(Time to read this Blog is about 3 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:
   “You can’t build a business on lies, half-truths or broken promises to customers, to suppliers, or to your staff.”   
   …Donald Cooper.
    
2. Quick Biz Tip:
   What do you need to let go of?
    
   We all get bogged down and we all fall into the trap of not letting go of stuff.  We hang onto tasks that we should delegate, or just stop doing because they’re no longer relevant. Often, we hang on to these low-value tasks because it keeps us too busy to tackle the more difficult or uncomfortable management challenges that we’re actually paid to tackle.
    
   What do you need to let go of?  Make a list, right now, of 5 things to let go of.  Ask your team for help. They’ll know.  For each thing you decide to let go of, figure out if it’s a ‘delegate it’ or a ‘pitch it’.  Then, make a list of 5 high-value activities to move the business forward, that you’ll commit to spend more time doing.
     
3. Fun Facts. According to a recent Survey, Copenhagen is the world’s most livable city.  Vienna is #2.  Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, Australia are all in the top 10.  Vancouver is #10.
    
4. Shame on Canadian Banks. According to a Regulatory Review of the sales practices at Canada’s Big Five banks, their financial advisers face a high degree of pressure to meet sales targets, which can lead to mutual funds and other products or services being offered that are not in the clients’ best interests.
    
   A CBC News investigation from last year found that high-pressure sales tactics at Canadian banks were leading to more recommendations for unsuitable products.  Almost half of the banks’ financial advisors surveyed said they feared losing their jobs if they missed targets, and nearly a third said they were paid for sales volume rather than quality of advice.

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Cooper’s 10 Tips for a more extraordinary life!  

I often ask clients, “Does your business model serve your life model?” and the answer, sadly, is usually an immediate, “No, not by a long shot”.   So here, below, are my 10 simple tips for having a more extraordinary life.  I created this list for a client whose personal life was falling apart.  These Tips worked for him…and they may be helpful to you.  

1. Book time for yourself and family as you would for any other important customer.  We have customers at home too!
2. Create family traditions…they’re the ‘glue’ that hold families together. Without the ‘glue’ of traditions, families come unstuck.
3. Hug more.  They’re free, low calorie and returnable.
4. Hang out with positive, talented people.  Get rid of the toxic people in your life.  
5. Treat yourself.  Small, affordable treats can make a big difference. For example, buy the best bed linens and biggest bath towels you can find…and every night will be like sleeping at the Four Seasons.
6. Live with great design. Great design uplifts and inspires us.  Bad design stresses and depresses us. Great design doesn’t have to be expensive.  By any kitchen gadget by OXO.  Great design for just 12 bucks.  
7. Use the alphabet to trigger new experiences.  Be alive…be adventurous.  Every month set a budget and commit to doing something that you’ve never done before that starts with the next letter of the alphabet.  Start with picking Apples or trying an Australian wine or going to Al’s dinner, or A Next month try Brie Cheese, Burgundy wine, or go to Boston.  You get the idea…start with A, work through the alphabet till you go to the Zoo, or adopt a Zebra …then go back to A again.
8. Give back…volunteer…practice random acts of kindness.  When we make even a small difference in the lives of others, we make a difference in our life too.
9. Travel…explore, expand your mind and enlarge your circle of friends. Get the book “A 1000 Places to See Before You Die.”   Pick a page…and go there.  Then pick another page.
10. All those things you’re saving for special occasions…get them out and use them now!  ‘Life’ is a special occasion!

That’s it for this week…

Live brilliantly and be kind to each other!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.