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Positive Thinking = Personal Success

2015-08-26T15:31:00.003-05:00

Positive Thinking = Personal Success

Self-Affirmations –

Positive & negative actually program our subconscious mind into producing the outcome based on the conditions as we have programmed it. Creating the Reality in our lives for each one of us!

Not to worry –

We can reprogram our subconscious mind. Whenever you want to start is completely up to you but our subconscious conscious reprogramming of ourselves starts within each of us with daily, small, & simple "positive affirmations"....

Create your Reality –

Life is not going, as you desire. Alternatively, are you just tired of how things are moving along? Start now each day to start making a conscious effort to reprogram all the years of negativity you have been getting, sending, and receiving. Negative affirmations actually have harmful debilitating effects on us! Are the I cants, judgements, fears, and procrastination to always to be our reality? Maybe it is time to develop a new way of programming for our internal CPU (subconscious mind) as it has overheated and there seems to be some damage-requiring repair.

Out with the Old in with the New! –

You've been experiencing this bad programming for years now the virus has taken hold and is destroying your files one by one…..results developed from lack of knowledge that maintenance was required. OK so maybe you are one of the lucky who has had everything they have ever wanted or needed. Maybe you have never been broke, down on your luck, living in your car or on the streets/under a bridge. Not all of us have been so fortunate. However; if you are without doubt, absolutely, 100% satisfied with your current position in life; then that is where you are going to stay in your life. However, if you are like the rest of us 98.5% of the population; do yourself a favor and start reprogramming your subconscious mind for success!

Process of Reprogramming –

The sooner you start to reprogram yourself with positive life conditions the sooner you will develop and obtain those conditions for the lifestyle you so desire. The old saying goes “surround yourself with positivity and success then you too shall become positive and successful”. The reprogramming of our subconscious mind must be done in an enthusiastic, conscious manner as if it is truly felt within us, see it, & speak it in the PRESENT tense with full conviction! Every day, many times throughout the day!

Practice makes perfect –

Every single day, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day you should be living your desired life, your own personal self-fulfilling reality, stop just thinking or dreaming about it. MAKE IT HAPPEN for yourself!

Write down your POSITIVE affirmations; Talk about them repeat them
Compliment yourself, make note of your achievements and success'. Celebrate your accomplishments.
Write down your POSITIVE affirmations on post its then stick them all over in places you frequent so you will be reminded; write them on mirrors throughout your home, silently and aloud speak them many times throughout the day always & constantly reminding yourself of where you are TODAY!!

MAKE it so in firm belief –

No clever argument, no persuasive fact or theory could make a dent in our rightness in our ability to program ourselves into developing the life we so desire to have. Our position in life is our choice we make our choices every day. Start choosing a positive self-fulfilling path through life's journey. Do not allow any negative thoughts, actions, or words to become what you are. Other's opinions of us are none of our business we know who and what we are. If others do not understand that is okay too because we also know where we are going in this journey.

Straight to the TOP!

Love To Learn

2012-05-07T07:24:00.007-05:00

How much do you know?
Is there anything that you are curious about, something you would love to learn about?

Whether you realize it or not, you are learning new things all the time. Every day you learn about the weather and about the people you encounter. You learn things at your school or your work. You learn that you feel better when you exercise and eat well and that you feel worse when you eat only junk food. It is pretty amazing how much we learn without even trying to learn.

Do you remember when you were a child and everything was new and exciting for you?

The smallest bit of dirt or seeing a new flower color could keep you busy for an hour. If you are old enough that you have forgotten your childhood, look at the children around you. See the wonder and curiosity that they live and learn with each day.

Do you miss having that kind of approach to life?

No matter your age, it is very possible to return to the place where you love to learn and experience new things. Take a close look at your life right now.

Are you satisfied with the things you know?
Are you constantly expanding your understanding and your knowledge?

If not, now is the time to begin. Perhaps begin by making a list of some things you would like to learn about or activities you would like to learn how to do. Have you always wanted to learn a second language? Go to a local library and check out some books or audio tapes on starting to learn the language. Or perhaps you have always wanted to pick up a new hobby like golf or tennis. Sign up for a lesson and see what you can learn.

