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Archive for the ‘Life Balance’ Category
Do You Filter Information? (Like You Filter Coffee)
Two of my favourite topics, good coffee – and information!
Coffee first… I much prefer the taste of percolated and shop bought coffee.
When I set up the coffee percolator the other day I missed adding one of the parts that is absolutely critical to make good coffee – the filter. Impatiently I waited, wondering why the coffee was taking so very long. Yes really, it was so slow… I wasn’t just being an impatient coffee drinker.
I turned off the coffee maker and pondered on it for a moment as I swished the very dark and grainy coffee around in the bottom of the pot. It looked very much like a swamp would look when it’s got a lot of algae… except that it was brown.
My first thought, “Oh no, my coffee machine is broken!” I very quickly decided that nah; that absolutely could not, would not be the case and blindly went in search for the problem.
Oh dear… you have probably guessed it by now…
I had forgotten to add the plastic filter insert to the coffee percolator. That explained it. That would definitely, 100% be the cause of dark brown coffee with chunks in it.
Rather than wasting it, I offered it around to all my family (lol, no way!!!). Nah, I ended up disposing of the whole 10 cups (and what a waste of coffee that was).
Mmm, now to start again… add the filter… watch the coffee as it streams through to make sure it’s doing what I want for it to do this time. Looks good… and tastes perfect!
Your probably wondering what any of this has to do with filtering information?
Think about the masses of information on the web – and offline as well actually.
Every single day we are provided many opportunities to stumble upon more and more information. Some is really good information… some is useless… and some really just shouldn’t be out there.
Niche Review: Blogging About Travel Adventures & Experiences
There are a good many people who have consciously made the decision to set up an online business for the flexibility that it has on offer. It might be so that they were able to spend more time with family and friends. It might also be so that they could spend more time or money on their hobby, or maybe it is so they are able to travel the world without time limits and really absorb the culture, scenery and experiences that the country has to offer. The vision for their online business might be to do what they love while earning enough cash (and maybe a bit extra) through their business to fund those activities or adventures that interest them… or simply to balance their budget and provide more flexibility and balance to life.
Today, I would like to talk about those who seem to constantly have the travel bug… they just can’t seem to be able to shake it… and they might have pondered on whether there was a job that offered flexibility to those who wish to travel and constantly enjoy new experiences, without the need to organize a working visa, or having to return to their home country in order to earn more money ready for the next trip.
If a person is willing to put in the hours required to establish a professional blog it can in the longer term provide them the opportunity and flexibility to travel and at the same time do those things that they have always wanted to… always dreamed of doing, without the restraints that come with a job which must be completed on-site and within set hours. An online business could be the ultimate to those who seem to constantly have the ‘travel bug’ if set up right.
What Moves Us Forward? What Holds Us Back?
If you’ve seen the movie Sliding Doors and you understood the concept, then you are likely to understand the concept that I am about to explain. This movie is about there being two sides to every story and also helps us to understand that things can very easily change… doors open and close all the time.
It is basically to say that if we were to get up 5 minutes late (as an example)… then who knows, that 5 minutes might be the cause of that series of unfortunate events that followed. It could invariably be the difference between catching or missing the train, not because you were necessarily running late, but because various stumbling blocks were put into your way because of the time that you were passing through. You missed it by only a second, which then is then likely to have a major effect on the upcoming events for the rest of the day.
If you think about it, this concept can be applied to many parts of our life. If you ponder a bit on the broader concept surrounding this one, then it will help you to understand what I am going to speak on next. I would like to discuss today the concept that life is always subject to change. This applies each and every moment according to the decisions and choices that we make.
In particular I would like to discuss a bit further those things that have impact on our lives, that are subject to change… those things that are either going to catapult us forward, or hold us back in business and also in live:
Living and Loving Life – The Right Balance
I am absolutely loving life at the moment. There are so many chapters in life that have really shaped me; plus right at the moment there are some real challenges to speak of – the really positive, forward thinking and forward moving type of challenges.
Toward the end of last year and at the beginning of this year I had been pondering on short-term and long-term goals and plans. It has been really awesome having a good think about where I am at right now and where I am heading.
