While we’d all like to take a month off and travel to some fabulous, stress-relieving destination, this is not always practical, as you well know! Instead, we can make great strides towards peace and balance in our lives by performing small, easy exercises on a daily or weekly basis.

For instance, if you find you are always struggling to keep up with a never-ending list of ‘to-do’s,’ you may find it helpful to invest a little time on Sunday evenings to think about the week to come. Sometimes when we live our lives in nose to the grindstone mode, we forget to think about the big picture. Just going through your priorities every week in your mind – or on paper – will give you a little perspective. You’ll be able to see what’s important and what isn’t, and perhaps even drop a few things from your list. By looking at things from a weekly perspective you can better see what’s causing your stress and perhaps rearrange things a little so your days are more balanced.

Another idea many people find helpful is to perform some act of personal centering each day – morning or night. You may choose to meditate or write in a journal, to listen to some motivational tapes or read an inspirational book. Whatever brings you back to your sense of balance and ‘self’ will prove invaluable. By taking a little time for yourself in this way daily, you will better be able to cope with your daily grind. You’ll feel calmer throughout the day and also able to focus more on whatever priorities are important to you, allowing other ‘noise’ to bounce off you instead of affect you negatively.

One final stress-relief tip is to exercise regularly. You know this because we’ve all hear it, but do you DO it? We all have the best of intentions but often our everyday busy lives prevent us from following through. With exercise, the ironic thing is that doing it would help alleviate so many of the symptoms you are challenged with. It is relaxing, it improves your circulation and physical well-being as well as your mental clarity and level of happiness. Try walking, yoga or pilates, or any activity that makes oyu feel great. Get in the habit of doing a little something every day or two, and watch your life transform into a calmer, healthier one in no time.

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Negotiating, like sales, is a skill we all use to some extent every day. We may think of these as skills or tactics used only by businesspeople or salespeople, but in nearly every interaction there is some of one or both required. For instance, every time you see your boss and have a casual conversation you are doing a little salesmanship, trying to put forth a certain image and impression. Every time you talk with your kids about something that needs to be done – going to bed, doing their homework, etc. – you are negotiating. Your style of negotiating may be dictatorial or it may be wishy-washy, but you are still negotiating. You may even do a little selling there too (if you do x, Mommy will do y).

While in truth negotiating skills are gained and refined over a lifetime and the possible tactics would (and do) take up many books’ worth of pages, there are certain basics we can cover here. Following are some of the more important keys to successful negotiating – those which leave you with a) what you want, b) happiness, satisfaction and integrity.

One major concept in negotiating is win/win. As author Stephen Covey tells us in his brilliant book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,’ ‘Win/win is not a technique; it’s a total philosophy of human interaction.’ Wanting everyone to ‘win’ at the negotiation table means thinking in terms of higher solutions. It’s not selfish and not unselfish – it’s holistic. It means creating solutions which work in everyone’s best interest – no caving in for anyone and no walking away feeling used or abused. Many, many people fall to one side or the other because of self-esteem or other issues. For instance, many people either get bossy or manipulative in relationships to get their way, and others allow things to happen that are not good for them because they don’t have the nerve or the confidence to speak up. This happens of course not just in personal relationships but those of all sorts – interactions with people at work, people trying to sell or convince us of something and more.

Another important caveat is to know your desired outcome and what you will and will not be flexible about. This means being clear about you want before you begin conversations, and at the same remaining open for optimum, alternate solutions. All good negotiations require openness and give and take, and you must be prepared to make some concessions, or ideally to propose new solutions where no one has to make concessions. If everyone is working on genuinely creative and positive solutions, often new, unexpected outcomes will occur that are even better than anticipated. As mentioned, however, be clear about what you are after going in, and don’t be willing to settle for less; different and possibly better, yes – less, NO.

