Are you one of those people who continually shift your tasks around doing the things you enjoy most first and putting off the ones you don’t enjoy until later…much later?
Do you avoid completing certain projects until the last minute when your back is up against the wall? Do you keep seeing the same items turning up on your “To Do List” day after day after day?
Are you one of those people who insists you work better under pressure? Then you are probably one of the millions of people in this country who suffer from procrastination and I do mean “suffer”.
Procrastination has many negative side effects:
* It eats up valuable time
* It reduces productivity
* It sabotages others
* It lowers self-esteem
* It causes an enormous amount of stress…just to name a few.
Now you may be asking yourself, “If procrastination is so bad, why do so many people do it?”
Some of the reasons are:
* I don’t like doing that particular task
* I don’t know how to complete the task
* I don’t like the person who assigned me the task
* I don’t feel confident in my skill level at that particular task
* The task appears too large to tackle.
* There’s too much work involved
* ETC.etc.etc
Regardless of the reasons for procrastinating, the results are still the same. The task does not get completed in a timely fashion.
Our Information Management program at ChaosOver, Inc. is designed to facilitate you in eliminating FOREVER the habits and patterns that have not served you. Procrastination is one of those behaviors. So how do you eliminate it?
You do it by processing the tasks or projects you have been avoiding, one at a time. Let’s use an example to illustrate the process:
Let’s say you have to write a report on a topic that doesn’t particularly excite you and is going to involve a lot of research and a lot of your time. The report was assigned to you on March 1st and is to be completed by March 15th. Today is March 6th and you still haven’t started it. You know you are procrastinating.
First step in the process is to go through a series of questions:
* Do I still need to complete this task? If the answer is yes go to question 2. If it is no, toss it.
* Can this task be delegated to someone else? If the answer is yes, delegate it. If the answer is no, go to question 3.
* What are the benefits of completing this task? In our example above the benefits may be :
o My boss will be happy with me
o The client will be happy and we may get more business from them
o Our company will make money on this
o I may get a raise, promotion, accolades
o I will get it off of my plate and stop stressing over it.
* What are the consequences of not doing it? Again using our example:
o My boss will be very unhappy with me
o I could get fired or, at least, reprimanded
o I could miss out on a promotion
o I could be sabotaging a co-worker
o We could lose a client
o Our company could lose money
o I will continue to stress over it and feel badly
Now that you have answered these questions, the task has taken on some life, some emotion, and has the ability to motivate you to action. So what do you do next?
You break the task down into its various parts. In our example above that may look like:
* I do an outline of what the report is to cover
* I identify whether I have all the information needed
* I identify resources for obtaining the information I am missing
* I do my research
* I create a first draft with completed information
* I re-write until I am happy with the end report
Now determine how long it will take to complete the first step ONLY. Let’s say you decide it will take an hour. Go to your calendar, whether it be a paper organizer or a computer program such as Outlook, and book yourself an hour to complete this first step.
NOTE- You must treat this appointment as a sacred commitment the same as you would if it was an appointment with a client. (Knowing that you have a deadline for this project and it is going to take several hours to complete, be sure to book that hour as soon as you can into your schedule.)
When you have completed step one, do the same with the next step and so on until the task/project is completed.
If you use this process with ALL of the things where you would normally procrastinate over, whether they are business or personal, you will find yourself eliminating the problem of procrastination FOREVER as you create the new habit of getting things done in a timely fashion.
The result… you will be happy, productive, effective, self-confident, and far less stressed. So go get started….NOW!
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
E-mails to ZERO...and on a daily basis!
Does the idea of having E-mails, of both the ‘Read’ and ‘Unread’ categories, being zero at the end of each and every day seem beyond belief to you? And I am neither speaking about a mass delete nor about having such a massive accumulation that one simply makes still another archival folder and “dumps” them all in, regardless of their status.
In order to reduce the massive amounts of e-mail, the following procedure has worked miracles for many thousands of folks, allowing them to get to that magical number of ‘ZERO’ each and every day this way.
I am speaking about a time-tested and result-oriented formula to make this real for you. However, we need to begin at the beginning. The beginning for most of us is just how to deal with the hundreds, if not thousands, of accumulated e-mail that has created this loss of control and inability to manage it all.
You are being asked to do this in steps, steps that will work for you…if…you will subscribe, and commit, to the process. So, here goes:
NOTE- The format will be via Microsoft Outlook, however this can be done the same way with other e-mail providers.
