Why You Should Talk to Strangers #TBT

This may be a little more difficult due to sheltering-in-place but that doesn't mean it can't happen. It might take a little more effort. If you're in business, you can join a group like Gold Star, where we meet virtually (at least for now) and the current sign up fee is only $99 through today.

This week's blog post was originally published last year:

Remember your mother telling you to never speak to strangers? Well, maybe it's time to revisit that idea. Today's blog post is from a podcast on The Art of Manliness:

Talking to new people can lead to making new connections and learning interesting things, and simply makes both you and the person you talk with happier. Yet many of us have a very difficult time striking up a conversation with strangers. Why is this? 

My guest today has done studies to find out. Her name is Gillian Sandstrom and she’s a professor of social psychology at the University of Essex. Gillian’s research has explored both why people have such a hard time talking to strangers, and why it’s beneficial to do so. Today we dig into common barriers to talking to new people, including the “liking gap,” where we believe people find us less interesting than they do. We then talk discuss the benefits of talking to strangers (which go for both introverts and extroverts), and Gillian’s best tips for getting better at it.

This is actually pretty timely, since it's been two years since I set out to meet 265 people in 265 days (or whatever  the number was at the time). I actually made it to 43 people before I gave up but I'm actually still friends with some of them.

Show Highlights

• Why are people uncomfortable talking with strangers?
• Do different cultures/places/situations have different norms towards talking with strangers?
• The role of introversion vs extraversion in making small talk
• The “liking” gap 
• What’s really happening when a conversation goes poorly?
• Why to keep giving random conversations a try, even if most are merely okay 
• The benefits of small talk 
• So how do you get started in this endeavor of talking with strangers? 
• The power of compliments 
• On following your own curiosity 

I did listen to the podcast, but I didn't look at the additional resources at the end of the page. It looks like there's some pretty interesting stuff there.

And from Contact Mapping we have:

Why is it difficult to strike up a conversation? Looking around any ride on public transport, line at the register, or school pick-up makes it clear that we spend much of our time around others simply coexisting, choosing not to speak to others.   

Where to begin? The formula to start a good conversation is pretty simple.  What’s everybody’s favorite topic?  Themselves!   

Take a minute to observe. What can you learn from the other person’s appearance, demeanor, or personal belongings? Look for something that you can tell is an intentional statement about their identity and then ask about that.  A simple, "tell me about ..." or "I really like..." can break the ice, followed by questions that reflect that you are truly listening to what the other person is saying.   

Before you know it, you have hit a topic that is important to them and they feel heard by you. Through continuing your genuine interest in another individual’s passion you have created a bond that is more than small-talk. 

If you sense a real connection, your challenge is to take the conversation to a place where it is appropriate and natural to create a future touchpoint. Asking for someone's phone number is sometimes logical, but this can be a bold ask the first time you meet someone. Think about asking to connect with them on social media as a lower risk way to create the ongoing connection. Or, you may find that there is another person in your network who could help your new friend - asking to get their details to make an introduction can be a great way to serve others and create an ongoing relationship.

I'm going to be talking more about Contact Mapping tomorrow.

So, it looks like it's time for me to meet some new people. Who wants to join me?

Even though I'm not purposely setting out to meet new people every day, I am meeting quite a few people through Gold Star.

Interesting days

Today - Honesty Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day and International Jazz Day

May will be Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Military Appreciation Month, Deck Safety Month, Bike Month, Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Get Caught Reading Month, Hamburger Month, Golf Month, Photo Month and Barbecue Month

Tomorrow - Tuba Day, Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day, Global Love Day, Space Day, Purebred Dog Day, International Workers’ Day, School Bus Drivers Day, Executive Coaching Day, Mother Goose Day, New Home Owners Day, School Principals’ Day, No Pants Day and Lei Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

Next Thursday - Password Day, Roast Leg of Lamb Day, Love’s Baby Soft Day and Cosmopolitan Day

Week long celebrations:

May 4 - May 8: Lawyer Well-Being Week

May 6 - May 12: Nurse’s Week

May 30 - Loomis Day, Water a Flower Day and Mint Julep Day

May 31 - World Meditation Day, No Tobacco Day, Macaroon Day, Web Designer Day and Save Your Hearing Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week

Could Time-Blocking Replace Your To-Do List?

Today's blog post is based on an article on get pocket.com.

A few years ago, my to-do list was an endless source of frustration. At the end of every day, it seemed like it had more items on it than when I started. I never seemed to get it all done. 

So, in an effort to understand what was going on, I began to track how I was spending my time and saw some interesting patterns emerge. As I learned more, I started applying a productivity-changing principle to my daily “get it done” list: time-blocking. 

All that is interesting, but what is time-blocking?

