Strategies for Successful Job Searching with a Criminal Record

Strategies for Successful Job Searching with a Criminal RecordStrategies for Successful Job Searching with a Criminal Record If youve ever been arrested or convicted of a crime, then you know it can put a bit of a wrench into your job search . You may have a harder time landing that first interview or face reluctance from hiring managers. However, it doesnt mean you have to give up on finding the job that you want and that helps you fulfill your potential. Its possible to overcome this challenge with good information, access to the right resources and a targeted effort. Carisa Miklusak, a careers expert and the CEO of tilr , outlines the seven things that you need to know for successful job searching when you have a criminal record.With the labor market in a rapid evolution , employers are under pressure to recruit from new talent pools , and theyre increasingly becoming mora open to and practiced in hiring restored citizens, or those with a criminal record. L ikewise, restored citizens are excelling across a number of industries and roles.While some organizations have loosened background check policies to expand their talent pools, others are proactively working to incorporate restored citizens into their talent strategies because they believe theyre dedicated and have an excellent work ethic. Some of the job positions where Im seeing restored citizens being placed with good success include logistics, manufacturing, graphic design, counseling, driving, painting, landscaping, cooking, tech and engineering, sales and marketing, and certain government jobs.Certain fields can be tougher to enter depending on where you live. Many states have rules that restored citizens with specific prior offenses may leid work with children, be first-responders or hold public office. Some states extended this to attorneys. It is important to look into what the laws and regulations are in your state when youre looking for a job to understand whats definite ly off limits. A number of companies are known to hire restored citizens, and they typically have specific recruitment, onboarding and management programs to ensure a successful and positive employee experience. A few that come to mind in three popular industries are Kohls, PetSmart and Ace Hardware (Retail), Dennys, Chilis and Olive Garden (Hospitality/Food), Xerox, Sprint and Manpower (Business Services). These are just a few examples, and the list of companies that will consider employing people with records is growing. It makes a lot of sense for job seekers to focus on entry-level roles as a way to break into companies that help restored citizens grow, develop and accelerate through their organizations. Sideelende Here is a recent list of major companies that hire restored citizens Rights for restored citizen job seekers vary by state, so you should spend some time familiarizing yourself with your local policies and laws. In New York, for example, the Fair Chance Act is work ing to make it illegal for employers to ask about criminal record until a job offer is made. Only then can the background information be disclosed and the decision made. This forces employers to focus on qualifications and creates a balanced playing field for restored citizens. However, this is not true in many states. There are job programs and grants that focus specifically on helping job seekers find stable employment, housing and more. The Second Chance Act (SCA) helps to provide funds to various programs across the country. Examples of these programs can be found in cities such as Chicago ( CTA Second Chance Program ), and nationally with resources such as the National H.I.R.E. Network . Its also worth noting that a number of colleges not only accept but also have initiatives to attract and support restored citizens.Its important to include anything that will appear on your background check . In fact, you should consider running your own background check so you know what an employer sees. Its always better to proactively discuss your situation with an employer, rather than addressing it once they find from your background results. Of course, before disclosing information, confirm that a background check will be run. When filling out an application , read questions carefully and do not offer information that is not requested. When discussing your past incidents with an employer, be confident and focus on your learning lessons and your commitment to prove you are a restored citizen with great value to offer. You are not required to disclose anything that is not on your formal criminal background. For example, if you were accused of a crime but then ultimately not charged, or falsely arrested and then cleared, you are not required to disclose this history. You are also not required to share details that are not asked of you directly.Not all companies do background checks. They require verifications of your identity, but may not conduct a backgroun d check. For those that do, they are looking for specific types of offenses that they have decided are not tolerable to their business. This does not mean that they are screening out all candidates with a criminal background. Furthermore, there are a number of companies that are specifically looking to recruit restored citizens and have launched purposeful programs to do so. Perhaps most importantly, the market is becoming more open to the idea and practice of hiring restored citizens. Not just because the traditional talent pool is decreasing, but also because employers are realizing that restored citizens offer an engaged, loyal, disciplined worker ready to grow with the company and contribute to their success. As president and CEO of tilr, Carisa drives the strategic vision and day-to-day execution with a relentless passion for the new workforce marketplace, which results in innovative and sustainable solutions. Prior to founding tilr, Carisa was the founder and CEO of tMedia, a digital media and training firm that she conceptualized and grew into a $5 million company with many Global Fortune 500 clients. Carisa honed her digital recruitment skills at CareerBuilder, where she spent more than seven years building multi-million-dollar business units that resulted in new profit streams for the company.

How to Measure and Monitor Customer Satisfaction

How to Measure and Monitor Customer SatisfactionHow to Measure and Monitor Customer SatisfactionIn todays world of uber social media, a customers experience is visible to the entire networked world in real-time. People started out buying books (and now buy boats online), and many potential online buyers read the reviews before making a purchasing decision. Customers choose restaurants based on positive reviews and the same holds for nearly every other area in the life of a consumer. While good reviews are great marketing tools for all kinds of organizations, conversely negative reviews (whether for shoddy workmanship or a product or poor service) is a marketing nightmare - bad word of mouth results in bad reputation which results in bad for business. Business-to-Business firms are slightly more insulated from the mainstream reviews, posts, tweets, and blog posts but a reputation for poor customer service (or craftsmanship) spreads quickly online and can linger for ages. Developing a nd maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction is an important parte of any organizations strategy and operating plans. To preserve the reputation of your company, consider the following. Learn How to Measure Customer Satisfaction It is important to establish a baseline for your customer satisfaction measures. From simple surveys to tools including Net Promoter Score, it is essential to give structure and rigor to your measures. Of course, there is both an art and a science to identifying the proper measures as well as interpreting them and translating them into actions. This article offers a primer on measuring customer satisfaction.Create a Customer Satisfaction Survey Designing and delivering a customer satisfaction survey is challenging for organizations that lack a formal research function. It is incumbent upon the customer service professional to design a clear, easy-to-use survey that measures the right attributes. Additionally, its important to assess the right time an d location to administer the survey. Every step in the process must be considered carefully or you are at risk of skewing the results. This reference offers additional details on survey creation. How Key Drivers Help You Increase Customer Satisfaction Many factors have an impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. A Key Driver Analysis tells you what is fruchtwein important to your customers and where to spend your money to get the greatest increase in customer satisfaction.Stay Focused on the Goal, Not the Counting Many businesses have metrics they rely upon to track their performance against the goals of the company and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). However, just keeping score isnt enough. You have to identify and manage the activities that drive (or contribute to) the numbers. Understand Key Performance Indicators Organizations establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor their progress against key goals and strategies. Identifying the proper KPIs is a challengin g managerial task.Benchmark Customer Satisfaction Benchmarking is the process of comparing your organization (or operations) against other organizations in your industry or, in the broader marketplace. You might compare your most successful competitors customer processes and satisfaction with your own. Or, you might look at a firm outside of your industry known for remarkable customer service. Establishing a benchmarking initiative is an important component of measuring (and improving) your customer service and satisfaction. Make Sure Your Entire Team Is Managing Customer Satisfaction While some departments are far removed from direct customer contact, every part of business influences overall customer satisfaction. This article offers several tips for engaging the broader organization and developing a customer service mentality.Try to Hear What Customers Arent Saying By nature, customers tend to focus their communications on a narrow list of issues around your product or services. It is important to develop the skills (and processes) to observe customers and to attempt to understand their true challenges and needs better. Those challenges (and needs) may be very different than what they are describing to you.

