THE 6 HABITS OF THE ULTRA WEALTHY

This newsletter is credited to Tom Corley who published this article in Money/CNBC. I think it is spot on and I hope you enjoy it. Striking it rich is not a fluke. It takes hard work, fearlessness and a growth mindset. I spent five years studying the habits of 233 millionaires — 177 of them were self-made — to find out how they make use of their time. Based on my research, I identified six principles they all shared that helped them build wealth. The best part is that anyone can implement these and start working towards becoming a millionaire. 1. Self-made millionaires are constantly learning. For the millionaires I interviewed, learning and self-improvement were top priorities. Forty-nine percent reported that they took a few minutes every day to learn new words, and 61% shared that they practiced new skills (i.e., a sport or online class) for a minimum of two hours a day. Another 63% said they listened to audiobooks during their work commutes. Seventy-one percent said they often read self-help books. Many of them gravitated towards biographies of successful people. 2. Self-made millionaires listen more than they talk. One strategy that came up many times during my interviews was the “5:1 listening rule.” In group settings, for every minute they spoke, the millionaires listened for five minutes. This helped them to strengthen their work relationships and get a number of different perspectives on a given issue. And 81% said that they actively sought feedback from others every day, both inside and outside of the workplace. 3. Self-made millionaires build great teams. In my study, 86% of self-made millionaires worked an average of 50 hours or more a week. But they didn’t work alone. Many succeeded because they focused on their strengths and figured out a way to outsource their weaknesses. If they did not possess a particular skill, they delegated to someone who was great at it, so they could focus on the bigger picture and have more time and mental energy to execute it. Surrounding themselves with people who shared their vision made it possible to go the distance with their goals. 4. Self-made millionaires dream big. Many of the millionaires in my study used a strategy I call “Dream-Setting.” They sat down and wrote out what their ideal, perfect life looked like 10 years into the future. One of the millionaires in my study was passionate about wine, and thought that he could make millions investing in it. His family and friends didn’t think it was possible, but he was undeterred. Over the course of 15 years, he became an expert in the industry. In 2001, he liquidated a small fraction of his wine collection and was able to buy his dream home on the beach in Florida. He made $4 million in earnings — all because he refused to give up on an idea he believed in. 5. Self-made millionaires prioritize their health. Good health translates into longevity, which means more time to create more wealth. One millionaire struggled with her weight for a long time. One day, she decided to walk one mile a day. After a month, she increased to two miles, then three. By the time I interviewed her, she had run three marathons. She attributed her energy, focus and drive to succeed in part to these incremental fitness goals that changed her life. 6. Self-made millionaires make their own luck. I’m not talking about the kind of luck you have in Las Vegas; a whopping 94% of millionaires in my study said that they never gamble. Luck in this context isn’t happenstance, but taking a gamble on something new. Many of the millionaires shared an ability to see what is invisible to others, and come up with creative solutions and alternate routes to success. Ultimately, persistence creates opportunities, and luck eventually comes to those who refuse to quit on their dreams and goals. Source: Tom Corely, Money/CNBC, 11/19/22.

Exercising on a Budget

✓ Utilize the space you have and transform your garage or spare room into a small workout area. ✓ Buy multi-use equipment if your budget allows: o Resistance Bands o Dumbbells o Jump Rope o Step o Exercise Ball ✓ Shop second-hand stores or local online postings to find lightly used fitness equipment at a fraction of the cost. ✓ Incorporate body weight exercises that do not require special equipment to perform such as squats, lunges, pushups, and planks. ✓ Find workout videos that can be done at home and don’t require any special equipment or large amounts of space. ✓ Search for social media posts containing inspirational at-home workouts. ✓ Go outside! The outdoors are an incredible resource due to the unlimited possibilities for aerobic activity and bodyweight strength exercises. ✓ Get creative! Grab household items such as milk jugs, soup cans, or even your children to use as weights. ✓ Sign up for a fun sports league with some friends in your area; for example - volleyball, kickball, ultimate Frisbee, basketball, etc. ✓ Find some stairs outdoors and do laps up and down. ✓ Bike for transportation to save money on gas and get some exercise in! Family Activities for FREE! ✓ Engaging your family in physical activity is a great benefit to your health journey. ✓ Go on bike rides in your neighborhood or local trails. ✓ Walk to your local park and maybe perform a few pull ups on the monkey bars. ✓ Play tag in the backyard; whoever loses has to do 10 sit ups. ✓ If you live near a public beach, spend a day swimming and jumping over waves. ✓ Go on walks around the block to get some steps in. If the weather is poor, head to a local supermarket or mall to do some laps. What to Do Next There are a lot of cheap and free options to increase your activity levels. Be creative. Start today!! Source: Jesse Wirges, 10/26/22.