Time-blocking is essentially organizing your day in a series of time slots. Instead of writing a list of tasks that take as long as they take, with a time-blocked approach, each of these time periods is devoted to a task or tasks. It immediately lets you see where you’re being unrealistic about your time and keep yourself focused on what you’re supposed to be doing. 

If I can remember that far back, The 12 Week Year featured time-blocking.

Giving every hour a job typically lets you make much more efficient use of your time, says Georgetown University professor Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. “This follows because it allows you to schedule work for the time where it makes the most sense—batching together small things, tackling hard things when you have the long stretches to make progress, and so on. The other advantage is that it provides you more accurate feedback on how much free time you actually have most days and how long certain recurring tasks actually take,” he says.

 Why should we time-block?

Organizing your day through time blocks instead of to-dos makes sense because of the discipline and order it applies to your tasks, says time management expert Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. Research by productivity blog I Done This found that 41% of to-do list items are never completed. In Kruse’s own research he says the high-performers he interviewed never talked about their “to-do lists,” but instead talked about their calendars and how they were organized. 

I've written about using your calendar instead of a to-do list here.

Organizing your time instead of your tasks also has psychological benefits, Kruse says. There is also a psychological reason why time-blocking makes more sense. In what is known as the Zeigarnik effect, which basically states that we remember what we haven’t done better than what we have done, and uncompleted tasks weigh on us. “This can lead to stress and insomnia. However, when we have all of our tasks placed into a specific date, time, and duration, we sleep more soundly knowing everything that needs to get done is in its place,” Kruse says. 

So, if you’re ready to give it a shot, pull out your calendar and keep these tips in mind.

• Pay Attention to Cycles
• Allot Enough Time
• Offload Distractions
• Make It Flexible

Be sure to read the article, to find out more about these tips.

Interesting days

Today - International Dance Day, Stop Food Waste Day, We Jump The World Day, Guide Dogs Day, World Wish Day and Zipper Day

Tomorrow - Honesty Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day and International Jazz Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

Next Wednesday - No Diet Day, Golf Day, Beverage Day, No Homework Day and School Nurse Day

May 29 - Biscuit Day, Paper Clip Day, Put A Pillow On Your Fridge Day and Learn About Composting Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week 

The reason Zoom calls drain your energy

I don't know about you but I've been doing several Zoom calls a week lately. And they can be pretty exhausting!

Today's blog post is from an article by the BBC:

Your screen freezes. There’s a weird echo. A dozen heads stare at you. There are the work huddles, the one-on-one meetings and then, once you’re done for the day, the hangouts with friends and family. 

I know a lot of people have been doing virtual happy hours. I was invited to one on Friday but I had other things going on then. But I have been doing virtual coffee meetings the last few weeks.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we’re on video calls more than ever before – and many are finding it exhausting. 

But what, exactly, is tiring us out? BBC Worklife spoke to Gianpiero Petriglieri, an associate professor at Insead, who explores sustainable learning and development in the workplace, and Marissa Shuffler, an associate professor at Clemson University, who studies workplace wellbeing and teamwork effectiveness, to hear their views. 

Is video chat harder? What’s different compared to face-to-face communication? 

Being on a video call requires more focus than a face-to-face chat, says Petriglieri. Video chats mean we need to work harder to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language; paying more attention to these consumes a lot of energy. “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we're not. That dissonance, which causes people to have conflicting feelings, is exhausting. You cannot relax into the conversation naturally,” he says.

Silence is another challenge, he adds. “Silence creates a natural rhythm in a real-life conversation. However, when it happens in a video call, you became anxious about the technology.” It also makes people uncomfortable. One 2014 study by German academics showed that delays on phone or conferencing systems shaped our views of people negatively: even delays of 1.2 seconds made people perceive the responder as less friendly or focused.

An added factor, says Shuffler, is that if we are physically on camera, we are very aware of being watched. “When you're on a video conference, you know everybody's looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking and more stressful.” It’s also very hard for people not to look at their own face if they can see it on screen, or not to be conscious of how they behave in front of the camera. 

It's difficult not to look at yourself on the monitor, plus it's difficult not to watch the other people also since you should be looking into your camera to give the people the feeling that you're looking at them. See this post from a few weeks ago on using Zoom.

How are the current circumstances contributing?

Yet if video chats come with extra stressors, our Zoom fatigue can’t be attributed solely to that. Our current circumstances – whether lockdown, quarantine, working from home or otherwise – are also feeding in.

Petriglieri believes that fact we feel forced into these calls may be a contributory factor. “The video call is our reminder of the people we have lost temporarily. It is the distress that every time you see someone online, such as your colleagues, that reminds you we should really be in the workplace together,” he says. “What I'm finding is, we’re all exhausted; It doesn't matter whether they are introverts or extroverts. We are experiencing the same disruption of the familiar context during the pandemic.” 

