JWN: Why I Write for You

Why I Write

By: Joseph W. Norman

“My hope is that sharing my path with you enables you to let your life speak!”

A while back I read a book by Jeffrey Gitomer, my literary mentor, called The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way. In this work of sales genius, Jeffrey states that anybody can become a voice on a subject if they are published. So, I started to write about a few topics I have been passionate about for years; leadership, personal, and professional development. My articles initially appeared in the Life and Times of JWN, my personal section in The VIP Profiles.

Since that beginning, I have really become to think of myself as a writer. Before, I always knew I was good at it and often found myself using that ugly word “potential” far too often, but I never really applied it. The VIP Profiles gave me an outlet and the kick in the butt I needed to help me find myself.

There are a few very personal reasons why I write now. 1) I want to become known on a global scale as a thought leader, 2) I believe strongly in the concept of personal development and I want to share my thoughts on it with you, and, 3) Writing allows me to process my thoughts, so my writing now is my gift to myself. Through it, I solidify who I am and what I want to become.

Writing has truly helped me develop who I am. Some say it is selfish to write about your pursuits and share them, but I find it quite cathartic. Also, I try to do it in a way that is valuable. I’m a firm proponent of giving of yourself first, so my words are my way of sharing experiences; good, bad, or life changing, with you.

Although the system is definitely in place for the narcissist, my objective is primarily to share. I feel that through giving we learn more about ourselves and enable ourselves with an opportunity to inspire others. Throughout the entire production of The VIP Profiles this has been the primary goal. Now, with the writing I publish, that is my goal.

This has been the most valuable impact of The VIP Profiles to date. I know I cannot speak for Ben, but I can speak for myself. The impact the production of this eZine has had on me, goes above and beyond any other possible scenario or situation because it taught me how to be a giver and it showed me the wealth that comes from that.

I’m not talking about monetary wealth (yet), but rather the concept of wealth in general. You see, the world’s greatest leaders are also the world’s greatest philanthropists. There is a concept taught in the Bible and it is a fundamental principle of the universe. The more you give, the more you get.

This relates and directly corresponds to all things; time, money, energy, etc. It should be harnessed because the fulfillment it creates is beyond what any other action can create. That is why I write. In my effort to give of myself and share my path with you, I find fulfillment.

Know that the fundamental principle behind my articles is to share my journey with you. There are many things I have learned, practiced, and experienced as a primary producer of The VIP Profiles. One is that there are many people that have gone before us, who have trodden many roads, and experienced countless things. Their journey has a story which deserves to be heard and learned from.

Although I am a firm proponent of taking the road less traveled, I still believe you need to know where the other paths have led. This is my path shared for you. My hope is that sharing my path with you enables you to let your life speak!

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The VIP Profiles. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/

JWN: A VIP Student Experience

The VIP Profiles and the Student Experience

By: Joseph W. Norman

It is about that time of the year for me. Or, rather, it is about that time of my life. On May 17, 2008, I will complete my undergraduate experience at the State University of New York at Geneseo, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English. Often, when I say that, I hear a variety of quips like; “Good luck getting a job,” “Sucks to be you,” or, “What are you going to do with that degree? Teach?” Well, I’m proud to say that none of these particularly apply and that is due in large part to The VIP Profiles.

First, what defines the student experience? Many, in fact most, attest that it is predominately an academic campaign. If we look through this lens at the effect of The VIP Profiles on my experience, the result is pure, unadulterated failure. Since the inception of the eZine on January 21, 2007, my GPA has dropped by approximately half a point. I have “successfully” gone from a 3.63 in my first semester to a solid 3.0 (or slightly below) the last three semesters. On par for this last one too!

Am I proud of this? Not necessarily. But, I have learned a few things about how to have a rewarding student experience. With that in mind, I am proud to say SUNY Geneseo has been an exceptional outlet for my life pursuits. With its focus on a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum (and affordable price), it promotes both classroom excellence and co-curricular involvement. This combination makes up most of the elixir that has left me with a Geneseo love affair.

So, if I claim the experience has been rewarding, but I “failed” academically, then what was it? It was a matter of personal development. The unique mix of activities at Geneseo helped me figure out a large part of who I am, what I want to accomplish, and what I bring to the table in my efforts to complete those goals. This creates the first challenge of describing the college experience for me; “How do you balance academia and life experiences?”

I’ll admit that I am hyper-responsive with things that strike passion in my veins. At the outset of my college career I removed myself from most extra-curricular activities (with the exception of Cross Country and Track) in an effort to excel in the classroom. My first year was an academic success as I posted a 3.53 cumulative GPA at its closing. Not a bad start.

What I learned after that first year though was the importance of being proactive in college and the power of your relationships on personal and professional development. (Insert VIP Profiles plug here).

Now, let’s take a step back from my personal experience and look at a systemic issue in higher education. Educational institutions tend to train employees but we live in a capitalist system in the United States which rewards entrepreneurs and business owners. This paradox throws a wrench in the spokes on the tandem bicycle of college, jointly ridden by academic success and professional development.

The question is, “How do we empower (and effectively place) the future employees and inspire (and train) the prospective entrepreneurs with the same system?”

Back to my experience. I learned a large part about the entrepreneur in me through the relationships I developed and the extra books I read. For those of you still in college, I did in fact say, “extra books.” It comes back to being proactive. You can’t just do enough to get by. You always have to push the limit and take one extra action for YOU everyday. That could be an athletic pursuit or a chapter of a book that covers a subject you are passionate about.

Both of these extra actions have been intimate parts of my life in college. My training as a student-athlete for three and a half years taught me much about competition, camaraderie, and hard work. Meanwhile, my passion for leadership, personal, and professional development led me to Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Black Book of Connections which inspired The VIP Profiles.

After I co-founded the eZine with Ben, I truly began to find myself. Again, back to the paradox, this was completely an outside of the classroom pursuit. It might as well have been the noose enabling my academic suicide. However, it empowered me to seek out and learn from passionate people. In the beginning it happened unintentionally, but I have since learned that this is the (seemingly lost) art of finding good mentors. Looking back on my experience this was the most critical point.

First, it was Cynthia Oswald, President of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce. Her generosity of time, energy, and resources has taken second fiddle only to her infectious positive attitude and her living example of effective organizational leadership. Then it was SUNY Geneseo President Christopher Dahl, who I learned countless lessons from through both personal conversations and outside observations. Also, I’d like to add for the “English degree nay-sayers,” Dr. Dahl is a Professor of English at Geneseo and a scholar of Victorian Literature.

As the scope of VIP influence spread itself past the Livingston County lines, I got to know Chris McVicker, Chairman and CEO of The Flanders Group. Words can barely describe the impact this man has had on me. The life and business lessons I continue to learn from Chris make up a tremendous part of who I am and who I will become. Also, you can thank him for about half of the VIPs we have ever featured. He is a great connector!

Now, thanks to an introduction from Chris, I am pleased to mention David Mammano, Founder and CEO of Next Step Publishing.

This is a special relationship in regards to this reflection because David and I are working with another competent and confident colleague, Shaun Walker, on developing a business focused on exactly what this essay is trying to articulate, the college to life transition. More on that to come!

So, what have these tremendous relationships meant to the student experience? They have put me on the path towards letting my life speak. And, isn’t that what college is all about? We study and bust our tail in an effort to get on the right career path (which is hopefully synchronized with our passions).

Again, I’m hyper-responsive. Thus, as I learned from these relationships, I began to search them out with more vigor and intellectual curiosity. Was my approach the correct one? Maybe. But, more importantly it helps me pose this question, “How can students balance the “paradox”?

The answer to that involves a balance between the proactive search for mentors and a concept which I call the “4.0 box.” When I’m beating on doors with my rather bold personality and my offer for VIP status, some of my colleagues are holed up in the library pounding out school work. Which approach is correct? That depends on a person’s objective and I can only speak from my own experience.

This I do know for sure though. Being in college doesn’t mean you’re removed from the real world. The fulfillment I’ve received from interacting with passionate people leads me to believe that a balance between the “4.0 box” and a VIP guy’s lifestyle is an essential component to an effective student experience. Why?