Do you know the top 4 benefits of sun?

Summer is in full force and the warm weather is everywhere, which means some of our favorite activities are back! The calendar fills up with pool days, walks in the park, trips to the local ice cream shop, hikes, family vacations, and school-free weeks. The return of the warmth entices us to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, but the constant reminder of protecting your skin from the sun is ever present in the back of our minds. Although the sun may get a bad rap due to the nasty burns it can cause if we aren’t careful, there are actually many health benefits that result from spending time in the sunshine! Good Source of Vitamin D Did you know that sun exposure for at least 15-30 minutes, especially around midday, produces vitamin D within the body? Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in the body and plays a vital role in calcium absorption, bone health, and immune system function, so ensuring the sun’s rays hit our skin to start the vitamin D production process is beneficial to our overall health. Low levels of this vitamin lead to symptoms such as fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness or aches, and low mood. No wonder this vitamin is dubbed the “sunshine vitamin!” Ensures a Good Night’s Sleep Spending time in the sun during daytime hours also ensures we get that much needed sleep once our head hits the pillow at night. Our sleep, along with hormone production, body temperature, and digestion, is regulated by what is known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm ensures that certain sleep hormones like melatonin are produced at appropriate times and amounts so that if any dysregulation is present, your sleep will be negatively impacted which is cause for concern since sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and disease prevention. So, get out into the sun! Spending most of the day outdoors or, better yet, spending full days outside on a camping trip, can reset your circadian rhythm resulting in a healthier sleep schedule. Helps Weight Management Not only does the warm weather provide more opportunity for outdoor physical activity, some studies show that regular sunlight actually helps fat cells sitting beneath the skin to shrink in size, thus reducing the amount of fat being stored within those cells. Although more research is still needed to observe the full cellular impact, we can still get moving outdoors to not only improve our cells, but increase our overall caloric burn as well. More movement alone aids in managing body weight and metabolic efficiency, so doing activity in the sun is just an added bonus for your body. Uplifts Overall Mood Yes, the sun can make us happy! When the sunlight hits our skin, our brain is triggered to release a “happy” hormone called serotonin. When levels of this hormone rise, we experience a boost in our overall mood which helps us feel more calm, happy, and focused. Studies even show that “among depressed participants, a dose-response relationship was found between sunlight exposure and cognitive function [mood, serotonin, and melatonin production], with lower levels of sunlight associated with impaired cognitive status.” So, if we are ever down in the dumps, we should focus on adding some sunshine to help brighten our day! Takeaway The moral of the story is that the sun isn’t to be fully feared and avoided. Although sun safety measures should still be implemented to ensure the harmful effects of too much sun time are prevented, regular time outdoors does indeed have a positive impact on our overall health both physically and mentally. We should enjoy those walks to the park or the family camping trips this summer…our bodies will thank us for the added time in the sunshine. Source: Jesse Wirges, 8/3/22.

Do You Have an Adaptable Attitude?

