Strategic cat positioning

When we choose to be a source of influence we must decide our position. Usually this happens without much thought and is driven by our personality. To be most effective choose your position. I call it strategic cat positioning.

The loner cat
This is the cat that hides and must be found. Sometimes you can entice them with food or something self serving.

The cat with a tude
This is the cat that wants what they want, when they want it, the way they want it. They don’t get much attention because if you give it wrong you may get scratched.

The needy cat
This cat is always in your face. Can you see me now, how bout now, now? It doesn’t take long to want this cat gone.

The present cat
This is the cat that seems to get the most attention (has influence) from the most people. Especially over the long term. This is the cat that doesn’t avoid you or get in your face. It’s attitude is evenly balanced. It won’t put up with abuse. It also doesn’t give it. This is the cat that seems to always be in your path without clawing your leg. Personally, I like to pay attention to this cat.

Get out of faces, but be present. You have wisdom to share.
We are listening.

What other cats can you think of that I missed? What kind of cat are you?

Book Review: Platform by Michael Hyatt

This week Michael Hyatt’s new book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World came out. I had heard of it’s emergence and had planned on purchasing it to read at a later date. Michael however, had other plans. In order to climb the top sellers lists he made an offer to those willing to buy the book this week. He added about $375 in value through other books, videos to add to the topic of Platform, all electronic versions of the book, and the audio version. Yeah, I bought it. I hope he does really well with the sales. He has given value not only with the book, but in it.

 

image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you have a service, a product, or a cause then this book is required reading. It will give you step by step, quality instructions for getting your message heard online. Think of it as having the information of an in depth course but delivered by a friend over a cup of coffee. The only way I think Michael could have added value was to include a highlighter. Get one before you start reading. You may want a notebook too. Here is a quick list of attributes:

Friendly format, easy to read and like

Lots of lists to make acting on the advice easy

Transparency, Michael is real and everything he preaches he also practices

All of this information is available on the web through tutorials, blog posts, forums, etc. But I have never seen it so well laid out in one easy to find spot. This book will indeed be read a few times and then take it’s place as a quick reference book on my desk.

If you have any reservations just check out www.michaelhyatt.com and look at his content and number of followers. Also take notice that he starts conversations by looking at how many comments he has inspired. Then check out his number of followers. You can also check the ratings on his book at amazon.com.

What did you like most about the book?

If you haven’t read it yet, what are you looking forward to getting out of it the most?

What questions do you hope it answers?

What to do if you hate your job

It looks like almost two thirds of workers are unhappy and dissatisfied with their job or employer. I thought we were supposed to “just be happy we have a job.”

image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Not according to the Bible. In Ecclesiastes 3:22 it states the importance of man enjoying his work. In Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 we read how God gave Adam dominion(management) over creation and a beautiful garden to tend to and work in. We were designed to find satisfaction and accomplishment in our work. Unfortunately we have been trained to simply acquire a ‘job’ instead of creating art.

No, I am not suggesting you quit and begin to paint. I mean that when you use your God given talents, strengths, and desires within your work you create results that are unique and individual. Results that only you could produce. At the end of the day these results will give you a sense of joy because you have displayed God’s glory through your hands. He created you to be unique. Here are some steps to begin to gain satisfaction by being true to yourself.

1. Find out who you are. Get a personality profile, read a good book on the topic, begin to discover your uniqueness.

2. Look for ways to produce results at work that excite you and will accomplish the goals needed by your superiors. It may be different than the way it has always been done. It may be a new project no one is doing that you think would be fun. If you are fueled to do it and enjoy the process, chances are good your results will be spectacular. Take small steps and experiment. It is ok to have small failures to learn from, just not fatal ones.

3. Find an outlet. If you can’t be yourself or experiment at work, volunteer at a church or non profit in a way that fits what you want to do. This is a great area to try things. Most are so happy to have the help, they allow for learning and experimenting. Want to landscape? Offer to help some local churches and you are certain to get some takers.

