Keep Your Eyes On The Horizon, But Leave The Back Door Open
You've probably heard the saying that good things don't always come to you the way you expect them to. That's why it's best not to get too focused on "how" something is going to come about, but more on what it is you want to create or achieve.
My goal, like yours, is to grow my business, so I constantly explore avenues and possibilities for expansion.
Sometimes acting on certain opportunities have brought me to dead ends.
And sometimes they've taken me miles away from where I thought I'd end up, but surprisingly, to a much better place than I ever imagined.
Here's one such example...
Because I conduct my business primarily over the telephone and Internet, I never made an effort to integrate into my own community. Coaching was, and still is, virtually unknown in these parts.
A year ago, I decided to open a chapter of a national women's business group in my city. The organization has a solid platform and is rapidly expanding across Canada and the U.S. It provides national exposure, training, networking opportunities, and support and resources for entrepreneurs and executives.
Through this alliance, I saw the potential to integrate myself into my local business community while providing my fellow business owners with the venue to learn, connect and grow their businesses on a much larger scale.
I envisioned a large gathering of passionate business owners who would embrace the concept and opportunity as heartily as I had.
Unfortunately, only a select few were able to think bigger and bolder than the masses. The majority of business owners were satisfied with their businesses remaining "as is". They were comfortable with where they were.
After almost a year of attempts to build the group from the small number I had enlisted, I decided to let it fold. The efforts were taking me away from focusing on my own business and the dismal results gave me the answers I needed.
This was something my city was not ready for. At least, not just yet.
When I first envisioned the dream of one hundred or more local business women embracing the concept and helping each other grow their businesses, I was excited and couldn't see how anyone wouldn't want to be a part of it.
And, based on the failure of this attempt, I could be frustrated and remorseful for taking the chance, but the experience brought me far more than I expected or hoped for.
Because I took a chance, I put myself in front of many highly respected and successful business women I may never have met. I've since formed business relationships with several of them that will bring me several thousand dollars in added revenue this year.
I was invited to join a local mastermind group made up of some of the brightest business minds I know with wide circles of influence.
I was invited into a "by invitation only" group of business owners who share leads and resources with each other. At the last meeting I received over 34 leads from just one person alone!
I receive regular phone calls from local business owners inviting me to lunch, to learn more about what I do, looking for help in expanding their thinking and businesses.
All because I took a chance and put myself in front of others.
I didn't fail. I just created an entirely different result than originally planned.
And I honestly have to say, I'm loving how everything has unfolded.
I'm sharing this because I want you to embrace the possibilities.
As you build your business and explore opportunities, by all means, do your due diligence to ensure you take responsible risks.
You may land on your butt from time to time, but that comes with the territory.
The important thing is - when you come across something that you think might have teeth, take action. Sometimes you will create the results you were hoping for and that's great, but don't let a detour break you.
Sometimes those detours will take you down a path that you never knew existed, one that is far better than you could have envisioned on your own.
Keep your eye on your vision, but always leave that back door open because oftentimes your greatest opportunity will slip through, waiting for you to turn around and notice it.
2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source
Laurie Hayes, founder and Director of The HBB Source, helps freedom seekers cross the bridge from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Subscribe to her FREE e-zine for valuable tips and resources designed to create business success, at
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Gear Up Your Marketing For Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter of each year presents a huge opportunity for many businesses. Consumers often spend more as they prepare for the holidays, and many businesses increase their spending in the fourth quarter as they prepare for the new year.
All of this can mean increased sales for you and me... but only if your marketing is effective.
So how do you get your marketing in shape? Simple. Set some goals for quarter and create a plan to take you there. The following is a list of some activities that you might want to include as part of your fourth quarter marketing efforts.
1. Plan
Create a detailed plan for the next 90 days that includes a huge push for increased sales. Set a sales target for the quarter, look at the work that you have already booked, and then plan where the extra sales you need to reach your target will come from.
What marketing activities can you do that will help get you there? What existing clients can you approach for additional work or referrals? How can you increase the size of your network so that more people know about your business and what you do? Make the plan as detailed as possible and then take daily action in executing it.
2. Review Your Website
Review your website and ensure that it is doing a good job of interesting and educating your prospects about your services. Be sure to stress the benefits of your services and give prospects plenty of reasons why they should do business with you rather than your competitors.
Your site should request that visitors leave their contact information. This can be done by having them sign up for a newsletter, request more information, or arrange a free consultation. You can increase response by offering an incentive, such as a free report or a discount. If your website doesn't ask for this vital information, then make some changes to it so that it does.
3. Write Articles
Write several articles on topics related to your product or service. The articles should contain tips or advice that your target market will find useful and that will help them solve their problems. Post the articles on your website and get them published on other websites and in journals that your prospects read.
4. Publish a Newsletter
Start sending out an ezine or newsletter to your clients and contacts. Include a signup form on your website and offer an incentive for visitors to subscribe, such as the articles you wrote in step 3. Use the ezine to provide more help, education, and how-to advice to your prospects.
5. Speak
Get a speaking engagement at an event that your prospects are likely to attend. Make the talk informative and pack it with as much valuable information as you can. Do not make it an extended sales pitch! Mention the services your company provides by all means, but make sure that you also provide plenty of relevant and useful information to the audience.
During the talk, be sure to promote your newsletter and the articles that are available on your website. Be sure to get the contact information of as many of the attendees' as possible.
If you don't already have their contact information, a good way of getting it is to offer a bonus item that can be mailed out to attendees afterwards, such as a recording or transcript of the presentation, or another article or in-depth report. In order for the attendees to get the bonus item, have them leave you their contact information on a signup form or have them give you their business card. It's important to solicit this information immediately after the talk. If you refer them to your website to signup, the response rate will drop significantly.
6. Advertise
You should review your advertising and ensure that is cost-effectively driving a steady stream of prospects to your door. If you don't already advertise regularly, now would be a great time to start.
Begin with some small advertisements in publications that your prospects read, and test what works. If the response to your ad is encouraging you can increase its size. If the response is poor, make some changes to it and try again.
Conduct a direct mail campaign that educates your prospects on the services you provide. Provide as much information as possible and don't make the material overly "salesy" or it will be ignored. You might consider promoting your newsletter in this way as an easy, low-risk way for prospects to get to know your business. The bottom line with direct mail is to be informative and focused on the benefits that your prospects receive. Follow up the direct mail campaign with phone calls or even a visit to the prospect.
