Anyone who has tried to push a new idea to friends or family has probably met some interesting reactions. It's always hard to convince people to go along with your ideas because most of the time many ideas may seem too good to be true.
When we discuss ideas we have a perfect image in our minds of what should be happening. We have all of the components lined up and we've hit the ground running; however, we need to get past the criticism. Sometimes this may be the most disheartening part. Trusted friends and relatives turning you down because it doesn't sit well with them. But why is this? Is it because they don't like you or the idea?
From what I've found, it's not so much of either. When people try to pitch me an idea, my first reaction is to think, "What's in it for me?" As selfish as it may sound, many people want to know why they should get involved. As new ideas come and go, people become accustomed to just doing things they've always done and it's difficult to change your habits. That's why the ideas hit such a hard barrier.
When I've been the one pitching the ideas, it seems like people agree with me that they are good ideas and that they would like to see how it goes, but that doesn't mean much in the end. It basically means that they are going to sit by and if it goes well, they are going to give you a congratulations and try to get in on the action. Though there is much to be said about this behavior, it's not the main focus.
The main focus is what you are able to do to get people interested in actually helping you with either a project or doing something that will actually benefit you in the end. So what are you able to do?
The first thing that I would recommend is getting to know a significant amount of people; expand your network. There are many types of people in the world with various skills and abilities, but also concerns and thresholds. People can only bear so much before they give way and other people just can't contribute. The more people that you have in your Rolodex and the more people that you have a personal relationship with, the better your chances will be of getting support.
The second thing that I would recommend is to collaborate with yourself before you begin collaborating with others. There's nothing that pains me more than having to listen to someone who doesn't know what they are trying to do and doesn't know how they are going to do it. You need to have things set up before-hand. You are going to be the "project manager" for your endeavor and you're going to have to know a thing or two before you get started.
The third thing is to develop trust. There is no reason why people would ever want to contribute if the element of trust does not exist. Trust needs to exist within and without your project and be a part of everything that you are asking others to do. You need to lead the way and not be a bystander. People have to be able to rely on you.
I've always tried to get my friends and family in on the ideas that I come with; however, bizarre they may be. In the past, my fore-sight got the best of me and I needed to learn a lesson or two. As I've gotten older, it has become apparent that there is something else that is important. The way that you approach. The common cliche that people run up against is people assuming that you want them to buy something or you want their money straight-up. I find that this has some truth. You need to know what you are asking. There are some things that just are bad ideas.
To conclude, I believe that the best way to get people to like your ideas is to make it appeal to them; help them to understand how it can be a part of their lives. Generally people aren't going to take time to just do something, especially if they've already forgotten about it. There needs to be the catch; the thing that gets them. Putting that together may be the hardest part, but it is by far the most essential.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Determination Will Bring Growth
For people that have read my blog before, they will remember my post about pruning yourself in order to bring growth. I talked about my plants which I keep in a makeshift terrarium and which had not been doing so well. As hard as it was for me to trim the plant and be sure not to kill it, I trimmed the leaves and other parts which appeared to be dying. By the time I was done, there seemed to be nothing left but weak looking stems which would fall over given just a gust or a yawn. Today, coming home from a successful day of challenges, I found within the soil green sprouts and new life.
Often times, we feel like these beaten plants having nothing left to contribute but to shrivel up and die. The days of our glory have passed us by; however, be not so dismayed. With every death, there is a new beginning, a chance to renew yourself and find new passion. Anton Chekhov reminisced about the end of the long winter and we may all see the coming of the Spring.
In work, this may not be easy. To reinvent yourself is a drawn out task full of trial and error. You discover many new things at which you don't seem to be very good at and it is easy to become discouraged. The thing is, it may not be so easy to change the way that you think. Many of the occupations which we fill are advancing professions with new ideas and concepts which develop every month or year. But there is hope.
Having a skill or ability that you have developed over the years is a great asset. The determination and work ethic within you will push you further. Most of the time it won't be that raw ability which you possess, but your teach-ability and understanding what needs to be done. I think that the world is becoming concentrated with people who have nice and thought-provoking ideas, but there aren't many people who are willing to go out there and do what needs to be done.
But that's what needs to be done. The trimmed houseplant cannot sit still or it will rot away. It clings to life to sprout its leaves and bask in the Spring and Summer sun. We too must not be still. We must pursue dreams and reach for the stars. As we continue to climb, little by little, we will reach new heights. The only thing that we need is vision.
Often times, we feel like these beaten plants having nothing left to contribute but to shrivel up and die. The days of our glory have passed us by; however, be not so dismayed. With every death, there is a new beginning, a chance to renew yourself and find new passion. Anton Chekhov reminisced about the end of the long winter and we may all see the coming of the Spring.
In work, this may not be easy. To reinvent yourself is a drawn out task full of trial and error. You discover many new things at which you don't seem to be very good at and it is easy to become discouraged. The thing is, it may not be so easy to change the way that you think. Many of the occupations which we fill are advancing professions with new ideas and concepts which develop every month or year. But there is hope.
Having a skill or ability that you have developed over the years is a great asset. The determination and work ethic within you will push you further. Most of the time it won't be that raw ability which you possess, but your teach-ability and understanding what needs to be done. I think that the world is becoming concentrated with people who have nice and thought-provoking ideas, but there aren't many people who are willing to go out there and do what needs to be done.
But that's what needs to be done. The trimmed houseplant cannot sit still or it will rot away. It clings to life to sprout its leaves and bask in the Spring and Summer sun. We too must not be still. We must pursue dreams and reach for the stars. As we continue to climb, little by little, we will reach new heights. The only thing that we need is vision.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Diversity: A Manager's Game
I've read many reports about people claiming that the efforts for increasing diversity are poor; that under-represented groups are not getting as much attention as they should and should be encouraged more to fill certain positions. As callous as this may sound, diversity may not be as big an issue when managers have a proper mindset, but how can you identify this mindset outright and what does that mean for a company?
The problem of diversity has historically been that of unfair treatment of certain races or genders, or even heritage. It hasn't always been the one-sided issue of him or her, but discrimination based on culture such as being Irish or Eastern European; but these are less noticed nowadays as discrimination has taken a different banner. As people migrate to various regions, diversity grows. It has been happening for years and isn't going to stop anytime soon. Though there are some regions that are definitely more diverse than others, it is still plain to see the effects as years pass by.
But what is the casualty of not being diversified or being open to diversity? In my opinion, it is the cost of being unaware of the resources which are available. Many men and women of different cultures and backgrounds have experience which would be beneficial to the companies and corporations to which they are applying. The discriminatory manager is actually hurting their company by having underlying prejudices, passing on opportunities to attract new life to the company by making valuable investments. One of the main points of expanding business is reaching out to the demographics which have low interaction with your business, but this may not always be the case.
So what are the benefits of pushing diversity? At this point in time, in the cultural confusion which our country is undergoing, it is a necessity to require that diversity be advertised or pushed. Organizational watchdogs and individuals alike will dawn their soapbox and criticize companies or even universities for not having pages and brochures dedicated to diversity; but this doesn't mean that places are not diversified. But how can you avoid being criticized for not broadcasting diversity? Well, it seems like you can't. Even the passive voice is overthrown by the screaming of the few.
But I find that the problem of diversity is becoming less about who you're hiring and more about feelings. Companies don't want to offend anyone, but people are becoming more sensitive to obscure meanings which may lie behind commercials. When you're watching t.v, it is obvious that companies are trying to push diversity. See how many things you can spot.
As I see it, people are working hard to make their businesses as effective as they can be and diversity is a byproduct of this mentality. Though many companies yield opportunities based on the concept of appearing diverse, diversity isn't something that you do, it's something that you are. To bring this to a point, one of my favorite movies is "Remember the Titans". Based on historical events, it reminds us of how closed-minded we used to be. But the real part of it is that in the end, harnessing the abilities of the people in the team and working together, they were able to succeed and become unified. As they returned from camp, race wasn't an issue. To them it was a thing of the past. Taking advantage of opportunities to learn and grow is something that we can always benefit from.
My hope is that people will realize that race and gender shouldn't be an issue in accepting the capabilities and contributions of individuals. To quote Martin Luther King, "that they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Put aside the superficial bandages and attempts to repair the past and begin to see the new world as that of seizing opportunity. As managers and employees do this, productivity will increase and the issue of discrimination will fade to the recesses of the history.
The problem of diversity has historically been that of unfair treatment of certain races or genders, or even heritage. It hasn't always been the one-sided issue of him or her, but discrimination based on culture such as being Irish or Eastern European; but these are less noticed nowadays as discrimination has taken a different banner. As people migrate to various regions, diversity grows. It has been happening for years and isn't going to stop anytime soon. Though there are some regions that are definitely more diverse than others, it is still plain to see the effects as years pass by.
But what is the casualty of not being diversified or being open to diversity? In my opinion, it is the cost of being unaware of the resources which are available. Many men and women of different cultures and backgrounds have experience which would be beneficial to the companies and corporations to which they are applying. The discriminatory manager is actually hurting their company by having underlying prejudices, passing on opportunities to attract new life to the company by making valuable investments. One of the main points of expanding business is reaching out to the demographics which have low interaction with your business, but this may not always be the case.
So what are the benefits of pushing diversity? At this point in time, in the cultural confusion which our country is undergoing, it is a necessity to require that diversity be advertised or pushed. Organizational watchdogs and individuals alike will dawn their soapbox and criticize companies or even universities for not having pages and brochures dedicated to diversity; but this doesn't mean that places are not diversified. But how can you avoid being criticized for not broadcasting diversity? Well, it seems like you can't. Even the passive voice is overthrown by the screaming of the few.
But I find that the problem of diversity is becoming less about who you're hiring and more about feelings. Companies don't want to offend anyone, but people are becoming more sensitive to obscure meanings which may lie behind commercials. When you're watching t.v, it is obvious that companies are trying to push diversity. See how many things you can spot.
As I see it, people are working hard to make their businesses as effective as they can be and diversity is a byproduct of this mentality. Though many companies yield opportunities based on the concept of appearing diverse, diversity isn't something that you do, it's something that you are. To bring this to a point, one of my favorite movies is "Remember the Titans". Based on historical events, it reminds us of how closed-minded we used to be. But the real part of it is that in the end, harnessing the abilities of the people in the team and working together, they were able to succeed and become unified. As they returned from camp, race wasn't an issue. To them it was a thing of the past. Taking advantage of opportunities to learn and grow is something that we can always benefit from.
My hope is that people will realize that race and gender shouldn't be an issue in accepting the capabilities and contributions of individuals. To quote Martin Luther King, "that they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Put aside the superficial bandages and attempts to repair the past and begin to see the new world as that of seizing opportunity. As managers and employees do this, productivity will increase and the issue of discrimination will fade to the recesses of the history.
Multitasking: The Illusion of Efficiency
We're all familiar with juggling different things throughout the day. Many of the posts that I have written recently have dealt with maintaining your schedule and organizing your life. One of the things that I feel strongly about is multitasking and how it is affecting our lives.
Many of us multitask everyday, but how much are we actually able to do before we reach our limit. I'm sure that we've all had the experiences when we've been talking to someone while writing and start typing what we were saying. For things such as this it is easy to understand why this happens, but we need to understand that it pervades our lives.
One of the ways to see this is by using Moore's law as a benchmark. Moore's law states that approximately every 18 months computing efficiency will double. This was true for many decades, but recently computing power has taken another turn. Engineers have just about made components just as small as they can get. In other words, in order to increase computing speed we have to find a way to combine processor cores to work on the same problems. If you look at your computer now, you might have up to four core-processors built-in. This allows your computer to work on multiple problems at the same time and greatly enhances processing speed.
The problem is, you can't just link different brains to your brain. At some point, the inertia of your thoughts overwhelms your ability to keep things straight. It's not that we aren't able to do multiple things at the same time, but the ability of doing those things deteriorates as more things are added. It's complexity that disallows us from doing so many things and jumping from item to item doesn't help. We all know what happens when you jump from screen to screen on your computer when you have so many things running. Eventually, you're going to crash.
To conclude, it is better to do one thing right and get it done and progress to the next task. If you try to pull yourself in too many directions, your work will only get worse. Do yourself a favor and focus on one thing at a time. Realizing limitations can be a hard thing to do, but the benefits of being realistic can improve performance.
Many of us multitask everyday, but how much are we actually able to do before we reach our limit. I'm sure that we've all had the experiences when we've been talking to someone while writing and start typing what we were saying. For things such as this it is easy to understand why this happens, but we need to understand that it pervades our lives.
One of the ways to see this is by using Moore's law as a benchmark. Moore's law states that approximately every 18 months computing efficiency will double. This was true for many decades, but recently computing power has taken another turn. Engineers have just about made components just as small as they can get. In other words, in order to increase computing speed we have to find a way to combine processor cores to work on the same problems. If you look at your computer now, you might have up to four core-processors built-in. This allows your computer to work on multiple problems at the same time and greatly enhances processing speed.
The problem is, you can't just link different brains to your brain. At some point, the inertia of your thoughts overwhelms your ability to keep things straight. It's not that we aren't able to do multiple things at the same time, but the ability of doing those things deteriorates as more things are added. It's complexity that disallows us from doing so many things and jumping from item to item doesn't help. We all know what happens when you jump from screen to screen on your computer when you have so many things running. Eventually, you're going to crash.
To conclude, it is better to do one thing right and get it done and progress to the next task. If you try to pull yourself in too many directions, your work will only get worse. Do yourself a favor and focus on one thing at a time. Realizing limitations can be a hard thing to do, but the benefits of being realistic can improve performance.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Seize the Day and Harness the Morning
Starting the morning can be a slow process. It can be filled with internal conflict, arguing whether or not you have enough time to fall back asleep or just lacking the motivation that you need to get going. Many people that I have met have not been so called "morning people" and prefer the night. When I tell them that I routinely wake up around 4:15 - 4:30, I get humored laughs as they talk about staying awake til that time.
In my opinion, the morning can be one of the most productive times during the day. Many of the things which we do throughout the day reach some close as the sun begins to set, opportunities are fading and many people are settling down with families or friends for the evening. Though the morning is filled with people still sleeping from the night's endeavors, preparing for the day, in my opinion, outweighs the benefits of staying up late. During the evening, I find that my mind is beginning to get tired. I wonder when I'm going to go to sleep and it normally is one or two tasks that are keeping me awake. The problem with this is that motivation seems to wane with every passing second and so does effectiveness. One of the ways I stay motivated throughout the day is being able to take the time to plan out how I will get things done and spend extra time that I have on projects which I have started which need more effort.
With that, people ask me whether or not the time that I spend is any different than staying up late and my reply is that it is. I believe that you're body is naturally accustomed to raising with the sun and sleeping after it has set. When working against that rhythm it seems as if you are shutting down, whereas in the morning you're getting going. The renewed energy that comes with the sun is something that I enjoy most about waking up early, especially in the summer when days are longer.
