10 Mistakes To Avoid When Preparing For IITJEE

10 Mistakes To Avoid When Preparing For IITJEE 2. Not starting to work hard early enoughThis point is just a variation of the above. Like I said in the beginning, IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams in the entire world. So it’s no surprise that one has to work for years to reach up to that level. You absolutely NEED to start preparing at least two years before you sit for the exam. Many students join coachings and tuitions four years prior to the exam. One doesn’t really need to do that, but you need at least two years of focused hard work to have a chance at getting into an IIT. So when you enter 11th grade, don’t slack off because you think you have 2 years ahead of you. Those two years are not enough for most people, so make the most of the time you have.3. Joining multiple coaching centers Students often try to put their fingers in multiple pots. They join two or three coaching centers and tuitions at the same time. Parents encourage this because they think the more resources the better. This is NOT true. The only thin g this will do is demotivate and frustrate you. Every teacher is different and has a different teaching method. If you are studying the same thing from two different teachers, their teaching styles will definitely conflict and eventually confuse you. That’s why it is important that you stick to only one coaching institute, and focus on understanding their teaching methods. You can, however, solve worksheets and mock question papers set by alternative coaching centers. After all, practice makes a man perfect! 4. Lying to themselvesYou should have a clear picture in your head about your current strengths and weaknesses. The fact that you have been a topper all your life doesn’t matter when you are preparing for JEE. This examination is an entirely different game. You cannot afford to overestimate yourself. The worst thing one can do as an IIT aspirant is dismissing their weaknesses and thinking, “Oh I’ll manage it, after all, I have always been a topper”. Do NOT overestimate yourself. If you have weaknesses, admit to them and work on them, instead of being ashamed of them. One cannot get anywhere by being ashamed of his shortcomings. If you want to achieve something, stop being a narcissist. Do not lie to yourself. Be honest with yourself, because that is the only way you will achieve success in life.5. Ignoring conceptual doubts The JEE paper mainly comprises of numerical based questions and mostly multiple choice questions. These numericals are tough, and the MCQ paper has a negative marking scheme. Scary, right? The only way to ensure maximum success is to have a strong grasp of the concepts. Every numerical is based on a concept. If you can gain a full understanding of the concept, you can easily solve the most difficult numericals related to it. So if you have any conceptual doubts, do not ignore them. These doubts are the reason why one isn’t able to crack a tricky question. Every IITian you will talk to will emphasize the importance of concept ual clarity. So if you have any conceptual doubts, get them clarified as soon as you can. Make sure you have a good understanding of the topic. To put it simply, you should be able to teach the topic to someone just like your teacher taught you.6. Depending only on theory Like I said above, the paper is mostly numerical-based. The paper does have theory questions, but you cannot solely depend on the theoretical part of the JEE curriculum. Rankings are not just marks-based, but also weightage-based. Generally, Math questions have the highest weightage, followed by Physics, and then Chemistry. So if you and your peer get the same marks but he scored more than you in math, then he will have a better rank. The same goes for theory and numerical questions. Theory questions generally have smaller weightage than numerical questions. In fact, in most cases, the marks allotted to theory questions are way less than that allocated to numericals. So do not depend on theory to help you get throu gh the exam. Face those scary numericals and practice them hard.7. Ignoring their weaknesses I am emphasizing this point in every point above because this is the worst mistake made by students who cannot crack the JEE. You should never ignore your weakest topics or your subjects. You cannot ever predict that which topic will have the maximum questions from it in the paper. So if you are weak in one topic, work on it enough so that you are at least 5% above average in it. The JEE exam paper doesn’t just have a minimum general score requirement, but also have a minimum subject score requirement. Every subject section of the paper has a minimum score you need to achieve to clear the exam. So if you score above the minimum score in the entire paper, but fail to clear the subject score in even one subject, you will fail. So, make sure that your grasp in every topic of every subject is not below 70%. If it is, don’t think that your strengths can save you and slack off. Work on improvi ng yourself, and work HARD.8. Not maintaining a healthy balance Preparing for the JEE can be mentally exhausting and draining. It is great that you are putting in so much effort, but too much of it can make you anxious and affect your performance. Hence, it is important to maintain a healthy balance in your lifestyle. Set aside a good amount of time for studies, but make sure you spend some time with your friends and family too. They will provide you the emotional upliftment you need, and help you wind down and relax after a long day of hard work. Indulging in your favorite hobbies, engaging in physical activities, eating good wholesome food, spending time with your loved ones; all these are great ways to de-stress. They replenish your optimism levels and fill you with renewed energy