7. Utilize Your Current Clients
Study your current clients and look for ways that you can provide additional services to them. Look specifically for ways that you can really help them develop their business. Ask them for referrals.
8. Network
Meet with people in your network and exchange referrals. Generate some business for them and educate them on the types of prospects you're looking for. You'll be amazed at how quickly they'll be able to come up with names of people you should speak to, especially after you've helped them.
9. Offer Additional Payment Options
Offer flexible payment options such as payment by credit card or payment by installment. Sales can often increase by as much a 30% simply by being a little bit more flexible in the way you get paid for your services. If it's appropriate to your business, try offering free samples of your products, free trials of services, or a no-risk "test-drive" period.
10. Community Involvement
Get involved in your community by volunteering to help in local events. You could serve on the board of a charity, help organize a special event, or donate your business' services to a worthy cause. If time is in short supply (and what business owner has an abundance of time?) then be highly selective in the ways you get involved and choose only those activities that get you in front of influential people and decision makers.
Gear Up Today!
There you have it: ten ways to ramp up sales for the fourth quarter!
Get started on this immediately. At the very least, complete a plan for your marketing within the next week. You don't have to do everything outlined above, but you should pick at least a couple of activities and take action before the end of September.
The fourth quarter can be a great time for sales, but you have to be prepared. That means getting started now.
Andrew Pritchard is the owner of
http://www.inspire-consulting.com, a marketing company in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Inspire Consulting specializes in helping businesses advertise more effectively both online and offline.
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George Best - A Profile of the Manchester United Players Career
In 1961 Manchester United's scout in Northern Ireland, Bob Bishop, telegrammed the clubs' legendary manager Matt Busby in a state of unusual excitement.
"I think I have found you a genius," he eagerly explained.
He had indeed. But neither Bishop, Busby nor anybody else could have imagined the impact his skin and bone, fifteen year old discovery would make on Manchester United, football throughout the world and society as a whole.
On the recommendation of Bishop this "genius", George Best, was packed off to Manchester along with another prospect, Eric McMordie, for a two week trial. Fazed by their journey into the unknown and immediately homesick the youngsters scarpered back to Belfast before the first week was through.
Busby had already seen enough to know that one of these youngsters was worth pursuing and the United boss wrote to George Best's father urging him to send his boy back to Manchester, assuring him that George had what it took to enjoy a bright future in the game.
This was a very strong early indication of Best's outstanding ability. Manchester United Football Club would not usually go running after a fifteen year old kid who bunked out on them. George Best did return and, you could easily say, the rest is history.
The young Irishman was naturally shy and somewhat ill at ease, as his earlier bolt for home had demonstrated, but it did not take him long to settle down more happily in Manchester on his return.
Once he had a ball at his feet George Best was a different person. Not just confident, he was arrogant. Supremely sure of his own ability he demanded centre stage and revelled in having it.
This attitude did not cause resentment among his colleagues as they instantly recognised his incredible gifts and naturally deferred to them. Besides this, off the field he was quiet and popular with everyone. At once he was accepted and respected. As word quickly filtered through to the first teamers at Old Trafford about this unbelievable kid in the youth team they would sneak in to watch him train and left shaking their heads at his ability.
Matt Busby was anxious not to blood his latest wonder boy too soon but it was impossible to keep him out of the side for long. Having just turned seventeen George Best made his first team debut early on in the 1963-64 season and played a blinder against West Bromwich Albion.
Perhaps wooried about the fuss his introduction had made, Busby then left him out of the team before recalling him for a christmas fixture at home to Burnley. Burnley were a top side at the time and had hammered United at Turf Moor only two days earlier on Boxing Day. With Best scoring his first United goal the drubbing was returned and the youngster was here to stay.
The remainder of that season saw George Best confirm his incredible talent and by the end of it United finished runners up in the league. Best's impact was amazing.
Crowds everywhere marvelled at this skinny winger who fabled hard men could not knock off a ball, tackle or even foul on most occasions. A boy who could appear in the middle and outjump international centre halves to head goals past international goalkeepers and who could rip shots into the back of the net in a blur that almost defeated the eye.
His appeal was not confined to the football pitch. Best was an exceptionally good looking young man as well and all at once girls all over the country began taking an interest in football, at least to the extent of having pictures of Georgie Best plastered across their bedroom walls.
Within a couple of years this interest would turn to something approaching hysteria and George Best, the footballer and the man, would start to crack under the pressure.
Best's first full season in the United first team was a thrilling one as the club captured the first division championship and reached the semi finals of both the FA and Fairs Cups, losing to Leeds United and Ferencvaros of Hungary, both after replays.
He had not yet turned nineteen but Best was already perhaps the most talked about and recognisable figure in British football but it was the following season that his fame really exploded and became international.
On a balmy night in Lisbon, George Best turned in one of his greatest ever performances as United slaughtered Benfica 5-1 on their own ground, the first time they had ever suffered defeat at home in European competition. Best provided two of the early goals which set United on their way, leaping in front of the keeper to head the first before slicing through the defence to slide home his second.
Captured strolling through the streets of Lisbon the following morning in a massive sombrero a newspaper caption dubbed Best "El Beatle" and the legend moved on apace.
United missed out on further glory that year, losing in the semi finals of both the FA and European Cups after Best was injured in the first leg of their European tie with Partizan Belgrade and missed the remainder of the season.
The following season United once again won the league championship which earned the club another crack at the European Cup, the trophy which Matt Busby coveted above all others.
George Best was undoubtedly at his best during this season and although United were pipped to another title by neighbours City, George topped the first division scoring charts with 28, alongside Southampton's Ron Davies, an incredible tally for a winger.
European glory did come United's way, however, in suitably dramatic fashion. Paired with the Spanish giants Real Madrid in the semi finals it was a Best goal that gave United a precarious 1-0 lead to take to Spain for the second leg and proved ultimately decisive after a typically extravagant 3-3 draw in the Bernebeu.
In the final, again against Benfica, Best scored perhaps his most famous goal, skipping round the last defender and rounding the keeper before tapping into an empty net. This goal put United 2-1 in front early in extra time and Busby's dream came true as his side marched on to a famous 4-1 triumph.
This was in 1968 and George Best, approaching his 22nd birthday, was crowned Footballer of the Year and European Footballer of the Year. The footballing world was well and truly at Best's feet and yet this would prove to be the pinacle of his career.
