Simpleology Blog

This is one smart crowd.

The replies to my challenge question are mostly right on the money. (we're drawing 5 winners randomly so please keep the replies coming)

Everyone's pretty much right ... Who can really say what the actual 4 are?

It's a question with no "right" answer.

I have my definite preference for "the 4" and I have a strong case to back them up - and I'll reveal that next week when we launch the club - but there's a bigger question ...

If you know what 4 areas in which to invest, how do you do it?

This is a really important question - the answer to which holds the key to just about anything you want.

First, how not to make those investments:

- scatter yourself to the wind and do everything at once

- try this - then try that - and then try something else - never sticking to anything long enough for it to work

Sounds obvious, but that's what we all do.

The solution is in a Japanese word: kaizen.

It means "continuous improvement."

Change can happen to us suddenly - if, for example, we experience a profound event. But if we want to cause the change to happen, we kind of need to sneak up on ourselves.

Kaizen is all about sneaking up on yourself to make gradual changes.

The beauty is that those gradual changes over time can add up to something profoundly huge. It's sort of like the "compound interest" of your life.

For example, there is a man in Reno who lost 35 pounds in 6 months just by making one tiny adjustment to his life: he stopped driving and started walking to work every day.

That's it. He did nothing else at all.

He didn't live far from work. The walk was on a totally flat surface. But this single change had a profound impact on him.

He later went on to become a serious athlete.

If he hadn't made that simple change - and more importantly if he hadn't stuck with it - his life would have been extremely different.

Kaizen.

Another man in Seattle lost 50 pounds of body fat by making another simple change: instead of eating at Burger King every day he started having his lunch at a salad buffet.

What if you could find other simple changes in your life that could have an impact on your money? Your ...

(not so fast - I'm not ready to reveal "the four" yet ...)

All this sounds great, but the problem is:

a. You need to know the right changes to make (some are more or less effective ... some are more or less difficult ... you want the easy and effective ones, right?)

b. You need to know how to make them stick

We're getting dangerously close to learning about what this new club is all about.

Stay tuned.

It all happens on Wednesday.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (96) | TrackBacks (0)

Next week I will be revealing the only four investments you will ever need to make (in good times and bad).

Everything else absolutely pails in comparison to these four. They are that important.

Can you guess what they are?

If you think you can - please post your guess using the comments form below ...

The first person to get it right will get a free lifetime membership in a new club I've been forming in secret.

We'll choose 5 of the responses at random to get a FREE 1 year membership, so please take a wild guess even if you think you are way off :-)

Mark

P.S. After you comment, follow me on Twitter and re-tweet, por favor ...

Posted by Mark Joyner at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (691) | TrackBacks (0)

What you listen for determines what you get from your conversations.

Too often, we listen in a casual or unfocused way and come away with little. Most of the time, we find ourselves listening to our own thoughts and internal chatter instead of to what the person is saying.

Let's examine a few ways you can get more out of life by simply listening.

1. Listening for the greatness in others.
A characteristic that powerful people possess is the ability to empower others to be the best that they could be. This is the ability to see things in others what they do not yet see clearly in themselves while helping them recognize this potential and encouraging them to rise to the challenge. It's about seeing others as great without any attachment that they live up to your expectations.

We instead, typically listen with our own opinions and judgments already in place. Listening this way filters what is actually said and impacts what we are able to hear. How we see others--as powerful or ineffective, intelligent or slow-witted, insightful, or with little to contribute--has everything to do with what we get from conversations with them. When we hold others as great we empower them to become so. Getting the most out of others - our spouses, families, friends, co-workers, employees etc.--is made more likely if we consider them to have the potential to be greater than they see themselves.

2. Listening for what others might contribute to you.
If you enter into each conversation expecting to hear something of value you can utilize, you will likely come away with that very thing. While generating this listening is easy with someone you consider as powerful or insightful, it will require returning yourself to your commitment to listen with a positive expectation when his or her speaking does not reflect this power.

For example, if you typically listen to others in an impatient way--hurry up and get to the point--you will need to remind yourself of your commitment to stay present in a conversation with a slow and deliberate speaker. Remember, someone's style of speaking may have little to do with what you can garner from your conversation.

3. Listening for what is important to others:
By putting yourself in the other person's world and developing an appreciation for his or her values and concerns, it is much easier to understand why they think, speak, and act the way they do.

Misunderstandings that might have resulted in confrontation or lack of affinity are replaced with an empathy that allows for exploration of common ground. When you can hear the commitments of others, you act with a compassion that results from your interest in what it's like for them to be who they are.

4. Listening with something at stake.
What we get from a conversation is often a function of what we have at stake. To illustrate this point, contrast how you typically listen to pre-flight safety instructions given by a flight attendant before take off. If you are like the rest of us, you're probably not really paying attention to what is said. You're probably either reading or distracted, figuring the chances of the plane crashing are slim to none. Besides, you've heard it all so many times before!

Compare this to a situation where, half way through the flight, the attendant announces that the engines have failed and the plane is going down. With your life at stake, you listen to the instructions like you have never listened before. Your listening is directly related to what you are listening for.

To gain the maximum amount from every conversation, listen from the viewpoint that everyone has something to share that is of great value.

Your intent is to get it regardless of who the person is, how powerful you consider him to be, no matter what his style of speaking.

5. Listening for the good intentions of others.
Another valuable listening involves coming from the assumption that everyone operates from what they consider to be good intentions. I am NOT saying that this is necessarily true. It is simply an empowering interpretation to support you in your relationships. This can be particularly valuable when the evidence strongly suggests the contrary.

To further test the power of listening, do the following for the next 30 days: listen to empower others to realize their greatness and hear how they might contribute value to you. Moreover, remember that you must listen in order to appreciate other people's commitments and concerns so you can empathize with them and get to know their good intentions.