Starting fresh can be the deciding moment for the day. In the morning, time is abundant. When I was nineteen, I decided that I wanted to learn Spanish. This was something that I couldn't fit into my schedule anywhere else. From 7:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night I had plans that I had to keep, but in the morning I had moments to myself. As I sat down at 4:30 in the morning, I opened my books and started to learn. Within two months, I was speaking Spanish. This wasn't time that I had devoted to other things. I wasn't repairing the problems which had been caused by the day. I was taking advantage of the time which was already there which I had spent arguing with myself.
I've been waking up early since I was fourteen; strolling through the hills of Japan as the farmers went to work; walking through the fish markets before the streets become crowded. It has been my moments of self-reflection and development; a time that I spend only for myself. In the mornings I find my resolve. I am able to do the things that I want to do. Whether those things are little projects, working out, or learning a language, I am able to find time in my schedule for me and I wouldn't give up those moments for anything.
In my opinion, the morning can be one of the most productive times during the day. Many of the things which we do throughout the day reach some close as the sun begins to set, opportunities are fading and many people are settling down with families or friends for the evening. Though the morning is filled with people still sleeping from the night's endeavors, preparing for the day, in my opinion, outweighs the benefits of staying up late. During the evening, I find that my mind is beginning to get tired. I wonder when I'm going to go to sleep and it normally is one or two tasks that are keeping me awake. The problem with this is that motivation seems to wane with every passing second and so does effectiveness. One of the ways I stay motivated throughout the day is being able to take the time to plan out how I will get things done and spend extra time that I have on projects which I have started which need more effort.
With that, people ask me whether or not the time that I spend is any different than staying up late and my reply is that it is. I believe that you're body is naturally accustomed to raising with the sun and sleeping after it has set. When working against that rhythm it seems as if you are shutting down, whereas in the morning you're getting going. The renewed energy that comes with the sun is something that I enjoy most about waking up early, especially in the summer when days are longer.
Starting fresh can be the deciding moment for the day. In the morning, time is abundant. When I was nineteen, I decided that I wanted to learn Spanish. This was something that I couldn't fit into my schedule anywhere else. From 7:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night I had plans that I had to keep, but in the morning I had moments to myself. As I sat down at 4:30 in the morning, I opened my books and started to learn. Within two months, I was speaking Spanish. This wasn't time that I had devoted to other things. I wasn't repairing the problems which had been caused by the day. I was taking advantage of the time which was already there which I had spent arguing with myself.
I've been waking up early since I was fourteen; strolling through the hills of Japan as the farmers went to work; walking through the fish markets before the streets become crowded. It has been my moments of self-reflection and development; a time that I spend only for myself. In the mornings I find my resolve. I am able to do the things that I want to do. Whether those things are little projects, working out, or learning a language, I am able to find time in my schedule for me and I wouldn't give up those moments for anything.
Making a Choice, Any Choice
Indecisiveness is the crippling factor in society. Indifference causes people to resist voicing an opinion or offering up suggestions when the moment arises, even though there may only be two choices which you are given. Though in our everyday lives we find that most of our choices are about what we are going to eat, we often open and close the refrigerator hoping that something will catch our eye. But there are times when being indecisive can take its toll.
Many opportunities may pass us by because we are either unwilling or unable to make a rational choice given the options which are presented to us. It may be true that both choices are equally good and may be equally beneficial to whatever we're doing; so why don't we make a choice?
I find that many people are afraid that the choice that they make is going to be the wrong choice and they are going to find out that it is the wrong one after the fact. So what happens? People pass off the choice to others hoping that they will know the choice that you want to make in the end. Unfortunately, those people are more than likely not going to be able to guess your taste, your schedule, or your livelihood. I also believe that many people use this as a means to pass off the blame to others when something goes wrong.
In situations where many people are striving for the same opportunity, supposing that this is a chance that you would like to take, it would be beneficial to know that this is something that you would like to do so that you can get in on it too. Think of how many opportunities you've been put out of because you weren't really sure what you wanted to do. "It would be nice, but I'm not sure" have been the words which I have heard too many times. "Go" and "do" are the key words, power words, which will give your character heightened definition and a brighter love for life. If would feel nice, I believe, to know that you are in control of your own life.
Don't live life following the decisions of others. Think rationally and wake up. Take the opportunity to grow and speak. Make a choice and live with it. The benefits of being able to make a decision aren't necessarily going to be reflected in the food that you buy or how well things turn up, but I believe that this will have an over-arching benefit to your confidence. When you know what you want and you take it, that is an impressive moment. To be in control of your desires, that is a more impressive attribute.
Many opportunities may pass us by because we are either unwilling or unable to make a rational choice given the options which are presented to us. It may be true that both choices are equally good and may be equally beneficial to whatever we're doing; so why don't we make a choice?
I find that many people are afraid that the choice that they make is going to be the wrong choice and they are going to find out that it is the wrong one after the fact. So what happens? People pass off the choice to others hoping that they will know the choice that you want to make in the end. Unfortunately, those people are more than likely not going to be able to guess your taste, your schedule, or your livelihood. I also believe that many people use this as a means to pass off the blame to others when something goes wrong.
In situations where many people are striving for the same opportunity, supposing that this is a chance that you would like to take, it would be beneficial to know that this is something that you would like to do so that you can get in on it too. Think of how many opportunities you've been put out of because you weren't really sure what you wanted to do. "It would be nice, but I'm not sure" have been the words which I have heard too many times. "Go" and "do" are the key words, power words, which will give your character heightened definition and a brighter love for life. If would feel nice, I believe, to know that you are in control of your own life.
Don't live life following the decisions of others. Think rationally and wake up. Take the opportunity to grow and speak. Make a choice and live with it. The benefits of being able to make a decision aren't necessarily going to be reflected in the food that you buy or how well things turn up, but I believe that this will have an over-arching benefit to your confidence. When you know what you want and you take it, that is an impressive moment. To be in control of your desires, that is a more impressive attribute.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Managing Your House
Home economics is a class that is all but taken seriously in school as students see it as cooking, health education and an easy "A", but what teachers aren't doing is preparing students to take into account the needs and upkeep necessary to keep your house running, and running well.
What I remember from my home economics classroom is learning how to cook. I've posted before about the importance of cooking, but that's not my point here. In the grand scheme of things, cooking takes a back seat to managing your finances so that you afford to have food to cook. Some people believe that this belongs in a math class, and that's probably true, but while children are struggle to get through functions and where "x" is, students should also be learning basic accounting.
Now, as far as accounting goes, I'm not one for terminology. What people are calling the same thing doesn't interest me and is only going to confuse everyone. The real meat is your budget: what is going in and what is coming out.
Something that I have learned is that it is easy once you get into a rhythm, but it is hard to get started. Recently, my wife and I have tried to get everything organized in our home; buying food, getting the car fixed, and getting everything for school. As tempting as it was to fill the pantry, the fridge and the cabinets with goods, it wasn't in our budget. Since we've moved in, we take opportunities to buy condiments and ingredients each week. Piece by piece we put things together.
Accounting requires upkeep. If you let it go too long, you'll lose track of information and that makes your budget slip through the cracks. You need to be aware of all of the information which describes your life and how things change once you act in a certain way.
One of the biggest problems that people have and what leads them to the most debt is not being able to cover their expenses. People are not aware that their outflow is more than their income. As credit limits rise, so does their spending. This continues until mountains of debt pile up and pleas for help take them all the way to the bank. As the pressure builds, so does stress and that is no way to live. All of this could be managed by keeping a budget.
Every one has a different method which they prefer varying from keeping different receipts in folders or envelopes while some prefer to keep maximum spending limits in certain areas using accounting programs. If you're using USAA, they have a budget program that you can use with your account to track your budget. Whatever your method, be sure that it works for you. Be sure to have your savings, but also keep an emergency fund. This will help keep you from falling into disaster all at once during the first storm of the season.
Whatever the method, be aware of how you're spending, don't give up and think that it isn't worth it. It all comes in managing your house. It's hard work, but it's worth it.
What I remember from my home economics classroom is learning how to cook. I've posted before about the importance of cooking, but that's not my point here. In the grand scheme of things, cooking takes a back seat to managing your finances so that you afford to have food to cook. Some people believe that this belongs in a math class, and that's probably true, but while children are struggle to get through functions and where "x" is, students should also be learning basic accounting.
Now, as far as accounting goes, I'm not one for terminology. What people are calling the same thing doesn't interest me and is only going to confuse everyone. The real meat is your budget: what is going in and what is coming out.
Something that I have learned is that it is easy once you get into a rhythm, but it is hard to get started. Recently, my wife and I have tried to get everything organized in our home; buying food, getting the car fixed, and getting everything for school. As tempting as it was to fill the pantry, the fridge and the cabinets with goods, it wasn't in our budget. Since we've moved in, we take opportunities to buy condiments and ingredients each week. Piece by piece we put things together.
Accounting requires upkeep. If you let it go too long, you'll lose track of information and that makes your budget slip through the cracks. You need to be aware of all of the information which describes your life and how things change once you act in a certain way.
One of the biggest problems that people have and what leads them to the most debt is not being able to cover their expenses. People are not aware that their outflow is more than their income. As credit limits rise, so does their spending. This continues until mountains of debt pile up and pleas for help take them all the way to the bank. As the pressure builds, so does stress and that is no way to live. All of this could be managed by keeping a budget.
Every one has a different method which they prefer varying from keeping different receipts in folders or envelopes while some prefer to keep maximum spending limits in certain areas using accounting programs. If you're using USAA, they have a budget program that you can use with your account to track your budget. Whatever your method, be sure that it works for you. Be sure to have your savings, but also keep an emergency fund. This will help keep you from falling into disaster all at once during the first storm of the season.
Whatever the method, be aware of how you're spending, don't give up and think that it isn't worth it. It all comes in managing your house. It's hard work, but it's worth it.
Understanding Risk
Simply, risk is that piece of everything which we can't predict. It's in every action that we do and the ones that we don't. You can't really see risk, but it's part of everything.
Understanding risk helps us to make our decisions. Some people view risk as tangible outcomes which may occur given some choice that we make. When we walk out in the afternoon, we're taking the risk of getting sun-burnt; however, the definition of risk which I would like to address is economic risk, or the risk that conditions may change which will yield influence over an investment which you currently have.
Many people aren't in the stock market, but those that are look with eager eyes towards those that seem to turn money into money; but, those who are not in the stock market make risks every day. Risks which we make can span from a certain job we take to big purchases like a house or a car. To some degree, each has some chance of returns and loss of which we need to be aware.
In financial engineering, you can leverage your risk by differentiating your investment portfolio. In other words, don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Since many of us aren't worried about how diversified our portfolio is, how can we look out for risk at our homes?
Since I've been studying risk management and financial engineering, I been more aware of the things that I am buying. Recently, one of the things that my family has been in need of is a new car. Generally speaking, I do not think that a car is a good investment for anybody. There are some cars that have a high price tag, but the likelihood that you will have a high return on your vehicle by the time that you finish paying it off is not likely. Cars have a tendency to deteriorate with age and have high costs to fix up and those fixes don't have large returns. I know that a car will not yield high returns, but it will give some extra benefit in added mobility. Since my car now, an old station-wagon, is all but falling to pieces, the security of having an extra car will help when the time comes that the car decides to give up.
For me, the name of the game is being aware. What costs can you reasonably expect to arise in the near future? What are some concerns that you should start paying attention to? What can you afford to put-off and for how long? All of these questions have to do directly with how we are spending our money. If you are not spending your money, how are you using your money? By not knowing the ways in which you are able to make money with money, you are risking losing out on interest.
What I recommend with just an elementary degree of understanding of risk management but a good understanding of life skills is to look at the life of you, your family, and your career. What is happening and how can changes influence you? Since you can't totally detach yourself from risk, have a back-up in case something happens which you can't control. You need somewhere to return if things take a turn for the worst.
Understanding risk helps us to make our decisions. Some people view risk as tangible outcomes which may occur given some choice that we make. When we walk out in the afternoon, we're taking the risk of getting sun-burnt; however, the definition of risk which I would like to address is economic risk, or the risk that conditions may change which will yield influence over an investment which you currently have.
Many people aren't in the stock market, but those that are look with eager eyes towards those that seem to turn money into money; but, those who are not in the stock market make risks every day. Risks which we make can span from a certain job we take to big purchases like a house or a car. To some degree, each has some chance of returns and loss of which we need to be aware.
In financial engineering, you can leverage your risk by differentiating your investment portfolio. In other words, don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Since many of us aren't worried about how diversified our portfolio is, how can we look out for risk at our homes?
Since I've been studying risk management and financial engineering, I been more aware of the things that I am buying. Recently, one of the things that my family has been in need of is a new car. Generally speaking, I do not think that a car is a good investment for anybody. There are some cars that have a high price tag, but the likelihood that you will have a high return on your vehicle by the time that you finish paying it off is not likely. Cars have a tendency to deteriorate with age and have high costs to fix up and those fixes don't have large returns. I know that a car will not yield high returns, but it will give some extra benefit in added mobility. Since my car now, an old station-wagon, is all but falling to pieces, the security of having an extra car will help when the time comes that the car decides to give up.
For me, the name of the game is being aware. What costs can you reasonably expect to arise in the near future? What are some concerns that you should start paying attention to? What can you afford to put-off and for how long? All of these questions have to do directly with how we are spending our money. If you are not spending your money, how are you using your money? By not knowing the ways in which you are able to make money with money, you are risking losing out on interest.
What I recommend with just an elementary degree of understanding of risk management but a good understanding of life skills is to look at the life of you, your family, and your career. What is happening and how can changes influence you? Since you can't totally detach yourself from risk, have a back-up in case something happens which you can't control. You need somewhere to return if things take a turn for the worst.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Power Struggle, Arm Wrestling With Your Colleagues
When we're at work, we don't like to be criticized, especially by our colleagues. I know this from experience because while I'm working, it seems like every mistake that I might make would be exaggerated by colleagues just to make me look bad in front of my boss. This was always hard to deal with since the classical methods are "be better than them" or "give them their just desserts", but neither are really satisfying. The main goals that I would like to meet are to be comfortable at work; feel like I'm accomplishing something; and receive my honest wage. Though it is nice to be recognized for the good things that we do, I don't think it helps much to try to show your work off. If a boss likes it enough, they will show it off themselves.