Marshalls Jobs and Employment Information

Marshalls Jobs and Employment InformationMarshalls Jobs and Employment InformationIf youre interested in pursuing a career at Marshalls, youve picked a company that provides a lot of room to grow as an employee. Marshalls is a subsidiary of The TJX Companies, Inc., a Fortune 100 off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. TJX brands include T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra Trading Post. TJX Companies has corporate positions available as well as in-store opportunities, nationwide, in store management, retail sales, and loss prevention. It also regularly advertises various jobs in its distribution centers. Why Work at Marshalls? Marshalls has many avenues for pursuing your dream career in retail. As part of the TJX Companies brand, Marshalls offers the benefits of working for a world-class employer committed to variety and diversity. TJX states its commitment is to attract ambitious and talented individuals, teach them the fundamentals of our off-price model, offer challenging assignments and support career growth so that Associates join us for a job and stay to build a career. The TJX umbrella of companies operates mora than 3,800 stores in nine countries and currently employs 235,000 sales associates. The corporation has garnered recognition as a desirable employer in recent years, including CollegeGrad.com - Top Entry-Level EmployerCareers and disABLED Magazine - Top EmployerCareerBliss - Top 10 Happiest Retailers to Work ForBlack EOE Journal, Hispanic Network Magazine, and Professional Womans Magazine - Top Diversity Employer Marshalls Joband Employment Information Job seekers can find Marshalls career information in theEmployment Opportunities section of the TJX website, including store job openings, employment application information, career information, and how to apply online. In theList Jobssection of the TJX website, you can search for and apply to jobs.Use the filters to fine-tune your search by language, functional area (fo r example, distribution, menschlich resources, retail management), location, work environment, brand (select Marshalls), full- or part-time work, shift type, and position classification. For example, you could search for corporate jobs at the national headquarters, hourly local store jobs, or operations jobs in a TJX Distribution Center. Merchandising Careers TJX provides extensive information on their merchandising jobs. If youre still in college, you can participate in theMerchandising Co-Op Program, where you work for six months in either trend analysis or product buying. If you complete the Co-Op Program, you have an excellent chance of being accepted into theMerchandising Development Program, a training program for merchandising careers. TJX also offers aMerchandising Internship Programfor college sophomores and juniors, exposing you to merchandise planning, allocation, and buying. Corporate Headquarters If youre interested in joining Marshalls with the goal of rising t o a career at corporate headquarters, expect to move to Massachusetts. TJX has national headquarters located in Framingham and Marlborough, both about an hours drive from Boston. Positions based at the corporate headquarters may include the following Financial Analyst, Financial Auditor, Financial Control Analyst, Front End Control Officer, Loyalty Digital Marketing Manager, Loss Prevention Specialist, Senior Marketing Production Planner, Marketing Database Analytics Manager, Product Development Design Assistant, and Trade Compliance Analyst. Retail Operations Positions There are a variety of retail operations management and sales associate positions you can hold in Marshalls stores local to your area. Heres just a few Sales Associate, Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, Decorative Home Product Development Specialist, District Manager, District Secretary, Human Resources Manager, Legal Secretary, Loss Prevention Detective, Merchandise Associate, Merchandise Coordinator, Sto re Detective, and Training Manager. Basic hard skills and soft skills for these positions may include (depending upon the role), competencies in customer service, management, loss prevention, sales planning, communications, merchandising, stocking, cash handling, housekeeping, and / or human resources (hiring, training, firing). Distribution Center Positions Marshalls stores depend upon the efficiency of their regional distribution centers. Employees interested in a career in distribution and logistics will find many opportunities, including positions as Distribution Center General Warehouse Associates, Distribution Center Loss Prevention Supervisors, and Distribution Center Supervisors. Marshalls Employee Benefits Marshalls offers a variety ofbenefitsto its employees including health and wellness benefits like medical, dental, vision insurance, a 401K plan, and life insurance. They also provide employee discounts, competitive paid time off benefits, and opportunities for le aves of absence. Eligibility for these benefits depends upon the number of hours one works and length of employment.

How to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound Smart - The Muse

How to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound Smart - The MuseHow to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound SmartTen months.Thats how long I evaded making coffee at my first corporate job. Until that point, Id been riding on the coffee-making coattails of my co-workers, making sure I was never the one who emptied the brde few drops from the industrial-sized carafe. Then, one day, the spout sputtered into my empty mug, and I had to suck it up and ask an embarrassingly easy question So, how do you brew a new pot of coffee? And no matter your level of experience, youre bound to encounter a similar situation at some point. Whether you never learned how to use a mainstream program, you dont quite understand something your co-workers can do effortlessly, or youve just entered a completely unfamiliar industry, youll have to ask some stupid questions, too. But while everyone will tell you theres no such thing as a stupid question, you still want to phrase your inquiries in a way that helps you c ome across as capable and confident. So if youve been holding back on your questions, read on for four ways to ask them in a smart, strategic way. Observe FirstSometimes, you can find out the answer to your question without asking verbally- but simply by observing.Take, for example, my coffee-making conundrum If Id lingered by the coffee station long enough, I could have covertly watched a co-worker make a new pot of coffee- and then reproduced the steps myself. OK, so maybe your questions arent quite as simple- but in the same vein, you might be able to find out what you need to know by digging a little. Not sure what your manager means when she asks you to create a dashboard in SalesForce? Google it. Even if you dont find the step-by-step instructions, youll at least gain the basic knowledge that youll be building a reporting tool- and that will give you a good start for asking your co-workers for more specifics. Start With What You Already KnowAssuming you do some prior research or clarify at least part the answer on your own, you should now have a vague idea of the specific information youre looking for. Maybe youre not sure how an entire website is coded, but you at least know that your company uses PHP- so use that to frame your question. Instead of asking a programmer Uh, whats all this gibberish? you can ask Im vaguely familiar with PHP, but could you explain the elements of the new site feature in laymans terms? Even if you take a guess that doesnt turn out to be entirely correct (So, SalesForce is a reporting tool?), youll still sound more prepared than if you stared with a blank stare and a helpless Whats SalesForce? When you lay the groundwork with even a little prior knowledge, youll make it easier for your target to explain to you exactly what you need to know- while avoiding the extraneous (obvious) details that arent truly necessary. Make a Solid SuggestionSometimes, questions can sound stupid simply because theyre far too broad- e.g., Whats th is? or What should I do?- which can make it seem like you didnt give it a second thought before you asked. So even if you know absolutely nothing about how to get started on a project your manager just assigned your first question shouldnt ever be How should I start? Instead, approach your question with a suggestion or idea youve already developed I thought I could start by pulling traffic data from a year ago and then comparing it to recent numbers. Do you agree, or is there a better starting place? Or, ask for something specific that will help you get to the bigger goal I need to contact all of our new clients from the past month- do we have a client directory that I can access? Even if your idea is completely off the mark, youll show that you actually put some thought into your question, and youll provide your co-worker or manager with a solid jumping-off point to provide you with a little more guidance. Ask With ConfidenceMost importantly, the key to asking stupid questions is t o avoid acknowledging that you think theyre stupid. When you phrase your question with the assumption that you should already know the answer (e.g., I know this is such a stupid question, but how do I upload a deutsche post dhl to WordPress?), you sound a lot less knowledgeable that if you would have just asked the question in a more straightforward manner (Can you walk me through uploading a blog post?). The truth is, most colleagues (the nice ones, at least) wont hesitate to help when you ask a simple question- even if it seems embarrassingly obvious to you. (Unless, of course, you keep asking the same question over and over- or its something that you could have easily found out with some quick research.) No matter how high you climb the ladder, youll never know everything. Thankfully, asking stupid questions wont cause the demise of your career. In fact, when you phrase them the right way, youll demonstrate that youre competent and- more importantly- not afraid to ask for whateve r you need to get the job done.