Then there’s the fact that aspects of our lives that used to be separate – work, friends, family – are all now happening in the same space. The self-complexity theory posits that individuals have multiple aspects – context-dependent social roles, relationships, activities and goals – and we find the variety healthy, says Petriglieri. When these aspects are reduced, we become more vulnerable to negative feelings.

One thing that may help in feeling some variety in your various roles, in my own opinion, is to have different virtual backgrounds behind you. It will give others the feeling that you're in different places and it'll look to you that you are when you see yourself on the screen.

“Most of our social roles happen in different places, but now the context has collapsed,” says Petriglieri. “Imagine if you go to a bar, and in the same bar you talk with your professors, meet your parents or date someone, isn’t it weird? That's what we're doing now… We are confined in our own space, in the context of a very anxiety-provoking crisis, and our only space for interaction is a computer window.” 

Shuffler says a lack of downtime after we’ve fulfilled work and family commitments may be another factor in our tiredness, while some of us may be putting higher expectations on ourselves due to worries over the economy, furloughs and job losses. “There's also that heightened sense of ‘I need to be performing at my top level in a situation’… Some of us are kind of over-performing to secure our jobs.”

But when I’m Zooming my friends, for example, shouldn’t that relax me?

Lots of us are doing big group chats for the first time, whether it’s cooking and eating a virtual Easter dinner, attending a university catch-up or holding a birthday party for a friend. If the call is meant to be fun, why might it feel tiring?

Or even virtual dating!

Part of it, says Shuffler, is whether you’re joining in because you want to or because you feel you ought to – like a virtual happy hour with colleagues from work. If you see it as an obligation, that means more time that you’re ‘on’ as opposed to getting a break. A proper chat with friends will feel more social and there will be less ‘Zoom fatigue’ from conversations where you’ve had a chance to be yourself.

Big group calls can feel particularly performative, Petriglieri warns. People like watching television because you can allow your mind to wander – but a large video call “is like you're watching television and television is watching you”. Large group chats can also feel depersonalising, he adds, because your power as an individual is diminished. And despite the branding, it may not feel like leisure time. “It doesn't matter whether you call it a virtual happy hour, it's a meeting, because mostly we are used to using these tools for work.”

So how can we alleviate Zoom fatigue?

Both experts suggest limiting video calls to those that are necessary. Turning on the camera should be optional and in general there should be more understanding that cameras do not always have to be on throughout each meeting. Having your screen off to the side, instead of straight ahead, could also help your concentration, particularly in group meetings, says Petriglieri. It makes you feel like you’re in an adjoining room, so may be less tiring. 

In some cases it’s worth considering if video chats are really the most efficient option. When it comes to work, Shuffler suggests shared files with clear notes can be a better option that avoids information overload. She also suggests taking time during meetings to catch up before diving into business. “Spend some time to actually check into people's wellbeing,” she urges. “It’s a way to reconnect us with the world, and to maintain trust and reduce fatigue and concern.” 

Building transition periods in between video meetings can also help refresh us – try stretching, having a drink or doing a bit of exercise, our experts say. Boundaries and transitions are important; we need to create buffers which allow us to put one identity aside and then go to another as we move between work and private personas. 

And maybe, says Petriglieri, if you want to reach out, go old-school. “Write a letter to someone instead of meeting them on Zoom. Tell them you really care about them.”

Or send a card!

Even after this is all over, I think Zoom will still be with us. So, don't let Zoom fatigue get the better of you!

Interesting days

Today - Superhero Day, Clean Comedy Day, Pay it Forward Day, Shrimp Scampi Day, Biological Clock Day, Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day and Workers’ Memorial Day

Tomorrow - International Dance Day, Stop Food Waste Day, We Jump The World Day, Guide Dogs Day, World Wish Day and Zipper Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

Next Tuesday - Nail Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, International Midwives’ Day, Hoagie Day, Revenge of the Fifth, Hug A Shed And Take A Selfie, Asthma Day and Cartoonists Day

May 28 - Hamburger Day, Menstrual Hygiene Day, Brisket Day and Amnesty International Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week

If You’re Going to Grow a Quarantine Mustache, Listen Up

I know you've been thinking about it. You haven't shaved for the past week or two (or has it been a month or two?) and you're thinking about doing something different with your facial hair.

Today's blog post is from an article by Bloomberg:

Of all the worthy projects to tackle during quarantine, the one with the least chance of resulting in real self-improvement is the introduction of a new mustache.

Imagine a thick ’stache, and chances are you think of the 1970s and open-necked shirts possibly revealing gold medallions nesting in a swath of chest hair. These outlaw associations are one reason we rarely see a powerful American with one. Can you envision a presidential candidate with a mustache? He’d sooner admit he was an atheist.

Who was the last president to have a mustache? According to Wikipedia:

The most recent president to have had facial hair was William Howard Taft (1909–1913), who wore a mustache. President Harry Truman briefly grew a mustache and goatee (which he jokingly referred to as a "Jeff Davis") while vacationing in Key West, Florida, after the 1948 presidential election.

