SOMETIMES WE CAN become dulled to words like goals, objectives or priorities, and something as simple as changing the language you use can make all the difference in the world.
Heck, it worked for Starbucks and how they changed the entire language around a simple cup of coffee.
Speaking of that, it makes no sense to me at all. Doesn't grande mean large? And why would any company name their smallest drink "tall"?
So sorry about that, let's get back to the message, and how a simple change of language can unlock the key to fast tracking your goals.
Say hello to Needle Movers.
A Needle Mover is a tangible result (like, positive cash flow or weight loss) that, when achieved will have a positive reaction on your life and career.
For instance, to fast track your business growth you might want to focus on these Needle Movers:
1. Generate more sales leads to your website.
2. Accelerate and increase conversion rates.
3. Gain additional revenue through upsells.
4. Increase referrals from happy customers.
5. Reduce refund percentages.
By focusing on these Needle Movers, you'll have identified your key drivers for success, and you'll be able to quickly establish a specific and measurable plan of action to secure victory.
THE MAGIC NUMBER
It's important to distill your needle movers to between 3 to 5 key results.
Why?
Allow me to provide a few reasons as to you why you need to narrow it down.
SIMPLICITY - 3 to 5 key results is a smart, radical act of simplicity.
Simplifying your New Year strategy to just 3 to 5 Needle Movers is powerful in that it creates a sense of relief and freedom from complexity, and overwhelm.
FOCUS - Intentionally reducing your options to 3 to 5 key results is perhaps the savviest move you can make when it comes to focus.
Focusing on the highest and best use of your time, talents and passions involves making smart choices and trade-offs, identifying priorities, as well as determining and aligning actions with core values.
CONTROL - Committing yourself to just 3 to 5 key results is the perfect solution to the biggest problem faced by most people -accountability.
Accountability serves to protect your character as well as your credibility, and by reducing the number of Needle Movers,you remove complexity and overwhelm, and replace it with confidence and control.
Whether it's starting or growing business, becoming debt free, or even writing a book, there is no result that you can't enjoy this year with this needle mover strategy.
VISUALIZING PROGRESS
What I like about the phrase; moving the needle, is that you can use it to visualize a gauge for measuring your progress.
Here are a few examples:
a speedometer: is your project moving forward at 5 mph? what would it take to move it forward at 20, 50, 80 or even 100 mph?
a scale: what would it take to move the needle closer to your target goal?
a compass: do you need to adjust your actions so that you're moving in the right direction?
a quality of life gauge: what would it take to move the needle from good to GREAT today?
CALL TO ACTION
YOUR job is to identify the 3 to 5 Needle Movers, tangible results that will make the greatest impact on your life.
Once identified, use the 100 Day Challenge to create MIND BLOWING results - QUICKLY. And, that's what you really want isn't it?
So, what are you waiting for?
Make this the year you dramatically moved the needle forward in your life and career.
Gary Ryan Blair is the inspiration behind the 100 DAY CHALLENGE which is the world's most powerful goal setting program designed to show you how to get more accomplished in 100 days than most people do over the course of 10 years
Tracking down the perfect fabric for the job can be a daunting task. Luckily, Juliette Barrell, marketing director at Wesley-Barrell, has passed on some solid advice: "When choosing upholstery fabrics we are thoroughly spoilt for choice so it helps to adopt your own selection criteria. Consider how much wear and tear your sofa or armchair will receive, along with the colour and textures of existing fabrics in your decorative scheme. It is often difficult to gauge wearability from the feel of a fabric, so ask about rub tests; ideally fabrics for general domestic use require a rub test of in excess of 20,000 rubs."
Finding the right fabric
Upholstery fabrics
The cost of a fabric, or how heavy or substantial it feels, does not indicate whether it will be suitable for upholstery. As a guide, some manufacturers use the symbol of an armchair to suggest that a fabric is suitable for upholstery, whereas others use a new A, B, C system to grade the durability of fabric.
o Those rated "A" have a rub test number between 21,000 and 40,000 and are considered suitable for "severe domestic" use; a fabric in this category would suit a sofa, for example.
o Fabrics in category "B" (rub test 11,000 to 20,000) are suitable for "general domestic" use, for example, for curtains.
o Category "C" (rub test 4,000 to 10,000) suggests that fabrics are suitable for "light domestic" use - this covers items such as cushions.
These ratings may be shown on pattern books but, if they're not, you'll need to check their suitability for your project with the manufacturer.
