Learn How to Write a Truly Great Short Story

Learn How to Write a Truly Great Short StoryLearn How to Write a Truly Great Short StoryTips for writing a great short story are based on the primary elements of fiction, no matter the length, character, plot, or theme. But when writing a story of no mora than 10,000 words, keep in mind that employing these elements will often require an adjusted approach. The challenge for the short story writer lies in developing the major elements of fiction- character, plot, theme, point of view, etc.- in less than 25 typeset pages, as the industry cutoff for the form is considered 7,500 to 10,000 words. To meet this challenge, short-story writers generally follow, consciously or unconsciously, standardized guidelines for success. Use Few Characters and Stick to One Point of View You simply will not have room for more than one or two round characters. Find economical ways to characterize yur protagonist, and describe minor characters briefly. These smaller characters are called ancillary char acters, and only exist to accelerate the plot. For a short story, lengthy descriptions are not needed. Having only one or two protagonists naturally limits your opportunities to switch perspectives. Even if youre tempted to try it, you will have trouble fully realizing, in a balanced way, more than one point of view.? Limit the Story to a Single Time Frame Though some short-story writers do jump around in time, your story has the biggest gunst der stunde of success if you limit the time frame tightly. There are few reasons a short story needs a flashback or flash-forward. Covering years of a characters life in the short-story form is unrealistic, but the form is well suited for highlighting important instances that help shape the characters perspective. By limiting the time period, you allow more focus on the events that are included in the narrative, and time passes naturally to the reader. Edit Ruthlessly As with poetry, the short story requires discipline and editing. Eve ry line should either build character or advance the action. If it doesnt do one of these two things, it has to go. William Faulkner was right to advise writers to kill their darlings. This advice is especially important for short-story writers, as economy is key. For a good example of word selection, read A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by a master of the form, Ernest Hemingway. Not one word exists that doesnt serve the story if any text is taken out, the story would collapse entirely. Follow Conventional Story Structure The standard rules of narrative that applied in our high school literature classes apply to writers as well. Though you may not have room to hit every element of traditional plot structure, know that a story is roughly composed of exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, and denouement. However much you experiment with form, something has to happen in the story- or, at the very least, the reader has to feel as though something has happened. Short stories often cover events that on the surface seem like banal everyday occurrences but conceal deeper emotional meaning. Literary devices like conflict and resolution achieve this effect. Storytelling may seem magical, but the building blocks are actually concrete, and it is simply your flavor that makes your story individual. As with any type of writing, the beginning and the end are the most important parts. Make sure your first and last lines are the strongest in the story- first to grab, and then to anchor. Know When to Break the Rules As with all rules, some are meant to be broken. Alexander Steele points out in his introduction to the Gotham Writers Workshops Fiction Gallery that the short story lends itself to experimentation precisely because it is short structural experiments that couldnt be sustained for 300 pages can work beautifully for 15. Also, the lines between genres- such as those between short stories and the poems- has become blurred, and the combination of genres leads t o new, readable styles within the world of fiction. Keep in mind, however, that telling your story is still the most important thing. If breaking a rule allows you to tell your story more effectively, by all means, break it. Otherwise, think twice, or at least be honest with yourself if the innovation fails. Dont break a rule just to break it. Everything in a short story should have a purpose, including its structure. Following these rules should help you complete your stories successfully. If you find that your story overflows these boundaries no matter what you do, consider expanding it into a novel. The short form is not suited for every story, and you might find that once you start writing, you have more to say than you originally thought- and need the pages to say it. Much more common, however, is a longer work that can be distilled into a single idea.

