Today - Honesty Day, Sense Of Smell Day, Go Birding Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Save The Frogs Day, World Veterinary Day and International Jazz Day
Tomorrow - School Principals' Day, Executive Coaching Day, New Home Owners Day, Lei Day, Mother Goose Day and Batman Day
Next Saturday - Roast Leg of Lamb Day, Join Hands Day and Free Comic Book Day Get your free comic book here
May 30 - Mint Julep Day, Water a Flower Day and Loomis Day
May 31 - No Tobacco Day, Save Your Hearing Day, Web Designer Day and Macaroon Day Yum
A blog about whatever pops into my head, although usually business, network marketing or inspirational
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Saturday, April 30, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
The Friday Fishwrap
 |
| All the news that's fit to wrap around a dead fish |
The week in review
Monday - "Linda Sue Arrowwood, MD" An update to a blog post from 3 years ago
Tuesday - "How to Invest Your Time Like Money" An Art of Manliness podcast
Wednesday - "Getting paid to stay at 5 star resorts in Bali" About a contest to become a Senior Intern and get paid to stay at three 5 star resorts in Bali
Thursday - "Mirror, Mirror" A re-posting of one of my favorite blogs
Interesting days
This week
Saturday - Lost Dog Awareness Day, International Marconi Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, World Book Night and English Language Day
Sunday - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Pinhole Photography Day
Monday - DNA Day, Malaria Day and Hug A Plumber Day
Tuesday - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
Wednesday - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Thursday - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
Today - International Dance Day, World Wish Day, Zipper Day and Hairball Awareness Day
Next week
Tomorrow - Honesty Day, Sense Of Smell Day, Go Birding Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Save The Frogs Day, World Veterinary Day and International Jazz Day
Sunday - School Principals' Day, Executive Coaching Day, New Home Owners Day, Lei Day, Mother Goose Day and Batman Day
Monday - Baby Day
Tuesday - Garden Meditation Day, Lumpy Rug Day, Paranormal Day, World Asthma Day and Two Different Colored Shoes Day
Wednesday - Firefighters' Day, Petite And Proud Day, School Nurse Day and Star Wars Day
Thursday - Cartoonists Day and Password Day
Friday - Beverage Day, No Pants Day, No Diet Day, No Homework Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Day
Next month
May 23 - Lucky Penny Day, Title Track Day and Turtle Day
May 24 - Escargot Day, Tiara Day and Brother's Day
May 25 - Towel Day, Tap Dance Day and Senior Health & Fitness Day
May 26 - Blueberry Cheesecake Day and World Lindy Hop Day
May 27 - Cellophane Tape Day, Don't Fry Day and Sun Screen Day
May 28 - Amnesty International Day and Hamburger Day
May 29 - Learn About Composting Day, Indianapolis 500, Biscuit Day and Put A Pillow On Your Fridge Day
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Mirror, Mirror
I'm reposting one of my favorite blog posts. I have some new readers and I thought they'd find it interesting (plus I hadn't written anything new!).
Go ahead. Look in the mirror. What do you see? No, look beyond the wonderful person we both know you are. Look deeper. What do you see? A network marketer!
Even if you've sworn that you'd never be a network marketer, you do it all the time.
Whenever you tell (market) your friends and family (your network) about a product or service, you're network marketing.
Imagine that you just saw the greatest movie ever created. What do you do? You tell everyone you know about it. So, what happens? A few people find your taste in movies questionable and they don't see it. A few others don't have the money to see it. A few are boycotting the movie studio and refuse to see anything they put out. But a few go to see it because you recommended it. The studio makes more money because of you. But do they even thank you?
Now suppose this was a progressive studio and they pay you a small portion of each of the tickets that your friends purchase. Nice! But it gets better! They pay you for every ticket they purchase for the rest of their lives! That's known as residual income. But wait! There's more! Some of your friends like the movie so much that they tell their friends who tell their friends…and you get paid for all of those tickets purchased for the rest of their lives. That's leveraged residual income.
When your friends tell you about some great product or service that they love and want you to watch a video about it, don't go running away. Even if you're not interested in a business opportunity, it just may end up being a product that you'll love, too. So go ahead and check out the video. And then look in the mirror again. Yes, you're a network marketer.
Interesting days
Tomorrow - International Dance Day, World Wish Day, Zipper Day and Hairball Awareness Day
Next Thursday - Cartoonists Day and Password Day No, not the TV game show from the 60's
May 28 - Amnesty International Day and Hamburger Day My favorite burger place these days is Habit Burger. I tried to go to the one here in Modesto once, but the line was out the door. I guess I'll have to try it again
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Getting paid to stay at 5 star resorts in Bali
I just applied for a senior internship position with Luxury Escapes, who is offering a travel internship to those of us in the 60+ category.
What is a senior intern?
From the Luxury Escapes website:
I already blog and have a social media presence, which are some of the things that they will train the winning intern to do.
Although it looks like it won't include airfare to Australia, so I'll have to look into that, but it will be a chance to enjoy some fun, tropical travel as well as blogging and social media posting, which you already know that I enjoy.
So, wish me luck!
(Darn! I just read the fine print. It's only open to residents of Australia or New Zealand! Oh,well...it still makes an interesting blog post!)
Today - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Tomorrow - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
Next Wednesday - Firefighters' Day, Petite And Proud Day, School Nurse Day and of course Star Wars Day
May 27 - Cellophane Tape Day. Plus two related days: Don't Fry Day and Sun Screen Day
What is a senior intern?
From the Luxury Escapes website:
Your Internship Includes
- Begin your one-of-a-kind journey with two days in our state-of-the art Sydney or Melbourne office, where you'll brush up on a range of online skills like blogging, social media marketing and more!
- Jet off overseas to Bali for 9 nights, where you'll set up shop in your new tropical office (three five-star resorts over the course of your internship!)
- With the guidance of a Luxury Escapes team member, you'll have the unique opportunity to get a behind the scenes taste of all that is involved in creating our incredible Luxury Escapes experiences
- Get out 'in the field' by reviewing five-star resorts, zeroing in on a property's 'wow factor' and developing a keen photographers' eye
- Includes domestic flights to Sydney or Melbourne as well as international flights to Bali!
- All accommodation throughout your internship experience as well as airport transfers, a $100 daily allowance and all daily resort meals
- As a Luxury Escapes Intern, you'll also enjoy indulgent bonuses like spa treatments, poolside cocktails and exciting day trips
I already blog and have a social media presence, which are some of the things that they will train the winning intern to do.
Although it looks like it won't include airfare to Australia, so I'll have to look into that, but it will be a chance to enjoy some fun, tropical travel as well as blogging and social media posting, which you already know that I enjoy.
So, wish me luck!
(Darn! I just read the fine print. It's only open to residents of Australia or New Zealand! Oh,well...it still makes an interesting blog post!)
