Why You Should Avoid These 4 Cubicle Blunders

Why You Should Avoid These 4 Cubicle BlundersWhy You Should Avoid These 4 Cubicle BlundersTodays workplace is so prone to etiquette blunders that Miss Manners herself has tackled the topic. When it comes to cubicle etiquette, most people could use a refresher curse on what to avoid when working in close quarters. What are some of the biggest office faux pas? Weve listed the top four1. LOL If youre having a slow day, you could be laughing out loud at YouTube videos, Buzzfeed posts, or posts on your Facebook newsfeed. While a positive attitude can foster productivity, the sound of giggling, videos or music can become disruptive. Tell your cube mates to let you know if your ruckus is getting out of hand. You may find that the best thing to do is head to the break room or save the funny stuff for after work. Speaking of indoor voices, many people may not realize how loudly they talk on the phone either. Dont be that coworker, the one who unknowingly shares TMI each time he gets on his ce ll. Since your phone voice may carry further than you think, make it a habit to take your phone calls in a private place.2. Beep Boop Does your cubicle sound like the Starship Enterprise on red alert or R2-D2 beeping and whistling at C-3PO? Chat notifications beep. Recorded messages and dial tones issue forth from your speakerphone. Silence those gadgets so your cubicle mates can concentrate on their work.Download our Salary Guide to get in-depth salary information for your position, as well as insights into current hiring and compensation trends.3. Did you see? Sometimes people take crowdsourcing too far when they gather at cubicles to chat during work hours. A little small talk is great for building camaraderie, but cubicle etiquette requires that loud or long conversations should be held elsewhere. If youre bothered by someone elses conversation, politely let coworkers know their review of last nights episode of The Walking Dead is distracting (not to mention full of spoilers). S uggest a private office or space that would make a better place to converse.4. Dont comment. Remember that certain discussions are better suited for personal time than work time. In general, politics and religion are two topics that most people agree shouldnt be discussed at work. This also applies to anything else thats controversial and might make your coworkers uncomfortable. If you and a colleague love debating politics, enjoy those debates away from the office. Its cubicle etiquette, after all.Youre not alone if you made a blunder at the office. Check out our OfficeTeam survey of senior managers who were asked to recount their most embarrassing moments at work25 of the fruchtwein Embarrassing Work Stories from Robert HalfThis post has been updated to reflect more current information.

Guide to Equine Career Opportunities

Guide to Equine Career OpportunitiesGuide to Equine Career OpportunitiesThere are many potential job opportunities for those hoping to pursue a career working with horses. Career options may include those in equine health, sales, insurance, training, supplies, and services. Individuals with a talent for working with horses should be able to identify a few desirable jobs from this collection of possibilities. Here is an always evolving list of possible career paths in the equine industry. The list has been divided into several categories (please note that a few positions may be listed in multiple categories) Equine Health Service Careers Professions dedicated to equine health include the always popular option of equine veterinary medicine, but dont forget about other roles such as krpermassage therapist and farrier. Equine health careers tend to be highly paid opportunities, and this is especially the case with the roles of veterinarian and farrier (two of the highest paying anim al careers profiled on this site). Equine Dental TechnicianEquine VeterinarianEquine Veterinary TechnicianFarrier (Blacksmith)Massage TherapistTrack Veterinarian Equine Management Breeding Large breeding farms employ many managers to oversee the various departments (broodmares, stallions, yearlings, etc). Smaller operations may employ just a single farm manager that is responsible for overseeing all aspects of equine management. Additional options in the field of management and breeding include roles such as groom and pedigree analyst. Barn ManagerBloodstock AgentBoarding Stable OwnerBroodmare ManagerEquine Pedigree AnalystFarm ManagerFoaling AttendantGroomHorse BreederHorse Farm ManagerHot WalkerRiding Stable OwnerStallion Booking SecretaryStallion ManagerYearling Manager Riding Training Careers Riding and training careers are most frequently found in niche areas such as horse showing or horse racing. Trainers and riders must be particularly well attuned to equine behavio ral signals to ensure their safety when working with young and potentially unpredictable animals. The jockey role is a particularly high-risk position, though those who are successful at the top level can be very well compensated for their efforts. Dude Ranch WranglerExercise RiderHorse Show JudgeHorse TrainerJockeyRacehorse TrainerRacetrack OutriderRiding InstructorTherapeutic Riding Instructor Equine Sales Careers Those with a knack for marketing and sales can find a number of options that will allow them to utilize those skills in the equine industry. Positions include those involved with selling equipment, pharmaceuticals, feed, tack, insurance, and more. Sales skills are highly transferable, and a good salesperson can readily transition from one area to another. A successful salesperson can earn extremely high levels of compensation, as performance-based payment and bonuses are common. Veterinary pharmaceutical sales representatives tend to earn top dollar. Bloodstock Agent Equine Insurance Sales AgentEquine Product Sales RepresentativeFeed Sales RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales RepresentativeTack Shop Owner Horse Racing Careers Careers in the horse racing industry can range from administrative positions to those working directly with racehorses on a hands-on basis. Administrative roles include bookkeeper, steward, and racing secretary. Roles that involve daily contact with horses include groom, outrider, and trainer. Those who work for very successful stables can earn much higher salaries than average, as stable staff are often given a bonus based on the purse money won by their runners. Clerk of ScalesClockerExercise RiderGroomHarness DriverHorse IdentifierHorsemens BookkeeperHot WalkerJockeyJockey AgentJockey ValetPaddock JudgeRacetrack OutriderRacetrack StarterRacing License ClerkRacing SecretaryRacing StewardRacehorse Trainer Other Equine Careers There are quite a few career paths that do not fall neatly into the previously mentioned cat egories. Here are some additional equine career paths of note Equine Extension AgentEquine PhotographerEquine TransporterMounted Police Officer Equine Internships Job Sites Dont forget that there are many equine internship options that help students gain valuable hands-on experience in the horse industry. These opportunities also serve as one of the best ways to network with industry professionals and get leads on potential job openings. There are also many equine job search sites that cater to those seeking horse industry careers.

