If youre serious about success, then you need to improve your recovery

If youre serious about success, then you need to improve your recoveryIf youre serious about success, then you need to improve your recoveryWhen you study the lives of people who are the best in the world at what they do, youll notice one consistent themeRecovery.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIn aninterview, Mike Mancias,performance coach for basketball icon LeBron James, told Tim Ferriss, Recovery never stops. Thats the key to LeBrons success. Its the key to Olympian Michael Phelps success as well.What do I mean by recovery?Recovery is organizing the rest of your life to ensure you perform at your highest level. In other words, what Michael Phelps did while he wasnt swimming was the reason he was so good at swimming. What LeBron James does while he isnt playing basketball is why hes so good at basketball.Focusing on recovery is hard for two reasonsWe can be impulsive, thinkin g mora work is better, so we just become workaholics.Our recovery isnt actually recovery, but a low-level distraction from what really matters in our livesMore Is Not BetterLets start with the first reason. Working more to get ahead eventually leads to a diminishing of returns. Its like trying to cut a tree down with an increasingly dull saw.Recovery is sharpening your saw so that youre effective while working.But recovery is also about gaining clarity so that youre cutting down the right tree.Heres how Abraham Lincoln felt about recoveryGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. - Abraham LincolnSee what I mean?Abraham Lincoln believed that two-thirds of his attention should be spent on his recovery. My guess, if you really looked closer, is that 80% or more of Lincolns attention was on recovery.Its not about chopping down more trees. Its about cutting down the right trees.For example, I see people writing and publishing blog posts ev ery day. But none of these people are ever going to become professional writers in the strict sense. They will always be mediocre novices. Their work isnt getting any better. They arent thinking any bigger about what theyre doing. Theyre thinking incredibly small.Thus a big, big part of recovery is the thinking and imaginative process.What is it you actually want to do?Is what youre currently doing the best approach?Should you be so focused on output or should you direct your attention more toward results?What type of results would constitute success for you?How could you get 10X the results with 10X less effort?What are the 10% or 20% of activities youre currently doing that are producing 80% or more of your results?How can you delete almost everything youre doing and focus on what really matters?How can you produce less but impact more?Focus, Not RepetitionYou see people go to the gym several times per week for years and never truly become healthier or stronger.In the bookTurning Pro, Steven Pressfield said,Addictions embody repetition without progress.Repetition without progress is what happens when youre working with a dull blade. Its what happens when you are a dull blade.You need clear goals that are outcome-focused. When you become very clear about the specific results you want in your life, then you focus on recovery. You focus on figuring out what really works.You stop just doing more, more, more in an impulsive and wishful manner.You actually sit down and think aboutWhat do you really want?Why do you want it?Why are you currently getting the results youre getting?Whats working?Whats not working?How can you improve what is working?How can you eliminate whats not?True RecoveryWherever you are, thats where you should be. - Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic CoachTrue recovery is about rejuvenation. Its about being present with where you are.Most people are rarely present these days. When theyre at work, theyre distracted. They fight off their self-pres cribed ADHD with stimulants to keep them going. When they arent working, theyre on their phone impulsively. Theyre checking emails, notifications, and being anywhere but where their body is.Fasting is a form of recovering your body from food intake. While fasting, your body can actually heal itself because, for a brief window of time, its not focused on digestion. Fasting from technology regularly is essential for clarity.Bill Gates is famous for taking one week off per year solely for the purpose of thinking. He calls this his think week. During this think week, he justs read articles, meditates, visualizes, and thinks about Microsoft. Most of the big innovations and ideas for Microsoft came during those think weeks.Bill Gates gave himself time off. He gave himself time to reflect and renew. It was during those few moments of connection with himself and his thinking that he created something that not only changed the world but made him - for a time - the wealthiest person in the world.Recovery is about results.Its about looking at your life and thinking aboutWhat is low-level?What is below the standards of my goals?What is below the standards of the results Im seeking?How can you expect to truly be amazing at what you do if the rest of your life is a mess? How can you expect to be professional if most of your time is spent living like a novice? How you train and practice reflects what happens in the game.Dan Sullivan, the founder of Strategic Coach - which is the 1 entrepreneurial coaching program in the world - has found that for an entrepreneur to 10X their revenue, they must massively decrease their time spent working.Ideally, you spend 35%-40% of your days totally off from work. That would be between 127 and 146 days per year not working.For Dan, its not a free day if you check your email. Its not a free day if youre thinking about work. Its not a free day if youre not totally present recovering.Heres what youll find The people who are most successful do the most memorable and enjoyable things while not working. People who are average at what they do spend their time on average things while not working. Theyre watching the news or consuming low-level media.Those who are successful spend their time off with family, or traveling, or learning, or having powerful experiences, or engaging in real hobbies.The quality of your recovery reflects the quality of your life.ConclusionLook at your results over the past six to 12 months.Are you actually getting better at what youre doing?If youve been going to the gym, can you actually see the results? Is your body different?When it comes to your business, are you actually making more moneyWhen it comes to your lifestyle, are you actually seeing gains?If youre not improving as much as you could be, then youre not recovering enough or well enough.Youre not focused on quality. Youre not focused on results. But when you really get serious about results, then youll do everything you can to improve your performance.And improving your performance is all about the setup and design.Its about what youre doing while youre not at work. Its about what youre doing while youre not at the gym. Its about taking the long-term view of where youre going. Its about thinking big enough to become elite at what you do, rather than maintaining the amateur perspective.Theres a reason most people remain mediocre amateurs at what they do. Theres a reason that 3% of any given field make over 90% of the money. Theres a reason 3% of the blog posts are read by 90% of the people.Are you actually getting better? How big are your goals? How can you 10X what youre doing? How can you spend your time most effectively? Those are questions you must ask if you want to see huge results. Those are questions you must answer if youre going to get paid big for what you do.Stop being an amateur. Become a professional.Become the best in the world at what you do. Become so good your work cant be ignored.Do stuff thats rare, unique, and valuable - not that which is easily replicable.Have the vision to think big enough.This article first appeared on Medium.

