So Sad...No Video today!

So, all those good intentions I had on doing a video to send you, didn't pan out.  Colour me blue!

First of all, it was very hard to give a sincere thank you to a camera.  I NEED to see happy smiling faces to speak to.  I must have done about 20 different recordings and I didn't like any of them. 

Then, I found that the audio on my recording just quit and I heard all this static which was not good at all. Sheesh!  What's with that?  Anyone had that issue before?

I did set up a District 86 Governor Chanel on You Tube.  Now I'm all set to upload with nothing to upload...yet!  Still going to see what I can do. ... I do have until midnight June 30th..that is midnight Pacific time, right?

So, don't think I just simply didn't do it.  I just simply didn't do it well.  I am open to anyone who wants to walk me through this strange video land.

Till then...I'll keep talking to my lifeless cold camera....keep smiling and I'll be thinking of you.

Merri

District Governor Message:

Well, the year is fast coming to an end.  It is exciting to see what will be accomplished this year within the divisions, areas and the clubs.  There has been much success!  And there is still more to come. Can you believe it!

I believe in miracles and that is what I am counting on to become a Distinguished District. I know WE CAN DO IT! but not without your help.  Send in those awards and member applications by midnight Thursday June 30th so they count towards District 86's success. 

Consider this: when you save submissions till next year, you are actually telling everyone that you don't have enough faith that you can do it again.  It undermines everyone's belief in the future success of your club.  You know you can do anything you set your mind to, so empty the vault and prepare to refill again and again.

I am planning to be really bold today and do a video message to send out to all members encouraging them to end strong and Be Bold and Courageous!  I will be asking what you can do to help us reach our goals. 
Join another club?  Bring a new member in?  Everyone single one is a great help and will be immensely appreciated.

Remember, there is still the WEEKEND GETAWAY to be won by either sponsoring or becoming a new member of a club.  Send those applications in.... YOU and your guest may be the ones to enjoy a weekend in Kincardine at the home of the District Governor. 

Everyone of the district team has put forth great efforts this year to give the very best they had to serve. It would indeed be most fitting that they left as their legacy that they served a Distinguished District. Please help me make that true for them!

Thank you.

Merri

Win a Weekend Getaway!

WIN THIS WEEKEND GETAWAY AT THE HOME OF THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR for YOU and A Guest!

Enjoy Friday evening at the Kincardine Marina listening to the piper on the lighthouse pipe down the sun.  Kincardine is known for the best sunsets in the world.  See...

Kincardine Sunset from our deck!

Enjoy a lazy breakfast on the deck overlooking Lake Huron and then if the spirit stirs, you may stroll the 3 km of sand beach just seconds away offering incredible swimming over sandy bottom.  Or spend the afternoon strolling the quaint shops of downtown.

On Saturday afternoon, whether permitting, how about a cruise on a 30' CS Sailboat followed by anchoring for a sumptuous BBQ on board?  At 8 pm, join the townspeople to see the Scottish Pipe and Drum band march through town.  More of same can be enjoyed in the park at the end of town.

Another lazy breakfast on Sunday before heading home.   And you will have had a weekend to remember!
 

Now how do WIN this great prize:

All new members to a club will get an entry into the draw.  If you sponsor a new member to your club, you get to enter the draw, too. So, if you bring a friend to join the club, your friend gets a chance to win and so do you!

Send a copy of your application to join a new club, or to sponsor a new member and you will be entered into the draw. Enter once. Enter often.  There are no limits to the number of entries.

Send to districtcampaign@gmail.com  Forward the confirmation email from TI showing the membership has been submitted no later than July 5th. 2011.

 Best of luck everyone.  Who will be spending an incredible weekend with the District Governor sharing her home, her boat and her town with you? 

Will it be you? 

