Managing the Time You Haven't GotWritten by C. J. Hayden
Do words "time management" rub you wrong way? For many busy professionals, real problem seems to be that there isn’t any time left to manage. You can sometimes get better at managing your time by prioritizing all your tasks and scheduling carefully. But when you're already using all time you have efficiently and there's still not enough, there are four strategies you can try. Make more time. The fastest way to make time can be to buy it. You may think you don't have enough money to pay for help, but think about what your time is worth. If your salary is equivalent to earning $25 an hour, and you pay someone else $12 an hour to run errands for you, that's a bargain. And what value would you set on being able to spend an extra hour having fun with your partner or kids? You can buy time by paying to have your house cleaned, your car taken for servicing, or your laundry done. Pay a professional to prepare your taxes; have your groceries delivered; make routine purchases by phone or Internet. Another way to make time is to double up on activities. Get a hands-free mike for your cell phone so you can return calls, place orders, or give instructions to staff while driving or walking. When traveling by public transit, bring along backlogged mail or documents to review. Use your waiting time at prescription counter or dentist to balance your checkbook or plan your day. Having something to do will also make your wait more pleasant. Make less time do. If this were a perfect world, we could do everything perfectly. Many of us try to do this anyway, and it eats up an enormous amount of time. A good example is writing business or personal letters. If it takes you two hours to write perfect letter, you've lost an hour you could have used to write to someone else. Try setting a time limit on routine tasks like this, and stick to it. You may find that you can write a very satisfactory letter in half time. Embrace idea of allowing what you do to be “good enough” instead of insisting it must be flawless.
| | The #1 Job Search Mistake To Avoid: Not Preparing Your Mind!Written by Sarah Breinig
For your job search to be successful, you need to start with right frame of mind and attitude. If this is not handled right away, everything you do will show lack of confidence, fear and desperation - & poor results.Mental preparation is probably your most important task as you proceed in your job search. This not only needs to be worked on right from start, but also on an ongoing basis. A healthy mindset is your best asset for daunting task ahead. Here are some points to help you prepare mentally: 1. Maintain positive self-esteem. You must believe in yourself and your abilities. You have special skills and talents that are valuable. Talk and think positively about yourself. Projecting this is only way prospective employers will believe in you. If you are not convinced yourself, you will not be able to convince anyone else. Your confidence and self-belief are two important personality traits that any employer looks for, and they cannot be faked, only instilled. Master them, and you’ll be way ahead of game. 2. Develop and maintain a positive attitude. Being negative about your current job situation makes a dramatic impact on how you project yourself to outside world - and you are seldom unaware how terribly negative you really are. This is expressed in your body language, your tone of voice, your physical attributes, and your verbal communications - i.e. everything that you project. Prospective employers are especially attuned to pick up on this. Project a genuine, positive, well-balanced attitude to everyone you come across during your job search. Treat everyone with warmth and courtesy. Surround yourself with positive people and keep away from those who bring you down. 3. Don't act desperate. You may be currently unemployed or you may simply hate your current job immensely and want out or you may be seeking your first job. All these conditions have a propensity to project you as being desperate! Watch out for this. You have to ensure that you don't let anyone see you sweat. Maintain a confident 'calmness' and make sure you don't swing too far and appear indifferent. 4. Don't be a victim. It's easy to blame yourself and others for your situation - DON'T! Don't speak badly of your current employer or job. Let go of regrets about past. Remove any bitterness you may have because this will leak into all of your communication - and you won't even aware of it. Eliminate this bad practice and you'll be rewarded with positive outcomes - not only in your job search - but also in every other aspect of living.
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