From my article 5 Reasons Why People Don’t Take You Seriously and How to Fix It at Dumb Little Man:

“Ever wonder how some people manage to command a room simply by entering it?

Do you sometimes feel like you get mowed down by other people’s big ideas, priorities and needs?

Is it exceedingly difficult for you to get people to cooperate and follow your lead?

While some people seem blessed with strong character from birth, the rest of us flounder, stagnate, learn to acquire a taste for shoe leather. Why is this? It may be because people aren’t taking you seriously enough. And the reason is that, most likely, you don’t take yourself seriously enough.

How others see us begins with how we see ourselves. We project this self-perception into every action and every word we speak. Here are five reasons people aren’t taking you seriously and how to fix it.”

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Sometimes in our haste to get things done, we forget to take our time and make sure they are done well. Trying to hurry through a project without giving much thought to the consequences is likely to result in shoddy work and a large number of errors. Not only does your reputation as a professional suffer from such work, but in the end it could end up costing you precious time as well. You may find yourself revisiting old projects, trying to undo or repair mistakes that were made the first time through.

Rather than put yourself in this position and risk tarnishing your reputation in the process, slow down and take the time to ensure your projects are completed right the first time around. The added time it takes to be thorough is a small price to pay in comparison to the price shoddy work can cost you in the long run. This could be of particular concern if you work as an independent contractor, and are able to charge higher rates due to the high quality of your work. Performing rushed jobs could cause your quality to slip, which could result in fewer sales or the need to reduce your prices so they are more in alignment with your local competition. Read Post

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From my article Better Time Management Through Better Focus at Dumb Little Man:

“In today’s hectic, multi-tasking society it can be difficult to maintain your focus on a project. We become easily distracted by many things – co-workers, the telephone, e-mail, or the television. We also lose our focus as we try to juggle several projects at once, finding ourselves pulled in many directions.

In order to accomplish more during your day, you must learn the technique of focusing your attention on one thing at a time. The more thought you can dedicate to one project, the quicker you will be able to complete it. Honing your ability to focus as a time management technique will translate directly into greater success completing your projects, and a greater amount of free time once you are finished.”

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Have you ever met someone who seemed to embody everything you ever wanted to be or do in your life? And you wished some of what they had could rub off on you? Have you ever asked someone for help or guidance when you felt you’d lost your way?

Many people today believe that having a mentor is the ultimate secret to achieving success in all areas of their lives. A mentor is a teacher, advisor, or guide who can lead you down a proven path to success. He/she has been there and knows what it takes to move from where you are to where you want to be. No need to re-invent the wheel!

Most of us get stuck in our own stuff and can’t see our way out. We may know what our goals are, we may take action, but when we don’t get results, we are frustrated and don’t always know what to do differently. Was it our thought process, our attitude, the words we said? Was it the right action at the wrong time or vice versa? It’s pretty tough, sometimes, to be an observer in your own life and to know how to reach your goals when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked!

That’s where mentors can help. They cut the learning curve and the time it takes to reach your goals. They have achieved their own success and are ready to give back. They enjoy helping others reach the same level of success they’re achieved. Read Post

From my guest post How to Boost your Afternoon Energy with a Power Nap at Dumb Little Man:

Power naps are a great way to give yourself a shot of physical and mental energy in the middle of your day. Even when you get a good night’s sleep, sometimes your body just needs a rest in the middle of the day.

The beauty of power naps is they do not have to be long, they can be done on your break at work or during your lunch hour, and they usually leave you feeling energized. Adding this one small change to your workday could boost your afternoon productivity, or give you that extra motivation to make it through your son’s baseball practice with enthusiasm.

Do not use a nap as a way to make up for a sleep deficit. Your body needs to be in deep REM sleep for a minimum amount of time so it can repair and rejuvenate itself. Rather, supplement your regular sleep schedule with a short, mid-day power nap that gives you a quick and easy shot of energy.

Read the rest of How to Boost your Afternoon Energy with a Power Nap at Dumb Little Man.

From my guest article Lower Your Standards to Free Up Time and Gain Balance at The Positivity Blog:

“High achieving people also tend to be perfectionists. Everything must get done, and done extremely well in order to feel any sense of success or accomplishment. These are the people who will run themselves into the ground for the sake of keeping up appearances, even if only to themselves.

Trying to maintain perfection in every aspect of your life will lead to unrealistic goals, frustration, burnout, and even eventually depression and anger. Everything becomes a chore and the joy is removed from work, from friends, and from family. The high achieving person grows to resent everything and everyone in his or her life.”

Read the rest of Lower Your Standards to Free Up Time and Gain Balance at The Positivity Blog.

Recently, someone made the suggestion that clutter is actually physically exhausting, in addition to mentally and emotionally exhausting. They theorized that because humans are constantly scanning their environment, a cluttered environment takes more brainpower to continually process, which makes you tired. Whether or not that’s the case, one thing’s for sure - clutter can make the most beautiful life seem dreary and exhausting.

There are several ways to beautify your environment and reduce clutter at the same time. Some of them involve spending money, but many require nothing more than a creative mind and a willing spirit. Read Post

Are you stressed? Ready for the therapist’s couch? Wondering if you should just dump your corporate job and run away to Alaska to work on a fishing boat?

In today’s world, more people are having to deal with increasing anxiety at the intersection of career, home, family and social life. Is it just me, or are a lot of us just not sure of whether we’re coming or going anymore?

Since stress can come from nearly anywhere, it’s tough to thoroughly deal with every possible scenario. But here are a few actions you can take to get rid of - or lessen - the amount of stress you’re experiencing in your daily life. Read Post

From my post The Critical Importance of Prioritizing to Live a More Balanced Life at The Positivity Blog:

“We try to achieve excellence in all areas of our lives – we want success at work and advancement in our careers. We want to give our families the time and attention they deserve, and we want to provide the very best for them. However, after a while, it becomes obvious that perfection is nearly impossible to attain in all aspects of our lives.

The inability to maintain our own self-imposed demands begins to cause stress and breeds feelings of inadequacy. Maintaining a high number of priorities and then attempting to carry all of them out to perfection eventually leads to frustration and burnout.”

Read the rest of The Critical Importance of Prioritizing to Live a More Balanced Life at The Positivity Blog.