This article has been around a long time, but every now and then, we all need to be reminded of it’s contents.  Enjoy it, and put it somewhere that you will see it…often.

To your success, always… 
Judy and Robin

 
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, in Cleveland Ohio.
“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written.” My odometer rolled over to 90
in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick..
Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it..

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry;
God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you, really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one
is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
“In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone, everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything
you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36.. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,
we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

 
Is it really important to “manage your workspace”?  I think it was Thomas Leonard, that said “space management is more important than time management.” We can’t actually “manage” time, no matter how we use it, or how much we squander it.  But, we can and must, manage our space…our personal environment.

You will find this to be a key to highly effective people. They “set themselves up” for success… by surrounding themselves with the situations, tools, ideas, even the people, posters, music, furniture and toys that “drive” them in the direction of their most important goals.  You will also find that it is not “chance” or “luck” that every single day… their environment “happens” to place them in precisely the direction they intend to go!

Too many of us live in the midst of clutter, chaos, and confusion.  We get up early, work hard, and are busy in our eagerness for success.  But do we permit our efforts,  and our results, to be undermined by whatever “happens”?  That is not success!  Are you starting to see that “working hard” and “being productive” are not the same thing?

One could argue that to meet your needs of “outside” necessity, you need to be in harmony with your “inner” self.  Conversely, you can only adapt to your inner world and harmony with yourself, when you are adapted to your environmental conditions.  It was a ray of light, when I figured out, that I can only achieve peak performance, fulfill my potential and know my inner peace… when I live in harmony with my surroundings!

And yet, many of us work in surroundings that are determined by our employers, by “urgent” emails and phone calls, by the news of the day or whatever interruption is placed before our productivity.  Even little things like messy desks, unreliable computers or inadequate lighting distract us. That is no way to organize your life or achieve your dreams!

The two things – organized space and high productivity – are connected.  And here is the GOOD NEWS…You can control that!  I hear you saying…but I am not a neat freak!  Ok, neither am I.  There is a difference between “controlled chaos”, and some of us LIKE to be surrounded by our books, papers, and files.  (I happen to have a love affair with “sticky notes”! LOL)  If you can still “put your hands on what you are looking for”…then it is controlled chaos!  The point is to create the precise environment that allows you to be your most productive.  It is “YOUR” environment, so create it, and keep it at the level that supports your important projects.

To Your Success…
Judy

Have you ever thought about the fact that YOU may be the weakest link in your security?  We are all learning, to not automatically believe phone call information, or website information.  The employee you’re talking to, or the website you are looking at, could be anywhere in the world, and the “helpful agent” could be drinking a beer while he helps remove you from your money!

I was targeted by this latest threat on the Microsoft Security Blog, from June 16, 2011.  I received a simple phone call from “Microsoft Security” and if I had believed them, would have been a disaster for me.  Posing as a Microsoft tech support, they wanted to “help me out”, by having permission to gain personal and financial information to setup and allow remote access under the guise of removing computer threats that they “found” on my computer.

We really need to just stop and think for a minute.  Microsoft, or any company for that matter, (other than your virus protection plan provider) doesn’t know if your computer has a virus, and they certainly don’t know your phone number. When everyone else is charging for even a moment of their time, do you think Microsoft is going to give you free trouble shooting by remote access, by simply calling you? Our very nature is to believe the best of everyone, and it is obvious that these crooks are counting on the most vulnerable in our society. Yes, 85% of the people they call hang up on them… BUT what about the15% that fall for their scam?  Truth is, those are the ones, that keep them in business, continuing to pry on the “trusting population” even more.

Remote access is commonplace. We know how to do it and we know to be careful when allowing it. Some major companies use remote access now to help their customers with wireless connections and setting up home networks.  It can be a wonderful, convenient service.  For those less wary the offer of remote access can appear genuine. Remote access is exciting, until you see your credit card bill. Then the fun is long-gone, and so is your money!

Currently, the scam is taking place in English speaking UK and North America. I was advised that my computers are infected, and they showed me some bogus errors, and wanted to direct me to a website, and walk me through making a purchase and installing tracking software.   Of course, I did not let it go that far, but some people are reporting that the average loss exceeds $800.00.

This has been a huge and surprisingly successful scam and Microsoft expects it to get even bigger and spread to other nations and languages.

I proceeded to hang up on the intruder on the other end, but not everyone is that guarded. The Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Team did a survey of the involved area and discovered that out of 7000 people, more than 1,000 had received this type of call. Of the 1,000, 234 fell for the scam and followed the instructions. Of those, 184 actually lost money to the crooks. This means you have a 1 in 7 chance of being called. How do you like that for a phone campaign?

A problem this big requires that you be prepared ahead of time and stop them dead in their scammy tracks.

