How to beat distraction, the new writers block - Emphasis

How to beat distraction, the new writers block How to beat distraction, the new writers block Writers block used to mean sitting at your desk, staring into the empty void that was your screen and hoping for inspiration. Ah, those were the days. Now its not emptiness but a world crammed with tempting morsels thats the problem. Gone is the blank screen. In its place is an infinite variety of distractions, each way more enticing than not just writing but even thinking about writing. Half the problem is the very place where you write your documents – your computer. Because thats where most of the distractions are. Even the best ideas stand helpless against an onslaught of instant messages, notifications, Google searches and browser tabs (each of which can easily lead you to the other, forming a complex loop that quickly fills your head with a kind of digital fug). I never thought Id feel nostalgic for plain vanilla writers block. But in the era before the web got its spindly filaments into every part of our lives, at least you could identify and isolate the problem. Maybe it was fear of failure. Perhaps a lack of ideas. These days, concentrating for more than a few minutes is a challenge in itself. Trying to join two ideas together takes near super-human focus. Fortunately, I think I may have discovered the solution. And focus is at its core. Its an online course called Focused Every Day, from the author David Levin. (You can try a free version of the programme here.) Ive actually tried this course and it worked for me. In fact, Id say its one of the most effective programmes Ive followed in a long, long time. (To put the recommendation in context, this is the first time in our 15-year history that weve endorsed a course from someone else.) Its improved my own focus many-fold, with the result not only that ideas have begun to flow again but that Ive been able to capture and act on them. Its made distraction much, much easier to control and dramatically improved my own business-writing output. So, why does it work? I think its because Levin has taken some very simple yet powerful concepts and made them incredibly easy to apply. Its a deceptively straightforward course. This and the authors gentle, engaging delivery are its great strengths. Its such a refreshing change from, say, books that require you to memorise intricate concepts or change your entire approach to everyday life. I strongly urge you to give it a go. Sign up for the free training videos here.

Studies in Interpersonal Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Studies in Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example The same applies to preaching in different denominations. In order for the sermon to be effective, the congregants should show a desire to listen to what the preacher is saying. It can be observed that those who listen well are likely to gain more information from the people speaking at a particular period. Basically, communication is primarily concerned with creating meaning from the messages passed from the sender to receiver and this is possible if the parties involved are willing to listen to each other. The other important aspect about listening is that it creates mutual benefits to the parties involved in the communication process. It is suggested that listening to feedback from others helps us to understand what is being said and correct any misunderstanding that may arise (Burley-Allen , 169). In interpersonal communication, deception is very common. â€Å"Deception can vary from blatant lies to indirect actions such as exaggerations and false implications† (Hopper & Bell, 1984 as cited in Stewart, Zediker. & Witteborn, ND, p. 330). It can be noted that deception can be either intentional or unintentional. However, the controversy about deception is that some people believe that some motives of deception are positive while others are of the view that it â€Å"is always damaging to the relationship (Stewart, Zediker. & Witteborn, ND, p. 329). There are various implications of deception on interpersonal communication. People often use deception for personal gain and some individuals often view it as honest lying. In order to gain something, people choose to deceive others so that they can gain the special favour. However, even this action can be good to the other party, it is viewed as damaging to the other party. This brings out the controversy where there is lack of general agreement about deception for it being good or bad. The interactive

