S.M.A.R.T.

The New Year is fast approaching and with it comes the concept of a fresh start, where people can make changes or improvements in their lives that will give them a better future.

Resolutions are a New Year's tradition for many people, but also something that may cause stress down the road. It's one thing to say you're going to do something or make changes, but it's another thing to stick with it for the long term. 

Here's a few tips to help you stick with your resolutions and be successful with attaining your goals, all based on what is referred to as the SMART approach!

Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific. 

You could also substitute the words simple, sensible or significant for specific, but the essence is the same, you need to have something on which to focus your efforts or truly feel motivated to achieve. 

Consider the following when seeking to define your goal...

• what do I want to accomplish?
• why is this goal important?
• who is involved?
• where is it located?
• which resources or limits are involved?

Measurable: Once you have a goal, you need to be able to gauge progress.

Assessment will help you stay focused, meet deadlines and build excitement as you get closer to your objective.

Consider the following when defining measurement....

• how much?
• how many?
• how will I know when it's accomplished?

Attainable: Setting a goal that is actually manageable will avoid frustrations and enable success.

Your goal needs to be realistic and achievable to be successful, stretching your abilities but remaining possible.

Consider the following when determining if your goal is achievable...

• how can I accomplish this goal?
• how realistic is the goal, based on all the contributing factors and constraints?

Relevant: Ensure your goal is relevant to you and is in line with your other goals.

You are responsible for achieving your own goal and, although support and assistance are great, you need to be in control.

Consider the following when defining relevance....

• is it worthwhile?
• is it the right time?
• is it in line with our other needs and efforts?
• am I the right person to reach this goal?
• is the environment right for this moment?

Timely: Give yourself adequate time to achieve your goal

Every goal needs a deadline to focus upon and work toward. It also prevents every day tasks from taking priority over the long term plans.

Consider the following when looking at your time line...

• when?
• what can I accomplish in 6 months?
• what can be done in 6 weeks?
• what can be done today?

Summarize your SMART plan to reflect all of the previously discussed elements so that you have a clear and concise 'mission statement'.

e.g. Because I want to reduce my risk of having a heart attack which is in my family history , I will lose 4 pounds a month for the next 12 months, weighing myself once a week and writing the results in a journal to track my progress.

or

e.g. In the next 3 years I will sign up for and pass all the educational courses necessary to build my resume so that I am fully qualified to apply for a management position within my company.

Here are 5 tips to help you stay on track and be successful with your SMART plan.

1. Focus on one thing at a time. Concentrate on your number one priority and don’t set yourself up for frustration and failure with too many resolutions. . 
2. Take small steps. Taking smaller steps will not only keep you on track and focused but will help you feel a sense of accomplishment when they are completed.
3. Reward yourself for small success.  Give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate your accomplishments with each step gained.
4. Be kind to yourself. Life happens and you’re only human so don't get hung up on set backs. 
5. Create a support system. It’s easier to achieve a goal when you have support, though remembering that you and you alone are still responsible for success.

Climb That Mountain!!

Words to consider, as you enter the New Year 2018.

Bert

Bad Luck?

luck

lək/

noun

1. 1.

   success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.

   "winning the lottery was pure luck"

Some people are definitely lucky, and others not so much! 

If you're the person who owned this Lotto ticket, you might fit into the not so much category! Like, the odds of winning the average lottery are many millions to one, so the odds of being one number off on every single number must be astronomically high, or higher, as well.

If you didn't have to, would you even want to know how close you came to winning the jackpot?

There are plenty of weird stories about luck when it comes to lottery winners and their tickets or numbers!

How about the father and son who both won on the same lottery with separate tickets, or the guy who was cleaning out his desk one day and found a forgotten lottery ticket that was 6 days from expiring and proved to be a winner! Then there's the Scottish family who's members have won the lottery 3 times, and the breast cancer patient who's won twice. 

Would you consider the latter to be a good luck versus bad luck battle? 

And how about persistence versus luck, or a combination of the two factors?

Olga Beno, of Atlantic Canada, dreamed of her lottery numbers and subsequently played them, winning over $5 million...28 years later!!

