The Pleasures of Sharing Information

A fascinating trend from an economic perspective is the growing popularity among consumers to purchase a second home. Whether it is being used as a vacation cottage, it is rented out or is merely an alternative to one’s primary address, the purchase of a second home is typically viewed as a Status Good. Additionally, this trend runs exactly opposite to the Theory of Marginal Utility and it thus makes the discipline of Real Estate the great exception to the general rule.

In every society, from the Marxist to the Capitalist, there is a fairly sizeable minority class which always has a surplus of cash from income or an ability to borrow sufficient for its expenditure to have stimulative effects on the general economy. Whereas in past historical times this minority class consisted mainly of the royalty and the aristocracy, it now comprises something like 25 percent to 30 percent of the population of a developed country. Because the education system in advanced countries is as egalitarian and selective as it has ever been in history, and because the skill requirements of a modern advanced economy are higher than ever before, this minority class tends to be clearly divided from the remainder of the population in terms of intelligence, educational attainments and cultural tastes

With extra spendable resources at its disposal and a fairly higher degree of education, knowledge and experience, it comes to a point where this minority class focuses its energies and resources to the acquisition, holding, perusing, renting and reselling of consumer items which are out of reach of the remainder of the population at large. As such, these items have a distinctive connotation denoting a higher status within society - if none other than in the minds of the beholders, and are called Status Goods. A second or subsequent home is possibly the crown jewel of all consumer goods and the quintessential status symbol.

More specifically, a Status Good is a purchasable item which becomes fashionable enough to have an effect on consumer spending, sufficient to produce a significant boost to the general economy of a nation, or a region, or a culture. The main motivation driving its purchase and use is that of denoting high status in society. Because of its desirability the price of a Status Good is able to carry a high profit margin and thus new providers enter the scene quite quickly with competitively high prices. This explains the recent development of resorts areas throughout the world. Here in British Columbia, for example, Whistler is already a world renown ski resort and site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The real estate development of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain in this past decade has seen land prices multiply exponentially from an average of CAD $75,000 in 1995 for a standard residential lot to CAD $750,000 in 2005 for the same lot. Anyone who owns an interest in land in Whistler these days definitely fits the foregoing definition and profile of status consumer.

As stated before, the purchase of a second or subsequent home runs exactly opposite to the Theory of Marginal Utility. “Marginalism” is the economic line of thought that postulates the notion that what is most important for decision-making and to determine economic value is the marginal or last unit of consumption or production. For example, one automobile is very useful for getting around. An additional automobile might be useful in case the first is being repaired, or for spare parts, but it is not as useful as the first. A third automobile has even less utility than the first two. Given the price of cars, one would not expect many people to own three cars because the benefit they receive on the third car would be unlikely to exceed the price. In essence, “marginal utility” is the additional benefit that a consumer derives on an additional unit of a commodity output. Such additional output is said to have economic value if the additional benefit exceeds the price of the output. The concept grew out of attempts by 19th-century economists to explain the fundamental economic reality of price.

As it relates to real estate, therefore, the usefulness of a second or subsequent home should diminish and, in accordance to the Theory, so should its price, so that second or subsequent homes should not possess economic value and, thus, demand for them should be minimal to none. Clearly, this is not the case in that real estate is not viewed as a disposable commodity but, rather, it is perceived as an appreciation-generating vehicle - a real capital asset. As proven empirically, second homes as Status Goods are a vital component of consumerism, in that they stimulate demand and production and, thus, economic growth.

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Comments Off

As a loan officer, it is important to keep your pipeline full at all times. For this reason, it goes without saying, that you should be taking as many applications as you can throughout the week.

Obtaining leads to be turned into applications can be obtained in a variety of ways. Such as, networking, customer referrals, family, friends, mortgage lead providers, etc.

Another method, probably the most dreaded in every sales force, but also very necessary to keep app’s coming in is cold calling.

We all know the feeling of rejection over the telephone, but it is very important to maintain your persistence and overcome these obstacles.

I completely understand that there is no way to overcome the objection of a customer hanging up on you. My only advice would be to not dwell on it, or take it personally, just move onto the next call.

Keep in mind, for a lot of people, purchasing or refinancing a home is a huge financial undertaking in a person’s life. Perhaps the biggest, so be understanding if they seem defensive or get cold feet.