However, when it comes to working with colleagues, there always seems to be this underlying power struggle. For the most part, I believe that it arises when there is a role within some group that is not being filled. Most people, quick thinking and ambitious, will see this as an opportunity to demonstrate leadership capabilities, or else it could be a natural tendency to want to fill that role because it gives them self-gratification. Whatever the reason, how we handle it is a choice within ourselves. When we seek to fill the role ourselves, whether this is when the role is being decided or by disagreeing and filling the role distinctly in our minds, we will find ourselves conflicting with others. But how much should we fight for the role?
I don't believe we should fight for the role. Most of us are good at some things and perhaps leadership is one of those things that we are not good at. Though it is bothersome when colleagues or bosses begin to exercise their power over you and make your life harder, that's something that we deal with one way or another. You can't take control of another's actions, but we can control our own. We should make sure that we are doing everything we can to do our work and that will be proof enough. When the time comes and you'll know it when it does, your voice will be heard and you won't have struggle for power.
Though it is especially hard when others take credit for your work, you may always look for other options than just sitting by. Don't be scared to meet with higher-ups or look for a better situation than the one you are in..Understanding the opportunities that are available to you is one of the hallmarks of success. You need to feel comfortable, as a part of life. I believe that a good leader will help you meet your goals, but when one is absent you learn to look out for yourself.
One of the solutions that I have found is to try to understand your boss's goals and help him to reach them, but not for power; for peace. You don't need to like your boss or your colleagues, you don't have to be friends or enemies, you just have to know what you're doing and who you need to accomplish the tasks at hand. Once you begin closing your mind, you've already lost. If you establish peace in the end everything will work itself out. One day, you'll get lucky enough to have a good boss and colleagues who work together and understand team dynamics, but you should never be the one that is keeping that from coming together. Be open to change, open to possibilities and change. It may all be in your mind in the end.
Staying Motivated: Getting Past the First Round
Like New Year resolutions, each year we seem to go through the motion of setting goals and lacking the ability to follow through. Most of the time, these goals are the "life-changers" we've put off until the perfect opportunity to make outrageous, hard-to-accomplish resolutions. Sometimes, by some stroke of luck or built-up motivation, we accomplish some of these goals, but many of them fall by the way-side of our lives.
But why does this happen? Why can't we stay motivated past the initial splendor of setting and starting goals? I believe that one of the answers is in the results. When we don't feel like our actions are having much effect, it is hard to apply the effort, especially at the beginning which requires the most effort.
As I see it, many of our goals aren't linear; they don't grow at a single rate, but start slow and pick up near the end. Projects which we start have various phases, such as goal setting, planning, development, testing and implementation. The biggest issue is the inertia which needs to be applied to change the direction which we were going in. Our personal goals are about improving or changing our character and can apply to anything from physical conditioning to learning a new skill. It takes repeated action to even begin to change how we react to certain events. Going to the gym and eating healthy is a lofty goal for someone who is accustomed to a certain diet, especially when cravings come into play. Investing your money is hard when you don't understand the words that are being used.
What I have found is that under stressful conditions, our bodies and minds will attempt to return to the most familiar condition of comfort. This will most likely be moments of relaxation when you weren't worried about what you were eating or what you were doing and your body will try to replicate it. Getting over this is the hardest part and relates to that non-linearity which I referred to earlier. Even for our mind, we rationalize that we could better spend our time doing something else, which may be more true than we think, but at what cost? We often find ourselves saying, "It worked before, I'll just do that."
So, the question then comes to how we are able to get away from stress conditions and find bliss in what we are doing. Use your strongest abilities. Each of us are different, but each of us are competing against ourselves. This means that you have to face your own complexes and habits. In other words, if you have a talent for arguing, use that to convince yourself that what you are doing is worth it. If not, then use something else, but the trick is to put yourself in the shoes you want to be in.
It seems that people are trying to hold on to so much of themselves that they are unable to progress in one aspect. We live dynamic lives that change each day as different parts of us change. To succeed, I believe that we have to throw ourselves in the motion, set your flag at the top of the mountain and see yourself already there, see yourself as the person that you are trying to become and then find joy in the adventure. We have all most likely seen a movie about a character who struggles to achieve a goal, but there is something that we can take from them. Determination. You need to want it, and you need to know you can get it.
The last aspect which I feel each goal needs is something at stake. This is the motivating factor. When you are wondering what the stakes are, ask yourself, "What will happen if I accomplish/fail at this?" Without a well defined goal, we don't see its importance. Look past the problem and at the solution. Know what you are fighting for, what the purpose is. Find it in yourself, not in others. Once you know it, and really know it, the simplicity of continuing will be self-evident.
I will say this, be smart about it. Don't compromise your health in some venture. Since each of us are different we are all at different places which different abilities. Sometimes it doesn't have anything to do with our motivation, but in the goals we set. If they are so far beyond your reach that you are going to lose before you get started, you're going to get discouraged. Think of the basics and start there. Progress in complexity until you've reached the end. Be good to yourself and learn along the way who you really are becoming.
But why does this happen? Why can't we stay motivated past the initial splendor of setting and starting goals? I believe that one of the answers is in the results. When we don't feel like our actions are having much effect, it is hard to apply the effort, especially at the beginning which requires the most effort.
As I see it, many of our goals aren't linear; they don't grow at a single rate, but start slow and pick up near the end. Projects which we start have various phases, such as goal setting, planning, development, testing and implementation. The biggest issue is the inertia which needs to be applied to change the direction which we were going in. Our personal goals are about improving or changing our character and can apply to anything from physical conditioning to learning a new skill. It takes repeated action to even begin to change how we react to certain events. Going to the gym and eating healthy is a lofty goal for someone who is accustomed to a certain diet, especially when cravings come into play. Investing your money is hard when you don't understand the words that are being used.
What I have found is that under stressful conditions, our bodies and minds will attempt to return to the most familiar condition of comfort. This will most likely be moments of relaxation when you weren't worried about what you were eating or what you were doing and your body will try to replicate it. Getting over this is the hardest part and relates to that non-linearity which I referred to earlier. Even for our mind, we rationalize that we could better spend our time doing something else, which may be more true than we think, but at what cost? We often find ourselves saying, "It worked before, I'll just do that."
So, the question then comes to how we are able to get away from stress conditions and find bliss in what we are doing. Use your strongest abilities. Each of us are different, but each of us are competing against ourselves. This means that you have to face your own complexes and habits. In other words, if you have a talent for arguing, use that to convince yourself that what you are doing is worth it. If not, then use something else, but the trick is to put yourself in the shoes you want to be in.
It seems that people are trying to hold on to so much of themselves that they are unable to progress in one aspect. We live dynamic lives that change each day as different parts of us change. To succeed, I believe that we have to throw ourselves in the motion, set your flag at the top of the mountain and see yourself already there, see yourself as the person that you are trying to become and then find joy in the adventure. We have all most likely seen a movie about a character who struggles to achieve a goal, but there is something that we can take from them. Determination. You need to want it, and you need to know you can get it.
The last aspect which I feel each goal needs is something at stake. This is the motivating factor. When you are wondering what the stakes are, ask yourself, "What will happen if I accomplish/fail at this?" Without a well defined goal, we don't see its importance. Look past the problem and at the solution. Know what you are fighting for, what the purpose is. Find it in yourself, not in others. Once you know it, and really know it, the simplicity of continuing will be self-evident.
I will say this, be smart about it. Don't compromise your health in some venture. Since each of us are different we are all at different places which different abilities. Sometimes it doesn't have anything to do with our motivation, but in the goals we set. If they are so far beyond your reach that you are going to lose before you get started, you're going to get discouraged. Think of the basics and start there. Progress in complexity until you've reached the end. Be good to yourself and learn along the way who you really are becoming.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Making Molehills Out of Mountains
We're all familiar with the idea of making a big problem out of little ones and the effect that has on our behavior. I feel that we tend to get frustrated and confused because we have placed added pressure on ourselves for some irrational, or possibly unidentifiable, reason. This may lead to the failure to achieve success in tasks and may discourage individuals from further pursuit. Does the reverse work?
I have found that when people are working on a project that doesn't meet that "urgent" need which exists within them, concentration begins to weaken. Where bigger problems create stress, small problems hardly get noticed. Over-simplification of the problem leads to lack-luster solutions which may, at best, be only short-term, or "band-aid", solutions. As groups coordinate, someone who is unable to connect with the importance of an issue will not be able to be truly effective.
So what's the point that I'm trying to make?
Both of these mindsets about problems are wrong. They focus on the individual perspective and their perceptions. To better explain myself, I'm going to use the analogy of a mountain.
First, someone who is standing at the base of a cliff will feel daunted by the task at hand, much like the first person I described by making the problem harder than it really needs to be. Also, someone who is standing too far away from the mountain will hardly think that it would take much effort to climb as the mountain seems much smaller than it actually is. These all have to do with our perspective, not the project. What I'm talking about is problem solving.
The issue then is adjusting your perspective. Many of us are like the first person who is right next to the mountain, committed to a project that needs to be done but no real plans to accomplish that goal. Though we shouldn't run away, we should take a step back and really look at the project. The real height of the project won't change, but we are able to see its structure.
When we are solving our problems, we shouldn't seek to take the steepest route. No matter how high the climb, taking the steepest route will require the most amount of stress and increases the chances that you might slip-up. Normally, there are unexplored routes which are much easier and you still reach the same position.
Time is a necessary component to consider. The sooner you need to get to where you need to be, the harder it will be to look for that shallow route and you'll look at the mountain wonder where to even begin. If you're here, there doesn't seem to be many options besides trying to make a quick plan of what you are going to do and hope that the best one works. What I am talking about is having sufficient time in the planning stage to be able to explore additional methods and truly look at how things are coming together. It might take longer than a quick sprint up the mountain, but you have much less risk of falling along the way.
I have found that when people are working on a project that doesn't meet that "urgent" need which exists within them, concentration begins to weaken. Where bigger problems create stress, small problems hardly get noticed. Over-simplification of the problem leads to lack-luster solutions which may, at best, be only short-term, or "band-aid", solutions. As groups coordinate, someone who is unable to connect with the importance of an issue will not be able to be truly effective.
So what's the point that I'm trying to make?
Both of these mindsets about problems are wrong. They focus on the individual perspective and their perceptions. To better explain myself, I'm going to use the analogy of a mountain.
First, someone who is standing at the base of a cliff will feel daunted by the task at hand, much like the first person I described by making the problem harder than it really needs to be. Also, someone who is standing too far away from the mountain will hardly think that it would take much effort to climb as the mountain seems much smaller than it actually is. These all have to do with our perspective, not the project. What I'm talking about is problem solving.
The issue then is adjusting your perspective. Many of us are like the first person who is right next to the mountain, committed to a project that needs to be done but no real plans to accomplish that goal. Though we shouldn't run away, we should take a step back and really look at the project. The real height of the project won't change, but we are able to see its structure.
When we are solving our problems, we shouldn't seek to take the steepest route. No matter how high the climb, taking the steepest route will require the most amount of stress and increases the chances that you might slip-up. Normally, there are unexplored routes which are much easier and you still reach the same position.
Time is a necessary component to consider. The sooner you need to get to where you need to be, the harder it will be to look for that shallow route and you'll look at the mountain wonder where to even begin. If you're here, there doesn't seem to be many options besides trying to make a quick plan of what you are going to do and hope that the best one works. What I am talking about is having sufficient time in the planning stage to be able to explore additional methods and truly look at how things are coming together. It might take longer than a quick sprint up the mountain, but you have much less risk of falling along the way.
Friends in High Places and the Low Ones as Well
There's something to be said about the ability to both make and keep friends. In my opinion, it is hard to find people that will actually be able to help you when you need it because many people are too busy trying to make sure that they don't fall behind themselves. I always try to find people who are good at what they do, influential in their careers, and provide a valuable atmosphere. This is so that I can always feel like I'm progressing both in my career and social stature. At moments, you may find yourself looking around and not really knowing anyone in a particular room, but you are able to identify people's role as you look around.
While I was spending time in Washington D.C, my dad put together a business party for people he knew and thought that I would be interested in meeting. This was at the same time as a seminar which I was attending in Info-Metrics and both were valuable opportunities to make contacts. Though both situations had a different atmosphere, it is easy to find people who are able to help you to accomplish your goals if you ask the right questions. Though I'm not going into the conversations which I had during those two meetings, I made some valuable contacts which I still have today.
But this is all in scope. When we talk about the people we know, often times they aren't people who are earning six figure incomes. They are the layman who fill positions in vary levels throughout the city. People who may or may not have finished college. There are people everyday who are able to help us with situations which we are struggling with, but not necessarily with our professional sphere, but with the "everyday's".
Imagine a situation in which your car is broken down. Knowing high level executives may not be able to help you with this, but your neighbor might. Perhaps your neighbor knows someone that could help. It all comes to how well you are connected, but somewhere along the way, it comes back to someone that everyone needs. Most people are reluctant to use products that haven't been endorsed by someone they know, but if you were connected to someone who was trusted, you would most likely feel more comfortable.
Generally, I call these communities; a network where people will different skills and abilities are located. Within these figurative locations, we are able to visit with people and make requests to fill some need. Most likely, individuals will be able to find someone that they know within some arm of a network. The problem arises when you aren't aware of people who have the abilities you need. This requires a community to cluster, or condense, to allow for the ease of transmittable conversation. The importance of this stretches past our need for connection, but simplifies the daily process of life. Both ends of the relationship will benefit, much like when a consumer and a producer meet up. These personal relationships based on trust are the first places we resort to when seeking to satisfy a need.
While I was spending time in Washington D.C, my dad put together a business party for people he knew and thought that I would be interested in meeting. This was at the same time as a seminar which I was attending in Info-Metrics and both were valuable opportunities to make contacts. Though both situations had a different atmosphere, it is easy to find people who are able to help you to accomplish your goals if you ask the right questions. Though I'm not going into the conversations which I had during those two meetings, I made some valuable contacts which I still have today.
But this is all in scope. When we talk about the people we know, often times they aren't people who are earning six figure incomes. They are the layman who fill positions in vary levels throughout the city. People who may or may not have finished college. There are people everyday who are able to help us with situations which we are struggling with, but not necessarily with our professional sphere, but with the "everyday's".
Imagine a situation in which your car is broken down. Knowing high level executives may not be able to help you with this, but your neighbor might. Perhaps your neighbor knows someone that could help. It all comes to how well you are connected, but somewhere along the way, it comes back to someone that everyone needs. Most people are reluctant to use products that haven't been endorsed by someone they know, but if you were connected to someone who was trusted, you would most likely feel more comfortable.