What about candidates?

The last major candidate from any party to wear a beard was Charles Evans Hughes, who was defeated at the 1916 presidential election. The last major party candidate for the presidency to have any facial hair was Thomas E. Dewey, who had a mustache, and was defeated at both the 1944 and 1948 presidential elections. Some pundits even claimed that public disapproval of Dewey's mustache may have contributed to his two electoral defeats.

Back to Bloomberg:

But for some men, such low odds of pulling it off only heighten the mustache’s louche mystique. It appeals to the part of a man that wants to buy a motorcycle. A good one conveys a sense of fearlessness while offering a man a vacation from himself.

Time away from friends can provide the push some guys need to embrace a more adventurous side. Growing a large beard, with its dignified tradition of Civil War generals and Russian novelists, is a natural impulse. But the full Tolstoy doesn’t fit inside the masks we’re now advised to wear in public.

But a mustache should be ok for the masks that most of the public wears:

At the onset of social distancing, I was on a FaceTime call with a friend and thought I detected a provocative bit of growth emerging through his stubble. “Is that a mustache?” I asked eagerly, as if spotting a rare bird. “It’s not not a mustache,” he replied cryptically. Perhaps he couldn’t acknowledge the scope of what he was attempting. 

Often when I haven't shaved for awhile I haven't quite decided whether I'm growing a beard or mustache, or I'm just being lazy.

As it happens, my own beard was getting particularly long because I couldn’t visit my beloved barber, the only person I trust to keep things under control. Could quarantine be the time to chop it? I’ve been attracted to the English tradition of aristocratic mustaches—think of Trevor Howard as Major Calloway in The Third Man, or Robert Donat’s trenchcoat-wearing fugitive in The 39 Steps. They’re thin and go well with a refined British accent. 

A mustache requires expertise, so I went looking for it. James Nord, founder of the influencer marketing platform Fohr, had successfully embraced a tidy model long before our current situation. He tells me that the move requires conviction. “I don’t know if there are many style choices as risky as a mustache,” he says. “If you don’t take yourself seriously, how will anyone take your mustache seriously?” But it doesn’t always start that way. “My first mustache was a joke that soon became serious, and I think that happens for a lot of people.” 

Jeremy Kirkland, who hosts the menswear-focused Blamo! podcast, has long dabbled in the art of face furniture. “The trick is to act like nothing has changed,” he counsels. “If you make it a big thing, people will respond accordingly.” But this takes time. “I had a mustache for years, and people eventually chilled out.” 

A man with a mustache doesn’t go down his path alone. Loved ones will weigh in; some may threaten to shave it off. Photographer Jamie Ferguson has grown a robust specimen during quarantine, and when I asked him how people reacted, he joked, “It’s like Marmite. People either love it or hate it.” 

Oftentimes a loved one will be the deciding factor on whether you keep it or not.

In a perverse fit of inspiration, I fired up my clippers and mercilessly reduced my beard to some downy stubble, leaving only an ad hoc Fu Manchu as the shearing’s sole survivor. What stared back at me from the mirror didn’t look like it belonged on someone with a pipe and a tweed suit, as if right off the pages of Brideshead Revisited. It reminded me of what Michael Williams, founder of style site A Continuous Lean, said after he shaved for the first time in six years and stopped to gauge what a mustache would do for him. “It made me look like a mid-’90s groundskeeper for the Yankees,” he told me. 

With my long quarantine mane, I looked more like a relief pitcher—one of those sidearm specialists from the ’80s who would come in and usually give up a bases-clearing double. 

So far I’ve kept my mustache to myself, but if I deem it worthy, I’ll bring it out to society, like a debutante. I’ve seen some newly mustachioed men take polls on Instagram, but that undermines the entire undertaking because, to work, the mustache has to be treated with the utmost seriousness. 

No matter what it looks like, the key is to present the mustache to the world with confidence, not like it arrived shamefully under cover of darkness. Randy Goldberg, co-founder of the sock startup Bombas, has discovered them sprouting over the lips of friends and colleagues on Zoom calls. “Some are sad and shocking. Some are surprisingly glorious,” he observes. But like all spring flowers, they’re also short-lived. “Most don’t last more than a day.”

So, if you've decided to keep a mustache be confident when you decide to share it with the world!