More from Denis Waitley, from his book Being the Best on page 222... If you want to thrive in life and in your business, you must have an adaptable attitude. The following four suggestions will help you put an adaptable attitude into action: 1. Instead of fearing change, expect it. View change as normal. Constantly check how flexible you are to new ideas, surprises and other situations that demand adaptability to change. My commentary - How did you adapt to the pandemic? Now that 8.6% inflation is here how will you pivot and adapt? How flexible are you to new ideas to combat this inflationary period? 2. Use the salvage-the situation approach. When things don't work out just the way you planned, don't panic or go into a blue funk. No matter what game you are playing, one loss does not make a season. One strike-out doesn't mean you can't win the batting championship. My commentary - How would you feel if you lost $80,000 in less than 20 minutes? Well now you know how I felt trading Apple options about ten years ago. Yup $40,000 evaporated in under twenty minutes. Trust me I was not happy, nor did I feel well; but, instead of giving up or going into a depression I learned what mistake I made and moved forward. In the ten years since I have made that $80K loss up dozens of times, if not hundreds of times over. One strikeout does not mean the end of the season if you can learn and adapt. 3. Ignore the little disappointments and irritations in order to reach your larger goal. Many people let the little things get to them and ruin their performance, attitude and chances for success. Adaptable people learn to live with a certain amount of inconvenience, embarrassment, discouragement, dismay and antagonism. They concentrate on what really counts-the major goal or objective. My commentary - I remember the first focus group that I did. Not only did I BOMB, but I embarrassed the hell out of myself because it was my accountant who set it up. By keeping the major goal in front of me I was able to analyze where I went wrong (everywhere!) and build a better presentation that has propelled my practice to soaring heights. 4. Remember the prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr. Change what you can, accept what you cannot change, and ask for the wisdom to know the difference. My Commentary-Amen to that! It is so spot on and when you live that prayer you automatically become adaptable. You heard it here first. In Gratitude, Paul Source: 911profit.com, 7/13/22.

40 Proven Business Killers

The article below will outline 40 proven business killers. Take an inventory of the list and cease any of the actions on that list. Next you must create a plan that will give you consistent growth by helping you to attract the best buyers in your market. This must be coupled with proper procedures. Lastly your plan must include business skills that will lessen your debt and start you saving for retirement. The time is now to make the changes. Inflation is ticking up quickly along with higher interest rates. Gas prices are high also. You deserve to stop living in fear and doubt. 99% of my clients probably started just like you. Hating the idea of being coached; hating the idea of spending money; and hating the idea of doing things differently. Go ahead and read some of their testimonials by clicking here. The following list will outline guaranteed small business killers. If you are inadvertently doing or not doing any of these, you may want to make the correction immediately. 1. You have no specific marketing plan 2. You are not spending present time consciousness with your customers/clients/patients 3. You are visualizing what you don't want instead of what you do want 4. You have a poverty consciousness 5. You don't read enough 6. You are in a constant state of fear 7. You do not train your staff 8. You do not have written goals 9. You are still using procedures that are old and have not been modified to reflect the present economy 10. You do not have a team of trusted advisers 11. You do not run or know how to read financial statements 12. You do not know how to create a budget 13. You do not understand business principles 14. You are not organized 15. You lack procedures 16. You do not understand how to strategically market 17. Nobody is holding you accountable 18. Your business practices are questionable 19. You are not innovative 20. You do not know how to upsell, down sell and cross sell 21. You fail to get out of your office to meet new people 22. You do not teach your employees how to run your business via systems 23. You are not using modern technology 24. You are frustrated 25. You are burnt out 26. You are apathetic 27. You don't donate time and or money 28. Your employees are not profit centers 29. Your staff needs to be told what to do next 30. You do not know how to control expenses 31. You have credit card debt 32. You are unprepared to pay your taxes 33. You live paycheck to paycheck 34. You wish you never went into your business 35. You do not have written goals 36. You do not look at your written goals daily 37. You waste time and procrastinate 38. You are not happy 39. You are not healthy 40. You do not wake up happy Start working on the list above and see what happens to your business or practice. You heard it here first. In Gratitude, Paul PS: A friend or colleague may benefit from what you just read. Please share it with them. Source: 911profit.com, 6/20/22.

