How People Make Hacking a Legit Career Choice

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hacking career

The media, journalists, and the public are prone to oversimplification. And hackers are no exception. Hackers get a bad rap in movies and TV shows. Their reputation is often that of a shadowy, secretive, or marginal group. Here’s how people make hacking a legit career choice.

Possibly it’s the evil genius who can quickly break government systems. Why? Maybe it’s political beliefs or just the lols. But, even the introvert, “the basement hacker,” who is untrained and disorganized, can be a dangerous adversary.

As such, your imagination probably doesn’t conjure ‌ethical‌ ‌hackers. ‌In recent years, though, many large companies have hired white hat hackers. ‌Why? They’re hired to prevent attacks, bugs, and threats and test and monitor their systems.

What’s more, ethical hackers are making a solid living. According to ZipRecruitor, the national average is $135,269 a year for an ethical hacking job in the US.

Apart from a high salary, a good hacker can make money in various ways outside of their regular‌ ‌job. ‌For example, if you want to make your own schedule or don’t want to be tied to any one location, that’s appealing.

But how can you make hacking a legit career choice? Well, let’s find out.

Why Are Hackers Hired?

Professional hackers test the security of companies. ‌To verify whether their security controls are effective, they hire hackers. Additionally, they will make security suggestions.

Before releasing a new web application, a company might hire hackers to find weaknesses. ‌The application will be less vulnerable to hackers when it hits the market as a result.

In addition, private companies and governments hire hackers. ‌Competitive intelligence is in the interest of private companies. To force customers to switch to their services by making their competitors unavailable. Isn’t that illegal? I wouldn’t pursue this career path, although it’s 100% illegal.

Hacking other companies is considered espionage. ‌Government information is mainly kept electronically, so accessing government agencies or third-party providers can be beneficial. ‌Some governments also use cybercrime as a revenue source. ‌North Korea is one of the most infamous examples because its dedicated cybercrime division generates millions of dollars every year.

Understanding Different Types of Hacking

Again, there are lots of controversies over hacking. ‌A hacker can serve either a malicious or a beneficial purpose, as shown above.

Hackers generally fall into three categories:

  • White Hat
  • Black Hat
  • Grey Hat

Grey Hat and White Hat hackers undertake ethics-based hacking. ‌

In contrast, black hat hackers engage in illegal activities.

Awareness of different types of hackers and their legal nuances will help professionals understand their ethical hacker boundaries. ‌For instance, when starting out, you could be‌ ‌a‌ ‌Penetration‌ ‌Tester. ‌To prevent cyber-attacks, vulnerabilities must be identified in a system or application.Then, in the event that their system has a fault, they inform the organization.

What Skills Are Needed to Be an Ethical Hacker

Blackhat hackers have sometimes become whitehat hackers. ‌To be a successful ethical hacker, you need‌ ‌high‌ ‌ethical‌ ‌standards. ‌‌‌Blackhat hackers are undoubtedly technical. ‌‌‌Their problem is that they lack character discipline.

Candidates for ethical hacking jobs should possess the following skills as well as the “ethical” part:

  • Hardware knowledge. It’s vital for you to understand the features of visual display units (VDU), central processing units (CPU), keyboards, hard drives, speakers, sound cards, mice, graphics cards, and motherboards.
  • Basic and advanced computer skills. ‌Learning basic computer skills like data processing, managing files, and creating presentations is key to using computers. But, to be successful, you also need advanced computer skills. These skills include programming, coding, and managing databases.
  • Expertise in computer networking. ‌An ethical hacker should be familiar with networking‌ ‌commands. ‌Among them are‌ ‌OSI‌ ‌models,‌ ‌IP‌ ‌addresses,‌ ‌MAC‌ ‌addresses,‌ ‌subnetting,‌ ‌and routing.
  • A good understanding‌ ‌of‌ ‌operating‌ ‌systems. ‌Operating systems such as Ubuntu, Linux, and Red Hat are essential to building a successful career in ethical hacking.
  • Programming language skills. ‌Programmers use Java, Javascript, SQL, Bash, Python, C, C++, Ruby, Perl, and PHP to write these codes.
  • Cybersecurity skills. ‌You should learn cybersecurity techniques. These include phishing, man-in-the-middle attacks, app protection, hardware protection, database management systems, spyware, and password management.
  • Know methodologies and tools used in penetration testing. For ethical hackers, penetration testing is essential. ‌The goal is to find weaknesses and strengthen security frameworks.

Problem-solving skills, pressure tolerance, and the ability to think outside the box are also critical. ‌Ethical hackers also require passion, communication skills, flexibility, and innovative thinking.

How to Become an Ethical Hacker

So, how do you make a successful and ‌fulfilling career in ethical hacking? ‌The following is a complete career path for getting into ethical hacking.

Academics should be the first step.

To succeed in ethical hacking, you should do this first. ‌If you plan to study ethical hacking, however, make sure your field of study is related to it‌. In general,‌ ‌CyberSecurity‌ ‌or‌ ‌IT‌.

A degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field will provide you with the foundation. It can also help you make a living hacking even though there is no requirement for specific education.

You can earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s ‌degree‌ ‌in‌ ‌CS/IT. ‌In addition, you can take courses on ethical hacking. ‌These qualifications are also required when hiring ethical hackers by various organizations.

One of the most well-known certifications is offered by EC-Council. ‌During their 5-day ethical hacking certification, they teach everything from ethical hacking to types of attacks. ‌After completing the course, candidates can take the Licensed Penetration Tester exam.

Become familiar with programming languages and operating systems.

Ethical hackers must be proficient in programming languages and‌ ‌frameworks. ‌Among its many benefits are the ability to identify programming errors and vulnerabilities, the implementation of security solutions, and automation of‌ ‌tasks — to name a few.

Various programming languages are available to enter this field, including C/C++, Java, Python, Ruby, and others. ‌Besides that, you’ll have to learn several operating systems like‌ ‌LINUX,‌ ‌UNIX,‌ ‌Windows,‌ ‌and iOS. ‌Of course, these operating systems must be well understood by ethical hackers.

An understanding of network security and network administration.

Ethical hacking requires an understanding of computer networks and cyber security concepts. You must have a basic to advanced knowledge of computer networking and security,‌ ‌such‌ ‌as:

  • Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
  • Firewalls
  • Cryptography
  • Denial of Service attacks (DoS attacks)

It is also imperative to consider various hacking concepts, including Penetration Testing, Cloud Computing malware, SQL Injection, and Vulnerability Assessment.

Various resources are available for learning about computer networks and cybersecurity, including books, journals, YouTube videos, and online courses.

Enhance your ethical hacking skills by participating in training programs.

To learn ethical hacking, you must work your way up from beginner to advanced. ‌Meanwhile, you can learn about ethical hacking through books and ‌videos. ‌But, of course, you’ll also have to interact with experts and get hands-on to gain more knowledge and exposure.

A relevant and worthwhile training program or boot camp can also help you gain practical experience in ethical hacking.

Obtain relevant certifications.

After you complete the above learning processes, it’s time to get certified and validate your ethical hacking skills. ‌You can land various career opportunities even if you have no experience. ‌Certifications include:

  • Certified Ethical Hacker
  • Global Information Assurance Certification
  • Offensive Security Certified Professional
  • Certified Vulnerability Assessor

Certifications such as Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) are among‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌demanding‌ ‌and renowned‌ ‌ethical‌ ‌hacking‌ ‌certifications. ‌Within 240 minutes, candidates must answer 125 multiple-choice questions about SQL Injection, Backdoors, Session Hijacking, and other ethical hacking topics.

Become an ethical hacker.

Now you can start your professional career as an ethical hacker. ‌At first, you might be a Security Analyst or Penetration Tester. ‌From there, ethical hacking jobs include Network Security Administrators, System Administrators, Web Security Managers, and Information Security Managers. ‌

Additionally, you can join several government organizations, such as the investigation department, law enforcement, etc., as an ethical hacker besides private businesses.

The Best Ways to Make Money as a Computer Hacker

Employment.

The‌ ‌easiest‌ ‌way‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌money‌ ‌hacking‌?‌ Working‌ ‌as‌ ‌a penetration‌ ‌tester. ‌In essence, you’d be a full-time employee testing company security.

The low barrier to entry makes this an ideal first job. ‌Moreover, you’ll be able to learn from more experienced people. As such, you get to grow at work and increase your pay.

Freelance.

As a freelancer, you can work either part-time with a job or full-time. ‌There are many bug bounty programs where companies, such as Apple, Intel, and Cisco, permit people to hack into their networks, applications, and websites. ‌In‌ ‌exchange for disclosing what the hacker has discovered, the company rewards the hacker with cash.

If this is something that interests you, here’s a list of the 30 top bug bounty programs here. There’s no limit to how much you can work, and it’s open to everyone. ‌

However, there is a great deal‌ ‌of‌ ‌competition. In addition, it can be hard to find bugs significant enough to warrant a reward early on in your career. As such, I would recommend this to‌ ‌intermediate‌ ‌to‌ ‌experienced‌ ‌computer‌ ‌hackers.