Also, be aware that upholstery labels must give the fibre content of the fabric, and should indicate that the item has met fire safety standards BS 5852
Cleaning guidelines
Curtains and blinds
Blinds and curtains, including linings, should be vacuumed occasionally to prevent a build-up of dust. To do this, use an upholstery attachment and, when cleaning delicate fabrics, stretch muslin over the nozzle. Curtains and blinds should be professionally cleaned every three to five years but, if you live on a busy road, the Cadogan Company recommends that this is done every two to three years, as the sulphur from car emissions can be particularly damaging if left to accumulate. A professional cleaning company will either clean the curtains on site, or take them away to be cleaned. Some companies will also re-hang your curtains once they have been cleaned.
Upholstered furniture
Nikki Dunstan at Wesley-Barrell recommends cleaning furniture at least once a week with a soft brush or on a low vacuum setting. However, when cleaning feather or down cushions, you should never use a vacuum cleaner as it will damage the fillings. Do not use soap or detergents on fixed covers as they can cause colours to bleed, and if the padding beneath the fabric becomes damp, staining and interior damage can occur. For an extra-thorough clean, you'll need the services of a specialist upholstery-cleaning company.
Loose covers
With the exception of covers that are labelled as washable, Wesley-Barrell suggests loose covers should be dry-cleaned. One-hundred per cent cotton or linen union covers can be hand-washed using soap flakes and lukewarm water. The trick is not to rub the fabric, but to squeeze gently, and make sure the cover is rinsed extremely well. Do not tumble dry; dry flat and avoid drying in direct sunshine. Iron covers lengthways, on a very low heat, while they are still damp.
Fabric wall coverings
Look after fabric wall coverings by carefully vacuuming at least twice a year using an upholstery attachment covered with muslin. Particular care should be taken with areas where dust tends to build up, such as the corners. Fabric wall coverings should be professionally dry-cleaned on site about every five years.
Care of specialist furniture
Some items of furniture need more attention than others. The following tips will help to keep them in good condition.
Leather upholstery
o Sunlight and heat will dry out leather and make it less pliable, so, try to place it away from possible sources of damage.
o Scratches can be made less visible by rubbing over them with a wet cloth.
o To avoid leaving marks when wiping up spills, moisten the entire surface evenly and lightly to clean. Allow to dry naturally. Don't use a hairdryer or apply direct heat.
Antique pieces
o Lift curtain hems when floors are polished.
o For surface-dirt removal, use a low-suction vacuum cleaner and cover the nozzle with a small square of muslin.
Trimmings
o Trimmings on soft furnishings and upholstery should be gently steam-cleaned. The Penguin Steam Cleaner, £49·99 by Home-Tek, is a small, hand-held appliance for accessing the smaller surfaces.
o Tassles and fringed trimmings can be perked up as part of the steam-cleaning process. Smaller items, like tie-backs, can be cleaned by holding them over the steam from a kettle.
o Use soft artist's brushes to dust rosettes or ruched braids
Professional re-upholstery services
Sometimes, well-used upholstered furniture becomes so worn that even specialist cleaning won't bring it back to life. If this is the case, it may be worth having your favourite sofa or armchair re-upholstered. "Re-upholstering furniture is a great way to update cherished pieces," says Fiona Oommen, general manger of furnishing services at John Lewis. "And if you choose a new design, maybe something very different to the original fabric, you can give a new look to a whole room."
The upholstery service at John Lewis gives customers the choice of having furniture upholstered in fabric from selected John Lewis own-brand ranges, as well as those from Designers Guild, Osborne & Little, Parkertex and others. The service can include repair and maintenance to traditional upholstery, (individual springs, webbing and so on), re-padding or re-stuffing the seat/back/arms, and polishing.
Fabric care
Reading the labels
So that it can be recognised internationally, a simple code of symbols gives information on textile care. There are five basic symbols indicating whether a fabric can be washed, bleached, ironed, dry-cleaned or tumble-dried. If a treatment is not permitted then the symbol will be crossed out. A bar below a symbol means a milder wash cycle or treatment should be used. A broken line indicates treatment should be mild and at 40ºC.
The suggested washing temperature is given in the centre of the washing symbol, and will range from 40 to 95ºC. A hand in the wash symbol means fabrics must be hand-washed. A triangle with the letters 'CI' shows that chlorine-based bleaching is allowed, but only a cold and diluted solution. Dots on the side of an iron give the maximum temperature to be used: three dots for 200ºC; two dots for 150ºC; and one dot for 110ºC. Similarly, dots in the centre of a tumble-dry symbol tell you whether to use a regular cycle (two dots), or a lower temperature (one dot).
General fabric care
o Vacuum carpets, upholstery, curtains and blinds regularly.
o Turn cushions to ensure even wear.
o Strong natural sunlight will cause fabrics to fade and, in some cases, to deteriorate. Re-arrange furniture to prevent fading of one particular area, or screen out sunlight when the room is not in use.
o Add lining to silk curtains as they are particularly vulnerable to light damage.
o Ensure that the dye from clothes does not rub off on to light-coloured upholstery - it can be impossible to remove.
o It's best not to let pets sit on the furniture as their body oil can stain fabrics irreversibly.
o Take care when cleaning chintz furniture, as the polished surface can be damaged. It may be advisable to use a professional cleaning company instead.