New Questions About Facilities Manager Resume Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report

New Questions About Facilities Manager Resume Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report Top Facilities Manager Resume Secrets Doing this can allow it to be much more likely for your resume to get noticed by HR managers with regard to that of others. If youre unsure about your very own past accomplishments and results, talk with your former boss or coworkers and attempt to collect data. The more financial insight youve got, the more effective a manager youre going to be. After the HR manager will see that your resume is highly geared to their organization or industry, they will have a far greater impression of you. You must tailor your resume for a sales manager position to boost your probability of getting an interview. Proofread several occasions and have another rolle do that, too. Attempt not to make this mistake. Fantastic luck and receive the suitable job soon. No matter the task at hand might be, yours is a place of leadership. Adding work experience can help and there are a lot of ways to help improve upon too little experience. Get the help you require, when you want it. Start on the lookout for strategies to improve efficiency. Companies want vitality, superior fit, and personal chemistry. Make certain your contact information is accurate. It must incorporate just enough compelling info to create interest in you. Be sure that your contact information on top of each page of your resume is accurate. Our resume builder provides you with tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. Job-Specific Resume Template you know you will be receiving a professional looking resume thats keyword loaded, and uses the perfect industry jargon and terminology. In addition, you can continue to keep the Resume Template anyway. Professional Resume Templates are a fantastic solution if you are in need of a new resume fast. When you have your resume finished, take a look at our great array of jobs at top employers. unters tellung are only a few ways employees bypass security measures for the interest of convenience. Employees need training to create intelligent decisions on the job. Without proper background checks, facilities may seek the services of an individual who might put their company in danger. A facilities manager should be able to investigate and analyze contracts. A facilities manager is a work role that accounts for making sure buildings and their services meet the requirements of the people who work inside them. To be a facilities manager demands lots of distinct skills as a way to work successfully. On the contrary, it focuses on the skills you have developed that fit the needs of the job for which youre applying. In other instances, an undergraduate or postsecondary program is mandatory to be able to find work. List your greatest degree first. Find more information regarding getting into facilities management for a graduate.It is excellent for highlighting to prospective employ ers all of the skills you have developed over the duration of your career, without needing to incorporate each workplace chronologically. There are, in addition, a whole lot of growth and career advancement opportunities in this discipline. Rather than providing a dry collection of sales management-related responsibilities, you are going to discuss the the skills you used at work. Such resumes are well suited for men and women who have gaps in their employment histories or are new to a specific industry.

Resume Writing Services Portland, or - the Story

Resume Writing Services Portland, or - the Story If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Resume Writing Services Portland, or Many resume writing companies provide personalized assistance with titel letters and could even include things like totally free career coaching and marketing and advertising services. Youve determined what the provider is searching for, the way that it relates to industry trends, and the way you are able to make your contributions. The absolute most affordable resume and cover letter services in the marketplace. Youre a personal services business. With over 30 decades of experience, Career Resume Service delivers unparalleled credentials. Resumes ought to be spectacular enough to find the interest of the recruiters. They give recruiters the ability to identify and determine the value of the candidate and what he or she can do for the company. Resumes a well-written resume is a highly effective advertising tool which is able to make your career. While there are a few pretty impressive young overachievers around who run to networking event after event to fulfill everyone in their industry, its still hard to develop solid relationships in a brief time period. If you cant, the organization will find somebody who can. Right off the bat, you understand that the kind of job that youre vying for is more difficult to obtain than others. The fantastic news is that you are going to have a chance to produce a huge impact in the business during your limited time there. Resume Writing Services Portland, or The information that you include in your resume and the layout of your resume will ride on your abilities and experience in connection with your career objective. If you are conducting a targeted job search that isnt generating any interviews or netting you zero results, it can be time for you to take a good look at the document youre marketing to recruiters and employers. As you write your resume, dont forget that employers want individuals with transferable skills. The employer doesnt need to understand every detail of a job should it not relate to the position for which youre applying. The more work that you put into getting to be aware of the new career, the more you are going to boost your odds of convincing an employer that youre no newbie in the area you aspire to be part of. No Need to Commit As with other temporary opportunities, you have a chance to test the waters with a particular business to choose if its a great location for you. You should list work in reverse chronological order starting with your latest job. Detecting a job in Orlando is equally as tough because it is in every other major city. So, by preparing all the questions associated with your project or thesis its possible to boost your odds of finding the job. Sometimes your resume requires a couple of minor tweaks and at times it needs an entire overhaul. Covering your very own previous tasks assist the empl oyer figure out what kind of worker youd prove to be. The genuine task which youre likely to do will probably be significantly simple whenever you currently understand how you are able to soak up concerns and uncertain teeth. Now the actual work starts Utilize Storytelling to Your Advantage Another wonderful means to persuade in the job that you want is to be a fantastic storyteller. Even though you can brag and compose every single of your work and feel taller than ever bur it isnt the expert means of resume writing. When youre interviewing for work at the executive level especially in the event youve been out of work for some time you might want to try pretty much any tactic possible to acquire the job.