I’m sure you are familiar with hearing “I’m no longer interested,” or “I just closed on my loan last week.”

For starters, don’t even give the customer the opportunity to give you an objection.

Remember, you are the expert, so you do the talking.

Your opening line should be something like this:

Hello Mrs. Jones, my name is Susie Smith and I understand that you are interested in a mortgage. I have some great products that I believe would fit your needs and budget. If you don’t mind, I would like to take just a few moments to go over them with you.

This approach immediately takes the pressure off of the customer, and nine times out of ten they will be willing to listen.

Remember, it is all in the approach and the tone of your voice, smile when you talk, it will reflect in your voice. And be nice, relax your customer, make them comfortable, and you are half way there.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site. You can also check out his blog at http://wwwmortgagespot.blogspot.com for more articles related to the sales and marketing of your mortgage products.

Comments Off

Houston, a city founded in 1836, was named after Sam Houston. It is a city in southeast Texas, northwest of Galveston. Being the largest and most populous city in Texas, it is said to be a major hub of the commercial, industrial and financial sectors. Apart from these centers, Houston has various space centers and research firms helping to make it the second-biggest city in the US, after New York. As Houston is said to be the largest city, it is bound to have many lawyers and law firms.

It is advisable to hire a competent lawyer if you have to go to court. Before choosing a Houston lawyer make sure that he is a licensed member of the local bar association. Try to make full use of referral services and various other means to find the best lawyer in Houston. Also find out his track record so that you get a good idea of his capabilities. Houston is one place where you can find lawyers in every field, whether it is criminal, defense, litigation, immigration, divorce, visa or any other field where you need assistance.

There are many ways and sources where you can find a good, capable lawyer. The Houston Lawyers Association, or HLA, was set up in 1955 to safeguard the rights of the black lawyers and the black community. This was when black lawyers were forbidden to join the Houston Bar Association. It is wise to use your instincts while choosing a lawyer, as a good lawyer can do wonders for you. In Houston, each and very lawyer has to fulfill certain criteria in order to secure his license for practicing.

Generally, any aspiring lawyer needs to finish four years of college, followed by three years of law school, and then pass the bar examination. So if you’re a resident of Houston and in some trouble, find a good lawyer to give you the help you need.

Houston Lawyers provides detailed information on Houston Bankruptcy Lawyers, Houston Criminal Lawyers, Houston Divorce Lawyers, Houston DWI Lawyers and more. Houston Lawyers is affiliated with Houston DWI Arrests.

Comments Off

Poker psychology is important because it separates average
players from truly the great ones.

The person, who wins big simpy has a better psychology than his
or her opponents and getting it right can make you huge money.

In poker (unlike other casino games) you don’t have to have the
best hand to win, all you need to do is make people think you
have the best hand!

Let’s look at what it takes to develop the right mindset to win
big in online poker and how to develop the correct psychology
for poker.

1. Desire

To win big at poker the first step is to want to win big. If you
have the desire, you are likely to put in the hard work (and
like anything in life that can make big money you need to put in
the hours) that is required to become a really top poker player.

2. Learn from others

Once you know all the basic strategies and odds its time to read
some books written by great poker players. They all have
different approaches but they will all focus on poker psychology
and you can learn from them.

In poker you never stop learning and it is good practice to read
and study at least one book a month. Not only will you learn
something new, but you will also get great motivation to purse
your goal of winning at poker.

3. Check Your Opponents

Your opponent is studying you and you need to study him. You can
then see the way he plays, spot potential weaknesses and exploit
them. As we said earlier, the best hand doesn’t win at poker,
the player with the best psychology and strategy does.

4. Have Courage

To win big pots in poker you need to have courage to take risks
at the right time. This is not rashness, it’s an essential part
of poker psychology and is the only way to win big money.

If you have done your homework and the circumstances are right
you need to take the plunge and go for the pot!

5. Patience

It’s hard to keep folding one hand after another at times, but
it’s what you have to do. If the circumstances are not right and
you have no chance of winning the pot, don’t waste money wait.
All great players know that it’s the hands you choose not to
play that can be as important as the ones you do. So, be patient
and your time will come.

6. Focus & Commitment

When you sit to down to play a game you need to be fully focused
on the game. So, no drinking, drugs or feeling anything less
than 100% focused and committed and all the former will impair
your judgment.

