The end of the year is a time where many folks think and ponder and meditate. The new plan for the year I start each yes with 3 months to go so I build momentum. Heck that works for me but that is too much about me here is what will happen.
2012 wsill hold more hugs, more direct talk, much more listening, much l;ess talking, more eye contact we will bring sexy back (not the song but the spirit or vibe), more kisses, lots more belly laughs. Lets reach out for the sincere and move all noise out of the way to celebrate this moment right now
Love thrills and more to all
Alan
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Get nyour pink on Daniel Pinks predictions for 2012
10 predictions for 2012
The other day, I retrieved my crystal ball from the Pink family self-storage unit. Here’s what I glimpsed through the haze about the coming year.1. American Politics. In the 2012 presidential race, one candidate will win the popular vote but the other the Electoral College.
2. Economics, I. On Election Day 2012, the US employment rate will be 8.1%. (Job growth will improve, but more discouraged workers will re-enter the labor force, pushing up the rate.)
3. Economics, II. In the 1970′s and 1980′s, America had U-shaped recoveries. In the 1990′s, we had a “Goldilocks recovery” (not too hot, not too cold). What’s happening now will be known as the “tortoise recovery” — heading in the right direction, but moving very, very slowly.
4. Business, I. A year from today, two out of these three entities will no longer exist: Groupon, Kodak, Newsweek.
5. Business, II. The hot new investment area for venture capitalists will be synthetic biology.
6. Technology. The year’s must-have technology product won’t be the iPad 3 or iPhone 5, but the Lytro camera.
7. International affairs, I. The next big popular uprising — 2012′s version of Arab Spring — will take place in China.
8. International affairs, II. The Cameron-Clegg coalition government in the UK will not survive through November.
9. Culture. The year’s big novel will be Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain. (I read the manuscript last week. It’s amazing — Tom Wolfe meets Joseph Heller.)
10. Sports. The Washington Nationals will make the 2012 National League playoffs. You heard it here first.
Got a prediction of your own? Add it in the comments and I’ll Tweet out the most interesting ones over the next few days.
Seven Financial New Year’s Resolutions to Keep
Small changes in your financial behavior can add up to big savings over the long term, and New Year’s is a perfect time to make some financial resolutions.
DailyFinance.com has listed seven great resolutions that are simple and will fatten up your wallet in 2012. Click here to see the full list; a shortened version is below:
1. Get healthy by losing weight and quitting smoking, which can lower your insurance premiums.
2. Be a smart shopper by using sales, coupons, and programs and apps like LivingSocial and Groupon to find good deals.
3. Simplify your day to day finances with things such as online automatic bill pay.
4. Increase your financial literacy and educate yourself about things you don’t understand.
5. Be prepared and start an emergency savings fund in case something unexpected happens.
6. Pay down debt and try to pay more than the minimum each month.
7. Create a basic household budget that makes sense and is easy to follow
Monday, December 26, 2011
Let us celebrate our failures a piece from Todd Duncan
Monday, October 4, 2010
Make Failure Your Friend
Principle #6: Self-leadership means learning from your mistakes.
Make failure your friend.
Self-evaluation means nothing if you cannot learn from your mistakes. By confronting your mistakes you take one step closer to becoming the person you are supposed to be. None of us would be anywhere without self-evaluation.
I once heard a coach compare the athlete who can self-evaluate with the one who can’t think past the current play. An athlete who is self-evaluating is usually your captain. He or she is the athlete who understands how mistakes (especially his or hers) affect the momentum and outcome of the game. If an athlete cannot make adjustments during a game, then chances are they will lose. It is the same outside of the game.
In business or in personal life, it’s easy to spot someone who keeps running into the same brick wall. They make the same mistakes because they refuse to learn from their mistakes. In sports it’s the athlete who can make adjustments during play or at halftime or between holes who will typically rise above the competition. Too often when people face defeat, they respond either by never trying again or by continuing their faulty strategy or action.
Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, said, “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal,” great advice! Learn from your mistake. Your plan is not sound, so make corrections and get back in the game.
Love that thought!
Thanks Gretchen Rubin beautiful blog
Good News
For instance, one of my Secrets of Adulthood is: Most decisions don’t require extensive research.
I came up with this Secret of Adulthood to remind myself not to squander my time and energy on decisions that don’t matter very much.
I recently read a short piece about a study that showed that “Decisions that are complicated but trivial…cause an inordinate amount of wasted time and unhappiness.” The researchers call this “decision quicksand” because we can get sucked in, and drown, in these trivial choices.
Surprisingly often, I need to remind myself not to spend too much time on relatively unimportant decisions. Even though I don’t want to spend my time and energy this way, it takes a considerable amount of self-awareness and self-control to resist the temptation.
The satisficer/maximizer split seems relevant here. As Barry Schwartz explains in his fascinating book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, there are two types of decision-makers. Satisficers (yes, “satisfiers” is a word) make a decision once their criteria are met; when they find the hotel or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision; even if they see a bicycle that meets their requirements, they can’t make a decision until they’ve examined every option.
Studies suggest that satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they’re often anxious about their choices. They find the research process exhausting, yet can’t let themselves settle for anything but the best.
I’m a satisficer, and I often felt guilty about not doing more research before making decisions. In law school, one friend interviewed with fifty law firms before she decided where she wanted to go as a summer associate. I think I interviewed with six. We ended up at the same firm.
Once I learned to call myself a “satisficer,” I felt more satisfied with my approach to decision-making. Instead of feeling lazy and unconscientious—I could call myself prudent. Now I can also remind myself not to get sucked into “decision quicksand” for decisions that don’t deserve that much attention.
Do you find yourself spending too much time and energy on unimportant decisions?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Shadow inventory down
The shadow inventory of distressed properties owned by lenders and not on the market decreased 16% from this time last year, according to a report released by CoreLogic today. The 1.6 million homes not on the market represent a five month supply.
A one month supply in a shadow inventory is more ideal for the housing market, but this is still an improvement over October 2010. This month last year there was a seven month supply.
California is among the six states that make up half of the current shadow inventory, along with Florida, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey and New York.
{ 0 comments }
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Holiday QBQ
John G. Miller
Author of Outstanding!
Outstanding Holidays Don't Just Happen
The holidays.
A season all about Family, Faith, and Friends. For many, it’s also a time of Food, Football, Festivities, Fun—and Freedom. Not just the blessing of living in a “free country,” but also maybe—just maybe—a little less tied to our jobs and a little more sleeping, puttering, and simply doing nothing on some days! Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how about these words? Frenetic—a crazy, stress-filled pace. Finances—jubilant joy leads to dangerous debt. Frustration—things don’t quite go the way we planned. Fear—of being alone, left out. Fatigue—we simply do too much and return in January needing the month just to recover!
The reality is this: The holidays, for lots of people, just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Though we want them to stand out—that is, to be outstanding—they often fall short of our expectations. But, with some work, some discipline, and some adherence to fundamental ideas and principles, we can each experience an exceptional season.
