Stuck trying to figure out what career to go into? Need help deciding what to do with your life? Use this exercise on the Japanese concept of Ikigai (reason for living) to find that sweet spot where your gifts, skills, passions, and values align.
Month: March 2019
Don’t Be Unprofessional at Work
Regardless of how long you’ve been working at one place, it’s REALLY important to still keep things professional, especially if you’ve got your eye on that upcoming promotion or big cash money bonus.
We’re all prone to picking up a few bad habits, but be sure to check yourself so you don’t wreck yourself by ensuring you haven’t settled into any of these unprofessional habits on the regular:
1. Showing up late
Making it to your 9am meeting everyday at 9:05? Sure, it’s only 5 minutes and probably not a big deal in the millennial world, but believe it or not, people notice.
If you’re running late once in a blue moon – don’t worry. It happens to everyone every now and then. Just don’t be the person that everyone knows will always show up late.
Make an effort to make it to your meetings on time, and to the office – even if it means you have to leave your house just 10 minutes earlier.
2. Complaining
You’ve got a really big work load and you’re tired and you’re hungry – we know! …And, we feel you!
BUT, the moment you start telling the entire office floor how hard you have it – you’re spreading the negativity.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work there are plenty of ways to deal with it, but complaining to your co-workers shouldn’t be one of them.
Don’t be unprofessional, and don’t be a Christina the Complainer. Just get the work done and vent to your BFF over half priced bottles of wine.
3. Interrupting
No one, and we repeat NO ONE, appreciates an interrupter.
And you know just the kind of person we’re talking about: the know-it-all, lack of social awareness individual that meddles their way into sentences – before you can even finish your thought.
No one wants to be girl interrupted – so just simmer down and let that person finish speaking. It’s way more respectful, and a lot easier than it may seem.
4. Gossiping
Along with Christina the Complainer, you know who no one else likes? A Susie Shittalker.
And, that’s just the kind of stuff that’ll catch up to you in your career.
Sure, it’s crazy news that Bry in Billin’ got let go, and that Jennifer picked a totally non-worthy person for the promotion which is SO unfair.
…But really, who cares?
Talking smack at work never leads to any good, so avoid it by all means and leave the conversation the moment you feel it going there.
5. Over-promising and under-delivering
You gotta walk the talk, baby. If you’re going to claim that you’ll have the perfect business case built by EOD Thursday and we only see that doc come through the following Monday – then girl, we’ve got a problem.
The worst thing you can do is talk up a huge game and not deliver on it. It shows poor reliability, low ability to execute, and if you keep doing it – no one’s going to believe a word you say.
Better option? Give yourself some buffer room. For example: Commit to getting it done by Thursday (Actually knowing you should be done by Tuesday) and send it over early. Nothing like impressing the big boss with an early handover!
6. Putting off the small stuff
So you’re a big shot that’s super busy, which means emails and small things don’t matter… well you’re wrong!
If you think ignoring emails and never getting the “small stuff” done reflects well on you, it doesn’t.
Sure – priorities are super important when you’ve got a lot on the go, but it’s important to set aside a bit of time each day (maybe 30 minutes in the morning, or 30 minutes EOD) to check your emails and respond to those that merit acknowledgement or a response.
Again, reliability people. Even senior execs who are arguably the most busy around, with all-day meetings, travel plans, and more, have time to promptly respond to emails as needed.
7. Dressing Inappropriately
Long gone are the days of perfectly hemmed skirts, tailored suits, and “strict business” attire. Most office settings are now moving towards a casually dressed environment to mimic the trend of the agile and hip start-up scene.
But hey – casual does not mean weekend casual.
Though we love a good pair of ripped jeans (and would argue this could actualllly be rocked in the office if paired appropriately — but that’s a whole diff conversation), casual dress code definitely don’t mean:
- Showing off some cleavage with low cut tops
- Giving everyone a sneak peek of those chiseled (and hard earned) abs with a crop top
- Flaunting an apparently “inappropriate” amount of leg 9-5
- Flip Flops. So comfy, but so not professional.
