Welcome to the August Issue of the Norquest Report! You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to the Norquest Report from Norquest Associates.

This Month's Quotes

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” ~ Jesse Jackson

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.” ~ Robert H. Schuller

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” ~ Henry David Thoreau ~ 1817-1862

It's About Time
by Bill Blake

Time is a paradox – everyone wants more time, but everyone has all the time there is. So really, it boils down to the fact that we have to choose what we will do with the time we have been given. We have to decide on our priorities - those things that are really important, and those things we will give up. It is our choice and we must bear the consequences of our choice.

Guiding us in our choices are 3 principles:

1. The first is the “Principle of Responsibility”. We are 100% responsible for our lives. As Clement Stone once said, “You always do what you want to do. This is true of every act. You may say that you had to do something, or that you were forced to, but actually, whatever you do, you do by choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.”
2. The second is the well known “Pareto Principle”. This says, “For many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes”. In other words 80% of your results will come from just 20% of your efforts. It is then, to our benefit, to concentrate on the 20% of factors that yield the 80% of results.
3. And the third is the “Principle of Insanity” credited to Albert Einstein. This is self explanatory “Doing things over and over again and expecting different results.”

But while time is finite, our imagination and our choices are infinite. So our actions – what people observe – come from 3 sources.

The first is “Conscious Choice”. We have the right to choose, although we do not have the right to choose the results of our choosing. This is probably the best choice, because we are in control and we are choosing our actions based on some forethought.

The second is choosing not to decide – we procrastinate. This is the worst choice and leads to crisis management and waste. This choice, or tendency, can be easily overcome by the simple – or not so simple – act of planning. It involves establishing priorities, and planning your work for the day based on those priorities, before the day begins.

The big question is - why? Why would you want to do this? Well, some possible reasons include:

• Reducing your wasted time by just five minutes each hour you would increase your productivity by 8.3%
• Meeting deadlines with ease
• A feeling of regaining control and balance in your life
• Better decisions on priority assignments
• Achieving the lifestyle of your choice

Basically it’s a question of balancing your needs with your wants!

Jesse Jackson is quoted as saying, “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know that I can achieve it”. So it starts with a vision, then a plan, and then action. A plan without a vision is foolish, and action without a plan is plain silly!

So you begin with a “vision” – a clear picture of your fulfilled vision at some specified time in the future. The vision must be specific. The clearer you can see it, the more likely you will achieve it. Then you must analyze your vision. What strengths do you possess that will help you in your quest? What weaknesses or shortcomings do you have that you will have to remedy? What opportunities exist in your world that you can take advantage of? And what threats or obstacles exist that you must be aware of, and overcome or avoid?

Then comes “planning” – the second key in your formula for success, and planning should always come before action. Planning is plotting your path to your vision. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It will require the development of new skills, and/or the reinforcement of existing skills. Your success will be determined by your tenacity and your ability to adapt to change. Goals are an important part of the planning process because they are the milestones that keep you accountable, and on the right path toward the realization of your vision. Of course, they must answer the “what”, “when”, “how”, and the “action steps required”.

Good planning obviously requires a work plan, but good planning also requires a time plan – that identifies your estimates of the time needed, and a system for scheduling, including the flexibility to alter those time commitments if necessary. In this process you will undoubtedly have to make choices – and live with the consequences of those choices. Therefore, it is critical that those choices be made in accordance with your identified priorities.

• First of all you must Create a blueprint. A  way of proceeding
• Then you must have a system for effective Communication – both written and verbal
• Third you must operate from a Clear workspace. A cluttered workspace leads to a cluttered mind and time loss. For years I fought this idea – but then I was challenged, and the results were obvious
• And fourthly, you must Control your interruptions

These four “C’s” constitute your system for organizing your life. The type of system you use is up to you, just as long as you have a system. Just remember that old adage, “a ship with no destination will find all winds favorable”.

The key to your success is to give it your undivided attention each day. In addition, ask for help – get a Mentor, or a Coach, or an accountability partner. Every elite athlete has one.

And also celebrate your successes

• Use positive self reinforcement – recognize and reward your successes
• Keep up to date with the new technology – the tools for change. We live in a changing world – so you must master the new tools

Plus there are two “magic” ingredients that are critically important to your success! The first is enthusiasm! I do not think that anyone has said it better than Og Mandino:

"Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles.”

Take any field of work you wish, observe the relative success of those who are working enthusiastically, with those who are not. It is easy to see why the enthusiasts are more successful.

