Tips to Topple Procrastination (As promised a few months ago)

By Karen Susman

We procrastinate for several reasons. We dread the action to be taken. We don't have the information, authority, or support to complete the action. We are perfectionists who can't start a project because we might not do it perfectly. Perhaps we are addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing things last minute.

Getting started is usually the biggest obstacle. Try these suggestions NOW!

1. Break your project down into itsy-bitsy projects. Research reveals that big projects, ideas, changes, etc. can cause fear, which then causes us to shut down as a survival mode. Thus, small doses of anything are easier to adjust to and accomplish.
   
   
2. Reward yourself for accomplishing each small project or reaching a benchmark. Don't wait until a project is finished. Rewards reinforce action.
   
   
3. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When the bell rings, get started.
   
   
4. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Work for only fifteen minutes. You'll probably want to continue once you get started.
   
   
5. Have a procrastination pal. Commit to a friend that you're starting a project and ask him to call you at an allotted time to check on your progress.
   
   
6. Throw your coat over the fence. Then you'll have to go after it. Make a commitment to someone that you'll have to keep. Then work like crazy to deliver.
   
   
7. If you need pressure to accomplish, forget your actual deadline and mark your calendar with an imminent deadline.
   
   
8. Start anywhere in the project. Just dive in.
   
   
9. Ask for help. If you don't know what to do or how to do it, find someone who does. Pay him/her if you have to. It's worth it.
   
   
10. Lower your standards. Perfectionism and procrastination are connected at the hip.
    
    
11. Don't make promises you know you won't keep or are unrealistic based on your time and resources. Have a compulsion to complete. As Ben Franklin said, "One today is worth two tomorrows."
    

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.


Published in Networking Today, November, 2002.

Tips for Success: How to Boost Your Personal Power

By Mike Chatelain

Why do you produce twice as much just before a vacation? You make a list of tasks and get them done in record time.

Why do some people seem so lucky? Everything they do seems to magically turn out well.

What makes you perform at your peak? When are you at your best?

Here’s a power tip you won’t learn from any of the motivational “experts.”

"Happiness is power and power is being able to do what one is doing when one is doing it." — L. Ron Hubbard

When you drive a car while thinking about other things, your reaction time is slower. You are less alert. You fail to see potential problems. According to police, inattention is the primary cause of auto accidents.

Daydreams and distractions ruin your job performance. You go on automatic and make mistakes. Because you are not giving your best, you produce less.

The ability to devote 100% of your attention to a task is difficult at first. Yet when you start to live your life in the immediate present, in this exact moment of time, with little or no attention on the past or future, you feel more alive.

Concentrate on the period at the end of this sentence and nothing else.

Can you do it for five seconds? Fifteen? Can you do it with absolutely no other thoughts? Imagine being able to focus all of your attention on everything you do as you do it. This is power!

Staying in present time unleashes extra amounts of natural ability. For example, just before you leave on a vacation, you zero in on specific accomplishments and quickly get them done. When you only daydream about a vacation, you slow down and become less effective.

You handle conversations much better if you stay in the present. People feel you truly understand them when you are doing nothing but listening with no other thought. When you are fully in the present, you think better, react faster, and make better decisions. The stronger your focus, the greater your power.

Five Exercises

Practice doing what you are doing when you are doing it in all your activities.

1. Do a simple task at your desk such as clear off some paper. Do this right now. Do absolutely nothing else when doing it. Practice this until your attention is more in the present than ever before.
   
   
2. Give the next person you talk to 100% of your attention. Really focus on what they have to say. Think of nothing outside of the conversation. Notice the person’s reaction.
   
   
3. The next time you drive your car, do what you are doing when you are doing it. Don’t listen to the radio, talk on your cell phone, eat a snack, think about work, or do anything besides drive. Extend your focus all around your car. Notice the difference.
   