Interesting days
Today - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Tomorrow - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
Next Wednesday - Firefighters' Day, Petite And Proud Day, School Nurse Day and of course Star Wars Day
May 27 - Cellophane Tape Day. Plus two related days: Don't Fry Day and Sun Screen Day
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
How to Invest Your Time Like Money
Here is an interesting podcast from The Art of Manliness about valuing your time as much as your money.
Listen to the podcast here.
We’ve all heard the phrase “Time is money,” but do you really treat your time like money?
My guest today on the podcast argues that if you’re like most folks, you probably don’t, and that’s keeping you from being a much wiser steward of your time.
Her name is Elizabeth Grace Saunders and she’s the author of the book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. Today on the podcast Elizabeth and I discuss how “time debt” makes you feel frazzled and what you can do to start budgeting your time better, which will allow you more time in the future to do things that are most important to you. This is a great podcast packed with info you can put into action today. Be sure to take notes!
How to Invest Your Time Like Money is a short book, but it’s crammed with tons of useful, actionable tips. Thinking about my time as money has helped me make some better decisions about how I’m spending and investing my time. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for about $5, or the price you’d pay for a burger and fries. Go check it out!
Today - Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day, Hug an Australian Day and Richter Scale Day
Tomorrow - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Listen to the podcast here.
Podcast #140: How to Invest Your Time Like Money
We’ve all heard the phrase “Time is money,” but do you really treat your time like money?
My guest today on the podcast argues that if you’re like most folks, you probably don’t, and that’s keeping you from being a much wiser steward of your time.
Her name is Elizabeth Grace Saunders and she’s the author of the book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. Today on the podcast Elizabeth and I discuss how “time debt” makes you feel frazzled and what you can do to start budgeting your time better, which will allow you more time in the future to do things that are most important to you. This is a great podcast packed with info you can put into action today. Be sure to take notes!
Show Highlights
- Why you should always ask yourself about the ROI on how you spend your time
- How you can free up more time in the future by making time investments today
- Are we as busy as we think we are?
- Why you should track your time like you track your money
- Why many time management strategies are set up for failure
- How to avoid time decision regrets
- How men and women differ in how they manage their time
- A suggested format for weekly and daily planning
- And much more!
How to Invest Your Time Like Money is a short book, but it’s crammed with tons of useful, actionable tips. Thinking about my time as money has helped me make some better decisions about how I’m spending and investing my time. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for about $5, or the price you’d pay for a burger and fries. Go check it out!
Interesting days
Today - Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day, Hug an Australian Day and Richter Scale Day
Tomorrow - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Di-di-di-dah
Next Tuesday - Garden Meditation Day, Lumpy Rug Day, Paranormal Day, World Asthma Day and Two Different Colored Shoes Day
May 26 - Blueberry Cheesecake Day and World Lindy Hop Day
Monday, April 25, 2016
Linda Sue Arrowwood, MD
This is a post from my old Empower Network blog, that appeared at about this time 3 years ago!
Linda Arrowwood is not a doctor. In fact, she is in a much more caring profession. Linda Arrowwood is one of SendOutCards’ newest Marketing Distributors. And in fact, she is my newest (and so far only!) Marketing Distributor.
Please welcome Linda to the SendOutCards family. Even though she only signed up as a customer about a month ago and only became a distributor this past Friday, she’s already becoming active in the Sacramento area SOC family. In fact, at this moment she’s meeting with Joie Lehman, Gary Washburn and others to prepare for a visit by Jordan Adler in August. I see a very bright future for Linda and her business.
If anybody else is interested in a bright future with SendOutCards, check out my web page at www.sendoutcards.com/144087.
Some updates:
Tomorrow - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
Next Monday - Baby Day
May 25 - Towel Day, Tap Dance Day and Senior Health & Fitness Day I'll officially be a senior by then
Paging Dr. Arrowwood, paging Dr. Arrowwood. You’re wanted in the OR. Stat!
Linda Arrowwood is not a doctor. In fact, she is in a much more caring profession. Linda Arrowwood is one of SendOutCards’ newest Marketing Distributors. And in fact, she is my newest (and so far only!) Marketing Distributor.
Please welcome Linda to the SendOutCards family. Even though she only signed up as a customer about a month ago and only became a distributor this past Friday, she’s already becoming active in the Sacramento area SOC family. In fact, at this moment she’s meeting with Joie Lehman, Gary Washburn and others to prepare for a visit by Jordan Adler in August. I see a very bright future for Linda and her business.
If anybody else is interested in a bright future with SendOutCards, check out my web page at www.sendoutcards.com/144087.
I
know I don’t talk about Empower Network very often, but I think I’ll take a few
moments to do so now (since this is my blog, I can do whatever I want!). Kim
Klaver, a well known network marketer and part of the SOC family in the SF Bay
Area, endorsed Empower Network on Facebook a few days ago. She likes
the concept and has signed up as a distributor for them. To find out more about
EN, feel free to click on the ads at the top, or right hand side, of this page.
Anyway,
Empower Network just had their big annual convention in Chicago this past
weekend. I believe there were about 5,000 people in attendance. I didn’t go to
that one…maybe next year. But I am going to the SOC annual convention in Salt
Lake City at the end of May. I’m planning on driving to SLC. It’s about a 12
hour drive from here, the SF Bay Area. If anybody would like to drive with me
let me know and we can split costs.
That’s
all I have to say for today, except that I’m very excited to have Linda Sue Arrowwood
on my SendOutCards team!
Some updates:
The term Marketing Distributor is gone...everybody is now called a Distributor.
Linda signed up her first distributor last week (she's been laid up with a bad back for a LONG time) and her distributor Michelle signed up her first distibutor the same day! I now have a leg four distributors deep. Thanks Linda and Michelle!
I'm no longer involved with Empower Network.
