Good morning,
Happy Friday! We're all familiar with the Golden Rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." But recently I was intrigued to hear Dr. Tony Alessandra talk about the Platinum Rule:
“Do unto others as THEY would have you do unto them.”
Not everyone wants to be treated in the same way. Therefore, whether in customer service or interpersonal relationships, it's important to figure out how others want to be treated and behave accordingly.
Dr. Alessandra pointed out that, “People won’t tell you how to treat them, so instead open your eyes and ears." They will give you signals, including non-verbal cues, that will let you know how to best interact with them.
"How to build rapport with anyone" was the topic of a recent Yes! Network seminar presented by Dr. Alessandra. If you'd like to review a summary of the complete presentation, you're invited to visit this link.
Enjoy - and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. ”Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Showing posts with label Time Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Time Management. Show all posts
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Upward Bound
Good morning,
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Happy Friday! It looks like it's going to be a beautiful summer day here in Michigan. This morning I'm reflecting on a recent conversation with colleagues about what holds people back from achieving greater success. While there are lots of factors, the big one is fear. The solution?
Change perspective.
Here's an interesting example. Rather than fearing someone coming up through the ranks who might take our job, we can change our perspective on "being replaced" and intentionally teach them our role so we can advance to something even better.
Today are we facing challenges or opportunities? We get to decide - and have a sunny day!
Clarity
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau
P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply
Visit This Link to sign up.Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Friday, May 6, 2011
Extreme Productivity
Good morning,
It's Friday! In today's busy world most of us are continually seeking ways to be more productive. This month's Harvard Business Review has an interesting article that offers six principals to help us achieve "extreme productivity," including this advice.
"Think First, Read or Write Second."
Making time to think is a highly essential and often neglected key to productivity. As the article's author Robert C. Pozen points out, "many people feel overwhelmed by the huge volume of reading and writing they have to do for their business. They don't realize that the key to faster and more effective reading and writing is more rigorous thinking in advance."
For example, when writing an article, compose an outline first with just the key points and a few subpoints under each. "After writing an outline, write the concluding paragraph," suggests Pozen. "That will tell you whether you really know where your article or memo is going."
Let's think first - and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Benjamin Franklin
P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
It's Friday! In today's busy world most of us are continually seeking ways to be more productive. This month's Harvard Business Review has an interesting article that offers six principals to help us achieve "extreme productivity," including this advice.
"Think First, Read or Write Second."
Making time to think is a highly essential and often neglected key to productivity. As the article's author Robert C. Pozen points out, "many people feel overwhelmed by the huge volume of reading and writing they have to do for their business. They don't realize that the key to faster and more effective reading and writing is more rigorous thinking in advance."
For example, when writing an article, compose an outline first with just the key points and a few subpoints under each. "After writing an outline, write the concluding paragraph," suggests Pozen. "That will tell you whether you really know where your article or memo is going."
Let's think first - and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Benjamin Franklin
P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Friday, April 22, 2011
Perpetual Motion
Good Friday,
Happy Morning! Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear retired Ford Motor Company executive Andy Acho deliver a keynote speech on Practical Sustainability during an Earth Day event at the DIA hosted by Grand River Printing & Imaging. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Andy applies not only to environmental initiatives but also to life in general.
"Don't confuse motion with action."
This is so important to keep in mind because rushing around and spinning our wheels are counter productive to accomplishing goals and making progress.
Let's replace motion with action - and have a sunny Earth Day!
Clarity
P.S. "You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action." Anthony Robbins
P.P.S. Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
313-268-6810
Happy Morning! Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear retired Ford Motor Company executive Andy Acho deliver a keynote speech on Practical Sustainability during an Earth Day event at the DIA hosted by Grand River Printing & Imaging. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Andy applies not only to environmental initiatives but also to life in general.
"Don't confuse motion with action."
This is so important to keep in mind because rushing around and spinning our wheels are counter productive to accomplishing goals and making progress.
Let's replace motion with action - and have a sunny Earth Day!