67% of hiring managers say Facebook has incriminating info

67% of hiring managers say Facebook has incriminating info67% of hiring managers say Facebook has incriminating infoNew Paychex data shows that67% of hiring managers say Facebook is the social media platform with the most incriminating information about job candidates. Next up is Twitter (9%), then Instagram (8%) and LinkedIn (4%).Paychex also took a hard look at how often hiring managers say they view applicants social media accounts- the overall average is 2.2 times.But getting down to the nitty-gritty in terms of results by field, the data found that Manufacturing is the one where managers check the most, at 2.9 times on average. Managers look the least at profiles for those in Wholesale and Retail, at 1.6 times on average.Paychex polled 820 job candidates (ages 18 to 78) and 603 hiring managers (ages 19 to 78) using Amazons Mechanical Turk. The company also noted that the information is based on self-reporting.The accounts managers check- and where candidates mess upWhile Faceb ook is at the top of the list,the infographic shows that just 6% of hiring managers say that they dont look at candidates social media platforms at all.What job applicants dont want hiring managers viewing onlineWhile just 8% of candidates said that they have nothing to hide, other respondents were much more adamant about what they dont want hiring managers to know about when it comes to their social media.Here are the accounts they would rather keep from hiring managers the most Facebook (40%),Snapchat (13%), Twitter (12%), Instagram (9%), Tumblr (7%), Pinterest (4%), Personal blog (3%), LinkedIn (2%), Google+ (1%) and Reddit (1%).In that same vein, here are the main reasons why job candidates dont want hiring managers to see their social media accountsI want to keep my personal life separate from my professional life 66%I dont want them coming to false conclusions about me 52%I dont want them to discover unprofessional behavior 21%I regularly use vulgar language on social media 12 %Some of my posts could be perceived as extreme or offensive 10%I dont want them to think I party too much 9%I follow pages that could be perceived as provocative, offensive or extreme 7%My photos could be perceived as provocative or offensive 6%I dont want them to discover proof of illegal drug use 3%I dont want them to discover proof of other illegal activity 3%

