| As I've done every Christmas for several years now, I'll be spending the day at home with my family. We're going to have a blast, doing all the traditional things one does on Christmas. The stockings, hung by the chimney, will be opened first thing. I especially like the stocking stuffers -- unexpected little trinkets that will almost surely never be used. Christmas breakfast will follow, complete with Champagne cocktails. There will be a great flurry of activity in the kitchen. Fast, forward-looking eating in the dining room. Afterward, the "real" present opening will begin. Will it be a mad rush? Or will we be more civilized, taking time to save the wrapping paper? During the day, friends and family will come by and more presents will be opened, more thank-yous said, and more kisses given. Eggnog may be present. Bloody Marys too. Christmas dinner will be for 20. Or more. It depends on who comes by. My wife is in charge of the food. It will be elegant and sumptuous. At dusk, we'll light the lights outside, light the candles inside, and continue to enjoy one another's company as long as we can keep our eyes open. Late tonight -- probably much too late -- I will fall asleep counting my many blessings. I hope you do the same. -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- So Where Do You Invest Your Money? - Traditional investments are a bit unpredictable these days. If you haven't noticed... But certain "off the Street" investments are booming. Why? They make money whether the market goes up or down. Find out more about them here.
"The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement." George Will The Insidious Character Flaw That Could Double the Time It Takes You to Succeed
By Bob Cox "Bob," my partners and business associates would often say to me, "You are a great detail guy. We love your reports. We can always count on you to strive for perfection." I wore those words like a proud war veteran who had been awarded medals. But the truth is, those "medals" were a millstone around my neck and were slowing me down. My perfectionism was a time-wasting, money-losing goal killer that probably doubled the time it took me to be successful. My "Aha!" moment came 10 years ago. A client had hired me to take charge of negotiating a three-year, $10,000,000 contract with a healthcare provider. It took four months, eight meetings with principals, 12 revisions of the contract, endless phone calls, and hundreds of documents and data reviews. It was perfect and everyone was satisfied. All parties involved signed the contract. I was exhausted yet excited and thrilled that the ordeal was over... and would not begin again for another three years. But a mere 60 days after signing the contract, the service provider notified my client that they were exercising the "out clause" -- two sentences (signed off on by our attorneys) that allowed them to cancel. Turns out there were a few important details that hadn't been covered. Unbelievable as it was, we had to re-negotiate. I was again asked to take charge. This time, I informed everyone involved that we would have only one meeting for resolution. They were to come prepared to compromise and to make a decision. They did, and a new contract was quickly written and signed. That's when I realized that this is the way I should have handled the negotiation from the beginning. I should have aimed for "good" and then aimed for "better" once we were sure we had the essence of the contract on paper. It would have been far more productive than wasting everyone's time with my need to perfect every little detail. Is perfectionism keeping you from accomplishing your goals? Have you ever said something like: "This report has to be perfect before I turn it in." Or... "My presentation has to be perfect before I meet with the client." Problem is, perfection is impossible. And continuously striving for it can stall you -- keep you from making progress on your goals and benefiting from the results. Sometimes, the very thought that you aren't doing something "perfectly" can stop you in your tracks and stomp on your motivation. Don't fall into that trap. If, for example, you have to get a winning sales letter in the mail to achieve one of your business goals, take a shot at writing it. Aim for "good" -- and get it about 80 percent of the way there. Then test it. Once you have the test results, you will be able to aim for "better," because you will have more information to work with. The 80 percent rule should be applied to every goal you set for yourself. Let's say you have been slaving away at a project. You've been putting in long hours, and wearing yourself out. As a result, you are beginning to neglect your other job responsibilities -- and even your health. It's time to put the 80 percent rule to work. Say to yourself, "Have I achieved 80 percent of what I was aiming for with this project? If not, I will continue to work on it. If so, I will move forward." Now this doesn't mean that you don't pour 100 percent of your energy and attention into your goals. It just means that you stop trying to make every detail perfect. It took me 25 years to learn the 80 percent rule. Do not wait that long to take advantage of this time-saving, money-making, and goal-achieving insider secret. Had I implemented the 80 percent rule much earlier, my success would have come much faster and easier. (I also would have had a lot more time to spend with my family.) If, like me, you are a perfectionist by nature, it won't be easy to keep your perfectionism at bay. It will take constant effort. But it will be well worth it. That's why, for the past 10 years, this has been my rule: 80 percent means good to go! As Michael Masterson always says, "Ready, Fire, Aim." [Ed. Note: You can change your life and accomplish all your goals with simple strategies like Bob's 80 percent rule. For dozens more ways to achieve your dreams -- plus tons of goal-setting tools and motivation to get going -- sign up for ETR's Epiphany Alliance program. Learn more here.] -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- It's That Time of Year Again - Are you gearing up to set new goals for 2010? If so, you can boost your chances of success by doing what Michael Masterson does. He uses a formal goal setting plan to make sure each and every goal gets achieved. You can find out all about the process here.