Merri 

Presentation of the Data Projector

Congratulations Orangeville Toastmasters on winning the grand prize of the Data Projector for our April and May membership and education awards drive.  The presentation of the prize to the President, Anne Bradley, took place at our District BBQ for outgoing and incoming District Officers on Sunday June 12th.  Present also was Tina Gaisin from Tech Data Toastmasters as Tech Data Canada Corporation donated the prize to the district.  

Anne Bradley, Tina Gaisin, Merri Macartney

An Award of Appreciation was presented by me on behalf of the district to the President, Rick Reid, of Tech Data Corporation at their all employee meeting on June 2, 2011 to thank them, once again, for their ongoing support of the Toastmasters program within their company and the district.

It was great to see that over 60 clubs participated in this drive and that 173 new members joined our clubs bringing lots of new growth and excitement.  A total of 115 educational awards were earned during that period and that is a lot of expertise that clubs have to share with these new members.

Congratulations to all for a job well done! 

Now... let's move on to the June drive ...the Weekend Getaway... to bring home the membership goals to make District 86 Distinguished.  We have some clubs to bring to charter as well.  Let's all work together to achieve this success.  With District 86 being Distinguished 3 years in a row, since inception, that will mean we'll earn the Excellence in Leadership Award from Toastmasters International. 

Let's Do It!

Best of luck to all....

Merri

Honours Awarded to 2 of Our Area Governors

Shishir Lakhani is Divison A  Area 26 Governor.  He not only is a dedicated Toastmaster volunteering much of his time to perform area governor duties and mentor others, he is a very involved volunteer with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

In fact, Shishir has been named winner of their  2010 Award for Volunteer Excellence.  David Sculthorpe, CEO, said this, "Shishir possesses a rare combination of personal charisma, interpersonal savvy and business expertise, and he has applied his many gifts to advancing our Foundation's work with tremendous passion and energy. Shishir is truly a wonderful and accomplished individual and we are privileged to be working with him towards a future that is free of heart disease and stroke."

Congratulations Shishir. What an accomplishment indeed! 

Bill McCallum is Division S Area 73 Governor.  On June 14, 2011, in an unprecedented move, the Union of Taxation Employees will be honouring Bill in naming him for a second time as the recipient of their National Humanitarian Award in recognition of his compassionate efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Bill was also the first ever recipient of this award in recognition of his compassionate efforts in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina recovery mission in New Orleans.

Bill was recognized earlier this month by the London Council for Lifelong Learning for this work that he did in New Orleans and Haiti.

Bill has directed the $5,000.00 monetary gifts that accompany these tributes to be donated to International Children’s Awareness Canada, to assist in their commitment to relieving the suffering of children living in the poorest regions of the world, and providing indigenous groups with the resources to be self sustaining at the village level.

Congratulations Bill.  What a remarkable difference you make in the lives of others!

Kudos to our Toastmasters.  It goes to prove what I have been saying all along. We rub elbows with incredible people. 

Thank you for all you do to serve your fellow man/woman. 

We salute you!

 Merri

Update on the Draw!!

Congratulations to all those clubs who caught fire and have been adding new members.  Great job! 

To date, I have received a total of 52 new members to our clubs.  The Toastmasters opportunity has been shared with new people and they, too, will now reap the benefits of learning and practicing communication and leadership skills.  Not only that but they will benefit from networking with other Toastmasters. 

As for the clubs, there is new life and enthusiasm being breathed into them.  More people always causes more excitement as new members learn to take on roles, share their Ice Breakers and provide new leadership. What a Win-Win for all! 

Educational Awards are coming in too.  To date, there are 21 educational awards entered.  Amazing, eh?Remember, every time an award gets submitted to TI, your club gets entered into the draw.  If you had planned to finish up a manual by the end of June, why not do it before the end of May and take advantage of the opportunity to win that data projector donated by Tech Data Canada Corporation?

We, at the District level, are so thrilled to see that you have taken up the challenge to energize your clubs. Well done!!!