4. If it is your coworkers that are dragging you down take the positive challenge. For the next two weeks, be as positive as you can with everyone. Don’t go overboard, but smile, greet, shake hands, buy donuts. You are sure to feel a bit better and it is interesting how much of an impact you can have on others. They might just be fun to work with after all. If they ask what is up tell them your challenge and encourage them to join you.

5. Move on. I do not recommend leaving your job just because you don’t like it. However, if it is toxic and hurting you, your marriage, and your family it may be time to leave. You need some examination and possibly by someone else such as a coach to make sure it isn’t you or your attitude first. Then before you leave read 48 Days and conduct a job search following the books methods. Do this with a plan and you may find your dream job. I know of a supermarket manager that left the worlds largest retailer to work for a much smaller employee owned store chain. He makes a third of his old pay but enjoys life with the family he almost lost.

“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.” Louis Nizer

What are some of your ideas or suggestions for enjoying your work?

What to do with a tax refund

Woopee! Free money!

image by cooldesign

Not exactly. It is actually money that was your hard earned money that you paid too much of to the IRS. So the first step is to change your withholding (see your company’s HR department) to balance it out for this year. For example, if you got back $3,600 then you need to be paying $300 less each month in taxes. One very good reason for this is id theft tax returns. There are scum out there who will file as you with a bunch of deductions in order to get a chunk of change from the IRS. They don’t have a good way to prevent this and therefore it may delay your refund up to a year and a half.

Ok, so you have some cash with no plan and need to put it to good use. Here are my top 5 favorite uses for it:

1. Pay off debt. This will overall get you further in your finances by freeing up your greatest wealth builder, you income. That is probably why 80% of the Forbes 400 richest people said the number one way to build wealth was staying out of debt.

2. Repair or replace something at your home that stresses you. Like that old microwave that keeps resetting the clock and for some reason requires you to put in the date. No really, I like my microwave. Even good appliances need to be replaced eventually. If you don’t have one that is worn out, then save the money for future replacement. The time will come.

3. Save it for a purpose. First priority would be an emergency savings account. Then pick your priorities. A family vacation or future car replacement.

4. If you have no debt and good savings and all is well at the house, then take a trip. You can do a lot with a little. Go, have fun. You have my permission.

5. It is your money, quit listening to me. Wait, keep listening to me. I like your company. But realize it is your money. You are a grown up and can make the decision to do with it what you will. Examine your priorities, assets, and liabilities to see where you would get the biggest bang for your buck. You could use some of it for the Fourth of July for fireworks instead of tapping your food money.

What are your suggestions for using the refund? What do you plan to do with yours?

Hit the books

Image by imagerymajestic

I have heard a lot lately regarding career advancement and education. Education can help you advance your career. Unfortunately, it can put you in a mountain of debt as well. In both Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and Money Magazine May issues there are some resources listed that open up the options. While you usually don’t get actual college credit for taking the free online courses, you may receive a certificate of completion or even some CEUs. The point of them is not a degree. The point is new skill sets and knowledge. Take those and prove your competence. Look for the opportunities for advancement and charge ahead. Many large companies are complaining that the work force is barren of those with necessary skills and drive for management. Too many people are sitting at home filing out online apps for management instead of gaining the skills and looking for ways to demonstrate them. Here are some places to start:

Local Library – I regularly take a course or two online through my library. I enjoy learning and gaining new skills. I even get to connect and discuss things with the professor. The give me a certificate and CEUs. I do not need the CEUs, but I track them anyway. The cost for this is $0.00.

www.ocwconsortium.org is the Open Courseware Consortium’s website. It is a great place to search for thousands of free classes online. Cost is $0.00

Find some of the best free college courses from some of the top universities like M.I.T. on Education-Portal.com. Yup, the cost is still $0.00.

All it costs is your time so pick one today and get to it. Let me know what course you decide to take.