Generally, I call these communities; a network where people will different skills and abilities are located. Within these figurative locations, we are able to visit with people and make requests to fill some need. Most likely, individuals will be able to find someone that they know within some arm of a network. The problem arises when you aren't aware of people who have the abilities you need. This requires a community to cluster, or condense, to allow for the ease of transmittable conversation. The importance of this stretches past our need for connection, but simplifies the daily process of life. Both ends of the relationship will benefit, much like when a consumer and a producer meet up. These personal relationships based on trust are the first places we resort to when seeking to satisfy a need.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Our Commercial Culture
Our personality defines our character, something which changes periodically as we grow and have new experiences. Within that character, we have our tastes; foods we eat, sports we play, and places we want to go. Historically, advertisements have used what I call "shotgun marketing", where advertisers attempt to project a product into everyone's lives to see how it will fit at random. The reason why I call it "shotgun marketing" is that when you consider consumer preferences the distribution for a product will be centered around some group, but others may or may not get hit which are interested depending on how the commercial is distributed.
One of the problems in marketing is identifying the group you are searching for. This has historically been hard as there hasn't been a way to easily find what individuals are thinking; however, certain television channels have a very distinct viewer-base where products can easily be advertised according to what the viewers would want to see. Though this isn't perfect, because marketers are still trying to identify groups and individuals are different.
So, what's the issue? How could people improve what you are asking people to buy? If you haven't noticed, the problem has been the availability of information and the ability to set you apart from the crowd. Previously, some websites were trying to have you identify your interests yourself, but many people don't want advertisers to know what they like because they don't want to be a target. Marketers have been historically put into the character of the stereotypes of door-to-door and car salesmen. The stereotypes are people looking to sell someone something that doesn't work just to earn money. Has that dynamic changed?
For the most part, I don't think it has, but I think it should. Marketers, in my inexperienced view, try to think why a consumer "needs" the product and how it will benefit their lives. But, the problem is, our lives are becoming too cluttered. We can easily argue that we have everything that we need and we can easily recognize what we would like to change. This is where we should be meeting with people to help me our goals and not fill our lives with random junk that we don't really want.
Recently, or within the past century, marketers have been able to get closer to consumers than ever. Using computer applications, they are able to track the pages that we look up, searches which we perform, and things we "like" all over the internet. When we do this, we are, in a way, branding ourselves with information available for others to see. In a social networking perspective, this doesn't seem as intrusive as an extensive questionnaire and it doesn't require much time. Also, people hardly know what they are doing.
But are commercials and advertisements really effective? For the most part, I don't think that they have been for me, until recently and I'll tell you why. Every so often I clean my browser history, cookies, and other information which it might have picked up along the way. The reason I do that is because I don't want information to fester everywhere for so long, but there's a plus side that I found. When you delete your history, the things that you do now have the most influence in what advertisements are trying to show you.
One of the hardest parts of business is putting your product in the minds of people around the world. People can't choose your product if they don't know that it exists. They also can't make a good decision without the other information, but if they are being overwhelmed by pop-ups and fliers, you will most likely go unnoticed.
Generally, I feel that people ignore advertisements because most of them take you to sites that do pretty much nothing or are scams. Well, a quick hint if you are browsing the internet, look for "https://" rather than the plain "http://" because this means that you are secure in who you are talking to. But why do we care about advertisements anymore?
Most likely, if you've been like me in the past, you pretty much phase them out when you are going through the pages or you would never click on them to get to their page because of things that might be attached. I used to do this too, until I started see advertisements for things like "free Six Sigma training" which actually did give me the opportunity for six sigma.
The point I'm trying to get at is that if you are aware of what you are looking for, then advertisements are there to help. They don't have much influence in themselves to convince you to buy something new, but they do put the product out there and you may remember it when the time comes. My advice: Don't block them out of your mind. If you see something interesting, there must be a reason why it's showing up. Maybe because of something that you already searched for, or something that is related to the page that you are on, but one way or another, people wouldn't be paying to have these things there for no reason, but the game has changed. You are more able now than ever to find the things which you are searching for. Though many of them may be distractions, such as pop-ups which are just trying to get in your way, but other ones can be helpful.
One of the problems in marketing is identifying the group you are searching for. This has historically been hard as there hasn't been a way to easily find what individuals are thinking; however, certain television channels have a very distinct viewer-base where products can easily be advertised according to what the viewers would want to see. Though this isn't perfect, because marketers are still trying to identify groups and individuals are different.
So, what's the issue? How could people improve what you are asking people to buy? If you haven't noticed, the problem has been the availability of information and the ability to set you apart from the crowd. Previously, some websites were trying to have you identify your interests yourself, but many people don't want advertisers to know what they like because they don't want to be a target. Marketers have been historically put into the character of the stereotypes of door-to-door and car salesmen. The stereotypes are people looking to sell someone something that doesn't work just to earn money. Has that dynamic changed?
For the most part, I don't think it has, but I think it should. Marketers, in my inexperienced view, try to think why a consumer "needs" the product and how it will benefit their lives. But, the problem is, our lives are becoming too cluttered. We can easily argue that we have everything that we need and we can easily recognize what we would like to change. This is where we should be meeting with people to help me our goals and not fill our lives with random junk that we don't really want.
Recently, or within the past century, marketers have been able to get closer to consumers than ever. Using computer applications, they are able to track the pages that we look up, searches which we perform, and things we "like" all over the internet. When we do this, we are, in a way, branding ourselves with information available for others to see. In a social networking perspective, this doesn't seem as intrusive as an extensive questionnaire and it doesn't require much time. Also, people hardly know what they are doing.
But are commercials and advertisements really effective? For the most part, I don't think that they have been for me, until recently and I'll tell you why. Every so often I clean my browser history, cookies, and other information which it might have picked up along the way. The reason I do that is because I don't want information to fester everywhere for so long, but there's a plus side that I found. When you delete your history, the things that you do now have the most influence in what advertisements are trying to show you.
One of the hardest parts of business is putting your product in the minds of people around the world. People can't choose your product if they don't know that it exists. They also can't make a good decision without the other information, but if they are being overwhelmed by pop-ups and fliers, you will most likely go unnoticed.
Generally, I feel that people ignore advertisements because most of them take you to sites that do pretty much nothing or are scams. Well, a quick hint if you are browsing the internet, look for "https://" rather than the plain "http://" because this means that you are secure in who you are talking to. But why do we care about advertisements anymore?
Most likely, if you've been like me in the past, you pretty much phase them out when you are going through the pages or you would never click on them to get to their page because of things that might be attached. I used to do this too, until I started see advertisements for things like "free Six Sigma training" which actually did give me the opportunity for six sigma.
The point I'm trying to get at is that if you are aware of what you are looking for, then advertisements are there to help. They don't have much influence in themselves to convince you to buy something new, but they do put the product out there and you may remember it when the time comes. My advice: Don't block them out of your mind. If you see something interesting, there must be a reason why it's showing up. Maybe because of something that you already searched for, or something that is related to the page that you are on, but one way or another, people wouldn't be paying to have these things there for no reason, but the game has changed. You are more able now than ever to find the things which you are searching for. Though many of them may be distractions, such as pop-ups which are just trying to get in your way, but other ones can be helpful.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Finding a Mentor and Getting to Work
When I was in Elementary school, I used to look up to my oldest brother quite a bit. He taught me the French alphabet when I was still in the first grade, got me ahead in mathematics, and taught me how to understand how to play games like chess. This has been something that has stuck with me since I've learned those things. There were many other things that he didn't teach me directly that I still learned by watching what he did. Though we don't talk much anymore, I still run through moments where he was teaching me sometimes and reminisce.
For a while, my dad also gave me instruction when I would ask questions and when he felt like there was something that I needed to know. It took me a while, especially while I was younger, to find the scope of these lessons, but as I've grown older they've come up more.
When I got to college, it was much harder finding a mentor. At my school, they assign you an adviser, but you want to find something that fits your niche. It took me a while to find someone else that I looked up to and someone that I could talk to about what really interests me. Once he began teaching, I haven't stopped learning. Each day there are more things that I can do to help me prepare for my future. Each of those things, in my mind, have purpose and meaning, and when I have questions, I know where I can go. Those are probably the hardest things about finding a good mentor, in my mind at least.
As I see it, the importance of having a mentor stretches beyond learning, it's a methodology of building character. There are books and methods of learning that are available to each of use, but the personality behind the material isn't something that we are just able to invent, it needs to be filled. Some people have the ability to have long conversations with themselves that can be quite involved; but many of us need some to bounce ideas off of, someone that can foster our thoughts and teach us how to refine them.
In my opinion, traits of a good mentor include:
For a while, my dad also gave me instruction when I would ask questions and when he felt like there was something that I needed to know. It took me a while, especially while I was younger, to find the scope of these lessons, but as I've grown older they've come up more.
When I got to college, it was much harder finding a mentor. At my school, they assign you an adviser, but you want to find something that fits your niche. It took me a while to find someone else that I looked up to and someone that I could talk to about what really interests me. Once he began teaching, I haven't stopped learning. Each day there are more things that I can do to help me prepare for my future. Each of those things, in my mind, have purpose and meaning, and when I have questions, I know where I can go. Those are probably the hardest things about finding a good mentor, in my mind at least.
As I see it, the importance of having a mentor stretches beyond learning, it's a methodology of building character. There are books and methods of learning that are available to each of use, but the personality behind the material isn't something that we are just able to invent, it needs to be filled. Some people have the ability to have long conversations with themselves that can be quite involved; but many of us need some to bounce ideas off of, someone that can foster our thoughts and teach us how to refine them.
In my opinion, traits of a good mentor include:
- Thought-provoking
- Understanding
- Tactful
- Relate-able
- Willing to teach
- Honest
You can't have a mentor that is going to treat you like a child, you need someone who is going to refine you until they can do no more for you. Sometimes they can be around for most of your life; always teaching and training when you have questions. They can also be someone that will only be an example for a moment, helping you to open your eyes and have you look to their actions to help you find your own. The overall purpose, though, is to find yourself. Find someone that can help you unlock your potential. One day, someone might come to you to do the same.
The High Cost of Saying No
One of the most common reactions we can expect by asking someone if they would like to do something constructive is less than excited. We can generally expect excuses and disinterest in the activity. Unfortunately, this seems to be a growing trait of our youth and perhaps even higher into the ranks of adulthood. But saying "no" has a cost.
One of the first costs of saying "no" has to do with relationships. To build on this I will use one of the principles that I believe in, the emotional bank account. As childish as it may sound, we can either make deposits into our accounts or withdrawals and when you involve others, the dynamic is different than with just yourself. Each positive response can be seen as a deposit, each negative response as a withdrawal because you are taxing the relationship.
Imagine a situation in which you've been asked to come to activities repeatedly by friends or colleagues and the reply is continuously negative. More than likely, that starting principle begins to decrease until there is nothing left. People will note that there is not point asking you things because there are no withdrawals left to make.
A second cost, in my opinion, is that of health. The mental conditioning of exploring new things, inventing new ideas, and expanding your scope seems essential to your development as a creative being. Not doing so can leave you with an internal turmoil to have the desire to change, but not actually possessing the ability to do so. Some people call this willpower, mind over matter, or motivation, but I think that it just comes down to being open. A very strong-minded person can say "no" all day, but a very close-minded could hardly ever say "yes". When we close off the world, I believe that, like the metaphorical goldfish, we will never grow again. We have to have scope within which to find our ideas. When we've fished the lake of our minds long enough, no fish will remain.
The last cost which I will mention is the cost of ability. To all those who are still asking, if you don't use it, you WILL lose it. This happens with language, sports, and the arts. There is no escaping it. Your tongue will become limp after you don't speak for awhile. Anyone who has ever tried to learn or has learned a new language can tell you that. When you can no longer hear the words in your head, you'll have to find them again. Muscle will fade quicker than the mind, you're body will become weak and worn, and your mind will become dull. If not engaged in meaningful activities, you cannot maintain your edge.
Though each of these costs are independent of each other, they are significant in themselves. Sometimes it's not possible to maintain them all and one of them must take the hit. Generally for professionals they won't have the time to do recreational activities with friends or stay out each night, but they are otherwise engaged in things that keep them sharp. The question is, what are you doing to make sure that you are on top of your game and no going into debt saying "no" each day?
One of the first costs of saying "no" has to do with relationships. To build on this I will use one of the principles that I believe in, the emotional bank account. As childish as it may sound, we can either make deposits into our accounts or withdrawals and when you involve others, the dynamic is different than with just yourself. Each positive response can be seen as a deposit, each negative response as a withdrawal because you are taxing the relationship.
Imagine a situation in which you've been asked to come to activities repeatedly by friends or colleagues and the reply is continuously negative. More than likely, that starting principle begins to decrease until there is nothing left. People will note that there is not point asking you things because there are no withdrawals left to make.
A second cost, in my opinion, is that of health. The mental conditioning of exploring new things, inventing new ideas, and expanding your scope seems essential to your development as a creative being. Not doing so can leave you with an internal turmoil to have the desire to change, but not actually possessing the ability to do so. Some people call this willpower, mind over matter, or motivation, but I think that it just comes down to being open. A very strong-minded person can say "no" all day, but a very close-minded could hardly ever say "yes". When we close off the world, I believe that, like the metaphorical goldfish, we will never grow again. We have to have scope within which to find our ideas. When we've fished the lake of our minds long enough, no fish will remain.
The last cost which I will mention is the cost of ability. To all those who are still asking, if you don't use it, you WILL lose it. This happens with language, sports, and the arts. There is no escaping it. Your tongue will become limp after you don't speak for awhile. Anyone who has ever tried to learn or has learned a new language can tell you that. When you can no longer hear the words in your head, you'll have to find them again. Muscle will fade quicker than the mind, you're body will become weak and worn, and your mind will become dull. If not engaged in meaningful activities, you cannot maintain your edge.
Though each of these costs are independent of each other, they are significant in themselves. Sometimes it's not possible to maintain them all and one of them must take the hit. Generally for professionals they won't have the time to do recreational activities with friends or stay out each night, but they are otherwise engaged in things that keep them sharp. The question is, what are you doing to make sure that you are on top of your game and no going into debt saying "no" each day?
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Paying for College
Paying for college has grown to a national concern as people are beginning to fear whether their ability to afford college is no longer a possibility. I've spoken with people who have upwards of $50,000 worth of debt and have to take breaks from college in order to try to save up enough money for the next semester. Granted, the cost of colleges around the country vary greatly and my college is most likely one of the cheapest besides a military school, but based on my conversations with others and observations about what they have done to prepare for college, I feel as though some things are worth noting though they may seem like obvious solutions.
Look Ahead and Start Saving
It seems like the principle of College funds for families has dwindled over the years and this is why students feel unprepared when they start college when massive costs are placed on their shoulders. Sometimes families are able to help along the way, but they're generally not going to be able to, or want to, pay for all of your costs. One of the smartest things you can do is to look for opportunities to start saving up for college. While you're in high school, this is a great opportunity to learn how to juggle work and school. This will be a good life lesson, but also keeps you from having heavy debt throughout your career. It will also help you to cover the costs of applying for different colleges. This isn't free and can take people by surprise. I spent roughly $500 and applied to four different schools and other people spend much more.