Step #1- Be sure that your e-mails are in chronological order (this should be the way you find them). Scroll down to the oldest date. Now begin scrolling up from this oldest date and, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE ‘SUBJECT’ COLUMN OR THE ‘FROM’ COLUMN, JUST BY DATE ALONE, and determine how many of these oldest e-mails on up you are willing to simply ‘DELETE’. The criterion should be based on your ability to sleep soundly having gone as far as you are willing.
NOTE- Let’s say that you began with 1,800 e-mails in your In-box. After step #1 you now have 1,440 e-mails remaining.
Step #2- At the top of your e-mail screen you will find the ‘FROM’ icon. Click on this and that will place your e-mails in alphabetical order. Scroll to the top. Now begin scrolling down looking only at this ‘FROM’ column. Look for groupings from the senders of three or more. (The ‘ones’ and ‘twos’ will be dealt with shortly.) By just looking at the names, see which groups you are willing to delete. There are 22 sent to me by Harvey Shmed. Harvey is not someone we do business with any longer and there is no need to file away his e-mails. Good-bye 22 e-mails. Again, the criterion should be based on your ability to sleep soundly having gone as far as you are willing.
NOTE- From this step you have deleted another 500 e-mails, leaving you with a remaining 940 e-mails.
Step #3- Scroll back up to the top. Keep your eyes once more on the ‘FROM’ column and begin scrolling down, however this time see what groupings (remember-three or more per name), can be simply placed into one of your e-mail folders. You come across 14 from Bob Bennett. Bob is our website designer. I have a folder entitled ‘Website’ therefore I can safely drag and drop Bob’s e-mails into my Website folder.
NOTE- From this step you have dragged and dropped 436 more e-mails, leaving you with 504 e-mails remaining.
NOTE A- I have seen countless times where e-mail folders are either few and far between or as disorganized as could possibly be imagined. However, for you, now embracing this training, e-mail folders are becoming terrific to work with.
NOTE B- I happen to champion the creation of as many folders as are necessary. Even sub-folders. Sub-folders (yes, even sub-sub-folders). Why? Because this creates the shortest and most expedient artery to take you immediately to the specific information you are seeking. (Sounds like ‘INSTANT RETRIEVABILITY’ to me!)
NOTE C- Leslie has made her ‘CLIENT’ folder, yet she currently has 52 active clients. So, guess what? Leslie spent 30 minutes setting up 52 sub-folders.
Step #4- At the top of your e-mail screen you will find the ‘SUBJECT’ icon. Click on this and that will place your e-mails in alphabetical order via the names of the subjects. Scroll to the top. Now begin scrolling down looking only at this ‘SUBJECT’ column. Look for groupings of three or more. (The ‘ones’ and ‘twos’ will be dealt with shortly.) By just looking at the subject titles, see which groups you are willing to delete.
NOTE- You have deleted another 210 e-mails in this manner, leaving you with 294 e-mails remaining.
Step #5- Scroll back up to the top. Keep your eyes once more on the ‘SUBJECT’ column and begin scrolling down, however this time see what groupings (remember-three or more per name), can be simply placed into one of your e-mail folders. You come across 19 from Sallie. Sallie is our payroll clerk. I do not have a folder entitled ‘Payroll’, yet I do have an ‘Accounting’ folder. There is nothing to prevent me from making a sub-folder entitled ‘Payroll’ and dropping the 19 e-mails from Sallie into my new sub-folder.
NOTE- You have deposited another 180 e-mails by dropping them into current folders and sub-folders (or making them newly), leaving you with just 114 e-mails remaining.
Step #6 (Final Step)- It would seem obvious that the remainder of your e-mails in your In-box are either ‘Turtles’, ‘Pendings’, ‘Library/Reference’, ‘Clients’ or ‘Projects’, ‘Archives’ or ‘Personal’. Due to COMPLETION being a foreign entity to Humankind, bite the bullet and go through these 114 remaining e-mails, placing them each into either ‘Trash’ or the proper folders that are intended to be their ‘Home’.
CONGRATULATION AS YOU HAVE ZERO E-MAILS IN YOUR IN-BOX.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…Now you will want to do the same with your 'SENT’ e-mails. The ‘Sent’ file is the place that many folks use as a ‘subterranean archival area’. The objective is getting this file to ‘ZERO’ as well:
Step #1- Click on the ‘TO’ enabling all of your Outgoing e-mails to be in chronological order.
