Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Goals

Make goals your priority and focus on attaining them. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish. Take action today by asking yourself these questions:

  • What am I willing to do to attain my goal?
  • What am I willing to give up in order to attain my goal? (i.e., time? money?)
  • Do I have the ability and means to attain this goal?
  • If I do not have the ability or means to attain this goal, can I obtain the ability or means? (i.e. go back for retraining or college credits)
  • Is this goal a high priority for me?
  • Are there steps today I can take toward accomplishing my goal?
  • Do I take steps every day to reach my goal?
  • Is what I am doing now bringing me closer to my goal?
  • What steps can I take to reach my goal?
  • How will I organize the steps I need to take to reach my goal?
  • When will I begin working on this goal?

Develop a solid plan of action to attain your goals, and start today to bring them to fruition.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Have a “Professional” Summer

Enjoy the many benefits and the “fun” summer brings, but remember to keep professionalism alive at work. Nothing says, “sitting back and goofing off,” like inappropriate dress, language, and work habits. Here are tips to keep the professionalism in your job:

  • Read a good book like my new 101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work. It contains 101 of what I have come to know as the best ways to build a successful career.
  • Dive headlong into a dreaded project. As an incentive, set a timer for small increments of time (10-15 minutes) so the project does not look daunting. Breaking big projects into smaller parts keeps them from becoming overwhelming.
  • Set a routine and do frequent tasks on a specific schedule. For instance, handle phone calls between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. or read the mail between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Another suggestion is to do certain tasks on specific days of the week.
  • Look for new, creative ways to do your job in order to change your perspective. Rearrange or redecorate your office so it reflects summer’s sunny disposition.
  • Smile and have fun!