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We live in a world where workers are doing more varied and complex tasks. And in most instances, theyre doing so at the expense of focus and performance, according to a global EY study. People are juggling priorities that shift by the hour and filling their days with decisions that drain more than they deliver. And after more than two decades working with leaders and teams on productivity and time management, Ive seen the same pattern play out again and again. That of smart, capable people caught in a cycle of saying yes to everything. As a result, they leave little space for what really matters. My client, Alex, was no exception to this. Most days were a familiar and exhausting routine. On a typical day, hed finally open his laptop around 10:15 a.m. By then, hed already had three conversations, reviewed an urgent email thread, made lunchbox sandwiches, resolved a childcare drop-off tantrum, and sat through half a leadership meeting with his camera off and a blank stare. His day had technically begun hours earlier, but it wasnt until then that he had a moment to look at his calendar and feel the weight of nine meetings, two deadlines, and yesterdays unfinished list pressing in. Breaking the cycle of yes If this sounds familiar to you, thats because most of us in the modern world have developed an unconscious reflex to keep saying yes to urgency, opportunity, and momentum. In doing so, weve trained ourselves to push forward without pause. We’ve also convinced ourselves that availability equals value and responsiveness equals worth. Our best thinking, most meaningful contributions, and clearest leadership rarely emerge from this state of constant forward motion. They emerge from space. And space is only possible when we learn to press pause, even briefly, and reclaim our right to decide when something deserves our time, attention, and energy. This echoes cognitive load research, which shows that the brain’s working memory can only process so much before it starts dropping or distorting information. Overcommitting is more of a capacity issue than a time issue. The power of a deliberate pause One of the most underused and undervalued tools in this regard is not a new app or a color-coded calendar system. Its a simple phrase: not now. Its not about avoidance or indecision. This phrase lets us be deliberate with how we navigate our days and our decisions. Not now allows us to acknowledge somethings importance without letting it run our schedule. It gives us permission to protect our current focus, preserve our mental bandwidth, and delay commitment until we have the capacity to give it our full attention. What makes this particularly powerful is that it doesnt rely on dramatic change. It asks only for awareness. In fact, small shifts in how we respond to requests and obligations can be the most transformative, precisely because theyre sustainable. Start by noticing where the automatic yes creeps in. That might be meetings you dont need to attend, projects that belong on someone elses desk, and tasks that are loud but not actually important. Begin questioning the pull to respond immediately by pausing before you commit. Let silence do some of the heavy lifting. This kind of deliberate delay can be uncomfortable at first. Were conditioned to equate speed with success. Slowing down can feel risky, even subversive. But what were really doing is replacing reflex with intention. And the impact can be profound. Leading with discernment By saying not now, we arent rejecting opportunity or disengaging from our responsibilities. Were creating room to assess whether those opportunities align with our values, goals, or priorities. Were choosing to invest our energy where it will have the most impact, not just where the noise is loudest. Over time, this practice becomes more than a productivity tactic. It becomes a leadership mindset. At some point, every effective leader needs to learn to stop reacting and start choosing. We all operate in dynamic environments. There will always be times when there is real urgency, and we need to respond. But even in those moments, the ability to discern between what demands our attention now and what can wait becomes a defining skill. Leaders who master this are often those who appear calm amid chaos. Not because they arent busy, but because theyve learned to carry less noise. They know how to separate the signal from the static. They are discerning with their time, and clear in their decisions. They’re also generous with their presence because theyve protected it from being scattered in too many directions at once. So when you next feel the tug of obligation, urgency, or expectation, try asking yourself one question: Does this need me now or am I simply in the habit of saying yes? Then, give yourself the grace to wait. Remember, its not forever. Its just for now.