to face the daunting JEE syllabus, and may even improve your performance.9. Going into panic mode Let’s face it, panicking is unhealthy. Panicking gets you nowhere, and makes you more careless. There is no use of panicking, it’s only a waste of time and energy. If you cannot solve a question, take deep breaths and try to recall what you’ve studied in the past. The solution is hidden somewhere in your mind. All you have to do is calm your brain down and help it find the solution. If you aren’t able to finish a chapter because it’s too long, take deep breaths and focus on going one step at a time. Do not think about how long the chapter is or how long it will take you to finish it. Focus on one topic at a time, and you won’t even realize when you got done with it. Panicking only decreases your thinking skills and your efficiency. You make silly mistakes, and you forget simple things that you wouldn’t normally. So take deep breaths, and shoo away your Panic Monster.10. Letting mock test results affect them Home career 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Preparing For IITJEEcareerTop 1010 Mistakes To Avoid When Preparing For IITJEEBy Shubhi Srivastava - November 16, 20188120Facebook IIT-JEE is one of the toughest examinations in not just India, but also the entire world. The education industry of our country is flourishing because of this exam. Hundreds of coaching centers make crores every year banking on the difficulty and popularity of this examination. Millions of students prepare for it but only a few thousand qualify and only a handful of the qualified actually get seats. It is a bitter disappointment if a student has been working day and night for two years and still cannot secure a seat in his dream college. And more often than not, the problem doesn’t lie in the hard work or intelligence of the student. It is not just a stroke of good luck that you need to get into an IIT. There are some common mistakes that many IIT aspirants make, because of which they fail to get the seat they des erve. These mistakes seem small and insignificant, and initially, you may not even realize it. But small things pile up to make one big mountain of mistakes, which affects you in the long run. So if you are an IIT aspirant, then here are a few mistakes you need to avoid making to get into your dream IIT: 1. Underestimating the course Contents hide 1 1. Underestimating the course 2 2. Not starting to work hard early enough 3 3. Joining multiple coaching centers 4 4. Lying to themselves 5 5. Ignoring conceptual doubts 6 6. Depending only on theory 7 7. Ignoring their weaknesses 8 8. Not maintaining a healthy balance 9 9. Going into panic mode 10 10. Letting mock test results affect them This is probably the worst mistake you can make as an IIT aspirant. When you come to 11th grade after 10th grade, you do not expect the sudden transition. 11th grade is often thought of to be the “chill-out” year because there are no boards to study for, and all that. But the truth is far from reality. You enter into the year and you are shocked at how suddenly the curriculum and the course load changes. Having only 5 subjects to study should be easy, right? Wrong. The course doesn’t just become way bigger than you’re used to, but also a lot harder. So it’s important to not think of 11th grade as a year you can have fun in. If you’re serious about getting into IIT, you need to be prepared for the sudden transition. Don’t ever underestimate the syllabus of IIT-JEE. If you do that and slack off in 11th grade, you’ll never be able to catch up with your peers.2. Not starting to work hard early enoughThis point is just a variation of the above. Like I said in the beginning, IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams in the entire world. So it’s no surprise that one has to work for years to reach up to that level. You absolutely NEED to start preparing at least two years before you sit for the exam. Many students join coachings and tuitions four years prior to the exam. One doesn’t really need to do that, but you need at least two years of focused hard work to have a chance at getting into an IIT. So when you enter 11th grade, don’t slack off because you think you have 2 years ahead of you. Those two years are not enough for most people, so make the most of the time you have.3. Joining multiple coaching centers Students often try to put their fingers in multiple pots. They join two or three coaching centers and tuitions at the same time. Parents encourage this because they think the more resources the better. This is NOT true. The only thing this will do is demotivate and frustrate you. Every teacher is different and has a different teaching method. If you are studying the same thing from two different teachers, their teaching styles will definitely conflict and eventually confuse you. That’s why it is important that you stick to only one coaching institute, and focus on understanding their teaching methods. You can, howeve r, solve worksheets and mock question papers set by alternative coaching centers. After all, practice makes a man perfect! 