How to Run Your Business in ONE HOUR a Day!

So excited to give you a FREE PREVIEW into my new workbook, “How To Run Your Business in ONE HOUR a day!”

I know what you're thinking. Wait, what? An hour, a day, Kris McPeak, you are crazy. There is no possible way that I can run my business in one hour a day. And I'm saying: yeah, you say that now, but when I show you how simple it is, again, it's just all about prioritization and strategic planning.

Seriously, it’s a piece of cake once you get started and get the whole thing out of your head and into your planner. This process was born out of a very particular milestone in my life that happened recently. I took on yet one more extracurricular thing because I obviously needed to. I became the treasurer of a board that I'm involved with and it was something I really felt that I needed to do, it was calling to me. That meant that I really had to get focused and I really had to get organized. Something was gonna have to give - but not what you think. What I decided would give is the stress over how and where and what I was going to do to get all my things done.

This workbook is going to help you figure out how to do that yourself as well. It starts with pinning down all of the big tasks that you have to do in your business. There’s a fantastic brainstorming page where you put down every single little or big thing that you do in your side hustle.

(CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO WALKTHROUGH OF THE WORKBOOK!)

For example: as a podcaster and a coach, I need to record and edit my show. I need to create online content, writing blog posts and making delicious freebies like this workbook, email my audience, et cetera. So that's just a little taste of what can help you get started. So jump on in and get your brainstorm time.

The next thing we're going to move into is categories. We're going to take all of those individual tasks and break them up into different categories. You might choose one of them to be content creation, so that could include blogging, your podcast interviews, things like that. You could do email marketing: that's going to be all the communication that you do with your community. There might be a chunk on social media. There might be a chunk on finance: because you know what, running a business costs money. And we have to make sure that our bills are paid and that people are paying us, right? There’s a worksheet in the freebie that lets you play around with up to four categories. You've got four possible categories you can play around with.

In Section 2, we're going to determine the best times in the day when we want to work on these things. Here’s an example: my energy level is the best in the morning. So I'm going to do the tasks that I don't enjoy as much in the morning. So I love to write an email. I do not like to schedule them. And build emails to go out. So that would be something I do in the morning when I have a high energy level. I love creating content. I love engaging in social media. That is something that brings me energy. Those things are easier for me to do in the afternoon because I know I already liked doing them. I could do them when I have the flu or a cold or fight with my significant other…you get the picture.

Next up, I want you to think about when you're going to knock out those different categories. Monday might be your social media day. Tuesday might be the day you prepare your email to go out. Wednesday might be when you record it, edit your podcasts. Thursdays, you might say, you know what, I'm gonna take that off because on Thursdays, I like to go to trivia or Thursday night is date night with my significant other.

Then we have another sheet here that gets us through Saturday and Sunday. And then what's what did we not get done? And did we fill all seven days? Did we get all our stuff done?. You can print several of these off and put these in your planner until you get a handle on them.

CLICK HERE TO GET A VIDEO WALKTHROUGH OF THE WORKBOOK

So I had a small epiphany while I was creating this workbook. What are “biz bursts” that I can do…tasks in my business that I can easily get done in less than 10 minutes, because I can work those in through the framework of the day when I'm feeling particularly high energy. And I'm in between projects at my day job, or I did not bring anything to the office to knit for my lunch break.

And so I can knock out a couple biz bursts here or when I get home and I've just finished walking the dog and eating my dinner. I can look and say, “oh, I still need to get this one thing done. So let's knock out 10 minutes of that.” It will take some time before you get your rhythm going, but I think once you're in it, you guys are gonna love it.

Go grab the workbook right now by clicking here.

5 Benefits of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence involves developing the ability to control or manage your emotions positively. Emotional intelligence or EI also incorporates the ability to recognize other people's emotions, how their emotions affect outcomes, and what to do with that information to improve the situation positively.

People with healthy emotional intelligence don’t allow their emotions to affect themselves or other people negatively. People with strong EI have a deep understanding of the self. High EI people know how they respond to certain situations and are prepared for them. They don’t stuff their feelings. They know how to control them.

Having emotional intelligence simply means that you have the proper balance of emotions and rational thought.

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Allows You to Be More Mindful

Being mindful or self-aware means that you fully understand your strengths, weakness, desires, dislikes, and more about yourself. This knowledge allows you to make better and more sound decisions, and you go throughout your day.

Boosts Communication Skills

Mindfulness and listening are also needed to manage your emotions properly. Being mindful and listening is crucial to communicate with others too effectively. You need to be aware of your body language and fully listen to people you communicate with before reacting to do so effectively.

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Leads to Successful Careers and Accomplishing Your Goals

Emotional intelligent people are said to be highly confident, motivational, and optimistic. Characteristics that you probably agree, build success. The more you control your emotions, the more confident you are. The more confident you are, the more understanding you have, allowing you to crush your goals and really push through life with gusto.

Builds Closer and Improved Relationships

Demonstrating empathy and compassion allows you to connect better with others. When you genuinely care about those around you, you take the time to nurture and listen to them, which increases the value of your relationship. Emotional intelligence allows for open and understanding communication that builds close and better relationships.

High-Quality Work and More Productivity

Research shows that high emotional intelligence leads to more valuable work and improves productivity. People with good EI often outperform their peers even if their IQ or human intelligence is lower. Productivity increases directly due to not allowing their emotions to have an impact that can slow them down unless it leads to positivity. Often, they are very stoic people.

If you can’t control your emotions, it is likely you won’t be as successful as you hope to be. But you can learn to be more emotionally intelligent by learning about stoicism and finding ways to better use your emotions for good. Emotional intelligence is a learnable skill that you can develop over time so that you can lead conversations, build strong relationships, and complete everyday tasks personally and professionally.

8 Signs That You're Addicted to Your Smart Phone

Smartphones are certainly a great invention that saves a lot of time and keeps people connected in ways thought of only in movies and TV shows like Star Trek. But, most people aren’t captains of space ships. They’re just average people with normal jobs using smartphones for entertainment purposes.

Here are signs that it might be time to cut down on the amount of time you spend using your smartphone.

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* You Check Your Device First Thing – Do you wake up and grab your smartphone before you even get out of bed, so you can check up on your friends and see what they’re doing? If you’re signing on to Facebook before you even get out of bed in the morning, you may have a problem.

* You Don’t Pay Attention during Family Meals – Do you have the opportunity to spend time with real life family and when you do, you’re always looking down at your phone? Do you continuously share images of your food, and other things without fully being present with your family? If you do this, you’re too dependent and maybe even addicted to the continuous stimulation of technology.

* You Don’t Fully Participate in Events – You are invited to a live ball game, a live play, to go bowling, or do things that you (in theory) enjoy doing, but you’re not paying attention because you’re too busy with your smartphone. If you’re not taking the time to fully participate with people when they’re right with you, and in doing events without the intrusion of electronics, this is a sign you’re too dependent.

* You Use Your Device in the Bathroom – Ever wonder why so many people drop their phones in the toilet? Well, that’s because they’re using their phones in the bathroom. Unless you’re out and about, there is absolutely no reason your phone should be with you in the bathroom. If you’re out and about, the phone should be stored someplace safely so that there is no chance for it to fall in the germy toilet.

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* You Report Daily Minutia to Everyone – If you’re taking pictures of every meal you eat (not just a special occasion meal), and you’re not a food blogger or a travel blogger, then you might not actually be enjoying your food as much as you could if you didn’t do that. You don’t need to share every aspect of your life with everyone. No one cares if you had Campbell’s soup for dinner.

* You Refuse to Turn Your Phone Off at Night – Getting a good night’s sleep is imperative if you want to be able to function properly during the day. But, many people are so dependent on their smartphones that they don’t even turn them off while they’re sleeping. This is terrible for your ability to sleep peacefully in the night. Even if you don’t consciously remember hearing the phone, it still adversely affects your sleep cycles.

* Your Eyes Hurt – Many people today suffer from seriously dry and painful eyes due to spending too much time in front of screens. Screens like TVs, smartphones and computers put off blue light that is damaging to your eyes and can affect your circadian rhythm, causing many people to have serious sleep disturbances like insomnia at night and sleepiness during the day.

* If It Breaks You Can’t Find Your Mom’s Phone Number – Many people have their entire lives inside their smartphone. If they lose it, they don’t even know their mom’s phone number. If you have that problem, you need to be sure to back up any information to the cloud, or on paper so that you won’t be stranded if you find yourself without a phone in a strange place.

