Saturday, March 14, 2020

I Hate My Job How to Work Hard When You Dont Care Anymore

I Hate My Job How to Work Hard When You Dont Care AnymoreThe Internet is plagued with clichd articles telling you the corporate world is basically like Disneyland, where everything is goldenand all you have to do is use a little elbow grease and youll be okay. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Well, Im here to spill the beans on this facade. Its simply not true. Sometimes your job sucks and no amount of top 7, top 8, or top 10 lists on how to get ahead will change that.The problem is that you still need to make money. You hate your job and youre disenfranchised withthe corporate world, but you still need to get paid in reservierung to support yourself.So what do you do? If there is anything Ive learned from my time on reddit, its that redditors are brutally honestregardless of what that honesty entails. So Im going to be brutally honest with all of you.Im not gonna sit here and give you advice like cheer up or shift your mindset because we all know thatscommon sense, and you could and would do it yourself if it were possible.Instead, Ill speak from my own personal experiences. Hopefully, it will help some of you look at your job in a new light.1.Dont work longer than youre supposed toIf youre expected to work 9-5, work 9-5. Dont waste extra time in that hellhole. My reasoning for this is simple it will affect your overall happiness and productivity. Think about it, youre miserable for 8 hours a day, every day. Thats 40 hours of misery a week. Imagine if you stayed an hour late every day. That would bump the number up to 45 hours of misery a week. Dont do that to yourself. Youll probably get more work done working 40 hours than 45, anyway.2. Find a side projectPart of the reason youre miserable is because youre not really being fulfilled creatively. If you picked up a side project to work on, you would at least be able to find something to look forward to during the day. You could start a blog. Take up cooking. Start a YouTube channel. There are tons of options out there. And who knows, one day that side project might become your main source of income.3. Learnwhile you workAt this point, were assuming your job is dull and unfulfilling. So why not learn something while you work? Listen to a podcast about science (my personal favorite is StarTalkRadio), nature, or anything you find interesting. You can even teach yourself a new language while you enter data into that spreadsheet. As long as your hands do the work, your brain can focus on learning Spanish, French, etc.4. Take a napWhat better way to rejuvenate your energy and productivity than by taking a nap? Cant take a nap in your office because your boss is a fire breathing dragon? You can downloadbreatherfrom the app store, an app that lets you rent quiet spaces for 30+ minute intervals. Each comes furnished with a table, sofa, and most importantly silence. While this app should be used sparingly because it can cost anywhere from $20-$40 an ho ur, taking a nap once a week can work miracles for your overall mindset.So basically what Im getting at is that even if your job sucks, there are things you can do to rejuvenate your enthusiasm and productivity. All of these things, when used together, can provide you with the ability to work hard at your job even if you no longer care. Because at the end of the day, you dont need to care about your job in order to bring home thatbacon. You just need to rig the game in your favor.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

This Moms Post About Being Fired for Tardiness Sums Up Why Working Parents Need Job Flexibility

