2 Mantras That Help Me Get Through Tasks I Hate - The Muse

2 Mantras That Help Me Get Through Tasks I Hate - The Muse2 Mantras That Help Me Get Through Tasks I HateHave you ever had something on your to-do list that you just really didnt want to do? If your answer is yes, its OK. Because Ive definitely had those moments. In fact, for the past three months, Ive been actively avoiding two items on my list (like, um, balancing the budget for the grant I manage). Thinking about doing them sounds just as fun as listening to someone scrape their fingernails down a chalkboard for five whole minutes. But, at the end of each day, when I realize I cant cross them out yet again, I sigh and think, Geez, Im the most unproductive and worthless employee theres ever been. I dont have to tell you thats not exactly the healthiest mindset to have. But heres the thing. I have to do them. I cant just keep pretending they dont exist. And Im betting that you cant do that, either. So, Im here to save your day. Whenever I have to do something that I really, really, dont want to, I repeat these two mantras.This Will Eventually Be Over. This Will Eventually Be Over.In high school, I played on the soccer team. Each year, we had to do this drill called 120s. This consisted of sprinting the entire 120-yard field in under 17 seconds and jogging back under 30. 10 times in a row. I absolutely, hands down dreaded them. They were hard. They hurt. They took everything I had. But I knew that, if I wanted to make varsity and play well, I needed to do them. So, I changed my mindset. (Pretty advanced for a 14-year-old, eh?). I realized that, though each second of that drill would suck, it actually only lasted about 15 minutes. And you know what? Thats not a very long time at all. (Unless someone is dragging their nails down a chalkboard.)In the minutes leading up to the start time, Id think, These next 15 minutes are going to suck. But time keeps moving forward and, before I know it, itll be 16 minutes from now. And Ill be d-o-n-e. Id separate myself from ho w hard it was as much as I could, and Id focus on that 16th minute.So, when theres something you dont want to do, remind yourself that, eventually, itll be over. But you have to get started, first.Ill Feel So Much Better When I Get This Done. Ill Feel So Much Better When I Get This Done.When I finished my 120s, I felt like I was on top of the world. If youve ever heard of runners high, its like that, times 10. I felt fast, strong, and, most of all, relieved.While I havent done this drill for 10 years (though maybe I should), I still apply this mentality to certain areas of my life. Like when I want to work out before leaving for the office, but hitting snooze for 30 more minutes is so much more appealing. But I know for a fact that, unless I need the extra rest because Im sick or didnt sleep well, I will fell so much better if I just get my butt out of bed and lace up my sneakers. But this way of thinking isnt only useful for fitness purposes. Think about it- what feels better at th e end of the day? Feeling productive and accomplished or having the same old task hang above your head, taunting you? Im going to take a risk and say the first vorkaufsrechts preferable. You may not get a runners high, but youll probably get a dragging a line through that item once and for all high. So, go on, you. Go tackle that project youve been avoiding forever. Put it to rest for good- itll make you, your boss, and your team a whole lot happier. And just remember This will eventually be over, and, Ill feel so much better about myself when I finish this. You got this. Ill catch you next time- Im going to balance that budget now.

