Saturday Night Classic Music Video

I love finding obscure versions of great tunes....

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Getting Fired..

It has happened to me a few times over the years. Call it a lay-off, cut-back, down-size, or an old fashioned Firing, the results are pretty much the same. No work.

April 21st will mark my 7 year mark with the group of radio stations I work for in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The last time I was fired, was over ten years ago, for not showing up on time. My next job I had perfect attendance for two years.

I've learned that there are plenty of jobs out there if you are willing to apply yourself and convince the person in charge that you can do the job.

I've hired and fired people over the past few years. It's not fun to do either.

Harvey Mackay wrote about this last year....
Harvey Mackay's Column This Week

Getting fired is really about being hired

As a young actor and comedian, Jerry Seinfeld had a small recurring role as a mail carrier on the TV sitcom Benson. One day Jerry showed up for a script read-through only to find that he hadn't been issued a script. When he asked why, he was told that he'd been fired. No one had remembered to inform him.

Embarrassed, Jerry left the studio determined to stay out of sitcoms until he had more control over the process. A few years later he succeeded, in more ways than one, when he co-created the hit series Seinfeld, which ran for nine seasons on NBC and topped the Nielson ratings for two years.

Getting fired, downsized, laid off, let go or whatever term you want to use, used to leave a stigma. Now it is standard procedure. More and more people find themselves looking for work. And things are not going to change soon.

Back in 2004, I wrote a book called "We Got Fired! ... And It's The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Us." A year later it was reissued in paperback with the title, "Fired Up!... How the Best of the Best Survived and Thrived After Getting the Boot." In the book I chronicled 28 comeback kids who became even bigger successes as a result of being fired.

Many became leaders in their fields: the business community, entertainment, sports and politics. After their respective firings, they were remarkably resilient and offered great advice from a new perspective. Following are some of my favorite quotes:

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a partner at Salomon Brothers and let go after a merger. He told me, "Nobody likes being pushed out. But you can't feel sorry for yourself." Bloomberg went on to found the world's number-one financial information empire.

Pat Mitchell, former CEO of Public Broadcasting System, said, "Seize every chance you have to learn. It's amazing how many skills we seem to acquire by accident. You know what's more mind-boggling than that? How much of this know-how becomes unexpected but indispensable pluses later on."

Getting fired is fairly commonplace in professional sports. New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, who has landed on his feet several times, gave me these observations: "When you're talking career, how you manage things outside of the white lines has equal value to what you do on the playing field. Out of bounds is in bounds in the world of influence and opinion. . . The best way to get respect from others is to start off by giving it."

Dr. Bernadine Healy, former president of the American Red Cross, challenged readers to examine their fortitude. She told me: "If you are considering a career in public service, are you willing to take the tough stances that will truly make a difference? Are you prepared to lose your job rather than compromise on fundamental values? Have you developed enough different skills that you can always have a back-up career to turn to at a time of crisis? Do you worry about the things you can do something about and try your best to laugh at what you can't change?"

Tom Stemberg, founder of Staples Inc., advises, "Think about frustrations you encounter in your own life as business opportunities." Tom is a good example. He was a trained retailer and found that no one was serving his needs as a customer. His frustration became the cornerstone for an entire new business. He also counsels us to "Take the calls of people who are down. They'll remember, especially if you happen to be in the same sinking boat some day."

Inspirational "Chicken Soup for the Soul" author Mark Victor Hansen shared several gems with me: "If you want a happy ending, rewrite your success story before somebody else does it for you. . . If you don't like rejection and you're doing your job, don't give people permission to make you feel inferior."

Tennis champ Billie Jean King reminded us, "Don't be afraid to ask for help. This was one of my weaknesses. I was embarrassed to ask, but I've learned that people want to help."

Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co., wrapped it all up in this package: "Perseverance is central. Life is full of ups and downs, and you must learn from these experiences. . . Always do the right thing, even when it's not the easy thing."

Mackay's Moral: Fired? Be like the phoenix -- you can rise from the ashes.

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Video Time: Fort Wayne's new Radio Station

Yeah, a bit of self-promotion.

The website link is www.V1029.com and you can listen on line too.

Oh yeah one more thing.

Listen tonight from 7 to midnight.

We brought her back to town.

Delilah.

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I'll do it later

ever said those words?

Are you saying them more and more?