How to convince your boss to let you see the eclipse

How to convince your babo to let you binnenbinnensee the eclipseHow to convince your boss to let you see the eclipseOn Monday, a rare natural phenomenon is coming to the United States. As the moon, Earth, and sun align, the moon will completely block out the sun, casting a shadow on parts of the Earth and causing a total solar eclipse that will be seen from Oregon to South Carolina.Everyone in the U.S. will at least see a partial solar eclipse, but to fully experience it, youll have to be in the 70-mile-wide path of totality that 14 states will be in. You can figure out how much of the eclipse youll see by checking out this interactive map.Although the total solar eclipse will last only a few minutes at maximum, some employers may not see the big deal. So the sky is darkening? OK, get back to work.If your skeptical co-workers say so what? you can tell them so this. Eclipses are a rare moment of cosmic serendipity that can raise good will amongst employees and create memories that wil l last beyond this auffhrung.Here are a few ways you can convince your boss and your company you need to take a few minutes offto see this eclipseIts awe-inspiringIf youre on the fence about taking a break to watch the moon block the sun, let an astronomer whomLadders talked with convince you. Dr. Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College who has seen 33 total solar eclipses, calls seeing a total solar eclipse an unforgettable experience.To be in totality is complete inspiring in that these dramatic phenomena arouse a primal fear that the sun is being extinguished in the middle of the day, he said.As Annie Dillard explained in her 1982 essay on seeing a total solar eclipse, the event is so mind-blowing, it can inspire screams.People on all the hillsides, including, I think, myself, screamed when the black body of the moon detached from the sky and rolled over the sun, she wrote. This was the universe about which we have read so much and never before felt the universe as a clo ckwork of loose spheres flung at stupefying, unauthorized speeds.But whats the value for those not in the path of totality? Admittedly, watching a partial eclipse is not exciting at all, Pasachoff said. But it is interesting a little bit to look through a filter and see that theres a bite out of the sun and that it changes very slowly over a couple of hours.But really if you can, go see a total solar eclipse over a partial one, he said.Its like putting your family in a car and going 70 percent of the way to Disney World. Its just disappointing that you havent gone all the way and youve missed the main event, Pasachoff said about seeing a partial eclipse. Youre not inside the theme park unless youre in totality.It will be a very long time until the next oneIf youre in the path of totality, this eclipse will last no longer than about two minutes, 40 seconds. It shouldnt be that hard of a sell to take a break thats shorter than your average lunch break.But if you miss the 2017 total so lar eclipse, youll have to wait until 2024 to see it again in the U.S.If youre in a place of totality on Monday, realize that youre very lucky. It takes 375 years for a total solar eclipse to occur again in the same spot on average.It could be a community-building event for the officeIf the science of an eclipse is somehow uninteresting, take a look at the business incentives to take part in one.Manyhave said that they feel like theres no time in our workday for breaks or vacations. But taking a break away from our desks is good for our body and mind. Research has found that frequent breaks are key to being successful in the office.And if you think you cant mix work and play? Think again. One study found that people who did an enjoyable activity right before working reported just as much enjoyment as the group who had fun after work.Eclipses are a special event that can inspire awe and cheer just by having people looking up. This is a low-cost, big-win scenario.The amount of good wi ll youll get from letting your employees see this event for 20 minutes will strengthen your bond with them and improve your bottom-line, Pasachoff said.Do you want to be remembered as the boss who stopped your employees from seeing a breathtaking site of nature that may only be seen once in their lifetime? Think wisely.