15 hobbies to try that don't involve screens

Anyone else feel convicted when you get your “screen time” report on your phone each week? What about TV? How much time in front of that screen do we get sucked into during the week? Why are we so attached to these things? I have a theory that the total and even partial isolation we all experienced during the pandemic drove us more and more to our screens. Not that all of that was bad. Believe me, I’m grateful for technology keeping us all connected! But… Exposing ourselves and our families to too much of this can start to affect our thoughts and possibly even our actions—likely toward each other. It can be especially easy to get caught in the vicious cycle of scrolling mindlessly through our social media feeds—all in the name of connecting, of course. But does that really help us connect with each other? A study done by Stanford Medicine’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education cites that, “People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem, greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them. In other words, social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional, and physical well-being.” So, if real human connection is good for us in more ways than one and screens are seemingly counteractive to this connection, what should we do about it? May I suggest picking up a hobby… 1. Running I’m not suggesting to go into full-blown marathon training; however, there are many benefits to incorporating a running routine into your list of hobbies and even health goals. These can include increased lifespan, better sleep, sustained weight loss, and improved mental health. Want to find connection in running? Join a local run club or just grab a buddy and hit the pavement or trails! Start simple and see where it takes you. 2. Hiking Speaking of hitting the trails, maybe hiking through places like National or State Parks is more your style. No matter what type of trail you choose, it can be a total body workout. Not only does hiking get you out in nature, it can greatly increase your cardiovascular health, mental health, and relational health if you grab a friend or get the whole family involved. 3. Backyard Games With the weather warming up around the country, it’s the perfect time to invite some friends or neighbors over for a good old-fashioned Bar-B-Q, complete with an array of backyard games! Corn hole, badminton, and croquet are just a few. Or match up family vs. family in a classic game of kick ball. Your options are pretty much limitless! 4. Metal Detecting Get off those screens and get out looking for treasure! Whether it’s on a beach, along a trail, or even in a local park, it will get you out and moving. Living on the east coast of Florida, I hear stories all the time of folks finding old Spanish coins that washed ashore from centuries-old ship wrecks and were buried under mounds of sand. Though you may never find anything of great value, the thrill of the hunt can keep you out for hours! 5. Geocaching Okay, so this one may involve using your smart phone. BUT… it can be great fun to get the whole family involved. Parents can download the official Geocaching® app or use a GPS device and sign up for a free account to get started. Kids should bring a pen along to sign and date the logbooks when you find a geocache. They will love the experience of the adventure you create together! 6. Gardening Whether you have a black thumb like me or you fancy yourself a horticulturist, gardening can be fun and relaxing, and fairly easy to get started. If you’re worried about the upkeep, you can start small with planting a few herbs you know can be used in cooking, for example. Many stores will have herb kits to get you started. If you are looking to rival the gardens in HGTV magazine, it’s a good idea to visit your local nursery for tips and advice on which plants will thrive in your climate and the best season in which to plant them. The key to gardening is to be patient, no matter how you get started. 7. Painting Growing up in the 80s, Bob Ross helped us all believe painting was as easy as “adding some happy little trees”—simple enough for the average Joe. Though you may not be the next Picasso, there seem to be painting studios popping up all over the country with totally doable follow-along classes. With more than 240 locations all across the country, Painting with a Twist offers both in-person classes and take-home kits. Or maybe painting pottery is your thing. A quick Google search should help you find a studio near you. Hint: painted pottery from kids make excellent Mother’s Day, birthday, or Christmas presents! 8. Crafting While we’re talking about making gifts, there can be great satisfaction in creating things with your hands. From Christmas crafts to everyday home décor crafts, the possibilities are endless and DIY YouTube videos abound. You can also find a plethora of kid craft ideas plastered all over Pinterest—perfect for gifts for family and friends. 9. Camping One silver lining of the recent pandemic was the boom in camping. Families realized it was a great time to get outdoors and spend time together, reconnecting in nature. RVs are a great way to experience camping, or maybe you’re more into “roughing it” with a tent under the stars. Either way, with more than 60 National Parks and a multitude of State Parks wherever you are, there are plenty of exciting places to explore whether just for a night or an extended vacation. 10. Stargazing Speaking of being under the stars, have you ever looked up on a clear night and just marveled at the vast number of stars out there? A great way to appreciate God’s amazing power in creation and get your kids involved is buying a decent telescope and finding a clear space away from trees and lights. Keying in on the moon or fellow planets is cool enough, but don’t miss out on any number of meteor showers that take place throughout the year. 11. Rock Climbing You don’t have to live in the mountains to benefit from this extreme activity. Many cities throughout the US have indoor rock gyms these days. It doesn’t take much to get started, though if you decide it is something you want to do long-term, you may want to invest in some quality climbing equipment. This is also a hobby best done with a friend or two and is a great way to build up your strength and stamina. 12. Scuba Diving Maybe scaling high altitudes isn’t your thing. How about under water? Though considered an “extreme sport,” scuba diving can be very safe and, as I have found, amazingly fun (albeit not cheap)! You don’t even have to live near an ocean to dive as there are quarries, springs, or lakes just about anywhere that you can explore. The first step is to get certified through an organization like PADI. There are more than 6,600 PADI certified dive centers worldwide with a full range of classes including basic and advanced scuba, wreck diving, rescue certification, digital underwater photography courses, and much more. With diving, the world is your ocean—literally! 13. Cooking I used to like cooking… then I had kids. Enough said. However, there are so many new cooking shows out there that even my kids are now into it. Many places around the country offer family or group cooking classes where you can get step-by-step instructions as you work to create culinary masterpieces. Then, you get the advantage of being able to eat your creations together. And not just main courses. To my kids’ delight, they have been learning how to create decadent desserts. No matter what you choose to learn, enjoy the process (and the fruits of your labor) along the way. 14. Reading Ditch the screens and get lost—in a good book! Not only can reading improve your vocabulary, you get to use your imagination (assuming it’s fiction) which activates your brain rather than numbing your brain while watching TV for hours. This is a hobby you can even do for free by visiting your local library. Yes, you can access books on your mobile devices these days. But nothing beats holding a physical book in your hands and being able to flip through the pages. And if you have kids, your teacher will thank you for encouraging them to read outside the classroom. 15. Take Up an Instrument If you’ve had learning to play the guitar or piano on your bucket list, now is as good a time as any! In fact, make it a family affair and learn something together. The beauty of this hobby is you can learn at any age. It may take a while, but as they say: practice makes perfect. This Johns Hopkins article explores how music can impact your brain function and comes with many physical and mental health benefits that can keep us feeling young. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. Whether indoors or out, you are only limited by your imagination as far as picking up a new hobby. The goal is to get out there and have fun, try something new, involve the family or even friends, and limit the time we spend looking at screens. I’m especially cognizant of this as a parent. I want to encourage creativity and adventure in my kids as they grow up, engaging in conversations, laughing together, and learning new things. They won’t be around forever, after all. Source: Rebecca Barrack, 5/16/22.