Sadness The surprising emotion that improves focus

Sadness The surprising emotion that improves focusSadness The surprising emotion that improves focusEverything youre about to read stspeciesed from a fractured tooth. Seriously. Its a bit embarrassing to share, but then, we all have our weak moments.Last year, a tooth in my upper jaw started to go south on me. It began as a slow ache and lind sensitivity to cold.I gutted it out, because I welches in the middle of moving my family from California to Nevada. In January, I finally saw the dentist. X-rays revealed a cracked filling.My dentist removed the old amalgam and fashioned a spiffy new crown, right there in his office. I paid my bill and whistled out the door. Problem solved.Until a month later. Suddenly, there welches pain again, and a sharp sensitivity to cold. So, back to the dentist. More X-rays, but no sign of a problem.X-rays dont pick up everything, John. Im referring you to an endodontist. He can drill through your new crown and do a root canal, my dentist said with a smil e.Great. It was all I could say.Its too unstableThe endodontist was a kind man with a gentle touch. He also figured out what was going on. Turns out, the problem was not my new crown but the tooth behind it. It had a fracture.An hour into the subsequent root canal, the endodontist said, John, I just found a second fracture in this tooth. I dont think its a candidate for a crown. Its too unstable. Im going to refer you to an oral surgeon for extraction.Swell, I mumbled, as the assistant provided mora suction.A week later, I was getting generous amounts of novocaine speared into my jaw by the smiling oral surgeon. Okay, it wasnt a spear, but it was a substantial needle.The oral surgeon explained that hed drill apart the tooth, and then extract each of the three roots.I know, doesnt that just sound special?My creativity intensifiedI should add that during all of this, I was still getting over a bad head cold. My ears were plugged up, and I wasnt feeling my best.At one point, the drilli ng got intense. Even though there was no pain, the rattling in my head was magnified by my plugged up ears. And then the surgeon gripped part of the tooth and I could hear him cracking away at it.This didnt really happen, but it felt like it.I had to hold my hand up and gesture for him to stop. It was totally weird. I felt this wave of anxiety and sadness. I started thinking about the fact that this tooth has been with me all my life. And now, its getting ripped out of my jaw.Its silly, I know. I think the fact I wasnt feeling well amplified my emotions. You know how sometimes, when youre home with the flu, it seems like Hallmark movies can just destroy you? Perhaps illness brings our feelings closer to the surface?Eventually, I calmed down and waived the surgeon on. He finished in short order, they stuffed gauze in my mouth, I paid the bill, and that was that.The surgeon called me that night to ask how I was doing. I said fine because there was no pain. But strangely, a little part of me was still down. Like I was mourning my lost tooth, or lamenting the aging process.The unexpected part in all of this is that my creativity intensified. Somehow, this mild melancholy fueled a lot of creative ideas. I jotted them down in my journal, pleased with the flow of thoughts and epiphanies.It feels so good to hurt so badWe live in a culture enamored with happiness. We read blog posts on how to be happier. We watch movies and long for happy endings.Theres nothing wrong with happiness. We all long for well-being and relief from lifes challenges and hardships. None of us want to suffer with prolonged sadness.But sometimes, we want a little sadness. A bit of melancholy in a movie. A sad, touching novel. A song that conjures past emotions of loss, or a breakup, or lingering emotions.Elton John sang about sadness in his song Sad Songs (Say So Much).The song lyrics contain the followingIf someone else is suffering enough oh to write it downWhen every single word makes senseThe n its easier to have those songs aroundThe sto inside is in the line that finally gets to youAnd it feels so good to hurt so badAnd suffer just enough to sing the bluesSadness is a universal emotion. When writers, musicians, artists and actors invoke sadness in their work, it helps us connect with our own feelings.Sometimes, we just need to take a break and have a good cry. Let out the pent up frustration and unhappiness. Sad movies, books and songs help us do that. Its like we need that time out, to purge our demons. Afterward, we usually start feeling better.The unexpected thing about sadness is that it benefits us in several ways, not the least of which is improved focus.The power