These are all signs that you may need to find a way to take a break from your smartphone. Of course, everyone needs their smartphones these days for traveling, to be able to call for help and even for banking or work. Therefore, you don’t need to get rid of it entirely. However, you should find ways to use it appropriately so that you’re not as dependent on your smartphone.

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12 Tiny Habits That Could Change Your Life

The idea of using tiny habits to change your life may be a concept you have never heard of previously. Indeed some of the tiny habits we will cover may seem too small to make a difference in your life, but they have been proven to work.

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  1. The first tiny habit is to stop drinking soda and energy drinks. You need to drink clean filtered water with lemon or lime juice as examples. Always have one glass of water as soon as you wake up. It is recommended to drink one glass before bedtime as you dehydrate during the night through sweating. Drink the amount of water per day that is recommended for your body size. If you are tiny, you do not need ½ galleon of water or more per day.

  2. Get your smile on. Smiling triggers muscles around the mouth that tell your brain to release "happy chemicals." The more you smile, the better you will feel. Start building the habit by smiling at yourself in the bathroom mirror when you wake up and go to bed.

  3. Never stop learning. Try to learn something new every day, whether it is a new word or an interesting fact about a subject you love

  4. Read something every day. Try to read a page or two from a self-help book or read a list of positive affirmations. Keeping your brain active and filled with positive information will change your life.

  5. Work on forgiveness daily. Start by forgiving yourself when you make mistakes. When you remember something you did years ago that was negative, take the time to forgive yourself. Always look for ways to forgive the people in your life. Harboring grudges and ill feelings will negatively impact your life.

  6. Start tracking your money daily. See what goes out of your wallet and what goes in. You should always save your receipts, and you should be in the habit of checking your receipt immediately after each purchase. The more money you have in your wallet, the more you can invest in yourself.

  7. Do daily affirmations. Keep a file card with the top 3 affirmations that improve your mindset. Always remember to repeat your number one affirmation before you go to sleep at night. To kick it up a notch, after you get out of the shower, look in the mirror and say an affirmation with power in your voice. This sends a message to your brain that you believe in this affirmation, and the brain will work on it.

  8. Getting up earlier takes willpower. Remind yourself daily that getting up early will improve your life by giving you the quiet time to work on making your dreams come true. This is a good time for yoga, meditation, or sitting quietly and acknowledging the higher power in your life.

  9. Listen to positive podcasts on your commute to work. Pick podcasts that will help you grow as an individual. Listening to a sports podcast in the car is not advisable. Remember that your vehicle can be a university on wheels or that you can shut out the noise of the bus/subway while growing as a human being.

  10. Take care of yourself. Find different moments in the day where you can invest in self-care. It could be a hot bath with essential oils or massaging your face and scalp in the shower with a special hand massager and high-quality soap.

  11.  Avoid letting your home getting cluttered. A quick tidy-up after a meal should include the whole house. This doesn't mean getting out the vacuum; it just means do a quick walkabout and pick those cups, magazines, or flyers lying around.

  12.  Build the tiny habit of really listening to what other people say. When you are in a conversation, let the other person do most of the talking and see what you can learn from them.

Make Time Management Your Bitch

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That’s rude, a little. But we can’t be farting around here. There’s shit to do.

If you've created a time management plan and still failed to reach your goals, itís likely because you're too flexible and easy on yourself and others when it comes to the schedule. The sorry fact is that time is not limitless. You canít get more. You canít work harder to get more of it; itís a finite resource that cannot be increased or replaced.

When you realize that time is finite and that there really might not be some future distant tomorrow, you might start being more ruthless with the time youíve got. Follow these tips to make time management so much easier.

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* Just Say No: the biggest factor in being ruthless with your time is learning to say no. If you really do not want to do something, you must say no. There is no sin in saying no. The only reason you feel guilty about the word is that your mother taught you saying no was wrong. Itís time to realize that as a grown-up you can now say no.

* Get Up on Time: this is a hard one for many but it doesn't have to be hard as you think. If you are a small business owner who works from home, itís actually pretty easy. You do not need more than seven or eight hours of sleep a night. If you can limit your sleep to no more than eight hours, you will gain time. If you typically sleep less than six you may need to get in a bit more sleep to be most productive with your time.

* Try to Be Early ñ If you need to drive places or you have deadlines for work, schedule your time so that you are going to be early. The reason is that this is one of the ways to eliminate urgency from your life, which in turn causes stress and can cause problems with time management. This way if something does happen out of the ordinary, you will still have time to meet a deadline and be on time.

* Turn Off Technology ñ The very thing that is supposed to make our time more productive can have the opposite effect too. The notifications of new emails, your Facebook stream, and unscheduled time on Pinterest can get out of hand. Turn it off. You will gain so much more time. That includes your TV, too.

* Understand Your Internal Clock: Everyone has an internal time clock. Itís important not to fight against that and be aware of what it is. Some people are early risers and some people are night owls and others are in between. It's important for you to determine for yourself what your own internal clock is and then work with it.

* Make Lists: If you understand each step that goes behind a calendar listing, it will be more beneficial because it's easier to allocate enough time for each thing when you know what it takes to complete any given task. You wonít be able to accurately determine the time it takes without all the information.

* Calendar It ñ Put everything in your calendar including everyday tasks, small steps for a project due in the future, and time with family, friends, and yourself. Don't skip this step so that when someone asks for your time you can easily schedule them in (or not) based on your availability.

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* Avoid Meetings: Some meetings are important, such as a first client meeting to establish goals and determine tactics, but after that, almost everything else can be accomplished through updates in a project management system. There is no real need for weekly meetings for updates, or to discuss anything that can easily be put into a memo.

* Touch It Only Once: Another way to be ruthless with your time is to not allow yourself to wait to do things later. If you get an email that requires a response, do it now. If you check your snail mail and a bill needs to be paid, schedule it now. If you get junk mail, delete it now. Only check your mail when you have time to deal with these issues.

Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself in terms of the hours you schedule yourself to work. Yes, be ruthless about the schedule, but also schedule in fun time. Humans aren’t designed to work 20 hours a day. Go ahead, schedule 8 to 10 hours a day of work. But, in between, schedule breaks. Time with friends, family, and spouses during any given workday is important too. Also, remember to schedule breaks like weekends and vacations. If you do that, it will be so much easier to be ruthless with time and stick to your schedule normally.

5 Ways to Have Your Most Productive Year EVER

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Success leaves clues, and by looking at what highly productive people do to succeed, you can chart a course for greatness. Here are five ways that you can finally give yourself a highly productive year.

1.        Forgiveness is something we all need to practice. Forgiving yourself for past mistakes is essential. When you dwell on what you did wrong in the past, you waste your valuable time and put your body into a state of stress. Stress will kill your productivity. A much more productive idea is to look at the mistakes with no judgment. See them for what they genuinely are…your most valuable learning moments. Take the time to write out the errors and ask what happened, what you learned, and how you can use this to propel yourself to super productivity. 

2.        Productivity and success mean stretching and growing. It is wonderful to have goals; however, if your productivity goals are not that hard to reach, you are doing yourself a disservice. Write out a few productivity goals that give you the chills. You will look at these goals and feel a little uncomfortable. That is an excellent thing because you need to break out of your comfort zone and go for the gold. 

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3.        Think in the long term when it comes to your productivity. While getting those little tasks done and mentally adding it up, you might want to pat yourself on the back at the end of the year. The bigger and better idea is to ensure that you are productive while enjoying the ride and the fruits of your labor. At the end of each day, if you were to ask yourself the question, “can I be happy doing this every day for the next 25 years?" your answer needs to be a resounding yes. By answering in the negative, this is a sign that your productivity will not last. Now, you look at your day and decide what needs to change.

4.        Create the ultimate vision for your life, starting with this year. You need to understand your "big why" to have the motivation and drive to be productive every day. If you are just going through the motions, it will become tedious, and that little voice in the back of your brain will begin to chatter negatively. You have heard it before, "Why not take a break and watch that movie or this is taking forever, I may as well take a long nap to refresh myself." Having a big vision means putting it to paper and looking at it every day. Seeing the life you want and deserve will help with the grit; you need to buckle down and work smart while being productive.