One last tip is to know as much as you can about the ‘other’ side before beginning. Try and learn what you can about the person or party with whom you’ll be negotiating so you can empathize with what their concerns are. Understanding the perspective of the other party also helps you handle emotional reactions on both sides with care and more patience than you otherwise would. There may be something of deep concern to them that, if addressed, could make everything go smoothly. This thing may not even be a big deal for you at all, but knowing that it is to them can make all the difference in how you approach things – it may even save the day!

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Do you find job interviews intimidating, especially in today’s ‘global financial crisis’ when everyone seems to be losing – and looking for – jobs?

Did you know that most employers complain about not being able to find the right people with the right attitude? Sad, but true! Even though there are more applicants than ever, the ones who shine are few and far between. This means someone like you (that you’re reading a personal development site puts you miles ahead of most of your competition) can ace interviews with a little forethought and consideration.

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First of all, take your focus off yourself. Consider what it must be like for the interviewer, and give some thought to what might stand out for them. Learn about the company you are interviewing with so you can ask at least one intelligent question (as in, ‘I’ve heard about the ‘x’ project – that must be exciting! Can you tell me a little more about it?’ vs. ‘How much does this job pay and how much vacation do I get?’). It’s shocking how many people go into interviews only thinking about themselves, and it comes across as very selfish. Not only that, by thinking about your own needs you make yourself more nervous because you are maintaining your focus inward. You can’t listen effectively and you cannot hold an intelligent, meaningful conversation, which is what a GOOD job interview really is.

Second and very important, dress for the job you want. Another startling statistic we hear from employers frequently is how slovenly and careless their interviewees are. Do enough research to know what the successful people at your prospective company look like, and dress like that where at all possible. Look sharp and make sure there are no glaring issues with your wardrobe, hair and general appearance. Before you leave in the morning for your job interview, look at yourself from all angles to be sure everything looks ship-shape. Try this article for further advice in this regard: Dressing for Career Success.

With respect to both your resume and your interview, be honest. Getting caught in a lie, or even exaggerating, and having to explain yourself can backfire for all but the most charming among us.

If you do get caught with anything that leaves you tongue-tied, again honesty is the best policy and can be disarming. For instance, if you think you messed up a question or didn’t represent yourself properly, being up front will almost always work in your favor. Better to say ‘I’m sorry, I’d like to answer that last question again. The truth is I’m really nervous because  I think you have a great company here and I really want this opportunity – I think we’d be a great fit,’ than to say nothing and worry yourself to sleep at night wishing you’d said something different.

Some last thoughts: be punctual, be respectful and remember to smile. Try and relax and just be yourself – always the best advice.

Tags: Career by admin
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The importance of the imporession you make at work cannot be underestimated. You may wish people didn’t judge others by looks, but unfortunately that’s the way the business world works. If you show up to work with scuffed shoes, unclean clothing and bad breath, you’ll not go far in your job and it’s as simple as that.

As hinted at, it’s not just what you wear that forms an impression, of course, but your attitude, body language and actual language as well. In this article we’ll deal with just the common work wardrobe issues that tend to hold people back. While I go into more detail in my upcoming book about this important subject, following are a few pointers.

NOTE: Jobs may vary and there are different dress codes suitable for various industries and positions, however these guidelines are fairly universal and are also things most people don’t tell others.

Shoes: Keep them clean, whatever the material, and polished if they are leather. Scuffs, tears and other damage is not acceptable. You may think no one will notice, but many employers use the shape of someone’s shoes as an indicator of the quality of their work and their level of integrity. Not many jobs are suitable for flip flops or super high heels; always tend toward the quality, conservative look.

Skirts/pants: Neither too long nor too short. Sounds reasonable, right? Do a little research on proportion by looking around at other people whom you find to be well-dressed. Try checking out a career dressing book for some tips. Short skirts and too-short pants seem to be the worst offenders – and the most common. Ladies, even if hte short skirt makes you feel powerful and gets the attention of the boss, it’s definitely not the right kind of attention.