35 hard truths you should know before becoming successful

35 hard truths you should know before becoming successful35 hard truths you should know before becoming successful1. Its Never As Good As You Think It WillBeOne of the enemies of happiness is adaptation,says Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology zu nutz und frommenfessor at Cornell University who has studied the relationship between money and happiness for over two decades.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraWe buy things to make us happy, and we succeed. But only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them,Gilovich further states.Actually,savoringthe anticipation or idea of the desired outcome is generally mora satisfying than the outcome itself. Once we get what we want - whether thats wealth, health, or excellent relationships - we adapt and the excitement fades. Often, the experiences were seeking end up being underwhelming and even disappointin g.I love watching this phenomenon in ur foster kids. They feel like they need a certain toy or the universe will explode. Their whole world revolves around getting this one thing. Yet, once we buy the toy for them, its bedrngnis long before the joy fades and they want something else.Until you appreciate what you currently have, more wont make yur life better.2. Its Never As Bad As You Think It WillBeJust as we deceive urselves into believing something will make us happier than it will, we also deceive ourselves into believing something will beharderthan it will.The longer you procrastinate or avoid doing something, the more painful (in your head) it becomes. However, once you take action, the discomfort is far less severe than you imagined. Even to extremely difficult things, humans adapt.I recently sat on a plane with a lady who has 17 kids. Yes, you read that correctly. After having eight of her own, she and her husband felt inspired to foster four siblings whom they later adopted . A few years later, they took on anotlageher five foster siblings whom they also adopted.Of course, the initial shock to the ordnungsprinzip impacted her entire family. But theyre handling it. And believe it or not, you could handle it too if you had to.The problem with dread and fear is that it holds people back from taking on big challenges. What you will find - no matter how big or small the challenge - is that you will adapt to it.When you consciously adapt to enormous stress, you evolve.3. There Is No Way To HappinessThere is no way to happiness - happiness is the way. - Thich Nhat HanhMost people believe they mustFirsthavesomething (e.g., money, time, or love)Before they candowhat they want to do (e.g., travel the world, write a book, abflug a business, or have a romantic relationship)Which will ultimately allow them tobesomething (e.g., happy, peaceful, content, motivated, or in love).Paradoxically, thishave - do - beparadigm must actually be reversed to experience hap piness, success, or anything else you desire.First youbewhatever it is you want to be (e.g., happy, compassionate, peaceful, wise, or loving)Then you startdoingthings from this space of beingAlfruchtwein immediately, what you are doing will bring about the things you want tohaveWe attract into our lives whatwe are.This concept is confirmed by loads of psychological research. In his popularTED talk, Harvard psychologist Shawn Achor explains that fruchtwein have happiness backward. They believe they must first achieve or acquire something to be happy. The science shows that happiness facilities success.For example,Scott Adams, the creator of the famous comic series Dilbert, attributes his success to the use of positive affirmations. 15 times each day, he wrote the sentence on a piece of paper,I Scott Adams, will become a syndicated cartoonist.The process of writing this 15 times a day buried this idea deep into his subconscious - putting Adams conscious mind on a treasure hunt for wh at he sought. The more he wrote, the more he could see opportunities before invisible to him. And shortly thereafter, he welches a highly famous syndicated cartoonist. It couldnt not happen.I personally apply a similar principle but write my goal in the present tense. For example, rather than saying,I will become a syndicated cartoonist,I write,I am a syndicated cartoonist.Writing it in the present tense highlights the fact that you arebeingwho you want to be, which will then inform what you do and ultimately who you become.4. You Have EnoughAlreadyIn an vorstellungsgesprch at the annualGenius NetworkEvent in 2013, Tim Ferriss was asked, With all of your various roles, do you ever get stressed out? Do you ever feel like youve taken on too much?Ferriss respondedOf course I get stressed out. If anyone says they dont get stressed out theyre lying. But one thing that mitigates that is taking time each morning to declare and focus on the fact that I have enough.I have enough.I dont need to worry about responding to every email each day. If they get mad thats their problem.Ferriss was later asked during the saatkorn interviewAfter having readThe4-Hour Workweek, I got the impression that Tim Ferriss doesnt care about money. You talked about how you travel the world without spending any money. Talk about the balance and ability to let go of caring about making money.Ferriss respondedIts totally okay to have lots of nice things. If it is addiction to wealth, like inFight Club,The things you own end up owning you, and it becomes a surrogate for things like long-term health and happiness connection then it becomes a disease state. But if you can have nice things, and not fear having them taken away, then its a good thing. Because money is a really valuable tool.If you appreciate what you already have then more will be a good thing in your life. If you feel theneedto have more to compensate for something missing in your life, youll always be left wanting - no matter how much you acquire or achieve.5. You Have Every Advantage ToSucceedIts easy to talk about how hard our lives are. Its easy to talk about how unfair life is. And that we got the short end of the stick.But does this kind of talking really help anyone?When we judge our situation as worse than someone elses, we are ignorantly and incorrectly saying,Youve got it easy. Youre not like me. Success should come easy to you because you havent had to deal with what Ive gone through.This paradigm has formally become known as thevictim mentality,and it generally leads to feelings of entitlement.The world owes you nothing. Life isnt meant to be fair. However, the world has also given you everything you need. The truth is, you have everyadvantagein the world to succeed. And by believing this in your bones, youll feel an enormous weight of responsibility to yourself and the world.Youve been put in a perfectpositionto succeed. Everything in the universe has brought you to this point so you can now shin e and change the world. The world is your oyster. Your natural state is to thrive. All you have to do is show up.6. Every Aspect Of Your Life Affects Every Aspect Of YourLifeHuman beings are holistic - when you change a part of any system you simultaneously change the whole. Youcantchange a part without fundamentally changing everything.Every pebble of thought - no matter how inconsequential - creates endless ripples of consequence. This idea, coinedthe butterfly effectby Edward Lorenz came from the metaphorical example of a hurricane being influenced by minor signals - such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly - several weeks earlier. Little things become big things.When one area of your life is out of alignment, every area of your life suffers. You cant compartmentalize a working system. Although its easy to push certain areas - like your health and relationships - to the side, you unwittingly infect your whole life. Eventually and always, the essentials you procrastinate or avoid will catch up to your detriment.Conversely, when you improve one area of your life, all other areas are positively influenced. As James Allen wrote inAs a Man Thinketh, When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.We are holistic systems.Humanity as a whole is the same way. Everything you do effect the whole world, for better or worse. So I invite you to askAm I part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease? - Coldplay7. Competition Is TheEnemyAll failed companies are the same they failed to escape competition. - Peter ThielCompetition is extremely costly to maximum product reach and wealth creation. It becomes a battle of who can slightly out-do the other for cheaper and cheaper. Its a race to the bottom for all parties involved.Instead of trying to compete with other people or businesses, its better to do something completely novel or to focus on a tightly defined niche. Once youve established yourself as an authority over something , you can set your own terms - rather than reactively responding to the competition. Thus, you want to monopolize the space in which you create value.Competing with others leads people to spend every day of their lives pursuing goals that arent really their own - but what society has deemed important. You could spend your whole life trying to keep up, but will probably have a shallow life. Or, you can define success for yourself based on your own values and detach yourself from the noise.8. You Cant Have ItAllEvery decision has an opportunity cost. When you choose one thing, you simultaneously dont choose several others. When someone says you can have it all, they are lying. They are almost certainly not practicing what they preach and are trying to sell you on something.The truth is, you dontwantit all. And even if you did, reality simply doesnt work that way. For example, Ive come to terms with the fact that I want my family to be the center of my life. Spending time with my wif e and three foster kids is my top priority. As a result, I cant spend 12 or 15 hours a day working like some people. And thats okay. Ive made my choice.And thats the point. We all need to choose what matters most to us, and own that. If we attempt to be everything, well end up being nothing. Internal conflict is hell.Although the traditional view of creativity is that it is unstructured and doesnt follow rules, creativity usually occurs by thinkinginsidethe proverbial box, not outside of it. People flex their creative muscles when they constrain their options rather than broaden them. Hence, the more clearly defined and constraining your lifes objectives the better, because it allows you to sever everything outside those objectives.9. Never Forget Where You CameFromIts easy when you achieve any level of success to believe you are solely responsible for that success. Its easy to forget where you came from.Its easy to forget all the sacrifices other people have made to get you where y ou are.Its easy to see yourself