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Philip Viana
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Posts by Philip Viana
How to Avoid Overdraft Fees
Feb 22nd
The crash of 2008 was supposed to be a wakeup call to the dangers of negligent lending and irresponsible credit use. Yet, financial institutions continue to sell naïve customers on expensive credit products like overdraft protection. Sold as an “essential” account add-on, Overdraft promises to protect clients for overdrawn funds on their account.
In a recent article on Time.com, Martha C. White writes about the $30 billion in profits American banks have made from overdraft fees in 2011.
“Once overdrawn, customers are subject to high interest rates and outlandish fees. For some customers the deficit is a permanent and damaging fixture in their account, setting themselves up for larger and more destructive financial issues..”
Avoid the fees and exorbitant interest rates that accompany short-term credit products by being better prepared for account shortfalls.
Solid Financial Planning
Financial institutions need to reorganize their priorities. Instead of focusing on credit products, banks need to emphasize sound financial planning and offer unbiased advice to their clients.
Sadly, a simple inquiry at a bank can result in an undisclosed credit check, an offer for a pre-approved mortgage, and unsolicited preapproved credit card offers. Never agree to take on a financial obligation without taking the time to understand its impact on your financial and mental well-being.
Protect yourself by developing a long-term relationship with a personal banker or financial advisor that is acting in your best interests, not the banks.
Do you have overdraft protection?
Remarkably, most customers are unaware that they have overdraft protection until they take a closer look at their account activity. For some, it can be years before they realize that they are paying for a service they never use.
Remember, you are under no obligation to sign up for any service you do not want. This includes any products that the bank wants to bundle with an account opening or credit offer. Tied selling laws in Canada and the United States prohibit financial institutions from forcing you to buy an unrelated product in order to obtain another product.
Overdraft Protection
The key to any budget is avoiding the small incidental costs that can accumulate over time and ruin your financial projections. This means that you have to avoid any additional services that are going to cost you fees or charge you interest.
The first rule, is always keep your account in a positive balance.
While easier said than done, examining your transaction history will allow you to see how, and where, you are spending your money. Sometimes, the reason for overdrawing your account can be as simple as bill payments not aligning with your paycheck. A quick solution is to call your bank and make sure your bills line up with your pay schedule.
Other times, shortfalls in an account are the result of frivolous spending. After examining your account history, it will be apparent where you are spending your money. People are conscious of the large purchases and the essential bill payments, but smaller expenses seem so insignificant that you fail to consider them when examining your spending. Once you tally up the coffee and fast food purchases, you can see how they can push your account into the negative.
Most importantly, be diligent in finding pre-authorized payments. Without checking, you may be paying for a long forgotten gym membership or a cancelled subscription to AOL’s dialup service.
Be alert
No matter how diligent you are about money management, there is always going to be scenarios that are out of your control.
Both financial institutions and financial software packages like Mint.com allow you to create alerts that will send you a text, phone, or email message when your account is low on funds. Besides low fund alerts, you can also program some of these services to alert you to unauthorized debits from your account. Therefore, allowing you a chance to correct an error before a payment comes out.
Going Old School
Using cash is a great way to avoid account shortfalls. Based on the information you gleam from your transaction history create a cash budget for each week. This way you always know that a certain amount of money will be in the account to cover bill payments.
Unless you are reviewing your transactions on a daily basis, you will find that you will unconsciously spend more with a debit card than you would with cash.
Other strategies include avoiding preauthorized payments. By collecting all your bills and paying them one by one, you can gain a clearer picture of your financial health. If you choose to go analog, be sure to be diligent about making your payments. Otherwise, a missed mortgage, insurance or vehicle loan payment can have devastating financial ramifications.
Emergency and Reserve Funds
Instead of opening a single checking account, open a companion savings account. Dedicate yourself to putting away at least 20% of your paycheck into the new account. The account will allow you to limit your spending, and give you a financial cushion in case of a budgetary miscalculation or bank error.
Make sure you have the ability to transfer money between the accounts at an ATM, or through online banking. At any time, you can sure up a low or overdrawn account with the appropriate amount of money and avoid the need for costly Overdraft protection.
In order to serve as a proper reserve or overdraft account, you need to maintain a months’ worth of mortgage, insurance, and loan payments.
Conclusion
In summary, good money management starts with taking responsibility for your spending and controlling what comes in and out of your checking account on a monthly basis. Once, you understand the problem, you can make adjustments to fix any issues and create a backup plan that protects your hard earned money and allows you to avoid any additional credit debt.
(Photo credit: Fees in Wooden Letters via Shutterstock)
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
Consumer Attack! Taking on Corporations and Winning
Dec 7th
Companies are replacing the old adage “the customer is always right” with “the customer is right, as long as it does not cost the company money or extra effort.” Customers are facing new policies that hamper, frustrate, and limit a customer’s ability and determination to process a complaint, request additional assistance, validate a warranty or receive support for services they have purchased.
