10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything
About eight or nine years ago, I signed up for a basic accounting course at the local college. I dislike all things related to numbers, but felt I needed a better understanding of accounting concepts to do my job well.
It took self-management to go to class and complete the assignments. However, the knowledge I gained from the class was well worth the effort. I had new understanding that allowed me to make better decisions within the scope of my job.
Dustin Wax has captured what he considers 10 skills that are required for success in any field (basic accounting included). He has them listed in what I would consider to be order of importance. It’s unfortunate there is not more emphasis placed on all these skills [...] Continue Reading…
Getting Things Done at Alltop
Alltop has added a new category dedicated to GTD, with feeds from those who are blogging and writing about Getting Things Done. Ian’s Messy Desk makes the list along with a whole bunch of great productivity blogs.
As I scan those those included, I see a bunch of blogs that I’ve not visited. I guess it’s time for some new reading.
22 Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
Posted in The Simple Life
If you’re a coffee drinker, chances are you brew coffee each day. That leaves you with a load of used coffee grounds to dispose of. Here are 23 ways to make use of spent coffee grounds, culled from around the web. I haven’t tested all of these, so YMMV.
Deodorizer: To remove unwanted food smells inside the fridge or freezer, dry the coffee grounds in the ove, on a cookie sheet and then put it in a bowl in your fridge. Fill old nylons with the dry grounds, and tie off the ends. Hang this in closets and it will absorb odors.
Plant food: Those plants that prefer acidic soil will benefit from coffee grounds sprinkled around the plant. Also the grounds [...] Continue Reading…
Improve Workflow Management
Posted in Productivity
After a presentation of David Allen’s Getting Things Done, at the Kirtland Airforce Base, someone in attendance posted the following summary of the GTD system to the base website. The summary is no longer on line, so I’ve posted the copy I made.
Learn techniques based on David Allen’s processes described in “Getting Things Done” to gain control, clarity and focus. You can immediately make a difference in your effectiveness by asking two key questions about everything that comes into your workspace.
“What is my successful outcome?” Deciding on a successful outcome focuses your strategy and energy. Once you’ve decided on the outcome, the next step is to ask:
“What is my next action?” What is the very next physical, visible thing you can do [...] Continue Reading…
The Principle Components of Communication
Posted in Communication
Understanding the basic components of communication can help you become a better communicator. Aristotle outlined the basic model of communication in 336 B.C. Whereas Aristotle viewed rhetoric as an art, we tend to see it now more as an experience. The three basic components are not separate and distinct entities. Rather they are tied together. Communication is an experience between speaker and listener.
The first component: The Message
The speaker shares the message. Messages are not limited to words that are spoken. They are conveyed by facial expression, gestures, physical appearance and tone of voice. In fact, much of a message is communicated at the nonverbal level.
Even when words are used, they don’t always convey a message. One of the basic principles of semantics [...] Continue Reading…
Do You Need a Wake-Up Call to Get Motivated?
Posted in Motivation
I’ve been on vacation the past couple of weeks. It’s been nice not having to set the alarm in the morning. It’s not that I’m sleeping in, but it’s nice to wake up on my terms and not at the insistence of a strident alarm. This morning, it was back to a regular schedule and setting the alarm. Setting the alarm is necessary to getting up on time. However, it’s of no benefit to me if I don’t respond to it.
All of us face wake-up calls in life; calls intended to make us aware of ourselves and our behaviour. Often, we ignore such wake-up calls as we don’t want to face ourselves or others.
You know the type: The person who has had [...] Continue Reading…
Monday Motivation Question - July 28
Today stands empty in front of you. What are you going to make of the day?
Check Your Personal Credit Report
Posted in Money Matters
Note: This is Canadian information. Checking credit reports will vary based on the laws of your region.
Is the information in your credit file accurate?
Before approving your application for a credit card or a loan, a business may check your credit history before making a decision to give you the money or the credit card. This information – known as your credit rating – comes from reporting agencies such as Equifax Canada Inc. and TransUnion of Canada.
These private businesses keep files on individuals who apply for credit. Reports can be given to lenders, insurers, your creditors and anyone involved in business transactions with you. Anyone you authorize in writing can also get reports.
Your credit file may include information about your:
Occupation and places [...] Continue Reading…
A Good Pun is its Own Reword
Posted in Friday Funny
1. A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
2. Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
3. Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
4. A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
5. Sea captains don’t like crew cuts.
6. Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
7. Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.
8. When two egotists meet, it’s an I for an I.
9. What’s the definition of a will? (Come on, It’s a dead giveaway!)
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A backward poet writes inverse.
12. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
13. If you don’t pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.
14. With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
15. When [...] Continue Reading…
When Being Right Is Wrong
There was a time in my life when I just had to be right. I would go to great lengths to prove to the other party(s) how right I was. Funny thing, no one ever thanked me for setting them straight. For all the knowledge I had :P, people rarely asked me to enlighten them.
It can take a long time to figure out you’re just being a jerk! Now I try hard to keep my trap shut. I’m not perfect and sometimes slip back into know-it-all-ness, but the predictable response back reminds me that it’s not always right to be right.
Gail Blanke suggests four questions to ask yourself next time you’re feeling “right”:
Do I want to be right, or do I want to be [...] Continue Reading…
