The Hands of Time                             September/October 2007

In this Issue

Spotlight: Time is of the essence
Down-to-earth Solutions: It's about timing
Stellar Stats: Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl?
StarLite: Times are changing

Welcome

Usually, time seems to fly…we wish there were more hours in the day! Sometimes, though, it drags endlessly (ask anyone who is waiting for a delayed flight). Occasionally, we even wish we could turn back the hands of time to alter an outcome, take back an errant remark, or relive a cherished memory.

This month’s issue focuses on the impact time has on our professional and personal lives…and how we can increase our understanding of this precious commodity.

THE SPOTLIGHT: Time is of the essence

Hurry up! Slow down! Don’t be late!

Time-related commands are some of the earliest instructions we hear as small children, and they persist through childhood and into the working world. Indeed, western culture’s emphasis on promptness and efficiency is well chronicled, and has helped businesses achieve great success. Still, there are times when we need to slow down, savor moments, and take time to reflect. Here’s a short list on when to pick up your on-the-job pace…and when to mellow out for maximum effectiveness.

Hurry up and…

	Plan for the short term. You still have time to implement projects that will yield results in this calendar year…but time’s a wasting.
	Follow through. A quick response can make a huge impact on a potential customer and create a solid first impression.
	Make a list of three things you think are important but have been putting off. Commit to completing them by the end of the month — or cross them off your list entirely. Don’t let them take any more of your mind-space.

Take your time and…

	Plan for the long term. Look at your calendar, set aside some generous time increments, and pull together your staff to plan for next year and beyond. Reflect on what worked well (and what didn’t). Be creative, think strategically and carefully budget your time and resources.
	Research and measure. Find out more about your competitors, your customers, and your prospects. This time investment will yield results down the road and help keep your marketing messages fresh and pertinent.
	Recognize someone. When you’re constantly rushed, it’s easy to forget to give proper thanks. Take a couple of minutes to send an email or jot a quick note to someone who always gets results or makes your life more pleasant.

If you need help planning or implementing your marketing strategies, talk to M45. We may be able to save you time…and help you meet your objectives in short order. Remember, you only have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Use it wisely!

DOWN-TO-EARTH SOLUTIONS:
It's about timing

Adolescence can be a time of experimentation, confusion, and rebellion, which may include first-time encounters with drugs and alcohol for many young people. Helping children navigate through this precarious period is a huge concern for many parents.

That’s why Communities That Care is offering Guiding Good Choices and Family Matters, proven-effective workshops to help parents identify risks and develop strategies to reduce drug and alcohol use. Targeted toward 9 - 14 year olds and their families, the nationally available classes are sponsored locally by FHN Family Counseling Center, Highland Community College and the Freeport, Illinois, School District.

When the sponsors needed help promoting and implementing these programs, they turned to M45 for just the right tools at just the right time. It was imperative that the message:

Hit the target audience just as the school year was starting
Appeal most strongly to parents of the target age group
Emphasize the value of the time investment to busy families

M45 pulled together a variety of promotional pieces and information packets for distribution, helped select appropriate media, and assisted with planning and logistics. Class enrollment more than doubled with M45’s involvement.

M45 salutes the parents and children who are working together to make good choices!

STELLAR STATS:



Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl?


Which of these best describes you?

	Night owl - A person who comes to life in the evening and doesn’t get to bed before 2 a.m..
	Lark – A person who wakes up ready to go at the crack of dawn.
	Hummingbird – A person who can adjust to various schedules.

Believe it or not, being a definite night owl or morning person only accounts for about 20% of the population. The other 80% are “hummingbirds” who can usually adapt when they need to (which is good, since most people may need to operate in several modes during their busy personal and professional lives).

Want to justify your late-night alertness or early-bird bustling? Read more at www.firstscience.com.


Traveling across time zones can be tricky

If you’ve ever had it, you understand the symptoms: fatigue, irritability, loss of concentration, and muscle soreness, to name a few. Jet lag is so pervasive even resilient children suffer from it (though people over 50 are most susceptible).

Statistics show:

	You're likely to experience some degree of jet lag whenever you cross three or more time zones. The intensity and duration of your symptoms usually increase with the number of time zones you pass through.
	Jet lag isn't life-threatening, but it's a sleep disorder that affects millions of people every year. You need about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.
	By the third or fourth day, the traveler's internal clock should mesh with local time. Get specific advice from experts at the Mayo Clinic for minimizing the effects of jet lag.

Time for bed

Some sources believe the average healthy adult can function on four to six hours of sleep per night provided the sleep is of good quality and under ideal conditions. Others believe sleep deprivation is hugely detrimental…and nearly epidemic. Getting a “good night’s sleep” is especially challenging for second and third shift workers, but it can be done.

For more on these schools of thought, check out this article on Improving Sleep Quality or read the book Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health by Dr. Michael Breus. 

STARLITE:
Twice as creative and at least a third less serious than your average newsletter copy

Times are changing

At the start of every new school year, Beloit College takes a look at the experiences that have – and have not – shaped the incoming class of students, who are generally around 18 years of age. The “mindset list” is both insightful and entertaining (for example, to these kids, Pete Rose has never been in baseball and Johnny Carson has never been live on TV). Take a look at the complete list!

Time trivia

	In most advertisements, including newspapers, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.
	A cesium atom in an atomic clock beats over nine billion times a second.
	Wristwatches became mainstream after World War I. Soldiers were seen strapping their pocket watches to their sleeves.

Cliché Touché

As one indicator of the importance of time, just think of the number of clichés that refer to time and in how many ways time is used. Clearly, time is a wonderful thing!

	Time is money, and it may run out, but it can heal all wounds.
	You can be behind the times, ahead of your time or on time.
	Sometimes you do something time after time, and sometimes the third time’s a charm.