Be Different or be dead

April 12, 2019

10 proven ways to leave your problems at home

10 proven ways to leave your problems at home.

When you spend eight hours a day in the workplace, it can be difficult to leave your personal life at the front door. While your job success is a big part of your life, it’s only one aspect of your life — and you don’t want to bring your personal life into it.

Whether you’re experiencing relationship issues, or you’re stressed about home repairs, here are a few tips to keep your problems at home.

1. Keep work at work

If you’re unable to establish boundaries for keeping your work at work, it’s going to be even harder to leave your problems at home. Time spent at home should be your time for dealing with your personal life.
Try to be present when you’re at home. Work-related items, such as a laptop or work phone, should be left at work. If you work from home, make sure you have a set schedule for work hours and leave all work supplies in your workspace.

2. Stay present during family time

Once you get home, live in the moment. If there are conversations that need to be had, or if you’re spending time with your kids, be engaged. Really listen to your partner when they’re telling you about their day.
Take time to have fun with your kids and be truly invested in their lives. Spend time manifesting the relationships in your life creating meaningful bonds with your family members. 

3. Find an outlet

You don’t need to live by, “Work, home, sleep, repeat.” Routine can get monotonous, boring, and detrimental to your mental health. If you are struggling with life at home, find a release that works for you.
Try to exercise, take a class, find a support group, or simply hang out with your friends. A healthy outlet may be the refresher you need to get back to work invigorated and not bogged down with the struggles of your home life.

4. Personalize your office space

An easy way to help out with our stress levels in by working in a visually pleasing environment. While you may not be able to redesign your entire office, try to make little changes to bring your personality to your desk.
Get a picture of your family, fancy office supplies, or a plant to freshen things up. Intentionally create an office space that you enjoy working in to help you focus on the task at hand.

5. Have a support system

It may be unrealistic to never talk about your personal problems at work. Instead of striving for perfection, select a few trustworthy coworkers as your support system.
Having coworkers who understand some of the things you go through outside of the workplace may be a way to relieve the built-up stress you feel throughout the day.
If you’re able to get things off your mind by talking to a coworker during your lunchbreak, it could help increase your productivity the rest of the day. It may ease your tension simply knowing that you have a network of trustworthy people you can reach out to if needed.

6. Take care of yourself and your home

Taking care of yourself and your belongings is essential in ensuring that you’re not constantly thinking about your problems. Make healthy habits by maintaining an exercise routine and scheduling routine maintenance on your home for example.
Taking care of your body and your home will eliminate some of the problems that may normally cross your mind at work.

7. Treat yourself

There’s nothing wrong with splurging every once in a while. If you’re feeling stressed, take yourself out for a nice meal during your lunch break instead of eating at your desk. Don’t be afraid to go out of your normal routine to do something that will bring you joy.
Never underestimate the power of unwinding to help get you through the last part of your day.

8. Take a breath

If you start to feel overwhelmed and are unable to get your mind off of your personal problems, consider going into a separate room and doing deep breathing exercises or mindful meditation.
Taking the time to clear your mind will make it easier to get back to the grind without having your productivity hindered too much.

9. Stay positive

Try to think about things in a positive light while you’re at work. One easy way to stay positive is by keeping a gratitude journal at your desk. Make it a daily habit to write something you’re grateful for and why.
This is an easy practice you can start so that when you get to work to shift your mindset from home life to a happy, productive workday.

10. Don’t try to be perfect

At the end of the day, nobody is perfect. It’s natural to discuss home life at work every once in a while.

The key is to make sure it doesn’t get to the point that it negatively affects your productivity or the organization’s bottom line.

— Emma Cook is a recent graduate and freelance writer living in Raleigh, NC. She’s taking time to explore her passions and expand her writing portfolio. She enjoys writing about all things healthy living- whether it’s home life, aging, mental health, or seeking financial freedom. She’s passionate about helping people live their fullest lives and hopes to do so through her writing.

• Posted 4.12.19 at 03:50 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink

March 18, 2019

How small and independent retailers can survive in crazy times

How small and independent retailers can survive in crazy times.

We have seen a huge upheaval in retail in the last decade or so. The advent of the Internet means that consumers are the winner with so much choice from literally all over the world to spend their disposable income.

People don’t need to leave their homes to buy any product they desire so obviously this presents a huge challenge to all retailers, no matter their size.

Price too has become a battleground because Internet-only retailers don’t have the extra costs associated with having a physical store, store staff and other related overheads.

