Life: are you forgetting do these 8 important things? Busy lifestyles and hectic schedules are taking such a toll on the mental health of people that they forget important tasks during a typical day.  It seems the more we do to simplify our life the better we feel and the less mistakes we will make.  However at home and at work, people seem to be forgetting things more.

We need hold our own agenda and embrace our own path while having sufficient energy and imagination to fulfil our life.  We need to see ourselves as resourceful and creative beings.  We need to believe that we are capable of great results, that we can change our thoughts and change our world.

We are all capable of generating the right solutions for ourselves and can make powerful choices that move us forward in unexpected ways.  We must take responsibility and ownership for our results, trust our senses and the inner “sage” voice within us.

To create a joyous and purposeful life, remember to do these 8 things regularly:

1. Let go of the past.  Your past is not your future unless you live there – and living there prevents you from learning how to find joy in the present.  If you have lost a loved one, ended a relationship or have been struggling financially, these are certainly valid reasons to feel upset.  Let yourself feel sad, but never hopeless.  Ask yourself “What can I learn about myself from these experiences and emotions?”
2. Spend time with people who are inspiring and positive.  When you are surrounded by positive people, it will be nearly impossible to feel pessimistic.  These people automatically lift your spirits and help you find the good in any situation.
3. Take a deep breath and learn to live in the now.  This is about practicing mindfulness as well as practicing gratitude.  The more you practice gratitude, the more positive emotions you will feel.
4. Laugh like no-one is watching.  Often called the “happy hormone,” dopamine results in feelings of well‑being.  A primary driver of the brain’s reward system, it spikes when we experience something pleasurable. Dopamine produces that high we get from food, love, shopping, dancing, signing, laughing or any activity that we find enjoyable.
5. Perform regular physical activity.  Exercise is proven to reduce depression and has a powerful effect on your state of mind.  Even a 15-minute run or 45-minute walk per day can boost your mood.
6. Dedicate yourself to others.  Activities such as volunteering produce greater joy than focusing on oneself.
7. Connect with your spiritual side.  When we join with something larger than ourselves, we develop feelings of gratitude, compassion, and peace.  Meditation is a powerful y to modify brain pathways to increase joy.
8. Discover something new.  As humans, we are hard-wired to experience joy when experiencing novelty and learning new things.  Developing a new pursuit or hobby can help us refocus our energy.

To close, here is a great self-reflective question: “What one thing would change me, my family, and the world for the better?” Because desire creates power.  Remember to do things in life that make you feel alive and purposeful. 

Should you require coaching assistance to support your life’s purpose, then contact me via email.

The decision as to whether to hire a professional resumé writer is one that leaves many people confused.  So, I am glad you are reading this blog!  Professional resumé writing services continue to grow in demand globally.  When it comes time to write your resumé, you are bound to receive a lot of conflicting advice.

This could come from your best friend, your ex-colleague who happens to be a HR Manager or even a sibling.  “Just use an online template” or “There is no better person to write your resume than you” or even, “My mother’s cousin’s husband works in recruitment, and he said…”.

Take a deep breath, as I will walk you through this and help you understand the importance of your resumé and what it needs to do.  I want you to be able to land that next interview, and the decision to hire a resumé writer could play a BIG role!

Resumé Templates

First off, I want you to run away from using a resume template.  Why?  Because when you market yourself to prospective employers you cannot afford to look, sound, and feel like all the other applicants.  And that is what will happen when you use a free “online” template.  It might look OK visually however it is usually a cut and dried content that does not sell you.

When I work with clients, I always take time to give feedback on resumés.  Most resumés I have come across all look the same.  A template will not let you stand out from the crowd.  Even worse, if you used a template your resumé will not be configured to survive the software scans it will undergo on its way to the decision maker.  The good news as a professional resumé writer I NEVER use a template! My resumés are tailored to each client, their style, personality, and career story.

DIY Resumés

I totally get the concept that you should be the person who knows yourself best in the world.  Therefore, it seems logical that you could be the best person to write your resumé.  But that’s actually very far from the truth.  Have you noticed that the perceptive people in your life can see your talents and expertise in a way you don’t?  It’s because your greatest skills are part of you, and you take them for granted.

How can you market yourself in a document you are not trained to create? If you want that dream job, can you afford to take the chance that you may not know how to market yourself property on paper?  Remember, most jobs are looking to hire only one applicant, and you want it to be you!

So, think about what we know so far regarding writing your resume:

• You know your skills and accomplishments, but you take them for granted.
• You do your job full-time, and that is NOT professional resumé writing.
• You know a template is going to pigeon-hole you to look and sound like everyone else.
• You know a template isn’t going to help you survive computer scans of your resume.
• You have no idea what ATS compatibility is and if you do, probably won’t know how to achieve it.
• You get that resumé writing is marketing and that even if you do marketing as a career, it would be hard to sell yourself (see #1).