Then read this now from the DLM Blog:

Doing Battle With Procrastination? Here's How to Win – For Good

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 11:32 AM PDT

Sometimes I get emails from Dumb Little Man's readers – and it's always lovely to receive these! One problem that people often mention is procrastination. They know that this bad habit is holding them back, but they're not sure how to beat it.

All you procrastinators out there – even those of you who told me not to write about this because you'd no longer have an excuse! – listen up. Here's my four-step battle plan for beating procrastination right into the ground:

• Recognize the Enemy
  
• Get out the Big Guns
  
• Protect Your Flank
  
• Never Retreat!

1. Recognize the Enemy
   You're going to have a hard time beating procrastination if you don't recognize your enemy. Procrastination is a cunning creature and can sidle onto the daily battlefield in various guises:
   
   • Distractions (like web surfing)
     
   • "Urgent" tasks (emails / phone calls)
     
   • "I'll just..." tasks (tidy the desk, make a coffee, pop to the store...)
     
   Sometimes, you know you're faced with the enemy. You've just spent the last half-hour Twittering and looking at amusing pictures of cats online; procrastination's got you by the neck. Other times, procrastination wears the guise of productivity. Surely, getting your inbox cleared out is important? Well, maybe it is but are you just using that as an excuse not to get on with your really important work?
   
   Procrastination often wins by making small, incremental gains. Those five minutes of reading the newspaper turn into twenty. That coffee before making a start on work turns into a half-hour natter with your colleague.
   
   Recognize the enemy – and that's half the battle won.


2. Get Out the Big Guns
   If you're going to beat procrastination – especially if you've done battle and retreated wounded in the past – then you need the big guns.
   
   My favorite way to blast procrastination right back into oblivion is what I call the just make a start method. When that cloud of procrastination hovers over a task, the best way to banish it is to dive right in. Get your hands dirty. Don't stop to think too much. Just open up that Word document, find that file, or pick up that phone. Taking action is the fastest possible way to send procrastination running.
   
   Some of the other big guns that will obliterate procrastination are:
   
   • Firm Deadlines (tell your boss you'll have the report on his desk by Friday)
     
   • Music (something with a strong, energetic beat – I like thrash metal...)
     
   • "Chunking" Down (write a step by step plan when you're feeling overwhelmed by a project)
3. Protect Your Flank
   There's no point tackling procrastination head-on if you're not protecting your flank. Don't leave yourself open to attack. People do this all the time by working so much that they burn out, or by forgetting the physical aspect of procrastination.
   
   You need what the army calls R&R – rest and relaxation – if you're going to perform well. Trying to work long days, or working every weekend, is going to leave you wide open to procrastination's lure: when you're tired or stressed, it's hard to stay motivated. Learn to leave work at work.
   
   And, like any soldier, you need to stay fit. Getting regular exercise – just half an hour's brisk walking each day – is enough to really improve your focus. Stay well hydrated, and eat sensibly. You might have laughed in the face of procrastination in the morning, but huge lunch and a couple of beers aren't going to leave you in good shape for the afternoon.


4. Never Retreat!
   Finally, recognize that there will be times when procrastination gets the better of you. You'll have days when you don't accomplish any of the tasks on your to-do lists. You'll lose whole afternoons to web comics and Facebook. You'll spend whole weekends watching DVDs, even when you planned to finally give the house a spring-clean.
   
   Don't let one lost skirmish turn into surrendering the war. You're always stronger than procrastination, and you can bounce back. The more often you win, the easier it'll be. Never retreat – never give up! Pick yourself off the ground, and start the battle again.

Are you winning the war on procrastination? What are your tips from the trenches?

Written on 4/05/2010 by Ali Hale. Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.

Photo Credit: somethingmarissa

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Working with PDF's

In my work, I need to send documents back & forth and one way to ensure the person receiving them can read them is to send a PDF.

I had this Cool Site from Kim Komando saved in my email for the past year, so I thought it was time to share it with you too:

Make changes to PDF files

PDF files are a popular way to share documents. They can be opened on virtually any machine.

But working with PDF files can be a hassle. Most of us don't have the software necessary to edit them.

Your best bet is to purchase Adobe Acrobat. But who has a few hundred dollars to drop on high-end software?

There's also a free solution: PDFVue. This free site won't give you all the options of Acrobat. But you'll be surprised by what it will do.

