Tackling Your To-Do List 5 Ways to Combat Stress

Tackling Your To-Do List 5 Ways to Combat Stress Are you swamped? The word itselfâ€"swampedâ€"is quite unpleasant. It embodies all sorts of clichés: you’re in over your head; you’re in deep; you’re in a bad place, and you might not make it out. But unpleasantries aside, why do you feel so swamped? We’re willing to bet it’s because you have too much to doâ€"more than you can even possibly get done. And yet, important people and important things are relying on your herculean efforts to somehow manage the impossible. Well, it turns out, you’re not alone. Our latest study shows that when it comes to managing our time and to-do lists, we’re habitually overcommitted and overwhelmed. Of the 1,353 people we surveyed, 3 out of 5 agreed that they have more to accomplish than they can actually do in the time they have available. Another 1 in 5 say they have reached their limit and can’t possibly commit to more. And it turns out, our tendency to say yes to more than we can manage isn’t a fluke. In fact, 1 in 3 say they ALWAYS have more tasks in front of them than they can actually get done, and 2 in 3 say they USUALLY find themselves in this same predicament. But why do we put ourselves in such an uncomfortable and precarious position? According to the research, the top 5 reasons people attribute for their overgrown to-do lists include: A desire to be helpful, accommodating, and polite. The tendency to jump in and fix problems, even when they aren’t theirs. Ambiguous limits and unclear rules about which tasks to accept or reject. Working with those in authority who make non-negotiable demands. An inability to say “no” or renegotiate commitments. Our own observation over the years suggests this over-commitment epidemic is also the result of poorly-designed workflow management systems in a world that runs on the mantra: do more with less. Too many of us don’t have a system for organizing the various inputs that fly at us each and every day. And without a system designed to capture and organize incoming tasks and the skills to negotiate commitments, you’re bound to find yourself a victim of an impossible to-do list. Unless and until you take control of this system, you’ll continue to frantically spin your wheels and still only make a dent in that ever-growing list of commitments. And an impossible to-do list isn’t just exhausting, it also takes a toll on our emotional health. According to the study, people report feeling stressed, worried, anxious, overwhelmed, and even defeated as they look at their inflated list and regret agreeing to so much in the first place. The most alarming side effect is perhaps that people feel like they can’t be really presentâ€"meaning when they are with the people and things that matter most, they are multitasking or thinking about other tasks. But there is a solution. With just a few skills, it’s possible to regain control of your to-do list while also reducing stress. In fact, there are a small number of self-management practices that can have a profound impact. When you learn to manage your workload quickly and efficiently, you’ll not only take control of your to-do list but also avoid the weight and anxiety that comes with carrying an impossible workload. Below are five productivity practices that if adopted will help you realize these benefits while regaining control of your to-do list. 1. Collect everything that owns your attention Capture all commitments, tasks, ideas, and projects in an external place rather than keeping them in your head. Use just a few “capture tools” you keep with you all the time such as lists, apps, email, etc. 2. Do a Commitment audit Capture all of your commitments on one page. Then go down the list and decide which to-dos you will do, which you’ll decline, and which you’ll renegotiate. There’s no way you can do them all in the time given; be realistic about what you can and will do. 3. Identify Next Actions Most people are extra overwhelmed by their lists because they are filled with vague things like “Budget” or “2019 Event.” These large projects repulse us rather than motivate us to act. Clarify youre to-dos down to the very next action; the smallest behavior you’ll take to start moving toward closure. Sometimes the key to breaking a habit of procrastination is making the action smaller until you want to do it. 4. Do more of the right things by reflecting in the right moments Rather than diving into your messy inbox first thing, take two minutes to review your calendar and your action lists. This reflection ensures you make the best decisions about how to use your time. 5. Review weekly Keep a sacred, non-negotiable meeting with yourself every week to re-sync, get current, and align your daily work and projects with your higher-level priorities. About the authors:  Justin Hale  is a speaker, training designer, and Master Trainer at VitalSmarts, a leader in corporate training. He has been a lead engineer in designing the VitalSmarts edition of Getting Things Done ®  Training and has facilitated the course and delivered keynote speeches on the skills and principles of stress-free productivity to clients and audiences across North America. Brittney Maxfield  is the Senior Director of Content Marketing at VitalSmarts. She has lead publicity and marketing efforts for the company’s line of New York Times bestsellers and award-winning training courses for the past 13 years.

