” Embrace Change or Resist in 2017?”
HOW TO WIN BIG IN A CONSTANTLY CHANGING MARKETPLACE
8 Ways to Stay Relevant, Expand Your Skills, and Thrive
In her book The Future and Its Enemies, Virginia Postrel classifies people as either stasists or dynamists. Stasists resist change and try to tightly manage it. Dynamists, on the other hand, embrace change. They see the future as wide open and teeming with possibility. Which of the two are you?
I ask because nothing is as constant as change. Think back to the time you entered the job market. It doesn’t matter if that was five years or five decades ago. Name the industry, and it has experienced significant churn.
More is on the way.
Threats or Opportunities?
Pundits, consultants, and strategists are always trying to forecast what’s coming down the pike—especially this time of year. It’s impossible to miss predictions about automation, the freelance economy, Big Data, and AI in our social media feeds and favorite news sources.
Innovation, competition, and other factors converge to drive change faster and faster.
But the real question isn’t whether all the predictions will prove true. Some will, some won’t. The real question is whether you see possible changes as threats or opportunities.
It’s about balancing risk, though perhaps not in the way you might think. Of the two positions—stasism or dynamism—the second seems riskier, right? Only if we can count on things staying the same. But we can’t.
Hoping against change is hopeless. We end up fighting against our own personal growth and professional development. Juts as bad, we make ourselves obsolete in an environment that depends on flexibility, creativity, and momentum.
The real risky position is assuming you can stay in one position. That assumption was never foolproof. Now it’s just foolish. Beyond that, while the comfort zone might be comfortable for a while, it’s rarely fulfilling.
8 Ways to Thrive
So how do we shift from stasis to dynamism? Here are eight ways to win in today’s constantly changing marketplace:
- Stay curious. Postrel’s stasist/dynamist distinction is really about mindset. People who cannot imagine learning and growing are just wrapping an iron chain around their ankles. To thrive in today’s environment, keep asking questions and poking around the next corner.
- Read more books. I don’t care how many books you’ve read, there’s always another to shed new light on an old subject—or introduce you to something totally fresh. Find books in or near your area of expertise—and some outside it. Don’t have time to read? Try audiobooks. To get you started, here are the five best business books I read last year.
- Listen to podcasts. Another easy way to stimulate great thinking is through podcasts. I regularly listen to several. Like audiobooks, podcasts allow us to explore and learn at our own convenience. They also allow us to connect with very specialized information.
- Attend webinars and conferences. There are tons of actionable insights to be found at good conferences—whether digital or analog. I regularly tune into webinars, and I’ve learned a lot over the years from seminars and other conferences. Tony Robbins’ Business Mastery event is one of my favorites. Here are my recommendations for maximizing your next conference experience.
- Take courses. Whatever your level of education, there’s always more to learn. You can go back to school or learn online. You can study anything from design and photography to medieval history through companies like Lynda, Creative Live, and The Great Courses.
- Hire a coach. The above examples are all about getting new input. But even the most specialized are still for a wide audience, not you particularly. Getting specialized, one-on-one coaching can be a huge help. I’ve used coaches for years—not only for business, but also fitness goals.
- Join a mastermind. Mastermind groups not only provide specialized feedback for your business, hearing about the struggles and successes of your peers will trigger breakthrough thinking for yourself. What if you don’t have a mastermind to join? Consider starting one yourself.
- Meet new people. Our peer group determines a lot about the success we experience. Negative friends will keep you down, while positive friends can keep you moving forward. More than that, our range of opportunities are often set by the reach of our professional network.
- There’s no such thing as standing still. The real question in today’s economy is what direction we’re heading. We’re either pushing forward or drifting backward. I choose going forward.
What about you?
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“Information” Here are your ANSWERS!
“There are things we hear and do – – and NOW – – YOU will know WHY!”
We give “THANKS” to TOM McClarren – – we know he will find the ANSWER to all those things we would like to know WHY – – but we did not know where to find the correct answer?
