How To Prove The ROI Of Getting Organized [Backed By Science]

How To Prove The ROI Of Getting Organized [Backed By Science] Here are three facts  I know to be 100% certain: Marketers who document their plan are 538% more successful than those who don’t. Marketers who document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t. Marketers who set goals are 429% more successful than those who don’t. ^^^ I don’t know what that sounds like to you. But to me†¦ it sounds like literal data proves that: Marketers who proactively organize  the ways in which they will be  successful are actually more successful  than marketers who don’t organize their plans, processes, and goals. So to answer the question the title of this article hints at, let me pose another†¦ is there value in being successful? Just saying. If that’s just not enough for you, let’s breakdown the symptoms the lack of solid organization cause and explore how you’ll solve those pains by getting organized. This information is handy when: You need to prove to your boss that it’s worth your time and investment to implement new tools and processes to get organized. Your team needs some reassurance that while change is difficult, that after implementing new organizational procedures that their lives will actually be way easier- proven by science. You need a kick in the pants to get organized now†¦ because every day you spend frustrated by disorganization is another wasted opportunity. You’ve got this! So let’s explore, shall we? ;) How To Prove The ROI Of Getting Organized (Backed By Science)You Literally  Don’t Have To Work As Hard When You’re Organized (This Is A Really  Good Thing) Disorganization in your marketing operations causes extreme frustration. Frustration  is a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. I thought it was interesting to read the example sentence Merriam-Webster used to define frustration  because it applies all too well to the topic of disorganized marketing: These bureaucratic delays have been causing us a lot of frustration. Hm. ^^^ I’m sure you’ve been there. A study from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health aimed to understand how frustration impacted brain activity while participants executed tasks they knew really well. The result? It takes increased attentional effort  to complete well-learnt tasks when you’re frustrated. Therefore, if being disorganized causes you to feel frustrated, you’re likely to experience more stress and expend more mental energy to complete your work. In short, you have to work harder when you’re frustrated.  It slows you down, shatters productivity, and destroys your efficiency. Value of being organized: You spend less mental energy to complete your work. That means you save time. You can calculate the actual value with the following formula: (time spent completing task while frustrated Ãâ€" hourly wage) (time spent completing task normally Ãâ€" hourly wage) = # hours productivity and # money saved from being organized For example, if you’re writing a webinar script, your calculation may look something like this: (16 hours writing script while frustrated Ãâ€" $30 hourly wage) (10 hours writing script normally Ãâ€" $30 hourly wage) = 6 hours of productivity and $180 saved from being organized Use a tool like Toggl to track your time. Then log it in the spreadsheet that complements this article. ^^^ That’s nerd-ville. But if you need legit calculations to back up why you need to change now, knowing the numbers will help your case. Now†¦ how can you solve the frustration caused by disorganization? Since I picked on â€Å"bureaucratic delays† as a cause of frustration, next up is†¦ Recommended Reading: How to Effectively Measure Marketing ROI With Google Analytics and a Simple Formula Science Proves That Setting Deadlines Helps You Actually  Complete Tasks On Time Deadline  is a date or time before which something must be done, again, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Researchers at MIT conducted a study on procrastination, deadlines, and precommitment. Essentially, they wanted to know if incremental deadlines would help projects be completed on time rather than at the last minute (or not at all). That study found self-imposed deadlines aren’t as effective as externally-imposed, evenly-spaced deadlines. So. People are scientifically proven to be more effective when larger â€Å"projects† are broken down and assigned to them as deadlines over time. ^^^ Yep. People work better when they’re told what to do and when to have it done. So†¦ to summarize†¦ psychology suggests: Being organized enough to plan your workflows and delegate task deadlines will help you complete projects on time. Being organized enough to plan your workflows and delegate task deadlines will help you completeWhat are some best practices for assigning deadlines? ^^^ I thought you’d never ask. ;) Break down all of the work to be done for a piece of content in a chronological list.  For example, consider everything you need to do to plan, write, and publish a white paper from beginning to end. Eliminate all unnecessary tasks from the list.  Andrew S. Grove, former CEO at Intel, suggests targeting a specific number of tasks to remove from your workflow can help you reduce your workload by 30-50%. Remove tasks that fall into other workflows, exist for bureaucratic/approval purposes, and are outdated. Decide who will complete each of those tasks.  You’re thinking of one name per task here- because the moment you delegate one task to two people is the moment each points fingers at the other to complete the work (or†¦ push blame on the other when the work never gets completed). Figure out when the last task in the workflow needs to be done.  In marketing lingo, you can think of this as # of days before publish.  