The 10 Worst Days For Driving

Regardless of where you live, what you do or how old you are, this survey is worth a read!

Sunday is the least common day for car accidents and the most dangerous day to be on the road is Friday, 18 January.

After analysing 1.8 million claims received over the past 15 years, a leading insurer has identified the days when accidents are most likely to occur.

Historically, more accidents happen on 18 January than any other date in the year, while Friday is the most common day of the week for crashes. Unsurprisingly, the date with the least reported incidents is 29 February.

'Long week'
According to the research, the next safest dates are 25 and 26 December, when the roads tend to be very quiet. For the same reason, the report highlights Sunday as the days of the week when accidents are least likely to occur, followed by Saturday. The vast majority of problems happen on weekdays when the roads are busier.

TEN WORST DAYS FOR DRIVING
1. 18 January
2. 20 December
3. 27 October
4. 22 March
5. 20 July
6. 1 October
7. 21 October
8. 1 November
9. 15 December
10. 20 October

It's not surprising to see that the worst day of the week for accidents is a Friday: people are tired after a long week at work and can easily get caught up thinking about their weekend plans instead of the road ahead.

It is less clear, however, why there was such a concentration of incidents on 18 January: it could be that people have a lot on their mind as they haven't been paid for a while, the bills are coming in, and the fun of the festive period is a long and distant memory.

How did you fare on 29 February this year, given that 2008 is a leap year?

The Five Minds of a Manager

Does your management job seem impossible? If so, that's not surprising. Your many roles are so often contradictory.

You can, however, triumph over managerial obstacles, despite conflicting expectations, if you focus less on what you should do and more on how you should think. Successful managers think their way through their jobs, using five different mind-sets that allow them to deal adeptly with the world around them:

1) A reflective mind-set allows you to be thoughtful, to see familiar experiences in a new light, setting the stage for insights and innovative products and services.

2) An analytical mind-set ensures that you make decisions based on in-depth data--both quantitative and qualitative.

3) A worldly mind-set provides you with cultural and social insights essential to operating in diverse regions, serving varied customer segments.

4) A collaborative mind-set enables you to orchestrate relationships among individuals and teams producing your products and services.

5) An action mind-set energizes you to create and expedite the best plans for achieving your strategic goals.

The key to your managerial effectiveness? Regularly access all five mind-sets, not in any particular order, but by cycling through each as needed. And don't go it alone. When you collaborate with colleagues by interweaving your collective mind-sets, you--and your organization--will excel.

To Hire or Not to Hire

During the first few minutes of meeting a potential employee you tend to get a “gut feel” as to the suitability of a person within your organisation.

There are no guarantees to say this person is perfect in every way for the role, however if they have the right attitude, and the skill set that you need, or the ability to learn, chances are they will be a good match.


With the shortage of excellent candidates in today’s market, don’t take too long to make your decision. Often, in the time you take to make up your mind, the candidate has been offered and accepted a job elsewhere. The message here is simple, if your gut instinct says it is right, act upon it quickly.

Christine Watson christine@marquetteturner.com.au

Take Charge of Your Life

One of the things you must always remember in your adult life, is that no one is there to rescue you – everything you are or want to be is up to you.

You cannot change anything that has happened in your life, whether it happened years ago or seconds ago.

There is absolutely nothing you can do to change that. So don’t dwell on it. What you can do is change how you handle and feel about things that have occurred in your life and to some - this may include taking some responsibility.

You need to take charge of your life and be aware that if you want things to be different and change in your life, you have to make those changes – they won’t occur just because you want them to.

There is an old Confucian saying “if you don’t change the road you’re travelling on you’ll probably end up where you’re going”.

Most successful people in this world today are successful because of the decisions they have made and the tough steps they have taken to get there.

Christine Watson

How To Become a Public Speaker (and get paid for it!)

Here are 12 steps to become a great public speaker and get yourself booked!

1) Define a niche. Instantly set yourself apart: identify the topic or issue in which you're willing to do endless and ongoing research for a market with the means to pay you.

The next challenge of course is to become known in your niche.

When you become the leading authority in your field, people seek you out. There's no point in being a fine marketer until you have expertise to offer.

And your expertise has got to be in a specific niche. A niche where the public with cash to spend recognise your value and are willing to invest in what you know.

2. Free to Fee. Speak for free in places likely to have people who could hire you for fee. Often there are people in these audiences who could hire you. Check your local Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary clubs.

Think about it: if someone hasn’t seen me speak in person, it’s less likely that this person will contact you, and even less likely they’ll pay for your services. Get out there!