Colleges of Prestige and Colleges of Degrees
One of my concerns when I was first going to college was finding one where the school was well-known in order to get special recommendations when I graduated. For some places, this can be a valuable asset when applying for a job, but at what cost? When you decide to go to a renown school with a king's ransom for tuition costs, you may be subjecting yourself to an unnecessary cost that you can't afford. This is a risk and you need to account for it. If you are counting on getting a cushy job after graduating, you may have high debt which you'll be paying off for the next ten or fifteen years as you struggle to get through the entry-level jobs and internships, affording rent and other expenses for living day to day.
The alternative: Go to a school you can afford and do a good job. Being able to do good in college is significant when you are applying for jobs and you really need to consider how much prestige actually has in terms of getting a job in general. As long as you can at least match your competition with diligence and ability, in the end and in my opinion, a good manager will recognize that you fulfill the job requirements. Many people have to work their way up from the bottom, but if you are willing to work hard, it won't matter after a couple of years where you went to college.
Growing Debt and Finding Grants
One of the reasons I've been able to avoid debt is being able to find loans which have been able to pretty much pay for my entire tuition, leaving me responsible for rent and food throughout my schooling which is easy to do. Most government grants cover a little bit of your tuition costs if you're eligible, but if you aren't, there are many scholarships out there that are available. These may be hard to find and will take a long time to fill out, but something which takes you about an hour to fill out may have handsome rewards. Sometimes we need to think about the benefits of taking the time to sit down and fill these forms out. I've been able to claim just about $3000 dollars in the past two years of college by finding grants that help me.
An alternative: Low-to-No Interest Loans. Obviously, no interest loans are ideal, but they have a clause. Normally they are only free up until graduation. I've known people who take out every loan that they can each semester. This poor individual had about $100,000 dollars worth of debt without graduating college and was unable to come back because of the weight of the interest. In my opinion, he hadn't thought about the consequences of what he was doing and took out what was available. When we try to exceed our ability, we are setting ourselves up for disaster.
Find a Job and Don't Waste Your Money
I find that many people squander their money in college that they could use to fight down loans and put into emergency savings. This includes extravagant parties, smoking or drinking, or even playing too many video games. Generally, when it comes to living, rent, tuition, and food are the necessities and is pretty easy to calculate. It is when you start adding to this with other costs, such as eating out everyday which can easily start exceeding $30 dollars a week on food for only a few meals.
For some people, this is not something that they are willing to give up. In my opinion, when these people complain about not being able to afford college I can only roll my eyes. There are many opportunities which you can do to pay off the necessities and if you don't have your priorities straight, you get lost in your expenses.
My solution: Find a Job. It's hard to do in small towns where everyone is looking for the same things as you, but there are opportunities out there. If you can't take classes and work at the same time, then you may need to think of alternative solutions, but hopefully you can work at least part-time while in college. This means that you could at least pay your rent and food each semester and fill your savings. Get rid of things that you don't need such as high cost subscriptions. Invest in your future, don't take a loan on it.
I've worked every semester when I've been at college, whether as an Art Model, Custodian, or working in IT. The benefits far outweigh the costs. I've made sacrifices, but in the end I've only had to worry about tuition when there were many unexpected costs that came up at the same time, but in the end, I was able to take care of it. Most of the time, it seems like our expectations for the college experience is what we're spending money on. If that is the case, I believe you should re-evaluate your goals and plan accordingly. There may be some situations where we just can't keep up, but if you've done everything you can, in my opinion you are one of the people that should get a scholarship.
Look Ahead and Start Saving
It seems like the principle of College funds for families has dwindled over the years and this is why students feel unprepared when they start college when massive costs are placed on their shoulders. Sometimes families are able to help along the way, but they're generally not going to be able to, or want to, pay for all of your costs. One of the smartest things you can do is to look for opportunities to start saving up for college. While you're in high school, this is a great opportunity to learn how to juggle work and school. This will be a good life lesson, but also keeps you from having heavy debt throughout your career. It will also help you to cover the costs of applying for different colleges. This isn't free and can take people by surprise. I spent roughly $500 and applied to four different schools and other people spend much more.
Colleges of Prestige and Colleges of Degrees
One of my concerns when I was first going to college was finding one where the school was well-known in order to get special recommendations when I graduated. For some places, this can be a valuable asset when applying for a job, but at what cost? When you decide to go to a renown school with a king's ransom for tuition costs, you may be subjecting yourself to an unnecessary cost that you can't afford. This is a risk and you need to account for it. If you are counting on getting a cushy job after graduating, you may have high debt which you'll be paying off for the next ten or fifteen years as you struggle to get through the entry-level jobs and internships, affording rent and other expenses for living day to day.
The alternative: Go to a school you can afford and do a good job. Being able to do good in college is significant when you are applying for jobs and you really need to consider how much prestige actually has in terms of getting a job in general. As long as you can at least match your competition with diligence and ability, in the end and in my opinion, a good manager will recognize that you fulfill the job requirements. Many people have to work their way up from the bottom, but if you are willing to work hard, it won't matter after a couple of years where you went to college.
Growing Debt and Finding Grants
One of the reasons I've been able to avoid debt is being able to find loans which have been able to pretty much pay for my entire tuition, leaving me responsible for rent and food throughout my schooling which is easy to do. Most government grants cover a little bit of your tuition costs if you're eligible, but if you aren't, there are many scholarships out there that are available. These may be hard to find and will take a long time to fill out, but something which takes you about an hour to fill out may have handsome rewards. Sometimes we need to think about the benefits of taking the time to sit down and fill these forms out. I've been able to claim just about $3000 dollars in the past two years of college by finding grants that help me.
An alternative: Low-to-No Interest Loans. Obviously, no interest loans are ideal, but they have a clause. Normally they are only free up until graduation. I've known people who take out every loan that they can each semester. This poor individual had about $100,000 dollars worth of debt without graduating college and was unable to come back because of the weight of the interest. In my opinion, he hadn't thought about the consequences of what he was doing and took out what was available. When we try to exceed our ability, we are setting ourselves up for disaster.
Find a Job and Don't Waste Your Money
I find that many people squander their money in college that they could use to fight down loans and put into emergency savings. This includes extravagant parties, smoking or drinking, or even playing too many video games. Generally, when it comes to living, rent, tuition, and food are the necessities and is pretty easy to calculate. It is when you start adding to this with other costs, such as eating out everyday which can easily start exceeding $30 dollars a week on food for only a few meals.
For some people, this is not something that they are willing to give up. In my opinion, when these people complain about not being able to afford college I can only roll my eyes. There are many opportunities which you can do to pay off the necessities and if you don't have your priorities straight, you get lost in your expenses.
My solution: Find a Job. It's hard to do in small towns where everyone is looking for the same things as you, but there are opportunities out there. If you can't take classes and work at the same time, then you may need to think of alternative solutions, but hopefully you can work at least part-time while in college. This means that you could at least pay your rent and food each semester and fill your savings. Get rid of things that you don't need such as high cost subscriptions. Invest in your future, don't take a loan on it.
I've worked every semester when I've been at college, whether as an Art Model, Custodian, or working in IT. The benefits far outweigh the costs. I've made sacrifices, but in the end I've only had to worry about tuition when there were many unexpected costs that came up at the same time, but in the end, I was able to take care of it. Most of the time, it seems like our expectations for the college experience is what we're spending money on. If that is the case, I believe you should re-evaluate your goals and plan accordingly. There may be some situations where we just can't keep up, but if you've done everything you can, in my opinion you are one of the people that should get a scholarship.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Ain't No Rest For No One
Most of us are probably aware of the popular song, "Ain't no rest for the wicked", which uses the idea that people lose integrity to support their families. But why? Movies like Aladdin, Fun with Dick and Jane, or Oliver Twist all seem to show moments of desperation in which morals may fall out of line in trying to maintain or improving your livelihood; but, each of us, go through the process of trying to securing a nest bed where we are able to come home every night and take care of our families. This isn't unique to the people Ever since man has existed this has been part of our lives and sometimes it becomes very bleak. For families with growing debt, dead-end jobs, or other situations which amplify the problem of provision, what are the real options?
It is a tough situation for anyone, not just a few people here and there. It's hard to truly prepare for situations you can't predict. It's not like you can quit your job when it isn't meeting your expectations or use all your money to pay off your debt. The need for food each day, rent each month, and other payments which take away from your salary leave you living paycheck to paycheck. This leaves the moral dilemma of how to handle these situations. Two sides of the argument include providing for your family by any means is appropriate or the converse that this is never appropriate because you are taking from others.
It is a tough situation for anyone, not just a few people here and there. It's hard to truly prepare for situations you can't predict. It's not like you can quit your job when it isn't meeting your expectations or use all your money to pay off your debt. The need for food each day, rent each month, and other payments which take away from your salary leave you living paycheck to paycheck. This leaves the moral dilemma of how to handle these situations. Two sides of the argument include providing for your family by any means is appropriate or the converse that this is never appropriate because you are taking from others.
"A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyanny of fate or circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power. Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself." -James AllenEvery situation is different and there doesn't seem to be an easy fix. People make choices and you have to decide what is right for your family within the constraints that you have. These are morals which we resolve to keep throughout our lives. We need to understand our choices and just do the best we can do. As little as it may help in the end, everything is based on our character. This, in my opinion, is where we should start first.
Friday, April 26, 2013
The Costs of Decision Making
This is going to be a short post about a sensitive topic for me.
When making a decision, we generally have many choices. These choices provide us with some level of benefit, whether in money or happiness, though these rewards may not be initially obvious. When we are given choices, we normally take the highest return. Well, that lowest return doesn't go away; it takes a new face. The face of an opportunity cost, or the cost of the next best alternative.
Opportunity costs arise everyday in our lives, every time we make a choice, or from our unwavering personality. Many people won't see this as a cost, but the sound-minded individual will see the benefit of seeing the options before a choice is made.
Suppose that your a brain surgeon and at your job you make about $100 per hour. Now suppose that you have to mow your lawn. You now have some choices about what to do with your lawn. You can either take the time to mow it for roughly an hour, or you can pay the neighbor boy to mow it for you. So, your goal is to maximize your return. So what do you do?
Forgetting about the stress of your job as a brain surgeon or other things that may come up, it is plain to see that you should probably pay your neighbor's kid $10 to mow the lawn while you go to work. But what if he won't do it for ten dollars? How much are you going to pay him?
Rationally, as long as you are making more from going to work then you are saving by paying the kid. This means that he could charge you just up to $99.99 before you become indifferent on whether to go to work or mow your lawn.
It may seem like non-sense, but look at it. If you mow your lawn, you lose the $100 that you could have made. If you go to work and pay the kid $10, then you'll be $90 richer. Now, if you pay him $99.99, then you still make a profit of $.01. That's more money than you would have gotten otherwise.
I've had many arguments with accountants regarding this. I've had long conversations with people talking about taking a long drive just to shop at a cheaper store. At what point is this beneficial? If you're spending $20 in gas to drive to the Wal-Mart across the state and you only spend about $100 on groceries, but the amount that you saved by doing so is less than $20, you're worse off!
What my point is, sometimes what you might think is better isn't really at all. It just seems like it on the surface. Many people think about this anyway when they try to find where the stores are cheaper, but there are additional costs that you have to take into account. But I will give this: If it's your morals not to shop at one store than another, then that's an entirely different story.
When making a decision, we generally have many choices. These choices provide us with some level of benefit, whether in money or happiness, though these rewards may not be initially obvious. When we are given choices, we normally take the highest return. Well, that lowest return doesn't go away; it takes a new face. The face of an opportunity cost, or the cost of the next best alternative.
Opportunity costs arise everyday in our lives, every time we make a choice, or from our unwavering personality. Many people won't see this as a cost, but the sound-minded individual will see the benefit of seeing the options before a choice is made.
Suppose that your a brain surgeon and at your job you make about $100 per hour. Now suppose that you have to mow your lawn. You now have some choices about what to do with your lawn. You can either take the time to mow it for roughly an hour, or you can pay the neighbor boy to mow it for you. So, your goal is to maximize your return. So what do you do?
Forgetting about the stress of your job as a brain surgeon or other things that may come up, it is plain to see that you should probably pay your neighbor's kid $10 to mow the lawn while you go to work. But what if he won't do it for ten dollars? How much are you going to pay him?
Rationally, as long as you are making more from going to work then you are saving by paying the kid. This means that he could charge you just up to $99.99 before you become indifferent on whether to go to work or mow your lawn.
It may seem like non-sense, but look at it. If you mow your lawn, you lose the $100 that you could have made. If you go to work and pay the kid $10, then you'll be $90 richer. Now, if you pay him $99.99, then you still make a profit of $.01. That's more money than you would have gotten otherwise.
I've had many arguments with accountants regarding this. I've had long conversations with people talking about taking a long drive just to shop at a cheaper store. At what point is this beneficial? If you're spending $20 in gas to drive to the Wal-Mart across the state and you only spend about $100 on groceries, but the amount that you saved by doing so is less than $20, you're worse off!
What my point is, sometimes what you might think is better isn't really at all. It just seems like it on the surface. Many people think about this anyway when they try to find where the stores are cheaper, but there are additional costs that you have to take into account. But I will give this: If it's your morals not to shop at one store than another, then that's an entirely different story.
Lengthening Your Stride, Getting a Running Start
People always ask me how I'm able to do so much in a day or how I'm able to handle such heavy loads when it comes to projects and assignments. Since I've started college I've had a job, taken a minimum of 20 credits each semester, and still have been able to date and marry my wife. There was a woman yesterday, when she heard how many credits I'm taking this semester, apologized to me and felt sorry for me. When that happens, I wonder how people spend their time.
For starters, in my opinion, it doesn't have anything to do with intelligence or skill. It comes with traits which we learn over the years having tried to work smarter while reaching your goals; and I've learned quite a bit about work from my parents. Before starting each semester in college, I do my best to read the books which the teacher has assigned so I'm not trying to copy down what the teacher is saying. I'm able to pay attention and get more from the class. When I get a new assignment at work, or when projects are underway, I spend extra time that I have looking just a bit further into the project instead of trying to just keep up.
It seems that when I'm working with people, there are set times when they start working on a project. If the project doesn't start in a week, they don't start for a week. This is mainly taken from people in my classes would are trying to "have a life" and aren't too concerned about preparation. I've never really been able to have this kind of mindset and I'm sure that there are many others out there too who would agree that it's not something that they are able to do. But when it comes down to it, I call it drive, the mental ability to get going.