United never finished higher than 8th during Best's remaining years at Old Trafford and although they reached the European Cup semi finals again in 1969 and the FA Cup semis a year later the clubs' glory days were coming to a bitter end. Matt Busby had allowed his squad to grow old and left at a time when his fabled youth system was producing non entities.
Wilf McGuinness and Frank O'Farrell both found Busby's shoes too big to step into and United continued to deteriorate before Tommy Docherty arrived at Old Trafford determined to stamp his own personality and authority on the club.
All this time George Best had been deteriorating likewise. It was scarcely noticable in his performances on the field, especially as his genius was now largely surrounded by mediocroty, and he remained United's leading scorer for six successive seasons between 1967 and 1972.
His social life had started to spiral out of control, however, and by the time of Docherty's arrival at Old Trafford Best was already drinking heavily, would occasionally miss training and was, basically, a sitting target as the new manager looked to wield his axe, all at a time when he should have been untouchable. Therefore one of the greatest players ever to grace Old Trafford left in shambolic circumstances at the age of 27.
Docherty has taken a lot of criticism over the years for his treatment of George Best, particularly from the fans, but it would seem to be one of the wisest things he ever did.
Although United were relegated at the end of the season in which Best made his final appearance for the club, a 0-3 defeat at QPR on New Years Day 1974, Docherty quickly put together a hungry young team which returned instantly to the first division and came back much stronger.
Best, on the other hand, descended into a series of unsatisfactory, and mainly shortlived, dalliances at a string of unlikely clubs while becoming a confirmed alcoholic.
It is often suggested that George Best became disillusioned with life at Old Trafford as the great players he had grown up with left and were replaced by men not fit to lace their, or his, boots.
There is no doubt that this did happen but Best did not stop playing football on leaving Manchester United and surely the players at United were better than those at the places he ended up going to.
His course of action was simply the easier one, always favoured by people with a drink problem.
Therefore when Best should have been playing for Manchester United he was representing the likes of Dunstable Town, Stockport County, Cork Celtic, Los Angeles Aztecs, Fulham, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Detroit Express, Hibernians, San Jose Earthquakes, Bournemouth, Brisbane Lions and Tobermore United.
This is the rightful CV of someone like Sammy Morgan, not the man who many regard as the greatest player to ever live.
Best was an unqualified success during his time in America but this hardly represents a claim to fame. In a league peopled by a handful of ageing superstars and a host of journeymen Best was at the age when he should have been at his peak.
The early eighties became a circus of rumoured comebacks, testimonial appearances and lurid stories about Best's drinking.
George Best played his last Football League game for Bournemouth in May 1983 in a 2-2 draw with Wigan Athletic and his last recorded competitive appearance was for Tobermore United in the Irish Cup the following February. Typically the tiny ground was bursting at the seams for Best's appearance but his team lost 7-0 to Ballymena.
Given this personally induced destruction of his own career and his God given talent it is easy to judge George Best harshly and yet it has to be remembered that during his time at the top he managed to influence a generation of football supporters perhaps more profoundly than any other player in the games' history.
It is not just those who followed Manchester United during George Best's time there who name him as the greatest player of the period. Throughout Britain, Europe and all across the world his performances captivated millions and his legend lives on today as subsequent generations look back and see him flicking the ball over Gordon Banks' head for the greatest disallowed goal ever scored, riding Ron Harris' crude assault on a muddy Old Trafford pitch before casually rounding Peter Bonetti with consumate ease, lobbing Pat Jennings from the corner of the six yard box with his international colleague standing on his line and leaving Bobby Moore on his backside before scoring against West Ham.
You cannot create such a deep and lasting impression unless you are seriously good and there is no question that George Best was up there with footballs' all time greats.
He had been born with all the attributes a player could wish for. His ball control was immaculate and his dribbling skills perhaps unsurpassed. Best could also pass, shoot, head and tackle superbly and was naturally two footed.
Above and beyond this Best was blessed with natural gifts which could not be taught or coached. He was lightning quick, especially off the mark, had unlimited stamina and possessed an incredible flexibility which allowed him to ride tackles and avoid injury despite the punishment, unimaginable these days, that defenders were permitted to inflict on him week in and week out.
It should also be remembered that although George Best cut off his Manchester United career in its prime he made over 460 appearances for the club in all competitions, a healthy career for most mortals.
Where Best stands in the list of all time greats is, as always, a matter of opinion.
It was not easy for Best to make a mark in international football coming from Northern Ireland and he never had the chance to perform in a major finals.
His performances in Europe for Manchester United were invariably scintilating, however, and there is no doubt that he was the single biggest attraction in British football during the 1960's and early 70's.
Interestingly though, although his contemporaries speak now about him being possibly the greatest ever, comments concerning Best while he was playing tended to mention the room for improvement possible in his teamwork, something Best chose never to fully address.
Indeed it can only be assumed that had Best deigned to channel his talents more towards the team then he would have ended his career with more than three winners medals and might well have led Northern Ireland towards international recognition.
Of course when people such as Bobby Charlton were passing such opinions they were talking about a young man in his mid twenties who they assumed had another ten years at the top in him. In the normal course of events Best would surely have added these facets to his game and made an even stronger claim to being considered the greatest player of them all.
One of my favourite assessments of George Best came from Jimmy Greaves who said that he did not know if George was the best but added that "there was no-one better."
It seems a touch sentimental to put Best forward as the greatest footballer ever, surely that accolade can never go to someone who was playing for Stockport at the age of 29, but it does not seem too extravagant to claim that he might well have been the most naturally gifted man ever to kick a football.
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Online Sportsbook Betting Advice on the Dallas Mavericks: Early 2005 Season Analysis
Of the biggest NBA clichs to come out the last couple years is that Dallas can get to the NBA Finals if only theyd play a little defense. But to trade for defensive players theyd have to get rid of their offensive ones, and that has happened to a point. Daniels, Howard and Dampier play decent defense, but is it good enough to get Dallas anywhere other than semi-finals exit?
One thing that hasnt changed is their offense. This is still a score-first heavy team, and is at the top-10 in scoring, assists and field goal%. Marquis Daniels and Josh Howard arent on the court to score, but they still contribute in areas that Finley and Keith Van Horn dont. At 97.5 PPG, they havent reached the century mark yet but you can expect it soon. Injuries to Stackhouse and Terry havent hurt them as badly as we thought. Devin Harris and Darrell Armstrong have both done an excellent job replacing him, and Armstrong is one of the best PG defenders in the NBA.