How to identify your potential bosss managing style before your accept the job

How to identify your potential bosss managing style before your accept the jobHow to identify your potential bosss managing style before your accept the jobWhile youre likely to find out what kind of leader your boss is after your first few days in the office, it doesnt help to discover their managing style isnt compatible with youafteryou started. If only you could know behauptung things beforehandoh wait, you canFollow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHere are five indicators to look out for during your interview and offer process before accepting a position. We cant guarantee youll peg your boss perfectly - notlage everything can be revealed before you show up to the office and binnensee for yourself- but youll hopefully discover enough to know if saying yes to that offer is really a good choice.1. Ask about the team dynamic in your interviewYoull likely meet with your potential bo ss in at least one round of the interview process. If so, ask them about the team dynamic and how they would describe company culture. You can even ask how they fit into and shape this dynamic. If for some reason you wont get the chance to meet your boss in part during the interview stages, ask your interviewer the saatkorn questions, keeping the focus on your boss. For example, asking, How does my boss fit into and shape the team dynamic?2. Pay attention to how the boss communicates via emailIf youve had any opportunity to communicate with your boss over email, keep a close eye on not only what they say, but the tone youre picking up from ansicht emails. For example, if your boss sends an email reading only Send your portfolio over by the deadline, you might get the impression that this boss will be straightforward, impersonal, strict or even a hard ass. If your boss sends the same request as It would be so amazing if you could send your fabulous portfolio. Looking forward to it, y ou can infer they are more casual, chatty and outwardly friendly.Also, tune in to the frequency of these emails in your back-and-forth with this potential boss, and how quickly the boss responds to you. Lets say the boss said theyd get back to you within 24 hours and its been multiple days, you could gather that your boss isnt on top of things. Or you might notice that this person is sending multiple emails in the same thread. If youre the type of person who prefers everything neatly packaged in one message, your dynamic probably wont be compatible. Though these are all simply first impressions, using these indicators (and focusing on how you naturally respond to them) could tell you a lot about how youll get along with this person.3. Ask your potential boss straight up about his or her managing styleThough asking your potential boss such a direct question might seem awkward, the question isnt inappropriate. Youre simply asking for a clearer picture of how this person makes decision s, and how youll be involved in that process. Pay attention to your potential bosss response, but also whether you think its sincere. Everyone would like to say that they lead their teams by making efforts to collaborate and involve everyone, but thats not always necessarily what happens. If what youre hearing seems genuine, that could help you understand this person that much more.4. If possible, seek perspectives of those who have worked with the potential boss beforeDepending on your industry, you could be connected enough that you know someone who knows someone who knows your potential boss. Take advantage of LinkedIn and see if your connections overlap with this person. If they do, reach out to the shared contact. If you know the contact well, ask them frankly about this person, and hopefully, theyll be honest. If you dont know the contact well, you could say something like Hi X, we met at Y and I saw you worked with Z before. How was that experience? The key is to get any sort of read on how this person feels about your potential boss. Though its just one opinion, you gotta take what you can get.5. Google this person and read any interviews and articles focused on him or herMaybe your potential boss hasnt been featured anywhere, but maybe they have. It also never hurts to do some organic background research anyway. Whatever you find, see if any other sources can back it up.At the end of the day, you wont know for sure what you could be getting into until you show up at the office. That said, do as much research as you can before you accept the job. This extra research could make all the difference.This article first appeared on Swirled.

Resume for Medical Assistant Exposed

Resume for Medical Assistant Exposed There are many different varieties of healthcare assistants. They are an important part of the healthcare industry as they provide much needed support within healthcare facilities. They must be active listeners in order to understand and accurately record patient issues and specifications. A health assistant is somebody who handles two unique aspects of a health facility patient management and administration. In addition, there are a variety of various sorts of healthcare assistants. Such professionals have to make certain that sample reaches laboratory with no flaws. In the medical and healthcare professions, it is extremely important to keep accurate and detailed patient records. Doctors offices always require help. Its crucial to tell the hiring manager what degree youve got, and where youre licensed to practice in your Career Objective. Create a restart you will ship to companies who seek skill to start with. In addition, you can f ind out more about healthcare careers on Monster. Employing a Virtual Assistant could be the newest trend within the organization. Writing a resume can be a very hard job. There are lots of ways to format a resume. Below youll come across the absolute best skills necessary to fulfill an administrative standing. While you must illuminate your abilities and abilities, you also have to employ an easy-to-read format and fashion. What You Dont Know About Resume for Medical Assistant Men and women wishing to enter into the health care assistant occupation is going to be offered with a variety of administrative or clinical duties. Although some medical office managers are only accountable for supervising the employees that are accountable for billing, others are required to do billing procedures themselves. Along with administrative duties, a Medical Assistant could be asked to do clerical and clinical work too. This example of a health assistant resume will give you a fundamental idea of the way to create a good resume. Medical assistants are in demand, but it doesnt indicate it will be simple to land work. A health assistant resume for externship is comparable to the usual resume, except emphasis is set on the related coursework or skills one acquired during the class of the medical assistant training regime. So as to compose a professional medical assistant resume, you must incorporate all appropriate details about your skills, education and a brief description of your personality. The very first senior medical assistant resume sample indicates the correct skills. Youre so ready for your very first job for a phelbotomist Its true you dont require a medical assistant program to find work. If youre looking to hire a health assistant then a medical assistant job description can assist you in putting out an advert. Medical assistants should know of personal and patient safety whatsoever times. Key Pieces of Resume for Medical Assistant Fortunately, t here are several excellent samples and resources available to assist you craft the great professional resume. Dont forget that youre representing yourself as a skilled and will need to get taken seriously. A resume is among the most crucial documents you will ever write, which explains why you wish to do everything you can to ensure it is honest, inviting, and well written. Now its time to start writing your own standout resume. Make certain your health care assistant resume objective establishes early on that youre qualified in the area, and that youre focused on your aims. If you are conversant with staffing, payroll, benefits and state compliance practices, you can make an objective that can help you stick out over other applicants. Actually, a lot of entry level jobs involve years of some kind of labour knowledge, thus an internship can be only an excellent ways to get a benefit. Some colleges have a whole lot of one-of-a-kind apps you may choose from, though some are hyp er-specialized in a couple of regions of their expert trades. Your cover letter ought to be specifically written to deal with the requirements of the employer to which youre applying. Just be sure you incorporate the work title and a quick overview of what you were accountable for and what you achieved. The work description can be the best friend. The most suitable job description is simply the start.