Writing Resume With College Name Has Changed

Writing Resume With College Name Has ChangedAlthough your college name has been changed, it may still be very easy to write a good resume if you use the same format as before. This does not mean that you need to rewrite your entire resume, just make some changes and include all of the information from your new college.You may have a lot of questions about the change in your college name. After all, if your old college was a member of a certain college organization or recognized by other colleges, why is your new school now a part of another one? In most cases, it is simply a matter of the higher-ups deciding which school would best serve your current career. They do not, however, make the decision solely based on what is 'cool' or what everyone else is doing.Your old college probably had all of the programs that you were looking for at your old school, but it may not have everything you wanted from another school. One reason for this is because your previous school may have only offe red certain programs and none of the ones you were seeking. Your new school will be able to offer you the programs you are looking for, though.It is also very easy to fix the formatting and grammar on your resume if you know what to do first before you even start writing it. For example, you might want to delete the spellings of your previous name and insert your new one. When this is done, you can move your previous college's name up to the top of the resume and attach your current university's letterhead to the right side.The letterhead should be on the top left side of the page and it should include a big circle around it. The letterhead should be centered and it should be either black or red, depending on the color of your old college. The writing you use on your resume will depend on how serious you are about your career. In other words, if you want to impress potential employers, you will have to write a more formal form of your resume, regardless of whether your college has c hanged its name.The design of your resume for your new college should be fairly close to the design of your old one. However, it is important to keep the formatting similar so that people reading your resume will understand what your new college is about. You will want to use all of the formats, such as bullets, underlined text, headers, bullet points, etc.Do not forget to include any other information that is related to your career and this should all be in the resume. For example, you should be honest about your occupation or special skill. If you did not go back to school, you should write that down in your resume.Since you may have already paid a hefty price by changing your college, it is still very important to write a resume that is accurate. When you have worked hard to earn a degree, you deserve the job that can only be found with your degree.

How to Work With a Client You Dont Like - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Work With a Client You Don’t Like - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We deal with all types of people when we are working and some of them may not be very easy to work with. When you have a client that you feel will give a hard time, try to implement the below tactics for a smoother mode of operation. Be Professional: You don’t need to be friends with your client to do your job. Obviously, it would be much better if your client is someone that you can work with easily and in a friendly way. However, in real life, unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen and sometimes we need to deal with people whom we cannot get along with well. In these types of situations, it is best to keep in mind that you are a professional and you are here to do your job and won’t see this person in your personal life. Separate your emotions from your work and treat this person neutrally. You don’t need to chit chat or try to make jokes during work or meetings, just talk to him/her about work and tell him/her what you need to and don’t go beyond that. Write Down Everything: In order not to encounter any problems with your client in the future, make sure to write everything down in a detailed way. Especially, when you are working with clients that are not very understanding, writing down everything gains more importance than ever. Create a project plan with milestones and deadlines. Explain him/her how the work will flow and how you prefer to receive feedback about your work. Also, don’t forget to add how you will handle the change requests. If you mutually set the expectations in advance, it would be much easier both for you and your client to work throughout the project. Delegate some of the Work: Build yourself a great team if you have a chance. You don’t need to be the only person doing the work, delegate some parts of the work to your teammates. Let other people share your responsibility. For example, don’t feel obligated to attend all of the client meetings; your coworkers can handle them without you as well. Don’t get caught up only in this project and step away from it from time to time.