Dr. Joe Rubino is an internationally acclaimed personal development trainer and best-selling author of 11 internationally-acclaimed books. He is the creator of Self-Esteem System.com and CEO of The Center for Personal Reinvention, an organization that empowers people through personal and leadership development programs. As such, if you're on a quest to restore your self-esteem and find happiness, log on to Self Esteem System.com and get your free "7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem Audio Program" plus one-year free subscription to The Success Achievers' Club. For transformational life or business coaching, or to learn more about the author's other offers, visit The Center for Personal Reinvention

Credits: Photo by Vojko Kalan, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want. (Learn how to do the Daily Target Praxis, which will help you be more conscious about being productive each day.)

Posted by Dr. Joe Rubino at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Some people have become so obsessed with fighting fat and losing weight that they end up believing just about any quick-fix claim. I don't blame them for being tricked by promises of instant weight loss, but they deserve to know the truth about some of the most common diet myths being hyped today. Otherwise, they'll end up frustrated by their misinformed efforts or, worse, completely giving up on getting fit.

Here are three diet myths that you ought to ditch ASAP:

1. Only grease food can make you feel full. "In our studies, we varied the proportion of sugar and fat--and found little or no differences in satiety ratings," reveals Dr. Barbara J. Rolls, professor of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. If your aim is to feel full, she advises that you go for high-fiber food--such as fruits and vegetables--and whole grains.

2. Ditching carbs will make you instantly thin. In 2006, a study done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University disproves low-carb diets fanatics' claim that you can excrete fat fragment (called ketones) in urine if you ditch carbs. The rapid weight loss initially experienced by low-carb dieters is simply because the body reacts to the absence of carbs by draining its glycogen (a cell component which is responsible for the storage of fats) stores for energy. With each gram of glycogen used, about three grams of water are released. But this doesn't last long--as the increased urination and the temporary "rapid" weight loss--experienced by low-carb dieters ends after 10 to 14 days. After that, the weight loss tapers off. Plus, not having enough carbs is not exactly healthy--as studies show that it could lead to the brain being starved of carbohydrates, reduce energy levels, as well as cause other gastrointestinal problems.

3. Standing up while eating helps you burn more calories. Various studies and a whole league of diet experts state that this practice "has no scientific basis whatsoever." More often than not, eating while standing causes you to overeat because you don't really get to pay attention to what you're eating.

Rather than subscribing to myths that could harm you or throw off your body's natural processes, the wise thing to do is to get clued in on the right kinds of food to eat and scientifically-sound fat loss moves. The need to be fit should be part of your lifestyle--and not just adopted when you feel like it.

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

In the Harvard Business Review article "The Science of Thinking Smarter," molecular biologist John Medina discussed stress implications of neuroscience research, especially the impact on learning. When I read that stressed people do poorly at Math, the NASA engineer in me asked what productivity insights we could learn from the those four familiar operations.

Happy calculating!

Addition

We want it all--information, opportunities, and results. Unfortunately, we are deluged with requests for our attention, and each time we say yes we're adding work to our already overloaded future selves. And because deep down we know how much work we have, each one increases stress levels.

So, you should think very carefully before pressing the "+" key. Try this: For each request, ask whether it leads directly to completing an important project or furthering a major goal. If not, bite the bullet and say no. If, for instance, you're thinking of subscribing to a blog or podcast, you must unload something in exchange--or risk information overload. When it comes to filing or storing things, you have to ask yourself if a particular document or object is really worth keeping.

Bottom line: Be careful when you add information or commitments to your life, and if you do, try to remove something else in exchange.

Subtraction

The polar opposite of "+" polar opposite is a powerful productivity tool as well. Shedding things from your life not only frees energy for other work, but opens up space for unexpected opportunities. Following are a few recycling bin candidates.

First, boost energy and productivity by going on a media diet by cutting out TV and news. TV is mostly crap (sorry!) and news is rarely important or durable. Try this: Remove all news from your life for a week--radio, TV, papers, and Web sites. I'd wager that very little of what you missed is still important now. And relax: You'll find out about big things from your people.

Second, look for things on your to-do list you could let go of with little impact. Ideal candidates are those stale ones you've been avoiding. Finally, remove distractions from work. When you sit down, clear your desk's "180" (the space in your field of vision), quit all the programs you can (e-mail, IM, browser), put up your "Do Not Disturb" sign and dig in, one project at a time.

Simply look at the information and commitments you can remove from your life, and let them go. You might find that once you start throwing out "empty calories" from your life you'll get some welcome relief and makes physical or mental space for that which is more important, valuable, and richer.

Multiplication

Multiplying is all about bang for the buck. Read Richard Koch's The 80/20 Principle to learn that most results come from a vital few activities, not the trivial many as expected. To multiply your work, automate (that is, multiply yourself) and eliminate (see above) so you can focus on the highest payoff work.

Note that you'll have to analyze previous results to identify contributions. Other implications: for email, every message you send multiplies by attracting responses so send fewer. For clutter, anything you leave out will multiply like rabbits, so have a system to manage workflow. For your computer, every keystroke takes time, so use macros and shortcuts.

Remember: Focus on the few inputs that generate the most output, and avoid getting sidetracked by tasks that don't contribute to the goals you want to achieve.

Division

To get productive with division, think slices and boundaries. To beat procrastination, break big jobs into small tasks--five minute ones if you're really stuck. To manage focus, carve your day into uninterrupted blocks of time (approximately one hour chunks), and concentrate on one project during them without multitasking. To leverage staff, outsource, or delegate important tasks that you're not good at or don't enjoy.

Finally, a major productivity opportunity is to divide your overall workflow into stages: 1) Gather incoming into inboxes, 2) Empty them to extract action, 3) Plan your day and week, and 4) Act on the plan.

Simply put: Divide work and time into chunks, delegate as much as possible, and adopt a method to control your workflow.