And the second is Attitude!

Mac Anderson, the Founder of “Simple Truths” and “Successories” also emphasized the importance of attitude! He wrote:

“There is no way to overstate the importance of a positive attitude in your life. However, no one can underestimate the difficulty in maintaining it. It’s not easy, and it is a very personal thing, but it can be done”

Many of you will have seen the movie “Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith. It is the story of Chris Gardner, and the many roadblocks that were in his path to success, but because of his dedication to his vision, he did realize it. Really, the only thing stopping you from achieving all your goals is you! And if you wish to see real positive attitudes in progress, visit any of the Special Olympic events – where individuals with obvious handicaps are fulfilling their life’s vision.

You CAN do it - if you can SEE it, BELIEVE it, and ACT on it!

Now you may be asking, “What‘s next?”

Well, mastery starts with feedback! Ask for it! Feedback really is the “Breakfast of Champions”. Decide on, and implement a system that you are comfortable with. The Time Mastery Profile® provides a detailed framework for personal action planning. Use it!

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Time Mastery Profile®

If you could reduce your wasted time by just five minutes every hour, your productivity would jump by about 8.3 percent. Your efficiency level would also rise as you could now devote more time to completing critical tasks.

The Time Mastery Profile® is a 36-page learning instrument that helps people assess their time-management effectiveness and create a personal plan for improving their skills in key areas. It is a complete assessment tool that helps individuals set priorities and manage their time more effectively.

TAP INTO A POWERFUL TOOL FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT

Our Time Mastery Profile Individual Online Report also includes a Skills Gap Analysis. This powerful feature shows how you rate your skill in each Time Mastery category, as well as its importance to your job. This data helps you quickly determine where to focus your time-management efforts for greater personal and professional success.

HELP OTHER PEOPLE MAXIMIZE THEIR TIME

In today’s streamlined, fast-moving workplace, it’s more important than ever to make the most of every day. The Time Mastery Profile helps individuals and teams develop customized strategies for improving productivity and increasing efficiency.

TIME MASTERY PROFILE FACILITATOR REPORT

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Are you currently a Leader of others? A Leader in Training? Responsible for Leadership Development? Or a Coach?

Then, as an introduction to Everything DiSC® 363™ for Leaders, Norquest Associates will offer one free trial to each unique organization, (identified by email), that would like to evaluate the program. Probably the best leader for this trial offer is the top decision maker, or the person responsible for leadership training; but the choice is up to each organization. This offer is worth in excess of US$150.

Norquest Associates will work with you throughout the process, and subsequent debriefing, to ensure that the experience goes well. For further information please contact us:

• by email to bblake@norquestonline.com or
• by visiting www.360FeedbackAndMore.com

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Productivity Tip of the Month

This month’s productivity tip is about “Jing” a software program that has been developed by Techsmith – the publishers of “Camtasia”. The software comes in a free version, and a “Pro” version that costs approximately $15 per month, and includes storage space on “Screencast.com”.  Screencast.com is TechSmith's media hosting solution that Jing uses to securely host your content. It's perfect for the kind of images and videos you'll want to make with Jing. The free version can be accessed at www.jingproject.com  (note: this is not an affiliate offer)

Jing is a screen capture software (similar to Snagit,) except that the capture can be annotated (see insert) and the program resides on your desktop at all times in the form of a small transparent half-moon shape at the top-center of your desktop screen – so that it is instantly and easily available.
Once you select your capture area you can annotate it with text and/or graphics. You can also capture screen movement, and create a video – though if you wish to do that, you are advised to get the “Pro” version.

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Featured Resource

Are you interested in developing your own blog or website?

Would you like to learn how to do it in the most effective way?

If so then you will not want to miss the registration for the new version of the Website Creation Workshop which will start on September 27th, with doors opening for registration starting September 14th.

This is a premium workshop for those who want to build their own website, without going through the hassle of professional web designers and /or learning HTML etc. I took this course in the fall of 2009, and repeated the experience in the Spring of 2010. Now we are proud to be affiliates.
In this series of workshops and Q & A sessions, Christina Hills will show you how to build virtually any kind of website, on your own, using FREE WordPress software, without having to go through the pain of having to buy, and learn, lots of difficult technical software.

Christina will introduce you to a variety of websites that you can create with WordPress including (but not limited to):

• Personal websites
• General Business Websites
• Websites that satisfy a particular niche
• Sales Letter Websites
• Membership Websites
• Personal Blogging Websites
• And much, much, more!

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