that you access it. Local, state, and national governments offer a wide range of assistance packages and policies designed to help those who may be in need.

We've all been affected by this crisis, and it does not make sense to suffer alone. Speak to your local government representatives, or go online to find out more about what is available in your area. A little bit of help can make all the difference.



Readjusting Spending on Luxuries

Again, this tip comes down to knowledge - knowledge of yourself and what you really need.

Of course, there are standards of living to be maintained. We're not saying that you need to eat only a bowl of porridge every day, and that anything else is an extravagance. No. Instead, we advise considering what you need to maintain a standard of living close to the one that you and your family are used to, and rolling back on unnecessary spending.

You might find yourself at home a little more often than you would like, and it's tempting to hit the online clothing or gadget stores in search of a bit of retail therapy. There's no harm in this occasionally, but make sure to keep on top of it and that it is in line with your written budget plan.

Look for WFH Tax Advantages

Are you working from home? Well, this may dramatically change what you can claim for against tax.

Any purchases you have made to improve the working environment in your home can be claimed back against tax. In fact, the ATO have introduced a raft of concessions, advantages, and potential payment deferments, designed to make life easier for small businesses and the self-employed.

Consider Diversification of Income

The internet affords us a wide range of opportunities. Even if you are not able to get out there and pursue your more usual revenue channels, you may still be able to boost your income through investments and remote or web-based work.

Maybe you will decide to use an online investment platform to carefully grow your assets. Or perhaps you will begin offering freelance consulting services online. At first, the returns may be small, but diversifying your income in this way will help you to stay protected in the future.

Learn from the Experts

There is always more to learn. There is always more to add to our experience. This is why it is so important to gain the advice of the experts.

Read up online, check out expert webinars and online sessions, speak to mentors and inspirational figures, and get the insight you need to really thrive.

These are tough times, but being positive is the only option. Together, we'll get through this.

Det David Love is a consultant with Money Mastery International, a financial education consortium. MMI offers live workshops and seminars designed to help people become financially independent. The instructors are professionals and business entrepreneurs who take a wholistic approach to financial literacy by exploring the psychology of money, practical money management methods, and time-tested wealth-building principles.

by Dave Love

For more information, please visit our website:

http://moneymasteryinternational.com/

 

 

The U2 Method of High-Impact Writing

Want to become a high-impact writer? Make your articles stronger and your message hit harder by utilizing the U2 method of high-impact writing. You can use a 3 step method to easily catch the attention of readers from the very first sentence.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s indisputable that Bono and gang wrote some incredible, lasting pop songs. Tunes that become a part of people’s lives.

“One,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Pride in the Name of Love,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “New Year’s Day,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “With or Without You,” “Beautiful Day,” the list goes on…

How does U2 have such high-impact songs? It all stems from Bono’s approach to songwriting:  Write the best chorus you can, then make that the verse and write an even better chorus.

So simple, yet so effective.

3 Step Method to High-Impact Writing

What the heck does Bono’s songwriting have to do with us writers? This is Write to Done, not Songwriting to Done.

Answer: You can apply U2’s method of high-impact songwriting to your own writing. Make your articles as immediate and catchy as U2’s songs.

Here’s the 3 step method:

  1. Write your high-impact point, the main message of your article
  2. Make that the first sentence or paragraph
  3. Write an even stronger point for the conclusion

So simple, yet so effective.

Plus, what’s awesome about the U2 method of high-impact writing is that it’s practical, rather than some abstract “push yourself to write better” tip
(what does that even mean?).

3 Reasons This Method Works

Here are 3 reasons why the U2 method will make your articles high-impact:

  1. Capture a reader’s attention right away – our short attention spans need immediate hooking in, or else we quickly lose interest
  2. Best foot forward – when you start off strong, people want to keep reading, just like a good intro riff makes you want to keep listening
  3. More valuable article – you make it easy for the reader to get the value, and the less they have to work the more they’ll read and the more value they’ll get

Nothing Clever, Just Solid Writing

Some songwriters get caught up in trying to be clever, thinking they need to figure out some secret chord progression or song structure to make a better song.

But all it is is simply pushing yourself to make the most high-impact chorus you can, then making it what starts the song and creating an even better chorus.

The same goes for writers. If you want readers, you don’t need to be clever with some fancy structure or rhyming scheme. Just write the best darn point you’re trying to make, then make that start the article and push yourself to write an even better concluding point.

I Utilized the U2 Method for This Article

The first paragraph of this article was originally the conclusion. It stated the message and value of the article.