Overcome these barriers, by doing the necessary research, creating an action plan, and by presenting your case in a resolute and concise manner.
Research
Before doing anything, be realistic about the seriousness of your complaint. Do not spend days researching and preparing your case, when it is obvious that pursuing a resolution is a waste of your time.
If the issue is minor, or major, treat it as such. Your expectations can range from registering a complaint without any expectations of compensation, to the extreme of pursuing a legal settlement.
Either way, all the relevant information you need will be available on the internet.
Use the following sites to support your case:
Resources to review:
- Internet forums – Use Google to search out references to similar complaints; these searches will usually lead you to online forums. Use the forums to ask for advice and learn how to resolve your complaint.
- Disclosures – Some companies must offer a verbal or written disclosure to consumers. Both governments and industry groups can institute these policies and they are in place to protect the consumer, the company, and the industry. Ultimately, if a company does not offer a mandatory disclosure, they can be fined or shutdown for non-compliance
- Contracts – Your contract will stipulate the specific details of your purchase. They outline the minimum responsibilities and restrictions a company and a client needs to adhere to when they enter into a legal agreement.
- Government Customer Affairs / Customer Advocacy Groups – These sites list consumer protection polices for the individual States and Provinces in North America. These can include the maximum interest a company can charge on a loan or credit card, examples of dishonest business practices, and contact information to register an official complaint.
- Class Action Suit – you may be one of hundreds of wronged customers. Moreover, there may be no other alternative other than becoming a plaintive in a mass suit and hope for the best.
- Corporate Websites – Review what commitments the company has made to their consumers, the community and shareholders. Also, compare the policies of the retailer and the manufacturer; then decide who is more likely to resolve your complaint.
Depending on the region, there may be laws that give consumers a period of time in which they can review a contract and cancel the agreement without the fear of incurring any penalties or fees.
In addition, omitting a necessary written or verbal disclosure during a purchase can invalidate a signed contract.
It is critical that you create a secure folder that contains all your valid and current warranties, contracts, receipts and disclosures. Do not count on businesses to keep these types of documents on file.
Plan of Action
Take a moment to decide how you will present your case. Start by listing your strongest arguments and support your facts with any relevant information you have gathered from your research.
A written plan of action will keep you focused, calm, and keep your arguments concise and steadfast. Keeping your story straight is important, because you might have to repeat your story to several different people during the escalation of your complaint.
Follow these tips before presenting your complaint to a company:
- Present your argument to your friends and family. Ask for honest feedback and then use that information to decide if you are ready to move forward.
- Construct a timeline by adding every relevant action taken by you, or the company since you made your complaint.
- Show your appreciation to anyone at the company who offers to assist you, even if it does not resolve the issue. As you move forward with your complaint, they can become key contacts.
- Create a list of two or three satisfactory resolution options and present them to the company. The less wiggle room you give the company the better. Force them to work within your parameters.
- Remind yourself over and over again of why you deserve a fair and equitable resolution
Build up your immunity to corporate excuses:
- Believe that you count, and your business is important to the company.
- There is no harm in trying, and it is your responsibility as a consumer to fight for your rights
- Ask for support from your friends or family. Receive moral support by having people sit beside you during a phone call and ask them to assist you in writing a letter.
- Try to stay calm and strive not to take it personally. Getting upset will only make it harder to get a good outcome.
Increasing profits and stock prices has become the driving force used in structuring a company’s philosophy and policies. As a result, resolving complaints can now become a form of trench warfare.
Counter these obstacles by presenting a case that demonstrates that you are dedicated, knowledgeable, and ready to negotiate a fair settlement.
(Photo credit: consumers from Shutterstock)
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
How to Stop the Negative Spin of Thoughts, Emotions and Actions
Dec 1st
Photo credit: Zoriah (CC BY-NC 2.0)
People have a distorted view of the world when they are in a negative state of mind. It becomes a cycle where negative thoughts reinforce negative emotions, which in turn produces negative actions.
If the cycle is not broken, and left to run uninterrupted, it inevitably has a detrimental physical and mental effect on the person experiencing the spin. In addition, if these cycles spin often enough, they can lead to clinical depression and anxiety.
The key to avoiding this negative distortion and stopping the mental spin is to understand what initiates the cycle. Once mindful of the triggers, people can train themselves to avoid it, or stop it before it does any harm.
Triggers
Thoughts, actions, feelings and sometimes even physical reactions can be triggers. On its own, a single trigger has little impact on your view of the world or emotional state. You can easily dismiss a feeling of frustration after dropping a dish on the floor, because there are no further triggers to escalate a cycle, it is an isolated incident.
However, if someone says, “I cannot believe you broke my dish!” then frustration can turn into anger and the cycle begins.
A Negative Thought as a Flame
Visualize a negative thought as a flame. A flame burning in an empty concrete parking lot cannot do much damage. These fires are left to burn out on its own or easily extinguished.
Put that flame in a closed room filled with combustible material and you have a potential disaster on your hands.