The author is a former NASA engineer and one of the few consultants in New England specializing in modern personal productivity techniques. His blog is a popular resource for original ideas from productivity and personal development. He has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and resides with his family in Western Massachusetts. He does individual and group consulting, presentations, and workshops. Blog and contact information are at matthewcornell.org.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want. (Lesson 5, "The Scientific Formula for Success," will help you crunch your productivity numbers.)

Posted by Matthew Cornell at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Fact: the amount of work you have to do is infinite. Even if you were physically able to work 24 hours a day, everyday, you'd never get to the bottom of your to-do list (or your email inbox). There will always be one more meeting to attend, one more problem to solve, one more email to write.

Fact: the time you have to do this infinite amount of work is quite clearly finite. Whether you work 40, 50, or 110 hours per week, there's a limit to how much you can accomplish each week. Just as there's a physical limit to the throughput on a manufacturing line, and a limit to how many jets can take off from LaGuardia airport each hour, there's a limit to how much work you can do each week.

With that said, I've listed a few tips to help you make the most out of the time you have:

1. Treat your time like your money.

Given this reality, you have to treat your time like you treat your money: as a limited resource that must be budgeted. And just as you first budget money for the essential things in life--food, shelter, Oreos - you've got to budget time for your most important work.

The thing is, you can't properly allocate time to your really important stuff if you only capture your work in a to-do list. A to-do list doesn't capture or display the vital bit of information you need: how long will each task take? And the corollary: how much time do you have available?

If you can't answer the said questions, you can't intelligently decide whether you can afford to spend time redesigning the website, or revamping the product introduction matrix, or doing trust falls and ropes courses at the executive team-building retreat. Until you can see the time required to do X, you can't assess the opportunity cost of doing it. Because when you're doing X, you're quite clearly not doing Y.

So what's the answer? How do you track all your work and ensure that you're getting the right stuff done?

2. Make meetings with yourself.

I call it "living in your calendar." That means taking all the tasks that are on your to-do list, estimating how much time each of those tasks is going to consume, and transferring them to your calendar. Don't forget to leave time to process your email. And leave some empty space (an hour or two) each day to deal with the inevitable crises that crop up. In essence, you're making meetings with yourself to do your work. It doesn't matter what calendar application you use, even an old-school paper calendar, as long as you're diligent about using something.

It's an eye-opening exercise: you'll probably find that it's tough - if not impossible - to find a place for everything. But this is the reality of your life. You've simply used the calendar to paint a true picture of the time commitments you have on your plate. And whether or not you make these commitments visible, they're there. My feeling is that if you're going to be run over by a truck, you might as well get its license plate.

This exercise isn't designed to intimidate you with the amount of stuff you have to do. Making your work visible means that you can better determine whether or not you can (or should) say yes to a new project. And if you do say yes, you can better determine when you realistically might be able to get it done.

3. Learn to say, "No."

I know a lot of you will think, "My company/industry moves too fast. I can't say no to new projects." Or, "There's no way I could tell our CEO that I can't get this done by mid-October." But here's the thing: you can say no. In fact, I'd argue that you have to say no.

The CFO says no when the president wants to renovate the offices or hire new people, and the company can't afford it--that's part of her fiduciary responsibility. You have the same kind of responsibility--you have to set expectations about what can be accomplished with the amount of time you have available.

With these three tips, you can align the time you're spending with your real priorities. Sometimes you get so caught up in the minutiae of your daily work, or continue with well-established routines, that your time and energy is no longer targeted at the right things. Are you spending too much time doing instead of delegating and mentoring? Are you spending too much energy on an underperforming employee or a failing product, and too little time on the people and products that have real growth potential? Making your work visible shows you whether you're investing enough time in the right places--and whether you're doing the right things.

The author is the founder and president of TimeBack Management. As a trainer, he has worked with clients such as Merrill Lynch, American Express and Pfizer. He has written for theWall Street Journal, Industry Week, and theJournal of Accountancy. He is also a regular contributor to theNew York Enterprise Report.

Credits: Photo of Jumbo Twin Bell Alarm Clock from Technology, Gadgets, and Curiosities.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want. (The Daily Target Praxis, which is discussed in Lesson 17, is quite useful in helping you keep track of where your time went--and whether you were productive with it.)

Posted by Daniel Markovitz at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was talking to my friend Doug just the other day and he suddenly revealed, "Man, I have to find a cheap way to get rid of stress."

Retail Pitfalls
Doug went on to explain that he had become addicted to "retail therapy." His wife, he said, had gotten him into it when he came home crabby one day. Doug was an intern at a children's hospital and it's understandable why he would feel overwrought day after day.

Retail therapy--or the act of shopping as stress management--worked well for his wife, who only bought groceries when she was stressed out. But Doug, who was a gadget freak, ended up buying all sorts of quirky devices--from a glow-in-the-dark talking alarm clock to a fancy mobile phone--that had eaten away at his budget.

Priceless Therapy
In the past, I had also indulged in costly retail therapy. But I realized that the practice was not exactly therapeutic for my finances.

There are a lot of ways to manage stress for little or no cost. Here are some of them:

1. Cut the fat. If you're the kind who deals with stress by eating, make sure you stay away from grease food. According to the Journal of Nutrition, eating even a single meal with 42 grams of fat (like a Big Mac and small fries) would lead to negative changes in your blood pressure and heart rate. A fatty meal during times of stress would only reduce the elasticity of your arteries. As such, if you're seeking comfort food, it's best that you sink your teeth into a banana or chew on some berries. So, steer clear of fastfood chains when you're feeling stressed.

2. Hug it away. In 2006, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that huggers in their 20s, 30s, and 40s had lower blood pressure and higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone which helps shield the heart from stress. (Of course, it goes without saying that you should only hug friend and family. Hugging complete strangers isn't really healthy or wise.)