Contract.

Unlike freelance work, a contract position usually involves working for one client. Usually, this is for a short time period, such as‌ ‌6-12‌ ‌months. ‌

Many companies don’t hire penetration testers full-time for a variety of reasons. ‌For example, a company only needs to test new products once or twice a year. ‌So basically, they’ll hire someone for a short while to perform the testing and then let them go when they’re no longer needed.

Developing software.

Programmers might find this interesting. ‌Most hacking tasks are performed using premade scripts or software. ‌However, experienced hackers usually create custom scripts and tools to simplify their work.

As a hacker, you can make serious money selling software. ‌It’s easy to resell tools once you make them and update them. Eventually, you can earn passive income this way.

Start your own business.

Despite their skill, many hackers do not continue hacking full-time. ‌Instead, they often take their expertise and start a security business that tests companies’ ‌security. ‌This method can maximize profits, but it will require a high level of experience, expertise, and specific knowledge.

It’s even possible for people to go from getting criminal charges for cybercrime to setting up their own businesses. ‌The case of Kevin Mitnick, who was convicted of computer and communications crimes in 1995, is an example of this. ‌As of today, he is the founder and CEO of‌ ‌Mitnick‌ ‌Security Consulting‌ ‌LLC. ‌Aside from being the Chief Hacking Officer for KnowBe4, he is also an advisory board member for‌ ‌Zimperium.

Image Credit: Markus Spiske; Pexels; Thank you!

How People Make Hacking a Legit Career Choice was originally published on Calendar by John Rampton.

5 Software Tools to Ease Communication Hurdles on Your Team

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Software tools

Communication is an important part of teamwork. Miscommunications have lost Super Bowl trophies, Olympic medals, and sunk Fortune 500 businesses. Strong communication has lifted up teams past their competitors even if they lack the star power and resources of their opponents.

While you might not be in an intense competition, you are responsible for overseeing a team and leading them to success. As is the case for any other team, communication is essential. There are resources at your disposal that will help teams of all shapes and sizes to communicate more effectively. Here are five resources to consider:

1. Appointment

One of the most classic lines of communication starts with a receptionist. They’ll field a call or see an online request for an appointment. It doesn’t matter if it’s to see a doctor, dentist, massage therapist, or vehicle mechanic. The responsibility of the receptionist is to pass on necessary information to the service provider. One of the best ways to avoid communication mishaps in this scenario is to use a scheduling app like Appointment.

Appointment can be synced up with nearly every major online calendar application. As appointments are created they can be automatically sent to the calendars of everyone involved. Appointment can also be integrated into other applications for easier accessibility.

In addition to helping appointment-based businesses manage their schedules, there are some other helpful features to keep in mind. Quality security, data reporting, and appointment reminders will come in handy every single day.

2. Slack

A surefire way to ease communication hurdles on your team is to make it easier for team members to connect. Many organizations have found success through software tools such as Slack. This is a platform that allows you to create custom chatrooms for your team, enabling a constant flow of communication between teammates.

The best part about Slack is that it can be used in an office, hybrid, or remote capacity. Managers can quickly send messages to a group of individuals regardless of where they’re located at the time. Instant messaging is also faster and cleaner than using email and much easier to keep track of.

Slack is also great for team bonding. Not every message has to sound like a formal email written by a robot. Team members can send GIFs and funny images to each other or even share stories from the weekend. As long as it doesn’t derail work entirely, this can help form strong bonds that increase overall teamwork capabilities.

3. ClickUp

What’s a business without a number of due dates to monitor? There are deadlines for utility bills, employee paychecks, product releases, marketing pitches, and so much more. That many deadlines can be overwhelming for your team, especially if it’s unorganized.

Insert ClickUp. This is an example of a project management software tool. You can lay out projects and tasks with due dates for each step needed to complete them. Each task can be shared with those who are involved, so anyone who needs an update can receive one on command.

ClickUp’s calendar view is especially helpful for team planning. Teams can look at upcoming schedules to divert time and resources toward upcoming deadlines. Everyone will know their role as it will be specifically designated within the software itself.

4. Google Drive

Businesses go through a lot of data and information on a daily basis. This normally uses up a lot of paper, but most organizations have made the transition to digital filing systems. This saves a lot of money, helps the environment, and can be a more effective way to organize files. However, you have to build a system that your team can easily work with.

That’s why so many individuals and businesses rely on Google Drive for file storage and sharing. With Google you can create slideshows, documents, forms, and spreadsheets and group them in designated folders. You have complete control over the names and even the colors of the files you create.

You can set permissions for individual files or for entire folders to share with members of your team. Most of your team members won’t need access to every single document. They likely don’t want to sift through every file either. Of course, a search bar within Google Drive makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.

5. Microsoft Teams

Some things just have to be explained face to face. In those times, sometimes the best you can do is hop on a video call. This is one of the features available through Microsoft Teams. It allows you to organize and execute meetings within a single platform.

Start by using a chat room to coordinate times for an upcoming video chat. This could be a one-on-one call with a new hire or banding together your army of contracted workers from around the country. You can use team chats to share any necessary files for the meeting, like an itinerary or marketing outline.

Now it’s time for the meeting. You don’t have to go to a different software tool for this. Microsoft Teams provides an optimal video conferencing experience with features such as live captioning and real-time polls.

Take advantage of free trials to give each of these software tools a spin. Eventually, you’ll find a solution that fits your team and its needs perfectly. Communication will quickly become a strength with the help of technology.

Image Credit: Anete Lusina; Pixels; Thank you!

Daily Ways to Build and Inspire Yourself and Others

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Inspire yourself and others

We all have those days when we don’t feel like doing anything. ‌Mentally and physically, we are exhausted. ‌It’s tough getting out of bed in the morning.‌ And, it’s a challenge just to get out of bed, let alone seize the day.

As much as we wish we could stay in bed all day, we cannot. ‌So when you feel uninspired, you can overcome that emotional hurdle with these 20 daily techniques.

1. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike.

“Inspiration is for amateurs,” said painter and photographer Chuck Close. “The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

“If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens,” he further explains. “But if you just get to work, something will occur to you, and something else will occur to you, and something else that you reject will push you in another direction.”

Instead of wasting your time and energy waiting to feel inspired, tap into the power of a daily routine. And this is actually something that successful creatives and entrepreneurs have long known. ‌William James, the famous psychologist, once said that habits and schedules are necessary because they “free our minds to advance to really interesting fields of action.”

While there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to scheduling your calendar, here are some tips to get you started:

  • Schedule time for planning. For example, every evening, create and review your schedule for tomorrow.
  • Jumpstart your day with a morning ritual. Some ideas would be journaling, exercising, meditating, or reading.
  • Time block your calendar. Establish specific times for specific tasks throughout the day.
  • Designate a “most important task.” Always include the one absolute task that needs to get done for the day.
  • Leverage the power of breaks. Breaks are needed to help you refresh and recharge.
  • Give names to time slots and downtime. This ensures that you use this time purposefully, like s “Tuesday a.m., break 15 min walk,”
  • Be flexible. Even if you’re consistent, the unexpected is always lingering around the corner. So leave blank spaces to address the unanticipated.

2. Connect to your values.

“This is the ultimate secret,” notes author and Director of Innovation at Microsoft

J.D. Meier. “If you can connect the work you do to your values, even in small ways, you can change your game.”

It’s important to J.D. Meier to learn and grow as a person — a worthy goal for all people.

“I find ways to grow my skills in any situation,” he adds. For example, he just doesn’t “call back a customer.” Instead, he aims to “win a raving fan.” He doesn’t merely “do a task.” Instead, this is a chance to “master my craft.” ‌And, it’s more than “get something done.” Rather, it’s an opportunity to “learn something new.”

3. Add your goal to your calendar.

Did you know you can boost your internal motivation by setting‌ ‌a‌ ‌target‌ ‌date? It’s true.

As‌ ‌such,‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌your goal is, schedule it. ‌If you’re working toward a goal, you might have a deadline. For example, preparing for a meeting presentation or submission date for a project.

By establishing a realistic deadline, you can add structure to‌ ‌your‌ ‌goal. Target dates also help you stay motivated. And, when added to your calendar, it lets you keep track of your progress. ‌As a result, you are always aware of how far you need‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌go.

Also, once you’ve established your goals, share them with someone else, such as a mentor.

You’re more motivated if you share your goal with someone higher up because just caring what they think of you makes you accountable. ‌For example, you might be more motivated to get promoted if you tell a mentor or manager than if you merely tell a friend or peer.

4. Turn off distractions.

I think this is a no-brainer. ‌However, I’m talking about turning off distractions the entire day long instead of just during certain times. When you do, you’re taking your inspiration game to a whole new level.