3. Attend Events. Go to the events that your ideal clients attend and mingle with the decision makers who could hire you.

Research the event ahead of time. Know who will be in attendance. Have a hit list of people you want to connect with. Ask first what THEY do so you can tailor your 30 second pitch to address how you can help with their specific needs.

4. Speaker Directories. There are websites that list speakers for a fee. Meeting planners sometimes go to these directories looking for a speaker on a certain topic.

5. Smile and Dial. Flipping the pages of a meeting planner directory and cold calling can drum up business. Most speakers who use this approach successfully make 40- 50 calls everyday. If you are smart and committed about finding the right targeted leads to call, this is especially effective.

6. Ask for referrals right from the platform. Keynote speaker and master certified coach, Rich Fettke says when he speaks to groups, “As you can tell, I am really passionate about what I do. If you know of a group who could benefit from this message, please hand me a business card afterwards.”

7. Referrals. Ask for referrals from existing clients who have hired you to speak. Make sure you ask for letters of recommendation and referrals as part of the deal.

Let your clients or customers know they are rewarded for referring folks who invest in what you offer. Reward referrals generously.

8. Get on Your Prospects Radar Screen. Top of mind status comes from word of mouth of your clients, being "seen" in the pages of print media, and from testimonials of audience members.Know where your audience goes and be there.

This includes your prospect’s newsletters, clubs, organizations, bulletin boards, and magazines.

9. Speaker Website. An effective speaker website gives a meeting planner everything they need to decide that you are the perfect speaker for their event.

You’ll want to include a brochure to download, testimonials, program descriptions, media coverage, results gained for other clients, and your speaker video.

10. Join organizations where people can hire you or might be able to refer you to people. Review your organization memberships at the end of the year before you renew to make sure that the fees was worth it.

11. Invite prospects as your guest when you speak to groups. That way they can experience you firsthand. After they experience the power of your speaking, they are likely to hire you or even refer you to others.

12. Building relationships. Keep in touch with your clients and prospects. Sends articles to them to let them know you’re is thinking of them, and send cards and call them from time to time. Never let them forget your name. You want to be top of mind when they are ready to hire.

Simon Turner

Turbo-Charge Your Goals

We know the importance of setting goals in the fulfillment of our dreams in life.

But what if I tell you that there's a very powerful formula that will allow us to achieve our goals much faster? In fact, this formula is going to turbo-boost goal realization to the highest level!

Here's the formula:

Be positively obsessed with what you want. It's not enough that you want it, you got to desire it so much that you feel it flowing in your veins and you think about it every day and night.

You talk about it every chance you get and you see it in every situation you're in. If you're not fired up every time you think about it, then you're not serious enough.

Re-evaluate your goal and make sure that it is your passion, your fire, the very thing that makes your body tingle with life and excitement.

You must also complement your obsession with two powerful techniques: visualisation and affirmation.

You must have a crystal clear mental image of yourself already in possession of the thing you desire, or already doing/enjoying the very activity you want to do in life.

You must also consistently repeat saying what you want. If you want to be a singer, say "I am a professional singer performing in front of a large audience that is so amazed by my performance." As you say it, feel the happiness and excitement, and see yourself doing exactly the thing you say. Imagine the audience applauding you.

Write down your goals on a post-it note, then stick it in a place where you can see and read your goals daily.

It is also vital for you to think and say your desires most of the time, but sometimes we get very busy with other tasks. Therefore it is highly recommended that you engage in imagining, affirming, feeling, and being one with your dream at the most effective times of the day.

Do it 15 minutes before you go to sleep and 15 minutes within the time you wake up. This is very important. Your subconscious is in its most responsive state 15 minutes before dozing off. So before hitting the snooze button, feed it with clear pictures/images, powerful affirmations/commands, and emotions so intense you could experience the happiness and excitement right at that very moment.

Do it also 15 minutes within the time you wake up. Your mind is fresh, energized, and focused at this time, so utilize its power to your best advantage.

When you are relaxed, the mind is very receptive to your commands and mental images. Go to a beach or resort, walk around the park, go sight-seeing, or just lie down. Relax and allow yourself to get involved with your dream.

Relaxation can also allow you to think of creative ideas to reach your goals and ways to solve your problems.

Michael Lee is the author of "How to be a Red Hot Persuasion Wizard... in 20 days or less", an e-book that reveals mind-altering persuasion techniques on how to tremendously enhance your relationships, create unlimited wealth, and get anything you want...just like magic. Get advice at: http://www.20daypersuasion.com/. He is the Co-Founder of http://www.self-improvement-millionaires.com/

Simon Turner

The Secret to Success

Success is connected with continuous action.