Still, the biggest problem remains the same. They are 9th in Points Allowed, a huge improvement from some of the other Mavs teams in the past. Yet when the 4th quarter comes around, they have serious problems stopping people. They have the aggressiveness down, but Dallas is still weak in several positions. At Center, Dampier is off-and-on on both sides of the floor. Nowitzki is poor guarding people face-to-face, and commonly Daniels and Howard are injured.
While the Mavericks still score, its not without slight concern. Michael Finley and Steve Nash are gone, so Dirk Nowitzki needs to score big throughout the season. Hes done it so far with 26.0 PPG, but even he slows down once in awhile. Dirks shot attempts are often forced and still attempts too many 3-pointers for a Power Forward. Dallas isnt going to provide much support off the bench. DeSagna Diop, Devin Harris and Jerry Powell are getting playing time. Its far too inexperienced to trump powerhouses like San Antonio.
When Stackhouse, Howard and Terry return their bench will be deeper and Dallas scoring will go up. Avery Johnson expresses a defensive emphasis that Don Nelson never did, and its benefiting. Johnson is 30-7 since taking over and Dallas will need that kind record to take control of the division. The Spurs wont relinquish the lead in this lifetime so its 4th place or worse for the Mavs.
So if I was you, I would not go rushing to my online sportsbook to bet on the Mavericks winning a title this year.
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Do What's Important Vs. Doing What's Urgent!
Many years ago, one of my brothers gave me a book on audio tape that I think was from the Day-Timer folks. I don't remember the title, but the basic theme was how to make better use of your times. One thing I do remember was a chapter on doing what's important not what's urgent.
Do what's important, not what's urgent.... What exactly does that mean? What's the difference? Aren't most things that are urgent also important? No, not necessarily. Most people reading this article lead busy, hectic lives. If you work and have children, especially young children, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You get up tired, work hard, go to bed late without doing everything you needed to get accomplished that day and you repeat the process day after day. You think on your feet, eat on the run, and plan your life using the "just in time" model. Most things come at you as urgent, with a "you've got to do this right now"
label attached (either literally or figuratively). It's easy to jump on problem after problem and soon you find that you've become a fire truck, putting out fires all the time.
How do you fix the things that start the fires? How do you do that when you feel like your life is a merry-go-round going 90 MPH and you're hanging on by your fingertips? You stop automatically responding to everything that's demanding your attention. You handle the important things first. You ask yourself, is this important? Will it be important a week, a month, a year from now? How will it affect my children? Will it put money in my pocket or take it away? Is it important to someone I care about? Will it make my marriage better or will it hurt my marriage? Will it make me healthier? The list goes on and on.
We're a society, both in our personal lives and in our businesses, that has instant gratification at the center of most decisions and activities. We should look farther down the road and try to see how decisions made today will have an impact on our future. Even decisions that may seem harmless can have drastic implications. For instance, I just did a quick search on Yahoo to find the average TV viewing time per person. I found one study that says according to the Total TV Audience Monitor (T-TAM), DVR (digital video recorder) owners watch an average of 29.25 hours of TV in a week. That's 1521 hours per year or 63 days. Two months of time wasted. Is that good or bad? I think its bad. How much happier we'd be, how much stronger our marriages and relationships with our children would be, how much healthier we'd be, how much smarter we'd be, if we turned off the TV. In many homes the TV is like a light bulb, it's on as soon as you come home and off when you go to bed. In some houses, there's a TV in every room of the house. Not all TV is bad, but for the most part it's a waste of time. If you leave it on while you're doing other things, then it's a distraction that you could do without.
It's my opinion that in addition to wasting time, most television programming chips away at moral values we desperately need to cling to and instill in our children.
Here's another example, the phone. Most of us have a home phone and a cell phone. If you're married, your spouse probably has a cell phone. If you have children, they may or may not have cell phones. That's a lot of phones! One nice thing about current phones is that they have caller ID. Usually you can tell who is calling. Well guess what, you don't HAVE to answer the phone when it rings. We've been programmed to think we must jump up and get the phone.
Why? True, sometimes it's important and before caller ID you really didn't have a way to know who was on the other end without answering the call, but now you do. It feels strange at first, almost a guilty feeling, when you know who's calling and you don't answer the phone. The phone is a device that yells out urgency when it rings, but you have the ability to only answer if it's important. If it's not important, don't answer it and return the call later, after you've finished whatever you were doing when the phone rang - but only if you want to.
When someone asks you to do something, or when you start to do something, even activities you've been doing all along, ask yourself is this urgent or is it important? Is there something that's more important that I could be doing, maybe something that's displaying a sense of urgency, but that is more important? You'll soon find it easy to say "no" to the urgent and "yes" to the important. And, you'll stop putting out fires all the time.
What can you do with the extra time? Spend it with your spouse and or your children, decide to learn something new such as how to make web sites, or build your future nest egg by learning how to make money on the Internet, or learn to play an instrument, or teach your children how to play an instrument, take singing lessons, plant a garden, visit a retirement center or a hospital... the list goes on forever.
Fred Black is the founder of
http://www.WebSiteTrainingOnline.com, An Introduction to Creating Web Sites.
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What Is A Youth Fundraiser?
When having a youth fundraiser, you need to keep the word youth in mind. Try to make it fun for them, as they will be doing most of the work. A youth fundraiser can be very profitable if done properly. You can get the funds you are looking for and provide fun for the kids that are doing it.
If you can find someone to donate the space, then a carnival would be a wonderful youth fundraiser to have. A fundraising auction would also be a big hit. Both fundraisers would cost very little to get together, although you will need a lot of hands on help from the kids and the parents. You will have to organize carefully for either one of these fundraisers to go off smoothly and successfully. Make sure each person knows what is expected of him/her and what needs to be done. Then youre on your way to lots of fun and big profits with your fundraiser for youth.
A youth fundraiser carnival can be put together without much cost. You could have a fortune teller which would only take a glass ball, a table, and someone sitting there in a long dress and a scarf tied around the head. Have a ring toss table, where people can try to toss a ring around empty bottles and have small prizes for the ones that are successful. The youth will really get involved with this type of fundraiser as they enjoy acting and playing the games.