For more info and articles look up the May issues of Kiplinger’s(pg. 16) and Money Magazine (pg. 75)

What do you tell a co-worker that complains about being broke?

image by patpitchaya

In the May issue of Money Magazine, I noticed the money talk section focuses on what should I say to a co-worker complaining about being broke?. This is a section where various people and experts weigh in. I would like to know what you would say. Leave your response in  the comments or send it to me.

 Here is mine. First you have to determine if the person is covertly calling out for help or advice or just complaining. If unsure ask some questions and gauge their responses.

Why are you broke?

Have you looked at any of the tools out there that help budget?

If they just want to complain they will be short answers and uninterested in any deeper discussion. If they really do want help or are willing to work through solutions then…

Don’t tell them how to fix it. WHAT?!

Unless you have some sort of financial title they may not really take your advice to heart. It can go much further to simply share what you do that has worked. This can be boosted by any history of mistakes you have overcome. If you know of others’ successes then share those as well with some tips that they had used to get where they are. If there was a class or tool you used that helped, now is the time to share it.

“…for me budgeting was the missing ingredient. As soon as I started spending my money on paper before I really spent it my plan came together. I still have to consistently evaluate my budget and am learning how to do it better. I learned how to do my first simple budget from insert really helpful tool or class you used here.”

Or, you could just ignore them and not say anything but where is the fun in that.

Remember, I want your ideas for good responses so send them to me.

For the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha

Thursday I had a wonderful time sharing with the Kappa Iota chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. I was very impressed. I have met many young people today that are just going along and letting life happen to them. They believe what ever the politician, teacher, or other authoritative figure says. Not these ladies. They heard, that is easy. They listened, that takes effort. But then they processed. I can tell because I received questions and feedback. They are learning more than just facts, they are learning how to process and apply wisdom. The future looks brighter to me this week.

image by ddpavumba

But…

As a country we have issues that a forgiveness act will not fix. First forgiveness does not erase the debt. It merely transfers responsibility. The product (in this case education) was still paid for by someone. If it is a government backed student loan then the taxpayers are picking up the bill. At least the half of Americans who pay taxes. I believe in education. I take classes and probably will for my entire life, but I pay for them. I buy books, good non-fiction books to learn from others. I pay for those also. I then usually give them away. I am happy to give someone the opportunity to learn and advance. However, with the student loan debt near one trillion dollars we as a country can not afford to just give it all away. Plus, the more I personally invest in my education the more work I am willing to put in and therefore the more I get out.

Please do not misunderstand me. I want kids to go to college. Better yet, I would like see them love learning and growing. We as adults need to fix our education system though. I don’t mean the classes on English and facts. I mean educating our kids on life and personal finances. Show them the impact of high student loans before we encourage them to sign up. Show them alternatives.

Yes there are alternatives.

Working to pay as you go

Scholarships

Get creative. I met a young man who began mowing lawns in high school. He paid for college by mowing while going. He then graduated with a successful lawn care business and a degree. It should be more about the education than the degree.

Working and saving before you go is a great option. You can learn some great lessons before you even show up to class. A great example of this is the military. I like some of my tax going to those who serve and protect my country. I am excited to see them go to college. They earned it.

I am not mad at the Forgiveness Act, whatever the true intentions behind it are. I am mad that we as adults and leaders are not educating our kids on money and the effects of debt. Just because we learned, and are learning the hard way doesn’t mean they should. We need to stop being too prideful and ignorant to admit that debt isn’t the best tool, or even a good one.

This is at least a start.

Here is a well done piece on the attitude of the Forgiveness Act by Deacon Bradley.

Petrino fumbled, what are you doing about it?

image by digitalart

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, in an emotional news conference in which he twice choked back tears, said that Petrino’s “pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior” had led to his firing.

The above is taken from this NY Times article. Suffice it to say that Petrino got involved in a relationship that he should not have and then lied about it. The truth caught up and he has been fired.

Instead of asking each other what we think of the whole thing, which often leads to gossip, what if we asked a better question?

