Staying healthy is important, however many people put this on the backburner as something to do when they are less busy or maybe when they are able to work less. If you know that you could be healthier, start implementing better practices today. Small changes can have a drip-drip effect when employed over time. Being healthier will help you feel better and be more effective at work. Here are some ideas of practices you could implement: Take Breaks It sounds simple, but how many people regularly skip breaks at work? Make it a habit to take at least one break (if not more) during your work day. Contrary to what you may think, taking breaks will help you get more work done. It is amazing what half an hour away from the workplace can do for your productivity and general wellbeing. As well as having a break, try and do something that will make you feel better. Some form of exercise will help you feel much better when you return to work, even a short walk can do wonders. Sitting … [Read more...] about How to Stay Healthy at Work
Career Advice
The Hidden Costs of Your Job and How to Avoid Them
Have you ever thought about how much you pay to do your job? Many people think about securing a good salary when they start a job or getting a bonus each year and these things are important for your financial well being. However, have you thought about the about the hidden costs (financial and otherwise) of doing your job that impacts your bottom line? So what do I mean? Financially, I mean anything that you pay out for that you wouldn’t if it wasn’t for your job. I am also talking about the energy you use up because of doing your job, outside of what you are paid to do. For example: Buying work clothes Work clothes can be a real money drain. Can you mix and match what you already have? Shop in discount stores or charity shops? Or just cut back on what you buy? Be creative about dressing for work. Food and drinks Bringing your own food and drinks to work can be a huge money saver! If you don’t do this already, … [Read more...] about The Hidden Costs of Your Job and How to Avoid Them
How to Make the Most of Your Cubicle Space
It’s the space where you spend 8-9 hours per day—staring at the same three walls day in and day out. Why not make the most of it? Unless you're like some people who like to keep an empty cubicle! There’s a ton of ways that you can make your cubicle your own. If you take the time to personalize your cubicle by adding your taste in décor, such as wall art, and organize it in a way that makes sense to you, you can lead a much happier day-to-day work life. The following are some suggestions about how to make the most of your cubicle space. Stylish calendar: Calendars can help you add a personalized touch and organize your monthly tasks at the same time. DO: Hang a medium or small sized wall calendar with appropriate photos or images of your choice. Motivational calendars are a great touch for office spaces. DON’T: This is not the time to indulge in your guilty pleasures—so leave your Rebecca Black poster calendar at home. Dry-erase checklist: Hanging a dry-erase board is a great way … [Read more...] about How to Make the Most of Your Cubicle Space
Shoves & Tugs
One factor to being a successful leader is to find ways to inspire your employees to aspire to be great. Every employee has aspects of their job that they would love to change. They are those aspects that bring your employees down, drain them of their energy, and de-motivate them to give their full effort. On the other hand they also have aspects of their job that motivate them, make them want to give 100 percent, and keep them coming back day after day. Your job as a leader is to uncover these aspects that we like to call “Shoves and Tugs” and use them to help your employees aspire greatness. Shoves are those aspects that shove your employees out the door day after day. They may start small, but begin to build and eventually can drive an employee to quit. Tugs are the aspects that are tugging at your employee to stay with your company. Shoves and Tugs are not opposites and you definitely cannot fix a Shove with a Tug. No matter how many things are tugging at an employee to stay, if … [Read more...] about Shoves & Tugs
Inner Peace in 10 Days Or Less: A Primer On Meditation
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a bit high-strung. And by “bit” I mean a tighter than an 18th Century corset clamped down on an anorexic. So when I discovered a ten-day meditation course in northern India, I leapt at the chance. Let’s back up for a second. You need to understand how this all happened. It all began when my dear friend Joshie-Boy began practicing meditation in his mid-twenties. Now mind you, Joshie-Boy and I have known each other since high school; we partied together, traveled together and – like Bill Murray says in Caddyshack – “someone to, you know, just get weird with”. In other words: good friends. Now ole’ Joshie-Boy always had a mind. While most people’s brains swing one way (artistic or mechanical, analytic or creative) Joshie-Boy’s swung back and forth like a pendulum. A talented writer, he also built his own car, took up cooking and took up French for fun. But brains can swing out of control, and the stronger the pendulum, the stronger the whiplash. I … [Read more...] about Inner Peace in 10 Days Or Less: A Primer On Meditation
The 6 Rules of Managing Talented Terrors
Every company has them and every manager struggles with them. Talented Terrors, as we call them, are those employees who have 100% skills but 0% attitude. They have the talent you can only dream all of your employees could have, but they have the absolute worst attitude to deal with. They argue about everything, drag their feet when doing a project, and are just mad all the time. These employees not only affect their own work, but also have a negative impact on other employees and anyone who interacts with your company. So why do you keep them around? Well they have the ability to be a high performer, but are they really achieving their fullest potential when possessing such an unmanageable attitude? We believe no employee can be 100% without both the talent and the attitude. We conducted a three-year hiring study that tracked 5,000 leaders who collectively hired over 20,000 employees. These organizations, like most, focused on skill during the hiring process and were hiring based on … [Read more...] about The 6 Rules of Managing Talented Terrors
What Does Your CV Say About You?