By extracting concepts from the book Outstanding!—yes, written for the world of corporations, nonprofits, government entities, churches and schools—and applying them to this time of year, we can make the best of the holidays. And since most holiday celebrations involve families—which are organizations—let’s utilize the essences of nine of the 47 Outstanding! chapters to create a stellar season!
Choose to Change: Holiday traditions are great, but remember: Any strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. Outstanding families, like outstanding organizations, are willing to set aside "the way we've always done things" now and then. Keeping the end goals of joy, fun, and celebration in mind, we might need do things differently. Never forget: Blessed are the flexible, for they cause others to not get bent out of shape!
Keep the Mission Top of Mind: If you believe the “reason for the season” is faith (worshiping God and being thankful) and/or family (traditions and coming together) then don’t forget the “Why” behind the activities. Let purpose come before tasks, otherwise, the tasks can overwhelm the mission—and what’s the sense in that?
Get Actions In Line With Values: If we espouse values like love, caring, and acceptance, let’s ensure that our behaviors support those ideas. Integrity—actions in line with stated values—is a rare commodity in our world, so let’s allow that light to shine at home. Example: If we embrace the word “humility,” let’s avoid boasting, bragging, and topping each other in our interactions. Another: If I say I believe in relaxing and resting, then draw a few boundaries and say NO! if you really want to. It’s okay to not participate in some activities this time of year.
Fight the Fat: And we're not talking about calories here! As Dave Ramsey says, when it comes to finances, “Bother to bother.” In other words, decide to stay on top of and in control of the dollars. By cutting up the plastic money and living within our means, we’ll experience a far more joyous ... January!
Forgive Mistakes: What could be a more perfect way to achieve outstanding holidays than to let some stuff slide? Humans sometimes do say the wrong thing, make mistakes, exercise poor judgment, drop the ball, and forget to act. When these things happen, it’s an amazing opportunity to choose forgiveness. Practice the words, "No big deal. Let's forget it."
Let Every Player Count: A little lifting up of each person is a good thing. Careful that one individual’s needs and agenda don’t “rule the roost.” Let’s do our best to help each person—from 2 to 92—feel special. It’s a time to honor everyone on the team!
Speak Well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) So true! As the tension and stress build, make sure that the way we talk to others—both our words and tone—is encouraging, loving, and supportive.
Listen In All Directions: In Outstanding! we write about listening in three ways: Management listening to the people, the people listening to each other, and everyone listening to the customer. My favorite part is where we take “multi-tasking” to task as a very bad habit. During these precious days, let’s set the iPods, laptops, and PDAs aside—cease the Tweeting, status updating, and surfing—and look each other in the eye, saying, “Go ahead, you are the most important person in my world at this moment and I want to hear every word you have to say.”
Someone Needs to Be the Boss: Lastly, parents, I beseech you—please parent! Family gatherings are hurt when the wrong people are in charge: the children. Let’s hold our kids to a new (yet old fashioned) level of respect, manners, and courtesy. The truth is, it's not all about the children—and sometimes they need to know that. If your young child needs a really long “time out,” then take action. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that—surprise, surprise!—you are the boss. (More on outstanding parenting in the new ebook coming soon titled "Parenting the QBQ Way")
So there they are: Nine ways to have an outstanding holiday season. Share this with others—apply them yourself—and see what a difference they can make. And then come back in 2012 ready to make our organizations outstanding, too!
Author of Outstanding!
Outstanding Holidays Don't Just Happen
The holidays.
A season all about Family, Faith, and Friends. For many, it’s also a time of Food, Football, Festivities, Fun—and Freedom. Not just the blessing of living in a “free country,” but also maybe—just maybe—a little less tied to our jobs and a little more sleeping, puttering, and simply doing nothing on some days! Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how about these words? Frenetic—a crazy, stress-filled pace. Finances—jubilant joy leads to dangerous debt. Frustration—things don’t quite go the way we planned. Fear—of being alone, left out. Fatigue—we simply do too much and return in January needing the month just to recover!
The reality is this: The holidays, for lots of people, just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Though we want them to stand out—that is, to be outstanding—they often fall short of our expectations. But, with some work, some discipline, and some adherence to fundamental ideas and principles, we can each experience an exceptional season.
By extracting concepts from the book Outstanding!—yes, written for the world of corporations, nonprofits, government entities, churches and schools—and applying them to this time of year, we can make the best of the holidays. And since most holiday celebrations involve families—which are organizations—let’s utilize the essences of nine of the 47 Outstanding! chapters to create a stellar season!
Choose to Change: Holiday traditions are great, but remember: Any strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. Outstanding families, like outstanding organizations, are willing to set aside "the way we've always done things" now and then. Keeping the end goals of joy, fun, and celebration in mind, we might need do things differently. Never forget: Blessed are the flexible, for they cause others to not get bent out of shape!
Keep the Mission Top of Mind: If you believe the “reason for the season” is faith (worshiping God and being thankful) and/or family (traditions and coming together) then don’t forget the “Why” behind the activities. Let purpose come before tasks, otherwise, the tasks can overwhelm the mission—and what’s the sense in that?
Get Actions In Line With Values: If we espouse values like love, caring, and acceptance, let’s ensure that our behaviors support those ideas. Integrity—actions in line with stated values—is a rare commodity in our world, so let’s allow that light to shine at home. Example: If we embrace the word “humility,” let’s avoid boasting, bragging, and topping each other in our interactions. Another: If I say I believe in relaxing and resting, then draw a few boundaries and say NO! if you really want to. It’s okay to not participate in some activities this time of year.
Fight the Fat: And we're not talking about calories here! As Dave Ramsey says, when it comes to finances, “Bother to bother.” In other words, decide to stay on top of and in control of the dollars. By cutting up the plastic money and living within our means, we’ll experience a far more joyous ... January!
Forgive Mistakes: What could be a more perfect way to achieve outstanding holidays than to let some stuff slide? Humans sometimes do say the wrong thing, make mistakes, exercise poor judgment, drop the ball, and forget to act. When these things happen, it’s an amazing opportunity to choose forgiveness. Practice the words, "No big deal. Let's forget it."
Let Every Player Count: A little lifting up of each person is a good thing. Careful that one individual’s needs and agenda don’t “rule the roost.” Let’s do our best to help each person—from 2 to 92—feel special. It’s a time to honor everyone on the team!
Speak Well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) So true! As the tension and stress build, make sure that the way we talk to others—both our words and tone—is encouraging, loving, and supportive.
Listen In All Directions: In Outstanding! we write about listening in three ways: Management listening to the people, the people listening to each other, and everyone listening to the customer. My favorite part is where we take “multi-tasking” to task as a very bad habit. During these precious days, let’s set the iPods, laptops, and PDAs aside—cease the Tweeting, status updating, and surfing—and look each other in the eye, saying, “Go ahead, you are the most important person in my world at this moment and I want to hear every word you have to say.”