Unless quickly extinguished, the fire will use every piece of flammable material in that room to burn hotter, longer and faster. Left uninterrupted, that single flame will become an inextinguishable inferno that will burn until it has nothing left to fuel its flames.
People experience a similar situation when they are a host for so much negativity. By the time, it finally runs its course, all the anger, frustration, and blame has destroyed a person from mental, physical and spiritual exhaustion.
Example of a negative emotional cycle
A person is driving towards a business meeting when they take a wrong turn, which causes them to be 20 minutes late for a meeting.
This minor event has happened to everyone. Yet, in this case, the person experiences a wave of nausea and stomach tightening from stress.
The physical reaction triggers a negative thought. “I’m always late; I screw up like this all the time, and I’m going to lose my job.”
Without taking a moment to decide if these thoughts are rational, the cycle gains speed and initiates negative actions. Believing that the people in front of him are stopping him from making up lost time, our person begins a tirade of profanities and rude hand gestures at innocent motorists.
This entire scenario can be resolved with a simple and rational thought like, “Well I am usually early for these events, and everyone makes mistakes. I’m sure my associates will understand.”
Recognizing the triggers
In order to avoid a negative spin you need to recognize the triggers that set off the cycle and the environments that make you more susceptible to these triggers.
As well, being in a positive state of mind or in a secure and nurturing environment allows for a measure of protection from a negative cycle.
Also, add another layer of defence by being mindful of your work environment, the type of career you choose and the interactions you have with people.
Weakening Triggers
Create an inventory of positive truths about yourself and your life. It takes a little bit of effort to remember the positive aspects of your life, but it is well worth the work.
Disarming triggers requires that you counter any negative thought with a relevant and equally powerful positive truth.
For example, if you think “Everyone hates me, I’m unlovable”, you can counteract this thought by thinking, “My wife and children love me and they are always happy to see me when I come home.” Extinguish the negative thought as quickly as it arises.
Be truthful and celebrate the good in your life. Take five minutes every night to write down all your successes, positive qualities and the things that make you happy. This creates a natural defence against negativity.
Disrupting the cycle by disrupting the pattern
There are going to be times when you are unable to recognize a trigger because you are in a weak mental state.
For example, you go to sleep in a positive state of mind and then unexpectedly wake up angry and grumpy. In these scenarios, breaking a negative cycle with positive thoughts is hard if not impossible to do.
In cases like this, starve yourself of any additional negative energy that might strengthen your state of mind. This requires you to break any established patterns.
If the usual routine includes having a coffee and reading a newspaper, then you have to catch your mind off guard and go straight to the shower.
The bathroom is a place of solitude and allows you to avoid any irritating interactions. Moreover, the shower gives you a moment to pause and reflect on your mood.
Avoid any negative local, world or economic news that might further irritate your mood.
The earlier you get out of the house the better. Allow yourself ample time to treat yourself to a coffee, breakfast and a leisurely drive to work.
Conclusion
A negative state of mind not caused by a single emotion; it is the build-up of triggers that distort reality. Create an honest outlook of your life, by being mindful of your environment, and rejoice in all that is positive in your life.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
Focus on Art, Not on Features: Simple Online Tools for Writers
Nov 15th
Photo credit: Wouter Verhelst (CC BY-SA 2.0)
As computer applications mature and its base of users grow, companies tend to continually tweak their functions and add features so that the programs can meet everyone’s needs. Sometimes, the changes are universally accepted, but other times it marginalizes users looking for a specialized and lightweight program.
Some writers believe that modern word processors have so many features and options that it interrupts their focus and actually hinders their creative efforts. Because of this hindrance, some writers have forsaken the computer and instead use typewriters or pen and paper.
That said, using those tools may also hinder the ability to create prolifically, but that’s the tradeoff. So what simple tools are available for writers who want to focus on their art and not be distracted by features?
Basic Writing
Even if you were to customize a word processor like Microsoft Word, hiding all of the menus and maximizing the writing space, you are still paying hundreds of dollars for features that you will never use. Instead, there are many free web and desktop applications that offer features you need — and nothing else. Below are some of my favourite free applications in this category.
Focus Writer
Focus Writer is ingenious in its simplicity and developed around the idea that writers want to create writing environments that meets their specific needs. Except for a small toolbar on the top, the rest of the screen is open for writing space.
You can adjust the settings of your font size, screen color, and text color. It is not about creating a visually appealing document, but instead, it is about using screen colors that are conducive to writing.
The features that really stand out include:
- Goals and progress bar
- Writing timers
- Portable edition available
Internet Writer: The Internet Typewriter
The one thing I really enjoy about Internet Writer: The Internet Typewriter is the way it emulates a chromatic display. The retro green on black display takes you back to the early 80s. Once you set your web browser to full screen, there is nothing to distract you from your work.
Key features:
- No signup required
- Automatic backup during your session
- Word count
- PDF export
750words.com
I have recommended this site to many people who are struggling with writer’s block or constant procrastination.
