Human Capital
I watched a rather lengthy talk by Michael Ellsberg this afternoon. In this age of overpriced formal education, he shares four ways to increase your value, your Human Capital, at a low cost. I’ll give you the quick and dirty, but definitely watch or read the transcript if you’ve got the time.
- Learn to sell and persuade. There are business major programs all over the country that fail to teach effective selling. Wealthy entrepreneurs who did not attend college often say skillful selling got them where they are today.
- Invest in the quality of your attention. Improve your physical health by avoiding caffeine, getting enough sleep, exercising, etc. so your brain is ready to devote attention to the topic of your choosing.
- Overcome emotional liabilities. If you can learn to cut down on defensiveness and stop yourself from falling into a victim mindset, you’ll be more open to the types of constructive criticism that can greatly improve your performance. You’ll also be a better listener.
- Find meaning in your life and career. “What impact do I really want to have here on the planet?” If you start your day with a strong sense of purpose, with a reason for your actions, you’re more likely to accomplish your goals and make a positive impact on the people in your life.
Early in the talk he asks what an employee earning minimum wage has in common with a well paid CEO. The answer? They both have 24hrs in their day. Use them to the best of your ability!
Urge to Purge
I’m having really strong urges to get rid of half the things I own. Again. It is probably idealistic of me, but it seems like there is great freedom in having less stuff. That, and I’m tired of feeling anxious as soon as I enter my apartment.
I looked at a couple of sites that offer tips on how to de-clutter. Some of the things make sense. Others, however, don’t work for me. I’m not ready to rid of something like my curling iron just because I don’t use it every month. It works just fine and is easy to store under the sink until the mood strikes, even if it is a rare occurrence. Now, the craft supplies that have been buried in my closet for years? Those can go. It’s not like I have the space to do an art project here anyway.
/end rant.
7 More Classes
I have seven more classes until I finally finally have that fancy piece of paper that says I know something about how business works. This summer I am taking two classes (a lame required English class and Principles of Management), instead of one as I have been for the past several semesters. I like being in school, but the progress is just so slooooow when you take one at a time. If I push myself, I could be nearly done and almost ready to graduate by this time next year. Jon will be done in less than a month, and I’m so happy for him and proud of his accomplishment. Go hubby go!
Day Eleven
I’m already on the last day of my vacation. *sigh* I didn’t accomplish very much, but I can blame at least some of it on the cold I got on day seven. The last five days mainly consisted of trying to sleep and failing, eventually sleeping really late into the day, and watching a whole lot of television. Fortunately, I have plenty of The West Wing on hand, so I was never bored.
I’m only one photo behind on my project, but I might try to make it up today. We’ll see. I obviously didn’t make it to the gym as often as I’d hoped to, since I was sick for roughly half of my vacation. I also succumbed to comfort food a bit more than I should have, so it’ll be a couple of weeks before my number moves in the right direction. I just have to get back to following my healthy motto: “It’s all about the long trend…” I didn’t get much cleaning done either, which is unfortunate. Hopefully I’ll be well soon and get a big burst of energy so I’ll want to get some of that stuff done. Better late than never.
I’m not quite ready to go back to work tomorrow, but life keeps on moving, ready or not.
365 Photos
The ladies over at DayDreamz have influenced me to try a 365 project this year. These projects usually involve taking one photo per day for a year, or in some cases, one self-portrait per day for a year. I’m not quite that ambitious, so I’m just going to attempt to take and post 365 photos total during 2011. That way I can work ahead if I want, or catch up if I fall behind. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to do a series of shots that go together. It’ll still be a challenge though, considering I posted fewer than 200 shots last year.
Here’s my second photo for the year, of a handmade ornament from 1983. In the photo I’m roughly the same age as my niece is right now, 3 & 1/2. I was pretty cute, right? *grin*
If you’d like to keep an eye on my progress, I made a 365 in 2011 Set over at Flickr! Are you more of an RSS person? Grab the Set’s feed here!
Your Host
Feed and Read
