So what does THAT mean?
Well, it means to train the people (peeps) around you to repsond to you the way you like.
It's true that you can't train people around you to behave the way you'd like to any great degree but what you can do is sort of condition them to respond to you in ways that are more in line with how you like to do things.
The inspiration for this great idea actually comes from two people I know that have almost certainly, unintentionally conditioned me on how to respond to them. However I propose you take this idea and apply it intentionally.
As an example, one of the two people I'm referring to is sort of my unofficial IT man. I consult him before I buy anything tech related. I also have him walk me through any major computer challenges. He also runs the server that serves my domain. The thing is it's nearly impossible to get a hold of him, . . unless you know how he operates. Reaching him on the phone is nearly impossible. Reaching him on his cellphone is more probable, but reaching him and having him answer are two different things.
What I have learned is that he always (ALWAYS) has iChat up. Now here's the kicker. He's not always in front of his computer but he has iChat set up to forward messages to his cell. When they come in it's a text file so he just texts me back, . . always.
The other guy I refer to is a client of mine that I work with a lot. I typically have to ask him quick questions. This guy is usually very busy and frequently screens his calls and often doesn't answer the phone. I have found the quickest way to get a reply from him (if I need a quick reply) is to email him.
One last point of interest. These two guys? They're brothers. Interesting but is it important? I think so. Both these guys are very laid back. They both do an incredible amount of work on any given day but it's usually on their terms. This is probably more to do with their genetic make up than anything else. However, even if you're not born with a predisposition to filtering all your primary input, you can do it anyway, . . Intentionally.
The net effect is that people will begin to respond to you in the ways they figure out will get them the most desirable results. Your job is to figure out how you'd like to be contacted and responded to and then adopt that as your primary mode of responding to people and over time (and it won't be a lot of time) people will start to adapt to that on their end.
Why bother with this at all?
Because one of the largest time wasters in any environment is interruptions. There's the time used up in the interruption itself and then there's the down time of getting your head back into whatever mode it was in before the interruption. By filtering your primary venues of communication to where you can deal with the bulk of your communication on your own terms, you can disregard all transactions that you don't need or want to respond to, have much more control over your time and be better prepared when you do respond. Hey, it's your Time.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Get Real About Your Health
Possibly the most important thing you can do in your life is work to improve and/or maintain good personal health.
*As a general disclaimer, I realize that there are numerous health issues and concerns that are not related to lifestyle decisions. My comments are directed at the average person and non-special cases*
Why?
To even ask "Why" is ridiculous, but I'll answer it anyway.
While it can be argued that the most important aspect of your life is your spirituality, . .1) Some disagree. 2) If you agree you'd still have to believe that God, Allah, Buddha, Mohammed, etc, (fill in deity of your choosing) must have a reason for you to be here (physically alive) in the first place. 3) If you disagree and believe that this is all there is. Once you die your gone completely, . . well then THIS IS IT! So you'd better make the most of it.
No matter how you look at it, there is no reason to be on this planet and NOT be in as good a shape as you can be.
I really don't want to get too heavy into the spiritual side of existence regarding my point. I live under the assumption that most people want to live happy and fulfilling lives regardless of what their beliefs are.
If you feel that way, continue reading. If not, it doesn't really matter.
From a purely practical side it's a good idea to stay fit. Even if you have health insurance (and if you don't, look into it immediately!) it will still have a deductible and won't cover everything. You will pay something every time you use a health related service.
Besides, health insurance doesn't make you healthy and you shouldn't be looking at it as an alternative to living a healthier life style than you may be now. Most people I'm sure don't look at it that way either, but continue to live their lives that way anyway.
More people have been driven into bankruptcy, not because of losing their jobs or some other financially related cause, but by a major health problem. It may have directly led to them not being able to work or simply the medical costs they incurred. Health insurance is a safety net if anything designed precisely to help you avoid a financial disaster. My suggestion is to have the safety net, but do what you can to prevent the cause of the disaster in the first place.
