The Small Blog

Fri, February 19, 2010 - 2:33:44

Should You Strike Out on Your Own?  Think Small First.

Given the current economic climate and tough job market, more people than ever are using their unexpected unemployment situation as a chance to explore areas they may have otherwise not considered and for many Americans that means striking out on their own as entrepreneurs.  In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post by Daniel Isenberg, he advises prospective business owners to think long and hard before making the leap from job seeker to possible job creator, and specifically asks them to play a little game of 20 questions before jumping in with both feet. 

Isenberg’s list of true/false statements, including “I like to win,” “I always look for new and better ways to do things,” and “I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks” can provide potential entrepreneurs with valuable insights about their own abilities to take on the unique challenges of being your own boss.  But, there’s one important point he missed, which we would like to add: “I sweat the small stuff.”

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, February 12, 2010 - 2:06:28

How Do You Skate Your Best Performance? Stay in Your Program.

It’s been four years since we watched athletes like Apollo Anton Ono, Shaun White, and Sasha Cohen bask in Olympic glory at the Torino games in 2006 and since then we’ve been patiently waiting for the competition to begin once more.  With the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics scheduled to air Friday night, you can imagine our excitement.

Although most of the attention at the Winter Olympics revolves around which athletes will go home with gold medals, for most of the two-thousand-plus competitors showing up to Vancouver this season, the experience will be more about the process and less about the end result.  But, even though most of the contenders won’t find themselves on the podium, each of them undoubtedly wants to do their personal best.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, February 12, 2010 - 1:55:13

In Life and Love, the Small Stuff Counts

With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, you’re probably thinking about your love life a little more than usual and if you’re wondering about just how to find that special someone without the help of Cupid’s bow and arrow, you’re not alone.  As Sharon Jayson reports in Thursday’s USA TODAY the dating scene is experiencing a seismic shift and although most couples still meet each other through mutual friends, the Internet is rapidly gaining in popularity, accounting for the way 23% of those surveyed met their significant others.  But even as the social spectrum continues to change, one thing remains a constant: when it comes to happy relationships, it’s essential to sweat the small stuff.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, February 12, 2010 - 10:40:50

Get Fit, Step By Step

If you’re like one in five people around the world, you always get winded no matter how frequently you work out and, contrary to what you might assume, it’s not because you’re lazy.  In fact, according to recent research findings released in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 20 percent of people are actually genetically predisposed to seeing little improvement in their endurance levels, even when exercising regularly.  But, despite these new findings, scientists assert that regular exercise has potent benefits for people of all abilities and genetic make-ups, and especially if you’re like a fifth of people out there, taking small steps toward your fitness goals can help you make huge progress.

Sure, for many of us, exercising can be a chore and if you’re physically incapable of increasing your endurance, it can be even harder to get motivated.  Luckily, we’ve devised a trick that we use to conquer the much-dreaded Stairmaster® day in and day out and it’s surprisingly easy.  All you have to do is count backwards.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Sat, February 06, 2010 - 10:44:20

Little Abstractions Can Produce Big Concrete Results

Earlier this week, we came across a fascinating New York Times Science article that opened our eyes to another surprising way in which SMALL works.  In our book and here on the Small Blog, we’ve discussed in the past how subtle shifts in body language can betray a person’s inward thoughts.  But, according to scientists at the University of Amsterdam, external factors can have a surprising effect on the way humans form opinions.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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