Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. –Napoleon Hill
Making a career change can be a challenging endeavour in the best of times, so this economy certainly doesn’t help. Sadly, a lot of people allow that to keep them frustrated and stuck–not just for the present moment, but for the long haul. They think about making a change, decide they can’t do it, and stick their dissatisfied noses right back down to the same disheartening grindstone. They will repeat the process the next year, and the year after that.
If that sounds familiar, what are your options? Suck it up and chalk it up to the fact that work is a four-letter word? You could, but there’s a better option.
Singularity is near. The natural progression of human evolution with a just little twist— technology. In other words, super intelligence will soon become a part of our daily lives and man will be merged with machine. Sure it sounds wild, but just think about what we have been able to achieve over the past 50 years alone.
Just look how addictive consumer behavior is for a new Apple product. Sure you can cop the latest iPhone or Mac, but the newer and improved version will always be released in the next couple of months. Similarly, all technology will keep replacing itself at a faster and faster rate until it all becomes a blur. Everything is becoming more efficient and compact and we can expect to see this trend continue until it isn’t even tangible.
As more and more professionals seek a better work-life balance and more companies adopt flexible policies to accommodate shifting workplace priorities and realities, we look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of the working from home option.
Advantages
Finance
By working at home you save on many hidden costs associated with going to work. These include costs of commuting, car wear and tear, fuel, road taxes, parking as well as indirect costs such as expensive professional wardrobes and the dry-cleaning of those.
For all the time executives spend concerned about physical strength and health, when it comes down to it, mental strength can mean even more. Particularly for entrepreneurs, numerous articles talk about critical characteristics of mental strength—tenacity, “grit,” optimism, and an unfailing ability.
However, we can also define mental strength by identifying the things mentally strong individuals don’t do.
How do you signal to the world you’re leadership material?
According to a new year-long study of over 4,000 college-educated professionals and 268 senior executives, you must be viewed as a leader in order to get promoted into top jobs. That takes executives presence, which is defined as having gravitas, excellent communication skills and a polished appearance.
These skills are required, but that doesn’t mean you rack up bonus points for having them. Instead, you get demerits for your mistakes, as superiors silently cross you off their good lists. So what are the pitfalls to avoid? The study uncovered the 10 worst communication mistakes that will instantly derail your promotion hopes.
Success means different things to different people whether we are talking about business or private life. In Business, the obvious assumption is that a successful entrepreneur is someone who is financially secure. What they earn, what they own, what they spend can give the impression of success. More, more, more is what we all ultimately strive for in terms of success – or is it?
Stop and reflect on your own life. Think about what success means to you. Don’t limit yourself by focusing on the big things. They are important but they also seem to demand way too much of our attention.
Take a moment to focus on all the little successes you have had – either in the past or today. These are the everyday things that make life worth living. To be able to make choices. To be able to motivate and inspire others. To share life (both the joys and the sorrows) with others. To feel and to show feeling. To love and to be loved. To make the most of every situation no matter the circumstances.
The holiday season is fast approaching! In the business world the holiday arrival often comes with an increased workload, more demands, and tighter deadlines. Even with all the tasks and stress taking up attention, it’s always worth taking a moment to show gratitude to those who support your business. Staying top of mind with your clients (in a positive way) is important.
One of the best ways to show your clientele that you appreciate them is by taking advantage of the Christmas season and sending gifts for clients as a heartfelt thank-you!
For those who haven’t charted a course for a secure financial future, there’s good news and bad news.
The bad news? Without at least some solid financial planning, retirement may come with more sacrifices than security. The good news? It’s never too late to start and you have a lot of company.
Some 40 percent of people polled described themselves as “Informal,” having a general sense of their goals and how to meet them, but no specific plan in place.
When it comes to financial planning most people say life gets in the way. Some 69 percent feel the pace of society makes it harder for them to stick with long-term goals. Twenty-six percent say they either often or always feel too busy to think about long-term goals. Ironically, many people who plan their meals, plan their travel, or plan their wardrobe, won’t spend as much time planning for their future.
Can you get better at spotting the most promising opportunities? How does anyone know it when they see it?
If you’re like most people, throughout your life a few great opportunities will land on your doorstep. And again, if you’re like most people, you’ll ignore these rare opportunities because you won’t recognise them as great chances for success.
Don’t feel bad; even people in the opportunity recognition business – including prominent venture capitalists – miss out on great opportunities. Everybody misses a few, no one gets them all.
People say that business is all about relationships, but the truth is that business is really all about communication. Communication is key to virtually every aspect of business—from acquiring and retaining customers to improving employee engagement and performance. At the most fundamental level, business can’t happen without communication. This is even more true in the era of globalisation. As geographic borders become porous and the world flattens, effective communication with customers, employees, partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders across the globe becomes essential to successfully running a company.
The average bank holiday costs the economy £2.3 billion. Considering the fragile state of the economy, the argument that we should reduce the number of days we enjoy off work is understandable.
The average employee in the UK working full time works 1,647 hours a year. The average Korean works 2,191. That’s the equivalent of working nearly 4 more months a year at the British rate. Even the average US worker works more than we do at 1,695 hours a year. Only in the decadent European economy do people work shorter hours than in the UK.