   
4. Next time you kiss or hug someone, think of nothing else besides giving the kiss or hug. Really do what you are doing and give the person 100% affection. Try this with your spouse or family member to see a great reaction.
   
   
5. At your job, spend a complete hour doing absolutely nothing but work. Do exactly what you are doing when you are doing it. Ignore other thoughts, other acts, and other tasks. Take no breaks. Do nothing but work. Zero in on the job at hand and see how much you can accomplish.
   

Whenever you want to feel happier or more powerful, do what you are doing when you are doing it. Your time at work will be more productive. Your love life will be more satisfying. Your driving will be safer. And if you concentrate on doing nothing but having fun during your free time, you will have the time of your life!

Mike Chatelain is the director of Tips for Success. Phone: (209) 754-4113 Email: director@tipsforsuccess.org www.TipsForSuccess.org

Published in Networking Today, November 2002.

Software Tips & Tricks Grouping Form and Report Controls in Access 2000 and XP

By Laura Noble

When designing a form or report in Access, several controls may require identical formatting and placement. Instead of selecting all the controls each time a formatting change is required you can group the controls. Grouping controls allows you to set formatting or placement changes to all controls simultaneously. This method ensures that you do not omit a control. You still have the option of formatting a single control in the group.

1. Open form or report in Design View.
   
   
2. Select the controls to be grouped.
   
   
   
   
3. From the Format menu select Group.
   
   
4. A rectangle will be placed around the selected controls (see sample below).
   
   
5. After controls are grouped, to change formatting or placement, click one of the controls and the rectangle will surround the controls. Change settings as required.
   
   
   
   
6. To make a change to a single control within the group, select the individual control and make necessary changes (see sample below where the control Company Name has been selected and then font colour changed).
   
   
   
   
7. To "ungroup" controls: select group and from the Format menu select Ungroup.
   

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.noblesoftwaresolutions.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2002.

Your Home Buying Strategy

By Dianne Conway

Before shopping for a home, every buyer needs a solid strategy – a game plan that reflects his or her own needs.

The first step in building a strategy is to make a shopping list. This means to write down what you want in a new home.

• How many bedrooms and bathrooms?
  
• Do you want a separate family room? What size of kitchen do you want?
  
• Do you need a home office?
  
• Is an attached garage important?
  
• How big of yard do you want to care for?
  
• Does it need to be fenced?
  
• Do you want to live in a well-developed area with large trees?
  
• Do you want to be close to shopping, a library, recreational facilities, a bus stop, etc.?
• What school will your children attend?
  
• Do you require only one level or do you prefer multi levels?
  
• Do you want a pool?
  

The list can go on, limited only by your imagination and desires – and how important you rate each item. By prioritizing your list, you can determine if the house that contains five “wants” from your list out of eight will be disappointing in the future. You may not want to settle for less on certain features.

Next, you must examine your lifestyle and budget. Find out all the hidden costs involved in moving and purchasing a new home versus a “used” home or a condo. The closing costs for each vary and come with expenses that you need to know about up front.

If you already own a home you may wonder which you should do first – buy or sell. If you choose to buy first, make sure the offer to purchase is on condition that you sell your current house. Selling first can give you peace of mind in knowing exactly how much money you have for negotiating. Market conditions can make a difference as well. In a seller’s market, you’ll probably do better selling after you’ve purchased but in a buyer’s market, it makes more sense to sell first.

When you’ve decided what features you want in a home, sit down with your realtor and give him or her as much information as you can. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to view homes that don’t have the amenities you require. A good agent will weed through the masses of homes on the market and find a good fit for your needs.

Dianne Conway is Sales Representative with Sutton Group – Preferred Realty Inc., 181 Commissioners Road, West, London, Ontario. Phone: (519) 438-2222 Email: homes@dianneconway.com www.dianneconway.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2002.