Clarity
P.S. "You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action." Anthony Robbins
P.P.S. Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
313-268-6810
Friday, February 11, 2011
Write is Right
Good morning,
Happy Friday! Here's one of the simplest and most helpful keys to improving productivity.
Write it down.
Whether we're talking about things to do or information to remember, writing it down not only increases productivity but reduces stress. In fact, writing things down actually improves future recall. So even if we write something down and then throw away the paper (which I don't suggest) we're still more likely to remember the information than if we hadn't written it down in the first place.
Now who was I supposed to call this morning...?
Write away – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else." Les Brown
P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Happy Friday! Here's one of the simplest and most helpful keys to improving productivity.
Write it down.
Whether we're talking about things to do or information to remember, writing it down not only increases productivity but reduces stress. In fact, writing things down actually improves future recall. So even if we write something down and then throw away the paper (which I don't suggest) we're still more likely to remember the information than if we hadn't written it down in the first place.
Now who was I supposed to call this morning...?
Write away – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else." Les Brown
P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com
Friday, December 31, 2010
Count Down
Good morning,
This is such a great day as we get to say goodbye to 2010 and look forward to a brand new start in 2011. I love this time of year...you know…with all the "resolutions" about how we're all going to work out more to get healthy. (I admit that's on my list.) But ultimately it's not the planning that counts, just the doing. So here’s my toast to all of us for 2011.
Make it count.
Plan the work and then work the plan, because far more important than making a resolution is being resolute.
Happy New Year – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan."
Margaret Thatcher
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
This is such a great day as we get to say goodbye to 2010 and look forward to a brand new start in 2011. I love this time of year...you know…with all the "resolutions" about how we're all going to work out more to get healthy. (I admit that's on my list.) But ultimately it's not the planning that counts, just the doing. So here’s my toast to all of us for 2011.
Make it count.
Plan the work and then work the plan, because far more important than making a resolution is being resolute.
Happy New Year – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. "Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan."
Margaret Thatcher
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
Friday, December 24, 2010
Traffic Jams
Good morning,
Merry Christmas Eve! I hope your holidays are going well and all the hustle and bustle translates into peace and joy. This week’s flurry of activity has reminded me about an important ingredient to a peaceful and joyful life.
Patience.
Admittedly, I am one of those people always in a hurry, trying to pack 25 hours into the day. But over the years I’ve learned that in order to thrive or even just survive, all the rushing around needs to be deliberately sprinkled with patience. Deliberately, as in consciously choosing to slow down or even back away when necessary to let the situation breathe. Frequently, the recipe for patience includes a dash of flexibility and a pinch of creativity.
You know…like when the store you’re trying to reach is hemmed in for blocks by cars all trying to turn left into the same place and you’re stuck in the middle of an intersection five blocks away when the light turns red and if only people would stop cutting you off you know you could get where you’re going or at least get out of the intersection before cross traffic blows you away…and then it suddenly occurs to you that buying the thing at the store is not what the holidays are all about, so you wave a friendlier gesture than previously contemplated to the guy who cut you off and pull away into the emptier right lane to find a different thing at a different store at a different time, and instead of white-knuckle driving you slow down, call a friend and turn traffic jam time into quality time talking with someone you love.
We’ve probably all heard Benjamin Franklin’s warning that haste makes waste. Often rushing actually makes things take longer (think of the traffic jams people cause by cutting each other off!) and impatience always makes them feel longer.
This morning let’s take a deep breath – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” Barbara Johnson
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Merry Christmas Eve! I hope your holidays are going well and all the hustle and bustle translates into peace and joy. This week’s flurry of activity has reminded me about an important ingredient to a peaceful and joyful life.
Patience.
Admittedly, I am one of those people always in a hurry, trying to pack 25 hours into the day. But over the years I’ve learned that in order to thrive or even just survive, all the rushing around needs to be deliberately sprinkled with patience. Deliberately, as in consciously choosing to slow down or even back away when necessary to let the situation breathe. Frequently, the recipe for patience includes a dash of flexibility and a pinch of creativity.