Dated fashion: Think shoulder pads, wide collars and corduroy here, among other things. On the flip-side is trying to follow the latest fashions, which may not be appropriate for hte workplace either. Save the super fashions for the weekend and go for quality, classic pieces for the workplace. If you think your wardrobe may be seriously outdated but cannot afford a new one, enlist some help from friends or colleagues and try a) replacing o adding in a few key peices for mixing and matching a more current look and/or b) see if you can’t find ways to update pieces you love.

Hair: Unless you’re a funky hairdresser or a rock star, there’s not a lot of room for crazy hair in the workplace – if you want to get ahead, that is. Anything that is quirky will get you noticed, but not necessarily in a good way. Yet again you may feel you’d like to be appreciated for your personality and the great job you do, but take it from the experts, who all agree that being funky in the workplace will hold you back. How can your boss consider you for that meeting with a new potential client if he doesn’t know how the client will react to your pink hair?

Tattoos and piercing: Sorry, folks – visible tattoos and piercings send clear negative signals to a lot of people. You may not be intending to send such signals, but those who have the power to help you in your career may choose not to based on these expressions of individuality.

Skin: Showing too mcuh, that is. As with too-short skirts, this is a mistake many women make, and I think it’s because we don’t know how to show our power without it being feminine power. You can be gorgeous and professional; well put together, respectable and beautiful. In fact, you will garner more respect in a knock out, well-fitted business outfit than you ever will in a short skirt, low-cut blouse/sweater and high heels. When you’re the boss…then you can wear whatever you want!

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Without being born into wealth, many many people have overcome significant obstacles and become wealthy. It is not an impossible dream nor is it unlikely if you apply the right combination of mindset and skills.

For many who want wealth, it seems so ‘far away’ that it becomes difficult to focus on doing the things that count on a daily basis. If this describes you, take heed of the advice given to me by a gentleman who used to be my mentor…’How do you eat an elephant?’ he would ask rhetorically. ‘One bite at a time,’ he’d reply with a smile. At the time I thought the phrase was a little disgusting, but now I understand the wisdom behind the idea: it’s another way of saying Rome wasn’t built in a day. These cliché sayings exist for a reason – they make sense and are based in proven wisdom.

If you’d like to create a brighter financial future for yourself but feel overwhelmed at the prospect, some ideas that may help you eat YOUR elephant in one day include:

• Learn little by little: read finance books, take classes, read the daily financial news. Even if at first you find you don’t understand much, you will gain in perception as you continue the habit/s. As with any new subject, the learning curve will be steep but if you keep at it, someday soon you’ll feel very familiar with the terms you read and hear.
• Stay motivated: Do what successful people do and keep yourself in a state of learning, growing and being motivated. We all have habitual thought patterns which keep us in certain moods, and you need to break through these in order to progress. Source and listen to motivational audios every chance you get – on your way to work, while walking the dog, etc. You can even listen listen to guided, financial motivation audios while falling asleep for an extra boost.
• Seek out mentors: Life is too short to reinvent the wheel, as we’ve said elsewhere. Find people who’ve done what you want to do and learn from them. This will accomplish two things: one, you will shorten your learning curve significantly and two, you’ll have living proof that what you want is possible, which will act as a powerful motivating factor.
• Be patient with yourself: Nothing is accomplished in one day, and sometimes we forget to take credit for how far we’ve come. Keeping a journal will help you chronicle your mentality changes as you learn and grow financially, and looking back occasionally will remind you of how much you’ve changed, encouraging you to keep going.

Tags: Money by admin
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Do you think there are people out there who have no disappointments? People who are so ‘born’ to succeed that they never experience setbacks and never fail?

It sounds a little silly, knowing what we do about real life. Yet, many of us have some strange thoughts about ourselves vs. other people we knew in high school, say, or some people we see at work who can do no wrong. Perhaps you’ve known someone who seems to succeed at everything they do; maybe there is a salesperson who kicks everyone else’s butt at work and drives you mad with jealousy. What has this person got that you don’t, you wonder to yourself.

Well, the answer is not the obvious one (they are way cooler, smarter, have things more easy than you). There are things going on under the surface that you don’t  about, having to do with alignment and attitude.