Someone Needs to Be the Boss: Lastly, parents, I beseech you—please parent! Family gatherings are hurt when the wrong people are in charge: the children. Let’s hold our kids to a new (yet old fashioned) level of respect, manners, and courtesy. The truth is, it's not all about the children—and sometimes they need to know that. If your young child needs a really long “time out,” then take action. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that—surprise, surprise!—you are the boss. (More on outstanding parenting in the new ebook coming soon titled "Parenting the QBQ Way")
So there they are: Nine ways to have an outstanding holiday season. Share this with others—apply them yourself—and see what a difference they can make. And then come back in 2012 ready to make our organizations outstanding, too!
Holiday QBQ
John G. Miller
Author of Outstanding!
Outstanding Holidays Don't Just Happen
The holidays.
A season all about Family, Faith, and Friends. For many, it’s also a time of Food, Football, Festivities, Fun—and Freedom. Not just the blessing of living in a “free country,” but also maybe—just maybe—a little less tied to our jobs and a little more sleeping, puttering, and simply doing nothing on some days! Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how about these words? Frenetic—a crazy, stress-filled pace. Finances—jubilant joy leads to dangerous debt. Frustration—things don’t quite go the way we planned. Fear—of being alone, left out. Fatigue—we simply do too much and return in January needing the month just to recover!
The reality is this: The holidays, for lots of people, just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Though we want them to stand out—that is, to be outstanding—they often fall short of our expectations. But, with some work, some discipline, and some adherence to fundamental ideas and principles, we can each experience an exceptional season.
By extracting concepts from the book Outstanding!—yes, written for the world of corporations, nonprofits, government entities, churches and schools—and applying them to this time of year, we can make the best of the holidays. And since most holiday celebrations involve families—which are organizations—let’s utilize the essences of nine of the 47 Outstanding! chapters to create a stellar season!
Choose to Change: Holiday traditions are great, but remember: Any strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. Outstanding families, like outstanding organizations, are willing to set aside "the way we've always done things" now and then. Keeping the end goals of joy, fun, and celebration in mind, we might need do things differently. Never forget: Blessed are the flexible, for they cause others to not get bent out of shape!
Keep the Mission Top of Mind: If you believe the “reason for the season” is faith (worshiping God and being thankful) and/or family (traditions and coming together) then don’t forget the “Why” behind the activities. Let purpose come before tasks, otherwise, the tasks can overwhelm the mission—and what’s the sense in that?
Get Actions In Line With Values: If we espouse values like love, caring, and acceptance, let’s ensure that our behaviors support those ideas. Integrity—actions in line with stated values—is a rare commodity in our world, so let’s allow that light to shine at home. Example: If we embrace the word “humility,” let’s avoid boasting, bragging, and topping each other in our interactions. Another: If I say I believe in relaxing and resting, then draw a few boundaries and say NO! if you really want to. It’s okay to not participate in some activities this time of year.
Fight the Fat: And we're not talking about calories here! As Dave Ramsey says, when it comes to finances, “Bother to bother.” In other words, decide to stay on top of and in control of the dollars. By cutting up the plastic money and living within our means, we’ll experience a far more joyous ... January!
Forgive Mistakes: What could be a more perfect way to achieve outstanding holidays than to let some stuff slide? Humans sometimes do say the wrong thing, make mistakes, exercise poor judgment, drop the ball, and forget to act. When these things happen, it’s an amazing opportunity to choose forgiveness. Practice the words, "No big deal. Let's forget it."
Let Every Player Count: A little lifting up of each person is a good thing. Careful that one individual’s needs and agenda don’t “rule the roost.” Let’s do our best to help each person—from 2 to 92—feel special. It’s a time to honor everyone on the team!
Speak Well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) So true! As the tension and stress build, make sure that the way we talk to others—both our words and tone—is encouraging, loving, and supportive.
Listen In All Directions: In Outstanding! we write about listening in three ways: Management listening to the people, the people listening to each other, and everyone listening to the customer. My favorite part is where we take “multi-tasking” to task as a very bad habit. During these precious days, let’s set the iPods, laptops, and PDAs aside—cease the Tweeting, status updating, and surfing—and look each other in the eye, saying, “Go ahead, you are the most important person in my world at this moment and I want to hear every word you have to say.”
Someone Needs to Be the Boss: Lastly, parents, I beseech you—please parent! Family gatherings are hurt when the wrong people are in charge: the children. Let’s hold our kids to a new (yet old fashioned) level of respect, manners, and courtesy. The truth is, it's not all about the children—and sometimes they need to know that. If your young child needs a really long “time out,” then take action. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that—surprise, surprise!—you are the boss. (More on outstanding parenting in the new ebook coming soon titled "Parenting the QBQ Way")
So there they are: Nine ways to have an outstanding holiday season. Share this with others—apply them yourself—and see what a difference they can make. And then come back in 2012 ready to make our organizations outstanding, too!
Author of Outstanding!
Outstanding Holidays Don't Just Happen
The holidays.
A season all about Family, Faith, and Friends. For many, it’s also a time of Food, Football, Festivities, Fun—and Freedom. Not just the blessing of living in a “free country,” but also maybe—just maybe—a little less tied to our jobs and a little more sleeping, puttering, and simply doing nothing on some days! Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how about these words? Frenetic—a crazy, stress-filled pace. Finances—jubilant joy leads to dangerous debt. Frustration—things don’t quite go the way we planned. Fear—of being alone, left out. Fatigue—we simply do too much and return in January needing the month just to recover!
The reality is this: The holidays, for lots of people, just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Though we want them to stand out—that is, to be outstanding—they often fall short of our expectations. But, with some work, some discipline, and some adherence to fundamental ideas and principles, we can each experience an exceptional season.
By extracting concepts from the book Outstanding!—yes, written for the world of corporations, nonprofits, government entities, churches and schools—and applying them to this time of year, we can make the best of the holidays. And since most holiday celebrations involve families—which are organizations—let’s utilize the essences of nine of the 47 Outstanding! chapters to create a stellar season!
Choose to Change: Holiday traditions are great, but remember: Any strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. Outstanding families, like outstanding organizations, are willing to set aside "the way we've always done things" now and then. Keeping the end goals of joy, fun, and celebration in mind, we might need do things differently. Never forget: Blessed are the flexible, for they cause others to not get bent out of shape!
Keep the Mission Top of Mind: If you believe the “reason for the season” is faith (worshiping God and being thankful) and/or family (traditions and coming together) then don’t forget the “Why” behind the activities. Let purpose come before tasks, otherwise, the tasks can overwhelm the mission—and what’s the sense in that?
Get Actions In Line With Values: If we espouse values like love, caring, and acceptance, let’s ensure that our behaviors support those ideas. Integrity—actions in line with stated values—is a rare commodity in our world, so let’s allow that light to shine at home. Example: If we embrace the word “humility,” let’s avoid boasting, bragging, and topping each other in our interactions. Another: If I say I believe in relaxing and resting, then draw a few boundaries and say NO! if you really want to. It’s okay to not participate in some activities this time of year.
