We haven't had a television for around 5 years. Tonight I was thinking about watching the Presidential debates and considered a few ways I could watch it (webcasting, etc.). Once the debates were over I looked for some summaries online. Then it hit me. That 32 inch black thing mounted on the wall behind me in my hotel room was perfectly suited for watching the debates. I'm so use to not turning on a TV that I overlooked the fact that there was one right behind me. … [Read more...] about Not Used to Television
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Dealing with an Unorganized Boss
In the last few months, I've spoken with several people who are having a difficult time working with their boss. In each case, the boss isn't a bad person, but they are so unorganized that it is difficult to get much done under their leadership. Obviously, the fault lies with the boss. However, for people who are used to being highly productive, knowing where to place the blame offers little consolation. This is the first in a series of posts listing common problems you'll face with an unorganized supervisor and some suggestions on how to best deal with them. The boss who doesn't know what needs to be done. This happens in two different forms. Some bosses know exactly what they … [Read more...] about Dealing with an Unorganized Boss
Make Decisions in Advance
A good portion of our time goes into make decisions. Sometimes these decisions are big, important things, but often they are mundane simple things. Most decisions require some type of investment in time. Let's look at an example: If I'm in a video store trying to pick out a movie to watch that evening, there is a certain amount of time that will go into evaluating the options and selecting a video. From personal experience, this process can take 10 to 20 minutes, easily. For most people, this 10 to 20 minutes is completely wasted time because at some point in the last 6 months they have already made a decision about a movie they would like to see, but they just don't remember. … [Read more...] about Make Decisions in Advance
Personal Development: How do you know it is time to look for a different job?
We are getting back to posting the answers to our interview questions. I've found it is interesting to hear how individuals decide it is time to move on to another job. Here are the answers from the people we interviewed. If you have a method you use, please share in the comments. I think when you start counting down -- hours to the end of the day, days to Friday, weeks to vacation -- it is time to start finding something more fulfilling. Wishing your life away is no way to live -- when you are doing something deeply satisfying, time disappears and each day becomes exhilarating! Kristen from BOOK CLUB CLASSICS (rss) I think we underestimate the value of a minute spent doing … [Read more...] about Personal Development: How do you know it is time to look for a different job?
Thoughts on the Bailout
If the bailout doesn't happen, I will probably lose money. However, I am still not in favor of the proposed bailout. Why? Because I would rather lose money over the next 3 or 4 years in order to keep my country strong over the next 10 to 50. The last time we heard this much talk about the bad things that would happen if we did nothing, we went to war in Iraq. It now seems that the "bad stuff" that was suppose to happen if we didn't go to war was overrated and based on faulty information. My guess is that this is happening again. It seems to me that the long term damage from a bailout is likely to be worse than the shorter term damage (if any) of not passing the bailout. But what do … [Read more...] about Thoughts on the Bailout
Keep People from wasting your time
I'm sure everyone has been in situations where a coworker is wasting your time, but there doesn't seem to be a polite way out of it. Here are several simple strategies for keeping your distractions to a minimum without appearing impolite or rude. Stand - By standing when someone walks into your office, you will usually prevent them from taking a seat. This can help keep them focused on the purpose of their visit and getting back to work (where they can sit again). Meet them at the door - If you see someone about to come into your office, meeting them at the door puts you physically between them and your area. You are being polite because you've walked toward them to meet them, but … [Read more...] about Keep People from wasting your time
Your Not to Do list
Everyone is familiar with having a "To Do List". But for many individuals the bottleneck to their productivity isn't the lack of knowing what to do. Just as important as knowing what to do is knowing what not to do. That is where a "Not To Do List" comes in. Your not to do list should contain the activities that you consistently find yourself doing that don't contribute to your life in a productive way. For example, most people would have "check email" as an item on their To Do list. But if you find yourself consistently distracted by incoming messages, you might want to put checking email every 5 minutes on your Not to Do List. Other things that might make their way to a Not To … [Read more...] about Your Not to Do list
Vote for best answers
We have some new interviews online. You can help by voting the the answer that you think is the best. When we publish the interview the highest rated questions make the top of the list. … [Read more...] about Vote for best answers
Books I’m Reading
I just finished Never Eat Alone (a book on how to network with people) and would highly recommend it. I'm also half way through Work the System by Sam Carpenter (a book in the style of The 4 Hour Work Week) and just starting Brain Rules by John Medina. (These two books were given to me in hopes of a review, but they look pretty good so far.) Another book I recently read and recommend is Physics of the Impossible. … [Read more...] about Books I’m Reading
Study Tips
As the school year starts back up, I wanted to take some time to share some tips for studying. 1. Read a chapter ahead Most students listen to the lecture and then read the textbook if necessary. It is much better to read the text book to understand the section and then use the lecture to help solidify your understanding. Keep a list of questions while you are reading and then make sure the professor answers those questions in class. If your questions aren't answered, be sure to ask the teacher. This type of approach uses the lecture to refine and augment what you already know (from reading the textbook), which better leverages your static resources (books) and your professor's … [Read more...] about Study Tips