Ways to Deal With a Bossy Co-Worker on Your Team -The Muse

Ways to Deal With a Bossy Co-Worker on Your Team -The MuseWays to Deal With a Bossy Co-Worker on Your Team Youve got a co-worker who, to put it diplomatically, has a hard time keeping their leadership tendencies in check. To tell it like it is He treats you like hes the boss. He provides tons of constructive feedback (even when you didnt ask for it), divides up roles on team projects (giving himself the best one), and quashes any opportunity for others to have a say.This can go from an annoyance to a prevalent aufgabe when your boss doesnt step in. Maybe shes too busy to stay apprised of team dynamics, maybe the department is understaffed and shes happy for someone to step up and take on a larger role, or maybe shes hearing how things are going directly from him- and has no idea hes steamrolling people left and right. While its super-frustrating to deal with a bossy co-worker day in and day out, there are steps you can take to address the situation. Start with these four tactics1. Sp eak Up in the MomentYour colleague has just taken charge and relegated you to a boring task again, and youre really upset about it. But, would she (apart from the ability to mind read) know that?Not everyone who takes charge does it maliciously. If the team okays her ideas- or doesnt say anything at all- hows she to know that people are actually seething?So, step one is speaking up. She may not realize how aggressive Heres what were going to do sounds.Practice saying things like, I have an idea for a different approach... and Id like to take a mora active role in the direction of this project. How about if Maybe shell do a decent job at sharing leadership roles, its just that no one had previously expressed interest. Your first step is to give her a chance to do just that.2. Schedule a ChatMaybe you skimmed over the raise your voice advice thinking, Been there. Tried that. Or, youre reading this after youve been blindsided by your colleague popping by your desk or replying all with (negative) feedback on how you draft emails. So, offering your thoughts in the moment isnt the right option for you.In this case, youre going to want to schedule a talk with him. As you know, emails can be misconstrued- especially when theyre on delicate topics- so this is definitely worth saying in partie.Avoid you statements (You were wrong because) as itll likely just make him defensive. Instead try something like, I appreciate you taking the time to you share your best practices with me. However, Ive found success with whatever it may be. If I hit a roadblock, Ill be sure to reach out to the team for suggestions.You opened with a dash of kill them with kindness and then clarified two key things that youll drive the discussion if youre seeking feedback, and that hes an equal member of your team (that consists of others with valuable ideas, too).3. Nominate Co-workersNot everyones comfortable making the jump from saying nothing to advocating for themselves. An intermediate step is elevating someone else on your team- which is an equally effective tactic to make sure decisions are distributed more fairly.Try using the tactic women used in President Obamas White House to combat gender bias in meetings. If your bossy co-worker shouts down an idea from someone else, raise your voice in support of it- and call out the original speaker. This will make it clear that there are multiple voices around the table worth listening to.4. Go to Your BossRemember when I said theres a good chance your managers unaware of the problem? If youve tried doing all of the above and none of it has worked, its time to go to your boss. (The other benefit of making this step four is that youll be able to tell your manager that, yes, you have spoken to the person in question and tried to solve the problem before bringing it to her.)The best way to broach the topic is not to throw your colleague under the bus, which could make you sound like youre coming from a place of competition or jea lousy. (Think Greg acts like hes more senior than us.)Instead, talk to your supervisor about your opportunities for growth and professional development- which is totally par for the course. You could say, Id like to take the lead on more projects What steps could I take? That way, your boss knows your co-worker isnt the only person interested in these opportunities. Another approach would be to say, Id like to make more substantive contributions, but I often feel there isnt space for my opinion in meetings. Do you have any suggestions for how I might take a more active role? This should open the door to discussing why you feel that way, and how you can remedy it.Either way, youve alerted your boss to the fact that the current team dynamics keeping you from being impactful. And at this point, youll at least know youve tried your best to remedy the problem. If youve spoken to your difficult teammate (twice), elevated your other co-workers, and asked your boss for a larger role and not hings changed, then- if were being honest- the team dynamic is likely to stay as-is. Assuming youre not looking to quit, rather than fighting an uphill battle, find other ways to get your voice heard in the office. Spearhead more solo projects, collaborate with people in different departments, or get involved with groups not related directly to your job, such as a book club. By choosing to create opportunities for yourself, youre showing your boss- as well as other people in leadership positions- that your voice deserves to be heard, and by not letting that happen, theyre missing out on a lot of great ideas.