Step #2- Scroll down to the oldest date, asking yourself- “Without looking at the ‘Sent To’ or ‘Subject’ columns, just based simply on age of the Outgoing e-mails, what date am I willing to delete up to and still be able to sleep peacefully at night?” Then do that. (Of course, if your answer is “No, I won’t be able to sleep doing this”, then simply move on to Step Three.
Step #3- Click on ‘From’ and scroll to the very top. You now have the remainder of your e-mails in alphabetical order. Begin to scroll down searching for groupings of three or more sent to the same person. Without looking at ‘SUBJECT’ or ‘DATE’, simply by name, see how many may be deleted in this fashion.
Step #4- Click on ‘SUBJECT’ and scroll once more to the very top. Now begin scrolling down and looking only at the ‘SUBJECT’ column seek out groupings and determine which ones can be deleted.
Step #5- It would seem obvious that the remainder of your e-mails in your ‘Sent-box’ are either ‘Pendings’ (in fact, quite likely), ‘Turtles’, ‘Client’ or ‘Project’, ‘Library/Reference’, ‘Archives’ or ‘Personal’.
CONGRATULATION AS YOU HAVE ZERO E-MAILS IN YOUR SENT-BOX.
And, last but surely not least, for that feeling of overwhelming joy…delete all of the deletes in your ‘DELETED’ file.
Welcome to the beginning of a whole, new way of life in dealing with your E-mail.
You will never again have to reside in “E-mail Hell”.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
In order to reduce the massive amounts of e-mail, the following procedure has worked miracles for many thousands of folks, allowing them to get to that magical number of ‘ZERO’ each and every day this way.
I am speaking about a time-tested and result-oriented formula to make this real for you. However, we need to begin at the beginning. The beginning for most of us is just how to deal with the hundreds, if not thousands, of accumulated e-mail that has created this loss of control and inability to manage it all.
You are being asked to do this in steps, steps that will work for you…if…you will subscribe, and commit, to the process. So, here goes:
NOTE- The format will be via Microsoft Outlook, however this can be done the same way with other e-mail providers.
Step #1- Be sure that your e-mails are in chronological order (this should be the way you find them). Scroll down to the oldest date. Now begin scrolling up from this oldest date and, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE ‘SUBJECT’ COLUMN OR THE ‘FROM’ COLUMN, JUST BY DATE ALONE, and determine how many of these oldest e-mails on up you are willing to simply ‘DELETE’. The criterion should be based on your ability to sleep soundly having gone as far as you are willing.
NOTE- Let’s say that you began with 1,800 e-mails in your In-box. After step #1 you now have 1,440 e-mails remaining.
Step #2- At the top of your e-mail screen you will find the ‘FROM’ icon. Click on this and that will place your e-mails in alphabetical order. Scroll to the top. Now begin scrolling down looking only at this ‘FROM’ column. Look for groupings from the senders of three or more. (The ‘ones’ and ‘twos’ will be dealt with shortly.) By just looking at the names, see which groups you are willing to delete. There are 22 sent to me by Harvey Shmed. Harvey is not someone we do business with any longer and there is no need to file away his e-mails. Good-bye 22 e-mails. Again, the criterion should be based on your ability to sleep soundly having gone as far as you are willing.
NOTE- From this step you have deleted another 500 e-mails, leaving you with a remaining 940 e-mails.
Step #3- Scroll back up to the top. Keep your eyes once more on the ‘FROM’ column and begin scrolling down, however this time see what groupings (remember-three or more per name), can be simply placed into one of your e-mail folders. You come across 14 from Bob Bennett. Bob is our website designer. I have a folder entitled ‘Website’ therefore I can safely drag and drop Bob’s e-mails into my Website folder.
NOTE- From this step you have dragged and dropped 436 more e-mails, leaving you with 504 e-mails remaining.
NOTE A- I have seen countless times where e-mail folders are either few and far between or as disorganized as could possibly be imagined. However, for you, now embracing this training, e-mail folders are becoming terrific to work with.
NOTE B- I happen to champion the creation of as many folders as are necessary. Even sub-folders. Sub-folders (yes, even sub-sub-folders). Why? Because this creates the shortest and most expedient artery to take you immediately to the specific information you are seeking. (Sounds like ‘INSTANT RETRIEVABILITY’ to me!)
NOTE C- Leslie has made her ‘CLIENT’ folder, yet she currently has 52 active clients. So, guess what? Leslie spent 30 minutes setting up 52 sub-folders.