For example, if you need a blog post to be 100% complete two weeks before it publishes, the last task in the workflow needs to be done 14 days before the publish date. Now you know the second-to-last task needs to be completed 15 days before publish, the third-to-last task 16 days before publish, and all the way up the list to the very first task so you’ll know exactly when to begin the workflow. Through this process, you’ve organized: The workflow for a specific piece of content so no detail gets missed. Accountability for each task within the workflow so you can efficiently assign the work among your team. When every task needs to be completed so, as a collective project, the content is completed on time, thereby crushing your deadline. You can follow this simple process to organize realistic workflows for everything you do: white papers, blog posts, emails, courses, and beyond. And, in the grand scheme of things, you’ve used psychology to influence your team to complete their work on time so you, as a collective marketing team, nail every deadline for every piece and for every campaign. win-win-win Value of being organized: You will hit deadlines while removing 30-50% of your workload, thus giving you the ability to complete projects faster and more efficiently than ever before.You can calculate the value of organizing your workflows and deadlines with the following formulas: (total time spent completing tasks that were removed from the workflow) Ãâ€" hourly wage = # hours productivity and # money saved from being organized For example, if you’re writing a blog post, your calculation may look something like this: (1 hour approving idea + 30 minutes outline peer review + 30 minutes social media graphic review + 1 hour writing email) Ãâ€" $30 hourly wage = 3 hours of productivity and $90 saved from being organized Since you’ll also be able to work through projects faster and more efficiently, you may even want to communicate that value, too. While certain tasks may require less time than one day to be completed, typical waterfall workflows mean allocating a day per task to allow your team members flexibility in their daily schedules to complete the work: # days to complete workflow before task reduction (total # tasks removed from the workflow) = # days to complete the organized workflow For example, this is what that may look like for your blog post: 10 days to complete workflow before task reduction (1 +1 +1 +1 total tasks removed from the workflow) = 6 days to complete the organized workflow ^^^ This illustrates you’ll move faster to ship the same projects, which means you can take on more work all while hitting your deadlines. If You’re Persistent, You’ll Get It. If You’re Consistent, You’ll Keep It. Tony Robbins once said†¦ It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.Yeah, that’s a nice quip. But. ^^^ That quote holds water as far as science is concerned. Researchers wondered if commitment would be an effective way to promote proenvironmental behaviors. They discovered for early behavioral success that: [†¦] commitment alone [†¦] and commitment plus another treatment (e.g., feedback, incentives, persuasive messages, [†¦]) were significantly more effective than control groups. That means if you commit to something, you’re likely to be successful at it. Go figure. And, that means if you commit to something AND communicate during that commitment, you’re even more likely to be successful. Consider that when you make a behavioral change in your marketing team†¦ The study goes on to elaborate: [†¦] both commitment only and commitment plus another treatment yielded sustained behavior change. That means commitment leads to long-term behavior change, therefore, long-term success. So. If you’re persistent right away, you’ll get it. If you’re consistent with that commitment, you’ll keep it. As a marketer, you likely hear all too often that â€Å"Consistency is key to success!† Well, for you to get organized personally, science proves that’s true. And, as far as your marketing’s results go, consistency is a major driver of success, too. Consider this†¦ A website with zero pages will get zero visitors. That means zero page views, zero email subscribers, and†¦ zero customers. A website with a couple pages may get visitors. That means a few page views, a couple subscribers, and maybe some customers. A website with 10 thousand pages will get thousands of visitors, thousands of email subscribers, and hundreds of customers. ^^^ If that sounds bizarre†¦ or you don’t believe me†¦ I know those three bullets to be 100% true because they are precisely what happened here at . Back in 2013, this is what traffic looked like at because we started with just a few web pages and blog posts. No one knew who we were or the pains could solve for them: launched September 23, 2013. A big spike! Followed by actual days of zero page views. wah-wah This is ’s traffic recently: That didn’t happen over night. A commitment to publishing at least  two blog posts every single week since 2013  gave us: Opportunities to test  various topics and angles to understand what our audience would be interested in. The option of failure.  It’s not possible for every piece to be a winner. But that gave us so many ways to learn what not to do, so we could improve everything we should do  moving forward. Thousands of keywords to rank on.  