Published by Robert A. & Vicki L. Prentice of Professional Development Systems
June 9, 2008 Issue 304
From the Desk of Bob
Times are getting tough in this country and we must be strong enough to meet the challenges ahead. I will share five steps I am taking to not only survive but to thrive.
* I am getting up earlier and dealing with two or three issues, challenges, or projects that need my attention. These could be things I have been postponing for one reason or another. The key is attacking them.
* I am forcing myself to work a lot harder than I have in past years. We call this concept "ramping up" as a signal to those around us that we might be even more focused than usual.
* I am consistently making an effort to work smarter than I have in the past. Creativity is so cool! This is where I can really save time and impact the bottom line in a positive way.
* I am reading more and processing information that can save me time and help me tap into my potential. Cutting TV consumption by at least 80% has been one of the best things I have done in the last year.
* I watch, like a hawk, where all the money is going, remembering that what counts is not how much you make but how much you spend - just ask Ed McMahon!
It appears that stress is increasing daily in most of our lives. The high cost of groceries and gas is wiping some people out left and right and making the process of everyday living very difficult. We shall overcome! Do not despair! Life can still be very rich, full and happy.
Cheers! Bob
P. S. Don't forget to order a copy of my book, Home Grown: Seeds of Success
In this week's issue
Life Attitudes
Seeds of Success: Take a Technology Holiday!
Sunny Side of Life
Mr. Attitude's Life Tested Tools
Life Attitudes
Daniel J. Boorstin: "Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge."
Patricia Fripp: "Technology does not run an enterprise, relationships do."
John Naisbitt: "The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human."
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Seeds of Success: Take a Technology Holiday!
By Robert A. Prentice
Recently, I was visiting with a friend about how much technology has the tendency to rule our lives. We have our Ipod's, HDTV, cell phones, fax machines, copiers, smart phones, radios, laptops, modems, and more. Everywhere we turn we are surrounded by it. We both lamented that we are so hooked on our technology that we can't seem to live without it. In fact, when the computer goes down it seems like our world is in a tizzy!
Most of us have experienced first hand the challenges these plastic things filled with chips and processors can bring to our lives when they do not work properly or break down. Just watch what happens when you try to update your company's software, the email goes down in a storm, or your computer's electrical system goes kaput. Life all but comes to a complete standstill. Ever wonder how we handled things before the internet and e-mail? Many of us have forgotten how, not to mention there are some who have never known a time when there wasn't all this technology and they really don't know how to handle it when technology is not working for us.
My friend and I both agreed that since the introduction of the microchip we have many times found ourselves, and others we know, in technology overload. Our conclusion-we think it would be a great idea to take a technology holiday. I took one just a couple of days ago. I decided not to be tethered to my phone for one day, so I left my cell phone on the charger the whole day and did not pick it up even once. I admit several times I reached for it, but in all honesty I felt free. A whole day not tethered to the phone was absolutely refreshing! You really must try it!
Of course, here I am back to using my technology as I use my wife's fancy new computer to motivate you to greater life achievement this fine week. Guess I will never be able to get along without my technology for very long-it's how I do much of my work. What a paradox! (Or is that a pair of socks?)
But seriously, if you're feeling a little too tied to your technology, go ahead and pick a time when you can take a break from technology this week. Maybe you can't take a whole day like I did, but even taking a short technology holiday-say 30 minutes or a couple of hours-can do wonders!
On the Sunny Side of Life
Signs that you've had too much computing:
You try to enter your password on the microwave.
You email your son in his room to tell him that dinner is ready, and he emails you back, 'What's for dinner dad?'
Your daughter sets up a web site to sell Girl Scout Cookies.
You chat several times a day with a stranger from South Africa, but you haven't spoken to your next door neighbor yet this year.
****************
Norman & Libby
Norman was in his front garden mowing his lawn, when his neighbour, Libby, came out of her house and went straight to the mailbox. She opened it, then slammed it shut and stormed back into the house.
Ten minutes later Libby came out of her house again, went to the mail box, and again opened it and slammed it shut again. Angrily she stormed back into the house.
As Norman was putting his mower away, Libby came out once again. She marched up to the mailbox, opened it and then slammed it closed.
Puzzled by her distress Norman asked, "What's wrong with your mailbox Libby?"
To which she replied, "It's my stupid computer it keeps telling me, New Mail has Arrived."
Bob "Mr. Attitude" Prentice is available for Keynote, conference engagements, and in-house company training assignments Call to schedule Bob TODAY! 800.437.9715
Read on...
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Mr. Attitude's Life Tested Tools
Bob "Mr. Attitude" Prentice is available for Keynote, conference engagements, and in-house company training assignments.
Bob says,"My training sessions consist of the principles, attitudes and skills that I have discovered over the course of my life, and that I aspire to practice in my day to day living. These are the Life- Tested Tools that I have to offer..."
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