It’s easy to lose track of time and focus constantly being glued to our phones, the internet, and social media. ‌It does not matter if you are reading a book on the subway or listening to a podcast or playlist while exercising. As a result, I’ve found myself instinctively reaching for my phone during periods of downtime, allowing myself to scroll mindlessly on Instagram or Facebook. ‌Despite how helpful and entertaining it is to be tuned in, tuning out can leave your mind wandering for hours.

5. Create a feeling of gratitude.

You may find it hard to motivate yourself when you’re stuck in a rut. ‌Think about how you feel before trying to motivate yourself.

Motivation comes much easier when you feel appreciated for who you are.

Gratitude is the quickest way to lift your spirits. After all, it’s almost impossible to be grateful and feel depressed  ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌time.

Get in the habit of practicing gratitude by writing down three things you’re ‌grateful‌ ‌for. ‌From your morning coffee to your pet, or even your comfortable chair, there are many things you can appreciate.

To stay motivated, you should include this in your daily routine. Also, when your grateful for the people in your life, let them know that you appreciate them through thank you notes or social media shout outs.

6. Take advantage of others’ motivation.

There are always words or artwork from others to turn to when you need extra inspiration.

Making a playlist of songs that excite and inspire you can be a great place to start. After all, ‌music‌ ‌can‌ ‌elevate your mood and change your perspective. ‌I dare you not to get up and move when you listen to “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.

In addition to music, books, movies, and Ted Talks can inspire and guide you. Also, you can search for tweets with the hashtag #inspiration or discover blogs of people who have overcome adversity.

Furthermore, hundreds of motivational quotes from successful people can make you more optimistic immediately by changing your mindset.

7. Ask, “What Would Dolly Parton Do?”

It doesn’t exactly have to be Dolly. But, come on. She’s a national treasure.

Anyway,‌ ‌looking through a different lens can be powerful. ‌After all, when imagining yourself seeing the situation from the perspective of someone else.

Consider your favorite role model, but use their perspective to gain insight. ‌It’s a great way to think outside the box and to gain a fresh perspective.

For example, if you want to improve your leadership skills, ask “What would Richard Branson or Barack Obama do?”

If you’re overcoming adversity, ask “What would Oprah, Nick Vujicic, or Bethany Hamilton do?”

8. Embrace and share vulnerability.

Nowadays, we’re all about Instagram likes and Instagram followers. ‌Being perceived as anything less than perfect is a daunting prospect. ‌A dangerous facade of success can be created by the glossy social media statuses of our lives.

However, sharing defeats‌ ‌and‌ ‌admitting‌ ‌failure is‌ ‌a‌ ‌powerful‌ ‌motivator for moving forward. ‌Do not let your emotions get the best of you. Instead, work through them. ‌Afterwards, move on to something more productive.

As a result of sharing these vulnerable moments, peer relationships are also deepened. And, it might just inspire them as well.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing,” states Brené Brown, a research professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host. “It’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

9. Get back to nature.

Our daily lives can be enriched by learning from nature’s lessons. ‌A hike or watching the water of a river pass by, for example, is said to calm one’s prefrontal cortex, allowing it to access other regions that might produce insights or‌ ‌new‌ ‌ideas.

The experience of being‌ ‌in‌ ‌nature‌ ‌also‌ ‌inspires‌ ‌a‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌ ‌awe. ‌”Expansive thinking” arises when we realize the world is much bigger than we can understand. It allows us to consider different perspectives and can result in innovative solutions.

It might be tough to do this daily. But, you could start by going on a walk with a coworker after lunch or with your family during the sunset

10. Put together a win list.

“I have exchanged my to-do list with a win list,” Ken Gosnell, CEO of Experience tells Forbes. “A win list is a list of actions and behaviors that I know will create momentum for me and my organization.”

“I focus on at least one win a day and then I record all the wins, big and small, at the end of the day, to review everything that I feel good about accomplishing that day, he adds. “Often, one win can lead to the next one and many other wins.”

You can also do this with your team. For example, kicking off a meeting with what everyone accomplished in the past week. Or, create a dedicated Slack channel where people can share their success stories.

11. Compete in a friendly way.

Try to finish a boring or routine task first with a coworker at work in a friendly competition. ‌A little gamification usually keeps things lively.

In addition, you can also add a small prize, like pizza or coffee the other person, to motivate the winner.

12. Embrace positive peer pressure.

Achieving your goals is ultimately up to you. ‌Other people, however, can motivate you in a very positive way.

It has been shown that teamwork can boost perseverance, engagement, and performance — even if you’re flying solo. What’s more, this can also keep you accountable or pus‌h you when you’re not in the zone. Depending‌ ‌on‌ ‌what you want to accomplish, this might mean a running team or joining a professional organization.

And, again, sharing your goals can strengthen your commitment to achieving them, according to another study. ‌If you have work goals, consider sharing them with your supervisor or mentor.

13. Reframe questions.

“Let’s say that you are demotivated by a problem that seems impossible to solve,” writes Scott H. Young over at Lifehack. “What you can do is invest a lot of time upfront framing the right questions.”

According to Timothy Ferriss’s Tribe of Mentors, readers should ask themselves, “How would it look if this [endeavor, goal, etc.] were easy?”

In The‌ ‌One‌ ‌Thing by Gary Keller asks, “What is one thing I can do that would make everything else less important or unnecessary?”

“Think about the problem you want to solve, and ensure you ask the right questions,” adds Young. “Also, consider if you have assumptions baked into your line of thinking.”

Asking (the right) questions is always better than assuming. ‌An inspiring solution can be found by using these methods.

14. Cut your to-do-list in half.

Our ability to achieve success is hindered by long lists. ‌These lists impede our progress instead of helping us advance. So, what’s the solution? ‌Focus on the most completing items first by cutting your to-do lists in half.

In some studies, people don’t accomplish any tasks if they have more than seven on their list. ‌Nevertheless, if you have only three items listed, there is a high likelihood of finishing them all.

15. Don’t be a critic, be a coach.

A person can either be their best coach or their‌ ‌worst‌ ‌critic. ‌It’s up to you what you choose.

Whether you beat yourself down or lift yourself up, you know best how to do it. ‌You can give constructive feedback to your inner coach, and give your inner critic a rest.

As soon as you choose to become your best coach, you will gain a fresh perspective on yourself. And, it can take your potential to levels you’ve never dreamed of.

Also, keep this in mind when sharing feedback with others. Instead of being too harsh, keep the feedback constructive.

16. Reflect on how far you’ve come.

When is the last time you paused to appreciate and refelct all you’ve accomplished? ‌It’s likely that you undervalue all your accomplishments in the face of all your growth.

Spend a few minutes daily reliving and feeling your successes, no matter how small. You could do this as a part of your morning routine. Or, even, when taking a break from work.

17. Declutter and tidy.

In the event of a messy desk, it’s impossible to inspire and motivate yourself. The same is true when you’re calendar is cluttered with useless tasks that prevent you from achieving your goals.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go on a daily cleaning spree. But, you could set aside 15-minutes at the end of the day to declutter and tidy your workspace. And, maybe this will inspire yourself and others to follow suit as well.

18. Do some mood-lifting.

The quality and quantity of work are both improved when a person is in a good mood. ‌Having a positive attitude every day isn’t realistic, though. ‌Mood lifts can get you going if you’re lacking in the inspiration department.

Looking for some mood-boosting ideas? ‌The following might be helpful:

19. Treat yourself.

“Biologically, rewards increase dopamine levels in your brain,” Elizabeth Perry for BetterUp. “Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us feel happy and increases our memory retention, helps us sleep, and regulates our mood and appetite.” ‌When dopamine surges, specific behaviors are reinforced.

“Experiencing a rise in dopamine levels is addictive, and we physically and mentally crave that feeling again,” adds Perry. “When we’re content, we’re more productive.”

Don’t worry about getting hooked‌ ‌on‌ ‌rewards though. As you work hard, you train your mind to view it as‌ ‌a‌ ‌reward‌ ‌in‌ ‌itself.

Moreover, rewarding yourself reduces procrastination, sharpen your focus, and eliminate distractions.

But, when and how should you reward yourself? Well, you can treat yourself when you complete your to-do list for the day. If so, you can start rewarding a new book, watch a TV show, make plans with friends, or take the day off.

20. Shake up your routine.

While having a routine is key to inspiration, sometimes we get into a rut. So, occasionally mix things up.

Switch up your commute, rearrange your schedule, or work somewhere else. Experiment with different activities as well. ‌Simple changes these can make a big difference when you need inspiration.

Image Credit: Designecologist; Pexels

Daily Ways to Build and Inspire Yourself and Others was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie

How to Improve Time Management With Remote Workers

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Time management habits

When it comes to improving time management, anything is possible. If there’s one thing companies have learned over the past two years, it’s that remote work is not only possible — but it’s also productive. Just how productive, though, depends on how well your remote employees manage their time. Some will need more help than others. That’s where you as a manager come in.