Powerful Strategies for Saving on Your Mortgage

By J.D. MacRae, CFP

For many Canadians, their homes are one of the largest and most important investments they will make during their lives. Ironically, we spend more time thinking about our mutual fund returns than we do about our mortgages. Remember that a financial plan encompasses not only assets, but also debt.

The basic definition of wealth is assets minus debt. Implementing strategies to minimize debt can be a powerful way to increase your wealth. The most dramatic savings can be found in your mortgage. Here are some strategies to consider.

• Read the fine print carefully. Most people believe that bargaining for the best interest rate is the most important thing they can do. However, there are terms and conditions to your mortgage that can drastically change the cost and flexibility of this long-term commitment. For example, we were recently shopping the market for variable-rate mortgages on behalf of our clients. We found two institutions that offered a variable-rate mortgage of prime minus one-half of one percent. Although they looked the same, there was a major difference in how the interest-rate compounding was calculated. The interest on the first mortgage was compounded monthly, while the other compounded semi-annually. As an investor, I would be happy to choose the monthly compounding, but as a borrower, I would clearly choose the semi-annual compounding.
  
  
• Choose a shorter amortization period. Another important savings strategy can be found in the amortization period – the time you take to pay back the entire mortgage, principal, and interest. The shorter the amortization, the more money you can save. For example, assume that you have a mortgage for $80,000 at an annual interest rate of 7%, compounded semi-annually. The total interest cost on a 15-year mortgage is $48,628, versus $88,096 on a 25-year mortgage – a savings of $39,468.
  
  
• Increase frequency of payments. One of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of your mortgage is simply to move from monthly payments to biweekly or even weekly payments. This strategy can reduce the total interest cost over the life of your mortgage.
  
  
• Increase your payments. Increasing your mortgage payment – on a regular basis or through lump-sum payments – can also save you money. Consider making annual pre-payments during the life of the mortgage. If this is asking too much, try to round up your regular payments to the nearest $10. For example, if your payment is $751 per month, round up to $760. You may not miss the $9, but it will make a modest difference in the long run. Talk to a licensed mortgage consultants about ways in which you or your children can save on a mortgage.
  

J.D. MacRae is a Certified Financial Planner with Investment Planning Counsel of Canada, London, Ontario (519) 663-9662 E-mail: jdmacrae@jpccherryhill.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2002.

Cost Effective Marketing Ideas

By Chris Twaites

Here are a few cost-effective ideas that will help you increase your sales, without exhausting your budget.

Focus on benefits not features

Focusing on how your prospects will benefit if they purchase your product or service. For example, if you're selling central air conditioning units, don't sell the power of the unit. Sell the benefit of comfort. Selling insurance? Don't sell the coverage amount. Sell the benefit of security.

Be persistent

Persistence is power when it comes to increasing your sales and profit. Far too many firms fail because they don't follow-up long enough to produce results. Most sales are made after the seventh or eighth contact – the sale is rarely made after just one contact.

Distribute informative literature

Make sure that you get your product benefits, features, and ideas into the hands of your prospects. If people don't know what you have, how can they make a decision to purchase it?

Target

If you're trying to target everybody, then chances are, you're not targeting anybody. For example, if you're selling something that homeowners would want, as opposed to renters, then target homeowners. State your target clearly in all of your marketing materials.

Network

Networking is a great way to get your message out to a large number of people, for free. Since each person knows about 250 other people, you can spread the word about your business pretty quickly. Go to your local Chamber of Commerce meetings. Shake hands at business functions and remember to give out your business cards.

Talk to your customers about them and their needs

Most company publications, ads, letters, and sales literature are filled with words, photographs, and information that does nothing more than toot the company's horn. Talk about your customer’s needs instead. Rather than using the words, "I," "me," "my," use "you" and "your."

Chris Twaites is the Marketing Manager at Track21 Graphix Inc., A Printing Company, Dashwood, Ontario. Phone (519) 237-3838 Email: info@track21graphix.com. www.Track21graphix.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2002