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Jay White2008-03-28T08:31:39.761-05:005 Reasons Why You Didn't Quit Your Job</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 3/28/2008 by <a href="http://www.theratingblog.com/about/">Alan Johnson</a> of <a href="http://www.theratingblog.com/">TheRatingBlog.com</a>.</h7></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmos/163596195/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/R-zwsIp0E0I/AAAAAAAABmM/i7ZAwT48h1U/s320/stay.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182781912224371522" title="stay" border="0" /></a>Last week we discussed several reasons why <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/03/5-reasons-you-should-quit-your-job.html">you should quit your job</a>. While there may be loads of reasons why you'd want to hit the road, it's all easier said than done. For most people, the the "I hate my job" epiphany arrives after they are under an enormous financial strain: house, kids, spouse, retirement planning, etc. Despite the presumption that happiness may be an "I quit" away, there are several reasons why people don't. Today let's take a deeper look at why most people won't take the plunge and quit. <ol><li>You Are Afraid of Financial Consequences: More than a few people not satisfied with their jobs choose to hang on to them because they are afraid that, if they make the decision of quitting, the financial consequences can be severe. If you are going to jump to another company, this aspect isn't that tough: get a job lined up before you leave. </li> If however you are leaving your job in order to <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/03/myths-of-starting-business.html" title="Myths of Starting a Business">start a business</a>, you are playing an entirely different ballgame. Where is the health insurance coming from, do you have a way to ensure your "must pay" bills are going to get paid? If you are serious about taking things to the next level, you have to take a few calculated risks here and there but like most things, a good dose of due diligence is required before you jump with both feet. <li> You Are Afraid of Social Consequences: There are quite a few folks who don't quit their jobs because they are afraid of social consequences. In other words, they are afraid that people will look down upon them and they are especially afraid of the 'get a job' phrase. If you choose to live your life based on what others think about you then I am afraid that being truly happy can and will prove to be quite a challenge. </li> <li>It Secures a Comfortable Lifestyle: "Comfortable", this is indeed an extremely dangerous word and a lot of people end up deciding not to quit a certain job because it secures a 'comfortable' lifestyle. If you really want to be successful however, such an attitude is definitely not the way to go. Again, it's easier said than done, but you should not replace happiness with comfort. </li> <li>You Are Used to Having a Passive Attitude: Are you the type of person who, whenever there is something you do not agree with, never says how he or she feels, never does anything about it and prefers a passive attitude? If so, then I'm afraid that you will have to implement some serious changes as far as your way of thinking if concerned because, unfortunately for you, such an attitude will get you nowhere. </li> <li>You See No Better Alternative: A lot of people end up sticking with a certain job as a result of the fact that they don't have any better alternatives in mind. They are not satisfied with the way currently stand, yet they lack vision and are not able to think of something better for themselves. Is that your case? If so, then some serious brainstorming is in order. If you genuinely try your best, it's next to impossible not to be able to come up with something better than your current job. Use your imagination and you will most definitely find a certain field you are passionate about and where you are able to provide value as well.</li></ol>Best wishes, Alan Johnson <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?a=98RBsx"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?i=98RBsx" border="0"></img></a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=PqAUI6f"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=PqAUI6f" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=DnaTtxf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=DnaTtxf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=GfbD4Xf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=GfbD4Xf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=ex2n2if"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=ex2n2if" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=cu1Q6qF"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=cu1Q6qF" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DumbLittleMan/~4/259642458" height="1" width="1"/></content><author><name>Jay White</name></author></entry><entry><updated>2008-03-26T06:37:21.123-05:00</updated><title type="text">Work Smarter for Better Time Management</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 3/26/2008 by <a href="http://www.slowdownfast.com/about/">David B. Bohl</a>, the author of <a href="http://www.slowdownfast.com/ebooks.html">The Happiness Trilogy</a>.</h7></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordsutch/74873411/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/R-oyfop0EzI/AAAAAAAABmE/i9Qk5aX7ZIw/s400/clutter.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182009840313307954" border="0" /></a>Today’s business world is constantly changing at breakneck speeds. It requires flexibility, a great deal of organization, and a good sense of humor just to keep up. Companies are retaining fewer employees but the workload continues to increase, making it harder to meet job demands and almost impossible to maintain any kind of work life balance. Many companies have recognized this disparity and have implemented various types of time management training programs; some are good, most aren't. Even so, you need to come up with a well thought out plan in order to meet your goals. Luckily there are several things you can do to make the most of your day, get things done, and still have time left over to relax. The Curse of the Information Age As technology improves, the number of people bombarding us with messages only seems to grow. Every day they have new and improved ways to interrupt our work. Between e-mail, the telephone, cell phone, Twitter, Linked In, and the eighteen other sites that keep you "in touch", we have entered the age of information overload. One of the best things you can do to work smarter is to manage your incoming communications. This will be difficult because many of today's tools are taught to chase you, find