3. Take 10. To refresh your mind, Los Angeles-based trainer Ashley Borden, advises that you take time out. "As few as 10 minutes can refresh your mind," she says. So, if you feel like your workplace walls are closing in on you, get up and walk around your building or simply have a quick chat about non-work stuff with an office buddy.

Feel-Good Perspective
For the most part, I guess we all have to remember that stress management is a state of mind. We shouldn't rely on "props"--be it retail therapy or bingeing--to get us through a bad spell. It won't do us any good to find ourselves saddled with added baggage--be it in the form of weight or debt--just because we had a bad day or two.

Managing stress in the cheapest ways possible may be the best therapy you could give yourself.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

With the rising popularity of antioxidants, food and beverage manufacturers have pitched products that are rich with the sought-after substance.

Health Craze
In her article, "Surprising Ways to Get Antioxidants," Forbes.com's Lisa Streib cites: "According to the market research firm Datamonitor, one in 20 food and beverage products launched in the U.S. so far this year has claimed to be high in antioxidants, almost double the rate from three years ago. Some 340 antioxidant products have reached the market since [the start of 2007]."

She goes on to point out that in order to stand out from the antioxidant crowd, some companies "are combining the pursuit of health with traditional indulgence."

Best of Both Worlds?
Take for example chocolate companies like Hershey, who are promoting the benefits of dark chocolate in their products. Then, there's at least one study that hopes to come up with potato chips that are fortified with antioxidants.

But then experts doubt this "have your cake and eat it, too" scenario.

"It's a marketing ploy," states Robin Jeep, author of The Super Antioxidant Diet and Nutrition Guide. "[There are unscrupulous companies that take advantage of] people's ignorance." Indeed, Jeep explains that while "an antioxidant-rich chocolate bar or ice cream may have more nutritional value than one without the added nutrients, it's still likely to contain saturated fat and refined sugar."

Jeep says that "antioxidants work in concert with other chemicals present in whole foods in ways that scientists and nutritionists still don't understand." Apparently, antioxidants are not as effective when they're formulated as additives.

Nature's Way
To make sure that you're getting energy from the best antioxidant sources, your best option is to go natural.

In 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture conducted a comprehensive scientific study that aimed to rank foods by their antioxidant content. They analyzed antioxidant levels in over 100 different foods, including fruits and vegetables. Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest among the fruits studied. Beans, artichokes and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables. Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts ranked highest in the nut category. Among the spices studied, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and oregano were the highest on the basis of antioxidant concentration.

Green and Fruity
One more thing that the study highlighted was the fact that getting enough antioxidants was quite simple. As the study's lead author Dr. Ronald L. Prior--a chemist and nutritionist with USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Arkansas--put it: "The bottom line is the same: eat more fruits and veggies."

By getting your antioxidant fix the old-fashioned way, you're sure that you're eating food that will give you the energy you need.

Credits: Photo by Peter Griffin, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Virtual Meeting. Web conferencing makes life easier--as long as you observe proper etiquette.

Web conferencing is a super simple way to hold meetings online. It includes both audio (provided via phone) and visual (provided via the Web). This technology can save you (and your business) a huge amount of time and money since it allows people from around the world to meet for a tiny fraction of the cost of travel.

However, if you're looking to build rapport or establish new relationships, stick with face-to-face meetings. Barring that, many ordinary business activities (such as defining new policies, sharing product information, and even brainstorming) web conferencing can be a very effective tool.

Still, many people worry that web conferences are less productive--what with not being able to "see" the other attendees and the possibility of technical complications.

To put such fears to rest, here are a few tips to help make the most of an online meeting:

1. Define the rules of conduct. Since Web meetings are the "new wave" of technology, a lot of people still don't understand the etiquette involved. Be sure to provide clear instructions before jumping into the meeting.

If you're not accepting questions until the meeting is adjourned, place everyone on mute and let them know you'll open the lines again when it's time for Q&A. If you choose to keep the lines open, remember that people are busy and they may have to step away from the call for a few minutes while it's in process. Ask that attendees who need to do this to simply set the phone down rather than placing it on hold, since many phones play music or offer an annoying beep that will disrupt the whole group. You can also ask that everyone place themselves on mute until they're ready to speak to the group.

For more on etiquette, OfficeArrow has downloadable documents available.

2. Choose a provider with human tech support. The last thing you want is for technical issues to interfere with your meeting if people can't hear you, or if they're confused about how to access the visual portion of the meeting, all of your efforts are wasted. Before you select the company that will provide service for your meeting, ask if they have "live, human technical support."

My company has a partnership with RollCall Business Conferencing Solutions, so I use their service at least once a month. If one of my meeting attendees experiences a problem, all they have to do is hit *0 and a very nice person at RollCall's Texas call center will walk them through the process. It's seamless support that keeps the meeting on track. Make sure the company you're using provides that same level of service.

3. Enable the Chat feature. Many services provide a live online chat feature that allows you (the host) to communicate with the audience in real time during the meeting. This is a hugely productive tool because it helps you understand what is going on in the audience without disrupting the entire meeting. For example, if you're explaining something and several attendees send you an instant message with questions, you know you need to slow down and address the issues. This allows your audience to feel "heard" without interrupting the whole group and without opening all the lines for the entire call. It also lets you know how the audience is responding to your message.

4. Practice. Just because you won't be in front of people physically, doesn't mean you can wing it. Because you're meeting virtually, you'll actually have to work harder to keep the attention of your audience. Stumbling around, losing your train of thought, will only encourage your attendees to multitask, which is not effective for your message. Make comprehensive notes for yourself and be prepared. The nice part about meeting virtually is that you can have all of your materials at your fingertips. You don't need to worry about "memorizing" information. But you still need to know what you're doing.