Interesting days

Today - Morse Code Day, Tell a Story Day, World Tapir Day, Prime Rib Day and Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Tomorrow - Superhero Day, Clean Comedy Day, Pay it Forward Day, Shrimp Scampi Day, Biological Clock Day, Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day and Workers’ Memorial Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

Next Monday - Star Wars Day, K.I.N.D. Day, Candied Orange Peel Day, Renewal Day, Petite And Proud Day and Firefighters’ Day

May 27 - Sun Screen Day, Senior Health & Fitness Day and Cellophane Tape Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week 

Your weekend guide to interesting days - April 25, 2020

This week

Sunday - Amaretto Day, Bicycle Day, Hanging Out Day, Garlic Day, Rice Ball Day and Poetry And The Creative Mind Day

Monday - Volunteer Recognition Day and Chinese Language Day

Tuesday - World Creativity and Innovation Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Chocolate Covered Cashews Day, American Red Cross Giving Day, Tea Day, Library Workers Day and Kindergarten Day

Wednesday - World Stationery Day, Earth Day, Jelly Bean Day, Bookmobile Day and Administrative Professionals Day

Thursday - Talk Like Shakespeare Day, Thank you Thursday, Love Your Thighs Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, World Book Night and English Language Day

Yesterday - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Today - Veterinary Day, (Virtually) Hug A Plumber Day, Financial Independence Awareness Day, Anzac Day, International Marconi Day, Malaria Day, Go Birding Day, Save The Frogs Day, Sense Of Smell Day, DNA Day, Independent Bookstore Day and World Penguin Day

Week long celebrations:

April 20 - April 26: Stationery Week

Next week

Tomorrow - Pinhole Photography Day, Get Organized Day, Hug an Australian Day, Pretzel Day, Alien Day, Help A Horse Day, Richter Scale Day and International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

Monday - Morse Code Day, Tell a Story Day, World Tapir Day, Prime Rib Day and Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Tuesday - Superhero Day, Clean Comedy Day, Pay it Forward Day, Shrimp Scampi Day, Biological Clock Day, Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day and Workers’ Memorial Day

Wednesday - International Dance Day, Stop Food Waste Day, We Jump The World Day, Guide Dogs Day, World Wish Day and Zipper Day

Thursday - Honesty Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day and International Jazz Day

May will be Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Military Appreciation Month, Deck Safety Month, Bike Month, Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Get Caught Reading Month, Hamburger Month, Golf Month, Photo Month and Barbecue Month

Friday - Tuba Day, Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day, Global Love Day, Space Day, Purebred Dog Day, International Workers’ Day, School Bus Drivers Day, Executive Coaching Day, Mother Goose Day, New Home Owners Day, School Principals’ Day, No Pants Day and Lei Day

Saturday - Naked Gardening Day, Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, Infidelity Hurts Awareness Day, Join Hands Day, Free Comic Book Day, International Astronomy Day (canceled this year) and Baby Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 20 - Apr 26: Stationery Week

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

Next month

May 19 - May Ray Day

May 20 - Pick Strawberries Day, World Bee Day, Clinical Trials Day, Quiche Lorraine Day, Weights & Measures Day and Be a Millionaire Day

May 21 - I Need A Patch For That Day, Waitstaff Day, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Memo Day, Rapture Party Day and Notebook Day

May 22 - Sherlock Holmes Day, Goth Day, International Day for Biological Diversity, Harvey Milk Day, Don’t Fry Day and Maritime Day

May 23 - Turtle Day, World Product Day, Title Track Day and Lucky Penny Day

May 24 - Tiara Day, Escargot Day, Brother’s Day, Indianapolis 500 and Aviation Maintenance Technician Day

May 25 - Tap Dance Day, Towel Day, Wine Day and Geek Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week

The week in review - April 24, 2020

Monday - "Tomorrow is #HawaiianShirtDay" I think this one is pretty self apparent. "I think the "official" Hawaiian Shirt Day is in August, but Urban Dictionary says it's April 21st."

Tuesday - "Become a SendOutCards Professional" SendOutCards is making it easier to build your SOC business. "The big SendOutCards announcement was yesterday! It was aimed directly at SOC affiliates by offering a new tool called the SOC Pro app."

Wednesday - "No blog post today" Going to bed 6 hours early kinda threw my schedule off. "My sleeping schedule is all backwards right now and I went to bed before the time I usually work on my posts."

Thursday - "The jobs market is changing — and so should your resume #TBT" I'm not sure what the job market will be like after this is all over! "Today's blog post was originally published last year. Quite a bit has changed since then. In fact, quite a bit has changed in the past month!"

Interesting days

Today - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Tomorrow - Veterinary Day, (Virtually) Hug A Plumber Day, Financial Independence Awareness Day, Anzac Day, International Marconi Day, Malaria Day, Go Birding Day, Save The Frogs Day, Sense Of Smell Day, DNA Day, Independent Bookstore Day and World Penguin Day

Week long celebrations:

April 20 - April 26: Stationery Week

May will be Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Military Appreciation Month, Deck Safety Month, Bike Month, Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Get Caught Reading Month, Hamburger Month, Golf Month, Photo Month and Barbecue Month

Next Friday - Tuba Day, Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day, Global Love Day, Space Day, Purebred Dog Day, International Workers’ Day, School Bus Drivers Day, Executive Coaching Day, Mother Goose Day, New Home Owners Day, School Principals’ Day, No Pants Day and Lei Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

May 24 - Tiara Day, Escargot Day, Brother’s Day, Indianapolis 500 and Aviation Maintenance Technician Day

The jobs market is changing — and so should your resume #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year. Quite a bit has changed since then. In fact, quite a bit has changed in the past month!