This Moms Post About Being Fired for Tardiness Sums Up Why Working Parents Need Job Flexibility Its 2019, and working moms are still fighting for a little empathy in the workplace. One such mom recently reached out to the FGB Community to tell zu sich story and it caused moms across the interwebs to band around her in support.Help I welches terminated, the woman wrote.I recently have been terminated from my employer of alfruchtwein eight years for being tardy, she continued. Yes, I was tardy more often than not usually five minutes and never more than 10 minutes. I have two little ones (one and three-years-old), and trying to leave the house with them (during school traffic and work rush hour) is like trying to herd cats in a circus I am very resentful because I was very loyal to my employer and fair. If I was late, I made sure to stay however long I was late. People often times left early and would report staying a complete eight hours Sometimes I did not take my breaks to be fair . And never did I call in sick for myself. I am only trying to be a good mother.Heres the reality moms can wake up five hours early, plan every aspect of their morning, and STILL be bombarded with completely unexpected and unpredictable delays, causing them to be late to work. For example, another FGBer shared that she was once perfectly on time for her day until her son threw his shoe out of her car window, causing her to be 35 minutes late And according to a recent survey from FlexJobs, 84% of working parents name workplace flexibility as THE most important aspect of a potential new job, ahead of work-life balance, salary, and even health insurance.So why are we still fighting for something that the majority not only wants, but needs?briekse Reynolds, a career specialist at FlexJobs, told Forbes of the list It was surprising to us the extent to which parents placed work flexibility above so much else.And parents lives reach a point where their schedules no longer align with that o f their children.When children are young and theyre in daycare or preschool, those tend to line up more with a work schedule, but when it comes to kids who are in school, you hit those hours that arent compatible with typical work hours, Reynolds said.While parents can always try to simply wake up earlier, pack all the lunches the night before, lay out outfits for the day ahead, etc., these options are not always guaranteed to have moms in to work on time. But there are many options for workplace flexibility, from working from home to flexible hours to freelancing.FlexJobs found that 89% of parents prefer telecommuting, 74% prefer flexible schedules, 51% part-time schedules, 49% partial telecommuting, 49% alternative schedules, and 42% freelancing.Its been a few weeks since Ive been let go, and its been devastating, the original FGBer wrote. I too feel like Im throwing my resum down a blackhole. What Im fearing most is that my termination will keep me from getting hired. My terminat ion has been so stressful and very depressing.Working moms have enough on their plate without the additional stress and fear of losing ones job. Employers should work with their employees to find the best option for them when it comes to their career.--

Sunday, January 5, 2020

10 Things Successful People Never Do Again

10 Things Successful People Never Do Again Never go back. What does that mean? Fromobservations of successful people, clinical psychologist and author ofNever Go Back 10 Things Youll Never Do Again(Howard Books, June 2014), Dr. Henry wolke has discovered certain awakenings that people have in life and in business that once they have them, they never go back to the old way of doing things. And when that happens, they are never the same.In short, they got it.Years ago, a bad business decision of mine led to an interesting discussion with my mentor, Dr. Cloud says. I had learned a valuable lesson the hard way, and he reassured me The good thing is once you learn that lesson, you never go back. You never do it again.I wondered, what are the key awakenings that successful people go through that forever change how they do things, which propel them to succeed in business, relationships, and life? Dr. Cloud continues. I