Even the best, most focused workers need guidance and resources to reach top performance. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to set them on the right track. With a few tools and tactics, you can help your offsite employees improve time management and streamline their days. Consider these strategies to help your at-home workers maximize time management and productivity.

1. Schedule Check-Ins

Regular touchpoints with remote workers — via phone or video — are a critical part of ensuring they’re staying on course. The meetings don’t need to be long, but they do need to cover the high points. Weekly one-on-one calls are a great option to keep you in the loop with your employee’s progress. You can discuss their to-do list, address any problems, and brainstorm solutions.

If you find weekly check-ins are too much, consider biweekly team and one-on-one meetings. It’s a chance to see how much work has been done in 10 business days. That could point to spots where you need to make changes. Whichever meeting format you choose, give your employees time to share their concerns and any obstacles they’re facing.

2. Use Project Management Software

You likely learned a lot about project management software when companies pivoted quickly to remote work during the pandemic. Instead of relying on countless emails and phone calls, these tools kept the wheels of work moving digitally. Software like Trello, Basecamp, ClickUp, and Hive makes it easier to visibly assign tasks. Everyone knows their responsibilities and whom to reach out to for collaboration.

Messaging capabilities eliminate the need for phone calls or waiting for email replies, improving time management. Employees share access to group documents, so there’s less need for group meetings to share information. Plus, most project management tools are also available on mobile devices. That means your employees can stay on top of work even when they’re away from their computers.

3. Implement Time Trackers

At first thought, yes, this tactic might sound a bit like micromanagement. However, these trackers have a great record of effectively boosting productivity. Using a time tracker daily helps your employees figure out exactly how much time certain tasks take. It also identifies the ones that suck the most minutes out of their day.

Some trackers also offer time analytics — a feature that lets employees tally how they’re spending their time daily. How much goes to email or projects or networking? With a good idea of how they’re spending their day, your remote workers can better prioritize their time. They can improve their time management by staying on task and, potentially, getting ahead of schedule.

4. Share Calendars

If most or all your employees work remotely, it can be tough to coordinate a schedule. It’s even harder if they live in separate time zones. It’s not possible to simply pop your head into their office to ask when they’re free for a meeting. Consequently, you and your employees need something to help you coordinate.

A shared online calendar is a great option. With a quick schedule search, you can see everyone’s availability in a matter of minutes. You can add multiple people to meeting invitations and book time on their calendars with a few clicks. It’s a huge time saver because it eliminates the need for multiple phone calls or emails to find the best time.

5. Offer Several Communications Tools

The days when email was the latest and greatest office communication tool are long gone. Today, remote employees need more advanced communications options to save time and improve their work. The best tools work on desktop and mobile. The important thing is to find ones that accommodate your on-the-go workers like salespeople.

Videoconferencing, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, let you connect with everyone face-to-face. Such meetings save time because people can ask questions in the moment rather than making follow-up calls. Instant messaging functions (also found in Teams, Zoom, and Slack) let your employees ask each other simple questions without devoting more time to longer conversations.

6. Launch the Buddy System

Remote work is famous for giving employees more time to concentrate with fewer interruptions. It’s also notorious for offering lots of time for procrastination. Putting a buddy system in place can keep everyone on track. It works particularly well if your employees collaborate on projects.

Designated team buddies can frequently touch base with each other to check on progress. They can answer each other’s questions, brainstorm ideas, and troubleshoot problems. This type of teamwork is also a failsafe to ensure nothing important is overlooked. Together, team members can check all the boxes to save time and keep projects on schedule.

One thing is clear: For many organizations, remote work is here to stay. Over time, that means your number of offsite employees is likely to grow. Giving them the tools they need to improve their time management effectively will help ensure their — and your company’s — future success.

Image Credit: Olia Danilevich; Pexels; Thanks!

Is Your Startup Failure Holding You Back?

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Startup Failure

Every person fails at some point in their‌ ‌life. ‌And, it’s undoubtedly one of the scariest parts‌ ‌of‌ ‌starting‌ ‌your‌ ‌own‌ ‌business.

Though, that concern is valid. After all, it’s long been reported that an astounding 90% of startups fail. Moreover, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open. ‌After five years, 45%, and after ten years, 65%.

But, let’s say that you’ve considered the possibility of failure. ‌To‌ ‌stop this from happening, you made a checklist of everything you’ve done to prepare for your startup launch. ‌You’ve done your‌ ‌research. ‌Plus, you know people need/don’t have this product/service/company.

Despite making all the right moves, your startup still fails. Maybe it was because there were flaws in your business plan, ‌your sales strategy was sloppy, or perhaps you trusted the wrong investor. And, sometimes, there are things out of your control, such as a declining market.

Whatever the exact reason, to build a successful startup, you have to face your fears and overcome them. But what if you just can’t shake this off? Well, that means you’re less likely to pursue new opportunities.

The good news? It’s possible to break free from your fear of failure And when you do, the sky’s the limit.

Signs That Your Fear of Failure is Holding You Back

If you haven’t admitted to yourself that you’re afraid of failure, here are some telltale signs.

You’re cautious about trying‌ ‌new‌ ‌things.

To be brutally honest — failure sucks. And, one reason why? It takes away your ‌zeal to break out of your comfort zone.

There once was a time when I leaped at trying new things. Whether it was eating at a new restaurant, seeing a band you’ve never heard of, or attending a networking event. But, after the failure of your startup, you hesitate.

While there’s nothing wrong with saying “no” occasionally, you must be open to new opportunities. ‌I‌ ‌get‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌only‌ ‌want to‌ ‌tackle challenges you believe you can achieve. However,‌ ‌avoiding failure by not taking risks can prevent you from developing new skills, taking risks, and making cool stuff.

Get in the habit of saying “YES” when‌ ‌someone‌ ‌invites‌ ‌you‌ ‌to‌ ‌try something‌ ‌new. ‌You’ll be surprised what can happen when you step out of‌ ‌your‌ ‌comfort‌ ‌zone.

In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

You procrastinate or avoid responsibility.

“Did you know there’s a direct correlation between the fear of failure and a person’s ability to manage assignments within the time allotted?” asks Kate Rosenblatt, MA, LPC, LMHC. “According to Adam McCaffrey, a researcher discussed that those who continuously have negative thoughts and panic at the idea of failing exhibit a lower sense of self-determination.”

Often, this makes people feel unmotivated‌ ‌to‌ ‌finish‌ ‌deadline-driven‌ ‌projects. ‌Also, it makes them insecure about taking‌ ‌on‌ ‌significant ‌responsibilities. ‌When the fear of failure paralyzes you, you won’t be able to get things done.

“It might be helpful to ask yourself: ‘what fears do I have around success?’” suggests Rosenblatt. “You can journal or voice note your answers and see what comes up so you can figure out any best next steps for you.”

For example, if you experience low self-esteem or perfectionism, journal about it. ‌Then, you can figure out how to support yourself here to get past your fears and closer to your ‌goals.

The quality of your life, relationships, and mental health has declined.

“When you fear failure, it can paralyze you at times,” writes Deanna Ritchie, Editor-in-Chief at Calendar. “Many people believe that going after anything wouldn’t be worth it because all efforts are bound to fail.” As a result, ‌this can cause missed chances and an inability to succeed.

“The potential negative consequences of such a mindset can go far beyond the failure to achieve a goal,” Deanna adds. “Mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life are adversely affected by fear of failure.” ‌Plus, it could‌ ‌lead‌ ‌to;

  • Procrastination or avoiding tasks
  • Low self-esteem
  • Low self-efficacy
  • Reduced resilience
  • Underperformance
  • A sense of helplessness
  • A high level of anxiety elsewhere in life
  • A state of emotional instability and upheaval

It’s counterintuitive to fear failure. “Since you’re terrified that you won’t reach a goal, you won’t even start,” Ritchie adds. “In turn, this inhibits you from living life to the fullest.”

You settle‌ ‌for‌ ‌less‌ ‌than‌ ‌you‌ ‌‌‌are worth.

You absolutely adore your creativity-stifling, monotonous job. You’re thrilled with your non-committal partner, who isn’t all that nice to you. No, it’s not that you’re afraid of change – you’re just ecstatic at the thought of living every single day the exact same way as you have for the last year.

You don’t want to be complacent just because you’re content with your life. ‌In reality, you can change your situation and your life if you want to. ‌For that to happen, though, you have to admit that you want and deserve it.

Sure. There’s a risk involved. ‌And you’ll be more likely to fail if you do that. ‌However, on the flip, you’ll also have a higher chance of living a more fulfilled and happy life.

If‌ ‌you’re like this, take some time to think about how your life is going. ‌Assess your work, relationships, and current situation. ‌What‌ ‌are‌ ‌you‌ ‌satisfied‌ ‌with? ‌What‌ ‌would you change?

You can then think about what changes you could make to improve your life. ‌Think about what good could come out of facing your fears. And put a plan in motion that helps you take a step toward your goals.

You’re projecting onto others.