Get large cardboard boxes and tape them together for a house of fun for the little ones or have a dartboard with safety tipped darts. Try a fish tank with magnetic fish in the tank and have a fishing contest, borrow a outdoor play set or a few of them and have this as rides for the kids, sell hot dogs hamburgers and drinks at your youth fundraiser these will surely be a hit with everyone.
Fundraising auctions are also a neat way to have a youth fundraiser. Have the kids go through the community and collect items that people dont need anymore. Get the youth themselves to donate any games or items that they dont need. When you accumulate enough items you can start your fundraising auction. Set your items up in a large area and have a set time for viewing. Once the prospective buyers have seen all you have to offer, you can start your bidding.
At a youth fundraising auction it is best to have a set price to start with and anything that is bought above this price is like icing on the cake. It will make it more than profitable for the amount of donations you need. These are not the only choices you have for a youth fundraiser. Have a brainstorming session and you will be surprised at the ideas the youths will come up with.
Youth fundraisers can be a lot of fun.
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FA Cup Fourth Round Betting Review
Striker DJ Campbell, last seasons FA Cup hero with non-league Yeading, dumped Premiership strugglers Sunderland out of the FA Cup to secure Brentfords spot in the last 16 for the second time in as many years.
The 5,000 summer signing opened the scoring after 57 minutes only for Argentinean midfielder Julio Arca to equalise for Sunderland. However, Campbell became the hero in the 89 minute, netting the winning goal to set up a memorable win for the 11/4 Bees.
Bolton Wanderers extended Arsenals away day blues with a 1-0 win at the Reebok Stadium. The bookmakers priced this match according to Arsenals reputation, rather than their performances this season. Bolton were as large as 2/1 before kick-off, an insult considering they beat the Gunners 2-0 in league duty back in December. Greek international Stelios scored the decisive goal with six minutes remaining.
Shortest price of the day unsurprisingly was Chelsea at 1/2 but they will have spoiled a few betting coupons after a 1-1 draw at Everton. The Toffees, priced up as 11/2 before kick-off, took the lead through James McFadden but a 73 minute equaliser from Frank Lampard took the tie to a replay at Stamford Bridge.
League One high flyers Colchester United sent another Championship side packing in Derby County. Colchester were 11/8 favourites and found themselves 3-0 up through Neil Danns and Richard Garcia. A penalty from Tommy Smith 11 minutes from time was the Rams only reply.
Leyton Orient will have had their supporters at 10/1 to beat Charlton Athletic. Jon Fortune gave the Addicks an early lead but the League Two side hit back through veteran Lee Steele. Charlton, 2/7 jollies before kick off, needed a stoppage time winner from Jay Bothroyd to spare their blushes.
The scent of an upset hung in the air before the lunch-time clash between League Two side Cheltenham Town and Newcastle United. Despite their efforts, Newcastle scored two goals in as many minutes just before half-time through Michael Chopra and Scott Parker to justify their odds of 8/15.
Rank outsiders on the day, 14/1 Port Vale, gave Aston Villa a scare with five minutes remaining to claw the score back to 2-1, although highly-rated midfielder ensured there would be no upset with a third goal in the 90 minute to please the big hitters who waded in at 1/4.
Better finishing could have earned Coventry City a shock 5/2 win over Middlesbrough but the tie ended all square at 1-1, extending Coventrys unbeaten run at the Ricoh Arena to eight matches.
On Sunday, Manchester United were shorter still at 4/9 but did not disappoint against Wolves, brushing aside the Championship team 3-0 at Molineux. Two goals from Kieron Richardson and another from a resurgent Louis Saha inflicted Glenn Hoddles heaviest defeat as Wolves manager.
Liverpool were also short at 8/15 to win away at Portsmouth and they didnt disappoint with two first half goals from Steven Gerrard and John Arne Riise. Sean Davis pulled a goal back for Portsmouth nine minutes into the second half but the Reds held firm.
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Direct Mail - Getting You Envelope Opened
If you use direct mail it's in your best interest to get as much of it opened and read as possible. You may have spent a small fortune on the copywriting and the expensively printed brochure, but if you don't ensure that as many packs are opened and read as possible, then both copy and brochure are wasted.
There are two main schools of thought on how to avoid being binned. The first is to use disguise, and the second to use persuasion.
Using disguise is mainly a business to business approach but it works for business to consumer mailings too. Business to business promotional mailings are marked out in that they don't appear to have been handled individually. This can be indicated by an envelope pre-printed with a postage mark, and use of a window or address labels to show an address.
Try one or more of the following to give the envelope a more individual look.
Use stamps. They have to have been put on by hand, so it must be individual. There's no more obvious an indicator than a pre-printed stamp impression. When a preprinted impression is used in conjunction with a window envelope it practically screams advertising so don't do it.
Hand write the address on the envelope. This is probably only viable for higher value items but will certainly get more attention this way. It doesn't have to be copperplate, it just needs to look as though it's been handled individually.
Use an unusual material for the envelope, say vellum or a textured paper. In tests conducted by a paper merchant, this alone increased responses significantly. The additional cost for the special paper was more than compensated for by the additional revenue generated by the mailing.
Again, do anything to make your mailing appear more individual and personal to the recipient. Probably the most important element is the use of stamps. This on it's own can be enough to get you under the recipient's radar.
Secondly, use persuasive tactics. This is completely the opposite from disguise and is used mainly for business to consumer, but again it works for business to business too. In this instance we mark it out specifically as commercial by using advertising images, copy and headlines on the outside of the envelope itself. In this instance it doesn't matter if you use a printed postal impression.
Unlike the previous method which uses curiosity to get your envelope opened, we need to give the recipient a good reason to open the envelope. This can take a variety of forms, but as a couple of examples you can state a benefit, "Increase sales by 15%", or alternatively provide an incentive, "Reply by the end of the month and get 2 for the price of 1".
Be very clear and very specific about what the contents are going to achieve and remember you are only trying to get the envelope opened and read. Avoid anything vague. Don't expect to appeal to everyone using this method. You don't have that much room on the envelope, and you can't be all things to all people.
Hopefully you will achieve a strong enough response in a small percentage of recipients that they open, and read the contents. Your persuasive copy will follow on logically from the envelope copy, and keep your prospect interested.
There is a lot of advise against this in business to business direct mail, and there is probably an element of truth in this. If you are mailing to an executive whose mail is screened then it's likely good advice. However there are plenty of owner/managers out there that still open their own mail, if the offer or benefit is clear enough and of interest, it will get opened. You may well consign your mailing piece to the bin for the 99.5% of your prospects by doing this, but it wasn't about them was it?