as superior to other people.Burn all your bridges and youll have no human connection left. In that internal cave of isolation, youll lose your mind and identity, becoming a person you never intended to be.Humility, gratitude, and recognition of your blessings keep your success in proper perspective. You couldnt do what youve without the help of countless other people. You are extremely lucky to be able to contribute in the way you have.10. If You Need Permission To Do Something, You Probably Shouldnt DoItMy father-in-law is a highly successful real-estate investor. Throughout his career, hes had hundreds of people ask him if they should go into real-estate. He tells every one of them the same thing that they shouldnt do it. In fact, he actually tries talking most of themout of it.And in most cases, he succeeds.Why would he do that?Those who are going to succeed will do so regardless of what I say,my father-in-law told me.I know so many people who chas e whatever worked for other people. They never truly decide whattheywant to do, and end up jumping from one thing to the next - trying to strike quick gold. And repetitively, they stop digging just a few feet from the gold after resigning the spot is barren.No one will ever give you permission to live your dreams. As Ryan Holiday has said inThe Obstacle is the Way,Stop looking for angels, and start looking for angles.Rather than hoping for something external to change your circumstances, mentally reframe yourself and your circumstances.When you change the way you see things, the things you see change. - Wayne DyerYou are enough.You can do whatever you decide to do.Make the decision and forget what everyone else says or thinks about it.11. You Earn As Much Money As You WantToMost people say they want to be successful. But if they really wanted to, theyd be successful.I used to tell people,I wish I played the piano.Then someone said,No you dont. If you did, youd make the time to pra ctice.Ive since stopped saying that because he was right.Life is a matter of priority and decision. And when it comes to money - in a free-market economy - you can make as much money as you choose. The question is, how much money do you really want to make?Instead of vegging on social media day-after-day, year-after-year, you could spend an hour or two each day building something of value - like yourself.In the book,Think and Grow Rich,Napoleon Hill invites readers to write down on a piece of paper the amount of money they want to make and to put a timeline on it. This single act will challenge you to think and act in new ways to create the future of your wanting.For example, despite growing up so poor that for a time his family lived in their vw van on a relatives lawn,Jim Carreybelieved in his future. Every night in the late 1980s, Carrey would drive atop a large hill that looked down over Los Angeles and visualize directors valuing his work. At the time, he was a broke and str uggling young comic.One night in 1990, while looking down on Los Angeles and dreaming of his future, Carrey wrote himself a check for $10 mio and put in the notation line for acting services rendered. He dated the check for Thanksgiving 1995 and stuck it in his wallet. He gave himself five years. And just before Thanksgiving of 1995, he got paid $10 million forDumb and Dumber.12. Your Vision Of Who You Want To Be Is Your GreatestAssetCreate the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe. - Oprah WinfreyNo matter where you are right now, you can have any future you want. But one thing is for certain, what you plant youmustharvest. So, please plant with intention. Mental creation always precedes physical creation. The blueprint you design in your head becomes the life you build.Dont let society tell you how your house should look. You are an artist and creator. Your life can be exactly how you want it, whether or not its considered a mansion by others. Home is where your heart is.13. Who You Are Determines What You CanHaveTheres aparableof a wealthy parent who hesitated to give their unwise child an inheritance, knowing it would undoubtedly be squandered. The parent said to the childAll that I have I desire to give you not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which IhaveI can easily give you, but that which Iamyou must obtain for yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours.Going through the motions is not enough. There isnt a check-list of things you mustdoto be successful. You have to fundamentally change who you are to live at a higher level. You must go fromdoingtobeing - so that what you do is a reflection of who you are, an d who youre becoming. Once youve experienced this change, success will be natural.After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because whats important is not the million dollars whats important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire. - Jim Rohn14. Earning Money IsMoralFor better or worse, humans are holistic. Even the human body does best when its spiritual and physical sides are synchronized Peoples bodies perform best when their brains are on board with the program Helping your mind to believe what you do is good, noble, and worthwhile in itself helps to fuel your energies and propel your efforts. - Rabbi Daniel LapinI know so many people who genuinely believe making money is imstimmungslage, and that people with money are evil. They believe those who seek profitsforcethose weaker than them to buy their products.Money is not evil, but neutral. It is a symbol of perceivedvalue.If Im selling a pair of shoes for $20 and someone decides to buy them, they perceive the shoes to be worthmorethan the $20, or they wouldnt buy them.Im not forcing them to buy my shoes. Its their choice. Thus, value exchange is win-win and based purely on perception. Value is subjective If you offered that same person $20 for the shoes they just bought, they probably wouldnt sell them. They see them as worthmorethan $20. But what if you offered $30? They still might not sell them.There is no correct price for goods and services. The correct price is the perceived worth from the customer. If the price is too high, the customer wont exchange their money for it.We are extremely lucky to live in a society with a system of money. It allows us to borrow, lend, and leverage. Our ability to scale our work would be enormously limited in a bartering and trading system.Earning money is a completely moral pursuit when it is done with honesty and integrity. In fact, if you dont feel moral about the work youre doing, you should probably change your job.When you believe in the value you provide so much that you are doing people adisserviceby not offering them your services, youre on track to creating colossal value. Our work should be a reflection of us. Its alwaystheirchoice whether they perceive the value in what were offering or not.15. Almost Everything In Life Is A DistractionYou cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. - Greg McKeownAlmost everything is a distraction from what really matters. You really cant put a price-tag on certain things. They are beyond a particular value to you. Youd give up everything, even your life, for those things.Your relationships and personal values dont have a price-tag. And you should never exchange something priceless for a price.Keeping things in proper perspective allows you to remove everything non-essential from your life. It allows you to live simply and laser-focused, and to avoid dead-end roads leading nowhere.16. Focus Is TodaysI.Q.We live in the most distracted era of human history. The web is a double-edged sword. Like money, the internet is neutral - and it can be used for good or bad based on who uses it.Sadly, most of us are simply not responsible enough for the internet. We waste hours every day staring idly at a screen. Millennials are particularly prone to distractions on the internet, but nowadays, everyone is susceptible.Our attention spans have shrunk to almost nothing. Our willpower has atrophied. Weve developed some really bad habits that often require extreme interventions to reverse.There is a growing body ofscientific evidencesuggesting the internet - with its constant distractions and interruptions - is turning us into scattered and superficial thinkers. One of the biggest challenges to constant distraction is that it leads to shallow rather than deep thinking, and shallow thinking leads to shallow living. The Roman philosopher Seneca may have put it best 2,000 years agoTo be everywhere is to be nowhere.In his book,Deep Work Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport differentiates deep work, from shallow work. Deep work is using your skills to create something of value. It takes thought, energy, time and concentration. Shallow work is all the little administrative and logistical stuff email, meetings, calls, expense reports, etc. Most people arent moving toward their goals because they prioritize shallow work.The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence,the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. - Cal Newport17. If Your Goals Are Logical, Dont Expect Luck (or thelike)You need to aim beyond what you are capable of. You need to develop a complete disregard for where your abilities end. If you think youre unable to work for the best company in its sphere, make that your aim. If you think youre unable to be o n the cover of Time magazine, make it your business to be there.Make your vision of where you want to be a reality. notlagehing is impossible. - Paul ArdenMost peoples goals are completely logical. They dont require much imagination. They certainly dont require faith, luck, magic, or miracles.Personally, I believe its sad how skeptical and secular many people are becoming. I find great pleasure in having faith in the spiritual. It provides context for life and meaning for personal growth. Having faith allows me to pursue that which others would call absurd, like walking on water and transcending death. Truly, with God all things are possible. There is absolutely nothing to fear.18. Dont Seek Praise. Seek Criticism.As a culture, weve become so fragile that we must combine honest feedback with 20 compliments. And when we get feedback, we do our best to disprove it. Psychologists call thisconfirmation bias - the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that co nfirms our own beliefs while giving excessively less consideration to alternative possibilities.Its easy to get praise when you ask family and friends who will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Instead of seeking praise, your work will improve if you seek criticism.How could this be better?You will know your work has merit when someone cares enough to give an unsolicited critique. If something is noteworthy, there will be haters. As Robin Sharma, author ofThe Monk Who Sold His Ferrari,has said,haters confirm