If you don’t feel right don’t play, it’s as simple as that.

7. Practice

You can only learn so much from books. When you play money is at
stake sometimes big money and this can and does affect peoples
judgments

It takes a lot of playing experience to become a great poker
player and it can’t be rushed. Take it slowly, moving up to more
difficult tables and potential pots as you gain experience.

Don’t try a level above your capabilities to quickly. If there
are big wiiings to be made at a table competition will be stiff.

The proper poker psychology as you can see is critical if you
want to become a great player.

Comments Off

Boxer shorts are underwear made usually for men. They were dubbed “boxer shorts” because they were patterned from those worn by professional boxers.

Boxer shorts first appeared in the 1930s, but they weren’t so popular since men back then were so accustomed to briefs. It was only two decades later those boxer shorts gained a following. It needed one Nick Kaman to wear them in a popular jeans-brand outdoor billboard advertisement in the 1980s. Even though up to now, boxers are still not as popular as briefs, there is a swelling preference for boxers today.

Boxer shorts have certain advantages compared to other underwear. The majority of surveys say that women prefer seeing boxer shorts on men. The opening in front of the boxer shorts allows convenience for men when nature calls. There are also more patterns, styles, and colors available on boxer shorts as compared to briefs. They can also be taken off more easily. Doctors also say that the cool temperature allowed by wearing boxer shorts permits the production of more sperm in men. Boxer shorts cover more area than briefs.

On the other hand, critics of boxer shorts claim there are certain disadvantages to wearing shorts as compared to other types of underwear. They feel that boxers don’t have the snug fit that briefs offer when you wear them, and that the penis may be exposed when you wear them without another layer of clothing. The genitals are not supported and tend to move around a lot, creating much discomfort when playing sports. The waistband can likewise irritate the skin (but this may also be true with briefs). Even with another layer of clothing, an erection is obvious when you wear boxers. Wearing certain kinds of pants over boxer shorts looks awkward. And lastly, the loose-fitting kind can move in awkward positions.

Boxers provides detailed information on Boxers, Boxer Briefs, Boxer Shorts, Silk Boxers and more. Boxers is affiliated with Military Shoulder Patches.

Comments Off

When you start building your online business and search for a web design company that will implement all your needs for the web site you must understand that it is a very serious step because you are entrusting your business along with its reputation and future.

That’s why it’s very important to make the right choice.
There are several factors that must define your choice, and one of them is portfolio of previous web design works the company has done. It can tell you more than all words and promises, just be attentive and try to analyze. I will tell you what you must pay attention to:

1) Presence of portfolio

Yes, it seems to be obvious that web design company must have own web site with portfolio of previous works. But don’t be astonished too much when you see one without it. There can be various reasons for this but I wouldn’t recommend you to tempt fate. Portfolio is like a “face” and it’s pride of web design company, it must be full, substantial, and routinely updated…and IT MUST BE!

2) Total number of works

This can tell you much however there is no standard number that will guarantee you are going to deal with web design guru. Yes, 50 successfully finished projects is better than 5, but their quality is also important. Compare the number with period of time during which the company operates in the market and calculate average number of projects per year, month, or week. Remember that average web site design takes 2-4 weeks to be finished.

What this information can give you? Firstly, you can see that the company has got enough expertise. Then this shows that it has stable flow of works, adjusted schedule of development process, and enough staff to perform it, so if you commit your web site design to the company you can be sure that the work won’t be for them like a bolt from the blue or well-paid but not feasible overloading.

3) Type of works

Look attentively at each work in the portfolio. How many projects are similar to the one you need by type of site, technology used, industry, and look and feel?
At least 2-3? Good!
More than 5? Excellent!!
None? There can be a reason for this - owner didn’t want to make it published, or web site is no more live - so if all other works show professionalism and expertise, you should ask the
company if they have ever done the task you need.

If you need any particular technology to be used for your web site implementation it’s more than necessary to see examples how the web design company worked with it. However sometimes it happens if the technology is not common used and very popular that the web design company hasn’t had chance to work with it for commercial purpose but it might be used for internal projects development, so you will loose nothing if ask the company to show you some examples if they exist.

If you need a web site for exact business, for example dating site or real estate site, it’s also better to view such previous works in the portfolio because there are can be specific features and it’s better to make sure that the web design company is experienced with them. Also some web design companies make demo packages that also can show you the abilities and experience.