STOP PHONE SCAMS

Number 1 rule… Simply do not EVER trust unsolicited calls. If someone calls and claims to be from Microsoft, your bank, your credit card company, or even your utility company, always call them back, using a telephone number that you have looked up yourself.  Never call the number back, that they provided!  It may be okay to use a case number or extension.

Everything may be on the level, and everything checks out fine.  We certainly do not want to “live in fear”, but some common sense needs to be utilized.  So, the next time you receive an offer, check it out first.  Either way it turns out, you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

To Your Success, Always…
Judy

Here is an entrepreneurial quiz, that we ran across from The Small Business Bible, by Steven Strauss  February 2, 2009, but it still applies today.  We wanted to share it with all of you because we are always asked…”How do you know you are truly entrepreneurial?   Do you have what it takes?   Take a minute … take the quiz, and find out. 

2. How do you feel about taking risks?

3. Are you a leader?

4. Can you and your family live without a regular paycheck?

5. Could you fire someone who really needed the job your business provided?

6. Are you willing to work 50 hours a week, or more?

7. Are you self-confident?

8. Can you live with uncertainty?

9. Can you stick with it once you have put your mind to something?

10. Are you creative?

11. Are you competitive?

12. Do you have a lot of willpower and self-discipline?

13. Are you individualistic or would you rather go along with the status quo?

14. Can you live without structure?

15. Do you have many ?

16. Are you flexible and willing to change course when things are not going
your way?

17. Do you have experience in the business you are thinking of starting?

18. Can you juggle multiple tasks?

19. Are you willing to really hustle for clients and customers?

20. How well do you handle pressure?

 If most of your answers are in the first circle, then you have both the temperament and the skills to become an entrepreneur.

If most of your answers are in the second circle, you are not a natural entrepreneur, but may become one over time.

If most of your answers fall into the last circle, then you would be wise to think of something else to do besides self-employment.

So there you have it. Not only should this quiz help you understand your Entrepreneurship IQ, but it should equally give you some insight into the traits and characteristics of the prototypical entrepreneur.  Let us know how you scored.  Are you still wanting to be an entrepreneur?

To Your Success…
Judy and Robin

The next time you start a conversation with a harried business person, (one of those plenty-of-money, but no-time-to-live type), hand them these commandments for balancing themselves back to a real life!  I actually, at one time, had these commandments printed on a business card to hand out. 

It did raise some eyebrows!  You can have some fun with this idea, however,  a warning here…some people will NOT want to read them! 

But, it was GREAT FUN non-the-less.  So here is a list:  You can use some of these, or add some of your own ideas.  This will get your mind started:

1. Thou shalt find time to daydream.

2.  Thou shalt pencil thyself in.

3.  Thou shalt hire others to help.

4.  Thou shalt make fitness a no-option rule.

5.  Thou shalt arrange for delicious delays.

6.  Thou shalt cut out some stuff.

7.  Thou shalt get comfortable with dirt.

8.  Thou shalt always say “maybe”.

9.  Thou shalt hang out with friends.

10. Thou shalt take a vacation.

NOW… when they tell you it isn’t possible, ask them “WHY NOT”?

To your success…
Judy and Robin

Humor:  Life Lessons From The Easter Bunny: 

Whether or not you celebrate Easter,  we think you’ll enjoy these.  We all need a good chuckle now and then! 

1.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

2.  The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

3.  Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

4.  Good things come in small sugarcoated packages.

5.  Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

6.  There’s no such thing as too much candy.

7.  Keep your paws off other people’s jelly beans.

8.  Once in a while, everyone has a bad hare day.

9.  All work and no play can make you a basket case.

10. The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket.

11. To show your true colors you have to come of your shell.

12. Some body parts should be floppy.

13. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

14.  Have a “Hoppy” Easter!

To your success, always…
Judy and Robin

Most of us are finding money to be an interesting hobby.  REALLY?  Hmm…now that is an interesting thought!  But, there is money in the world, even though it can be hard for some of us, to find.

There is more money floating around, changing hands and making more people wealthy than ever before. And yet, it seems that most of us work very hard to get rid of it as fast as we can.  Let’s look at this a little closer:

One side of the coin says:  “Making money is hard; being of service is easy” 
The other side of the coin says:  “If you can serve enough people, well enough, out of gratitude they will give you plenty of money.”

As business people, maybe we go directly for the money and find it awfully hard to attract and keep it. The real thought here, is to understand that money is a reward for the service we provide to others and in some strange way, it flows to those who serve.

The primary focus must be on providing value and serving your customer. If you do that, and do it with honesty and enthusiasm, the money will follow.  It always has and always will.  Why is that?

Well, we all prefer doing business with people we like and trust.  The natural order is that we prefer doing business with people who make things easy, and who serve us well. 

