Be all that you can be

In companies up and down the country, employees are being expected to work much harder than ever before in order to get ahead. In some situations, you have to say no and set some realistic deadlines and targets, but some days you just have to put your head down and get on with it.

To avoid burning out from the stress of your heavy workload, you need to find ways to manage it.

Follow these tips:

• Prioritise your work. Sort it into what needs doing today, what can be put off until tomorrow and what you can spend more time doing. Don’t try to do everything at once – you’re only one person.

• Be organised. You won’t get anything done if you don’t have lists, systems and proper filing.

• Get stimulated. If you have a tight deadline to meet and you need to work flat out, you might need some coffee to keep you on the ball. If your office doesn’t have a coffee machine, have your HR department check out the great range of Flavia coffee machines available.

• Take a break. You’ll get burned out more quickly if you work for two long. Look out the window for a minute, go and get a drink or quickly run up and down the stairs for an energy boost.

Depending what kind of a job you are looking for, you will need different skills and characteristics. Most attributes that employers look for can be gained through training or through your attitude to work. However, in some industries, there may be other non-negotiable entry requirements that are more difficult to meet.

In several industries, good eyesight is mandatory. While you may not need to have 20: 20 vision to become a photographer, you could be ruled out of a lot of military jobs if you wear glasses. And it’s not just the military or air force. Commercial pilots generally need to have good, if not perfect, eyesight. Even if many airline pilots actually wear glasses, it is often the case that they needed to have clear, unaided vision when training and it has since deteriorated.

If you want to become a pilot and fear that your eyesight is not good enough, there is now an option available to you. Many training schemes will accept applicants who have undergone laser eye surgery. Where once this procedure might have been seen as somewhat risky, it is now carried out regularly with incredibly high success rates. It is actually a fairly commonplace operation and the benefits are massive, particularly if you have a specific career in mind that demands that you not wear glasses or contact lenses.

In business, first impressions are everything. To be a success, you have to act successful, even if behind the scenes you are struggling to sell anything.

To create the persona of a successful business person, you need to make sure that you follow some prerequisites.

• Always look smart – don’t turn up to a client meeting in a shirt that has not seen an iron or pants that only fit you when you started your job. Potential clients will notice.
• If you are driving to meet a client, only let them see the vehicle if it fits your business ethos. An old clapped-out banger will not win you any friends.
• Be positive and smile – If you are having a bad day, your client doesn’t need to know. A smile alone can win a contract.
• Get new business cards – make sure that you hand a business card to new clients. A business card is a reminder to the person who receives it of the services that you offer.
• Be prepared – make sure you know what you are talking about before pitching to a potential client. Think of any questions they may ask you will be prepared.

If you follow the above five points, you will be making a step in the right direction.

I have written previously how life can become quite boring, and monotonous! A good way of continuing to push your self is to set challenges of goals. The challenges or goals can be things which you want to achieve not necessary straight away, but things that you may be aiming for in future.

For example, you may want to own your own house by the time you are 30, alternatively you may want to have seen the world by the time you are 40!
Whatever your challenge or goal is make sure you are make one and give yourslef something to aim for!

Life can sometimes feel like one giant merry go round! You do the same thing day in, day out to the point where you forget what day it is, and the weeks just merge in to one and before you know it……its nearly Christmas!
I think we can all feel like the above sometimes, which is why it is important to take time out of the usual day to day activities and try something different. I am not suggesting you spend loads of money on going on holiday or moving house for example!….. I am suggesting that little changes to your routine can make life more interesting. Go on……try something new!

Now I haven’t really thought about this before, however I have had quite a difficult few months and I have found myself talking to friends and family and seeking their help and support during this difficult period.
One reoccurring piece of advice which kept on being passed my way was to continue to think positively, no matter how terrible I think things have been.

If you have ever tried this whilst you are going through a difficult patch for one reason or another, then you will understand how hard it can be. However, having taken their advice and trying my best to think positively I feel it has helped me cope with my problems. Therefore I would certainly recommend it.

When I stop and look at the world we live in today, all I see is people rushing around trying to get as much done as possible in their day.
The demands of having a full time career as well as being a parent can literally leave you with no time to yourself.
As much as you may think it is impossible, it is essential that you do give yourself some free time to relax and do activities that you enjoy. This might simply be a swim at your local pool, or watching your favourite TV programme for half an hour. Whatever you chose to do, make sure you do give yourself time to stop and indulge in some “you time”

Working full time can be a lot of hard work, particularly if you have to juggle working full time with being a full time mum! However difficult it may seem, it is no excuse not to continue trying to develop yourself further within your career.
There are plenty of part time courses available at local colleges and schools and even if you cannot get out of the house, you can go online to study a variety of subjects of your choice.
I am a firm believer you should never stop learning in life!  There are many opportunities for those who want to continue to develop knowledge and skills whilst remaining in work. Everyone who is able should take advantage of these and see how it could benefit them going forwards.

We all feel like there are never enough hours in a day, and sometimes our task list gets longer and longer and it often feels like we are never going to get through it. So how can you make your work life less stressful? One way is to get organised. One of the first ways to do this is to get a calendar, whether this be paper based or on your PC. Fill in not only your own schedule but also that of your team. This will help you to easily check on availability of team members and keep a track of how long projects are taking.

The next thing to do is make a list of your daily task. Throughout the day, mark off which tasks you have completed, this will help you feel that you are achieving things as well as helping you to keep track of where you are up to when you get pulled away into a meeting.
Although organisation in itself takes time it can save you more time in the long run and help you feel more in control.

The majority of us don’t like conflict as it makes us uncomfortable. We often try to avoid it, but what about those situations where you just can’t? Tensions can often rise, especially in the workplace which can lead to stressful relationships with your work colleagues.

So how can you resolve conflict in the workplace without it getting out of hand? Following the three steps below should help you to do just this.

The first step is to make eye contact when talking to your colleagues. This helps to instil a sense of respect and trust. Also if you find that a colleague continually interrupts you make sure to look them in the eye and regulate your breathing to demonstrate patients, this helps you to avoid making eye contact which is intimidating or threatening.

Secondly, make sure to listen. It is all too easy to misinterpret what is being said. It is very easy to jump into a conversation to get our opinions out, but instead it is better to take a moment to prepare what you are going to say rather than saying something that you will later regret.

Lastly it is very easy to get annoyed with the person you have a conflict with, but try your best not too get too emotional and instead try to feel some empathy for the person. After all, you are both passionate about the same subject which is why you are having the conflict in the first place. Seeing another person’s point of view can help you to resolve your issues.

If you follow these three steps you should be able to help resolve conflict in your work environment.