To those newly forming clubs, I say this.  If you get the club chartered by May 31st of this year, your club will have one entry for every founding member.  Imagine if you were to win that projector!  What a way to begin a new club!!  You can do it!  There are exactly 4 weeks from today....YOU CAN DO IT!  I dare ya!!

Looking forward to seeing this challenge ramp up as May progresses. So ask yourself this: how many entries will your club have in this draw? Want more?  Well, you know what to do.  As Nike would say:
Just Do It!

Merri

Welcome to Our Newest Clubs!

As Distict Governor, one of my greatest pleasures is to welcome new clubs to the district.  Sometimes I even get to visit the people who have taken all the steps that leads to handing in the charter paperwork. Such was the case on the Friday of our conference when I visited our two newest clubs with our International Director, DTM Gina Cook.

At our first stop, we were introduced to Robert Achtemichuk, President of DiverseCity by Georgina Green, the Division W Marketing Ambassador.  It was good to hear how this club is meeting the needs of the people in the K-W area who are in transition, as well as those who are on track in their employment.  Each has come to realize the importance of having communication and leadership skills and have found this Toastmasters club to provide them with the knowledge and practice to enhance them.

Gina, Georgina, Robert, Merri

Our next stop was to visit Com Dev in Cambridge.  There we were met by Scott Weitzel, President and Philip Bennett, Sergeant-at-Arms of the new Com Dev club.  We were escorted to a second floor board room which usually holds their meetings. There we learned how Com Dev has been a great encourager for the club to form and is now supporting the members.

Scott, Gina, Phillip, Georgina

 Both of these clubs presented their charter papers to the International Director.  As this was on Friday, April 8th, both clubs will have 20 entries into the draw to win the Data Projector donated by Tech Data Canada Corporation.  Congratulations DiverseCity and Com Dev.  Good luck!

Is your club on the verge of chartering? Can you get it processed by May 31st?  If so, then your club will likewise have an entry for every new member of this new club put into the draw. 

Best of luck to you all! 


A Huge THANK YOU to Tech Data Canada Corporation

No doubt you've ALL read the blog about our District Campaign and the Grand Prize Draw.  So you know that every club in our district has the opportunity to not only participate but to WIN!!!!

Win what you say?  I am so glad you asked.  The grand prize is a PC Free USB Data Projector.  WOW!!!! you say.

But that's not the best news. Let me tell you the very best news.  Are you ready?  Here's the best news:

Tech Data Canada Corporation is donating the prize.  That's right.  This company which four years ago supported the start up of the corporate Tech Data Toastmasters club is now supporting our campaign to grow and achieve remarkable results by donating the grand prize.  In fact, this club's anniversary date is April 23rd. so congratulations are in order.  Best wishes for many more years to come.

Rick Reid, President of Tech Data Canada Corporation, is donating a Samsung SP-M256 model Data Projector.  It's one of the most popular models being sold today and retails around the $1000.00 mark so it is indeed a Grand Prize.  The club winning the club will receive this:                                               

The projector’s USB drive supports all your files without the need for a computer, so you can directly view PDF, TXT, HTML, MPEGS, JPGS, and the whole suite of MS Office files. Everything you need to make an effective presentation is here.

At only 2.5 kg, the ultra-portable Samsung M seires projector enables you to make professional presentations in any environment. Its pristine white body, compact size, and user-friendly design features make it ideal for mobile use. With easy lamp and filter replacement and one-touch foot release, it can be set-up and maintained in seconds.

The Samsung M series projector has an intelligent Economy mode that not only reduces power consumption and operating noise but also extends lamp life to an incredible 5000 hours. Economy mode is specifically designed for use with screens that are 100 inches or less.

Isn't that totally fantastic????  Isn't that a prize to get excited about????  I think so!

Can I hear you all say a very loud THANK YOU Tech Data Canada! 