Interesting days
Today - DNA Day, Malaria Day and Hug A Plumber DayTomorrow - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
Next Monday - Baby Day
May 25 - Towel Day, Tap Dance Day and Senior Health & Fitness Day I'll officially be a senior by then
Sunday, April 24, 2016
The Funday Sunnies
Interesting days
Today - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Pinhole Photography Day and Pig In A Blanket Day Here's a recipe
Tomorrow - DNA Day, Malaria Day and Hug A Plumber Day
Next Sunday - School Principals' Day, Executive Coaching Day, New Home Owners Day, Lei Day, Mother Goose Day and Batman Day
May 24 - Escargot Day, Tiara Day and Brother's Day Maybe I should send a card to mine
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Your weekend guide to interesting days
Today - Lost Dog Awareness Day, International Marconi Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, World Book Night and English Language Day
Tomorrow - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Pinhole Photography Day
Next Saturday - Honesty Day, Sense Of Smell Day, Go Birding Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Save The Frogs Day, World Veterinary Day and International Jazz Day I wonder who's playing at Yoshi's tonight? It looks like the CRYSTAL BOWERSOX TRIO and FLEETWOOD MASK
May 23 - Lucky Penny Day, Title Track Day and Turtle Day
Tomorrow - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Pinhole Photography Day
Next Saturday - Honesty Day, Sense Of Smell Day, Go Birding Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Save The Frogs Day, World Veterinary Day and International Jazz Day I wonder who's playing at Yoshi's tonight? It looks like the CRYSTAL BOWERSOX TRIO and FLEETWOOD MASK
May 23 - Lucky Penny Day, Title Track Day and Turtle Day
Friday, April 22, 2016
The Friday Fishwrap
|
| All the news that's fit to wrap around a dead fish |
The week in review
Monday - "Sales vs marketing" Using Ford Mustang Day to compare sales and marketing
Tuesday - "A Simple Cure for Restlessness: Work When You Work; Play When You Play" Keeping your focus
Wednesday - "A NAPKIN COMP PLAN EXAMPLE" Sometimes simpler is better
Thursday - "If I could show you a way to make money with your smartphone by sharing an app that people love to use, would you want to see it" The Golden Question
Interesting days
This week
Saturday - Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day, Save The Elephant Day, Eggs Benedict Day, Record Store Day, Dolphin Day and Auctioneers Day
Sunday - Blah Blah Blah Day, Bat Appreciation Day, Ford Mustang Day, Nothing Like A Dame Day and Haiku Poetry Day
Monday - Columnists Day, Pet Owners Independence Day and Amateur Radio Day
Tuesday - Hanging Out Day, Bicycle Day and Garlic Day
Wednesday - Volunteer Recognition Day, Chinese Language Day and Banana Day
Thursday - Poem in Your Pocket Day, High Five Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Kindergarten Day and Kickball Day
Today - Earth Day and Jelly Bean Day
Next week
Tomorrow - Lost Dog Awareness Day, International Marconi Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, World Book Night and English Language Day
Sunday - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Pinhole Photography Day
Monday - Malaria Day and Hug A Plumber Day
Tuesday - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
Wednesday - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
Thursday - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
Friday - International Dance Day, World Wish Day, Zipper Day and Hairball Awareness Day
Next month
May 16 - Accounting Day, Biographers Day, International Virtual Assistants Day, Drawing Day and Sea Monkey Day
May 17 - Pack Rat Day, World Hypertension Day, World Telecommunications Day and World Baking Day
May 18 - Museum Day, Visit Your Relatives Day, No Dirty Dishes Day and Golf Day
May 19 - Notebook Day and May Ray Day
May 20 - Weights & Measures Day, Be a Millionaire Day, Endangered Species Day, Bike To Work Day, Pick Strawberries Day and Pizza Party Day
May 21 - Rapture Party Day, I Need A Patch For That Day, Learn To Swim Day and World Whisky Day
May 22 - Maritime Day, Harvey Milk Day and Goth Day How would I look as a Goth?
Thursday, April 21, 2016
If I could show you a way to make money with your smartphone by sharing an app that people love to use, would you want to see it?
Join me in 2 weeks for this exciting event in Fresno, CA. I still have a few guest tickets left.
Tomorrow - Earth Day and Jelly Bean Day
Next Thursday - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
May 21 - Rapture Party Day, I Need A Patch For That Day, Learn To Swim Day and World Whisky Day
We're excited to have you join us on
Thursday, May 5th at 6pm!
_____________________
How can you make a small shift in your business that will increase your client retention, profits, and loyalty?
How many of you have all the referrals you can handle? What are you doing to generate referrals? What are you doing to create raving fans?
Find out how you can combine new cutting edge technology with tried and true old school principles, so that you can connect with your client base powerfully in a way where they will never forget you. Learn how you can have a "set it & forget it" follow up system that goes out on autopilot. Staying in touch with your clients, family, and friends has been simplified by using a mobile app that you'll love! And, if you'd like to find out how you can earn extra income sharing this fun app, we will show you that too!
You will leave with profitable ideas and strategies that can be used immediately and cement a solid business and referral system like no other.
______________________
STEVE SCHULZ - AUTHOR & SPEAKER
Steve Schulz is a former school teacher who decided over 20 years ago to look at an opportunity to help supplement his monthly income by at least a couple hundred dollars a month. That decision to look lead Steve into a 20 year career that took him around the world. Steve has built teams of people in excess of a 150,000 people.
Over his career Steve has earned over 15 million dollars in the networking profession. Steve recently published his first book titled “Yes. Sometimes It Is About The Money” which shares his journey and teaches others how they can succeed. You'll be inspired by Steve's passion for teaching others to win with SendOutCards.
_____________________
JAY McHUGH - BROKER PARTNER LAER REALTORS
Jay McHugh Realtor, ABR, CRS, CyberStar, Top Realtor for 24 years Greater Boston area. Jay is Broker Partner of LAER Realtors with 22 offices - 402 agents and over 1 Billion in sales in 2015. Jay has studied under many of the Top Real Estate coaches and his most successful tool/system bar none is his use of SendOutCards. Come listen and learn how Jay successful uses SOC in his business and how he teaches his agents to do the same, as well as his network of loan and mortgage officers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0TXU329fEI&feature=youtu.be
We are excited to help YOU create SUCCESS
On Thursday May 5th you’ll also be hearing from a variety of people that are taking advantage of the SendOutCards system and the financial opportunity already. People who are leveraging the opportunity in their spare time along side what they are already doing.
EVENT OVERVIEW
Thursday May 5th, 2016
5:30 to 6:00 - Registration & Open Networking
6:00 to 7:00 - SendOutCards Simple Success System & Presentation
7:00 to 8:00 - Fast Start Success Training & Mobile App
8:00 to 9:00 - Networking Success & Leadership Training At It’s Best
6:00 to 7:00 - SendOutCards Simple Success System & Presentation
7:00 to 8:00 - Fast Start Success Training & Mobile App
8:00 to 9:00 - Networking Success & Leadership Training At It’s Best
Whether you’re already involved with the SendOutCards business or not this is an event that ANYONE can benefit from. Steve Schulz and Jay McHugh, along with many other leaders, will INSPIRE you to TAKE ACTION towards your GOALS.
RESOURCES - INFORMATION
Dress Code – Business Casual / Casual
Seating is first come first serve
Please arrive early to avoid delays
Seating is first come first serve
Please arrive early to avoid delays
Interesting days
Today - Poem in Your Pocket Day, High Five Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Kindergarten Day and Kickball Day
Tomorrow - Earth Day and Jelly Bean Day
Next Thursday - Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Workers' Memorial Day and Biological Clock Day
May 21 - Rapture Party Day, I Need A Patch For That Day, Learn To Swim Day and World Whisky Day
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
A NAPKIN COMP PLAN EXAMPLE
This is the transcript from a call that my SendOutCards upline, and number one earner, Jordan Adler did a couple of weeks ago.
Even though Jordan is in SendOutCards, he has years of experience in the industry and even though this was a SOC specific call, most of this should be usable by anyone in network marketing...all you have to do is change the numbers in the compensation plan.