you, and interrupt you. Start by separating your work and personal e-mail accounts, and only respond to your work-related messages while you are in your office. Save the personal messages for later. Schedule blocks of time in your calendar specifically for this task, put a time limit on it, and stick to it. Buy an egg timer if you need to. Schedule your important phone calls as well. Allow sufficient time to contact your clients, but do not get entangled with personal conversations. Keep your phone time to a minimum, but do not be short or rude. If you don't use it, learn how to send calls straight to voice mail so you aren't tempted to answer a caller ID you recognize. Managing Mountains of Paperwork Develop a desktop organization system for incoming documents and mail. Touch the papers as little as possible, meaning they get filed as soon as you have time. If you come across mail, notes, or memos that will not be filed, shred them as soon as you are finished reading them. The goal is to <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/07/10-ways-to-remove-clutter-from-your.html">reduce the amount of clutter</a> on your desk so you can work more efficiently. Handling paperwork wastes almost as much time as e-mail so by making a simple change in how you handle paperwork, you could be saving yourself a great deal of time. Speaking of clutter, organize your desktop. It does not necessarily need to be neat, just functional enough for you to get things done. Find Some Quiet Time When you need to read a technical document or if you are working on a task that requires great thought and <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/12/6-simple-steps-to-achieve-laser-like.html">concentration</a>, remove yourself from your colleagues, shut down email, turn of <a class="snap_shots" href="http://www.twhirl.org/">twhirl</a>. Interruptions from co-workers can cause you to lose focus, and can cost you a great deal of time when you need to go back and re-read something. Close your office door or go to the library to ensure your success with your project. Take a Breather Sometimes we become so focused on getting things done that we forget to <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/02/step-out-to-achieve-greater-success.html">give ourselves a break</a>. Walk around the office or go outside and get a few minutes of fresh air. Eat your lunch, and have a snack in the afternoon. Getting the blood moving and nourishing our bodies will ensure the ongoing function of our brains. We will be able to stay on task better when we do not feel fatigued, making it easier to accomplish our goals. Remain Focused As new projects arrive or circumstances change, we may feel compelled to jump to a new task before we finished the previous one. Unless it is an absolute emergency, avoid this behavior. You interrupt your progress and train of thought, making it difficult to pick up again where you left off with any efficiency. Lack of efficiency only adds to the amount of time it will take you to finish. Schedule Everything If you do not already keep a calendar, begin now. Write everything down with an allotted time period. Allow ample time to reasonably accomplish your goals so you do not feel overwhelmed or unduly pressured. Do not stray from your schedule, which should include personal errands and chores as well as work-related appointments. Following a few simple changes will not necessarily change the amount of work you must complete, but it will help you <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/06/hack-your-work-23-ways-to-get-ahead.html">complete your work more efficiently</a>. Getting things done in a shorter period gives you the extra time you have been looking for. You can take your extra time and spend it guiltlessly on your spouse, your children, or in a hot bath. Working smarter will help you keep up with the demands of the workplace while still maintaining a good work life balance. -David <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?a=QPNsvd"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?i=QPNsvd" border="0"></img></a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=uHff7Af"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=uHff7Af" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=bphVdaf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=bphVdaf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=121hb7f"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=121hb7f" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=4eFhiuf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=4eFhiuf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=P3FI8nF"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=P3FI8nF" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DumbLittleMan/~4/258258463" height="1" width="1"/></content><author><name>Jay White</name></author></entry><entry><updated>2008-03-25T14:43:48.372-05:00</updated><title type="text">How to Find Happiness Without Buying It</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 3/25/2008 by <a href="http://www.slowdownfast.com/about/">David B. Bohl</a>, the author of <a href="http://www.slowdownfast.com/">Slow Down Fast</a>.</h7></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanuiop/224624067/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/R-lNMop0EyI/AAAAAAAABl8/-FnbzKkbZ4M/s320/overflow.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181757725733032738" border="0" /></a>Our materialistic society has led us to believe that happiness cannot be obtained without having money. Rather than learning to be satisfied with what we have, we are taught to want more. We learn from advertising, and from the media, that we need to buy trinkets and toys in order to make ourselves happy, or to fulfill emotional needs, and that the purchases they are trying to talk us into will provide us with the psychological comfort we are looking for. Unfortunately as a society we have bought into these misguided messages and have come to believe that spending money on certain items will bring us fame, fortune, happiness, beauty, or popularity. We end up using money as a crutch to provide us with something we ultimately must find within ourselves. As we become caught up in this charade, we trade precious hours of our lives trying to earn the money we have been taught to covet so much. We trade hours of our lives working, sacrificing time that could have been spent with our families, for the pursuit of the almighty dollar. In order to find true happiness, we first must learn to change our <a class="snap_shots" href="http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/08/03/how-much-money-do-you-need-to-be-happy-hint-your-sex-life-matters-more/">attitudes about money</a>. We must learn that money, and the spending of it, provides