14 Reasons That Will Prevent you from Reaching your 2022 Goals

Here’s a list of reasons you may fall short of your 2022 goals: 1. You’re addicted to instant gratification. Otherwise stated you’re treating a marathon like a sprint. 2. You’re consumed with the ‘little stuff’ that doesn’t matter (what you’ll wear, what you’ll eat etc..). 3. You spend too much time consuming social media. 4. You’re waiting until you’re “ready” … Reasons come first and answers come second. You’ll never be ready to make a jump in and start swimming. 5. Staying in your head ‘deciding’ if it’s the RIGHT MOVE for you. 6. Worrying about people judging you. 7. Feeling selfish for wanting to change. 8. Telling yourself the ‘timing isn’t right’ because of the pandemic, Thanksgiving, Christmas, upcoming school holiday break, summer holidays… and the list goes on. Remember, start swimming. 9. Worrying that you’re rushing it and will regret it later. 10. Feeling that you’re unworthy and not deserving. 11. You don’t surround yourself with people that can help you. Your greatest successes come through other people… and the people that helped you get ‘here’ will likely not help you get ‘there’. 12. You don’t track your progress and therefore don’t realize you’re actually making gains. 13. You made a list of things you want but not a list of WHY you want them. When I do anything worthwhile, I create a list of reasons WHY I want to complete it and each time I get frustrated, rather than quitting… I read my list of REASONS. BOOM… bigger picture dominates the little picture and I push on. 14. This one need to be the first and the last. You’re addicted to instant gratification. Otherwise stated you’re treating a marathon like a sprint. You heard it here first. In Gratitude, Paul Source: Dr. Paul Inselman, 911profit, 3/26/22.