You will be amazed at the richness that is added to your life when you commit to learn new things. No matter how busy your schedule at home or at work is, there are ways to learn as you live. Do you spend a lot of time in the car? If so, get some educational books or materials on tapes or cds and start to learn something new when you are in the car. You can begin to love learning as you find easy ways to include it in your days.

When you learn to love learning your life will never be the same. Life will never be boring or dull regardless of your circumstance. Days will pass with the wonder and excitement that comes from learning something new and valuable. So think about everything that you still want to learn. Choose one thing from the top of your "to learn" list and begin learning today. You will find that your list grows so that you will always be learning and never knowing enough.

2012-01-16T09:41:00.001-06:00

10 Useful Websites for Hiring Your Next Employee

by Liz Magill on January 9, 2012

You’d like to hire an employee to help take your business to the next level, but you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of employment websites out there. Which ones are reliable? Which are most popular? Which have a solid track record?

Here are 10 websites (in no particular order) that can help you tap into a practically endless pool of job applicants.

LinkedIn: As you probably already know, LinkedIn is a networking site where professionals post resumes, interact, and exchange ideas. The site has more than 135 million professional members, many of whom may be looking for a new position. It’s a worthwhile recruiting tool, particularly for finding “passive” job candidates. The cost to post a job opening on LinkedIn depends on the geographic location of the position. For example, in the Greater Pittsburgh area, a 30-day job posting costs $195.

Beyond – Need an employee in a niche career such as public utilities, transportation, or hospitality? Beyond specializes in matching employers and job candidates in niche markets. The Beyond network has over 33 million registered candidates, with over 850,000 new candidates added monthly. The cost of posting a job on Beyond ranges from $169 to $995 for a nationwide post.

Craigslist: Craigslist isn’t just a go-to resource for finding an apartment or selling your old couch; the website has a section devoted to employment in major cities. From accounting to sales, employers can post jobs to find their next employee. Posting in some markets is free; in others, it costs $25 to $75.

Dice: Dice combines the traditional job board with social media networking for the IT and engineering industries. ConsumerSearch ranked Dice the best website for technology-related jobs. Thirty-day job postings start at $495.

Simply Hired: Post your job listings to the Simply Hired site and you could reach 17 million candidates. For small businesses, job postings range from $69 to $199. Its want ads are distributed to 25,000 partner sites such as Business Insider, CNN Money, and The Washington Post.

Monster: Founded in 1994, Monster has grown from a job-seeking site to a global employment resource. It offers pages upon pages of advice related to recruiting, career management, and employment searches. Monster also offers mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, making it more convenient for people to find your ad. Job postings on Monster range from $210 to $395, depending on location.

Indeed: Indeed eclipsed Monster as the most trafficked job search site in October 2010. The aggregator/search engine compiles listings from varied sources, including the websites of companies and professional associations. Although Indeed lacks the career advice that Monster offers, its simplicity and 50 million monthly visitors make it worth a look. Unusually, Indeed charges job postings based on job seeker clicks, which ranges from $0.25 to $1.50.

Career Builder: CareerBuilder reaches over 23 million visitors monthly. It provides online career search services through its AOL and MSN portals, and through newspapers such as Los Angeles Times. The cost of job postings on CareerBuilder vary from $325 to $419, depending on the number of posts.

Jobster: Your want ad on Jobster has the potential to reach 12 million candidates. Job seeker profiles on Jobster can be dynamic and robust, featuring video resumes, photos, and relevant candidate links. The site uses an active approach, which enables employers to connect and network with interested candidates. Employers can post unlimited jobs for $75 per month.

Your company’s website: Don’t overlook the power of your own website to source qualified employees. Add a Careers or Jobs tab on your site and post current openings. In time, you’ll have candidates knocking on your virtual door.

About Liz Magill

Elizabeth Magill is a professional writer who holds an MBA. She spent over 10 years working in management in an investment firm in corporate America. Liz focuses her writing on small business, career and work, personal finance, and health. Her clients include The Motley Fool, Profitably, WorldStart.com, LIVESTRONG.com, Healthline, and many others. She's author of multimedia App and Vook Conduct a Job Interview: The Video Guide, blogger for IFXMedical.com, and contributing writer for Intuit Small Business Blog.

