How to Deal with Difficult People and Have Constructive Conflict

Life and relationships aren't always perfect. Take a minute to think of some difficult people you have to deal with in your life? These may be people you work with, the in-laws that come to town throughout the year, or your neighbor who can’t seem to take a hint. For whatever reason, you're just not jiving with these people.

Do you flee? Or, do you get flexible and learn to interact?

When we encounter these extreme personalities it can feel like they are trying to make our life miserable, but more often than not, it’s simply learning about these peoples’ tendencies and how to interact in a more tactful way. Some conflicts are unavoidable and shouldn’t be smoothed over or suppressed, though it’s learning to deal with our differences, and how to understand, resolve, and learn from these interactions that’s important.

Tips to dealing with problem people

• Learn to recognize different personalities
  First and foremost, we must develop self-awareness about our own personality tendencies. Are you more aggressive or passive? Are you more of an introvert or extrovert?
  
  Once we know our personality tendencies we can learn to recognize other peoples’ personalities and adapt and interact in a more effective way.
• Learn how to communicate with different personality types
  When we are dealing with different people it requires we approach them in the way they want to be treated. Some people need more detail and clarity in communication. Some people are very direct and just want the facts, and others are more focused on relationships.
  
  Consider how you can communicate verbally and through body language in the most effective way with these different types of people to build rapport and make them feel understood.
• Know who triggers you and why
  When we know who we tend to have conflict with and what it is that leads us to get frustrated, we can begin to be more proactive. We can learn to deal with this person more effectively by managing our own emotions and not be the target of their drama and unrest.
• Learn to focus on strengths and positive qualities
  A great way to deal with people more effectively in any relationship context is to focus on their positive qualities and to help them accentuate these when you can. Give people compliments, offer them recognition, and help them to use their strengths. We can empower others instead of knocking them down, and by doing so have a more positive influence and interaction.
  
  Just because you apply these ideas doesn’t mean that people will always respond in a positive manner. The only person you have control is yourself, so to make sure that an unhealthy conflict doesn’t ensue work to build these traits.

Managing conflict is being there with:

1. Availability: Accept full responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, actions, values, and perceptions that you contribute to the conflict.
2. Flexibility: Offer a willingness to make some degree of change, so that both people can move toward a joint solution. Compromise may be required.
3. Specificity: Seek to focus the conflict of real, significant issues that point toward a practical outcome that is within the range of responsibility. Don’t get personal.
4. Clarity: When the message intended and the impact received are nearly the same, communication is achieved. For this to happen, words, tone of voice, facial expression, posture must all be congruent with each other and context with they are said.

Here are some signs of constructive and healthy conflict.
You’ll know you’re on the right track when the following ideas are present.
Conflict is constructive when:

• It opens up issues of importance, resulting in their clarification.
• Results in the solution of problems
• Increases the involvement of individuals in issues of importance to them
• Causes authentic communication to occur
• Serves as a release to pent-up negative emotions
• Helps build cohesiveness among people, and allows them to learn about each other
• Helps individuals grow and learn to become better in the future
• We can learn a lot about ourselves and grow as a person when we work through conflict. It can also open up new possibilities and allow us to think differently about our beliefs and expectations.

Developing patience and tact to deal with others more effectively is a skill that can be applied in many areas of life. Continuing developing your ability to connect and influence others in a positive way.

 

SUMBER

14 Simple Ways to Convert Your Sedentary Lifestyle

We all know we need to exercise more – our lifestyles are way too sedentary compared to that of the previous generations. It's not all our fault. The days of the 9 to 5 job are long over and despite huge advances in technology, our lives seem to be a lot busier compared than that of previous generations.

Even when I have been motivated to get a gym membership and start exercising, it only lasts for a few months. At the first sign of stress and deadlines at work, the gym routine gets kicked off the list. So here are a few tricks to include some activity in daily habits to take it from a sedentary lifestyle to a mildly active one.

• Park far away
  Instinctively, almost all of us look for a spot as close to our destination as possible. Instead get into the habit of parking a block away, or parking at the farthest parking spot. If you are grocery shopping, park in the store's lot but choose the back row. Clearly you wouldn't want to be caught pushing a shopping cart down the street trying to get to your car.
• Take the stairs instead of elevators
  If it is one or two floors, always take the stairs. If you need to go up/down several floors then take the stairs to two floors above/below and then take the elevator. As you get used to it, increase the number of floors you use the stairs for. If you park in a level parking lot, always park in one of the higher levels and walk down.
• If possible, walk or bike to work
  This is not possible for everyone, but if you live in a place where the pollution is less and your workplace is relatively close by, then choose to walk or bike instead of driving.