First, anyone who has more of what they want than you do is, quite simply, more mentally and emotionally aligned with their desires than you are with yours. It doesn’t matter if you think you are a kinder, better person and they don’t deserve a thing they have. Life and the Universe do not respond to need or want, they respond to alignment: if you are right in line emotionally and mentally with having what you want – no limiting beliefs about how you can’t have or do it – then it will come to you. Sometimes all it takes is believing we are worthy, and many people suffer with an internal lack of worth. We are ALL fabulous, creative beings worthy of abundance, but we don’t all believe that about ourselves, now do we?

The second reason people get what they want, aside from certain skill sets, of course, is attitude. In fact, even with all the skills in the world, if you don’t think people will accept you or if you act in a way that turns people off and sends them away, you will not experience success. One exception is the absolutely brilliant – the prodigy – but this is rare and likely not you nor I. That salesperson at work may go out on 10 times more calls than you do, while you sit at your desk fearing rejection or summoning up the nerve to makes phone calls. That super athlete in high school may have spent his nights practicing his sport while the rest of you went partying. If not, there is still something inside that person that believes they will win, and this is crucial. Whatever happens, they believe they can overcome it and instead of looking at things as obstacles they see challenges to push right through.

How can this information help you? With one small tip, which will make dealing with setbacks and disappointments much easier for you. That tip is — decide ahead of time that you will bend and not break. This is not something many people give forethought to, and will help you immensely. In the heat of the moment when something you perceive as disappointing happens, it helps to have made a prior decision to roll with it. You will find strength and flexibility in your decision, and you will be able to draw on it in times of need.

Everything that happens can be looked at in many ways, and often things that happen turn out to have been in your highest interest, bringing you closer to that which you said you wanted. Having decided ahead of time that you will remain calm, and bounce back no matter what happens, you will soon be one of those people that others envy from afar!

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Whatever you want to achieve, there is usually someone who has blazed the trail before you. Often, however, when we start out on the journey to a new goal or career, we are tempted to ‘re-invent the wheel.’ This means trying to go about things differently than people have done before, to feel as if we are leaving our unique mark on things. This often adds months or even years to our learning – and earning – curve, and can also end up causing us to run out of time, patience, and/or money.

Instead, we need to trust: trust that the way has already been paved, not only by the Universe but by people who have gone ahead of us and can show us the way. If you meet a mentor, listen – really listen. Truly successful people are almost always thrilled to help someone just starting out, whatever the niche or category. Want to run a marathon? Find a veteran and ask intelligent questions. Considering starting a business? Find someone whose business model you admire and learn what you can from it.

Successful people will also invariably tell you that they themselves couldn’t have done it without their own mentors along the way. Even if you want to do something totally different than anyone has ever tried before, success itself leaves clues and many successful potential mentors will have wise words for you.

Life is too short to go it on your own and learn everything the hard way…you won’t learn nearly enough lessons nor climb enough mountains that way! Follow the clues that success leaves and move faster, more powerfully and with greater ease and many more triumphs.

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Some women want to be rich, others say they don’t. What about those who rely on their husbands to create and manage the money? Are they rich, or are the headed for disaster?

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, honey, rich is better.”
~ Sophie Tucker

For women who are already striving for riches, or at least financial independence, bravo! Be sure that your plan – even if includes your present sweetie – takes into account your future – as in, YOUR future and yours alone, should anything happen. Don’t be naive.

For those who aren’t thinking about their financial futures, the statistics are startling and you need to know them. According to the latest studies, nearly all elderly citizens living below the poverty line are female. Most are widows. Even more scary, most were doing well financially while their husbands are alive. You know that nightmare you have about ending up being the poor cat lady or even out on the streets? Well, this nightmare is coming true for waaay too many women. If you think this could never be you, then that is part of the problem.