began to study these awakenings, rese arching them over the years.Although life and business have many lessons to teach us, Dr. Cloud observed 10 doorways of learning that high performers go through, never to return again.Successful people never again1. Return to What Hasnt WorkedWhether a job or a broken relationship that was ended for a good reason, we should never go back to the same thing, expecting different results, without something being different.2. Do Anything That Requires Them to Be Someone They Are NotIn everything we do, we have to ask ourselves, Why am I doing this? Am I suited for it? Does it fit me? Is it sustainable? If the answer is no to any of these questions, you better have a very good reason to proceed.3. Try to Change Another PersonWhen you realize that you cannot force someone into doing something, you give them freedom and allow them to experience the consequences. In doing so, you find your own freedom as well.4. Believe They Can Please EveryoneOnce you get that it truly is impossible to plea se everyone, you begin to live purposefully, trying to please the right people.5. Choose Short-Term Comfort Over Long-Term BenefitOnce successful people know they want something that requires a painful, time-limited step, they do not mind the painful step because it gets them to a long-term benefit. Living out this principle is one of the fruchtwein fundamental differences between successful and unsuccessful people, both personally and professionally.6. Trust Someone or Something That Appears FlawlessIts natural for us to be drawn to things and people that appear incredible. We love excellence and should always be looking for it. We should pursue people who are great at what they do, employees who are high performers, dates who are exceptional people, friends who have stellar character, and companies that excel. But when someone or something looks too good to be true, then they probably are. The world is imperfect. Period. No one and no thing is without flaw, and if they appear that way, hit pause.7. Take Their Eyes Off the Big PictureWe function better emotionally and perform better in our lives when we can see the big picture. For successful people, no one event is ever the whole story. Winners remember that each and every day.8. Neglect to Do Due DiligenceNo matter how good something looks on the outside, it is only by taking a deeper, diligent, and honest look that we will find out what we truly need to know the reality that we owe ourselves.9. Fail to Ask Why They Are Where They Find ThemselvesOne of the biggest differences between successful people and others is that, in love and in life, in relationships and in business, successful people always ask themselves, What part am I playing in this situation?Said another way, they do not see themselves only as victims even when they are.10. Forget That Their innerhalb Life Determines Their Outer SuccessThe good life sometimes has little to do with outside circumstances. We are happy and fulfilled mostly by w ho we are on the inside. Research validates that. And our internal lives largely contribute to producing many of our external circumstances.And the converse is true People who are still trying to find success in various areas of life can almost always point to one or more of these patterns as a reason they are repeating the same mistakes.Everyone makes mistakes even the most successful people out there. But what achievers do better than others is recognize the patterns that are causing those mistakes and never repeat them again. In short, they learn from pain their own and the pain of others.A good thing to remember is this Pain is unavoidable, but repeating the same pain twice, when we could choose to learn and do something different, is certainly avoidable. I like to say, We dont need new ways to fail the old ones are working just fineOur task, in business and in life, is to observe what they are and never go back to doing them again.A version of this article originally appear ed on SUCCESS.com.Dr. Henry Cloud is a clinical psychologist and leadership coach and has written and co-written more than 20 books, including his latest, Never Go Back 10 Things Youll Never Do Again (June 2014).