I like the simplicity of this presentation. SendOutCards has something they call the MPP (Mobile Pocket Presentation), which is the suggested way to present SOC. Even though I've used the MPP (which is a deck of cards showing how to make money), I like this better.
April 4th, 2016
If you were going to take a trip across the country, you could choose from any one of a variety of transportation methods. You could drive a car. You could take a train or a bus. You could book a flight. It may take awhile but you could even walk. The goal is to get to your destination, but there
are many vehicles that could get you there.
The same holds true with showing your business. Sometimes you just need to be flexible based on the circumstances that you find yourself in. Sometimes you are showing the business to someone that is in your town. Sometimes they live in another state. Sometimes you have 30 minutes with them . . . sometimes only 5 (although I recommend getting a commitment for 30 minutes). Sometimes you have access to the internet and sometimes you don’t. As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to sometimes think on your feet and come up with the best possible option for showing the business.
Let’s say your desired destination is to show the business to a new potential customer or distributor. You have built up some rapport and told them how and why you got involved in the business. You have demo’d the app (you put a selfie on a card and sent it to them with a nice note and some brownies and they watched you do it!). You have gone over the options including the packages with them. Now it comes time to show the money and they tell you they want to see how we get paid. The internet is being flakey so you can’t show a video and you forgot your mobile pocket presentation. Remember you have already demo’d the app and gone over the subscription and the packages.
At this point you need to think fast! So you grab couple of cocktail napkins from the table you are both sitting at and pull out your pen.
At the top you write, PACKAGES. Then right below that you put
PERSONAL BUNDLE $195 – $70 comm
MARKETING BUNDLE $395 – $140 comm
BUSINESS BUNDLE $795 – $280 Comm
Then you write SUBSCRIPTIONS AND POINTS 20% and explain that they make 20% of all points purchased including subscription points.
Then you go to a second cocktail napkin.
Here is where we are going to give a very simple comp plan example.
I start by asking, “HOW MANY FB FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE?” Then I have them google on their phone, “Average # of FB Friends” and have them tell me what the average # of FB friends a person has. The # is approximately 330.
WRITE THE NUMBER 300 AT THE TOP OF THE NAPKIN.
I tell them that we have a very simple 2 step texting strategy where we can private inbox people with 2 simple texts that work.
I show them the texts.
TEXT #1: ________, I want to set up a time to show you something really cool that I think has big potential. (If they ask, “What is it?” send TEXT #2)
TEXT #2: It’s a new technology I need to show you on your computer or on your phone. When can I catch you uninterrupted for 30 minutes so I can show you?
(This is not spam. You are personally inviting people to take a look one by one)
And I ask them this important question . . .
If we sent these texts to 300 people and showed them what I have shown you, how many of the 300 do you think would do this? They will usually say ’10’. I then say . . . “Let’s use 5".
So then NUMBER YOUR NAPKIN DOWN THE SIDE FROM 1-7 REPRESENTING THE 7 LEVELS. WRITE ‘5’ NEXT TO LEVEL ONE.
And then say, “Now each person has an average of 300 fb friends so let’s assume each of the five also have 300 and that 5 of the 300 that receive our texts get started.” Write 25 on level 2. Then write 125 on level 3. Let’s carry this down through 7 levels. Write 625 on level 4 and 3,125 on level 5. Then write 15,625 on level 6 and 78,125 on level 7.
At this point I say, “If we add all of these distributors up, we come up with about 100,000 distributors. Just to be real conservative, let’s just assume that 90% of this doesn’t work out.
DRAW A LINE UNDERNEATH THE 100,000 TOTAL AND WRITE 10,000 DIST
Then I write under the 10,000 x3 to represent 3 customers per distributor. So it looks like this:
300 FB FRIENDS
1 – 5
2 – 25
3 – 125
4 – 625
5 – 3125
6 – 15625
7 – 78125
100,000 (CROSS THIS OUT!)
10,000 (10% OF 100,000)
X3 CUSTOMERS
30,000 CUSTOMERS
So the total distributor (10,000) and customer (30,000) count is 40,000 users (write this)
I now tell them that most people do the $39/mo subscription so they can lock in the
lowest retail price but to be ultra conservative let’s say the average customer spends
$10 a month on cards and gifts.
Underneath the 40,000 users , write $10/mo
The total volume produced by the 40,000 users spending $10 a month is $400,000/mo.
Our residuals range from 2% (lowest amount we pay) to 25% (Highest amount we pay). Let’s use 2%. Tell them this.
Ask them, “How much is 2% of $400,000?”
When they say $8000/mo
Tell them . . . this is a residual check that comes in month after month, year after year.
We are assuming that 5 of each persons 300 FB friends get involved and that only 10% of that actually happens. We are also using the lowest percentage that SendOutCards pays out (2%). You can run your own numbers but this is just an example.
This is a quick and easy way to show someone how the upfront commissions and residuals work.
If you want to sketch something out, this is just an example. If you don’t have a mobile pocket presentation handy or if your internet is giving you troubles. you can try this.
I wanted to remind you that I built my SendOutCards business to 40,000 distributors without ever talking about the compensation. I built it solely on the power of our product and the excitement of our distributors wanting to share it with others. The compensation was the by-product of doing this. The comp plan was available to learn about on the DVD, but I didn’t teach it or talk about it in my presentations. Ever. And we still grew!
We have so many great tools today to show the program and the money. And they work.
I was having a conversation with Kody (Bateman, CEO of SOC) last week and he suggested that he believes our packages are strong enough now that we may not even need to show the money AND PEOPLE WILL STILL SIGN UP FOR A PACKAGE AND FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR OPTION. I tend to agree with him. But they might get even more excited if we show them how they can make some money.
Follow the steps of the APA (Ask-Present-Ask) to make sure all of your bases are covered. When you get to “Show the Money” you can use this as an option to explain how we get paid.
Don’t ever let an obstacle get in the way of what you are trying to do. Be an entrepreneur. Know your outcome and do the best you can. For example, let’s say you get half way through your presentation and the person gets a phone call with something that has to be taken care of right away. But they tell you they are very interested. What will you do?
If they are truly interested they will follow through when you reconnect with them. I probably would send them a video or audio from www.thecoolbuzz.com and ask them to listen to it. Or I’ll invite them to the conference call on Monday night and three way them in. Keep in mind they have a card and a gift that will arrive in the next few days. The follow up is in place!
Now you have a very simple way to show the money with just a pen and a couple of cocktail napkins. Nothing can stop you!
Here is the recording for the actual call (It takes a few minutes for the recording to start).