greatness.When you really start showing up, the haters will be intimidated by you. Rather than being a reflection of what theycould do,you become a reflection of what they are not doing.19. The World Gives To The Givers And Takes From TheTakersFrom a scarcity perspective, helping other people hurts you because you no longer have the advantage. This perspective sees the world as a giant pie. Every piece of the pie you have is pie I dont have. So in order for you to win, I m ust lose.From an abundance perspective, there is not only one pie, but an infinite number of pies. If you want more, youmakemore. Thus, helping others actually helps you because it makes the system as a whole better. It also builds relationships and trust and confidence.I have a friend, Nate, who is doing some really innovative stuff at the real estate investment company he works for. Hes using strategies that no one else is using. And heskilling it.He told me he considered keeping his strategies a secret. Because if other people knew about them, theyd use them and thatd mean fewer leads for him.But then he did the opposite. He told everyone in his company about what he was doing. He has even been giving tons of his leads away This has never been seen before in his company.But Nate knows that once this strategy no longer works, he can come up with another one. And thats what leadership and innovation are all about. And people have come to trust him. Actually, theyve come to rely on him for developing the best strategies.Nate makes pies - for himself and several other people. And yes, he is also the top-selling and highest-earning in his company. Its because he gives the most and doesnt horde his ideas, resources, or information.20. Create Something You Wish AlreadyExistedMany entrepreneurs design products to scratch their own itch. Actually, thats how loads of problems are solved. You experience difficulty and create a solution.Musicians and artists approach their work the same way. They create music theyd want to listen to, draw painting theyd want to see, and write books they wish were written. Thats how I personally approach my work. I write articles I myself would want to read.Your work should first and foremost resonate with yourself. If you dont enjoy the product of your work, how can you expect other people to?21. Dont Look For The Next OpportunityThe perfect client, perfect opportunity, and perfect circumstances will almost never happen. Instead of wi shing things were different, why not cultivate whats right in front of you?Rather than waiting for the next opportunity, the one in your handsis the opportunity.Said another way, the grass is greener where you water it.I see so many people leave marriages because they believe better relationships are out there. In most cases, these people start new relationships and end them the same way the previous relationship ended. The problem isnt your circumstances. The problem is you. You dont find your soul-mate, you create your soul-mate through hard work.As Jim Rohn said,Dont wish it was easier, wish you were better. Dont wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Dont wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.22. Dont Wait ToStartIf you dont purposefully carve time out every day to progress and improve - without question, your time will get gelbkreuzgas in the vacuum of our increasingly crowded lives. Before you know it, youll be old and withered - wondering where all that time went.As Meredith Willson has said - You pile up enough tomorrows, and youll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.I waited a few years too long to actively start writing. I was waiting for the right moment when Id have enough time, money, and whatever else I thought I needed. I was waiting until I was somehow qualified or had permission to do what I wanted to do.But you are never pre-qualified. There is no degree forLive your dreams.You qualify yourself by showing up and working. You get permission by deciding.Life is short.Dont wait for tomorrow for something you could do today. Your future self will either thank you or shamefully defend you.23. Dont Publish TooEarlyAt age 22, Tony Hsieh (now CEO of Zappos.com), graduated from Harvard. When Tony was 23 years old, six months after starting Linkexchange, he was offered one million dollars for the company. This was amazing to Tony because less than a year before, he was stoked to get a job at Oracle making 40K per year.After much thought and discussion with his partner, he rejected the offer believing he could continue to build Linkexchange into something bigger. His true love is in building and creating. A true pro gets paid but doesnt work for money. A true pro works for love.Five months later, Hsieh was offered 20 million dollars from Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo. This blew Tony away. His first thought was,Im glad I didnt sell five months agoHowever, he held his cool and asked for a few days to consider the proposal. He would make this decision on his terms.He thought about all the things he would do if he had all that money, knowing he would never have to work another day in his life. After reflecting, he could only devise a small list of things he wantedA condoA TV and built-in home theatreThe ability to go on weekend mini-vacations whenever he wantedA new computerTo start another company because he loves the idea of building and growing something.That was it.His passion and motiv ation wasnt in having stuff. He concluded that he could already afford a TV, a new computer, and could already go on weekend mini-vacations whenever he wanted. He was only 23 years old, so he determined a condo could wait. Why would he sell Linkexchange just to build and grow another company?A year after Tony rejected the 20 million dollar offer, Linkexchange exploded. There were over 100 employees. Business was booming. Yet, Hsieh no longer enjoyed being there. The culture and politics had subtly changed in the process of rapid growth. Linkexchange was no longer Hsieh and a group of close friends building something they loved. They had hired a bunch of people in a hurry who didnt have the same vision and motivations they had. Many of the new employees didnt care about Linkexchange, or about building something they loved. Rather, they just wanted to get rich quick - purely self-interested.So he decided to sell the company on his terms. Microsoft purchased Linkexchange in 1998 for 2 65 million dollars when Hsieh was 25 years old.A similar concept emerged in a conversation I had about one year ago withJeff Goins, best-selling author ofThe Art of Work.I asked his advice about publishing a book I want to write and he said,Wait. Dont jump the gun on this. I made that mistake myself. If you wait a year or two, youll get a 10x bigger advance, which will change the trajectory of your whole career.Heres how it works. With 20K email subscribers, a writer can get around a $2040K book advance. But with 100200K email subscribers, a writer can get around a $150500K book advance. Wait a year or two and change the trajectory of your career (and life).This isnt about procrastination. Its about strategy. Timing - even a few seconds - could change your whole life.24. If You Cant Solve A Problem, Its Because Youre Playing By TheRulesThere is nothing that is a more certain sign of insanity than to do the same thing over and over and expect the results to be different. - Albert EinsteinConvention is where were at. Breaking convention is how well evolve, which requires a gargantuan quantity of failure.If you dont have the grit to fail 10,000 times, youll never invent your light bulb.As Seth Godin has said,If I fail more than you do, I win.Failure is something to be prized and praised. Failure is feedback. Failure is moving forward. Its conscious and exerted effort toward something youve never done before. Its incredible.The person who doesnt make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Paul Arden25. How You Set Up The Game Is More Important Than The GameItselfPeople may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. - Thomas MertonToo many people are playing the wrong game - a losing game from the onset - and it hurts like hell. Its how youruin your lifewithout even knowing it.More important than playing the game is how the game is set up. How you set up t he gamedetermineshow you play. And its better to win first, then play.How does this work?Start from the end and work backward. Rather than thinking about whats plausible, or whats expected, or what makes sense - start with what you want. Or as Covey put it in7 Habits, Begin with the end clearly in mind.Once thats nailed down, then dictate the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly behaviors that will facilitate that.Jim Carrey wrote himself a $10 million check. Then he set out to earn it. He won the gamefirst,then played. So can you.26. Leverage YourPositionNo matter how small your wins along the way are, leverage your positionYou have a high school diploma? Leverage your positionYou know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy? Leverage your positionYou get an article featured on some unknown blog? Leverage your positionYou have $100? Leverage your positionSadly, most people cant stop looking at the other side of the fence. They fail to realize the brilliant possibilities currently avai lable to them. This is bad stewardship.There are people you already know who have the information you need.There are people you already know who have capital you can use.There are people you already know who can connect you with people you should know.Instead of wanting more, how about you utilize what you already have? Until you do, more wont help you. Actually, it will only continue hurting you until you learn to earn something for yourself. Its easy to want other people to do it for you. But real success comes when you take ownership of your life.No one else cares more about your success (or health, or relationships, or time) than you do.Your current position is ripe with abundant opportunity. Leverage it. Once you gain another inch of position, leverage it for all its worth. Dont wish for more. Wish you were better. And soon enough, youll find yourself in incredible positions and collaborating with your heroes.Success is based on choice.Success is based on having and maintaining a motivation worth fighting for. Its based on believing what others might call a fantasy. Its based on leveraging your position and maintaining the momentum of every step you take.27. Your Work Should Be A PerformanceThe cool part about poetry is that to most poets,howtheir poems are performedis just as important - if not more important - thanwhatis actually said.In a similar way, when you go to an event or to hear a speech, youre usually going to see the speaker, not hear what they have to say. You already know what they have to say.No