Fight the Fat: And we're not talking about calories here! As Dave Ramsey says, when it comes to finances, “Bother to bother.” In other words, decide to stay on top of and in control of the dollars. By cutting up the plastic money and living within our means, we’ll experience a far more joyous ... January!
Forgive Mistakes: What could be a more perfect way to achieve outstanding holidays than to let some stuff slide? Humans sometimes do say the wrong thing, make mistakes, exercise poor judgment, drop the ball, and forget to act. When these things happen, it’s an amazing opportunity to choose forgiveness. Practice the words, "No big deal. Let's forget it."
Let Every Player Count: A little lifting up of each person is a good thing. Careful that one individual’s needs and agenda don’t “rule the roost.” Let’s do our best to help each person—from 2 to 92—feel special. It’s a time to honor everyone on the team!
Speak Well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) So true! As the tension and stress build, make sure that the way we talk to others—both our words and tone—is encouraging, loving, and supportive.
Listen In All Directions: In Outstanding! we write about listening in three ways: Management listening to the people, the people listening to each other, and everyone listening to the customer. My favorite part is where we take “multi-tasking” to task as a very bad habit. During these precious days, let’s set the iPods, laptops, and PDAs aside—cease the Tweeting, status updating, and surfing—and look each other in the eye, saying, “Go ahead, you are the most important person in my world at this moment and I want to hear every word you have to say.”
Someone Needs to Be the Boss: Lastly, parents, I beseech you—please parent! Family gatherings are hurt when the wrong people are in charge: the children. Let’s hold our kids to a new (yet old fashioned) level of respect, manners, and courtesy. The truth is, it's not all about the children—and sometimes they need to know that. If your young child needs a really long “time out,” then take action. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that—surprise, surprise!—you are the boss. (More on outstanding parenting in the new ebook coming soon titled "Parenting the QBQ Way")
So there they are: Nine ways to have an outstanding holiday season. Share this with others—apply them yourself—and see what a difference they can make. And then come back in 2012 ready to make our organizations outstanding, too!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Daniel Pink mouses and mousetraps
Innovation for those who hate meeces to pieces
If you “build a better mousetrap,” Ralph Waldo Emerson supposedly told us, “the world will beat a path to your door.”But, c’mon, who does that anymore?
Roger Arquer, it turns out.
Using off-the-shelf items such as beer glasses and soy sauce bottles, Arquer has built traps designed “only to catch mice, not to kill them. It’s up to the catcher to decide the future of the mouse.”
One of his coolest designs he calls Mouse in a Light Bulb. He cuts a large light bulb, lays it on its side, and then inserts a small weight and, natch, a chunk of cheese. When the critter enters, the weight “is released and the light bulb tilts straight up, catching the mouse inside.”
You can see the magic in the three photographs below.
this week's commentary bit week
This holiday-shortened trading week brings us the release of eight monthly or quarterly economic reports in addition to two semi-relevant Treasury auctions.
None of the releases are considered to be highly important to the markets and mortgage rates, but several of them do have the potential to cause some movement in rates. The more important news comes later in the week. Therefore, we may see more movement in mortgage pricing as the week progresses.
There is nothing of relevance scheduled for release tomorrow. This means we can look towards the stock markets for guidance on bond and mortgage rate direction. The Europe debt crisis will likely be in the headlines this week as leaders move to avoid downgrades by credit rating agencies that would be equivalent to adding gasoline to the fire. If the actions taken overseas are strong enough to calm investor fears here, stocks may bode well for the week, making it difficult for bonds to rally and push mortgage rates lower. On the other hand, if it becomes evident that the downgrades to their debt are unavoidable, fears about the impact they would have on the global economy will probably fuel stock selling and bond buying here. The latter would be good news for mortgage rates.
Tuesday’s only data is November’s Housing Starts, but it is the week’s least important data. I don’t see it causing much movement in mortgage rates unless it shows a huge variance from expectations. It is expected to show little change in construction starts of new homes, hinting at a flat housing sector last month.
Generally speaking, an increase in new starts would be bad news for bonds and mortgage pricing, but unless there is a significant surprise it will likely have little impact on Tuesday’s mortgage rates.
November’s Existing Home Sales figures will be posted late Wednesday morning. This release will come from the National Association of Realtors while its sister release, Friday’s New Home Sales data, is a Commerce Department report. Both give us a measurement of housing sector strength and mortgage credit demand, however, neither is considered to be of high importance. And both of the reports are expected to show increases in sales, indicating housing sector growth. Weaker than expected readings would be considered positive for bonds and mortgage rates because they hint at a still weakening housing market. But unless the actual readings vary greatly from forecasts, the results will probably have little or no impact on mortgage rates.
Thursday brings us the release of three reports, with the first being the final revision to the 3rd Quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I don’t think this data will have an impact on mortgage rates unless it varies greatly from its expected reading. Last month’s first revision showed that the economy expanded at a 2.0% annual pace during the quarter and this month’s revision is expected to show no change. A revision higher than the 2.0% rate that is expected would be considered bad news for bonds. But since this data is quite aged at this point, I don’t think it will have much of an impact on mortgage rates Thursday.
Book review I need to listen with more compassion and clarity
The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction [Paperback]
M.A. Rebecca Z. Shafir CCC (Author)Read this book it truly brings home the force of listening to what the other person is saying not what I think of that person and not from self interest Bravo Rebecca Shafir I have so much more to say but instea let's have each of you read the book no exscuses now!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Condo lending using FHA is more of a challange
A change in FHA policy has caused major problems for condo sellers, buyers, and home owner association boards across the country by making many condos illegible for FHA loans.
This little-publicized change in policy has led to decreased prices and the blockage of refinancing, according to an article in The Real Deal. Condo industry leaders, Realtors, and owners are upset by the series of rule revisions that have caused thousands of condo projects to be ineligible for FHA mortgages.
Many who hoped to refinance or buy a condo are being forced to obtain conventional bank loans with much higher interest rates.
According to the FHA, of the 25,000 condo projects whose certification for FHA eligibility expired between last December and the end of September, only 8.4% have been approved or re-certified.
Some condo boards have faced rejection on simple technicalities in their applications for re-certification. Board members are also facing legal problems due to these new FHA rules. They must sign certification documents that recognize compliance with all local statutes and that they have no knowledge of anything that could lead to a condo owner becoming delinquent. If they are incorrect in this mandatory certification, they can face up to $1 million in fines and 30 years in jail.
The major takeaway from this for unit owners, buyers, and sellers is that if an FHA loan is a part of your plan, check with a mortgage professional and the condo board to make sure the condo project is certified.
New book excited that I read
Book is called about the NNibble Theory and the kernel of power. Such simplicity and such the gift from the author. The theory is we nibble away at the greatness of ourselves and others. We really put ourselves down and there are times that were vivid where I did this or others about me. Sometimes it is from my own insecurity or my ego. But I want those in my life to grow and not to have me hinder their growth and mine. the sotry of the suthor's background is very special.
I recommend reading this book it was a book I read at my desk in a short period of time today in between appointments.