In summary it's pretty simple. Don't be run of the mill. Step away from the norm and make sure your envelope is overtly commercial with a clear benefit or incentive or alternatively make it look it personal. If you do this you are halfway to getting it read and that's more than half the battle.
Robert Wilkinson is th ownder of
http://www.arhiann.com a direct mail production company specilising in mailings for small and medium sized business.
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Archiving Our Families
We do not remember days. We remember moments. Casare Pavese
A couple of weeks ago, a dear reader emailed me for help on documenting her familys life and history. For several generations, we knew this as stuffing pictures in shoe boxes. If we were super-organized, we used photo albums. Today, we call this scrapbooking.
The fastest growing hobby in our countrywith more than 25 million Americans, or 1 in every four households, participatingit didnt even exist as an industry eighteen years ago, when I first contemplated how I would document and organize our own family photosor memories as they are now called. Less than ten years old as an industry, scrapbooking holds more than 52, 000 sites on the Internet; over 4,000 retail stores support this multi-billion dollar industry and even traditional stores such as office supply giants, pharmacies, groceries, and gift shops all carry a sampling of scrapbooking products. The maze isto me anywaycompletely overwhelming. To even partially navigate its many avenues both exhausts and bewilders me.
When you calculate the time and expense required to not only take quality photos (a high quality 35 mm camera, digital camera, and video camera are all practically required paraphernalia), it boggles ones mind to add in the additional cost of documenting your pix once developed. The average scrapper spends $50 per month on her hobby, or roughly $600 a year in supplies. Scrapbook papers generally cost anywhere from 10 cents a piece to upwards of 50 cents a piece (while browsing online sites I came across some fabulous specialty papers for my military enthusiast son, so I purchased papers with a military theme; they cost 45 cents a pop plus shipping) Add to that the cost of stickers, brads, and trinketsall totally adorable in their own riteand your personal scrapbooking arsenal just escalated another couple hundred degrees.
And what about ink pads and rubber stamps? Gotta have those, too. At anywhere from a couple dollars to ten to twelve dollars for a decent stampas well as several dollars per each ink pad (gotta have all those wonderful colors, you know!)youre by now in this stuff too deep to escape fiscally unscathed.
And we havent even gotten to embossing yet.
Oh, geez.
So whats a rocket mom to do? Practically speaking, at what point do you jump onto the scrapbooking craze while maintaining all of the other parenting strategies deemed so important in raising brilliant kids? I mean: can you really instill a musical heritage into your kids, immerse them into sports and exercise, and shape their character and help them to become more spiritually matureand scrapbook all at the same time? Are there really enough hours in the day to get in a good workout at the gym, get dinner on the tableand scrapbook? Can you add community service to your calendar as well as add colorful borders to your family photos? And is it really possible to hammer in that decorative brad (which seriously requires a good whack on the kitchen cutting board) and keep the baby down for a nap all at the same time?!?
OK. Enough already. Heres my advice on getting your arms around the whole scrapbooking/creative memories/documenting-your-family-history thing:
Find an organizational scheme that you think you can stick with over the next dozen years or so. Trust me: motherhood, while certainly easier in some ways over the years, does not get any less demanding. You just shift areas in which you spend your time. Time, money, and energy are your three most valuable resources todayand they will continue to be until the day you go up. So find a system to which you believe you can reasonably commit. If the whole idea of scrapbooking each and every page of your baby journals wears you out (as it would me), then switch to a system that is less creatively taxing. My personal choice: photo albums from Exposures. (www.exposures.com) Theyve been in business long enough that I trust theyll be there as long as we all still need their stuff. The last thing you need to worry about while selecting a system is the possibility of changing it mid-stream. I researched their product line until I was nauseous. I wound up using over-sized, attractive three-ring binders (offered in three different colors) that work perfectly for our family. I buy a few at a time so I know Ill never run out. I also buy their archival scrapbook paper, and use old-fashioned photo corners for every picture. You might want to look for albums that are offered in a variety of colors, in case youd like to color-code your family. (see http://www.selfhelpcenters.com/family.asp#1 for my recent article Color-Coding Your World)
Decide if you want to be a documenter or a scrapper. Theres a world of difference here. Documenters organize their pictures once retrieved from the store (pharmacy, Costco, etc.) and then put them into albums. Sureyou can add titles, captions, dates, and quick journal entries. You can even use color! But you dont spend an inordinate amount of time on each page. Scrappers, on the other hand, make each page of photos a veritable work of art. They use artsy background papers; crop each photo; add beautiful borders; make great use of sticker art, brads, and trinkets; and punch designs to coordinate with the page theme. You should decide which path youre likely to travel down as soon as possible. Like it or not, you need to get your systema system, any systemdown before you take the plunge, as each system requires a hefty financial commitment. (The only inexpensive alternative is to buy cheap albums from a discount store (with those old-fashioned non-archival magnetic pages) and throw in your photos. You wouldnt do that, Im sure)
Start collecting art and craft supplies. Regardless of which system you use, your childrens happy childhoods require that you spend time doing art. Make regular art days part of your familys weekly schedule. Those rubber stamps and ink pads that youre picking up on sale now will become a wonderful collection down the road. Lets face it: you need colored markers, pencils, pens, paints and papers anyway. They all add to your childrens artistic development. So perhaps documenting or scrapping your familys memories will be part of your regular art day for the next few years. OKso youre not going to take up sculpting for awhileor oil painting, rug hooking, or knitting. Thats alright. Just stay on track, keep picking up supplies, continue to browse art supply stores, and purchase fun stuff as you see fit. If you find yourself drawn to fancy papers and expensive stickersgo ahead and splurge. Youre going to need some of this stuff anyway, so try to make thoughtful and purposeful buying decisions rather than compulsive ones!
Try to stay on top of things. But dont beat yourself up if you fall behind. I always tried to use holidays and summers to catch up with my albums, but with major moves in four of the past six summers, those plans went to pieces. So I am terribly behind in organizing and documenting my familys life. OK. So life goes on. I just commit that when I have time Ill renew my photo journey. Its a process. Itll never be finishedso I dont let myself get all whacky over it. If possible, though, you should come up with some system: perhaps you are on the ball enough that each and every time you pick up pix from the developer, you immediately put them into albums. Youd get an extra cherry in your sundae at my house. Perhaps after you pick up your pix you throw them all into a large drawer, with the hopes of organizing them one day. (Thats been me these last few years.) OK. So thats a system, too. Just be sure that one day isnt too far into the future, promise?!?