matter what type of work you are in, it will be better received if you see it as an art-form. You are performing for an audience. They wantyoujust as much as they want your work - often more.28. You Get To Decide How ItWorksRyan Holiday, author ofThe Obstacle is the Way,explains what he callsthe moment,which every skilled creative has experienced. The moment, is when your eyes are opened to the mechanics and behind-the-scenes of your craft.Until you have this moment, it all seems like magic to you. You have no idea how people create what they create. After you have this moment, you realize that everything is done by a person intentionally creating a particularexperience.I was recently watching Lord of the Rings and it dawned on me that those movies would be completely different if they werent directed by Peter Jackson.Completely differentEvery shot, every set, the lighting, the costumes, how the characters and landscapes look, and how the whole film feels and is portrayed. It all would have looked and felt completely different based on the experience a different director was trying to create.Thus, there is no right or wrong way. Rather, its about doing thingsyourway. Until you experience this moment, youll continue attempting the correct or best way to do things. Youll continue copying other peoples work.But if you persist, youll become disillusioned to those who were once your idols. They are people just like you and me. T heyve just made a decision to create in their own way.The idea of imitation will become abhorrent, freeing you to create as you see fit. Youll emerge with your own voice and original work. Youll be less troubled about how your work is received and more focused on creating something you believe in.29. Five Minutes Is A Lot OfTimeWhen you have five minutes of downtime, how do you spend that time? Most people use it as an excuse to rest or laze.By lazing for 5 five minute breaks each day, we waste 25 minutes daily. Thats 9,125 minutes per year (25 X 365). Sadly, my guess is were wasting far more time than that.I was once told by my 9th grade English teacher that if I read every time I had a break - even if the break was just for a minute or two - that Id get a lot more reading done than expected. She was right. Every time I finished my work early or had a spare moment, Id pick up a book and read.How we spend our periodic five-minute breaks is a determining factor to what we achieve i n our lives. Every little bit adds up.Why can we justify wasting so much time?30. One Dollar Is A Lot OfMoneyI was recently in Wal-Mart with my mother-in-law buying a few groceries. While we were in the check-out line, I pointed an item out to her I thought was interesting (honestly cant remember what it is anymore).What stuck out to me is that she said,One dollar. Thats a lot of moneyWhy this surprised me is that my in-laws are not short of money. Actually, this happened while we were on a family trip (30+ people) at Disney World - the whole thing is paid for by them.Understanding the value of one dollar is the same as coming to appreciate the value of time. To thoughtlessly spend one dollar may not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. That frivolous spending compounded over a long enough time could be millions. It also reflects a lack of care about the details, which is where the true art and value lies.Additionally, most millionaires are self-made, 80 percent being first-ge neration rich, and 75 percent were self-employed. Not getting paid hourly challenges you to take more responsibility for every minute and every dollar. Consequently, a great majority of millionaires are extremely frugal - or at least highly mindful - with their money.31. Retirement Should Never Be TheGoalTo retire is to die. - Pablo CasalsThe most powerful way to punch someone in the face is to aim a foot behind their face. That way, you have full momentum and power when you make contact. If you aim only for the face itself, by the time you reach it youll have already begun slowing down. Thus, your punch will not be as powerful as you intended it to be.Retirement is the same way.Most people planning for retirement begin slowing down in their 40s and 50s. The sad part is, as momentum-based beings when you begin to slow down, you start a hard-to-reverse decaying process.Research has found thatretirementoftenIncreases the difficulty of mobility and daily activitiesIncreases the like lihood of becoming illAnd decreases mental healthBut retirement is a 20th-century phenomenon. And actually, the foundations undergirding this outdated notion make little sense in modern and future society.For instance, due to advances in health care, 65 is not considered old age anymore. When the Social Security system was designed, the planners chose age 65 because the average lifespan was age 63 at the time. Thus, the system was designed only for those who were really in need, not to create a culture of people being supported by others labor.Furthermore, the perception that people over 65 cant provide meaningful work no longer makes sense either. Retirement became a thing when most work was manual labor - but todays work is more knowledge-based. And if theres anything lacking in todays society, its wisdom, which people in their later years have spent a lifetime refining.Retirement should never be the goal.We are fully capable to work - in some capacity - until our final breath. My 92-year-old grandfather, Rex, was a fighter pilot in WWII. In the past five years, hes written three books. He goes to bed every night at 8 P.M. and wakes up every morning at 430 A.M. He spends the first 2.5 hours of his day watching inspirational and instructional content on television. He then eats breakfast at 7 A.M. and spends his day reading, writing, connecting and serving people, and even doing physical labor around his sons (my dads) house. He even walks around his neighborhood proselyting his faith and asking random strangers how he can help them.I have no intention of stopping or slowing down. Contrary to popular belief, humans are like wine and get better with age.32. Yesterday Is More Important ThanTodayThe best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. - Chinese ProverbOur present circumstances are a reflection of our past decisions. Although we have enormous power to change the trajectory of our lives here and now, we are where we are beca use of our past. While its popular to say the past doesnt matter, that simply is not true.Today is tomorrows yesterday. What we do today will either enhance or diminish our future-present moments. But most people put things off until tomorrow. We thoughtlessly go into debt, forego exercise and education, and justify negative relationships. But at some point, it all catches up. Like an airplane off-course, the longer we wait to correct the longer and harder it is to get back on course.Time is absolutely marvelous. We get to anticipate the experiences we want to have - which is often more enjoyable than the experiences themselves. We get to have the experiences we long for. And then we get to remember and carry those experiences with us forever. The past, present, and future are uniquely important and enjoyable.33. Youre Not WayBehindIn sports and all other forms of competition, people perform best when the game is close. Which is why big magic happens at the end of games like on-sid es kicks retrieved followed by 30-second touchdown drives. But when the contest is decidedly in one opponents favor, neither side acts with the same effort.When youre winning big, its easy to get lax and overconfident. When youre losing big, its easy to give up.Sadly, you probably perceive those at the top of your field in a different league altogether. But when you do this, you perform with less intensity than you would if you perceived the game to be closer.When you elevate your thinking - and see yourself on the same level as those at the top - you quickly become disillusioned by the fallibility of those you once perceived as immortal. They are just people. Most importantly, you will begin playing with an urgency that often surpasses even them.The game is close. The game is close.34. The Music You Listen To Determines Your Success InLifeWithout music, life would be a mistake - Friedrich NietzscheOne study found that the type of music you listen to affects how you perceiveneutr al faces. If you listen to sad music, youre more likely to interpret people being sad. By listening to positive music, youre more likely to see happy faces which will influence how you interact with people.Listening tomoderate noise levelmakes our mental processing slightly more difficult, which leads us to utilize more creative methods of problem-solving. When that music is ambient, we can delve deeper into the wellsprings of neural creativity.Other researchfound that your music preference reflects your personality type. For example, they found that classical music fans tend to have high self-esteem, are creative, introvert and at ease and that chart pop fans tend to have high self-esteem, are hardworking, outgoing and gentle, but are not creative and not at ease.Science highlights the fact that in some cases, silence isnotgolden. For instance, listening to classical music enhanced the visual attention ofstroke patientswhile listening to nothing at all worsened attention. Other res earch found that cyclists who listened to music required seven percent less oxygen than those listening to nothing. Indeed, music can literally change our entire energy, emotion, and motivation in an instant. Its a powerful and beautiful tool.You can also use music as atriggerfor optimal wertmiger zuwachs. For example, Michael Phelps had a routine he did religiously before each swimming event involving music. Hes not alone.Many athletes use musicbefore events to trigger relaxation from the pressure and even to psych themselves up.When asked byTime Magazineabout his use of music prior to races, Phelps said it kept him focused and helped him tune everything out and take one step at a time. When asked about the kind of music he listens to, he answered, I listen to hip hop and rap.Interestingly,research has foundthat high tempo music like hip hop can create strong arousal and performance readiness. Otherevidence findsthe intensity of the emotional response can linger long after the musi c has stopped. So, while Phelps is in the water swimming, hes still hyped from his hip hop.Lastly, research has found that the types of music we listen to impact our level ofspirituality. This last point is particularly important to me. Spirituality heavily influences everything I do, from how I interact with my family, to what and how I write, to how I develop and pursue my goals.35. Ready toupgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.This article first appeared on Benjamin P. Hardy.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

