A blog entry by Seth Godin caught my attention the other day. He asked a simple question, is effort a myth? Seth then went on to give the following tips for how to spend 120 minutes devoted to effort… worth a read.

"With that forewarning, here’s a bootstrapper’s/marketer’s/entrepreneur’s/fast-rising executive’s effort diet. Go through the list and decide whether or not it’s worth it. Or make up your own diet. Effort is a choice, at least make it on purpose:

1. Delete 120 minutes a day of ‘spare time’ from your life. This can include TV, reading the newspaper, commuting, wasting time in social networks and meetings. Up to you.

2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead:

Exercise for thirty minutes.
Read relevant non-fiction (trade magazines, journals, business books, blogs, etc.)
Send three thank you notes.
Learn new digital techniques (spreadsheet macros, Firefox shortcuts, productivity tools, graphic design, html coding)
Volunteer.
Blog for five minutes about something you learned.
Give a speech once a month about something you don’t currently know a lot about.
3. Spend at least one weekend day doing absolutely nothing but being with people you love.

4. Only spend money, for one year, on things you absolutely need to get by. Save the rest, relentlessly."

to read the whole blog entry from Seth’s website, click here!
 

Even in this economy, there are some businesses that thrive… what’s one of the keys? The company’s innovation culture. Check out this story about zappos.com (a shoe company) that was aired recently on nightline and learn a few things that they do really well. Now ask yourself, for your business what lessons you could apply? Happy Viewing!

Want a creative breakthrough? Why not be deliberate and tap the power of the nap. According to a recent article in the New York TImes, "people are more creative after sleep, but they don’t know it." 

To read the whole article, click here!

Want to energize your next meeting? Looking for materials to support your ideation sessions and/or your innovation training programs? Then check out the ingenious thinking materials. Available for purchase now. Click on the images below or here to learn more!

How to design meetings that spin out greatness!

“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the
human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full
potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.”
– Dave Barry, “Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn”

“Meetings are like vacuum cleaners.” – Anon.

Think about the last five meetings you attended. Would you say they were all productive? Engaging? A good use of your time?

Chances are that at least one in three of those meetings was a complete waste of your time and if so, you are not alone.

In survey after survey, the top complaints about unproductive meetings are:

to read the rest of the article I wrote for the newandimproved.com newsletter, click here! 

Google just announced a plan to fund great ideas that make a difference in the world to the tune of millions of dollars. Called 10 to the power of 100, its aim is to fund ideas that help the most people on the planet. To read the article about the project on cnn.com click here. To link directly to the google site that explains the project, click here. Do yourself and the world a favor, submit an idea!

Thought is cause: experience is effect. If you don’t like the effects in your life, you have to change the nature of your thinking.

– Mariannne Williamson

This interesting tidbit of news comes from the website www.dailygood.org. Click here to subscribe.

Enjoy…

Good News of the Day:
How friendly are you with your co-workers? Although close relationships at work are sometimes discouraged, it turns out that employees who are friendly with each other are better able to cope with office stress. Researchers have long known that work stress can take a heavy toll on health. Studies have shown that stress at work increases the risk for depression, heart attack and other health worries. But now a new report shows that the solution to work stress may be found in the cubicle next door. Employees who feel social support at work are far less likely to suffer serious depression problems, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3239

A special thanks to Bob Eckert of www.NewandImproved.com for passing it along!

Happy June. Here is a little statistic from Dr. John Gottman and the world of love research that I found interesting and hope you do to. Enjoy and have fun putting the insight into practice!

This was sent to me last week by a friend. She said she saw it on a blog (Click here to see the blog) and though you may have heard it before, it is good stuff and worth remembering. Enjoy and thank you to the original author!!!!

"One thing I always like to ask folks who seems really stressed out about this or that is will what you are doing now going to really matter in a year from now? What is it that you do were this time last year that had you worried or stressed, and does that same event matter you now? Most of what we deal with in life is generally the small stuff and at the end of the day, there is no real reason to sweat the small stuff.

Here is something I got from my parents that I thought I would share with you all. As a person’s whose professional career just got back on track after a few years without clear direction, it is always important to remember to take a few moments, or more, to remember the things that are really important in life:

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine theory…

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items on his desk in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "YES."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends,and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,and your car.

The sand is everything else; the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the good things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Do one more rundown the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend."

Share this with someone you care about… I just did"