This adorable puppy cant even save MoviePass from itself

This adorable puppy cant even save MoviePass from itselfThis adorable puppy cant even save MoviePass from itselfMoviePass clientele received an unexpected message last week from the subscription services director of barketing.With black, fluffy ears, puppy dog eyes and a MoviePass bandana, Chloe reached out to let users know the company is listening, learning and changing.Id like to explain why from time to time you may have had a ruff experience with us but it turns out that Im a dog and I cant talk, penned Chloe, who apparently can write. What I do know is that I see these humans working like crazy to make MoviePass better and better for you as fast as possible. Though Chloe is certainly meme-worthy, this particular PR stunt lacked luster for users frustrated that, with the companys constantly changing terms, they were getting almost no bang for their buck. The schmelzglas was one of many blunders the service has made since its meteoric rise last year.From thousands to millionsMovi ePass has been around since 2011, but the service originally used a tiered pricing model that offered unlimited movies for a $50 price tag. For obsessive moviegoers in cities where ticket prices keep soaring, that rate may have been worth it. But only around 20,000 people were willing to pay MoviePass prices for access to their local theater.That changed in August 2017, when MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe decided to slash subscriptions to $9.95 per month for what amounted to basically unlimited movies.After years of studying and analysis we found that people want to go to the movies mora often, but the pricing keeps going up, and that prevents them from going more, Lowe toldVariety at the time. Were making it more affordable for people.It took less than a year for the services subscription base to skyrocket to 3 million, accounting for more than five percent of U.S. box office receipts. But that gargantuan growth proved unsustainable by May 2018, the company was losing around $22 million per month.False assumptionsMoviePass made several tactical errors when calculating its subscription cost. One was that users would elend actuallyusetheir service like so many subscriptions, the expectation was that a good number of people would sign up for the deal and then forget it existed. But when residents in states with movie ticket prices hovering in the double digits can pay for unlimited movies for $9.95, it turns out they leid only subscribe, but they also go to the theater.The other assumption was that the massive amounts of data MoviePass collected about its subscribers would pay off. Touted as this centurysoil, data collection can tell companies who you are and where you go. And as Lowe pointed out, MoviePass has a lot of data about its users Their addresses, locations, ages, and demographics. But all of that information has yet to be monetized in a way that could save the service from its money-losing model.In addition to those missteps, MoviePass has jumped aboard pro jects destined to fail through MoviePass Ventures, a subsidiary that co-acquires films. The most infamous example is Gotti starring John Travolta, which managed to earn the elusive zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. MoviePass promoted the film to its subscribers, but it still became yet another unwise gamble.Given MoviePass downward financial spiral, it is no wonder that stock in its parent companyHelios Matheson Analytics Inc. is now worth less than two cents per share.Problematic termsWhen MoviePass dropped its prices, the terms seemed too good to be true. And they were.After MoviePass started encountering financial problems, it introduced a number of modifications to its model, including peak pricing and ticket verification. Now, the $9.95 plan covers only three movie tickets a month, with lowered prices for additional tickets.MoviePass has also limited the selection of films subscribers can attend.On its website, users can view a calendar with supported movies. Newer or hi gh-performing films dont usually make it on the list. In mid-November, none of the recent blockbusters - Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch, A Star Is Born - was supported.In this context, an email from the director of barketing is not what users want to receive. Theyre looking for information about why their subscription has become relatively worthless compared to when they enrolled, and what MoviePass is doing to make it better.The alternativeAfter MoviePass grew in popularity, AMC Theatres decided to follow suit. The movie theater chain began its own subscription service, which for $19.95 per month allows users to attend up to three films each week.AMC Stubs A-List gives subscribers access to all films and dates, including opening nights, and does not impede people from seeing the same movie twice.But even A-List has its shortcomings the service just announced a price hike in its most popular states. The affected areas will experience either a $2 or $4 increase in price starting in January, though current subscribers wont be affected until 12 months after they signed up.All of this is to say that movie subscription services are a tricky business, and there arefew models that are attractive to customers seem to be sustainable long-term.Though adorable dogs may be able to fix most things, Chloe likely is not the answer to these companies problems. But decades from now, subscribers will be able to tell their grandchildren about how back in their day, a puppy ran the marketing department for a company that let you could go to unlimited movies for $9.95 a month. That legacy makes it all worth it.

Youll be surprised by what the superstar founder of Bumble says about mentors

Youll be surprised by what the superstar founder of Bumble says about mentorsYoull be surprised by what the superstar founder of Bumble says about mentorsWhitney Wolfe kchenzu sichd is the 29-year-old founder of the wildly popular four-year-old dating site Bumble, where women make the first move. Today, the company is valued at $1 billion.She recently scored a profile in Vogue, who followed her as she went to India to launch Bumble on the subcontinent.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBut when asked by the magazine who her female mentors were, she said there hadnt been many in her careerIf were going to be a part of making men treat women better, why dont we start treating each other better? Its clear that Wolfe Herd feels that she has been let down by her own gender in the past. Asked to name her female mentors, she becomes quiet and says there havent been many. Of course, Wolfe Herd herself is becoming a mentor to the women who work for her (Bumble has 140 employees, 85 percent of whom are women), and she is quick to celebrate and support her female peers. When her friend the Glossier founder, Emily Weiss, made the cover of Entrepreneur, Wolfe Herd had cookies made of the cover image and sent to her office.In a way, it makes sense. With a shortage of women in tech, especially at the founder and CEO level, one would assume there to be fewer appropriate female mentors for someone in Wolf Herds unique position.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence

8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence Lets get straight and to the point positivs matter. A LOT. And theyre especially important in a professional context. Word choice can be the difference between getting your opinion brushed aside or having someone take your opinion seriously. If you would like it to be the latter (which you obviously should), its time for a quick check-up on your office vocab. We spoke with Joel Garfinkle, Executive Coach and Author of Getting Ahead Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level to get his opinions on what words to avoid- and what words to use- in order to project confidence and capability. Glassdoor Whats the 1 word people need to remove from their vocabulary to come across as confident and capable?Joel Garfinkle There isnt one specific word people should eliminate from their vocabulary , to appear more confident, but rather o ne set of words filler words. Filler words, including Umm, Uh and Like indicate youre not exactly sure what word youre going to say next, which makes you sound less confident.Glassdoor What do you see as the weakest words to use in a professional context?Joel Garfinkle Usually and Often are the weakest words in a professional context. It tells the listener youre not certain what youre saying is true and, in fact, are hedging your bet, just in case youre wrong.Glassdoor What phrase or words are so overused theyve lost their power?Joel Garfinkle Phrases like State of the species and Cutting-edge used to be reserved for truly groundbreaking innovation. Today, these terms are used so often in marketing copy theyve completely lost their impact.Glassdoor Whats the 1 word people should add to their vocabulary to project confidence?Joel Garfinkle If you want to project confidence , use the word Definitely. This way the person youre communicating with knows you are 100% cer tain in your statement.GlassdoorWhat other advice would you give employees looking to succeed?Joel Garfinkle The art of being a confident communicator begins with listening . Instead of thinking about what youre going to say next, truly listen to what the other person is saying, take a moment to consider their ideas and then formulate a clear and confident response. Be assertive in your actions and decisive in your decision-making. This will present you as a powerful, polished and confident person.

New Step by Step Roadmap for Nursing Student Resume Examples

New Step by Step Roadmap for Nursing Student Resume Examples Nursing Student Resume Examples Secrets That No One Else Knows About The work application maker is really robust and a good level of control without being overwhelming. To save a good deal of heartache later on, make sure that you use our resume contractor to produce a document that could be very easily transferred to different job applications. Your job application will probably be to the point because an expert has learned the very best approach to create it in the best quality. Its possible so you can change your writing file format based on the font of task youre hunting for. Mentioning everything which you have learnt as part of the nursing course will unnecessarily elongate the resume. Regardless of what career you decide on or the length of time youre in your field, everyone desires a resume. At times the very best approach has become the most fundamental. Dont neglect to incorporate your schooling history from starting to finish. Observing those guidelines is important. In the event youre a seeker free of experience, you might write your career objectives in 1-2 sentences only. You may also opt to design high-quality resumes for business purposes. Nursing Student Resume Examples Features To grab this kind of opportunity you will require a well written nursing student resume. He resume writing when you have no experience can actually be easier to do, contrary to what you might be thinking. Each one must make the best resume to utilize for work. As youd like to land that ideal job then you definitely have to have a great resume. Others may not have any correlation in any respect. A few of these experiences might be directly or indirectly regarding the position for which youre applying. Obtaining work experience for a student nurse may be an intimidating prospect. If youre a CNA with no experience, give a nicht weit davon entfernt sein introduction of who you are and why youd be a great hire. Give us a moment and youll write the greatest CNA nurse resume out there. At nursinglink youll be able to find nursing jobs that are appropriate for you and get job advice from various other nurses. In addition, you can look for nursing student jobs on Monster. You are unable to pick up a resume sample for a seasoned nursing position to compose your own while youve got zero experience in hand. In the end, you may use the nursing resumes at any moment in your career. Include hobbies associated with the job youre applying for. Your hard and soft skills must be shown in a compelling way. The War Against Nursing Student Resume Examples You dont wish to be junk. Make certain you get your cookie. Many times, completely free resumes end with a list of referees who may be called on to supply some information about you. Getting in a place to match on a single page is vitally important. An assortment of attractive and exquisite resume designs may be found here. Yo u may also use these resume examples if youre looking for a center to perform your internship program. The right format ought to be there in addition to the kind of writing. As a result of the sample nurse resume, now you dont need to compose your CV from scratch. You may use the nursing resume template to compose yours since it includes a comprehensive studienordnung vitae and a cover letter. A new nurse should be in a position to convey who he or shes outside of just a number. Use the graduate nurse resume thats offered in PDF format to design your physicians resumes. The Ultimate Nursing Student Resume Examples Trick If youre using the USAJOBS software, all you want to accomplish is log in the machine and click the Application Status interconnection. Its critical to be selective in what you share about the work youve done. There are lots of good formats. Yes, the guy or maybe woman reading the fine resume publishing examples should be bought on why they have to bring you in.