Read the Quick Start guide before using the program. Then upload the PDF file you'd like to change.

You can add comments or text boxes. Or, turn your PDF file into a form to be completed by others. You can also insert pictures or block out text.

When you're done, download your PDF file or share it with others. This is one site you'll want to bookmark!

TO VISIT THIS COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.pdfvue.com

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#2

What is the number one single thing you will do in your life?

Sleep.

Even if you only get 6 hours a night, that's adding up to 42 hours weekly. 8 hours would be 56 hours.

That's every week, including vacation. And if you think pulling some all nighters lowers your average, when you were an infant, you slept a lot more than 8 a day.

So what's #2?

Work. Earning money. There may be times when it could creep up to #1, but generally it will be #2.

Last week, the DLM blog featured this story about #2:

How to Find Your Soul Job

Posted: 02 Apr 2010 07:19 AM PDT

Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, originated the theory of soul mates. He believed that humans were born with 4 arms, 4 hands, and 2 faces. Zeus, Greek King of Gods, saw this as a potential threat and split everyone in half; thereby, condemning everyone to a life of trying to find their other half in order to be whole.

In modern day life, we consider our soul mate as someone who has similar characteristics, dislikes and likes, as well as compliments our differences. What if the same concept applied to finding our “soul job?” This would be a job that we enjoyed going to everyday, yes, there would be some bad times as well as good times, but there is still a sense of fulfillment and gratification at the end of the workday. It is important to note that a soul career/job doesn’t have to satisfy us financially, but gratify us emotionally and intellectually. Here are a few tips in finding and “mating” with your soul job:

1. Find a career/job that you would enjoy, even in the most challenging times.
   We all know that it can’t be peaches and cream everyday. For example, firemen realize that they are going to be saving lives and going into fire and smoke-filled homes and buildings to save lives, but they still do it. They understand the threats and still come to work everyday and give 110%. You can do the same.


2. Explore the unexpected. Think outside the career box.
   Ever thought about working in a job that you would otherwise think unsuitable for you? Currently, you may be a clerk or cashier in a retail store, did you ever think about being a doctor or a nurse? Think about why you haven’t started on the journey to being who you want to be, and then think about what it takes to become whole and get the job you really want. It may seem frightening at first, because you are considering the time, money, and effort, but wouldn’t it be worth it? Aren’t YOU worth it?


3. Conduct research
   After thinking about what you really want to do, determine what steps you will need to complete to accomplish your goals. Will you need to go back to school? How long will it take? Do you know someone already in the field that can give you advice and even be a mentor? Now is the time to begin living the dream that will become a reality. Be realistic, you know you won't be a certified nurse in a year. Realize time constraints, be optimistic. This will make getting your soul job all the more satisfying.


4. Look for alternative opportunities within your current employer.
   So you like the company you are with, but the job position isn’t really what you want to do. Be consistent and check the job board or company listings. Be subtle and let people know you are interested in taking on more responsibilities in order to reach your goal within the company. If the job you desire requires more education or experience, refer back to tip #3 and research what you need to do to get to where you want to be.

It takes some people a lifetime to find a soul mate, and some are still unsuccessful. Finding a ‘soul job’ requires keeping an open mind, being persistent and ambitious. Does your half have what it takes to get what you want to become whole?

Written on 4/02/2010 by Dewoun M. Hayes. Dewoun has worked as an administrative professional for over 15 years, starting as a legal secretary. She writes at the Office Professionals Place, a blog that is committed to training, educating, and consulting professionals with the necessary tools, tips, and techniques needed to institute the “pro” in professional.

Photo Credit: hydropeek

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13 ways

... to simplify.

From the Zen Habits blog:

13 small things to simplify your workday

Work simply and with focus.

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on twitter or identica.

One of the best things I did when I decided to simplify my life was to simplify my workday — first at my day job and later, by quitting my day job, in the work I do now as a writer and entrepreneur.

I’ve eliminated most of the routine, boring, administrative tasks with a few simple principles.

These days, I have eliminated the non-essentials, and can focus on what I truly love: creating.

Not everyone can make such drastic steps toward simplicity, but if you have some control over your workday, you can do a few small things that will simplify things greatly.

If you don’t have control, or if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t do these things”, I’d start to ask why not? Is it possible to change things, if not today then over the long term? I found that often I thought something wasn’t possible (working from home, for example), but in the long run they were.