The Single Best System to Use for Help Writing Resume Summary

The Single Best System to Use for Help Writing Resume Summary Employing an online resume builder is a powerful tool to assist you compose a winning resume. Employing a custom resume instead of a generic one is going to greatly increase your probability of an interview, as youll be a better match in the view of the reader. Dont forget, the central focus of your resume is to tell the reader how well you may perform to be able to get the aims of the firm. The resume summary will act as their sales pitch. Resume writing isnt simple, and there are lots of different opinions on the best way to do it. Summary statements go by a few unique names. Many summary statements begin to your existing job title or primary function. Writing a resume summary statement might be new to you if its been a while as you have updated your resume. Using Help Writing Resume Summary As you are really knowledgeable about your cover letter, you can overlook the errors and other issues that would immed iately stand out to an individual reading it for the very first time. As it is fruchtwein likely the very first thing a reader will binnensee, attempt to ensure it is clear and to the point. If you follow the suggestions above you are going to have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience Generally, there is absolutely no reason to disclose this info. There are lots of resources available on how to a great resume summary, but its tough to locate good tips on how to do it if you dont have a work experience. Resumes contain a lot of information, or so the summary section offers focus and directs a hiring managers attention to the most relevant parts of information about you before they decide whether to present your resume their complete attention. A poorly written document can stop the employer from seeing the standard of your work, even when you are confident you are the perfect person for the job. It can keep you from getting a job you would like to have. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that gives a summary of your very best work. Make your resume expert summary from the most effective few bits. In summary, an expert summary is a crucial part that you need to include in your resume. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to think of what you want them to discuss with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss. Resume is a kind of document employed by individuals that are seeking for employment. These employment search sites, together with many companies own on-line applications, require candidates to upload their resume so as to express interest in a certain opportunity. If your earlier experience is vital to the position, however, it needs to be listed. You can also see thesis summary examples For individuals with minimal experience or are in the midst of a career ch ange, professional memberships are extremely much relevant. Because resumes have limited space, your career objective should be concise. On the flip side, functional resumes are typically used by fresh graduates or those who have less experience but want to grab the work vacancy. The Fundamentals of Help Writing Resume Summary Revealed In other words, resume summaries are definitely the most efficient way to begin a resume. You might also take a look at research summary examples To a possible employer. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets many more interviews. You can also see career summary examples An expert summary is a concise overview of your skills, experiences and goals directly related to the job posting.

How to Follow up on Job Applications Without Stalking

How to Follow up on Job Applications Without StalkingHow to Follow up on Job Applications Without StalkingDifferentiate yourself from the competition by following up on your job applications.Most job seekers do not follow up after they hit the submit button on a job application. By following up at the right time and with an appropriate message, you differentiate yourself from the competition.Here are five rules to help ensure that your follow-up tactics are greeted with appreciation, rather than resentmentGive it a week.Follow up approximately one week after the job application deadline (if listed). This gives the recruiter enough time to review the resumes. If the job posting didnt list an application deadline, the rule of thumb is to follow up one week after your initial application.Read the fine print.If the description states no phone calls, do not call to follow up. If you do, the recruiter will think that you cannot follow simple directions or did not read the job listing caref ully. If the job listing didnt state such a condition, call once and ask how to follow up again before doing so.Ask informative questions.Whether youre sending an email or calling the recruiter, your communication needs to sound confident not desperate. Ask questions that will help you understand your chances of gaining traction with this job. Inquire if any decision has been made, and ask if its acceptable to follow up in another week if you havent heard back from them, as well as determine the timeframe for the hiring process.Know when to move on. Keep following up once a week, each week, until their responses become vague such as dont contact us, well contact you or non-existent. At that point, its safe to let this one go and set your sights on other prospects.Keep up the momentum.Regardless if you gain traction with this role, continue applying to jobs online, pursuing opportunities through networking, and engaging with recruiters each week to maintain an active job pipeline. This will help stop you from dwelling on one job, as well as improve your chances of landing the right job.Follow behauptung rules to improve your response rate and gain traction in your job search.

Highly Successful Ten Steps to a Federal Job Trainers Certification Program Takes European Tour CFJST Training Naples, Italy, Aug 2010