4) Quality of works

Learn carefully each live site (or the ones which are similar to the site you need). How long does it take to load the site home page?
A few seconds? Great, the web designer knows how to optimize images.
A few minutes? It’s normal if this is a Flash site because usually the whole site is loaded at one time, not only the home page; or it’s a Flash intro which goes ahead entering the site
and also can load longer because of movie and sound.

But if a simple HTML web site loads more than 2-3 minutes and you can’t see all images or they are shown partially, you must be watchful. Check another HTML sites from the portfolio - if they are also loading for ages, it’s better to search for another web design company because this one is not professional.

All of the aforesaid is correct only if bandwidth of your Internet connection is normal and usually you don’t have problems with loading web sites.

Test the site for user-friendly navigation, pay attention to colors combination, and estimate general impression from the site - all this must reflect professional work. But sometimes a web design company is forced to design a site strictly according to the customer’s wishes, so if the customer lacks for good taste the site also looks tasteless. There can one or two such sites in the portfolio, but not all!

5) Happy owners

Web design business is a highly competitive area and as in any business there are honest and dishonest players. Sometimes it happens that you see the same site in portfolio of two different web design companies and it’s difficult to find the truth to which of them the work really belongs. Some quirky companies place cheap templates in their portfolio with fake owners’ contact info.

That’s why it’s very important to know real references of real owners of the web sites the web design company has made. Ideally this info must be accessible on the web design company site under Portfolio, Testimonials, or Clients sections. Try to contact ALL of the persons listed there and compare their opinions. You may get to know some interesting facts.

6) Own site of web design company

And finally compare the own site of the web design company to web sites presented in its portfolio. Are they similar by quality, technology used, and overall feeling? If the works from the portfolio look much poorer than the own site this can mean that the own site was ordered from another web design company, more professional. Yes, it happens sometimes in web design business that start-up amateur company commits its web site design to “older” professionals. In such case you better to continue searching for another web design company.

So these 6 rules can help you to make the right choice. Don’t be afraid to spend longer time for search and analysis, finally you will only benefit by getting perfect web site that will give new prospects to your business and make it more successful.

Julia Ramyalg
Marketing Director of IT-Inventors - professional web design company

Services: Affordable custom web site design, E-commerce web site design, Content Management Software, Real estate web site design.

View Portfolio and References

Comments Off

Woooooooo……Woooo………The siren sounded. All of us looked at each
other with excitement. The time has come for us to go into
action.

>From all over the building, we can see Emergency Response Team
members coming out, some looking a bit dazed. A general alarm
had been sounded and the ERT has been activated!

At the command post, the “Commander” quickly briefed all the ERT
members about the situation. There was a fire at the LPG storage
tank, and there was an urgent need to put out the fire before
the tank becomes so hot and pressurized that it explodes. Very
serious and widespread damage will certainly occur if that
happened.

So all the ERT members swung into action. From the command post,
they ran all the way to the LPG area. One member was assigned to
the fire pump house to take care of the fire pumps. This type of
fire needed a tremendous amount of water to cool down the tank.
A few members barricaded the area leading to the fire. This was
necessary to ensure that the scene of the fire be restricted
only to people who are able to help, to ensure that the fire
brigade has free access, and for controlling the crowd.

As the ERT members reached the scene of the fire, the Commander
directed the operations while keeping in touch with one member
who was assigned for communications work at the command post.

The Direct Attack Team swung into action with their hoses. There
were 4 persons in each hose team - the first nozzle member, the
second support, the third runner, and the fourth hydrant valve
operator. Each member played their part to make the hose
connections, operate the valves, and advancing as smoothly as
possible.

The LPG fire need to be extinguished - but not by the water.
Extinguishing the fire in this way will create another hazard.
If the gas were to escape unburned, it could be more dangerous.
Any spark later on can ignite the gas and cause a bigger fire,
possibly causing a tremendous rush of expanding gases. So the
hose team have to try to approach the fire in order to close the
gas valve. That will stop the fire and the escaping gas.

There were sufficient people to operate 3 hose teams. While one
team approach the flaming area with a water-wall spray, another
two teams directed the water to the top of the LPG tanks with
water jet for cooling.

