Archives for September 2014

TIP: Stop children from purchasing apps on your iPhone

September 29, 2014 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

Do you let you children or others use your iPhone or iPad? It can be like handing them your credit card when it comes to in-app purchases.

How to set purchase restrictions:
You can adjust settings to require a passcode for every purchase to avoid surprise purchases.

1) Go to Settings>General>Restrictions and tap Enable Restrictions.
2) Choose and enter a restrictions passcode and then enter it again. (This should be different than the passcode your child uses to access her iPhone/iPad.)
4) Scroll down and tap on Require Password and select Immediately. You now have control.

To disable all in-app purchases, go back to the Restriction settings (in General Settings) and toggle In-App Purchases off.

An hour of sleep is worth 16% more in earnings

September 26, 2014 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

Eight hours of sleep is needed by most (and the variations from that are small) while currently 20% to 30% of workers get less than six hours per night during the week. That compares to 50 years ago when those who slept less than six hours was 3%. If you need an alarm clock to wake up, you’re not getting enough sleep.

People who get one additional hour of sleep make 16% more than those who do not. That’s one of the results of a recent UCSD government study — that is a bigger impact than attending another year of college. The Wall Street Journal article sorted out some of the myths about sleep and performance. They cited multiple studies, including one that said missing a night of sleep has the neurobehavioral impact of being legally drunk.

“Yeah, right!” might be a common response.Even if eight hours per night seems unreachable, adding one more hour each night has a very high payback. Most days there is nothing else you can do with one hour that has a higher payback in effectiveness, health, happiness, and income.

If you are among the many who need an alarm clock, strive for one more hour of sleep each night. Set an alarm on your phone for 90 minutes before you normally go to bed. Use the 90 minutes as a reminder to give yourself 30 minutes to wind down and an hour of additional sleep. Looking at bright screens (TV, computer, phone, etc.) shortly before going to sleep reduces your sleep. Find a calming routine. Turn off the phone and computer. Skip that TV show. Maybe read a book or magazine. Think about what you can do when you’re earning 16% more and feeling more rested. Sleep well.

WSJ Video

Quote of the Week

September 19, 2014 By Change Masters Academy Leave a Comment

It’s funny – you share lessons you’ve learned over the years back to your kids and to those below you but so often you never give those same insights and thoughts to those above you. I’ve learned that when you share patterns you’ve observed over time with your peers and leaders, it can evolve into competitive knowledge. Change Masters Client

You saved my marriage

September 19, 2014 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

We feel blessed at Change Masters to be able to make a real difference in the world by our day-to-day work. We hear often how people’s lives are changed at work and at home, but there are times when we get a message that really stands out. A recent example is:

“You saved our marriage – neither of us was in a place we wanted to be, and we didn’t know how to get to the next step on how to communicate better to break through the place we had gotten to. That first night I was home (after Change Masters Discovery Session) I tried asking more questions about where my wife was at, and my wife blushed! When I asked her why, she said, “It’s been so long since you were actually interested in what I have to say!” It opened the door for us to see a counselor and since then we have made significant progress with more open dialogue and actually talking. We’re being transferred to a new city, so it’s been incredibly important to learn how to communicate before we experience that stress. It never would have happened without Change Masters.”

It is a humbling message for us and yet we have heard many similar stories. The communication skills that make you successful at work also impact your personal life. Both are about relationships and truly connecting with others.

A part of our individual coaching process includes collecting extensive feedback from work associates on communication and leadership skills. Often after reviewing survey results with their spouse, our clients hear, “I have been saying that for years. You could have saved a lot of money if you had just listened to me.” Obviously, hearing the feedback and knowing what to do about it are two different things (that’s our skill.)

Everyone has room to improve as a listener. It is most important with those we love and need the most. Too often we take those key people in our lives for granted. This client example shows the power of making one really sincere and humble attempt at truly listening. It changed the trajectory of their marriage. I would like to challenge you to commit to really listen to a loved one at least once each week.

Let me know how it turns out!