But I decided to utilize the U2 method and put the high-impact point in the very beginning. Now, this article starts off with (hopefully) an immediate and catchy paragraph that hooked you in to read this far.

Following the 3rd step of the U2 method, the conclusion you’ll read next is an even higher-impact point.

The U2 Method of High-Impact Writing

Transform your next article into a high-impact hit. Utilize the U2 method of high-impact writing to create an immediate article that captivates readers and hooks passers-by.

You’ll capture a reader’s attention right away, have your best foot forward with your content, and create a more valuable article.

Oh U2, is there anything you wonderful Irishmen can’t teach us?

Published on the Write to Done blog http://writetodone.com   When not pulling writing tips from the controversial but awesome Bono, Oleg Mokhov writes unconventional life-maximizing ideas for remarkable people and makes energizing electronic dance music for melody-lovers on his site Lifebeat.

 

The Word Count Diet

Many writers get crushed when their 120,000-word novel is rejected. What happens when you enter a contest that says 500 words or less and you end up with 894 words? You might spend years writing your story or hours writing an article, but that doesn't mean you're done. It means you've completed the first draft. That's great, congratulations are in order, not everybody makes it that far. Remember it's a lot easier to cut words than to add them. I can picture several of you thinking, "Yeah right, my editor wants me to cut 10,000 words!"

Believe it or not, it's not as terrifying as many writers think. Let me give you an example. When I first thought about writing this article the name was: "How to Cut Your Word Count Down by 10,000 Words or More, in 3 Easy Steps." That's 16 words long, but it catches your attention, right? Then I came up with: "Three Easy Steps to a Better Word Count." When I read both to my wife, she said, "That's the same thing." She was right, except that now it was only eight words long. If you look at the top of the page, you see I ended up with "The Word Count Diet," which is only four words long. Did I change the meaning? No. Did I ruin the title? Obviously not, you're still reading it, aren't you?

One sentence is different than a whole story, but the concept is there. The more time you have invested, the harder it is to cut words from your baby. But let's face it, you want your baby to grow up someday and leave the nest, right? That's called editing. There I've said it, you don't have to hold your breath anymore. But I'm a creative soul, you think, why would I want to tear it apart?



Listen to this statement; "Editing is not destroying, it's simplifying, it's enhancing, it's making it easier to read." With that in mind, where do you start if you're not a professional editor or English major? I suggest you look at three areas that will improve your work. These areas are adverbs, adjectives, and glue words.

Adverbs are modifiers of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. The easiest way to identify an adverb is that it usually ends with the letters LY. Why is everybody against using LY words? Many writers, editors, and readers consider it lazy writing because you don't show anything. Example: She lightly tapped on the door. The word tap means "a light knock", so it's kind of redundant. You could say: She tapped on the door with a gentle caress for fear of waking the baby. Not shorter, but it is more engaging. I also could have said definitely not shorter, but it serves no purpose. When you look at most LY words that's what you find, they don't add any substance.

The phrase 'all things in moderation' means stop using so many stupid, pointless, space wasting, disgusting adjectives. I could have said, stop using adjectives, but what fun would that be? Many writers have the mistaken idea that the more adjectives you use, the better. This is not true. It slows the reader down. Mark Twain exhorted writers to "kill" any adjectives they could catch. I don't know if I would go that far. Soft brown eyes are fine but... soft brown, glowing, golden eyes like pools of honey... is a little much, don't you think?



What exactly is a glue word? Glue words are the 200 most common words in the English language. The problem is they are so common it's easy to overuse them. Words to look out for include: like, the, so, very, and, or, but, big, tall, up, down, etc. For example, you could say, "Sally walked across the room so she could check out the full-length mirror and see how good her new dress looked." (21 words) Or you could say, "Sally admired her new dress in the mirror." (eight words) The meaning has not changed, but the word count has. The other concern with glue words is they are so vague, they don't mean anything. Don't say very sad, say depressed. Don't say really tired, say exhausted. Nine times out of ten you can remove the word that and nobody will notice. Maybe it's only a word here and there, but when you know which words to look for it can add up. Look at the title again, from 16 words to four words. Even if you only do half that good, your bloated 120,000-word novel has just become a 60,000-word bestseller. Think about it.

Award-winning writer/photographer Tedric Garrison has 40 years' experience in both areas of expertise. As a Graphic Arts Major, he has a unique perspective on creativity. His photography tells a story and his writing is visual. Tedric shares his insight, experience, and skills at his website: http://writephotos.weebly.com

Organizing and Decluttering Electronics

 

Do you have a drawer full of used phones and adapters? Do you hide old computers and cords in a closet? Are you afraid to get rid of these cords, adapters and old phones for fear that you "might need them"? Or, is it a matter of just not knowing what to do with them? Should they be recycled, donated or thrown in the trash?