10 ways to use online reviews to beat the competition

1. Update your Yelp Page Start by claiming your business on Yelp and updating your page. Make sure essential information is correct so customers can easily find you. This includes your website, phone number, and hours of operation. 2. Respond to every review When choosing a local business, 78% of customers feel that an owner or manager responding to reviews is an important factor (BrightLocal). Your response isn’t just for the reviewer. It’s a message that prospective customers will see when they are considering your business. A polite and helpful response is a signal that you appreciate happy customers and take negative feedback seriously. 3. Personalize your responses Make review responses stand out by personalizing them. Pick something specific from each review to call out in your response. Imagine a customer raves about fast service. You might respond with, “We’re so glad we were able to serve you quickly! Fast service is something we’re obsessed with.” Personalization shows prospective customers that you read each review and truly care about providing a great product, service, or experience. 4. Reply to negative reviews Don’t shy away from responding to negative reviews. Customers typically don’t trust a perfect 5-star overall rating, so a negative review can actually help you earn more business. An analysis by Womply found that businesses earn the most revenue when they maintain a 3.5- to 4.5-star average. Compared to those with just a few negative reviews, businesses earn 13% more revenue when 15-20% of its reviews are negative. Many prospective customers read negative reviews to see what upset customers have to say and how you respond. Let’s say a customer complains about a long wait. You might respond with: “Thanks for sharing your feedback! We take pride in serving customers quickly and have recently made several improvements to get better. We hope you’ll give us another chance to see the difference!” That response tells other customers you really care and are working to address the problem. 5. Be polite when responding to unreasonable reviews It can be difficult to keep your cool when writing a response to a 1-star review that’s full of errors and exaggerations, but a scathing response can be a turn off for prospective customers. You’ll earn more business by responding politely and professionally. A study published in the Journal of Service Research found that people are more likely to empathize with you when you respond politely to a rude customer. Rather than getting defensive, tactfully offer helpful advice to anyone else who might be reading the review. For example, a customer left a 1-star review for a carpet and flooring company, claiming they had called to get an estimate, but nobody had called them back. The owner politely responded, saying she double-checked her phone records and could not find the message. The owner added that it was unintentional if she missed the customer’s call and was sorry if they let the prospective customer down. The owner’s response gave other customers confidence that a missed call was not a chronic problem, and the flooring company’s 4-star overall rating was justified. 6. Fix problems Reviews contain useful feedback that can help you improve the customer experience—even positive reviews can include insightful, constructive criticism. A popular restaurant with a 4.5-star rating received three reviews in a two-week span that mentioned dirt or hair in items served. The reviews ranged from two to four stars, and each reviewer complimented the restaurant for friendly service. This wasn’t a vindictive review from a single upset customer. It was feedback that signaled a potential problem that should be investigated and fixed. 7. Discover your unique advantage Online reviews can help you discover what makes your business special. A great example is a wine bar in Portland, Oregon called Oregon Wines on Broadway. It has a 3.5-star Yelp rating, but look closely and you’ll find some very consistent themes. People who love it mention a great selection of Oregon Pinot Noir, knowledgeable employees, and a great place to engage in conversation. Customers who don’t like it mention a loud, boisterous atmosphere and rude staff. How can both be true? Because Oregon Wines on Broadway is a great place to go when you want to discover great wine and meet some locals. The atmosphere is boisterous and the employees are pretty salty, which can make it a lot of fun if that’s what you’re prepared for. But it’s definitely not the place to go for a quiet, romantic date. 8. Don’t solicit reviews Yelp prohibits businesses from asking customers for reviews, but there’s another reason why soliciting reviews is a bad idea. A customer’s last experience with a business tends to be one of the most memorable. When you ask for a review, you’ve just made your request the last thing customers remember, rather than their great experience. Here’s an example: A landscaper installed a new front lawn at a customer’s home. When the homeowner mentioned how much he loved his new lawn, the landscaper asked him to write a Yelp review. In that moment, the customer was elated about his new lawn but worried about keeping it that way. This was a perfect opportunity for the landscaper to reassure the customer with some lawn care tips. Instead, the landscaper shifted the conversation from the new lawn to asking the customer for a favor (and failed to earn the review). 9. Be proactive and address issues early The best way to avoid negative reviews (and earn positive ones) is to detect and address problems immediately. A restaurant server asked a table the standard, “How is everything?” question. When one guest hesitantly replied, “It’s alright,” the server sensed something was wrong. He asked a few more questions and learned the guest didn’t care for the lasagna. The guest’s feedback was shared with the chef, who discovered a new line cook hadn’t fully mastered the lasagna recipe. The issue was quickly resolved, and the server invited the guest to come back and enjoy another order of lasagna on the house. Listening and acting on direct customer feedback prevented a negative review and earned the customer’s repeat business. 10. Inspire your employees Share reviews with employees on a regular basis. Positive reviews feel great and can inspire employees to work even harder to serve customers. Negative reviews can also be motivational if you use them constructively as ways to improve. Just be careful to approach negative reviews constructively, especially if the customer exaggerates or is unreasonable. Employees are more loyal to a business when they know their boss supports them. Source: J. Toister, www.yelp.com, 2/12/22.