• Skip the stop
  If your city has a subway or bus system, skip your stop and get off at the one after (or before) and then walk from there. You'll get to enjoy the air and neighborhood a little while increasing your heart rate.
• Maximize the benefits from your grocery trip
  When you go to the grocery store, make it a habit to walk the entire store. Go through every aisle and every nook and corner. Avoid the aisles that could tempt you to pick up junk food though, since that can completely obliterate any benefits of walking a few extra steps! NOTE: if you have a spending problem don't do this.
• Take a short walk-break at work
  Again this one depends on your work location, but ours is located outside the city and is on large private grounds. Every afternoon a couple of us go for a short walk (~1 mile round trip) which takes roughly 15-20 minutes. It is very invigorating and a nice break from the afternoon routine.
• Do your own yard work
  This is a good one for summer time when the lawn starts to grow and you need to keep it trimmed. Instead of hiring someone to do it for you, do it yourself. You will not only get some exercise, but save some money too!
• Play with your kids
  Kids these days seem to play more video games than outdoor games like we did when we were younger. So take your kids out to the park and throw the ball around, play tag, etc.
• Put on your favorite music and dance This is not only exercise, but also a great way to unwind at the end of a busy day. And a good trip down the memory lane for those of us who have not done it in a long time!
• While watching TV, pace or stretch
  Instead of switching channels during the ad break get up and walk about the house. Do some lunges or some simple stretching exercises. If you have stairs in your house, walk up and down the stairs a few times, during each ad break for at least one show every day.
• Choose to walk down instead of call or email
  When you have a question for a colleague, instead of picking up the phone or shooting an email, walk over to their cube. This will not only provide some exercise but a short break for a quick recharge.
• Walk while you talk on the phone
  If your job involves talking on the phone a lot, then instead of doing this sitting at your desk, get into the habit of pacing while you talk. Motion creates emotion so you may even become a better speaker by doing this.
• Choose active entertainment over passive entertainment: Instead of going for a movie, choose to go play tennis with some friends (or at least bowling). Instead of playing regular video games, play with a Wii. Instead of meeting friends for a cup of coffee, catch up over a sunset walk.
• Choose active vacations
  While planning vacations, pick something that involves some walking and hiking. While taking in a new city, do it by walk, instead of driving around. If golfing, skip the cart. If staying at a resort, make use of their pool and the exercise facility. Try skiing and white water rafting.

While none of these will make an immediate difference in your life style, over a period of time they will get you into the habit of choosing an active alternative to the every day things you do. In the long run, that can set the stage for an even more active life style and could be quite beneficial in avoiding some common health problems.

 

SOURCE

How To Take Your Company’s Facebook Fan Page from Zero to 40,000 Fans

It was last year that  I met a Facebook marketing specialist, Mike Watkins at a marketing event. I was impressed by his story about how he had  taken the SUPRE’s fashion brand’s Facebook page from zero to 40,000 fans shortly after Facebook released the “Page” option to add to its “Profiles” and “Groups” membership options. I met him again recently for a video interview that I will be publishing in the next few days, in the meantime I would like to share his story.

Facebook “pages” have only been around for 2 years and in that time we have seen major global brands embrace Facebook for engaging and interacting with their customers with some major brands Facebook pages fan subscribers now approaching 40 million and providing another way to communicate that goes beyond traditional media and email.

So what were the key elements to acquiring the 40,000 fans and what strategies did he use to continue to engage and nurture the Facebook fans for SUPRE’s fashion brand?

The biggest challenge to business is to display the “Value” that using Facebook will bring and Supre needed to be convinced of the benefits rather than just playing with the latest social media shiny toy.

Initially the major challenge was to convince management at Supre of its value and why they should be implementing a Facebook marketing strategy, so the question of “Why” use Facebook needed to be answered.

Stage 1. Why Use Facebook?

1. Facebook pages are a more effective and intimate direct marketing channel

2. It is instant and up to date whereas printed and traditional media is usually out of date quite often before it hits the street

3.  It is a real time research tool (SUPRE receive hundreds of individual answers within 2-3 hours of the questions being asked)

4. You create a long-term relationship between the consumers and the brand that creates a digital asset with longevity

5. You create a highly leveraged channel that distributes your brand and message by “World of Mouth” as updates to the Facebook “Page” ripple and spread through friends updates and news feeds. This is an incredibly fast and effective organic brand distribution vehicle.

Stage 2. How Do You Start?

a. Define and Understand Your Target  market

Understand who you are talking to.  So first you need to have an in depth understanding of  who your target customer is, so you will need to research the following: Consumer psychology papers, Magazines, Movies, Music, Books and even the celebrities they idolize.

In essence you need to understand and “Grok” (to share the same reality or way of thinking) how your market thinks and acts.

b. Get the “Tone” right

Your brand needs to be perceived as a member of the target market to be trusted. Talk like them and act like them in communication and content

c. Identify the engagement fundamentals

Canvas the entire spectrum for a 2 week trial of content that your research revealed that would receive engagement from your target users and remove content that doesn’t engage. (try everything once)

d. Treat it as a long term investment

Ensure the client knows it is going to take time and persistence and give them some concept of what to expect in 18 months

e. Keep it Real, Relevant and Relaxed (3 R’s)

The latest competition on SUPRE’s Facebook page

Stage 3. Making It Happen

Step 1. Seeded the Facebook page with Facebook display advertisements to build fans

Step 2: Defined the regular updates for the Facebook page

Then keep activity running to a pre-determined schedule.