According to Karen R. Koenig, M.Ed, LCSW, projection‌ ‌is when you unconsciously attribute unwanted emotions or traits to someone else that you don’t like about yourself.

A‌ ‌cheating spouse who’s suspicious that their partner is unfaithful is a classic example. ‌They transfer their partner’s infidelity rather than admitting it to themselves.

So, if someone is uber-successful, you assume they must be excellent. ‌Yet when you see someone failing, you automatically assume they screwed up. ‌Or‌ ‌perhaps they aren’t cut out to be an entrepreneur.

You should be mindful of how you see failure and success when they don’t involve you. ‌After all, this can be very insightful in learning what you did right and wrong. ‌Furthermore, you avoid acknowledging a part that you dislike about yourself by projecting it onto someone else.

When assessing how you’re doing, focus on your internal qualities instead of your external success. ‌Also, be careful not to compare yourself with‌ ‌others. ‌However, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from other people’s successes and failures. ‌Therefore, measuring yourself against them isn’t productive. ‌

You make excuses.

There are a million reasons why you shouldn’t, can’t, or won’t ‌start‌ ‌a‌ ‌business. ‌It’s too expensive. ‌There’s no time. It’s not the right economic condition. ‌So there is a good chance your awesome idea does not work out.

Fear‌ ‌spouts excuses like a river. ‌Sure,‌ ‌some of them are valid. Nonetheless, ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌genuinely want to start a business, you should never let an excuse stand in the way.

You can’t move on from your failures.

“Those with fear of failure still accomplish much in life,” notes Team Tony Ribbons. “The difference between reaching your peak state and simply existing lies in your reaction when you do fail.”

“It’s normal to feel sad and disappointed,” they add. “But if you tend to wallow in these emotions or experience prolonged distress, it could be because you’re unable to find the lessons and move on – two absolute necessities if you are to learn how to overcome fear of failure.”

How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure

Fear can only be overcome by facing it head-on. ‌Despite your fear, you still have to take action. ‌And, yeah, there will be moments when your fears creep in again. However, you can learn to ignore it and focus on what you’re doing.

How? Well, you can give these strategies a spin.

Choose the right reasons to start your business.

“There are a lot of different valid goals,” says Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. “It may be important not to have to answer to somebody else. That’s a reasonable goal.”

“Maybe you want to make enough money not to have to balance your checkbook,” he adds. “Maybe you want to work with friends. All of those are valid goals for being an entrepreneur. The trouble is when you confuse those goals.”

Redefine failure.

A significant reason why many aspiring entrepreneurs fear failure is that they view it as a‌ ‌negative. ‌It’s interesting to note that all successful entrepreneurs had “failures” ‌before‌ ‌becoming successful.

In other words, you can’t have success without failure. So it’s a part of success.

Failure consists of getting results that you didn’t ‌want. That’s it. ‌Failure is just feedback, so it can’t be all bad. The key is learning from this feedback so that you can take the next forward. And more importantly, avoid the mistakes you’ve made.

Failure reveals flaws.

“There is an essential function to failure that most people miss, at a severe cost to their development,” adds entrepreneur Aaron Vick in Forbes. “When you fail at something, you get a rare chance to see your deficiencies.” Failure shows flaws and weaknesses that must be addressed.

That’s what development is about. “Your company finds flaws in itself after failing at something and then works to improve them,” Vick adds. “Over time, those efforts pay off as the company gets the skills it needs to take on larger and harder projects.” ‌And‌ ‌when those more significant projects are completed, you can use the profits to grow your company further.

“Don’t ever languish in failure; it’s not something you should be comfortable with harboring,” Vick advises. ‌Instead, get back on your feet whenever you lose and do your best to avoid it again. “There’s nothing shameful in failing fast; it’s admirable.” ‌

Overall, failure is part of growing.

Tap into your intrinsic motivation.

According to Harvard leadership expert and best-selling author Bill George, entrepreneurs should chase intrinsic motivations rather than extrinsic motivations. ‌To accomplish this, align‌ ‌your‌ ‌strengths‌ ‌with‌ ‌your intrinsic‌ ‌motivations.

In Bill Gates’ case, he wanted to make a positive impact on‌ ‌the world. Instead of trying to make money, Guy Kawasaki aimed for meaning. Doing great work was what motivated Steve Jobs.

And, personal growth and accomplishment have motivated other entrepreneurs.

Get in touch with your passion before moving on from failure. What‌ ‌makes you happy? ‌What‌ ‌excites you?

If you are motivated by your intrinsic motivation, you will be able to overcome any obstacle.

Find techniques to help you disconnect emotionally from the business.

“This may sound strange, but I’ve found that I’m much less afraid of failing in business if I use techniques to help me disconnect myself emotionally,” Erik Bergman, co-founder of Catena Media, writes for StartupNation. “For example, after my party planning business, I started calling new ventures’ hobbies’ instead of businesses.” ‌He adds that I‌ ‌began with a few hobbies before starting Catena Media, an affiliate marketing business.

“From a psychological perspective, calling new projects’ hobbies’ rather than ‘businesses’ allowed me to distance myself.” ‌This‌ ‌also‌ ‌relieved some of the associated fears. “After all, have you ever heard of someone failing at a hobby?”

Distancing‌ ‌yourself‌ ‌from‌ ‌something doesn’t mean you stop being passionate. Instead, it “simply means delineating between what’s business and what’s personal and learning how to identify yourself beyond your work.”

Focus on the present.

“I once had a conversation with an oncologist about what it’s like to give people a dire, late-stage cancer diagnosis,” Arthur C. Brooks writes in The Atlantic. “He said that some of his patients—people with a particular need to control all parts of their lives tightly—would immediately go home and start researching their prognosis on the internet.” ‌However, he ‌advised them that this would only make them sick with anxiety.

His advice to them was to start every‌ ‌day‌ ‌with‌ ‌this‌ ‌mantra: “I do not know what will happen next week or next year. But I know I have the gift of this day, and I will not waste it.” Besides changing their outlook on the disease, he said it made them happier in general.

“I recommend this same refrain to anyone suffering from a fear of failure,” adds Brooks. “Own the unknown future through gratitude for the known present, and watch your happiness rise, as you enjoy what you have in front of you.”

Start small and keep track of your accomplishments.

Lastly, what’s the best way to overcome your‌ ‌fear‌ ‌of‌ ‌failure? ‌Take baby steps, achieve some success, and keep building.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “go big or go home.” ‌People use it to justify taking massive action or talking themselves out of it. ‌In‌ ‌some‌ ‌cases, this is sound advice. ‌However, it can be more beneficial to start small in the case of startups.

Don’t forget ‌that success‌ ‌‌leads to ‌success. ‌As you consistently produce positive results on a smaller scale, momentum builds. ‌It’s that momentum that helps you make more significant gains‌ ‌later.

Image Credit: Canva Studios; Pexels; Thanks!

Is Your Startup Failure Holding You Back? was originally published on Calendar by John Hall

How to Use Your Online Calendar to Promote Mental Health

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mental health

Your most important asset isn’t your car, your house, or even your professional expertise; it’s your mental health.

The rest of your life relies on your mental wellbeing. Especially while the world is facing COVID-19, you have to protect it with every tool available to you — including your online calendar.

What Your Calendar Can Do for You

Your online calendar can’t change your mental state by itself, but it can help you implement and maintain healthier habits. You might be surprised at just how much your mental health improves when you:

1. Schedule Breaks

Going full-throttle all day, every day, is exhausting. If you don’t permit yourself to take a step back, you may begin to burn out. Scheduling short breaks throughout your day can help you stay productive without getting overwhelmed.

It can be tough to take breaks when things are hectic. That’s where your online calendar comes in: If it never seems like a good time to take a break, schedule one every few hours. Your calendar can be set to remind you 10 minutes before it’s time, letting you wrap up what you’re working on.

2. Take a Mental Health Day

Frequent breaks throughout the day are helpful, but sometimes you need a full day to yourself. Although it’s best to schedule mental health days for weekends, don’t be afraid to talk with your employer if you need one stat.

Once you’ve decided on the right day, add it to your calendar. Either put together an itinerary for yourself — replete with food and fun activities — or give yourself an unstructured day. There’s no wrong way to do it!

3. Remind You to Move

Regular exercise is tightly correlated with better mental health. Physical activity feels good, takes your mind off your stressors, and gives you something to do with friends.

Why not use your online calendar to put together a workout schedule? That way, you don’t have to decide at the moment whether or not you want to work out — and if so, what exercises you’ll do. After a few days, physical activity will be just another part of your daily routine.

If you’d rather attend fitness classes or play a team sport, your online calendar is also a great place to record those sessions. Add other attendees to the event to create some positive social pressure.

4. Set and Achieve Goals

Setting goals gives us something to work toward, and achieving them provides a sense of fulfillment. That’s why many experts recommend goal-setting for both mental wellbeing and productivity.