Then there's the 'karma' philosophy, the cause and effect of actions.

A fellow in New Zealand, waiting in line to buy lottery tickets, was rudely pushed aside by a brusque customer who butted in front of him. Instead of losing his cool, he calmly waited and bought his randomly picked tickets after the other customer was done. 

He claimed his $1 million prize later that week, something that may not have happened had he not bought his tickets at that precise moment . 

stock photos by @byronasorus

Sedentary Jobs Reconfigured!

Maybe you have a job where you sit all day long and there's proof that being sedentary is just plain bad for your health.

Here's an interesting idea that may help get you up and moving while still allowing you to get your work done! Like a variation of the 'standing desk', this wheel may have you feeling a bit like your childhood pet hamster but ultimately may provide many a benefit to your health

Recent studies show that sedentary lifestyles and poor health go hand in hand, and the typical desk job is one of the biggest contributors.

So, chew on some carrots and lettuce for lunch,  then get your feet moving in this big 'hamster wheel' during your workday and maybe you'll add some years to your life! 

Avoiding Alien Abduction

After writing about unusual types of insurance which included coverage for "Alien Abduction" , how about following the tips as suggested in this funny graphic for "surviving an alien abduction". 

I mean, the insurance industry is always saying there's nothing better than taking some pro-active measures to prevent a loss!

This Means (Cyber) War

There always seems to be some sort of war occurring in the world, be they civil wars or conflicts about ideology, but physical conflicts none the less. However, there is a war going on that many people can't see, with no actual "physical casualties" in the typical sense of a battle. An "out of sight, out of mind" scenario but one with some dire consequences none the less.

Having done a large series of posts on cyber crime and related topics, particularly during "Cyber Security Awareness Month" in October, it's scarily fascinating to watch the ever increasing internet attacks that seem to be happening daily.

Photo by Drew Graham on Unsplash 344554

The latest article from my subscription to Insurance Business brought up some interesting reports on the cyber crime that is currently plaguing the world and predictions that there will be an all out cyber war in 2018. Mass data breaches ( UBER and Equifax) and ransomware attacks ( Petya and NotPetya) are examples of the recent cyber crime wave and some of these types of activities can be traced to nation state sponsored acts of subversion. It's just a matter of time before politically motivated cyber crime becomes the most common type of attack, particularly when considering countries that have faced strict sanctions.

Anthony Dagostino, global head of cyber risk at multinational risk management firm Willis Towers Watson, believes nation state leaders who face economic sanctions could start encrypting their currencies and then conduct cryptocurrency mining and ransomware attacks to raise funds.

Of course, there are strategies to combat such warfare and global partnerships and communication seem to be the key, but it's a scary situation and one that needs more attention.

Norsecorp is a global cyber security firm that hosts a live cyber attack map, as pictured in this screen shot and showing thousands of attacks every hour. 

More Unusual Insurance Coverage

Like my last post on some of the unusual coverage certain people have bought, here are some other interesting things for which you can actually purchase insurance. 

Lottery Winner Insurance For Employers:

In the United Kingdom, employers can purchase insurance against having 2 or more employees quitting because they won the National Lottery. This policy would only pay out if the company lost at least two employees during the same drawing, perhaps more of a risk than one might think based on the number of employee lottery pools that exist.

Alien Abduction:

For those people worried about being abducted by aliens, there's insurance to cover you, though proving it may be the toughest part of the equation.

T.V. Game Shows:

The television game show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," has insurance coverage for the possibility of a contestant winning.

Hole In One:

Just like the insurance coverage for a winner of a t.v. game show, golf tournament prizes, like cash for hitting an ace on a specific hole, are covered by special insurance policies like that provided by BlueCircle's very own sister company "Hole In One Direct".

Monster Size Promotion:

The Cutty Sark Company wants you to know they'll pay out a prize of $1.5 million for anyone who captures the Loch Ness Monster alive. Just in case this ever happens, they have an insurance policy that will pay out the cash on their behalf.

You Want To Insure What???