Today - Volunteer Recognition Day, Chinese Language Day and Banana Day
Tomorrow - Poem in Your Pocket Day, High Five Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Kindergarten Day and Kickball Day
Next Wednesday - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
May 20 - Weights & Measures Day, Be a Millionaire Day, Endangered Species Day, Bike To Work Day (I don't think I'll celebrate this, since it's 67 miles each way, including some pretty substantial hills on the way...check out this map), Pick Strawberries Day (Here's a website showing where you can pick various fruits and vegetables around the country) and Pizza Party Day
Even though Jordan is in SendOutCards, he has years of experience in the industry and even though this was a SOC specific call, most of this should be usable by anyone in network marketing...all you have to do is change the numbers in the compensation plan.
I like the simplicity of this presentation. SendOutCards has something they call the MPP (Mobile Pocket Presentation), which is the suggested way to present SOC. Even though I've used the MPP (which is a deck of cards showing how to make money), I like this better.
April 4th, 2016
If you were going to take a trip across the country, you could choose from any one of a variety of transportation methods. You could drive a car. You could take a train or a bus. You could book a flight. It may take awhile but you could even walk. The goal is to get to your destination, but there
are many vehicles that could get you there.
The same holds true with showing your business. Sometimes you just need to be flexible based on the circumstances that you find yourself in. Sometimes you are showing the business to someone that is in your town. Sometimes they live in another state. Sometimes you have 30 minutes with them . . . sometimes only 5 (although I recommend getting a commitment for 30 minutes). Sometimes you have access to the internet and sometimes you don’t. As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to sometimes think on your feet and come up with the best possible option for showing the business.
Let’s say your desired destination is to show the business to a new potential customer or distributor. You have built up some rapport and told them how and why you got involved in the business. You have demo’d the app (you put a selfie on a card and sent it to them with a nice note and some brownies and they watched you do it!). You have gone over the options including the packages with them. Now it comes time to show the money and they tell you they want to see how we get paid. The internet is being flakey so you can’t show a video and you forgot your mobile pocket presentation. Remember you have already demo’d the app and gone over the subscription and the packages.
At this point you need to think fast! So you grab couple of cocktail napkins from the table you are both sitting at and pull out your pen.
At the top you write, PACKAGES. Then right below that you put
PERSONAL BUNDLE $195 – $70 comm
MARKETING BUNDLE $395 – $140 comm
BUSINESS BUNDLE $795 – $280 Comm
Then you write SUBSCRIPTIONS AND POINTS 20% and explain that they make 20% of all points purchased including subscription points.
Then you go to a second cocktail napkin.
Here is where we are going to give a very simple comp plan example.
I start by asking, “HOW MANY FB FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE?” Then I have them google on their phone, “Average # of FB Friends” and have them tell me what the average # of FB friends a person has. The # is approximately 330.
WRITE THE NUMBER 300 AT THE TOP OF THE NAPKIN.
I tell them that we have a very simple 2 step texting strategy where we can private inbox people with 2 simple texts that work.
I show them the texts.
TEXT #1: ________, I want to set up a time to show you something really cool that I think has big potential. (If they ask, “What is it?” send TEXT #2)
TEXT #2: It’s a new technology I need to show you on your computer or on your phone. When can I catch you uninterrupted for 30 minutes so I can show you?
(This is not spam. You are personally inviting people to take a look one by one)
And I ask them this important question . . .
If we sent these texts to 300 people and showed them what I have shown you, how many of the 300 do you think would do this? They will usually say ’10’. I then say . . . “Let’s use 5".
So then NUMBER YOUR NAPKIN DOWN THE SIDE FROM 1-7 REPRESENTING THE 7 LEVELS. WRITE ‘5’ NEXT TO LEVEL ONE.
And then say, “Now each person has an average of 300 fb friends so let’s assume each of the five also have 300 and that 5 of the 300 that receive our texts get started.” Write 25 on level 2. Then write 125 on level 3. Let’s carry this down through 7 levels. Write 625 on level 4 and 3,125 on level 5. Then write 15,625 on level 6 and 78,125 on level 7.
At this point I say, “If we add all of these distributors up, we come up with about 100,000 distributors. Just to be real conservative, let’s just assume that 90% of this doesn’t work out.
DRAW A LINE UNDERNEATH THE 100,000 TOTAL AND WRITE 10,000 DIST
Then I write under the 10,000 x3 to represent 3 customers per distributor. So it looks like this:
300 FB FRIENDS
1 – 5
2 – 25
3 – 125
4 – 625
5 – 3125
6 – 15625
7 – 78125
100,000 (CROSS THIS OUT!)
10,000 (10% OF 100,000)
X3 CUSTOMERS
30,000 CUSTOMERS
So the total distributor (10,000) and customer (30,000) count is 40,000 users (write this)
I now tell them that most people do the $39/mo subscription so they can lock in the
lowest retail price but to be ultra conservative let’s say the average customer spends
$10 a month on cards and gifts.
Underneath the 40,000 users , write $10/mo
The total volume produced by the 40,000 users spending $10 a month is $400,000/mo.
Our residuals range from 2% (lowest amount we pay) to 25% (Highest amount we pay). Let’s use 2%. Tell them this.
Ask them, “How much is 2% of $400,000?”
When they say $8000/mo
Tell them . . . this is a residual check that comes in month after month, year after year.
We are assuming that 5 of each persons 300 FB friends get involved and that only 10% of that actually happens. We are also using the lowest percentage that SendOutCards pays out (2%). You can run your own numbers but this is just an example.
This is a quick and easy way to show someone how the upfront commissions and residuals work.
If you want to sketch something out, this is just an example. If you don’t have a mobile pocket presentation handy or if your internet is giving you troubles. you can try this.
I wanted to remind you that I built my SendOutCards business to 40,000 distributors without ever talking about the compensation. I built it solely on the power of our product and the excitement of our distributors wanting to share it with others. The compensation was the by-product of doing this. The comp plan was available to learn about on the DVD, but I didn’t teach it or talk about it in my presentations. Ever. And we still grew!
We have so many great tools today to show the program and the money. And they work.
I was having a conversation with Kody (Bateman, CEO of SOC) last week and he suggested that he believes our packages are strong enough now that we may not even need to show the money AND PEOPLE WILL STILL SIGN UP FOR A PACKAGE AND FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR OPTION. I tend to agree with him. But they might get even more excited if we show them how they can make some money.
Follow the steps of the APA (Ask-Present-Ask) to make sure all of your bases are covered. When you get to “Show the Money” you can use this as an option to explain how we get paid.
Don’t ever let an obstacle get in the way of what you are trying to do. Be an entrepreneur. Know your outcome and do the best you can. For example, let’s say you get half way through your presentation and the person gets a phone call with something that has to be taken care of right away. But they tell you they are very interested. What will you do?
If they are truly interested they will follow through when you reconnect with them. I probably would send them a video or audio from www.thecoolbuzz.com and ask them to listen to it. Or I’ll invite them to the conference call on Monday night and three way them in. Keep in mind they have a card and a gift that will arrive in the next few days. The follow up is in place!
Now you have a very simple way to show the money with just a pen and a couple of cocktail napkins. Nothing can stop you!
Here is the recording for the actual call (It takes a few minutes for the recording to start).