They can be leaner models and some then choose to pass those savings onto their customers. Offline and brick and mortar retailers are fighting back but we’ve seen many retailers fail as they simply cannot battle against the lower cost position of the online retail world.

So what about the independent or smaller retailer who doesn’t have the backing of a board, that doesn’t have systems in place to become leaner but do feel their brick and mortar offering has lots to give to consumers in terms of experience and choice?
Do they have a future or are they doomed to fail in the rising challenge of their online only counterparts?

The answer is no, they shouldn’t fail but they definitely need to be really strategic in fighting back. They need to understand those tools and skills available to them to grow and increase their retail business and make their store stand out to customers.

The guys from Storetraffic put this infographic below together that outlines everything you need to know about this niche.

The struggles, the opportunities, they’re all explained in this graphic to hopefully arm these smaller / independent retailers with the tools and knowledge they need to progress and grow.

Check out the full infographic below…

• Posted 3.18.19 at 04:26 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink

March 15, 2019

Six easy ways to boost productivity in your team

Six easy ways to boost productivity in your team.

Is your team’s productivity lagging? Today, it seems like there’s always a new distraction rearing its ugly head. With so many things nagging on your team’s energy, it’s easy to feel like you’re in need of a productivity boost.
Is
Luckily, there are several unique ways you can recharge your employee’s batteries to get more done. In this day and age, businesses are more competitive than ever.
If you’re not producing more, faster, it’s impossible to get ahead. At the same time, you don’t want to risk overworking your employees and leading to employee burnout.

Boost your team productivity with these tips below.

Start with Team Building Exercise

Is your team really working together? Thanks to technology, teams today are sometimes disconnected. While it might seem silly, team building exercises are highly effective when done correctly.
These games and activities aren’t just for high school students, they’re for all types of teams that need to learn to work together at a higher level.

As an organization, team building is one of the most important things you can invest in for your workers. While team building gets a bad rap, it’s necessary for boosting the bottom line by increasing employee engagement. Before you focus on productivity, build your team.

Use Collaboration Tools

How many of your workers’ tasks actually are collaborative? When people have to go through unnecessary, extra steps to keep everyone up-to-date on progress, this slows everyone down.
Unfortunately, too many teams today haven’t jumped on the bandwagon with the latest collaborative tools.

From time management apps like Trello to time trackers like Clockspot, it’s time to join the 21st century of time management.
These tools are built around collaboration. That means less time will be spent checking in on progress and more time can be spent actually getting work done.

Create a Positive Environment

Nobody wants to work in a place that isn’t positive. If your work environment isn’t optimized for productivity, you might notice your employees’ paces slowing down. The physical environment of the office actually has a big impact on how your employees feel each day.

For example, light-filled, natural spaces that have both private and public collaborative settings are ideal for increasing productivity. When offices are too open, they’re full of distractions.
If they’re too closed off, they reduce the feeling of togetherness. It’s best to strike a balance, when possible, to create a positive environment that works for all team members. 

Allow Teams to Work

Poor management often gets in the way of productivity. While it might seem like leaders need to take a hands-on approach, realize that sometimes too much involvement is a bad thing.
Nobody wants to be micro-managed by the boss, so know when it’s time to stand back.

Allowing your team to take responsibility for their own projects will go a long way towards making your workers stronger. Not only will they be more likely to work at a higher level, but they’ll learn valuable skills that will push them further.

Reward Productivity

Rewards work. Top employees want to be rewarded for their hard work. Recognition shows that you care about employee’s success, and you see their productivity.
When accomplishments aren’t rewarded, employees begin to lose their own value. They feel like just another number in the company, not an actual human being.

Bring humanity into your workspace by showing appreciation for those who get things done. Try to keep these congratulations in the open and avoid virtual congratulations. Nothing can replace that face-to-face interaction of getting a job-well-done notice from your leaders.

Work Smarter Not Harder

In this day and age, it’s time to get serious about productivity. If your team is in need of a real boost, these tips above should do the trick. There are no magic tricks to producing a stronger team. It all starts with a strong foundation of collaboration and positivity.

From there, it’s up to you to keep the momentum going. Continue to allow teams some autonomy over their own decisions and reward top performers. Your employee productivity will take off in no time.

— Smith Willas is a freelance writer, blogger, and digital media journalist. He has a management degree in Supply Chain & Operations Management and Marketing and boasts a wide-ranging background in digital media.