When every blog post targets a keyword, every search brings new traffic. Organic search accounts for 69% of our traffic, which wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t consistently publish content strategically targeted at ranking for terms our audience uses. ^^^ That last one is crucial to our success as a marketing team here at . Imagine if only published one blog post per month targeting a keyword that would bring in 1,000 search results. Since September 2013, that would mean we’d have only published something like 55 blog posts resulting in 55,000 page views of monthly recurring traffic. ^^^ That would suck. And it wouldn’t be the more than 1.5 million page views the website pulls in every month today. Instead, consistently publishing at least two blog posts since 2013 (and frequently more now because we know publishing consistently works), gives us steady, long-term results that look something like this: It’s not easy. I fully remember late nights on Sundays and Tuesdays to make damn sure we published first thing Monday and Wednesday mornings. We were committed. It had to happen no matter what. But. We got better at it. Getting organized, creating workflows, and setting goals helped us commit to producing content that produces results. Value of being organized: Commitment and consistency make your goals reality.You can calculate how organizing your commitment to consistency impacts your marketing’s success with this formula: (total # of pieces to publish when committed to consistency) (total # of pieces published today without commitment to consistency) Ãâ€" (total anticipated # goal volume) = # of goal increase from being organized Since the example involves blog posts, this is what the formula may look like for us as an example: (9 blog posts to publish per month when committed to consistency) (1 blog post published per month without commitment to consistency) Ãâ€" (1,000 new search results per blog post) = 8,000 pageview increase each month from being organized. ^^^ Now, that formula is the most simplistic it can be. You’ll tweak it according to your own goals. The point here is that organizing your commitment to publishing consistently will dramatically boost your marketing’s results. What Is Being Organized Worth To You? Just by running through the frameworks with the examples in this article, being organized would: Give you 6 hours of productivity and save $180 on every white paper you’d produce moving forward. Free up 3 hours of productivity and save $90 on every blog post you’ll write in the future. Boost your recurring monthly pageviews by 8,000. Being organized eliminates frustration, reduces your overall workload, and boosts your results. If you’re ready to organize all of your marketing- including blog posts, email marketing, social media campaigns, and everything content- in one place, now’s the perfect time to check out . is the only marketing management platform that brings everything you’re working on in one visual calendar. It helps you see everything your team is working on at a glance. So go ahead and see what getting organized will do for you! Request your free, customized demo with a expert! Or†¦ Start your free 14-day trial right now. You’ve got this!

Marketing of Adventure tour in Cairns, Australia Coursework

Marketing of Adventure tour in Cairns, Australia - Coursework Example A competitor analysis is a managerial strategy that assesses the strengths and weaknesses of competitors thus enabling the business to identify market gaps and capitalize on them so as to guarantee its own success. However, most business people do not conduct this kind of market assessment using the correct procedures thus resulting in many enterprises operating on outdated market information that may not hold the exact market situation at the current date (Oster, 1999). Moreover, competitor analysis is an essential tool in business management since it provides the business with the appropriate information about its competitors. The business would therefore capitalize on its competitors’ weaknesses to be the leader in its line of business. Staying a head of competition is an essential business goal that each individual company should employ for successful operation. Diversification of operation is an important strategy to manage stiff competition. Passion of paradise among other competitors that quicksilver cruiser faces offer a relatively limited range of products and thus the fact that quicksilver cruises offers a wide range products keeps it ahead of competition. Quicksilver Cruise is the largest scuba diving offering company in Australia and this can be attributed to its reduced price and efficient tour offers that are appealing to most tourists. However, it is worth noting that the sector is very competitive and proper advertising techniques should be employed so as to popularize the company.

Modern Art Exhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Art Exhibition - Essay Example The art form chosen is â€Å"Pencils† by Tom Friedman and it is a symbolic representation of the transformation of simple materials one use in daily life into an art form with immense creativity. Tom Friedman is well known for his outstanding creativity and he had chosen a material which is pencil to create a sculpture that promotes uniqueness and substance. This artist with the help of this art form is communicating to the world that nothing is too ordinary to be an art. The art is created with utmost patience and eye for detail.The art form chosen is â€Å"Moor† by Janine Antoni . Janine as a contemporary artist is famous for her utilization of ever day objects for reflecting her spontaneous creativity. The â€Å"Moor† is a rope spun together by Antoni with the help of materials collected from her family and friends. This art form is all about the connections which exist between the artist and people in her life at different stages of life. Every part of this a rt work is flooded with emotions and affection for her loved ones.The art form chosen is the â€Å"Milk Bottle Art† by Caroline Saul. This artist is an English designer who is passionate about recycled trash like plastic milk bottles. This art form is impeccable with bulbous vessel created out of an everyday object which is plastic milk bottle. This work represents the usability of every day object and their after -life. This work is fragile and delicate and the shades of orange, brown and blue adds to its creativity.