Today's blog post is from an article on CNBC.

The jobs market is changing, that's no secret. 

Today, shifts in technology and demographics mean that more of us are working for longer and in totally different ways than previous generations. 

And that trend shows no sign of abating. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, 75 million jobs will have disappeared to be replaced by 133 million new ones as automation spreads in the workplace. 

What's less clear, however, is how to respond to that mammoth move. 

Yet, according to experts, it likely starts with rewriting a centuries-old concept: The resume.

I haven't updated my resume in years...mainly because I'm hoping to stay where I am until I retire in about 3 1/2 years.

In a recent LinkedIn Influencer post, Alistair Cox, the CEO of global recruitment firm Hays, praised luminary Leonardo da Vinci for creating the resume in 1482, but opined that "as the world in which we work changes beyond recognition, so does the C.V."

What kind of changes are they recommending?

So, just what does the new resume look like and — more importantly — how should you rewrite yours? Well, according to Cox, there are four things to keep in mind.

1. Readers will be both man and machine

2. Skills will be the focus

3. Gaps will become more common

4. Personalization will be key

And although it wasn't mentioned here, be sure to send a thank you card to the interviewer.

From a previous blog post:

One of the most valuable, and least utilized, uses of thank you notes is after a job interview. I know...you've heard it a thousand times! But guess what? Nobody does it!

According to Fortune: 

We were surprised to learn that over 75% of the people surveyed did not receive any kind of thank you note from most of the candidates they interviewed, and for 30% of those surveyed, no follow up meant no further steps for the candidate. One hiring manager remarked, “The follow up is the linchpin for me. If the interview goes well and I feel invigorated and excited about someone, I wait to see what kind of follow up efforts they put forth."

When asked about a preference for email or snail mail:

Our sources didn’t show a strong preference for email or snail mail, and both have their benefits. An email can be more timely but a handwritten note might really stand out. Quoted in a New York Times article on the subject, New York fashion publicist Cristiano Magni says, “It is so important, in a digital world, to have the dignity to sit down and write something in your own hand.” And when prompted further, many of our sources agreed that a hand-written note stands out as more personal, and there’s no denying it requires a bit more effort than its digital equivalent. Most important is just to do something within 24 hours of the interview. 

Why not send both? Send an email out because it's timely, but a card received in the mail a few days later will have a stronger impact. Wouldn't you want your resume on the top of the stack when they make a hiring decision?

You can send out one free thank you card (or any other kind of card) to anyone in the world. Just go to www.socoverview.com/#!611

I don't know what the job market is going to look like when the shelter-in-place orders are lifted. They're already being lifted in some places, although quite prematurely in my opinion. (But nobody asked for my opinion...but since this is my blog, here it is)

Interesting days

Today - Talk Like Shakespeare Day, Thank you Thursday, Love Your Thighs Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, World Book Night and English Language Day

Tomorrow - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Next Thursday - Honesty Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day and International Jazz Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

May 23 - Turtle Day, World Product Day, Title Track Day and Lucky Penny Day

No blog post today

My sleeping schedule is all backwards right now and I went to bed before the time I usually work on my posts.

Become a SendOutCards Professional

The big SendOutCards announcement was yesterday! It was aimed directly at SOC affiliates by offering a new tool called the SOC Pro app.

This app makes it easier to build your SendOutCards business by giving you the tools you need in an easy to use app. There are training tools, marketing tools, follow up tools, and much more.

Here's a Facebook post that I posted from the app:


I can post images and videos...and maybe more. I've just started playing with it.

The app is free to all affiliates for 90 days and then it'll probably cost $15 - 20 per month...unless you maintain some amount of activity with the app...they haven't decided what that activity will be yet.

You'll also receive stats on whether the video that you sent via text or email has been watched and whether the prospect has viewed your website. Like I said, I'm just getting started and I have a lot more to learn about.

The waiver of the $59 annual affiliate fee has ended. It now costs $99 for the first year and $79 per year to renew.

Interesting days

Today - World Creativity and Innovation Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Chocolate Covered Cashews Day, American Red Cross Giving Day, Tea Day, Library Workers Day and Kindergarten Day

Tomorrow - World Stationery Day, Earth Day, Jelly Bean Day, Bookmobile Day and Administrative Professionals Day

Next Tuesday - Superhero Day, Clean Comedy Day, Pay it Forward Day, Shrimp Scampi Day, Biological Clock Day, Cubicle Day, Blueberry Pie Day and Workers’ Memorial Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

May 21 - I Need A Patch For That Day, Waitstaff Day, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Memo Day, Rapture Party Day and Notebook Day

Tomorrow is #HawaiianShirtDay

I think the "official" Hawaiian Shirt Day is in August, but Urban Dictionary says it's April 21st.

