work – Personal Growth Cafe

November 17, 2019March 28, 2018

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. – Newt Gingrich

October 2, 2019March 27, 2018

How to Wean Yourself from Being a Workaholic

If you find that you spend too much of your time working, your life will soon be much less satisfying than it once was.

It’s easy to get caught up in your work.

Sometimes you don’t even realize it until it seems too late, but it’s never too late to break out of the bad habit!

The Underlying Problem

Often times you get swept up with becoming a workaholic because of an underlying problem.

It’s true that sometimes you’re just getting too much pressure at work to get things done on time, but more often than not, you’ll find that you’re using your work to hide from other problems.

Ask yourself these questions:

Are you working too much because of financial strain?

Are you trying to avoid your home life?

Are you using work to avoid some other issue you’re facing?

If you’re overworking yourself because of financial reasons, you can only do it for so long.

Sooner or later your mental and physical health will begin to suffer.

You need to work hard with an end date in mind.

If this doesn’t work for you, perhaps it’s time to find a better paying job.

If you’re avoiding problems at home, you absolutely must concentrate on solving these problems.

They aren’t going to go away just because you’ve been escaping the situation.

The only way things will improve is if you take action to resolve what’s plaguing you.

Balance Out Your Life

Once you’ve solved any underlying problems, you’ll want to bring balance back to your life.

In order to wean yourself from your work, there are certain tips you can utilize to change your working habits.

Try some of these techniques:

1. Make time for yourself. Realize that you and your health are ultimately more important than your work.

Schedule time for yourself and treat that time as more important than any of your other deadlines.

2. Unwind at the end of the day. Decide on a firm bedtime and unwind before going to bed.

Decide when you’re going to sleep and, approximately 30 minutes beforehand, engage in a relaxing activity that has nothing to do with your work.

3. Exercise. Incorporate a moderate exercise routine into your schedule a few times each week.

Exercise will help you relax and release some of your stress from work.

It’s great for both your physical and mental health and is one more good way to wean yourself from overworking.

4. Take days off. You need days off from your work from time to time.

It’s just a fact.

If you have a traditional job where you have weekends free, you must spend them away from work.

On your days off, avoid even thinking or talking about work. Let your mind be free!

Start Slow

Remember that these changes don’t have to happen all at once, but you can start incorporating them into your life one at a time.

Your life simply can’t be all about work.

Remember to spend time doing activities that you enjoy besides work.

Take some time today to implement just one or two of these strategies and you’ll soon realize that there is life outside of work!

How important is personal time for you?

What activities do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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September 6, 2019March 27, 2018

How to Develop Satisfaction in Your Work

Even if you’ve landed your dream job, it’s possible to fall into a pattern where you find your work far from enjoyable.

When you’re dissatisfied with your work, it can be a huge chore to get up in the morning and you may even feel hopeless.

However, the good news is that you can change certain aspects of how you approach your work in order to find satisfaction in the job you’ve already got.

Follow these tips to increase your satisfaction at work:

1. Keep open dialogues. It’s truly important to keep open dialogues with your colleagues and superiors.

Voice your concerns calmly, without sounding blunt and unappreciative.

If no one knows that you’re dissatisfied, nothing will ever be done to fix the problem!

2. Reward yourself. You can increase your own personal satisfaction by deciding on certain rewards that you can give yourself once you’ve completed a task successfully.

For example, if you’ve worked hard all week, allow yourself a fun Friday night.

Don’t wait for anyone else to reward you!

3. Handling stress. Start looking at how you handle stress.

Unfortunately, there’s a certain amount of stress associated with every career.

Are you actively searching for ways to vent your stress or are you keeping it bottled up inside?

Make sure you have proper releases for work stress as well as home stress.

4. Avoid getting stuck in a rut. It’s difficult when you feel like you aren’t making steps in the right direction.

You might feel like everyday is the same and that you aren’t getting to explore your full potential.

Think about what your goals are at your current job and ask yourself what actions you’re taking in order to get there.

Reformulate your action plan if necessary, and then take steps to move you forward again toward your goals.

5. Think positive thoughts. Your life is what you make of it.

When you adopt a positive mindset, things will more often go your way.

