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How to Refresh Your Brain in 10 Minutes

When you go from one task to the next--all day long--your mind constantly races to catch up. Hit the reset button with this underrated trick.

 

Andy Puddicombe is a former Buddhist monk and co-founder of Headspace, an entrepreneurial venture designed to demystify meditation and make it easily accessible to all audiences. Puddicombe promotes an idea that almost sounds too easy to be true: refresh your mind in just 10 minutes a day and you might be happier at work.  Puddicombe seeks to provide “meditation for the modern world,” eliminating stereotypes of incense and cross-legged monks. And he might just be on to something.

Here are two problems that plague modern-day workers--and how Headspace’s bite-sized meditation plan can help.

Problem #1: Inability to Focus  “The average office worker changes windows [on her computer] 37 times an hour,” Headspace’s head of research Nick Begley says in a meditation tutorial.  According to Begley, when your mind changes gears that rapidly, part of your brain is still engaged in the previous task and you don’t have all of the attention and resources necessary to concentrate on the current task. This slows down productivity and reduces your ability to filter relevant information from irrelevant information.

Problem #2: Stress When people get stressed, there is a part of the brain called the amygdala that fires up the “fight or flight” part of the nervous system that helps you make quick, impulsive decisions.  “It signals to our hormonal system to secrete adrenaline and cortisol and increases our heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure, so we can escape this immediate physical danger,” says Begley.  The problem arises when there is no immediate physical danger--when, say, you’ve forgotten to hit “save” on an important document and your computer crashes, or you arrive unprepared for an important business meeting. The “fight or flight” impulse is not actually helpful in those situations and merely puts undue stress on the body, Begley explains. 

The Solution  Refreshing your brain is easier than you think. Here's the first and only step: Do nothing.
Puddicombe recommends simply setting aside 10 minutes each day to quiet your mind. Practice observing thoughts and anxieties without passing judgment--simply experience them. Focus on the present moment and nothing else.

We can’t change every little thing that happens to us, but we can change how we experience it.

Thanks to Francesca Louise Fenzi | Inc.com for this article

6 Things Every Customer Wants

Contrary to popular belief, customers are less interested in price than in these six things.

All customers want the highest quality at the lowest price, right? Well, sort of. That stuff is important but, surprisingly, the quality vs. price formula is not usually on the top of the customer's list of concerns, especially when it comes to selling B2B.

According to numerous surveys, B2B customers want the following six things from the people who sell to them:

1. Preparation

Customers want you to do your homework before talking with them. They resent it when you ask questions that can easily be answered by a few minutes on the Web.

• Wrong: "And your VP of manufacturing is who?"
• Right: "How are purchasing decisions made between the manufacturing and engineering group?"

2. Simplicity

Customers, like everyone else, must cope with the complexities of business. They want you to make what you're selling simple but without being simplistic.

• Wrong: "Salesforce.com, the enterprise cloud computing company, today announced new next generation social analytics for the Marketing Cloud. With the expanded Marketing Cloud ecosystem, which now includes 20 industry leading social analytics vendors, companies are able to make better business decisions based on the massive amounts of social media data created every day, all from a single dashboard." (BTW, this is a real example, selected pretty much at random.)
• Right: "We make it easier to find sales prospects on the web by gathering the results from multiple social media searches into a single convenient place."

3. Creativity

Customers already have ideas on how to solve their problems and create their opportunities. They want you to surface new ideas that won't turn up during in-house discussions.

• Wrong: "We can address your list of requirements."
• Right: "Have you considered an alliance that might let you outsource that function?"

4. Loyalty

Customers are risking their companies and careers by doing business with you. They therefore want you to represent THEIR interests and not just those of your company.

• Wrong: "Is there any reason why you wouldn't buy from us?" (Move to the close.)
• Right: "If you're not 100% certain this is a good idea, then we should reassess the situation together."

5. Accessibility

Customers want to know they're a priority and that you'll get back to them immediately if they have a problem. If you don't, they conclude they're not important to you.

• Wrong: (recording) "I'm out of the office for a few days. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I return."
• Right: (recording) "If this is important, please text me at [number]. Otherwise leave a message."

6. Accountability

Customers don't want you to pass the buck to anybody else in your company. If they're going to work with you, they want your skin in the game.

• Wrong: "You'll have to take that up with the sale support team."
• Right: "I will call the sales support team right now and have them give your problem immediate attention."

The list above is based upon scientific research conducted by The Chally Group Worldwide.

Thank you Geoffrey James from Inc.com for the blog post.

Let us know your thoughts.

Progress closes the "BEST CONSTRUCTION LOAN OF 2012"




 

 Read Article (close pop up to land on page 74) at http://digital.turn-page.com/i/119083/78 

Progress...Power On!

Progress is thrilled to be back online, have email and phone access and most of all to get back to business.

We thank everyone for their patience and hope you are all safe and on your way to recovering from last week's storm.

PROGRESS REALTY ADVISORS, LLC

(732) 389-9701

                                                       
Kathy Anderson (ext. 142)
Mary Schneider  (ext. 143)
Fred Santos       (ext. 147)
Joel Kraut           (ext. 146)
Lisa McHale       (ext. 148)
 Lilly Preziose      (ext. 140) 

Be prepared for the next storm.