• Posted 3.15.19 at 03:49 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink

March 8, 2019

5 simple ways to impress your future employer with your online presence

It is no secret that employers regularly investigate the social media presence of many potential hires before any offers are made. This has given rise to many people being terrified of posting anything even mildly controversial or making any mention of their personal lives.

While it’s understandable that hateful remarks will get you fired, not posting anything will also do harm.
Not only are you depriving your family and friends of opportunities to share in your successes and support you in your challenges, but you are denying potential employers an opportunity to get to know the kind of person they will be hiring.

When used well, social media can be a better way to land a job than traditional job searching. Having the courage to show potential employers (and everyone else) who you really are can help you stand out from the crowd.

Here are 5 simple things you can do today to impress future employers with your online presence.

1. Protest Thoughtfully

There may be some companies that are legitimately looking for someone that will never express a strong opinion about anything, but chances are good you probably wouldn’t want to work for them anyway.

The truth is, most businesses are looking for people who are passionate, because passionate people generally make concerned, dedicated employees.
What they are also looking for, however, are intelligent employees who don’t just jump on the latest bandwagon and parrot whatever talking head they agree with the most. There is nothing wrong with making thoughtful commentary on causes you are passionate about.

Doing so shows future employers you are capable of engaging in “hot button” discussions with thoughtfulness, tact, and diplomacy. And who doesn’t want that in an employee?

2. Browse Through Your Social Media Content And Ask If You Would Hire You Based On What You See

Remember that recruiters and potential employers are not the only ones looking at your social media accounts, and they likely have very little access anyway.
Who is looking at your full profiles are dozens of friends and acquaintances that might already be working at a company you are interested in working for.

Not everyone you are connected with on social media knows you personally. In some cases, all they know about you is what they see on social media. If the impression they get is of someone who lives a full life, they might be inclined to pass on your resume to hiring managers and recruiters.

Browse through your profiles and ask yourself what kind of impression you might form of you if you only knew you through social media.

3. Be Real

Some people become so concerned with how potential employers might view their social media content that their profiles become flat, boring and lifeless - they follow all those guides on how to have the perfect social media profile that would make you employable.

You know what’s wrong with all of those guides? They aren’t you. They are general guides that just make an army of clones. 

The truth is, human beings are complex and everyone is quirky in their own way.

Jennifer Lawrence is just as famous for constantly tripping on the red carpet as she is for her fierce work ethic. Being a hard worker is great, but it’s also important to be likable.

Your coworkers and even bosses may have to spend long hours working with you, so they might be just as drawn to someone who looks fun to be around as someone who just has all the right skills.

4. Highlight What Makes You Right For The Job You Want

Think of your social media profiles as a fuller, richer version of your resume. If you want to be a travel writer, but have no photos of yourself traveling anywhere, you’re probably not going to get hired just to receive on-the-job training.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get a job in an area where you have no experience, but you want your profiles to at least communicate why you would be a good fit for the job you are looking for.

The motto “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” can also be applied to social media profiles. For instance, working in a telecommuting position is a great opportunity to share your insights on how it truly is to work from home.
Post a photo of your home office and showcase your dedicated workspace - it shows your future employers that you are disciplined, a self-starter, and know how to organize your daily tasks.

5. Share Both Your Work Challenges And Victories

Everyone’s job is going to offer challenges that need to be overcome in order to succeed. In the above telecommuting example, that would mean you should share and teach others that working from home has good and bad sides - and how to overcome the bad ones.

Many people are afraid to share these challenges on social media because they are afraid they will come across as weak or negative. The truth is, however, most employers would love to see how you deal with and overcome challenges.

Letting others know may also give them inspiration to better deal with their own. If you are having difficulties at work, such as feeling bullied by a coworker, you can use your social media outlets to maturely discuss what this person is doing, how it makes you feel and the steps you are taking to deal with the situation.

The likelihood is, if you address the situation calmly, rationally and maturely, you will most likely see a positive outcome at some point.
If you share about that too, you show potential employers (and even friends and acquaintances that may have the ability to put your name in front of potential employers) that you know how to handle workplace challenges well.
That quality may be far more attractive to an employer than your ability to create a comprehensive spreadsheet from scratch.

Bottom line is that your social media presence is becoming more and more important to building a career.

While you don’t necessarily have to have an active social media presence to get a job, having a great one can give you a competitive edge in a wide range of fields.

— Ashley Wilson is a digital nomad and freelance writer from San Diego, California. When she is not busy baking cupcakes, Ashley loves writing about business, digital marketing, and finance. Connect with Ashley via Twitter

• Posted 3.8.19 at 04:28 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink