Month: September 2019

Have you ever found yourself staring at your computer in the morning, trying to motivate yourself to get moving with everything you need to do? Have you ever found yourself so sleepy at two o’clock in the afternoon that you’ve drifted off at your desk? Do you struggle with keeping yourself motivated throughout the day, especially once you complete a particularly difficult task? You’re not alone. Most people struggle with wavering or low energy levels throughout the day. While a cup of coffee or a Red Bull can help you perk up, these are just temporary fixes. There are a few simple things you can do to keep your energy levels consistent throughout the day, allowing you to get more done and feel better while doing it all.

The most important and most obvious is to get enough sleep at night, When you are getting the right amount of sleep, you’ll be more energetic, but in addition to sleeping the appropriate amount, you should also avoid the snooze button. It may seem like a good idea to sleep for 5 more minutes, but that’s not really good sleep, and it may actually make you feel more groggy. Practice getting up when your alarm goes off in the morning — it can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the day.

Another little thing that can make a big difference in your energy levels is keeping your nutrition on track. When you eat well, such as having several nutritious meals throughout the day instead of having one or two big meals, it can help you keep your energy levels consistent. It’s also easy to boost your energy levels with sunshine and being outdoors, so if you need a boost, take a quick break to pop outside and take a short walk.

These are all simple and effective ways that you can boost your energy levels without also increasing your caffeine intake. If you find yourself dragging during the day on a consistent basis, you may want to consider implementing a few habits that can help you change your mood and outlook at work.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

The fear of failure is often what motivates people to try harder, work smarter and avoid setbacks whenever possible. It’s okay to not want to fail, but the fear of failure, when allowed to be your sole motivating factor, can actually make it more likely that you will end up failing. In reality, failure, while not a lot of fun to experience, is actually a great way to learn and grow. Maybe it’s time to stop being so afraid of it and allow other things to motivate you to succeed and improve.

When people are afraid of failure, they are less likely to act boldly and take risks — two things that are sometimes important for business owners. Playing it safe and being smart are two different things, and you have to be able to discern when it’s time to take a risk and when it’s time to act cautiously. If you allow fear of failure to control your decisions, you may find yourself stuck in the same old place for years. Even if a risk doesn’t pay off, that’s okay! Failure, setbacks and unexpected outcomes can be the catalyst for new ideas, bold ventures and steps forward that can lead to success and growth for your business.

If you’re too afraid to fail, you may also miss opportunities that will allow your business to earn more money. New products, services, operational organization, employees, systems and investments may all seem like a risk in the beginning, but what if it’s actually the start of something amazing? This is not to say you should not do your research and try to be smart — it simply means that you shouldn’t be afraid to take calculated risks from time to time. Could you fail? Sure. But what’s the worst that can happen? You can learn from it, tweak your strategy and try again with the same thing or something new.

The most successful individuals in business have failed again and again. What sets them apart is their willingness to learn from it and keep going. Fear of failure can make it more likely you fail as a result of inaction, indecisiveness and lack of growth. Let go of this particular fear, and you may find that nothing is holding you back once you do this.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

You’ve probably been in a conversation with someone who was not really listening to you at all. Instead of listening to what you had to say, this person was obviously only biding his or her time until being able to speak again — perhaps even interrupting you from time to time. You know how unpleasant and annoying these conversations can be and how they make you feel, and you understand why it’s important not to make others feel the same way. Good listening skills are important for several reasons in many areas of your life, but they are critical for your career as well.

No matter what type of career you choose, you will have to listen to others, answer questions and communicate clearly. The foundation for any type of positive and quality communication is active listening. This means not just listening to what another person is saying but to actually try and hear him or her. Truly consider the individual’s needs and what he or she is asking of you and trying to tell you. In order to do this, you will have to engage with the other person, not just wait until he or she stops talking so you can speak again.

Make it a point not to interrupt people talking to you. When you have someone speaking, look that person in the eye and make sure he or she knows you are focused on what is being said. This will garner respect from others and make them feel important, and both of these things are critical aspects of succeeding in your professional career. When you listen well, you can answer well. Active listening allows you to truly understand the best way to answer, minimizing the chance of miscommunication and misunderstanding. How you listen can have a significant impact on how people perceive you and what they will think when it’s your time to talk. It could be an invaluable idea to consider whether you have good listening skills and how you can improve.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC