How to Exceed in Business Speech by Jonathan Johnson

1.  Find your own advice.
What has worked for others may not work for you.  Be open to other's advice, try it out, and do what works best for you.
2.Read daily.
Keep up with the news.  Over time business vocabulary grows when you read business section. Reading the news will keep you informed.  This will serve you well
Read 12 books a year.  Reading list is varied. Prepare a short summary so that you can go back.
Read things other than words, numbers and statistics.  This will make learning a lifelong activity.
3.Learn to communicate clearly and succinctly.
Poor communication leads to miscommunication and leads to bad decisions.  "If I had more time, I would have sent a shorter letter."
Politics in the English Language by George Orwell was recommended by Jonathan Johnson.
4. Take blame and give credit.
It gives people in the company the freedom to admit mistakes.  Allowing people to admit mistakes allows them to be decisive.
5. A fair deal is the best deal.
A win-win deal is more profitable and long lasting than a win-lose deal.
6.Make your boss's life better.
What boss's really need are problem solvers.  They need people who are candid and constructive manner.  Look for more ways to assume more responsibility, even if that means doing the tedious.
7. Make the "middle" great.
The point between the beginning and the end result.  When you feel you are here, don't get stuck in an "when...then I'll be happy" attitude.  If you do this, you put your life on hold.

Selling Ourselves

The past two weeks I have been looking for employment and trying to figure out what kind of career I want to get into.  In this process, I actually stumbled onto something rather surprising.

Sales plays a bigger and better role in our lives than we realize.  Each of us has to "sell ourselves" as a product on a regular basis.  We sell a projected image of ourselves to potential employers, to potential dates, to clients, to a future mother-in-law, to teachers as the great student or the terrible student and so many others.

From my interviews, especially with Verizon and my Media Sales class I have learned that salesmanship is often the difference between getting a job and being unemployed.

It is important to care about the people and make them feel important.  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." -John C. Maxwell

Know about what you are talking about.  In this case, know about yourself.  What have you accomplished what are your strengths and weaknesses? Get to know about and believe in the product.

Finally, don't go overboard.  People don't like to feel like they're being pushed off an edge.  Sometimes all you need to do is talk, just tell people you know what you are up to and what your dreams are.  Often you will find someone else who is interested as well.

Trusting in the Lord

Recently I received a prompting to not go back to school this semester, to stay home and take classes online.  I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I knew it was what I was meant to be doing.  I took some risks.  I made my decision and would not be able to turn back.  I sold my housing contract.  Recently I've seen dividends.  While planning my classes I found that not only would I not be behind, but I would be ahead! It would also be cheaper.  There are several other things that are beneficial.  This experience has strengthened my testimony of the Lord and that He knows best.

I got the picture from here.

Setting goals...

It's been drilled into my head for as long as I can remember, the tricks to success.  Oft repeated are:

• Make sure your goals are measurable
• Set goals that are bite sized (if you set a big goal set smaller "check points" so you don't get discouraged)
• Get people to work with you
• Have some form of accountability
• Celebrate your successes

The tricks help, but it seems to me that the real key to success is WORK even though none of us want to hear it or do it. The key to success is finding a motivation that makes the work worth it.

Things that have helped me do that.

• Prayer
• Listing all the good reasons for it
• Don't give in an inch when you want to get lazy you will take a mile

I'm excited about my progress too!

Willpower Diet

I've started the Diabetic Diet.  I've been on diets before, but this is different.  I'm having more success and I'm set up to actually accomplish my goal.  What are the things I did differently?

1. Get a friend who actually cares. 
• They want to hear about your successes and your failures.
• If they will work with you on it that's awesome.
• Physical restraint from sweets may be necessary from time to time.  Like in Costco when there are free samples of cheese cake...
2. Get properly motivated.
• Why am I doing this?  Who is this for?  How much do I want this?  What do I get out of it?
• Again, get friends who will help you. (and want to)
3. Follow the rules.
• Exceptions... often when we think we are on a diet we make exceptions... well your body is losing weight but also making exceptions. Give yourself at least 2 weeks of solid following the "rules" without breaking them.
• The success will drive you to continue.
4. Make your goal measurable.
• My goal I am supposed to eat less than 1400 calories and cut out processed sugar completely for a while.  So I write down all the calories I eat.  I also measured my waist and weighed myself before I started.
5. Embrace change.
• Your eating habits and exercise mentality is going to have to change, have an open mind.
6. Make small good choices and relish little successes.
• If you need to work on your will power, work on it one decision at a time.  Your will power will get stronger as you exercise it.

I am so excited about my progress!  I've also inspired friends to do the same!  I will be sharing my successes and food substitutions in the future as well.

key to success

The key to success in waking up earlier, is your routine the night before.  Last night I exercised and took the time to relax, then I set out all my work out stuff for the morning, so when I woke up, I could just hop into it.  This morning was wonderful!  I woke up at 6:30am and I'm not even tired.  Not only that but I've already jump started my day, getting things done.

Buying something nice

Something that doesn't work on me because I end up splurging like crazy, but may work for some people is. Buying something nice for yourself.  It doesn't have to be fancy or intricate it just has to be something you want. Maybe it's a pack of gum, maybe it's a beautiful blouse.

Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon

(For more about the LDS faith click here, To request to meet with the missionaries click here, to request a free copy of the book of mormon click here)

(this picture is probably historically inaccurate but it is a great image of the Standard of Liberty and Captain Moroni)

I was thinking about the scripture in Alma 48:17
where it talks about if all men were like unto Moroni, Hell itself would be closed...
I want to be like that.
So I decided I'm going to study Moroni. I looked him up in the index and Captain Moroni first appears in chapter 43. So in the first 24 verses, which is as far as i got I made some observations.

Captain Moroni:

1. It says in Alma 43:17 that he took command when he was 25.  I feel this is significant but I’m not quite sure how yet.

a. Ambitious?

b. Close to my age?

2. Verse 19 says that he prepared his people with breast plates and other defensive armor.

a. This scared the lamanites.

b. This could be a metaphor for spiritual armor.

c. It says that he prepared his men.

                       i.   How do I apply this.  It means I need to help someone… but who exactly?

3. Moroni sent spies after the opposing army.

a. Didn’t depend on might.

b. Even when he was winning he didn’t get cocky.

c. Gaining knowledge was important.

4. Sent men to the prophet to seek counsel about the armies.

a. Had a plan and then asked for more help.

b. Knew where his strength came from.

c. Again, this shows humility.

Me time

I've been researching other rewards and I like the idea of actually scheduling some "me time." Not just giving myself a Mani & Pedi because I do that anyway therefore it's not much of a reward, but going somewhere. For Example, Balboa Park for those of you who live in San Diego area, or Yellowstone if you live in Idaho Falls area.  I also like "order in." (what can I say, I'm a food person)