How I Overcame Shyness and Became CEO of a Networking Company

How I Overcame Shyness and Became CEO of a Networking Company Today, Im the CEO of a career-networking mobile app,Trustly. But notlage too long ago, I welches a very introverted person How did I go from being a shy, quiet introvert to being the CEO of a company especially one based on networking with people? When I was 12, I was accepted into an entrance-exam school that serves a much larger geographic area than my small hometown.Because I was from a poor town and had to commute two hours each way to school, I struggled with a sense of inferiority. I compared myself against the wealthier students. I didnt want to play with other kids because they had new toys and clothes. I avoided going to parties because they would always talk about their favorite cartoons, and we even didnt own a T.V. I never invited friends over because we could barely afford to feed ourselves. I was embarrassed to host dinne r guests if I could only offer them small bowls of plain rice with a few cheap vegetables.I quickly realized from being around the more successful families at the middle school that a higher education was the way out of poverty. I studied hard, and I was the first one in my family of rural farmers to go to college. At my college graduation, I admired the commencement speaker, who was also the student body resident. He was popular and charismatic. He seemed to know everyone. I envied his ability to be comfortable around strangers and make friends easily. It was at that moment that I realized I needed to make a change. I needed to find a way to connect with people, because I was tired of being the insecure, lonely kid who couldnt escape his poor hometown.The very next day after graduation, I found a job through the university career office selling cable service from door to door. On my first day, I stood at the door for at least an hour, too afraid to even knock.I had always been the guy who overthinks everything, so I told myself Why not be impulsive for once? Why should I think so much? Once I knock on this door, I wont have to worry about it anymore. If they reject me, at least I wont spend another hour on it.Finally, I knocked on the door, and a nice lady answered. To my surprise, she patiently let me finish my awful pitch. Once I was done, she kindly told me she didnt need cable service. But I talked to my customer without getting kicked outFor the next three months, I knocked on literally thousands of doors and talked to thousands of people. I made zero sales, but I succeeded in facing my fears. Those three months changed my life. They pushed me out of my comfort zone to do something I had been afraid to do. In the process, I gained confidence and I learned the importance of making the first move. To stop being an introvert, I had to force myself to be bold and impulsive.Eventually, I became a successful enterprise sales professional and sold more than$50 million in software during my 10-year career, working with tech giants including Google and Facebook. Now, Im building my own app,Trustly,to help people (especially introverts) reach out totheirnetworks.Here are some things I learned that might help you change from an introvert to an active networker1. Be Bold Make the First MoveAt parties and events, you might be sitting next to a person that you want to meet, but nothing is going to happen if youre silent for the whole night. Conversations can happen easily. Just pick some boring topic or ask a question to start a conversation, such as Can I borrow a pen?2. Get to Know the People in the MiddleIf you know somebody who can refer you to another person, it is much easier for you to talk to that person, isnt it? We also built that intoTrustly, so we can help you find potential referrals to the person you want to talk to by showing you who the connectors are.3. Dont Feel Awkward If People Reject YouDont blame yourself if people reject you. If you have good intentions and someone doesnt want to meet you or talk to you, its probably not your fault. They may be distracted, busy, or just not interested. Dont take it personally. Just move on to someone who is interested in knowing you.4. Bring Value to Others and Pay It ForwardAt the end of the day, relationships are about value creation. If you dont bring value to an interaction, people will ignore you. Your value-add could be insights, support, or a helpful referral. If you look at successful people, you will find that most of them are well-connected in their industries.Sometimes, it takes only a little mental effort to overcome the internal fears that keep you from approaching people who might be meaningful connections.This article originally appeared onTrustlys Blog.