Figure out where this all fits into your familys direction. You may be committed to too many thingsprofessionally and personally. This may simply have too small a role in your familys purpose. The commitment of energy alone to the whole scrapping thing might wear you out, leaving you feeling totally unglued and unable to do the other things in which you are truly passionate about! Thats OK!!!!! Maybe this just isnt your time!!! Stop beating yourself up. You may prefer to use your fingers teaching your child to finger-paint, your lap rocking your newborn, and your energy driving your kids to music lessons. You might rather use your discretionary funds supporting a missionary rather than spending it on pretty background papers for family photos. I cant tell you whats right for you. I can only help do the heavy lifting. So Ive done the research, evaluated some of the options, and am presenting them to you for your ultimate decision. I can help to equip youand encourage youto propel you to excellence. But in the end, this is your archiving. Above all, dont stress about this. Spend time your kids first and foremostand these decisions will fall easily into place in due time.
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Buying a French Property in France from Charente Property S W France
Charente has become the new goal for those searching a property overseas in France. To read more on Charente visit
http://www.lagiraudiere.com/charente_south_west_france.html . You may be looking for either a town house, farmhouse, land, barn or Lake in France then once you have decided on the property you will start on the process of purchasing that property. In this article, we explain the order of events as you go down the road to completing your purchase for that dream home in France.
In 99 of the purchase price. If you found your property througth a French estate agent then you would have certainly have had to sign up with that agent and as a concequence you will have to pay there fees which should have been outlined in the agreement that you originally signed with them. Beware when you view a property via an French estate agent because they will insist that you sign with them an agreement that if you buy a property that is listed with them they are entitled to the fees. Remember there is nothing to stop you finding the property and dealing direct with the seller which can save you quite a tidy sum of euros. Many websites are now offering classified ads for property in France one worth a visit is
http://www.lagiraudiere.com/property/Ok lets continue on the basis that the agent found you your French home. In france you will be asked to sign apromise de vente which is a bidding contract between you and the seller. Within this contract you can state reasons for pulling out i.e subject to seeing the plans of the property, you can also insert conditions like subject to you receiving a French mortage. You may also have further developement plans for the property and again this contract can be used to say subject to you receiving planning permisssion for your proposed project. Another good request is to say subject to the property being cleared of all it's rubbish ( I know of people who have had to pay thousands of euros to have barns cleared out or even lofts cleared. This is where you will start to learn that the French love paper work and demand copies for all sorts of documents. You will need a copy of your passpost, a copy of your birth certificate (The full one not the small one) You will also need copies of your mariage certificate and divorce papers if applicable. If you are financing your purchase with a mortgage then you will need copies of the paper work. The compris de vente normally takes up to four weeks to arrive and it will be in French allthougth some notaire's and agents will supply an additional copy in English. If you are not sure about any of the contract then seek profesional advice before signing. You may be asked to deposit a 10 - not bad.
The solicitor (Notaire) is responsible for insuring that certain inspections are carried on the property you are buying prior to completion. These inspections will be for termites and other wood eating bugs, Lead and asspestos checks. If you are buying a relatively new house then it may be well worth asking for a copy of the builders invoice as this carries a ten year guarantee in France. Similar the vendor would have a COUNSEL CERTIFICATE which would have been provided once the property was hooked up to mains electric, this certificate would show that the wiring conformed to French standards and was safe. The notaire will also ask for the plans cadastre for the property you are buying and will check that the boundaries are marked. If you are buying a piece of land or property that was once part of a larger section then a new plan cadastre will be drawn up and new parcelle numbers given to your plot.
A property survey does not exists as such in France and you would be better off asking a local builder to survey the property for you. Remeber if you are buying some 200 year old stone French farmhouse then there will be work to be done and do not think otherwise. Do not ask the estate agent to recommend a surveyor or builder as he will probably send some one he knows will not loose his commission. Instead ask at the town hall or Maire to recommend a local builder or other expats to recommend some one. Remember the estate agent will loose a lot of money if you pull out.
The sale completion signing is held in the notaire's office and it's usual for the buyer to be there, but if you can't be, you can arrange a power of attorney for it to be signed in your absence. Make sure that you have your deposit in place in France and also that your mortgage has been agreed. If you miss the completion date you will lose your deposit. On the day of the signing be sure to go and view the property one final time prior to signing to ensure that everything is has you expect. The estate agent can arrange this and it is not unusual. When you sign you will be asked to write in French sold as seen so make sure you have seen it.
It's not unknown for problems to arise even at this late stage with regard to fixtures and fittings for example all the light switches and power points may have been removed. If you would like to see more article and information on the region of south west France then visit
http://www.lagiraudiere.comPaul Thomas first visited La Giraudiere in 2000 and now writes articles for thier website concerning France and the region of South West France
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Are You Soccer Mad?Soccer Crazy? Then try these Rome Soccer Tours
If you are fanatical about soccer, as you read through this article you're going to learn that it's easier than you think to travel to Rome, and see a classic soccer match, with the fans of Roma or Lazio at your side. Wouldn't it be amazing to tell your friends that you were there, in the Stadio Olimpico, when the winning goal was scored!
Whether you are coming to Rome on vacation or business, you simply have to experience the thrill of a football match! Rome soccer tour packages give you tickets to AS Roma or SS Lazio home games, hotel accommodation and breakfast daily. But don't delay, tickets sell out quickly because both teams attract fanatical support.
The Stadio Olimpico is home to both Roma and Lazio and was built for the 1960 Olympic games. An impressive 82,000 plus venue it has housed European Cup Finals and the 1990 World Cup Final. It is also the first choice home of the Italian national team, and a great venue for these Rome soccer tours.
And you can be reassured... it's easy to get there. Romes principal airport, Fiumicino, lies 30kms south of the city and connects to Romes major train station, Termini by regular hourly trains. The second airport, Ciampino, lies 15km south east of the city and is connected to the centre by bus to Anagnina metro station, where a direct train and then a tram will quickly get you to the stadium.
You can even save time and money and book your airport transfer services before you go! You can use a shuttle service that will take you from Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport to your Rome Hotel, without the hassle of picking up a rental car, negotiating unfamiliar traffic and maps.
