Balance Your Career and Personal Life

Living a balanced professional and personal life is crucial to your successful well-being. Too much emphasis and time on your professional life to the exclusion of your personal life will cause you to miss out on important "self" time. Too much attention to your personal life and not enough on your professional life will lead to career stagnation and sabotage.

• Develop a routine that will personally fit your life plans
• Take steps to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance for yourself before things get out of hand
• Take corrective action when you feel your life is out of balance
• Consider all areas of your life including work, health, family and friends, finances, personal growth, professional growth, spiritual, hobbies, and the like

When your perspective in any area of your life is out of balance, make necessary adjustments to create balance.

Keep Your Career and Job Fresh - Never Stop Learning

As schools wind down and students begin summer vacation, keep in mind that we are in a period of lifelong learning. We must strive to grow each day on the job. Learning does not stop with formal education. Get as much education and training as possible that will help you perform better in your job and also enhance your career possibilities.

• Become an expert in an area that is lucrative
• Challenge yourself to reach higher positions
• Update skills to increase your value to the company
• Learn new sought-after skills
• Learn something new each week to keep your mind fresh and open to creativity

There are lots of ways to stimulate learning--both informally and formally. Look for opportunities and take advantage of them.

Get Organized

I gave a talk on getting organized to a writers' group today and thought I'd share some tips. Anyone can use them to get organized.

• Locate things you use most often in a convenient place
• Use bins, baskets, folders, etc., to get organized
• Put things back every time you use them
• Consider your work habits and make your environment work for you
• Have a specific place for incoming and outgoing mail. File all correspondence and your manuscript in one folder (or storage box)
• Only file useful papers
• Use temporary storage like portable file boxes for work in progress

Getting organized will save you time and cut down on stress.

Persistence in Career Development

I attended the Pennwriters Conference last weekend and listened to some wonderful speakers. One of the recurring themes these speakers touched upon was persistence. Although they spoke about writing and publishing, their message of persistence applies in everything we do. By being persistent, we can:

• Advance to positions we aspire to hold within the company.
• Reach our personal and career goals.
• See our dreams come true.
• Learn and grow in any situation.
• Accomplish nearly impossible feats.

Persist in all your endeavors. Keep going when things get tough. By not giving up, you might be surprised at what you can accomplish.

Pennwriters Conference

I'll be heading to the Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster tomorrow so figured I'd pass along some thoughts about networking, since I'll be doing lots of it this weekend. Networking is a great way to maintain friendships and work associations.

• Have a clear idea of what you hope to gain from networking.
• Get out there and mingle--introduce yourself.
• Find common ground--it's not all about you, rather it's about both of you.
• Become an active member of your professional organization by volunteering.
• Be prepared to discuss industry news.
• Carry and use business cards.

Networking is a great way to maintain friendships and work associations. It is a way to increase your odds of getting a job, creating new friendships, gathering information, and learning new things about your career field.

Plan for Career Advancement

When considering career options, determine if a company has an advancement plan to meet your goals. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is there a suitable position to which I can advance within the company?
• Do I have the education and skills to advance to this position?
• Am I prepared for a promotion?
• Do I go above and beyond in my current position?
• Have my performance reviews been above average/superior?
• Do I meet my commitments on a consistent basis and in a timely manner?
• Do I keep up with industry trends?

It is sometimes difficult to be objective when it comes to determining our worth to our employer. Solicit feedback from your employer for an objective opinion.

Career Appreciation

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, and I have a beautiful basket of flowers on my desk from my appreciative boss. This is a time when all of us can show our appreciation to all the former teachers and mentors who have enriched our education and careers. It is also a good time to take personal note of how we can help others by becoming their mentors and sharing our knowledge and expertise with them. Showing a solid appreciation for others is one way we can improve workplace relationships. Other ways include:

• Helping people build on their strengths
• Supporting others
• Speaking kindly and respectfully
• Keeping the lines of communication open

A big thank you to all of my former teachers and mentors.