So it would make sense that you may want to consider that fact, when providing a business or service.  Stand behind your product or service, and do it with an smile!

Rarely is a deal based primarily on price. We are sure that you routinely drive past businesses (grocery stores immediately come to mind) who might offer a lower price in order to do business with you.  Yes, there is a profit margin that must be adhered to, but their goal is to make sure you feel comfortable and that you have confidence in the service you will receive, so that you will return, again and again.

So…maybe making money is not a hobby.  Maybe it is simply finding a way to provide extraordinary service and letting the money follow.  That’s been our experience, we trust it … and it just may work for you, too!

To your success always…
Judy and Robin

An attitude of gratitude sure sounds good, doesn’t it?  But, in truth, there are times when I don’t feel so grateful.  Today, as I write this, it is 49 degrees, raining that solid grey rain, known only to Seattle”ites”, and it is almost summer!  “Thank you” just seems hard to find in my vocabulary today. 

Sometimes it feels nice, to spend some time wallowing with my “bad self.  Or….maybe NOT.  Let’s see….”A feeling of  thankful appreciation”, or wasted “poor me” day.  Ask yourself right now, “How does this choice make me feel?”

Gratitude muscles are built slowly, and require some consistent workouts.  But, the payoff can be huge!  This week, try this:  Wherever you are, while out and about, take an extra moment, with a BIG SMILE,  to thank the person who is helping you.  Tell them how much you appreciate them!   So easy to do, and yet so easy not to do.  

Now, think for a moment…what does this do for them?  It values and empowers them.  What does it do for you?  Makes you feel great.  All that, for a simple smile and thank you!  Gratitude can require some effort, and noticing a person’s small accomplishment, may not seem to merit much commentary.  Take the time to acknowledge them anyway.  A few words may mean the difference between that person making it through a tough day, or quitting.

The BENEFIT accrues directly to us, and our own happiness.  How great to live a life in appreciation of all that surrounds us.  Give it try…I promise it will lift your spirit, warm your heart, celebrate your soul. 

With that, the sun is now breaking through those grey Seattle skies, and life is good!  Thank you for the sunshine…I truly appreciate it! 

To your success….
Judy

One question or comment keeps popping up on our blog, that we want to share with all our readers.  That comment is usually something like:  What is the average response rate for …(you can fill in the blank here) ?

We totally understand why marketers want to know those facts, but what are you going to do with the answer? Truly…if we said the average email open rate was 24%, what would you do with that information, and more importantly, how would you act on that data?

We love benchmark studies as much as the next person.  Benchmark studies and data have value, but we find that many marketers use that information incorrectly.

When using benchmark studies for comparison, here are several points to keep in mind:   Benchmarks are reported as averages, which might not be the most insightful statistic. The median, (the data point at the exact midpoint of results) is actually a more precise figure, but it’s not reported in most benchmarking study results.

How about the value of Average?  Interesting idea, but would you expect a boss to get overly excited when you tell him that their marketing program was performing at a “C” level?  In today’s competitive marketing, “average” has become the new bottom.  Hmm…not where you want to be is it? 

Here is another system…Average Calculation:  Add up a set of data numbers and divide by the number of data items. The issue here, if you really look at it, is that if the data set has a large number of outliers, the average can be skewed high or low.  Maybe numbers don’t lie…but you can sure move them around to give you the false “results you are looking for”. 

To add to the confusion, throw in some variables!   Are you using a double opt-in process for your campaign, mailing your subscribers on a daily basis, or using trigger-based emails? These types of variables can certainly create differences in performance rates, compared with published averages.

It is enough to give you a headache!  So here are some suggestions on using your benchmark data correctly:

The value of average-based benchmark studies is not to see if you are average.  Instead, use it as a tool to assure you that your program is in the ballpark! Your company needs to know this information, especially when it involves your budget allocations.  They also provide a reality check. Let’s say your email campaign plan assumes it will return a 20% click-through rate from your broadcast emails…but the actual “average” is in the 5% neighborhood, your model likely needs to be redone!

Look beyond the standard benchmark goals of opens, clicks, conversions etc.  Focus on the most relevant goals for your own business. This information can help you target and measure the direction your email program is moving.  It will also help you formulate strategies to drive increased performance.  Using your program’s past performance, will help you establish benchmarks that allow for future changes in trends. 

Ask yourself,  “Are we meeting our business goals?  If the answer is yes, congratulations! You have a winning program, and are using your benchmark figures to your advantage.  This is where your time should be utilized.  But, having a successful outcome to a campaign is not the only answer. It would be irrelevant if you missed your revenue goal.

How are you doing?  We would love to hear your comments on how you are faring, in the statistics world!

To your success,
Judy and Robin