After a while, it was discovered that there was a casualty.
Somebody has been overcome by the smoke and has fainted. He has
also sustained a fracture on his arm. The first aid team was
called in, and they rendered first aid to the victim.

Within a few minutes, the fire was put off, and the building was
no longer in danger.

Fortunately, this was not a real fire. It was just a simulation,
using real LPG gas and burning in a controlled manner. This was
done to give the ERT members some feel of the real thing, to
check on our readiness, coordination, and skills so that they
can improve and develop their actions.

This type of simulation was very beneficial to the ERT members
as it gave them a first hand knowledge of what to expect in an
actual situation.

Think safety…

“Have FUN with Watersports!” Discover the Great Outdoor
Adventures. Try the inflatable kayaking at Sea Eagle and ENJOY
YOUR LIFE!” Easy to store, easy to carry. Easy to set up. No
hassle. Inflatable
Boats

Comments Off

Do we understand the advertising and how the market works? When you go to the supermarket to by shampoo, what dictates what we buy? There are over 50 different choices, which one do you buy? You don’t have time to process all the information, analyze ingredients, or figure the cost per ounce. Why do we make the decision we do.

Does it just feel right? Is it a past commercial you saw, the color combination on the bottle, the one your mother bought, the one on sale, or did you pick the one that felt right. Many times we really don’t know why we buy. For most of us we buy on emotion and figure out later (logically) why we bought it. When you ask someone why they bought a BMW, you will hear things like, top quality car, high resale value, performance. Now think about it - do you really think that is why they bought that car? We are not aware and cannot articulate why we buy.

Eighty percent of all new products or services fail within six months. Think about it. Only 2 out of 10 products make it in today’s market. We know companies spend billions of dollars on research. They talk to consumers and they like the idea and the product and say they will buy - but they don’t. In one study, consumers were shown a kitchen appliance and 60% of them said they were very likely to buy a kitchen appliance in the next three months. Here is the challenge, only 12 percent actually bought the appliance. What happened? When they were asked why they did not buy, they could not explain it. Brain has separate structures for processing logical and emotional reasoning

Even in blind taste tests people say they like A over B, but when the see the actual product their opinions change. All consumers know the store brand and the national brands are identical, (medication) however when their symptoms are severe they buy the more expensive national brand. We know when we see a product for $9.99 it is the same as $10.00, but our mind still is programmed to accept the lower price, even if it is a penny. In an interesting study, the researchers found that our companionship at a restaurant would affect how the food tasted. When the subjects ate with someone they did not like it dropped how they rated the food they ate. Months later when they dined again with someone they liked, the rated the food much better. Again, 95% of the reasons we buy involve a subconscious decision.

There are two levels of the mind. There is the conscious (logical) and the subconscious (emotional). Thoughts in your head can dictate things that happen in your body. For example, if you are afraid of snakes or spiders, one look and your body does the rest. Your body reacts to your thoughts. The bottom line is your thoughts control your emotions and your emotions control your actions. Change your thoughts and you will change the future. Just the smell of perfume can trigger emotions and then action. Emotions contribute to all our decision making. Always take into account what emotional triggers could happen during your persuasive presentation.

For additional information on The Decision Making Cycle, go to Magnetic Persuasion and kick start your success!

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.

Comments Off

Dinner parties are a hot trend and a great way to get together
with all of your friends. But do you and your friends have a
serious sweet tooth? Do you get more enjoyment out of the
desserts than dinner? Why not host an evening dessert party? A
dessert party can actually be hosted any time of the day, but a
late evening party is typically best.

With desserts, the tiny touches really do completely the big
pictures. For instance, doilies on dessert plates when serving a
fine piece of cake is a beautiful touch. A nice espresso goes
well with pastries. If have a tasty pound cake and want to make
it look beautiful when serving? Use wine or champagne glasses
and a flavor or two of ice cream to serve desserts a la mode.
Serve flavored coffees and teas with some fresh fruit. All by
itself, it can serve as a dessert. Just don’t forget the decaf!
Frozen desserts are a great idea for an unexpected get-together.
Most of the fancier desserts can be frozen and thawed in warm
weather for only about an hour.

Need a quick cake decoration? Keep some butterscotch, chocolate,
and caramel sauce on hand. Nice thin swirls of a flavored sauce
across the dessert plate works especially well with a nice torte
or cheesecake. Mini chocolate chips are fabulous when coupled
with fresh raspberries and a rich chocolate cake.

