You’ve got to find what you love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle. ~ Steve Jobs No job is going to be perfect all of the time, but if you find yourself continually dreading going into work, or with the strong feeling that there is something else you should be doing, it is time to take the leap and find a job you really love! Here are a few suggestions to get you started down the road of finding work you really do love: Don’t Stop Searching As Steve Jobs says above “keep looking and don’t settle”. I think that is one of the best pieces of advice any of us can follow when trying to find our … [Read more...] about Finding Work You Love
Career Advice
5 Ways to Stay Fit While Working Long Hours
From demanding project deadlines to unexpected new clients, many situations keep you working longer than the standard 8 to 5 schedule. Working long hours at the office is a great way to earn overtime as an hourly employee or to show commitment as a salary worker. However, long office hours also bring certain drawbacks. Increased stress, less personal time and bad eating habits are all typical overtime side effects. If not kept in check, these side effects of long office hours can lead to an increased waistline and overall lowered health level. Here are five tips to stay fit while working long hours so you can enjoy the benefits of overtime without the drawbacks. Avoid Stress EatingLong office hours often lead to increased stress. This stress then turns many employees to junk food and mindless snacking. If you’re stressed from an extended work schedule, avoid eating more in response to that stress. Food provides comfort against the things you can’t control but it also … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Stay Fit While Working Long Hours
6 Desk Organization Tips to Boost Your Productivity
If you find yourself overwhelmed, disorganized or having trouble concentrating, simply improving your work surroundings can have a positive impact. If you are looking for a way to boost your productivity, begin with these six tips for desk organization! 1. Avoid Over-Organizing. This may seem like an oxymoron in light of the topic but often times we can overwhelm our workspace with all the containers, trays, shelves, writing utensil holders, paper clip cups, sticky note dispensers, etc. In our effort to be efficient, we can actually create a certain amount of organizational chaos. Evaluate your workspace and decide if you can consolidate some of your office supply holders. Does having everything at your fingertips help you or hinder you by taking up valuable work area. How often are you using all of the items on your desk? Even our attempts to be organized can create clutter that stifles productivity. 2. Streamline. Once you have effectively narrowed down your organizational … [Read more...] about 6 Desk Organization Tips to Boost Your Productivity
Parents in the Workplace: Tips for Returning to Work after Maternity Leave
Your first few months as a parent are filled with getting to know your infant, creating a parenting schedule and sleeping whenever possible. However, just as you’ve settled into your new life as a parent, everything is rearranged once again as your maternity leave is nearing its end. Returning to work after maternity leave brings many emotions. While you may be excited to begin working again and contribute to the family’s income, you’re likely hesitant to leave your infant for the first time. The following are four tips to successfully make this transition while minimizing the stress it can bring. Begin with a Half Week Jumping into a full work week directly out of maternity leave often brings stress, worry and guilt. Rather than taking on more than you can handle, ease into the transition by working a half week or by only going to the office for half days during the first week. This allows you to slowly adjust your schedule without as much stress while your infant becomes acclimated … [Read more...] about Parents in the Workplace: Tips for Returning to Work after Maternity Leave
5 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels
Stress is a word we hear a lot these days. For many people stress and work are closely linked. Whether it is about dealing with the boss from hell or managing a work load, there are many opportunities for stress to present itself in the workplace. Here are some suggestions to help you deal with and reduce your stress levels: 1. Clarity What is making you stressed? Rather than just thinking it is “everything about your job”, narrow it down and try to get to the bottom of what is causing you anxiety. Being clear about what is the problem is the first step to being able to do something about it (and there is usually something that can be done about most problems, despite what we might first think). 2. Relax Create a relaxation habit! It really is possible but it is something that often needs to be worked at if you are not used to it. There are lots of ways we can relax; you could look into … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels
5 Ways To Make Yourself Unpopular At Work