of sadnessAccording to an article by marriage and family therapist Betty TulliusStudies have shown that, contrary to being a useless emotion, sadness is beneficial to us in ways that actually enhance our well-being. Joseph Paul Forgas, Ph.D., has discovered that when we are sad, we can remember details more accurately, have better judgment, and have more motivation than when we are happy. This seems to be due in part to sadness functioning as a signal that something is not right, making us more attentive to detail, more alert to social cues, and/or more motivated to make changes.I know theres truth to this, because when my father passed away, I had to handle everything. The life insurance, notifications, obituary, memorial, burial, finances, his estate, and more. Throughout the whole ordeal, despite my sadness, I was razor focussed.Another time, a former mentor of mine passed away. He was a retired police chief I used to work for. When he died, I was serving as police chief, and responsible for arranging his entire memorial service.The auffhrung required weeks of planning, including bagpipes, honor guard, flag ceremony, speakers, parking, family coordination and more. Despite my sadness, I was on top of my game in every aspect. I had complete focus.Betty Tullius notesEmbracing sad ness, on the other hand, helps us identify what is wrong and promotes thinking of ways to cope with and heal from difficult experiences. It allows us to know ourselves better and increases our empathy for others. Talking about the feeling connects us, elicits support, and brings more meaning to our relationships. We do not have to do anything to begin this process because when we experience difficulties, sadness prompts us to slow down and feel, which is exactly what we need to do to heal.In the article Four Ways Sadness May Be Good for You, psychologist Joseph P. Forgas notesSad people are more focused on external cues and will not rely solely on their first impressions, which happy people are more inclined to trust.Forgas goes on to writeSad people are less prone to judgmental errors, are more resistant to eye-witness distortions, are sometimes more motivated, and are more sensitive to social norms. They can act with more generosity, too.Who knew that sadness enhanced focus, menta l acuity, greater sensitivity and even generosity? Maybe sadness temporarily interrupts the ebullient chatter in our brains, thus settling into a calmer (albeit sadder) state.Its important to draw a distinction between occasional sadness and prolonged depression. The latter requires the right care and treatment.Forgas sums up the benefits of occasional sadness with the following observationPerhaps that is why, even though feeling sad can be hard, many of the greatest achievements of Western art, music, and literature explore the landscape of sadness. In everyday life, too, people often seek ways to experience sadness, at least from time to time - by listening to sad songs, watching sad movies, or reading sad books.A lighter heartYears ago, I came across a slender novel in a bookstore. It was The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks. It was the book that launched Nicholas Sparks writing career.I read a bit of the beginning, and ended up purchasing the book. I found the entire story very mov ing. Heres an excerpt from the novelI am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and Ive led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but Ive loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.. ?Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)Reading The Notebook tapped my emotions. It made me feel moments of sadness. It made me reflect on the nature of relationships and love. The sadness it brought out in me informed some of my creative projects.Not everyone cares for sad novels or Hallmark movies. Sometimes they can become excessively sentimental. But when a novel, song, piece of art or movie gets it right with sadness, it can truly connect with us. It can change our lives.The next time sadness alights on your shoulders, take heart. It happens to all of us from time to time. Heck, it happened to me during a tooth extractionThe good news is that sadness can sharpen your focus. Maybe eve n lead you to creative breakthroughs with your work.So go ahead, read that sad novel. Listen to that mournful song. Bawl your eyes out to that melancholy movie. Your focus will improve, youll purge those bad feelings, and eventually emerge with a lighter heart.- - - One last thingIm John P. Weiss. I paint landscapes, draw cartoons and write about life. Get on my free email listherefor the latest cartoons and blog posts.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

