Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Yoga in the Morning to Keep Your Goals Clear

The mornings are quite and one of the best time to engage in the practice of yoga. Before you get busy for the day consider taking some time to get your goals and objectives clear. Yoga allows you to stretch and start moving your muscles in way that helps your brain and your body function better. Taking the time to think and exercise is beneficial for the day's performance.

Many of us run around like a chicken with our head cut off and don't realize the importance of setting on a few goals that can be accomplished throughout the day. Instead of blindly entering each day without knowing where you will end up and engaging in the chaotic task after task in mind numbing effort consider spending some time reflecting.

-What do you want to accomplish?
-What are three things you can do today?
-What is really important to you?

Yoga is an excellent exercise that can teach you to focus and put your mind at ease. Some of the best ideas that come forward will do so from slowing down and letting your subconscious do some of the work. When given the time your brain has the capacity to help you solve all types of problems and understand things at a deeper level.

It is also beneficial to consider the activities of fitness in the morning to help stretch your muscles and get your body in shape. Don't wait until illness has caught up to you. Start stretching and working those muscles early so that you can reduce the potential of injury both now and in the future by prepping your body for the day.

Few exercises offer you the ability to get your body and brain in greater alignment for maximum performance. Use the mornings for your advantage.


Cutting Small Business "Red Tape" Enhance Economic Growth

Cutting "red tape" is one of the most important ways to increase small business and lead to economic growth. Taxes are important and can dampen business, but the amount restriction and confusing legal environments nearly kill it off. Reducing restrictions on new business requires making it more simple and connected to allow people without advanced degrees to figure out the process.

Some legislation is positive while some is useless and was never taken off of the books even though it has long outlived its necessity. Making sure that where entrepreneurial motivation bubbles forward there are opportunities to build a business and not be bogged down by legislation that isn't helpful to anyone.

It is important to remember that many entrepreneurs take considerable risk to start their businesses. They are unsure if they will make it, how they will pay their bills, and if success will ever come. Some will need to invest their own money, time, and resources to create something market worthy. It might not be worth it from a cost-benefit standpoint.

Coming up with a better idea is one thing, but creating a successful business is another. Many great ideas that could spur innovation and growth are lost because it is too difficult to capitalize on them. Getting rid of all the government stops and putting in place a single mechanism and location for approvals would help.

Review, streamline, and removing poor legislation is more important than tax deductions. Government can help small business and lower costs by getting rid of costly roadblocks to starting business. That which is practical and helpful is kept while that which is cumbersome is removed.

Small business is the backbone of America. It is entirely possible that one of the reasons why the U.S. is declining is because it has become administratively heavy and has stifled small business. Large companies have a loud voice and small business has muffled voice in government. To ensure small business can be created, innovate, and influence economic growth it is necessary to change government.

What Is It Like to Be a Professor?

Some grow up delve into books, read, explore their environment and want to spend their lives in intellectual pursuits. They look with wonder at all the great philosophers, scientists, and intellectuals of the world and believe they can be one of them. Beyond obtaining the degree many don't know what its actually like to be a professor and the joys and pitfalls of engaging in this occupation. For sure there are rewards and also risks as one seeks to create greater knowledge in society.

The first thing that future professors should understand is that you are doing this for the "meaningfulness" of it all. Money is not going to be your primary concern. That meaning is subjective based on how you view your role as a professor. Some want to discover new things while others desire to give back to the community. It is a personal motivation often guided by the social expectations of your college and upbringing.

You will spend a lot....a lot.....a lot of time grading papers and giving feedback. Papers and subject counselings is a primary role and is fundamental to the role. The better you get at grading papers, providing feedback, and helping students improve their skills the more your students grow. It can sometimes be tedious but it is one of the best methods of transferring knowledge.

Part of the job will include creation of content. How does one develop greater knowledge without reviewing and creating content that students use to learn. This could range from putting together a presentation, reviewing materials, writing lectures, or reviewing curriculum. The process of sharing and integrating knowledge into the course is inherent.

There will be some administrative duties that include keeping track of your class, grades, decision-making, keeping paperwork and passing paperwork.. If you don't keep up to date on your administrative duties you will soon find that they will pile up. In some cases these duties become extremely important to your job.

Some of your time will be spend in research, writing and reading. This is personal development and intellectual stimulation. While this seems like a professors main job, it is only part of the wider responsibilities of guiding minds to greater thinking. The goal is to contribute to a body of knowledge through discussion and publishing.

You will have greater responsibilities to society, America, and the world to enact change by using your knowledge, writing, and intellectual authority. There will be powers and voices that seek to silence your freedoms in an effort to keep things the same. Being a social advocate for change can range from developing new ideas that propose a better way of doing things to protesting abuses of power, corruption, unfairness and violations of the Constitution.