You don’t need to do all of these things — pick just one, and try it. Then try another and see if it works. Experiment to find what works for you.

And enjoy the simple work life.

1. Start early. Going into work early was one of my favorite tricks — it was quiet, before the phones and chatter and meetings started, and I could get a lot of work done in peace. By the time everyone else was getting started, I’d gotten two or three big tasks checked off.
2. Limit your hours. It’s ironic, because so many people work long hours and think they’re getting more done and being more productive. But they’re throwing brute hours at the problem. Instead, cut back on your hours and set a limit — say 6 or 7 hours a day — and get your most essential work done within that limit. If you know you’re only working 6 hours today, you’ll be sure to get the important tasks done first and waste less time. Limits force you to be effective.
3. Make a short list. Make a long list of all the tasks you need to do … then make a short list of 1-3 things you really want to get done. Choose so that, if you got only these tasks done, you’d be proud of what you did today. Start with the most important task, before checking email or reading online.
4. Batch distractions. What are your common distractions? Perhaps things like email, reading blogs, Twitter or another social network? Set a time for these, preferably later in the day: say, from 3-4 p.m. Don’t do the distractions before then. By grouping them all into one time period, you allow yourself to do other work first, but still get in your distraction time. Another approach might be to do them for 10 minutes at the end of each hour — but stick to that 10-minute limit!
5. Write shorter emails. If email takes up a lot of your day, the simple change of limiting yourself to 3-4 sentences per email will make a big difference. First, it’ll drastically shorten the time it takes to write or respond to emails. And second, it’ll shorten responses to your emails, which means you’ll spend less time reading email.
6. Limit meetings. The fewer the better. Some top Google executives just do 5-minute meetings — anyone who attends these meetings had better be prepared, and concise. If you can get out of meetings and just get the notes, or find an alternative way to communicate, it could save you hours per week.
7. Automate. The fewer repetitive and routine tasks you have to do, the more time you’ll free up for creating and important work. So automate wherever possible: have people fill things out electronically, or get info from your website instead of emailing or calling you, or use a service that automatically processes payments or ships your product, and so on.
8. Eliminate paperwork. I used to deal with a lot of paperwork, and even then I knew it was a waste of my time. If businesses and organizations could have paperwork filled out electronically, it would save a lot of paper, copying, filing, and duplicate effort. Whenever possible, eliminate paperwork in favor of digital. This might be more of a long-term move.
9. Clear your desk. This can be done in a few minutes. Clear everything off the top of your desk. Only put back a few essential items. Everything else should be: filed, given to the appropriate person, given a permanent spot in a drawer, or trashed/recycled. Make quick decisions and then get back to work.
10. Get away. If you can get out of your office, you can find a peaceful spot where you can focus on important work. Find a spot where you can work, turn off the Internet and do your work, and then turn the Internet back on so you can email or upload it to the appropriate spot. Working from home is a good option here. The more you can do this (it might be once a week, or an hour a day, or half of every workday), the better.
11. Take breathing breaks. Every 15-20 minutes, get up from your desk, and take a breathing break. It could be simply walking around the office, saying hi to someone, or even better, getting outside to get some fresh air. Walk around, get your blood circulating, perhaps massage your neck and shoulders if you feel tension. Do some pushups if you want to get fitter. When you get back to work, remind yourself what you want to be working on, and clear away all distractions.
12. Practice a focus ritual. Every hour or two, do a refocus ritual. This only takes a minute or two. You might start it by closing down your browser and maybe other open applications, and maybe even take a walk for a couple of minutes to clear your head and get your blood circulating. Then return to your list of Most Important Tasks and figure out what you need to accomplish next. Before you check email again or go back online, work on that important task for as long as you can. Repeat this refocus ritual throughout the day, to bring yourself back. It’s also nice to take some nice deep breaths to focus yourself back on the present. More focus rituals.
13. Schedule big blocks of creative time. Not everyone can do this, but when possible, put a big block of 3-4 hours in your schedule for creating or doing other important work. Make this time inviolate, and don’t allow meetings or other things to be scheduled during this time. Be ruthless about clearing distractions and doing the work you love during these blocks, taking breathing breaks as necessary. Rejoice in your creativity.

If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

—
Read more about simplifying your work and your life in my book, The Power of Less.

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