Christmas week, I spend a lot of time having fun. But I also review the progress I've made on my goals during the year. I do that by: - Reviewing my journal entries -- a full year's worth of entries. I pay special attention to any promises and commitments I made that haven't been kept.
- Reviewing my yearly, monthly, and weekly schedules to get a better understanding of the objectives I've yet to complete.
- Reviewing my Rolodex and business card file to remind myself of all the new contacts I've made.
The routine of reviewing the past year and preparing to set my goals for the coming year gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I am always pleased to see how much I accomplished. It is also very practical. It gives me a general feeling for how I've been spending my time (relative to my priorities). It helps me note any bad habits I might have fallen into. And I am reminded of all sorts of ideas I had, projects I initiated, and relationships I started that need follow up. So, no matter what else you have planned for the next couple of days, set aside a little time to revisit the past year. I think you'll come up with all sorts of good ideas about things you can do next year... along with the inspiration to get you going on them.
Regular Exercise May Be Even More Important as You Age
By Jon Herring
Only one in six older Americans exercise for 10 minutes or more at least three times a week, according to a recent survey. Four out of five seniors (65 and older) admit they "never" exercise. What about you? How many times did you exercise this week? Study after study has proven the health value of exercise. The University of Michigan Medical School reported that "adults in their 50s and early 60s who were regularly active were about 35 percent less likely to die in the next eight years than those who were sedentary." Trying Times? Tie Tongues Together Today!
By David Cross
I see my three youngest sons every summer and at Christmas. They fly in from overseas so we can enjoy the holiday together. They are now seasoned travelers. But starting with their first trips, I've encouraged them to speak with strangers -- on planes, in airports, and everywhere else. That's right. I've taught my kids that they should speak with strangers. For how else will they learn about the world's different peoples and cultures? And I've shown them a great way to break the ice with fellow travelers whose native language is not English. What you do is ask them to tell you a good tongue-twister and teach it to you in their language. Your efforts are sure to make them laugh. And what better way is there to start a conversation -- and a new relationship -- than with laughter? "Vasudaiva kutumbhakam" is a saying from the Vedas of ancient India. It means "The world is my family." We are all members of one, big, international family. Breaking down the barriers to recognizing and appreciating that connection begins with one person at a time.
Latest News
"I smiled when I read your opening article re: Goldman Sachs. They turn folks upside-down until ALL the money falls outta their pockets!
"I agree!
"Thanks again for speaking out." Your pal in Norfolk,
Buster Gibson
-----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended----------------------------------------------------- Ready for Your Own "Set It and Forget It" Online Business? - You can automate sales, marketing, product delivery, and more with simple software programs. In the Internet Money Club, Brian Edmondson shows where to find the best programs -- free. And how to use them effectively. Find out more here...
The Language Perfectionist: Lie Down When You Read This One
By Don Hauptman
What's wrong with this sentence? "How pleasant to lie prone on one's back on the cool grass, and gaze upward through the shady green canopy of boughs...." The word prone means lying on one's stomach, face down. Thus, "prone on one's back" is a physical impossibility, even for a contortionist! Here's how to distinguish among adjectives that describe various reclining postures: - prostrate: lying face down, or at full length; can imply submission or humiliation
- recumbent: lying in a position of comfort or rest
Finally -- and this could be important -- don't confuse prostrate with prostate. This is a surprisingly common error, as indicated by the following example: "As men get older, the prostrate gland can cause quite a few problems..." [Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]
We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
No comments:
Post a Comment