There are 4 major types of updates:

1. Conversation  -  is designed to stimulate conversation with the fan base by asking thought provoking questions that encourages short succinct answers from fans

2. Pictures – upload images that the client wanted to expose consumers to for SUPRE professionally taken images of models wearong clients clothing

3. Link – Deep linked updates that that drives traffic away from Facebook to the clients other online properties such as website, online store, blog or YouTube channel

4. Product – spotlight a new product that the client is releasing or will release. You can test new designs and get feedback on possible new items

Step 3: Determine Update Frequency

Do this so that you are not spamming fans

Step 4: Update System for the week

Map out what products are going out that week then implement those updates into the system that were designed to drive and a lot of engagement. Get approval from the client (Rinse and repeat every week) “The update system acts as the backbone to the entire page strategy”

Stage 4: Monitor, Measure & Report

Report weekly or daily depending on activity and client requirements including

• Monitoring demographic analysis provided by Facebook Insights
• Measure growth rate (this can be done through two sources insidefacebook.com and allfacebook.com and you can view both daily and weekly rates)

Example of a report

Key Findings From The Supre Facebook Campaign

1. Facebook pages has “saved” SUPRÉ real $’s through realtime market research
2. Facebook pages has “made” SUPRÉ real $’s through reatime market research
3. Facebook pages has made SUPRÉ real $’s through “product and brand exposure”
4. Old school market research is dead
5. Engagement = Organic Brand Distribution
6. A brand can influence social change

Nearly 2 years on and now with a Fan count of over 300,000 SUPRÉ’s Facebook strategy can be called an overwhelming success because Mike was initially able to show value to senior management at SUPRÉ.

SOURCE

20 Creative Ways To Use An Apple iPad

The Apple iPad has been a hit and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down, with the iPad apps climbing past 10,000 in the last few days.

Morgan Stanley figures show that the Apple iPad is the 3rd fastest hardware platform to pass 1 million purchases, passing that number in just 28 days which  even surpasses the Apple iPhone at 74 days.

As with any device that captures people’s imagination, the way that the iPad is used has been shown to be both practical and fun and that is the way it should be.

I came across the CNet News NanoTech blog which had asked users their favourite uses for the iPad and here are some of the responses and I have added a few of my own along with a  fun video on 10 creative ways to use an iPad.

1. Audio system

“I decided to flush mount the iPad into my mom’s kitchen wall…the iPad became the ultimate song storage and categorized jukebox. We could search for any song, show album art, show full lyrics, and buy a new song whenever we wanted through Wi-Fi.

2. Cookbook

We use apps like epicurious for recipes plus I scanned all of her old recipes in as pictures…Perfect for the kitchen. That is where the iPad belongs.”

3. Productivity

• File management–get Goodreader (misnamed horribly), which allows you to maintain a folder/file structure, import documents from the cloud, and open documents in appropriate applications, such as pages.
• PrintCentral–print to a wifi printer or a USB printer
• TaskPro or Todo Queue for task management
• iThoughtsHD–a terrific mind mapping application

4. Students

“I’m a student, and the iPad is great for me. I find it much more comfortable to study on the iPad rather than on a laptop screen. I take notes on my laptop, but then study them on my iPad. Before I got it, I printed out hundreds of pages of notes and PowerPoint slides and had to carry around large binders. I know the iPad isn’t for everyone, but I love it.”

5. Kids

“My kid enjoys the iPad so much. Actually enjoy reading Tintin (search for it) and Spiderman on it…I also noticed my kid having completed almost 3/4 of Treasure Island too in the last 2 weeks.”

6. On the can or ‘Toilet PC’

“Don’t discount (it as a) toilet pc–how’s the complete works of Shakespeare, the NY Times, movies you can actually see, and a healthy chunk of your music collection strike you?”

7. On the plane

“The iPad is also light and its battery life is longer than an average laptop, at least long enough to survive most flights. I don’t have to look for an electric outlet for extended use. Its browsing experience is much better than a smartphone at least. So far I find the iPad an adequate replacement (for) a laptop when traveling for pleasure.”

8. Laptop replacement

“The iPad has replaced my laptop on the road. Does everything I want or need it to do…and I have read more books and magazines, played more games and watched more movies in the last month than I have in the last year!”

9. Artistic application

“Everyone who loudly proclaims that the iPad is not a workhorse is merely looking at their personal work situation and not seeing the wider world out there…I am an artist and the iPad is a brilliant sketch book. In fact I find it ideal whenever I have early ideas to get down whether that is music, poetry, mind mapping a new Web site design, and jotting down notes for my book. Would I try to make a finished painting on it or write a book?–no, but the best computer one has (always) is the one that is with you at the time.”

10. Restaurant menu

“Seriously though–a good idea for iPad is to use it as a menu in a posh restaurant. Customers select what they want and the Wi-Fi beams it to the kitchen for the chef. It won’t be long before someone attempts this.

11. Coffee Table Device During TV Commercials and Boring Bits

“I own a MacBook Pro and both my wife and I own the iPhone 3gs. The iPad sits on our coffee table in front of the television. It gets used constantly…I love it as an e-reader…My wife loves to check her e-mail and casually browse shopping websites while on the couch…My 15-year-old son loves using it to check his Facebook page and play a few games.

