Goal Setting: Problem solving

Goal Setting – Problem Solving

“the problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem”.
Theodore Rubin

With goal setting, as with everything, problems do arise. So what do you do when you encounter a problem.? Firstly, remember that the best time to solve a problem is always in its early stages. Also remember that, when solving problems you may not always be able to find a perfect answer. So what do you do, good problem solving requires mental effort, clear thinking, courage, patience, self-discipline, skill and experience.

Today we will highlight some of the traps people fall into, so you can avoid them.

Anchoring: This is giving to much weight to what we first see or hear about a problem. Learn more about the problem and you may find that it is not that big a deal and that the first information you got was not accurate.

Sticking with the status quo: It often seems easier to stick with things the way they are. Sometimes to solve a problem you need to think outside the box and to do things differently. And remember to take action. Not taking action does feel safer, but you want achieve results.

Not cutting your losses: Sometimes you can make a mistake and stick with it and keep losing. Look at the problem from a strategic level and see if this has happened to you.

Seeing what you want to see: We all fall for this…making a problem look like it is good. The best way to solve it is to get a second opinion!!!

Health

Benefits of Blueberries (courtesy of essortment.com)

Are you eating blueberries? If not you might want to reconsider this wonderful food that is so good for you.
The dye that is released from the blueberries' skin may well be the most valuable nutrient the fruit has to offer. The pigments in blueberries and also in red crops such as cherries, plums, and red cabbage are powerful antioxidants. They have been determined to be a much-heralded chemical warrior against heart disease and also cancer. Blueberries actually have the highest antioxidant capacity because of their large anthocyanin concentration.



Antioxidants in our food can save us from virtually everything. Most of our health misfortunes are due to the perversity of oxygen. Our cells are perpetually besieged by toxic forms of oxygen which have been proved to have fierce destructive powers. So far scientists have linked destructive oxygen reactions to at least sixty different chronic diseases, as well as to aging itself. Oxygen free radicals can attack DNA, the genetic material of cells, causing them to mutate, which is a step on the path to cancer.
One of the great revelations of the last few years, according to a massive and growing body of evidence, is that you may be able to eat your way out of this dilemma insofar as the boundaries of human life span and genetics allow. You can supply your cells with antioxidant food compounds that strike down, intercept and extinguish rampaging oxygen molecules and even repair some of their damage.
Blueberries are not only a powerful antioxidant but also have been proved to preserve vision. Blueberry extract, high in compounds called anthocyanosides, has been found in clinical studies to slow down visual loss.
A recent study was done in a Boston laboratory by putting one group of young rats on a blueberry-rich diet and another on regular chow. Then the scientist exposed both groups to 48 hours of concentrated oxygen, stirring up in two days the amount of free radical damage that normally takes 20 rat months, or 75 humans to accumulate. Brain cells in the chow group became less responsive to neurotransmitters associated with short-term memory. The brains of the blueberry stuffed rats did not change. He also found that the fruit prevented the kind of short-term memory loss that comes with aging. Blueberries actually stave off declines in brain cell's ability to send messages to one another.
There are types of blueberries and the most potent ones are Bilberries, as they have the virtuous pigment in their flesh as well as in their skin, thus they pack a greater anthocyanin wallop. Wild blueberries are also high on the list because they contain less water. All blueberries are very rich with antioxidants. If you don't have them available in your area fresh then purchase the frozen blueberries in the bag in your grocery.
Now if you add blueberries to your pancake mix or just put them on top of a stack of pancakes remember if you smoother them with the saturated fat of butter or a sugary syrup you'll not have a healthy breakfast. Try blending frozen blueberries into your shakes in your blender.



Parenting

In today’s article we will look out some key tips for how to develop children of character.

Make parenting first: As hard as it is sometimes, we have to put parenting first, yes even over the new plasma if required!!! Make parenting and spending time with your kids one of your major goals, and you will have much more involvement in shaping their developments.

Spending times: It can be difficult to find time for your children with work and social commitments, but it is definitely an investment that pays off. Try and find at least an hour a day of “quality” time with them.

Lead by example: Yes…they do copy us, as far as possible (and we all go off the band wagon from time to time) display behaviours you would like to see in them.

Make a big deal of the family meal: Try to sit down for dinner at the table together, with no television on. The conversation at the table will be one of the most valuable you will have.


In other views


Your editor had dinner with his wife at the Melba Brassiere on Melbourne’s South Bank last night. It was the first dinner in about 3 months that your editor has had without the kids. The range of food is superb; it is a buffet with roasts, sea food, Indian and a noodle bar. There is also a fantastic array of deserts. With stunning views over the Yarra, and good food it made for a great evening.

After the meal, on the way back to the car, your editor suggested that they go to the top of the Eureka Tower – Melbourne’s newest and tallest building. The building has a look out tower, with a platform, that once entered is mechanically moved so that it juts out of the building. The frosted glass on the floor then clears to reveal the ground some 300m below. It makes you feel like you are standing in mid air.

Your editor is an ex rock climber and loves heights, his wife, not quite so keen. With sweaty palms she walked towards the building.
‘Lets not do this…I feel to nervous’ she said
‘come on, it will be fun’ countered your editor
‘enjoy the view by yourself because I’m not going…lets go shopping at 24 hour k-mart instead’.
‘oh goodie’ your editor replied!!!


P.S. Sorry we did not write an article on Friday…we unfortunately had a funeral to attend.