Have you ever blown on a flame to get it to ’spark up’ or burn a little better? To some blowing on the flame might seem like a really strange thing to do… maybe your thought immediately was, “Wouldn’t doing this blow the flame right out?”
With a larger fire it doesn’t make the flame go out; actually it does quite the opposite. If you have a wooden fireplace or stove then chances are that you probably have used this method to get the fire burning really well before. Air is an essential requirement to keeping a fire going, without air the flame would be stifled and go out. This is similar to our lives. Without the thoughts, ideas and choices that we have along the way, the flame would most likely become only a faint glow.
So did have you taken the time needed to refuel your flame…, maybe at the beginning of the year, or maybe even more recently?
As things change in our lives it is important that we reflect on whether the changes that we have made are working for us, or whether we need to maybe consider further change to get things running smoothly once again. For example, if a new client had just recently, or was about to engage your services, would you revisit and revise your current goals? To me, it is of utmost importance to revisit both business and life goals and ideas on a regular basis, especially when a major change of any description has come into my life.
Should Marketing be Based on Trust or Fear?
Maybe it’s just me that finds it to be quite stressful reading some (not all) newsletters and sales pages; or maybe you’ve had some similar experiences… I don’t know?
Both my personal and business experience tells me that [big breath] the “sign up right now, there is never going to be another offer like this, you are going to kick yourself if you do not buy it NOW” type of request that tenses up our shoulders and throws the butterflies around in our tummy are so not worth those feelings.
I have come to learn that when a person uses a sales pitch like this, there is a probability the person on the other end of the computer is trying to make you purchase with your emotions – on a whim! This person really, really, really doesn’t want you to purchase with your brain, because there is a less likely chance of a sale right now.
With this tactic, these people might capture an instant sale with a good many of their customers, but I question how many customers will be repeat customers and whether there might be a bad taste left in the mouth if I was to knowingly push a sale onto a customer?
Got some thoughts on this? I would love to hear your thoughts on how to best retain clients, and whether you would consider the “you must buy right now” sales pitch to be moral.
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Business Entrepreneurs – How Long Since Your Last Checkup?
I was brushing my sparkly teeth just a moment ago, getting ready for bed. As I finished up I found myself standing at the sink pondering the thought of just how important it is for us, especially busy business entrepreneurs, to take good care when it comes to our health and wellbeing.
This afternoon, after a busy day in the office, I headed off to the dentist to honour my pre-booked dental appointment. My dentist did a good check over and clean of my teeth for me. It had been a bit too long since I had my last check and I realized this while I was there.
It might be uncomfortable getting these types of checks, and yes, it does take up invaluable time from your day – but as I see it, it is absolutely essential to attend health checks and specialist appointments on a schedule, or as the need arises. It is really important to your family, to your business and most importantly to yourself. I’m sure that you have heard all the raves about how important it is to eat right and exercise. Well guess what, this is no different.
Take care of your body, it is one of your most important assets and it will thank you for it later.
Anyway, it must be time for me to go get some shut eye now, ready for another busy day. Oh, and before I head off to bed, maybe I should write myself a note to contact my optician in the morning to schedule an appointment!
Cheers to a long and happy life for the all of us… good eyesight, and and of course bright and sparkly teeth 
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
You might know the saying ‘Stop, Revive and Survive’. It’s a well known motto in Australia that reminds us not to drive when we are tired. It reminds us to periodically stop, have a break, stretch and maybe even stop for a coffee so that we can last out the journey.
This motto made me think of work. In particular it made me wonder how many people sit there for 12 hours a day or longer, in front of the computer without barely a break. It also made me wonder how many people work seven days, burning the candle at both ends so to speak. We can sustain for a time, but where does this leave us long term?
It is important for our health in so many ways to take a periodical break. It could be to break for morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea. It might be to go for a walk to the post office to post or maybe collect the mail, or to drop by the corner store to stock up on our milk supply… after all plenty of exercise and fresh air is great for an active brain!!
You are probably thinking here, but wouldn’t this mean that I would be procrastinating?
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