Three reasons. 1) The discipline you develop with your studies can be applied to another (more important) subject, YOU, 2) The professional relationships you proactively pursue create a support system for your career path, and, 1+2=3) A disciplined approach to building genuine relationships will help you discover your passions and develop a clear picture of the path you can take to pursue them.

Since the beginning of my college experience I have believed whole heartedly in the importance of effective communication. This led me to pursuing a degree in English; despite the abuse which asserted that English majors can’t find jobs. My passion for entrepreneurship and personal development inspired the creation of The VIP Profiles with my good friend and colleague, Ben DeGeorge.

Now, my hyperactive approach toward building and maintaining genuine relationships has taken me to the next step in my post undergraduate career…and I’ll let the suspense build on that one.

To sum it up, I will end with a quote from Steve Jobs; “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” My hunger led me through an English degree towards a career in business and entrepreneurship, while my foolishness helped me ignore those who said that can’t be done. And, most importantly, SUNY Geneseo gave me an outlet to succeed with my rather unconventional approach to the student experience.

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The VIP Profiles. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/

JWN: A Secret for You

A Secret for YOU

By Joseph W. Norman

About a week and a half ago I got hold of a concept that changed the way I think about a lot of things. In fact, it changed the way I think about my thoughts (as strange as that sounds). It is from a book by Rhonda Byrne called The Secret. Its message, if exercised properly, will absolutely amaze you. I’ve tried it a few times already over the last few weeks and have seen some compelling, early results.

“It has been passed down through the ages, highly coveted, hidden, lost, stolen, and bought for vast sums of money. This centuries-old Secret has been understood by some of the most prominent people in history: Plato, Galileo, Beethoven, Edison, Carnegie, Einstein – along with other inventors, theologians, scientists, and great thinkers.” - from The Secret

So, what is The Secret? It is the law of attraction.

The world moves according to a series of scientific laws. One that may come to your mind immediately is the law of gravity. I know that if I jump from a tree, I’m going to hit the ground. Without bias towards who I am or what I plan to accomplish, that law exists and influences my life every moment of every day.

The law of attraction states that everything happening in your life, good or bad, is there because you attracted it there. This could be anything from relationship issues to debt or a best-selling book to hitting your sales quota in half the time. It’s even fueling that job search you are on and that job offer you really want to get.

It all boils down to this phrase; “What you think about, you bring about.”

For me, this law helped answer one of the biggest “whys” I have had in my life. For years and years I have focused on having a positive attitude. Constantly, I’ve read about it and truly believed that if I focused on thinking positive things I could create powerful results. Recently, when I found and fully immersed myself in The Secret I discovered why that phenomenon works. It’s the law of attraction.

How does the law of attraction work?

Science has proved that your thoughts have frequencies which communicate with the world around you. In essence those thoughts are your personal magnetic force which draws things into your life. Like attract likes. Or in three other words, thoughts become things. It’s science. This is a fundamental law of the universe. Whether you understand it or not, this law is affecting your life.

KEY QUESTION: What do you really want from life? Wealth? Health? Happiness?

ACTION PLAN: Make a list of five things you really, truly desire and think about those things every morning and every night. Carry a list with you throughout the day and revisit it every now and again to keep your mind privy of your passions.

I’m really just starting to learn and apply this concept in full, but I wanted to bring you along for the ride with me. When you come across some things in your life they make a tremendous impact on your psyche and the way you think about the world. You don’t always know when that is going to happen, but you definitely know when it happens.

This is one of those moments for me and I want to share it with you. The thought time I have put into this concept over the last week has been enormous and I’m already seeing results. Everyday, some event has happened, big and small, which has affirmed this mind set and discipline I am now applying to my life. It has truly been incredible.

Now, here are some cautionary items you need to know because at first this concept is a bit overwhelming. You have over 60,000 thoughts per day, how do you control them? Remember, what you think about MOST, you bring about. So, you don’t have to control them all. Also, your feelings are the best guide of the thoughts you are having. If you’re feeling good, keep thinking and feeling that way. If you’re feeling bad, think of something positive which makes you feel good; i.e. a past success or a loving family member.

Good feelings are things like hope, satisfaction, joyful expectation, happiness, excitement, passion, and love. Bad feelings are things like fear, guilt, depression, resentment, blame, hate, and revenge.

A few more things about the law of attraction that you need to know. There is a time delay. It takes time for the universe to bring things full circle. Also, positive thoughts have stronger frequencies than negative thoughts. Therefore, affirmative statements have the most traction.

REFLECTION: Think about negative thoughts or fears you have had in the past and how they manifested themselves into your life. Now, think about positive thoughts and real passions you had which came true in your life. Amazing, right?

The greatest leaders in the world understood this concept. Some suppressed it and kept it from others, some wrote about it and shared it with the world, but either way, all of them applied it and we continue to talk about them to this day.

Check out the book. Make your top five list and start to have fun with this. Life should be fantastic. What is your dream life? Have some near term desires and some long term big ideas. Get the universe working for you. I assure you that you will be amazed by the results.

My executive coach, Jennifer Sertl, taught me a philosophy she holds dear; “Be. Do. Have.” And, it works in that order. Once you internalize mentally who you want to become, that will move you to do what you need to do, and eventually have what you want to have.

The Secret is the science of “being.” You don’t necessarily have to understand exactly how it works, but I want you to know that it exists and that it is affecting your life every second of every day. Use the power of The Secret to your advantage!

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The VIP Profiles. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/

JWN: Tribute to Ken Blanchard

A Tribute to Ken Blanchard

By: Joseph W. Norman

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see Dr. Ken Blanchard speak at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. Ken, a man often referred to as insightful and compassionate, is considered one of the world’s most prolific authors on management. His best selling book, The One Minute Manager, is a quintessential text for any manager’s library. I was fortunate enough to listen to Ken’s thoughts on his new book, The One Minute Entrepreneur. His talk was truly tremendous! In addition, I had a chance to speak to Ken afterwards and get my pre-released copy of The One Minute Entrepreneur signed!

The following is compiled information about Ken and notes from his talk in Rochester.

From the Ken Blanchard company website;

“Ken is Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies^®, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, founded in 1979 in San Diego, California. He is also a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees. Ken is cofounder of The Center for FaithWalk Leadership, which is dedicated to helping leaders walk their talk in the marketplace.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence." He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. And in 2004 Ken was awarded with The Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA—The Association of Learning Providers.”

From his Rochester talk on leadership and entrepreneurship:

VIP Fact Sheet:

-Wife, Margie, was born in Rochester, New York. Although the couple lives in San Diego, California, they continue to consider Upstate New York home.

-Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester is one of his top five favorite golf courses.

-The couple has a summer home in Skaneateles, New York

What Ken thinks creates your self worth?

1-Fate

2-Early childhood interactions with adults

3-Failures

4-Perceptions of the first three

Ken believes the last principle is the most important.

Success stems from mastering the “Four P’s”

1-Passion

2-Profit

3-People

4-Priorities

Passion:

Do you really love what you’re doing? You want to be able to lose track of time with your “work.” There should be a difference between “having” to do something and “getting” to do it. That is passion.

Profit:

If you don’t make money then it is a hobby. The true test of purpose is getting paid. It is not dirty to make money. Profit is the applause you get from taking care of your customers and motivating your people.

People:

You’ve got to be a servant leader. This is the key determinant to managing the people game. There are two parts to that concept. 1) Visionary, or the strategic leadership, and, 2) Implementation, or the operational leadership. You have to do the right things, right.

Ken believes that most companies do not have a compelling enough vision statement. You need to define your vision in a creative and succinct way. For example, Disney is in the happiness business. Everything they do revolves around that. What is your picture for the future?

Set the vision and then turn the pyramid upside down to put the people closest to the customers on top. One person can change the whole game!

Priorities:

If something is important in your life, put structure to it. For legendary NFL football coach, Tony Dungee, his priorities are, 1) God, 2) His wife, 3) His children, and, 4) His job.

There needs to be a set of operating values, in order of importance that everybody in the organization needs to know.

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The VIP Profiles. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/

JWN: How to Nail Your Interview!

How to Nail Your Interview!

By: Joseph W. Norman

Need a job? Have a job but want a new one? Spring seems to be the season of change. The leaves are budding on trees and you are getting restless. For some of you school may be ending and you need that summer job to pay off that credit card debt you racked up when you spent that money you didn’t have.