Doesn't that just make you want to finish those speeches and leadership projects?  Don't you feel more inspired to organize those Open Houses, Invite Your Friends or whatever special events to spread the news about Toastmasters to build up your club membership?

And when new members are hesitant to join now because your club doesn't meet over the summer, don't you just want to say, join now and we'll be sure to hold special meetings in the summer.  Join forces with other clubs in your area and host joint meetings.  Have them join now and work on those speeches to prepare for the contests in the fall.  Your club will get ahead of the pack when they are charged up in September while others are just warming up again.

Remember, every time a new member joins, send a copy of the application to districtcampaign@gmail.com.
Every time a member submits an educational award, send a copy to districtcampaign@gmail.com. 

Ready? Set? Go?

Merri

An Amazing Conference!!!

The much anticipated Spring Conference has come and gone.  Imagine that!  And what a conference it was. Simply amazing with a real Commitment to Excellence thanks to all those on the planning committee.

Right from the First Timers' Reception and workshop with Ed Tate (2000 World Champion Public Speaking) on the Friday night to the Sunday brunch, again with Ed Tate, it was excellent.  The Opening Ceremonies with our Parade of Banners and keynoter Michael Proudlock was terrific. 

There was so much packed into those two and a half days that it simply took my breath away.  Totally awesome and if you missed it, that really is too sad.  You won't want to miss the Fall Conference.  Add this to your calendar now:  November 25-27th at the London Convention Centre, London - the one in Ontario!

The International Speech Contest was fantastic.  Eight first class speakers all vying to be the one to head for World's in Vegas.  Susan Lamb Robinson was the winner, with Sean Moon second and Gregory CN Smith third.  Congratulations all!

The Evaluation Contest keeps getting better and better with the quality to the evaluations.  Our test speaker, Stephanie Suida, was presented with great feedback to help her grow as a speaker and future leader.  The winner was Blake Fleischaker, with Jacques Brunet second and Lance Mercer third.  Congratulations all!

All in all I have it on good authority that our conference was a stellar success. So says our International Director, DTM Gina Cook who partook in all the festivities.  District 86 should be so proud to know that Gina will take great comments about us back to International. Well done everyone!!!

Stay tuned for pictures.

Merri

Enter the Draw for This Grand Prize!

A new and exciting District Campaign has begun.  It starts April 1st...and yes, I know it is after that ;) , and runs till May 31st.  A whole two months.  And here is what your club needs to do to take part.

During those two months, for EVERY New Member and EVERY Educational Award your club submits to Toastmasters International, your club will be given an entry into the draw.  This is a club campaign and the prize is for the club so only club names are to be submitted.

It's very simple to enter the draw.  For every new member that joins, simply scan their membership application and email to districtcampaign@gmail.com  A ballot will be entered for your club so be sure that your club is clearly identified.

For every educational award your club submits to TI, email a copy to districtcampaign@gmail.com and a ballot will be entered into the draw for your club.

So, what's the prize?  I am so glad you asked.

The district is giving away a DATA PROJECTOR....one that operates PC Free with a USB.  A perfect addition for any club so members can do those all important presentations.  How's that for an incentive to get those projects completed? There are two months in the campaign so get your speaking slot booked now and avoid the rush. 

Remember: the more entries that you have in the draw the better your chances are to win!  You can't win if you don't have an entry. So, encourage all your members to take part.

All entries must be received by June 6th. in order to be in the draw.  Prize will be awarded to the President of the winning club at the District BBQ on June 12th.

Good Luck Everybody!  Let's Go!

Merri 

District Council Meeting

Soon it will be time to attend one of the most exciting events at the Spring Conference. Yes. It is indeed the Business Meeting: Saturday, April 9th beginning at 4:00 pm.  Come, learn what goes on in the district and take part by adding your voice to the electoral process as we elect the officers for the coming 2011 - 2012 year.