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average life expectancy for smartphones is 4.7 years and for computers is 4 years. I think that's being generous.

What it means for you is less space in your closet or drawers. It's time to do something about it.

To tackle decluttering the electronics on your own, read on to get the electronic clutter out of your home and become e-waste-free.

Steps to Getting Rid of Unwanted and Used Phones and Electronics



1. Sell them. A lot of phones, tablets and laptops can be sold, even if they are no longer working.

  • Gazelle.com will give you a quote, ship it for free and pay you cash for your electronics.
  • Use Amazon's trade-in program and trade used electronics for Amazon gift cards. Like Gazelle, they will give you a quote and ship it for free.
  • Local Target, Best Buy and Game Stop stores also purchase used electronics. Ask at the customer service desk.

2. Donate them. There are people in need that will benefit from your electronic donation.

  • Cell phones for soldiers is a national non-profit dedicated to serving troops and veterans with free communication services and emergency funding. Each donated device valued at $5 will provide troops with an estimated 2.5 hours of FREE talk time. Simply print a free label to send your old phones or find a drop-off location near you.
  • Through a partnership with Dell, many Good Will stores now accept cell phones and computers to be recycled free of charge.

Related ...

An Easy Method To Keep Your Desk Clear Of ‘Stuff’

3. Recycle them. Electronics contain things that are not good for the environment and should be recycled rather than thrown in the trash.

  • Dcal Services, LLC, located in St. Louis, recycles most electronics for free and charges a small fee for a few items.
  • Call 2 Recycle is nationwide and allows you to search for a drop off location near you and will tell you exactly what that drop off location will accept.
  • Many cities offer free electronic recycling days at least once a year. Check with your city to see when these events are scheduled.

Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the St. Louis area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org

 

Time management – are you making this fundamental time management mistake?

We're all so concerned with "time management." (more on why the quotes later). The "better" you manage your time, the more effective you are, and the better life is, right?

That would be true, if time existed.

What!

Bear with me. Let's take a little journey to the land of measurements.

The Mythical Inch



Does an Inch Exist?

Can you touch it, feel it, smell it, taste it, hear it...

An inch does not exist in the physical world except as an abstract concept. It is a unit of measure, it can be marked off on something, but by itself it is just a construct by which we measure things physically in this world.

The Mythical Moment

Does time exist?

Can you touch it, feel it, smell it, taste it, hear it...

Time also does not exist in the physical world except as an abstract concept. It is a unit of measure, it can be marked off on something, but by itself it is just a construct by which we measure the sequence of events in the world, and their speed in relation to one another.

An inch does not exist.

Time does not exist.

You cannot manage what does not exist!

Can you imagine a carpenter being asked to "manage inches or feet or yards"? He would laugh at you! He can only control how he cuts wood in relation to those measures. Inches cannot be managed, because they have already been defined. They have already been managed.



Can you manage minutes, seconds, hours, days, and control them somehow and bend them to your will? They are unyielding, unbending, because they themselves are simply regular intervals of life. They cannot, and never will be, manageable.

Yet this is exactly what we somehow expect of ourselves when we refer to "time management." Time management itself is a misnomer, as if something that did not exist could actually be managed!

If you cannot manage time, then what can you manage?

The Trick: Activity Management

You can only manage your activities, measured against the backdrop of time.



From now on and forevermore, forget the term "time management" because it cannot be done.

There is only activities management.

Putting the subject on proper footing makes all the difference!

If we change the definition to Activities Management, a whole new array of manageable possibilities opens up!

When managing activities, you can control:

* What activities you do
* Why you do the activities
* Where you do the activities
* When you do the activities
* How you do the activities, including:

- Speed
- Quality
- Interactions with others
- Dependency Level
- Perfection Level

There is simply nothing else possible to manage when it comes to "time management."

These may seem like simplistic distinctions, but most people miss them precisely because they are so obvious. They never connected time management with activity management. Now go and be productive!

Michael J. Phillips is an author, management trainer, and technology guru in the Orange County area of Southern CA. He has been teaching technology since the word "email" was born. Take advantage of his expertise and book corporate computer and soft-skills training which gets real business results, guaranteed. Visit PC Training Experts.com.

(c) 2009 Mike Phillips. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.