Tag Archives: Tips

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Can You Hear Me Now?

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Communication is something many of us struggle with. We are born with no real ability to communicate. Over time we learn the skills. Unfortunately, while we learn how to communicate we then rapidly learn to keep things inside, to keep things bottled up. We learn this for many reasons.  None of us really want to embarrass someone by what we say, we may hold back to position ourselves to gain from information we have, or we may not want to lose someone close to us which may be the result if we say what we really want to.  While having a filter on our conversation is good, it can lead to unintended challenges. Can you hear me now?

Kids Talking on Tin Phone

We really over complicate things for ourselves by not being more of a student of our own behaviour. I probably went at least the first 10 years in my marriage before I realized that my wife, when we had an issue that was elevated to a serious (read heated) discussion was not looking for what I was giving back verbally.  To expand on this, I came to realize that listening to the issue, then outlining my solutions to make the situation better or prevent it from happening again in the future, was actually not what she was really looking for, at least not at that moment in time. Sure, this information will be useful at some later point in the conversation, but the typical “type A personality – leader – guy – husband – dad” five point outline of how to fix the situation was actually, and quite counterintuitively for a guy, not what she wanted or needed right at that moment. She wanted to be heard. She wanted to be listened to and understood. She wanted to know that I really ‘got it‘.

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4 Easy Steps To Setup Gmail

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I would like to think that I am asked by friends to aid with computer and gadget issues because they see me as competent with technology. The reality is probably closer to what my wife would say…I’m a nerd. She’s right of course. I’m a card-carrying member of that tribe and proud of it. Pulling together all my geek nerd talent I offer a short tutorial on the four easy steps to set up a ‘Gmail’ email account.

How did this tutorial come about? Well, I was asked the other day to explain to someone why they should use Twitter and then, as a follow on, how to set up a twitter account. I started writing on that and realized that email is a basic first step to setting up a Twitter account and I parked my basic Twitter tutorial post and instead have done this one, setting up a Gmail account. It’s basic stuff to be sure. But you know, we so often look at the world from our context and think everyone knows how to do things that we may think are basic. Well, that is often not the case. What is basic to some is really confounding to others. So, this simple four step tutorial is for anyone, including my mom, who has never set up an email account.

Step 1: In a browser search bar type in www.gmail.com (or click the link). The screen you will see is shown below. If you are following this you are wanting to set up a new Gmail account so click on the CREATE AND ACCOUNT button.

Step one of four steps to setting up a Gmail account

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6 Tips To Get Things Done & Achieve Your Life Objectives

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You can achieve your life objectives by following these 6 tips.

The other night a friend asked me this question. “How do I get so much done?” I did not have a good answer. I’m involved with several of my own businesses. I’m active in civic groups. I serve on a local government board. Monday nights I host a mens bible study group at my home. I have an incredible relationship with my wife, Christina, and our two kids, Ryan and Taylor. I’m a coach on my son’s First Lego League robotics team. I guess while doing these things the one thing that I had never really considered was how exactly I manage to cram all this activity in while moving towards my life objectives, having a good balance and not feeling completely overwhelmed. I did not have a good answer to give my friend on Friday night. That got me thinking. What leads some people to get a lot done while others have challenges in this area?

Looking at my experience I can relate 6 areas that can improve the ability to get more done.

1. Time Management T he secret in my case is not being a time management guru. I am not someone to study if you intend to learn about my time management techniques. Its not that I don’t think time management would not help me get more done. Quite the opposite. I think if one studies effective time management techniques, and applies them in their life consistently, they will be far more productive than the average person. I have done the ‘student’ bit, reading up on practically every time management method out there. Unfortunately, for me its the consistently and applying that I seem to have trouble with. What I can attest to is that there is nothing I have read that I have not learned something from in this subject area.

photo by: this lyre lark