When you keep yourself in the day-by-day rituals, there are so many things that just come up and you're normally spending your time juggling all of the tasks and wondering why you don't have any time for yourself. Well, when you look at it, it makes sense. When you wait til the weekend to do your gardening, you're going to have much more weeds then if you did it throughout the week. It's all a matter of how you see objectives. I've met people who think that it's more work to handle things throughout the week, but in my opinion, it's not.
When you are taking things in small doses before hand, you're able to space things out and have control over the situation. It allows you to integrate the tasks into your life rather than having everything thrown into your lap and being expected to handle it. You'll notice the change when you start to take control. As it would seem, when you get a running start into a project you're not only able to think more about the task at hand, but you get to choose how to react to the situation.
What I'm trying to say is, quicken your pace and widen your outlook. It may seem hard to get into the habit of tackling things when they come up, but it will ease the stress in your life. There are times when we will struggle with some things, but knowing that you will earlier is better than finding out when the time comes to prove yourself.
For starters, in my opinion, it doesn't have anything to do with intelligence or skill. It comes with traits which we learn over the years having tried to work smarter while reaching your goals; and I've learned quite a bit about work from my parents. Before starting each semester in college, I do my best to read the books which the teacher has assigned so I'm not trying to copy down what the teacher is saying. I'm able to pay attention and get more from the class. When I get a new assignment at work, or when projects are underway, I spend extra time that I have looking just a bit further into the project instead of trying to just keep up.
It seems that when I'm working with people, there are set times when they start working on a project. If the project doesn't start in a week, they don't start for a week. This is mainly taken from people in my classes would are trying to "have a life" and aren't too concerned about preparation. I've never really been able to have this kind of mindset and I'm sure that there are many others out there too who would agree that it's not something that they are able to do. But when it comes down to it, I call it drive, the mental ability to get going.
When you keep yourself in the day-by-day rituals, there are so many things that just come up and you're normally spending your time juggling all of the tasks and wondering why you don't have any time for yourself. Well, when you look at it, it makes sense. When you wait til the weekend to do your gardening, you're going to have much more weeds then if you did it throughout the week. It's all a matter of how you see objectives. I've met people who think that it's more work to handle things throughout the week, but in my opinion, it's not.
When you are taking things in small doses before hand, you're able to space things out and have control over the situation. It allows you to integrate the tasks into your life rather than having everything thrown into your lap and being expected to handle it. You'll notice the change when you start to take control. As it would seem, when you get a running start into a project you're not only able to think more about the task at hand, but you get to choose how to react to the situation.
What I'm trying to say is, quicken your pace and widen your outlook. It may seem hard to get into the habit of tackling things when they come up, but it will ease the stress in your life. There are times when we will struggle with some things, but knowing that you will earlier is better than finding out when the time comes to prove yourself.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
How to Learn Math
I was talking with one of my friends recently about math. When you're in elementary school, some teachers do a really good job at helping you to understand math, but are we learning how to learn math? Every one has their own way of learning, but math is something different. In my opinion, it requires a different kind of mind. It requires you to think about the problem at hand and to find the solution that fits it. For every math problem, there is a solution. Some people will tell you that there are multiple solutions, but that is only true for proof work. In the end, for most of the problems that people other than math majors will work on are problems which have a unique solution.
So one of the things that I believe people need most in learning math are examples. I think that people need to see how the method applies to what you are doing. As you browse throughout the internet for help with math, normally people help you discover the answer, but that's if you're lucky enough to have someone there with you. People try to offer suggestions about what to do, but most of the times it's the steps that you are having difficulty with. Visualization is the key. Though this will be harder when you get to advanced math courses in college, but generally things can be visualized by simple means. The problem is, in my opinion and the opinion of my friends, is that math books or teachers don't take the time to offer a large variety of examples and when the test comes, it's something that you've never seen.
Another thing that people struggle with is thinking about the problem. If you don't love math, you just want to be done with the problem and move on to the next homework assignment. This seems to be why math teachers prefer to try to force you to think about the problem. There have been many times in my math career that teachers have been little to no help. But it is true, sometimes you just aren't applying yourself to the problem. Math has many benefits in life. It is an ability that not a lot of people have, but there seem to be countless uses and it pervades just about every science in one manner or another.
Therefore, I have decided that I am going to try to do what many people do not. I am going to try to go through and solve math problems with the steps and demonstrate the methods that you have to use to find the answers. I don't have a webcam to create videos, but I will try my best to make things easy to follow without losing people. This includes using every step and process which is described. I will also categorize these math problems into a list which can be divided by topic, but I am going to start with Algebra and progress from there. Because there is also a specific need for Pre-Calculus right now, I will also be diving into this. To find the blog, click here.
Other useful resources which I have suggested to friends and family are:
Wolfram Alpha, Khan Academy and PatrickJMT (thanks to Bianco)
So one of the things that I believe people need most in learning math are examples. I think that people need to see how the method applies to what you are doing. As you browse throughout the internet for help with math, normally people help you discover the answer, but that's if you're lucky enough to have someone there with you. People try to offer suggestions about what to do, but most of the times it's the steps that you are having difficulty with. Visualization is the key. Though this will be harder when you get to advanced math courses in college, but generally things can be visualized by simple means. The problem is, in my opinion and the opinion of my friends, is that math books or teachers don't take the time to offer a large variety of examples and when the test comes, it's something that you've never seen.
Another thing that people struggle with is thinking about the problem. If you don't love math, you just want to be done with the problem and move on to the next homework assignment. This seems to be why math teachers prefer to try to force you to think about the problem. There have been many times in my math career that teachers have been little to no help. But it is true, sometimes you just aren't applying yourself to the problem. Math has many benefits in life. It is an ability that not a lot of people have, but there seem to be countless uses and it pervades just about every science in one manner or another.
Therefore, I have decided that I am going to try to do what many people do not. I am going to try to go through and solve math problems with the steps and demonstrate the methods that you have to use to find the answers. I don't have a webcam to create videos, but I will try my best to make things easy to follow without losing people. This includes using every step and process which is described. I will also categorize these math problems into a list which can be divided by topic, but I am going to start with Algebra and progress from there. Because there is also a specific need for Pre-Calculus right now, I will also be diving into this. To find the blog, click here.
Other useful resources which I have suggested to friends and family are:
Wolfram Alpha, Khan Academy and PatrickJMT (thanks to Bianco)
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Is Buying a House Still an Issue?
In the United States, roughly one-third of the population owns their homes outright with no mortgage debt; however, of those people in the United States which have mortgages or debt, the average value rose a substantial 40% from the turn of the century. In 2008, when the housing bubble burst, theories circulated as to the cause. One theory deals with lenders who were issuing loans to high-risk individuals in anticipation that they would default and insurance companies would pay them the indebted amount. This previously legal method has been combated by new government regulations and the complexity of issuing loans has increased.
In July of 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and the Consumer Protection Act were passed which increased the restrictions on lending. For many Americans, this causes discouragement in buying a home and lending offices claim that stricter regulations will make it difficult for small offices to survive, but what are the benefits to society that surround stricter guidelines?
It would appear that the government is trying to prevent another bubble from forming, which, I believe, is exactly the point. Increased complexity in lending may make things more difficult to borrow, but this also implies that applicants must find some other alternative, such as pursuing housing which they can already afford. In the meanwhile, this may correspond to a lower demand for buying homes and causing the prices of homes to decrease. Eventually, as the market returns to equilibrium, buyers and sellers in the market will find each other again and prices will begin to stabilize.
With this crisis and reform came the inception of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.This office acts as a organizational watch dog to look out for consumer interests acting under the direction of a senate appointed director. For additional information see the resources below.
Resources:
Banking Senate
Dodd-Frank Cheat Sheet
In July of 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and the Consumer Protection Act were passed which increased the restrictions on lending. For many Americans, this causes discouragement in buying a home and lending offices claim that stricter regulations will make it difficult for small offices to survive, but what are the benefits to society that surround stricter guidelines?
It would appear that the government is trying to prevent another bubble from forming, which, I believe, is exactly the point. Increased complexity in lending may make things more difficult to borrow, but this also implies that applicants must find some other alternative, such as pursuing housing which they can already afford. In the meanwhile, this may correspond to a lower demand for buying homes and causing the prices of homes to decrease. Eventually, as the market returns to equilibrium, buyers and sellers in the market will find each other again and prices will begin to stabilize.
With this crisis and reform came the inception of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.This office acts as a organizational watch dog to look out for consumer interests acting under the direction of a senate appointed director. For additional information see the resources below.
Resources:
Banking Senate
Dodd-Frank Cheat Sheet
Virtues of Starting a Blog and Keeping it Going
While the simplicity of accessing the internet is growing, we see large surges in social networking sites, media sites, and blogs. As Facebook has become a common household name with nearly 850 million users, (Linkedin with nearly 130 million users and Google+ with nearly 100 million users), we can only expect that this form of communication will grow. The dynamic of social networking, in essence, is centered around communicating quickly with people nearby and around the world within seconds. Most of this communication consists of "likes" and brief comments, but for many users, they want the ability to give and receive information in moderate doses.
Starting a blog is an effective way to communicate a variety of thoughts throughout your life. Most of the blogs which I've read are generally economic items which people write. I have a few blogs which relate to various aspects of my life where I can collaborate my thoughts and make, what I hope are, useful citations. When you start a blog, it never hurts to experiment with ideas just to get the ball rolling. If the writing could use a little work, don't stress, you'll find things and get suggestions from people that happen to come on your blog.
When I was looking for things to put in my SharePoint blog (if you don't know what that is, feel free to check it out), I used Google Trends to find out what people were having the most questions about in SharePoint and I'd write about those things since I work with SharePoint everyday. It's a means of finding a little niche that you can find your way into.
One of the reasons why you may want to start a blog is to earn money. Most domain servers will charge you a little each month to keep your site going, but Google+ is free to use and provides a number of resources for your disposal, especially if you are just beginning to blog. I've explore a few of the other ones and settled here. But probably the information which you are looking for is Google Adsense.
Google Adsense is designed to bring advertisers to your site. There is a review process that they will perform before you can start using their service, but this shouldn't take too long. Once you start getting advertisements, you get paid money every time that someone views your blog, when they click on an advertisement, or buy something by way of an advertisement on your site. At first it doesn't grow quickly, but the money will grow quickly.
Most of the problems which people have when it comes to getting approved is that they do it too early before they have a significant amount of content, or traffic, to try to get advertisers to want to advertise. Remember, they're paying to be there, so they want to be able to get the clicks. If you're using blogger then going to the layout menu you can have Google place the ads for you in your site and you can add "gadgets" which may also be adds. Each click won't generate a lot of money, but the possibilities are large. And don't worry about what ads show up, they have a program that adapts the content to the advertisers.
Another useful tool for getting information about how your site is performing is Google Analytics. Be patient as you start out because there probably won't be a lot of traffic, but it will pick up as you keep going. Post the code that they give you in the <head> portion of the HTML code and it will take care of the rest.
In order to make your searches more effective, you can also use Google Adwords. This will help people navigate to your sites by being pulled by more searches. It costs a little bit, not as much as you'd think, but it has large benefits for gaining an audience.
I started a blog original to collect my thoughts and write down my ideas and see what other people thought about them. You might want to make a blog for your family, a class, or something else, but it is a good opportunity for you to sit down and just think about what you are writing. The content will come as you begin thinking about your audience in general.
Starting a blog is an effective way to communicate a variety of thoughts throughout your life. Most of the blogs which I've read are generally economic items which people write. I have a few blogs which relate to various aspects of my life where I can collaborate my thoughts and make, what I hope are, useful citations. When you start a blog, it never hurts to experiment with ideas just to get the ball rolling. If the writing could use a little work, don't stress, you'll find things and get suggestions from people that happen to come on your blog.
When I was looking for things to put in my SharePoint blog (if you don't know what that is, feel free to check it out), I used Google Trends to find out what people were having the most questions about in SharePoint and I'd write about those things since I work with SharePoint everyday. It's a means of finding a little niche that you can find your way into.
One of the reasons why you may want to start a blog is to earn money. Most domain servers will charge you a little each month to keep your site going, but Google+ is free to use and provides a number of resources for your disposal, especially if you are just beginning to blog. I've explore a few of the other ones and settled here. But probably the information which you are looking for is Google Adsense.
Google Adsense is designed to bring advertisers to your site. There is a review process that they will perform before you can start using their service, but this shouldn't take too long. Once you start getting advertisements, you get paid money every time that someone views your blog, when they click on an advertisement, or buy something by way of an advertisement on your site. At first it doesn't grow quickly, but the money will grow quickly.
Most of the problems which people have when it comes to getting approved is that they do it too early before they have a significant amount of content, or traffic, to try to get advertisers to want to advertise. Remember, they're paying to be there, so they want to be able to get the clicks. If you're using blogger then going to the layout menu you can have Google place the ads for you in your site and you can add "gadgets" which may also be adds. Each click won't generate a lot of money, but the possibilities are large. And don't worry about what ads show up, they have a program that adapts the content to the advertisers.
Another useful tool for getting information about how your site is performing is Google Analytics. Be patient as you start out because there probably won't be a lot of traffic, but it will pick up as you keep going. Post the code that they give you in the <head> portion of the HTML code and it will take care of the rest.
In order to make your searches more effective, you can also use Google Adwords. This will help people navigate to your sites by being pulled by more searches. It costs a little bit, not as much as you'd think, but it has large benefits for gaining an audience.
I started a blog original to collect my thoughts and write down my ideas and see what other people thought about them. You might want to make a blog for your family, a class, or something else, but it is a good opportunity for you to sit down and just think about what you are writing. The content will come as you begin thinking about your audience in general.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Taste the Culture, Broaden Your Circle
It's easy to find comfort in things which are familiar. I'm sure we've all found ourselves ordering the same things off the menu, taking the same routes to work each morning, getting into the habit of watching the same shows and re-runs day after day. When I was younger I recognized the necessity to try new things, but I did need some help to get out of my rut. It was others which breathed perspective into me.
An example from my life my not be the best, but it can help with the feeling of the daily routine. When I was in the Netherlands for nearly two years, I spent most of the day on buses, trams, or trains going from appointment to appointment. There wasn't much time to get out and actually experience the culture, or so I thought. One day, I was traveling on a bus in the afternoon on a busy day and someone sat down next to me. For some reason, I made a kind gesture and we started a conversation. We didn't really talk about much, but I remember that I felt more involved with life having just met someone new. Each day after that, I made it a goal to talk to someone different everyday, but just to talk about what they wanted to and not talk about myself. It was tricky at first, but I actually began to enjoy it. Eventually as I became more open to conversation, people actually started talking to me. I treated each person as a friend, someone that I hadn't seen in a long time, picking up where we left off. This has stuck with me ever since. Whether sitting in an airplane or waiting for a bus, being friendly can have rich effects on your life and how you feel. Many of the people that I've met have ranged from bankers, helicopter pilots, doctors, students, tourists, and many others which had interesting stories to tell.