Goals should be:

  • Specific: What, exactly, do you want to achieve? Instead of becoming happier, maybe you want to have five low-stress days each week.
  • Measurable: If your goals aren’t measurable, you’ll never know whether or not you’ve met them.
  • Achievable: There’s no sense in setting a goal you have no hope of achieving. Shoot too high, and you’ll only discourage yourself.
  • Relevant: If your priority is your mental health, your goal shouldn’t be to get a promotion. Do you really need more responsibilities at work right now?
  • Time-bounded: A goal without a time horizon attached is just a hope. When is a challenging but realistic amount of time for achieving your goal?5. Schedule Affirmations

Self-affirmations are mantras designed to encourage during moments of hardship. They take little time to say but can deliver big mental health benefits.

Even something short, such as “I won’t give up,” can do wonders when you’re feeling down. Repeat them as often as needed. If you worry about others judging you for talking to yourself, step into a private space.

5. Start a Journal

Sometimes, a little self-reflection is all it takes to get yourself to a better mental state. Remind yourself that if you’re looking for reasons to be sad, you’ll find them. Looking for the good instead can help you see things from a more positive perspective.

Journaling doesn’t take hours to work its magic. Start with a five-minute session: Add a reminder to your calendar to reflect on something that makes you happy. Soon, you’ll be reminding yourself to save your gratitude journaling for the time slot you selected.

6. Eat Well

The food we eat directly affects our emotional state. Eating a healthy, balanced diet ensures our brain has the nutrition it needs to be at its best.

Online calendars are ideal tools for meal planning. Mapping out what you’re going to eat makes it easier to stick to a diet or, perhaps, more importantly, limit the unhealthy foods you spoil yourself with.

7. Get Into a Groove

Adding structure to your life helps you feel in control. While scheduling every minute of your day isn’t always necessary, using your calendar to establish a healthy routine is critical. Moving forward with your routine can give you a sense of optimism even when the odds are stacked against you.

A good place to start is a morning routine: What do you need to be your happiest, most productive self at work? Routines are also important for other times of day, such as bedtime: How do you prefer to wind down, especially when you have a lot on your mind?

You have to make your mental health a priority because no one else will. Think through what you need to take care of yourself, and use your online calendar to make it happen. Remind yourself — as often and in as many ways as you can — that you deserve to be happy.

Image Credit: Riccardo; Pexels; Thanks!

How to Use Your Online Calendar to Promote Mental Health was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

Share Your Troubles With Your Coworkers; Boost Productivity

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boosting productivity

Boosting productivity is always important, but it’s also important to note that each of us has problems; and we all need a listening ear. ‌Maybe it’s a friend, spouse, or parent. Whatever the case, it’s nice to know that you’ve got someone you can talk to whenever you’re feeling low.

Further,‌ ‌the‌ ‌boundaries between work and home have become increasingly‌ ‌‌‌entwined over the past two years. In these cases, turning to a coworker could be beneficial. ‌‌‌In particular, Susan Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, found that it could result in stronger coworker connections and a greater boost in ‌productivity.

In her book, Cain cites the example of a company that normalized sharing personal issues. The billing department at Midwest Billing, a community hospital in Jackson, Michigan, created a culture in which every employee was assumed to have a personal problem. ‌Rather than be seen as a problem, teammates demonstrated compassion by sharing their troubles. Employees‌ ‌helped each other out with divorces, domestic violence, deaths in the family, and even when someone was ill.

Not only is sharing troubles with others good for your mental health, but it is also good for business productivity as well. “During the five years prior to the study, Midwest Billing got its bills collected more than twice as fast as before, beating industry standards,” writes Cain. “The turnover rate in the unit was only 2%, compared with an average of 25% across all of Midwest Health System, and a significantly higher rate across the medical billing industry.”

Honestly, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Why Talking About Our Problems Helps

Talking about our problems helps us a lot, according to previous research.

In research from U.C.L.A., “affect labeling” is a method for putting feelings into words so that the amygdala is less triggered when confronted with upsetting things. ‌In this way, you can slow down your stress response over time. ‌

Being in a car after a car accident, for example, can be emotionally overwhelming. ‌But, as you talk the situation through, put your feelings into words, and process what happened, you won’t feel that way when you get back into the car.

Additionally, studies at Southern Methodist University found that writing about traumatic experiences or undergoing talk therapy helped patients’ immune systems and health. ‌It was found that suppressing thoughts and emotions increases stress. ‌Either way, the negative feelings are there, but you must work to suppress‌ ‌them. ‌When your brain and body are overworked, you are more susceptible to getting sick or feeling miserable.

How to Your Troubles At Work

While you may feel awkward sharing your troubles with your teammates, here are some pointers on how to do so.

Think about whether it’s a topic worth discussing.

Work may seem like the perfect place to vent, but it is not. ‌Never share what you are going through personally at work. ‌The exception? When a problem affects your career, sharing personal information should be reserved.

In fact, this kind of sharing can sometimes‌ ‌help‌ ‌‌‌strengthen ‌work‌ ‌relationships. Some examples‌ ‌of‌ ‌appropriate personal topics to share are:

  • An‌ ‌illness‌ ‌that’s impacting your performance.
  • You’ve got a family issue that’s affecting your‌ ‌work‌ ‌schedule‌ ‌or‌ ‌ability‌ ‌to‌ ‌work.
  • Pregnancy.

On the flip side, you should avoid discussing the following:

  • Financial concerns.
  • Problems with your children include drugs, arrests, and troubles‌ ‌at‌ ‌school.
  • Relationship problems of any kind.
  • Litigation, neighbor wars, car troubles.

If you steer clear of these conversations, you avoid being labeled as someone who has so many issues that it hinders your career.

And, one more thing. If you have a serious medical problem or family emergency, it’s probably best to discuss this with your boss. You can then brainstorm possible solutions like a leave of absence or a flexible work schedule.

Speak with the right people.

In the past, if you shared how you felt with someone and didn’t seem to yield any results, ‌it might be because you weren’t talking to the right‌‌ ‌‌person. ‌The support of someone you trust (without enabling bad habits such as co-rumination) is critical.

Find someone who has experienced the same problem and hopefully solve it. For example, if you’re struggling to meet deadlines or understand the scope of a project, ask a coworker for help. Hopefully, they can share their time management tips or clarify the work with you.

What should you do if you need a lot of time to talk? ‌Well, maybe you could schedule a recurring bi-weekly check-in. Or divide your conversations among several‌ ‌people. ‌Having a comprehensive social support system lets you distribute the load if one is worn out.

Schedule the right time and place to talk.

Even if it is a serious issue, it isn’t worth allowing to fester and linger. But, at the same time, you also don’t want to pour your heart when your coworkers are rushing to a meeting. So if you know when they’ll be less busy, pick a time that works for you. ‌

Also, pick a time when they’ll ‌be‌ ‌alone. After all, you don’t want to disclose a medical problem, for instance, at the water cooler or on a team call.

The easiest way to approach this? Share your calendar with them. This way, they can see when you’re available. From there, they can book a time to chat when they’re also free. You can even add a location, like a nearby coffee shop, to the invite to prevent other coworkers from eavesdropping. This will not only boost productivity, but it will help you be able to lean on someone for a quick listening ear.

Use “I” statements.

Thomas Gordon introduced “I statements” in the 1960s as a way to help kids understand emotions and behaviors‌ ‌during‌ ‌play‌ ‌therapy. ‌However, they can have many advantages during communication, including:

  • Feeling‌ ‌statements‌ ‌are a way to express assertiveness without provoking blame, accusation, defensiveness, or guilt in other people.
  • It’s easy to solve conflicts‌ ‌without putting‌ ‌people‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌defensive. ‌This focuses the conversation on solving a problem rather than assigning blame by focusing on the feelings and needs of the speaker.
  • Using I-messages can also be an excellent way to give constructive feedback to others. ‌The conversation is focused on the speaker’s feelings rather than how they feel‌ ‌about‌ ‌it.

Of course, not every situation requires using “I” statements. However, they can be helpful in the following situations:

  • If we need to confront someone‌ ‌about‌ ‌their‌ ‌behavior.
  • Feelings of injustice when others treat us poorly.
  • When‌ ‌we‌ ‌feel‌ ‌angry or defensive.
  • If someone is‌ ‌angry‌ ‌with‌ ‌us.

At the same time, there are potential disadvantages to “I” statements. These include being seen as expressing emotionalism, weakness, and what’s best for you.

Despite these concerns, when sharing your troubles with a coworker, they can boost productivity. For example, let’s say you’re collaborating with them, and they have a habit of not providing updates on their progress. You could say, “I get anxious when I don’t receive updates.”

Take action on solutions.

“Problem-solving makes you feel better, but getting things off your chest alone doesn’t make you feel better,” advises Kristin Behfar, Ph.D. ‌So keep multiple solutions in your back pocket, whether you offer advice or ask for it. ‌

Your next step should be to act. ‌This will ensure that you won’t complain simply for the sake of complaining.