I just read an interesting article in Insurance Business E-Zine about the weird and wonderful things people like to insure. 

The tag line was about insuring one's beard, which seemed like an odd thing until you consider that Christmas is fast approaching and perhaps Santa Claus may be worried about facial hair loss affecting his business!! haha

But seriously, there are many unusual things that people do get covered by insurance. 

Perhaps the trend started way back in the 1940's, when Hollywood celebrity Betty Grable was quite famous for her 'gams' and was the top earning female in the country.
Yes, Grable's legs were apparently perfectly proportioned and her studio had them insured for U.S. $1 million, though this was more of a publicity stunt than an actual insurance concern.

photo from Movie Story Magazine 1943

Bruce Springsteen apparently insures his unique voice for the cool sum of Can. $6 million

photo courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine

How about Dolly Parton insuring her recognizable 40DD breasts for Can. $6.5 million

photo courtesy of AnOther magazine

Keith Richards has his hands insured for Can. $2 million, although I also read that this is actually just for his middle finger, critical for playing those iconic riffs.

photo courtesy of WordPress

Gravity Glue Indeed!

photo courtesy of Gravity Glue / Michael Grab

After posting about Manu Topic in the post "Balancing Act", I discovered several other artists who work in the meditative area of rock balancing. 

One such artist is Michael Grab, a native of Edmonton Alberta but now based in Colorado. Grab has a slightly different approach to this subtle art form and did a cool video of him 'deconstructing' the formations, further proof that the only glue that holds these 'sculptures' together is gravity!

Public Service Announcement: Flood Zones And Used Cars

photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

Buying a used car in the U.S. may have some appeal to a Canadian looking for a good bargain, but buyer beware. 

With all the recent flood damage done by hurricanes and tidal surges, there is an estimated one million vehicles in the States that were water damaged and classified as unrepairable. 

Sure, someone might take a vehicle, clean it up and sell it second hand for a seemingly reasonable price. 

Even if that vehicle was operable and didn't give you any immediate issues, if you're a Canadian buyer attempting to cross the border back into Canada, be prepared for possible entry denial! 

Technically, a vehicle with a U.S. designation with water damage can only be imported into Canada for scrap metal, or for designated parts. Canada Border Services has strict policies on imported vehicles and requires specific paperwork for any vehicle entering the country.

There is also the possibility of a water damaged vehicle not having been written off if the owner did not make an insurance claim, so the buyer may not even be aware this automobile had been involved in flooding. 

The owner could clean it up and sell it, with no-one the wiser until time elapses and corrosion begins to appear. 

This could even prove to be a safety issue if those corroding components are electronic, like airbag sensors and other such devices. 

In that case, here are 8 tips to help make a determination on whether a vehicle was flooded and that used car is truly a good deal.

• check for a musty or moldy smell inside the car or trunk
• be suspicious of an overly strong smell of car deodorizer or air freshener scents, possibly masking musty odours
• lift the corners of carpeting in trunks, spare tire wells, or interior floors to see if there is any sand or silt residue left over from flood waters
• check for rust and corrosion on screws and brackets in areas that typically do not come into contact with water, like the centre console
• look for condensation behind the dashboard glass or inside headlights
• look for high water mark stains on seats and other upholstry
• ask for CarProof or other such VIN check service reports
• check to see where a vehicle was registered to determine if this was a flooded area which may have affected the automobile. 

Balancing Act

Gravity defying might be the best way to describe the creations of artist Manu Topic aka Numa Picto. 

I'm not sure which one is an anagram and which one is the his real name, if either, as my research turns up nothing but these incredible photos and a Facebook page. But seeing his surreal 'sculptures' of delicately balanced stones gives one cause for wonder and amazement, regardless of his actual name. 

If you want to see more, check out the photo gallery of Manu Topic. And check out the video at the bottom of this page to see the artist at work, sitting in a creek and patiently finding the connections between the rocks and stones with a steady hand. As mentioned, gravity defying!

Did I Say "Winter Is Coming"?

After my last post "Winter Slap!", it seems appropriate to write a little about two specific topics related to motorcycles and the impact of cold and snow on your bike. 

One can say the riding season is pretty much over, though we all know there will be days when it is still possible to go for a ride. I've been out on the bike well into the month of November and when we get Chinooks here in Calgary it is quite possible to ride in every single month of Winter, though black ice or lots of gravel on the road is always a concern.

Say no, to snow!

Of course, that leads me to point number one, insuring your motorcycle all year long. If you want lots of details on why you need to keep your coverage active all year, even though you won't necessarily be riding your bike, follow this link to the BlueCircle site and "Why You Want To Keep Your Motorcycle Insurance All year Round" . That page is part of a whole lot of content that anyone, clients or non-clients alike, can use as a resource for many topics. But, for this particular discussion, there are many upsides to keeping your motorcycle coverage going all year and we highly recommend this for all riders. Even if a bike is stored inside a garage, the potential for loss by things like fire or theft is still there and would not becovered by home insurance. Better safe than sorry!

Another topic that comes to mind when thinking about your motorcycle and Winter is how best to prep your bike for storage, especially if you don't intend to ride it until Spring. 

Again, our BlueCircle website has that awesome resource page to give you details via "The Rider Workshop/Winterizing Your Motorcycle". To summarize, consider the basics of ensuring you don't have a tank full of stale fuel and your battery will be fresh and ready to start your bike when the time comes to ride. So many issues can be avoided with just a few proactive measures and you'll be out enjoying the ride instead of grumbling over a bike that won't run, or won't run properly.

Winter Slap!

Someone had a lot of patience, or a lot of help, building this crowd!

It's one thing to have Winter approaching and see the weather gradually change as temperatures drop. Even that first snowfall is tolerable when you know it will melt away in the sun the next morning. But slapped is the best way to describe the sudden appearance of Winter like weather as we just begin the month of November here in Calgary. 

In fact, pretty much the entire province of Alberta took a slap upside the head when the snow started to fall and the temperatures dipped into minus double digits last week. And there's no reprieve for at least another week, with the forecast being much the same until the 12th or 13th.

So, what is one to do when things like this happen. You sure can't change the weather ( unless you have the luxury of flying south for the Winter) so it's best to take it all with a grain of salt, make the best of what you're facing, and have some fun with the fluffy white stuff! Enjoy this bunch of photos of some creative people doing just that, having some fun and making the best of the chilly situation.

An interesting 'sculpture', or a well prepared arsenal for a snowball fight.

I didn't know rabbits could climb tress!

Twins

Snoop Snow Dog

Jurrasic

Tree beard

This guy won't get much colder while waiting for the bus

The beer is nice and chilled

Hitchin' a ride

We all feel like our world is turned upside down with this Winter weather

Best just to call a cab or Uber

Bill Viola Exhibite Montreal

While on a recent visit to Quebec we stopped in at DHC/ART Fondation Pour L'art Contemporain in Old Montreal. The gallery was celebrating their 10 year anniversary and exhibited contemporary video artist Bill Viola's newest work, "Inverted Birth", plus several other pieces of this "new media" art. 

Here's a snippet of one of Viola's other creations, though any of the small versions you might see online do not do any real justice to his full sized pieces, either visually or with sound.

Just A Big Kid At Heart

I love to let out my inner child and pumpkin carving is one way to do just that, and get creative too. Here's our efforts from last night...

Gnomes

And, here's me and how I greeted the kids at the door in my costume at Hallowe'en last year. Not to scare the little ones, but certainly enough to get them thinking a bit! haha

Wednesday On Tuesday

Remember the creepy little girl Wednesday Addams, from the 1991 movie "The Addams Family"? Here's my daughter, doing her rendition for Hallowe'en last year.

Gothic

Just came back from Montreal and on one of our evenings  we were out wandering the streets near the Jean Talon market. It was dark and a bit stormy, threatening to rain, when we came across this cool church spire lit up with dark purple lighting. Here's an unedited copy of my photo, quite Gothic and an eerie fit with today's Hallowe'en themed posts.