The Small Blog

Sat, June 05, 2010 - 10:26:01

The Power of the Three-Day Weekend

It’s hard to believe, but summer is here and for some people that means family vacations, weekends at the beach, and fun in the sun with friends.  But if you’re like the 60 percent of Americans who can’t get away for a lengthy summer vacation, you can still experience the emotional benefit of a big trip even if you only have one Friday to spare. 

According to research published by Applied Research in Quality of Life earlier this year, the simple act of planning a vacation has a profound impact on personal happiness—and the best part is, the length of the vacation has no bearing on the positive effects planning and anticipation cause.  In the study conducted by scientists at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, planning a vacation was even more effective at boosting mood levels than going on a very relaxing extended holiday.  While a vacation described as “very relaxing” had positive effects lasting two weeks, those enjoyed by vacation planners lasted four times as long.

Posted by Linda and Robin
More    Be the first to comment

Sat, May 29, 2010 - 9:24:11

A Little Superstition Can Bring You Luck

A few days ago, we received a wonderful email from one of our readers passing along a bit of information from a Wall Street Journal article called, “The Power of Lucky Charms.” Contrary to what you might think, the article wasn’t about the morning sugar rush you get from the breakfast cereal of the same name.  Instead it explained that scientists have discovered that the simple act of believing something will give you luck means it will.  In other words, with one simple mind trick, you can actually make yourself do better.

Posted by Linda and Robin
More    Be the first to comment

Tue, May 25, 2010 - 9:43:23

Saying a Little Can Accomplish a Lot

Earlier today, we came across a post on Open Forum that really struck a chord with us and showed one more way in which SMALL can impact your business for the better. In it, Steve J. Martin, author of Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive tells the story of a real estate office that dramatically increased its business just by making one tiny and seemingly insignificant change. They slightly modified the way their receptionist transferred calls.

Posted by Linda and Robin
More    Be the first to comment

Mon, May 17, 2010 - 7:25:56

Striking it Rich

Think you have to make the pages of Forbes Magazine to be considered one of the world’s richest people?  Well, according to a new website, The Global Rich List, nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, if your family earns the average household income in the United States, you’re in the top 0.97 percentile of earners worldwide.  Divide that amount in half and as MainStreet.com reports, you’re still in the top 10%. 

But, The Global Rich list isn’t about ranking the “haves” against the “have-nots” and comparing with your friends.  Instead, it’s about showing everyday people that it doesn’t take a Bill Gates budget to make a difference in the lives of others.  Each time you enter in your salary total, the website shows you multiple ways you could affect real change with the same amount of money you spend on the little things each day.

Posted by Linda and Robin
More    Be the first to comment

Fri, May 14, 2010 - 12:13:12

Don’t Overlook the Little Guy

For far too long, there’s been a pervasive misconception in the business world that bigger is better, with a focus on big ideas, big pictures, and big actions. But, unfortunately, big has been the trend not just from an idea standpoint, but from a physical one as well. For years we’ve been led to believe that short people are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to career success. But thanks to a New York Times Science article by Jane E. Brody, those of us who are vertically challenged (present company included) can breathe a sigh of relief. It turns out that just like “the Five Second Rule” and “Feed a cold. Starve a fever,” the conventional wisdom that small people can’t get ahead is just an old wives’ tale.

Posted by Linda and Robin
More    (1) Comment