only a temporary relief but does not present us with any real long lasting benefits. We end up owning something we either do not really want or do not really need, and the underlying emotional issues remain. Rather than focus on the temporary satisfaction you may feel from spending money, try the following to bring you happiness without it. <ul><li>Imagine Having no Money: Imagine what you would do for happiness if you had no money at all. Think about how you would spend your time, and what you would do for enjoyment. Change your focus from material possessions to other things that bring you enjoyment, such as spending quality time with your family and friends. Rather than focusing on the accumulation of possessions, concentrate instead on playing with or reading to your children, or spending time out enjoying nature. </li> <li>Want What you Already Have: Society teaches us to want what others have. Instead, shift your thinking so that you are satisfied with, or want, what is already yours. What tends to happen is once we reach our goals in terms of owning personal possessions, we trade those old goals in for a set of new ones that involves bigger, better, and grander objects. Goals are good to have because they motivate us to work, and to continue to strive for self improvement. The key is to find a balance between having worthy goals and recognizing when we are allowing the desire for possessions to overwhelm the importance of other aspects of our lives. Rather than constantly striving for things we do not have, we need to shift our focus to being thankful for the things we already possess. </li> <li>Volunteer Your Time: One way to appreciate what you have is to work with others who have nothing, or who have disabilities that no amount of money can overcome. Volunteering time to work in a food bank, or to work with underprivileged children, can really alter your perspective on where you are in life, and can create a deeper appreciation for the gifts you do have in your life. Helping others can boost your spirits as well. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction to be gained from giving aid to those who are in need of it, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction that will carry over into your own life. Use the experiences of helping others to teach your children compassion and civic responsibility.</li></ul>There are a number of <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/06/39-ways-to-live-and-not-merely-exist.html">ways to enjoy life</a> without the need for a great deal of money. Certainly, it is important to work and earn enough to provide for our basic needs and the needs of our families, but it is important to recognize when the desire for personal possessions becomes overly consuming. There needs to be a balance between a satisfying work life and a rich home life, and the best way to achieve such a balance is to ensure the drive for material possessions does not become all consuming. -David <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?a=qhbZlb"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?i=qhbZlb" border="0"></img></a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=EiOjWgf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=EiOjWgf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=NGJCTzf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=NGJCTzf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=t7IaWGf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=t7IaWGf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=YAUT8Xf"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=YAUT8Xf" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=c1SvYUF"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=c1SvYUF" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DumbLittleMan/~4/257863960" height="1" width="1"/></content><author><name>Jay White</name></author></entry><entry><updated>2008-03-25T08:21:26.385-05:00</updated><title type="text">The Ancient Method For Creating A Life of Abundance</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 3/25/2008 by Alex Shalman, creator of the of <a href="http://www.alexshalman.com/blog/">Practical Personal Development</a> blog.</h7></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_gin/2249340586/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/R-j6lop0ExI/AAAAAAAABl0/RToTwcfwRqg/s320/overflow.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181666895764656914" title="Hole in One" border="0" /></a>My good friend Rabbi Johnny Shippel shared a very interesting and thought provoking concept with me this weekend. He asked me which paradigm I thought was better to have, the cup half empty or the cup half full. Without giving it any thought I played right into his trap! "Half full" is what I said. With a grin he replied, "neither". This confused me a little bit since I know myself to be a very optimistic person and couldn't imagine anything other than a cup half full as the Ace in this deck of cards. You're supposed to work with what you have, right? The next words that came out of his mouth have intrigued me for the past couple of days. Instead of thinking half empty or half full, if you were to pour the contents of the cup into a smaller cup, you would now in possession of one full cup. Lowering Your Standards For The Win? The first way that I tried to understand this concept was that by lowering your standards you are setting yourself up for less disappointments in life. In fact when Denmark was considered the <a class="snap_shots" href="http://www.alexshalman.com/blog/2008/02/23/the-secret-is-out-happiest-nation-in-the-world-discloses-everything/"> happiest nation in the world</a>, their lack of standards are what were credited for this happiness. According to the Danes, their lack of great success as a nation has led them to have this national out look on life. Whenever something good happened they were overjoyed because it was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Scoring With The Abundance Mentality I took a couple of days to think about this, and to discuss it with some friends. There was in fact a better reason for the cups over flowing, which had nothing to do with standards, and everything to do with attraction. By looking at our cups as overflowing we are effectively creating the mentality of abundance. This abundance mentality is the way the law of attraction works to bring more of what we are focusing on into our lives. While the cup is said to be overflowing with wine, it is metaphorically applied to every area of our lives. Thinking abundantly about health, money, and relationships will bring more and better into our lives. Where could you apply this concept to get the biggest returns in your own life? 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