Donht niblle let your light shine
I recommend reading this book it was a book I read at my desk in a short period of time today in between appointments.
Donht niblle let your light shine
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Book reviews woo whoo!
Heidi Sloss- The Fortune is in the follow up: Five power strategies to grow your business- is a good read where you can be reminded or snapped out of your slumber by her words about how follow up separates you. In fact we all have to deliver as service professionals right? She gives us 5 things to do to be different and the next level above competition.
Strained Relations: Help for struggling parents of troubled teens by Marcia Stein. This is a cathartic journey for the author with stories of familes and their journey through this ultimate challange for a parent. How and when do you say enough is enough? Do you enable or do you create a relationship? parent or friend what role will you play. Emotional for me as it reminded me of a young person whom we lost and I read it twice in two days to try and tap into the why's of how things happen. Not an easy read if you are a parent
Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson- Don't prepare just show up- now what is that? Well it is a book about being present about answering what a customer ask not a prepared scripted answer. About knowing your content so well you have no notes. When was the last time you truly owned the content in your business life or when you went to a professional meeting? Many of you say oh come on all of the time yet often we miss important points and you know what be in this moment reading this blog and nowhere else! That is the way and react to how feel and what you read do not not skim right past a gift within a message. Fun and easy read
Strained Relations: Help for struggling parents of troubled teens by Marcia Stein. This is a cathartic journey for the author with stories of familes and their journey through this ultimate challange for a parent. How and when do you say enough is enough? Do you enable or do you create a relationship? parent or friend what role will you play. Emotional for me as it reminded me of a young person whom we lost and I read it twice in two days to try and tap into the why's of how things happen. Not an easy read if you are a parent
Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson- Don't prepare just show up- now what is that? Well it is a book about being present about answering what a customer ask not a prepared scripted answer. About knowing your content so well you have no notes. When was the last time you truly owned the content in your business life or when you went to a professional meeting? Many of you say oh come on all of the time yet often we miss important points and you know what be in this moment reading this blog and nowhere else! That is the way and react to how feel and what you read do not not skim right past a gift within a message. Fun and easy read
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Todd duncan on purpose
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Purpose: The Driving Force
Purpose is often absent in the lives of most mortgage originators. As I travel across America, I am constantly impressed by the dramatic differences in performance between mortgage originators who have a Compelling Purpose and those who do not.
I want to share with you the gems that I gleaned recently from two very powerful and life-changing books. The On Purpose Person, by Kevin McCarthy is a book that, in less than one hour, takes you step-by-step through a process that will shape your life forever in distinct and enlightening ways. The Art of Virtue, edited by George Rogers, articulates the life-management strategies of Benjamin Franklin. This book also offers incredible new insights and skills for designing a Compelling Purpose into your business and personal lives.
Let’s take a look at the words, Compelling and Purpose. Compelling is the adjective form of the verb, compel, which is from the Latin com — together + pellere — to get or bring about by force. Purpose is something one intends to get or do; intention; a desired result. Putting these two words together creates a very strong concept that is full of empowerment. Compelling Purpose is the use of determination and resolve to focus your efforts to create intended results. With this definition in mind, let’s look at how to develop a Compelling Purpose.
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706. I find it fascinating that he experienced the same challenges then as you and I are experiencing now. His frustration while pursuing his dreams caused him much confusion and led him to search for the meaning of life. He created a personal system that helped him accomplish many great things, including a place in history as one of the most revered and ingenious men ever.
Benjamin Franklin created a formal game plan for creating outcomes that emanated from a specific purpose. He developed a picture or image of his life that began with his youth and ended with his life’s completion. In effect, he visualized what he wanted his life to be, and then worked to live that life precisely.
While still very young, Ben Franklin developed a “Ladder of Success.” This ladder was a sequence of rungs that he believed people must climb if they are to create fulfilling lives. Each rung is a cornerstone or a launching pad — backed by a compelling purpose from which success would be created predictably.
Benjamin Franklin has 13 rungs to his Ladder of Success. We have highlighted his first right. Think about each one and ask yourself how you are doing in that area of your life.
Rung One: All human achievement rests on the establishment of clearly defined objectives.
Rung Two: The achievement of one’s objectives requires a good plan and consistent effort.
Rung Three: Religion is a powerful regulator of human conduct.
Rung Four: Correct action is dependent on correct opinion.
Rung Five: Motives of personal gain tend to be opposite of one’s true self-interest.
Rung Six: Without honesty, there can be no happiness.
Rung Seven: The proper acquisition and use of money may be a blessing, but the opposite is always
a curse.
Rung Eight: The possession of health makes all things easier. In its absence, everything is more difficult.
The rungs provide an excellent road map for success and for developing a compelling purpose. Let’s explore the development of a compelling purpose as it relates to what you want in the highest priority aspects of your life.
Rung One: All human achievement rests on the establishment of clearly defined
objectives.
Mortgage originators can learn a great deal from Franklin’s philosophy. Without knowing your destination, there is no purpose for the trip. You must see the end from the beginning. As Steven Covey said in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “You begin with the end in mind.”
You cannot expect to get results without specific objectives. You must have a target at which to shoot. Use this article (later) as an exercise to help you determine what you are trying to accomplish in the core areas of your life. Once you have them clearly defined, back them up with a plan and a compelling purpose.
Rung Two: The achievement of one’s objectives requires a good plan and consistent effort.
Most mortgage originators — and most people — operate without a plan. Planning is indispensable to the success of every business. You are a business; plan accordingly. In addition, when you develop lifetime plans, you add even more depth and meaning to your compelling purpose.
This second rung of Franklin’s ladder is a major one for most people. It requires you to become honest and vulnerable. Yet, taking yourself through the process will make you fulfilled and purposeful. Thomas Carlyle said, “The man without a purpose in life is like a ship without a rudder; a waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.”
McCarthy suggests, to be “On-Purpose,” you must articulate what you want in life in the areas that are important to you. He called these areas, “life accounts.” Ben Franklin called them virtues. As you go through life, you deposit or withdraw from your accounts. The simple metaphor enables you to see that, when withdrawals exceed deposit, deficits are created in those accounts. When you become overdrawn, you go out of balance or “Off-Purpose.” (Instead of “On Purpose”.) Part of creating a compelling purpose in life is to create life accounts (or virtues) and work at filling them.
This metaphor is useful for helping you create balance in your life. Adding too much to one account can cause a deficit in another. Many mortgage originators work hard to produce “acceptable results,” but in that pursuit, they neglect other areas of their lives. In the long run, this causes an imbalance and causes them to be out of touch with a larger, more meaningful compelling purpose.
Examples of Life Accounts:
• Spiritual
• Physical /Health/Recreational
• Financial/Material
• Family
• Vocational/Career
• Social/Community
• Mental/Intellectual
• Virtues (As Franklin wrote in 1728 — he was only 22 years old)
McCarthy suggests that the first step in becoming an “On-Purpose Person” is to write each of your life accounts at the top of a piece of paper. (You may have five to ten sheets, depending on the number of accounts that are important to you.) Then, under each account, fill in what you “want.” All of your “wants” and “needs” are “deposits” that you will work toward accruing in each account during your lifetime. These are what I call your Core Values and Highest Priority Needs (HPN’s).