Kick the Negative Nancys to the Curb

Kick the Negative Nancys to the Curb As I sit here and write this blog while I watch my boyfriend play his Sunday night hockey game, I realize I’m not the best at balancing all that goes on in my life. Instead of bringing my laptop, I should have written this post a while ago and enjoyed watching the game. More often than not, I feel guilty that I let myself work too late on weeknights and sometimes on the weekends and I don’t spend enough time doing what makes me happy…. which basically boils down to not spending enough time with the important people in my life. Because I’m working really hard to move up the corporate ladder and make a positive name for myself, I’m quickly learning that I don’t have a lot of time for unnecessary drama and crap that is often associated with the “Negative Nancys” of the world. When I have free time, I’d rather spend it with people who make me happy, encourage me to face my fears, and support me when I’m up against a new challenge. Not with people who, as soon as they open their mouths, you know a complaint is on the way. A few years back, I read an article about how you’ll be much more successful in your career and life in general if you chose to remove the negative people from your everyday surroundings. I instantly thought, “Well, I don’t have any negative people in my life. I guess I just know how to pick ‘em!” But after really thinking about it, I realized that I too often catch myself being stressed out and losing sleep over something that is completely avoidable. Removing the negative influences in your life can be difficult and can take time. Sometimes you’re forced to spend all day with an ever-complaining coworker and other times it takes you a while to realize that a friend really just isn’t being a friend anymore. You’re right, it sucks. But it’s worth it. Seeking positive influence and being a positive influence in another person’s life is essential to your career for two main reasons: For starters, you have a strong support system, giving you more confidence to do the things you may be hesitant to take on or are afraid of failing. More importantly, you’ll learn from them how to be a better friend, a supportive coworker, and eventually a great mentor. Seeing that I’ve got about 45 years until retirement, it’s not going to be easy to keep away from the Negative Nancys. Sometimes you have a terrible day and it’s hard to see the positives, but just remember that the next day you can start all over again. Dont become a Nancy yourself. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to look back at my career and know that while I was (hopefully) awesome at what I chose to do, I established great friendships, helped my colleagues when I could, and built a career that others aspire to have. Lets continue to work hard and cheers to all the Positive Pollys!

Why to Put Into Practice Resume Writing 101

Why to Put Into Practice Resume Writing 101When it comes to writing a resume, the most important thing is to know what the proper methods are and how to do it. There are hundreds of websites that offer a variety of help in writing resumes. Some of these websites also provide templates, meaning that you can easily make your resume online. The problem that many people have is that they just copy and paste whatever is there, instead of doing the things that are required to write a successful resume.It is easy to write an otherwise great resume if you follow the common error of including information that is not needed. There is certain information that you cannot include, which means that you will need to know how to find them. This is the most crucial aspect of writing a good resume.Job searching is a serious business and you should be very careful in this matter. Remember that no matter how nice your resume looks, if you forgot to include important information, the employer will be abl e to figure out that you did not put much effort into your resume. If you do not give your employer or recruiter's the entire picture, then they will be able to judge the kind of person you are. The recruiter will judge this on the basis of how much effort you put into the resume, and they are trained to spot the fake ones.The first step in creating an effective resume is to read it through before you write anything. You will see that there are some details that are omitted that are quite important. And so, you will need to focus on these and include these details as they are required.The next step is to match the things that you need to include in your resume with the things that the employer is looking for. To do this, you will need to spend some time reading over your resume and fixing any inconsistencies in it.In most cases, a resume will contain only one objective. The employer has one objective and yours should be the same. All the other details will have to be explained later by the employer when you sit down for the interview.Remember that a resume writing does not just stop at the writing part. While you are writing the resume, you need to constantly update it. This means that you need to make sure that the information is not outdated.It is important to have fresh and relevant information in your resume. A resume that has been out of date for too long is useless. The information should be fresh and informative, with all the details readily available.

