“Focus and Balance” is the 2012 motto for a special client of mine.  Stop and think about it –  A few minutes of being focused and “getting IT done” soothes anxiety, gives you a sense of accomplishment, and generally adds to your productivity.  An old “Momism” teaches, “A stitch in time saves nine”!  In explaining it to my 5 year old granddaughter – that tiny hole in her prized ‘blankie’ would have been much easier to sew upon discovery instead of waiting until it was more of a ‘make-over’.  She now brings me mildly broken items to decide how many stitches we’ve saved.

Can’t the same thing be said about any procrastination?  How much time and focus are we taking away from the people we’d love to spend time with: the projects that other people need for them to move forward: the role modeling we provide for others mimicking our actions: and the consequences that follow???

Perhaps it is time to spend 5 minutes – just 5 minutes- giving your priorities some thought.  You’ll be amazed how you’ll question YOUR focus and balance as it connects with what you think is truly most important to you.

Someone told me that more than a third of U.S. fathers (38%) would rather stay home and take care of their children full-time than work.

First of all – staying at home with the kids full time is as hard or harder work than most careers.

Second of all – what keeps them from doing just that?

Third – What would that do to our economy? What are your thoughts?

What is your Identity Crisis? Our company, Consult P3 has a team of faculty members who present a program called, ‘Facing the Vortex’. It is not a matter of if you will have a crisis, but when and to what degree. Crisis comes in all sizes – from small smoldering embers to complete devastation.
When you feel a crisis building, can you contain it with preparation and foresight? Are you way past the “take a deep breath” stage one and into OMG stage four? Do you know how to ask for help?

Step #1 – Identify the problem.
Step #2 - Decide if you want to live with it or do something about it.
Step #3 - Start surrounding yourself with the right people to help you through the maze.
Step #4 – Don’t allow yourself to repeat mistakes. Use hindsight vision as a preventative measure.

What induces people to throw themselves off giant structures or strap themselves into rockets bound for the stratosphere?  As Wency Leung discovered, a thrill-seeking, Type T personality helps.  So, too, does a brush with mortality.  What makes certain activities terrifying and others merely exciting?  Why do some people thrive on hair-raising experiences, like spending their vacations white-water rafting or rocketing into the cosmos, while others are perfectly content staying home?  The answer may depend on one’s T Type, according to psychology professor Frank Farley of Philadelphia’s Temple University.

Dr. Farley coined the term “Type T” in the 1980s to describe thrill-seeking personalities.  Over the years, he has travelled the world studying climbers of Mount Everest, car racers, high-stakes gamblers, commodities traders and all kinds of risk-takers.  Not all are adrenalin junkies, he discovered.  But to varying degrees, they all share Type T traits, including a need for excitement and stimulation and a high tolerance for uncertainty.  Type T’s are motivated by novelty, variety and intense experiences, and they tend to feel self-confident and in control of their own fate.  They are also generally creative, innovative and energetic.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are what he calls lower-case t-types, those who are averse to risk and require a high degree of stability and security.

“Most people are neither small-t nor big-T: they’re in the broad middle range,”  Dr. Farley says.  “If the whole world were nothing but big T’s, there would be total chaos.”

(Note from Petey – I am – without a shadow of a doubt, a classic Type T —–how about you?)

USA Today ran this article and it was and is ‘right on’. 2010 was the year we stopped talking. Americans are more connected than ever, just not in person.  Just review these stats:

93% of Americans with cell phones/wireless

29.7% of cell phone users with smart phones

1.8 trillion mobile text messages sent from June to June (one year)

56.3 billion mobile multimedia messages in that same year

90% of global population with access to mobile networks

(Sources; CTIA-the wireless association, Nielson Co.)

Americans are connected at unprecedented levels. We can browse the Web and check email. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends, family, business and effectively using time once spent waiting around.

The down side is that we are effectively dis-connecting from those in the same room.  From texting at a dinner party to posting on Facebook from work or checking email on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social angst.  Many analysts say it’s time to step back and reassess.

Will the kids so accepting and consumed by technology know what it’s like to share a story, look people in the eyes and know that sharing space with someone is all about connecting and not with technological devices?

Note per Petey, “What do I know…here I am sending information per blog and here you are going online to read it. Let’s talk!”

This is yours truly knocking on wood. To date, I’ve not had the indignity or hassle of a security pat down.  Road warriors can look ahead to more comforts in the air with more pampering, better food, flatbed seats, and tender loving care.  Now we will pay 6 to 7 percent more and so far I’ve not noticed the difference.