Planning to expand MGM Resort international to the United Arab Term Paper

Planning to expand MGM Resort international to the United Arab Emirates, Dubai - Term Paper Example Expanding in Dubai comes with new challenges in terms of the set-up, necessary resources and management expertise to enter the new market successfully. MGM has also noted that since the expansion carries with it new challenges if not handled skillfully, it can do more harm than good. Since MGM has decided to expand its market in Dubai, UAE, it has gone ahead and explored Dubai market, the potentiality of growth, the set-up procedures and issues that may crop up unexpectedly. This way MGM can minimize risks as well as optimize profits. Even though, MGM has a property in Abu Dhabu, UAE, it felt that it should increase its market share in this fast growing economy. This planning paper first seeks to explain in details what MGM entails; its background, services, properties, employees, organizational structure, staffing, training and compensation procedures as well as Customer Relation Services (CRS). In addition, the discussion takes a deep research on the country of expansion, which is Dubai. Furthermore, it will look into the business set-up procedures in Dubai, the reasons for the choice of market, the legal, political, environmental, social, technological and social environment in Dubai. In addition, it explains the role of culture in terms of facilitation and hindrances as well as communication difficulties that will be encountered and how to mitigate it. In the same case, it will explain the change in the organizational structure, approaches to staffing, types of training and lastly, explain the strategies to be used in the expansion and reasons for strategy as well as the issues that may arise while implementing the chosen strategies. Discussion The company profile MGM Resort International is one of the world’s leading and most respected companies that own and operates some of the most prestigious hospitality properties in the USA. It not only has holdings in hospitality but also has shares in gaming and entertainment sector. It owns 17 properties pos itioned in Michigan, Nevada and Mississippi and has 50% investments in other four properties in New Jersey, Illinois, Macau and Nevada. The City Centre, an extraordinary urban metropolis on the Las Vegas Strip that opened in late 2009 is a joint venture between MGM Resort International and Infinity World Development Corp., a Dubai World’s subsidiary. MGM is in future partnership with casino and non-casino resorts in the United States, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Vietnam and People’s Republic of China has sealed a treaty to dispose its Treasure Island property on the Strip of Las Vegas. MGM is famous for responsible gaming and has even implemented the American Gaming Association’s code of Conduct for Responsible gaming at its properties. It has also received several awards and recognition for being up front in Diversity Initiative and community compassionate programs. In Las Vegas only, MGM properties include Bellagrio, Mirage, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MG M Grand, Circus Circus, New York-New York and the great and unique CityCentre, which comprise of Crystals, Vdara and Aria. Out of Las Vegas properties include MGM Grand Detroit, Beau Rivage, Gold Strike Tunika, Gold Strike Casino and MGM Resort, Sanya China (www.mgmresorts.com, 2012). Organizational stru

Natureview Yogurt Essay Example for Free

Natureview Yogurt Essay Natureview Farm has a few basic goals in this case. Goal 1: Natureview needs to increase its revenues to $20 million before the end of 2001. Goal 2: Natureview must maintain its strong brand image. Goal 3: Natureview must not turn its back on its loyal customers, suppliers, and distributors. Strengths * Natureview produces yogurt with a family recipe that uses completely natural ingredients and is also organic. Natureview does not use milk from cows that are artificially enhanced with hormones. * Natureview yogurt has an average shelf life of 50 days, which is significantly higher than the competition’s shelf life. * Natureview deploys low-cost guerilla marketing. * Natureview is the leader in market share for yogurt in the Natural Foods Channel, holding 24% of the market share. * Strong brand image. Weaknesses * Natureview’s retail prices are significantly higher than the yogurt options in supermarkets. * Natureview currently only offers single 8-ounce cups and 32-ounce cups of yogurt. Natureview does not offer multipack yogurt products. * Natureview sells in a niche market of consumers who want organic yogurt. * Natureview must deal with a longer distribution channel compared with companies who operate in the supermarkets. Opportunities * Natureview operates in the organic foods market, which was predicted to grow from $6.5 billion in 1999 to $13.3 billion in 2003. * Organic yogurt was predicted to grow 20 percent per year from 2001 to 2006. * One product Natureview does not produce, multipacks, represented 9 percent of total yogurt sales in supermarkets, and was growing by 12.5 percent per year. * Natureview does not sell in supermarkets, but 97 percent of all yogurt consumed is bought in supermarkets. Furthermore, 46 percent of organic food customers bought organic products at supermarkets, compared