Time Wasters Ltd

Anything that stops you from achieving is a time waster, getting in the way of clarification and accomplishment of goals.  Each of us dabbles with and has favourites.  Being skilled at interacting with them stops us seeing them for what they are.  They include:

·         Lack of planning: failure to plan is a plan to fail.

·         Delaying for tomorrow what should be done today: proscrastination.

·         Interruptions: continuity breakers for which we have no contingency.

·         Internet: we get sucked into researching/playing with what does not add value to us.

·         Problems: constantly dealing with what causes doubt and uncertainty.

·         People: very distracting, especially if they do not understand your vision.

·         Lack of headspace: giving thought time to fripperies rather than what’s really important.

·         Busyness: constant doing stops reflection and hinders progress.

·         Perfectionism: constant tweeking for ‘it’ to be perfect brings delay.

·         Fear: being afraid that if we do differently we will fail. 

·         Time blindness: inability to see the value of the time available to us.

·         Meetings: where all have to speak, but not have something to say.

Recognise them.  Decide how to handle them. Then take back what’s yours.

Return on Investment

A measure used to determine the value and performance of an enterprise is ROI or Return on Investment.  It is expressed as a percentage.  If ROI is negative, then cessation of investment is considered wise, whilst positive percentage indicates that continued association is worth pursuing. 

ROI’s purpose is to ensure benefit is seen and received from what is expended.

Sometimes people approach relationships similarly, wanting everything for something or EFS; a little is given, but a great deal expected in return.   A relationship approached this way will always express as  a negative unit.  Not because of what is reciprocated, but because of the thinking and attitude brought to it.   Persons who always look to get exactly the same return as that they put in, whatever the context, are constantly hungry and dissatisfied.  The balance in relationships ebbs and flows, because they involve  feelings rather than functions.  Sometimes we give substantially to one relationship, but actually receive greatly from another. 

So you don’t appear to get much from a particular source; still enjoy the relationship for what it is, without allowing yourself to be abused.  Flip the script.  Calculate the return your relationships receive from their investment in you.  

Every grain of salt counts

Salt is important to our existence. It’s a taste that all humans readily recognise, along with sweetness, bitterness, sourness and savouriness. Too little or too much in our diet causes health problems. 83% of salt produced is an important ingredient in the manufacture of non-food stuffs. 17% is for food purposes. It is produced via extraction or evaporation.  Raw salt is bitter, unrefined salt cannot be digested but combined with other ingredients, is therapeutic.  Refined salt is edible, a flavouring and preservative.

On its own a grain of salt may not be perceived as able to do much, though it’s presence can be detected.  However, when added to more of the same it has the potency to significantly change the flavour of food and in the correct conditions, preserve it for later use. 

Management, through its aims and objectives, decides the purpose and nature of an organisation.  However, it is each employee who salts or, brings flavour and character to the business.  Developing or refining staff motivates them, changing the atmosphere within the organisation.  It tells individuals they are valued, and perceived as having potential to add more to the establishment, if not immediately, later though refining. 

Make every grain count.