You know…like when the store you’re trying to reach is hemmed in for blocks by cars all trying to turn left into the same place and you’re stuck in the middle of an intersection five blocks away when the light turns red and if only people would stop cutting you off you know you could get where you’re going or at least get out of the intersection before cross traffic blows you away…and then it suddenly occurs to you that buying the thing at the store is not what the holidays are all about, so you wave a friendlier gesture than previously contemplated to the guy who cut you off and pull away into the emptier right lane to find a different thing at a different store at a different time, and instead of white-knuckle driving you slow down, call a friend and turn traffic jam time into quality time talking with someone you love.
We’ve probably all heard Benjamin Franklin’s warning that haste makes waste. Often rushing actually makes things take longer (think of the traffic jams people cause by cutting each other off!) and impatience always makes them feel longer.
This morning let’s take a deep breath – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” Barbara Johnson
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Friday, October 15, 2010
Purely Arbitrary
Good morning,
Happy Friday - I hope you’ve enjoyed a great week and successfully met all your deadlines! For most of us, deadlines are a standard part of life. When facing one, we automatically take measures to meet it and often the deadline itself helps us accomplish the goal.
The question is if deadlines are so helpful, then what kinds of deadlines are we setting for ourselves? And are we taking active measures to meet them? Today’s sunny tip is this:
Set arbitrary deadlines.
Arbitrary as in deciding, “I’m going to do this by that date, just because I say so,” and then do it, even when difficult. It’s phenomenal what we can accomplish when we pursue self-imposed deadlines with the same vigor we pursue deadlines imposed on us by others.
Over the years, and as recently as this week, I’ve jumped through some pretty crazy hoops to meet deadlines set by nobody else but me. Just the other day I was hustling to meet a self-imposed Tuesday deadline and an observer pointed out, “Your deadline is arbitrary. Why don’t you call it quits and finish on Wednesday?”
In response to that question, here are three simple reasons to set and meet an “arbitrary” deadline: getting more done, enjoying the sense of accomplishment, and generating better results due to the planning and prioritization required to meet the deadline.
Wishing you a sunny day,
Clarity
P.S. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napoleon Hill
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Happy Friday - I hope you’ve enjoyed a great week and successfully met all your deadlines! For most of us, deadlines are a standard part of life. When facing one, we automatically take measures to meet it and often the deadline itself helps us accomplish the goal.
The question is if deadlines are so helpful, then what kinds of deadlines are we setting for ourselves? And are we taking active measures to meet them? Today’s sunny tip is this:
Set arbitrary deadlines.
Arbitrary as in deciding, “I’m going to do this by that date, just because I say so,” and then do it, even when difficult. It’s phenomenal what we can accomplish when we pursue self-imposed deadlines with the same vigor we pursue deadlines imposed on us by others.
Over the years, and as recently as this week, I’ve jumped through some pretty crazy hoops to meet deadlines set by nobody else but me. Just the other day I was hustling to meet a self-imposed Tuesday deadline and an observer pointed out, “Your deadline is arbitrary. Why don’t you call it quits and finish on Wednesday?”
In response to that question, here are three simple reasons to set and meet an “arbitrary” deadline: getting more done, enjoying the sense of accomplishment, and generating better results due to the planning and prioritization required to meet the deadline.
Wishing you a sunny day,
Clarity
P.S. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napoleon Hill
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Little Black Book
Good morning,
Happy Friday! Today’s sunny note is so simple you might respond with, “seriously…that’s it?” But this is a great little tip to help stay organized, at home or at work.
Keep it together.
If you’ve ever grumbled, “I know I jotted it down somewhere…” as you shuffled around looking for a note, then you’re with me on this one. Instead of using little notepads, scratch paper or whatever is laying around to write on, keep one thick spiral notebook on your desk. (I like spiral because the pages fold flat.)
Train yourself to write every note, every scribble, in the book and nowhere else. What will happen next is like magic. All the little notepapers will disappear right along with the hassle of locating them. Plus, the record of notes can go back for months before it’s time for a new notebook.
I decided this idea is worth sharing because over time a number of people have commented about my notebook and their inclination to do the same thing after seeing it. I also originally copied the idea from another organized businessperson after seeing his notebook and saying to myself, “I can’t believe I’m not already doing that!” It’s been handy ever since.
