There is a book titled “When they Zig you Zag” which is written by Simon Reynolds. Not sure how you can get it now but if you can buy it as its worth every penny. The book is full of awesome tips about how to not only improve yourself but your business.

I have reproduced a couple of these tips below but you should get the book as it has over 70 pages of these little gems.

Do your most important job first each day

It seems so simple but hardly anyone does it! But doing this one thing will make you so much more effective. There’s an interesting story about this. In the 1930’s the steel magnate Charles Schwabb had a meeting with a young entrepreneur. This young man offered to teach Schwabb a way to increase his entire company’s productivity. All he asked in return was that Schwabb pay him what he thought it was worth.

The idea? Just write down the six most important things you should do each day and do number one first, before going on to number two. After trying this incredibly basic technique for a few weeks Schwabb sent the young man a cheque for $25,000.

Dominate meetings by asking questions

This is a very powerful and little known fact. The person who asks the most questions is usually the one in control of the meeting.

The simple reason is that the questions have to be answered, and people naturally begin to direct the conversation to the questioner. The questioner thus becomes the focus of the meeting.

Try it, you’ll be amazed at how well it works.

Don’t drink tap water

Drinking pure water is one of the best ways you can improve your general health and well-being.

Why? Because your body is over 85% water! Drinking tap water, which is often filled with chemicals, will over time adversely affect your entire system. Right around the world more and more people are purifying their tap water or choosing to drink fresh spring water, and are loving the benefits.

Spend half an hour a day thinking

Thats right, just thinking. Sadly, most people do virtually no quality thinking in a year let alone in a day. As Henry Ford said “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it”.
Most fortunes start which a great idea, and a lot of hard work. Most people have got the hard work bit right, they just didn’t spend long enough thinking of the right idea.

The founder of IBM, Thomas Watson, had signs put up around his company that said just one word: “Think!!!”.
Associate with the kind of people you want to become.

If you want to be a great musician, hang out with great musicians. If you’d like to become an excellent mother, associate with terrific mothers. If business is your thing, you’ll profit greatly by socialising with good business people.

Remember, you become like the people you associate with, and as the saying goes, “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas”.

Take a good look at the people you spend the most time with. Do they lift you up or bring you down? Do they inspire you or do you have to do all the inspiring? Are they quality people or riff-raff?

Be careful who you associate with. Your friends can affect your life more than you may realise.

Always be well mannered and respectful

You cannot control what people say about you but you can control how you react.

Before reacting to a negative comment think about how a negative reply will look to people that maybe monitoring the discussion.

People will always look upon you favorably if you react to negative comments in a positive and respectful way. This is especially important when the dialog is online such as blogs and forums as it will remain online forever when the context of the discussion is long forgotten.

Don’t watch too much TV

There is a wealth of information within books and articles. Read about successful people that inspire you. You will be amazed at the life-changing gems of information you will find.

TV dulls the brain and should only be viewed in small doses. Who got what they wanted out of life watching TV?

Smile often

Have you ever started smiling after seeing someone else smile?

Smiles are infectious and good for you and the people around you.

Smiling stimulates the thymus gland located below your throat, which then produces pleasure-increasing opiates. So when you smile, you’ll actually begin to feel happier inside.

Be charitable

Give to others freely and without expectation of return. This can be as simple as helping an elderly person across the street to donating your time to a charitable cause.

Not only will you feel good about yourself but you are also improving the life of others.

The universe rewards those people who help others. That law is ‘You get back what you give’.

Exercise at least 3 times a week

This can be a brisk walk right up to a full gym workout.

Getting the heart pumping gets the blood moving with oxygen rich blood. More oxygen to the brain means a more active, healthy and alert mind.

Your body was designed for physical activity not sitting at a desk 9-5!

Set your watch five minutes early

If you have trouble getting to meetings on time then I recommend this tip. 5 minutes may seem a little amount but it does provide a good time buffer.

If five minutes is still not enough time then set your watch back 10 minutes. You may even find that you are always the first one to arrive which can give people a good perception of you as a person who is keen, committed and organized.

Avoid making instant promises you know you will not honor

I use to be a “yes” man and it caused no end of issues for my team and me. If someone asks you for a commitment try and postpone a reply for a minimum of 60 minutes. This will give your mind enough time to calculate the impact to making the commitment.

It’s a bit harder when you are face-to-face but you can say you need to check with your PA or team first or use another stalling tactic. The key point is not to instantly accept a commitment you may not honor.

Always be well groomed

Many people believe that what appears on the outside is a mirror to what is happening on the inside. If you present yourself in a scruffy manner then most people will assume that your business is scruffy. Make sure your clothes and grooming represent your professionalism.

Turn off email alerts

“You have new mail” alerts are a major distraction and no matter how hard you try your eyes will be diverted to the email alert pop-ups every time. Turn off all visual and sound email alerts so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Set a routine where you check your email every 30 minutes or after a major task has been completed.

Meditate

I have found meditation to be fundamental in reducing stress levels and increasing the focus on my goals. Being able to have 30 to 60 minutes every couple of days to meditate is a luxury few people can indulge in but I thoroughly recommend you find the time. Meditation is not only good for the mind but great for the body.  Meditation also allows for a deeper level of visualization (seeing yourself where you want to be).

Keep your promise to return calls

If you promise to contact someone and even set a date/time to do so make sure you keep that promise. Many business people will judge a person and thus their business by their ability to keep their promises.

At the end of each day reflect on the days achievements

Its important that you finish off the day reflecting on what you achieved for the day and any other positive outcomes. This will leave a positive thought in your mind of a job well done and help you approach the next day with a positive attitude.

Have a designated area where you place your mobile, wallet and keys at the end of each day
Don’t start the day off by stressing out in the morning because you cannot locate your mobile, keys or wallet. By having these items in a designated area you won’t have to worry about where you left the items the night before.

Avoid team meetings like the plague

I have not found one person who considers team meetings effective unless they are short and to the point. Team meetings can often be a massive waste of time and normally are of no benefit to the team. If you must have a team meeting make sure the person who called the meeting provides a bullet point agenda well before and a timeframe. If the meeting goes overtime or you find it’s a waste of time give an excuse and get the hell out of there!

Visit your client every 3 months

If you run a business where contact with the client can be done via phone or email make an effort to see them face-to-face every 3 months. Humans need physical contact and face-to-face reinforces the relationship. It also shows you care.

Source: businessblogs.co.nz