5.        Have you ever seen a picture of someone's office, and they have one of those big motivation pictures with a quote in big letters? You may have thought to yourself that it was something you wanted for yourself. The ultimate truth is this…one picture is not enough. You need to create your productivity space. This means your own spot to work, with items that mean something in terms of your long-term goals. Getting your area in order means decluttering it first, getting rid of things that might hold a negative memory or serve no function in regards to your productivity. Getting the right type of lighting for your eyes, and a chair that will support your body correctly is essential. Your space should scream to you, "I am super productive." People in the creative fields, such as novelists, will have a space filled with items that help unleash their creativity. Ask yourself today, where is your space, and what does it need to be an inspiration to you?

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How to Organize Your Life to Get More Free Time

OH MY GOD. This is why I do what I do!!!

Most people feel as if there is too much to do every day and not enough time to do it. But, how does that explain those people who are super-productive and seem to get so much more done than the average person? The way to explain it is that theyíve found what they want to do, and they do what they want to do, and nothing else.

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* Determine What’s Important

There are some things that really aren’t that important but you do them anyway. Maybe you talk on the phone to a relative every day for an hour but you really donít want to and donít have time to, but you donít know how to stop it. Sit down and brainstorm what is important in your life and who is important in your life so that you can focus on those things.

* Schedule Everything

Once you know whatís important, use a good calendar to schedule everything, including leisure time. It might not sound romantic, but scheduling in a date night with your spouse and sticking to it will ensure that it happens, while spontaneity is usually impossible for most people. Ultimately, if something is important to do, itís important to get it into your calendar. When you schedule things, be realistic about the time factor so you donít overbook yourself.

* Learn to Say No

You probably have a lot of people, family, friends, co-workers, and bosses asking you to do all sorts of things that you really donít want to do, donít care about doing, and donít really make a big difference in your life other than to suck time from your day. Realize that itís OK to say no to things that just arenít important to you. Itís okay if people think youíre a horrible person too. Theyíll get used to it and find someone else to sucker into doing everything.

* Start Your Own Business

There is a saying that only entrepreneurs quit a 40-hour-a-week job to work 80 and call it freedom. But, it doesnít really have to be all that bad. Entrepreneurs often have a great work-life balance that you canít have working for someone else. The trick is to pick a business that can eventually be handed off so that you only manage it, and other people do the work.

* Turn Off the TV

It ís amazing what kind of time TV sucks from your life these days. Now that we have Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming technology, anything we want to watch is available on demand. This makes binge-watching a real thing. Save binge-watching TV for when youíre sick, the weather is bad, or itís that time of the month. Try to limit your TV (show watching) time to less than one hour a day. Then only watch it if you can combine it with physical activity to help you stay healthy.

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* Get Off the Internet

A lot of people get online and call it “work” or “research,” but all they’re really doing is messing around. Reading Facebook for hours on end is not work or research; itís a time sucker. While it’s fun, try to let go of doing it. Time yourself to find out how much time youíre wasting, then set a limit. Everyone deserves fun, and if this is fun for you, you should not give it up. Just limit it.

* Automate What You Can

There are so many things these days that can be automated, with the right time and money. For example, if youíre an Amazon Prime member, you can get many things auto shipped to you, which will save you a trip to the grocery store. Look up ìthe internet of thingsî and youíll be amazed at the type of automation that exists today.

* Outsource What You Can

There was a story that made the rounds in 2013 about a man who outsourced his Verizon security job to China. Read more about it here: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/01/16/169528579/outsourced-employee-sends-own-job-to-china-surfs-web

Unless you own your own business you probably donít want to go that far with it, but you can outsource a lot of things such as yard work, housework, and even cooking if you have the funds to do it. If you donít like doing it, you can outsource it to someone else, giving yourself that added time to do what you do like doing.

* Follow Your Body’s Rhythm

Many people are running around trying to beat the clock while running on fumes. They are doing that because their internal body clock is not set to run from morning to night like our society tries to run. Itís easier to do this if you have your own business, but try as much as you can to work and sleep when your body wants to do that instead of forcing it out of its natural rhythm. You’ll be more productive; thus, you’ll save more time.

Getting more free time in your life might seem difficult. You might think youíll always be on that treadmill of working and sleeping without any breaks. But, if you schedule things better, find a better job that works with your needs, and focus on whatís important in your life, you can manage to find more free time in your life.

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How to Live a More Intentional Life

There is a popular saying that life is too short, well, it’s a fact. People want to make every moment count and enjoy life. ‘Live a little, they say. But, enjoying life doesn’t mean that we should be reckless or that we should care less about life. We can choose a unique way of enjoying life so that even when the time comes to leave the earth we can rest with a smile knowing that we did everything to the best of our abilities. Unlike simply enjoying life, this choice, which can be referred to as living an intentional life, does exceedingly more for us. If you have tried both sides, living an unintentional and intentional life that is, you will understand this better. Just so we are clear, living an intentional life means making a decision as to what kind of person you want to be and what you want your life to communicate then purposing to align your actions, goals, and conversations with that dream.

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Let’s face it, we can live life the way we want without worrying about what others think as long as we continue to have ‘fun’, no rules whatsoever to guide us. But the fact is that most people rarely find fulfillment in that kind of life. An unintentional life can lead us to 'wherever the wind blows'. I'm sure you can guess that having to turn back and go against the wind and dealing with the bruises and consequences may be the hardest thing to do. Of course, this does not mean that an intentional life is perfect, and without challenges. But, there is one thing that we can be sure of. People who live an intentional life have so much that is protecting them against or giving them strength in the storms of life. On top of that, the life they live may also have a long-lasting impact on people in their circles. To them, life is not just about surviving, it is a purposeful journey on which each one of us has a role to play. If you are keen on living or continuing to live a more intentional life, you might need to do the following;

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1.      Know your purpose – it gives your life direction. It is easy to forget goals unless they are founded in who you are and who you are determined to be. People who know their purpose are usually strong-willed and do not find satisfaction in anything that does not contribute to fulfilling their purpose. They are more likely to be solid in their planning. Thus, when we know our purpose, we do not do things randomly unless they help us reach our goals even if they came unexpectedly.

2.      Set clear goals – goals are targets that are markers of who we are and where we are going. To successfully live an intentional life, we need to consider our ultimate goal or purpose and the best way to achieve it. Thus, we will need to take into consideration the spirituality, type of life partner or family, type of job, the friends, the connections and schedules that perfectly align with what we want to achieve in our lifetime. Put simply, your goals align with your values and dream

3.      Have a solid foundation or reason for the life you want – How firm anything stands with or without storms is determined by how strong the foundation is.  If you do not have a binding reason for what you want to be, you can easily be derailed from your chosen path. Find a passion to live for, something you cannot easily find peace if you were to let go. That could be the legacy you want to live behind for your family, changing the lives of poor children or, creating an environment full of love, care, and mercy around you, to mention just a few.

4.      Have principles and boundaries – Principles and boundaries must become a part of who we are in order for them to keep us focused and clear on how much compromise we can do. The goal here is to ensure that we are not lured into anything that is against purpose or goals. It is mainly about understanding what is good for you and your plans and staying on the path that leads to achieving your goals.

5.      Surround yourself with realistic people who understand your journey – the last group of people or individuals you want to give your attention if you are trying to live an intentional life are people who live a fast life or those who will make you think that your dreams are invalid. You need people who will always remind you that what you started is doable, people who will pick you up when you fall and encourage you when you lose strength. Have friends who will be willing to support you through it all.

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6.      Do not compete with others – understand that speed is not what matters in the life race. The seemingly slow speed can get you to your goals fast enough, while a fast pace and shortcuts may take you back to the starting point. Be yourself, take your time, and run your own race. Competitions will make you feel that your dreams have taken forever or cause you to doubt if you made the right choices.

7.      Accept a life of challenges and be persistent – the more you understand that life will always have its high and lows, the better you will be prepared to face them. All you need to do is make it a point that you always bounce back or rise above your storm. Yes, you can take advantage of some challenges you face. Keep your eyes open and look for opportunities.

How to Beat the ATS - Applicant Tracking System

As I sit here at my Macbook Air contemplating the approach I want to take on this impossible-sounding article, I hear one of my favorite Miranda Lambert songs in the back of my head…

“Hey whatever happened to,

Waitin’ your turn

Doing it all by hand,

‘Cause when everything is handed to you

It’s all only worth as much as the time you put in

It all just seems so good the way we had it

Back before everything became, automatic…”

Don’t get me wrong – I love the internet. I love my email and my instant messenger. I love having all this information and access right at my fingertips. And it’s so damn fast, too.