When you think negatively, of course your job will continue to be unsatisfying!

Remain optimistic and you’ll find the drive needed to keep working toward positive goals.

6. Make a change. If you find that you’re truly in the wrong line of work, it’s time to plan out a change for the better.

As a last resort, if you truly feel that there’s nothing you can do to improve your current situation, then make an attainable plan for change.

You may want the same position at another company, or an entire career change all together, whatever it is, find out what you need to do, and then do it!

Right Mindset And Action

In the end, as long as you strive for a positive mindset and take action toward your goals, good things will happen for you.

When people are stuck, they tend to freeze and feel helpless.

If this happens, it can turn into a vicious cycle that you might believe is unbreakable. But it isn’t!

Take charge of your thoughts to break the negativity and take small steps each day toward a better life.

Making a change overnight is overwhelming, but when you take small steps, change happens easily.

Before you know it, you’ll be at least a little more satisfied and fulfilled at work.

How happy are you with your work?

How often do you feel satisfied at the end of a work day?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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August 21, 2019March 26, 2018

Fire Your Boss and Start Your Own Business

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut?

You wake up each morning and go to the same job, driving on the same roads, walking on the same streets, and doing the same thing day after day – and that gets pretty boring!

Do you feel unappreciated at work?

You may be a hard worker but never get the true recognition you deserve from your boss and colleagues.

Just once you would like your boss to pat you on the back and say, “Good job,” but unfortunately that day never seems to come.

If this describes you, it may be time to fire your boss and venture out on your own.

Although this may seem like a completely overwhelming move, it may not be as hard as you think!

Consider taking advantage of options like these:

1. Become a Virtual Assistant. Being a Virtual Assistant allows you the flexibility of staying at home while managing tasks for other companies.

This is a great option if you enjoy computer work, managing tasks, paperwork, or customer service.

Though it may take a bit of time to get your VA business off the ground, virtual assistants can command a high price for their services, especially if they have technical skills.

2. Join an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) company. These businesses are all the rage lately, but they do have their pros and cons.

If you think that perhaps an MLM company is the business for you, be sure to do your research.

Make sure the company you decide to partner with has a good track record.

You can confirm this by speaking with other representatives of the company and checking the Better Business Bureau and similar websites for more information.

Another fact you must be aware of is the sign up fee that can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

Some companies even charge upwards of $1,000 to be a representative.

Many people succeed at a multi level marketing business, but countless others fail miserably.

Research the details of what you’ll need to do to succeed in your chosen business and ask yourself if you can do what it takes.

It would be in your best interest to become informed and educated about the business before you sign on the dotted line and hand over your hard-earned money.

3. Make and sell your own crafts. Are your friends envious about the beautiful things you can make with your own two hands?

Then this may be the business you’re looking for!

With websites such as eBay and Etsy, as well as local arts and craft shows, many people are making a substantial living selling their homemade creations.

Unique or one-of-a-kind items always sell at higher prices than the common ones.

4. Become a Life Coach. This business opens up a realm of possibilities.

If you enjoy listening to people and providing advice, becoming a life coach may intrigue you.

A life coach provides good, solid advice to individuals relating to a particular area in their life.

A life coach can specialize in many different areas.

For example, some coaches only deal with stay at home moms, while others help those wanting to make more money or lose weight.

The options are absolutely endless.

You can go for training and become a certified coach at your local college or online.

You must promote and market yourself strongly, and it may take awhile to get the business of the ground.

But if this is something that you truly hold a passion for, it can turn into an extremely lucrative endeavor.

5. Become a Caterer. Does everyone say that no one can cook like you do?

Do you get request after request for your recipes?

Do you find spending time in the kitchen relaxing?

Then starting a catering business may be something you’ll want to explore further.

As in any business, it may take a bit of patience and energy to get it started, but the benefits will be well worth the energy.

Make sure to call your friends and family and tell them to spread the word about your new catering business.

Once you can secure your first party or event, you’ll have word of mouth recommendations marketing your business for you.

If cooking is your passion and you learn how to manage food costs and market your business, then you’ll have no problem succeeding in this lucrative industry.