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Journal - Essay Example The market In the recent times, the growth in the smartphone market drives the industry for microprocessors. By 2014, it is expected that the total market size for cell phone users alone shall be 1.7 billion primarily driven by the surge in smartphone demand in emerging nations (Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008). As for the market captured by laptops, they completely acquired sales for desktops and face stiff competition from netbooks and tablets who have reported tremendous rise in sales. There are two basic components that hinder entry into the microprocessor industry is prices and innovative technology. Competitors are spending huge sums in new product development, technological upgradation and innovations that can allow patents and hence target market advantage. Companies also need huge economies of scale in order to compete in prices. Off late the substitution in the phone markets has evolved greatly but the substitution of CPU’s is virtually unavailable. The microprocessor industry is extremely competitive in prices. Product differences between major producers like Intel and (Advanced Micro Devices) AMD are virtually absent. Microprocessor industry is a one that entails huge fixed costs but very low marginal costs. This gives each company, the power to undercut the other. Exit costs of the microprocessor industry are also very high owing to huge sunk costs involved. Technology products are characterised by very short product life cycles. Technology changes and industry standards evolve as rapidly as they expire. Innovation here becomes the key to survive. The case of Apple Inc can be cited as a perfect example of innovation that led to market leadership where innovation of the iPhone took away margins and sliced away profits of other cellphone manufacturers who could not keep up. Competitive Business Strategies The desktop market is characterised by slow growth in the recent times. It is presently the largest and one of the most important microproces sor markets with a total of 150 million unit sales globally. The growth figures don’t seem as impressive. Intel, a leading firm in the microprocessor industry, has significant technological and resource advantage in the segment. The low end segment is price sensitive and so companies like Dell and Intel should keep its strategy aligned to prices to maintain itself as a market leader (Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008). In strike contrast to the desktop market, the laptop market needs an entire different strategy. Here front end technologies and processor performance drive sales for a company. In the fig 1 below, it is observed that concentration of exterior design is not as important as data protection. Figure 1: Consumer Need Preference Hierarchy in the Laptop Market (Source: Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008) With a view to capture the laptop market, key industry competitors are targeting the new generation. The trend requires thin and light laptops that do not need batteries and coolers like in CPU’s. Secondly, firms like AMD are increasingly trying to differentiate their laptops by bundling as done in the Centrino platform. The company also seeks to specialise in technologies, like the vPro to enhance security of data, a huge demand fulfilment of the business class. Thirdly, companies like Intel are trying to take on market leadership in the emerging nations via the price advantage. The use of Atom processor has strengthened Intel’

Article Analysis Essay Example for Free

Article Analysis Essay In The part of me that you bring out: Ideal similarity and the Michelangelo phenomenon, Rusbult, Kubacka, Kumashiro and Finkel (2009) explore the effects of close relationships and ideal similarity to growth and pursuit of ideal self. The authors also explore how ideal similarity of partner traits promotes the Michelangelo phenomenon and contributes to relationship well-being. The authors explain that ideal self relates to a person’s individual aspirations and goals. Although ideal self has previously been investigated as an intrapersonal activity, this research suggests that pursuit of ideal self is also greatly influenced by close personal relationships. Ideal similarity is defined as the occurrence and degree to which a partner possesses elements of a person’s ideal self. On the other hand, the Michelangelo phenomenon is explained to be the phenomenon where in a person shapes the personality of another person. Hypothesis of the Study Rusbult, Kubacka, Kumashiro and Finkel (2009) theorize that ideal similarity directly affects positive affirmation, influencing a person to move toward personal goals in their efforts to achieve relationship harmony. They also theorize that ideal similarity promotes relationship well-being through the Michelangelo phenomenon. Real World Application This study explains that the pursuit of ideal self is not a wholly intrapersonal pursuit. External factors, in this case close relationships, affect the process of growth. As such relationships where in ideal similarities exist between partners promotes personal growth and improved relationships, the opposite can also be claimed. The importance of forming relationships where ideal similarities exist is therefore highlighted in this study. Because this study establishes that close personal relationships plays a role in shaping a person’s pursuit of their ideal, it also emphasizes the need to form relationships with person’s whose personality traits align with one’s ideal. Study Methodology The research was formed by a four-part study that analyzed couple relationship through self-report and friend-report questionnaires, reactions to video taped conversations and a an 8-day daily dairy. Throughout the studies the independent variable was the study of partnerships between committed individuals. Study 1 focused on newly committed individuals while Study 2 focused on individuals who have been committed, either married or living together, for a long period of time. Study 2 also included the interview of friends of the couple. The dependent variable that was being measured was the amount of affirmation individuals in the committed relationships received from their partners. Study Findings Based on Study 1, it was affirmed that ideal similarity has an observable effect on affirmations and growth toward ideal self. Study 2 revealed that the greater amount of affirmations received between individuals with ideal similarity, the couples experience greater adjustment and better relationships. Study Limitations Early in the discussion of the paper, the authors remind the reader that this study was first in studying the effects of ideal similarity on the Michelangelo phenomenon. Although the study shows that close relationships influence individuals, there is little to show that it is ideal similarity and not actual similarity that causes the positive affirmations. Also, most of the research conducted was done through questionnaire form, which does not present an in-depth study of the effects of ideal similarities. Reference List Rusbult, C. E. , Kubacka, K. E. , Kumashiro, M. and Finkel, E. J. (2009). â€Å"The part of me that you bring out: Ideal similarity and the Michelangelo phenomenon†. Journal of Psychology and Personal Sociology 96(1), p. 61-82. American Psychological Association.

Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Educatio

Teaching Philosophy Statement Teaching is a profession which allows one to influence many lives. It is because of this opportunity to touch lives that I have decided to enter the teaching profession. I understand that the benefits of this profession are mostly intrinsic as opposed to extrinsic, yet the thought of inspiring students to learn drives me closer to the teaching profession. Monetary gain from a certain profession is minimal compared to the feeling that at the end of the day you have touched someone’s life. To summarize, the reason that I am entering the teaching profession, is my conviction to touch lives. Full of life and well lit will be two ways of describing my classroom. Nothing is more depressing than working in a dimly lit room. I hope to fill the walls with a few bulletin boards and yet not make the room look crowded and cluttered. The clock will be placed at the front of the room so the students will be able to pace themselves and see it clearly. I will seat in a traditional manor but allow the students to sit were they like. Once in the classroom, I feel my teaching style will lean toward that of a traditionalist. If one was to ask any college instructor in America to compare the high school graduate of today with the graduate of twenty years ago, they would almost always reply, â€Å" The student twenty years ago was more equipped for college than the student of today.† Upon further exploration, I found that many college level math courses were taught in the eighth and ninth grades in the early seventies. What does this have to do with me being a traditionalist you ask? America has left behind many of the great principles of education which made this nation great. In general ... ...d of imparting that knowledge to others. When my student walks out of my classroom I pray that I change the way they view the world. My goal would be that each one feels my desire to enlighten them academically. Knowing that there are thousands of teachers out there doing there best in the struggle to educate, I still feel the urge to out and be the best I can be. Many of the old timers say, â€Å"Just wait until you get in the classroom with a bunch of thirteen year olds cussing and carrying on and whose parents don’t give a @!$#% and then we’ll see what’ll happen.† My reply to this is simply, â€Å"We’ll see, we’ll see.† So in every seminar I will attend or in every staff meeting I am part of, I will be a continual learner. I will be faithful and do what I love.Teach! Teaching with fire! Teaching with passion! Teaching with compassion! I want to be a teacher.