Benefits

When selecting a resumé writer, a job seeker should always look for a certified individual who has experience working with job seekers in their industry.  As a four times certified Advanced Resumé Writer with international accreditations, 70% of my business is writing professional resumés.  Here are the big wins for you:

• It is not as expensive as you think, and you only need to spend about two hours answering specific questions via a worksheet or over the phone.
• Professional resumé writers (like me) love their job and love words, designing and writing.  Plus, many of us use our unique talents to prepare LinkedIn profiles, matching cover letters and applications.
• On average it takes about four days to turn around a resumé from start to finish – when this process could easily take up to two weeks by yourself.  Think of the time and mental anguish you are saving!
• You get a handcrafted original resumé that markets you to your desired role and you get dedicated support through the process. I do not hand off my work to sub-contractors.
• You get a high-quality product (even though resumés are not a “Magic Bullet”) and you work with a person who is unbiased, honest, and able to understand your job search needs.
• You get an inside perspective on the hiring process and professional resumé writers keep track of changing industry trends.  They know what hiring managers want to see. This includes skills, education, work history, resumé formatting, typeface, and keywords.

You have come to the right place and for the past decade I have worked with all types of clients from graduates through to Chief Executive Officers.  I am here to unearth happiness and empower clients who wish to transition careers with confidence.  Furthermore, I have assisted over 500 clients through resumé writing and career coaching, which has helped them to head confidently towards their goals. 

If you need assistance, reach out, because it’s OK to ask for help!

People procrastinate because their drive to delay is irrationally stronger than their drive to act.  This happens when their self-control and motivation are weakened by issues like exhaustion and are opposed by issues like fear. There are many reasons why people procrastinate with some being feeling overwhelmed, unable to reprioritise, low energy, a problematic environment, anxiety or even holding a sense of perfectionism.

Procrastination is a trap many people fall into, and it can become a habit.  It is often confused with laziness, but they are very different.  Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing.  In contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity and an unwillingness to act.

If we procrastinate over a long period of time, we can become demotivated and disillusioned with our work which can lead to depression and even job loss, in extreme cases. As most habits it is possible to overcome procrastination.  There are a multitude of strategies that can shift procrastination behaviours.  A few of my favourites are to:

1: Reconnect to a higher purpose

What is the intention or deeper significance in doing this?  As Simon Sinek reminds us, it’s “the compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as the source of all we do.” Also recognise that you are procrastinating and understand the reasons why.  For instance, are you avoiding a particular task because you find it boring or unpleasant?  If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so that you can focus on the aspects of your job that you find more enjoyable.  Then you can reconnect to the fun or more meaningful part of your work.

2: Visualize

Visualization is important because it helps to prepare and teach us how to respond to a situation before it happens.  For example, bringing the future into the present.  Visualize the task, and then visualize yourself working through it to completion.  Visualization helps you achieve your goals by conditioning your brain to see, hear and feel the success in your mind.  A visual board of projects with steps to completion, as well as the important column of “Done” is also a visualizing strategy.

3: Start with easy

Starting is very often the hardest part, so we procrastinate.  In her book The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World one of the strategies Dorie Clark shares to get started on projects that feel overwhelming, is to “trick ourselves” with an easy behaviour change.  Instead of focusing on the enormous task ahead, Clark says to create “tiny habits” that are “so minuscule and doable that they’re impossible to resist”.  The goal for any activity that feels overwhelming, or where you feel nervous or fearful is to lower the bar.  Break down the task into easy-to-achieve steps and find a small way to begin that does not require a lot of motivation.  Then once a behaviour is started, it becomes easier to keep going.  Getting started is all that’s needed, and motivation and momentum build from there.

4: Change it up

Changing up the environment in which you work can interrupt the procrastination cycle and help you find focus.  And, by the way, this also satisfies the brain’s need for novelty.  What would you add or change in your environment?

5: MITs – Most Important Tasks

Stephen Covey talks about setting your MITs for the day – your Most Important Tasks.  This has been one of the single most effective tools that I teach my clients when they are in ‘’overwhelm mode’’.

• Write down on a piece of paper everything you need to do.  Leave nothing off the list – this is about getting them your head onto paper
• Get them to go through the list and pick out their top 3 priorities.  This is called the JUST 3 Rule.
• Once they have their top 3 priorities, they can start working on the priority, and then the next and only focus on ONE thing at a time. 
• When you have finished those three, stop, take a break and get on with the rest of your day.
• Start tomorrow with the same practice as doing three important things each day can help limit anxiety and procrastination.

Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career.  It can also disrupt teamwork, reduce morale, and even lead to depression and job loss.  So, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.