Interesting days
Today - Volunteer Recognition Day, Chinese Language Day and Banana Day
Tomorrow - Poem in Your Pocket Day, High Five Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Kindergarten Day and Kickball Day
Next Wednesday - International Guide Dogs Day, Tell a Story Day, Prime Rib Day, Administrative Professionals Day, World Stationery Day and Morse Code Day
May 20 - Weights & Measures Day, Be a Millionaire Day, Endangered Species Day, Bike To Work Day (I don't think I'll celebrate this, since it's 67 miles each way, including some pretty substantial hills on the way...check out this map), Pick Strawberries Day (Here's a website showing where you can pick various fruits and vegetables around the country) and Pizza Party Day
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
A Simple Cure for Restlessness: Work When You Work; Play When You Play
Here's another post from The Art of Manliness. I've seen lots of things floating around on Facebook about going to the beach and/or taking a vacation (and I've contributed my share to that). Such as this one:
Restlessness is one of the acute maladies of our time, and there are many causes of it, from the gap between how fast information moves and the stubborn slowness of “real life”; our increasing distance from nature and lack of physicality; the avalanche of options we have to choose from in all areas of life; and the amount of “shadow work” corporations have outsourced to us consumers.
There’s another obvious factor in our restlessness as well, and that’s the sheer number of distractions that constantly pull at our attention, erode our focus, and keep us from concentrating on the task at hand.
Happily, while the other sources of our restlessness often require comprehensive changes to our culture and our personal lifestyle, this last factor can be attended to with the adoption of a simple principle: work when you work; play when you play.
Restlessness occurs when we mix play with our work, and work with our play. A failure to keep these pursuits separate robs us of enjoyment and pleasure in our play, and of effectiveness and satisfaction in our work.
When we play while we work, by, say, surfing the internet and checking our social media feeds (we’re going to define “play” really loosely in this article as anything that’s not economically productive and is done mostly for pleasure), we don’t fully enjoy that release, because we know we really should be working, and we’re disappointed in ourselves for getting distracted. We feel guilty. At the same time, our work suffers in quality because we can’t concentrate and our day passes by in a scatter-brained haze.
Then, when we try to play that evening, by, say, going out to a party or for a bike ride, we can’t completely let go and fully enjoy the experience, because we feel dejected and restless for wasting yet another day and being so royally unproductive for the umpteenth time. We don’t feel we deserve to play. We may even try to make amends for our lack of productivity during the day by spending our evenings trying to tie up remaining loose ends — continually interrupting playtime to check our phone and send off emails.
As we turn in for the night, we have trouble evaluating how the day went as a whole. How much did we work? How much did we play? How much did we get done? How much more could we have gotten done with greater focus?
In trying to play while we work, and work while we play, we end up sabotaging the satisfactions and rewards of both, and don’t get much out of either. All we end up with is a whole lot of uncertainty, and a heaping helping of restlessness.
The solution, of course, is simple: work while you work, and play while you play.
Lord Chesterfield, a British statesman of the 18th century, expounded on the wisdom of this principle in a letter to his son:
I believe the best way to separate your work and play, is to purposefully create play times within your work times. For the problem is not that we switch between work and play, per se, but that we do so haphazardly, whenever and wherever a distracting itch arises. These itches may interrupt what would have been a fruitful train of thought, and tend to manifest themselves so regularly, that one struggles to stitch together more than 5 minutes of uninterrupted focus at a stretch. We thus lose the chance to engage in deep work and really immerse ourselves in the task at hand.
The solution is to intentionally plan out regular, repeating work and play periods. You work uninterrupted for a set amount of time, then take a break for a set period of time. And the cycle starts again. It’s easier to stay focused when you know your work session won’t be interminable and exactly when you’ll be getting a break. And you can actually enjoy your break, knowing that you’ve earned it.
This is the beauty and wisdom behind what’s called the “Pomodoro Technique.” With this focus/productivity method, you work uninterrupted for 25 minutes, take a short 3-5 minute break, and repeat. Once you’ve done 4 work sessions, you take a longer 15-30 minute break.
I’ve found implementing the Pomodoro Technique to be enormously useful, nigh near life-changing, in terms of mitigating my restlessness and boosting my productivity. Here are some of the practices that have maximized its efficacy for me:
Experiment with the length of your work periods/breaks. Doing the 25/5 method may work well for some, but I personally like to do a 45/15 split, as 25 minutes just isn’t enough time for me to get deep enough into tasks like researching and writing. Of course, if you’re working in an office, where your boss regularly checks on you, then knocking off for 15 minutes may not be a viable option, and taking a short 3-minute break might be the only route you can take.
Experiment and figure out the split that works best with your personal work flow needs and circumstances.
Keep a “distraction to-do list.” When something you want/need to do crosses your mind during a work session (check the weather forecast/text a friend back/order more preworkout powder/find out if Bette Davis ever won an Oscar), instead of breaking off to do it right then (which will interrupt your flow and invariably turn into a rabbit hole of surfing/texting), write it down on a “distraction to-do list.” Use a pocket notebook or a note-taking app like Evernote or Todoist. Then get right back to work. Once your break time arrives, you can go back over your distraction to-do list, and attend to its entries. You’ll be surprised at how things that felt so itchy and urgent at the time, could definitely wait a half hour to be addressed.
Block distracting websites/apps automatically. To minimize the temptation to interrupt your work sessions by surfing around to apps and websites, put blocking apps on your computer and phone. There are several Pomodoro apps out there that function simply as work/break timers, but why not kill two birds with one stone by using an app that both works as a timer and blocks all your distracting websites during a work session?
Kate swears by Strict Workflow for Chrome, which does just this, letting you adjust which websites you want to block during your work sessions, and how long you want each work/break session to be. I use Focus for Mac. It allows me to not only block distracting websites for set periods of time, but also distracting apps I have on my computer as well.
Use your break times for play, chores, or other work. There are any number of things you can do on your Pomodoro breaks — it doesn’t necessarily have to be pure “play.” The activity just needs to offer some rest and refreshment from the main work task you’ve been absorbed in, so that you can return to it afterwards ready to focus; breaks are less about playing (though you can), and more about ensuring that you’re able to work while you work, so you can get stuff done and really play while you play once the workday is through.
You might take a walk, eat a snack, do some bodyweight exercises (grease that groove!), surf the net, text friends, take a hypnogogic nap, clean off and organize your desk, read a book (if you have trouble finding time to read for pleasure, try reading during your Pomodoro breaks and these short snatches will soon really add up), etc. And of course now is the time to work through that distraction to-do list!
If you work at home, your break time can be used for household chores, like washing dishes, or putting in/folding a load of laundry. Chores that feel onerous to do at other times, feel surprisingly more satisfying when you’re doing them “on the clock”; it’s nice to take a break from brainwork to engage in something tactile. You’ll be amazed at how many outstanding household to-dos you can get done once you start utilizing your break periods to tackle them.