How to See Who Viewed Your LinkedIn Profile

How to See Who Viewed Your LinkedIn ProfileHow to See Who Viewed Your LinkedIn ProfileLinkedIn has become one of the most popular online platforms for social, career and job-related networking. Are you interested in knowing who has been checking you out on LinkedIn? The information you can find out depends on whether you have a free membership account or a paid, premium membership that comes with certain features. In either case, you must set your privacy settings to make your profile visible so that viewers can binnensee your name and headline. This also allows the site to track information regarding people that have viewed your posted information. Heres how to adjust your settings to see who has viewed your LinkedIn profile. Free LinkedIn Accounts If you have a free account and elect to display your name and headline, youll be able to see up to five results of who has viewed your profile, the number of visits to your profile, and the number of times youve appeared in search res ults. The information you can see regarding people whove viewed you depends on how they have designated their own privacy settings. If they have set name and headline you should see their name, job title, and employer. If they have elected to stay partially anonymous then you can see limited information like title and industry, or company only. In cases where they have elected to be totally anonymous, you will see only LinkedIn Member or Someone from the United States. Premium LinkedIn Accounts Premium users get to see an unlimited number of people who have visited their profile and other information like trends in viewership and industry representation. However, premier users will still not see any additional information about viewers who have restricted access via their own privacy settings. Where to See Your Profile Views The information about who has viewed your profile appears in the section called Your Dashboard on your profile page. Up to 5 results of who has viewed y our profileNumber of visits to your profileNumber of times youve appeared in search results You may start wondering who has checked you out on LinkedIn and what to do when someone views your profile. Should you message them or connect with them, or not? What, if anything, can you do to capitalize on those who have looked at your profile? It could be a hiring manager youd be thrilled to hear from, someone who could help you network your way to a new job at a desirable company, or an old colleague youd love to get back in touch with. When you see the connection and understand why they viewed yo or how they found your profile, youll have mora information to help you decide if or how to respond. Should You Contact Someone Who Views Your Profile? Reaching out to viewers with whom you have a logical connection seems more natural than responding to a random person who has no obvious reason to look at your profile. For example, you might have graduated from the saatkorn college in the s ame time period or with a similar major. Maybe you shared a previous employer, although at different times or in different locations, lived in the same area, have lots of common contacts or belong to the same professional organization. If you reach out, you dont necessarily have to mention that they viewed your profile, and they may not even remember doing so, in your outreach communication. You can focus on your common bond and why you would like to connect with them. When Youre Not Sure Why They Were Looking Keep in mind the fact that viewers without an obvious connection may have accidentally clicked on your profile. Sometimes, as people search for someone, they may click on the profile of someone else with that same name, for example. Thus, if you have absolutely no professional or personal connection with the person, you might simply want to ignore them. However, if you see that they work for a company for which you have an interest, or if you find some other point of conne ction, you might want to message them. After all, typically the worst outcome is that they ignore you, so you have little to lose except maybe some of your allotted messages, depending on your LinkedIn account level. In your communication, make it clear why youd like to connect, including how you might be helpful to them. You can either reference their viewing of your profile or simply state your reason for reaching out based on their background. When to Reach Out You dont want it to seem like youre stalking people who check you out on LinkedIn, so take a breather and dont reach out immediately after a person views your profile. Waiting a day or two makes sense. If the person contacted you accidentally, they probably wont remember. If its a recruiter or hiring manager, you dont want to give the impression that youre desperate and immediately pouncing on everyone who views your profile. What to Say in Your LinkedIn Message If you do mention that the viewer has visited your pr ofile, you might state something like, I noticed that you had stumbled upon my profile and as I checked out your profile I was intrigued to see that our careers have some interesting parallels. I would love to chat with you about This way, you acknowledge a common interest between the two of you and provide a reason for possibly furthering the connection. If you do decide to reach out, review these tips for sending LinkedIn messages and invitations before you connect.