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

How to Deal With a Micromanaging Boss Who Slows You Down - The Muse

How to Deal With a Micromanaging Boss Who Slows You Down - The MuseHow to Deal With a Micromanaging Boss Who Slows You Down Tzu siches nothing left to tackle on your to-do list. Unfortunately, its not because youve been a productivity superstar. Its because every last thing on your list is at a standstill- pending an approval, edits, or guidance from your manager. Managers often do this with the best of intentions. They want to see, review, and endorse everything that goes out of the department to make sure its the best it can be. But in the process of doing that, emails build up in their inboxes, and employees sit around, waiting for the approvals they need to move on with their projects. How do you handle a bottleneck thats impeding your ability to get your work done? Here are a few tips to deal with a micromanaging boss.Plan for ItYou know that friend whos late to everything? Shes the one who says Im almost there when she hasnt even pulled out of her driveway yet. You may deal wit h her perpetual lateness for a while, but when you know theres an important event that she absolutely has to be on time for- like your wedding- you tell her that it starts an hour earlier than it actually does. And then she shows up perfectly on time. In the same way, you have to plan ahead when you know youre going to encounter a bottleneck. That could, for example, mean getting the report into your managers inbox a week earlier than you otherwise would, to allot some extra time for him or her to review and approve it. Or, if youre writing a company newsletter, maybe you get your managers approvals on each of the story ideas before you actually start writing- instead of working to complete the entire newsletter and then presenting it to her approval, forcing a tight deadline that probably wont be met.Remind, Remind AgainThe absolute worst thing you can do is send a request or assignment to your boss by email, and then simply wait (and wait, and wait) for a response. Thats practical ly begging for your task to get caught in the bottleneck.At the root of the issue, your boss is probably very busy (and perhaps a bit disorganized)- and that means that he or she may need a reminder or two to make sure tasks get accomplished. So, maybe you email your boss on Monday afternoon with your request or assignment for review. On Tuesday, as you pass by his office during lunch, you stop in and say, Just wanted to remind you that I need your review and approval on the Smith proposal by end of day on Wednesday- its in your inbox now. And then Wednesday morning, you pop in again to ask, Will you be able to get me your changes and approval this afternoon? I can re-send if you need.I know, it sounds annoying. But frankly, your boss will likely appreciate the reminders- and if it helps you get what you need, its ultimately helping your boss (and the entire department) succeed. Ask to Take the LeadWhile its clear that your manager prefers to review and approve everything that goes through the department, if you make him or her feel mora confident in your abilities, he or she may be willing to hand over the reins.For example, I recently had a manager who liked to have the last look at everything my team and I wrote- down to the most mundane emails- and it was significantly slowing down everyones progress. I finally took a gelegenheit standing my ground on a small assignment I knew I had nailed Hey Lisa, there are two webinar invites that are due today. I reviewed the copy and there were very few edits. I know you have a lot on your plate already would it be OK if I went ahead and moved them forward?She (somewhat reluctantly) agreed, and I was finally able to cross that item off my to-do list- and she saw that it turned out fine. Once I had tested the waters, I slowly started feeling more confident about making those calls on other assignments I dont think this one needs your review, so Im going to go ahead and finalize it. Is that OK? And most of the time, she agreed. Sure, if we were writing a company-wide email communication on behalf of the executive team, wed need her approval. But if I was making minor edits to an existing sales brochure or PowerPoint deck, she agreed that she didnt need to review. And that opened up her time and loosened the bottleneck. Have a Frank ConversationOf course, your boss may be more of a stickler- and his or her response to your attempt to sidestep the established process may be, No, I still need to review it. Ill get to it as soon as I can.In that case, you need to address the issue more directly. During your regularly scheduled one-on-one meeting (if you dont have one set up- you should), bring up the issue and how its affecting the team I know you have quite a few projects and assignments that are waiting for review. Is there a way we can make the process more efficient? Is there anything I can do individually to make it easier on you? For example, maybe shed prefer you to specify the deadline in the subject line of your email, so she can prioritize her inbox based on whats due immediately. Or, maybe your boss would prefer that you bring a list of pending items to a weekly abfertigung meeting, and you can address any questions- and immediately check off approvals- as you go. But even if you cant determine an immediate solution, alerting your boss directly will help him or her realize its not just a matter of disorganization or an overflowing inbox- its a problem thats impacting the entire teams productivity. And that can be the wake-up call your boss needs to figure out a solution.Photo of hose drip courtesy of Shutterstock.