For example:
Life Account: Spiritual Fulfillment
Wants:
• Prayer and devotion daily
• Church and Study weekly
• Study one chapter from the Bible monthly
• Model Jesus
Life Account: Health
Wants:
• Maintain 195 lbs
• Aerobic exercise 30 minutes, 4 days per week.
• 25% max fat diet
• 50% water rich foods
• Moderate Alcohol
Life Account: Family Balance
• Monthly partnership meetings for constant growth
• 1 quality time per child, per week
• 3 quality vacations per year
• “I love you” daily
• Phone every extended family member at least once a month
• Vibrancy and fun, supportive and contributing.
Life Account: Financial Security
• Pursue a debt free lifestyle
• Delay gratification Embrace frugality
• Invest to develop $10,000/month income by age 65
• Purchase two vacation homes in locations desirable for renewal
Life accounts are not your Compelling Purpose, per se. They are a vehicle to use to bring clarity and focus to your life. The life accounts exercise empowers you to develop a compelling purpose; one that was developed with a high level of intention.
Franklin summarized this process with: “...but on the whole, though I never reached perfection, I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
Now that you understand the concept of life accounts, let me add a little twist. To maximize the impact of your compelling purpose, create a hierarchy of your life accounts. To do this, McCarthy suggests that you “play them against one another.” Here is how to do it: Take a model of a progressive elimination tournament. (See diagram.) It starts off with a wide field. Players compete and, as some are eliminated, the field narrows until there is a winner.
Creating a hierarchy by prioritizing your life accounts can follow the same process. To prioritize your life accounts, number them 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. for as many as you have. Then “play” 1 against 2, and 3 against 4. In that “round” you will only have two winners. Continue this process with all of your numbered life accounts: 5 against 6; 7 against 8, and so on. Eight life accounts will narrow to four; four will narrow to two; and two will narrow to one. You now have a prioritized list of your life accounts. Next, under each life account, prioritize your wants using the same process.
This system creates focus and allows you to be a much better time manager. You will respond to your day’s activities with a renewed purpose; a compelling purpose. Combining Franklin’s first two rungs creates my first Purpose Strategy:
PURPOSE STRATEGY #1
To develop a compelling purpose, you must intentionally decide what you want in life and resolve to adhere to those wants every day of your life.
Rung Three: Religion is a powerful regulator of human conduct.
One strategy that Franklin used to shape his life was the spiritual truth of Christianity. To quote from The Art of Virtue: “In the process of establishing our life objectives (compelling purpose), and planning how to achieve them, we are forced to examine the underlying values that govern our thoughts and actions. It is these values, the estimates of worth we attach to things, that enable us to determine the importance of any given objective, and to establish the price we are willing to pay for it. Inherently religious in nature, all value systems encompass some concept of the divine essence, the purpose of life, and the laws that govern human existence.” Faith in your future creates power in your present. If you don’t have faith in your future, you will be powerless in the present. Spiritual congruency helps you develop the passion necessary to fulfill your compelling purpose.
Rung Four: Correct action is dependent upon correct opinion.
Poor judgment and poor decisions impede human excellence. Most of the problems in life are the result of poor decisions, made by ourselves or others. Bad decisions can generally be tied to misinformation or a lack of information, both of which form wrong opinions. The fact is, correct action is largely impossible without correct opinion and, correct opinion may only be obtained through the acquisition of correct information. The process for gaining accurate and correct knowledge is:
• Possess the desire to know
• Seek out the best information available
• Examine the information thoroughly
• Form an opinion
• Test your opinion
• Compare the resulting actions with your past experience and the experience of others
Benjamin Franklin believed that, in the quest for knowledge, you should not put too much trust in human reason. Too many times, reason is a tool for justification rather than for discovery. To be thought right is sometimes a more compelling ambition than to actually think right. Reason, he discovered, was as easily led by pride and passion as it was by a hunger for truth.
Franklin believed the best alternative is to “think rightly.” He said:
1) Place more value on understanding truth than on what others think of you.
2) Do not invest so much of yourself in an idea that you cannot give it up or be made to see another idea more clearly.
3) Be straightforward in your admission of error when called for.
4) Be the first to admit you do not know and the last to commit to what you cannot deliver.
5) Be honest with yourself. Do not rationalize your actions with unwise or untrue justification.
PURPOSE STRATEGY #2
Knowledge is power! Be an accumulator of information and be careful when forming opinions to immerse yourself into the information without bias or prejudgment.
Rung Five: Motives of personal gain tend to be opposite of one’s true interest.
One of the greatest elements of developing a compelling purpose can be found in Franklin’s fifth rung. If you are motivated by self-interest, you will lose more than you will gain. This is especially true in loan origination. I have talked repeatedly about the law of reciprocity. It states that you should, without condition, give to others freely and willingly; and what you give will come back to you. The inverse is the law of scarcity: if you focus on personal gain, you will end up with less.
As a mortgage originator, ask yourself, “Am I a Giver or a Taker?” Be honest with yourself. What is your focus? Is it getting transactions, making money, and doing deals? Or is it helping prospects succeed by giving them ideas and strategies that will increase their business?
Over 3000 years ago, King Solomon wrote: “It is possible to give away and become wealthy. It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall become rich. By watering others, he waters himself.”
PURPOSE STRATEGY #3:
To develop a compelling purpose, you design your life to give, not take.
Rung Six: Without honesty there can be no happiness.
Part of having a Compelling Purpose is integrity. The loan origination business is too short to live on the line. You must possess honesty that is beyond reproach. Franklin had some profound ideas on this: “The very nature of dishonesty is that we must first practice it on ourselves before we can practice it on anyone else. If we do not discover some ‘good reasons’ to justify our wicked deeds, we will be overcome by pangs of conscience. Being reasonable creatures unwilling to suffer the discomforts of guilt, we often find it easier to lie to ourselves than to be honest with others. Unfortunately, as with other forms of misguided self-interest, the consequences of dishonesty are tragically different than those anticipated.”
PURPOSE STRATEGY #4:
A good reputation is hard to get and with the slip of the tongue can be lost forever. To develop a compelling purpose, live with integrity.
Rung Seven: The proper acquisition of money may be a blessing, but its opposite is always a curse.
Happiness is not rooted in the accumulation of money. The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Rungs five and seven have some close parallels, but there are some distinctions.
The major concept in rung seven is that your life must not revolve around the accumulation of wealth. Innumerable men have fallen in the pursuit of riches. Far fewer have been able to stay balanced and centered once they gained wealth. Stay focused on business and frugality and you are assured of wealth, if you want it. Franklin believed that is was better to live usefully than to die rich.
The question arises, “What’s your primary focus as a mortgage originator? Is it to make money or to help others succeed and, in the process, become wealthy yourself?” There is a big difference between the two.
When Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanac, he used it as a vehicle to promote inventions, virtues of industry, and frugality. He had hundreds of inventions and solutions for the men of commerce in his day; all of which he gave away for free in his almanac. He never patented his ideas; instead, he allowed others to gain and no one took advantage of him. He died very fulfilled.
Some sound advice is delivered in a quaint story by Franklin: “I have heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I’m going to relate to you. I stopped my horse lately where a great number of people collected at an auction of merchant’s goods. The hour of the sale not having come, they were conversing about the badness of the times, and one of them called to a plain, clean, old man with white locks: “Pray, Father Abraham, what do you think of the times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do?” “Friends,” said he, “The taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them, but we have many others and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly. Let us hear the good advice of Poor Richard: God helps those who help themselves.” Franklin said there are three ways to accumulate wealth: Industriousness, Prudence, and Frugality. How are you in each of those areas?
PURPOSE STRATEGY #5:
Pursue true wealth, not monetary wealth.
Rung Eight: The possession of health makes all things easier. In its absence, everything is more difficult.
Energy is the cornerstone of longevity in life and of passion in business. Energy springs from a lifestyle of exercise and eating the right foods. Mortgage originators need massive amounts of energy, but how many of you eat well and exercise regularly? Perhaps no other aspect of life is appreciated more in its absence and less in its presence than health. Franklin believed proper nutrition, adequate exercise, and sufficient rest were paramount to the blessing of good health. Over 200 years ago, he preached and recited the principles of a healthy lifestyle: avoid over-eating and heavy meals, eat vegetables, water-rich foods, and lighter meats; recognize the danger of heavy alcohol consumption; get adequate rest; breathe lots of fresh air; and exercise.
Without your commitment to the preservation of health, you will not be able to be a compelling person or have a compelling purpose. It’s a tough business. The superstars always have more physical and emotional stamina. Commit yourself to a healthy lifestyle. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Keep your base metabolic rate (BMR) high so that you burn fat, which produces energy. Do this by working out aerobically three to four days per week. Get your heart rate up to 130 to 160 beats per minute, for 30 to 40 minutes each time. This lifestyle will increase your energy by 30 to 40 percent. You will not only feel better, you will feel great!
PURPOSE STRATEGY #6:
Your body is a temple, created by God. Treat it with reverence. I hope these thoughts have been interesting and will be beneficial to you. I believe that as we go through life, we should look for catalysts to help us with our transformations.
I get my Pink on- Daniel Pink blog I dug
The power of an hourly beep
Peter Bregman is a strategy consultant who advises some of North America’s top CEO’s and writes widely-read blog for the Harvard Business Review.Last month he published his second book, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, which is packed with smart, practical advice for boosting individual performance. (Buy it at Amazon, BN.com, Indie Bound, or 8CR.)
Because I thought PinkBlog readers would dig what he had to say, I asked him to share a tip from the book — something quick and actionable that could help us on a Monday morning.
Here’s Peter:
I start every day with a plan. Each morning I look at my to do list and ask myself ’what will make this a successful day? Then I transfer the right tasks from my list onto my calendar and get to work.
But it’s rare that I stick to every minute of my plan. Emails come in, phones ring, texts beep, and my own penchant for distraction sneaks up on me. It doesn’t take me long to wander off from my schedule. And sometimes, like in a recent angry exchange with my phone company representative, I’ll wander off from myself too.
It used to be that I’d end each day disappointed, wondering why it wasn’t the success I had envisioned.
But that changed when I started setting hourly beeps.
Each hour when my watch, computer, or phone beeps, I stop whatever I’m doing, take a deep breath, and ask myself two questions:
1. Am I doing what I most need to be doing right now?
2. Am I being who I most want to be right now?
At first it seemed counterintuitive to interrupt myself each hour. Aren’t interruptions precisely what we’re trying to avoid? But these one-minute-an-hour interruptions are productive interruptions. They bring us back to doing what, and being who, will make this a successful day.
This isn’t all about staying on plan. Sometimes the beep will ring and I’ll realize that, while I’ve strayed from my calendar, whatever it is I’m working on is what I most need to be doing. In those situations I simply shift items on my calendar so my most important priorities still get done and I make intentional choices about what I will leave undone.
For me, a once-an-hour reminder, one deep breath, and a couple of questions, has made the difference between ending my day frustrated and ending it fulfilled.
Recent successful start-ups becoming IPOs in the Bay Area have improved the real estate market in San Francisco. According to Reuters, San Francisco home prices, especially those in the southern neighborhoods, have benefited from these IPOs.
Tech companies such as Twitter, Zynga and Yelp based in the area have reignited the tech-related identity of the area. Not only are employees suddenly made richer by the IPO, but this
Competition for modern homes in the southern San Francisco neighborhoods has risen home prices. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the rise in prices is for three main reasons.
“First, we have the new crop of millionaires finally able to afford what they want from the San Francisco real estate market, all competing against each other. Next, we have the upcoming crop, such as those who stand to make millions from Zynga and Yelp IPOs, about to enter the playing field, making those home-seekers already on the field more nervous–compelling them to bid now, buy now.”
Finally, current homeowners in the area are holding on to their property as they see it rise in value.
Do you think this real estate boom due to successful tech IPOs will continue?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
what are you greatful for? Thanks Keith Ferrazzi for reminding me not just today
Instant Mood Booster- Record Your Gratitude
In true holiday tradition, this past week we had our NY team Thanksgiving potluck. Since 
we didn’t take a picture – whoops – here’s a pic of Ferrazzi Greenlight LA’s food fest.
But we did eat – a lot – and play the gratitude game.
Your turn to chime in: What are you most thankful for this year? Taking 30 seconds to reflect and write it out can have a profoundly positive effect on your day.
Ritu Walia is myGreenlight’s Member Coordinator.
Daniel Pink a boss who says thanks are you one?
A boss who says thanks
Any time a marketing guy sends an email about how awesome his boss is, I react with an emotion that registers somewhere between deep suspicion and utter disregard.But earlier this month I received a note from Christopher Jensen, Marketing Team Lead for Modern Survey, whose
Jensen’s story rang true. So, on this day before a U.S. holiday devoted to gratitude, I’m sharing it with you:
Don always says that Thanksgiving is his favorite day of the year. Unlike most of us, he spends it at the office. In fact, he comes in early and starts calling each employee and telling them how much they mean to him and to Modern Survey and he cites specific examples of their exemplary work. I have to admit, on my first Thanksgiving after I joined Modern Survey, when I saw a call coming from the office, I got a little nervous. Something had to be wrong, right? Nope. Just Don calling to fill me up with kind words.
After he gets through calling all of Modern Survey’s employees, he moves on to clients, thanking them for their support and loyalty, and finally friends and family members with personal touches about how they’ve helped him become the person that he is today.
is housing getting better please read on
Mortgage banking executive Jerry Selitto, CEO and President of PHH Corporation, questions the approaches currently being taken towards the problems in the housing market. He published an opinion piece, “The Housing Problem Isn’t Getting Better —Maybe it’s Time for Scary Thinking,” in which he suggests thinking outside the box for solutions.