That’s the problem.

Back in the day, I remember sending resume after resume, cover letter after cover letter, to addresses of employers with position listings that I found in the newspaper or Chronicle of Higher Education. And don’t forget about those Placement Conferences.

Every job application went into its own 8 1/2 x 11 manilla envelope and was taken to the post office, weighed, stamped, and mailed. There was no internet, there was no Monster.com, there was no Indeed.

Having navigated the process of updating every resume, every cover letter, and gathering all of my individually addressed letters of recommendation seemed like a lot of work at the time…but that was okay with me because I completely understood the process and what was expected of me.

Am I a terrible person because I’d like for it to still be that way?

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Online job applications can speed things up, make things much easier for the employer to view, sort, and store. If you are on a search committee, you can screen those applications from the comfort of your desk or office and not have to spend the entire day in the Human Resources Office reading and scoring 300 paper applications.

(I’ve done this before. It’s quite painful.)

But the list of cons is equally as long – online controls can be too limiting, online only applications can inadvertently exclude possible qualified candidates, and it’s quite an investment to get started.

And that’s just from the employer’s side of things.

As a potential employee and candidate, it can be horribly frustrating trying to navigate the online job environment in order to stand out above other candidates. And while it may have seemed a like a great deal of work printing all those paper resumes and taking them to the post office, candidates have to do a great deal more preparation work for an online job application to stand out.

Getting Started

When you’ve identified a position of interest to you and discover the online application, make sure you get very familiar with what is expected in the job application.

From the employer side, I have reviewed many online applications that aren’t complete simply because the candidate didn’t realize what was required for the application.

In our desire to finish the application, we may neglect required items or just gloss them over.

The Balance Careers website shared a great list of items you will need to have in hand and ready to go before you begin filling out that application form. It’s not just your resume and cover letter:

Personal Information Required for an Employment Application

  • Name

  • Address, city, state, zip code

  • Phone number

  • Email Address

  • Social security number

  • Are you eligible to work in the United States?

  • If you are under age eighteen, do you have an employment certificate?

  • Have you been convicted of a felony within the last five years? (information about convictions varies based on state law)

Education and Experience Needed for a Job Application

  • School(s) attended, degrees, graduation date

  • Certifications

  • Skills and qualifications

  • Grade Point Average (G.P.A.), if this was above 3.50

  • Extracurricular activities where you held a leadership role

  • Honor societies

Employment History Required

  • Employer

  • Address, phone, email

  • Supervisor

  • Job title and responsibilities

  • Salary

  • Starting and ending dates of employment (month, day, and year)

  • Reason for leaving

  • Permission to contact the previous employer

References

  • Name

  • Job title

  • Company

  • Address, phone, email

If you can’t remember the address, city, and zip code of your employer three jobs ago, you’d better look it up before you start your online application. Get all these details together and set them aside. Or better yet, save it as a Google Doc so you have it accessible all the time (you can be old school, too, and just write it down).

Strengthen Your Profile

When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile? In the online job environment, LinkedIn can give your candidacy a big boost if you are able to connect things there that might get left out in your application (or not required).

Keppie Careers shares strong advice on how LinkedIn can boost your online footprint:[1]

“Statistics show that over 90% of recruiters are using it to source hires. LinkedIn users post jobs, and when you view the descriptions, you can see who posted it and how you are connected to that person or organization via LinkedIn.

You can also see how many people have applied for the job via LinkedIn. These tools make it useful as a job search/applying for jobs tool.

Many companies will allow you to apply for jobs using a one-click option where you use you LinkedIn profile instead of filling out an application.”

Do Your Research

As you would ANYWAY for your job application, visit the employer’s website and check things out. According to Forbes:[2]

“First, recruiters want to see that you have a special interest in their company. They’re more likely to pursue a candidate who has a history with the company or industry and a story about why they’re applying now. Take the time to learn its mission and values. Then, incorporate those into your job history and cover letter. This will help you stand out among other applicants who applied without doing their homework.”

Workbloom suggests going the extra mile and contacting hiring managers directly.[3] Once again, LinkedIn to the rescue:

“When you complete an online application, use LinkedIn to research who the department head, hiring manager, HR manager, or supervisor is for your desired position.

Then, find out their e-mail and send them a short introduction letting them know you have applied for a specific job and that you are very interested in joining their team.”

Get to Know ATS

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. Applicant tracking systems are used by corporations to assist with recruitment and hiring processes. Each system offers a different combination and scope of features, but ATS is primarily used to help hiring companies collect, organize, and filter applicants.

While these are a dream for corporations and organizations, they can be a nightmare for candidates. According to Job Scan:[4]

Corporate recruiters can have their ATS automatically extract information from an applicant’s resume to build a digital applicant profile that can be searched, filtered, and/or ranked. The goal is to quickly cull out anyone who is under-qualified, make the applicant pool smaller, and quickly identify the top candidates.

Unfortunately for job seekers, most ATS lack sophistication and are not able to search and filter candidates reliably. Some highly qualified candidates fall through the cracks and are wrongfully eliminated from the applicant pool because their resume has formatting issues or lacks the correct search keywords.

This is a necessary tradeoff for many hiring professionals with limited time and resources. In order to get noticed, job seekers must optimize their resume for ATS.

Trying to “beat” the ATS’ out there could be as futile as figuring out the Instagram or Facebook algorithms that are ever-changing. But The Muse offers these simple four tips on how to get past the “ATS Troll” to get your resume seen:[5]

  1. Keep Formatting Simple

  2. Nail the Correct Keywords

  3. Ditch the Career Objective Section

  4. Use Spell Check

Further, The Muse says,

“At the end of the day, once your resume passes the unfailing eye of the ATS, it will then be scrutinized by a human eye. The good news is that all of the advice for optimizing your resume for ATS is simply good resume practice.”

It seems that much of the online environment is dictated by keywords, algorithms, search engine optimization, and virtual engagement; it’s no wonder we are all so tired by the time we get to the job interview.

Nonetheless, in addition to all the access and information provided by the lovely World Wide Web, it definitely changed the way we pursue our dream jobs (or any job, for that matter).

The good news is that all this extra work gets you more prepared for the interview when you land it. Consider it Basic Training for your Job Search.

And an extra-special thank you to Miranda Lambert whose “Automatic” gave me the inspiration to launch this article.

*this post originally featured on Lifehack.org

20 Ways Introverts can be Successful Business Owners

20 Ways Introverts can be Successful Business Owners

There is no shortage of evidence available that introverts can be highly successful people. In fact, there is already a strong history of introverts who have done just that. This includes former U.S. Presidents, First Ladies, artists, writers, and business men and women.

One such person is lecturer and author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and Quiet Revolution: Unlocking the Power of Introverts, Susan Cain. Cain has enjoyed great success in her own right as an introvert and believes introverts are poised for great success as business owners and more. You just need to learn how to make your mark. Here you will find 20 ways you can be a successful business owner as an introvert.

1. Learn to network on your own terms.

Networking is a constant struggle for introverts. Unfortunately, when you own your own business it’s necessary to make connections that will build your business. The good news is you can find ways to network that work for you. Some people prefer to network through social media, online message boards, forums, or through small groups and organizations.

2. Find amazing mentors and work with them.

Starting your own business is stressful. There are a lot of moving parts to manage. Working with a mentor not only gives you access to advice and guidance from someone who has been there and done that but it also offers you an opportunity to interact one-on-one which is where you often shine.

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3. Accept help when offered and delegate when necessary.

Anytime someone is willing to help you grow your business, it’s a great thing. Once you reach a point where you have employees working for you, don’t hesitate to delegate tasks that pull you away from the focus of growing your business and cultivating key relationships with clients, vendors, and staff.

4. Schedule your own time-outs and opportunities to recharge.

Even when working long hours to build your business, as an introvert, you will need time away from the crowd so you can relax and recharge. It isn’t merely a matter of resting. It’s about finding quiet moments away from the “noise” and chaos of owning and operating a business and interacting with so many other people. This is a must. Even if you need to pencil it in, your business will be better off as a result.

5. Don’t try to change who you are. Work to your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses.

So many introverts allow others to convince them it is necessary to change in order to own a successful business. The truth is, the traits that are essential to your nature as an introvert can be essential to your success in business. Don’t change in order to achieve success; simply find a way to make your own noise in a world that always seems to be talking.