Why No One Sleeps and What to Do About It

Sleep is a mystery. Sometimes it’s an easy, thoughtless process and other times it’s like trying to find a tiny piece of eggshell in a completely mixed cake batter. I’ve often thought about the mystery of sleep while rocking and coaxing (sometimes pleading) my now 11-month-old to sleep. As an adult, it’s still a necessity and yet rarely a priority. Whether it’s a result of overscheduling, emotional distress, a need to relax, or certain life stages (having young children for example), sleep is often sacrificed to create the extra space needed in our lives. Shocking Sleep Statistics and Trends Sleep Advisor compiled some shocking sleep statistics and trends for 2021 in which they noted that “In 1942, Americans had 7.9 hours on average per night compared to 6.8 hours in 2013, which is a 13% decrease.” Equally shocking is the statistic they sited from the CDC in which “35% of adults don’t get enough sleep (7 hours per day.)” That’s one out of every three people that are not getting the recommended amount of sleep. What could you do with an extra hour of sleep each night? The Power of Sleep While insufficient sleep can lead to a whole host of problems, good sleep can aid in “immune function, detoxification, and increased metabolism” to name a few. If we understood the power of proper sleep, we might just be more motivated to prioritize it in our lives. Dr. Fuhrman, from the Nutritional Research Foundation, links the rise in chronic diseases with the rise in patients suffering from inadequate sleep. He believes that sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, can be treated with diet, exercise, and good sleep hygiene. How Sleep Works As cited by the Sleep Foundation, although decades of research have been dedicated to studying the intricacies of sleep, scientists still have much to learn. What we do know is that within minutes of falling asleep, things in your body and brain change. Basically, your brain and body power down, and you expend less energy. There are also four different stages to sleep which include deep sleep and REM sleep (two of the most well-known stages.) Throughout a good night’s sleep, a person will move through these stages multiple times in what is called a sleep cycle. Our hormones and chemicals play a vital role in our sleep regulation, and it goes without saying that sleep is important. However, all of this science barely matters to you if you’re struggling with sleep. Healthy Sleep Tips So, what can you do about it? The Sleep Foundation created an extensive list of healthy sleep tips to help establish better “sleep hygiene” which include: Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom Optimizing Your Sleep Schedule Crafting a Pre-Bed time Routine Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day Bypass the Afternoon Slump with Energy Sustaining Tips One of the healthy sleep tips under “Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day” is to avoid caffeine in the afternoon. Are you tempted to caffeinate when you feel that afternoon slump hit? Before reaching for that second (or third, or fourth) cup of coffee in the afternoon, stop! It may be what’s impacting your sleep. Consider bypassing the afternoon slump with these healthier habits. What is Blue Light and How to Protect Yourself The technological age that we live in has brought even more challenges to sleep hygiene. They certainly weren’t dealing with the effects of blue light in 1942 when the average adult was getting an extra hour of sleep every night. With screens seemingly everywhere we turn, how can we protect ourselves from blue light? Some of the many helpful tips from the article “What is Blue Light and How to Protect Yourself” include: Take screen breaks. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Start minimizing or eliminating your screen time in the 2-3 hours prior to bed time. Use light-blocking or room-darkening curtains or blinds. Is Over-scheduling Causing You Stress and Inadequate Sleep? Stress can be detrimental to sleep and many families are victim to rampant over-scheduling. If you feel like your life is just too busy for you to prioritize getting adequate sleep, consider the helpful information in this article, “Is Over-scheduling causing you stress?” which includes warning signs of overscheduling and what to do about it. Conclusion Sleep is good. Sleep is important. Sleep is a mystery. Source: e. englert, 1/8/22.