The Smallest, Simplest Way to Reduce Stress at the Office

The Smallest, Simplest Way to Reduce Stress at the OfficeThe Smallest, Simplest Way to Reduce Stress at the OfficeForbes has written articles about it, Google trains its employees in it, and countless websites are now spreading the idea of it. So if you havent yet heard about the mindfulness movement, you probably wont be able to avoid it for much longer.Now, Ive seen plenty of workplace initiatives come and go. Typically, I refer to them as flavors of the month, since most are only around as long as the book promoting the program stays on the business bestseller list. But I truly hope that mindfulness in the workplace is different and that it doesnt simply become a buzzword well want to remove from a list of clichd office jargon by the end of 2014.Why? Mindfulness is incredibly valuable in an office environment. Do you ever feel anxiety over things that have already happened, like a bad conversation with your boss or a presentation gone wrong? Do you worry about what might happen in the future, like if there will be a layoff, if your new boss think youre as good as the old boss did, or if youll (finally) get that raise this year? Do you struggle with feelings of leid being good enough, worry too much about what others think of you, or wilt under the impact of working with negative people?If you recognize any of these thoughts, mindfulness can help. According to the Mayo Clinic, mindfulness is the act of being intensely aware of what youre sensing and feeling at every moment- without interpretation or judgment. And its been proven to improve quality of life, reduce stress, and eliminate the self-judgmental, jumping to conclusions-type thinking that can drive your anxiety levels up.Of course, this isnt something you can do overnight like many people, youll probably need to practice in order to develop the skills of mindfulness. After all, being intensely aware of your every moment is not exactly a perspective we honor in todays multi-tasking, information-overloa ded workplace.But there are some changes you can make- this week- toincrease your awareness of the present moment. To get you started, here are five incredibly helpful exercises from How to Train a Wild Elephant And Other Lessons in Mindfulness by Jan Chozen Bays, MD.Though they may seem like simple tasks, they can be a great jumping off point tomitigate the worries and distractions that consume your mindat work.1. Use the Opposite Hand When doing ordinary workday tasks, like writing with a pen or dialing the phone, try switching to your non-dominant hand. Because it doesnt have the skills of your dominant one, youre forced to think about what youre doing in the present moment.How it Helps This is a great demonstration of how much we unconsciously move through our lives. We dont have to think twice about using our dominant hand, but using the other makes us slow down and pay attention, as if its a new experience.2. Listen Like a SpongeIf youre having a conversation with a colleague or your manager, attend the conversation with no electronic devices. Dont formulate your response while he or she is speaking, and dont even take notes. Just focus completely on what the person is saying.How it Helps To do this kind of listening, you must quiet both your body and your mind. It may be a challenge to wait for your turn to speak, but by listening 100% attentively, you will be better able to take in what the other person is saying.3. Stop and ListenTry eating lunch in the cafeteria by yourself one day. While there, tune into the sounds drifting around you. Dont try to figure out what each sound is, where its coming from, or what you can do to stop it. Just listen to it as if youve never heard it before.How it Helps Intentional listening is another tool to quiet your mind. If your morning has left you frazzled with stress, too many emails, or a huffy customer, a listening practice at lunch will help you rejuvenate.4. Pay Attention to PostureTake notice of your posture du ring the workday. If youre standing in a slouch, straighten up. If youre hunched over in your desk chair, bring your shoulders back and take a few deep breaths.How it Helps Bays says that posture and focus are directly connected. When you feel drowsy and begin losing focus, your posture often deteriorates as well. By improving posture, youll increase your focus and pull yourself into the present.5. BreatheBefore you answer your phone, breathe. As soon as the ringing starts, pause and take three breaths. This will help settle your mind before answering the phone, which will help you go into that phone conversation fully focused and 100% present.How it Helps This exercise brings you into a state of stillness of mind and body, redirecting your attention to the moment and helping you respond to the caller with calm, kindness, and openness. If you would normally carry your workday stress into a phone call, the three breaths will help you to release that stress before you speak.When youve tried these exercises for a week or so, notice whats happening for you. No, they wont immediately dissolve all of your work worries, but theyll likely help you approach your struggles in a different way. And ideally, youll find a sense of calm, peace, and presence in the moment. Start with these simple steps, and see what happens.Photo of man at work courtesy of Shutterstock.