750words.com revolves around the concept that writers should write at least three paper pages or the equivalent of 750 words per day. The writing environment is extremely sparse and the program’s formatting options are hiding on a hard to find options page.
Key features:
- Email reminders to complete your 750 words for the day
- Community support and achievement badges that are used to inspire and reward you for maintaining a writing streak
- Many export options
Basic Mind Mapping
Mind mapping applications can suffer from the same feature overload that you see in word processors. The purpose of mind mapping is to guide your thought process in a logical manner and give you a clear path or overview of your work.
While applications like Mindjet’s MindManager are incredible tools, the advanced features of these programs tend to entice users to muck around with a process that should be simple and straightforward. Advanced formatting and presentation features are great for sophisticated users, but these extended options tend to frustrate new mind map users.
If you’re looking for a simple mind mapping app, here’s one that’s worth a look:
Blumind
Blumind is an open source program that is lightweight and distinct because of its simple interface. Because there are no pull down menus to browse or large command buttons to distract your attention, your eyes automatically focus on the map workspace. There are also two optional and unassuming window panels on the right side of the screen that offer some formatting options, a navigation pane, and a bullet list representation of your mind map.
If you are new to mind mapping or a seasoned user, Blumind offers everything you need to develop your map in a clean no-frills format.
Key features:
- Each node can have its own progress bar to judge the progress of an activity
- Multiple Layout Types
- Timer
- You can export to a graphical format, text documents (bullet form), or the *.mm function that allows you to import your map into an open source program like Freemind.
- Portable edition is under 1 MB is size
Conclusion
These applications are just a few of the free tools available online to help you focus your attention and maximize your writing time. And that’s what we’re all looking for – or should be looking for — so that we can create really great work.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
“Peace One Day” at Work
Oct 25th
Photo by JTeale from flickr
In a recent TED talk, activist Jeremy Gilley discusses his inspiring mission of “Persuading the world to try living in peace for just one day.” Adhering to a single day of peace allows for the immunization of rural populations, aid to be distributed, freedom to travel and the transmission of information. Most importantly, it relieves a person of the stress and anxiety that comes with continuous violence and hate.
This mission should inspire people to dedicate themselves to peace on a global, local and emotional level. Perhaps, people can take the initiative and create a Peace Day in the workplace. Peace Day gives people a reprieve from a negative work environment. This is an opportunity for people to become mindful of their relationship with co-workers.
Charity starts in the workplace
Workers and especially managers have to create a framework that examines and meets workers mental and emotional health needs. It is an issue just as important as the support company’s show to outside causes.
No company or workplace wants to admit that workers are unhappy and dissatisfied, and therefore there are no rallying cries to create any meaningful change. Productivity and obedience take precedence over stress, anxiety and the well being of staff.
Like Jeremy, someone has to be willing to step-up and believe that things can and will improve. They need to create a movement that rises above a negative environment and dispels the ineffective complaining, disinterest, and anger that is vented when workers are unhappy. Ultimately, people need more options to deal with a bad workplace than just stress leave, quitting, or suffering through it. And, that starts with one day, where there is no criticizing, de-motivation, or excessive push for unattainable expectations.
Setting up a peace day
It is invigorating when someone stands up and contributes a positive solution, instead of just complaining.
Inspire the staff and maybe even clients by taking on the global peace cause. Fundraising days can even be used to incorporate the theme in the workplace. Peace One Day is a noble mission and is a cause everyone can support. The foundation even offers event kits to help people support the cause.
The Pledge
Peace Day at the office should start off with a simple written pledge by everyone. People agree that they will become mindful of their attitude and emotions during the day. They will also agree to avoid confrontations, criticizing, gossip or any action that contribute towards a negative work environment. People can also pledge to spend time talking to each other on a more personal level and avoiding any shop talk or complaining.
Managers need to be extra mindful of their actions. They are the gatekeepers of corporate information and many times set the negative or positive tone of a workplace. They need to become conscious of the type of information they circulate.
Allow for a day where the stream of negative information is stopped and workers do not dread meetings, memos, emails or lunch breaks.
The benefits
Workplace politics, pride and overall negative emotions make it impossible for people to get to know each other. Thus, people become detached at work, and put up barriers to protect themselves from criticism or emotional attachment.
People need to feel confident that they can be themselves without the fear of retribution.
Moment of clarity
People need to move out of their comfort zones and question their habits and automatic actions. Because of the pledge, people will stop in mid-stride, mid-dial and mid-sentence to challenge the tone, motivation, and delivery of their message. They ask themselves whether something is a constructive or destructive action. Will it contribute to a positive or negative environment?
Ultimately, you want workers to develop of routine of challenging old habits and negative actions, not just for one day, but for the rest of their career.
Mindfulness
In the heat of battle it is hard to make rational decisions. The rush of adrenaline and heightened emotions compels someone to fire before the enemy has even been identified. Workers have to develop a moment of silence, where they move out of the situation and examine the facts.