12. Expensive Childrens Back Seat Entertainment Device

Just make sure they have clean hands and you have the electric windows on ‘lock’.

13. Real Estate Agents Listing Presentation Platform

As the iPad is immediate to boot up it would be great for agents to use for presenting their pitch for listing a property.

14. Combine the Two Best Inventions in History – The Apple iPad and Velcro

15. As An Impressive Name Tag at Exhibitions and Events

Just put it on a good strong cord, put in your name and company on the the display and ‘voila’ the biggest, the most technologically advanced and most  impressive name tag you have ever seen will gain you some much needed attention if you are feeling a little unloved.

16. To Stop Your Table Rocking At Your Favourite Coffee Shop

The iPad is really convenient if a leg on your table is short and you need to prop it up.

17. To Amuse Your Baby

18. To Entertain Your Dog

I have seen an online video on this but couldn’t provide it here due to publishing deadline commitments

18. To Hand Out To Passengers For a Fee To Entertain On Long Flights

This is already being done by Virgin Blue an airline owned by Sir Richard Branson

19. As A Remote Portable Hotel Concierge

Where your hotel doesn’t have the budget for a concierge  to provide that important local information

20. To Stop You Getting Bored

How are you using your Apple iPad? 

SOURCE

8 Great Twitter Tools That Will Get You Tweeting Like A Pro

The reasons to join Twitter are plentiful. In fact, Jeff recently wrote a wonderful post on why it is often misunderstood and people aren’t jumping onto it earlier.

The experiences I have had with Twitter were amazing and it was by far the most valuable Social Network for me to use.

What I like best about Twitter is it’s open structure, not only for users, but also for developers. It has grown to an ecosystem of over 1.5 million Apps and continues to register a new Tool every second. With this massive amount of Apps it can often be quite overwhelming to know which Tools to use.

Here are the tools I use daily to make me more efficient and get you Tweeting like a Pro:

1. Buffer – Tweet With Better Results

Whenever I am reading an article, I wasn’t quite sure, whether Tweeting it right now was a good idea. It might have been very early in the morning or late at night. By putting all Tweets I have into my Buffer, they will be posted for you at the optimal times, well spaced out over the day. You can add Tweets your Buffer right from the article with the browser extensions with just one click.

Pro Tip: What helps me a great deal is that Buffer provides me with analytics for each Tweet that I post. You will learn about the number of clicks, retweets and reach right inside the App.

2. Twylah – Give Your Tweets A Longer Life

As a matter of fact, a Tweet’s life is only very limited. If you want to prolong its life, Twylah is a wonderful way to do it. The App automatically displays all Tweets from your stream on a beautiful Twitter Brand Page for you. It will give your followers a chance to learn about the topics you are Tweeting without having to study your Twitter stream beforehand.

Pro Tip: Twylah also offers you to send a “Power Tweet”, which will allow you to post a Tweet to a Twylah page. This page is surrounded by a lot of other relevant content and has shown to increase engagement with a Tweet considerably.

3. MarketMeSuite – Your Powerful Social Media Dashboard

Only recently the paid only MarketMeSuite has opened up its service to be free for everyone. It boasts a ton of great features that make it well worth giving a go. You can create reply campaigns, pull in RSS feeds and compare the Klout score of the users you are interacting with you. On top, you can also collaborate with other’s through the App’s multiple user setting.

Pro Tip: What I like best about MarketMeSuite is that all its features are explained in comprehensible videos as soon as you sign up for it.

4. Tweriod – Find Out Your Best Times To Tweet

Ever wondered which times of the day would be the best for you to Tweet? Look no further as Tweriod, as the App gives you a wonderful analysis of when you will be able to reach most followers. The App takes into account how well your Tweets have performed at various times and when your followers used to Tweet the most.

Pro Tip: What I like best about Tweriod is that the algorithm excludes Twitter Tools which schedule or auto-tweet as this obviously means your followers aren’t online.

5. Twilert – Google Alerts For Twitter

This is an App I suggest you might give a go if you are trying to monitor a brand or search term on Twitter continually. Similar to Google Alerts, Twilert can set up any term and then be notified about any activity on Twitter about it. This was particularly helpful if you can’t spend too much time on Twitter each day, yet need a daily digest email to be informed.

Pro Tip: If you give it a go, take a look at the great filtering options ranging from mood, languages and date filters.

6. TweetWally – Turn Tweets Into Blogposts

Similar to an App called Storify, which Jeff has reviewed a few weeks back, TweetWally is a wonderful solution to bring life back to your Tweets. You can take your own stream, do a search or follow a hashtag and make beautiful collections of any Tweets you find valuable. This can be very useful if you are following an important event, conference or else.

Pro Tip: Once you have made your collection you can easily embed all Tweets as a blogpost and offer it as an innovative piece of content for your readers.

7. ParrotFish – Get More Insights Into Tweets On Twitter.com

ParrotFish from Embed.ly labs is a wonderful productivity tool to save you a lot of time. It displays all links from Tweets you come across with rich text preview. This means you can read up on the post from the link, before clicking through. I found this to be a great way to stay focused on reading news and not get distracted by clicking on posts which aren’t worth my time.