You still want to look well put together, classy, clean and professional, so don’t let what you’re wearing defer from your reputation / capability of doing the job.
Overwhelmed by the thought of being on your professional game? Just remember: if you can stay alive 9-5, Friday is always at most, only 5 days away. 🙂
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Katy Started Her 40-Pound Weight-Loss Journey by Doing at-Home Workouts and Walking Her Dog
By Tamara Pridgett & Popsugar
Whether your weight-loss journey is sparked by being tired of being tired, wanting to fit into your favorite dress from five years ago, or just wanting to challenge yourself, it takes time. Katy Sullivan’s reason for starting her 40-pound weight-loss journey was that she no longer wanted to be mentally and physically tired. She started off slow, adding daily activities into her routine like walking her dogs and eventually worked her way up to strength training at the gym. In a little over a year, Katy was able to make a complete lifestyle change.
Why Katy Decided to Lose Weight
Everyone has a different reason for starting their weight-loss journey, and for Katy, it had a lot to do with how she felt physically and mentally. “I got to a point where I was just disgusted with how I was feeling,” Katy told POPSUGAR. “I was always uncomfortable, always tired, never wanted to do anything or go anywhere, and when I did, I was always self-conscious and didn’t even want to take pictures.” She explained that she was “tired of living like that” and was ready to make a lifestyle change.
How She Lost 40 Pounds in a Year
We’ve covered many inspiring weight-loss stories that started out with a simple change and resulted in a big payoff. For example, Kim began her weight-loss journey by walking her son to school. Similar to how Kim began, Katy eased herself into a simple workout routine.
“Initially, I was doing home workouts in my garage and taking my dogs on a walk,” she said. After that, she began taking classes at the gym, like cycling as a form of cardio. After that, she progressed to more challenging forms of exercise. “One day, I finally stepped foot into the gym with my boyfriend and lifted weights,” she said.
On the nutrition end of things, Katy said she began tracking her macros (how much fat, protein, and carbs she ate in a day) and starting following the Mari gym guides. According to Katy, that’s when she “really started to see progress.” She credits the guides to improving her confidence in the gym and providing her with a supportive and motivational group on Facebook.
What Katy Eats in a Day
Curious about what Katy eats to fuel her daily activities and workouts? Here’s a sample of her daily meals.
- Breakfast: eggs, turkey bacon, and sometimes avocado toast with a protein shake.
- Lunch: a protein like grilled chicken or ground turkey with rice and vegetables or a salad.
- Dinner: a pasta alternative, like lentil or chickpea pasta, or lettuce wrap tacos.
- Snack: rice cakes with nut butter and sugar-free jelly, a protein bar, or Greek yogurt with fruit and granola.
Katy also shared that her diet doesn’t change when she exercises. “I tend to eat relatively healthy altogether, but I will allow myself treats so I don’t restrict myself and binge later.”
Challenges Katy Faced During Her Journey
One of the biggest challenges Katy faced was not making excuses. “I would literally have an excuse to everything. ‘I don’t have time to work out, I’m tired, I work too much, there’s no food to make,'” she said. To overcome making excuses, Katy said, “I got in the habit of waking up earlier and going to the gym first thing so I couldn’t have all day to change my mind.” By doing so, she said her day started off “so much better.”
Another challenge Katy faced was how often she was going out to eat. In order to cut back on how often she ate out, Katy started meal prepping. “I always have backup healthy foods in the freezer, just in case,” she explained. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail and that is something I learned quickly!”
Katy’s Nonscale Victories and How She Stays Motivated
Weight-loss journeys aren’t just about losing weight. They’re often accompanied by numerous benefits that have nothing to do with a number on the scale. For Katy, being able to put on old jeans was one of her most memorable victories. “The first time I did this, I was so shocked at how loose they were,” she said. “It really put things into perspective, and I have an excuse to get new clothes.” Another victory is when people approach her at the gym and tell her they’ve noticed her progress.