Friday, December 27, 2019

The best things in life are usually byproducts

The best things in life are usually byproductsThe best things in life are usually byproductsThales of Miletus, considered the first true philosopher in ancient Greece, lived a simple life.We know him today for his application of early scientific principles to the study of nature. In a way, he was the intersection that caused mythology to diverge away from a world of facts.Naturally, there is little he had to say that is considered profound today, but for the time he lived in, his approach was nothing short of revolutionary. When he talked, people listened.According to legend, however, as his appeal grew, so did the noise of his critics. What could a man of such humble origins tell them about how the world worked, they wondered. Surely, if he knew what he was talking about, his wealth and his success would speak for itself.Much of their irritation with Thales came from him shunning such worldly desires. They had a point, too Can you really criticize something that you havent experienc ed for yourself?Thales, the story goes, then platzdeckchen out to make his case. Using his observational knowledge of astronomy, he rightly predicted that one of the years would have a particularly favorable climate for olives to grow on olive trees. The winter before harvest season, he made his bet.By hiring away all of the olive presses before the harvest, he became the single point of distribution for the machinery needed to collect the fruit, making a fortune in the process.He didnt have much money or any visible form of leverage before this, but he did have a theory based on his tested knowledge and that, apparently, paid off in an indirect way.When people began acknowledging his worldly success, he simply went back to his old, simple way of being. The only difference this time was that no one dared to doubt him.Second-order effects carry the rewardLike most parables of historical figures, there is as much chance that the story of Thales is grounded in myth as it is in reality. That, nonetheless, doesnt stop it from being useful.There are a few points we can take away here. The obvious one concerns itself with virtue and Thales living what he preached. Another is the value of knowledge and understanding how to think well enough that the theories we rationalize translate into practice.The most interesting illumination, however, which connects to the other two but is mora foundational, is the fact that everything has both an intended and an unintended side-effect.Thales never cared about being wealthy and successful things we think of as the reward but his intention to learn and to understand the world paved a way there regardless. Granted, he walked away when he got there, but the connection between the two matters.Most of the things we want this could be said to include our pursuit of happiness, too are arbitrary cultural constructs which have changing definitions. They have no fixed point, and they dont represent a universal, timeless emotion or feel ing or value or way-of-being.Even if we, ourselves, define success and happiness at some point, theres still nothing concrete to grasp because we live in a world of constant change, making them arbitrary.Any attempt to acquire such rewards, then, is misguided. You cant intend to wake up living a perfect life in a year, hoping that your goals and the 10 steps you laid out will get you there, because your expectancy of what that perfect life is fluctuates as you interact with reality.The best things in life are byproducts. They are almost never intentional first-order effects, but unintentional second-order effects. They emerge as a consequence of just doing what you ought to do in a way that is valuable and meaningful over a sustained period of time.In Thaless case, maybe wealth brought him new conveniences, and that was nice, but his appreciation of the simple life was born from not minding whether the reward was there or not, which in turn likely enabled him to enjoy it in a health ier and more balanced way.The most direct way to get what we intuitively want is to let it go and keep moving.Orienting yourself in what is disorientingMost of us think about the future a lot. We make plans, we consider, and we compare. Many of us, in fact, live in this imagined thought-game more than we do in the reality around us.This is a natural human instinct, one most people need to engage for survival. But in order to make sense of this thought-game, we do something that damages us We use the arbitrary words like happiness and success and their association with imagined events to orient us.Not only do we live in a made-up world, but we use that made-up world to guide us in reality, centering it on made-up definitions of words that dont have concrete definitions.We cant deal with the fact that the future is unknown and disorienting, so we create all this in our mind as a reference point. For the most part, it does fine, but at its core, its a thinking pattern that can only l ead to dissatisfaction because the predictions we make are often poor.In his book Obliquity, economist John Kay makes the case that complex goals in complex systems which very much applies to us as humans are best achieved indirectly.Most rewards are byproducts, yes, but there is another caveat Due to the uncertainty we face when dealing with the future, the only way to orient ourselves in the right direction is to self-correct towards some roughly undefined point while focusing on something else.To make optimal decisions, an agent has to force their attention onto what they can control, which usually has nothing to do with happiness or success or any other worldly desire.This means that much of the imagined future we construct is a waste of mental energy and resources, because the only place where you can control something is right now, in reality.To orient ourselves in a disorienting world, we need to forgo our fixation with whats defined.The takeawayWe live in an interconnected reality, one in which the effects of actions produce externalities that cant always be predicted. Theres more to life than knowing that two plus two is four.The fable of Thales is telling because, once we extrapolate from it, its a reminder that there is usually more going on around us than we intuitively think, and we should respect that fact.Every choice we make, every action we take, and every effect we produce ripples to create second, third, and fourth-order effects that leave unintended byproducts. Often, its these byproducts that surprise us by giving us an answer we didnt even know we were looking for.It makes sense that we chase arbitrary definitions of success and happiness, and it makes even more sense that we try to define them for ourselves when we realize this, but broken down, the whole enterprise still fails because these things are simply coping mechanisms.They provide a reference point in an imagined future which offers orientation in the present. This is, natural ly, valuable, but taken too far, it leads towards a game of disappointment.Complex systems are unpredictable which makes complex goals difficult to design. Rather, a better way of interacting with reality is by focusing on what can be controlled moment-to-moment, adjusting our orientation as we figure it out, letting the externalities play their part.This doesnt mean that we shouldnt strive to be better or that its not worth fulfilling any of our desires. All it means is that the best things in life dont always respond to attention.If we learn to focus on what we simply ought to do, quite often, the rest takes care of itself.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers atDesign Luck.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Navy Full Time Support (FTS) Program

