Simplify Your Life - 60 Ways

We should all keep life simple.  The old KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Silly) doesn't seem to get much of a run any more.
I came across a great list for exactly this.
So here's 60 ways to make things simple again;

1. Communicate.  Openly and honestly.  Don’t make people try to read your mind
2. Be polite, but don’t try to be friends with everyone around you
3. Your health is your life, keep up with it.  Get an annual physical check-up.
4. Live below your means.  Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.  Create a budget and savings plan and stick to both of them.
5. Get enough sleep every night.  An exhausted mind is rarely productive.
6. Get up 30 minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush around madly.
7. Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.
8. Don’t waste your time on jealously.  The only person you’re competing against is yourself.
9. Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps.  Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at.
10. Organize your living space and working space.
11. Get rid of stuff you don’t use.
12. Ask someone if you aren’t sure.
13. Spend a little time now learning a time-saving trick or shortcut that you can use over and over again in the future.
14. Don’t try to please everyone.  Just do what you know is right.
15. Don’t drink alcohol or consume recreational drugs.
16. Be sure to pay your bills on time.
17. Fill up with petrol on the way home, not in the morning when you’re in a hurry.
18. Use technology to automate tasks.
19. Handle important two-minute tasks immediately.
20. Relocate closer to your place of employment.
21. Don’t steal.
22. Always be honest with yourself and others.
23. Say “I love you” to your loved ones as often as possible.
24. Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.
25. Finish one project before you start another.
26. Be yourself.
27. When traveling, pack light.  Don’t bring it unless you absolutely must.
28. Clean up after yourself.  Don’t put it off until later.
29. Learn to cook, and cook.
30. Make a weekly (healthy) menu, and shop for only the items you need.
31. Consider buying and cooking food in bulk.
32. Stay out of other people’s drama.  And don’t needlessly create your own.
33. Buy things with cash.
34. Maintain your car, home, and other personal belongings you rely on.
35. Smile often, even to complete strangers.
36. If you hate doing it, stop it.
37. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
38. Apologize when you should.
39. Write things down.
40. Be curious.  Don’t be scared to learn something new.
41. Explore new ideas and opportunities often.
42. Meet new people, and network.
43. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
44. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven, and likeminded.
45. Don’t text and drive.  Don’t drink and drive.
46. Drink water when you’re thirsty.
47. Don’t eat when you’re bored.  Eat when you’re hungry.
48. Exercise every day.  Simply take a long, relaxing walk or commit 30 minutes to exercise.
    
49. Let go of things you can’t change, whilst you concentrate on things you can.
50. Find hard work you actually enjoy doing.
51. Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become.
52. Follow your heart.  Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.
53. Set priorities for yourself and act accordingly.
54. Take it slow and add up all your small victories.
55. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  Accept this simple fact.
56. Excel at what you do.  Otherwise you’ll just frustrate yourself.
57. Mature, but don’t grow up too fast.
58. Realize that you’re never quite as right as you think you are.
59. Build something or do something that makes you proud.
60. Make mistakes, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along.

 Thanks to Marc and Angel Hack Life (www.macrandangel.com) for the R&D

Australian Tax System - explained in beer

This is a tongue in cheek, simplified explanation of our regressive tax system operating in an environment of increasing government handouts

Suppose that every day, ten Australian men go out together for a beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this;

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do..

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.

"Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″.

Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected.

They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men – the paying customers? 

How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They realised that $20 divided by six is $3.33.

But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free.

But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”

“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.

They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.

In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
 

 Original Author unknown

Partnerships - they're like marriage

Many times we have discussions with people about going into business with someone, or bringing someone into an existing business.

It got me thinking about how it is that people go about selecting their business partners.

Being in a partnership is like a marriage.
It’s an interesting process to go through.  There may be employees who "come through the ranks" and “make partner”.  This is business by default.  Often not much thought goes into the individual, what they will be doing and how they will be doing it.  As a result of this very weak selection process there can be a glut of partners who are overpaid employees!

Another way a partnership starts is by a merger.  But don’t get me started on mergers.  It seems like a good idea at the time.   Bit like that 17th bourbon.  However, in most cases you just end up with more of the same.

Here is a 21 point checklist of the ideal business partners. See how many you can tick off for your current partners!  Likewise keep this list in mind if you're considering a partnership or merger.

1. Brings something to the table – complements existing partners
2. Is a good cultural fit in the business
3. Is a good communicator at the partner level
4. Is a good communicator with team members
5. Is a good communicator with clients and customers
6. Is stable – emotionally and financially
7. Is profit and growth motivated
8. Has a good work ethic
9. Is reasonably fit and healthy
10. Is at the same stage in life mentally
11. Shares similar values and ethics
12. Has an ability to respect other partners
13. Knows what they want – goal orientated
14. Is supportive of new ideas
15. Is flexible in their thoughts and actions
16. Is a good business builder
17. Is fun to be with
18. Shares the vision
19. Walks the talk not just talks the talk
20. Acts in the best interests of clients, customers and the business at all times
21. Can bring in new business.

If your partners don't stack up then maybe you need a divorce?  I know I don’t!

Thanks to Rob Nixon for the R&D