This issue is made up of the following sections:

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
2. Questions for Growth
3. Reality Check

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips

The further along I get in my chosen profession, the more I realize that the quickest way to becoming successful in any endeavor is to develop effective habits. However, most people confuse effectiveness with efficiency. What is the difference? Efficiency is the ability to produce results, whereas effectiveness is the ability to produce desired or intended results. Confusing the two terms as synonyms can have a dramatic effect on your ability to get more done in your life.

Thus, begin to work to become effective rather than efficient. Establish your life priorities first and foremost (in areas such as family, career, finances, spirituality, and health. How you rank these areas is up to you), and then organize your weeks (not days) around these priorities. Set weekly goals in each area of priority that motivate you. Scheduling your priorities weekly rather than daily allows for flexibility-if you cannot complete a task on Monday, you have the rest of the week to ensure you will. In doing this you have established a routine that allows you to maximize your effectiveness. Remember, most people prioritize their schedule (consisting of daily hassles and tasks to complete) rather than schedule their priorities. No wonder they never quite have the time for pursuing their dreams and goals.

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2. Questions for Growth

I believe in the power of questions. Questions allow us to access our infinite (conscious and unconscious) wisdom and problem-solving abilities. The questions for the month of November are as follows:

1. What is one habit (small or large) of yours that, if eliminated, would greatly increase your peace of mind and satisfaction?

2. What would your closest friends and colleagues describe as your greatest "struggle" in life?

3. Who are your biggest role models in your life? What characteristics of these individuals do you attempt to emulate in your daily life?

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3. Reality Check

This month's topic involves human beings and the pursuit of perfection. The more people I interact with, the more I come to the realization that most people have exceedingly little tolerance for mistakes in their own lives. "I should have known better," or, "I don't want to mess this thing up," are phrases I hear all too often. They indicate irrationality-thinking that is not reality based. Irrational thinking is the trademark of anxious, unhappy individuals. Rationalizations abound as to why these individuals seek from themselves (perfection, mistake-free behaviors) what they find unreasonable to demand of others. However, the longer these irrational beliefs persist, the more ingrained they become. Some of my favorite irrational beliefs include:

• "Always give 110%" (I thought that 100% is all we actually could give as humans)

• "No pain, no gain" (Another classic: I HAVE to feel pain to grow or improve?)

• "This always happens to me!" (It may happen frequently, but the only thing that always happens is death and taxes!)

I could spend an entire day discussing irrational beliefs and the effect they have on our peace of mind and well-being (but I won't). Instead of being perfect, try instead to be "perfectly" human. I encourage you to enjoy making mistakes, because you will make plenty of them. My wife wonders aloud how I can be someone in a position to help people when I have trouble following directions while driving, but I actually enjoy this habit of mine, as it allows me to see parts of the city/state/country I have not seen before! Remember this: The more mistakes you make, the more you are engaged in the process of living. Engaged, not withdrawn, is where all the action is.

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