4. Lying to themselvesYou should have a clear picture in your head about your current strengths and weaknesses. The fact that you have been a topper all your life doesn’t matter when you are preparing for JEE. This examination is an entirely different game. You cannot afford to overestimate yourself. The worst thing one can do as an IIT aspirant is dismissing their weaknesses and thinking, “Oh I’ll manage it, after all, I have always been a topper”. Do NOT overestimate yourself. If you have weaknesses, admit to them and work on them, instead of being ashamed of them. One cannot get anywhere by being ashamed of his shortcomings. If you want to achieve something, stop being a narcissist. Do not lie to yourself. Be honest with yourself, because that is the only way you will achieve success in life.5. Ignoring conceptual doubts The JEE paper mainly comprises of numerical based questions and mostly multiple choice questions. These numericals are tough, and the MCQ paper has a negative marking scheme. Scary, right? The only way to ensure maximum success is to have a strong grasp of the concepts. Every numerical is based on a concept. If you can gain a full understanding of the concept, you can easily solve the most difficult numericals related to it. So if you have any conceptual doubts, do not ignore them. These doubts are the reason why one isn’t able to crack a tricky question. Every IITian you will talk to will emphasize the importance of conceptual clarity. So if you have any conceptual doubts, get them clarified as soon as you can. Make sure you have a good understanding of the topic. To put it simply, you should be able to teach the topic to someone just like your teacher taught you.6. Depending only on theory Like I said above, the paper is mostly numerical-based. The paper does have theory questions, but you cannot solely depe nd on the theoretical part of the JEE curriculum. Rankings are not just marks-based, but also weightage-based. Generally, Math questions have the highest weightage, followed by Physics, and then Chemistry. So if you and your peer get the same marks but he scored more than you in math, then he will have a better rank. The same goes for theory and numerical questions. Theory questions generally have smaller weightage than numerical questions. In fact, in most cases, the marks allotted to theory questions are way less than that allocated to numericals. So do not depend on theory to help you get through the exam. Face those scary numericals and practice them hard.7. Ignoring their weaknesses I am emphasizing this point in every point above because this is the worst mistake made by students who cannot crack the JEE. You should never ignore your weakest topics or your subjects. You cannot ever predict that which topic will have the maximum questions from it in the paper. So if you are wea k in one topic, work on it enough so that you are at least 5% above average in it. The JEE exam paper doesn’t just have a minimum general score requirement, but also have a minimum subject score requirement. Every subject section of the paper has a minimum score you need to achieve to clear the exam. So if you score above the minimum score in the entire paper, but fail to clear the subject score in even one subject, you will fail. So, make sure that your grasp in every topic of every subject is not below 70%. If it is, don’t think that your strengths can save you and slack off. Work on improving yourself, and work HARD.8. Not maintaining a healthy balance Preparing for the JEE can be mentally exhausting and draining. It is great that you are putting in so much effort, but too much of it can make you anxious and affect your performance. Hence, it is important to maintain a healthy balance in your lifestyle. Set aside a good amount of time for studies, but make sure you spend some time with your friends and family too. They will provide you the emotional upliftment you need, and help you wind down and relax after a long day of hard work. Indulging in your favorite hobbies, engaging in physical activities, eating good wholesome food, spending time with your loved ones; all these are great ways to de-stress. They replenish your optimism levels and fill you with renewed energy to face the daunting JEE syllabus, and may even improve your performance.9. Going into panic mode Let’s face it, panicking is unhealthy. Panicking gets you nowhere, and makes you more careless. There is no use of panicking, it’s only a waste of time and energy. If you cannot solve a question, take deep breaths and try to recall what you’ve studied in the past. The solution is hidden somewhere in your mind. All you have to do is calm your brain down and help it find the solution. If you aren’t able to finish a chapter because it’s too long, take deep breaths and focus on going on e step at a time. Do not think about how long the chapter is or how long it will take you to finish it. Focus on one topic at a time, and you won’t even realize when you got done with it. Panicking only decreases your thinking skills and your efficiency. You make silly mistakes, and you forget simple things that you wouldn’t normally. So take deep breaths, and shoo away your Panic Monster.10. Letting mock test results affect them Mock tests are a great way to prepare yourself for the actual exam. You get an idea of how many questions you can solve in a give time crunch, and you also get a rough idea of the difficulty level. However, mock tests are not the actual JEE paper. Generally, they are a mix of past JEE questions and questions taught in your coachings. How well you can perform in a mock test is completely irrelevant to the actual JEE paper. So if you are not getting a good score in a mock test, do not let it make you sad. If you are getting a good score in your mock test, do not let it get to your head. Mock tests are just for practice so that you know what to expect in the exam. They do not determine how good or bad your performance will be in the JEE paper. So do not make them the standard of your intelligence, treat them like essential practice, which they technically are.Cracking the IIT-JEE is tough, but not impossible. And God has blessed everyone with a brain. It is up to YOU to recognize your strengths and your weaknesses and put your brain to work accordingly. Nothing in this world is impossible. If you have the will to achieve what you want, you will get it if you work for it. Work on improving yourself, learn from your mistakes, and you will surely become that overachiever everyone envies.TAGScareerCommon MistakesCompetitive Examsengineering collegeIITianpreparing for iit jeetips and tricks