We will be returning from 21 days in Asia and it will be interesting to make comparisons.  .

What do you expect when you fly?  Do any of you remember when you dressed up to travel and the meal was 4 star and the flight attendants were happy to have us on board because we were well behaved?  It wasn’t that long ago.  Was it?

Interesting survey on USA Today found that …

69 percent of women said they used their gift cards, 31percent would rather have had money

80 percent of men said they used their gift cards, 20 percent would would rather have had cash

So, what did you give and what would you rather have received?

Our 5 year old grandson sent a Santa letter requesting a wallet filled with (unfolded) $100 bills!  And wanted to sell the gift he ended up with at the white elephant to the highest bidder! YIKES

We’re not just talking peanuts here … we’re talking BIG business!

• 850 = the number of peanuts in an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter
• 20 Feet = the world’s largest peanut monument is 20 feet tall and is located in Ashburn, Ga.
• 1904 = The year peanut butter was introduced to the general public at the World’s Fair
• 2,861 = the average number of pounds of peanuts harvested from one acre
• 1,500 = The number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the average American child will eat by the time he graduates from high school
• 7 lbs. = The average amount of peanuts and related products each American consumes each year
• $632 Million = Annual retail sales for jams, jellies, fruit spreads and preserves
• 50% = Percentage of peanuts grown that are eaten in the form of peanut butter

Sources: J.M. Smucker, International Jelly and Preserve Association, Peanut-Butter.org

Petey Comment – No big point to be made – simply thought this information would be fun for you peanut butter lovers!

The Bureau of Labor Statistics results from the American Time Use Survey shows the average amount of time per day in 2008 that individuals  (over age 15) worked, did household activities, cared for household children, participated in educational activities and engaged in leisure and sport activities.  Here are some of the results:

• 9.39 hours spent on personal care activities (includes sleep)
• 5.18 hours spent on leisure and sports
• 3.73 hours spent on work
• 1.73 hours spent on household activities
• 1.23 hours spent on eating and drinking
• .77 hours spent on purchasing goods and services
• .53 hours spent on caring for and helping household members
• .47 hours spent on educational activities
• .33 hours spent on organizational, civic and religious activities
• .23 hours spent on caring for and helping non-household members
• .21 hours spent on telephone calls, mail and e-mail
• .20 hours spent on misc. other activities

Note from Petey:  I am amazed that only .21 hours are spent on telephone calls, mail and e-mail.  Did they include SEO – Text- IMO!!!!    12 minutes – are you kidding me????  Where am I going wrong?   What has my life come to that I know at least 4 hours a day average is spent with techy toys within my reach!

Or when Chiang Kai-Shek said, “We become what we do.”  Was he talking only to me???  What about YOU???

Talk about the need for downsizing!  Naomi Seldin, Albany Times Union gives 20 reasons to feel good about getting serious about dumping all that extra STUFF.  Come on … you know you hate to face it, but she gives us the reasons to face the truth about life after life as a clutterholic.  Once clean so NOT go back to bad habits.

1. You’ll lose hundreds of pounds without having to take a single trip to the gym.
2. If you ever need to move somewhere smaller, you’ll be able to do it with confidence.
3. Your next move will be less expensive.
4. You’ll gain living space without having to move.
5. You’ll never have to run out and buy something because you can’t find the original.
6. You won’t be fooled into thinking something’s a bargain just because it’s on the sale rack.
7. When you’re bored, you won’t automatically go shopping.  Instead, you’ll go hiking or meet a friend for coffee.
8. You’ll learn to say no to people who want you to buy something from them.
9. You’ll think twice about paying someone else to store stuff you don’t use.
10. When you discover you own 10 pairs of jeans and three hammers, you’ll realize you don’t need more of either.
11. Instead of buying stuff you don’t need, you’ll be able to pay off debt or go on a trip.
12. Getting rid of clutter is like exercising.  The more you do it, the easier it gets.
13. “Enough”, “want” and “need” take on a new meaning.
14. Dusting is easier and faster.
15. People will give you wine and chocolate – as gifts instead of knick knacks. (My personal favorite!)
16. Coming home will be more relaxing instead of stressful.
17. You’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your space.
18. Your children and heirs will have less to worry about when the time comes.
19. When you open your closet, nothing there will make you feel guilty.  That pair of jeans taunting you since you lost your college waistline?  Those heels that hurt your feet too much to wear but cost too much to donate? GONE.
20. You’ll appreciate what you do have that much more.

Stop procrastinating.

“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