Another story happened while I was in Tokyo. While my brother and I were looking for a place to eat it was getting dark so we walked into a nearby ramen shop. Being two tall Americans, we more than stood out. When we were seated, we looked at the menu, pointed at something that looked decent, and took in the environment. Moments later, a man came in and was seated next to me. I didn't think it would be polite to not try to start a conversation, so in my bad Japanese I said, "Nice weather, yes?" and this man's eyes lit up. We began a nice conversation and we finished our meals at about the same time. To make a memory of the moment, I had my brother take a photo of this man and me. While we walked to the cashier to pay, this man grabbed our check and said in his broken English, "You send me a copy of that photo, I'm paying for your food." It was a moment that I will never forget.
I only ever got to see the Windmills a couple times in the Netherlands, I only went to Tokyo Disneyland once, and those memories are nice, but it was the people that I remember most. It is impossible to imagine what will happen each day and how it might affect your life. There are so many new people to meet, languages to learn, and places to go. But when it comes to meeting new people, I've always maintained that you need to be able to communicate with someone in the manner which best suits them. To truly understand their perspective, you need to speak THEIR language. My personal theme for this post is to get out of the routine, try something different and be open to new experiences. It's your life to live.
An example from my life my not be the best, but it can help with the feeling of the daily routine. When I was in the Netherlands for nearly two years, I spent most of the day on buses, trams, or trains going from appointment to appointment. There wasn't much time to get out and actually experience the culture, or so I thought. One day, I was traveling on a bus in the afternoon on a busy day and someone sat down next to me. For some reason, I made a kind gesture and we started a conversation. We didn't really talk about much, but I remember that I felt more involved with life having just met someone new. Each day after that, I made it a goal to talk to someone different everyday, but just to talk about what they wanted to and not talk about myself. It was tricky at first, but I actually began to enjoy it. Eventually as I became more open to conversation, people actually started talking to me. I treated each person as a friend, someone that I hadn't seen in a long time, picking up where we left off. This has stuck with me ever since. Whether sitting in an airplane or waiting for a bus, being friendly can have rich effects on your life and how you feel. Many of the people that I've met have ranged from bankers, helicopter pilots, doctors, students, tourists, and many others which had interesting stories to tell.
Another story happened while I was in Tokyo. While my brother and I were looking for a place to eat it was getting dark so we walked into a nearby ramen shop. Being two tall Americans, we more than stood out. When we were seated, we looked at the menu, pointed at something that looked decent, and took in the environment. Moments later, a man came in and was seated next to me. I didn't think it would be polite to not try to start a conversation, so in my bad Japanese I said, "Nice weather, yes?" and this man's eyes lit up. We began a nice conversation and we finished our meals at about the same time. To make a memory of the moment, I had my brother take a photo of this man and me. While we walked to the cashier to pay, this man grabbed our check and said in his broken English, "You send me a copy of that photo, I'm paying for your food." It was a moment that I will never forget.
I only ever got to see the Windmills a couple times in the Netherlands, I only went to Tokyo Disneyland once, and those memories are nice, but it was the people that I remember most. It is impossible to imagine what will happen each day and how it might affect your life. There are so many new people to meet, languages to learn, and places to go. But when it comes to meeting new people, I've always maintained that you need to be able to communicate with someone in the manner which best suits them. To truly understand their perspective, you need to speak THEIR language. My personal theme for this post is to get out of the routine, try something different and be open to new experiences. It's your life to live.
Save the Cook!
The ability to cook is underrated. People generally think that it is easier, which is most of the time, to just order out or eat fast food. Though the fast food culture has taken over most of the eating habits of the United States and other countries. The main appeal is the luxury of not having to cook, but at what cost?
Most of the time we are aware that eating out has both health issues and costs more. When it comes time to decide what to eat for dinner, it is easy to justify going to grab a hamburger or pizza. We don't think anything of a dollar here or there, but normally our meals range from $3 to $7 every when we aren't buying much.
When I was in high school, my best friend and I would go to lunch everyday because the food at the cafeteria was both expensive and disgusting. Occasionally, we would go to our houses to eat meals that were prepared or ready there, but generally we would spend about $5 on things nearby. When you consider how many days of school there are and how much each meal costs, we reasoned that we spent nearly $800 during the school year on food. Now imagine how much money cooking at home costs. Generally it is much cheaper, but you're also inclined to eat less. But these costs are only one meal in the day. How much more are you spending on breakfast and dinner?
People seem to suffer from the mentality of, "I bought it, so I have to eat it." The idea of saving what you have left over from lunch isn't something that you like to do. This is compounded by the fact that you have to reason what you want to eat before-hand. This means that you have to judge the amount that you want to eat and if you are wrong you are either hungry or have too much food. When you are hungry you will most likely try to find food that is in vending machines nearby to delight from, but these cost much more than from the store.
The principle of eating at home or bringing food from home with you is something that shouldn't be overrated. The cost of food is too high when you take into account all of the other factors which go into the decision process. Though there may be times when you are craving something, most of the time you just need something to fill your stomach. Learning to wait or to cook can save you money.
The technicalities of learning how to cook are life principles that should be learned at a young age, or as young as you can get. This helps you understand your tastes better, but also inspires you to eat healthier, spend your money wiser on foods, and be satisfied. There are times when it will be frustrating learning how to cook, but it is an investment. On average, I try to eat roughly $2 per meal. This doesn't go very far when you're on the go, but at home it can be pretty filling.
When you consider a bag of flour, eggs, and milk goes a long way when you cook right, the added cost comes to about $10. With these items, you can easily make pancakes or other breakfast items throughout the week, or space it out and save money. A typical meal of pancakes will cost you $.50 to $1 when you make it at home. Though there are added costs, you will generally stay below your budget.
There are many foods which you can make for on the go, so don't get tricked into spending excess money on fast-food which puts pressure on your budget. Take come time to learn how to cook. It's a life lesson that tastes better than others.
Most of the time we are aware that eating out has both health issues and costs more. When it comes time to decide what to eat for dinner, it is easy to justify going to grab a hamburger or pizza. We don't think anything of a dollar here or there, but normally our meals range from $3 to $7 every when we aren't buying much.
When I was in high school, my best friend and I would go to lunch everyday because the food at the cafeteria was both expensive and disgusting. Occasionally, we would go to our houses to eat meals that were prepared or ready there, but generally we would spend about $5 on things nearby. When you consider how many days of school there are and how much each meal costs, we reasoned that we spent nearly $800 during the school year on food. Now imagine how much money cooking at home costs. Generally it is much cheaper, but you're also inclined to eat less. But these costs are only one meal in the day. How much more are you spending on breakfast and dinner?
People seem to suffer from the mentality of, "I bought it, so I have to eat it." The idea of saving what you have left over from lunch isn't something that you like to do. This is compounded by the fact that you have to reason what you want to eat before-hand. This means that you have to judge the amount that you want to eat and if you are wrong you are either hungry or have too much food. When you are hungry you will most likely try to find food that is in vending machines nearby to delight from, but these cost much more than from the store.
The principle of eating at home or bringing food from home with you is something that shouldn't be overrated. The cost of food is too high when you take into account all of the other factors which go into the decision process. Though there may be times when you are craving something, most of the time you just need something to fill your stomach. Learning to wait or to cook can save you money.
The technicalities of learning how to cook are life principles that should be learned at a young age, or as young as you can get. This helps you understand your tastes better, but also inspires you to eat healthier, spend your money wiser on foods, and be satisfied. There are times when it will be frustrating learning how to cook, but it is an investment. On average, I try to eat roughly $2 per meal. This doesn't go very far when you're on the go, but at home it can be pretty filling.
When you consider a bag of flour, eggs, and milk goes a long way when you cook right, the added cost comes to about $10. With these items, you can easily make pancakes or other breakfast items throughout the week, or space it out and save money. A typical meal of pancakes will cost you $.50 to $1 when you make it at home. Though there are added costs, you will generally stay below your budget.
There are many foods which you can make for on the go, so don't get tricked into spending excess money on fast-food which puts pressure on your budget. Take come time to learn how to cook. It's a life lesson that tastes better than others.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Common Sense
There is nothing in life that is more note-worthy than good ol' fashion common sense. There are some people, as we would see day by day, seem to lack the common sense it would take to wake up in the morning. Most of us while reading this will even think of someone in particular when we think of people who lack common sense. But what do we mean by common sense and is it something truly common?
Generally, as we perform rudimentary tasks throughout the day it would seem almost obvious what things we would need to do to finish a task. Simple things are normally in the common sense category. Things like sweeping the floor, how to use a straw, or sharpening a pencil. It would seem almost ironic for someone to ask how to do these tasks and it is frustrating when they do it wrong.
In my mind, common sense isn't something that is naturally endowed in the human mind, but it is the manner of thinking that is cultivated in the mind, the ability to look at a task a see how things must naturally come together. To see the relations between objects might seem harder than necessary for the infant or even the adult, the mind seems to make the connections without our conscious thought. These connections, the ones which are solved before our knowing how to work the mechanism, is common sense.
But why do people seem to lack this common sense? That's an easy question when you really start to think about it. We've come to some point in the human condition where some people are allowed to be tolerated in their inability to the point where the burden is placed on us to fill their needs. They do not develop the basic, concrete understanding necessary to survive on their own.
It is not my place, nor can I know, where people with these skills will end up. Things can happen everyday which seem to open our eyes to some new possibilities which we can undertake to learn how the world works. We see it in commercials everyday as if it is almost routine. Someone is given a simple task that they do not know how to perform because they've never done it themselves.
Now, my goal in posting this is not to inspire people to seek out people and knock some common sense into their skulls. My goal is to inspire people to look deeper and try to look out for new possibilities and try to make the connections necessary to make progress in their lives both personally and professionally. Don't dwell on the people who don't seem to have common sense, but don't coddle them either. Everyone should seek opportunities to increase their intuition. Take advantage of your senses and surpass the common.
Generally, as we perform rudimentary tasks throughout the day it would seem almost obvious what things we would need to do to finish a task. Simple things are normally in the common sense category. Things like sweeping the floor, how to use a straw, or sharpening a pencil. It would seem almost ironic for someone to ask how to do these tasks and it is frustrating when they do it wrong.
In my mind, common sense isn't something that is naturally endowed in the human mind, but it is the manner of thinking that is cultivated in the mind, the ability to look at a task a see how things must naturally come together. To see the relations between objects might seem harder than necessary for the infant or even the adult, the mind seems to make the connections without our conscious thought. These connections, the ones which are solved before our knowing how to work the mechanism, is common sense.
But why do people seem to lack this common sense? That's an easy question when you really start to think about it. We've come to some point in the human condition where some people are allowed to be tolerated in their inability to the point where the burden is placed on us to fill their needs. They do not develop the basic, concrete understanding necessary to survive on their own.
It is not my place, nor can I know, where people with these skills will end up. Things can happen everyday which seem to open our eyes to some new possibilities which we can undertake to learn how the world works. We see it in commercials everyday as if it is almost routine. Someone is given a simple task that they do not know how to perform because they've never done it themselves.
Now, my goal in posting this is not to inspire people to seek out people and knock some common sense into their skulls. My goal is to inspire people to look deeper and try to look out for new possibilities and try to make the connections necessary to make progress in their lives both personally and professionally. Don't dwell on the people who don't seem to have common sense, but don't coddle them either. Everyone should seek opportunities to increase their intuition. Take advantage of your senses and surpass the common.
Why Some People Get Raises and Others Don't
My dad is a pretty smart guy. He often takes time to teach me lessons which I don't believe he thinks I listen to. For most parents, this is understandable, but he has many valuable lessons which I have notes of throughout my journals. One of them is a quote which my wife hears me say often, "Just do what you need to do." From a personal perspective this is useful advice, but you need to be careful when applying it to your profession. In other words, learn what you need to do and do it better.
Recently, one of the lessons that my dad taught me was the principle of being successful at work. We often think that raises will come with time where you'll end up with what my wife almost got: a seven cent raise and little responsibility. Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you just have to live with it. Luckily, this wasn't the case, but here's how you might be able to prevent it.
In general, getting a raise in most careers is to compensate employees for the increased cost of living which comes each year due to inflation. The raises are small and generally don't provide extra benefit, just making you able to do the same things that you could before, assuming those things aren't luxurious. Most bosses don't like to give raises because costs increase as inflation grows, but you need money too. This reduces their profit and the ability for them to either expand or innovate.
So what warrants a raise? Make yourself necessary. This doesn't mean that you should start a commotion and make it necessary to keep you quiet. That's the line for replacement. Generally, I think the jobs that most people fill are easy to fill. The trick is to show that you are able to increase profits and keep that system working. It also works to show initiative, but you shouldn't get frustrated if it seems like people are ignoring your efforts if it's part of your job description already. In the grand scheme of things, it will be noticed.
What I have adopted in any job that I have gotten is the principle of knowing what your immediate superior does and anyone who is under you does. This will allow you to control your environment and be aware of everything that is taking place. This also allows you to take some of the pressure off of your boss and he will most likely thank you for this. In a good working environment, this attitude is rewarded.
Something that you should avoid is becoming too important. But why? It does seem counter-intuitive. Here's a circumstance which could happen, being too important in the position that you are in that they can't afford to promote you. This could be inevitable for a small company, but isn't unheard of for larger companies. The trick to avoid is while you are learning the duties of your boss, find a nice worker who you can teach to do your job. This way when promotions come around, you can take your boss's job and fill your old job with the other guy.
This method is also useful for people who are trying to ensure the security and flow of business. If you are too dependent on one person and he either quits or gets hit by a bus, your company isn't crippled.
On the part of the individual, you may want to consider this as you grow in your life. We should be making constant progress and not be stagnant in the career that we have. Even if you are comfortable in your career, being a valuable asset will show the company that you are worth keeping around. In keeping this goal and maintaining a good insight with the job that I am working and being able to take some of the heat off of both of my bosses I have been able to reap the benefits of more responsibility and maintain good work relations. In other words, this has been a good week for both me and my wife as we were able to increase our salaries.
Recently, one of the lessons that my dad taught me was the principle of being successful at work. We often think that raises will come with time where you'll end up with what my wife almost got: a seven cent raise and little responsibility. Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you just have to live with it. Luckily, this wasn't the case, but here's how you might be able to prevent it.
In general, getting a raise in most careers is to compensate employees for the increased cost of living which comes each year due to inflation. The raises are small and generally don't provide extra benefit, just making you able to do the same things that you could before, assuming those things aren't luxurious. Most bosses don't like to give raises because costs increase as inflation grows, but you need money too. This reduces their profit and the ability for them to either expand or innovate.