Or, if you’re already working, your spring cleaning might not be just your house, but also your career. Whether you are young or old, “Rookie of the Year” or grizzled veteran, I guarantee you that the next step in your life, summer job or full time employment, is going to require an interview.

So, what do YOU need to know about that interview?

Over the last year and a half I have had the opportunity of sitting on the other side of the table as the interviewer with VIPs on the verge of being featured in The VIP Profiles. Through those experiences and extensive reading and practice (my own interviews), I learned how the interview process works and what it takes to succeed.

Here goes…

Meet the decision makers in a natural, comfortable setting before the interview ever takes place. This is, in my opinion, the most seldom used and most important part of the process. Every job I’ve ever taken started with a relationship I had built far prior to interviewing. Build your safety net before you need it.

ACTION PLAN: Think about a job that interests you. Make a hit list of five people that do that job. Take those five people out to lunch. It’s that simple.

RESULTS: 1) You’ll find out you don’t really want that job, or, 2) You will have five people in your corner if you decide to move in that direction.

Be prepared with the facts of how you can affect the bottom line. A company is like a pot luck dinner with a purpose and a profit model. What are you bringing to the table? How does it help those at the feast bring home the bacon?

ACTION PLAN: Research the company extensively; online, phone conversations with employees, face-to-face interactions (refer to step 1). Know what the business does, how it works, why it works, and what can be improved. Then, ask yourself, “How can I help it improve?” Showing up with that information in hand is incredibly impressive. What is your value?

RESULTS: 1) You are hired on the spot and your insights are accepted as the truth of truths. 2) More realistically, you have a candid conversation and learn more about how the business works, why it works, what can be improved, and how you fit in.

First impressions count…more than anything else. Interviewers often make decisions about an applicant during the first few minutes and spend the interviewing time justifying that decision.

ACTION PLAN: Dress the part you want to play. Arrive early (at least 15 minutes). Be friendly to the receptionist and everyone else you meet (people talk about you behind your back). Review your notes (confidence breeds confidence). Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and a warm smile. Use their name during the introduction and thank them for the opportunity to interview.

RESULTS: 1) You set the tone for the interview; friendly, professional, and genuine. 2) You create an atmosphere of comfort and confidence; both are essential components to you being “you on your best day.”

An interview is just a conversation between a few people trying to get to know each other. Be an artist. Ask interesting questions about the interviewer and the company. You’re at an interview because they like you. Now, they want to know if they can work with you. Be yourself and show off your personality.

ACTION PLAN: Construct questions from your research on the company (this shows preparation) and your interest in the interviewer (don’t forget that companies are just groups of people assembled to fulfill a common purpose). I.e. “What brought you to the company and what is keeping you here?” Focus on the end game, the relationship.

RESULTS: 1) Your comfort level directly correlates with your performance. The more comfortable you are, the more apt you are to show your true abilities and personality. 2) Interviews help build relationships. Think long term.

Follow up or lose out. Your interest in the company and the people you meet doesn’t stop when you walk out the door so get the information necessary to follow up!

ACTION PLAN: During: Collect business cards. Hand out your own. Take notes on the people and the major points discussed. After: Critique your performance. Write a personal note to the interviewer(s) within twenty four hours. It is appropriate to thank your interviewer(s) with both email and personal note. Reference your notes from the interview in the follow up. This establishes the connection. Make a phone call to clarify the status of the job opportunity within the first two weeks.

RESULTS: 1) Your follow up (email and personal note) shows respect and establishes a connection between you and the interviewer(s). 2) Your phone call may seal the deal for you. Being proactive always helps, just don’t be annoying. Calling everyday is not effective and often counter-productive.

HAVE FUN. The whole process should be both thrilling and enjoyable to you. It is an opportunity, not just a means to an end (getting the job). The more you learn to love the process, the more you will succeed at it!

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The VIP Profiles. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/

JWN: Design Your Life

Design Your Life

By: Joseph W. Norman

What kind of structure is in your life? How do you spend all of those hours? Odds are you might not have a clue. Personally, I have a decent idea, but my life sure isn’t as measured as it needs to be. Why is this important? Time management is one thing, but lifestyle design is another!