It's largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.

You're not finished when you're defeated, you're only finished when you quit.

The most important quality essential to success is perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.

You can have a fresh start any time you choose.

Failure is not in the falling down, but in the staying down.

It's not over until it's over.

If you've got the courage to stick it out, you'll attain your goal.

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.

How To Find The Ideal Company To Work For

We continually hear about “hiring the right people” for roles. People are an employers’ best asset”. This is definitely true from an employer prospective, but as an employee – how do you know the organisation is the right company for you?

Best practices in recruitment and selection when hiring staff have been around for a long time. No doubt we have all been through that dreaded interview where we have been asked the questions about our long term goals, where we see ourselves within the company, what we hope to achieve, etc. etc.

However, what should you, as an employee be looking for and what questions should you be asking of a potential employer?

Often we can be and are seduced into believing the company has loads to offer and it’s usually not just a good salary package. With unemployment statistics showing there is almost a 0% unemployment rate in the skilled market, companies are doing whatever they can to hire staff.

Today’s workforce is made up of permanent, casual, contract and self employed workers. Not everyone wants to be a permanent employee – probably because the days of having job security have long gone. The days of being able to choose what suits you are now available to us.

Some areas you need to consider include asking yourself and researching – is this an employer of choice, or is it company of mediocrity that touts they are an employer of choice? Questions you need to ask should possibly include:

- What are the company’s development and training processes
- How can they demonstrate to you their workplace culture and environment
- Is their Management style and structure what you want to work with
- Are the hours flexible to suit your family needs and lifestyle
- What are the company’s perceived values and ethics
- Are there other benefits as well as a salary package such as child care, healthcare, gym, share schemes, paid maternity leave, discount cards
- What reputation and prestige does the Brand have – is it a Brand you want to be associated with Do you believe in the company and/or its products
- Can working from home be an option

Are these things going to sway your decision making process? Is your value system similar to that of the company you are looking to work with? How does the company motivate their staff, what are their expectations of you? Are they expecting you to micro manage people or perhaps be micro managed? What are the company’s views on authority and how much authority will you have in your role? How comfortable do you feel with the person you will be reporting to?

Often the interview process involves a number of meetings. The person you will be working for or with, are they someone you would like to work with – how do you feel about them? Sometimes this will mean spending more than the usual one hour interview with that person to get to know them. Then go with “your gut feel” – it is usually right. Christine Watson

New Year: New Career

That time of year is fast approaching – once we celebrate Melbourne Cup – the wind down to the end of the year happens quite quickly. Christmas parties, end of year functions, and of course what often occurs within that time frame is our recollection of our past year.

How many of us look at the end of the year as a time to reflect on what we have done, both personally and at work and think perhaps we could have done better, perhaps we feel undervalued or perhaps we believe we did a fantastic job? Are there any areas we would like to change?

The pending new year tends to make us look at a number of personal issues. We’ve all been guilty of making new year resolutions - to lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with the kids, and we usually do all of these – usually for no more than three weeks then our life returns to our old ways of behaviour.

There are a number of questions we need to ask ourselves – is our job giving us the satisfaction we believe we deserve? Do we enjoy going to work every day? Are we working long hours for a reward that possibly does not reflect what we do? Has the role affected our family/work life balance?

This time of reflection can open a number of issues for us and it is not always reflected by the dollars. We need a lifestyle balance that is not driven by the almighty dollar. We certainly need to earn enough to keep food on our table and life, however, we spend so much of our time at work, - it’s important to enjoy it.

Statistics show that 37% percent of us work overtime for no extra pay. Therefore it makes sense to be in a role that we are happy in and enjoy going to work each day. For some, finding the right role can be a challenge and often it takes working for more than one employer to find this balance.

When seeking a new role, do a checklist of what you want and are willing to sacrifice. Promises of what we seek within a role can and made to you, often do not come to fruition. When applying for a new role, ensure it is a two way interview. Make sure the role you are applying for is a role you want, not just a role where the employer wants to hire you.

The days of security in the workforce have long gone. Typically a person stays no longer than 5- 7 years in one company and the days of spending a working lifetime within one company and being rewarded a gold watch at retirement have long gone.

Look at what the role is offering you and more importantly, is the company giving you the recognition you deserve. If it ticks most of the boxes on your checklist, then it is probably the right role. Just remember, this time of year gives us time to reflect on what we have been doing – do you checklist to ensure a change in your role is what you are really seeking. Christine Watson