They need to ask “What do I expect the outcome to be, and is it worth it to proceed?” And, “Does this person deserve this?” People are cruel or unfair when they dismiss someone’s positive attributes and label them as a “soulless corporate minion” instead of an emotional and fragile human being.
The institution of the golden rule usually resolves any internal confusion. “Do as you would be done by,” is a good tome to live by. Also, connecting with someone on a personal level makes it harder to unjustly criticize them and forces a person to be critical of their own faults before passing judgment on a co-worker.
People need a day that challenges their preconceived ideas about the world. Co-workers are not always plotting against them, the boss can be supportive and they do not have to be detached from their job. Instituting multiple Peace Days throughout the year can be the start of this challenge and change.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
Mastering a Moment of Purposeful Peace
Sep 27th
Untitiled by OtherThink on flickr
Our minds are always preoccupied with inconsequential thoughts and pending tasks. We create a facade of constant motion to fool ourselves and others that we have a purpose in life.
Instead, it is actually a purgatory of limitless wanting, made up of over shopping, eating, traveling and working. All of it used to alleviate the guilt of being aimless.
There is no time to think, just forward momentum and a false hope that things will improve on their own. Ultimately, it results in a jarring collision with reality, and questions like, “Am I happy?” and “Am I satisfied with my life?” arise in our mind.
We realize that we are living an unfulfilling existence. Forcing us to find meaning, relief from medication, alcohol or from someone who appears to have the answers.
However, there are alternatives that allow you to create your own destiny and answer your own questions. Give yourself a moment of purposeful peace, where you can appraise your life and true feelings without distraction or outside influences.
Finding satisfaction
Without meaningful goals to focus our attention and define our actions, we only experience small glimpses of happiness and satisfaction.
Actual satisfaction is achieved when we are aligned with our true purpose. It is not a fleeting sense, but something that energizes our motives. It goes beyond the contentment of a full stomach, warm clothes and a comfortable home.
Without self-reflection, we have no way to measure our true needs. Instead, we measure fulfillment through intimacy and the accumulation of material goods. It is a faulty process that leads to dissatisfaction and forces us to replace our current relationships and goods with new people and objects.
Easing into a moment of purposeful peace
You need to walk before you can run.
Remove your expectations and embrace the idea of silence, peace and contemplation.
It is about conditioning your mind to clear out the inefficient thoughts that race through your consciousness. And, over time you will focus on meaningful and useful thoughts.
Allow your mind to wander and your unconscious thoughts to bubble up to the surface. Be aware of your true feelings and take an honest inventory of your life to see what you want to change and how you are going to find meaning in your actions.
Isolation
The key to self reflection, is finding a place and time that is free from distraction. A place of mental and physical isolation, that allows you to think and consider without outside forces influencing or contaminating the process.
The Power of the Pre-dawn Hours
The early hours of the morning (between 2 to 5 a.m.) has a certain power when it comes to contemplation. If we are concerned about something or have a hard time reconciling a situation, we spend a sleepless night thinking about it.
We cannot analyze these problems properly during the day because so many distractions block our ability to think clearly.
Also, the lack of sleep intoxicates the mind, making it more open to exploration.
What is next?
Close your eyes and allow the unconscious mind to express itself, and thoughts will emerge.
Usually, the most confusing and doubt ridden thoughts are the thoughts you will want to embrace and dissect.
Take notes of these thoughts. This is not a journal, so write them down in point form and sum them up into single ideas, items or actions.
Techniques to focus your attention
Write down categories like home, family and work or use goals like renovations and vacations to guide your thought process and focus your attention.
If nothing else, writing down some key goals on paper is a victory. Even simple goals are enough to guide your mind and focus your conscious and unconscious attention during your day and serves as a record of your intentions for subsequent sessions.
Even after just a few sessions you will notice a change in your perception of time and your actions. You will give more consideration how you divide your time and effort throughout the day. Slowly aligning your actions and thoughts towards your goals.
What to do with the information you write down
Depending on your state of mind, and the urgency of the situation, you can do two things. Leave the information and access it at some future time or prime your mind with a few basic questions.
Such as:
• How important is this to me?
• Does it conflict with other goals?
• What resources do I need?
• When does it need to be achieved?
In the future when you return to the list, you will find that you have already taken mental notes on the resources and tactics needed to develop a plan of action.
These sessions and plans you develop should remain private until you are comfortable in sharing them. Otherwise, your commitment to change and motivation can be diminished by other people’s input.
No matter what you do with the information you access, giving yourself the few hours of silence, isolation and contemplation will go a long way towards reducing anxiety and helping you focus on what is important to you.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
How to Create Emergency Kits for your Average Workday
Sep 14th
People create emergency kits for car problems and bad weather, but few create kits to deal with more common but less urgent situations. In particular, misplacing a wallet or forgetting a work laptop at home can play havoc with a person’s workday.
With a little bit of planning, you can create emergency kits that will let you deal with these types of situations in a calm and productive manner.
Creating a backup kit for your wallet
Besides your keys, your wallet is probably your most important daily companion. Without it, you lack identification, money or the ability to access any of your financial services.
