If You Can Help Someone…

I usually have
a YouTube video
playing in the background
on mute
as I work.

I’ve created a playlist
of videos
by creators
who are seeking
sponsors.

And I play that playlist.

These creators
attract sponsors
and earn funds
from their sponsors
based on how many subscribers
they have.

They gain more subscribers
if YouTube shows
their videos to more people.

YouTube shows
their videos to more people
if more people watch them
(it is circular, I know).

So I ‘watch’ their videos.
That costs me
very little
and it helps these creators out.

Is that ‘cheating’
the system?

Yes.
But all helping
is cheating the system.

My friends buy my books
to help my Amazon rankings
so Amazon shows my books
to more people.
That’s technically cheating also.

If you can help someone
and it costs you
very little,
help them.

Make their world
a better place.

Order Your Supplies Now

Order any supplies
and other business essential goods
you’ll need
for the next four or five months
(at the minimum)
now.

Multiple wars are intensifying.
Climate change disasters are happening.
COVID and other pandemics
continue to impact…well…everything.
There’s political turmoil.
And other global issues.

Supply chains
will be strained
yet again
this year.

Shipments will be delayed
or won’t happen at all.
Production will be hampered.
Labor will be limited.

Order your supplies
now.

In Case Of Emergency

If there’s an emergency
in your area
and
your business
doesn’t have patrons
it must continue to serve
(i.e. it isn’t housing people
or treating people),
close your business
for the day,
pay your employees
for that day
and
allow them to go home
and be with their loved ones.

If you can’t afford
to do that,
your business isn’t viable.

You are responsible
for your employees
during emergencies.

If they die
or get hurt
on the job,
you could and SHOULD
get sued into the ground.

And the odds they’ll be hurt
increases.

Because your employees
aren’t focusing on their jobs
or your business.

They’re worrying about loved ones
and getting home.

And they are resenting
your business
for causing them
additional stress.

That will come back
to bite you in the a$$
later
in ways you’ll likely
never fully realize.

Don’t be an a$$hat.

Send employees home
during emergencies.

If They Aren’t Listening, Stop Talking

A loved one
calls every day
to ask me
to ask someone else
to do things
for her.

I’ve told her
numerous times
to leave that someone else
a message.

She doesn’t listen.

And I’ve realized
she will NEVER listen.

So I’ve stopped saying anything.

I’ve also stopped
relaying messages for her.

I listen
and then I ignore her requests.

That has made life
much easier for me.

And surprisingly
she still manages
to get the loved one
to complete her many tasks.

When people aren’t listening
to you,
stop talking.

Leave that energy
for some other task.

The Price Of Success

I recently changed my lifestyle
and, as a result of that change,
I’ve lost a lot of weight.

A loved one joked
that another loved one
shouldn’t mess with me
because if I can lose weight,
I can do anything.

Success in…anything
is difficult.

Once you’ve accomplished success
and that success
is known,
you’ll scare the sh*t
out of many people.

Be prepared
for relationships
to change
and for people
to act differently
around you.

All that is part
of any success,
small or great.

Customers Know

I’m winding down
the romance writing business
but my pen name
hasn’t told anyone.

The pen name
hasn’t told readers
or my editor
or fellow writers.

No one should know.

I’ve been receiving
semi-frantic requests
for minor character stories
from readers.

They somehow know.

Your customers pay
closer attention
to what you’re doing or feeling
than
you likely think.

Assume your ‘secrets’
won’t remain secrets
for very long.

Make decisions
and tailor your communications
to reflect that.

Brain Not Required Work

Last night,
I hit the wall
brain-wise.

My brain was
empty.
Nothing was happening
up there.

But I still had energy
and I had time.

So I completed
tasks
that didn’t require any thought.

I shredded confidential
documents.

I shared social media posts
writing buddies
had crafted
to help them sell books.

I organized
the tax file.

I put some mailing
together.

Those tasks had to be completed
but I had saved them
for times like last night,
times when my brain
wasn’t working properly.

Save some
no-thought-required tasks
for when you are past
the point of thinking.

Tell Someone They’re Doing A Good Job

If you want to
change a life today,
tell someone
they’re doing a good job.

That someone
could be the cashier
at the grocery store
or
the delivery person
handing you the package
you’ve been waiting for
or
the barista
making your coffee
for you
or
someone else.

Look them in the eye
and solemnly tell them,
“You’re doing a good job.
You know that,
right?”

Because odds are…
they DON’T know that,
they rarely, if ever,
hear
they’re doing a good job,
and they NEED to hear it.

Note:
A good job
is very different
from a great job.

A great job
exceeds expectations
and should always be
commented on.

But a good job
is often sufficient.
And it deserves
recognition
from time to time also.

Tell someone
they’re doing a good job.

Delegating And Perfection

I’m extremely busy
right now
so I asked a loved one
to help me
with my holiday shopping.

Did he get
the exact presents
I would have gotten?

No.
But he did d@mn well
and I think our loved ones
will love the gifts.

When you delegate tasks,
they won’t ever
be completed
exactly the way
you would have completed them.

Embrace that.
Accept that.

Then move on.

Complete Tasks In Advance

Whenever I have a spare
couple of minutes,
I craft another post
for client k
and schedule it
for the future.

I can modify that post
and/or reschedule it
at any time.

I can even delete it
if the situation changes
or I receive new information.

But the post is there
and ready.

Which is good
because we’re moving into
my busiest time
of the year.

And I will need
all the extra moments
I can get
then.

I suspect we’re moving into
a busy time
for you also.

Complete as many tasks
as you can
now.

Your future self
will thank you.