Recently, I looked into replacing a coffeemaker that bit the dust. I pulled into the Walmart parking lot, entered the store not sure where to find coffeemakers. My first inquiry sent me in the general direction. I checked out several options and put one in my cart. Then, I walked to the checkout line, made my purchase, and trekked back to my car. The whole experience took about 30 minutes.

Now I am wondering why I didn't just go to Amazon.com, search coffee makers, check out a few online reviews, and make a purchase. I would've saved nearly an hour of my time. In essence I wasted an hour by going to the brick-and-mortar establishment, time I didn't really have to waste. I wasn't valuing my time correctly.

Now that the Olympics are past I was reflecting on a study I read about how bronze medal winners were happier than those who took home the silver. (study: https://bit.ly/2usPLg2 )

At first it struck me as counterintuitive.  Isn’t silver better than bronze? Granted a gold medal is the best, but ranking second in the world isn't shabby. 

Small adjustments may have major impact on businesses or life. I attended a presentation where I heard a speaker whose name I cannot remember. He shared the suggestion that if we made a habit of parking at the far side of a parking lot when we go to work or shop, the extra walking would reduce our weight one pound a year for the average American. That’s ten pounds in ten years. Most of us struggle with weight reduction and would love to lose ten pounds or more. Embracing this small change over a long period of time makes a significant difference.

Pro athletes need to perform even when banged up a bit because a game is on the line. The key is to know when to play when injured and when to stay off the field. The two important questions are:

            Is my team better off with me in the game, or not? 

            Is my injury likely to get worse if I play? 

In short, is playing a wise choice for the athlete and the team?

I read two to three hours per day, perhaps more on weekends. Rather than watching reruns of Shark Tank or most nightly news programs, I’ll pick up a book or read one on my iPad.

I read books for a number of reasons: recreation, information, spiritual guidance and business information. When I read business books I give thought to the true cost of the book.  I buy books from $10-$75 on Amazon.com.. At times I recommend these books to a client or friend. They wince at a $35 to $50 price tag. I can see they think the cost is too high.