No money, means you are unable to buy the essential products that gets you through a workday, like gas, lunch or even a coffee.
Luckily, there are so many prepaid cards options available today that creating a wallet backup kit is an easy task.
Options
- MasterCard and Visa both make prepaid cards that are accepted anywhere normal credit cards are accepted. You can even reload the cards if you use them in an emergency.
- Use industry specific cards to make sure you can always get gas, food or make a long distance phone call.
Other Options
- Request an additional debit card from your bank that attaches to a line of credit or checking account
- Apply for a low limit credit card that you only use for emergencies
- 100 dollars in small denominations. The small denominations allow you to use a portion of the money without depleting your stash. Also, small denominations are accepted everywhere.
You can protect your kit by wrapping it in a dark water resistant bag and making it look as innocuous as possible. If you keep cleaning supplies in your car you can hide it in a wipe container or at the bottom of an road emergency kit. Most thieves are not interested in stealing road flairs and cleaning products.
Please make a list of the cards in the kit and their corresponding numbers. Consequently, you can reload prepaid cards with more funds and cancel cards if they are lost or stolen.
Creating a backup kit for your briefcase or laptop
Forgetting your laptop or briefcase can be annoying in some cases and disastrous in others.
Therefore, it is a good idea to create a backup kit for the tools and information you use every day. No matter what happens, you want to enter the office, meeting or sales call as confident, organized and professional as possible.
Using Smart Phones as a backup to your laptop
Most modern cell phones have the same functionalities that a laptop has, including the ability to edit spreadsheets, create power point presentations and email PDF documents.
Make the most of these phones by adding applications that will allow you to access and edit your information anywhere you are.
- Remote Desktop Applications allow you to connect to your home or office computer. These programs range from free applications like MS Remote Desktop to paid options like LogMeIN. The paid applications will also allow you to access remote computers through a web browser.
- Office suite applications like Documents To Go allow you to edit MS office documents. You can always access the files and then email them for printing.
- Document scanning software comes in handy when you only have a hard copy but need to send it off in a pinch. Programs like JotNot lets you export scans to multiple formats.
- Virtual Private Networks (VPN) applications help you protect your personal data when you use hotel Wi-Fi connections or a public computer.
Create and access an online backup of your home and office computer
Whether you are at home or at the office, you should always have an online backup you can access on your phone or a computer.
- Carbonite is relatively cheap, works in the background without interrupting computer functionality or bandwidth speeds. While it creates a full backup of your computer, you can still access and restore individual files.
- Dropbox and Windows Live Mesh will allow you to synchronize your work across multiple computers and offers free online locker space. 2 Gigs for Dropbox and 5 Gigs on Skydive for Windows Mesh. Both are accessible through mobile applications and through a web browser.
- Email your work to yourself after working on a file.
- Complete all your work on online office suites like Office 365, Google Apps or Zoho.
Additional emergency options
- Keep an extra set of home and auto keys at the office. You can hide them under your desk or within a file folder.
- Just in case you spill something on yourself or need to stay in a hotel room overnight, keep an extra set of clothes and a toiletries bag in the car.
- Create a backup business portfolio where you can keep marketing material, business cards, pens, pencils and a writing pad. You never want to enter a meeting or a sales call empty handed.
No matter how organized or prepared you are, there are always going to be times when things fall through the cracks. With a little bit of forethought you can create a emergency kit for any type of situation.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
Use Compassion and Understanding to Achieve Family Harmony
Aug 31st
Every family encounters a situation where the actions or inaction of a particular family member has a negative effect on the rest of the group. These issues are difficult to resolve because families are a fragile and complex unit.
Because of the complexity, people have to be sensitive and compassionate when dealing with family issues. The family has to come together, discuss the issues and come up with a solution that takes into account the needs of the family member at the center of the issue and the needs of the rest of the family. Otherwise, missteps can result in the division of the family unit and years of emotional bitterness.
Stage 1: Group
Creating a group
Make sure to involve everyone who is suitable and capable of offering help. Otherwise, the group will run the risk of leaving resources on the table and exclude family members who have a vested interest in the process and outcome.
It is best to avoid the following people when forming a group:
- Ex-spouses
- Estranged relatives
- People who are immersed in family politics
- Aggressive personality types
- People with personal agendas
Commitments
It is important to make certain commitments during the planning process.
These include:
- To avoid passing judgment on the person in question
- To be compassionate during every step of the process
- To avoid personal agendas
Stage 2: Questions
The group has to answer some key questions before any planning can take place.
These include:
- Why have we gathered?
- How is this issue affecting the group?
- How has this issue manifested itself?
- Why do people want to see this issue confronted and resolved?
- What are people’s intentions?
- What are we hoping to achieve by working together?
- What do you consider a successful outcome?
It takes time and compromise, but everyone needs to enter the process with the same objectives.