 

What are you doing about it?

This provides an excellent opportunity for the students, professors, employees, fans, and parents of students at the U of A to learn a valuable life lesson. Have integrity and fight to keep it every day. If you don’t have a plan to maintain your integrity and constantly evaluate to insure that it has strength you may find yourself fumbling the play.

Life is not a game, but God did create it to be  enjoyed by Him and us. His word establishes the mark by which integrity may be measured and kept. When we live with integrity, we will have more fun, enjoyment, and less stress. We will also be a blessing to others around us instead of causing pain.

One way to plan for integrity is to budget personal development just like you budget your giving and saving, or should be. Put some money aside to invest in some non-fiction personal development books or seminars. Something to move you ahead of where you are today. If you are coasting then you are only going downhill. This is one investment you will see a guaranteed return from.

A legacy is an inheritance, a gift from the past. What do you intend to leave as a lesson for others to follow?

 

I will be speaking at the University of Arkansas on Thursday, April 19th. It will be from 6pm -8pm at the Walton College of Business room 203. You are most welcome to attend.

One simple way to make some money

image by Grant Cochrane

Find something simple you can sell on fiverr. Fiverr.com is a website where individuals offer a product or service for five bucks. The site keeps a buck and the individual pockets the rest. It may not seem like much, but it can add up. The key is keeping it simple. You don’t want to provide a service that takes longer than ten minutes to do. Better yet, provide an electronic product. Something when purchased just has to be sent from you via the websites message system. It is like email, but they prohibit contact outside their site. One other factor is quality. The better your reviews from others are, the better the odds of more customers. Make it quality. Here is an example:

Simple 15-20 page word file with a neat graphic on the first page with great helpful content.

Convert it to a pdf file.

Offer it for five bucks.

When purchased send a copy.

If it takes you an hour or two to create, that is ok as long as it has the quality to keep selling. If you are not a graphic wizard help is available on fiverr.com. It will cost you five bucks.

Have fun.

When every penny has a plan, you will have less pain

Stress is a killer, this we know. Whether one study shows that 50% of all doctor visits or another shows 95% are caused by stress related problems, we know using commonsense that it hurts us. So how do we kill it before it kills us?

image by David Castillo Dominici

One of the biggest issues I have observed is compartmentalization. Ok, I’m not going deep into psychology here. I’m no expert in that field. I do know personal finance and rule one is that this is personal. Your finances reflect who you are. If you live one life at work, one at church, one with your spouse, one with friends, etc. then you are probably spending money in all those ‘compartments’ of your life.

“When your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.” old saying attributed to Bill Earle

This might (probably not, but might) be ok if you had income in all of those areas, but you don’t. It is like a Christian who lives their faith at church on Sunday and forgets it the next day at work. It is a broken life. When you are married the two lives are combined and this compartmentalization can end up doubled. Or you can join forces and work as a team to combine. Combining is the opposite and the solution to the ‘compartments’. Usually this is taken care of in a budget if you include all your life roles when allocating funds. Don’t forget your morning coffee in the budget or that ‘compartment’ of your life, the morning routine, will break the budget. How do you kill the stress in this area of your life.

Here are some steps:

1. Gather all things that you spend money on. This will take some thinking. Get rid of all distractions. If you are married then do this together. You will remind yourself and each other of little things as you force yourself to evaluate your habits, routines, and schedules. Where do you spend a penny or more? Write every single thing down. When you are done, keep the paper handy in case you think of more.

2. Keep or dump what ever you spend your pennies on. Do you like it? How much? What does it cost in the long run? Do you like it more than____________? If so, then keep it. I don’t care if you spend $3-$6 a day on coffee. I do care that you budget it. Either way make a decision to keep or dump everything.

3. Budget it. Put it in the plan. If it doesn’t fit then something must get cut. That is how it works. That is what destroys this piece of stress in our lives.

When every penny has a plan you have less pain.