View all posts by Liz Magill

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Keeping a Performance Diary: Pros and Cons

2011-09-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Quoted from: GNEIL LIBRARY

How can managers best gather information for performance reviews? Some HR trainers recommend that they keep a diary. Should you, an HR manager, pitch the practice to those in your company? Here are some points to weigh.

A Diary Is Good, Because…
A diary helps supervisors rate performance over the entire work period. Without it, bosses usually base their judgment on employees’ recent performance because it’s uppermost in their minds. For their part, workers may try to cash in on the halo effect by performing at their peak during the last few weeks before their review to sway the boss’s judgment in their favor.

A diary also helps managers accumulate important information in one location. Without it, they may find themselves sifting through a hodgepodge of notes, memos, and production reports in a last-minute scramble to round up the facts they need to justify a rating.

And speaking of justifying ratings, this ongoing record of specific incidents—including dates, times, locations, names of participants, and other key facts—surely beats undocumented recollections or gut feelings. That’s especially true when disgruntled employees appeal a boss’s evaluation to the next level or file a grievance with the union.

In addition, the discipline of keeping a diary can discourage procrastination. Many supervisors loathe doing ratings because (a) they don’t like to discuss workers’ shortcomings, and (b) they’d rather spend the time on more pressing tasks. In either case, some bosses postpone facing the dragon until the bitter end. That can produce inflated ratings, either because the boss wanted to avoid a confrontation or because there wasn’t enough hard data to support criticisms.

Aside from its contribution to performance appraisals, a diary also helps supervisors confirm promotional decisions, make specific training and development recommendations, and defend disciplinary actions as well.

But On the Other Hand…
Keeping a diary is, of course, a double-edged sword. Make sure that supervisors recognize the possible pitfalls. These include:

Potential morale problems, Employees should not know you’re keeping a diary, but word may leak out. Knowing that the boss keeps a running record of significant incidents makes workers uncomfortable. What’s he got in there anyhow?
Falling into the wrong hands, This would be a major catastrophe. Diary-keepers should follow these tips for safeguarding the information:

Keep its existence a secret. Store it on a diskette away from the office—never on a hard drive.
Lock the file with a password that no one else knows or might guess. This prevents a disgruntled spouse or child from opening it in a fit of anger and sending a copy to employees.
Don’t make a backup disk unless absolutely necessary. Two copies are twice as risky as one.
If you print out information, select only what’s needed, not the whole file. Shred the hard copy ASAP.

Recording only negative information, Unless they make efforts to the contrary, some managers will tend to note only bad news, thinking that they’ll remember flattering facts easily enough.

Not likely. It’s important to keep a balanced record. This isn’t to say the ratio of positive to negative entries should be one to one, only that bosses should jot down good things along with the bad whenever possible.

Updating can be a chore. It’s easy to put off entering new material until “later.” Unfortunately, “later” may be days away. In the meantime, lots of important information will be forgotten. Managers who keep a diary must make it a living document. Update it promptly when noteworthy events occur.

A Controversial Idea...

If you mention performance diaries in your management training, make sure to acknowledge their pros and cons; don’t give the idea a blanket endorsement. Because the risks may outweigh the benefits, leave the final decision up to each supervisor—while reminding them they must use some objective method to support their appraisals.

A Cure for Perfectionism

2011-08-04T20:02:00.001-05:00

By Eva Rykr | Posted on August 2nd, 2011

What’s so wrong with being a perfectionist? Sounds like a pretty good problem to have, no? Well one problem is that perfectionists are rarely satisfied with merely a job well done. Second, they are often driven by a false belief that being perfect is a way (perhaps the only way) to achieve acceptance from others.A perfectionist is someone who goes all-out for seemingly impossible goals, extreme productivity, or overachieving accomplishment. We all know someone like this and we may even have perfectionist tendencies ourselves. Perfectionism isn’t all bad. It allows us to have a high attention to detail, to strive for excellence, and to not settle for mediocrity. But perfectionism does have a dark side.

Besides perfectionism just being bad for your mental well-being, it can be a major barrier to success. When we are so focused on creating the perfect outcome, we fear failure. We avoid failure to such an extent that we may not take risks and become content living inside our comfort zone. A major downside—and the part that non-perfectionists hate about perfectionists—is being too hard on yourself and others.

