Uncategorized – Page 9 – Everyday is an Interview

Front Loading – Financials

I am always trying to front-load my money. I do this by placing more into savings at the beginning of a cycle, paying additional principal early in the loan cycle (it is funny how I do not miss the money), saving up money for big purchases, and making sure I put money away for the “regular” expenses I encounter, such as event gifts ( i.e., birthdays, graduations, etc.), landscaping, training, etc. I can only meet the financial demands if I plan my expenditures and stay disciplined with my saving protocols. I check my balances every week and ensure that my current goals and expenditures align with my future plans (retirement and grandchildren/golf/travel). The more I front load, the easier it is for me to adapt when “life” hits and I must divert my money elsewhere.

I put money aside each month to pay off unforeseen issues with our house. This year, we needed to divert money to pay for a costly and unexpected repair. Luckily, I had already saved up a good portion of the expense, so the hit to our other expenditure and savings streams, i.e., the vacation fund, did not take as big of a hit. By front-loading, I avoided being a victim of life’s little surprises.

Front-loading is a key to my financial success. Try it out, and let me know how it works for you.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#I Own the Morning.

Front Loading

One of the habits I am continually working on is “Front Loading,” which is the idea that one gets as many things done as possible initially. It is based on the premise I would rather be proactive than reactive. I like it because it allows me to better handle the challenges that confront me each week. It is an excellent accompaniment to being prepared and staying organized, two of my favorite strategies for achieving success.

I make my schedule weekly for each Sunday night. I have a checklist that tracks how many tasks I have completed, how many I have left to do, and my weekly completion percentage. I will be super productive and frontload my tasks on Monday if I am on point. If I do not frontload on Monday, I will have no chance to complete my tasks for the week because no matter how well I plan, “Life happens!” There will be things that I am unprepared (not on my schedule to complete) for that demand my attention over my checklist.

Frontloading will lead to success in so many areas of your life.

Give it a try and let me know.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Effective Habit Development: One Step at a Time

Keeping habits is hard, and developing habits is harder. Right now, I am focusing on getting 100 oz of water. Some days are easy, and others are impossible. As I age, I am learning about new things that I can do to make myself healthier, wealthier, and happier. I have a few rules to help me adapt them smoothly.

First, I only add one new habit at a time. Trying to change too much too soon is a recipe for disaster. I prioritize the changes I want to make and then add them to my list.

Second, what gets measured gets done. I have a checklist that I have developed over the years using a spreadsheet. I find that I am more successful when I have a To-Do list to track my actions toward my new habit. For instance, I am working on my flexibility. I have a protocol that I want to repeat twice daily. I use the checklist to track my progress toward developing a new habit.

Lastly, I practice patience with myself. I used to get frustrated trying to add new habits, and I could not figure out why I could not add them to my protocols with ease. Change is hard, and change takes time. Some say it takes 21 days, and others say 6o days. I have not found a timeline that works for me. Regardless, without patience, the new habit will never take root.

I wish you luck in developing your habits. Take it slow, measure your progress, and realize that you are human.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.

Be Prepared: The Expert

When someone asks me a question about my area of concentration, I expect to be able to give them a great answer. I pride myself on being the expert on my topics. When I cannot provide a great answer, it is because I am unprepared. I strive to be the expert in the room on my topic, and I work on this daily.

Preparation is the key to success. The more you prepare, the more you develop your expertise. Keep working so that others can rely on you as their expert on your topic.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Hydration Habit Tracker: The Key to Consistency and Wellness

When I try to form new habits, I find the only way to be successful is to record my actions. For example, I am trying to improve my hydration. Hydration is essential for promoting good health and preventing the destructive results of insufficient water to be in homeostasis. Being adequately hydrated reduces my “need” for coffee, especially when I experience an afternoon slump, and keeps my skin smooth and healthy. I struggled with consistency until I started measuring and recording how much water I drank daily. Once I began to do this, I was more likely to reach my daily goal and maintain proper hydration levels. I use a spreadsheet instead of an app because I can customize it to what I want. I now track all of the daily habits I am trying to develop. Once they become a habit, I no longer need to track them.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Anticipating and Preparing for Negative Conversations: A Key to Stay Calm and Focused

I hate negative conversations. When I am unprepared and in a negative conversation, I get emotional. I am neither rational nor productive when this happens, and the outcomes are always frustrating. However, instead of avoiding negative conversations, I work hard to anticipate and prepare for them.