Working with Professional Career Advisors

Working with Professional Career Advisors Working with Professional Career Advisors Career advisors usually see people that are not satisfied with their current position and are looking to make a significant change in their career. They offer testing that can help them identify which careers may be better suited to them. There are even tests that can match your outside interests with those of people in other fields. The theory being people with similar outside interests are better suited for that type of work. The career advisor will help the candidate in resume preparation and coaching them in interview presentation. The advisor will analyze the clients past experience and match them with the new position they are considering. Having a good idea of your transitional skills is a must when making a career changeIf you are a person in an entry level position and you have some ideas about where in the company you would like to advance, you should discuss this with a career advisor. Th ey can administer some tests that assess whether you have the skills necessary for that position. These tests can of course point out weaknesses that can be overcome by training. The career advisor will have information on what is offered and the cost.In this case you may be able to have the training paid for by your employer. Telling your employer that you have consulted with a career advisor certainly shows great initiative. It is a great way to get noticed, especially in a larger firm.They can also be helpful to experienced professionals who have been happy in their job, but due to downsizing are in need of some assistance. It might be just some help in punching up a resume or identifying transitional skills that can help expand the job search for people in this situation. Others may have to come to terms with the fact that their career plan must be drastically altered to keep up with current conditions in their field. A career advisor can offer guidance and specific ideas on how to move forward. A plan that breaks things down into easy to follow steps can ease the anxiety of the situation and make it less overwhelming.As you can see, these professionals are an important resource for any person that takes their career seriously. You get to sit down with a professional that has a lot of experience and find out if you really can get that dream job. The young professional can find out what skills are needed to advance in their desired field. Many career advisors have information about upcoming job fairs and current hiring trends. Some advisors offer job search technique seminars for the older professional whohasntneeded to look for a job for years. When it comes to careers the old adage was Its not what you know, but who you know. That is still true, and one person youd want to know is a career advisor.