You might be a perfectionist if you: Search Amazon.com for perfectionist

Worry about outcomes and performance
Beat yourself up over every error
Overplan in an attempt to prepare for the unexpected
Might be called a control freak
Feel anxiety about failure
Attempt to hide your vices and flaws
Think of mistakes as defects rather than learning opportunities
Procrastinate starting projects until the ‘right’ way to do it becomes evident
Have a tendency to overthink the details
Expect excellence from others

I have found that one way to combat perfectionistic tendencies is with another P word… progress. Well, progress and acceptance. First you must accept where you are at this current moment. This requires an honest self-assessment. Unfortunately, this can be the most difficult part as perfectionists can go to extreme lengths to hide their own flaws from themselves.

But if you can figure out a way to accept where you are now and then progress from there, I believe this is one way to overcome perfectionism. Seeking perfection is impossible, unsatisfying, and frustrating. On the other hand, achieving any level of progress is very doable, satisfying, and rewarding. Seeking progress instead of perfection will require setting smaller goals. Set an embarrassingly low goal, achieve it, and move on from there.

Termination Checklist

2011-07-02T06:12:00.000-05:00

An Employment Termination

Basic Checklist

Notify Human Resources

_____ Notify HR: As soon as you are aware of and/or receive a letter from an employee that notifies you of the employee's intention to terminate employment, notify your Human Resources office.
_____ Official Notice: If an employee tells you of their intention to leave your employment, ask them to write a resignation letter that states they are leaving and their termination date. (Companies request a minimum of two weeks notice, when possible and desirable.)

Permissions Termination

_____Notify Your Network Administrator: As soon as you know that an employee is leaving, notify your Network Administrator or other appropriate staff person of the date and time on which to terminate the employee's access to computer and telephone systems. Make arrangements for how these accounts will be routed to ascertain that your organization will not lose contact with clients and customers. Additionally, disable the employee's building entry alarm code, if applicable.

Return of Property

_____ Return of company property: Exiting employees are required to turn in all company books and materials, keys, ID badges, computers, cell phones and any other company-owned items.
_____ Passwords: Employees should provide their supervisors with passwords and other information pertaining to accessing computer files and telephone messages. (You may want to keep email and phone accounts active for awhile to field customer contacts.)

Status of Benefits

_____ Vacation pay and unused sick time: Terminating employees are paid up to a maximum of 30 days for unused, accrued vacation time. If the employee has used time not yet accrued, payment to the company for this time is subtracted from the last pay check. (If your company designates a certain number of sick days and they are accrued, you would also need to pay the employee for the time accrued.)
_____ Benefits status letter: Following termination, former employees receive a letter from the Human Resources office that outlines the status of their benefits upon termination. This includes life insurance, health coverage, retirement plan and expense account plans. (In the United States, organizations comply with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1980 (COBRA), and extend to eligible employees and their enrolled dependents the right to continue health care plan coverage for a specified period of time at their own expense and at full cost.)
_____ Repayment of advances: Any unpaid payroll advances will be subtracted from the employee's final check.
_____ Payment of money owed the employee: Any unpaid expenses for company business purposes (turned in on an expense report), unpaid commission and bonuses will be paid in the final pay check.

Confidentiality and Non-compete Agreements

_____ Review of confidentiality agreement or non-compete agreement: Any confidentiality agreement or non-compete agreement that the exiting employee signed when commencing employment should be reviewed to make certain the employee understands what is expected. Even if the employee never signed such a document, most employee handbooks have a clause or code of conduct paragraph about not sharing company confidential information or trade secrets. Review this and remind the employee that any breech of this confidentiality will be addressed.

Exit Interview

_____ Confidential exit interview: Exiting employees are encouraged to participate in a confidential exit interview with the Human Resources department. (Exit interviews are an important process you can use to gather information regarding the working environment in your organization. When notified that an employee is terminating employment, your HR office will schedule an exit interview. All information gathered is confidential and is reported periodically in summary form.
_____ Written permission for reference checking: Exiting employees, who plan to seek employment, must sign a form giving the company permission to provide reference information when potential employers call.
_____ Give the employee an address update form to fill out if they move. Especially for large companies, or those with high turnover, W-2s will come back as non-deliverable if the address has changed. Without new contact information, it is difficult to provide needed information to the former employee. As a backup, verify that the employee's emergency contact information is up-to-date and that you can contact that person to locate them if you have trouble getting their W2s to them.