Anyway, I just came across this article on "The History of the Hawaiian Shirt" in The Smithsonian Magazine:

Mainland Americans have long looked to Hawaii to ease their minds. At the height of World War I, with America about to enter the conflict, Hawaiian music was all the rage. In 1916, Hawaiian records outsold all other genres, while ukuleles were so ubiquitous in college dorms and upper-crust nightclubs that the New York Tribune ran a full-page illustration of an imagined “Ukulele Square, the Hawaiian Quarter of New York.” During the Great Depression, Americans again cast their eyes toward Hawaii, co-opting another piece of Hawaiian culture: the aloha shirt.

Even though Ukulele Day was in February, I came across this build your own ukulele kit. This might make a fun quarantine project.

Though its precise origins are lost to history, the aloha shirt first appeared in Hawaii in the 1920s or ’30s, probably when local Japanese women adapted kimono fabric for use in men’s shirting. The shirts achieved some popularity among tourists to Hawaii and found greater commercial success when they hit the mainland in the mid-1930s. America at the time was riddled with hardship and anxiety, with many men out of work and many others struggling to hold on to their breadwinner status. Perhaps in response, hyper-manliness came into vogue—the popularity of bodybuilding skyrocketed, Superman burst onto the scene. It may seem paradoxical that men embraced a garment with such feminine appeal. “You’d better get two or three because it’s a cinch your daughter, sister, wife or even mother will want this bright-colored shirt as soon as she sees it,” the Los Angeles Times teased in 1936. That didn’t stop men from buying. By 1940, aloha shirts were bringing in more than $11 million annually (in today’s money).

I don't have as many as I used to have, but I still have two or three of them, but this may be a good excuse to buy one or two new ones.

One reason men adopted a garment otherwise suited to their sisters’ closet was that rich, famous men wore it. Visitors to Hawaii in the 1930s were invariably wealthy, and before long, aloha shirts were being sold by celebrities whom everyday Americans sought to emulate. American heroes from three-time Olympic swimming champion and surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku to singer Bing Crosby were lending their names to particular brands. Those endorsements, says Dale Hope, a historian and the author of The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands, had “a huge effect on people purchasing those shirts.” If you could wear what the man unscathed by the Depression was wearing, it didn’t matter that it was feminine: You looked like someone who didn’t need to worry about his masculine bona fides. 

Once the shirt reached stores in the Lower 48, any day laborer could have for just a dollar what before had required an exorbitant trip. A man in an aloha shirt, with its depictions of hula dancers and luaus—“symbol[s] of the comfortable, gay and picturesque,” one journalist put it in 1939—could look the part of the carefree swell. 

The notion that Hawaii was a quiet paradise was shattered in 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and makers of aloha shirts, like others in the garment industry, turned to supplying the war effort. When production resumed, Japanese-influenced designs that had been common—featuring cherry blossoms and shrines—temporarily fell out of fashion, supplanted by designs that highlighted Hawaii’s local culture. Service members returning to the mainland from the Pacific made the signature apparel more popular than ever. 

By the 1960s, the shirt had become truly ubiquitous. Aloha Fridays were a fixture of a certain kind of workplace, and everyone—from Elvis to the decidedly unhip Richard Nixon—seemed to have an aloha shirt. Over time, perhaps inevitably, it lapsed into the realm of corny suburban-dad-wear.

I pretty much started wearing them during the corny suburban-dad-wear days. Although I hope I pulled it off better than Nixon did!

Yet in just the past five years, fashion magazines have been heralding a comeback, and high-end labels like Gucci are taking the aloha shirt to new heights, with prints that draw on Japanese designs favored in the garment’s early days. Meanwhile, some shirtmakers from Hawaii’s old guard are still going strong. Kahala, founded in 1936 as one of the first brands producing aloha shirts, has been raiding its vaults to reproduce designs dating back to the 1930s—including some popularized by Duke Kahanamoku. “People are looking to bring some light, some color, some vibrancy into their lives,” says Jason Morgan, Kahala’s general manager. “I think that’s needed now more than ever. If an aloha shirt can help improve somebody’s day, I think that’s pretty powerful.”