These are just a few ways to fire your boss and start your own business.

Your next step is to decide where your passion lies.

Decide what you enjoy doing and go from there.

Beginning your own business is not easy, but with a dash of hope, dreams, patience, and hard work, you’ve just won half the battle!

How much are you enjoying working on your own?

How can working at home be better for you?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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August 14, 2019March 26, 2018

Five Unique Ways to Find Work

Unfortunately, with the current state of the economy, many people are out there job hunting.

They’re applying for every open position they can find, increasing the competition for available jobs.

It’s important that you stand above the crowd.

You have to prove to your prospective employer that hiring you would be adding an asset to their company.

These suggestions may make finding that job just a bit easier:

1. Social Networking. Internet social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all the rage.

Many people use these sites to chat with long lost friends or find old loves, but they’re also great networking places to find employment as well!

The idea behind social networks is to build a relationship.

That means that you’ll want to show-off your value before asking desperately for a job.

It may not work overnight, but these sites have incredible word of mouth possibilities, so be diligent and keep networking and broadcasting that you’re available for work!

2. Offer services for free. Okay, I know what you’re thinking: why should you offer services for free when you don’t even have a job?

Aren’t you supposed to be making money with your skills and talents?

Yes, but offering your services for free for can actually work in your favor and set you apart from your competition.

For example, are you a talented childcare professional looking to get your foot in the door of a new day care center?

Are you an awesome cook who would love to work in a new restaurant in town?

Offer to work for them for a week for free.

If they’re pleased with your work, you may be hired on the spot, or at least when they have their first available opening.

The most important thing to remember is you have to be a top notch volunteer for that week.

You want them to discover what an asset you could be as a paid employee.

3. Write to prospective employers. Compose a letter to businesses that you’re seriously interested in.

In the letter, highlight how you’ll boost business for the company and discuss what you’d bring to the table.

If you can convince them that they’re better off with you than without you, then you’ve won the battle.

Make sure the letter is professional, grammatically correct, and confident.

Your goal is to make others understand why they need you as an employee, not to beg them for a job.

There’s a big difference, but it’s very easy to cross that line, so use good judgment.

4. Do it the old fashioned way. In this generation of faxes and emails, your resume can easily get lost in the shuffle.

Something to consider is to dress professionally and hit the pavement.

Introduce yourself, shake hands, and hand them a well-prepared resume package.

Building a relationship with someone is an important part in standing above the crowd.

It also allows a manager to put a face to a resume rather than just pick a resume up off the fax machine or out of their email inbox.

Though it may take a bit of footwork and perseverance, this may be your perfect way to make an impression when applying for a coveted job.

5. Place an ad in the newspaper or online.

When looking for a job, the first place we all tend to go is the help wanted section in the newspaper or on a classifieds website.

There we gaze over hundreds of ads and apply to as many as we possibly can.

6. Maybe you can turn the tables! This is where you can think outside the box.

What about placing your own ad telling prospective employers that you’re free to work for them?

Highlight your strengths and what position you’ll excel at.

Remember, you’re in control.

You want prospective employers to pick up the phone and call you – not to skim your ad thinking, “There’s another desperate individual begging for work.”

Looking for a job today can be challenging, but thinking a bit differently than other job hunters may be all you need to get that position you’ve been hoping for.

Stand out from your competition with these great tips, and be the one who lands the job!

What skills do you have that you can further develop?

How are you discovering more skills that can help you find more work?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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August 5, 2019March 26, 2018

The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of work. – Sarah Bolton

July 13, 2019March 25, 2018

I dare to focus only on the job at hand.

I allow myself the luxury of total concentration.

When I tune out distractions and live fully in the moment, I find that my tasks are completed quicker and with a higher quality of work, bringing me more success and leaving me with more time for other things.

To this end, I do everything possible to prevent distractions.

If office noise is bothering me, I put on headphones to muffle it or turn on music to drown it out.

I let my co-workers know what time I need to focus and when they can come to me for questions.

I avoid distractions by forwarding calls to voicemail and I check my email during certain hours, only.

I plan my work and work my plan.