Being a professor has many rewards and some risks, but it is ultimately a lifestyle choice. You won't get rich, and can make more money in industry, but it takes on personal meaning. You will have to deal with everything from the overly demanding student to budget cuts and administrative changes. Yet...for some...it is a passion as they find meaning in offering back to the people and the world. Helping people come to greater awareness through knowledge and insight is a noble pursuit.

Organic Red Wine-Green Fin

For those who drink wine you will soon find that not all of the are the same. Sitting with a friend drinking a glass of wine and discussing business in California we sipped on Green Fin. The weather was nice and having a glass of wine seemed appropriate. As we chatted and sipped the topic halted for just a moment to acknowledge the taste.

It was a tasty well balanced wine. I didn't expect that for the price I paid for it. I grabbed it based on the label.

You will first notice the berries, cherries, vanilla and other fruit right away. You may even find a little chocolate in there. It was wet without a lot of aftertaste. The company describes it as "silky" finish;which I think is accurate. A little vanilla in there. The winery went out of their way to create a strong table wine for everyday use.

Green Fin Winery prides themselves on using organic grapes to produce their wine. If you are the the type of person who cares about where the ingredients come from this might be the environmentally conscious choice. No pesticides or chemicals that artificially damage the natural flavors. Retailing under $5 you will find it fits most budgets. I give it 7 out of 10 based on price and taste.




Monday, August 22, 2016

Tips on Co-Creating High Productive Teams

Teams are a group of people that work to achieve objectives and goals. What makes a successful team different from a mediocre team is the ability to co-create their sense of existence. People must believe and understand the rules of their team and share a sense of purpose toward some greater objective. A few helpful times on co-creating team can get you on your way.

Tip 1: Know Your Teammates: Know your teammates and what they want. Understand their motivations and what they hope to get out of any situation. Managers are more accustomed to telling people what they should want and do then asking them about themselves.

Tip 2: Co-Create Your Rules: If you expect people to follow the rules they must have some stake in them. Make sure that you co-create your rules by having them engage in the rule sharing process. Setting shared rules creates social enforcement which is more powerful than hierarchical enforcement.

Tip 3: Co-create Your Goals and Work Tasks: While the organization and its needs will dictate the purpose of the team it is beneficial to have a discussion on the wording of goals and how they will be achieved. People have knowledge and skills that can help in understanding what can and can't be done.

Tip 4: Be Open to Voting: There are times to tell people what to do and there are times to ask them the best way to approach issues. You should be open to voting on new ideas and concepts that come along when they will require significant team effort.

Tip 5: Learn to Guide and not Dictate: Learning to guide others is an important skill of leadership. Help people find meaning in the team and help them "own" the outcomes by continually guiding them to engagement and empowerment.

The Sophisticated Boss

Sophisticated bosses have some things that unsophisticated bosses don't have---people skills, job knowledge, and management knowledge. They understand the motivations of their employees and manage in a way that draws greater enthusiasm and higher performance for the job. They are the ones who understand their industry and have the management skills to keep things running smoothly.

The first thing you will notice about a sophisticated boss is that they have high emotional intelligence and know how to handle with people. Instead of being blown around by the personalities of others they are in tact and can lead the behavioral expectations by keeping calm and effectively communicating with others.

They lead because people trust their knowledge and their abilities. They are able to command a room and the personalities within it based on their charisma and capacity to speak in a manner that draws attention. People gravitate and want to be like the sophisticated boss.

They are managers at heart and they can use modern management techniques to blend their personality skills and job knowledge to create the highest outcomes. They are confident and capable managers who know what needs to be done and find the best way to get everyone working toward the same goals.

The sophisticated manager is created for years of experience, education, and self-reflection. They have been in tight spots and have used their emotional intelligence and general intelligence to create strong outcomes in complex organizations. They have the skills, abilities, and knowledge to master their environment and accomplish things the rest can't.


Salmon as an Alternative to Beef Burger

Your out with friends, enjoying the day, and need to get something to eat. On the menu you see something called salmon burger but are not exactly sure what it is. A salmon burger is a healthy alternative to beef burgers and is made from chipped salmon mixed with vegetables. The burger is lean and contains a lot of Omega 3s under a few hundred calories.

Omega 3s are healthy fats that reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis. It can also help you increase your attention and reduce your risk of cancer. Most people don't consume enough Omega 3s in their diet leading to a variety of healthy problems.

Those problems could be behavioral and health associated. For example, symptoms of ADHD and depression are reduced with adequate consumption of Omega 3s. The same can be said for cholesterol and the nervous system

As an alternative it provides as much as 20 grams of protein when compared to 18 grams of protein for a beef burger. You can eat your muscle building blocks without having to overkill on the calories.

Despite its benefits, you will also enjoy the juicy taste that is succulent and light in the stomach. Offer with anything from fries to salad. Try sweet potato fries to keep the health theme going. Because it is a meaty fish it goes down well with a white wine like Pinot Gris or Red like Merlot.