Any particular season coming up? A seasonal dessert leaves a
great impression on your guests.

Chocolate-coated strawberries are an ideal dessert party treat.
You can begin with a carton of large ripe strawberries with
stems. Melt two to three large dark or milk chocolate bars per
carton in the microwave, in a pyrex measuring cup. Be very
careful not to burn the chocolate. Hold strawberries by the
stem, dipping them one by one into the cup. On a large plate
coated with wax paper, rest the strawberries (which should only
be dipped just over halfway) and chill for about forty-five
minutes. Serve with Columbian coffee or a designer coffee drink.
If you’re crafty with drinks, you could concoct a drink
specifically for your event!

Always pre-slice cakes, but serve to guests one at a time. Do
not have the cake already on a dessert plate, unless the event
is directly after a dinner.

Dessert parties are becoming more popular and a little more
sophisticated, so soft lighting, candles, and appropriate music
are a must. Remember not to serve pies, as they are informal and
casual and interfere with the class and mystique of a dessert
party.

Comments Off

Time Management Successful Living

By Chuck Groot

People might say to me, “Chuck, it’s nice to say that we learned
all this great stuff about planning and goal setting, but let’s
face it, I don’t have time to do this on a regular basis!”

So, (one might ask) how do we get all this done and still have
time left at the end of the day for ourselves and our family?

I know that you have heard about time management, but do you
really know how easy it is to do?

Do you know how much time you can actually save by applying it?

If you do, why are you not applying it?

If you don’t know how much time you can really save and do
something you enjoy with it, charge ahead and learn how.

Have you ever heard the old saying that: “If you want to get
something done - give it to a busy person?” How can that be you
ask when God gave us the same 24 hours in a day? The secret is
not how much time we have, but how we use it!

What are the reasons that people run out of time and don’t get
much accomplished?

Many people spend time on things that are not important. These
concerns may seem important at the time, but I am reminded of
what my pastor loves to ask, “What is the better question?” The
better questions is, “What is the most important thing that I
should work on right now that would advance my company or get me
closer to my goals?”

Often people spend a lot of time worrying about the problems
that occurred because they didn’t plan! When you are busy
putting fires out because you didn’t spend the time to properly
organize, you end up running around a lot more, don’t you?

Another reason is that people spend trying to decide what to do
next. Now that excuse sounds silly, but if you think about it,
if you don’t know where you are going, it is difficult to decide
which way to take, isn’t it? Often, people remain undecided to
the extent that they don’t have time left over to do things they
should do.

A really common reason people don’t get much accomplished is
that they let other people dictate what they should do. How
often do you hear someone come up to you and say, “We have a
problem”? Usually it is their problem, but they expect you to
help them solve it.

Last, (although there are a lot more), if you don’t plan your
time, it is really easy for other people to take it. It is so
easy for you to get distracted by someone else when you have no
real hard and fast reason to get on with what you are doing,
other than the fact that you are doing it. If you had a plan, it
is so easy to tell someone, “I’m sorry but right now I need to
get this done because I have an important deadline to meet.”
Doing so is made much easier by the fact you have set both goals
and a date by which you want to accomplish them. Moreover, your
confidence is boosted by your certainty that those plans and
goals are important!

International training company Priority Management systems has
poem in their daily planner that is quite appropriate:

Take time to think. It is the source of power Take time to play.
It is the secret of perpetual youth Take time to read. It is the
fountain of wisdom Take time to laugh. It is the music of the
soul Take time to work. It is the price of success Take time to
give. It is too short a day to be selfish Take time to pray. It
is the greatest power on Earth

Time management is comprised of these 10 essential factors:

Clear Specific Goals: know what you want. You already have these
written down from Chapter Two On. Doesn’t that feel great to
know?

Have clear specific plans on how to get your goals accomplished.
Wow. You have done this too.

Make a list every day of all the things that you must do.

The best time to do this is at the end of the day.

Pick the six most important things that need to get accomplished
and write them on your list of things that need to get
accomplished today. There are three great benefits to this:

You won’t lose any precious sleep thinking about what you have
to do because your subconscious will know that you have them all
listed and it won’t worry about forgetting them.

You won’t be running around trying to remember what you had
forgotten because, since it was written down, there is no need
to waste time trying to remember.