Own Your Connections - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Own Your Connections - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Your connections begin in your own database. When I’m asked about how to “own your game”, or dominate your niche, the first place I begin asking about is what do you know about your database? Even those born within this last minute, already have a handful of people in their personal database. From the mother that carried them, to the physician that delivered them, to the nurses in the delivery room, the pediatrician and the nurses in the nursery â€" the newborn even know somebody! How can you make the most of who you are already connected to? First, clean your list. Start going through to see whose email, phone number, cell phone, address, and employment information is up-to-date and who is not. Your first focus is to make sure you have the most current, effective information for those people who already know you. Second, grade your list. No, I’m not talking about judging people yet I am talking about categorizing them in a way that makes sense for you. Who really knows you well? I mean they have spoken positively on your behalf, they know your hopes, dreams and aspirations. They may even know the good, the bad and the ugly!   They know you. They know what you do for a living. How many close contacts can actually say that? Often we’re connected with those who “kind of, sort of” know what we do so they could never repeat it to anyone or effectively explain it or even speak to a prospective employer or prospect about how you can help them. Start first with those who really know you well. And, then work through your list seeing who you really know. Again, use the same criteria.- do you know their hopes, dreams and aspirations? Do you know their strengths? Do you know what they really do for a living (not just their title)? Third, of those who really know you â€" what gaps do you see in the information you have on them?  Maybe you don’t even know if they’re currently married, divorced or single. Maybe you don’t know where they graduated from?   Or, you might have their work number yet you don’t have their email address or cell phone number. Focus on where you have gaps and make   a plan on garnering some of that information.   It might be that you’ll find out at the next ball game or happy hour get together. Whenever it is, make sure that you flow your information gathering into the conversation and not sound like you’re going through a checklist. To do so, would surely shut down conversation. Lastly, who on that list really supports you? They have been “your brand advocate” all along. They cheer you on and sing your praises! Do any of them fall in the following categories? People who have mentored you? People you have mentored or taught? Former managers, supervisors or instructors? And, yes, even co-workers? These are the foundation of your brand advocates and you must identify them first to own your connections.

Young Professionals Stress Less About Being Inexperienced

Young Professionals Stress Less About Being Inexperienced A younger friend of mine spotted his dream corporate role being advertised recently, within weeks of graduating from his business degree at university.  Based on his existing industry knowledge, understanding of the  company itself, part time work experience and academic qualifications, he made the perfect candidate. However, admitting defeat early, he told me he hadnt applied. Why? Because he hadnt held a corporate role before or actually been responsible for the tasks outlined in the job description. Wow, I thought. What a shame. His story really got me thinking. His insecurities, while totally understandable, were also largely unnecessary. Let me explain young job hunters listen in. If you read a  job description  and believe you could  do what theyre asking for if given the chance to prove yourself, dont just walk away because you feel youre inexperienced. Every graduate has to start somewhere everyone needs to get their foot in the door somehow!  Not having the  exact mirror-image experience they seem to want is totally okay there are ways around that. (Employers tend to include nice to haves in their must haves section anyway- as you move through your career youll  learn that job descriptions tend to  lie about a lot of things!) If youre up for the challenge, youre going to need to transform your CV into a golden ticket to an interview. How will you do that? By  selling  the skills and experience you do have and showing the selection panel youre more than capable of  being a successful suitor for the role. Think transferable skills. Step 1: Dont work yourself up Before you start dwelling heavily on the negatives  surrounding your lack of nail-on-the-head experience, its worth  acknowledging  that all of the most ambitious candidates will have to overcome a  stretch in skills at some point when they apply for a new or higher level position. Employers want to hire people who like to challenge themselves, not people who only make lateral moves that dont foster personal growth. After all, a CV  is basically just a document that  says, hey potential employer, look at all the things I have done to date, I think I could adapt and apply my skills to add value to your business. Thats the equivalent of  transferring skills, no? Step 2: Print out that  job description Now you know youre not alone,  you need to start  working on tailoring your CV.  