Heres Why You Shouldnt Take a Job Offer

Here's Why You Shouldn't Take a Job Offer Photo Credit- Lifed.comIt’s natural to get excited when you’re offered a job. But keep in mind that jumping too quickly at an offer might be a bad move.If you feel like you should take the job because another opportunity might not come along soon, or the effort you put into submitting an application and going through the interview process was too much, your natural response will be to say yes.But wait for a second at this point and take a step back to look for potential warning signs before accepting the job offer.evalIf you accept the job offer too soon, you might end up losing another and potentially better one. And you don’t want to end up feeling that you’ve stepped into a position that is a bad fit for you.That’s why you should never ignore potential red flags â€" getting a job that doesn’t fit you will only lead you to anxiety and stress.Here are some excellent reasons why you should think twice before taking a job offer.1. It has been advertised for a whileWhen hun ting for jobs, you might be going through job boards every single day. You’ll probably see that job post that keeps on popping up. At some point, after experiencing disappointment from other applications, you may decide to apply for the position.Remain open but inquisitive during your interview. Make sure to ask all the essential questions to discover why the job remained vacant for such a long time.It is essential to do that before accepting the job offer. Some job posts appear all the time on boards because the jobs are too demanding or the company is unable to find someone who can perform to their satisfaction.2. The hiring manager seems not to like the company muchWhen you’re invited to a job interview, it pays to carefully observe the hiring manager’s attitude toward their own company. If they are excited and happy, the chances are high that their job satisfaction level is high and they enjoyed working for the company.evalIf, on the other hand, the recruiter seems miserab le or bored, it might be that the company doesn’t do much to add to the professional happiness of its employees. If you’d like to make a career, you should probably avoid that place.3. Everyone is newIf the company to which you applied has been around for some time and you see a lot of new employees, consider that a warning sign. If the company fails to retain old employees, it means that it doesn’t provide the kind of stability in the work environment people usually look for.It can be lack of perks or growth opportunities. Bad company culture or management contributes to that situation as well. You don’t want to get involved in a place that doesn’t provide you with everything you need to make your career grow.4. The recruiters are overselling the jobIf you get the sense that the recruiter is trying to convince you that this is the job of your dreams, prepare for trouble. Are they making a lot of promises?evalFor example, that you will be your own boss? Consider that as a sign that the position is very hard to fill â€" even if you’re applying for a managerial position and have a lot of professional experience, that type of attitude is not justified because you will need time to adapt.Moreover, this situation is bizarre because during an interview it is the candidate’s job to convince the company that they are the right fit, not the other way around.5. The company asks you to pay for somethingIf recruiters suggest that you pay for anything, for example, to have your background checked or to be trained, stop taking the company seriously.Most serious organizations will be happy to pay you also during your training, so if you are ever asked to give money for anything during the interviewing process, that might be a scam. At this point, it’s better for you to turn around and leave.6.The company seems to have no business goalsRunning the company requires a lot of energy and creativity. People who start their own companies usually have a clear idea ab out what they want to do and how their business will grow. That is a sign of professionalism and proper management. If a company knows where they are headed, consider it a good sign.But if you just received a job offer from a company that seems to be completely lost without having any idea where it’s going, consider it as a red flag. Do the company goals keep changing or the company tends to shift from one target to another?That could mean that it is run by people who are bad entrepreneurs. You don’t want to become part of that type of organization.7.Employees seem unhappyIf you visit the office during the interviewing process, have a close look at the atmosphere in that workplace. Do you feel high energy and enthusiasm? That’s a sign that employees are happy and can grow professionally here.However, if you’re interviewing for a company where everyone passes you by without even looking at you, it’s best to reconsider the job offer. Company culture is an elusive thing, and it’s not easy for the hiring manager to communicate it clearly.evalThat’s why you should ask them for a tour of the office. Observing employees, you will be able to determine how they spend time and whether they are enthusiastic about the job.8. The employer openly criticizes employeesWhen it comes to communicating with strangers, an employer should always stand by their employees. Supporting their team in this way is a sign of proper project management.If you hear current employees being badmouthed during your interview, this is a sign you should still stay away from that company.In order to grow in the workplace, you will be required to support your manager, and if they are not supportive from the very beginning, your future might be problematic in that place.You will feel more anxious and stressed in an environment where your supervisor second-guesses your work. But most importantly, you will never grow into the professional you want to become.evalThese signs show that even i f the job offer seems interesting, there are many other things you should take into account before accepting it.Even if you’re enthusiastic about the opportunity or afraid that this might be your only chance to land a job, think twice and consider these warning signs.You don’t want to end up at a workplace that makes you feel miserable and doesn’t enable you to grow professionally.

