Tag Archives: business

How To Increase Your Productivity By Next Week

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We all want to be more productive, but it is usually easier said than done.

Productivity is something that we discuss all the time at ComputerPeople. This time, we took it one step further by talking to people with excellent habits, researching, and brainstorming how to we can more productive in the short term. We liked these five habits because they can make a huge impact on productivity AND you can definitely work them all into your routine pretty much immediately.

Hope they help!

1) Delegate, delegate, and delegate some more. The worst thing you can do for your productivity is put too much on your plate when some of your tasks could be handled by others. Do not try and to everything yourself when someone else could do it better.

2) Have a plan. You should constantly create lists and know what you need to accomplish in the next 24 hours. Prepare for the next day by getting a realistic plan in the works.

3) Take Breaks. Yes, I’m serious. You will be more focused and productive if you reward yourself with small breaks about every 90 minutes, and you will be less vulnerable to getting off track and losing motivation.

4) Find useful apps. Do not take all day to do something that an app could have done for you in an hour. There are thousands of productivity apps out there that will help you get the job done and make your life easier.

5) Get up early. They weren’t kidding when they said the early bird gets the worm. If you want to be productive, you shouldn’t waste your time sleeping the day away. Go to sleep early and start grinding when there are few distractions.

 

by Kaitlyn Gahagen

How Do I Standout From All The Other Candidates During My Job Search? Wise Words from Our Rockstar Recruiter Brooke DeLucia.

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Brooke DeLucia has been a recruiter at ComputerPeople for over 20 years. She has seen it all and has worked with candidates from all over the world. We asked Brooke one simple question. What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

Brooke’s Response is gold.

“Drive & Professionalism.   Having the ability to sell yourself as a driven individual with the aptitude and hunger to learn can make all the difference.   Your body language can make or break an opportunity, no matter how qualified you are for the job. It’s still important to be respectful, attentive and professional when you are interviewing.  Don’t slouch in your chair, don’t pick lint off your suit, don’t chew gum or swear. It may seem basic but sometimes the people you least expect are the ones making these mistakes!”

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Brooke! Connect with Brooke Here.

 

 

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Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

 

Adding Holiday Fun to the Workplace

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I have been working at CP Staffing Solutions a little over a year now, and I still feel that this is the best company I’ve ever worked for, with some of the best people I’ve ever worked with. Part of the reason for this, in my opinion, is because although we take our work very seriously, we also make room for fun and special moments. A good company knows when to take a breather, which in turn makes for happy employees – happy employees deliver good results! So why not add a little holiday fun to your workplace this week?

Holiday Luncheon.

A good way to spread some holiday cheer is to have everyone eat together. For our holiday luncheon we all went to a restaurant called Chef’s, and it was a lot of fun – not to mention delicious. Everyone laughed, shared stories, admired each other’s food, and took home some leftovers. “Breaking bread” together has a way of connecting people and strengthening relationships, so this might be a good fit for your company. If you have a break-room/lunch-room that’s big enough for everyone, you can have that right in your building, but it might be fun to go out somewhere, so keep that in mind. 😉

Secret Santa.

If a big luncheon is not feasible for your workplace, then you may want to try just having a fun Secret Santa party. Here at CP Staffing, we did a blind gift exchange while we were at Chef’s. There was limit on how much you could spend, and the gifts were to be Buffalo themed. Granted, I kept procrastinating on purchasing my gift, so the one I bought ended up not being Buffalo-themed per se, but it still worked 🙂 . If you want to make it interesting, turn it into White Elephant – have people steal other people’s gifts! We did the White Elephant method, and it actually turned out to be really fun. Although, if you decide to do this, make sure that everyone knows ahead of time. You don’t want to be a Michael Scott, changing the game at the last minute and having everyone steal gifts that were meant for specific people… Not cool.

Holiday Event.

If neither of those things suit your fancy, you can arrange an event – you could go ice skating, curling, sight-seeing, etc. We decided to go curling at Canalside, and it was… interesting. Well, I’m currently about six months pregnant, and so the ice was not exactly my best friend. However, I still gave it a shot (twice!) and I had a great time – even when I slid the 40-lb rock by just graciously sliding on my butt. If it’s not too late and it’s doable, try arranging some kind of fun event for everyone – it’s a great way to bring everyone together and have some laughs along the way.