Go the extra mile Show everyone what youre made of

Go the extra mile Show everyone what youre made ofGo the extra mile Show everyone what youre made ofSelf-Assessment Quiz - TRUE or FALSEIm aware of how much extra work I can manage to take on at work.I enjoy being a gruppe player and taking on leadership roles at work.Being mora visible at work is in line with my career goals.Do you want to shoot to the top in yur career? Do you want to stand out to your babo? Do you want to be an exemplary employee that people trust and want work with? Add paper to the copier.What the what?Yes. Add paper to the copier When you go the extra mile at work, whether youre new to the company just starting out in the mail room or have advanced to assistant communications manager, people notice the little things you do, likehelping the entire teamby adding paper to the copier. Think about it, if everyone walks by the empty copier and grumbles, Thats not my job what happens? Productivity slows down, people get irritated and team morale goes down just a tiny bit over something which takes two minutes to fix. By taking this sort of initiative, youre actually showing everyone what youre working with fortitude, leadership, awareness, ability and desire to go the extra mile.Depending on the situation, going the extra mile can feel likesucking up, but sucking up aint always a bad thing. Especially when done right. If youre in a meeting and your boss asks for a volunteer to compile a spreadsheet of the attendees to last years company fundraiser gala, think about raising your hand. Sure, youre busy like everyone else and clearly that aint your job because you work in finance and headcounts aint sales.BUT can it be? If you work on this list, youll have an inside look at who attended the fundraiser which means youll have an inside look at who gave funds or was open to giving. You can use this info to create ideas to get more sales for the company. Ding Ding Winning Youve just helped your boss (which through this project may also get you more car eer-enhancing face time with her) and who knows, maybe youve helped out Jill in event planning who would have jumped off a bridge if given one more project today. Jill may then give you her extra tickets to a gala fundraiser art opening which could mean networking and future growth for youGoing the extra mile, isnt of course always as easy as filling up the copier. Or volunteering for unassigned tasks. Its thinking beyond what you were asked to do. Nothing pisses a boss off more than handing out assignments and getting backexactlythat which was asked of the assignee. Confusing? Doesnt have to be.Look at it this way bosses love working with team members whosimplifyher life the most. People who take the project they have been assigned and run with it. Make it their own. Without any drama or unnecessary complications. That PowerPoint deck from last year I asked you to update because I dont have the time? You not only updated the charts that were outdated, but youanimatedthe entire deck too? And added an appropriate video? You just made me look smarter than I am. I LOVE you for that Compare this to your colleague who got the same task and sent me her comments embedded in the deck about the changes shesuggestsmaking, replete with five paragraphs foreachcomment justifyingwhyshe is suggesting these changes in the first place. Oy Vey. Bosses dont need alla that We dont want to know all the background details you had to wade through to make the magic happen. We just want the magic. I dont want to know it took you 15 emails to find the person who had the answer to your question. I dont want to be copied on all 15 of those emails either And I dont want to know, unless I ask, that you stayed up until 4 am making that presentation literally sing. I just want the job done. Really well. You become the bosses pet when you up the ante with badass moves such as this. And this shows up in our bonus conversations. I start looking at you differently and asking you what your career goals are. Because, now Im vested in helping you move up. I can see your star power and potential.When you do that extra somethin somethin at work, you are demonstrating that you are a leader. Leadership is key to success and moving up the corporate ladder. (Pssst, heres aquiz on leadershipin case youre wondering how you stack up in this department.)However, newbie, do be aware of being dumped upon. Some bosses carry that corporate culture of churn and burn where they throw so much work at the capable achievers like you that adds incredible stress and ultimate burnout. You dont want this. Definitely consider the pros and cons of going the extra mile. If you have a boss who doesnt appreciate you - or even worse doesnt GIVE YOU CREDIT for all your hard work - you might need to take your ball and bat and head to a boss who isnt afraid to let your star shine. Look to your careerSMART goalsto help keep you on track.Now get on out there and start going beyondCheryl Grace is the sassy a unt, best friend, and berater youve always needed in your life. The successful jet-setting, global corporate executive founded the aspirational lifestyle brand Powerful Penny LLC. Her products, workshops and speeches probe, inspire and empower to ensure those who really want to can get to their next level of best. Her blogs on careers, prosperity, relationships, family, looking and living fabulously, and living a five-star life can be found atwww.powerfulpenny.com.

