Do you suffer from well intentioned people who forward you hoax emails? They sound convincing which is what makes people forward them on but 99.99999% of the time it's just another hoax/chain email, there is no such virus, Bill Gates really isn't going to give you thousands of pounds/dollars.
How do I know?
First give away - the bit that says "Forward this email to all your friends, family, everyone you know." Yep - that'll just clog up the mail system. ANY email that says that, is guaranteed to be a hoax or just a classic chain email.
Second give away - the fact that some apparently reputable source (CNN, Microsoft, AOL and McAfee) have 'verified' this as being serious (yeah right). "My friend is a lawyer/works for XYZ and said this was real".
Think about it - I could write an email right now and add in a few verified sources, quote a few press articles and it would mean nothing.
If you think there might 'just' be a grain of truth (there rarely is) check out http://www.breakthechain.org or http://www.snopes.com.
It will tell you all the hoaxes that are out there, how long they've been around and variations. This one's been doing the rounds since 2002.
Or if you're really concerned, then read warning page - http://www.virtualsalt.com/warning.htm
Valid viruses will come as an attachment in an email - usually a zip file. McAfee is constantly updating their data file, so if you've got up-to-date virus software - you have got virus software haven't you? - you're pretty safe.
P.S. By all means forward THIS blog to all your friends, so that less people get taken in by these hoax/chain emails.
Time management solutions for busy people - organise your business, your life and have fun.
Busy Being Busy
If you're working long hours, there's probably a chance you're working on 'busy stuff' rather than the 'productive stuff' or perhaps just taking on too much at once. I always get concerned when people say they're working 60-65 hours (or more) a week, whether they're running their own business or not. Particularly if the rest of their life is suffering as a result and it's not what they really want to be doing.
If you love what you do and your partner, family and friends are happy for you to spend the majority of your waking hours working, that's one thing. Working long hours for a short burst of time or for a specific longer-term goal, is sometimes necessary but if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and every week consists of long hours, your health and social life is suffering as a result, then perhaps it's time to start looking at how you can work smarter not harder.
I once had a client who loved his job - went in early every day (about 6.30) and often worked late and over weekends, he was the only person who the quote "Nobody on his deathbed ever said, I wish I had spent more time at the office" might not have applied.
However, even he realised that his health was suffering - he was overweight, as he had a terrible diet, never made time to exercise, he had a limited social life and not surprisingly no girlfriend. A few months later, he'd reduced his working hours quite considerably - still enjoyed his job, taken his first holiday in years, lost weight, had a girlfriend (and is now married) and had got a more balanced life as a result.
If you feel you've got too much on your plate, take a look at the important priorities in your life. What do you really need to focus your time and energy on and what can you let go? How can you work smarter and not harder?
Give me a call to find out.
If you love what you do and your partner, family and friends are happy for you to spend the majority of your waking hours working, that's one thing. Working long hours for a short burst of time or for a specific longer-term goal, is sometimes necessary but if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and every week consists of long hours, your health and social life is suffering as a result, then perhaps it's time to start looking at how you can work smarter not harder.
I once had a client who loved his job - went in early every day (about 6.30) and often worked late and over weekends, he was the only person who the quote "Nobody on his deathbed ever said, I wish I had spent more time at the office" might not have applied.
However, even he realised that his health was suffering - he was overweight, as he had a terrible diet, never made time to exercise, he had a limited social life and not surprisingly no girlfriend. A few months later, he'd reduced his working hours quite considerably - still enjoyed his job, taken his first holiday in years, lost weight, had a girlfriend (and is now married) and had got a more balanced life as a result.
If you feel you've got too much on your plate, take a look at the important priorities in your life. What do you really need to focus your time and energy on and what can you let go? How can you work smarter and not harder?
Give me a call to find out.
Watch What You Say
I just came across this quote and thought it was appropriate, not just to the spoken word but here on the internet - particularly in the world of blogs and discussion groups where words - whether written in jest or not, can be open to a whole world of different interpretation when they land in someone else's inbox or on the computer screen.