The Navy Full Time kooperation (FTS) ProgramThe Navy Full Time Support (FTS) ProgramNavy Reservists are dedicated and diverse men and women of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. They work to defend the nation while also working in a variety of careers as professionals of all kinds, and with a range of education levels. Typically, Naval Reservists are continuing their military service after serving active duty for less than 20 years. However, some Reservists joined directly to the Reserves, received basic training, follow-on training, and like their former active duty counter-parts serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year. However, some programs allow for the Reservists to go active duty for a short period (weeks or months) or an extended period (years or full deployments). Depending on your skills and training, you may be eligible for more active duty time and be a part of the Full-Time Support Mission of the Navy. Training the Navy Reserve With the FTS Program Navy Fu ll-Time Support (FTS) is a program that allows Navy Reservists to perform in positions as full-time active duty members, helfende handing the Navy Reserve Force. These members receive the same pay, allowances, and benefits as active duty members. Often there are jobs in the military that are understaffed. Depending upon the deployment status or immediate requirement to have a fully trained member fill one of these empty billets, the Reservists can fill a need of the active-duty Navy. The purpose of the Full-Time Support (FTS) program is to train and administer the Navy Reserve. It is open to both male and female personnel. Enlisted FTS personnel serve in demanding billets both at sea and ashore, providing the support necessary to prepare Navy Reservists to deploy when needed. Often in times of war and deployment, the needs of the Navy grow, and critical job skills are a commodity. The Reservists can fill that role as well as build their military resume by deploying or filling an act ive-duty position stateside. A related program, the Navy Individual Augmentee (IA) program allows Reservists to perform full-time active duty service in positions that support strategic objectives. Members may be chosen or volunteer to fill in for roles requiring specialized knowledge or skill sets. They could potentially fill needs outside the Navy in any of the service branches. Advantages for Navy Full-Time Support Members The primary advantage of FTS over regular active duty is that FTS members generally spend longer in a single location (they are not re-assigned as often), and there are Navy reserve bases where these members can be stationed that are not normally available for active duty sailors. Enlisted FTS personnel may be assigned to Operational units, such as Navy Reserve Force ships and Reserve air squadrons.Shore activities like Navy Operational Support Centers.Major shore commands, such as the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Personnel Command, and the Navy Reserve Forces Command. Enlisted Ratings Available in the FTS Program The Navycalls their enlisted jobs ratings. Similar ratings are placed into various communities. Click on each rating designator to read a basic job description, as well as basic qualification criteria established to obtain the particular rating. AC - Air Traffic ControllerEN - EnginemanAD - Aviation Machinists MateET - Electronics TechnicianAE - Aviation Electricians MateHM - Hospital CorpsmanAM - Aviation Structural MechanicHT - Hull Maintenance TechnicianAME - Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment)IC - Interior Communications ElectricianAO - Aviation OrdnancemanIT - Information Systems TechnicianAS - Aviation Support Equipment TechnicianMR - Machinery RepairmanAT - Aviation Electronics TechnicianNAC - Naval Air Crew, 82xxAW - Aviation Warfare Systems OperatorNC - Navy CounselorAZ - Aviation Maintenance AdministrationmanPR - Aircrew Survival EquipmentmanBM - Boatswains MatePS - Personnel SpecialistCS - Culin ary SpecialistSK - StorekeeperDC - Damage ControlmanYN - YeomanEM - Electricians Mate Information derived from Navy.com. The only negative news from the open FTS jobs in the Navy is that there is minimal opportunity for re-enlistment bonuses. And most of the needs for position in the FTS are for E-6 and below sailors with less than 14-years of service. However, sailors above that threshold can submit an Enlisted Personnel Action Request 1306/7. Submit the request to change component re-enlistment to Navy Personnel Commands Enlisted Active Programs Branch.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

5 Tips to Help Raise your Efficiency

5 Tips to Help Raise your Efficiency5 Tips to Help Raise your EfficiencyWith a ton of work. comes great responsibility (I guess Ive already heard this before). Dont let the work stress you, dont let it steal all of your time. If you have trouble to keep up with a lot of tasks, this list may be helpful for you.Know your prioritiesIt may be hard to assemble your priorities sometimes. The most important tasks are not always those with deadline around the corner. To know your priorities you have to find your goals at first. You can use this advice in both private and professional life.20-80This ratio is known as Pareto principle. It says 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Basically, 80% of success (work done) is achieved by 20% of effort. Dont do any unnecessary work to achieve those remaining 20% with 80% effort. It consumes a lot of precious time. You can use the time for different, much more important tasks.Have a planCreate a calendar with all your tasks. There is a lot of neat online tools to do that. Dont try to do more, than you can handle in one day. Actually, put an emergency time after every task. Maybe there will be traffic jam, or some other time killer during the day.The hardest part is to follow your plan. Sometimes you will force yourself to keep up, but in the end, you will be thankful for doing so. Trust usReserve time for your work ONLYOnce you learn how to plan your day, its a good idea to reserve a couple of hours dedicated to your work only. Dont let anyone to interrupt you. Once you step on the working flow, it is done almost with no effort. The worst thing is, when someone constantly interrupts you, and you can not stay focused.RelaxBeing a workaholic kills your creativity, energy and enthusiasm for work. Know when your work is over and have a nice relax with your friends or family. There is nothing better for your career, than coming back to work fresh.Do you like this story? Share it with your friends.Share Your Feedback or Ide as in the Comments