Each day I take the time to plan the steps of each project and then I stick to my schedule.

I put easy tasks first so I can develop my focus quickly and build momentum as I work through the project.

Lastly, I organize my surroundings so there is no interruption in my workflow if I have to find necessary items or papers.

I accept that there are times when distractions are necessary.

When this happens, I take care of the situation promptly and get right back to my task.

As before, I tackle an easy item first to refocus and rebuild momentum.

Today, I challenge myself to focus with total concentration on one job at a time, leaving the multi-tasking to those who haven’t discovered that there is a better way.

How do you actively tune out distractions so you can focus on the job at hand?

How can you organize your office space to reduce distractions?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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July 9, 2019March 25, 2018

I enjoy the challenge of new activities in the workplace.

Having different projects and responsibilities at work brings me variety and keeps me from boredom.

At the same time, meeting these new challenges also makes me more valuable to my employer.

A new challenge keeps me alert and provides me with the opportunity to learn new skills.

I strengthen my self-respect and confidence and find that I enjoy my work more and more as I get better and better at what I do.

New experiences add layers to my skills that make me stronger.

Just as a tree adds layers to its bark that make the tree more resilient, so, too, do I add to my strength with new challenges and experiences at work.

I welcome every new idea and activity that my work affords me.

I banish any thoughts of fear or doubt and tackle every project with anticipation.

If I need some help with a new activity, I figure out who the best person to help me would be and I feel no hesitation in asking them for assistance.

That way, I know I can learn from the best.

I am thankful that my work provides such wonderful opportunities to help me learn, grow, and be more successful in my career.

Today, I plan to tackle new activities at work with confidence and I look forward to the many benefits awaiting me.

How do you feel when your boss brings you something new to complete?

What can you do to ensure that you are constantly refining your skills at work?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 24, 2019March 23, 2018

How to Augment Your Income During the Financial Crisis

We all know how bad the economy is right now; people everywhere are losing their jobs and many are even losing their homes to foreclosure, but this doesn’t have to happen to you.

You can boost your income and protect your family during the financial crisis!

Go Above & Beyond

One way to protect your job is to bring more value than what you’re being paid.

In other words, help the company make more money than what they’re spending on you.

When your boss recognizes the value you’re bringing to the company, it will decrease the chances of losing your job.

Here are some ideas of boosting your value:

1. Save the business money. Find ways to cut expenses and eliminate wasted time and resources.

Chances are, you can lower the company’s costs significantly with just a little research.

2. Work more efficiently at your job. Make full use of the tools available to you so you can increase your productivity.

For example, create templates and step-by-step instructions to follow, that way repetitive work is systemized.

3. Help your company become paperless. In this age of technology, just about everything can be done electronically.

Since most companies have computers and scanners, utilize them to their fullest.

Also, by reading emails on the screen, instead of printing them out, you will cut the company’s use of paper drastically.

Think of other ways you can help your company cut down on the amount of paper it uses and introduce them to your boss or CEO.

By taking this initiative, you’re showing just how indispensable you are.

4. Help market your company to the world. The use of social media is fast becoming the leading way to market a business.

Social networking can be done from home and in your spare time.

Be sure to let your boss know that you’re doing this, not only to get their permission, but because doing so increases your value to the company and shows that you’re a valuable member of the team.

Get active on popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Set up a Twitter account to connect with thousands of people that need your products or services.

You can also offer a “deal of the day” coupon code for Twitter or Facebook users.

You can use your skills and talents to expand your income in other ways:

If you’re a teacher, offer evening tutoring services.

If you know a lot about a specific subject area, start a consulting business.

If you’re an artist or make crafts or jewelry, sell them on eBay or Etsy.

If you love to write, sell your article writing services to online businesses.

Start an online business from home. There are a thousand ways to make money online, using the skills you already have.

Do a search using the terms “how to start an online business from home.” The results will bring up tons of tutorials and guidelines.

If you have stuff lying around your house, cluttering up your countertops, bookshelves and closets, sort through it and sell it on eBay.

You’ll be surprised at what people will pay for something you consider junk or useless.

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking about how you can increase your income during these tough financial times.