HOW STRESS AFFECTS YOU!

2011-06-15T10:16:00.002-05:00

http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/stress_relief.htm

Procrastination

2011-06-07T00:13:00.000-05:00

This great article was sent to me on Procrastination.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Accounting Software for your Business

2011-06-05T06:16:00.001-05:00

Choosing Accounting Software for Your Business

How to Criticize Constructively

2011-06-01T17:18:00.002-05:00

Quoted From: http://www.cpa2biz.com

Offering helpful critique can be challenging: If delivered well, criticism will affect change without upsetting the work environment or damaging relationships. However, if handled poorly, it can result in unhappy employees who may eventually leave the company in frustration. Following are some points that will help you deliver critique in a constructive and positive manner:

Gather all the facts. Avoid jumping to conclusions or making assumptions about a missed deadline or poor-quality work. Instead, determine what went wrong and why, and then identify what the employee should do differently in the future.

Do it in private. No one wants to be reprimanded in front of their coworkers. You are much more likely to have a positive, effective discussion of an issue with a staff member if you ask him or her into your office and broach the subject diplomatically.

Criticize the work, not the person. Often, how you critique someone is just as important as what you say. For example, it’s better to say, “The report you prepared was not up to the firm’s standards” than “I’ve never seen anyone as careless about details as you are.”

Be specific. If you don’t clearly define the issue, an employee isn’t going to change his or her behavior. Avoid making broad, vague statements about productivity or performance. Instead, focus on what is wrong by saying something such as, “Because the report you submitted was a week late, it affected the entire team’s ability to meet the project’s deadline.”

Let the employee respond. After you’ve described the problem, allow the individual to explain or defend his or her actions. You may learn that he or she was asked by a senior executive to produce an additional report at the same time one was due to you. Or perhaps the individual is simply overwhelmed with projects. Whatever the case, it’s important to let the person give his or her side of the story.

Don’t ignore chronic problems. If an individual’s performance or behavior doesn’t change after your constructive criticism, it may be necessary to take action. Staff morale suffers when you keep someone on who doesn’t contribute to the team equally or produce quality work.

Managing Effectively

2011-05-27T02:50:00.005-05:00

Quoted from: http://www.cpa2biz.com

As a manager, you have a direct impact on the well-being of your employees. While maintaining an open-door policy and listening to the concerns of those you supervise are important acts that help establish a positive working relationship with staff members, there are additional steps you can take to motivate and inspire your employees. Following are some tips:

Know their career goals. Determine each person’s career aspirations, then work with your staff members to identify ways to help them achieve their objectives. Perhaps you can pair a new employee with a more experienced colleague to help the new person learn a company-specific software program. Or you may consider offering a worker who is interested in pursuing continuing education the flexibility to attend courses at a local college. Be sure to touch base regularly and let staff members know you’re personally invested in their success and professional growth.

Offer personalized praise. When staff members excel on projects, let them know - and cater your kudos accordingly. One employee may enjoy public praise while another might appreciate a handwritten thank-you note. Your staff will appreciate that you’ve paid attention to their preferences.

Be sensitive to stress levels. After a sustained period of heavy workloads, intense pressure and tight deadlines, your employees may feel burned out. Signs of burnout include missed deadlines, increased absenteeism and changes in behavior or personality. When you notice employees are nearing their limits, consider bringing in interim workers to help ease the strain.

Be fair. While this may seem to be an obvious point, not all managers follow this maxim. You can’t expect your employees to remain loyal if they think you’re playing favorites or inconsistently enforcing rules and policies. You may have to closely examine your behavior toward each team member to determine whether you treat everyone equally. For example, are you more lenient with one employee when she delivers a project late? Do you spend a considerable amount of time asking a certain staff member about his weekend plans? While these differences may appear subtle from your perspective, they could be very noticeable to your staff and lower morale.