Get it  up on your computer screen and print a hard copy of the job description, so you can easily refer to both at once. Read  through it with a fine tooth comb and be sure you understand: Who they want to hire What the main responsibilities of the role will be What prior experience  theyd like the  person to have What abilities / skills the  new person needs to  be able to showcase What characteristics the successful person will need to demonstrate Be sure to underline or highlight specific systems or points that stand out as being really important to them. Step 3: Build a  CV that sells  you well If youre stuck with  where to start, try honing in on transferable skills to get you thinking about your experience. Think back through your academic and professional experience (internships / part time jobs) and identify ways and times youve  practiced the following: Verbal communication Written communication Research Data analysis Organisation time management Team work Leadership Systems technology Step 4: Use  examples Now, you  cannot simply list a number of transferable skills and personal attributes on the CV in the hopes that the selection panel will take your word for it, join the dots for you and assume youre capable of tackling whats been outlined in the job description. You need to  describe how your experiences to date have set you up for being successful in picking  up the responsibilities of the new role. For example, if the job description says: Experience using System M Your CV should include something like: Proven ability to quickly learn  and master new systems, such as System X, Y and Z Forget esoteric jargon that only people who studied your university degree or worked with you in that part time role would understand. Try to contextualise your  statements and back them up. If one of the responsibilities of the new role is analyse data and create reports on X, clearly identify where youve successfully completed a similar task in the past, even if it was on a totally different topic or within a totally different environment. When you think youre done, check out  this article  to make sure your CV is completely up to scratch! Step 5: Nail your  the bio  at the top of your CV Recruiters and / or the selection panel tend not to spend too long on individual applications, due to the sheer volume. Including a bio at the top of your CV is awesome way of selling yourself instantly think of it like an elevator pitch. It should only be a few lines, but address: Who you are What have you been doing / working on / studying recently What sort of background do you have previous employment / industries Your major strengths What  are you looking for and why Step 6: Write a cover letter hit APPLY! For more details on cover letters,  check this article out. Good luck and happy job hunting!

Three Words for 2014 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Three Words for 2014 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Standing out in your career begins with standing out in life which begins with standing for something. What do you stand for? I’m sure you stand for a whole lot more than Three Words. However, I have found that using three words serves as a litmus test for what I post, what I commit to, what I comment on and where I spend my time. I’m not always in perfect alignment with them, but the Three Words allow me to step back and take a look at what I’m doing or being asked to do. Then I can make a determination if the ask is aligned with what I committed to myself at the beginning of the year. Full Disclosure: I did not come up with this idea. I am benchmarking it from one of my friends and inspiritors, Chris Brogan. I first met Chris at SOBCon a few years ago where he mentioned this concept and how he uses it to help him think about what he was working on, what he commits to, and ultimately to determine where he spends his time. I liked it so much I incorporated it into my yearly plans. If you want to see Chris’ words for 2014 click here and for 2013 click here. For 2014 my Three Words are: Inspire, Inform and Instigate. Here is how I like to think about them: Inspire There are countless ways to be inspired and to inspire others. I’m inspired every day. It can be something as simple as a kid offering to return a grocery cart. It can be a TV commercial. Or it can be something more elaborate. For 2014 I want to continue to inspire people. I have been doing something I call Pay It Forward Friday’s  (#PIFF) going on for 5 years now across Social Media channels. Several of people have said… EVERY DAY should be a Pay It Forward Day. To which I say… I agree, but people need to start somewhere.  My goal in 2014 is to  inspire people to do great things and reach for big goals. Inform Maybe this is just a personal thing, but I spend a lot of time thinking about what I post I think, I read, I write and I re-write. Sometimes I just scrap the whole idea and premise. Perhaps this is my engineering training or my tendency to seek perfection or maybe this is  just a character flaw, but I try to make sure what I put out there informs. Note: I said seek… not necessarily attain perfection. My goal in 2014 is to continue seeking and creating content that informs. Instigate To instigate is to bring about or initiate action. As part of my other two words to inspire and inform, I often include a call to action. Hint: there is a call to action below. I want people to take action. To do something. To do anything. One of my inspiritors is Srinivas Rao  as he is the master of getting people fired up, including himself. My goal in 2014 is to take a more proactive approach to instigating. What are your three words for 2014? Of course, you can benchmark from my three words if you like them and if they apply to you. However, Your Three Words should be your own. They should relate to what you are doing, where you are in your career and your life. When used as a guiding principle, your Three Words can help you develop skills that will help you stand out in your career. Choose Wisely. Please share Your Three Words in the comments so that we can all help each other to achieve our goals.