Happy writing – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”
Isabella Mary Beeton (1836–1865), famous English cookery writer and author of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management.
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Happy Friday! Today’s sunny note is so simple you might respond with, “seriously…that’s it?” But this is a great little tip to help stay organized, at home or at work.
Keep it together.
If you’ve ever grumbled, “I know I jotted it down somewhere…” as you shuffled around looking for a note, then you’re with me on this one. Instead of using little notepads, scratch paper or whatever is laying around to write on, keep one thick spiral notebook on your desk. (I like spiral because the pages fold flat.)
Train yourself to write every note, every scribble, in the book and nowhere else. What will happen next is like magic. All the little notepapers will disappear right along with the hassle of locating them. Plus, the record of notes can go back for months before it’s time for a new notebook.
I decided this idea is worth sharing because over time a number of people have commented about my notebook and their inclination to do the same thing after seeing it. I also originally copied the idea from another organized businessperson after seeing his notebook and saying to myself, “I can’t believe I’m not already doing that!” It’s been handy ever since.
Happy writing – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”
Isabella Mary Beeton (1836–1865), famous English cookery writer and author of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management.
P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly by email each Friday.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Friday, April 30, 2010
Getting Started
Good morning,
Happy Friday! Have you often noticed that getting started is usually the hardest part of any task? Especially the distasteful ones! It certainly is for me, and apparently I’m not alone. We all seem to face unappealing tasks, sometimes as distasteful as eating a frog - raw! So what’s the solution?
Eat the frog for breakfast.
These are wise words I try to live by, which I originally heard some time ago from Pamela Jett, an expert on how to manage pressure and stay positively focused. The concept is simple. Since you have to eat the frog eventually, get it out of the way first. Without the distasteful task (whatever it is) hanging over your head, suddenly the day is sunnier and more productive.
But what about the big roadblock: getting started? I use another simple, helpful technique: set a time limit. Tell yourself you’re only going to work on it for ten minutes. Then you’ll move on to something else and get back to it later. Ten minutes seems palatable so the concept gets you started; then the magic happens when the ten minutes have passed and you suddenly discover you’re on a roll with the hardest part behind you.
Best of luck eating today’s frog – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” Mark Twain
P.P.S. Thank you for visiting MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit JoinSunnyNotes.com.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Friday, January 29, 2010
Efficiency vs. Effectiveness
Good morning,
Happy Friday - despite Michigan’s single digit overnight temperatures. This morning’s topic turns up the heat on productivity by sparking a little debate about the difference between being efficient versus being effective.
Don’t mistake efficiency for effectiveness.
Something I truly hate is wasting my time. Time is so precious that wasting it irks me to the point of being a personality quirk. Since childhood I’ve always wanted to accomplish any task as efficiently as possible (Yes, I load the dishwasher like it’s an Olympic sport.)
But here’s the point and the important message for today's note. Being efficient is a complete waste of time unless the task being performed is relevant to the overall objective. Efficient completion of irrelevant tasks is totally ineffective! Just like driving the most efficient route to a destination is a total waste of time if the wrong address is typed into the GPS navigation. (My most painful example was LA in 2005 Oops…)
Various business books address the important distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. (Let me know if you’d like a recommendation.) Today’s note is just a friendly reminder, when we plan our work or delegate to others, first evaluate which tasks are the most relevant. Will efficiently performing this task help accomplish my objective or is there a different use of time that would actually be more effective?
I hope all the streetlights turn green for you today and that you have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of” Benjamin Franklin
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
www.MetroMichigan.com
313-670-7505
Happy Friday - despite Michigan’s single digit overnight temperatures. This morning’s topic turns up the heat on productivity by sparking a little debate about the difference between being efficient versus being effective.
Don’t mistake efficiency for effectiveness.
Something I truly hate is wasting my time. Time is so precious that wasting it irks me to the point of being a personality quirk. Since childhood I’ve always wanted to accomplish any task as efficiently as possible (Yes, I load the dishwasher like it’s an Olympic sport.)