As you begin to brainstorm ways to put more money in your pocket, you’ll soon see how simple it can be to add an extra few hundred dollars – or more – to your income every month.

You may even find that you have skills that you didn’t know you had in the first place, which can lead you in a whole different direction in your life or career.

You don’t have to let the economy take control of your life.

With a little effort and some brainstorming, you’ll find ways to supplement your income and overcome this financial crisis we’re in.

How have you taken full control of your finances?

What helps you keep your finances stable?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 2, 2019March 22, 2018

Top Five Work Stress Relief Strategies

One of the biggest sources of anxiety and fear is work stress and it usually falls into four categories:

Work overload
Difficult co-workers
Demanding bosses
Fear and uncertainty about these tough economic times

Don’t despair, there really are things you can do to relieve work stress.

Most of them are easy enough you can start today and begin seeing results immediately.

Overloaded And Overwhelmed

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload, the first step should be to examine your schedule.

Maybe you can change your routine or rearrange your schedule so you have more time in the day to get the job done.

Perhaps there are some tasks you can eliminate or spend less time on.

You can also try to delegate the work to others in your office or even outsource some work to freelancers online.

If you’re still feeling swamped, you’ll want to speak to your boss.

Communication is the key to working things out and finding a way to lighten your load.

Co-Workers Who Don’t See Eye to Eye

There are always going to be difficult co-workers at every job. It’s something you’ll face no matter where you work.

Even if there’s someone who is just a pain to deal with for one reason or another, you don’t have to let it stress you out.

If you have a co-worker that’s continually trying to ruffle your feathers, confront the issue.

You may want to do this with your boss present as to avoid any chance the difficult co-worker can turn on you or say things that didn’t really happen.

If the problem still continues, however, and you simply can’t ignore it any longer, see if you can get moved to a different department or area.

If not, then I suggest killing the difficult co-worker with kindness.

When you turn the other cheek, so to speak, the offender will usually back off eventually and leave you alone or better yet, befriend you.

Either way you get the desired results.

A Boss Who Rules With An Iron Fist

Okay, what do you do when your boss is demanding?

Remember, your boss is your boss and it’s usually not wise to come across in a confrontational manner.

However, you can try talking to them in a peaceful, non-confrontational tone.

To do this, schedule a meeting ahead of time and write out your thoughts.

This will help you state your case and stay on topic.

Stick to the issues and the issues only.

Never place blame or come across as if you know better than your boss.

This kind of talk could only lead to a worse situation, if not get you fired.

However, if speaking your mind doesn’t seem to make your boss any less demanding, then you’ll have to let it roll off your back.

Easier said than done, I know. But, it can be done with determination and effort.

Questioning Your Future

Right now, probably the biggest cause of stress in the workplace is fear of uncertainty in these tough economic times.

Even if you’ve done everything to ensure your position at your company, like increasing your value as an employee, there are still no guarantees in this economy.

So, what can you do to help relieve some of the stress and fear?

One thing you can do is start preparing for the future.

Perhaps you could start taking classes at your local community college to learn a new skill or trade.

You could also start building an online business.

Even though the economy is struggling, online businesses are booming. If you make crafts or jewelry, or you’re artsy, you can start selling items on eBay or open an Etsy shop.

There are many ways you can begin securing your future now. All it takes is a little research and planning.

Let it Go! Release Your Frustration

The best way to relieve work related stress is to work out regularly.

Getting regular exercise helps relieve stress of any sort, but especially work related stress.

If you don’t belong to a gym, begin working out at home. Going for brisk walks regularly also greatly reduces stress.

Top 5 Work Stress Relieving Strategies

1. Examine your schedule, delegate, outsource, or talk to your boss when you’re overloaded.

2. Talk to a difficult co-worker or kill them with kindness.

3. Communicate with your boss when he’s too demanding.

4. Prepare for the future when you fear losing your job.

5. Work out regularly at home or at the gym.

Stress has become a part of your everyday life, but it doesn’t have to control your life.

By incorporating these strategies, you can overcome the major causes of stress in your workplace in no time!

What is your main cause of stress at work?

How do you deal with this?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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