Step #4- At the top of your e-mail screen you will find the ‘SUBJECT’ icon. Click on this and that will place your e-mails in alphabetical order via the names of the subjects. Scroll to the top. Now begin scrolling down looking only at this ‘SUBJECT’ column. Look for groupings of three or more. (The ‘ones’ and ‘twos’ will be dealt with shortly.) By just looking at the subject titles, see which groups you are willing to delete.
NOTE- You have deleted another 210 e-mails in this manner, leaving you with 294 e-mails remaining.
Step #5- Scroll back up to the top. Keep your eyes once more on the ‘SUBJECT’ column and begin scrolling down, however this time see what groupings (remember-three or more per name), can be simply placed into one of your e-mail folders. You come across 19 from Sallie. Sallie is our payroll clerk. I do not have a folder entitled ‘Payroll’, yet I do have an ‘Accounting’ folder. There is nothing to prevent me from making a sub-folder entitled ‘Payroll’ and dropping the 19 e-mails from Sallie into my new sub-folder.
NOTE- You have deposited another 180 e-mails by dropping them into current folders and sub-folders (or making them newly), leaving you with just 114 e-mails remaining.
Step #6 (Final Step)- It would seem obvious that the remainder of your e-mails in your In-box are either ‘Turtles’, ‘Pendings’, ‘Library/Reference’, ‘Clients’ or ‘Projects’, ‘Archives’ or ‘Personal’. Due to COMPLETION being a foreign entity to Humankind, bite the bullet and go through these 114 remaining e-mails, placing them each into either ‘Trash’ or the proper folders that are intended to be their ‘Home’.
CONGRATULATION AS YOU HAVE ZERO E-MAILS IN YOUR IN-BOX.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…Now you will want to do the same with your 'SENT’ e-mails. The ‘Sent’ file is the place that many folks use as a ‘subterranean archival area’. The objective is getting this file to ‘ZERO’ as well:
Step #1- Click on the ‘TO’ enabling all of your Outgoing e-mails to be in chronological order.
Step #2- Scroll down to the oldest date, asking yourself- “Without looking at the ‘Sent To’ or ‘Subject’ columns, just based simply on age of the Outgoing e-mails, what date am I willing to delete up to and still be able to sleep peacefully at night?” Then do that. (Of course, if your answer is “No, I won’t be able to sleep doing this”, then simply move on to Step Three.
Step #3- Click on ‘From’ and scroll to the very top. You now have the remainder of your e-mails in alphabetical order. Begin to scroll down searching for groupings of three or more sent to the same person. Without looking at ‘SUBJECT’ or ‘DATE’, simply by name, see how many may be deleted in this fashion.
Step #4- Click on ‘SUBJECT’ and scroll once more to the very top. Now begin scrolling down and looking only at the ‘SUBJECT’ column seek out groupings and determine which ones can be deleted.
Step #5- It would seem obvious that the remainder of your e-mails in your ‘Sent-box’ are either ‘Pendings’ (in fact, quite likely), ‘Turtles’, ‘Client’ or ‘Project’, ‘Library/Reference’, ‘Archives’ or ‘Personal’.
CONGRATULATION AS YOU HAVE ZERO E-MAILS IN YOUR SENT-BOX.
And, last but surely not least, for that feeling of overwhelming joy…delete all of the deletes in your ‘DELETED’ file.
Welcome to the beginning of a whole, new way of life in dealing with your E-mail.
You will never again have to reside in “E-mail Hell”.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
The Power of Intention
In the ebb and flow of our lives, most people fervently believe that circumstance, happenstance, coincidence, and luck control our outcomes. However, I recognize that our own subconscious mind provides us with the empowerment to directly affect this ebb and flow for ourselves, to an extraordinary degree.
The ‘Power of Intention’ has been the most significant realization of my adult life. Since 1973 I have spoken in my presentations around the world of the conscious and the subconscious, and how far more powerful our subconscious is in each one of us. Yet, we spend the majority of our lives rarely tapping into the strength and resolve of our subconscious. We are basically unattached to our subconscious mind, let alone believing that it has significant power.
I believe that our intentions come in two “flavors”; the Intention “I say” (conscious) and the Intention “Actual” (subconscious). I know how many times my words, which can come so easily, speak of what I intend, however that outcome is not always the result. Take for example the all too frequent commitment to stop smoking ("I say"), or lose undesired weight ("I say"). More often than not, the battle is lost before it has begun. Why do you think this is? Not only have the circumstances leading up to these 'failures' been set up, they have most likely been planned this way (in our subconscious mind) from the very beginning.