A great coach explains why youre not getting recruited for the best jobs

A great coach explains why youre elendlage getting recruited for the best jobsA great coach explains why youre not getting recruited for the best jobsIn the world of college basketball, Geno Auriemma is a legend.The coach of the womens basketball kollektiv for the University of Connecticut since 1985, Auriemma has led the womens Huskies to 11 NCAA titles and four undefeated seasons. His current team hasnt lost a game in two years.Hes also something of a management guru, though thats not his intent. Auriemmas pronouncements on leadership and getting the most out of a team deserve their own book. We were reminded of this when a hugely popular video recently resurfaced about how he knows some players deserve to be on the bench.The key trait of benched players A bad attitudeWhat does a bad attitude mean? A bunch of things, to Auriemma entitlement. Not trying hard enough. Giving up too soon. Whining.Youll find that top recruiters and employers think the same way too. Its hard to find a go od candidate to hire and even harder to find people who can become leaders. How do recruiters recognize them? Like Auriemma, by body language.Recruiting kids that are upbeat and loving life and love the game and have this appreciation for when their teammates do something well - thats really hard, Auriemma says in the video.We put a huge premium on body language. And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game. EVER. I dont care how good you are.Id rather lose than watch kids play the way some kids play.Theyre allowed to get away with just whatever. And theyre always thinking about themselves Me, me, me, me, me. I didnt score, so why should I be happy? Im not getting enough minutes why should I be happy? Thats the world we live in today, unfortunatelyDont get me started. When I look at my team, they know this when I watch game film, Im checking whats going on on the bench. If someones asleep over there, if somebody doest care, if somebodys not engaged in the game, they will never get in the game. And they know Im not kidding. Does that sound like someone you know? Are they frustrated at work and not getting anywhere? It may be because they feel entitled to a bigger title or more money, but they havent proved they have the maturity to handle it. They want to succeed but theyre not really showing results, harboring personal resentments more often than theyre doing good work.Of course, we all know that happens. Even the worlds top leaders, like former President Obama, have admitted they were once slackers. What Auriemmas insight reveals is this not only is a bad attitude destructive to your chances of rising, its also fooling no one. Bad attitude is built into your body language, and its totally transparent. And its holding you back.Heres how to turn it around, according to Auriemmas collected wisdom.Accept criticism and learn how to be coachedAuriemmas approach is tough love, which means being direct about whats going well and whats not.The bes t performers accept any fair criticism and use it to get better. The mediocre players feel wounded by any suggestion and give up.I dont want someone to beat around the bush. If I didnt play well, I want to know why, one of Auriemmas players says. Another, Tina Charles, notes, with him its not about winning or losing, its about getting the best out of every player.Good players, great players, a culture of winning every night, players that are committed to being coached they enjoy being coached, they want you to coach them, Auriemma has said. You got a lot of the opposite of what I just talked about. There are players who dont want to be coached really hard, they dont want demands placed on them.The best workers - the ones that stand out to recruiters and others in their industry - are the ones who want to improve, not the ones who collapse when theyre asked to do better. Wanting to do better, and working at it, makes people stand out.Developing a champion mindsetAuriemma constantly puts his players in the most difficult situations, then asks them to succeed anyway.unterstellung guys are faster than you. So youre going to have to everything right to get a shot, Auriemma says to his team. Theyre faster than you.As an example, when his players get good at playing, he tests them by forcing them to play at a disadvantage, piling 5, 6, or even 8 players on a team that has only four players to defend them. By increasing the challenge, Auriemmas players get good at playing out-numbered. They learn how to compete.Auriemma spots the players that will never level up the ones who make excuses right away. The ones that say, they have seven and we have five, what do you expect?What Auriemma expects is the attitude of being ready to overcome any challenge The ones who say, coach, thats the best you can do? Only seven? Theyre the ones that are going to be great.Thats applicable to working at many companies where youll never have the perfect amount of resources, and never hav e the perfect amount of staff.Instead of greeting every new tangle with what fresh hell is this, think I welcome the challenge. Being able to do more with less is how mastery is born.Dont talk about how good you want to be. Show me how good you want to be.Auriemmas philosophy of spotting greatness comes down to the proof that the players themselves provide. Everyone wants to succeed, but only some people focus on the skills to do it.This is visible even in job interviews. Every hiring manager knows that the surest sign of someone who has accepted failure in their lives is I coulda been a contender, excuses I could have gotten that job, or if I had a chance, I would have increased revenues.People who succeed fail first too. But they ultimately accept their failures, then work harder to create actual accomplishments, not almost-accomplishments. In basketball, almost winning a game is still called losing. Transform your mindset to achieve, not just to get close. Recruiters will notice. Appreciate and cheer for your teammates despite your differencesIts no secret that gender gaps in the workplace can be a barrier - not just for women, but also for men, who may find working with women mysterious if they havent had experience with it.Auriemmas view of male managers who may be afraid to talk to women about performance for fear of sparking an emotional reaction?Stop treating them like women and treat them like valued employees. Just because they wear a dress or are feminine doesnt change what their job description is.And never hold those differences against people. When youre frustrated with a manager, a direct report or a colleague, be measured You never want to go after somebodys heart or somebodys core, Auriemma says. You want to go after what they did.Having a killer instinct to win doesnt mean being rude in the rest of your lifeAuriemma praises his best players as killers - in the best way but notes that they are also nice. As humans, as teammates, they show gen erosity and are pleasant to be around.The point here is crucial you dont have to be a jerk to win, and winning shouldnt make you a jerk. No matter what your job, you are part of a team - whether you work at a company, run your own business, or work remotely. None of us does anything alone. Recruiters and employers know who has a good reputation, because they talk to everyone. Not everyone has to be your best friend, but your good qualities should shine through regularly enough to be well-known in your industry. A good attitude combined with great talent and a competitive drive make someone a sought-after hire.How do we know this all works? Auriemmas players rave about him, and many have gone on to enviable professional careers. They testify that Auriemmas approach helped them level up. Maybe it can help you too.

Customize this Outstanding Surgical Technician Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Surgical Technician Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Surgical Technician Resume SampleCreate Resume Lauren Glass100 Broadway LaneNew Parkland, CA, 91010Cell (555) 987-1234example-emailexample.comProfessional SummaryQualified and experienced Surgical Technician with certification by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting and specific background of cardiac and neurological surgical assistance. Professional, detail-oriented personality with impeccable surgical procedural and instrumentation preparatory skills. Excellent manual dexterity, communication skills and procedural knowledge.Core QualificationsElectrosurgical Equipment UseElectrocauterizationDecontamination and SterilizationWound CareSpecimen SamplingOR InventoryExperienceSurgical Technician, August 2009 PresentUniversity Health System New Cityland, CAPrepare operating room environment and instruments for surgical procedures.Prepare and process instrument trays, ster ile drapes and solutions according to surgical procedure.Dress surgical team in sterile caps, gowns and gloves.Prep patients before procedures by shaving, disinfecting and transporting to the operating room.Assist surgeons and surgical assistants throughout the procedures by handing correct implements and instruments.Inventory and maintain count control of all used sponges, needles and other equipment employed within surgeries.Participate in between two and four surgical procedures each working day.Surgical Technician, April 2005 August 2009Regional Surgical Center New Cityland, CAProvided surgical technician tafelgeschirrs to an independent surgical ordnungsprinzip with four primary surgeons and 12 surgical assistants.Transported patients into and out of surgery.Prepared patient for surgery, dressed surgeons and surgical assistants, sterilized operating rooms and instruments and participated in surgical procedures.Education2005 Associates of Surgical TechnologyCommunity College o f Cityland New Cityland, CACustomize ResumeSurgical Technician Resume Questions1. How do you list references on a surgical technician resume?While our surgical technician resume sample does not include a references section, you may decide this should be a component of your resume. To put together this section, outline the name, professional title, phone number, and email address of every reference. In most cases, it is best to put this section at the bottom of your resume document. Know that if your resume already contains information and you do not want to delete everything, it is appropriate to include a second, separate page for your reference information.2. What goes in the qualifications section of a surgical technician resume?The qualifications section of your resume is essentially a section that outlines why you are the best fit for the open position. This section can include anything from a few basic skills to specialized certifications you earned throughout the duration of your career. After you finish going over our surgical technician resume sample, identify which professional assets you believe are most important in relation to the open position. For example, if an employer wants you to know how to use electrosurgical equipment, including this ability would be more important than listing your customer service skills.3. How do you list awards on your surgical technician resume?If you plan on including awards on your resume, you should make a specific section for them. Take a look at our surgical technician resume sample and then list the name of the award, when you received it, and why you received it. This section of your resume should come after your qualifications and experience section, but it can either go above or below your education section.4. How do you write a summary statement for a surgical technician resume?The purpose of your summary statement is to give employers a brief glimpse into who you are and your prior work experiences. Thoug h it is acceptable to use an objective statement for a first-time jobseeker, many applicants still include a summary statement on their resumes.Like our surgical technician resume sample, you should include any certifications you possess, how many years of experience you have in the industry, and a few key skills. These should be directly related to the information mentioned in the job posting.5. Whats the best way to list certifications on your surgical technician resume?The best way to outline your certifications on a resume is to place them under their own section. You should list these certifications underneath the education section of your resume in reverse chronological order, with the most recent certification coming first. Only include certifications that relate to the industry to ensure you set yourself apart from other candidates. If you still need help listing certifications after going over our surgical technician resume sample, try out our effortless resume builder. Thi s quick and easy tool can help you put together a winning resume in minutes.