Anticipating negative conversations takes time to learn. I do not want to waste my time thinking that every conversation will be negative. I use my past experience to predict which ones will be negative and prepare for them.

Preparing for a negative conversation allows you to stay calm(er) and more focused during the presentation. A negative conversation aims to correct things to force the future you want by realigning the present course of action with your vision. This cannot happen if you are unprepared and emotional.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#Be Prepared

Memorial Day Appreciation: Remembering the Sacrifice

As many of us enjoy the last few moments of the opening weekend of summer, let us remember why many of us have off from work and school. Take the time to reflect on those who gave their lives as part of our military.

“All gave some, some gave all.” ~ William Osterkamp

Enjoy this Memorial Day. To all veterans and active service members, thank you for your sacrifice.

#Just Be Better

#StayStrong, Stay Healthy

Front Loading

Significant tasks require great effort.

When I have a goal that I want to accomplish, I front-load the work.

Why?

1: Life Happens – Life events will always interfere with the best-laid plans

2: I want to get to the part of the journey where I make the journey to my destination a habit. – The journey is the most important part of the goal. It is what you will learn about your goal, your flexibility, and your resilience. Making the work to achieve the goal a habit will help you get closer to who you want to be, which is why you have goals.

Embrace this positive mentality this week, and let’s see how it transforms your journey towards your goals. I’m hopeful and optimistic about the positive changes it will bring.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

#FrontLoading
#GoalSetting
#ProductivityTips
#HabitBuilding
#LifeHappens
#Resilience
#JourneyToSuccess
#PlanAndAchieve
#StayFocused
#PersonalGrowth

Effective Team Meetings: Keeping Discussions On Point

At the end of every work cycle, we have too many meetings. Some are important, but most are not. I hate meetings that have no point. Too many people feel they are powerful when holding a meeting. It is true that when someone calls a meeting that I am compelled to attend, the person has power over my time. However, I will only give them the power to use my time effectively.

Meetings should be on-point and concise. The leaders should encourage discussion and debate but be focused enough to keep the discussions on point. Some teams I am part of have members who cannot stop talking and going off on a tangent because they feel or believe. These time wasters are an issue. If you “feel” or “believe” something is true, take the time to explore it and bring a concise summation of your research to the meeting. Unless it is a brain-storming session, the ramblings do not belong. This is ineffective, gives the unprepared power over my time, and does not belong in an effective team meeting. I’ve seen too many meetings devolve because the leader is either reluctant to address or fails to recognize this issue. It takes a creative participant to redirect the conversation.

Do not waste other people’s time. Come to a meeting prepared and ready to work. Expect your colleagues to do the same.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Be Prepared #2

What do you do, and how do you act during an emergency? Are you prepared to handle it? The more prepared you are, the calmer you will be.

In an emergency,

Do you know what to do?
Who to call?
Have you practiced?
Have you planned?

No matter the scenario, the more you prepare, the better you deal with the situation.

Case in point: Who would you call if there was an emergency at work? I am not just talking about first responders. I am talking about communicating with those in your work community who can help you. Do you have any first responders you work with? Anyone with medical training? Who can direct the first responders to the emergency? Who can take charge? Who can follow? Know who these people are so you do not have to figure it out when push comes to shove.

Your mind must focus on one challenge if you want to maximize success. To better accomplish this, be prepared by thinking through the situations and formulating solutions.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#Be Prepared