James Doan - Just Minding My Own Business

"The things we do in life that don't make it onto a resume provide the truest measure of who we are."  - Jesse Itzler In this case,  Itzler is promoting endurance hiking as proof of one's mettle. I put this quote in a different situation. What would you put on your About Page to show your key values, habits, commitments or principles? What about qualities like integrity, persistence, and compassion? Discuss your questioning spirit and insistence on excellence. These virtues more often appear in obituaries and speeches at retirement dinners. These character traits  are as important as degrees, work experience and professional achievements. Why not include them in your business bio?

Have you ever  taken a look at a list of popular articles? You will notice how many titles included a number. Often for enumerating a list of items. Numbers can play a significant role in content. For example: * Rankings, as in Top 40, 10 Best, 5 Priciest, 3 Fastest. * Steps, such as "6 Steps to Free Publicity", or "5 Steps to Get Out of Debt This Year". * Statistics. People crave actual data. This can include celebrities' incomes, average meat consumption, or number of complaints received.

Did you ever find yourself thinking how stupid one of your customers is? They didn't understand or notice something you feel is ultra-obvious. Take a moment to think it through. Chances are, you weren't clear in your explanation. You could have made an overly optimistic assumption.  It's possuble you buried an important instruction.  For example, you created a one-minute "steps to get started" video for new clients.  But one person missed the link you provided.  Another couldn't get the video to play and never mentioned the problem.  Another watched the video, but misunderstand a key word you used in it.  Someone else understood the video completely. But they didn't get going until a week later, when they had forgotten it all.

There is a clear truth today. We live in a visual age. It seems there is a camera in almost everyone’s pocket. One source claims there are more than 2.5 billion camera phones in use. People focus on images and use imagery for “telling and selling”.  Photos are a universal language. A photo can speak a thousand words—in any language.  Our social media networks are image-centric. They embrace the visual medium and make it straightforward to upload and share pictures online. We are now living in a society conditioned to share our lives and stories through imagery. Moreover, we discover and learn about products and services through imagery.   

Try these tips for becoming more productive. Develop a Personal Mission Statement Well-defined goals and values are essential to create a successful strategy. This will help you stick with it. Set Realistic Timelines and Expectations Deadlines or tasks that seem manageable under ideal conditions can present difficulties. Unforeseen obstacles or even an unplanned sick day can derail your efforts. Give yourself a personal deadline and strive to meet that.