Pro Tip: The Chrome Extension also comes with a functionality to save items to Instapaper directly from Twitter.com, this was a huge efficiency boost for me.

8. TweetLevel – Connect with the right people on Twitter

Whilst building your network on Twitter, it is often key to make those people you engage with relevant and impactful for your niche. TweetLevel offers a wonderful solution to search other Twitter users by a number of different parameters. For example you can search by influence, trust, engagement or popularity. It then makes it very easy for you to follow and start talking to these people right from the App.

Pro Tip: On top of users, you can also search by topics and key words. This will give you a wonderful display of graphs and pie charts around this topic.

 SOURCE

10 Simple Ways to Make Your Boss Think You’re Brilliant (And Indispensible)

Whether it is for a pay raise, a promotion, a great reference, or just a cubicle with a window, we all want to impress our boss at work. In tough economic times, we might just be trying to avoid being first in line for a pink slip. But honestly, do you really want to put in extra unpaid hours, potentially work weekends, and break your Facebook and Twitter habits?

Sure, it's a means to an end and everyone has to go above and beyond when needed. However, wouldn't it be nice to have a little help along the way? Here are ten simple, no-effort ways that will make your boss think you’re both indispensable and brilliant:

1. Beat the Clock
   Most bosses are pretty consistent on the time they get into your office. Take note. If yours always arrives at 7.50 – get there at 7.45 (even if your official start time is 8).
   
   
   Bonus to you: Arriving earlier than the boss makes you look keen and eager. Plus, when you’re skiving on Twitter or Facebook later in the day, you can justify it to yourself by those 15 extra minutes in the morning.
2. Say “Good Morning!”
   However hungover, knackered or grumpy you’re feeling first thing in the morning, plaster a great big smile on your face and say, “Good Morning!” to your boss.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Two friendly words can go a long way in putting you in your boss’s good books first thing in the day. And (if you’re following the first tip), your boss will know you’re in the office bright and early.
3. Volunteer Strategically
   If you’re in a meeting and someone asks for volunteers, be the first to put your hand up. That way, you’ll look keen and engaged. This will be a tough one to swallow if your workload is already jammed but volunteering for the right, high visibility project can increase the perception of you.
   
   
   Bonus to you: You’ll ­­get the task you want (i.e. the one with least effort but highest visibility) and not get lumbered with what the boss assigns you.
4. Be the Printer Guru
   Even if it’s nothing at all to do with your job description, learn where the spare ink/toner is kept and how to fit it. When there’s a paper jam or error, get someone to show you what to do.
   
   
   Bonus to you: When your boss is running around in a flap before a big meeting, you’ll be the hero who fixes his very-important-report-won’t-print crisis.
5. Say “Thanks”
   Been given a pay raise, promotion or extra day’s holiday – or even just some of your boss’s valuable time and advice? Make sure you say “thanks”. If possible, thank him/her at the time, and follow up with a short note to express your appreciation.
   
   
   Bonus to you: It takes ten minutes of your time and perhaps a couple of dollars to buy a “Thank You” card for your boss. If you feel strange with this one because a man giving a man a card is out of the norm, just send an email. In the end, it's the thought that really counts here. Guess who’ll be first on his mind when the next round of pay-raises comes along?
6. Make Coffee
   This will make most of the people in the office like you, not just your boss. However for you boss, occasionallytake a minute to say “I’m just making myself a coffee, can I get you one?” (doing so multiple times per day will have the opposite effect as you're labeled as a brown-noser).
   
   
   Bonus to you: For virtually zero effort, you give your boss the impression that you’re a considerate, friendly employee who cares about him/her – bosses often feel unloved.
7. Use The Right Jargon
   Pay extra-close attention to the buzzwords that your boss uses. Drop these into the things you say at meetings, and into your emails. This isn’t a chance to play buzzword bingo – what you want to demonstrate is that you’re on the same wavelength as your boss.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Sometimes you can get away with something with just the right words. You’re not filing your emails for lack of anything better to do – you’re “implementing new communication management protocols to further the client-company relationship”.
8. Create Procedures
   Closely related to using the right buzzwords is creating the right procedures – that is, any which get you out of hot water. If something goes pear-shaped at work, explain that it was “due to a procedural error” or “a fault in the procedure”. Then, try to correct the process.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Explaining that the same mistake can’t possibly happen again “once I’ve changed the procedure” makes your boss think you’re on top of everything. Even when you so, so aren’t.
9. Leave An Email Trail
   If you’re ever working from home, a cunning way to demonstrate how many hours you’re (supposedly) putting in is to make sure that your boss is the recipient of, or copied in to, at least one of your emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
   
   
   Bonus to you: Your boss will think you’ve been hard at work between that first email at 7.30am and that last one at 9.00pm. You actually sent that first email in your jammies (and went straight back to bed), then took the afternoon off to catch a movie...
10. Fake Enthusiasm
    Even if your job is as dry as dust, fake enthusiasm wherever possible. Plaster a big smile on your face and wave your hands around when enthusing to customers or colleagues about your company.
    