How Professional Resume Writing Services For Changing Career Field Can Help You Land That Job

How Professional Resume Writing Services For Changing Career Field Can Help You Land That JobRecruiters often hire professional resume writing services for changing career field. The service consists of writing resumes that are customized to specific industry needs, including the organization's job requirements. When it comes to hiring a service for your job search, it is important to make sure that you get a resume that will get you hired in your desired field.Professional resume writing services for changing career field usually include these benefits to their customers: the ability to find the best job in their desired industry, low to no fees and never ending service. These services are also known to follow industry trends and assist the potential employee in landing the job that they desire. The client does not have to spend all their time putting together the required documents in order to land the job. This allows the potential employees to focus on other aspects of their life .For instance, there is always a new job to be found in the same or a similar career field. A person who would like to change career would have to create a resume after putting in effort and time. It is not so easy as it seems to get into a similar job in the same industry. Recruiters can help by letting the potential employee know that they have a chance to land the position without having to spend a lot of time writing up resumes.Another benefit of getting a professional resume writing services for changing career field is that these services offer a number of types of templates and job descriptions that are designed to help in the process of finding employment in the industry they wish to enter. Most of these services provide an extensive amount of information regarding the industry they work in to help potential employees with the process of choosing what type of job they would like to work in.For those who are looking to get into a new career or who are unsure about the industr y they want to enter, it is best to contact a professional resume writing services for changing career field. It is much easier to find out what kind of work is available for the job you want. You do not have to spend hours driving around the city or searching online to find what you are looking for.After contacting the services of a professional resume writing service for changing career field, it is important to make sure that you tell them exactly what you want. They should then provide you with samples of resumes that are similar to your desired type of job. If they do not do this, you may end up spending too much time searching online and not finding what you are looking for.Another benefit of hiring professional resume writing services for changing career field is that they can guide you along the way of looking for a job. They can also guide you in finding the job that you have always wanted. They will also help you write your cover letter and make sure that your resume is ri ght for the job.For those who are looking to change career field, it is best to get help from a professional resume writing service. These services help you find the ideal job in the same industry as you have always wanted to enter. It is a great way to move forward in your career and to land the job that you have always wanted.