I just finished reading Tim Ferriss’ book, Four Hour Work Week. In it, he discusses his concept of lifestyle design as an alternative to long haul career planning. Ferriss rests on an ideal of focusing on quality over quantity and weighing the critical few versus the trivial many. He has used this approach to automate his businesses, allowing him to travel all over the world. His story is really quite incredible. (For more information on the Four Hour Work Week, check out his website here).

For now, however, it is crucial to discuss the importance of knowing what you’re doing. What does your life look like? Is it structured to maximize your strengths, achieve your goals and dreams, and make you as effective as possible?

I am a writer and entrepreneur, so my life needs to facilitate creativity and productivity. These two things are the life blood of effective output for me. So, how do I alter the inputs and design of my input strategy to increase my outputs?

Recently, I’ve been meeting with a tremendous executive coach, Jennifer Sertl, founder and president of Agility 3R. The last time we met, she stressed the importance of getting disciplined with my writing and providing more structure to my life. Jenn, a self-proclaimed “design freak,” would give such advice. Here’s why it works:

Structure makes you MORE creative!

Jenn Sertl’s colleague, Michael Allosso, a communications specialist, actor, and executive coach attests, “Sterling preparation blended with spontaneity will help you be YOU on your best day.” Thanks to Jenn, I recently got to attend Michael’s workshop “You on Your Best Day.” He absolutely blew my mind. (For more information on Michael, check out this video of his lecture!)

People who have deadlines get things done. So, make deadlines for yourself. Build in time for creative problem solving and prepare for that time like it is a meeting with your boss. You are, in fact, the boss of your life.

NOTABLE: Projects and problem solving should have deadlines. Design both into your schedule.

Quantifiable inputs and outputs establish mission critical tasks and put you on the path of producitivity. What are your mission critical tasks? Define them and build their completion into your daily plans.

How do you manage mission critical tasks?

SINGLE TASKING. Yes, that word flies in the face of our over multi-tasked, “crackberry” oriented society. But, it is the most effective way for getting things done. Focus on the task at hand until it is complete. And, get it done early. It is best if they are completed before lunch, so you cannot use lunch as an excuse to step away.

Email is the single greatest productivity destroyer and deterrent from single tasking. Like everything else, design it into your day. Tim Ferriss recommends 11 AM and 4 PM if you are working a classic 9 to 5 work day. This allows you to focus, undisturbed, on the task at hand.

Batching. This is another key concept. When you take on little tasks every time they come up, you lose sight of your mission critical items. People often do not return to the project they were working on or article they were reading when “something comes up.”

Manage those “somethings” and design their completion into your life. Your new email response schedule is the batching concept applied. Take care of your 100 emails a day at the same time, instead of one at a time.

You may argue, “But, Joseph, my emails are crucial and time sensitive.” My response is, “Are they really?” More often than not, emergencies aren’t really emergencies after all. In addition, the pressure of batching helps you develop creative solutions to the “emergency” problem.

Some solutions include sorting your emails by key word or sender and automatically sending them to categorized folders, forwarding these emails to people you empower to handle them, or auto-responding with an email defining your email checking schedule and requesting a phone call for REAL emergencies. NOTABLE: Define emergencies in your auto-response.

People will take advantage of your time if you do not define your boundaries.

Design your day. It all boils down to this concept. Every evening, complete your written plan for what you are going to do the next day. Define your mission critical items and structure your time. Build in time for completing your mission critical tasks (best to complete before lunch), problem solving, and email reading and response. You should even structure in your quiet time; reading, reflection, relaxation, and meditation.

Know who you are, what you’re best at, and what you want to accomplish. Those three answers will help you formulate your life design. If it isn’t measured then it can’t be managed.

Take control of YOUR life!

___

Joseph W. Norman, resides in Geneseo, NY, and is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Notable and Newsworthy. He offers lectures and keynote talks on leadership, personal, and professional development and is always up for a business lunch.

Joseph can be reached at Norms1523@gmail.com or 607.743.8569.

To receive the weekly eZine, The VIP Profiles, email viprofile@gmail.com or visit http://notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com/