How to Be on Top of Everything
Issue #2365
Monday, May 26, 2008
- WEALTHY: Give the gift of financial independence (Suzanne Richardson)
- HEALTHY: Are you missing this simple aid for joint-pain relief? (James LaValle)
- WISE: General Patton on self-motivation
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- A filing system for an efficient and productive life (Michael Masterson)
- 5 ways to find work after an extended absence (Jason Holland)
- It’s Good to Know… about decision-making
- Add "proclivity" to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended==
He’d Have Called Them Crazy - Or Worse!
With the Internet, it’s now possible to spend no more than a few dollars, write a couple of very basic ads, and have instant access to millions of potential customers all in a matter of minutes.
If anyone had told Jim Sheridan he could bank thousands in just 24 hours… without any product of his own… without spending a penny on getting it or promoting it, he’d have justifiably said they were nuts.
But Jim made a decision that he would overcome his skeptical nature and give it a go. Boy, is he glad he did! That one deal alone banked him $187,296 in one day.
Take a look at how Jim brought in over $187,000 in a single day!
- Charlie Byrne
The Perfect Gift for Your Graduate
Right about now, you may be wondering what to send your niece for a high school graduation gift. If you’re like most people, you’ll wind up mailing her a check. At least that’s what 57 percent of gift givers plan to send to their graduating loved ones this year, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
The three next most-popular gifts (according to the survey) are gift certificates, clothing, and electronics.
Whatever happened to good old-fashioned books? Just because your graduate is done with school doesn’t mean she’s done learning. Why not give her a book that has been meaningful, useful, or enlightening for you?
When my little brother graduated from high school, I gave him a copy of Michael Masterson’s best-selling book Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out. It turned out to be a book he’s read a dozen times. One reason: It’s packed full of strategies for building wealth from the bottom up.
For instance, he’s taken Michael’s chapter on the miracle of compound interest to heart. Instead of spending every penny he earns, he thinks seriously about whether his purchases have long-term value. And he puts a big chunk of his earnings into savings. When he gets out of the Army, he says, he’ll have more than enough for a down payment on a house.
But even more important than that, Michael wrote the book specifically for young people - people with no knowledge of investing or real estate or business-building. He has nearly a dozen nieces and nephews and three sons of his own. So he made sure that every piece of advice in the book is useful for people just starting out. And that each suggestion is easy to follow. For example…
- Why "regular" pay raises are a sure path to poverty (and the 3 steps you can take to build a high income in record time)
- How to use your first job out of school as a "paid education" in the art of running a business - and how to transition easily and ethically to your own business when the time is right
- 8 easy-to-follow direct-marketing techniques that can help you land practically any job you want
Sure, you could give your graduate a check or an iPod or a gift card from Best Buy. But wouldn’t a better gift be one that could help him discover financial independence?
[Ed. Note: Get the perfect gift for your graduate right here.]
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"I do not fear failure. I only fear the ’slowing up’ of the engine inside of me which is pounding, saying, ‘Keep going, someone must be on top, why not you?’"
General George S. Patton
How to Be on Top of Everything
Since January, I’ve been writing a series of essays in ETR intended to give you tools to help you "master plan" your life. As you put this master plan into action, you will find that you will be able to accomplish more than you ever have before. Much more.
People will notice how much you’re getting done. And, as a result, some of them will come to you for help. Or advice. Or simply to give you more work because you have become your company’s go-to person.
This is all good and fine. It gives you more power. And more options. And more opportunities to advance in your career. But unless you have a system for managing all that extra work, you will soon be overwhelmed. And if you become overwhelmed, the happy movie you have been making about yourself in your head will turn into a horror story. People will be disappointed in you. Then angry at you. Before you know it, they’ll be planning to get rid of you.
You don’t want that. You want to be in charge of how much work you do. And you want to keep track of that work as well as all the work you delegate to other people. Keep in mind that the higher up you go in your business, the more delegating you’ll be doing.
As you get busier, you want to get better too. In particular, you want to:
- Be prepared for all the meetings you go to.
- Meet all your deadlines.
- Answer all the questions you’ve agreed to answer.
I am not, by nature, interested in details. I have always prided myself on being a "big picture" sort of person. I am pretty good at figuring out possible causes for problems and coming up with solutions. And I can push to have them implemented. But I don’t like keeping track of things.
I am also, by nature, a gregarious person. If someone asks me to do something, I like to comply. But I have found that my natural proclivity to please inclines me to take on more than I should. And that - in the past - often led to forgetfulness and missed deadlines, which led to disappointment and frustration.
