And we're off

The Blinderclip List has moved to http://bindercliplist.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you there!

Power of the Word

"Take everything off your desk. Today we're having a vocab test!"

Unless you have children in middle school, you probably have not thought about a vocabulary test in years! Like it or not, the words we use (and the way we use them) help paint a picture of the type of person we are. A strong vocabulary and clear, intentional speech is such an asset for leaders. 

Words are tools we use to communicate thoughts and ideas. Increasing your word bank and ability to use it in everyday conversation enhance your power to communicate effectively!

Six Random Points about Vocabulary  

1. Be intentional with your vocabulary. Many people talk to fill empty space or to retreat from an uncomfortable position. As you build your vocabulary pay attention to what you are saying and when you are saying it.  If you say, "hello, how are you?" make an effort to actually mean it! 
2. Double check your motives. If you are using big words to impress people I guarantee that your strategy will backfire on you at some point. 
3. Commit to building your vocabulary over time. There are many tools and techniques available to help you build your vocabulary... books, CD's, classes, techniques.  My personal favorites are listed below. Find something, and do it!
   
   

Get Personal with your Office Supplies!

Doane Paper Daily Arsenal Kit Giveaway from The Pen Addict

Get personal about your office supplies! There are so many products out there, find ones that fit your needs and likes! There are several office supply blogs out there, a few to which are linked to in my blog roll.

One of my favorite, The Pen Addict, is currently running a giveaway contest.  Simply make a comment on his post and you have a chance to win a great package entitled, "Doane Paper Daily Arsenal Kit." This is the direct link to the contest entry from August 3, 2010.

Asset Building & the Calendar Conundrum

Check out this Work Smart Video from Fastcompany.com. I am trying to embed the video but am having difficulties. Work Smart: Take Back Your Calendar With Defensive Scheduling 

Tips like these are great! If you are like me they get my mind racing for new and exciting ways I can organize my life and become more productive. Yet once I begin thinking of new ways of organizing my mind immediately fills with questions that quickly throw all my old ways of doing things into question. Before you know it I'm spending hours building a brand new, fool proof process for planning and keeping my calendar. Then after one day of this new method I realize it is way too complicated and I ditch it completely!

If you can relate maybe taking an asset building approach to the calendar conundrum would help!

You are a humanBEING, not a humanDOING

“It is in solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts.”   - Henri Nouwen

BOOK SUGGESTION: Henri Nouwen: Adam: God's Beloved.

Henri Nouwen finished writing Adam weeks before his own death in 1996. I found it a powerful book about the power of BEING rather than DOING. Nouwen learns this powerful lesson through his experience with the L'Arche Community. It is an easy read that can be finished in one or two sittings. Even if you are not a Christian, I believe you will find a powerful message in Nouwen’s reflection.

“In short, we are worthwhile because we have successes.  And the more we allow our accomplishments – the results of our actions – to become the criteria of our self-esteem, the more we are going to talk on our mental and spiritual toes, never sure if we will be able to live up to the expectations which we created by our last successes.  In many people’s lives, there is a nearly diabolical chain in which their anxieties grow according to their successes.  The ark power has driven many of the greatest artists into self-destruction.” Henri Nouwen

More on Nouwen:

Silk.net: Biography, Quotations and More 

Henri Nouwen Society

What's my password?

E-mails, banks, blogs, computer, phones, web subscriptions... If I had to make a guess, I'd say I have at least 2 dozen passwords floating around on my different websites and gadgets. It throws a big wrench into my day when I can't remember the password for some service I want to access. I often have to reset passwords or worse, get locked out of services I do not use regularly.  Ahhh...

Lets get that under control!  Simply devoting some time to creating and sticking to a "system" for logging and remembering passwords will provide great benefit! Put your mind to in and find something that works for you. Here is what worked for me:

1. Create a password document that contains all important information.  
2. Either store this information on your hard drive or archive it in your main e-mail.  
3. If you add or update a password, update the information. 

This tip probably drives the security conscious crazy.  If you are really concerned about a password you can always enter a hint or a code for more protection, or keep your most secure passwords in a locked safe.  Passwords for less risky accounts (like ebay, iTunes, Livestrong...) shouldn't cause you too much stress!

For further reading, including password management services:
About.com: Storing and Remembering Passwords Securely

Breakfast? Yes, please.

"It’s amazing: It can help improve your memory, help you to concentrate, and help you to maintain a healthy weight — and it tastes good, too! So, what is it? Breakfast. Research has uncovered numerous benefits associated with the morning meal." (Kashi, Breakfast Ideas to Jump-Start Your Day)


We hear it all the time, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Yet unfortunately many of us fail to put it into action. The benefits of eating breakfast are so immediately tangible that you think it would be easier for us to adapt its practice into habit. 


3 Simple TIps for making this important productivity tool a habit:
- Find some easy options you like (see mine below) and stock up! 
- Keep portable options available for mornings you run out of time. 
- FORCE IT! Even if you are not hungry in the morning, force it down!