While Francesco Cirillo, the creator of the Pomodoro Technique, recommends only doing things on your break that aren’t related to work in order to rest your brain, I’ve found I can successfully use part of my break to do work tasks that I typically find distracting, like checking and answering email. Batching email is a whole lot more effective than interrupting work every 5 minutes to look at it, which is what I used to do. And the task is different enough from my other, more mentally taxing work responsibilities, that it feels like a sufficient “break” and scratches my itch for distraction.
Don’t make your breaks too fun. One of the hardest parts of utilizing the Pomodoro Technique is not cheating on your break time, and extending it longer than scheduled. “I’ll just check out one more website and then I’ll start the work timer again.” The trick to making it easier to get back to work, is not doing things on your break that are overly distracting and engrossing. So if you know, for example, that you’re not going to be able to put down that Dan Brown novel once you pick it up, or get yourself off reddit before reading all the comments on a half a dozen threads, then choose an activity with tentacles that are less sticky.
Keep working past your break time if you get in the flow. While you should always work for at least the length of time you’ve scheduled, if you find you’ve gotten into the flow and are on a roll, don’t force yourself to break off from what you’re doing. Keep on tapping that vein of productivity for as long as it lasts, and then take your break.
If you do take a break, and find that after a few minutes, you’re feeling like you don’t need one, and are itching to get back to work, I also think it’s fine to cut your break short to do so.
All in all, be flexible with the Pomodoro Technique; experiment and figure out which practices work best for you. And know that distractions that force you to take a break from work, like an unexpected business call, meeting, or urgent issue, will invariably happen. Just do your best to set aside whatever is non-urgent, get right back to work after tackling what is urgent, and try to do as many uninterrupted work/break sessions a day as you can.
You’ve probably heard the maxim, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Well, it doesn’t just apply to your material possessions but to your work and play as well.
Utilizing the Pomodoro Technique can be huge in learning how to manage and prioritize your distractions, and in helping you work when you work, and play when you play. It’ll allow you to get the most out of both pursuits, not only within your work/break hours, but in the context of your day as a whole. You enjoy each break because you know you were productive during the preceding work session. And you can play without guilt after the workday is through, because you feel you’ve earned your leisure and are able to look back with satisfaction on what you accomplished over the course of accumulated work sessions. You can play in the evening without ruining your recreation with worries about work and what you didn’t get done, and without being driven to mix work into your play as penance for wasting so much time.
When you know exactly how much you worked, and how much you played, and that you did each when they were supposed to be done, you can go to bed quite contentedly and without the burden of restlessness. Work when you work, play when you play, and you’ll have plenty of time for each, and sleep the sleep of the wonderfully productive and joyfully relaxed.
(Be sure to click on the link above. There are several related articles at the bottom of the page.)
I'm going to try to apply some of this to my job at AT&T. Unfortunately, a lot of time my work is bursty. I may have a busy spurt and then have an hour ro wait before I can put in the next set of commands, but I'll see what I can do.
Today - Hanging Out Day, Bicycle Day and Garlic Day
Tomorrow - Volunteer Recognition Day, Chinese Language Day and Banana Day
Next Tuesday - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
May 19 - Notebook Day and May Ray Day
I must admit that I like a good vacation as well as the next person, but maybe this article can help tame the restlessness a little.
“I wish to see our people hardy, vigorous, strong, able to hold their own in whatever test may arise. I wish to see them able to work and able to play hard. I believe in play, and I like to see people play hard while they play, and when they work I do not want to see them play at all.” –Theodore RooseveltDo you often experience a sense of restlessness in your life — an itch, an agitation, a constant furrowing of your brain’s metaphorical brow?
Restlessness is one of the acute maladies of our time, and there are many causes of it, from the gap between how fast information moves and the stubborn slowness of “real life”; our increasing distance from nature and lack of physicality; the avalanche of options we have to choose from in all areas of life; and the amount of “shadow work” corporations have outsourced to us consumers.
There’s another obvious factor in our restlessness as well, and that’s the sheer number of distractions that constantly pull at our attention, erode our focus, and keep us from concentrating on the task at hand.
Happily, while the other sources of our restlessness often require comprehensive changes to our culture and our personal lifestyle, this last factor can be attended to with the adoption of a simple principle: work when you work; play when you play.
Do But One Thing at Once
Restlessness occurs when we mix play with our work, and work with our play. A failure to keep these pursuits separate robs us of enjoyment and pleasure in our play, and of effectiveness and satisfaction in our work.
When we play while we work, by, say, surfing the internet and checking our social media feeds (we’re going to define “play” really loosely in this article as anything that’s not economically productive and is done mostly for pleasure), we don’t fully enjoy that release, because we know we really should be working, and we’re disappointed in ourselves for getting distracted. We feel guilty. At the same time, our work suffers in quality because we can’t concentrate and our day passes by in a scatter-brained haze.
Then, when we try to play that evening, by, say, going out to a party or for a bike ride, we can’t completely let go and fully enjoy the experience, because we feel dejected and restless for wasting yet another day and being so royally unproductive for the umpteenth time. We don’t feel we deserve to play. We may even try to make amends for our lack of productivity during the day by spending our evenings trying to tie up remaining loose ends — continually interrupting playtime to check our phone and send off emails.
As we turn in for the night, we have trouble evaluating how the day went as a whole. How much did we work? How much did we play? How much did we get done? How much more could we have gotten done with greater focus?
In trying to play while we work, and work while we play, we end up sabotaging the satisfactions and rewards of both, and don’t get much out of either. All we end up with is a whole lot of uncertainty, and a heaping helping of restlessness.
The solution, of course, is simple: work while you work, and play while you play.
Lord Chesterfield, a British statesman of the 18th century, expounded on the wisdom of this principle in a letter to his son:
“You may remember, that I have always earnestly recommended to you, to do what you are about, be that what it will; and to do nothing else at the same time. Do not imagine that I mean by this, that you should attend to, and plod at, your book all day long; far from it: I mean that you should have your pleasures too; and that you should attend to them, for the time, as much as to your studies; and if you do not attend equally to both, you will neither have improvement nor satisfaction from either.
A man is fit for neither business nor pleasure who either cannot, or does not, command and direct his attention to the present object, and in some degree banish, for that time, all other objects from his thoughts. If at a ball, a supper, or a party of pleasure, a man were to be solving, in his own mind, a problem in Euclid, he would be a very bad companion, and make a very poor figure in that company; or if, in studying a problem in his closet, he were to think of a minuet [ballroom dance], I am apt to believe that he would make a very poor mathematician.
There is time enough for everything, in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once; but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.”
Wall Off Work and Play to Get the Most Out of Each
I believe the best way to separate your work and play, is to purposefully create play times within your work times. For the problem is not that we switch between work and play, per se, but that we do so haphazardly, whenever and wherever a distracting itch arises. These itches may interrupt what would have been a fruitful train of thought, and tend to manifest themselves so regularly, that one struggles to stitch together more than 5 minutes of uninterrupted focus at a stretch. We thus lose the chance to engage in deep work and really immerse ourselves in the task at hand.