Tesco Fresh and Easy

I believe Tesco: â€Å"Fresh & Easy† Supermarkets will be successful. The Fresh & Easy name signals the two things it wants shoppers to think of it for: freshness and convenience (Horovitz, 2007). Tesco constantly re-enforces this message on the Fresh & Easy Homepage; people want fresh and healthy food choices; they want things to be easy, Tesco provided just that with its line of supermarkets. Tesco supermarkets found a niche that United States retailers had not focused on, convenient fast access to fresh, healthy cost affordable natural foods. It is something many Americans have waited years for. As well as being marketed as a Fresh & Easy supermarket, it is also marketed as an energy efficient organization which in this age of energy and resource conservation adds to its appeal. The supermarkets utilize efficient equipment in their stores and operations (Recruiting, 2007). Stores are designed to use 30% less energy than typical grocery stores its size, and recycling is a priority. Fresh & Easy has been a savior tenant for many developers, eating up 14,000 square foot chunks of old space and dark drug stores (Retail, 2009). Its entrance into the United States was the first time Tesco entered a country without a supercenter format. Tesco did not want to become like Wal-Mart. Tesco launched its United States Operations with a small format neighborhood grocery store under the Fresh & Easy name to differentiate its brand from its competitors. The supermarkets are relatively small, at about 10,000 square foot. Fresh & Easy stores target customers in low to middle income locations. Tesco is betting that there is a demand for smaller stores closer to home with fewer products, making it easier to find things. The stores are placed near public transportation. Many of them are near or inside underground and railway stations, making it easy for commuters to pop into a store and grab a meal on their way home. Their advertising campaign includes references to environmentally friendly packaging and food free of artificial colors, flavors, and trans fats. The chains buy no TV or newspaper ads. When it enters a market, it mails $5 coupons to area residents. The stores are stocked with big names and in-house brands and offer more prepared entrees and side dishes than typical supermarkets (Semeuls, 2007). Their specialty is in prepared but not frozen foods, everything looks fresh. Everything is nicely repackaged in friendly pastel colors, simple graphics, and lowercase fonts. The stores are not over whelming. They look more modern and sophisticated than most supermarkets. The isles are wide and signs are clearly written. There is bright lighting and an uncluttered feel. Fruits and vegetables are neatly presented. There is an unexpectedly low price on items. Focusing primarily on California at this point, Fresh & Easy is approaching the market as a â€Å"critical mass† store strategy in California, Arizona and Nevada. This strategy is to locate a â€Å"critical mass† of stores in a given region, similar to the Starbucks’ Walgreens’ strategy (Fresh, 2008). In doing this, consumer awareness is increased and marketing and advertising costs leveraged. From a positioning standpoint, it attempts to become the logical or defacto neighborhood grocer in the region, in part by virtue of having so many stores in the area (Fresh, 2008). The advancement of web based information technology has been an important catalyst for the recent proliferation of distribution sales channels in food retailing. Although multiple channels enable companies to reach consumers faster and in different market segments, they pose challenges to include channel conflict and pricing policy for the different channels. This could benefit consumers by companies having to reduce prices to stay competitive. American supermarkets have concentrated mainly on trying to make cost out of their supply chains. Goods are moved hundreds of miles to keep them cheap. This has encouraged supermarkets to make two sorts of foods: long lasting i. e. ried, canned, frozen, or otherwise preserved and that which is prepared from raw ingredients on site. British food retailers because stores can be so small that they have to switch from selling sandwiches at lunchtime to selling readymade suppers in the afternoon specialize in regular frequent deliveries to city stores. Their supply chains are more sophisticated. Tesco is an innovator with its supply chain. Tesco built a distribution center. Coupled with partner Wild Rocket Foods, Tesco selected U. S. produce vendors as suppliers. Tesco utilizes trucks with hybrid refrigeration vector units with internal partitions for frozen, chilled and ordinary goods. All Fresh & Easy trailers include automatic refrigeration shut-off when optimum temperature is reached inside the cooling chamber as well as a complete engine shut-off once parked at the stores. Electrical stand-by technology minimizes the impact on the environment by using no fuel to run refrigeration units on the trailers while parked at the distribution center. Tesco could replace three deliveries with one. This makes it possible to sell groceries profitably in small stores at supermarket prices. Tesco makes fresh and easy available to the customers, but they also made the customers part of the solution to success. The Tesco scheme mails discount vouchers to customers encouraging them to return. It tracks every purchase to build one of the world’s largest databases. This finds correlations between purchases allowing Tesco to finely tune the product range in each store. I would venture to say that Tesco is on the right track to success with its wide mix of fresh food that is highly customer oriented and very accessible. With the stores in local neighborhoods and at very user friendly cost, these neighborhood targeted stores will succeed. . References Freshandeasy. com (2008). Freshandeasy. com. Viewed at freshandeasy. com February 19, 2009. Fresh & Easy Buzz. (2008, March 8). Retrieved February 19, 2009, from http://www. freashneasybuzz. blogspot. com. Horovitz, Bruce (2007 November 08). British grocery chain hits America with fresh ideas. Retrieved February 19, 2009 from https://www. usatoday. com. Recruiting trail at Fresh & Easy. 2007, July 22). Retrieved February 19, 2009, from http://www. freshandeasy. com/blog/2007/07/recruiting-trail-at-fresh-easy. html Semuels, Alana. ( November 9, 2007). British food it’s not shoppers find fresh & easy a blend of trader joe’s and Ralphs. Retrieved February 17, 2009 from http://articles. latimes. com/2007/nov/09/business/fi-tesco9 RetailChatr; Fresh & Easy changing strategy. (2009, February 04). Retrieved February 17, 2009, from http://www. ret ailchatr. com/2009/02/04/fresh-easy-changing-strategy

Crime and Hand Unemployment Rate Essay

Many contemporary macro-level theories of criminal behavior and empirical tudies pf crime rates address the relationship between economic factor and crime. Relationship between economic circumstances such as wage inflation and unemployment to criminal activity is the main subject matter of this study. Wage inflation and unemployment taken as predictors of crime rates. Unemployment and inflation are two intricately linked economic concept. In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time and it is also erosion in the purchasing power of money. And unemployment occurs when a person is able to and willing to work but urrently without work. Unemployment is usually measured using the unemployment rate which is defined as the percentage of those in the labor for who are unemployed. One causes of unemployment is inflation. Over the years there has been a number of economists trying to interpret the relationship between the concepts of inflation and unemployment. This relationship is also known as the Phillips curve. Phillips curve is an inverse relationship between rate of unemployment and rate of increase in money wages. The higher the rate of unemployment, the lower the rate of wage inflation. In other words, there is a radeoff between wage inflation and unemployment lead to a problem that individual do such a thing Just to endure it. It means that if you are unemployed you will do anything to earn and to survive for everyday living. For this, some people tend to commit crimes especially crime against property. It is a common observation of many countries that unemployment rates and all crime rates are positively associated but negatively in the wage inflation.