A Matter of Time

Time is so valuable. It?s what we cherish and crave most, yet what we seem to have the least of, making it seem almost impossible to be on time. No one would argue how important time is; yet we are quite careless in how we use it and how what it says about who we are.

Are you guilty of often being late for meetings, always with a reasonable excuse at hand? How often do you use the Sorry I?m late card? If it?s often, and you are convinced that it can't be avoided, I would ask you to take a look at what really prevents you from being on time. Do you need to put more cushion time into getting out of the house in the morning? Prepare things the night before? Find a different route to work? Think of all the people you know that are always on time and be rest assured that this isn?t by coincidence, but by choice.

Certainly there are situations that are out of your control, but if you?re sorry, more often than not, then your message to your employees screams a whole other story. It actually displays a lack of integrity on your part. It sends the message that people cannot depend on you, because what you say and what you do are two different things. It actually shows up like you just don?t care at all. After all, it was you that declared the start time of the meeting, right?

While I am sure that this isn?t the case for you at all, this is how it appears, to those waiting for you to show up. In the competitive market we live in, attention to small details can make the difference. If you were trying to choose between two different Internet services, both priced about the same, what other factors would you look at? The first thing you would look at is how they treat you as a customer. When you call, do you get to speak to a person, or are you on hold for a long time, only to end up with a recorded voice? Which one makes you feel confident about their ability to solve problems? Which leads you to believe they will be accountable for the service they provide?

The choice is obvious to most people, because of the value we place on time. Our time is a precious commodity and should not be wasted, whether it?s waiting for a meeting to start or a person to answer a phone. So the next time you think over-sleeping, stopping for that extra coffee, or trying on that one last outfit?doesn?t affect anyone but yourself?think again, because showing up when you said you would, sends the message loud and clear: It says that you value your time, their time and that yes, you do care.

This article courtesy of  http://www.certifiedlifecoach.org.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in
your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author
name and URL remain intact.
 

Economic Growth Continues - More Than 5.3 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003
On June 2, 2006, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 75,000 Jobs Created In May. The economy has created about 1.9 million jobs over the past 12 months – and more than 5.3 million since August 2003. The unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent – lower than the average of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

The Economy Remains Strong, And The Outlook Is Favorable

Revised Report Shows Fastest Real GDP Growth In Two-And-A-Half Years. Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 5.3 percent for the first quarter of this year. This follows our economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2005 – the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation.

Productivity Increased At A Strong Annual Rate Of 3.7 Percent In The First Quarter.

Real Hourly Compensation Rose At A 3.2 Percent Annual Rate In The First Quarter.

Personal Income Increased At An Annual Rate Of 6.7 Percent In April. Since January 2001, real after-tax income has risen by 12.9 percent, or 7.3 percent per person.

Real Consumer Spending Increased At An Annual Rate Of 5.2 Percent In The First Quarter.

Employment Increased In 47 States Over The Past 12 Months Ending In April. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states in April.

Industrial Production Increased 4.7 Percent Over The Past 12 Months. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing production has increased by 5.5 percent.

President Bush Has An Aggressive Agenda To Keep The Economy Growing

This Week, President Bush Nominated Henry Paulson As Treasury Secretary. Paulson has an intimate knowledge of financial markets and an ability to explain economic issues in clear terms. For the past eight years, Paulson has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Goldman Sachs Group, one of the most respected firms on Wall Street.

The President Has Expanded Tax Relief And Is Working To Make His Tax Relief Permanent. Two weeks ago, President Bush signed into law a bill that extends the tax cuts on dividends and capital gains. This legislation also contains an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch enabling millions of middle-income families to avoid paying higher taxes in 2006.

The President’s Tax Relief Has Helped Spur Growth By Keeping $880 Billion In The Pockets Of American Taxpayers. The Administration reduced taxes for every American who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, created investment incentives for small businesses, and put the death tax on the road to extinction.

Growing The Economy And Reducing The Deficit Depend On Controlling The Spending Appetite Of The Federal Government. Every year since the President took office, the Administration has slowed the growth of discretionary spending that is not related to the military or homeland security. The President's last two budgets cut discretionary spending that was unrelated to the military or homeland security, and we are on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.

If The Emergency Supplemental Bill – Which The President Has Requested To Help Fund The War On Terror And Hurricane Recovery – Includes Non-Emergency Or Wasteful Spending Or Exceeds The President's Set Limit Of $92.2 Billion Plus Funding To Prepare Our Nation For A Pandemic Flu Emergency, He Will Veto It.

In The Long Run, The Biggest Challenge To Our Nation's Budgetary Health Is Entitlement Spending On Programs Such As Social Security And Medicare. We call on members of both parties to join us in a bipartisan commission to address this critical issue.

The President Will Continue Working With Congress To Restrain Spending In Other Ways, Including Passing A Line-Item Veto. A line-item veto would allow us to cut needless spending, reduce the budget deficit, and ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely – or not at all.