Some people are too busy to be successful in their careers and to enjoy their lives. And they don’t know it! If you think you’re busy, I hope this article caught your attention long enough for you to finish reading it. You are about to find out a few truths about being busy that can IMPROVE YOUR LIFE if you face them.

“Busy” is not necessarily a good trait. “Busy” is not an excuse. “Busy” is not even a proper answer to the greeting “How are you today.”  Well, perhaps it is sometimes but not the amount of times you will use that term in your life as a response to that question.

“Busy” is an overused word in everyone’s vocabulary. It’s so overused that it has lost its true meaning in today’s practiced vocabulary (not by the dictionary meaning).

A brain surgeon in the middle of an operation is busy and should not be disturbed.

When the local bomb squad is in the middle of deactivating a bomb, they are busy.

When I’m in the middle of writing this article, I am busy.

When someone passes you in the hallway and says how are you and you respond busy, you’re not.

When you’re fluttering around your office doing everything and accomplishing nothing, are you busy? Well, perhaps you are busy but you certainly aren’t doing anything useful. And at the end of the day you’ll be the first to realize that when you stop and take a breath and say “where did the day go”.

Take out a pencil and piece of paper right now and fill in this sentence as quickly and specifically as you can: When I say I am busy that means _____________.

Now read what you just wrote. Does it really have any substance? Consider how being busy is helping you to reach your goals, to achieve success as you define it or to even put in a productive day at your job. Is being busy all of the time getting you those things? If you are so busy that you don’t have a moment to think creatively, a moment to say hello to someone, a moment to meet someone new, then are you leading a successful career and life? Are you accomplishing your job duties to the utmost degree? Or are you just busy?

Here are a few myths about being busy that you should be aware of (because when you’re conscious of what you’re doing, you can come to realizations and make changes that will improve your career, job and life): (more…)

Consider this scenario…

Do you remember how you learned to ride a bicycle as a child?

You got on the bike, fell, tipped over, got some scrapes, looked ridiculous at first and then…you rode the bike and kept on riding it for years to come with no major mishaps. Making all those mistakes at first and correcting them quickly enabled you to get on with your goal of riding that bicycle. You didn’t drag the process out because you were passionate about learning to ride that bike.

This same principle can apply to many aspects of your life, including your career and job. You ARE going to (more…)

However, certain constituents and opponents adamantly and publicly requested this politician state publicly that the previous vote for the cause was wrong. The politician refused. I agree with this decision. Why on earth can a person, even one in political office, not change their mind on an issue when the issue progresses or evolves? (more…)

And by the way, finishing what you started is success in itself no matter the results of  the actual goal or project. If you start a business and don’t make a profit; enter a marathon and come in 16th place instead of first; create a work of art—that even your dog wouldn’t buy; make a proposal for a raise at work to which your boss says no; and stick with a diet for three months only to lose 10 pounds instead of the 25 you were striving for, you still are successful because you finished a project you started. So many people don’t finish what they start. Even worse, so many people don’t start! Why?

Perhaps they lack motivation or it quickly dwindles once into the project.  It’s a lot easier to just sit on the couch and think about your goals and desires than to actually do something toward meeting them. Sometimes the only thing that motivates us to get off the couch and shut the television is the fact that we can’t reach that cookie or other snack in the fridge from our resting place. So striving for an even bigger goal than your next meal seems daunting and unreachable to us at times. It takes stronger motivation and perseverance.

Motivation appears to come from within yourself. But that doesn’t mean you can’t kick-start your motivation from an external source. Successful people do this all the time ongoing. And that doesn’t mean an external source can’t affect your motivation (Keep reading to see what I mean.). Here are two things you can do to get and stay motivated. (more…)

So what lesson can you possibly learn from the Smith coverage or Smith herself that will help you in your career and at work?

What you can learn from Smith is the traits of (more…)

Just one problem…

You’re not writing. You’re just talking about doing so.

What’s stopping you from writing?

Need a hint? Let’s narrow your choices. (more…)

Gotcha, didn’t I!

While I don’t know what your greatest weakness in your last job or in life is, I do know your greatest weakness in relation to your job interview.

Questions asked by the interviewer?

No, it’s your “answers”. At least partly. There’s more to it… (more…)