January 27th, 2012
The time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens.
From the National Safety Council comes this list of items to always keep in a first-aid kit in your home and your car:
First-aid manual
Emergency telephone numbers
List of allergies and medications of family members
Antibiotic ointment
Ipecac syrup
Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin
Bandages and gauze of various sizes (including roller gauze)
Medical-exam gloves
Elastic wraps
Adhesive tape
Antiseptic wipes
Cold packs
Thermometer, tweezers, and small scissors
January 26th, 2012
Some problems are easy to solve with the same solutions that have always worked. Others call for a fresh thinking, an original approach. Try these tips for generating exciting new ideas:
Rephrase your problem.
Turn your problem around by describing it in different words. Instead of “How can we produce more widgets?” ask “What’s preventing us from producing X widgets a week?”
Dig deeper.
Instead of focusing exclusively on the present situation, explore the background. When did the problem start, for example? What changed? Or, what are some of the underlying causes? What could you do about them?
Avoid either/or thinking.
Don’t limit the possibilities. Instead of, “We can either raise revenues or cut costs,” look for ways to do both, or find additional options. Maybe you have time to work on only one project, for example, but instead of neglecting the other, perhaps you can find someone else to get it started.
Ask for help.
No matter how smart you are, an extra brain will usually help you find options you wouldn’t have considered on your own. Someone else’s eyes may see angles you hadn’t spotted before. Go outside your usual circle of advisors for a different perspective.
Keep a log.
Carry a notebook and get into the habit of writing down your ideas as they occur to you, so they’ll be accessible when you need them. Don’t worry about how practical your ideas are in the beginning, or what they might apply to. Just looking through your list may spark a thought you wouldn’t have found before.
January 25th, 2012
Here’s how to prepare:
Know your subject.
The more you know your topic, the more secure you’ll feel. Do your homework; anticipate questions; be ready with additional information.
Practice!
Rehearse thoroughly before addressing the audience. You’ll get used to your own voice and to standing up and talking for 20 minutes. Practice also gives you the opportunity to make changes ahead of time, removing awkward sentences or changing words.
Arrive early.
Walk around, check out the facilities, familiarize yourself with the layout, and rehearse again at the venue.
Loosen up.
Do some relaxation exercises. Take a short walk. If you’re sitting down, wiggle your toes—it eases anxieties. Take slow, deep breaths. And avoid caffeine.
Know your audience:
What’s the point?
Don’t force your audience to guess what you’re trying to say. Use simple, straightforward language to tell them specifically what you want them to get out of your speech: “I want to talk to you today about solving the problem of…The three main things I hope you remember are…”
Keep things lively.
We live in a world of 100 channels and video on demand. Sitting still and listening to the same voice drone on and on (and on . . .) will feel like a slow boring death. Use visuals and music, walk around, practice varying your tone and pace—anything to avoid monotony.
What now?
Every good speech closes with a call to action. Tell your audience what to do with the information you’ve shared: Write to their senator, recycle their paper, eliminate waste in the workplace, and so forth.
January 24th, 2012
A new discovery; it’s all about pacing myself, sort of a personal cadence.
The ability to consume is as bad a problem as the consumption itself. Once I get started, I note that it sort of wants to take over. I see it now and faster, but I’m still not 100%. And, I notice this in friends as well, but I also see very limited use.
I like it. It looks good and I know they’re happier. We don’t really talk about it and I’ve been able to pretend pretty well, but it has to change.
The key is now to make it happen. It’s time.
January 23rd, 2012
Giving up cigarettes is tough. About 70 percent of smokers in the U.S. claim they want to quit, but only about 2-3 percent manage to do so during any given year. What helps?
Money. Lots of it.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia tested the power of financial incentives by offering half of a group of 878 General Electric employees up to $750 if they quit smoking for nine months. Almost 15 percent of employees who received the cash bonus had quit smoking after nine to 12 months, reported the New England Journal of Medicine; only 5 percent of those who got no reward were smoke-free.
Pets. We love our pets.
Evidence on second-hand smoke suggests that it’s as dangerous for dogs and cats as it is for smokers’ human partners, according to research published in Tobacco Control. In an online survey of pet owners in southeastern Michigan, 28.4 percent of smokers said they were more likely to give up smoking knowing that they were negatively affecting their pets’ health. If you can’t do it for yourself or your partner, do it for Fido (or Fluffy). Or for Bo, sir.
January 18th, 2012
No new posts until Monday January 23.
Have fun without us!
January 18th, 2012
No one wants to make fun of a tragedy, and this argument is not intended to either. But, come on, folks, you buy a ticket for a cruise and you just take for granted that the captain of the ship knows his business, is a professional and will always make decisions on behalf of his passengers, crew, and self – in that order.
Not in Italy.
As people are still being pulled out of the hull and the boat seems to sink deeper and deeper and the fear of its fuel opening into the ocean and the sheer madness displayed by the captain in recordings and in witness accounts – ten million people are most likely taking cruise trips in the next year.
If you’ve been on a cruise, there is a part where you do a life vest and life boat drill. In most cases, people doing the drill are inebriated and the crew turns the other cheek. In all cases, the drill relates to getting off a ship that is upright, not on its side.
In this situation, no one knew what to do.
Except the captain.
And, he abandoned ship.
January 17th, 2012
(continued from January 10)
“What do you mean, Hall passes?” I asked.
“You have a lot of social events that involve dinner and drinks. If you just stop drinking, you will draw attention to what you’re doing and if you do that, you’re saying you have a problem; and you don’t want to do that.” Said Cole, finishing his drink.
“You’re right, you’re right.”
“So, you have to have a hall pass and that’s even harder than anything else because you just have to consume less on purpose, drink slower, sip a bit and say you have to get up early in the morning, or you have some work to do tonight, or something.”
“Yeah, that’s good. People will accept that and people that I know who I drink with will most likely be happening on weekends, so I should be cool. Honestly, not having a drink during the week will be good for me.”
“Yes, but you have to have the power to do it, my brother. If you can’t do it, then you have a problem. And, if you don’t admit to it, then you need help.”
“It’s that simple.”
January 13th, 2012
Workplace hell is an overused term – employers have equal ability, maybe even more, to complain about employee hell. We all work for someone else, or we work for ourself.
We can all be hell to others – even to ourselves. So, read the ideas below if you’re the employee and think it out a bit more if you are your own employee.
Suggestions for people trying to survive an unhappy job environment:
Ask if you can telecommute at least once a week.
Ask for a more flexible schedule, such as working early-morning, late-night or weekend shifts. This will allow you to avoid trouble with co-workers as well as traffic.
Move closer to work. This will allow you to get in to work earlier, without a long commute; you stay fresher and happier throughout the day.
Make an anonymous suggestion for corporate retreats/seminars covering topics such as teamwork, anger/stress management or cultural sensitivity.
If you have a really boring job, ask if you can contribute in more creative ways that might be fun. For example, if you enjoy writing, volunteer to do the company newsletter (in exchange for doing less official work, of course)
Start using financial planning tools like Mint.com or Wesabe.com which allows you to quickly see your total assets and liabilities. Knowing your financial situation will give you more incentive to stick it out in a bad job.
The time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens. 