You won’t clutter your mind with a lot of details or petty
information - once you write it down you can forget about it. If
something comes up during the course of the day, rather than
doing it or forgetting about it, write it down on the bottom of
your list so that it can be included on your list of priorities
for tomorrow.

The critical idea here is to keep focused and working on the
most important items.

Prioritize each item on the list in order of importance. I
actually have a list with everything that I need to do.

I list them in groups of “A”, “B”, and “C”.

A’s are essential and must be done as soon as possible.

B’s are secondary,

C’s are items I will get to when I have extra time.

These groups are then further prioritized with a priority code
of 1 - whatever. 1 being the most important, 2 being second,
and so on.

Always work on the most important item first and stick with it.
Don’t be seduced by doing the easiest or the most fun thing
first. If something stays on my list for more than a month, it
can’t be that important so I eliminate it. Every time I finish a
task, I scratch it off of my list and it is forgotten. This last
step also gives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

So go ahead and take ten minutes and write down the things you
need to do right now. Start small; just do the top six things
that really need to get accomplished. You can increase your list
length when you get into the habit of following this routine.
Yes, this needs to be a habit. Go for it!

Once you have determined your “A”, “B”, and “C” priorities and
then sub-prioritized them 1 to whatever, you can then figure out
how long, approximately, each project will take. This estimate
will help you to plan your day and/or week.

Make life a lot easier right now, get out your day planner and
schedule time to work on these, priorities.

This next suggestion may seem a bit extreme, but the most
successful people I know do the following; they block out time
for appointments, sleep, daily routine, family time, and leisure
time. They also include travel time if appointments are away
from the studio.

It is also a good idea is to block out time on a consistent
basis so that you will be available for consultations, photo
sessions, and sales sessions. Making this schedule will help you
be “in the zone” when it comes to being creative, or selling, or
doing your studies. Many people find it very difficult to change
mindsets on the fly whereas others find it energizing. Which are
you?

There is a powerful psychologically impact achieved when you
concentrate your appointment so that your clients arrive at the
studio around the same time. If your clients see others coming
or going when they are, they will get the impression that you
are very popular and busy. Those may be the only two
appointments you have that day, but your clients don’t know that.

Finally, concentrating appointments together frees up bigger
blocks of time so that you can accomplish a lot with minimum
amount of interruption. Doctors, lawyers and dentists do it all
the time, why can’t you?

Focus on only one job at a time. If you start something finish
it. If you are pulled away from it for whatever reason, get back
to it as soon as possible and finish it. Don’t start “B” until
you have finished “A”, unless you are one of those people who
love to have lots of unfinished projects around everywhere!

Overcome procrastination. Remember the slogan - DO IT! Whatever
you are working on will not go away by ignoring it. DO IT NOW!

When the mail arrives, we know that you have already blocked off
time in your schedule for sorting through it, haven’t you? Scan
through it quickly and do one of three things:

Toss out the junk mail immediately, preferably into the
recycling. Have a file system so that you can put the mail in
the appropriate place to be dealt with in the time you have
scheduled for it. Bills go in the folder to be given to the
bookkeeper or for you to enter into the computer. Cheques should
be recorded immediately - getting paid makes us feel good!
Magazines should be scanned for articles of interest, and these
should be read in the time you have set aside for reading. (By
the way, most really successful people read a book a week.
Learning something that can be used for business, marketing, or
general interest to broaden their horizons.)

If all possible, telephone calls and salesmen should be
screened by your receptionist. Only on rare occasions should you
take the calls immediately. Have your receptionist say that you
are in an appointment - which you are because you have
scheduled one for yourself.

Inform the caller that you will phone back at say approximately
4:00 p.m. Hopefully that will be satisfactory. Then make sure
that you return all your calls at 4:00 p.m. If it isn’t
satisfactory, ask the caller for a time which is preferable or
you can ask them if an email will do the trick.

More time is wasted on the phone than one can imagine. It is
also a good idea to plan your telephone conversations so that
you have control over them. For example, you can write down the
questions that you want to ask and make sure you stick to those.
Remember to keep a phone log handy.

If you plan and budget your time, you will find that you achieve
more and that you will have more time to yourself. Try it! You
might like it!

Permission to use the poem was granted by Dr. Dan Stamp of
Priority Management Systems.

Comments Off