6. Choose a business that works for you.

One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself as an introverted entrepreneur is a career path that plays to your strengths rather than firmly planting you outside of your comfort zone. There are many careers that are ideal for people who are introverted by nature. SmallBizTrends offers an impressive list that includes a few careers you might find appealing, such as:

·       Woodworking

·       Gardening

·       Accounting

·       Dog walking, grooming, etc.

·       Blogging

·       Creating apps

·       Translating services

·       Seamstress/Tailor

·       Virtual assistant

·       Editor

·       Psychiatrist/Counselor

·       Illustrator

·       Visual artist (pottery, painting, sculpting, etc.)

As you can see, there are plenty of career choices that allow you to start your own business and grow it without stepping too far outside of your natural tendencies as an introvert.

7. Avoid making rash decisions.

This is something most introverts do instinctively. However, you could be pushed or prodded into doing something for your business that you haven’t thought through yet if you aren’t careful. Don’t let that happen to you. Take your time and carefully consider your options when making decisions that affect your business.

8. Surround yourself with the right people.

Surround yourself with people you can trust, first and foremost. These are the people you’re building your business with. Beyond that, surround yourself with people who have different skillsets and characteristics than you. This allows you to get sage advice from the people who work for you and is essential when it comes to areas where you have less experience or knowledge. It can be one of the most important business decisions you’ll make.

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9. Master the fine art of building relationships.

Building relationships is essential in the world of business. You must build relationships with the customers who buy your products or use your services. You must also build relationships with the people who work with you, vendors who serve your business needs, and others who can help you grow your business over time. It takes dedication and work for introverts, who tend to keep their “tribes” small, but the rewards are huge for your business and they offer you opportunities to grow your tribe a little bit in the process.

10. Adapt when necessary.

Adapt and overcome. These are two of the most important life skills you’ll ever learn. Introverts do not excel at the traditional methods of growing businesses. This means you must adapt your business model to account for that and seek new ways to help your business grow. The faster you begin incorporating new ideas for growth and expansion into your business model, the sooner you’ll be able to reap the rewards of doing so.

11. Consider partnering with charismatic extroverts.

Steve Wozniak is a man not everyone has heard of. However, he is the brains behind one of the most successful brands in modern history: Apple. Most people equate Steve Jobs with the brand. If Wozniak was the brains behind the brand, Jobs was its face. Steve Wozniak is a famous introvert while the far more charismatic Jobs was very much the quintessential extrovert. This partnership made both men fantastically wealthy and counted among the most successful in their industry. While you may not have a Steve Jobs to partner with, you can find your own Mr. or Ms. Charisma to help you get the attention your brand needs to grow while you are left to be the creative genius behind the scenes.

12. Go one-on-one whenever possible.

You are much better at working with people one-on-one than dealing with large or medium sized groups. Go to that familiar territory and let your own spark shine. Working with customers individually makes them feel special and valued in a way that large group discussions will never accomplish. More importantly, it allows you to be completely in your comfort zone so you can focus on the task at hand instead of how uncomfortable you are.

13. Play up your strengths.

Do what you do best and do it well. Ultimately, that is what will set you apart in business. Let your strength be the main selling point for your organization and don’t let others convince you to focus on your weaknesses, or the areas where you are less confident. Your strengths make you special. Confidence can be built over time. If you’re faking confidence you don’t feel, however, you risk coming across as inauthentic with your target audience and that could alienate the very people you’re attempting to bring into the fold.

14. Improve your communication skills.

Take classes on public speaking to help you deliver better lectures. Improve your writing with online courses. Listen intently and make sure you’re sending the appropriate messages in response. The more effectively you communicate with your employees, vendors, and customers the better it is for your continued success.

15. Start small when building your business.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither, in fact, were Apple, Microsoft, Nike, or Pizza Hut. It takes time and dedication to build a business. One thing most big businesses have in common, though, is that once upon a time, they were small businesses.

Don’t try to make your first million dollars in your first year. Instead, focus on incremental, sustainable growth over time. This gives you plenty of room to grow and helps you keep the focus on providing the best products and/or services every step of the way.

16. Define your own style. It’s your business; make it your own.

You’re pouring your heart and soul into building your business. There are pieces of you in every aspect of your business. Don’t fret over the secrets to success someone else followed 10 or 20 years ago to succeed. Define your own style and own that style as you build your business.

That doesn’t mean you should not be willing to take advice or be coachable. It does mean that you shouldn’t have to change major aspects of who you are to accommodate someone else’s idea of what your business should be.

17. Use the Internet to grow your business and reach new audiences.

Introverts today have one tool that wasn’t widely available to help you grow your business two or three decades ago. It may be the single most important tool for introverts to wield when growing a business. It is the World Wide Web. The Internet offers substantial opportunities for growth and success that weren’t available in the not-so-distant past, especially with the wildfire growth of social media.

Use the Internet as an essential platform for growing your business. For introverts, the Internet is the perfect tool for reaching out to others without requiring your physical presence.

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18. Live outside of your comfort zone.

Your comfort zone is something you’re going to have to plant firmly in your past for success in business, however. It doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert. Every successful business owner has to, on occasion, embrace the other side of the equation to make things happen for your business. In fact, you’ll find it happens more often than you care to admit.

Something else happens, though, when you do step outside your normal comfort zone and routines. You grow; not only as a business owner or entrepreneur, but as a person as well. The rewards may be epic if you allow them to be.

19. Listen to your intuition when it’s trying to tell you something.

One thing introverts have going for them is an incredible ability to listen. Most of the time your impressive listening abilities are tuned outward to other people in your circle. However, when you’re working to grow your business you need to learn to listen to yourself and your own instincts as keenly as you listen to the advice and recommendations of others around you. Don’t dismiss it when your intuition is trying to tell you something. You may regret pushing that tiny voice aside.

20. Be intentional every step of the way.

Social media offers excellent opportunities to grow your business. However, it can become a trap you set for yourself if you’re not careful and thoughtful in what you say in social media circles. Resist the urge, for instance, to overshare. In a politically charged climate, it could do more harm for your business than good to share your political thoughts, religious affiliations, and other information some may deem too personal. By the same token, having a plan in place for your actions as a business owner is as important as your word on social media. Be intentional in the actions you take on behalf of your business to achieve sustainable growth.

Yes, you, too, can be a successful business owner even if you are a dedicated introvert. These 20 ways will help but your natural tendencies for thoughtful discourse, mindfulness, and careful listening will be your biggest assets moving forward.

Making 2021 YOUR Year: Volunteering

Pay It Forward: 5 Ways to Volunteer Your Time and Create Meaningful Change  

With time being one of your most precious resources, it stands to reason that you should want to spend it doing something that makes you feel good inside and out. Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community while also benefiting yourself in the process. By becoming a volunteer, you’ll be able to create lasting friendships, build new skills, and support worthwhile causes that benefit those who need help the most. The best part is, it doesn’t have to take a ton of time to make a big impact. Here are 5 unique ways you can pay it forward and give back to create meaningful change as a volunteer.

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1.      Clean Your Community: Take pride in your community and show some love by simply keeping it clean. Organize a clean-up crew with family, friends, and neighbors to pick up trash around your neighborhood or join a bigger organization in your local area and expand your service to different parts of the city. Grab a trash bag, some gloves, or pick up sticks and scout the local parks, beaches, riverfronts or any random sidewalk for litter, graffiti, broken glass, or other types of rubbish that tarnish your view. You’re creating a positive impact on your community that leaves you with a sense of accomplishment long after you’re done collecting trash.

2.      Be an Animal Advocate: Humans aren’t the only ones needing help from time to time. If you adore animals, there are numerous ways to help out those furry, four-legged friends. Sign up to be a volunteer at your local shelter where you can spend time caring and playing with the “oh so happy to see you” residents or simply donate items like food or toys according to their current needs. Kick it up a notch and open your home to fostering an animal that is waiting for permanent adoption or becomes part of a rescue program where you can help find suitable homes for dogs and cats alike. You’ll never regret the time spent trying to make a better life for these sweet furballs.