Interesting days

Today - Volunteer Recognition Day and Chinese Language Day

Tomorrow - World Creativity and Innovation Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Chocolate Covered Cashews Day, American Red Cross Giving Day, Tea Day, Library Workers Day and Kindergarten Day

Next Monday - Morse Code Day, Tell a Story Day, World Tapir Day, Prime Rib Day and Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

May 20 - Pick Strawberries Day, World Bee Day, Clinical Trials Day, Quiche Lorraine Day, Weights & Measures Day and Be a Millionaire Day

Your weekend guide to interesting days - April 18, 2020

This week

Sunday - Deskfast Day, Walk On Your Wild Side Day, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day and Licorice Day

Monday - Scrabble Day, International FND Awareness Day and Thomas Jefferson Day

Tuesday - Dolphin Day, Look Up at the Sky Day, Equal Pay Day and Be Kind To Lawyers Day

Wednesday - That Sucks! Day, Anime Day, ASL Day, Microvolunteering Day, Banana Day and Take A Wild Guess Day

Thursday - Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day, High Five Day, Save The Elephant Day, Eggs Benedict Day and College Student Grief Awareness Day

Yesterday - Haiku Poetry Day, Blah Blah Blah Day, Cheeseball Day, World Hemophilia Day, Kickball Day, Day Of Silence, Bat Appreciation Day, Nothing Like A Dame Day and Ford Mustang Day

Today - Piñata Day, Husband Appreciation Day, Columnists Day, World Heritage Day, Lineman Appreciation Day and Auctioneers Day

Next week

Tomorrow - Amaretto Day, Bicycle Day, Hanging Out Day, Garlic Day, Rice Ball Day and Poetry And The Creative Mind Day

Monday - Volunteer Recognition Day and Chinese Language Day

Tuesday - World Creativity and Innovation Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, Chocolate Covered Cashews Day, American Red Cross Giving Day, Tea Day, Library Workers Day and Kindergarten Day

Wednesday - World Stationery Day, Earth Day, Jelly Bean Day, Bookmobile Day and Administrative Professionals Day

Thursday - Talk Like Shakespeare Day, Thank you Thursday, Love Your Thighs Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, World Book Night and English Language Day

Friday - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Saturday - Veterinary Day, (Virtually) Hug A Plumber Day, Financial Independence Awareness Day, Anzac Day, International Marconi Day, Malaria Day, Go Birding Day, Save The Frogs Day, Sense Of Smell Day, DNA Day, Independent Bookstore Day and World Penguin Day

Week long celebrations:

April 20 - April 26: Stationery Week

Next month

May 12 - Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, Poem on Your Pillow Day, Odometer Day, Nutty Fudge Day and Limerick Day

May 13 - Numeracy Day, Top Gun Day, Receptionists Day, Apple Pie Day, World Cocktail Day, International Hummus Day, Leprechaun Day, Root Canal Appreciation Day, Donate A Day’s Wages To Charity Day, Third Shift Workers' Day and Frog Jumping Day

 May 14 - Chicken Dance Day

May 15 - Chocolate Chip Day, Bike To Work Day, Bring Flowers To Someone Day, World Facilities Management Day, Vascular Birthmarks Awareness Day, Shades Day, Nylon Stockings Day, Virtual Assistants Day, Pizza Party Day, Endangered Species Day and Straw Hat Day

May 16 - World Whisky Day, Sea Monkey Day, Drawing Day, Horse Rescue Day, Biographers Day, World Fiddle Day, Plant a Lemon Tree Day, Learn To Swim Day, World Fish Migration Day and Waiters Day

May 17 - Work From Home Day, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Pinot Grigio Day, Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day, World Baking Day, World Telecommunications Day and Pack Rat Day

May 18 - No Dirty Dishes Day, Museum Day and Visit Your Relatives Day

The week in review - April 17, 2020

Monday - "How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting" Some tips for today's world. "To help keep your impact actual when your presence is virtual, consider these six recommendations"

Tuesday - "#GlobalKindnessWorkshops" Workshop 12 is coming up tomorrow. "If you're a realtor in Texas or a CPA anywhere in the country, you'll get CE credits for attending."

Wednesday - "How To Get Great Sleep While You’re Stuck at Home" From Dr. Michael Breus. "If I had one thing to tell everyone while stuck at home due to the coronavirus, it would be this: don’t let your new, abnormal schedule ruin your sleep. "

Thursday - "Random thoughts #TBT" The title says it all. "I was trying to come up with a topic for today but after going through lists of blog post subjects I decided to just wing it."

Interesting days

Today - Haiku Poetry Day, Blah Blah Blah Day, Cheeseball Day, World Hemophilia Day, Kickball Day, Day Of Silence, Bat Appreciation Day, Nothing Like A Dame Day and Ford Mustang Day

Tomorrow - Piñata Day, Husband Appreciation Day, Columnists Day, World Heritage Day, Lineman Appreciation Day and Auctioneers Day

Next Friday - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Week long celebrations:

April 20 - April 26: Stationery Week

May 17 - Work From Home Day, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Pinot Grigio Day, Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day, World Baking Day, World Telecommunications Day and Pack Rat Day