*Obviously a major accident can have the same result. My comments are directed at lifestyle decisions*
It is always in your best interest to be in the best physical shape you can be in. You have more energy, you look better, you feel better.
The irony is that the worse shape you're in, the more work you'll have to do to get in better shape, and the harder it will be to stay motivated. The better shape you're in, the easier it is to stay in shape. It's like life is laughin' at you isn't it?
So what's the good news? Well, there actually is some. The human body is an amazing thing. It responds quickly and predictably. Almost anything you do; walk, jog, run, etc will have immediate results. You don't have to train like a marathon runner or a decathlon athlete to achieve noticeable results in a relatively short time. And the even better news? The largest and most noticeable improvements happen early on and It gets easier and easier as you continue. The real challenge is to stay with it.
Sustained motivation is the key to many things and an issue I've not fully researched yet. I don't claim to have the definitive word on that topic. To the extent that I have researched it I've found that there are numerous approaches and that most motivational speakers will agree that, like many other things, there is no "One size fits all" solution or method. My response this year will be to find as many as I can and share my results.
For now, for myself, it's enough to realize that good personal health and the lifestyle that supports it is paramount to nearly every other aspect of my life. It wouldn't hurt most people to feel the same.
*As a general disclaimer, I realize that there are numerous health issues and concerns that are not related to lifestyle decisions. My comments are directed at the average person and non-special cases*
Why?
To even ask "Why" is ridiculous, but I'll answer it anyway.
While it can be argued that the most important aspect of your life is your spirituality, . .1) Some disagree. 2) If you agree you'd still have to believe that God, Allah, Buddha, Mohammed, etc, (fill in deity of your choosing) must have a reason for you to be here (physically alive) in the first place. 3) If you disagree and believe that this is all there is. Once you die your gone completely, . . well then THIS IS IT! So you'd better make the most of it.
No matter how you look at it, there is no reason to be on this planet and NOT be in as good a shape as you can be.
I really don't want to get too heavy into the spiritual side of existence regarding my point. I live under the assumption that most people want to live happy and fulfilling lives regardless of what their beliefs are.
If you feel that way, continue reading. If not, it doesn't really matter.
From a purely practical side it's a good idea to stay fit. Even if you have health insurance (and if you don't, look into it immediately!) it will still have a deductible and won't cover everything. You will pay something every time you use a health related service.
Besides, health insurance doesn't make you healthy and you shouldn't be looking at it as an alternative to living a healthier life style than you may be now. Most people I'm sure don't look at it that way either, but continue to live their lives that way anyway.
More people have been driven into bankruptcy, not because of losing their jobs or some other financially related cause, but by a major health problem. It may have directly led to them not being able to work or simply the medical costs they incurred. Health insurance is a safety net if anything designed precisely to help you avoid a financial disaster. My suggestion is to have the safety net, but do what you can to prevent the cause of the disaster in the first place.
*Obviously a major accident can have the same result. My comments are directed at lifestyle decisions*
It is always in your best interest to be in the best physical shape you can be in. You have more energy, you look better, you feel better.
The irony is that the worse shape you're in, the more work you'll have to do to get in better shape, and the harder it will be to stay motivated. The better shape you're in, the easier it is to stay in shape. It's like life is laughin' at you isn't it?
So what's the good news? Well, there actually is some. The human body is an amazing thing. It responds quickly and predictably. Almost anything you do; walk, jog, run, etc will have immediate results. You don't have to train like a marathon runner or a decathlon athlete to achieve noticeable results in a relatively short time. And the even better news? The largest and most noticeable improvements happen early on and It gets easier and easier as you continue. The real challenge is to stay with it.
Sustained motivation is the key to many things and an issue I've not fully researched yet. I don't claim to have the definitive word on that topic. To the extent that I have researched it I've found that there are numerous approaches and that most motivational speakers will agree that, like many other things, there is no "One size fits all" solution or method. My response this year will be to find as many as I can and share my results.
For now, for myself, it's enough to realize that good personal health and the lifestyle that supports it is paramount to nearly every other aspect of my life. It wouldn't hurt most people to feel the same.
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