The solution is to intentionally plan out regular, repeating work and play periods. You work uninterrupted for a set amount of time, then take a break for a set period of time. And the cycle starts again. It’s easier to stay focused when you know your work session won’t be interminable and exactly when you’ll be getting a break. And you can actually enjoy your break, knowing that you’ve earned it.
This is the beauty and wisdom behind what’s called the “Pomodoro Technique.” With this focus/productivity method, you work uninterrupted for 25 minutes, take a short 3-5 minute break, and repeat. Once you’ve done 4 work sessions, you take a longer 15-30 minute break.
I’ve found implementing the Pomodoro Technique to be enormously useful, nigh near life-changing, in terms of mitigating my restlessness and boosting my productivity. Here are some of the practices that have maximized its efficacy for me:
Experiment with the length of your work periods/breaks. Doing the 25/5 method may work well for some, but I personally like to do a 45/15 split, as 25 minutes just isn’t enough time for me to get deep enough into tasks like researching and writing. Of course, if you’re working in an office, where your boss regularly checks on you, then knocking off for 15 minutes may not be a viable option, and taking a short 3-minute break might be the only route you can take.
Experiment and figure out the split that works best with your personal work flow needs and circumstances.
Keep a “distraction to-do list.” When something you want/need to do crosses your mind during a work session (check the weather forecast/text a friend back/order more preworkout powder/find out if Bette Davis ever won an Oscar), instead of breaking off to do it right then (which will interrupt your flow and invariably turn into a rabbit hole of surfing/texting), write it down on a “distraction to-do list.” Use a pocket notebook or a note-taking app like Evernote or Todoist. Then get right back to work. Once your break time arrives, you can go back over your distraction to-do list, and attend to its entries. You’ll be surprised at how things that felt so itchy and urgent at the time, could definitely wait a half hour to be addressed.
Block distracting websites/apps automatically. To minimize the temptation to interrupt your work sessions by surfing around to apps and websites, put blocking apps on your computer and phone. There are several Pomodoro apps out there that function simply as work/break timers, but why not kill two birds with one stone by using an app that both works as a timer and blocks all your distracting websites during a work session?
Kate swears by Strict Workflow for Chrome, which does just this, letting you adjust which websites you want to block during your work sessions, and how long you want each work/break session to be. I use Focus for Mac. It allows me to not only block distracting websites for set periods of time, but also distracting apps I have on my computer as well.
Use your break times for play, chores, or other work. There are any number of things you can do on your Pomodoro breaks — it doesn’t necessarily have to be pure “play.” The activity just needs to offer some rest and refreshment from the main work task you’ve been absorbed in, so that you can return to it afterwards ready to focus; breaks are less about playing (though you can), and more about ensuring that you’re able to work while you work, so you can get stuff done and really play while you play once the workday is through.
You might take a walk, eat a snack, do some bodyweight exercises (grease that groove!), surf the net, text friends, take a hypnogogic nap, clean off and organize your desk, read a book (if you have trouble finding time to read for pleasure, try reading during your Pomodoro breaks and these short snatches will soon really add up), etc. And of course now is the time to work through that distraction to-do list!
If you work at home, your break time can be used for household chores, like washing dishes, or putting in/folding a load of laundry. Chores that feel onerous to do at other times, feel surprisingly more satisfying when you’re doing them “on the clock”; it’s nice to take a break from brainwork to engage in something tactile. You’ll be amazed at how many outstanding household to-dos you can get done once you start utilizing your break periods to tackle them.
While Francesco Cirillo, the creator of the Pomodoro Technique, recommends only doing things on your break that aren’t related to work in order to rest your brain, I’ve found I can successfully use part of my break to do work tasks that I typically find distracting, like checking and answering email. Batching email is a whole lot more effective than interrupting work every 5 minutes to look at it, which is what I used to do. And the task is different enough from my other, more mentally taxing work responsibilities, that it feels like a sufficient “break” and scratches my itch for distraction.
Don’t make your breaks too fun. One of the hardest parts of utilizing the Pomodoro Technique is not cheating on your break time, and extending it longer than scheduled. “I’ll just check out one more website and then I’ll start the work timer again.” The trick to making it easier to get back to work, is not doing things on your break that are overly distracting and engrossing. So if you know, for example, that you’re not going to be able to put down that Dan Brown novel once you pick it up, or get yourself off reddit before reading all the comments on a half a dozen threads, then choose an activity with tentacles that are less sticky.
Keep working past your break time if you get in the flow. While you should always work for at least the length of time you’ve scheduled, if you find you’ve gotten into the flow and are on a roll, don’t force yourself to break off from what you’re doing. Keep on tapping that vein of productivity for as long as it lasts, and then take your break.
If you do take a break, and find that after a few minutes, you’re feeling like you don’t need one, and are itching to get back to work, I also think it’s fine to cut your break short to do so.
All in all, be flexible with the Pomodoro Technique; experiment and figure out which practices work best for you. And know that distractions that force you to take a break from work, like an unexpected business call, meeting, or urgent issue, will invariably happen. Just do your best to set aside whatever is non-urgent, get right back to work after tackling what is urgent, and try to do as many uninterrupted work/break sessions a day as you can.
A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place
You’ve probably heard the maxim, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Well, it doesn’t just apply to your material possessions but to your work and play as well.
Utilizing the Pomodoro Technique can be huge in learning how to manage and prioritize your distractions, and in helping you work when you work, and play when you play. It’ll allow you to get the most out of both pursuits, not only within your work/break hours, but in the context of your day as a whole. You enjoy each break because you know you were productive during the preceding work session. And you can play without guilt after the workday is through, because you feel you’ve earned your leisure and are able to look back with satisfaction on what you accomplished over the course of accumulated work sessions. You can play in the evening without ruining your recreation with worries about work and what you didn’t get done, and without being driven to mix work into your play as penance for wasting so much time.
When you know exactly how much you worked, and how much you played, and that you did each when they were supposed to be done, you can go to bed quite contentedly and without the burden of restlessness. Work when you work, play when you play, and you’ll have plenty of time for each, and sleep the sleep of the wonderfully productive and joyfully relaxed.
(Be sure to click on the link above. There are several related articles at the bottom of the page.)
I'm going to try to apply some of this to my job at AT&T. Unfortunately, a lot of time my work is bursty. I may have a busy spurt and then have an hour ro wait before I can put in the next set of commands, but I'll see what I can do.
Interesting days
Today - Hanging Out Day, Bicycle Day and Garlic Day
Tomorrow - Volunteer Recognition Day, Chinese Language Day and Banana Day
Next Tuesday - Richter Scale Day, Pretzel Day, Help A Horse Day and Hug an Australian Day
May 19 - Notebook Day and May Ray Day
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