But here’s the point and the important message for today's note. Being efficient is a complete waste of time unless the task being performed is relevant to the overall objective. Efficient completion of irrelevant tasks is totally ineffective! Just like driving the most efficient route to a destination is a total waste of time if the wrong address is typed into the GPS navigation. (My most painful example was LA in 2005 Oops…)
Various business books address the important distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. (Let me know if you’d like a recommendation.) Today’s note is just a friendly reminder, when we plan our work or delegate to others, first evaluate which tasks are the most relevant. Will efficiently performing this task help accomplish my objective or is there a different use of time that would actually be more effective?
I hope all the streetlights turn green for you today and that you have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of” Benjamin Franklin
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
www.MetroMichigan.com
313-670-7505
Friday, December 11, 2009
Just Say No
Good Morning,
After last week’s topic, you might find this advice rather surprising - but it actually makes sense and it’s an important key to success.
Just say “no.”
And I’m not referring to illegal drugs, although it’s good advice there, too.
Many of us have the instinct to say “yes” every time someone asks for help. Indeed the world needs a lot of help and there’s a lot of “asking” going on (which I still encourage you to do!). But we have to prioritize the things on which we spend our most precious resource, time. Be careful about when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” By saying “no” to things that pull us away from our priorities, we are better able to accomplish our goals and keep our promises.
We’ve all heard the saying, “The cobbler’s children go shoeless.” It’s often said in jest, but it actually describes a serious problem. It basically means the cobbler is too busy attending to the demands of other people to take care of his or her own children.
Okay - most of us aren’t cobblers, but many of us have experienced scenarios like the following. We’re in the middle of an important project and somebody calls or walks in and says urgently, “Can you help me with XYZ?” Being helpful by nature, we stop what we’re doing to lend a hand. What happens to the important project we were working on? Too often, important priorities lose out to urgent tasks.
The bottom line is, be wary of letting “urgent” trump “important” and assuming that “yes” is always the best answer. Instead of automatically saying “yes” and potentially short-changing yourself or others, take a moment to determine if the more productive answer is actually “no.”
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
P.S. It’s certainly true that saying “no” can be difficult. If you’re interested in some helpful tips and strategies, I suggest looking up communication expert Pamela Jett at www.jettct.com, who I’ve enjoyed hearing speak at The Yes Network. Pamela has a specific methodology for how to say “no” while building rapport in the process.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.MetroMichigan.com
After last week’s topic, you might find this advice rather surprising - but it actually makes sense and it’s an important key to success.
Just say “no.”
And I’m not referring to illegal drugs, although it’s good advice there, too.
Many of us have the instinct to say “yes” every time someone asks for help. Indeed the world needs a lot of help and there’s a lot of “asking” going on (which I still encourage you to do!). But we have to prioritize the things on which we spend our most precious resource, time. Be careful about when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” By saying “no” to things that pull us away from our priorities, we are better able to accomplish our goals and keep our promises.
We’ve all heard the saying, “The cobbler’s children go shoeless.” It’s often said in jest, but it actually describes a serious problem. It basically means the cobbler is too busy attending to the demands of other people to take care of his or her own children.
Okay - most of us aren’t cobblers, but many of us have experienced scenarios like the following. We’re in the middle of an important project and somebody calls or walks in and says urgently, “Can you help me with XYZ?” Being helpful by nature, we stop what we’re doing to lend a hand. What happens to the important project we were working on? Too often, important priorities lose out to urgent tasks.
The bottom line is, be wary of letting “urgent” trump “important” and assuming that “yes” is always the best answer. Instead of automatically saying “yes” and potentially short-changing yourself or others, take a moment to determine if the more productive answer is actually “no.”
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
P.S. It’s certainly true that saying “no” can be difficult. If you’re interested in some helpful tips and strategies, I suggest looking up communication expert Pamela Jett at www.jettct.com, who I’ve enjoyed hearing speak at The Yes Network. Pamela has a specific methodology for how to say “no” while building rapport in the process.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.MetroMichigan.com
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