Thornton Wilder, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist, remarked that “Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.” The other thing about manure is that it stinks when left in a big pile. But if you spread it around, the smell eventually fades away. If you’ve…
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When we are feeling harried or like we’re falling behind, our typical response is to try and move faster, to accelerate. And sometimes this can work. But more often, in our rush to catch up, we get sloppy. We miss critical details and overlook the obvious. At a previous job, I worked with a guy who…
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The Pareto Principle, or “80/20 Rule”, is a common term in the business and achievement worlds. Simply stated, 20% of efforts typically account for 80% of results. For example: 20% of our product line accounts for 80% of sales. Think Coke Classic and Diet Coke compared against Coke’s myriad flavor spinoffs. 20% of our focused work…
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We humans love to talk. A lot. Most people are absolutely in love with the sound of their own voice—myself included, truth be told. So why not put this to good use in your writing project? Depending on the source, the average woman speaks upwards of 20,000 words per day. Men, about 7,000. A typical first…
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There is an old story about a man who sees three stone cutters working in a rock quarry. To the first man he asks, “What are you making?” The man answers, “I’m making ten coppers a day.” He asks the same question to the second man. The man replies, “I’m making stones for a new cathedral.”…
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