The information regarding the business meeting has been sent out to all those who are eligible to cast a vote; the District Officers, the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of clubs.  Please note that the information on the clubs is gathered from Toastmasters International so your information must be correct with them in order for you to receive your package.

Take care to read the instructions regarding the proxy.  A club is entitled to two votes.  These can be picked up at the Credentials Desk by either the President, Vice-President of education or any member of the club with the proxies signed over to them. 

On a further note, the package contained the report from the Nominations Committee as written in my last blog. Know that this does not contain the names of anyone who has decided to run from the floor as a candidate.  They must be nominated from the floor before the votes are cast.  They are not part of the nominations committee process and therefore cannot be listed on the report. I hope that helps to clarify some questions that may be floating out and about.

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to use the comment section below.

Otherwise, I'll be seeing you at the conference and more importantly, at the business meeting.

Merri 

Meet the Candidates

In spite of all the snow that we received today in some corners of our world, it is spring.  It arrived officially last Sunday and that means that we are good to go for the Spring Conference.  I do hope you are all ready registered, got your room booked and are ready to have a blast. I know I am!!! Please join me.

As everyone knows, the ever exciting business meeting will be held starting at 4:15 pm and we will be presenting pretty important information for our Presidents and Vice Presidents of Education to vote on.  The proxy package is imminently flying into your inbox. Do read and consider being there to cast your votes.  If you cannot attend, then be sure to read the instructions on the proxy as to who can carry your vote.

As for who has been forward by the nominations committee for the elected positions, they are as follows:

District Governor - Avis Brodie
Lt. Gov. Education & Training - Carol Dowell
Lt. Gov. Marketing - Jim Foster
Public Relations Officer -
Division A Governor - Penny Batey
Division B Governor - Lynn Rabey
Division C Governor - Terry Kodybka
Division L Governor - Tony Bratschitsch
Division M Governor -
Division N Governor -
Division S Governor - James Noble
Division W Governor -

Check out the information about each candidate as it becomes available in the Candidates Corner. Go to the district homepage http://www.toastmasters86.org/ and click on the link on the right hand side.

Good luck to all candidates whether you are on this list or present yourself to running from the floor.

Merri

Promoting Toastmasters

It always does my heart good when I get emails that tell of some wonderful things that our fellow Toastmasters are doing to spread the news about us.  Below is a copy of one such email I received. from Georgina Green:

On Thursday, March 3rd, Carolyn Hoxie, Janice McDonald and I participated in the Global Skills Conference. This day-long event was cosponsored by the Multicultural Centre, the Working Centre, the Region of Waterloo, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and more.

With about 300 attending, this event gave us the opportunity to promote the benefits of the Toastmasters communication and leadership program to Internationally Trained Professionals looking to find work in their field.

Our workshop on Networking titled “Face Time: Opening Up Possibilities” was well attended by over 50 participants and rated highly for energy, value of information and delivering more than expected.

As well, we hosted an information booth with the help of Toastmasters from Black Walnut club in Kitchener.

You may want to post this on your blog.

Georgina
GeorginaGreen
Toastmasters District 86
Division WMarketing Ambassador

Thank you so much to all of you for taking the information about Toastmasters to those who may want to investigate more fully the benefits our programs offer.

If you have anything you'd like to share here, please send it to me at district86governor@gmail.com  We'd really like to hear all about the happenings in your corner of the world.

Merri

Online Newspaper

So, did you find it?  Did you even realize that it was there?  If you didn't, it is all my fault.  I don't know what I was thinking; or not!!!

The spring newsletter is up on our website.  If you haven't taken the time to peruse it, may I suggest you do so.  We have endeavoured to put all kinds of info in it that will give you pause to reflect as well as move on to reach those goals.  Come Soaring to Excellence with the whole district.

Find it on the home page. Scroll down and you will find the Spring Edition of the Pulse of 86 on the left.  Click here for quick and easy access:   http://toastmasters86.org/user/docs/News86_Spring%202011.pdf

Don't have time to read it now, then download it and save it for when you do.  Just to let you know, we are still looking for those success stories.  Got one? Why not send it on to us so we can all celebrate together?