4 Unusual Ways You Can Prepare for a Job Interview

4 Unusual Ways You Can Prepare for a Job Interview 8 Flares 8 Flares There are hundreds if not thousands of articles across the internet professing to reveal the secrets of giving the perfect interview. There is so much information out there that it is incredible that anyone ever gets turned down for a job at all! After all, arent we all experts now? Well although you might be well versed in the basics of how to interview well, there are a few lesser known tactics that could be the difference between a good interview and a great one. Read on as PSR Solutions, civil engineering jobs in London specialists, reveal five unusual ways for you to prepare. Visualize Your Success This may sound all a bit new age and ridiculous, but believe it or not imagining yourself giving the perfect, confident interview can actually help to ensure that you do. Now of course this is no substitute for preparing thoroughly and learning everything you can about the role and the company, but it can be a great addition that builds on the confidence that thorough preparation can provide. Find a quiet place to sit by yourself, close your eyes and mentally rehearse responses to the questions you think they are going to ask, imagining yourself speaking with confidence, poise and impressing your interviewers. Get Warmed-up Do warm-ups? Im not interviewing to be a long distance runner! we hear you cry. However, performing some gentle exercise on the morning of your interview (make sure you leave yourself enough time to shower, of course!) can help to reduce tension as well as focus your mind vital if you suffer from pre-interview nerves Theres no need to do anything too strenuous just going for a walk or some light stretching can be enough but youll feel the benefit when it comes to your interview. Check Your Personal Hygiene You are probably well aware that you should shower on the day of your interview, but making sure youre not going to put your prospective employer off with poor personal hygiene goes further than that. Make sure you brush your teeth in the morning (as well as after your lunch if youve got an afternoon interview), while it is also worth carrying some mints with you to ensure your breath is fresh. Wed also advise interviewees to wash their hands just before their interview begins to rid themselves of any clammy hands brought about by pre-interview nerves. Conversely, dont lay the perfume/aftershave on too thick you dont want your potential new boss to be coughing up your Chanel No. 5 as soon as they meet you! Mirror your Interviewer Have you ever seen one of those TV shows that explain what body language means? Well unconsciously copying someones actions is Body Language 101, but did you realise you can do it deliberately for similar results? If they lean forward, lean forward; if they lean backwards, lean backwards; and always smile when they do. You can also mimic hand gestures, but make sure that you dont spend so much time paying attention to what theyre doing that you miss the question though! What are your secrets to job interview success? Let us know in the comments below. This guest post was written in partnership with PSR Solutions, one of the UKs leading construction industry recruitment agencies.  

Read Success for Hire for great advice about the hiring process -

Read Success for Hire for great advice about the hiring process - Alexandra Levit is a business author and consultant who has written several books, including the popular business world survival guide, They Dont Teach Corporate in College, Howd You Score That Gig? and Success for Hire. I recently had the opportunity to review Success for Hire, which is targeted to employers to help them find and keep outstanding employees. In the book, Alexandra adroitly guides employers through a series of steps to help them target, attract and retain the very best candidates for their organizations. It will be no surprise to job seekers that some employers do not plan their recruiting efforts as strategically as they might. Sometimes, the hire just doesnt work out or employers inadvertently misrepresent the job to prospective candidates. If they all read and followed Alexandras advice, employers could save a lot of time, effort and money, and employees might be spared being put through a process that is less than stellar. In her book, Alexandra outlines nine strategies for employers. Most interesting for job seekers? Number 4 Create a Strategy for Interviewing. Job seekers may be surprised to learn that most evidence has demonstrated that interviews have low reliability and validity, yet everyone continues to rely on them as the principal way of determining the future of their organization (p. 49). Alexandra encourages interviewers to prepare questions that target specific criteria for the job. (This is great advice for job seekers as well, as they must be able to target their skills and accomplishments to the jobs requirements.) She suggests guidelines from Martin Yate (2006), author of Hiring the Best. His guidelines for questions (and suggested examples) include: Adaptability and suitability: What was the most difficult project you tackled in a previous job? Motivation: What have you done that you are proud of? Teamwork and manageability: Describe the best manager you ever had? Management: How do you quantify your results as a manager? Entry-level questions: How did you spend your vacations while at school? The interviewing chapter expands on the different types of questions (closed-ended, open-ended, negative balance, reflexive, hamburger helper questions and mirror statements and silence). I was interested in reading up on the most recent research in this arena. Clearly, anyone hiring or trying to be hired can benefit from the research Alexandra included in her book about the interview process. While I normally read (and write) information targeted only to the job seeker, reading Success for Hire was an informative and enjoyable change of pace. It is a good reminder to the well-researched job seeker that looking at books and information targeted at EMPLOYERS is a good idea. I highly recommend Success for Hire to people on both sides of the hiring desk!