TO ALL THE WINNERS December 14 2016, 0 Comments

TO ALL THE WINNERS

So, your race is nearly over and the end of 2016 races towards us with blinding speed and ferocious certainty.  Ahead lies the line across your path that sighs “finish”.   You know that somewhere beyond that point, there will be a reward, something to say that you made it and can finally recuperate.  Is it the gold that dangles, calling you to finish strong even though you are all but spent?  Is it a silver trophy, raised and shining, shouting for you that you made it?  Or, perhaps it’s a beautiful bronze medal that says you are the best you can be so keep going so that you will wear me with pride?  Well done all participants, without whom there would be no race at all!

This post is dedicated to all the winners!  This includes you who started the year with great plans and as you watched them unfold, somehow, your race track was diverted and you had to start again.  It’s dedicated to you who were pipped at the post, yet ran with all your might, the best race of your life.  It is most certainly dedicated to you who felt that the year was running faster than usual and you were just a spectator this time. You are winners because you share the most important achievement – life, and running all the way.  Well done!

In a matter of a few blurred days, it will be New Year and so much of last year will be unwritten history.  It will be time to take aim and think about the future, 2017.  How will you run and what will be your goal – bronze, silver or gold?  Resolutions will abound; promises even more so.  What will be your plan?  Perhaps it is unfair to ask you the questions now but can I leave you with this:  What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?  Maybe it’s about trying something a little different and exciting so that 2017 does not feel too much like 2016.  Whatever, may you enjoy this time of goodwill and recreation with good friends and family, wherever you find yourself running, or jogging, or just strolling along your path of joy.

Old Nickel December 09 2016, 0 Comments

The Meaning of a Name December 08 2016, 0 Comments

How many times does one mention, write or sign their name in a life time? Where does your name appear the most?  Who knows your name?

The purpose of a name is to give you an identity. Some names have well-known meanings such as Peter, from the Greek – Petros – meaning ‘rock’.  A name may be chosen at birth because they represent the nature of the child or possibly the circumstances under which that child was born.  How about June or Joy?  Others may be chosen for aspirational reasons, as a wish for what the child could become, such as Hercules, Faith or Beauty. 

 As we go through life our names are our tags. We boast a name as our address on an envelope or on an item that we possess.  We display it on LinkedIn and Facebook, on office doors and possibly even in the form of a tattoo. As mobile people, we have business cards with our names on it, enabling us to convey who we are and what we do.

 What about forgetting names?  Ever heard it said, “I never forget a face but a name is impossible for me to remember.”  What is a face without a name?  Accordingly, another very useful aid is to wear a name badge.  The name badge is worn like a brooch and can be designed with style, too.  Technology allows us to print name badges in full colour and fine detail, on a number of different materials such as vinyl, aluminium or brass, custom shaped for every customer.  This means that your name badge can be more than your name.  It can be your brand, your designation, your style.  It is a useful introduction as it speaks on your behalf to those around, helping to initiate discussion in your work and social environment, and preventing that awkward moment for your clients when they forget your name!

Have a look for a few different options here.

The Psychology of Rewards November 28 2016, 0 Comments

With Black Friday a memory, except for all the bargains that you rewarded yourself with, you may be left wondering why you got up at 6am, stood in a queue with strangers and then made an uncharacteristic dash, like a finely-tuned athlete, to secure your special bargain.  How long had you been waiting for this great ‘win’ of the year or was it a rather impulsive decision made as you looked over the tome of newspaper advertisements while trying to cope with all the emails! 

It is estimated that more than 50%  of all store purchases are made on impulse. Before dismissing this claim consider how often you may race into a store to buy an item and walk out with a large basket of goods that you ‘need’!  Impulse purchasing is a problem for retailers in one way because these are not necessarily loyal customers.  To help turn impulse into loyalty, we have seen a flurry of programmes designed to capture your attention and change your habit.  Every time you enter a shop to buy a few things, you are asked for you card, which makes us all feel like winners as we hand over our cash because we have been rewarded with beans or points.  But wait, do you hand over cash?  No, often not!  Cash has no reward other than to make your purse lighter.  Rather, we display a Gold credit card (because we are special) and as the transaction is concluded, there it is: another reward for your good behavior.  You earned it! 

The next time you go shopping, think about who has your interest at heart; who knows your habits and is able to call you by name? “Thank you James for your recent purchase.  You have earned 20 beans to spend on your next purchase”.  

Turning to the world of sport, imagine a race track with no clear finish line or a soccer pitch with no goals. What about a golf course with no holes on the greens or a pool table with no pockets.  In all these cases, the reward has been removed and, in so doing, the purpose of the games destroyed.  What point is left in competing, even against yourself?  The goal, the measure, the reward has disappeared and the meaning is lost.  In sport, it is this reward that gives purpose and keeps sportsmen breaking records.  So, when you feel like giving up, think of the reward and the purpose.  Black Friday comes once a year; rewards, every day!

My Medal! November 28 2016, 0 Comments

In a few days you may need a medal just for reaching the end of November in one piece. If no one wants to reward you with your well-earned gift, you can select the award of your choice by visiting www.prestigeawards.co.za and still be in time be in time to wear it with pride in December!   (Have a peek at the gifts!)

The year flies by so quickly, especially when you are managing a career, a home maybe while attending school meetings, helping your children earn that certificate that says ‘Well done!’, time for s break.  Take a moment to imagine what you would engrave on your medal this year. What would you like to recognize as your achievements?  How about “I made it!” – make that a Bronze. Or, “Rising Star” – that could be Silver.  What about the Gold category?   We’ll leave that up to you but when you have decided, we’d love to hear from you.   Keep up the good work - 2017 is just around the corner - but with an awful lot inbetween.