Highly Successful Ten Steps to a Federal Job Trainers Certification Program Takes European Tour CFJST Training Naples, Italy, Aug 2010Highly Successful Ten Steps to a Federal Job Trainers Certification Program Takes European Tour CFJST Training Naples, Italy, Aug 2010Highly Successful Ten Steps to a Federal Job Trainers Certification Program Takes European Tour CFJST Training Naples, Italy, Aug 2010For the first time, a Federal Job Certification program goes overseas to help Fleet and Family Support Center transition counselors helping family members with job search and military career counselors who advise soldiers facing the challenges of returning home to a stalled economy.Jorge Delgado, Wan Embrey, Todd Burkholder and Jose Fiallos, Command Career Counselors Kathryn Troutman, Certified Federal Job Search Trainer FounderCFJST Training Naples, Italy, Aug 2010Its a very stressful time, admits Jeremy Denton*, a veteran remembering his return from Iraq after serving there in the Marine s. As chaotic as being in the military might be, you knew where you were going to be. Once youre on your own, theres no safety net.It certainly is a tough time for GIs to be coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, with the recent dismal US employment reports of 130,000 jobs lost in July. Jeremy observes, When you transition, if you dont have a plan, youre going to fall on your face.Shirley Victa, Regional Education Services Coordinator Fleet and Family Support Programs Glovinia Harris, Regional Work / Family Life Coordinator, CNR Europe Africa SW Asia and Kathryn Troutman, President and Founder of The Resume Place (www.resume-place.com), have a plan for federal job search trainingIts called Ten Steps to a Federal Job. This step-by-step approach to finding federal employment is an integral parte of the Federal Job Search Certification training she is taking across the pond. Known as the federal jobs guru, Troutman has been hired by the Fleet and Family Services Centers of the Navy to appear at three European locations to train their employment readiness counselors in Naples, Italy Sigonella, Italy and Rota, Spain.The federal government is the number one popular employer for separated and retired veterans, says Troutman. With this training, when the transition counselors have their military customers come in and there will be many with the drawdown in Iraq in process they will be able to help them in a more efficient, empowering, and informed way.The Ten Steps curriculum is currently being taught by transition counselors in all branches of the armed services at over 100 bases around the world, to separating and retiring military, and their accompanying spouses.Locations include Bahrain, Guam, Japan and Alconbury, England. However, in the past, the counselors had to travel to attend The Resume Places certification program. Now Troutman is bringing the training right to the three Navy bases (Naples, Italy August 16-20/Sigonella, Italy August 23-27/Rota, Spain A ugust 30-September 2).This training will give the transition counselors updated knowledge, including the latest on federal hiring reforms, notes Troutman. President Obama came out with new programs for federal hiring of both veterans and their accompanying spouses. Well be titeling how federal job applications are handled throughout the whole process.Troutman sees the possibility of federal employment as being more important than ever to veterans, as separating military face an uncertain future in a down economy. Training like this could help reduce vets suicides and make it easier to overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). And she applauds the changes in spousal hiring. The spouses would like to get a federal job as it helps them transition to new employment from base to base, Troutman says. This can help the military have a better quality of life by bringing more income to families.The certification training includes licensing of a new updated Ten Steps to a Federal Jobs P owerpoint presentation, designed as a three-hour workshop.The Ten Steps and the Powerpoint presentation make this material easier to cover, explains Troutman. It gives the counselors a structure to use to teach federal job searching. And for the jobseeker, it helps them realize that this is a campaign, and each step is important.Also associated with the Federal Job Search Trainer certification is the use of the new 4th edition of a workbook called the Jobseekers Guide. Covering all Ten Steps, this Guide includes useful federal resume samples in Troutmans Outline Format that integrate keywords from federal vacancy announcements.Troutman will be the lead trainer at the 3-day Certified Federal Job Search Trainings in Europe. She heads up The Resume Place, a resume writing and federal job search consulting company in Baltimore, and is the author of six federal career guides, including her latest Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd edition. Accompanying her will be Emily Troutman, a Te n Steps Trainer and the co-author of The Students Federal Career Guide, and Sandra Keppley, a Human Resources expert, who will cover the bulk of the federal hiring changes and reforms.Its important to be able to create a strong foundation when you get back, notes armed services veteran Jeremy. And this is especially important for the guys who have a family. Though the military pay isnt that good, it gets to be pretty substantial when you add up all the benefits such as medical coverage and housing allowances. Having the ability to be trained and prepare yourself to get a good job at home with good benefits is definitely vital.For more info on the Certified Federal Job Search Trainer Program, go to certification programs.Note US-based Certification Training is available on Sept. 14-16, 2010 at Loyola College, Columbia, MD and Sept. 21-23, 2010 at Little Rock AFB, Little Rock, AR.Interested in hosting a program?This program is available to be presented at your base, state, country or site We recently presented the program at Charleston AFB, Yuma Private Investment Agency, Yuma, AZ and Lemoore, CA.Minimum of 10 participants required at your site (computer room).Email us at trainingresume-place.com.*Jeremy Dutton is an actual veteran whose case study appears in the Military to Federal Career Guide. His name and some identifying details have been changed.