On the day you have decided to stop smoking (forever this time, right?) you decide to clean out your closet. While going through your jackets, you discover an old cigarette left there. You have a quick conversation with yourself and ultimately give yourself permission to smoke that cigarette. OK, so you blew it for today. You’ll start again tomorrow. And what happens when tomorrow comes?
You actually overslept on the day of an important interview for a new job. One that you "said" that you really wanted to have. Now think about it. You really didn't want that job did you?
Jack has just lost his job due to downsizing. He is devastated. Now let's flash forward two months and we see that Jack has a new position that has been his life-long wish for a career. He readily acknowledges that if his job not been downsized, he most likely never would have left the job he had.
Do these examples sound familiar? In each of our lives there are experiences similar to these.
This is not to state that our 'Intentions’ can never be aligned. In fact, if you notice the title of this Blog is the ‘POWER’ of Intention. We truly do have the POWER. The more open, introspective and honest we are with ourselves, the more we become capable of seeing just why, so many times, we would have intended a result that is so different from what we have said we wanted.
If our Intention equals our Result, then this would mean that our Result reveals our true Intention. I know that this may be hard to accept, however, if one would care to know their Intention-Actual, one would simply need view their result. Of course if the result is a positive one, hey, this meant that my Intention-“Actual” was aligned with my Intention-“I say”. However, if the result is one that is less than desired, then few would own up to the idea that this must have been their true intention.
Why are we so willing to accept responsibility for actualities in our lives aligning with what we “say”, yet not taking responsibility when they don't align? Wouldn’t this be just two different sides of the same coin?
In the workshop portion of the ChaosOver program, I make the following statement: ”We actually set ourselves up to not only allow chaos to exist in our lives, we go out of our way to MAINTAIN the chaos”. As the participants in my program first hear this, I know all too well that their first reaction is “He’s nuts, why would I ever intend to have chaos in my life?” NOTE-The answer will be provided in a further Blog, however for now, see if you can be open to think of at least three reasons why you, and I, would seek chaos as such a result.
The moral to this is to trust that your subconscious mind only becomes a conscious partner when we acknowledge, heed, and trust, the POWER of our intentions.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
The ‘Power of Intention’ has been the most significant realization of my adult life. Since 1973 I have spoken in my presentations around the world of the conscious and the subconscious, and how far more powerful our subconscious is in each one of us. Yet, we spend the majority of our lives rarely tapping into the strength and resolve of our subconscious. We are basically unattached to our subconscious mind, let alone believing that it has significant power.
I believe that our intentions come in two “flavors”; the Intention “I say” (conscious) and the Intention “Actual” (subconscious). I know how many times my words, which can come so easily, speak of what I intend, however that outcome is not always the result. Take for example the all too frequent commitment to stop smoking ("I say"), or lose undesired weight ("I say"). More often than not, the battle is lost before it has begun. Why do you think this is? Not only have the circumstances leading up to these 'failures' been set up, they have most likely been planned this way (in our subconscious mind) from the very beginning.
On the day you have decided to stop smoking (forever this time, right?) you decide to clean out your closet. While going through your jackets, you discover an old cigarette left there. You have a quick conversation with yourself and ultimately give yourself permission to smoke that cigarette. OK, so you blew it for today. You’ll start again tomorrow. And what happens when tomorrow comes?
You actually overslept on the day of an important interview for a new job. One that you "said" that you really wanted to have. Now think about it. You really didn't want that job did you?
Jack has just lost his job due to downsizing. He is devastated. Now let's flash forward two months and we see that Jack has a new position that has been his life-long wish for a career. He readily acknowledges that if his job not been downsized, he most likely never would have left the job he had.
Do these examples sound familiar? In each of our lives there are experiences similar to these.
This is not to state that our 'Intentions’ can never be aligned. In fact, if you notice the title of this Blog is the ‘POWER’ of Intention. We truly do have the POWER. The more open, introspective and honest we are with ourselves, the more we become capable of seeing just why, so many times, we would have intended a result that is so different from what we have said we wanted.
If our Intention equals our Result, then this would mean that our Result reveals our true Intention. I know that this may be hard to accept, however, if one would care to know their Intention-Actual, one would simply need view their result. Of course if the result is a positive one, hey, this meant that my Intention-“Actual” was aligned with my Intention-“I say”. However, if the result is one that is less than desired, then few would own up to the idea that this must have been their true intention.