Losing weight won’t happen overnight, and it’s important to trust the process, be patient, and most importantly, be kind to yourself. To stay motivated, Katy said, “I just remind myself I don’t want to ever go back to the place where I was. I know I don’t want to feel like that ever again so I just have to remember why I started, and I know that working out and being healthy just makes me feel really good.”
She also credits her Instagram, which is dedicated to fitness, for holding her accountable and providing her with motivation. “I follow like-minded individuals with the same goals so it is a really positive environment. Also, the people I have met and talk to because of it are so inspiring and encouraging. It just makes me want to keep going, and I know I’m not alone in it,” she said.
Katy’s Advice For Anyone Ready to Start Their Own Journey
There are countless ways to reach your goal of becoming healthier, and Katy shared some advice that helped her (and will help you) get started: “Be patient! You will want to quit, you will think you are not losing weight fast enough, you will compare your journey to others – don’t!”
“Once I stopped obsessing over the all-or-nothing mentality and took a step back – taking rest days, tracking my macros, not letting one weekend of indulgences set me back into old habits – that’s when I was able to make it a lifestyle change,” she explained.
“Make sure to take a ton of pictures throughout and measurements too because the scale can be deceiving.” Her final piece of advice: be consistent and “remember that slow and small progress is still a step in the right direction.”
Tony Robbins: Here’s what brings more happiness than money
By Tom Huddleston Jr. & CNBC
Money alone isn’t enough to make you happy.
But helping other people can give you long-lasting joy and the feeling of true wealth, according to life coach and self-made millionaire Tony Robbins.
“Lots of people get a billion dollars and they’re not wealthy, because wealth is emotion, it’s psychology, it’s spirit, it’s soul,” Robbins tells CNBC Make It.
One of the “biggest mistakes” that people make, Robbins adds, is to obsess only over making money instead of on improving quality of life for themselves and the people they care about.
“You think, ‘I’ve got to make this money so my family will stay together or I’ve got to make this money so there’s enough food…” Robbins says. He adds that this way of thinking is often described as a “scarcity mentality,” where people believe that there isn’t enough money to go around, so they obsess over the goal of clinging to money and objects while ignoring other sources of happiness like personal growth and relationships.
“Really, quality of life comes by finding a way to add more value to other people’s lives,” Robbins tells CNBC Make It.
Robbins notes that there is research that explores “what stimulates and sustains well-being and happiness, and the thing that does the least is buying things.” In other words, obsessing over money and buying material objects might give you momentary pleasure, Robbins says, but that good feeling typically does not stick around for long after you’ve made a purchase.
“The [material things you buy] don’t last, you get used to them,” Robbins says. “What’s more valuable, if you want happiness, is clearly being able to have experiences. When you buy experiences, they linger. A trip, the experiences, the emotions, all that.”
An experience like a vacation might produce lasting memories that provide longer-lasting happiness, but that feeling still doesn’t compare to making other people happy, according to Robbins. “When you buy something for yourself the pleasure almost never lasts that long. If it’s something huge, it doesn’t even last that long…” he says. “Giving money away actually gives more joy than almost anything else on the planet.”
If you want to be happy, Robbins’ advice is to do something for another person today — you don’t even have to know the person. Just test it out, see if it’s true or if I’m full of it. Do something really unique, and don’t do it to get [something], do it because you just want to give.”
“There have been times when I’ve had nothing and I gave that money away, and the level of freedom it created in me … I can’t even describe to you verbally.”
The pleasure that you derive from helping others can be life-changing, Robbins says. “You’re going to find a giant shift, and that shift will change the way you do business, it will change the way you approach your family, it will change the way you feel about yourself, and it’ll give you the experience of wealth,” he says.