5 significant lessons from my personal transformation

5 significant lessons from my personal transformation5 significant lessons from my personal transformationIn the last six years I learned a lot. But I will only share most significant lessons from my personal transformation the ones that made a huge difference because I actually applied them.I found a lot mora of groundbreaking discoveries, but Im far from using them to the fullest. For example, I learned about the Big Potential, but I didnt really tap into it and dont ooze it like the other lessons.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Everything matters.That welches the first lesson I absorbed and used it for a good measure The Slight Edge lessonYoure either going up or down, there is no middle ground in life. Whether you do, or dont do something equally matters. There is so much welchested philanthropisch potential on this globe because people dont get this lesson. We welcheste our precious time on trivia. Watching TV. Playing computer games. Reading for entertainment only. Watching YouTube. Browsing social media.Trillions of man-hours are wasted every year.There is no such thing as passivity or indecision. Lack of action causes consequences exactly like taking action does. No decision is also a decision, usually a vote for the status quo, but there is no such a thing as status quo.Everything matters. Life is a dynamic process. You either go up or down.Thats why it indeed makes a difference whether you practice simple daily actions or notlage. A single action carry a little weight. Writing 400 words very rarely is groundbreaking in any meaning. But write 400 words a day and in a year you will have 146,000 words written. It may be a full novel or a years worth of a blog content.And if you do not write those 400 words, but watch funny videos on YouTube, it matters as well. You will not move upward. So, you will slip backward.Its true in geschftsleben and you r career, but it is as true in every single area of life. Health. Relationships. Happiness. Spibungity. Education. Personal development. Finance.At the beginning no one supported me. My wife scolded me. My mom was sorry for me she knew I would disappoint myself once again. She saw me fired up about this or that more than once.I had no clue. I had no resources. I had no network. I had no experience.This lesson, once it clicked, was my anchor. My journey was unbelievably hard in my own eyes.I felt like quitting more times than I can count. There were months where I wanted to quit every single day.But I didnt. I couldnt. I absorbed the everything matters lesson. Quitting was not a way to get me anywhere. Passivity would brought me down. I had to keep going.If you dont design your own life plan, chances are youll fall into someone elses plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.- Jim Rohn2. Consistency is more important than results.I wrote this statement for the first t ime when writingThe Art of Persistencein 2014, but I had already had implemented that lesson in my life. I kept many of my habits just for the sake of having them. I knew that if I didnt have some daily action moving me in the right direction then I was almost guaranteed that Id never reach the destination.I had no clue if those specific habits would give me the results I wanted, but I was sure that no habits will give me no results. I had already lived the not much life Jim Rohn talked about and I had no illusions that it would be ever fulfilling. And I hoped to achieve more with my new habits. I already had experienced with some of them that this approach works and I trusted Jeff Olson thatThe Slight Edgeis indeed applicable in every area of life.I was right.I focused entirely on the consistency of my daily actions, not on some specific outputs. Whenever I did that, I was able to achieve or exceed my goals. Whenever I shifted my focus to reaching some specific metric I failed mise rably.Consistency is more important than results because its a vehicle that delivers the results. If you can maintain consistency, the results are guaranteed. If you get results, consistency is not guaranteed. In fact, often when you hit some goal you allow yourself a false celebration and indulge in some not-so-wise behaviors that torpedo your habits.Because I was writing 400 words five times a week I could scale my writing up to six days a week, then 600 words a day, then writing 1,000 words every day. Because I was writing consistently I published 16 books, hundreds of articles and blog posts and over 1,000 answers on Quora. Thanks to this output I earned thousands of dollars that made the difference in my familys life. We bought a home. My wife quit her day job. I downsized my day job to 10 hours a week.It all happened because I wrote every day, not because I set a goal of quitting my day job or buying a home. In fact, the home was nowhere on my radar. Buying it was just a bypro duct of my daily actions.In the same manner I achieved many other feats I never aimed for. I was interviewed on podcasts many times. I was published in online magazines to which I never applied. I got coaching clients I never imagined I couldve coached. I joined an American mastermind and traveled to the States twice.I started a book advertising business. I had never dreamed about this. In fact, I was adamant not to provide any service to the self-publishing community. I saw so much hype in this industry that I didnt want to be connoted with it at all.Focus on consistency. Develop habits that will generate results. Eliminate consistency from the equation and you will end up with only life experience at best. You will have no habits, meager results and you will waste a lot of your time and effort on inconsistent rushes of activity.3. Gratitude has an immense power.I had no idea how huge this power was at the beginning. I met with emphasizing the importance of gratitude very quickly i n my personal development restart. Jim Rohn mentioned it off-handedly. Darren Hardy dedicated a whole chapter ofThe Compound Effectto it. It is central toThe Science of Getting Richs concept. I even included it as one of the values I wanted to work on in my personal mission statement.I started my first gratitude journal in September 2012, within a few months expanded it to three journals and it was pure fun for me to write them. But I didnt pay much attention to them.The first time it dawned on me how huge gratitude is when I