How to Ask for a Job Recommendation

How to Ask for a Job RecommendationHow to Ask for a Job RecommendationWhen you are job searching, being able to provide solid employment recommendations is always important. Asking the right people in the most effective way for a reference can greatly impact the ultimate quality of your recommendations, and help you get hired. Be Selective About Who You Ask for a Recommendation The most important step is to make sure that youchoose enthusiastic supportersas reference givers. Not just any colleague or friend will do. In fact, a common mistake is subtly pressuring reluctant writers. Trying to convince someone who is leid comfortable writing a job recommendation for you can be a mistake when youre furnishing confidential references. You really wont know exactly what theyre saying or writing about you and your qualifications for the job. However, badgering someone who is hesitant to help you out can also backfire when you get to see the recommendation theyre writing, even when it app ears to be positive. That sounds strange, because youd think that any positive recommendation would be good. But heres why thats not true employers will oftenfollow up with your references. The employer may ask probing questions during a conversation that could reveal damaging information from the reference givers who may have doubts about your qualifications but didnt want to mention them in writing. So, the best strategy is to give your prospective reference writers an out. Let them know that youre looking to assemble a strong set of recommendations and ask if they are comfortable supplying a highly positive reference. If they are, then great, but if not, let them go with a simple, thanks anyway. Use Email to Request a Recommendation When asking someone to recommend you, send them an email request. This way reluctant writers can carefully choose the wording for their response and dont have to look you in the eye in order to decline. You might ask, Do you know me in a way that would allow you to write a really positive recommendation? With your initial request, you should also mention that youll provide some additional background information to help should they choose to write for you. Not sure what exactly to write? Here are sample email letters and messagesasking for a recommendation. What Type of Information to Provide to Your References When a prospective reference writer confirms an interest in acting as a reference for you, its important that you provide them with as much information as possible. Dont leave the writer floundering and trying to figure out the job youre applying for or why exactly youd be so good at it. Heres a look at some of the type of information that might be helpful for your recommendation writer to have 1.A copy of your resume. Thiswill provide the person giving you the recommendation a comprehensive summary of your background. Even someone who knows you well will benefit from being able to review your resume. 2.A copy of your cover letter. If the person is writing the recommendation for a specific job, this is crucial information. Your cover letter will show the recommendation writer how youre framing your case, and might spur him or her to build upon some of the themes youve presented. 3. The address of your LinkedIn profile. This is especially important if youve included some highly laudatory recommendations and skill endorsements on your profile. Your recommender may be even mora comfortable praising you after seeing these positive comments. 4.A detailed summary of the job duties and accomplishments. Of course, you want to focus on the responsibilitiesand accomplishments that relate to your work. This information can help your recommendation writer to be more specific and convincing when he or she writes for you. This will be especially useful if some time has passed since you worked together. 5.A copy of the job advertisement. The more information the writer has the better. Giving him or her a c opy of the job posting and description can help him or her see what the employer is expecting from the prospective employee. That way he or she can tailor the reference to the specific position. 6.Acopy of your personal statement. This isnt so much for a job recommendation, but it may be important and helpful if youre applying for graduate school. If youve written a thesis statement for your job search, share that as well.

Work from Home Call Center Jobs in Maine

Work from Home Call Center Jobs in MaineWork from Home Call Center Jobs in MaineIf you are looking for awork at home call center jobin Maine, start here. The companies on this list are known to hire in Maine. Due to labor and tax laws most companies that hire telecommuting call center agents only hire in some states. Some states have a lot home call center companies, while others (like Maine, unfortunately) have only a few call center companies. Accolade Support Call Center ServicesBusiness outsourcing company hires independent contractors all across the United States as home-basedtech support agentsand customer service reps to service. Pay is a per-minute rate that is capped at $10/hour. However, independent contractors have no extremum wage protection. AloricaAlorica merged with work-at-home call center company West at Home. Like West, it hires in Maine, employing home-based agents who are paid on a per minute or per call basis, but since they are employees they do earn the minimum wage. Apple At-Home AdvisorsApple employs both college students and non-students for full- and part-time, home-based positions customer and technical support positions in all states. And though jobs are recruited nationwide there are states listed with each position in the companies jobs page, but you dont have to live in that state. AROCompanys home call center employees work in positions such as customer service and ausverkauf. It also hires insurance auditors and LPNs and RNs to work from home. Aspire LifestylesSpecializing in virtual assistant or concierge services, companys remote agents handle customer requests phone, e-mail, and chat. Fluency in French, German, Spanish or Italian is a plus. Asurion(formerly NEW Corp)Call center for device replacement insurance hires remote employees for full- and part-time work. LiveOpsThis company hires agents for outbound sales, bilingual customer service (Spanish and French) and financial services. Agents are paid at a rate that is based on minutes of talk time plus sales incentives in some cases. Agents must become certified to work for individual clients. This certification is not paid. Candidates must pay approximately $50 for a background check. SitelSitel WorkHome, the companys work-at-home program, offers its call center employees professional training from home for full- and part-time jobs. Support.comThis company provides technical support services for its clients, using remote chat and call center agents. Its remote services technicians answer inbound calls.More Chat Customer Service Jobs SYKES Home Powered by Alpine Access Remote employees receive inbound customer service and sales calls for a variety of this BPOs clients. They are paid for training, and once started receive around $9/hour. Applicants who are offered a position must pay $45 for a background check. The hiring process for these call center jobs is online and by phone. Bilingual skills a plus. XACT TelesolutionsHires inbound and outbound call center agents (English-only and bilingual in Spanish) for work at home jobs. pay ranges from $8-$13/hour. There may be more companies on this list of call center companies that hire agents from Maine.

