Are you prepared?


“Misfortune weighs most heavily on those who expect nothing but good fortune.” Those are the words of Seneca the philosopher. He also said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Dang! This guy could have made millions as a life coach and mentor two thousand years later!

Have you noticed? The world is in turmoil. It’s not all doom and gloom either. With every societal and economic shift lies opportunity. Last week I spoke with a realtor. Guess what? He’s going through some major change- unfortunately, he’s having a rough go of it and seems a bit defeated. I had a similar conversation with a mortgage broker.

Okay? So how can we cope? One way is to prepare the best we can.

Seneca was one wise dude. He instructed in his letters, “We should project our thoughts ahead of us at every turn and have in mind every possible eventuality instead of only the usual course of events.” You can call this visualization. Some have called it negative visualization. In other words, what’s an ugly circumstance and how could I deal with it? In doing this you’re less likely to panic, freak out, or let the situation put you in a tailspin. 

At times life is a battle. Seneca admonishes, “A commander never puts such trust in peace that he fails to prepare for a war.” It’s better to hope for peace and prepare for adversity or conflict.

So what should we be doing during the good times? “It is in times of security that the spirit should be preparing itself to deal with difficult times; while fortune is bestowing favors on it then is the time for it to be strengthened against her rebuffs.” Good advice, since fortune can be fickle. 

And if you find yourself overcome with worry remember this- “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality”. How true that is.

This weekend and next week ponder the words of Seneca as you take in the rapidly-changing world around you. Prepare practically, but do not neglect the work of strengthening your mind.

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This is when you’ll change


This is when, and only when you’ll actually make a change.

Are they getting your ‘leftovers’?


Leftovers are great if they’re in the frig, but not if that’s what your loved ones get from you in time, attention, and energy.

It’s always the same old story


No matter what you do, stress will find you.

7 Ways to prevent decision fatigue

preventing decision fatigue


Have you ever looked back at some of the questionable decisions you’ve made and seen a pattern? It may be due to decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue is the concept that your ability to make good decisions becomes worse after making a series of decisions earlier in the day.

Decision fatigue can lead to a plethora of negative outcomes. A senseless argument with your spouse or colleague. An impulse purchase that sets you back financially. An unusually snarky email sent to a potential referring partner. 

Here are a few ways to avoid decision fatigue.

1- Limit the number of decisions you have to make each day. Steve Jobs was said to have worn the same outfit every day to reduce decision fatigue. One less thing to think about using precious mental bandwidth. Those who prefer a consistent daily routine are less likely to suffer decision fatigue. 

2- Make important decisions sooner than later. Like the  [read more]analogy of filling a jar with rocks, pebbles, and sand, your mental energy is finite. Prioritize which decisions to make first based on their order of importance. 

3- Identify what’s in your control and what is not. This is called the dichotomy of control. Don’t attempt to make decisions about things you ultimately cannot influence. 

4- Fewer options are better. Salespeople have learned the more decisions you give a prospect, the more likely it is that they’ll decide…to do nothing! Pare down your choices and also how you present your services. 

5- Seek counsel. Getting feedback from trusted friends and advisors can help reduce indecisiveness or what we like to call the paralysis of analysis. Chances are they may have faced a similar quandary. 

6- Do less. Schedule time for silence. Set aside an hour or two with no interaction on your phone whether it be email, social media, or news feeds. The less information you attempt to jam into your brain each day the less likely you are to suffer decision fatigue. 

7- Know your energy levels. Many have found it’s best to eat 5-6 emails a day to keep their blood sugar, the fuel for our brain, steady without the cloud of exhaustion or confusion. 

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