Of course, putting that into practice isn’t always easy. ‌Here is a 10-step process devised by Brian Tracy for putting your plans into action:

  • Positively frame the problem.
  • Clearly define the situation or problem.
  • Take several different approaches to the problem using critical thinking.
  • Decide on‌ ‌the‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌solution‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌problem.
  • Select the most appropriate solution to ‌your‌ ‌challenge.
  • Prepare‌ ‌for‌ ‌and overcome the worst outcome possible.
  • Keep track of‌ ‌your‌ ‌progress.
  • Be fully responsible‌ ‌for‌ ‌your‌ ‌decision.
  • Set‌ ‌a‌ ‌deadline‌ ‌to solve the problem.
  • Solve your problem by taking action.

Set time limits.

If a colleague has taken the time out of their day to listen to you, then you need to pay them the same level of respect. How? By being respectful of their valuable time.

To boost productivity and make sure you stay focused, the first place to start is setting time limits. It’s unreasonable for them to block out three hours of their day to listen to your life story. So instead, a 30-minute should suffice.

To keep you on track, prepare an agenda — just like you would with a meeting. That means focusing on the work problem that’s giving you the most distress. Then, after identifying this issue, jot down and rehearse what you want to say to keep the talk concise.

Also, just like scheduling a meeting, leave a few minutes for possible response and brainstorming.

Another thing to keep in mind? Be on time. If you have scheduled this talk for 11 a.m. on Friday, then make sure you’re on time.

What Role Do Leaders Play?

Leading by example is often the first step in creating a sharing culture. ‌Ultimately, sharing culture can lead to a productivity boost. Cain tells the story of Rick Fox, one of the leaders of a Shell Oil oil ‌rig‌ ‌case‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Gulf‌ ‌of‌ ‌Mexico. ‌Fox hired Lara Nuer, co-founder of Learning as Leadership, to solve problems with drilling schedules and oil production numbers. ‌Following a conversation with Fox, Nuer revealed that his biggest‌ ‌problem‌ ‌was‌ ‌fear. ‌Not only was the work dangerous, but also managing people and ensuring their safety.

As they worked together, Nuer encouraged them to speak with each other about their fears, including their personal problems. ‌During the transition from a macho culture to one in which the men supported each other, the culture shifted from one of the hiding weaknesses or asking questions.

“There were fewer accidents because the guys on the rig got more comfortable opening up when they didn’t know how to do something or didn’t understand how something worked,” says Cain.

Leaders, however, may find it hard to share their own struggles, Cain notes. “At least one study suggests that confiding one’s troubles in subordinates can cause them to lose confidence in and comfort with you,” she says. “At the same time, the best way to shift a culture is for leadership to go first.”

Leaders‌ ‌don’t have to share all their problems to be a perfect example or boost productivity. “They don’t need to speak to their employees the same way they’d talk to their therapist,” Cain adds. “It’s enough to move in the direction of open-heartedness.”

Image Credit: ANTONI SHKRABA; Pexels Thank you!

Share Your Troubles With Your Coworkers; Boost Productivity was originally published on Calendar by .

4 Ways to Use Your Online Calendar to Manage Your Kid’s Schedules

By | Scheduling | No Comments
use your online calendar

By using your online calendar, you can more easily manage your kid’s schedules. While it’s true that kids don’t have to worry about keeping a job, paying bills, or anything else, they still stay incredibly busy. School hours are long and filled with a myriad of classes and activities. Outside of school, they’ll want to pursue extracurricular activities, hang out with friends, and find time to play video games. That’s a lot of stuff to make time for. Here’s how to manage your kid’s schedules with your online calendar.

Parents and kids alike can benefit a lot from using an online calendar. This tool helps parents to keep track of each child’s schedule and help them to plan out their time more efficiently. The skills cultivated through calendar use will last a lifetime.

This guide aims to help parents manage their kids’ schedules a little better. The following are examples of how online calendar features can help organize schedules and manage time more effectively for both parent and child:

1. Differentiate Each Schedule

The first struggle with managing the schedules of multiple kids is keeping track of each of them separately. Each child falls under a different age group and will participate in various events than their siblings. Parents can easily get mixed up and feel stressed out trying to juggle everything.

Online calendars can help even the busiest of families to keep everything straight. Try using a color-coding tool to differentiate the schedule of each child. This way, a quick glance will inform you which child needs to be in which location and at what time on any given day.

Another option is to create multiple calendars, one for each kid. Then, you can share each Calendar with yourself and create different views. In addition, you can toggle each Calendar individually, so there’s less of a mess going on when you just need to review the day for one specific child.

2. Sync With Your Own Calendar

Your own schedule is essential when trying to manage the programs and plans of others, especially members of your own family. Too many parents miss a dance recital or sports championship match because they’re tied up with work or other personal commitments. You only get one chance to raise a child, so sync up your Calendar with theirs so you can be with them every step of the way.

When you sync up your personal Calendar with the one you’ve made for your kids, you can align schedules more efficiently. For example, suppose the deadline of an upcoming work project coincides with a parent-teacher conference. In that case, you can check that in advance and make necessary adjustments to get the work done early. As a result, you won’t lose a step in your professional space while still making time for your family.

Syncing with a partner’s Calendar allows for these same benefits, especially when driving commitments needs to be planned and discussed. You can even consider sharing calendar events with grandparents, friends, and other family members. This will allow them to attend events or enlist their help with things like carpooling.

3. Keep Track of Deadlines and Commitments

Adulthood is notorious for being full of deadlines and responsibilities not associated with the carefree living that is childhood. While that might be true to an extent, kids still have essential deadlines and commitments they need to keep. Whether it’s a homework assignment or a playdate with a friend, an online calendar will help kids manage all of the deadlines and commitments on their schedule.

The first reason why this is important is that it teaches your kids valuable lessons. They are expected to hold their end of a commitment, and there are consequences for failing to do so. They’ll also learn practical skills in time management and hard work when working toward deadlines they have set in their Calendar.

Just remember, they’re still kids at the end of the day. Staying focused all day is a challenge even for adults. An online calendar allows you to view their deadlines and commitments. In addition, you can lend a helping hand by setting reminders for them as the due dates approach.

4. Find the Right Balance

Kids certainly benefit from staying active. Having a lot of activities planned keeps them off of their devices and out of general trouble. However, kids can also get burnt out or overworked when they have too much on their plate. With an online calendar, you can help them find the right balance between being busy and getting adequate downtime.

One of the Calendar’s most significant features is its calendar analytics. This tool tracks every event you put into your Calendar and gets time usage data for you to look at. For example, you can see just how many hours have been spent at soccer practice. If the hours start to look overwhelming, you can start looking for a club that plays fewer games and is less demanding.

Finding the right balance with an online calendar may include intentionally planning downtime for your children. You can just as easily block off some time for reading as you can create an event for summer camp. With essential tasks like reading time (especially with very young children) and family dinners written in a calendar — you won’t overwrite them with more busy things.

Time doesn’t slow down for everyone, but you can learn to manage it better through the prolonged use of an online calendar. So start using your Calendar today, and soon enough, you’ll be a master at balancing schedules and making time for every important person, place, and thing in your life.

Image Credit: Anna Shvets; Pexels; Thanks! 

4 Ways to Use Your Online Calendar to Manage Your Kid’s Schedules was originally published on Calendar by .

How to Make Sure Your Team Can Take Vacations

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Unplug Completely on Vacation

Most of the time employers look for employees that will work hard every single day. Sometimes hard workers are difficult to come by, so when you do find valuable employees, you need to take care of them. A strange and often undiscussed aspect of employee management is making sure workers are taking adequate time off for vacations.

Telling your employees not to work might sound counterproductive at first. In reality, regular vacations can do wonders for employee morale and health. Life isn’t all about working, nor should it be. By encouraging your team members to take time off you’re helping them get needed rest, time with family, and lifelong memories to look back on.

Part of your responsibility is to cultivate a culture and environment that allows workers to take vacations without being punished for it. The following are examples of policies and tactics you can put into place to make sure your team gets their proper vacation time:

Implement Vacation Policies

One of the surest ways to make sure your team is using their vacation time is by implementing specific vacation policies. These policies will be a condition of employment and must be followed.

Let’s say your employees accrue roughly 10 days of vacation time per year. This is roughly the average time granted to full-time employees with minimal experience at a company. A policy that you choose to implement may revolve around vacation time accrual and rollover. Perhaps an employee can only hold up to 15 days of vacation time, which encourages them to use some of it up before they’re topped off.

For particularly stubborn employees, you can select days for them to take off when they’ve hit a certain amount of hours accrued. If their day off is in the schedule, it will be a lot harder for them to dispute the time. Restrictions on overtime hours can also be of help.  At the very least make sure your federal holidays are acknowledged and plan around these days for additional company days. This allows your employees to have longer breaks and it not hurt productivity as much since others outside the company are also on vacations.