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3.      Clothing Drive: Organizing a clothing drive is a great way to help out the homeless population in your community as well as families who just don’t have the necessary items to get through the different seasons. First, decide what you will be collecting – if cold weather is around the corner, you may want to focus on winter coats, jeans, gloves, hats, etc. Set a date/time and make it easy for people to donate – be willing to do pickups in your free time. It will make it that much more enticing for people to donate. Next comes the fun part! Offer a simple reward for those who make a donation – cookies and hot chocolate are hard to pass up! Remember to spread the word and share what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish. Not only are you helping those in need but cleaning out your closet in the process. Win-win!

4.      Serving Seniors: There are so many ways to volunteer and help the elderly residents in your community. Spend time at a local nursing home playing board games, reading books, or simply chatting the afternoon away with a resident or two. On their birthday, send them a bouquet of flowers or a birthday card with a sweet note (and don’t forget a piece of cake). Make an effort to really get to know the older generation who has spent so much of their time and energy paving the way for us. You may just learn a thing or two and start seeing the world with a whole new set of eyes.

5.       Become a Tutor: If you have the heart of a teacher, becoming a tutor is a great way to serve the people in your community, young and old alike. You can go down the academic path and help a high school student with geometry or algebra or provide life-changing English/literacy lessons to an adult. Help someone become more comfortable using the internet or teach someone how to take really amazing nature photos. Take note of your own skillset – what are you really good at? What do you enjoy? There are so many in-demand skills that could benefit so many people in your community. Sharing your gifts, talents, and knowledge in the form of tutoring can make a huge impact on someone’s life.

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, build your skills and make your community a better place. Search out opportunities and give some of your time to support those causes you care about.

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How to Prepare for Your Job Interview

Are you ready?

You've updated your resume and cover letter.  You've done the online application.  You let your references know that you were looking at this position.  And you finally landed the job interview!  Congratulations!

Now what? 

Exactly.  Preparing for a job interview is almost more work than just applying for the job.  You want to get it, don't you?  Then you need to go above and beyond all the other candidates and prepare as best you can for that interview.  Because you want to sound like you know what you're talking about.  You want them to know that you are competent and ready to do the work.  You want to answer all the questions correctly and impress people.

And you need to know that you are interviewing for the job that will suit you the best.

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Because landing the job that will become your vocation - getting yourself into a career that feeds your passion - isn't easy.  And it also isn't automatic.  The job for which you're interviewing might have the perfect title and the perfect salary.  But are you certain that it's the perfect employer?

That's why we gotta research!  There may be questions during your job interview you can be better prepared to answer.  You may learn something about the company that surprises you.  It will be important to understand what comes with the position besides the salary.  And guess what?  This research project is easier than ever because of the internet.

But you knew that already because you are reading this blog and not a library book.

Carve out enough time between scheduling and attending the job interview to do your research.  You may need to skip happy hour with your friends, or save all your shows for streaming or the DVR later.  Are you ready?  Let's go!

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Research Topic #1:  What does the company stand for?

Mission statement!  Find the mission statement which could be on a home page, could be on an "about us" page, or could be on a welcome message from the President or CEO.  Charles Schwab has an amazing page dedicated to this, and you can view that here.

Chico Bag has a page dedicated to Core Values, which is another way to get to know what a company stands for.   You can view that page here.

Research Topic #2:  Organization Chart

This may be a little harder to find, but many companies have some sort of organization chart or company structure description on the website somewhere.  Why do you want to know this?  You would like to see where you fit in the overall scheme of the company.  If you are really at the bottom of the ladder, it helps to know that going in to the interview; but the job you are pursuing may be higher up the ladder than you thought!   Is the organization top heavy?  Are there many layers between you and the CEO?  How many of "you" will there be, anyway?  Just one?  Or thirty?

(If you can't find an organization chart on the website, this could be a question you ask when it's your turn.)

Research Topic #3:  Benefits

Go to the employers human resources section and look up the health and welfare benefits that are offered.  You may find nice little bonuses or factors you need to take into consideration.  One of my employers covered insurance for me as the employee, but didn't cover my spouse in the manner.  I had to pay for his benefits outright, and the cost was more than I'd expected.  Those things matter, especially when you are looking at the value of your compensation package.  You can also find things like vacation, sick time, floating holidays, and which federal/state holidays are recognized by your potential new employer.

Research Topic #4:  What is that company proud of?

This should be something featured all over the home page - what they are known for, how innovative they are, how famous their scientists and researchers are, etc.  You want to land a job there, so you should insure that you can share how you can contribute to all these major successes of the company.  How can YOU support those famous scientists, or contribute to the innovation?

Research Topic #5:  Who's the Boss?

This is another thing that may be hard to discover on the web page.  The job posting may suggest who the position reports to, so if you can find that and then search that job title on the employer website, that may get you some intel.  If you have read my book or have followed my other posts, you may already know I believe strongly in cultivating a positive relationship with your supervisor.  I agree with Tom Rath in WELLBEING that having a good boss is just as important as having a good doctor.  Again, if you can't find that on the web, then make sure you are able to ask the question during your interview.

Research Topic #6:  Speaking of Questions....

Once some of your research is complete, you'll want to begin preparing the questions YOU want to ask during the interview.  I will admit that I've been spoiled - in the majority of my higher education positions, I have been given the full job interview itinerary as well as who is sitting on the panel.  This has given me opportunities to ask different populations of staff different questions.  The questions I would ask the Dean are completely different than what I would ask a panel of student leaders.  Be inquisitive, because you really want to know this stuff.  But don't be pushy.  Preparing twenty questions might be a little bit of overkill, but this is your chance to interview them as well.  If I only have time to ask one question, this is my favorite:

"What do each of you enjoy the most about working here; and what is one thing you would change if you could?"

In my years of job searching and interviewing (remember, I have taken 9 jobs at 9 different colleges over a 20+ year period...), I have found that this one question lets me know a good cross-section of the things that make employees happy as well as the things that bother them.  And if I hear the same thing more than once, I mark that down.

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Research Topic #7:  Who do you know?

You may very well know someone who knows someone who works at this company or previously worked at that company.  Find out if this is someone you can contact to ask some questions.  They may not want to share things with you, and that's okay; the level of disclosure could also tell you something about that employer.  If they are willing to share and very open about it all, then most likely they had a good experience with that company.  They may also tell you outright that they did not have a good experience with the company.  But keeping details close to the vest would be a slight red flag for me.

For one of my interviews I had done a good amount of research and knew of the person who would be my supervisor.  But this person was not active in my professional association, so I asked around.  I wanted to know how this person's peers thought of the management style and support of that supervisor.  The information was helpful and I was well prepared for that interview.

Research Topic #8:  Relocating

This should have been clear in the job description OR of course you knew ahead of time that while you live in New York, you applied for a job in Chicago.   If you are relocating, what does that experience look like?  Do you feel confident that you can find housing?  Can you afford a certain kind of housing based on your salary?  Are you able to learn on the position description if relocation expenses are covered, or partially covered?  AND - if they are paying the expenses for your job interview - like flying you from New York to Chicago and putting you up in a hotel - you will want to know if you are responsible for repayment later if an offer is made and you turn it down.

I feel confident that I've covered a good amount of suggestions that will get you up and running to prepare for that interview.  As you are doing your research, you may even come up with other things that belong on this list!  If you do, please share them.

What I didn't cover in this post?  Anticipating what questions will be asked of your DURING the interview.

That will be a post in itself!

What concerns do you have about preparing for the interview?  Let's hear them!

Making 2012 YOUR Year: 5 Ways Your Can Transform Your Life by Helping Others

The Secret of Happiness: 5 Ways You Can Transform Your Life by Helping Others

 

In the busy rush of daily life, we often get so caught up in going after what we think we want that we forget about one of the main reasons we are here on this planet – to help others and make the world a better place. We have a huge opportunity to change someone else’s life for the better by making space for them and giving some of our time and energy. However, by doing this, you can also improve your life as well. Here are 5 simple ways that helping others can help you transform your own life today.

 

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1.      Builds Gratitude: Nothing will shift your perspective faster than helping someone who desperately needs a hand up in life. When you see another person’s challenges firsthand, your problems will most likely seem minute in comparison and immediately makes you realize how blessed you truly are. For example, living in a cramped house or eating leftovers doesn’t seem so bad when you look through the eyes of a homeless person who hasn’t had a good meal in days. Not being able to take that vacation you’d planned on doesn’t seem like such a letdown when you realize there is a single mom struggling to feed her kids. Helping someone else can quickly put life into perspective and give you fresh outlook on your own life.  