The same can be said about the technology. Get comfortable with the service you're using. If you're worried, call them and ask for a tutorial. You have enough to think about during the meeting. You don't want to get off track because you aren't sure what button to push.

5. Keep it short and sweet. When meeting virtually, you still need to be cautious of the time. As with all meetings, people tend to get antsy. However, web conferences are even worse because your attendees are probably sitting in their own offices, facing their to-do lists that continue to grow as the meeting progresses. The urge to multitask can be overwhelming. Keep your meeting on topic and wrap it up quickly. A web conference is best suited to a meeting that is one hour or less. If your topic is extremely complicated and you need more time, break it up into multiple sessions or simply consider meeting face-to-face.

The author is the senior content manager of OfficeArrow, an online community for office professionals. Drop by to read more about productivity and technology. Or simply to meet some new people who believe in the power of collaboration. Registration is easy and free!

Credits: Image from Geocities.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want (Lesson 3: "The Law of Focused Attention" has a lot of tips on how you can streamline your online meetings and make sure you don't stray from the agenda.)

Posted by Chrissy Scivicque at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

False Alert. Hoax-Slayer.com presents evidence of the Citibank phishing-via-email scam.

Is technology both a blessing and a curse?

When it comes to online financial transactions, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" Along with the convenience of being able to pay your bills, check your bank accounts, and transfer funds without leaving your home, digitally-enabled processes are also prime targets of scammers.

Something "Fishy"
One of the sneakiest ways used by scam artists could fool even the most vigilant online users. Phishing--techie-speak for fake e-mail messages that ask recipients for personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers--exploits your fears in order to clean out your accounts.

People with Citibank accounts know this all too well.

Bogus Alert
A couple of years ago, Citibank patrons were targeted by a phishing scam. A lot of users were sent an e-mail with a manipulative subject line: "Important Fraud Alert from Citibank."

On first glance, the said e-mail allegedly looked legit. The sender's address incorporated the citibank.com name and the body of the e-mail even bore the bank's logo. The supposedly urgent message then directed the recipients to click a hyperlink to a form that asked them to divulge crucial details. The recipients--tricked into thinking they were doing so for their own good--naturally did as they were asked.

Soon enough, the scammers used the information to assume the recipient's identity.

Digital Precautions
The anti-fraud alert is only one of the many ploys used by scammers.

In "Three Digital Don'ts," writer John R. Quain lists how you can fight off phishers:

1. Be wary. Anti-fraud alerts sent via e-mail should be taken with a grain of salt. Never ever click on any of the links that it contains--especially if it's telling you to do just that.

2. Ring up the bank. Call your bank to find out if the notifications being sent to you are genuine. And if you ever decide to give out account details online, go directly to your bank's site.

3. Don't get excited. Don't enter any contests online. "Most online giveaways are merely opportunities for crooks to steal personal information. In fact, if your system isn't properly protected, just visiting one of these [sites] can give your computer a virus," explains Quain.

Old School
Indeed, when it comes to crucial money matters, you should forego convenience and resolve the matter in the surest way possible. What's a few minutes spent to call up your bank compared to the possibility of losing every cent you have to an online scam?

In this wired age, taking care of your finances in the old-fashioned way still pays off.

Posted by Bean Jones at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently the news has been dominated by stories of uncontrollable debt and government bailouts. It seems that there is a crisis in how people use and manage money.

Money management is a skill that could take a lifetime to truly master--but the basics are quite simple.

Here are eight basic tips that everyone can use to improve their money management skills.

1. Create financial goals. At any moment, you should have one or more financial goals. For example, a short term financial goal could be to save up enough for an emergency fund, and a long term financial goal could be saving for retirement. Write down your goals and be clear about what you want, and work towards them day by day.

2. Figure out how much you have. Surprisingly, many people are not quite sure about how much exactly they have in their bank accounts. This could lead to bank overdraft fees and debt. You do not have to know the exact amount of your net worth at any given moment, but a monthly checkup of all your assets may be quite helpful in combating late fees and impulse shopping.

3. Know how much income you have. Most people I know could tell me their gross income right away but are not quite sure how much they take home. Knowing your exact income is the first step in setting a budget and figuring out a savings plan.

4. Track your spending. If you have never done this before, you should try recording your actual spending for a few months and come up with a monthly estimate of your expenses. Make sure that you are detailed in recording where the money went. You can do this in expense tracking software such as Mint or just use a notepad. Once you know where your money goes you would be more aware of where to cut back.

5. Work on your most expensive debt first. If you have debt, make sure to tackle the debt with the highest interest rate first. The logic behind this is simple math. If you eliminate the debt with the highest interest rate, you will end up paying less interest.

6. Keep an emergency fund. Once you have tracked your spending and know how much you need per month, you should save up an emergency fund that you could survive on for three to 12 months. An emergency fund should be kept in a readily accessible account, but you will need to have the discipline to not spend it for anything other than an emergency such a medical crisis or loss of employment.

7. Be prudent and skeptical. As the old saying goes, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". When it comes to financial products, such as mortgages or investments, you should make sure you do your research before plunging in head first. Read the fine print and consider all the risk before you stake your money on anything because some financial products can be quite horrible.

8. Make your savings automatic. Deposit your checks into a 401k, IRA, or individual savings account automatically. Pretty soon you will see that you don't miss the money at all and when you do need the money you will be covered.

Ultimately, the basics boils down to knowing how much money you have and how much money you can spend and save. As long as you know the basic financial facts about yourself you are more likely to make wiser decisions about your money and achieve your goals. Once you have managed the basics of saving money and controlling debt you will also have more power to invest and make your money work for you.

The author writes for the popular personal finance blog Wise Bread and also blogs at The Baglady.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 102: The Simple Science of Money (Lesson 1: "The Grand Law of Wealth: Increase Your Incomings and Decrease Your Outgoings" will help steer you towards the right financial path.).

