work

Nov

2020

5 Tips for Creating Your Home Work Space

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Keep these 5 tips in mind when creating your home work space. Some of us may be surprised to suddenly transition from going to the office to working from home. Creating your home work space is an important part of the new normal.

One of the benefits of working from home is that you don’t have to scramble out the door and wade through traffic every morning just to get to work. There is a downside to this setup though. If you don’t have the proper environment for working, then you will greatly lower your productivity.

1. Pick the Right Spot

It is important that you have a stable Internet connection in your home work space. Choose an area in your home where you can get the strongest WiFi connection.

Ideally, your working space should be away from distractions. So if you need to close a door while working, do so. Or use a large piece of furniture to separate your work area from the rest of your living space.

Try to pick a spot near electrical outlets. Keep a dedicated power outlet for work use so you can plug in and charge your devices conveniently.

Finally, your home work space should also have a lot of natural light. Placing your work table near a window should be ideal for getting natural light as well as for receiving a strong WiFi signal. If this is not possible, then make sure to get yourself a desk lamp to provide adequate lighting while you work.

2. Prioritize Your Comfort

Invest in comfortable furniture when creating your home work space. You will be spending a lot of time in this space so comfortable furniture is very important.

Pick a sturdy desk with a smooth surface and at the right height when you are sitting. You should be able to comfortably rest your hands on the keyboard. This should help you prevent any wrist problems due to poor hand positioning.

Your work chair is also important. It should also be the right height for working. If you can’t get that ergonomic office chair for now; use pillows to add comfort and height. Use a thick, comfy pillow as cushion as well as to support your back while sitting.

3. Create a Storage System

Some of us still need to go to the office once in a while and bring home documents. Depending on your type of work, create a filing and storage system that helps you organize all your documents in your home work space. This will streamline your work flow and keep you productive.

You can repurpose a bedside table to store your files. Or use plastic bins with wheels so you can easily slide it under your table. Get yourself an In and Out box or folder container. Place it on your desk for easy access to the files you usually need for work. You need space to store your school supplies too such as pens, index cards, paper clips, etc.

Have a dedicated space in your storage system for your gadgets and devices. This is where you keep your chargers, USBs, external hard drives, extra batteries, and other accessories for your personal computer.

4. Invest in Helpful Accessories

The right accessories helps in keeping you productive in your home work space. They also ensure that you are comfortable while you work so you can work longer.

Invest in a good laptop or desktop stand to ensure that your monitor is at eye level. This prevents you from straining your neck and back while working. Get a separate bluetooth keyboard if necessary for a more comfortable typing position. Add a bluetooth mouse to complete your setup.

To prevent distractions, a good pair of ear phones or a headset is a good investment. An external hard drive is a must-have accessory if you are working with a lot of documents. Think of your work flow and what accessories you need to make working more convenient.

5. Create a Good Ambiance

Your home work space needs to have the right ambiance to ensure a productive work day. This can be done by adding decor and personal items that inspire good vibes whenever you see them.

Keep your work desk uncluttered by adding minimal decor. You can display your favorite picture in a frame. A flower vase, your favorite book, a small painting, a jar of scented candle or a scent infuser, an indoor plant are some of the things you can add to prettify your work space.

To enhance your work environment even more, create a music play list to help you focus while working. Try out different playlists to see which suits you best. Classical music, instrumental music, jazz and r&b music are just some of the playlists that you can try out.

We hope that these tips can help you work comfortably from home. Remember to take breaks and have fun once in a while to ensure that your work day is not too stressful.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Ben Kolde on Unsplash.

May

2020

Why You Need to Have Fun To Be Successful

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Why do you need to. have fun to be successful?

The phrase “work hard, play harder” is familiar to us; but the “work hard” part is where we get stuck most of the time. We focus so much at doing well in our jobs or careers that we often forget to have fun. When we do allow ourselves to have some fun; it is usually to celebrate a major accomplishment in our lives, usually a milestone at work.

We think that having time for fun is a reward for working hard but the two can never come together. However, successful people tend to disagree. For them, work should be fun; the work should be the reward itself.

Fun is one of the most important — and underrated — ingredients in any successful venture… If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.
— Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership

Apparently, work and play can be experienced at the same time. We don’t need to focus on just one; because rewarding work should be fun to do and having fun at work is rewarding.

I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
— Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder

There are many successful people who think it is important to have fun at work. Here are some reasons why:

Develops Creativity

A fun, work environment, encourages people to try out different ways to do things, so they can get their tasks done more efficiently and on time.

A fun environment also provides space for constructive criticism for failures instead of imposing strong penalties. Good effort, when rewarded positively, encourages individuals to become more open to trying out new things to become better at what they do. You won’t need to force yourself to stick to the usual methods even when it doesn’t suit your style.

Sustain Interest and Focus

Do you remember how time goes by so fast when you are engaged in your favorite hobby? How did 2-3 hours of dancing and shouting at a concert pass by? Also, you were on your feet the whole time, but you didn’t really feel tired at all.

With fun activities, we are able to sustain our interest and focus in the activity for long periods of time. We do not notice how much time and effort we are spending during the activity. We only become aware when the activity ends, or when our body tells us that we need to rest.

Produce Better Results

When you are having fun doing something; excitement comes with your efforts. You become more patient and put in more effort to see things through to the end.

This is especially true when a team is working together. A fun work environment encourages each member to give their best suggestion to solve a problem. They do not feel pressured to get things done perfectly. Whatever the challenge, they eventually get things done if they are having fun. They also produce even better results; with the same amount of effort or even less, and also with little to no stress.

Encourage Good Relationships

Having fun together also helps build deeper and stronger relationships. This is why team building trips and events have become an important part of many company calendars.

Recall the last time you attended a fun, company party. Didn’t you feel refreshed and more excited to go to work the next day? When the whole team comes into work in such a positive mood; didn’t the work day seem less stressful and the work hours shorter?

You will notice that you not only completed your work for the day, but you may have done more than you usually do. Your team mates may have done the same. It’s the feeling of camaraderie, the sharing together in a fun experience, that contributed greatly to the positive environment that helped everyone’s productivity.

Better Communication, Less Conflict

An open mind is a welcome trait in resolving issues. A fun, work environment encourages and fosters such a trait. Open minded people don’t shy away from discussing issues with colleagues than they would in a strict, office setup.

When playing, everyone follows the rules of the game; but if one fails to follow the rule, the reaction is usually one of laughter and not a strong reprimand.

When people can air out their concerns by telling jokes; less stress accumulates in the work place. In this environment, they are not pressured to prove that they are right and the other person is wrong. Open communication becomes a norm and stressful conflicts are less likely to occur.

Having fun at work is an important ingredient in your success. It makes your work life a more rewarding experience. Don’t wait to finish work to have fun. Start thinking up ways to make your work more fun.

With this kind of attitude, your team mates and clients will surely notice the positive change in you. You might even be able to influence your whole team’s mindset and build stronger relationships with your clients in the process. This is one good step towards success.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Feb

2020

Fundamentals for Success from The Winners Manual

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Do you consider yourself a winner in life? If you’re not that confident to answer “Yes” to this question, then you may be struggling with some issues in different areas in your life. There is no one rule book that we can consult on how to succeed in life and this is because each person’s experience is different. However, there are some fundamentals for success that we can apply to get better in each area of our life, so that when we look back, we can say that we’ve had more wins than losses.

Jim Tressel is an Ohio State football coach and through the years he has learned a lot of life lessons from working with different people on the team, from the players to the staff. The nuggets of wisdom he gained from his experience is shared in the book The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life.

The book is given to everyone on the team and even if the lessons are gained mostly from his experience coaching a football team, the lessons are applicable even to regular 9-5 workers trying to be “adults” in dealing with life’s hurdles.

First, Jim wants everyone to focus on 2 major goal areas:

Your Purpose

This includes your personal/family, spiritual/moral and caring/giving aspects of your life.

Many people often grow up defining themselves by what they do (e.g., their job title) and in the process of pursuing success in their career, they end up forgetting who they are. If you cannot find or define your life’s purpose, then you will never find success or happiness, and never feel like a true winner in life even if you achieve your goals.