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E-Commerce
The first time I read The Count of Monte Cristo, I was astounded by how freakin cool it all was. Heres a story about daring prison escapes, finding hidden treasure, and elaborately executed revenge. It felt aliveno matter that it was written 180 years ago. That book, and everything else published before 1930, is currently in the United States public domain. That means its perfectly legal for anyone to re-create the original text and publish it online or off. And there are a number of websites dedicated to offering public domain ebooks online, which is fantastic. But free downloads can be kindawell, ugly. Whether its typos from the transcription process, inconsistent style choices, or missing details like cover art, an exceptional digital reading experience isnt always easy to find. Its almost enough to make you want pay a few bucks for an ebook thats technically free, just to get a better designed product. Before you do that, though, you should check out todays Cool Tools discovery. Itll change how you think about reading on a screen, and youll never want to go back to the old way again. This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures! Beautiful ebook downloads$0 The great thing about free culture is that people can build on whats freely offered and better adapt it for a specific purpose. The website I want to share with you today is a perfect example of that, building on the free ebook downloads from sites like Project Gutenberg and The Internet Archive. Its called Standard Ebooks, and its a collection of over 1,000 free ebooks with a real focus on style, design, and compatibility. The result: Every book offered on the site is absolutely beautifuland an absolute pleasure to read. You can start browsing the archive immediately and transfer a book to any device you like in 20 seconds or less. Whether you read books on a Kindle, a Kobo, or even just on your phoneAndroid, iOS, whateveryoull find beautifully formatted books made specifically for your screen. Standard Ebooks looks and feels like a polished, premium marketplaceeven though it’s free. Youll also find easy-to-follow instructions for getting the books onto your device and into a place where you can easily read them. Formats offered include epub, azw3 for Amazon Kindle gadgets, and kepub for Kobo devices. Or you can opt to simply read a book right within your browser, evenwith an easy-to-navigate chapter-by-chapter framework or on a single click-free page. You can get books formatted for any kind of device you’re using. Standard Ebooks has a handy search function if youre looking for something specific, or you can browse by things like genre, release date, or author. Every ebook offered has a visually pleasing cover, also from the public domain (and with not a single AI-generated illustration in sight). And all are edited to adhere to a rigorous style guide. Books from Standard Ebooks aregasp!actually a pleasure to read. Its the rare free software project thats focused on aesthetics. Ive read several books from Standard Ebooks over the years, and I always appreciate the attention to detail. I bet you will, too. Standard Ebooks is available online, within any web browser on any device. Its a completely free service, though it does offer opportunities for both donations and volunteering. You dont have to sign up for any accounts or provide any manner of personal info to use the site and download to your hearts content. Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in truly delightful ways.
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E-Commerce
Most types of financial fraud are relatively straightforward: the fraudster uses creative accounting, inflated numbers, or out-and-out lies to trick their victim into handing over money or valuables they wouldnt otherwise part with, usually while twirling a villainous mustache. You can probably think of a dozen examples off the top of your head, from Bernie Madoffs Ponzi scheme to the phone scams that try to convince your Nana her Social Security benefits are in danger. But until allegations were recently brought against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, most people had never heard of mortgage fraudand for good reason. This type of fraud is exceedingly rare. In 2021, only 58 mortgage fraud offenders were sentenced in the federal system, and the number of offenders has decreased by nearly 70% since 2017. Understanding what makes mortgage fraud such an uncommon financial crime can help clarify whats behind the recent allegationsand can make your own brushes with mortgage underwriting feel less opaque. Heres what you need to know. Defining mortgage fraud The specific type of mortgage fraud that Federal Reserve governor Cook (as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff) have been accused of is intentionally deceiving a mortgage lender or underwriter in order to secure a mortgage loan. There are several types of mortgage fraud that a borrower may engage in, including: Income fraud: When a buyer misrepresents their income to the mortgage lender. Straw buyer: When a fake buyer acts on behalf of a true borrower to misrepresent the transaction because the real borrower couldnt qualify for the loan. Typically, the straw buyer transfers the title to the property after the sale is done. Illegal property flip: When a buyer purchases a property at below market value and quickly resells it at an artificially inflated price. Although flipping a house for a nice profit is not illegal, if it involves a fraudulent appraisal or misleading the new buyer, it is considered mortgage