Being Happier: 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now

Sometimes the route to happiness depends more on what you don't do.

Happiness in your business life and your personal life is often a matter of subtraction, not addition

Consider, for example, what happens when you stop doing the following 10 things:

1. Blaming.  People make mistakes. Employees don't meet your expectations. Vendors don't deliver on time.  So you blame them for your problems.  But you're also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training. Maybe you didn't build in enough of a buffer. Maybe you asked too much, too soon.
Taking responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others isn't masochistic, it's empowering--because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time.
And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.

2. Impressing.  No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions, your title, or your accomplishments. Those are all "things." People may like your things--but that doesn't mean they like you.
Sure, superficially they might seem to, but superficial is also insubstantial, and a relationship that is not based on substance is not a real relationship.  Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself.

3. Clinging.  When you're afraid or insecure, you hold on tightly to what you know, even if what you know isn't particularly good for you.  An absence of fear or insecurity isn't happiness: It's just an absence of fear or insecurity.  Holding on to what you think you need won't make you happier; letting go so you can reach for and try to earn what you want will.  Even if you don't succeed in earning what you want, the act of trying alone will make you feel better about yourself.

4. Interrupting.  Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say."  Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say.  They'll love you for it--and you'll love how that makes you feel.

5. Whining.  Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better.  If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you'll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now.  Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.  And do the same with your friends or colleagues. Don't just be the shoulder they cry on.  Friends don't let friends whine--friends help friends make their lives better.

6. Controlling.  Yeah, you're the boss. Yeah, you're the titan of industry. Yeah, you're the small tail that wags a huge dog.  Still, the only thing you really control is you. If you find yourself trying hard to control other people, you've decided that you, your goals, your dreams, or even just your opinions are more important than theirs.  Plus, control is short term at best, because it often requires force, or fear, or authority, or some form of pressure--none of those let you feel good about yourself.  Find people who want to go where you're going. They'll work harder, have more fun, and create better business and personal relationships.  And all of you will be happier.

7. Criticizing.  Yeah, you're more educated. Yeah, you're more experienced. Yeah, you've been around more blocks and climbed more mountains and slayed more dragons. That doesn't make you smarter, or better, or more insightful.  That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind, but in the end, just you.  Just like everyone else--including your employees.  Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you'll see people--and yourself--in a better light.

8. Preaching.  Criticizing has a brother. His name is Preaching. They share the same father: Judging.
The higher you rise and the more you accomplish, the more likely you are to think you know everything--and to tell people everything you think you know.  When you speak with more finality than foundation, people may hear you but they don't listen. Few things are sadder and leave you feeling less happy.

9. Dwelling.  The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others.
Then let it go.  Easier said than done? It depends on your focus. When something bad happens to you, see that as a chance to learn something you didn't know. When another person makes a mistake, see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding.  The past is just training; it doesn't define you. Think about what went wrong, but only in terms of how you will make sure that, next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.

10. Fearing.  We're all afraid: of what might or might not happen, of what we can't change, or what we won't be able to do, or how other people might perceive us.  So it's easier to hesitate, to wait for the right moment, to decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives.  Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.  And so do our dreams.
Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today.  If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or offer new products or services, take the first step.  Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything.
Otherwise, today is gone. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever.

Today is the most precious asset you own and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting.

Thank you to Jeff Haden of Inc.com for the blog post.

5-Star Regal Bank

Kathy Anderson, President of Progress Realty Advisors, is also a Director of Regal Bank, which earned a 5-star Superior Bank rating from Bauer Financial...

5-Star Regal Bank -- Responsive, Responsible, Respected

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
To the Editor:
July 2012: BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., the nation's leading bank rating and research firm, is proud to recognize Regal Bank, Livingston, New Jersey as a 5-Star Superior bank. A 5-Star rating indicates that Regal Bank is one of the strongest banks in the nation. To earn this prestigious 5-Star rating, Regal Bank must excel in areas of capital quality, asset quality, profitability and much more.
"As big banks grow increasingly complex and inflexible," remarks Karen L. Dorway, president of the rating firm, "it's encouraging to know that there are still community banks, like Regal Bank, that have mastered the three R's of banking. Regal Bank is 1) Responsive to its customers' needs, 2) Responsible in its underwriting and investments, and 3) Respected by the nation's premier bank rating and research firm as well as its customers."

Established in 2007, Regal Bank has proudly been serving its local communities for five years. It currently operates through four conveniently located offices in Florham Park, Livingston and Roseland and can also be found on the internet at www.regalbanknj.com.
Regal Bank: "The treatment you deserve."
BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida, the nation's leading independent bank and credit union rating and research firm, has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks and credit unions since 1983. No institution pays BauerFinancial to rate it, nor can any choose to be excluded. Consumers may obtain free star-ratings by visiting www.bauerfinancial.com.
BAUERFINANCIAL, INC. P.O. Box 143520, Coral Gables, FL 33114.