Your Goals

This includes matters pertaining to strength/fitness, family, academics/education and career.

Whatever your specific goals, you must view this in the context of your entire life and should be aligned with your life’s purpose. It is hard to get motivated if you don’t have a purpose.

Your purpose is your inspiration and your goals are your motivation. However, there is a huge difference between the two. While inspiration helps you think and create, motivation gets you moving to make things happen.

Spend some time to think about your purpose and goals. It helps to write things down and when you are ready, you can study how to apply Jim’s 10 fundamental for success to win at life.

1. Attitude

There are 3 types of people: 1) those who make things happen, 2) those who watch things happen, and 3) those who say: “What happened?”.

Attitude is a choice so you need to choose which one you are going to be each day. You can choose to live your life as a celebration or as a chore. An attitude of gratitude is one of the best attitudes to adapt as it is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time.

If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies within yourself.
– Tecumseh

TIP: Keep a gratitude journal. Each day, write down at least 3 things that you are grateful for. Count your blessings daily and you will notice that you will have more things to be grateful for as each day passes.

2. Discipline

Discipline is often seen negatively – as punishment for bad behavior, when in reality, it is something that is helpful to us. Discipline prepares us and keeps us focused on our goals.

You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days that you feel good.
– Jerry West

TIP: Remember that practice makes perfect. Do it right, do it hard and then do it again. When it’s time to practice, focus on the practice. You should be confident enough in your skills and be tough enough to follow through.

Whether you are practicing a sport or trying to write a novel, it’s the discipline to constantly show up and do the work that allows you to correct your mistakes, polish your moves so you can deliver and perform perfectly whenever you need to.

3. Excellence

Strive to deliver excellence each time. In competitive sports, it isn’t good to be good from time to time. You need to deliver a good performance every day in order to be considered great

If you listen to your fears, you will die not knowing what a great person you might have been.
– Robert H. Schuller

TIP: Consistency is the true test of greatness. It takes discipline (constant practice) to turn a violinist into a master, a student into an expert, you get the drift?

More importantly, our intentions have a great impact in determining how we reach our potential. So your intent to be excellent should be reflected in your performance. Your number one intention is to seek excellence in all phases of your life.

4. Faith and Belief

All champions believed in themselves even if no one else did and that’s how they motivated themselves to become great; and that’s how they ended up inspiring others in return.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
– Eleanor Roosevelt

TIP: It helps to write down your dreams. Unless you write down your dream or vision, you can’t start planning how to achieve it.

So write down your dreams, describe it, make a collage out of it and make sure to consult it everyday as a constant reminder of why you are working hard each day. More importantly, don’t be the first one to doubt yourself when your plans don’t go the way you wanted to. Instead, focus on finding a solution.

5. Work

Work is a lifelong pursuit so you better do it passionately. Not everyone can love their work but with a good work ethic, you will increase your opportunities to gain success.

Everyone has a plan until they are hit.
– Evander Holyfield

TIP: Persistent effort is key to success. You only fail when you quit. Remember that failing is an event; failure is a temporary status and you can always turn it around as soon as you succeed. So don’t be put down by obstacles and see them as opportunities to better yourself instead.

6. Handling Adversity and Success

The road to greatness is never easy but if we face our struggles with an attitude of learning, then the adversity we experience can become our stepping stones to success.

Success is a lousy teacher. It makes smart people think they can’t lose.
– Bill Gates

TIP: Embrace the struggles as much as the successes. Your struggles should help you build strength of character, and this is what can elevate your good performance into greatness. Handle adversity as a learning experience and learn from your success as well. Both are opportunities to improve yourself and fine tune your plans to reach your goals.

7. Love

You won’t win in life thru talent alone. Just like in winning championships, you need love and discipline. If everyone in the team loves one another, then they will strive to not let one another down. This works in any relationship, be it you and your partner, your whole family, your friends and even work mates.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

TIP: Do not hesitate to help others succeed. When you help someone else succeed, you get closer to your own success.

How you treat others who can do nothing for you is how you show your love towards your fellow man. In your own relationships, you can only survive tough times by being tough yourself and the only way to do that is to give and receive love from those around you.