“Sometimes, when nothing else is working, you have to try something that had previously been simply unthinkable,” wrote Selitto in his editorial.
He presents bold ideas for starting over with a new beginning, including government new programs to help distressed homeowners.
Read his thoughts here. Do you agree or disagree?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thank you Todd Duncan a great post about good decisions
Friday, November 12, 2010
Making Good Decisions
Too often people don’t make the time and they are not in the habit of asking powerful questions that evoke emotion to and create hope in a better way of working and living.
You cannot go through life on auto-pilot – there needs to be a high commitment to managing decisions that you make and before that can happen, you probably need to make some new decisions. Most decisions that need to be made will begin with and spring forth from an internal, intuitive perspective but without asking new questions, often this internal emotion lies dormant.
Questions that are both heart and head provoking can begin to move an individual to a position of having to make new decisions. I teach a process called Life Planning and here are some examples of questions I use each year as I review my annual Life Plan :
What if…? (I could go home on time. I could save more. I could spend more time with my family. I could get that promotion. I could become self-employeed.) Whatever are my dreams or desires and what if I could achieve these?
How would the person I see myself being in the future be handling the issues of today?
What would need to happen to take my life to a whole new level? My business?
What decision could be made in the next 5-minutes and what action could be taken in the next 60-minutes to create fulfillment and happiness in the (state area) of my life?
What am I not willing to settle for any longer in my life? My business? My finances? My health? My relationships?
Which areas of my life are most stressful for me these days? Why? What hope lies ahead in helping reduce the stress in that environment?
What could I say “no” to today?
New questions serve one key purpose – to make our intuition come alive. They also hit hard in the area of common sense. We all have a “gut” instinct to what decisions we should be making. We all know in our “heart of hearts” the key areas of our business and our life that need new or different choices.
Intuition is always first when it comes to decision-making – the reasoning always comes second. What new questions do is cause those emotions to come to the surface on the important issues that need to be dealt with. Balance is a result of acting on those emotions and reasoning is the process through which the best decision is made. All of our key decisions require facts. And if the facts were understood, we would see how many of our decisions could be altered or fixed. But it all starts with the gut! And because of this, balance is always in flux, a constant process of decision making and managing the decisions made; a process of intuition and integrity. So when we arrive a point where our gut is telling us something, we MUST move on it, balance the emotion of this with facts, the making of new decisions, and then the management those decisions consistently.
In my own personal journey of making and managing decisions, I have learned two very important truths:
1. Intuition is most effective when it is educated
2. Analysis is most effective when it is isn’t over done
Spend the rest of this year asking new questions and coming up with new solutions that will change your life forever.
Thank you Daniel Pink this is a good book tip read more oput comes the kindle
October 24th, 2011
The power of an hourly beep
Peter Bregman is a strategy consultant who advises some of North America’s top CEO’s and writes widely-read blog for the Harvard Business Review.
Last month he published his second book, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, which is packed with smart, practical advice for boosting individual performance. (Buy it at Amazon, BN.com, Indie Bound, or 8CR.)
Because I thought PinkBlog readers would dig what he had to say, I asked him to share a tip from the book — something quick and actionable that could help us on a Monday morning.
Here’s Peter:
I start every day with a plan. Each morning I look at my to do list and ask myself ’what will make this a successful day? Then I transfer the right tasks from my list onto my calendar and get to work.
But it’s rare that I stick to every minute of my plan. Emails come in, phones ring, texts beep, and my own penchant for distraction sneaks up on me. It doesn’t take me long to wander off from my schedule. And sometimes, like in a recent angry exchange with my phone company representative, I’ll wander off from myself too.
It used to be that I’d end each day disappointed, wondering why it wasn’t the success I had envisioned.
But that changed when I started setting hourly beeps.
Each hour when my watch, computer, or phone beeps, I stop whatever I’m doing, take a deep breath, and ask myself two questions:
1. Am I doing what I most need to be doing right now?
2. Am I being who I most want to be right now?
At first it seemed counterintuitive to interrupt myself each hour. Aren’t interruptions precisely what we’re trying to avoid? But these one-minute-an-hour interruptions are productive interruptions. They bring us back to doing what, and being who, will make this a successful day.
This isn’t all about staying on plan. Sometimes the beep will ring and I’ll realize that, while I’ve strayed from my calendar, whatever it is I’m working on is what I most need to be doing. In those situations I simply shift items on my calendar so my most important priorities still get done and I make intentional choices about what I will leave undone.
For me, a once-an-hour reminder, one deep breath, and a couple of questions, has made the difference between ending my day frustrated and ending it fulfilled.
Coach Vicki Garcia talks about taking care of yourself so do you?
We can’t control every situation every day, but we can control most of how we react to unpleasant situations, and take care of our inner core. I recently heard a young lady express concern about her mother-in-law’s imminent visit. This woman apparently is über-controlling and opinionated. The young lady in question worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle the discomfort of having this woman in her home, especially during the holidays. She was concerned that her own needs and sense of self, in short, her ability to take care of herself, would be in jeopardy.
“I’ve gotten better,” she said. “I used to just kind of roll over and agree with everything, even her criticisms. Now, I’m able to stand up for myself better. But it’s still uncomfortable.”
1. Stand Up for Yourself. Sure, standing up for you isn’t always comfortable. It can be frightening to disagree. Standing up for yourself simply means that you don’t buy into stuff that helps you belittle yourself.
Simply agreeing constantly may avoid confrontation, but it does nothing for self-care. You feel resentful and prolong a vicious spiral. It doesn’t mean you are nasty to the other person, but a firm comment that bolsters your personal view or preference can go a long way to stimulate ongoing confidence and finding your voice. [click to continue
Is your college on this list? Affordable homes in college towns
Iconic college towns have affordable average prices of homes, according to the U.S. Home Listing Report released by Coldwell Banker. The report ranks the average price of homes with three bedrooms and two bathrooms across the country, and the affordability in college towns was notable.
The top ten college towns on the Bowl Championship Series rankings released have an average listing price of $302,052, and that is including Palo Alto, CA by Stanford University, an expensive area.
The current BCS Rankings:
1. LSU/Baton Rouge, LA ($194,518)
2. Oklahoma State/Stillwater, OK ($141,728)
3. Alabama/Tuscaloosa, AL (not included)
4. Oregon/Eugene, OR ($244,964)
5. Oklahoma/Norman, OK ($150,313)
6. Arkansas/Fayetteville, AR ($165,643)
7. Clemson/Clemson, SC ($164,836)
8. Virginia Tech/Blacksburg, VA ($258,332)
9. Stanford/Palo Alto, CA ($1,232,070)
10. Boise State, Boise, ID ($166,064)
With the exception of Palo Alto, the average listing price for a 3 BR/2 Bath home in these charming university towns are highly affordable.
Want to look up your alumni town? Click here to find out the prices in college areas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)