Why are we so willing to accept responsibility for actualities in our lives aligning with what we “say”, yet not taking responsibility when they don't align? Wouldn’t this be just two different sides of the same coin?
In the workshop portion of the ChaosOver program, I make the following statement: ”We actually set ourselves up to not only allow chaos to exist in our lives, we go out of our way to MAINTAIN the chaos”. As the participants in my program first hear this, I know all too well that their first reaction is “He’s nuts, why would I ever intend to have chaos in my life?” NOTE-The answer will be provided in a further Blog, however for now, see if you can be open to think of at least three reasons why you, and I, would seek chaos as such a result.
The moral to this is to trust that your subconscious mind only becomes a conscious partner when we acknowledge, heed, and trust, the POWER of our intentions.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
The Courage to Change
One of the most powerful characteristics about humankind is the fear and unwillingness to allow change in our lives. This is even where the person sees quite clearly that this change is for only the most positive of reasons. It actually takes courage to permit ourselves, or allow others, to contribute to us in order to enact any change.
Our minds are far more powerful than most of us give it credit. Now couple this with a mindset of “I’ll do it my way. After all, I’ve been doing it my way for most, if not all, of my life”. This mantra (we can actually call it that), becomes the rationale to justify our position, hence sabotage any degree of support from those who attempt to offer this support to us. The excuses, rationalizations and stories we tell ourselves seem to be adequate justification to the mind in the avoidance of change.
Raising the necessary courage is coupled with the lowering of our ego. (Remember the “I’ll do it my way. After all, I’ve been doing it my way for most, if not all, of my life”.) I know that many of us pride ourselves on getting things done when the odd-makers tell us “nay”. Yet, I also believe that considerable ego is attached to sabotage the contribution from others.
What I am afraid we have left out in our pursuit, is the understanding of the other party's intention. This would be what is referred to as ‘empathy’, defined as ‘the capacity for participating in another's feelings, ideas or point of view’.
I had met a man, unlike most others on this planet, whom I believed I could both learn from and teach. This learning and teaching reciprocity could have gone far beyond each of our individual career endeavors. Sadly,this opportunity never took place. We met years later and as we spoke over a fine bottle of wine, we each recognized that it was our fear of change, and our own egos, that had prevented this opportunity from taking place at that time.
I view the courage to change, and the support from others, to enact opportunities for personal and career growth in our lives, as a most powerful point of view.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
Our minds are far more powerful than most of us give it credit. Now couple this with a mindset of “I’ll do it my way. After all, I’ve been doing it my way for most, if not all, of my life”. This mantra (we can actually call it that), becomes the rationale to justify our position, hence sabotage any degree of support from those who attempt to offer this support to us. The excuses, rationalizations and stories we tell ourselves seem to be adequate justification to the mind in the avoidance of change.
Raising the necessary courage is coupled with the lowering of our ego. (Remember the “I’ll do it my way. After all, I’ve been doing it my way for most, if not all, of my life”.) I know that many of us pride ourselves on getting things done when the odd-makers tell us “nay”. Yet, I also believe that considerable ego is attached to sabotage the contribution from others.
What I am afraid we have left out in our pursuit, is the understanding of the other party's intention. This would be what is referred to as ‘empathy’, defined as ‘the capacity for participating in another's feelings, ideas or point of view’.
I had met a man, unlike most others on this planet, whom I believed I could both learn from and teach. This learning and teaching reciprocity could have gone far beyond each of our individual career endeavors. Sadly,this opportunity never took place. We met years later and as we spoke over a fine bottle of wine, we each recognized that it was our fear of change, and our own egos, that had prevented this opportunity from taking place at that time.
I view the courage to change, and the support from others, to enact opportunities for personal and career growth in our lives, as a most powerful point of view.
With great respect,
Len
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
THE FOLLOWING IS FROM MY FIRST 'GUEST BLOGGER',
MR. KEN POTALIVO OF PROGROWTH:
To be a successful service professional no matter what our area of expertise (lawyer, accountant, consultant, banker, insurance broker, etc…), requires that we be disciplined. That has never been truer than it is today because of the significant changes in the economy that has affected all of us.
The word “Discipline” typically has a negative connotation because it implies regimentation. In actuality, the results that we get in the conduct of our business, involves the discipline that we employ. If we have a poor discipline in the execution of our services and our business, the results will reflect that discipline.