Stage 3: The Planning Sessions
Indeed, three factors decide when, and if a plan will be implemented, including a timeline, milestones to measure progress and a regular inventory of resources.
Having a person agree to the solution and then not being able to deliver on the promises of support and resources, will result in a loss of trust and a fracturing of family unity.
Other issues to consider when developing a plan:
· Location for meeting with the family member
· Individual commitments
· Communication between group members
· Available Resources
- Friends
- Programs
- Money
Stage 4: The Agenda
The Agenda will guide the group during their meeting with the relative.
It includes:
- Statement of Love and Support
- The intention of the meeting
- Solutions
- Plan of Action
- Possibility of Failure
- Agreement
It is a systematic run down of everything that the group has discussed and agreed upon. Also, leave enough room on the agenda to make notes and make changes to agenda items during the confrontation.
Stage 5: The meeting
Opening Statement of Love and Support
Begin the conversation with a statement that demonstrates the group’s commitment to helping the person in question
Intention of the Meeting
Ask for everyone’s cooperation and make it clear that everyone has a right to be heard without interruption. Also, remind everyone of the importance of the meeting and how it is in everyone’s best interest to act in a polite and considerate manner.
Solutions
Review the agenda at the start of the meeting and summarize the process, debate and hard work that led everyone to this meeting.
List solutions and review the proposed timelines for these solutions. Permit extended pauses between points to allow for positive and negative feedback and commit to addressing them during the meeting.
Adapting Solutions
Discussion and debate will reveal new information and the group has to adapt to any drastic revelations. Nevertheless, the process from beginning to end has to be democratic, so that everyone adheres to the decisions made by the group.
Also, allow the relative to contribute their own resources, including supportive friends, medical or work support.
Be Supportive without Surrendering
Be attentive to any aggression or negativity on either side and do not let the group splinter. A loss of unity will allow the relative to question the groups commitment and the validly of their concerns.
In periods of heightened tension, the more self aware, mindful and respected people in the group have to step forward to manage the situation.
Take breaks and regroup. Everyone involved will need to be reassured of the purpose of the meeting.
Negative Outcome
Every family and situation is unique, so even the best intentions and hard work might end in failure. In extreme cases, the group might decide to ostracize the individual, use medical intervention or take legal action.
Agreement
Once the group has reached a consensus, an amended Master Agenda will act as a contract between everyone involved.
Every individual will commit him or herself to the agreement and guarantee they will do their part to fulfill the contract.
Taking on family issues is no different from any other complex problem that a community might face. The group must find a common ground and draw on each other’s strength to find solutions. Ultimately, committing themselves to a common purpose.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
A Googly Job Search
Aug 23rd
Even at the best of times, starting a focused job search is a complicated process that includes research, deadlines, preparation and follow-up.
Luckily, Google offers many services and applications that help you manage the job search project and plan your next action steps.
Start fresh, eliminate the distractions of your existing Google profile and create an account dedicated to your project.
Gmail
The first task is to pick a professional sounding name for your email address.
Gmail has been around for a long time, so getting an address that incorporates your name is going to be difficult.
Before complicating the process, consider the following tips:
- Do not bury your name behind another word.
- Put your last or first name at the forefront.
- Make it recognizable, memorable and easily searchable.
- Avoid additions to the address that gives away your birth year. It is not professional and will lead to age discrimination.
Acceptable formats:
- Adding a middle name or initial to the address.
- Add relevant keywords to the end of your name in the address
- Use anything that describes your field of work, including such words as writing, engineering or marketing.
Do not corrupt the inbox with avoidable spam or expose your address on websites that will fill your account with junk mail.
Think of the address as a lifelong professional account that serves as a depository of your professional information, including your resumes, notes, ideas and business contacts. Properly maintained, this will always be your starting point for future career changes.
Even after the account has served its purpose, you might use a filter to forward important emails to your personal inbox.
Google Reader
While Reader unifies news and blog feeds into one location, it can do the same for job postings. Use reader to subscribe to RSS feeds from specific companies or from career mega sites like Monster.com.
Advantages of using Google Reader:
- Searches are more efficient when you remove the need to review multiple sites for new job postings.
- Listing the files by dates and marking posts you have already read, eliminates the need to review older posts.
- Reader allows users to share feeds with people who have similar interests.
- It avoids cluttering up your existing Reader account with distracting posts from blogs or news sites..
Other possible uses:
- Subscribe to relevant feeds like industry blogs, career blogs or feeds from companies you want to work for.
- Search all the feeds for specific keywords.
- Add industry or career podcasts.
Google Maps
There is no need to repeat searches or direction requests when you process everything through Google maps. You can generate maps and attach them to documents, emails, contacts and appointments on your Google account. Therefore, driving to your second interview is as easy as pulling up your last appointment with the potential employer.
Google Alerts
Google alerts can automate the process of searching for the same keywords every day.
Tips for Keyword Alerts:
- Create a vanity search alert, to be aware of how your name is appearing on the internet. This knowledge allows you to diffuse, explain or eliminate posts on the internet that might embarrass you.