You might be surprised what a piece of paper can say about you, given a palpable lack of vocal cords, or indeed a central nervous system. However, the fact is that those couple of sheets of paper can speak volumes about you in the mind of a busy interviewer or employer, and unfortunately, this assessment can often be less than kind. No wonder an increasing number of people are turning to professional proofreading services supplied by companies like proofreading.co.uk to avoid avoidable errors. You might be the best-qualified person in the world for the job that’s up for grabs, but if you lose sight of the appropriate spelling of the site, your CV may be landfill before the ink has properly dried. … [Read more...] about What Does Your CV Say About You?
Scan Your Way to a New Job with QR Codes
Quick Response codes, better known as QR codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can serve an important role in your job search. While not a replacement for an online resume or a professional business card, QR codes can be an excellent complement to your overall get-a-job marketing campaign.Don’t let the QR code’s high-tech look scare you; the technology has transitioned into the mainstream and is on track for exponential growth. If you write off the QR code as a mobile marketing darling that will fade out fast, you will be left behind. QR was originally used by factories in Asia to decode warehouse items and have been around since the mid-90s. By all accounts, they’re here to stay.Read up on the basics so you can start using QR technology in your job search today.Creating a QR CodeA variety of tools allow you to create your own QR codes. I’m partial to Google’s URL shortener (Goo.gl). It’s a simple interface where you put in your long link and get … [Read more...] about Scan Your Way to a New Job with QR Codes
Turn the Job You Hate into One You Love!
For many people, work is somewhere that they spend a fair proportion of their life. So what do you do if you hate your job? Leaving your job may be an option. However, there are usually some things that you can try before you get to that stage. You may even be able to transform your job into one that you love! Here are some suggestions: Identify the Problem Identify what it is that you are unhappy about in your job. You could do this by spending some time writing about your job to get clearer about the issue(s). You could talk it out with a friend or coach. There may be multiple things you don’t like about your job, but getting clear about what these are will empower you. When you are unhappy in your job, it is easy to feel that everything is wrong. However, by identifying exactly what you are unhappy about you will be much more able to tackle it. Focus What you focus on increases. I know that when you are unhappy in a job it can seem that it is almost impossible to find the good … [Read more...] about Turn the Job You Hate into One You Love!
7 Ways to Motivate Yourself
Whether you’re looking for a new job, trying to make your current one better, or planning a career transition, you’ll need a healthy dose of motivation. Without discipline and will, your dreams and ambitions never come to life, turning even the best intentions into dust.Here are seven ways to motivate yourself, so you can pick and choose the ones that work best for you:Find the why. When we set out to do something, it's important to keep the why in the front of your mind. Are you looking for a new job because you dislike your boss? Need more money? Want a shorter commute? Getting where we want to go can be a long journey, so never forget what set you out on the road to begin with. Write down why you’re motivated and refer to it often.Look forward. Pretend you have accomplished your goal. For example, if your goal is to learn a new language to impress a girl, you need to consider if the task is worth taking on—what if she rejects you? View things from multiple … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Motivate Yourself