So what warrants a raise? Make yourself necessary. This doesn't mean that you should start a commotion and make it necessary to keep you quiet. That's the line for replacement. Generally, I think the jobs that most people fill are easy to fill. The trick is to show that you are able to increase profits and keep that system working. It also works to show initiative, but you shouldn't get frustrated if it seems like people are ignoring your efforts if it's part of your job description already. In the grand scheme of things, it will be noticed.
What I have adopted in any job that I have gotten is the principle of knowing what your immediate superior does and anyone who is under you does. This will allow you to control your environment and be aware of everything that is taking place. This also allows you to take some of the pressure off of your boss and he will most likely thank you for this. In a good working environment, this attitude is rewarded.
Something that you should avoid is becoming too important. But why? It does seem counter-intuitive. Here's a circumstance which could happen, being too important in the position that you are in that they can't afford to promote you. This could be inevitable for a small company, but isn't unheard of for larger companies. The trick to avoid is while you are learning the duties of your boss, find a nice worker who you can teach to do your job. This way when promotions come around, you can take your boss's job and fill your old job with the other guy.
This method is also useful for people who are trying to ensure the security and flow of business. If you are too dependent on one person and he either quits or gets hit by a bus, your company isn't crippled.
On the part of the individual, you may want to consider this as you grow in your life. We should be making constant progress and not be stagnant in the career that we have. Even if you are comfortable in your career, being a valuable asset will show the company that you are worth keeping around. In keeping this goal and maintaining a good insight with the job that I am working and being able to take some of the heat off of both of my bosses I have been able to reap the benefits of more responsibility and maintain good work relations. In other words, this has been a good week for both me and my wife as we were able to increase our salaries.
Remember to Ask Questions
Anyone who knows me is aware that it is hard for me to ask others for help when it comes to understanding certain material. Sometimes, this is something that needs to happen in order for learning to improve, to understand the requirements of your job better, or simply to build relations with others. As we become able to expand this ability, we will find that our ability to grow will be magnified.
Why is this? When we open ourselves up to the opinions of others, we are able to broaden our scope and conquer those problems which we are struggling with. Most often, the misconceptions which we have in our minds are not so directly addressed to resolve the problem. When we leave those questions the way that they are, it becomes harder to fix, and anyone who has sought to correct a problem will know that it requirements a significant time commitment to correct.
Organizations as a whole like communication between those involved in certain projects. The ability to communicate well will expand the capabilities which you are able to accomplish. So much of our time is spent trying to work out all of the problems individually while there are people all around us attempting the same problems. Many people argue that they want to learn it for themselves, and that's a valuable trait to have, but this does not mean that when you stumble the option of help is not out of question.
At first, this seems like something that is only an option when you are in school and you are put into groups, but think beyond this. If you are assigned a project in your business and you are not exactly aware of how to accomplish a problem, how much harm would it cause to venture out to your family, friends, or even colleagues to solve the problems which you have encountered. Various social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, have groups which are full of people who are working in some field. I'm not saying that you need to expose everything about yourself, but to be able to communicate will allow you to be effective and perhaps become much more profitable.
There are, however, pitfalls to avoid which corresponds exactly to the people who fight against asking people for help, and that is that you get in the habit of taking the words of others with confidence. The purpose of communication is to ask questions, to unravel the mysteries in your mind and uproot the misconceptions before they fester. To simply resolve to copy the work of others will only add to your inability to think and you will lose everything that you are trying to learn.
In other words, be mindful of the problems that you are working on and learn how to grow. Don't shape yourself using someone else's measure, but be confident in what you are doing and if you aren't, study until you are. Don't give up, but learn how to use your resources.
Why is this? When we open ourselves up to the opinions of others, we are able to broaden our scope and conquer those problems which we are struggling with. Most often, the misconceptions which we have in our minds are not so directly addressed to resolve the problem. When we leave those questions the way that they are, it becomes harder to fix, and anyone who has sought to correct a problem will know that it requirements a significant time commitment to correct.
Organizations as a whole like communication between those involved in certain projects. The ability to communicate well will expand the capabilities which you are able to accomplish. So much of our time is spent trying to work out all of the problems individually while there are people all around us attempting the same problems. Many people argue that they want to learn it for themselves, and that's a valuable trait to have, but this does not mean that when you stumble the option of help is not out of question.
At first, this seems like something that is only an option when you are in school and you are put into groups, but think beyond this. If you are assigned a project in your business and you are not exactly aware of how to accomplish a problem, how much harm would it cause to venture out to your family, friends, or even colleagues to solve the problems which you have encountered. Various social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, have groups which are full of people who are working in some field. I'm not saying that you need to expose everything about yourself, but to be able to communicate will allow you to be effective and perhaps become much more profitable.
There are, however, pitfalls to avoid which corresponds exactly to the people who fight against asking people for help, and that is that you get in the habit of taking the words of others with confidence. The purpose of communication is to ask questions, to unravel the mysteries in your mind and uproot the misconceptions before they fester. To simply resolve to copy the work of others will only add to your inability to think and you will lose everything that you are trying to learn.
In other words, be mindful of the problems that you are working on and learn how to grow. Don't shape yourself using someone else's measure, but be confident in what you are doing and if you aren't, study until you are. Don't give up, but learn how to use your resources.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Pruning Yourself and Bringing Growth
Recently, I was inspired by various plants in my terrarium. You see, my plants are stored in a glass case which we got for our wedding. There are four different plants in the terrarium that have previously appeared very healthy, until recently when we were staying at a motel and they weren't treated right. During this time, many of the leaves started to wilt and change colors. Other leaves started to decay. I was oddly worried for my plants and I tried watering them which doesn't seem to help much. But this is exactly what you shouldn't do.
You see, my inexperience with plants forced me to do some research. When a plant is dying you are still able to save it as long as you keep the various parts which are still living and prune off the parts which are dying. As much as it might hurt you to do so and you think that if you cut off certain parts it will surely die. As I began to prune off the wilting portions, I began to think about myself and the parts of my personality which are either fading away or dying. For people, we aren't necessarily able to cut off the parts of us which are dying when it comes to our mentality. Sometimes we need to do some mental pruning. But why?
With a plant, you prune off the leaves, you reduce the amount of sunlight it receives, and you limit the water. This limiting process forces the plant to recharge itself and fight for survival because that is the main goal of plants.
How often are we just sitting idly and fading away? When we lose ourselves and our perspective on life, we are subjecting ourselves to the decay which corrupts us with the complacent mentality we may be quite familiar with. Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith and reach a point where we are trying to survive. This will rejuvenate us and help us to find more pleasure in life.
Though it has been too soon to see how my plant will react to its new stature, I am confident that it will survive and I feel better when I walk into the room. We should all look into our lives and find what we can prune and what we need to survive whatever the problem may be. When you begin to broaden your scope, you will see that this applies to so many things. Remember, it will be a struggle, but that's how you blossom.
You see, my inexperience with plants forced me to do some research. When a plant is dying you are still able to save it as long as you keep the various parts which are still living and prune off the parts which are dying. As much as it might hurt you to do so and you think that if you cut off certain parts it will surely die. As I began to prune off the wilting portions, I began to think about myself and the parts of my personality which are either fading away or dying. For people, we aren't necessarily able to cut off the parts of us which are dying when it comes to our mentality. Sometimes we need to do some mental pruning. But why?
With a plant, you prune off the leaves, you reduce the amount of sunlight it receives, and you limit the water. This limiting process forces the plant to recharge itself and fight for survival because that is the main goal of plants.
How often are we just sitting idly and fading away? When we lose ourselves and our perspective on life, we are subjecting ourselves to the decay which corrupts us with the complacent mentality we may be quite familiar with. Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith and reach a point where we are trying to survive. This will rejuvenate us and help us to find more pleasure in life.
Though it has been too soon to see how my plant will react to its new stature, I am confident that it will survive and I feel better when I walk into the room. We should all look into our lives and find what we can prune and what we need to survive whatever the problem may be. When you begin to broaden your scope, you will see that this applies to so many things. Remember, it will be a struggle, but that's how you blossom.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
The Places We Live
There is much to be said about living overseas or in new areas. For someone who has never traveled, it may seem uncomfortable to leave behind all of the things which you are familiar with and try to adopt new ideas and principles. It is hard for me to imagine that there are people who have never left the city that they were born in. I feel that it is necessary, at least for some time in your life, to leave an area for a lengthy amount of time to gain some perspective.
Some people think that it would be nice to travel, but it isn't necessary. I've heard people tell me that and also say that with the internet, you can get just as much out of staying home and just studying. Having lived in both Asia and Europe for some time, let me tell you that there is nothing better than experiencing these things for yourself, to interact with the culture rather than looking at it.
One of the problems that I have seen in conversing with people is a limited scope. Even when I've been traveling with people, they sometimes expect that people will have the same mannerisms that they have grown up with. This culture shock can be sometimes embarrassing to watch. But there are times when it is nice to see people helping each other.
One time I was traveling to Belgium with a group of guys that I had learned Dutch with. We felt pretty confident with the language in general, but there was still room for a lot of improvement. When we left from Atlanta to Brussels, we were filled with excitement, and having a background in french I was able to interpret the intercom announcement; however, when the dutch intercom came on all of us looked at each other with no idea what was being said. The Flemish dialect was so different that we couldn't catch a single word except "Good day" and that was it. We laughed a little to ourselves and began to relax. After a little while, we heard one of the guys that we studied with trying to talk to the people around him. We kept hearing the word "Vacuum" over and over again and we were trying to figure out what was going on. When we looked over, there was a large group of people helping him with pronunciation and just having a good time.
There are so many things to experience within a culture that you can't get elsewhere. Traveling allows you to expand your vision and re-experience the process of adaptation. This is a real-life lesson which we should all experience and if you have the time, I would recommend taking the opportunity to go just about anywhere. You never know what kind of experiences that you can have.
Some people think that it would be nice to travel, but it isn't necessary. I've heard people tell me that and also say that with the internet, you can get just as much out of staying home and just studying. Having lived in both Asia and Europe for some time, let me tell you that there is nothing better than experiencing these things for yourself, to interact with the culture rather than looking at it.
One of the problems that I have seen in conversing with people is a limited scope. Even when I've been traveling with people, they sometimes expect that people will have the same mannerisms that they have grown up with. This culture shock can be sometimes embarrassing to watch. But there are times when it is nice to see people helping each other.
One time I was traveling to Belgium with a group of guys that I had learned Dutch with. We felt pretty confident with the language in general, but there was still room for a lot of improvement. When we left from Atlanta to Brussels, we were filled with excitement, and having a background in french I was able to interpret the intercom announcement; however, when the dutch intercom came on all of us looked at each other with no idea what was being said. The Flemish dialect was so different that we couldn't catch a single word except "Good day" and that was it. We laughed a little to ourselves and began to relax. After a little while, we heard one of the guys that we studied with trying to talk to the people around him. We kept hearing the word "Vacuum" over and over again and we were trying to figure out what was going on. When we looked over, there was a large group of people helping him with pronunciation and just having a good time.
There are so many things to experience within a culture that you can't get elsewhere. Traveling allows you to expand your vision and re-experience the process of adaptation. This is a real-life lesson which we should all experience and if you have the time, I would recommend taking the opportunity to go just about anywhere. You never know what kind of experiences that you can have.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Languages you speak!
When I was younger, I thought it was fun to learn new languages. I remember that when I was still living in Virginia, my oldest brother taught me the french alphabet and I could recite this even when I entered into the first grade. When I was getting into the fifth grade, I started learning Japanese and eventually I started learning all sorts of languages including Farsi, Hebrew, and Dutch. I could never understand why people have such a hard time learning languages because it has always been something that seems to come naturally to me, but then again, I enjoy doing it.
It seems like one of the problems that people have is the dedication which people have when it comes to learning a new language. People always are asking me how I am able to learn so many languages and keep them straight. The first key is this. LOVE THE LANGUAGE YOU ARE LEARNING! I don't mean just love the language in general, you have to want to learn the language almost more than speaking English. It has to be something that you want to keep up every day for the rest of your life, and believe me, if you don't, you'll lose it.
This is easier said then done. I know people that try month by month to learn a new language and never get past the present tense, which is easy if you are speaking Chinese, but generally you'll want to know more than that. This is because they get discouraged along the way and don't have much incentive. People mention that you need to immerse yourself in the language, but that's not what does it, it's the fact that your mind registers that you need to learn this new language to survive. Sometimes it's not that extreme, in fact, most of the time it's not. Regardless, you need that urgency. It has to be something that you wake up thinking about in order to really learn it.
It seems easy to just talk about, and perhaps you can even feel the desire growing inside you to learn a new language because you have the desire, but how are going to go about learning it? This is normally where people stumble. There are so many ways to go out and learn a language that it can be confusing. Are you going to buy those little books, Rosetta Stone, or some other random method? Most likely you'll run through many of these before you get to one that suits your need.
Let me say this, the first, new language is always the hardest. Learning your mother tongue is easy because it's how you were raised and you didn't really think about it. A new language requires you to adopt a new process of thinking, especially if the grammar and structure is different entirely. This is the main point that people struggle with. You need to realize that it's not English and there isn't a good reason why the language is spoken like that. It might be intuitive, but generally a language will not be intuitive.
So, people ask me my process because it's just easy for me to learn a language. Most commonly, I give the same answer that people should find out their own method, but they don't like this answer. My method starts out with what we do when we're younger. You need things, but you don't know what items are called. So, two ways to start. Learn the verbs, or learn the nouns. Don't worry about the grammar. You'll get so confused by grammatical structures that you'll give up. Simple things like food items is a good place to start because they are things that you see every day. If you can make connections, it will be easier.
To talk about connections for a moment, you need them. It helps you to form a process in your mind for your brain to trace. If you learn a whole bunch of random words, you'll most likely forget a majority of them once you stop studying, unless it stands out for some reason. One of the key things that I do when I'm first starting to learn a language is to find someone who is able to speak the language. This is how I learned Spanish while living in Amsterdam! There are hundreds of people walking around who speak Spanish willing to talk to you just because they're bored. I would ask them how to pronounce something and during these conversations a friendship would develop. This is a great life resource.
After you learn verbs and nouns, start to learn some tenses. Start with the present tense of course, then the past tense for story telling, then the future tense to what your plans are. If you can make the connections with your life, the language will come all the easier. You just need to speak.
Which brings me to the most important parts of learning a language. SPEAK! Nothing bothers me more than when people want to learn and don't speak. Your tongue will never get used to the motion and you'll sound ridiculous. Even if it's to yourself, you need to speak. What I do is I read books in other languages out-loud in order to practice. It's good practice and if you're familiar with the book, it's simple.
That's my advice for learning a language. Once you get comfortable and start finding people who speak the language, it will develop itself.
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