to 29 percent who bought organic products at natural foods markets. * The overall market for yogurt is huge. 40 percent of the U.S. population consumes yogurt, with 70 percent of the purchasers being men. Threats * Horizon Organic has cash flows from a recent IPO and might gain first mover advantage into supermarkets. * Major companies, like Dannon, are rumored to be entering into the organic yogurt market. * As organic food becomes more popular, natural food markets may begin doing business as supermarkets do, which requires slotting fees and participation in trade promotions. Financial Analysis The financial analysis of the situation will begin with a look at the analysis of the yogurt costs, revenues, and margins in the natural food channel and the supermarket channel. Working backwards from the margins given in the case, and also Exhibit 3 of the case, which shows production costs and retail prices for yogurts by size and channel, a full set of numbers can be produced (see Figures 1 through 6).

The Country Development: Nepal

The Country Development: Nepal Shangri-La, the Kingdom of the Himalayas, Gateway to Everest. Few places on Earth are as idealized in the West as Nepal. Upon arriving in the ancient capital of Kathmandu, Nepal is very likely to take your breath away. But this would be the smog fumes mixing with the chemical smell of city-urchins snorting glue, and not the view of the mountains. Particularly since the Himalayas have not been visible from the Kathmandu Valley for decades. Wiping away the rose hued glaze of applied mystique , the Nepal that remains is one that grapples daily (beginning at five am, an hour after the street dogs cease baying and an hour before the autorickshaws begin coughing) with a headlong rush into the modern world whilst trying to actually develop along the way. Nepal is running away from its past with great determination and no destination. From 1996 to 2006 this running was often done at gunpoint. In February of 1996, Maoist rebels launched an armed struggle to replace Nepals constitutional monarchy with a communist republic. Given Nepals endemic Royal corruption, caste and ethnic discrimination, deep rural poverty , and a near total concentration of power and wealth in the Valley, the Maoists call to rewrite the nation resonated across the plains, the hills and the mountaintops, affecting all segments of the Nepali population. By the time that decade had run its course, 300 years of Nepalese monarchy was abolished and a Communist dominated parliamentary system was established. The Maoists introduced, often under duress, a multitude of measures aimed at addressing centuries-old, deeply-rooted forms of discrimination. The long standing feudal-caste system was dismantled and in parallel, a representative form of governance was introduced. Th e Maoist period also brought great social change as an embracing of ones ethnic identity was encouraged. For the first time in millennia, gender roles were questioned as the insurgency actively promoted female involvement on the frontlines. A closer look at the Maoists social oratory of hope and glory reveals, as is often the case, that all is not well for social development in Nepal. After the cessation of major violence in late 2006, poverty mitigation programs became a center talking point in all the newly-established political parties agendas. However, in harmony with most agenda goals in the Nepalese parliament, the key authorities stopped short of the necessary strong monetary commitment to both implement and monitor these programs. The social investment policy neglects the development of human capital by passing up the chance to create opportunities for future social development. Considering the poor to non-existent results from both targeted regional programs and broad national endeavors, thus far all available data supports the assertion that government social policy has thus far failed to increase economic opportunities for Nepals poor. Another integral and highly divisive socioeconomic issue that remains unso lved is the expansion of employment programs, including the incorporation of former insurgent combatants into the military. Lastly, Kathmandu has been tepid at the best of times in including conflict-ravaged populations into social and economic life. The question remains however, as to the state of the economy they are being reintroduced to. Even the most rudimentary grasp of numbers allows an observer to comprehend the principle issue of the Nepali economy. Agriculture. It has been the mainstay of the economy for millennia, and is now fatally out of step with the demands of the 21st century. Agriculture provides livelihood to approximately 80% of the population and accounts for almost half of the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Geography has not been kind to the idea of farming , and only 16 percent of the total land is arable. While agriculture employs more than two thirds of the people and takes up almost half of the GDP, Nepal has the lowest per capita arable land in the world. Food production in almost entirely confined in the south, in the narrow belt of what was once jungle and is now flatlands that borders India known as the Terai. Cultivation in more mountainous regions (which is to say the other 84% of Nepal) is mostly for subsistence. The fifth five-year