Cashing In at Dow Jones

Cashing In at Dow JonesCashing In at Dow JonesA software developer focuses his job search on financial services and lands a job at Dow Jones.Sameer Kohli knew it was time for a change when his former employer, digital marketing company 24/7 Real Media, was acquired by communications-services firm WPP in May 2007.You just know when your company is taken over by a larger firm that theyre going to make lots of changes, Kohli said, and that was one of the main reasons I decided to leave.Kohli, 35, had been working on multiplatform digital-marketing and search tools as a software developer for 24/7 Real Media. He said hed always known hed pursue a career in software development, and has been working in the field for about 11 years.The Ewing, N.J., resident began his search for a new punkt in a fairly traditional way networking with colleagues and registering on Internet job search sites like Monster.com and Dice.com.Kohli said while his resume generated sporadic interest from these sites, he knew he had to jumpstart his search. He decided to focus his efforts on opportunities in the financial-services market and signed up at a site called eFinancialCareers.com to pursue lucrative financial-services software opportunities. But he said despite these efforts, he wasnt getting far.My search was going OK, I guess. But I knew I needed to have more focus if I wanted to move into a career in the finance industry, he said.Doubling down on financial servicesKohli signed up as a member of TechnologyLadder to hone his search. He said perseverance and his focus only on software and financial services really made a difference, and he began to notice an increase in the number of responses his resume generated.I knew where my career path was going, and I knew I just needed to get more focused on this area, he said.That intensity paid off, and Kohli landed a job with Dow Jones, headquartered in New York. The company also has an amtsstube in South Brunswick, N.J. close to Kohlis home .Thriving in a troubled industryKohli has now been in his position as an application development consultant with Dow Jones for about a year. Despite the recent economic turbulence, he said he sees incredible opportunity in a market some may write off as doomed.Whatever your area of expertise is in software, the sector is going to keep growing, he said. Even as companies are laying off personnel and shuttering projects in non-business-critical areas, he said new opportunities are opening up for developers who can bring cutting-edge software to market and help businesses create efficiencies and save money.Kohli cites as an example a former Dow Jones colleague in fact, the very person whod hired him who was laid off recently. He said that colleague was let go after a 15-year tenure at Dow Jones but was able to land a higher-paying, higher-level position as vice president of software development for PR Newswire.Because of his skills, that layoff was a great thing for him, since he was able to move up the ladder and get a better position for himself, Kohli said.Predicting a demand for skills and specialtiesAnalysts predict heavy declines in IT spending in the financial services industry for 2009 as firms slash budgets for costly projects including infrastructure and software. Despite projections of spending drops between 4 percent and 15 percent, analysts say there are some growth areas in outsourcing and integration services and for companies serving smaller commercial banks.Most financial-services firms will remain focused on cost-cutting while putting off or eliminating projects like enterprise risk-management systems or upgrades to customer management systems, according to analysis from The Tower Group, a Massachusetts-based analyst firm.Financial-services companies will seek technologies that enhance their ability to predict market conditions and mitigate risk, and analysts also predict that as the megabanks fail, mergers and acquisitions will spur greater d emand for integration services and related software.Outsourcing, too, may see a resurgence as banks look for other ways to cut personnel costs, according to a November 2008 report by Financial Insights, a subsidiary of IDC research focused on the financial-services industry.Software is a pretty safe market, despite the economy, even in financial services, Kohli said. While layoffs in the industry were widespread and even affected his new company, Kohli said hes confident in his position and his skills.

Secret Techniques for Reseume That Only Handful of People Know

Secret Techniques for Reseume That Only Handful of People Know This is a particularly great idea in case you have lots of work history. Most men and women look at writing a resume as just something youve got to do to have a job. Now that you know what things to put on your resume, lets at a few matters you should leave off if youd like to acquire interviews. If you graduated quite a long time ago, dont hesitate to leave the dates off. The truth is, obtaining a simple personal site that highlights your abilities and more importantly your personality go a ways to creating a 3 dimensional persona for the hiring manager. Well, regardless of what stage youre in your career, youre likely to should understand how to make a resume for a job interview and we will demonstrate how Each time you submit an application for a new job, check your resume to make sure that it is not only targeted, but in addition current. A two-page resume could be appropriate in case you have lots of work exp erience. If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Reseume DONT simply list the tasks which you had to regularly complete in each individual role. If you have a specific language ability that might be relevant to an employer, you may include an abilities or languages section with that info. If you want to relocate for work, you fruchtwein likely already know its most effective to leave your present address off your resume. Because the reply to this question will be different based on the sort of employer and the sort of organization, this question is best addressed in an individual counseling appointment. Finally, you would like to attempt to strike a balance between including experience thats both timely and relevant. Learn about the three sorts of skills you are able to highlight and the way you are able to incorporate them into your resume. While all resumes should offer information on your work and education experience, together with your abilities and accompl ishments, there are various ways to present this info. A modern resume ought to be simple to read and attractively designed. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Reseume The medical industry can be quite competitive. Various kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a lot of the exact same skills. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. When theres a frequent acronym or abbreviation for a term in your industry, be certain to spell it out at least one time in your resume, in the event the individual reading your resume isnt familiarized with the abbreviation. Use these seven simple measures to create a resume to continue to keep yours current and prepared to send if you receive a call from a recruiter, or find work that youd like to get hired for and need to apply for it immediately. Possessing a strong resume will permit you find quite a few great jobs. Transportation jobs involve plenty of responsibility and your resume will w ant to reflect you can manage that. You have to invest time into each application and be certain that your resume is tailored to every employer and the job which youre applying to. Researching the business and the work description, and including appropriate keyword phrases and phrases, are vital to your success. Job seekers deserve to discover decent content quickly. Include your complete name, telephone number, emaille and personal branding website if youve got one. The format chosen will be dependent on your intended reader and the objective you would like to realize. When you have written and organized your information according to the sort of resume youve chosen, be certain to format it according to typical professional standards. In the event the info is older, you risk using information that isnt eligible. Key Pieces of Reseume Its possible for you to use our resume building software to produce your own from scratch. You dont need to start from scratch. Well, a part of software analyzes your resume for sure keyword phrases and provides you a score based how well your resume matches a predetermined collection of keywords chosen by the business youre interviewing with. Utilizing a resume template is getting an acceptable and smart practice for numerous reasons.