Upholstery fabric care
o If dry cleaning a set with loose covers, always clean the whole set as otherwise any colour changes will be uneven.
o Ideally, cushions should be plumped every day
theblox.co. If this is done, along with regular turning of fabric-covered cushions, wear will be reduced and they will remain in good shape.
o Avoid sitting on the arms of sofas or chairs.
Old Video Games
Over the last three decades, video games have evolved as one of the best forms of entertainment and have grown immensely in popularity. Video games serve as one of the best means for spending time with loved ones or simply having fun with friends. The modern trend of video game popularity was not always visible. Conventional designs for video games were sluggish and unattractive and had more of a scientific value rather than entertainment value. Initial designs for video games focused on creating a video display using interactive visuals complemented by in game responses and feedback as the game continued.
Recent video games incorporate quality 3D animation and graphic detail, with excellent game play. Old video games on the other hand, had comparatively poor graphics and relied more on game play for success in the market.
The genre of old video games corresponds to games that used 8-bit and 16-bit microchips. Most of the old video games were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Video games such as Mario, Super Mario, Contra, Street Fighter, Packman series and so on were extremely popular in these years. Some are even played today due to their brilliant game play and excellent story line.
Old video games are generally played on game consoles from Sega, Atari and other game consoles. Some can be played on arcade machines and on computers. These video games are played today, using emulation software on computers. Emulation is however attracts a fair bit of controversy as the software used for emulation may be illegally copied.
Old video games can be availed of online on a plethora of websites offering the same for download
bloometa.com. The file size for these video games is usually small and can be downloaded for free. Some rare video games may however require prior payment for download. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN can be used to obtain links and sites offering downloads of old video games. Old video games can also be acquired from select vendors at different parts of the country.
Cryptosporidiosis in Reptiles
Cryptosporidiosis has been reported in a variety of different reptile species. This disease appears to be common in wild and captive populations of reptiles, and transmission occurs by the fecal-oral route. Infected reptiles may not express symptoms but are sporadic shedders of oocysts (eggs). Clinical signs of Crypto infection include regurgitation and weight loss accompanied by abnormal enlargement of the mucous membrane layer of the stomach.
Diagnosis of Cryptosporidiosis can be challenging. One method of diagnosis is the identification of oocysts within a fecal specimen via acid-fast staining. A negative acid-fast stain only indicates that the reptile was not shedding at the time of sampling and does not mean the animal is Crypto free. Standard practice is to test three times before assuming the animal is free from the disease. Endoscopy, including gastric lavage and biopsy, can also be utilized to identify this disease.
The most common species of Cryptosporidiosis found in reptiles is C. serpentis, C. muris and C. parvum. It has been suggested that C. parvum occysts (mouse based) found were probably from rodents ingested by the reptiles rather then and actual infection of Crypto. This possibility regarding C. parvum infecting reptiles can only be totally rules out by additional careful biologic and genetic studies.
In March 1999, the Saint Louis Zoo initiated a diagnosis-euthanasia program after the identification of chronic Cryptosporidium in snakes in their facility. To monitor the effectiveness of the control measures, samples were periodically taken from snakes for a period of one year. Right after the initiation of the control measure, 5 of 10 and 8 of 17 snakes samples were positive for Crypto in May and June of 1999, respectively. Afterwards, only 1 of 45 snake samples taken at five different time periods was positive for Cryptosporidiosis.
Currently there are no effective control strategies against Cryptosporidium in reptiles. In a small-scale study, it was demonstrated that snakes with clinical and subclinical Cryptosporidium could be effectively treated (not cured) with hyperimmune bovine colostrum raised against C. parvum. Strict hygiene and quarantine of infected and exposed animals are mandatory for control of Cryptosporidiosis, however most ellect euthanasia of the infected. The best method to prevent Crypto from spreading is to euthanize infected reptiles.
Crypto oocysts are only neutralized by exposure to moist heat between 113°F and 140°F for 5 to 9 minutes and by disinfection with ammonia (5%) or formal saline (10%) for 18 hours. Ineffective disinfectants included idophores (1%-4%), cresylic acid (2.5% and 5%), sodium hypochlorite (3%), benzalkonium chloride (5% and 10%), and sodium hydroxide (0.02 m). Anything that could have potentially been in contact with an infected reptile should be thoroughly cleaned with an ammonia solution and allowed to dry for a period of at least 3 days.
Across the world, human life expectancy has grown by leaps and bounds. Compared to the 1950s, it has shot up by 50% and comparison with 1980s it has increased by 30%. Long gone are the days when company-sponsored pension plans alone were sufficient to spend one's golden ages in a relaxed and worry-free manner.