plan, beginning in 1975 was the first in which agriculture beyond preventing starvation was given top priority. In order to increase agricultural production and diversify the farm base, the government began to focus on improving irrigation facilities, providing credit to and encouraging farmer to use imported, high yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides, etc. However the complete lack of a transportation system designed to move quantities of food (or anything else for that matter) stymied the government efforts. Nepal also suffered near-catastrophic environmental collapse in the 1980s due to the absence of the requisite training in the aforementioned chemicals. The net result of these actions was that crop production grew at a dismal rate of 2.4%, failing to keep pace with the population growth rate, which began at 2.6% per annum. The degradation and divergence would not be correct in the years before civil war broke out and only began being redressed in late 2008. In addition to agriculture, Nepal has a very limited industrial base that constitutes 20 per cent of the GDP. Most of those industries are agro-based industries like rice and tea. The majority of Nepals fledgling industrial base is dependent on imported raw materials, primarily from India. These manufactured goods are almost entirely small scale, local cottage industries. In Nepal, the term capital goods is quite literal, as whatever intermediate or capital goods are produced are locked up (quite literally) on the eastern plains of the Terai or in Kathmandu. However, Kathmandu is only the capital as long Nepal remains both a nation and a state, and given the political climate that threatens to wash away both of those concepts, a closer look at the Nepali government is warranted. Politically, post-Maoist Nepal is defined by the fact that it is dependably unreliable. Indeed, Transparency International ranks Nepal 153th out of 180 in the organizations most recent Corruption Perception Index. This is reflected in the difficulties Nepal has had in writing a constitution. After establishing an interim constitution in 2007, the Constituent Assembly (CA) was slated to draft a permanent constitution within in a year. In late May of 2012, the CA was dissolved having extended the constitution writing deadline four times without a constitution being written. The country is now cast into even deeper political and legal uncertainty. By May of 2012, after squandering half a decade, the four major parties had come together in compromise on almost all issues. The issue that sent fissures through the CA and ultimately broke the government was whether or not the country should be divided into federal states along ethnic lines, as opposed to the 14 administrative zones, done fo r purely bureaucratic reasons that presently exist. Baburam Bhattarai , the current prime minister, has called for a new CA to be elected on November 22nd 2012. Effectively, this election stands to be a vote on the polarizing and highly volatile issue of ethnic federalism. Much of this uncertainty stems from the fact that in the span of 20 years, Nepal has gone from centuries of absolute monarchy, to a parliamentary monarchy, to anarchic civil war followed then by a tottering federal republic. Gazing across the myriad of social, economic and political concerns that shroud Nepal in cynicism, it is easy, far too easy, to not know what needs to be rectified first. The paramount concerns for Nepal are the development and sustaining of transportation infrastructure and power systems. From these two, all else flows. The significance of the ability to move and the power needed to provide that mobility is impossible to overstate. According to the World Bank, the ratio of Nepals road area to population and total area is one of the lowest in the world. While large trucks clog all three of Nepals paved highways, they invariably have one of three destinations: Kathmandu, India or to a lesser extent, China. For the vast majority of the country, the most commonly used method of transportation is by porters with pack animals. It is almost blindingly simple, but it cannot be stressed enough, tourists, locals, potatoes, rice, bottled water, generators, medicines, troops , ideas, chickens, bricks, pipes, computers, aid workers, anything that can be used for development must first get to its location. As mentioned previously, Nepal has only three highways, constituting almost 90% of the countrys paved roads. The highway system (a word used in the most generous of terms) should be domestic infrastructure but is in fact anything but. The southern highway was built with Indian rupees for Indian gain, the northern highway b uilt with Chinese renminbi for China to be able to drive tanks through Nepal should it need to invade India (its commonly nicknamed the two tank road among Nepalis) and the middle highway was constructed between Kathmandu and the tourist city of Pokhara, making it the only highway with both its terminus in-country It is important to note that all three of these highways, are by curse of topography, narrow two lane constructions. What this means in practical terms is that Maoist strikes, known as bandh are a powerful flexing of political power, affecting millions and causing massive disruptions to development. A key component of a bandh is closing the