Friday, January 28, 2011

10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Prospects in 2011

10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Prospects in 2011

By Steve Tobak | December 29, 2010
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Prospects in 2011Our society tries too hard. We’re always reading blogs and searching for that one silver bullet, that single piece of brilliant advice that will make all the difference. But you know what? There’s no such thing.
The truth is that the answers to a more successful career and a happier life are inside each of you. Seriously. All you’ve got to do is to cut out some of the crap that fills your mind and your time. You know what I’m taking about - that worthless BS that does nothing but bog you down.
Whoever you are and whatever you do, quit wishing for things to improve or searching for quick fixes that don’t exist. If you really want to improve your prospects for the coming year, guess what? You’ve got to do it for yourself. The answers are easier than you think, as long as you’re willing to actually do something about it.
Here are 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Prospects in 2011:
  1. Do less social networking and more real networking. Disengage with your gadgets and engage with people. Networking in the real world will do far more good for your business and career than networking in the virtual world.
  2. Forget 2010. Whether it was the best year on record or a complete disaster, learn what you can from the experience and move on. You’re always better off living in and focusing on the present.
  3. Quit whining. Whether it’s your crappy job, your dumbass boss, or your a**hole coworkers, either do something about it or suck it up. Whining doesn’t do a damn thing but make everyone around you as miserable as you are.
  4. Stop stressing and deal with it. Whatever it is that has you all wound up, if you actually bite the bullet and deal with it, it’ll free your mind for what really matters.  I’ve had a leaky window forever. Yesterday I caulked it. No more leak. It only took 15 minutes. Why didn’t I do that sooner?
  5. Put the gadgets down. Safe advice for pretty much all of us in this gadget-crazy world. I guarantee you’ll be more productive and have more fun. Speaking of which …
  6. Have more fun. After all the screwing off I did in college (you wouldn’t believe it if I told you), I ended up with two degrees and a great career. Sure, I work my tail off, but I play just as hard and that’s the key.
  7. If it isn’t working, change it. We all have things we know aren’t working. Whether it’s your job, your marriage, or your investment portfolio, once you know for sure, the sooner you change it, the better.
  8. Take care of yourself. If you’re too hard on yourself, you should know that it doesn’t do you any good. Just do the best you can and then, be good to yourself. Spend time with yourself. Work out, eat right, meditate, get out and have fun. It’s life, not a treadmill.
  9. Take risks. Try new things, even if they scare you. Hell, especially if they scare you. I mean, don’t take dumb risks but reasonable, calculated ones. Most people are too risk averse for their own good.
  10. Stop wasting your time. We all spend a good deal of time on BS. You know what I’m talking about - mindless distraction. If it’s fun or with family and friends, that’s great. But if you sit around for hours with your eyes glued to the TV or PC, you’ve got a problem.
It’s true that New Year’s resolutions don’t work, but you know what? The start of a new year is as good a time as any to take stock of what is and isn’t working in your life and doing something about it. So stop searching for what doesn’t exist and, instead, just do something about it. It’s that simple.
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Image Flickr user jaygooby

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