Posted by Xin Lu at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been blogging here for about five months and now I finally get to have some company. After all, as I jokingly told Mark, "No man is a blogging island."

It's nice to have some blogmates to keep me company this month and the next.

So, just as Mark introduced me when I was a newbie here, I'm introducing the very first of our guest bloggers.

Folks, let's all welcome a lady who is super smart about money--Xin Lu. She's wise to the ways of spending and saving.

Drum roll, please!

Credits: Photo of Furry Friends Welcome Mat from Felinerina.com.

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Happy Pitch. In the frenzied product wars, humor is the weapon of choice for ads.

I don't have a head for business--but I do know that it takes so much hard work to make it successful.

Fresh Pitch
Among other things, the type of marketing and advertising used determine the outcome of business ventures. There are a lot of proven formulas for promotion. But since the public has encountered these formulas before, entrepreneurs have realized that they need to come up with a fresh marketing approach to make their products or services stand out. In some cases, business owners need a more creative pitch to fire up a turnaround.

Comic Money
In any case, I think one of the strategies that could rake in huge returns or help pave the way for a business turnaround is the use of humor.

As Fred K. Beard discusses in his book Humor in the Advertising Business: Theory, Practice, and Wit, injecting the right kind of humor into your promotional efforts could be your edge over your competitors or the key to giving your business the boost that it needs.

This is what Adams Respiratory Therapeutics realized. As such, it used humor for its Mucinex ads, which features an unforgettable slimy character called Mr. Mucus.

The strategy was apparently successful as the pharmaceutical company's products stood out from the sea of cold medication out in the market. Understandably, other companies also used comic devices to make their products more memorable to the public.

Rich Laughter
With that in mind, is it possible that humor could work just as well for any other business?

A recent Facebook phenomenon--an off-the-wall online group called When I Was Your Age Pluto Was a Planet--may very well be proof that, humor isn't only a reliable promotional strategy. It can, in fact, be profitable in itself.

Indeed, the wise use of humor could have you laughing all your way to the bank.

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In a world where winning the rat race--or any other contest that pits one individual against another--is considered a stellar achievement, pop culture analyst Alfie Kohn's No Contest: The Case Against Competition highlights a more enlightened perspective.

The book, which has been controversial since it first came out in 1986, criticizes society's obsession with competition. Kohn cites three very good reasons why our contest-driven mentality isn't really healthy:

1. It divides us. Kohn eloquently argues that our struggle to defeat each other--at work, at school, at play, and at home--turns all of us into losers because we waste our time, resources, and energy in our "fight" against our rivals. Instead, we could have decided to join forces with our competition and accomplish so much more.

2. It corrupts us. Kohn believes that it is not a part of "human nature." Indeed, he writes, the fact that most of our workplaces and schools value competitiveness instead of excellence push some people to employ dirty tactics in order to win.

3. It alienates us. "Rather than building character, competition sabotages self-esteem and ruins relationships. It even warps recreation by turning the playing field into a battlefield," states Kohn.

The points that Kohn highlights are worth pondering on. Reading the book also had me recalling a quip made by comedienne Lily Tomlin: "Remember, young people, even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat."

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Lately I've been worried over what to blog about. (Chalk it up to my brain going fuzzy from decongestants.) But then a friend gave me a link to an article discussing the results of a 2005 AOL survey done by Digital Marketing Services Inc. and I found myself energized.

Support Group
A total of 600 bloggers--men and women aged 18 and above--participated in the survey.

About 48 percent of the bloggers revealed that they kept a blog because "it serves as a form of therapy" while around 40 percent stated that blogging "helps them keep in touch with family and friends."

Bill Schreiner, Vice President and General Manager of Community Programming for America Online, observed: "In a way, blogs serve as oral history. When it comes to sharing blogs and reading other people's blogs, we like to connect with people, learn about their lives, and find common ground."

Empowering Trend
An inspiring CNN article affirms blogging's therapeutic benefits. In it, journalist Anna Jane Grossman cites the results of the polls done by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2006. The results revealed that "roughly 12 million Americans have blogs...and many seem to use them as a form of group therapy."

Grossman goes on to highlight bloggers who have used blogging to help them come to terms with life-changing tragedies.

Indeed, many blogs have transformed into informal support groups. They range from the low-key Everyone Needs Therapy to the bold and busy TreeHugger.

Blogs like these serve to inspire others to come up with sites that have an impact and can also hopefully make a difference in other people's lives.

Yes, there's room for fun posts. But I think if there's an opportunity to do good through one's blog, one should use it.

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I recently cleaned up my apartment (for real) and I was amazed at the amount of paper I had accumulated in a little over a year. Though I'm a big fan of paper products, the frightening sight of three garbage bags loaded with paper got me thinking about going paperless.

Sometime ago, Microsoft bigwig Bill Gates caused a fuss when he declared that his office was 90 percent paperless. In the same Fortune magazine interview, he emphasized that losing the paper trail had a "great impact on productivity."

I may have dismissed his anti-paper drive when he first came out with it, but I'm checking out his tips now:

1. Make room for your desktop. Gates claims that his actual desktop is free of clutter. How does he do this? Well, he's got his workload segregated on three computer screens. According to John Peddie Research, Gates' multi-screen technique increases productivity by 20 to 30 percent--as having multiple screens saves you from window switching and resizing.

Then again, not everyone can afford having multiple screens on their desk. In lieu of actual computer screens, you can do it better than Gates by using virtual desktops that segregate work into different workspaces. Sounds complex? Not at all. Just download Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop Manager (Windows XP) or VirtueDesktops (Mac OS X).

2. Use email to get things done. Utilize the free online storage space that comes with your email to keep important documents handy wherever you go. Likewise, you could get rid of the avalanche of Post-Its by using your email as a virtual calendar or planner through free web-based services like Yahoo! Calendar and Windows Live Calendar.