listened to Shawn Achor onEntreLeadership podcast. I understood that a big part of my success was rewiring my brain into positivity thanks to regular gratitude practice. I had my fair share of disappointments and discouragements, but I kept going because I filled my mind with hope despite the struggles and obstacles.In the same podcast episode Shawn instanced a research where gratitude journaling was enough to rewire into positivity brains of people with a pess imism gene.My mind was blown away. Then I started sharing my revelations about gratitude with my audience and my intuition was confirmed. This topic was very engaging. People were hungry for this. My best ever Quora answer that was viewed over 400,000 times talks about gratitude. I got dozens of comments for this piece. It led me to writinga comprehensive manual on how to keep a gratitude journaland it became one of my most popular pieces on Medium.Its amazing that positivity of your brain improves everything at once by a significant margin and its even more amazing that gratitude journaling works so fast. 30 days is a blink of eye in human life. Also, gratitude journaling is so absurdly easy to do. It takes maybe a minute or two, you dont need any special skills or resources and the effects are so profoundSince then I consider gratitude a basic tool, tool 1 in personal development. Its doable even for depressed people. It rewires your brain into positivity, so everything else down the road can happen- improving your character, habits, relationships, education, career, health everything people are turning into personal development for.Gratitude journaling is one of the very few self things that works in so-called self-help. This is something you can indeed do on its own and get meaningful results.4. All is well.When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. - BrianTracyMany of Law of Attraction gurus preach the same message. Everything is OK, just believe it.I discovered its true with a one tiny difference. Its not the impersonal enigmatic Universe that conspires for your wellbeing. Its God, a Person. His Providence arranges everything for the sum of good of us all. Hey, He is Omnipotent, so he can do this, as hard as it is to believe.I admit, this lesson was easier for me than for most because I didnt have excruciating struggles in my life. Im aware that badeanstalt things happen in this world, Im not blind nor stupid. But I won the lottery of life. My health was always OK, I had a couple heartaches in my adolescent years, but Ive been in a stable relationship for over 20 years. Compared to many others, I had it easy.However, Ive also landseen wrong turning into right so many times that it supports theAll Is Wellexplanation of how life works. There is never something entirely bad, there is always a seed of good in everything.A brother from my church community died of a brain tumor 10 years ago. He left a wife and four children ages from two to nine years old. Ive seen how they survived. Ive seen the kids growing up and turning into decent young adults. Ive seen his wife crushed with pain, overwhelmed with responsibilities who clung to God and, well, lived. She is one of the most peaceful persons Ive ever met.My cousins son was born disabled two years ago. Doctors have no idea whats wrong with the boy. His brain doesnt develop and the kid lives with a death sentence hanging over his head.My cousin and hi s wife didnt expect that at all. They have an ordered life, their own apartment, jobs and were prepared to live happily ever after.I, and everybody around, have seen how this situation helped them grow. Their mental and emotional strength is absolutely inhuman. Everybody admires them.My friend, Rebecca Patrick Howard lives with a death sentence as well. She has a genetic disease. Her body doesnt function well on a cellular level which causes chronic pain and an endless string of serious afflictions (like ruptured intestines). She is also one of the best people Ive ever known. She lives to the fullest. She is an awesome mom and an amazing friend.And I can see only some facets of good in the above instanced stories.However, when I look back at my history, I can tell every single time how my struggles were good for me.My first book about writing a personal mission statement became a bestseller. Not in any spectacular way, but it started to sell the first day since I published it and it never stopped generating sales. I was at the lowest of my capabilities when I wrote it, yet it has been popular and relevant for over five years.It happened because I struggled for years with defining my purpose in life. I had no idea why I lived, and that was the biggest pain of my life. I truly led a life of quiet desperation.Thanks to this struggle, I was able to document my experience with creating personal mission statement after 16 years of complete neglect and impotence in searching for meaning. My painful experience, not wise words, speaks to the hearts of my readers. They can relate to me, thus they can follow me.About two years ago, I was going through the hardest time in my life. My marriage was crumbling and I had no idea how to change that. I also experienced extreme spiritual struggles.That experience cleansed me like nothing else. My spiritual life advanced rapidly. I no longer put trust in my abilities, but rather in Gods mercy and Providence. I was helpless, but He wasnt. I barely survived that experience in one piece, which showed me how weak I really am. 90% of this struggle happened only in my soul, I really had nothing substantial that brought that pain. Remember my cousin with a disabled newborn. He has real challenges and he is a real hero. Me? I realized Im entirely supported by the Lords hand.Today, I am so glad I had that period of extreme suffering. I learned some meekness and compassion which I hadnt had previously.All Is Well. This belief is the core of my strength. Nothing penetrates the peace that comes from this thought. Yesterday, my 12-old daughter was accused of encouraging her friend to commit suicide. I didnt care for this, not even for a second.Then we checked the chat history in my daughters phone and, of course, no such things ever happened. On the contrary, my daughter was burdened with her friends drama and dark secrets.But All Is Well. I could immediately see through the lies of her friend who tried to get attention and love from her parents, hence her self-injuring. She was