VERY INTERESTING FACTOIDS
Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.——— ——— ———Coca-Cola was originally green.——— ——— ———It is impossible to lick your elbow.——— ——— ———The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska——— ——— ———The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%——— ——— ———The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%——— — —— ——— ——— ——— ———The cost of keeping a medium-size dog to the age of 11: $16,400——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.— ———— ——— ——— ——— ———The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:Spades – King DavidHearts – CharlemagneClubs – Alexander, the GreatDiamonds – Julius Caesar——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle.If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.—— — ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Only 2 people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 John Hancock and Charles Thomson.Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later.——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? Obsession——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter ‘A’?A. One thousand——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Women invented bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers.——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———Honey is the only food that doesn’t spoil?——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———There are more collect calls on Father’s Day than any other day of the year.——— ——— ——— ——— ———In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened,making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence, the phrase…’Goodnight , sleep tight’——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———It was accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father supplies his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink.Mead is a honey beer & because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.——— ——— ———In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts… So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them‘Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.’ . . . It’s where the phrase ‘mind your P’s and Q’s’ comes from.——— ——— ———Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups.When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service. ‘Wet your whistle’ is the phrase inspired by this practice.————YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2017 when…1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.2. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have email addresses.6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries…7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.8. Leaving home without your cell phone, which you didn’t even have the first 20-60 years of your life, is now a cause for panic & you turn around to go & get it .9. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.10. Your wondering what kind of president we will have after Jan. 20th!
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Million Dollar Fudge
Million Dollar Fudge
Nothing says Christmas like a rich and nutty fudge!
The whole family will love this classic fudge recipe!
Ingredients
| 4 ½ c. sugar | 12 oz. chocolate chips |
| Pinch of salt | 12 oz. German sweet chocolate |
| 2 Tbsp. butter | 1 pint marshmallow cream |
| 1 13-oz. can evaporated milk | 2 c. chopped nuts |
Preparation
1. Combine first four ingredients. Bring to a boil in a pot over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 6 minutes.
2. Combine chocolates and marshmallow cream in a large bowl. Pour boiling syrup over them and blend well.
3. Add nuts. Pour into a buttered, foil-lined 9×13-inch pan. Cool before cutting.
Makes about 30 2-inch squares.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 270; Fat: 13g; Cholesterol: 5mg; Sodium: 60mg; Total Carbohydrates: 43g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugars: 38g; Protein: 3g.
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Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
These butter cookies have that classic flavor, the one so we associate with the holidays.
Michelle got this recipe from her grandmother.
Ingredients
| ⅔ c. shortening | 2 tsp. baking powder |
| 1 c. sugar | ½ tsp. salt |
| ½ tsp. vanilla | ⅓ c. whole milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for frosting |
| 2 eggs | 1 c. confectioner’s sugar |
| 3 cups flour, plus a little more for rolling out dough |
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in vanilla and eggs.
2. Stir dry ingredients together. Mix while alternately adding dry ingredients and milk to shortening mixture.
3. Roll out dough on a floured board. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.
4. For frosting, mix confectioners’ sugar and milk to a spreadable consistency. Frost when cookies are cool. Sprinkle with colorful sugars or sprinkles before frosting sets.
Makes about 24 cookies.
Nutritional Information (per single cookie): Calories: 170; Fat: 6g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 105mg; Total Carbohydrates: 26g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 14g; Protein: 2g.
by
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“Every Little Girl’s BEST DREAM”
“This is that “DANCE” – – the ONE – – that every “Daughter and Dad” – – are so LUCKY to share – – and remember for EVER and EVER!
“Making “MEMORIES” that will last forever and a day… AL Aldrich and Daughter, Jaime… the new Mrs. Tyler Cardwell. ”
“This DANCE is a DANCE – – which is danced to “slow time” music – – and you ask me… WHY??? – – because… this DANCE will last forever … in the LAND of MEMORIES!”
“The “BOOK” is found with the title… “THE DREAM BOOK” – – and the Chapter to look for… “Best Dreams – Those that Last a LIFE-TIME!
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“First DAY… FULL WEEK at WORK”
“Would you call this … Food For Work … or WHAT?”
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“On January 9th… START the SINGING!”
“Happy Birthday to you… to YOU… and to YOU… and one more just for good measure – – to keep “YOU” both smiling… till we can all sing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” again and again!”
“WE wish “YOU… BOTH” – – many more “HAPPY BIRTHDAYS” – -just be Cause YOU ARE SO lucky… TO CELEBRATE A “big” BIRTHDAY … ON … JANUARY the 9th!
“Everybody on the count of three – – a one – and a two – and a three – – start singing… the BIRTHDAY song!”
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