12 Companies With Amazing Work-Life Balance Hiring Now

12 Companies With Amazing Work-Life Balance Hiring Now12 Companies With Amazing Work-Life Balance Hiring Now When it comes to work and life, work-life balance is super important. Work-life balance is a sweet spot where you feel challenged and satisfied by your work- but its work that leaves you enough time to head to happy hour with your friends or binge watch Netflix at night- whatever floats your boat. Not all companies encourage a work-life balance. But these 12 companies score high ratings for their work-life balance- and bonus they are all hiring. Perks According to its website , health insurance, retirement savings plans, flexible hours, and family paid leave are just a few of the benefits to working at American Express. We offer highly competitive benefits in each local market that give you support, perks and- fruchtwein important- peace of mind, the site says. Some of our roles even offer flexible work arrangements so you can work how it makes sense for yo u, without ever compromising quality. We also have programs for new parents and people nearing retirement. Where Hiring New York, Phoenix, Santa Monica, Sunrise, and mora.What Employees Say As a company, it has all benefits and work-life balance. You can grow moving all around the world. Work from home is available. - Current EmployeePerks At TransUnion, employees receive paid time off, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, and paid parental leave- plus, geschftszimmer offer game rooms and candy jars, according to TransUnions website . An onsite caf offer health-conscious food options. Where Hiring Atlanta, Austin, Beaverton, Boca Raton, Chicago, San Luis Obispo, and more.What Employees Say Excellent work-life balance with top-notch benefits. The management team really seems to care about their employees. You may have to work late or from home sometimes when the company needs you to, but that is balanced with the ability to work from home when you need to its a fair trade. - Current EmployeePerks We believe that work/life balance is important, so we instituted unlimited vacation days for exempt team members, according to Lyfts website . Non-exempt team members have 15 days of paid vacation, five sick days, and 10 paid holidays. Thats in plus-rechnen to more traditional perks such as health insurance options, 401(k) plans, and Lyft credits. Where Hiring Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and more.What Employees Say Flexible hours and nice work environment- well, that is, if you like your car. Make sure to use a mileage and expense tracking application such as Stride- youll be glad when taxes are due - Current EmployeePerks Youre not a gaming company without a place to play, points out Activism Blizzard on its website . And we not only have a Gaming Zone available for employees to play our games or our competitors games, but we also organize informal Call of Duty or Skylanders tournaments for local bragging ri ghts. Our Gaming Zone is the life-center of our HQ at Activision, where gaming happy hours frequently occur. Launch parties are also huge bonding events at Activision Blizzard. For employees and their families, these events can rival major holidays- and for some of the employees children, the parties may even rival birthdays. Where Hiring Beverly Hills, Portland, Santa Monica, Seattle, and more. What Employees Say Entrepreneurial work environment and the chance to make your mark. Great offices, perks, and work-life balance. Its nice to work with really smart people. - Current EmployeePerks Paid sabbatical, catered lunches, monthly pampering, regular team outings, and a dog-friendly office are all perks you will find at CrowdTwist, according to its website . What Employees Say Ive worked for startups before, and this place is different in a lot of ways. HR and management have done a really great job of building teams of people who are super talented and also just really fun t o be around. - Current EmployeePerks The Marsh & McLennan Companies Benefits Program is a substantial and valuable part of the total rewards the Company provides to employees, the company writes on its Glassdoor profile . Marsh & McLennan Companies and its Operating Companies offer a competitive benefits package including healthcare, insurance, investment, and retirement plans in addition to a wide selection of employee programs such as education, legal, identity theft, and employee assistance for eligible employees.Where Hiring Chicago, New York, Phoenix, San Deigo, and more. What Employees Say Good work environment for employees in the organization. Not much pressure, work-life balance, good work location, less gender bias, can get good incentive if you like sales. - Current EmployeePerks According to its Glassdoor profile , ForceBrands offers vacation and other paid time off, maternity and paternity leave, free lunches and snacks, a pet-friendly office, and more. Where Hiring Los Angeles and Phoenix.What Employees Say Fun office space and start up culture. Free lunch fridays, snack days, scooters, games, and lots- maybe too many- of happy hours.The clients coming in and out of the office are wonderful and there is always more to learn. The food, beverage, and alcohol market is far more interesting than the typical tech or finance recruiting firms. - Former EmployeePerks We want our employees to stay happy, healthy, and inspired. At IAS, we offer unlimited PTO, comprehensive health insurance, employer 401k match, and much more- from an employee volunteer program to happy hours and snacks in the office, according to Integral Ad Sciences website . Some of those additional perks include charity and volunteer opportunities, peer-nominated awards, paid parental leave, and additional office parties. Where Hiring Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and more. What Employees Say The company is moving in the right direction and being apart o f a new space with great growth, the employees are welcoming and everyone is willing to help you get projects done. - Current EmployeePerks According to Fuzes Glassdoor profile, the company offers employees perks such as flexible spending accounts, pension and 401(k) retirement plans, vacation time, mobile phone discounts, free lunch and snacks, tuition assistance, and professional training. Where Hiring Austin, Noston, New York, San Jose, Washington, D.C., and more. What Employees Say Ican only speak for my own experience but I loved working at Fuze Great people, great culture. In my experience, people were very professional and hard-working. Great work-life balance by allowing WFH work from home when it made sense. Great that management bought lunch for the whole company every week and beers every Thursday, too. - Former EmployeePerks In addition to offering retirement plans, health insurance options, and vacation time, the company writes on its website that, Brunswick recognizes that a happy workforce is a productive one. We empower employees to focus on themselves through things like tuition reimbursement, paid vacation and holidays, flexible work arrangements and more. Where Hiring Fort Wayne, Greeneville, Lowell, Palm Coast, Rosemont, and more.What Employees Say Excellent work-life balance. No micromanagement. Ability to take on different types of work. - Current EmployeePerks Camp Gladiator offers maternity and paternity leave, vacation and paid time off, an employee discount, a gym membership, a pet-friendly office, and company social events, according to its Glassdoor profile . What Employees Say The personal and professional growth Ive gained here could not be matched by another company. CG changed my life for the better I fully believe in our mission and core values, leadership is amazing and really pour into us, the people are my favorite and the culture is second to none. There are so many great perks here- free camp, our new w ellness program, wearing workout clothes to the office, and more. - Current EmployeePerks At TQL, were only as good as our people, which is why we take care of our employees through benefits, perks and so much more. Things like a TQL causal dress code, hitting up the gym for less than what your friends are paying, complimentary coffee to get your day started and celebratory happy hours to help you wrap up your week, the companys website states. We are a culture where competition is our DNA, so work hard, play hard is not just a saying, its a way of life. Where Hiring Austin, Cincinnati, Portland, Tampa, and more. What Employees Say The absolute best part of my job is the environment- and without the incredible bosses and employees I have, this job would be even more difficult at times. The flexibility in hours is extremely nice- and bosses have always been very understanding and proactive in working around life circumstances. - Current Employee