    
    Bonus to you: Your boss will think you’re truly (and possibly even a bit madly) dedicated to your job. You might find yourself enjoying it more by being enthusiastic, too.

How do you get into your boss’s good books – without doing too much work? I’m sure you’ve got plenty more tips to add to my list, so let’s hear them in the comments!

SOURCE

8 Steps How to Enjoy Loneliness

Lonely? Are you depressed because you're all alone? Are you friendless and hated, or are you weird and avoided, or are you just all alone? Well, nobody should be put into this kind of pain. Here are some ways to take positive steps in your life. 

Create a friend. Whether he's a doll you made, a pet rock, an imaginary friend, or a bug, just befriend something. Look for something outside yourself.

Read books. How can you feel alone when you're reading about a ship sailing the salty ocean with a large crew, or when fighting an ugly troll atop Mt. Carnivorous?

Write. Whether you write short stories or novels, nonfiction or fiction, writing is a great way to talk to yourself and to amuse yourself for many hours. It's also a way to think about your life and what you'd like to do to change it. 

Keep busy. Draw, write stories, play video games, watch people or watch TV, whatever you fancy most, just keep yourself busy.

Get a pet. If you're allergic to dogs or cats, try getting a fish or a turtle. Taking care of another living being helps you realize there is more out there than your own worries. 

Take in some nature. Lonely doesn't have to be indoors. A beach or trail can be wonderfully refreshing, and can remind you there are many things in the world to take joy in.

Introspect. At least sometimes, take advantage of being alone to meditate or simply to listen to yourself. Find what's the best part of yourself, and nourish it.

Be yourself among others. Find places to work with other people, such as volunteering. No matter who you are, you can find someone or someplace that needs your help. Share what you have, whether time, a ride, a thoughtful ear for listening, your feet or eyesight. Helping others means you accept yourself, and they are grateful for your efforts.

• There is nothing wrong with being yourself. Sometimes not being lonely just means finding people who are open minded enough to accept you as you are.
• When you are alone, it means nobody is telling you what to do. Enjoy the independence and the opportunity to do your own thing. 

SOURCE

7 Secrets to Making This Year the Best Year Ever

It’s the time of year when goals are made and abandoned a few weeks later. Will you be one of them, or will you set goals that have the power to change your life?

Not achieving what you set out to do means you’ll yet again fail to move toward the life you desire, which leads to nothing but regret. Inertia can be difficult to overcome, but something you may overlook is the influence from friends, parents, and society in general.

Often what you believe you want is not what you want at all. The trick lies in setting meaningful objectives.

It doesn’t matter whether you set goals or not, as long as you’re doing something that makes you come alive.

1. Stay Here and Now
   Before you decide what you want to do, stay present here and now. Forget about the past and the future. Let any and all thoughts pass. Don’t give them meaning, and don’t add to them.
   
   It is from this blank, calm state that you can begin to look at what has gone well last year, and what hasn’t.
2. Eliminate
   The big mistake people make is they think more is better, but that isn’t always the case. The more things you do, the less time you have. You want to make sure that every single thing in your life is something you’ve consciously chosen.
   
   It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing things that distract you from what you really want to do, because you’re afraid.
   
   Instead of letting distractions take over your life, look at what you can stop doing. Pick just one thing right now. Keep it simple, and then eliminate it from your life. It could be something small, such as a magazine subscription, or something bigger, like fast food.
3. Discriminate
   You have to be vigilant about what you let into your life. Learn to say no and learn to respect your own time. You don’t always have to say yes to friends and family. First, think about what you want to do. Otherwise you’ll end up living someone else’s life.
   
   If you complain about not having enough time, you probably need to get clearer about what you want from life. And by clear, I mean really, really clear. Focus on ONE main thing at a time.
   
4. Goals
   Next, set one big goal for the year. And by goal, I don’t necessarily mean regular goal setting. Set a direction for where you want to go.
   
   I simply use the concept of goals to get a point across. Goal-setting is just a process that gets you results. What matters are the results; many get stuck on the process, but the process doesn’t matter.
   
   Use whatever feels good, and take action. Start now.
5. Focus (on Your Next Step)
   When you have one big goal, it’s time to look at what your next step is. What can you do right now to move closer to that goal?
   
   Keep the next step as tiny as possible. It could be brainstorming ideas and action steps. Whatever it is, start now. Yes, you can put it off, but if you do that, you’re putting off your life. If you make it a habit, you’ll end up living a mediocre life.
   
   Do you really want that?
   
   Living an extraordinary life takes effort, at least at first, which is why most people turn it down.
6. Momentum
   When you focus on taking one step at a time, you build momentum. You take one step, then the next, and then the next. It eliminates overwhelm, because you don’t have to try and predict the future.
   
   Know where you’re going, and keep taking the next step. Let the rest take care of itself.
7. The Most Important Secret
   Last, but not least, remember to focus on what matters to you. Forget about what others think you should or shouldn’t do. This is your life, and you are the one who has to live it.
   