fraud. Occupancy fraud: When the borrower lies about the occupancy status of the property to obtain a better rate, since owner-occupied primary residences receive more favorable terms than second homes or rental properties. Occupancy fraud is the type of fraud that Cook, James, and Schiff have been accused of, since the allegations against all three center on which of their properties are designated as primary residences. (Its important to note that Schiff claims he got permission from his lender to consider two homes as primary residences because of his need for a home base in both California and the D.C. area.) The high bar for mortgage underwriting Mortgage fraud is not so easy to pull off, as anyone who has been through mortgage underwriting can attest. This process puts the borrowers credit, income, and financial background under the microscope to determine if they are a good candidate for the loan. Specifically, mortgage underwriting looks at things like: employment records for the previous two years W-2 tax records for the past two years pay stubs for the past 30 to 60 days account information for every type of account you have, includingchecking and savings accountsCDsinvestment accountsretirement accounts that money market account you opened three years ago and forgot about additional income, like alimony, child support, bonuses a gift letter if friends or family have given you money to help with your down payment Underwriters have the tenacity of a bloodhound and will halt the process to ask for additional information about unexplained gaps in employment or funds that they consider unverified. (The card that Nana sent the $500 birthday check in may not be enough to satisfy your underwriter about the source of that unverified extra five Benjamins. Ask me how I know.) Depending on the lender, underwriting may also require the borrower to provide an intent to occupy letter as part of the process. This legal document offers proof that the borrower is purchasing the property as a primary residence, and works as a legal protection against occupancy fraud. Why is mortgage fraud different from all other fraud? With the exception of illegal property flipping, the most common types of mortgage fraud involve a borrower deceiving a mortgage lenderin order to borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is not like tricking someone into giving you money and disappearing with it. The mortgage lender literally knows where the borrower lives. Additionally, if the borrower succeeds in deceiving the lender into a more favorable loan through mortgage fraud, the bank risks losing money if the borrower defaults, but the borrower faces higher risks. If they default, they will ruin their own credit. The lender can easily write off the loss of the money, especially since it still has the property as collateral, while the borrower will be in much worse financial straits after defaulting. This is not to say that mortgage fraud is some kind of victimless crime that can only hurt the borrower. But a type of fraud where you plan to make monthly payments to your victim is a noticeably different beast from simply illegally transferring money from victim to fraudster. Fraud or error? Fed Governor Cook has responded to the allegations that she fraudulently took out mortgages on two primary residencesone in Michigan and another in Georgiaby claiming she made no attempt to deceive anyone and that an unintentional error may be behind the problem. It is impossible to know for certain what happened in this situation. Mistakes certainly happen in mortgage paperwork. There is no specific definition of primary residence, which can vary from one state or county to another, and from one lender to another. And while mortgage records are public, they do not necessarily include all the information shared between borrowers and lenders. There is no way to prove or disprove fraudulent intent on Cooks part. Along with the fact that mortgage underwriting is very effective, the difficulty of proving mortgage fraud is why there are so few convictions. Yes, its possible that many borrowers are fibbing about their income or where they plan to live. (Donald Trump was famously found liable for fraud by a New York state judge for inflating his net worth in order to secure more favorabe loan and insurance terms.) Or they may have an agreement in place with their lenders. Or there may be a clerical error on their mortgage records. If they are making their mortgage payments on time, no one is paying much attention. Borrowing with an intent to defraud Mortgage fraud is a real financial crime where a home buyer deceives a lender in order to get more favorable loan terms. But its a difficult fraud to pull off because the mortgage underwriting process requires such attention to the borrowers financial situationalthough falsely claiming that a property will be a primary residence is probably one of the easiest types of mortgage fraud. While mortgage fraud is not a victimless crime we can simply accept from governors of the Federal Reservewho need to be above reproachits also unlike most other types of fraud. The fraudster is committing to years of monthly payments and faces financial ruin if they default. Lenders are in an excellent position to protect themselves from mortgage fraud through underwriting. The system appears to be working as intended, considering how difficult it is to identify or prove definitive cases of fraud. Which raises the questiondo we really need to examine the intent behind the borrowing irregularities that are currently in the news cycle?
Category:
E-Commerce
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