Years ago, I realized that if I wanted to be able to run a company and lead smart, independent people, I would have to get better at keeping up with what they were doing. I could not afford the foolish luxury of excusing my insufficiencies in this area by crowning myself as a big-picture person. I had to adopt techniques and learn skills that would allow me to maintain control of the critical details of my business.
Since I had no natural inclination for organization, I was not able to conjure up any clever systems on my own. The organizational system that I started to follow then - and continue to follow now - is a composite of what I learned from several of my past mentors.
I’ve described my goal-setting, task-setting program in previous ETR essays. It’s based on establishing yearly goals, monthly objectives, and weekly and daily task lists, and then organizing those task lists in terms of priorities. The lion’s share of my progress in personal productivity has come from using this program, and I can honestly say it has revolutionized my life.
What the program itself does not do is give me a way to keep track of the many details I need to be aware of in order to implement all those tasks effectively. Take a look at the illustration in my article on using daily task lists to accomplish your goals and you’ll see what I mean.
To keep track of the details, I use a very simple manual system consisting of two file folders. Here is how it works:
Documenting the Details
Let’s say one of my goals for the year is to publish a book of some sort. To do what I personally have to do to get that done (write the book and approve the final layout and publicity), all I have to do is make the book a goal for the year… insert the appropriate monthly objectives… and then, based on that, put together my weekly and daily task lists.
But what about all the other work involved in getting the book published - the work I’m not going to do myself? What about finding someone to edit the book? What about the proofreading? What about getting a marketing team together and making sure they follow up with their plans? All of these necessary activities will be coordinated by my publisher. And since I won’t be there during those discussions, I ask for a summary of the details to be sent to me by e-mail.
Filing the Details for Future Reference
When I receive that e-mailed summary, I usually skim it, just to remind myself of what it is about. Then I scribble some note at the top (such as "Ideas about publicity for new book") and I file it in a folder I keep beside my desk. The folder has 12 pockets, one for each month of the year. I put the document in the appropriate one. If, for example, the first marketing meeting for the book will take place in April, I put the meeting notes in the pocket marked April.
When April arrives, I take those notes out of the folder (along with all the other documents stored in the April pocket) and insert them into another folder. This one has 31 pockets, one for each day of the month. I put the meeting notes where I think I’ll need them. Maybe the day of the meeting. Or maybe a day or two beforehand so I will have time to review them and prepare.
Out of the Folder and Into My Brain
Each night before I leave the office, I make up my task list for the following day. To make that list, I review any tasks from the previous day that did not get completed, as well as my weekly task list for tasks not yet assigned. I also take out the following day’s documents from the daily folder (the one with 31 pockets), and look at each item to reacquaint myself with the project it refers to.
Sometimes a quick review is all I need to bring myself up to speed. Sometimes I have to schedule some time the next day to study it. (Thirty minutes to an hour is usually more than enough.) Then, when it comes time for the meeting, I am equipped not only with the original notes in hand but with some fresh ideas stimulated by my preparation.
I use this system to keep track of just about everything. Projects I delegate to other people, projects I take on myself, and even correspondence I intend to answer later on. When I come across (or have sent to me) articles of interest, I often put them in the daily folder and bring them out to read one at a time.
It’s a very simple system, but it has been a big help to me. And it allows me to see, very plainly, when I can’t take on any new projects - because the monthly folder is overstuffed!
I am sure there are plenty of computerized programs that approximate what I do with these two folders, but those I’ve tried so far have proved to be cumbersome and time consuming. I prefer to do it manually.
As the master plan I’m helping you build with this series of articles starts to change your life, you will begin to take on more responsibility than ever before. Don’t count on your memory or natural intelligence to keep you on top of important details. Use this simple filing system.
[Ed. Note: You truly can change your life and accomplish all your goals with simple strategies like Michael's filing system. For dozens more ways to achieve your dreams - plus tons of goal-setting tools and motivation to get going - sign up for ETR's Total Success Achievement Program. Learn more here.]
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== Highly Recommended ==
Can I Make You $103,000 Richer This Year?
This is kind of embarrassing, but I have a ridiculously easy way of making money online that you can copy step for step. If you are into complex, time-consuming, technical know-how programs for Internet money-making (and some of them are very good for the right person), this is definitely NOT for you. It’s just that some people hear “easy” and think it has no value.