Communicate Mandatory Event Details

Knowing the days that are available for booking vacations will help your employees know when to pull the trigger. You need to communicate any mandatory company events well-beforehand to make this possible. Getting a late notice about a company-wide mandatory meeting will strongly discourage employees from booking their vacations.

Your annual meetings at the turn of the calendar should address any meetings that will be mandatory for all employees. Even if it’s only a single meeting that you will make universally required, you should try and set the date as early as possible. Even providing a range of dates will allow employees to plan for time off around the proposed meeting without any issues.

Encourage Department Collaboration

Communication and collaboration need to be just as strong on a departmental level. While you are encouraging employees to take time off, you need to acknowledge that in most circumstances they will need a temporary stand-in. Coordination is required to make sure that too many workers aren’t absent from the same department simultaneously.

An easy rule to establish is that vacation time must be requested at least two weeks in advance. If certain days have already been claimed, no one else can take vacation time on those days. Two weeks should be plenty of time to make adequate arrangements. Besides, many vacations can be planned even further in advance to iron out all the details.

The exact guidelines you put into place will greatly depend on your organization. A marketing company might not need others to cover shifts and therefore can be more lenient when granting vacation time. All businesses might make adjustments to their policies during the holidays when everyone wants to plan trips and time off. Do what’s best for your team specifically.

Check Vacation Calendars Regularly

As a manager, you will have access to the work calendars of each member of your team. You will also have access to their vacation calendar, or lack of one. If you notice that one of your employees never takes time off, you can approach them to work out a plan.

Talk with your employee and discuss the reasons why they don’t take vacation time. Maybe they’re overly concerned about job security or really want to get a promotion. This opens up doors for mentorship and guidance as well as assurance that all will be well even if they take some extra time off.

When workers return from their vacations, welcome them with open arms. Ask about their travels and maybe even request to see the pictures they took. Then, do what you can to help them hit the ground running upon their return. Employees will feel invigorated after trips and not guilty about taking them in the first place.

Everyone loves a good vacation and your hard-working employees certainly are deserving. Enabling them to take good vacations will improve their morale, work-life balance, and satisfaction with your company. All of this adds up to an improved workforce. What employer doesn’t want that?

Image Credit: Element5 Digital; Pexels; Thanks!

How to Tackle Your 5 Toughest Summer Goals

By | Knowledge Base | No Comments
summer goals

Summer goals are great to set to make sure you accomplish everything you need to before the “back-to-school” season begins. Now that we’re in June, summer has officially arrived — and it’s moving faster than anyone can imagine. So have you accomplished your toughest summer goals?

I know summer is a popular ‌time‌ ‌to‌ chill and ‌hang‌ ‌out — whether‌ ‌by the pool, the beach, or attending concerts with friends. ‌‌‌But, unfortunately, summer isn’t about all those things, even though I love them.

Instead, be thinking about your summer‌ ‌goals — specifically, the goals you want to achieve by fall. Have you worked out your personal, professional, and academic progress goals?

Even though summer is often the season of reflection, refreshment, refocus, and rejuvenation — it’s also a great time to explore and try new things. And, because you have more availability thanks to vacations or summer breaks, you can actually focus on your goals. ‌

Thanks to the warm weather, you’ll also have more energy and a better mood. As such, you’ll be able to start tackling your dusty, and un-completed bucket list.

You can still enjoy your summer.

You can still enjoy your summer. Image Credit: Juan Salamanca; Pexels; Thank you!

Tackle Your Five Toughest Summer Goals

Tackling your most challenging summer goals is not easy, especially when you want to be outside and have fun in the sun.

Use these tips to tackle your goals and still enjoy the dog days of summer.

1. Setting forth the goal.

Summer goals are no different from any other goals. ‌The first step is to make‌ ‌a‌ ‌list. To not feel overwhelmed, your list should be lean and mean. In other words, prioritize the things that have value.

Planning your goals is also essential. ‌Holding yourself accountable is also crucial. ‌Writing down your goals helps you do‌ ‌this.

“Vividly describing your goals in written form is strongly associated with goal success,” writes Mark Murphy, founder of www.LeadershipIQ.com. “And people who vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish them than people who don’t.” This is thanks to external storage and encoding.

Best of all? You can refer back to this whenever you need it.

The next step is to choose a deadline. ‌By setting a deadline, you will remain‌ ‌on‌ ‌track. Deadlines also keep you accountable and motivated.

Last but not least,‌ ‌make‌ ‌this‌ ‌list‌ ‌visible. ‌Put it somewhere you can see it daily, for example, on your fridge, computer, or calendar. ‌Daily reminders will ensure that you stay on track.

Another option? ‌Write‌ down your‌ ‌goals‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌journal. ‌Then, you may reflect on them or make any necessary changes at the end of the day.

2. Change your mindset about summer and goals.

Instead of treating this transition period as a break, see it as an opportunity for change. ‌This mindset will make a huge difference.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change,” said Dr. Wayne Dyer, an‌ ‌author‌ ‌, and‌ ‌motivational‌ ‌speaker. ‌Think of the summer as a time for a change, as well as renewal. ‌Thinking about Summer less traditionally can be the key to starting and completing even your most demanding ‌goals.

It’s no secret that our minds are strong. ‌But, if you place your mind in vacation mode, you’ll think, “let’s take a break.” ‌But, on the other hand, setting your mind on a time for change sets your attitude to “what’s next.”

Even better? Consider adopting a freedom mindset to align with the Fourth of July. ‌Essentially, this growth mindset allows you to break free of‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌is‌ ‌holding‌ ‌you‌ ‌back. To develop this type of mindset, be a little selfish by turning down requests if they interfere with your priorities.

3. ‌‌‌Establish monthly, weekly, and even daily goals for yourself, and check in periodically throughout the process.

“Truthfully, goal setting is easy,” writes Nicolas Cole in Fast Company. “It’s the accountability side of things people struggle with.”

“Instead of thinking about your summer as one massive chunk of time (90 days), try to visualize your summer as three separate chapters (June, July, and August),” Cole suggests. ‌Then,‌ ‌divide each of those chapters into smaller chapters‌ ‌(Week‌ ‌1,‌ ‌Week‌ ‌2,‌ ‌Week‌ ‌3,‌ ‌Week‌ ‌4). “And then within those sub-chapters, really internalize each day that makes up each one of those weeks (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7).”

The next step is to set micro-goals ‌for‌ ‌each by asking:

  • By the end of June, July, or August, where would you like to be?
  • To get there, what goals must you achieve?
  • Next, what can you do to break down those goals ‌into‌ ‌weekly‌ ‌milestones?
  • Finally, can you break down each of those milestones ‌into‌ ‌daily‌ ‌micro-milestones?

“The more you can help yourself see the next step in front of you (as opposed to the entire three-month journey), the more likely you are to remain consistent and connected to the process,” Cole adds.

4. Don’t fall into a summer slump.

There is no secret that productivity is at an all-time low during the summer months — ‌especially‌ ‌in‌ ‌July‌ ‌and‌ ‌August. ‌According to Captivate Office Pulse’s study, productivity drops by 20 percent during the summer months. ‌In addition, attendance dropped by 19 percent and work turnaround time increased‌ ‌by‌ ‌13‌ ‌percent.

There are several reasons why. For starters, people are on vacation. Maybe your gym buddy is out of town, meaning you don’t have someone to hold you accountable. Perhaps you can complete a project at work because your collaborator is out of the office for a long weekend.

We also tend to develop serious cases of FOMO. Why focus on your goals when you want to be at the beach with your friends? And, of course, as already mentioned, there’s the weather.

How can you prevent falling into the summer slump? Well, you could look for inspiration. Maybe reading a book while chilling by the pool. Perhaps, you could schedule a walking meeting with a mentor or someone who pushes you.

Or, you could take a class or attend events to learn new skills to help you reach your goals. And, if the workplace is quieter than usual. Primarily — making plans and the steps to achieve them.

5. Make keystone habits a part of your daily routine.

In the summer, you have many chances to improve your life. For example, let’s say that you want to prioritize your health. ‌Incorporating healthy practices into your daily summer routine could transform these seasonal habits into second nature before frost and cooler weather set in.

For example, studies show that spending time in nature lowers stress, heart rate, and blood pressure, all risk factors for heart disease. The summer months are a great time for friends and family to enjoy sports such as walking, swimming, biking, and hiking. ‌Incorporate outdoor activities into your family’s weekly schedule by setting aside time for them on the calendar. What’s more, this can reduce your screen time usage.

If you want to achieve your goals, you should instill keystone habits.

In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhig aptly describes the keystone habit. As the cornerstone of any structure, the keystone holds everything‌ ‌in place. ‌Additionally, keystone habits encourage the development of other good habits while helping eliminate bad ones.

If you develop keystone habits, you’ll be able to achieve your goals while also improving your time management.

Image Credit: Josh Willink; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Tackle Your 5 Toughest Summer Goals was originally published on Calendar by .

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