 

2.      Boosts Self-Esteem: When you lend a helping hand and see the impact you can have on someone else’s life, it gives you a confidence boost you won’t get anywhere else. You begin to see that you have value and purpose in the world – something you may have struggled to see before. You start to create a more positive relationship with yourself because you clearly see the benefit you’re providing, and it just FEELS good. Knowing that you are making someone’s life a little easier also helps to restore your faith in your own abilities as well as all of mankind. One person really can make a difference.

 

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3.      Connection: Helping others can begin to fill a void that has been lost in a world full of technology and social media overload. Humans are social creatures by nature, and we need each other to feel connected and part of something bigger than ourselves. Whether you are helping someone one on one or supporting a cause that is impacting a larger issue, you begin to feel much more connected to the human race and the world as a whole. Being of service to others allows you to form a strong bond with people from all walks of life and create relationships that will stand the test of time.

 

4.      Reduces Stress:  Let’s face it: The state of the world these days is enough to put anyone into a downward spiral of stress and anxiety. It’s easy to feel helpless when it comes to solving the major problems that continue to burden our planet. However, reaching out a hand to help someone in need can take some of the weight off your shoulders and reduce the stress that comes from doing nothing at all. When you place your focus on making someone else’s situation better, it’s much easier to put the rest of the world’s problems on the backburner and all the stress that goes with it.

 

5.      More Positivity: It’s easy to let negativity seep in when you look around and see so much doom and gloom in the world. However, when you make an effort to help someone else, it pushes those negative thoughts and feelings to the side and allows you to focus more on the good. Knowing that you are making an impact in someone’s life is the ultimate mood booster and can really flip the switch on your attitude and outlook. The more positive energy you put out in the world, the more you get back. It’s a win win.

 

Whether you pay it forward in the drive thru, offer your smile to a stranger on the street or volunteer at a local food bank, you are transforming your own life as you try to help others do the same.

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Making 2021 YOUR Year: 5 Unique Acts of Kindness that Will Make Even the Most Negative Person Smile

We’ve all dealt with that person before – the one who has nothing good to say, constantly complains and releases a ton of negative energy into the world. It’s easy to let someone like this bring you down and ruin your day. It’s even easier to respond with more negativity. However, what you put out into the universe always comes back to you. For this reason, when you find yourself dealing with a Debbie Downer, it’s even more important to try and respond with love and kindness, no matter how frustrated you may feel. The best part? It’s super simple to shine some positivity and light into their day. Here are 5 unique acts of kindness that will make even the most negative person smile.

1.      Write a note (or two): There are so many ways little notes can help to brighten someone else’s day. Try leaving a sticky note in a library book with a positive message, send some encouraging words to a child that you know is struggling or being bullied at school or write a thank you note to a service member overseas. These simple words of kindness can impact someone’s life in profound ways – don’t hesitate to put them out there in the world. You have no idea how many lives you can impact through this ripple effect of kindness.

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2.      Adopt a Grandparent:  Many senior living facilities and nursing homes throughout the world offer a program where you can sign up to adopt a grandparent. This program was born with the hope that it would help the elderly residents without loved ones of their own combat feelings of loneliness and isolation by spending time with the younger generation. On the flip side, this wonderful program gives younger people a chance to meet, interact and learn about life through a different, more experienced set of eyes. You can always check with your local nursing homes to see if this program is offered near you. If not, donating flowers, writing a letter or sending a card to a lonely resident is always the next best thing.

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3.      Go Grocery Shopping: The grocery store is a perfect place if you want to spread some much needed kindness. An obvious suggestion would be to buy groceries for a family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker who may be struggling. However, there are other unique ways to put a smile on someone’s face that won’t have you buying a thing. For example, try placing a coupon or two near an item that is for sale, allow someone to cut in front of you in line or offer to help carry someone’s groceries to their car. Compliment the grocery cashier or say something encouraging to the frazzled mom with a toddler throwing a level five tantrum. There are always opportunities to turn someone’s day around in a more positive direction.

4.      Be Neighborly: Helping out a neighbor or two is the perfect way to spread kindness right outside your own front door. During those cold winter months, shovel their snow filled driveway or scrape the ice off their windshield when they aren’t looking. During Spring and Summer, rake up some leaves or mow their grass before they get home. If outside work isn’t your thing, bake some cookies, make up some freezer meals for a new mom down the street or simply offer to have them over for dinner. This is a great way to meet new neighbors as well as reconnect with those you haven’t spoken to in a while.

5.      Create Care Kits: A great way to spread love at a moment’s notice is to have care kits on hand at all times. Start with gallon size freezer bags and throw in some snacks, sample size toiletries and other items like socks, gloves (during the winter), and water bottles. Put together a bunch of these and keep them in your car at all times. In the event that you see a homeless person or someone who just seems to be struggling, offer them a care kit as a small boost of encouragement. You can even include a positive message or encouraging words to lift them up in their time of struggle. 

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There are opportunities everywhere to spread love, kindness and positivity – these are just a few that will hopefully inspire, uplift and put a smile on someone’s face today.

3 Reasons Why Knowing Your Personality Traits Can Lead to Success

Inc. Magazine recently reported that the old standards of money, IQ, and even education have far less to do with success than personality. In fact, brain power has a nearly miniscule affect on your likelihood for success, with high IQs only factoring into the success equation for one to two percent of people. Grades and achievement tests were much better predictors of future success than IQ, though not as much as personality.

These are three reasons why knowing your specific personality traits can help you achieve greater success.

1. Knowledge is Power

It really is that simple. One interesting point the Inc. article made, however, is that personality isn’t something that is set in stone. You can, and often do, change your personality and, by doing so, your path to success.

Knowing your personality traits – those characteristics that are natural tendencies for you – gives you unparalleled power over your future success. You learn to recognize positive personality traits that lead to success while also learning how to overcome potential adversities and natural tendencies that might hinder your efforts.

2. Understand Other People Better

The desire to “know thyself” was deeply embedded in Ancient Greek culture, largely because by knowing oneself, you are better able to understand the motivations and actions of others. It isn’t merely about the ability to empathize with others, but also to anticipate the actions of others. In business, the ability to understand what motivates and drives other people can be a distinct advantage. However, failing to understand what motivates and drives you, above all others, places you at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, there are many personality tests and profiles you can take online, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which is one of the most thorough and respected today. Not only does it help you identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses. It provides you with information and insights on how to use your strengths to your advantage. It does this while offering insights on how to overcome certain weaknesses or position yourself in industries and careers where they aren’t as detrimental. All leading up to a more successful future for you.

3. Identify Areas Where You Are Pre-Dispositioned for Success

Finally, while understanding your personality traits provides you with great power over how to use your natural tendencies to further your success, it also provides you with insights about which career paths will serve you best according to your natural tendencies. That doesn’t mean an introvert cannot become a public speaker or an excellent sales person despite his or her best tendencies. It does mean, however, that by knowing you’re naturally introverted, those fields may present greater challenges for you. By the same token, it can also reveal that fields that require careful thought and consideration may be outstanding choices for you, such as engineering, research, hard sciences, etc.

Ultimately, knowing your personality traits allows you to position yourself to achieve greater success by revealing weaknesses along your path, identifying your strengths, and helping you understand others you encounter along the way.

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Making 2021 YOUR Year: 3 Steps to Creating New Habits

FREE HABIT TRACKER!!!

Let’s talk about forming new habits. We all have times in our lives where we intentionally want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves. This could be getting in the habit of eating healthier and drinking more water. Or it could be moving more and taking the dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work-related, or spiritual. or other. There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier if we created new habits.

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Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to acquire bad habits without any effort, but getting into a ìgoodî habit can be a little more challenging.

Let’s break it down into a three-step process that makes it easy to follow until weíve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit ñ something we do automatically without having to think about, like brushing our teeth.

Free Habit Tracker and Make 2021 YOUR Year

Decide What You Want To Do

The first step is to decide what you want that new habit to be. Be as specific as possible. Dont’ just tell yourself you want to exercise more. Instead, say something like, “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day!” Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how youíre going to do it, is half the battle.

Remind Yourself To Get It Done

The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isnít an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits.

Maybe it’s raining and you donít really want to go out and walk. Or maybe your day just gets away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while.

Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit

This brings us to the last step. It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work to your best advantage. Even before the new behavior becomes automatic, a routine will help you get it done without having to spend a lot of willpower or relying on daily reminders.