But if you are like me, value means how much money this can make you. And $75,000 to $100,000 this year is well within reach. Maybe a lot more.
I guarantee this new program is exactly what I say it is. To learn all about it and to get started right now just click here.
Re-Entering the Workforce
Finding a new job after being out of the workforce for an extended period of time can be tough. Maybe you left work to raise your kids. Or took a few months to care for a sick family member. Or had to quit your job because of an illness of your own. Whatever the reason, you probably want to know what you can do to improve your chances of getting hired again.
An article on CNN.com had these suggestions:
- Network with old and new business contacts during your "sabbatical." Then ramp up your efforts when you start job hunting. Set up short meetings with previous employers, customers, co-workers, etc. If you can’t get together with them in person, keep in touch by phone and e-mail.
- Stay current with new trends and technologies in your industry by attending seminars, reading trade publications, and taking courses.
- Work as a volunteer with your favorite organization or intern with a company in your industry. You may not get paid, but this will keep your skills up and give you great networking opportunities. It will also show potential employers you are ready to get back to work.
- When you apply for a job, briefly mention in your cover letter why you were out of work for so long. But don’t dwell on it. Focus, instead, on your relevant experience and accomplishments.
This advice sounds reasonable - but there’s something FAR better you can do.
Instead of sitting on your duff while you’re caring for your grandmother or raising your kids, start your own business. There are dozens - if not hundreds - of businesses you can run in just a few hours each week. It’s a great way to gain experience. Plus, it can provide you with a steady stream of income to tide you over during the job search. It may even blossom into a full-blown career.
Real-world experience in business is going to be worth a lot more to you - and a potential employer - than merely volunteering or glossing over your absence in a cover letter.
[Ed. Note: Discover dozens of side businesses with ETR's Profit Center Dispatch alerts. Learn more here about how to find out about the latest and most profitable opportunities.]
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Taking All the Right Supplements, but Still in Pain
By James B. LaValle, RPh, MS, ND, CCN
You may have heard that glucosamine HCL and chondroitin can help rebuild damaged cartilage in your joints. But what if you’re taking supplements to relieve your aching joints, and you just aren’t feeling better? You could be missing a surprisingly simple piece of the puzzle: Exercise.
Glucosamine supplements can definitely help. Recent studies show that glucosamine can improve joint flexibility and mobility in people with osteoarthritis. On top of that, glucosamine helps slow the progression of osteoarthritis, and may even relieve symptoms for weeks after treatment ends.
But glucosamine can’t work its "magic" alone. You need to exercise to help the supplement take effect.
When you’re in pain, exercise may seem like the last thing you want to do. But the closed capsules of your joints are a little different than other areas of your body. Think of cartilage as a sponge. When you flex or compress a joint, the cartilage contracts. When you straighten or release that joint, the cartilage expands and pulls in nutrient-rich fluids.
Without regular exercise, any supplements you’re taking don’t get to where they need to go. So go ahead and do some regular low-impact exercise. Your joints will thank you for it.
[Ed. Note: James B. LaValle, RPh, ND, CCN, is founder of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, a nationally recognized expert on natural therapies, and the author of 13 books on healthy lifestyles and integrative care, including Cracking the Metabolic Code.
By modifying your diet, medications, lifestyle, and exercise habits, and with nutritional supplementation, your health is largely in your control. Learn more here.]
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It’s Good to Know: About Decision-Making
According to a recent study, your brain makes decisions several seconds before you even know about it.
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute used brain scanners to monitor brain activity as test subjects made a decision to push a button with either their right or their left hand. There was a noticeable difference in brain activity between a decision made to use the right hand and a decision made to use the left hand. Not only that, but the scientists found that the brain activity took place at least seven seconds before the subject made the "conscious" choice to push the button.
(Source: Wired)
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== Highly Recommended ==
What If There Was A Way To Legally Beat A Traffic Ticket?
“When Attorneys Get Speeding Or Traffic Tickets, This Is What They Do… No Points, No Increased Premiums & Definitely No Stupid Driving School. These Tricks Work Like Magic.”
If you’re like me then the simple sight of a police car in your rear-view mirror is enough to send shivers down your spine, but…
When the lights start flashing…
There Goes That Safe Driver Discount… Right? Not anymore…
Word to the Wise: Proclivity
"Proclivity" (proh-KLIV-ih-tee) - from the Latin for "sloping forward" - is a natural predisposition or inclination.
Example (as used by Michael today): "I have found that my natural proclivity to please inclines me to take on more than I should."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
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