Obviously, no one wants to be unpopular at work so I have put together a list of common pitfalls that could make you unpopular at work, so we can all avoid them! 1. Gossiping A little harmless gossip doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but be careful about talking about your colleagues behind their backs (especially being negative) and getting the reputation as the office gossip. Being seen as a gossip could mean people are less likely to trust you and makes it easier to become embroiled in office politics! Keeping things simple means you can stay out of any drama and stay professional. 2. Sucking Up Be yourself with your colleagues and boss without sucking up. Being authentic is an admirable quality; no one likes to be around people who are trying to be nice to people based on their status or what they think they can get out of them. Treating everyone you come into contact with … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Make Yourself Unpopular At Work
Using Your Blog to Help Launch a New Career
Blog this, blog that. It seems like everyone has a blog these days, and that's not too far off – millions of blogs have been started (and just about as many abandoned) in the last decade. Have you been toying with the idea of starting your own blog? Does the desire to be part of this vast universe of cyber-talking appeal to you? The good news is you can - there is no quota for blogs. However, there are some things you need to do first before you post that first article, and the very first one is to know the goals of your blog, which can be determined by two very basic questions: WHAT do you want your blog to be about? Technology? Cooking? Crafts? Childcare? Auto repair? Sports? Fashion? Gardening? Creative writing? Design and décor? Whatever it is, you need to have a basic idea before you invest any money or significant time. Don't start a cooking blog if you also plan to talk about interior design. Start from the beginning saying that your blog is about the home, which … [Read more...] about Using Your Blog to Help Launch a New Career
Working From Home: How To Be Effective
I have always loved the idea of working from home. I imagined how great it would be to work in your pyjamas if you wanted to, and just generally make the best of being in your home environment to do your work. Now that I do work from home, I enjoy it very much but have found that there can be headaches to working at home. Here are are a few of the things I have learnt that have helped me to enjoy working from home and be effective: Create A Schedule Like many people, I imagined working from home could mean getting up whenever I wanted to and working whenever suited me. The flexibility is great when it is needed but the reality is that a schedule can help you to get your work done and keep boundaries around your work and home life. Set Boundaries Boundaries are important when working from home, in getting your work done and also ensuring your work life doesn’t leak into your personal life. It might be that the people in your life may think you are always available … [Read more...] about Working From Home: How To Be Effective
Healthy Habits For The Office
Do you want to stay healthy but find it hard to do so whilst working in an office? If so, here are a few ideas that I use that you may find helpful: 1. Drink Herbal Teas Or Water Staying hydrated is essential for your health. I only drink herbal teas and water at work and this saves on buying milk for tea and coffee, reduces my caffeine intake and ensures I stay hydrated. I have one or two cups of tea and / or coffee after work but by only drinking water and herbal teas at work I have made this a regular habit. 2. Eat Healthy Foods As with what you drink at work, if you can prepare in advance and eat healthy food and snacks at work it will help you to get into a good habit. 3. Take A Break It is so good for your mental and physical wellbeing to take a break each day you are at work. Taking a break means you have some rejuvenation time in your day, it enhances your productivity when you are back at work and can help to reduce the chances of feeling burnout at work. … [Read more...] about Healthy Habits For The Office
3 Important Lessons to Learn From Yearly Performance Reviews
Yearly performance reviews are commonplace in many companies and are often the main occasions when employees receive feedback from management. You may anticipate yearly reviews since this is typically when pay raises are received but you may also dread them for fear of negative feedback. Rather than worrying about performance reviews, use your energy more effectively by planning for the meeting. The following are three ways to plan for upcoming reviews and the lessons you should take away from the meeting. Take Criticism Constructively Criticism from management regarding your job performance can be difficult to swallow, especially for workplace perfectionists. Rather than worrying about what a ‘meets expectations’ rating rather than an ‘exceeds expectations’ rating may mean for your future with the company, take the criticism constructively. Listen to what your manager suggests during the review and begin incorporating that advice into future work projects. This will prove to … [Read more...] about 3 Important Lessons to Learn From Yearly Performance Reviews