Monday Tip Who are your helping - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Monday Tip Who are your helping - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Your mission this monday is to ask yourself who you have been helping today. Before you leave work, take five minutes to sit down and write down a list of five ways you have contributed today. Five ways: You have helped others today You have made other peoples lives easier You have made others happier at work It can be big things or small things. It can be helping co-workers, customers, business partners, suppliers or others. There are three reasons why its important to stop once in a while and remember who youre helping: When you help someone, you obviously make the helpee feel good It also feels great to know that you are able to contribute. It helps you to find meaning in you job. Work is now about more than just doing your work its about helping others and contributing to something other than just your own welfare. Do this exercise today and write a comment to tell us how it worked. If you liked it, repeat it every day this week to get a more complete picture of who youre helping. The Chief Happiness Officers monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went. Previous monday tips. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Its Time For You To Shine and Make The Impact You Long To - Kathy Caprino

Its Time For You To Shine and Make The Impact You Long To When I was in college at Boston University, I studied Journalism and English Literature, and loved books, ideas and writing. I interned at the Massachusetts of Institute of Technology radio news station which I loved, and embarked on a minor in psychology â€" understanding how people and personalities develop and grow. I studied English literature in London for a year, and I had big dreams about my career and what I’d do in the world when I was older. But when I graduated, I immediately bailed on all those dreams. I worried about money and thought I had to take the first job that was offered to me. It was an entry level job as a copywriter in a scientific publishing company. I didn’t like that work but was good at it, and thought it would be a stepping stone, and it was. But to what? To more work that I didn’t enjoy or feel excited about. In the end, I built an 18-year corporate career that was never a good fit with who I was and what I deeply cared about, nor did it allow me to utilize my most powerful skills or ignite my passion. Why did I veer so off course? Because I didn’t know how to manage my career. I never learned about career planning, and I failed to seek guidance early enough about how to create a fulfilling, long-term career. I struggled on my own, with the wrong ideas about what brings success and happiness in working life. (Turns out happiness doesn’t necessarily follow success â€" it’s the other way around). Something happened in my life that gave me a harsh and painful wake-up call, but I didnt heed it until years after. Heres more about that story: If this resonates with you, I encourage you to think deeply about your own career. Are you doing work that you dreamed about when you were in high school and college? Are you making a difference in the world in the way you hoped? Are you using all those natural passions, talents and abilities that you displayed as a young adult? Do you feel valuable and respected in the working world? Are you shining? Through my 10 years of career coaching, I’ve learned that as adults, we are happiest when we are drawing on those key talents, passions and abilities that came naturally to us when we were young. We’re also happiest and most fulfilled when we are using our talents in service of others. For me, as a young adult, I loved to read, write, sing and perform, teach, guide, help resolve problems, understand why people do what they do, and come up with new approaches to live more happily.   Finally, in this third career, I’m using every one of those skills. Drawing on your natural talents, passions and gifts makes you feel alive and of value in the world. But the vast majority of working people believe that, in order to make a sufficient living, they have to focus solely what earns money and not what they’d be joyful to do. They sacrifice work fulfillment and joy for the almighty dollar, not understanding that the two are not mutually exclusive and never have been. I know this will inflame some of my readers, but this is FACT â€" you don’t have to dislike what you do and feel thwarted, like an imposter every day, in order to make a good living. As long as you think you do, you’ll be miserable in your work. If you feel off course and know you’re in the wrong job or career, I’d recommend taking these 3 steps to move away from thinking and actions that are keeping you from reaching your highest potential and being of service in the way you dream to: Move away from: 1. Feeling victimized and stuck You’re only stuck if you let yourself be stuck. Many of my clients and Amazing Career Project members have shared that they understand what they should do to build more satisfaction and reward in their professional life, but struggle to physically DO IT. There are both conscious and subconscious beliefs and mindsets that hold us hostage. Figure out what holds you back from taking the action you know you need to take. If you keep doing the same thing over and over, you’ll never bring about any positive change. 2. Thinking you don’t have what it takes We often hold ourselves back from a greater life and career because we believe we’re faulty, lacking, or incomplete somehow â€" that we don’t have what others possess to be happy and successful. This type of thinking is a guarantee that you’ll stop yourself from going out and getting what you want. No one “has what it takes” in the beginning of an important journey â€" we acquire what’s needed by taking action throughout that journey. 3. Blaming the outside world for what you aren’t doing Clients come to me with all sorts of reasons why they haven’t moved forward, but these reasons are simply excuses. I know because I made them all. “I can’t leave now because I’m the primary breadwinner,” or “I’m afraid if I ask for what I want they’ll fire me,” or “I can’t change careers this late in the game.” Yes, the economy is tough, jobs are fewer, and avenues for advancement seem less prevalent. But all of these situations can be navigated through successfully, with a concrete, well-built plan that addresses the challenges effectively. It’s not the outside world that is keeping you where you are. In order to move forward, you must: Identify what you loved to do back when you were free to be yourself. (Take this survey to gain clarity.) Bring forward those natural talents, skills and passions in your work-life today. Get more BOLD and courageous in your thinking, speech, behavior and approach to living. Stand up for what you want. Take one step every single day to start living up to your potential. Try this: For one week, agree to be intensely (but compassionately) honest with yourself. Look at all your justifications for why you are stuck as excuses. If you knew you were just afraid or blocked somehow from moving forward, what would you do differently today to begin building a career that matches what you dreamed of when you were young? Make this the year you become the person your young self knew you could, and illuminate the world with your talents. (To build a happier, more rewarding career, visit kathycaprino.com)