highway (used in the singular in Nepal), a task lacking in logistic difficulties and ways of circumventing it. The lack of transportation systems breeds political uncertainty, and discourages economic invests both foreign and domestic. Intertwined with problems of movement is the issue of how to power that movement. Nepal is a nation left in the dark. Power generation, primarily electrical is the bedrock of development that must be established in tandem with transportation if Nepal is to have any chance of a brighter tomorrow. It is important to note that 63 percent of Nepalese households lack access to electricity and depend on expensive oil-based generators or simple forgo power altogether. Unlike Nepals lack of arable land, the country is not deficient in economically exploitable hydroelectric power. The mighty Himalayan mountains flow into thousands of equally mighty rivers. However, the hydroelectric potential of Nepal is rivaled only by its lack of hydroelectric power. According to USAID, the currently exploitable power stands at 83,000 megawatts (MW), but only 650MW have been developed. Nepal has but one all-season hydroelectric plant, with the ability to store energy generated during the summer monsoon for use during the rest of the year. This is of monumental importance as the other hyd roelectric stations are at the mercy of water levels. With winter being the sun-lacking dry season, it is at precisely the time when demand for lighting and heating is highest that power cuts are at their most crippling. Across the country, winter time power cuts are routinely 10-14 hours a day but can be for as long as 16 hours, with 18 hours being relatively uncommon. Lastly, this electrical rationing is called load shedding and is intimately connected with the countrys political corruption. Allegations of mismanagement concerning the electricity crisis, enforced by 16 hours without power a day, have been launched at all levels of the Nepal Electricity Authority. Because a considerable amount of electricity has been sold to India and China, because partnership deals with foreign investors have been signed and then ignored for over a decade, because the country burns in the summer and freezes in the winter, the NEA has been accused of widespread corruption and misappropriation of f inances. In summary, it is perhaps an adage from antiquity that encapsulates Nepali development best. Festina lente. Make haste, slowly. The confluence of urgency tempered by diligence and deliberation catalyzed by the needs of the people is what will ultimately allow Nepalis from all walks of life to feel as the tourists do, amazed at how truly wonderful the roof of the world is.

Mans Search For Meaning Essay -- Nazi Jews Holocaust

In Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl describes his revolutionary type of psychotherapy. He calls this therapy, logotherapy, from the Greek word "logos", which denotes meaning. This is centered on man's primary motivation of his search for meaning. To Frankl, finding meaning in life is a stronger force than any subconscious drive. He draws from his own experiences in a Nazi concentration camp to create and support this philosophy of man's existence. Frankl endured much suffering during his time in the concentration camp. All of his possessions were taken away, including his manuscript in which he recorded all of his life's work. He went through rough manual labor, marching through freezing temperatures, and little or no food. To add to this, he didn't even know if his wife was alive or if she had been killed when they were separated. However, throughout all this, Frankl was able to keep his hopes alive, and still care for his fellow man. This is due to his philosophy of person. He figured that the key to surviving in those horrible conditions was to find a meaning in his life. Once there is a meaning to live for, there will be a will to live. Finding a meaning in life is the most important thing according to Frankl. This is the core of his philosophy, and claims that it is the core of human existence. In his view, anything can attribute to be something to live for. Love is perhaps the strongest motivation, but even someone can even find fulfillment in his profession. According to logotherapy, we can find meaning in three ways. Man can either create a work or do a good deed, experience something or encountering someone, or by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering can we discover a meaning in... ...m he loves or without something he feels is important to find meaning. It is also going to be difficult for this person not to consider suicide, even though Frankl believes it should never be an option. Personally I agree with most of Viktor Frankl's ideas and philosophy. It is important for a person to find a meaning in his life. Frankl's philosophy is more human and more personal than other psychiatrists' philosophies. The human person can not be motivated just on unconscious drives. Humans are much deeper beings and need aspects of life such as a sense of purpose, love, and human contact. I also agree that suicide should never be an alternative to life, except if sacrificing your life for a greater cause. Viktor Frankl's ideas are more realistic to human nature, and give a sense of optimism to the reader who can hopefully find meaning in their own lives.