Time to Review Those Goals

Half the year is over. Do you know where you are in reaching your goals? Now might be a good time to evaluate and then re-evaluate the goals you set at the beginning of the year to find out what worked, what is still working, and what you can eliminate. Ask yourself the following questions in your quest to complete, revise, and set goals.

• Have you made the progress you intended to make when you set your personal and professional goals?
• If not, why not?
• Are you doing something everyday to move yourself closer to your goals?
• Is there anything else you can do to move yourself closer to your goals?
• Did you make a list of steps you can take to reach your goals?
• Do you need to revise these steps to increase their effectiveness?
• Do you have goals on your list that you should now remove or revise?
• If you have met most of your goals, can you think of new ones to set?

As the year moves forward, make your goals move toward completion.

Happy Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, and I want to thank all the veterans who have helped preserve our freedoms and our nation. A special thanks to my Dad, who served during WWII.

Today may be a good time to be thankful for all the wonderful blessings we have had in our lives, including those that made us stronger and wiser.

Career Advancement

To advance in your career, demonstrate your value to your employer and those around you. Be highly visible and take charge of situations when warranted. Continuously challenge yourself and members of your team. Act like management material by following these guidelines:

• Take advantage of every available opportunity to learn and grow.
• Establish behaviors that stand out positively in the minds of supervisors.
• Develop excellent critical thinking skills.
• Be a self-directed worker who performs duties with proficiency.
• Act professional at all times and display integrity and ethical behavior.
• Take on extra responsibilities and help others.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Participate in lifelong learning to keep your expertise up to date.

Take a long, hard look at your personal qualities and adjust your strategies to align yourself closer to the way management level people behave. With an inner drive and a determination to achieve, you can position yourself to rise to a higher level

Meet Deadlines - Increase Your Efficiency

Another tax year is closed. Hopefully, everyone met the deadline. Meeting deadlines is a workplace priority. Here are some tips on meeting deadlines and sticking to those busy schedules.

• Prioritize. No one has time to do everything, so it is necessary to arrange a to-do list according to one’s priorities.


• Work on one task at a time until it is finished if possible. Switching from one task to another causes a lull in productivity. The mind has to re-familiarize itself with each task when switching.


• Eliminate distractions. This includes internal and external distractions.


• Work efficiently. Is there a better way to do a task than the way it has always been done? Can you prepare in any way before beginning the task?


• Make decisions quickly. Explore all options and commit to a plausible action to resolve the problem.


• Develop your skills and keep up with technology that will help you complete tasks.


• Just do what needs to be done.

Taking the initiative, working efficiently, and doing everything necessary to meet deadlines will pay off in a big way.

Balance Your Personal and Professional Life

Take time this Easter to enjoy family and friends and to renew yourself spiritually. Living a balanced personal and professional life is crucial to your successful well-being. Too much attention to 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 cause career stagnation. Develop a routine that personally fits your life plans and make corrections when it is out of balance.Take steps to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance.

• Practice good time and stress management.


• Get and stay organized.


• Maintain a positive attitude.

When you think of balance, consider all areas of your life, including work, family, friends, health, finance, spiritual, hobbies, and everything else that fits into your life. Balance in all areas of life is a key to contentment

Be the Best Professional You Can Be

When dealing with customers, coworkers, and supervisors, keep these points in mind:

· First impressions are lasting. Both satisfied and dissatisfied people will spread the word about you.
· Make people feel good by giving them your complete attention when dealing with them.
· Form professional relationships. Learn your coworkers’ work habits and your customers’ needs and wants.
· Be trustworthy. People like dealing with those they trust.
· Keep your promises—always. Don’t make promises you PLAN to keep—only those you WILL keep.
· Become an expert in your field.
· Act on problems and deal with complaints immediately.
· Remember the competition. If you do cannot help the customer, some other company will. If you cannot do the job, someone else will.
· Customers, coworkers, and supervisors contribute to your success.
· Do something extraordinary to make your customers, coworkers, and supervisors believe in you.

Spring Forward in Your Career

This weekend we will “spring forward” by turning our clocks ahead one hour. Perhaps this is a good time to determine how to spring forward in the workplace by seeking advancement. Here are some quick tips to help you climb the corporate ladder:

· Clearly define your career ambitions.
· Learn all you can about what it takes to advance in your company.
· What do the top people in the company do on a daily basis?
· Are you willing to accept those responsibilities?
· Develop a plan of action that allows you to emulate the top people in the company.
· Master the tasks you are given and look for ways to do them more efficiently.
· Follow through on all tasks
· Keep a record of your accomplishments.
· Know the criteria your supervisor uses to evaluate your performance.
· Learn something new each week.
· Find ways to overcome obstacles (brainstorm ideas, find a mentor, make better
decisions, take a class, etc.)
· Find small ways to manage your time better.
· Dress and act like a professional.