Make that daily walk part of your after-dinner routine, or change from grabbing a snack at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning to packing a healthy snack.

Congratulations! Decide to create the new habit, practice the routine until it’s second nature and youíll be well on your way to forming a new good habit.

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Making 2021 YOUR Year: 5 Websites that Will Inspire You to Make an Impact on the World

If we learned ANYTHING in 2020, we learned to make connections and foster engagement any we could. And technology make that happen this year. Since the explosion of technology, we are more connected than ever before to opportunities that allow us to leave our mark and make a difference in the world.

However, with all the information out there, it may be overwhelming and hard to know where to begin. Great news! The ability to be a world changer is right at your fingertips. Whether you are looking for ways to volunteer, donate to a good cause or simply find a rally to attend, there is a website to help get you started. Here are 5 great websites that will help you start making an impact in the world today.

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1.      The Greater Good: When you visit greatergood.com, you become part of an online community that focuses on helping people, pets and the planet – the perfect trifecta if you want to start making a bigger impact. There are a number of cause sites associated with the greater good – from animal rescue to feeding the hungry to protecting the rainforests, you can take action by viewing sponsored ads, shopping their store, or even making a direct donation. This is a great way to raise money or contribute to a cause that is near and dear to your heart, all the while knowing you’re making a difference for the greater good.

 

2.      Care 2: If you want the ability to rally people together and start a movement that will create real change, give care2.com a try. You can start a petition yourself or support others in an effort to fight for a common cause. It takes only minutes to start building your own campaign for human rights, the environment, animal rights, gender equality, health, racial justice and more.  You’re able to see current petitions that are trending as well as success stories that have made an impact on the world already. If you’re completely new to the petition world, there is a help section to get you started. Within seconds, you can start creating lasting change that will have a positive impact on the world around you.

 

3.      Sevenly:  If you want to make a difference in the world but you also like to shop, you’re going to love sevenly.org. Sevenly began with the intention to lead a movement of generosity, spreading their core belief that all people matter through advocacy apparel and accessories. These items not only serve as part of a wardrobe but also create awareness and conversation for important causes such as bullying, women’s rights, autism, suicide prevention and so much more. Sevenly pledges $7 to selected non-profits with every purchase during their signature 7-day campaigns. You can add some cute apparel to your closet while providing valuable awareness and funding to those causes that are important to you.

 

4.       Volunteer Match:  If you’re looking to find volunteer opportunities in your local area or even virtually, volunteermatch.org has got you covered. Volunteer match helps to connect people with the organizations and non-profits that are in need of help. This is a quick and easy way to get you involved with a cause that you care about and it’s super simple to sign up. You can start your search locally, but you can also take advantage of the numerous virtual opportunities as well. Volunteering is a great way to connect with like-minded people who want to change the world, one person at a time. Especially while living in the age of Covid-19, there are very specific ways to get involved to help move our country forward to beating this pandemic. Click HERE to learn more.

 

5.      Doing Good Together: The main focus of doinggoodtogether.org is to create kinder, more empathetic children and to provide families and organizations with the tools and resources they need to make giving back a normal way of life. You’ll learn how you can volunteer as a family to support a cause you care about, how to start a conversation that matters, and how to bring more mindfulness and gratitude into your daily life. You’ll find support and tips on how to parent with purpose while teaching your children to be more compassionate, giving and engaged in the world around them. This is a great site if you want to build a strong family foundation rooted in kindness and empathy.

These are just a few websites that will get you started on the road to making a bigger impact in your community and the world. No matter how much time you have or how big or small you want to go, there are so many opportunities to make a difference.

What It Means to Me to be a 9-to-5 Side Hustler

2020 was a year of many things.  A shit ton of crappy things, but some pretty cool things too. 

Like writing and publishing my third book.  Which I never intended to do in 2020.  But it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.  And it opened the door for me to have a very serious conversation with myself about where I take my business next.

You’ve heard “The riches are in the niches.”  Well, I finally got hit over the head so hard by that concept (thank you, Lindsay Maloney) that I nailed it.  I mean, REALLY nailed it.  And now that I’m putting my time and effort into all you full time, career professionals who are looking to find time for your side hustle, I think it’s about time I told you what I mean by that.

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FIRST OF ALL:  

Let me tell you about the incredibly taxing conversation I had in my head about my title:  “The 9 to 5 Side HUSTLER.”  

“Kris, that’s just a little bit polarizing.”

“People are going to think about Larry Flynt and strippers.”

“No one says ‘Side Hustlers,’ they say “Side Hustle.”

And so on, and so on, and so on.

And then I happened upon Ramit Sethi’s website…which was not on accident.  While he’s a stark raving millennial, I’m a crotchety Gen X’er, but I love his work, his writing, his sense of humor.  Ramit is a genius.  

I read his book, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” when my sister (same sister in the dedication) shared her Audible account with me.  I had heard Gen X friends of mine tell me that I would not enjoy this book; that Ramit was kind of a snot.  But as you’ll learn shortly, I have had money mindset issues for years.  I listened to Ramit’s book and learned something cool about him which applied directly to some of what I do in my day job.

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In that day job, I run a scholarship program at a community college (among other things), and Ramit’s story about preparing for college and applying for scholarships is quite impressive.  

Ramit’s parents told him that if he was going to go to college, he’d need to apply for a lot of scholarships.  So he did.  He went to his high school counseling office every day and looked up scholarship applications.  He spent 1-2 hours every day working on scholarship applications.  He found his niche in how to write scholarship essays (write about what his peers would NOT write about).  By the time Ramit was ready for his freshman year, he had earned about $100,000 in scholarships.  He attended Stanford University with no debt.  And then you might say the rest is history.

Anyway - I was looking up this story because I wanted to include it in my Fall 2020 Scholarship Workshop slideshow, and I happened upon one of Ramit’s quizzes.  His “opt-in.”  The lead magnet that’s used to get people onto his mailing list so they will eventually buy things (Which I have been known to do with Ramit and several other online entrepreneurs.    

The quiz I took is called, “What’s Your Earning Potential?”  And I discovered that I fall into a category called “The Hustler.”  

Ramit is quick to explain that I’m not going to be working the blackjack table anytime soon (or playing pool with Fast Eddie Felson, although that would be cool - RIP Paul Newman).  And then he said THIS:

Characteristics of The Hustler.

As a lifelong learner and doer, you don’t need a quiz to tell you that you are constantly trying to improve.  Whether in your personal or professional life, you are always trying to be the best and experience the best life has to offer.  You are never complacent - you are firmly on the path of self-development.

You feel that life is a journey of learning.

You constantly feel like there’s more in life for you and you are always looking for opportunities to grow and learn something new.  Even if you can settle for some periods, there will always be something else to chase - the next big thing for you.

As a Hustler, you…

1.  Know there’s more to life and are always striving for the next challenge.

2.  Are fiercely independent, but you know you can’t do it all yourself.  You work best on a team of A-players.

3.  Are a strong, caring person…but if someone breaks your trust, you are quick to move on.

4.  Are creative, although not necessarily an artist - your creativity often shows up in more subtle and practical ways.

You find yourself often overflowed with ideas.  There’s no shortage of options and ideas for you and often the hard part is to pick the right one at the right moment.  Frustration is not unknown to you as you often struggle to find the right resources to execute on all those great ideas. 

You always end up getting there.

You always find a way to go around whatever is in the way of your goals.  You’re confident that even if you don’t have a direct answer to a problem, you know you’ll find a way to solve it.  

As a Hustler, you’re constantly looking for the smartest way to solve a problem with the minimum amount of time and energy invested.  It’s common for you to have tons of tabs open in your browser.  Watch out, though, as often you find yourself stuck trying to find the “right” option.

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Well, shit.  If that didn’t hit me over the top of the head with a cast-iron frying pan and leave me for dead.  I have since read that section of text about a thousand times.  Here’s what always grabs me:

  • Lifelong learner and doer - Yup

  • Creative although not artistic - You know it.

  • Looking for the smartest way to solve a problem with the minimum amount of time and energy invested - oh, hell yeah.

  • Strong, caring person - multiple tabs open on the browser - how the fuck did he know??

So, yeah, the title of this book and the person I’m writing about is a total Side HUSTLER.  

Not a Larry Flynt, J-Lo, or New Jack Hustler. 

That’s what Hustler means to me.

P.S. How should you choose your side hustle? With THIS assessment!

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