afraid of her parents to tell the truth, so she accused my daughter. I could see how revealing the truth may be liberating for that family who lives in denial.I saw how my daughter was brave in the whole situation and how profitable the whole experience was for her. My daughters life is pretty much an idyll, so a pinch of painful reality of others was a sober lesson for her.All Is Well. I feel the same about every situation and fear. Its all in Gods hand. In reality, there is nothing to fear. Unpleasant or painful experiences are just learning lessons. In fact, if approached with this mindset, they always make me a better person.I can clearly see Providence working in my life, thus I can sense it in the history of others as well. I was meant to write. This is a purpose of my existence. Millions of views on Quora, tens of thousands of my books sold and hundreds of raving reviews are a proof of that.I was meant to run Amazon ads for other authors. If Amazons system would be any better, more systematized, others wouldve had advantage over me. But their system is clunkyto the extreme.My superpower is that I sense numbers, not analyze them. Oh, Im able to analyze numbers, but I never met someone with my ability to judge the numbers by a single glance on a table or chart. I see numbers and I can feel real-life correlations long before I can rationally explain them. This is how I navigate Amazons wonky advertising system.In the last several years, I did things I only wished for or that were never-ever on my radar. Some of them were close to impossible according to experts. I became a writer. I developed dozens of daily habits in a very short time. I became a life coach. I obtained a few professional certificates in my day job. I bought a home I became a world-class expert in advertising books on Amazon.5. Morning ritual.For the last several years, every morning Ive been doing several disciplines right after waking up.I repeat my personal mission statement in my mind. I exercise, drink two glasses of water, pray, look at my vision board, read random quotes in a document with quotes which shaped my philosophy and read several sentences from four books that did the same. I journal and I listen to podcasts or audio programs.When I listened to Hal Elrod on the SPI podcast, I was amazed how much my morning routine overlapped with his miracle morning routine, despite the fact we developed them independently. It was because we both followed the guidance of successful people.I got the idea and a few elements of my morning ritual from Brian Tracy and Craig Ballantyne. Hal had his mentors. Many of successful people have their own morning rituals because they are effective. Period.Your mornings shape your days. Most people are at the top mental and physical shape in the morning after the whole night sleep. If you are an early riser, no one interrupts you. This is even more important in todays dist raction-filled worldBut most importantly, morning rituals work because they are easy to develop. Its relatively hard to develop any new habit whether you want to exercise, read, write, or even start to drink a glass of water.Any moron can develop a morning ritual. Why? Its based on the most reliable trigger the act of waking up in the morning.In fact, as creatures of habit, at least 80% of human beings already have some kind of morning ritual. Kids are waking up, making cereals with milk while watching TV (or YouTube on their mobiles), then grab their lunch box, a backpack and run for a bus.Workers are getting up, shaving, brushing their teeth, making and drinking a coffee, dressing up for work and starting their commute.Housewives are getting up, waking up their kids for school and their spouse for work, preparing sandwiches and/or making breakfast.A key element to any habit is its trigger. If you have a reliable trigger you can fustel a new habit into your brain in no time.Thus, building a morning ritual is childishly easy. You wake up and start doing a new thing. You repeat it tomorrow and the day after. This consistency informs your mind that this is a behavior worth automating and a habit loop is quickly built in your brain.So, you now have this new, highly repeatable behavior. Now you stack another habit on top of that. The endpoint of the first habit creates a highly reliable trigger for a second habit. The endpoint of the second habit creates a trigger for the third one.You can develop a dozen new habits in a few short months with this method.You reap the benefits of those habits and those benefits are enhanced by everything I said above about a morning ritual no interruptions, top mental shape, high willpower, plenty of physical energy and so on.You can improve your health, get the job done, start having a deep spiritual life, get an education, get to know yourself better, become more mindful or sharpen your mental qualities in the morning. Then you go and conquer your day.My mornings have been an ideal time to get some me time. Im an introvert. Being around people depletes my mental energy. Before I adopted my morning disciplines I never had had time to think. I didnt dream. I didnt plan. I didnt prepare for the day ahead nor for the year ahead. I lived just to go by.My morning ritual provided me with intentionality I very much needed. I got clarity about who I want to become and what I want to achieve in my life. I got so much better at getting control over my thoughts and self-talk. I got to know my strengths and weaknesses. And I took care of myself.My morning ritual became the engine for my relentless pursuit of growth. Only because I was doing it every day I got the stamina, strength and perseverance to keep my nose to the grindstone for long years with meager visible effects.My mornings shaped my days. My days shaped my weeks, months and years.I firmly believe that your habits determine your essence personality, charact er, personal philosophy, thinking patterns and everything that sums up to who you are. Thats what the etymology of the word says. You are your habits.There is no easier way to shape your habits than by developing a morning ritual. If you want to transform your life, you should not overlook your mornings.Everything matters. Consistency. Gratitude. All is well. A morning ritual.Take those five lessons to your heart and you will transform your life. Amen.This article originally appeared on Expand Beyond Yourself.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