Don't jump to conclusions, just because you've read something that presses your buttons, particularly if you don't know the sender or the personalities involved. Re-read the text but take a different viewpoint. How would you read and interpret this message if it was written by a friend?
Remember that tone, feelings and the more subtle aspects of humour are difficult to convey in the written word. The same sentence read with different intonation and emphasis can be interpreted completely differently.
That said - if you have the habit of putting your foot in it it's worth spending a few minutes to think before you speak. At least take time to read what you've said before you hit send or be prepared to deal with the effect should the arrow find a different 'target' from what was intended.
"Know that a word suddenly shot from the tongue is like an arrow shot from the bow. Son, that arrow won't turn back on its way; you must damn the torrent at its source." - RumiI see it time and time again in the online world. Discussions getting heated because someone said something that someone else didn't agree with or took the wrong way.
Don't jump to conclusions, just because you've read something that presses your buttons, particularly if you don't know the sender or the personalities involved. Re-read the text but take a different viewpoint. How would you read and interpret this message if it was written by a friend?
Remember that tone, feelings and the more subtle aspects of humour are difficult to convey in the written word. The same sentence read with different intonation and emphasis can be interpreted completely differently.
That said - if you have the habit of putting your foot in it it's worth spending a few minutes to think before you speak. At least take time to read what you've said before you hit send or be prepared to deal with the effect should the arrow find a different 'target' from what was intended.
Improve Your Reading Speed
My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is how to improve your reading speed. Here's a snippet.
If you spend a lot of your time reading – emails, research, internet, business books, magazines, newspapers, novels etc. then you can certainly improve your reading efficiency by learning a few tips and techniques to speed things up. The average reading speed is around 200 words per minute (wpm) but speeds of nearer 1000 wpm are possible with a little practice.
- if you'd like a free copy of the September issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.
If you spend a lot of your time reading – emails, research, internet, business books, magazines, newspapers, novels etc. then you can certainly improve your reading efficiency by learning a few tips and techniques to speed things up. The average reading speed is around 200 words per minute (wpm) but speeds of nearer 1000 wpm are possible with a little practice.
- if you'd like a free copy of the September issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.
The Death Of The Body Shop
Dame Anita Roddick died earlier this evening from a brain haemorrhage at the age of only 64.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6988343.stm
She has been a real inspiration to many entrepreneurs who start up their kitchen table businesses. She built a multi-billion dollar, global company that set the ground rules in green, ethical business and laid the foundation for others to follow. I read her biography - Body and Soul a few years ago.
I remember shopping in the Body Shop in Chichester in the early days when she'd just got started. The products came in the same bottles with the same green labels that we're so familiar with the emphasis on natural. Even then the core focus of the business was on organic, natural products well before all the other companies jumped on the green and ethical bandwagon. She expanded her business with fairtrade and sourcing products from around the world but also not exploiting the communities from which these came.
Somehow the Body Shop was never quite the same when she handed over control to L'Oreal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6988343.stm
She has been a real inspiration to many entrepreneurs who start up their kitchen table businesses. She built a multi-billion dollar, global company that set the ground rules in green, ethical business and laid the foundation for others to follow. I read her biography - Body and Soul a few years ago.
I remember shopping in the Body Shop in Chichester in the early days when she'd just got started. The products came in the same bottles with the same green labels that we're so familiar with the emphasis on natural. Even then the core focus of the business was on organic, natural products well before all the other companies jumped on the green and ethical bandwagon. She expanded her business with fairtrade and sourcing products from around the world but also not exploiting the communities from which these came.
Somehow the Body Shop was never quite the same when she handed over control to L'Oreal.
TES: The Easy Way
I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago by Steven Hastings for my tips to ease teachers back into work after the school break. It didn't take long - we only spoke for a few minutes
His article appeared today and you can read it on the TES website.
The Easy Way
His article appeared today and you can read it on the TES website.
The Easy Way
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