Attracted to the Tropical Areas and Beach Life

Tropical areas, sun, sand and coastline sells! It sells because people like me are attracted to warm and tropical climates that are full of color and life. Probably one of the reasons why I like to sail. Something in the back of my head says, "sail off to some new tropical island". Well...practicality and need make that difficult for most of us.

I must say that I love San Diego and its semi-tropical environment. Yes...you can find parrots hanging out on Shelter Island. Early in the morning you can seem them chirping away.

Who wouldn't love to have a Corona near the beach and walk the coast line. People who live here are very spoiled and don't know it. They only need to go to Michigan where is -20 degrees today where most are hibernating.

Most of my friend haven't seen the beach in years. They spend no time there. Enjoy your Friday and get out to the beach can this weekend!

Learn from Life and Then Put It In The Past

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Life isn't easy! At least for most of us it is about struggle, adaptation and overcoming struggles. Some start out with everything and maintain a life of privileged, some create ease in their lives, and others go down the tube. One thing we can say is most of it has nothing to do with the money you have or the brands you wear. It is about learning from the world and then putting it in the past.

We all have times where we were not happy, did not like the outcomes, or have been treated unfairly. It isn't wise to just ignore that these things happen but that we spend enough time with them to feel and learn from the situation. We then should let it go....

Feel: We all need to process our feelings for a short time so we don't get stuck. Give it some time, a few days, few weeks, depending on the situation and then let it go.

Learn: Each situation has a learning lesson. Things you could have done better, things others could have done better, and possible solutions. People who learn become stronger.

Your performance will improve if you learn from tough situations and then let them go. The self-evolving man needs to learn and develop from the past. They should keep their conscious mostly focused on the future and their future goals and use the past as a resource to draw on. Those who get caught in the past don't grow or change.

If you want to succeed in business and in life you will need the right personality. Make sure that you use life as a long-term growth investment. Each situation provides new information. The important thing is that you adapt and move on with the new information. Setting focus on what you are doing today based on the goals of tomorrow is important.

Tips on How to Organize Your Stuff For Improved Performance and Peace of Mind

Pulling Dinghy Out of Car. Organize!

Keeping yourself organized, inside and outside the office, has significant advantages for your work flow and productivity. If your trying to do something outdoors you spend a ton of time finding the stuff you need. While messiness and clean desks are not associated with intelligence they are associated with how people process information. Whether you are an outdoor buff, have a garage full of junk, or working in the office you will want to organize your stuff because it speeds up your work time. The following tips might be helpful.

When I have lots of outdoor things to carry around I have a hard time organizing things just because there are so much stuff. The same can be said for my desk that has paper and electronics everywhere. After not being able to find a place for my coffee cup or leaving behind important equipment I need outdoors I have decided to get organization.

Here are a few tips on what to think about when organizing.

1.) Understand what you want to accomplish. Organizing could be to check equipment, per trip, per project, etc... How you do this will depend on the type of business or recreation you are in.

2. ) Organize by project, event, or activity. Group items that are logical in your mind. You may want a separate place in your garage for different things. My wood working equipment might be in a different place than my downhill skiing stuff.

3.) Use bins so you can put lots of small loose leaf stuff together.

4.) Try not to tackle everything at once. Do a certain amount each day.

5.) Clean everything. Take your time and clean things as you go.

6.) Make sure you label everything like folder covers, wires, boxes and bins.

7.) Once you have completed all of the organization you will want to ensure you keep it organized going forward.

How Not To Miss A Deadline by Using Your Calendar

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Missing a work deadline is a business No No!!!! From our families, our own bad habits and in college many people learn to not get work in on time. We move the consequences further away and in the end being late is a habit. If you are one of those people who are just forgetful or learned to wait until the last minute you may want to learn to use your calendar better.

Most email programs like Google, Office, etc... have a functional online app or access. Personally I like the ones I can put on my phone so its always with me when I need it. This allows me to check it, edit, or add anytime I'm out-and-about or in a meeting.

Set a reminder on the date something is due. You won't miss the deadline if you get a reminder or are accustomed to checking your calendar each day. However, you will still not get the work done if you don't put some earlier reminders. Here are some tips....

1. Put a reminder in on the day it is due.

2. Include any relevant information.

3. Put in a reminder a few days early and act as though that is your deadline in case there are delays.

4. Put in a reminder way in advance for when to start a project or at certain intervals.

Pictures of San Diego Cali- Getting Back

Got back in San Diego and feeling the fun and friends. I left Michigan on Friday in -5 F and it took me until Utah to get the chill out of my bones.

Upon return a few friends and I went to Pacific Beach. PB offers lots of great tool top restaurants with a view of the sunset. We at at El Prez. Check it out!!! Enjoy the pics and Taco Tuesday. The Lobster ones are the best.
El Prez
4190 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 750-2512
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xBBZm

Pictures of Colorado and Utah -Cost of Living Rises

While traveling I snapped a few pictures of Colorado and Utah you may like. Colorado especially is of my liking. I talked to a local resident and they said rent for them is very expensive.  Most make $12-$14 per hour but rent is around $1,600 per 2 bedroom apartment. It would take someone working around $14 per hour 3 weeks of full time work pay for an apartment. That would seem to indicate someone will either need to work many more hours or will need to pair up with someone. While I love eco-tourism I have to admit it can have a downside for local residents that get out priced as people convert to rentals for vacationers.

Consider Aspen https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/aspen-co/austin-tx/55000

Are Higher Education Accreditation Bodies About to Experience Change?

Innovation and business stakeholders may have a bigger piece of the higher education accreditation pie in the near future. Pressure to change accreditation standards is brewing and there are a few good things in the proposal that are helpful. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is discussing experimenting with accreditation to ensure that innovation isn't stifled in the process of ensuring quality. According to the accreditation proposal .....

"This negotiated rulemaking effort is designed to modify the regulations that pertain to accreditor recognition in order to provide accreditors, and the institutions they accredit, with greater latitude to innovate; to create healthy competition among institutions and accreditors; to provide agencies with increased independence in their recognition and oversight responsibilities; and to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden and oversight redundancies."

Read the summary https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5676150-Accreditation-proposal-summary.html 

Read the full proposal https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5676149-Accreditation-proposal.html


We know that education is very expensive and we need a mobile workforce that continues to learn throughout their lives. I'm in love with traditional schools but education is a process of learning and can better serve life-long workers by having more flexible learning models. That requires thinking new ways of managing and delivering education.

While accreditation is important for maintaining standards it can at times slow down the process of change. A nation that seeks to compete should consider opening experimenting with new models and ideas. We have seen reluctance to accept online education a few decades ago and now find nearly every university have some form of it. 

Innovation: Innovation requires building off of previous ideas and creating something new. There is a level of experimentation that occurs and this may not fit well within many accreditation bodies. Many accreditation bodies have come to adjust their processes to accept online universities but it is still slow in coming. What is the next step beyond today's online learning?

Employer Engagement:  Employers should have a say in the type of skills learned during the education process. Ultimately graduates will need to find jobs and employers have something to say about what type of skills they need. It would be wise to listen and adjust to ensure this important stakeholder is given their due.