3. Make your email sift itself. Gates is all for filtering emails. We oftentimes receive emails less important than others. These less priority mails steal our attention from the task at hand. They can be filtered to be read at a later time so that our focus remains on the task we have at the moment. For Yahoo! Mail, for instance, there is the filter management page.

Knowing where these tips come from, I'm certainly considering them very seriously. I guess curbing my paper obsession is a small price to pay in order to fire up my productivity. To make sure that Gates had it right, I'll keep track of my paperless progress through the Daily Target Praxis.

Credits: Image of ergonomic desk courtesy of Spacify.com.

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A week ago, I started reading Marisha Pessl's novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which I had borrowed from my workmate, Meg. I was really getting into the novel when a crisp $10 bill floated out from between the book's pages.

Out-of-the-Box Savings
Bemused, I tucked it back in the first page and finished reading the novel. Later when I returned the book, I told Meg what I'd found.

She shrugged and admitted that she used whatever came handy as a bookmark. A photo, or her shopping list... Sometimes it would be whatever bill she had on her at the time.

Knowing that she was a proud bookworm, I became curious about just how much money we would actually find hiding in her bookshelf. I was amazed to learn that her "book deposits" added up to about $800 last year.

"It's not hard to save up when you think you're not doing it," Meg told me. "Some of my friends think I'm nuts to stash bills into my books. But, hey, I had an extra $800 last year. That's not bad at all."

Hidden Rewards
Meg's financial philosophy--if you can call it that--is echoed by Walter Updegrave, author of How to Retire Rich in a Totally Changed World: Why You're Not in Kansas Anymore. As such, he lists the ways through which we can "fool" ourselves into saving money:

1. Hide the Money. Money you don't see is likely money you won't spend. Updegrave suggests signing up for an automatic investment plan. This service is actually offered by most mutual fund companies. Once set-up, money will be automatically transferred from your checking account to your chosen mutual fund.

2. Stash unexpected windfalls. Instead of spending your refunds or rebates, deposit them into your savings account as soon as you receive them. You might be surprised how much you will end up saving this way.

3. Keep paying off a debt--even after you've completed payments. Once you're done paying off your debts, keep writing checks you can deposit to your investment or savings account. Since you're so accustomed to paying this amount off anyway, this "extra" money can go a long way towards helping you achieve your financial goals.

Small Start, Big Rewards
Updegrave's (and Meg's) advice gives me some hope. You see, I'm not too strong in the savings department. I really need to figure out what kind of saving strategy will work for me. Fooling myself into saving my cash may be the answer to my dilemma.

For starters, I'm now off to empty out my coin jar. Since I don't spend the spare change, I'm hoping that there's at least a $20 in there. Hopefully, this would be start of a habit that would give me the best reward of all: financial management smarts. Because I sure need it. (Or maybe I really just ought to re-read Simpleology 102's the First Law of Money: The Law of Input and Output.)

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

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Don't go this way. In the film, Jerry Maguire, the lead character commits every resignation etiquette gaffe and burns his bridges in a matter of minutes.

When Mark Joyner interviewed me way back in May, one of the questions he asked was why I had resigned from my previous jobs. I simply said, "I didn't feel I'd be learning anything more if I had stayed."

Play Nice
My answer to Mark's question was true but--as anyone who's worked in several companies will tell you--there are bosses who treat you as if you were less than human.

Still, I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything that'd make Mark think I'd badmouth bosses and workmates every chance I get.

Yes, there were a couple of places I worked in that "traumatized" me, but thank God I listened to my dad advice to always be a gentleman when you hand in your resignation notice. "Don't burn bridges," he told me years ago, when I quit working for a newspaper.

That has proven to be one good advice.

Burn Notice
I wish, though, that other people would heed my dad's advice.

Just the other day, my friend Dan was all puffed up with pride about causing a fuss on his last day at his old office. Things had gotten so bad there that all he could think of was how lucky he was to be getting out. When five o'clock struck, he actually fist-pumped a triumphant "Yes!" as he walked past his co-workers' desks.

Of course, I congratulated him on his new-found freedom, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't very wise of him to have done something that may have completely burned his bridges. His is a very specialized industry and it was likely he'd be running into his former bosses and colleagues in the future.

Resign Right
So, is there really is a right way to make a graceful exit from a job? Here's what career management expert Karyl Innis, CEO of The Innis Company, has to say:

1. Do it in person. Innis says it's best to pick a time when your boss is alone and isn't busy. She adds, "Bring your letter of resignation with you and explain that you have something important to discuss. Then hand her the letter and explain what's in it--that you're resigning and when your last day will be." Innis suggests giving at least two weeks' notice.

2. Don't whine. "People tend to discount the views of departing employees who haven't spoken up previously," says Innis. You might just come across as sourgraping or bitter.

3. Watch your email. Once it's known at the office that you're leaving, be careful what you tell others... especially over email. Your message will be very easy to forward and might even... gasp!... reach the CEO's inbox.

4. Do a proper turnover. Make sure to tie up any loose ends. You'll leave a good impression if all documentation or files are in order, with a memo explaining the status of your projects and anything else the person taking over will need to know.

5. Say thank you. No matter why you're leaving, keep your goodbye's friendly. You don't have to concoct an elaborate tale, but a simple "thanks for the opportunity" or "I learned a lot here" will go a long way.

If you're leaving the company anyway, why put in all this effort, you ask? Well, your old boss may actually know your next one or... you never know, you may even find yourself back in the same company again. If that's the case, their last impression of you can be just as important as the first.

Like my dad said, "Don't burn bridges." Take his advice. I'm sure glad I did because it eventually led me to a job that makes me happy. How? A former workmate whom I had stayed in touch with had given me the tip about the job opening. Now, I'm enjoying working with people who don't feel the need to play dirty to get ahead. (Plus, I have a boss whom I can needle when his favorite basketball team loses to mine.)