As for the Scavenger Hunt, there was clearly two winners... they actually responded.  The first eligible person to send in the correct responses was Phil Lococo of Lakeshore InDepth Advanced Toastmasters and the second eligible person was Janice McDonald of Brant Toastmasters. Congratulations! 

Wonder what the next big contest will be? Stay tuned to find out...

Merri

Training and Contests

WOW! Isn't this just the most exciting time of year?  With all the contests going on and the training too, Toastmasters are meeting all over the place.  And what could be better to chase away those February blahs?

I trust you are checking out the website under the Officer Training and Contest tabs to find out just what IS going on.  As the organizers for these events are putting things in order so are the promoters of these events.  Find out what is happening in your corner of the world.  All the what, when, who, where, how and why are listed.  There really is no excuse for missing out on anything.

And miss out you will if you don't attend these amazing events.  You will gain a depth and breadth of knowledge from training when experiences are shared.  You will gain an amazing perspective as speech contestants offer a wide variety of topics. Why, just last night I saw a speaker use a prop that I was totally blown away by.  I even asked her permission to "borrow" it for one of my future presentations...with credit of course.

So why not pack away those February blahs and head on over to your nearest training event and attend your club, area and division contests.  Follow the winners all the way to the Spring Conference.   You will be so glad you did. 

And I'll see you there.

Merri

The Great Scavenger Hunt

Lots and lots of information is posted on the District 86 website: http://www.toastmasters86.org/.  Do you know where to go to find that for which you are seeking?  Can you help others find it too? 

The Great Scavenger Hunt is about to begin.  There are 10 questions for you to answer. They are all listed on the website and it will be the website answers that will count as being accurate.  The FIRST email I receive at district86governor@gmail.com with the correct answers will receive a $50.00 gift certificate for the Spring Conference 2011.  All others who send in their answers to this email address will be put into a draw for a $25 gift certificate.  Use The Great Scavenger Hunt as the subject line.

All members except those in current district officer roles are eligible to play. 

 Ready? Set? Go...

What is the district newsletter called and where do you find the link on the website?

What is the date of the last update of the Club Officer Training?

How many points on the Above & Beyond contest does the club get per DTM?

What two links are listed under the Wondering What to Do Next heading?

How many main headings are there in the Tips for Contests?

In the Contest DOs and DON'Ts, how many DOs are there?

For how many elected positions are there descriptions under Postions for Nominations Process?

Under Clubs, how many new members have joined since the District 86 began July 1, 2008?

What is the key phrase in the slide show for the Spring Conference 2011?

How many district awards are there and what are they?

*******************************************************************************

Now's the time to search the site and find those answers.  Send in  your answers before February 15th.

Are you game to win a gift certificate?  Good luck!!!

Merri

Training Is For Everyone!

Yesterday was an awesome day!  Your district officers gathered in Milton for a full day of exciting interaction, education and shared learning.  At least that's what it looked like!

During the sessions, the division and area governors learned about how to blend new district membership contests with international ones.  Our Lieutenant Governor Marketing, DTM John MacDonald promoted the extended Talk Up Toastmasters contest which TI runs.  If your club has the highest number of new members registered with TI during this contest, it will receive a $100 gift certificate for the Spring Conference bookstore.  All clubs who have any new members during the contest period will be put into a draw for a $50 gift certificate: two clubs will be drawn.

Our Lieutenant Governor Education and Training, DTM Avis Brodie presented the new rule book for running great contests. The International Speech Contest and the Evaluation Contest is getting underway in our clubs with the area and division contests only a short time away.  Be sure to encourage those who are preparing to participate and cheer them on. Come see the ultimate challenge at the District Conference at the Delta Meadowvale in Mississauga April 8-10th. 