I had the pleasure of attending a seminar recently, conducted by Mr. Len Merson, president of ChaosOver, Inc whose mission is to provide individuals with the tools necessary to free their life of chaos and clutter so that they can take control of their career and recapture their life. Len is a member of one of our ProGrowth TEAMs and I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a session. He and his staff have helped over 75,000 individuals in the last 36 years with a simple but yet very effective methodology to increase their productivity. Having attended, I can readily understand why people leave the seminar with a new sense of purpose.
When it comes to discipline, Len believes it is a requirement for freedom. He indicates that the discipline and energy that one employs to maintain a state of chaos, is a much harder and harsher discipline and energy than the discipline and energy required to live in a managed state. He pointed out that it comes down to“willingness” or giving yourself permission to do the right things to get the right results. One can be taught specific ways to improve productivity but if they do not give themselves permission to embrace what they learned then nothing will happen.
My sense of Len is that he not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. He has done thousands of the sessions in the past and it would be easy for him to make these sessions routine. But, from the moment I walked into the room it was clear that Len wanted to make sure that everyone was comfortable, the food was readily available and the materials for the session were properly disbursed. His presentation was not only thorough, one could easily determine that he is very passionate about helping others and that his objective was to make sure that everyone walked out of that room armed with the knowledge and tools to help them in their lives.
What about you? Do you have that purpose and passion that keep you in the game? Do others see that when you are “between the ropes” you are very focused, well-prepared and executing with a sense of determination? Embracing a discipline that will get the results you want will instill confidence and a level of success that will always let you know what is needed to stay on track. Nothing is left to chance and you never have to be concerned about finding a place to hide.
MR. KEN POTALIVO OF PROGROWTH:
To be a successful service professional no matter what our area of expertise (lawyer, accountant, consultant, banker, insurance broker, etc…), requires that we be disciplined. That has never been truer than it is today because of the significant changes in the economy that has affected all of us.
The word “Discipline” typically has a negative connotation because it implies regimentation. In actuality, the results that we get in the conduct of our business, involves the discipline that we employ. If we have a poor discipline in the execution of our services and our business, the results will reflect that discipline.
I had the pleasure of attending a seminar recently, conducted by Mr. Len Merson, president of ChaosOver, Inc whose mission is to provide individuals with the tools necessary to free their life of chaos and clutter so that they can take control of their career and recapture their life. Len is a member of one of our ProGrowth TEAMs and I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a session. He and his staff have helped over 75,000 individuals in the last 36 years with a simple but yet very effective methodology to increase their productivity. Having attended, I can readily understand why people leave the seminar with a new sense of purpose.
When it comes to discipline, Len believes it is a requirement for freedom. He indicates that the discipline and energy that one employs to maintain a state of chaos, is a much harder and harsher discipline and energy than the discipline and energy required to live in a managed state. He pointed out that it comes down to“willingness” or giving yourself permission to do the right things to get the right results. One can be taught specific ways to improve productivity but if they do not give themselves permission to embrace what they learned then nothing will happen.
My sense of Len is that he not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. He has done thousands of the sessions in the past and it would be easy for him to make these sessions routine. But, from the moment I walked into the room it was clear that Len wanted to make sure that everyone was comfortable, the food was readily available and the materials for the session were properly disbursed. His presentation was not only thorough, one could easily determine that he is very passionate about helping others and that his objective was to make sure that everyone walked out of that room armed with the knowledge and tools to help them in their lives.
What about you? Do you have that purpose and passion that keep you in the game? Do others see that when you are “between the ropes” you are very focused, well-prepared and executing with a sense of determination? Embracing a discipline that will get the results you want will instill confidence and a level of success that will always let you know what is needed to stay on track. Nothing is left to chance and you never have to be concerned about finding a place to hide.
E-MAIL ETIQUETTE
Let’s say I send Bob an e-mail with four questions I need answered. I find it both exasperating and discourteous when Bob answers my questions by hitting ‘New’ rather than ‘Reply’.
By sending the response to me via ‘New’ I am not in touch with my questions (which Bob may not have responded to for days). Receiving something like this:
Hi Len,
Here are the answers to your questions:
- Friday
- No
- Yes
- 18
Bob
I have no idea what the questions were! Had Bob hit ‘Reply’, the questions would be in the same e-mail I originally sent for me to easily relate to.