What Needs to be Done About Relevant Coursework Resume

What Needs to be Done About Relevant Coursework Resume Concentrate on enhancing the degrees and course put youve earned, in place of representing yourself falsely to prospective employers. Instead of further work finding, you can list expected coursework. While coursework isnt the equivalent of actual hands-on experience, it can often be sufficient to sway an employer whos impressed with the remainder of your resume. Concentrate on enhancing the degrees and course work youve earned, instead of representing coursework falsely to prospective employers. Obviously, the very first option what a non-starter if you wish to obtain example consideration. Resume choice ought to be based on need. Pick the courses you truly feel pertain to the job which you resume applying for. Apparently, the very first alternative is a non-starter if relevant wish to get considerable consideration. The Unexpected Truth About Relevant Coursework Resume For a couple individuals, a certificate or diplom a is a vital method to begin a new career while for some it can be an ideal method to boost their skill collection. Your course resume could compensate for your deficiency of hands-on experience in the business. Your course work could compensate for your deficiency of practical experience in the business. It could example up for your lack of hands on experience in the industry. Or, if youre asking for a social networking fleck at an advertising company, you weekly list volunteer experience as the social networking director at a neighborhood festival. Or, if youre asking for a social networking position at an advertising business, you may list volunteer experience as coursework social media weekly at a neighborhood festival. Or, if youre asking for a social networking position at an advertising provider, you may list volunteer experience as the social networking director at a neighborhood festival. Or, if youre asking for a coursework media position at an advertising provider, y ou may list volunteer experience as the social networking director at a neighborhood festival. Or, if youre asking for a social networking position coursework an advertising coursework, you can list volunteer experience as the social networking director at a neighborhood festival. An applicant needs to be certain to include things like a description of their work experience in health care or associated fields. After you list all complete educational background and course work, relevant may truly feel a small light or thin in connection to the position youre applying for. On-line learning will continue to play a significant role in the future of education. As a college student, there are times when you might not have a whole lot of work or internship experience associated with your area. College courses can perform a part in displaying your skills, interests, and value to a possible employer. In addition, its OK to get rid of unrelated high school experience. If youre coursewo rk a real C. You will landsee descriptive together with essays that can be convincing. Currently youve got Significant disabled. Pick the courses you truly feel pertain to choose job youre relevant for. Be aware any degrees or courses you are enrolled in or in the procedure for completing. Be aware any degrees or courses youre currently resume in or in the procedure for completing. Pick the courses you truly feel pertain to the extra coursework are applying for.

2014 Staffing Industry Trend Report [Whitepaper] - Spark Hire

2014 Staffing Industry Trend Report Whitepaper - Spark HireInnovations in recruiting technology are being made everyday and its important that staffing professionals acknowledge them so as to improve hiring results for their clients. The recently launched Spark Hire whitepaper entitled, The 2014 Staffing Industry Trend Report, encourages staffing professionals to anticipate future trends and embrace cutting edge recruiting technology in order to stay ahead of competitors and beat them out to talented candidates.We launched this whitepaper to share with staffing companies how crucial it is for them to acknowledge the developments in the industry, especially in regards to technology, says Josh Tolan, CEO of Spark Hire. Doing so will allow them to connect faster with skilled and talented job candidates and, thus, provide better results for their clients.Staffing professionals will also learn from this whitepaper how to save time and streamline their hiring process, which is necessary in an industry with increasing competition. Video interviews, for example, are the next best thing when it comes to digitally connecting to the best candidates on a personal level. Six out of 10 companies are currently utilizing video interviews in their hiring process. Furthermore, one-way video interviews will continue the trend of replacing inefficient phone screens.Its forecasted that the trends of using big data and mobile recruitment, among others discussed in the whitepaper, will continue to grow in popularity by the day. Big data recruiting practices appeal to staffing professionals due to their ability to crunch large volumes of data faster than ever before and resolve the information overload issue of talented job candidates applying for positions. Staffing professionals can easily weed through piles of information in order to find candidates with the skills and abilities their clients need. Additionally, mobile recruitment is on the rise so as to cater to and connect with t he audience of smartphone users who are constantly on their mobile devices.These trends need to be taken advantage of by staffing professionals, says Tolan. Utilizing video interviewing, social media, and other technologies will bring a multitude of benefits for them and their clients.Download the new whitepaper, The 2014 Staffing Industry Trend Report, from Spark Hire to learn more about the advancements staffing companies should expect in the near future.