   If someone thinks you have to do something that you don’t want, forget about them. If they try to push you to do it, eliminate them from your life. I know, easier said than done!
   
   There’s no one you have to put up with, and nothing you have to do, except follow what feels right for you. Always remember that, because that is what will help you create results that matter and make this year the best one of your life.

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61 Ways To Find Inspiration When You're Stuck and Feeling Down

Life isn't always hunky dory. No matter how good we are at what we do, and how well we plan things out, we do get stuck. That's when we need inspiration - inspiration to move on, to do what we are supposed to do, to start something new, to build what we were trying to build...inspiration to carry on with life.

This article has a number of tips to help you find inspiration. They are written keeping in mind everyone who's stuck at something, doesn't matter what it is, is looking to get inspired. Hope you find some of them useful.

1. Talk to someone you love.

2. Watch a kid play. Watch how he lives in the present, enjoying every moment.

3. Watch a movie.

4. Read a book.

5. Read an inspirational story.

6. Watch a TED video that inspires.

7. Watch a Youtube video that inspires.

8. Recall great moments from past.

9. Think about the things you are good at.

10. Strike up a conversation on Twitter.

11. Connect with someone on Facebook.

12. Join a LinkedIn Group.

13. Browse through Flickr photos that inspire.

14. Check out Boston.com's Big Picture.

15. Listen to music.

16. Attend a music concert.

17. Get back to that sport you stopped playing.

18. Read an autobiography.

19. Read about the life of your favorite sportstar.

20. Read about successes and failures.

21. Read about underdogs who overcame.

22. Find a date.

23. Get married and start a family.

24. Draw something.

25. Read about something you've never read.

26. Visit a place you've never visited.

27. Learn a language you thought you could never learn.

28. Get some inspirational wallpapers for your computer.

29. Read some inspirational quotes.

30. Take a walk.

31. Go on a long hike with a group of people.

32. Call up your old friends and relatives.

33. Sing out loudly.

34. Join a dance club.

35. Use StumbleUpon.

36. Go out with your camera and click some pictures.

37. Scour through the archives of your favorite websites.

38. Write anything. Don't think, just write as the thoughts come.

39. Meditate in solitude.

40. Spend some time with nature.

41. Break your routine. Do something unexpected.

42. Read poetry.

43. Watch a play.

44. Explore religion.

45. Exercise. Do yoga.

46. Scour through Delicious.

47. Watch the sunrise and sunset.

48. Volunteer for a noble cause.

49. Help someone with a task.

50. Teach and share knowledge.

51. Create a blog on Blogger or Wordpress.

52. Get started with Tumblr or Posterous.

53. Play with your pet.

54. Cook something amazing.

55. Celebrate a festival you've never celebrated.

56. Camp in the woods for a few days.

57. Form a new habit.

58. Quit something you've always been trying to quit.

59. Take part in a marathon.

60. Listen to what people around you have to say.

61. Remember, only Google has the answer to life, the universe and everything. ;)

Cheers,

Source

7 Practical Strategies When Facing Failures

When failure stares you in the face, you may just wish to be somewhere else except where you are. However, deep down in your heart you know that failure is just delayed success! Just because you fail once or twice, doesn’t mean that you will fail forever. To get up after falling on your face, whether figuratively or literally, might require a gigantic heart, and lots of courage and creativity. Below are some practical strategies when facing failure :

Rule 1 : Be solution focused!
Instead of being problem focused, which means putting all your effort into analyzing why a failure happened, you can channel all your creative energy into being solution focused. This means that you are centering your mind on finding different solutions to the problem(s) at hand. If you have read The Secret – the book about the laws of attraction – this solution focused can derive positive results because you are attracting positive energy instead of negative energy (problem focused).


Rule 2 : Keep in mind that you may have to try a few times before success happens
What if you fail more than once? What does that tell you? Did you really give it your best shot? Or are you only doing it half heartedly- not giving it your best effort. In which case, is it something that you really want, or is it something you’re doing for the sake of it. Ask yourself if there is something else that you would prefer. Or perhaps – you could look at it from another angle – it was never meant to be, but there will be a better option for you at a different time. Just not this time.

Rule 3 : Don’t blame everyone under the sun
When failure happens, most people try to find scapegoats to explain why they didn’t succeed. This may be damaging and may lead you nowhere. It may also lead you to gaining more enemies than friends. You can always blame someone else – but should you? Will you spend your energy on doing so? If you have done your best, then the control is beyond you. It is in the hands of God, the divine, it does not matter which religion you believe in. We often say that humans plan, but God decides. Try your best and don’t worry about what is beyond your control.

Rule 4 : Stop negative thinking
Anytime you feel you are in a downward spiral – you need to physically remind yourself to stop thinking negatively! Sometimes it helps to look at the mirror and tell the person staring at the mirror (YOU!) to just stop it and move on. Downward spirals can be very damaging, and the more you think negatively, the more you will be caught up in its toxic path, dragging you lower and lower until you cannot get up. So you need to clip negative thinking before it overtakes your life!