Our governors got some really great tips for getting media coverage for promoting your club and building your membership from our District PRO, ACB, ALB Katie Chida.  Ask your Area Governor when they come for their club visits to share what they have learned.  Get your VP PR to use it; then watch your club grow!!!

Calling all District Leaders!  We need you!  Run for one of the District Officer positions for 2011-2012. Our Immediate Past District Governor, DTM Doreen Hillier presented the nominations procedures for the upcoming elections. Be sure to check out this information on the district website.

And much more; ask your Area Governors to visit your club and share some great information with you. Get ready for you and your club to be Soaring to Excellence on June 30th.

And training isn't just for the governors.  Your District Trio is heading off to Chicago for two full days of training so we can serve you better for the remainder of the year.  Each of us will be trained according to our roles and what is new on the horizon for Toastmasters International. I can't wait to see what's up. Stay tuned as I will be sure to share it all with you upon our return.

So, you see training is for everyone!  Between now and the end of February, Phase II training is going on in a venue near you.  Go, ask questions, learn stuff and share what you already know. What has your experience been like for the past six months? What do you want to accomplish the next six months?    Attending club officer training is a proven strategy for club success.  Find out when and where on the district website: http://www.toastmasters86.org/.

So training IS for everyone...how about you?

New Year's Goals

Happy New Year everyone!  I trust you all had an outstanding end to 2010 and began 2011 with all the excitement you could muster.  Have you reflected on all the things that made last year what it was?  Have you considered how you are going to move on to bigger and better things for this coming year?  Now is the time!

Time is our most precious asset but it is totally non-renewable. We all have exactly the same amount of time each week.  We have 168 hours or 10,088 minutes.  Sounds like a lot doesn't it?  But once it is gone, it is gone.  What will you have to show for your time at the end of your week?

Are you one of those people who say that you don't have time to do this or that?  Are you sure that is the case?  Let me challenge you.  Why not keep a time log for one week?  Make yourself a simple grid, either on a piece of paper, or you can make up a spreadsheet.  Down the side put 15 minute time slots from about 6 am, or earlier if you are regularly up earlier, and stop at your normal bedtime.  Across the top put 7 days beginning with whatever day you start.  For each time slot, write in what you did.  Colour coding is a great visual aid as you start to see a pattern for your regular habits.  Perhaps eating times could be green, for eating healthy.  Work could be blue, travel times yellow, etc.  Those slots with nothing in them are your spare moments of every day. 

Most of us might consider that the few 15 minute time slots aren't worth worrying about. Consider this.  Harriet Beecher Stowe, the wife of a minister and mother to 7 children, used her few minutes of every day to write the famous novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.  This she often did by candlelight after her children had gone to bed.  Makes our excuses seem a little lame, doesn't it?

So, in your few minutes of each day, what could you do?  Could you prepare table topics for one of your club meetings?  How about selecting a word to be the grammarian?  And of course, you could outline a speech and then add the details.  Maybe you'd like to work on an HPL project.

Often we think in terms of spending time doing one thing or another.  I challenge you to rethink this.  Stop spending your time and start investing it. Invest it in your future; your goals; your dreams.  You could invest it in learning a new skill.  Did you know that 15 minutes a day would add up at the end of a year to the equivalent of time invested in a university credit course?  Invest it some activity to increase your fitness level.  Invest it in some time for leisure to keep your mental state from stressing out. Whatever you do, invest it in achieving something of value.  Time is going to pass regardless of what you do.  Invest it so that when time is running out, you can say that you have lived in such a way as to minimize any regrets.

Let 2011 be the year that you rethink your future.  Do you know that most people spend more time planning a two week vacation than they do planning their lives? Don't let that be you. Plan today so that you will accomplish what  you set out to accomplish with your one life to live.  Set your sight now on June 30th. What will you be celebrating?  Write and tell me so I can celebrate with you.

Happy 2011. Plan on it.

Merri