Had Bob hit ‘Reply’ and gone directly to the end of each line of my questions and responded in a manner as I would have (in red and bold), I would find the most expedient, efficient and courteous manner to retrieve the information I am seeking. I would receive something like this-
Bob,
When would you like the proposal delivered to your client? Friday (in red)
Will we need to include the budget? No (in red)
Will you be accompanying me on the presentation? Yes (in red)
How many copies of the presentation should we prepare? 18 (in red)
With great respect,
Len
In today’s fast paced world that we live in, every time saving courtesy that we can extend to our business associates, family and friends is greatly appreciated. This allows them to recapture lost time and thereby reducing stress. Isn’t this what we all want? So be respectful to all the people you contact via e-mail, using your best e-mail etiquette.
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
By sending the response to me via ‘New’ I am not in touch with my questions (which Bob may not have responded to for days). Receiving something like this:
Hi Len,
Here are the answers to your questions:
- Friday
- No
- Yes
- 18
Bob
I have no idea what the questions were! Had Bob hit ‘Reply’, the questions would be in the same e-mail I originally sent for me to easily relate to.
Had Bob hit ‘Reply’ and gone directly to the end of each line of my questions and responded in a manner as I would have (in red and bold), I would find the most expedient, efficient and courteous manner to retrieve the information I am seeking. I would receive something like this-
Bob,
When would you like the proposal delivered to your client? Friday (in red)
Will we need to include the budget? No (in red)
Will you be accompanying me on the presentation? Yes (in red)
How many copies of the presentation should we prepare? 18 (in red)
With great respect,
Len
In today’s fast paced world that we live in, every time saving courtesy that we can extend to our business associates, family and friends is greatly appreciated. This allows them to recapture lost time and thereby reducing stress. Isn’t this what we all want? So be respectful to all the people you contact via e-mail, using your best e-mail etiquette.
Len Merson,
Founder, C.E.O.
Chaos Over, Inc.
1-88-VERY CALM (Toll Free line)
619.980.7372 (Direct line)
619.291.1709 (Facsimile line)
Lmerson@chaosover.com
Productivity and Our Current Economy
By Len Merson, Founder & C.E.O. Chaos Over, Inc.
Anytime is a good time so long as you know what to do with it.”
In the current, and I fervently believe, the temporary, state of our nation’s economy, it is somewhat intuitive to see only the short term and its effects. The result is anxiety, stress and, worst of all, hopelessness. This economic situation is an enormous opportunity to evoke still higher levels of our intelligence and wisdom. Our country is made up of businesses that have thrived on challenges. And this current challenge is forcing us to look to the smartest, most resourceful ways to maintain, and I daresay grow, our productivity. This is the long term approach. My company’s business growth over the past thirty-five years, has been a result of training people in basically two ways- productivity enhancement and stress reduction.
If the reduction of a business’s workforce is the only tenable option, then this means that those remaining have added to their already burgeoning workload, the work that is still needed to be performed from those who are no longer there. This almost always results in increases in mistakes, errors and omissions, a sizeable reduction in productivity and quality, and even more significantly, a very damaging increase in stress to all of those involved. While the idea of companies expending monies at this time for “non-technical” training, such as the ChaosOver Program, may seem unwise, training people in this current situation will accomplish an even more immediate R.O.I. as productivity grows and the mental and emotional health of those employed grows along with it.
This is the long term approach to our temporary, albeit current, economic situation.
“Anytime is a good time so long as we know what to do with it”
Anytime is a good time so long as you know what to do with it.”
In the current, and I fervently believe, the temporary, state of our nation’s economy, it is somewhat intuitive to see only the short term and its effects. The result is anxiety, stress and, worst of all, hopelessness. This economic situation is an enormous opportunity to evoke still higher levels of our intelligence and wisdom. Our country is made up of businesses that have thrived on challenges. And this current challenge is forcing us to look to the smartest, most resourceful ways to maintain, and I daresay grow, our productivity. This is the long term approach. My company’s business growth over the past thirty-five years, has been a result of training people in basically two ways- productivity enhancement and stress reduction.
If the reduction of a business’s workforce is the only tenable option, then this means that those remaining have added to their already burgeoning workload, the work that is still needed to be performed from those who are no longer there. This almost always results in increases in mistakes, errors and omissions, a sizeable reduction in productivity and quality, and even more significantly, a very damaging increase in stress to all of those involved. While the idea of companies expending monies at this time for “non-technical” training, such as the ChaosOver Program, may seem unwise, training people in this current situation will accomplish an even more immediate R.O.I. as productivity grows and the mental and emotional health of those employed grows along with it.
This is the long term approach to our temporary, albeit current, economic situation.
“Anytime is a good time so long as we know what to do with it”
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