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki write in ‘Why We Want You to be Rich,’ that there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor, and that millions of people who are relying on their spouses, their companies and the government are going to find themselves sorely out of luck. The facts are shocking, and a financial education is a must for every woman today.

OK, so now that you realize you must make plans for yourself, you have overcome the biggest hurdle, which is keeping your head in the sand. Next step, wealth! Well, it’s actually not that easy, but it IS simple. The decision to pursue wealth is the biggest step of all. From there on in, it’s all fun and games, meaning learning and applying. Have fun!

Of course, I’m not going to leave you alone in this pursuit. There are plenty of resources for women wishing to become empowered financially, and remember that in doing so, you can not only serve as a positive role model for all the young ladies in your life, but you can help many more people if that’s what moves you. Following are some suggestions as you travel your journey through financial freedom to wealth.

Reasons to become wealthy:

Give some deep thought to your reasons for becoming wealthy. The more you know yourself the better you’ll be able to focus on the task and let nothing stop you. Suggested reading includes the Trump/Kiyosaki mentioned above as well as:

Erin Pavlina article on what changed her mind – Are You Afraid to be Rich?
Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki

Wealth mentality:

How you feel about money is a complicated thing. For some food for thought, try the following:

Why You’re Dumb, Sick and Broke (and How to get Smart, Healthy and Rich!)
30 Days to Wealth – now with extra bonuses!
The Women & Money blog
The Breathing Prosperity blog

How to:

The ways of getting rich are as varied as the people who do so. The above resources will help you get started, and from there the sky’s the limit. For an initial boost, try books such as 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman

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If moving up the career ladder in your company is what you’re after, this article is for you. Honest advice is sometimes difficult to come by in the workplace, particularly when those around you have their own agendas and conflicts to deal with, as you’ll read below. Here are some things to consider that no one at work will ever tell you.

Decide what you want and behave accordingly

You won’t get anywhere at any company by standing around the water cooler complaining about the boss or the company. No one with ‘herd’ mentality ever shines or rises above the crowd, and you’ll need to move away from the herd if you want to do well. This does not mean you need to alienate your co-workers; to the contrary they can make things difficult for you if you do. It means you do not participate in any gossip or bashing, and you simply concentrate on working wisely. If you want to move up within your company, you need to clearly indicate this with your actions and work ethic.

Make an effort to understand your boss and deliver what is needed. Help your boss out in the ways which mean the most to him or her – this is crucial and means you need to be observant and thoughtful. You do not wish to alienate your boss either by outshining them to their own superiors, although this may seem like a good idea at first. You want to be seen as entirely dependable – the one to go to when someone wants a good job done. You want management to know that you understand their issues and that you work at their level of intellect and corporate awareness. Learn as much as you can about how your company works, and don’t just be someone who comes in and does the minimum each day and then goes home. If you want to be management, you need to think like management.

Dress with care

One of the biggest career killers is inappropriate dress. Have you ever seen the show What Not to Wear? Whether you like it or hate it, there is a smart career message in the show that you can take to heart. Often the chosen makeover subject will work for a company and they’ll interview the boss who says something like ‘I really like so and so and she does terrific work. Unfortunately, with the way she dresses I cannot promote her nor can I put her in front of customers because I’m worried about what they might think.’ Sometimes these bosses have tried, tactfully, to mention the dress issue to the employee and other times they have not. In either case people seem to be clueless that they are dressing inappropriately at work, and more importantly that it’s holding them back. As a rule, people tend to dress too casually, but take note: this is a huge career killer. Sure, people should appreciate you for who you are and the work you do, but that is not how the work world works. Even in the most casual of environments, business casual would be appropriate.

Remember that you don’t know what you don’t know – get a good book on dressing for career success and read it. Adjust accordingly. Believe me, the powers that be will notice. You will be showing respect for yourself, your company and your job, and it doesn’t matter what size the company is. Even someone who wears a uniform can do so with pride – clean shoes, hair and nails, washed and pressed uniform – and there’s always something you can improve. It could be the one thing holding oyu back from being noticed (in a positive way)!

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