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

If you think you're already getting enough fiber if you take in the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day...you're in for a shock--albeit a pleasant one. Experts are now saying that more is better.

Get More
A study by Harvard researchers, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that heart disease can be slashed by 10 to 30 percent for each 10 grams of fiber you eat a day. Delicious fiber-rich treats include oatmeal (4.1 grams per cup), apples (3 grams each), and black beans (14.4 grams per cup).

Thus, the more fiber you get, the more your heart is protected.

"Fiber--found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and cereals--has long been shown to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol," states Los Angeles-based health and fitness writer Steve Stiefel in "Fiber Fantastic."

Various Sources
There are two primary types of fiber: soluble (water-soluble) and insoluble.

You can get soluble fiber from all sorts of fruits, oats, barley, legumes, and root crops. Soluble fiber encourages the growth of healthy bacteria that aid in digestion.

Meanwhile, insoluble fiber is the "crunchy" kind of fiber. You can get this from whole wheat, brans, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables (such as celery and green beans). They pass from one end of the digestive tract to the other end virtually unchanged. This type of fiber does "a clean sweep" of your digestive tract.

Multifunctional Health
Aside from improving colon function, fiber also has other roles:

1. It improves protein absorption. Since fiber slows down the rate at which proteins move through the digestive tract, your body is able to maximize its protein absorption capabilities. This will help you build more muscle.

2. Fiber curbs weight gain and cholesterol levels. "When you slow down digestion, especially of carbs, the body is able to metabolize them more efficiently," says health and fitness expert Jeff Feliciano. "Soluble fiber helps carbohydrates to be used for [energy production] rather than to be stored as body fat." The slow delivery of carbs into the bloodstream keeps insulin levels from spiking too high, which is another way that fiber prevents the storage of fat." Plus, fiber can trap bile acids that might otherwise be absorbed and converted into cholesterol.

3. Fiber builds immunity. "By providing your body with plenty of fiber, you help it remove harmful bacteria, viruses, and allergens that may otherwise enter your body," notes Feliciano.

Slowly but Surely
If you're not currently eating as much fiber as you should, Feliciano advises that you increase your consumption gradually, adding two to three grams per day each week.

Thus, he suggests, if your current fiber intake is at 10 grams per day, you should begin taking in 12 grams on Week 1, 14 grams on Week 2, 16 grams on Week 3...and so on...until your daily intake is at 30 grams or more. At the same time, increase your water consumption since fiber works more effectively with liquids.

By taking in more fiber, you increase your chances of staying healthy at all times. Moreover, you also get to eat the right kinds of food to energize you.

Credits: Photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.

Posted by Bean Jones at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Officially Funny. Scenes from the popular TV show The Office show the many faces of stress at the workplace.

No matter how happy your workplace is, there will be days when the pressure's on and you find yourself barely breathing. You end up not being able express your thoughts clearly, skipping lunch, snapping at your workmates over petty things, or, worse, having a meltdown.

You don't have to see a psychiatrist to find out if you're going nuts. All you have to do is learn some do-it-yourself stress management tips. Here are three moves you can do right at your desk:

Press pause. When you're juggling too many things, your communication skills take a dive. But don't overcompensate for your temporary "blank brain" by saying too much. To make your point at work, try talking less. "Speak concisely, then stop," says Molly Dickson Shepard, author of Stop Whining and Start Winning. "Silence allows your message to resonate."

Laugh Attack. If you're right in the thick of a make-or-break work project, take time to trade jokes with a friend or view some funny video clips. A few moments of laughter can do wonders for your disposition and your productivity. Laughter has a way of renewing your spirit.

Mail Cheer. The most productive people know when to take short breaks. In a study cited by Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, office workers who respond to e-mails from friends and family while working on stressful tasks may be productive in the long run. Taking short breaks alleviates boredom and lifts energy.

These three stress-busting moves certainly don't require much. Hopefully, they'll inspire every stressed-out person to manage the stress levels at work before they get out of hand.

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When all else fails, happy dance music may just save the day.

Sound Medicine
Calling in sick for the past couple of days has made me realize that popping pills isn't the ultimate cure-all. (Ah! Such irony! I get hit by the flu right after blogging about going to the doctor.)

In this case, all my dear dad said was: "Sometimes all you need to do is rest."

But how about listening to a cheery dance beat to bounce back from a bug?

Upbeat Tunes
Yes, that's right. A dose of infectious dance floor favorites like the cheesy "Macarena" and even classic waltz melodies may just be what you need to fight off the flu and other maladies.

In separate studies, scientists from the UK-based Sussex University and the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany discovered that listening to approximately "50 minutes of uplifting dance music increases your levels of antibodies."

Apparently, after listening to dance-worthy ditties, the subjects' levels of the antibody immunoglobin A were heightened. This was welcome information as immunoglobulin A is the immune system's first line of defense against any threat of infection.

Stress-Busting Melodies
Aside from keeping you healthy, a dose of dance music can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Dr. Ronny Enk, a neurocognition expert who led the Max Planck Institute research team, explains: "We think the pleasant state that can be induced by music leads to special physiological changes which eventually lead to stress reduction or direct immune enhancement."

In any case, Dr. Enk emphasized that they "did not use relaxing music, but rather exciting music that were joyful dance tunes from different centuries."

Musical Therapy
With such groundbreaking studies about the effects of music on people's psychological wellness, musicians today are more likely to explore this facet of their craft.

Though they don't have a Hot 100 list yet, music created for therapeutic purposes is a growing industry. Indeed, most music therapists promote their tunes online in the hope of enlightening more people about music playing a part in healing people's minds and bodies.

But one thing's for sure...it was not the "Macarena" that made me feel better. I think it was Elvis Presley's "Teddy Bear" that did it.

Credits: Photo by Vojko Kalan, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

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