Today, with ascend other expenses like housing, education, healthcare and more, several people are finding it increasingly challenging to save for their retirement.
Unfortunately, the bitter truth is that people of all generations from baby boomers to millennials aren't saving enough for their retirement. Saving is one of the most underrated worldwide epic crises.
"Retirement is complicated. It's never too early or too late to start preparing for your Retirement."
Thus, people are trying for alternate opportunities that provide them with higher returns in shorter span period. Traditionally, real estate, private equity and venture capital was wanted. Now, a new and more additional moneymaking and lucrative investment has joined the picture - enter cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrency Investments - For those who don't want to place all their Eggs in one Basket
One of the biggest advantages of cryptocurrency investments is that it decouples your portfolio from reserve currencies. Say, if you live in the UK, then you're bound to have shares of UK-based companies in your retirement portfolio, if you're into equity. What will happen to your portfolio if the British pound were to crash? And given, today's volatile political scenario across the globe, nothing is certain.
Therefore, cryptocurrency investments make the most sense. With digital currency investments, you're effectively creating a basket of digital coins, that acts as an effective hedge or as a safe bet, against reserve currency weakness.
The average investor should allocate only a small portion of his/her retirement assets into crypto, due to its volatility. But, instability can cut back both ways - think back to the healthcare stocks of the 1950s and the tech stocks of the 1990s. The smart early investors were the ones who made it big.
Don't get left behind or lose out. Include crypto in your assets to start building a truly, diversified portfolio.
Cracking the Wall - Build your Trust in Cryptocurrencies
One of the biggest and foremost hurdles most first-time crypto investors face is that they can not trust digital currencies. Many, especially people who are not tech-savvy or nearing retirement do not perceive what the promotion is all about. Sadly, they fail to realize and appreciate the myriad potentials of cryptocurrency.
The reality is that - Cryptocurrencies are one of the most reliable assets, backed with the latest technology. The blockchain technology that powers digital currencies makes it possible to trade immediately and indelibly without the requirement for third-party verification. It's a peer-based system that is entirely open and runs on advanced cryptographic principles.
Retirement Planning Funds Should Work on Demystifying Cryptocurrencies
To build the trust and win the support of individuals, retirement planning funds must educate investors about the endless potentials of cryptocurrencies. For this they need advanced analytics that helps in providing reliable risk analysis, risk/return metrics and projections.
Additionally, investment firms can set up specialized cryptocurrency advisory services to help and guide new investors. In the coming years, one can expect several smart AI-based advisors to crop up on the scene - these will assist in calculating the right investments based on an individual's time horizon, risk tolerance and other factors.
Human advisors can work along with these intelligent advisors and provide customers with personalized consultation and other suggestions as and when needed.
Need for More Visibility and Comprehensive Control
Retirement investors who are looking to add cryptocurrencies to their asset portfolio require more control and visibility as they experiment with this new asset. Look for platforms that let you combine all your assets in one place. An integrated solution that enables you to manage and balance all your assets including traditional ones like bonds and stocks with new asset classes like cryptocurrency wallets.
Having such a broad platform that supports all your assets gives you a holistic portfolio analysis, helping you make better and more informed decisions. Thereby, you reach the ultimate aim of saving for your goals faster.
Look for investment planning portals that also provide additional features like periodic contributions to cryptocurrencies at scheduled or unscheduled intervals.
Advances in Supporting Technologies for Cryptocurrency Investing
Cryptocurrency investing will become mainstream only when the supporting technology makes it possible for investors to seamlessly trade coins, even for new investors who aren't aware of the know-how. Exchanging one digital coin for another, or even for fiat currencies and other non-tokenized assets must be all made possible. When this becomes possible, it will eliminate middlemen from the equation, thereby lowering costs and additional fees.
With maturation of technologies that support cryptocurrency investments and trading, the value of digital currencies will further increase, as the currency goes mainstream with broader accessibility. This means early adopters are in for a huge gain. As more and more retirement investment platforms integrate cryptocurrency, the value of digital currencies is bound to increase offering significant gains to early adopters like you.
If you're wondering, whether such retirement investment platforms will take a few years to see the light of the day, then you're wrong. Auctus is one such portal that is currently in its Alpha phase of launch. It's a first-of-its-kind retirement portfolio platform that includes digital currencies. Users of Auctus can get investment advise from both human and AI-powered analytical tools.
For now, users can save for retirement using Bitcoins, Ethereum and several other digital currencies
kryptview.com. Additionally, users can make use of the Automated rebalancing feature that lets them adjust their portfolio automatically using a set of preset rules.
This holistic approach ensures that users can achieve their retirement goals earlier by making smart and the right investment choices or decisions.
Comments
Post a Comment