This issue is made up of the following sections:

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
2. Questions for Growth
3. Silliness Among Us

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
1. Buy everyday needs in bulk to save time and money. I like to buy office supplies, certain groceries (cereal, bottled water, etc), and household items in bulk every several months or so. Then I can forget about stressing over those items on a weekly basis while going over my shopping lists.

2. As we approach the heart of the holiday season, keep in mind that tradition for the sake of continuing tradition, without thought for utility and consequences, is stressful. Create an environment that is conducive to those things most important to you-be they love, relaxation, humor, whatever. Don't engage in a stressful holiday tradition needlessly. You really can survive without having to cook a four-course dinner for thirty people. Hate fruitcake? Don't eat it, even if a relative mistakenly believes you crave it.

3. Make certain your life is strategic. Set your course on "where" you want to go, and plan accordingly as to "how" you will get there. I've known people whose health goals entailed being able to run around the block, once. Nevertheless, I admire them, because they have a strategy (they want to get in shape) that has a plan behind it (they need to first be able to get in kind of aerobic shape).

4. Spend a proportionately greater amount of time on solutions to problems rather than on the problems themselves. Focus less on why something happened, or how it is going to adversely impact you, and focus instead on how to eliminate the problem altogether.

5. Some books/authors that have had a profoundly positive effect on my life are listed below. Read any of them and your life will be enriched, also.
   • Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. A classic. His chapter on being proactive is worth the price of the book.
   • Any audiobook by David Sedaris (Live at Carnegie Hall makes me roar with laughter) This guy makes the mundane hilarious.
   • Learn to Earn, by Peter Lynch. If you know nothing about investing, this book should be the first book you ever read. I believe it is the best basic investing book out there.
   • Love Tactics, Thomas McKnight and Robert Phillips. Despite the absolutely loopy title, this book teaches sound, basic principles for winning the dating and relationship game.
   • The Aladdin Factor, by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Written by the Chicken Soup duo, this book focuses solely on the art of asking for what you want in your life.
   • Slow Burn, by Stu Mittleman. The best book on losing weight the reasonable way, written by someone who once ran almost 1100 miles in ten days. Teaches you how to gradually (but dramatically) increase your aerobic health and fitness level.

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2. Questions for Growth
1. Are most of the problems in your life related to strategy or execution?
2. If they are related to strategy, who can you go to for a better plan to succeed in those areas?
3. If they are related to execution, what obstacles prevent you from following through?

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3. Silliness Among Us

People are funny, if you have failed to notice. Many of my daily laughs center around the ridiculous things that either I or other humans do to themselves and others. For instance, both my neighbors (on either side) insist on washing their cars at least twice a week (which is REALLY silly to me, as one of them has five to six cars!). Recently, I noticed that they have turned it into an unofficial "King of Clean" contest. They both make an elaborate display out of their weekly ritual, going as far as to buy power washing equipment, various-sized buckets (one for detergents, one for sponges, one for wax products, etc) and other trappings, such as cigars to smoke, fancy headphones for their Diskman players, and my personal favorite, ear plugs (to drown out those annoying birds, loud-speaking neighbors, noisy sounds of wax-on, wax-off?). One of them even goes as far as washing others' cars when he feels particularly motivated!

The central question I ask upon returning home from a workday (and driving through the swamp of excess water that was once my cul-de-sac) is: What do these guys get out of this activity? Are there hidden benefits that I am unaware of, or does their compulsive washing routine merely serve as a symbolic ritual of perceived control over their lives? It is a fascinating view into the world of neuroticism. My wife thinks I'm equally silly for peeking out my window and staring wide-eyed at the spectacle, and I probably am, but I'm as compelled to watch as they are to wash! It makes for a nice mid-afternoon or early-evening break, and reminds me of the importance of not taking myself (or my daily life) too seriously. But then, what will we (my neighbors and I) all do when the winter weather comes? The anticipation builds...

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