All About How to Be Professional Writing a Resume

All About How to Be Professional Writing a Resume Thus if youre trying to receive a task ( elend just any undertaking, but the job which you want), make koranvers that you do things right and learn how to earn a superb continue. Well, when you havent receive any suitable one, its matter of time my pals, just believe that, soon you are going to be able to have any job you desire. If youre going for a more creative job, then dont be scared to think beyond the box. Besides experience in the area, working in a news room will supply you with the chance to work with a complete staff. You need to be able to illustrate a comprehension of the companys corporate culture. Even if are dealing with buddies, you should differentiate between daily life and company. Writing in the industry world isnt a location for jargons and daily phrases. Professional services always guarantee they hire experienced writers who know of the present demands of the business. Ok, I Think I Understand How to Be Professional Writing a Resume, Now Tell Me About How to Be Professional Writing a Resume Professional writing is a tough job to master for many. Writing a continue is super easy once you find some basic measures. Writing your resume professionally for job application might be a challenging task for everyone. Writing a strong application is really a challenging procedure and wed love to make it simpler. The Characteristics of How to Be Professional Writing a Resume Journalism is complicated, and at times messy. Resume Writing Kerala services will make sure your CV gets the exceptional attention of the readers. Youre going to want to think about the form of work you truly chance to be considering being hired that you do. Other individuals discover that professional writing courses online provide the flexibility they need to have the ability to learn and write when theyre really switched on. Be Professional Having no work experience doesnt indicate youre unqualified. R esume Writing At some point in everybodys life, it will become essential to obtain work. How to Be Professional Writing a Resume Ideas Frequently, employers receive hundreds of applicants each year and several are tossed aside for a variety of reasons, therefore, so as to compose a CV that wont be thrown out you should learn a few basics. If youre asking for a work position within Ontario or Canada, look no more Therefore, writing a resume is about being aware of what employers specifically search for in an applicants application. Getting your very first job in a new industry can be an intimidating process. If you wish to land a new job livecareer will be able to help you craft a standout resume. Use the Best Resume for Your Situation There are many standard kinds of resumes used to make an application for job openings. Well, that and whether you truly wish to get that job. Attempt never to locate an awesome job when youre unemployed. Though some work application writers could possibly be a little more costly than others, it doesnt signify you will need to prevent them. If youre one among many your CV had better be outstanding if you want an opportunity to shine during your interview. The absolute most important issue to consider about when youre creating your first resume is your job objectives and your audience. You will get awesomely optimized resumes and youll make your everyday life simpler Professional writing is entirely different from ordinary writing, and therefore you need to brush up your writing skills. Last but not the least, be certain to edit and re-edit your resume as soon as you are finished with writing it. Writing as a journalist is, essentially, among the most troublesome kinds of writing you could make an effort to tackle. Youre not writing to clearly show your writing skills, in reality youre writing to pass the necessary information to others.