Rule 5 : Always have Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and more
Having worst-case scenarios can also cushion your fall. Instead of falling straight down, you can have backup plans. Some people don’t like having too many alternative plans – but some actually take comfort in having many different alternative plans so as not to be bogged down by an unsuccessful Plan A. The number of alternative plans is up to you as an individual. But make sure you don’t only have one grand plan and have left everything else up in the air.

Rule 6 : Whatever you do, don’t give up
There was a man who didn’t have arms and legs who was very inspiring because of his spirit. He told many people that it could be very easy to not get up because it was too difficult (for him it was almost impossible!) But his sheer determination got him up, when he exerted his super human effort to roll around to get up. It was just inspiring and unforgettable. For you who have complete arms and legs there is no reason for you not to get up when you fall. The difference was his determination to succeed. And that he did!

Rule 7 : Smile even when your heart is breaking
There is actually a song by Natalie Cole, with the lyrics, “smile even when your heart is breaking!” It seems funny you should do that when you feel like crying and want to be on your own. Try smiling and feel how that affects you. As they say laughter is the best medicine. I would say have the courage to laugh at your own mistakes, take charge and conquer!

Rule 8 : Accept the failure
You have to accept your failure, and when you're accepting, you will not resisting and you'll be more stable. It's great to accepting things, whether it is good or bad, you'll have a more and more compassionate heart and mind. But i know it is easy to say but hard to do, we always get angry when we're facing problems and failures
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How to Apply for a Job

This is some things that I learn after working as an HR and accept lots of application in one day

1. Don’t use cheesy e-mail address, make the one with your name, or at least doesn’t contain anything like; cool, cute, number-one, or anything that satisfied your youth-wannabe-cool-but-plain-ridiculous-for-an-adult Email address

2. Please State the position you’re applying, it takes too much time and energy trying to figure out which position you’re actually applying, especially when your educational background and work experience don’t match. And please don’t put “applying for any position” that’s just plain desperate and a major turn off.

3. Don’t send your application to multiple employees at one time, we can see all the people you sent application to, and it’s like sending an e-mail blast, it’s simpler for you, but for us you’re simply lazy.

4. Make an application letter, at least 2 paragraphs, introduce yourself, the position you’re applying and all information related on why we should hire YOU for that position (education or experience, etc).

5. Put the application in the e-mail, don’t need to put it as an attachment, how hard is it to copy and paste from word file and just change it a bit depend on which company you’re applying to? Make sure you got the right TO and applying FOR, recheck just in case you just use it to apply in another company and there’s still some stuff in it that you need to change before you send it.

6. In your CV please state your education Background CLEARLY, I have bachelor degree from University A, ON WHAT? We’re not a clairvoyant there must be more than 10 majors in that university which one you graduated from? And please limit your education up until high school, we don’t want to know where your kindergarten or worse your playgroup is, find something more useful to make your CV look fuller.

7. Personal data, formal education, informal education and work is experience is obligatory, while the other is optional. But please keep the optional interesting and related to the job you’re applying.

8. Skill is important put any application that you think will be profitable like languages, computer skills etc. Organizational experience sometimes important, it shows how you work in a team, but please limit it to high school only, and you might consider putting knitting club in your CV to show that you’re patient, but if we’re not looking for women crafting club president, we don’t care.

9. If they ask about your current salary and expected remuneration, ANSWER! Don’t waste our time interviewing you and it turns out your expected salary is much higher than what we can offer. You can always put negotiable in your expected salary, that will be our reference too

10. Keep your CV short, 2 page is the maximum, how you should fit everything in one or two page, that’s YOUR problem, too many pages makes us lost interest in reading, especially if we have A LOT of CV we need to read

11. Put you Photo in your CV, don’t put it in separate file, and please, unless you’re applying to become a model, put a standard passport photo. Don’t take from the photos from your profile pics in facebook or friendster, or cropped version from your night out picture, it’s unprofessional and just plain silly.

12. Don’t be too creative, if the position you’re applying is a creative job like design, editor, illustrator etc, be free to create. But if you’re applying for staff jobs, keep the KISS standard, Keep It Simple Stupid, if you use too much “creativity” by using various formats and colors, it might be annoying for the people that read your CV. Maybe they don’t have the same “sophisticated” computer programs as you and your CV just end up plain messy. If you want to make it more stylish convert it to Pdf that way it won’t change and they can read it as you wrote it.

13. Don’t put too many attachment in an application E-mail, CV (important), and if requested your graduation document (certificate & GPA), sometimes they ask for TOEFL/IELTS score, and sometimes your driver license. Just put the things they demanded, don’t put things that they do not ask, no need for you and for them.

14. Put down the phone number you are probably will easiest to receive, mobile phone is more preferable, house phone is okay if you don't have a job and you stay at home most of the time, your current office phone is not recommended, I find it not convenient calling a person to have an interview for a position in my office in her/his current office phone, felt like stealing a bit you know. And if I cant reach you after 3 times I called, I just put your application in the bin, too much work to talk to you while I still have many applicants in line.

15. Make sure you google a bit about the company you’re applying to, so when they call you wont sound stupid. It’s annoying for me to answer applicant that ask the name of company, which position did they apply, which business.

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