- Use specific search strings to find recently posted job ads on the internet.
Google Contacts
Import relevant industry contacts into your Gmail account, including your references or recruiters. You can cross-reference your contact list with LinkedIn, and update any changes to their information.
You might even create an email distribution list for specific groups to update them on your job search, ask for possible leads or announce a new position.
Google Calendar
Create a new calendar dedicated to your job search. Limit this calendar to your firm appointments which includes interviews and submission deadlines.
Then create a secondary calendar to list reminders. These reminders include 1 to 2 week follow-ups to completed interviews and application submissions..
Furthermore, attach pertinent documents such as the original postings, resumes and cover letters to appointments and reminders. To avoid any conflicts between your personal and professional appointments you should sync your various calendars into one. You can then toggle each calendar on or off as your organize your week.
Google Documents
The strongest reason for a separate profile is to consolidate all of your career documents.
In particular, documents can be added to a hierarchy of folders:
- Create a primary folder that contains your original resume and cover letter. These templates will be edited to fit different job applications.
- Then make general folders which are divided by industry.
- Create sub-folders by specific job postings and place the post, resume and cover letters in that folder.
- Afterwards you can share specific folders with other Google users so they can assist you in proof reading your applications.
The key to any career change is the ability to maximize your time and attention. Haphazard searches and disorganized documents will limit the quantity and quality of your applications. Consequently, a consolidation of your work and connections in the cloud will give you complete control over your job search project.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.
Achieve Success by Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone
Aug 19th
You have two choices when taking on a project that you feel is beyond your expertise. You can succumb to the fear of failure and walk away or see it as an opportunity to challenge yourself and develop new skills.
Overcome your doubts by focusing on a successful outcome, developing a positive attitude and following a structured plan.
Here is a guideline to help you take on any task or project.
Get a firm understanding of what you are trying to achieve
Define the goal of the project and condense it to its core objective. It will give you a succinct idea of what actions you need to take to achieve this objective.
Also, take a cursory inventory of the milestones, people and skills that will be involved in reaching your objective.
Doubts come from facing the unknown. Encapsulating important information gives you an easy reference to keep you confident and focused.
Focus on the “what” and not the “how”
People clutter their brain with an over emphasis on maintaining a budget, delegating people and using complicated project management tools
Remove yourself from the “how” mindset and become a visionary. Sit back, take what you know from your early notes and come up with an image of what you want to accomplish. Visualize success.
Confidence in your abilities will come from focusing on the certainty of success, not the possibility of failure.
Feel confident about your work experience and talents
Skills are transferable and your unique qualities will strengthen any endeavour.
People define a great career by the ever-increasing amount of faith and responsibility given to an employee over many years of service. Consequently, you challenge an employee with tasks outside their comfort zone to test if they are ready to be leaders.
A new generation of executives and managers are becoming jacks-of-all-trades and masters of some. You may not be able to draw a straight line, but if having that skill is important to the project, odds are you will learn how to do it.
Maximize every interaction with your manager or client
A lack of feedback will magnify your fears. In most cases, you are building on ideas and products other people have already developed. Use that to your advantage and do not frustrate yourself by trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, work with the people that have built the foundation of the project. In the end, they are your most critical audience.
Being dismissive and closed-minded makes your job harder. Take time to digest the material you have gathered, and come back to the decision makers to ask questions that are more specific. This helps guarantee you are making the right decisions.
Be aggressive but diplomatic in getting the answers you need. Carefully construct your questions and be adaptable to the answers even if it is not what you want to hear.
Commit to your plan of attack
People over think creative endeavours, they wander from one idea to another. However, they never take in to account the chaos this type of flip-flopping causes along the way.
Be flexible, but at all costs try to stick to your original vision. Once you are dedicated to the path and destination, your job is to delegate, manage and deploy to get there.
Contribute when you can and ask for help when you cannot
If you are not artistic, but more of a right brain thinker, you may feel sheepish about offering your opinion on aesthetic issues. However, try to remember that everyone fills different need on a team.
Ultimately, a good team blends the best of everyone’s talents, and what skill one person lacks the other brings to the project. Your job is to guide them, trust their input, offer your knowledge and lastly, help them flesh out your ideas.
Use the internet
Take your time and see what others have accomplished with similar projects. Inspire yourself with the achievements of others, but beware the many dangers of plagiarism.
Draw from the many assets your company has to offer
Make a general request across the company for help.
This type of crowd sourcing reduces cost by keeping everything in house. It also exposes internal talent, and brings in fresh ideas to any endeavour.
Remember, it is natural to be hesitant when presented with what first appears to be an overwhelming project. However, you can overcome this challenge by confirming your objectives, believing in your skills, drawing confidence from your experience and standing firmly behind your choices.
Philip Viana works as a Financial Adviser for a bank in Canada. He is hard at work developing the formula to a meaningful, mindful and happy life. He writes about productivity, financial advice, technology, and lifestyle at Burnthenegative.com or at his about.me page.