The history of both Roman Football Clubs is equally littered with glory and frustration.
AS Roma were born in 1927 from the fusion of three different clubs - Alba, Fortitudo and Roman. A fine record in the 1930s eventually led to the first Giallorossi Scudetto in 1942.
Difficult years followed until their one and only relegation in 1951. With an immediate return to the top flight, Roma quickly captured a third place and the 1961 UEFA Cup. The Coppa Italia came in 1964, the first of seven in this competition.
Romas most glorious years were the 1980s as aside from the two Italian Cups, the clubs second Scudetto was lifted by Coach Nils Liedholm in 1983. The following year only a penalty shoot-out against Liverpool at the Stadio Olimpico kept them from winning the European Cup.
Fabio Capellos Roma led the 2000-01 Serie A table from start to finish for their third Scudetto and the clubs first medal in a decade.
Rivals Lazio were founded in 1900 as Societa Spotiva Lazio, a multi-purpose sports club. The Biancocelesti began football full-time in 1906. Winning one wartime Roman title in 1944, the club lifted their first national trophy - a Coppa Italia - in 1958 but were relegated three seasons later.
Several trips up and down the Divisions preceded Lazios first Scudetto in 1973-74 when they were led by the legendary Giorgio Chinaglia. But within five years came the clubs darkest hour as Lazio was relegated for financial irregularities and only a play-off prevented the club from slipping into Serie C in 1987.
Sergio Cragnotti took over the club in 1992 and with his financial backing Lazio have become a force both in Italy and Europe. Since 1997 the Biancocelesti have won their second Scudetto, a Cup-Winners Cup, an Italian and European Super Cup and two Italian Cups. However, only massive sales and a restructuring of contracts allowed the club to avoid bankruptcy.
Both clubs continue to ride close to the top of Italy's Serie A, and the rivalry is intense, especially during the annual "derby" matches where the teams and tifosi face each other. So, if your passion is football, then don't miss the opportunity to see your favorite Roman team play a home game this season, and be there with The Ultras!
Why book ahead?.. Well, here are my thoughts:
* The most popular matches can sell out well in advance. Don't risk being disappointed!
* Reduce stress! Don't waste time haggling with the hotel concierge for matchday tickets.
* Lock in your price! Currency dips & price hikes won't effect you.
* Save vacation time! Plan & book now, not when you're there.
* Balance your vacation budget! Charge tours on this month's credit card bill.
Believe me (and I've been in Rome during a major soccer tournament!) there's nothing like the atmosphere of a match day, and the city buzzes with excitment. So, try one of these great value Rome soccer tours. Take the easy way - and book this efficient service online now and save time in Rome. You could have your match tickets secured in the next fifteen minutes!
I hope you'll agree that these special Rome soccer tours offer real value, and I know that you'll return home with some special memories of your stay in the Eternal City.
As an extra resource for readers, I have posted this article onto my website, and provided quick links to these great tours. Lets-Travel-Rome.com/RomeSoccerTours
Best wishes for a great trip, and let me know the score!
Les Sheppard
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Your Biggest Do it Yourself Project
When I meet people and tell them what I do, I often hear, Oh, you are a motivational speaker, with some amount of assuredness in their voice. While I realize there are many speakers that people lump into this category (some who are my friends and mentors), I strongly disagree with that label.
Do I speak? Yes.
Can I inspire, challenge thinking, provide ideas, input, and encouragement (and in smaller settings), provide feedback? Yes I can.
Can I motivate? No I cant.
DIY
There is a channel on my television called DIY The Do It Yourself Network. On this channel you can learn how to make drapes, redo your landscape, take care of your yard, build a deck, make unique crafts, and much more. Many people must watch it, because it has been on my television for several years.Actually this doesnt surprise me. People want to learn how to do new things. They want to avoid the cost of the expensive plumber, carpenter or painter, and they like the pride that comes with seeing the results of their efforts.
If people do the things they learn about (rather than just watching) they are doing it because they are self motivated. No crafty, clever, or comical TV host has motivated them they have motivated themselves.
It is the same with our personal, professional and business projects we may work with others and need expert coaching, advise, counsel and encouragement, but in the end these are Do it yourself projects too.
Five Suggestions
Here are five things you can do to make your own improvement and growth and do it to yourself project.
1.Have a reason for doing. If your windows are bare, you know you need drapes. If your grill sits in the grass, you know you want a deck in your backyard. What is the reason you want to improve your skills or habits or achieve new results? Having a clear goal is the first step towards self motivation. If you watch the TV show because you are interested, but dont need that skill, you will just watch. If you listen to a great speaker or read their book and dont have a clear goal, youll get no more than an enjoyable experience.
2.Take action every day. You have your goal, your reason, so now take action. I cant take that action for you any more than Bob Villa, your boss or a family member can. Make a plan and get started. You dont have to carve out two hours in your already over crowded day, but do something. Take a step towards your self-improvement project every day. At least one thing, every day.
3.Put in the positive stuff. Many people who are learning to build that deck buy books, magazines, and software; go to the local hardware super center for classes and ask for advice, and much more. Are you putting anywhere near this amount of time, effort, and money into reaching your personal or professional improvement goals? Read or listen to the positive, uplifting material each day. Consider it inspirational fuel for your own motivation.
4.Lose the Losers. Do you have people around you who arent willing to invest in themselves? How much time are you spending with those who ridicule or put down your efforts? While you may not be able to remove these people from your life, you can reduce the impact their attitude has on you. Recognize how they negatively impact you and move on.
5.Turn off the TV. Yes, even football, I remind myself. Am I saying you should not watch any television? No, but TV is the major time stealer in our society and is a self reinforcing habit. Every show has commercials for other shows. So not only are watching others achieve their goals while we arent achieving ours, but we are being bombarded with messages about products we dont need and being convinced to watch even more. You will find as you watch less TV it gets easier to watch less. Why? In part because you wont know what is on!
The person who learned how to dry wall his own basement when asked why they chose to do it says something like, I figured no one would care as much about the quality of the job as I would, so I decided to learn myself. Besides, I have so much more pride in the results.
These are great reasons to do it yourself. Apply that same logic and reasoning to yourself. Dont ask me to motivate you. That is your job. Just like the expert on TV, I can help show the way and help you see that it is possible. But in the end, it is your life, your results, your project.Go out and Do it yourself.
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