Email will never be the same

I know, I know it is Christmas Eve and I should be resting and not thinking of things but I just found an awesome email tool. I put it on my dads computer after learning about this tool through ActiveWords, which is also another cool tool. But the cool email tool is called xobni. I loaded it on my dads computer and it sorted all of his emails by person. It also went through the emails on its own and if the person had a phone number on their email it automatically put it into the contact info. I thought that was pretty sweet but it bumbed me out a little because I couldn't use it with Gmail, which is what I use for my 4 email addresses. So I did some searching and found Xoopit to add onto my Gmail account. It is pretty sweet but I like how Xobni interfaces with outlook better as of now. But as we all now changes come pretty fast. Well I am going to figure out how activewords works better next week. Until then.

Black Friday Purpose

Everyone is abuzz about all the Black Friday deals. As a retailer it has always been a good thing to get all these people in for all of these deals. But my question is what is the purpose? Are you trying to win long term relationships where customers are loyal and like you because of your product and service? Or do you want to make people happy for a short time based on price?

We have looked at doing huge after Thanksgiving Sales but it does not fit with what our business model is. We want to get people in who appreciate getting the best possible price and service. We are sitting out this Black Friday and letting all of the other stores fight it out for the customers who are only price loyal. We want to build a customer base that is loyal to our product and service no matter what.

So if you are a retailer always question why are you doing that sale or what you are doing? Is it for a short term bump in sales? Or are you trying to build relationships with customers that are lasting? I know which one I would choose.

Better or worse never the same

When I was younger every year at Basketball camp they always said you will either get better or worse you will never stay the same. As I got older I started applying that to my life, although it took awhile. So every day I try to keep reading, learning, and thinking. What are you doing to keep getting better or worse? If you choose not to read and not to learn in other ways are you becoming worse? I do not think you are necessarily becoming worse but the others around you are getting better. With how fast technology and the world changes now more than ever if you relax and get lazy for one second the whole world passes you by.
Today while delivering flowers, a job I always did not like doing for awhile, I realized what a difference each interaction can make. You can either make someones day better or worse, it will not stay the same. As I delivered flowers around I realized that by me smiling and being interested in everyone that everyone smiled and talked a little more. Even the lady that was waiting for her perm to dry I talked to. Why do we not try to do this with everyone we meet. The world would be a much better place.

The Dangers of Tomorrow Thinking

I'll start tomorrow. I'll do it when I turn 26. I'll start next week. All of these phrases I have said in my life with changes I want to make. But usually when you are doing it that way it doesn't work.
In a lot of businesses and even churches today people are waiting for something to happen before they take action. Once the new year starts we will do this and this. I say there is no time like the present, what are you waiting for.
When you keep saying that when a certain thing happens or a certain day happens you are always giving yourself an out. Why not make that commitment today. Keep it. Find someone to hold you accountable for it. Because if you are really serious about change you will do it now. You won't wait for the perfect circumstances. Because more than likely the perfect circumstances won't come and you will be stuck with what you already are. May not be a bad thing, may even be a good thing, but it will never be a great thing. Great things take time and commitment. So make a decision to be great today and force yourself to be a little uncomfortable.

The Blame Game

Why is it when something goes wrong we go right into blaming? When you start having a negative attitude you blame the people around you? When something doesn't go quite right you blame it on someone else? Why don't we just take responsibility?
I know when I think of blamers I can usually think of a few people I know but I would never think of myself. But lately I have been reading Marshall Goldsmith's book "What Got you here won't get you there."
He has 20 rules that we should look into to get to the next level. Some of them you really don't think about until someone points them out to you. Last night I wrote down some things I have read in the book to work on. One was not to win too much by using the words no, but, or however. Today while playing cards my mind had to do a total double take. We were playing 6 person pitch and my team got the bid. We had it in the bag and should have taken all the tricks and one the game. Well the first teammate layed the card worth the most points and my other teammate assumed(make an a** out of you and me) was going to lay her high card so I threw a low card. Well turns out she didn't and right away in my mind I am blaming her instead of seeing that it was just as much my fault if not more my fault because I played after her. Isn't it crazy how your first instinct is to blame. I had to step back from the situation and reminisce to what I read. It really changed my outlook and I took some of the blame, where I should have just took it all. C'mon at least I took some of it which is a pretty big step for me.
I feel like when I am tired and being too negative and talking about others and not honoring the absent is when I fall into the blame game.
So for the next 2 weeks I am going to work at taking the blame and apologizing. Boy, I better get started, and you better too.

No Pain No Gain

Today I was reading a blog on How sometimes we have to go counter to our instincts. Early this week I read on how we as people think that we can do things with out failing and being uncomfortable. How do we ever expect to come up with something truly original or truly thought provoking enough to create a breakthrough if we don't experience some discomfort?
In the past couple of weeks I have been through ups and downs and looked at my life and how seemingly effortless and easy it was before I started to think and question things. I thought about how I spent my time, why I believed what I believe, why I did what I did.
I went from being a sports fanatic who couldn't get enough to looking at what does it really matter? Does it make me a better person? Does anyone care I know every Chicago Bull, Oakland Raider, and Los Angeles Dodger from the past 10 years.
I went from looking at people who didn't have cable thinking they were crazy. And now I am one of those crazy people. I decided to read instead. I decided to step out and be different, not just to be different, but to try to make a difference. I decided I didn't want a going through the motions life in comfort and decided to add some discomfort.
I know I am looked as working too much or thinking too much or trying too many different things. But I would rather be that than the flipside.
What do you want to do with your life? Are you afraid of failure? I know at one time I was, but now I say bring it on because it can only be a great learning opportunity. The next pain I have to work on now is excercising, wish me luck.

Absolutely Positively

Why do we tend to be more negative than anything? Why is there more negative people than positive people?
We don't control our mind like we should is my opinion. We don't control what we put in and don't realize the consequences of some of the things we do put in our mind. We watch the news when we get up and when we go to bed. Which mostly talks about the negative, so as we sleep the negative keeps going and going and that is what we dwell on. Then to start the day we watch the same thing of all the bad that is happening in the world. And we wonder why we are more negative? We waste our time watching TV more and TV is more trashy than ever. Instead of reading and looking at positive things we do what is easy.
We don't realize how great we have it. Don't like your job? well at least you have one. Frustrated with kids? at least you have kids. Frustrated you are sore and can't walk straight? well at least you can walk.
We don't recognize what we have until it is gone. Do you have it when you are sick and can barely do anything you tell yourself "self I am going to do all these things when I am healthy." Then what happens when you are well again? You sit on the coach and waste your life away.
Who do you surround yourself with? Are there glasses half full or half empty? Who you hang around with is what you are going to be like 10 years from now. Is that where you want to be 10 years from now?