8. Responsibility

There are different areas in your life where your individual conduct is not just attributed to your own self but reflects on a larger group of people such as your family or the organization that you work for. So take care to be responsible in all your actions as you may also affect the reputation of other people.

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.
– Japanese Proverb

TIP: Associate yourself with good people. By good people, we mean people who have a “do what’s right” mentality. These are the people who will help you conduct yourself responsibly in the different areas in your life. They will be the people who will push you to live a life with a clear conscience.

9. Team

Although your own life purpose and goals is yours alone, most of our life endeavors is a group journey. That’s why unselfishness and team work are important qualities to succeed in life.

There is no delight in owning anything unshared.
– Seneca

TIP: Be in service to others. Unselfishness is one of the greatest quality of great teams as this enables each person to work for the good of the greater whole. This means that each person is willing to listen to others and in this way each one is able to influence the others positively.

10. Hope

Have realistic hope both for your goals and for your team (family, friends, etc.). It is ok to indulge in wishful thinking once in a while but unless you put your faith to work, you will not achieve success.

There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.
– Orison Marden

TIP: Be a dealer of hope. When people around you are losing hope, they become susceptible to criticism and their own doubts. Lead by example and show them that hope is still alive. It may not be in the form you initially “hoped” for but it may take form in another opportunity disguised as an obstacle. When you keep hope alive, you will see good things happen in your life and in the people around you.

Do you think you can apply these rules to the different areas of your life? If you have been practicing some of them, or all of them, tell us how it has helped you achieve success in the different phases in your life.

Original Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

Feb

2020

The 80/20 Principle

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a perfect world, 100% of your effort will bring about 100% of your desired result. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The world is not perfect. Life is unfair. In life, percentage input does not equal to the percentage output. This universal truth about the imbalance of inputs and outputs became known as the Pareto Principle better known as the 80/20 Principle.

The Pareto Principle

Named after its founder, the Italian philosopher and economist in the mid-19th century, Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto. the Pareto Principle states that 80% of results or outputs came from just 20% of the action or inputs.

in his observation, Pareto noticed that only 20% of the pea plants in his garden is responsible to the 80% of the peas harvested. He then thought about the disparity of his country’s wealth. His thought led him to discover that 80% of Italy’s wealth was controlled by just 20% of the population. Further observations of society led him to the realization that all economic activities adhered to this principle.

To illustrate, the principle says that:

About 80% of a company’s sales are generated by only 20% of the sales representatives
80% of food sold in a restaurant came from just 20% of the items in the menu
80% of road accidents are caused by just 20% of the drivers on the road.

Individual

On a personal note, it means that:

Around 80% of whom you spend most of your time with belongs to only 20% of your closest friends and family.
80% of what you wear most of the time just came from 20% of your wardrobe
80% of the online application that you use comprised of just 20% of the total applications stored in your gadget.

Are you part of the “Vital Few” or “Trivial Many”?

Dr. Joseph Duran, known for his work on quality management used this principle. Dr. Duran expanded it even further and it became known as the “vital few and the trivial many”. This means that in anything, only 20% are vital while the remaining 80% are trivial. Although first used in quality management, the 80/20 Principle can now be applied to anything in life.

If you look into your life, you will notice that 80% of your productivity or success is brought about by just 20% of the things that you did. In the same way that 80% of your failures or disappointments in life are caused by just 20% of your issues. It all boils down to where you put all your efforts.

We all have 24 hours. The “vital few” in society choose wisely on how they spend their time that is why they belong to the top 20%. The rests or the “trivial many” remain slaves to their never-ending to do lists. They work hard all their lives yet their efforts do not contribute anything to the success of their lives.

“Work smarter not harder.”

Now, ask yourself, are you part of the elite class in society called the “vital few” or are you part of the “trivial many”? If you feel like you are not going anywhere in life despite all the hard work and effort that you have done, then it is time to reassess your life on where you put all your priorities and energies. Don’t be a part of the bottom 80%. Adopt the 80/20 Principle as one your life rules. Choose to work smarter not harder. Start now by taking on the the 5/25 Rule Challenge.

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