Music!

Okay, so not everyone is crazy about Christmas music. I usually find that there is no in-between – you either hate it or you love it. Nevertheless, if you’re not able to do anything as a group for the holidays, you may want to just sprinkle some holiday cheer into the workplace by having some low Christmas music playing in the office. I’m on the “Love it” spectrum of Christmas music, so I get really excited about having jingle bells play all day long. But even if you’re not all jazzed up about it, I feel that as long as it’s not obnoxiously loud everyone is usually on board with it. So put some tunes on – music always serves to put a smile on our faces.

We hope that your holiday season is filled with much joy and many special moments. From all of us at CP Staffing – Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Twelve Ideasfor Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas

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Written by Nayadee Wilson

What ‘The Walking Dead’ Taught Me About Leadership

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Recently my husband and I started watching The Walking Dead. Yes, I know we’re a little late to the party, but better late than never right? So far, we’re pretty hooked on to the show, but aside from great entertainment The Walking Dead can teach us a few lessons on leadership. Granted, most of what we see in TWD is useful in the apocalyptic event of having to fight off zombie herds, but some can be applied to everyday life as well 🙂 .

  1. A leader isn’t Superman.

    The Walking Dead starts off by showing us the whereabouts of Rick Grimes, who eventually becomes the leader of a group of survivors. You come to find out that Rick had just come out of a coma, was extremely weak, alone, and to top it all off, he had absolutely no idea what was happening – imagine wandering the streets by yourself to then be greeted by a “dead” human-being trying to eat you! Nevertheless, along his journey Rick encounters friends and family who help him get on his feet and help him survive.

    Sometimes we have the misconception that a leader is supposed to be able to do it all, handle it all, and do a perfect job at it. The reality is that leaders need help too; leaders need the support of colleagues/friends/family in order to do a good job. When our leaders are struggling, it is in the team’s best interest to offer them help in any way possible. However, when the team decides to judge and criticize instead, everyone takes a step backwards. If you’re trying to become a good leader yourself, know that it’s OK to ask for help.

  2. Leaders make mistakes.

    Rick Grimes didn’t always make the right call. The first mistake he made was riding on a horse into a zombie-infested city, where he became completely trapped and was later rescued by a stranger named Glenn, who eventually welcomes Rick into the team that he will later lead. Rick also (arguably) makes some other bad calls that affect the whole team, but nevertheless they all continue to pull together.

    Sometimes, even with help, a leader might make a bad decision. To expand on the previous point, we have to remember that we are all human, and what comes with this great trait is that we will make mistakes. Once mistakes are made, the four important things to keep in mind are:

    1. What do we do to fix it? 2. What can we learn from it? 3. How do we keep from making this mistake again? 4. How can we be better prepared in the future if it does happen again?

  3. Good leaders know how to delegate.

    In Rick’s group everyone had a job to do. There was a period of time where Rick actually stepped back into a “farming lifestyle” while others took on bigger responsibilities. Rick was going through some personal issues himself, which made him take a breather from his “leadership role,” and he let others handle that part of the workload. (Of course, when you watch the show and see what happens later, you may or may not feel that this was a good call, but for the purpose of this peace we’ll focus on the positive).

    Having a leadership role is a big responsibility.  At one point or another we all experience burn-out, expressing it through frustration and sometimes even physical illness. It’s good for leaders to take a break every now and again to reboot, and they should be able to do so with the support of their peers. It can’t always just be “go, go, go, Go!” If you’re going through a rough time, but feel guilty about taking a breather, know that you’re not a robot and it’s OK to refresh – after all, how would you expect to kill zombies if you’re all worn out?

  4. Good leaders have to make tough decisions.


    In TWD there were numerous times where Rick had to make a tough call in which everyone was not in total agreement, or one he had to make completely on his own. One of Rick’s best friends, for example, attempted to get rid of him for good, and so Rick had to make the decision of defending himself and others – thus taking his best friend’s life.

    So, in the real world (thankfully!) making a tough call doesn’t involve the gruesome tasks that are required to survive a zombie attack. Nevertheless, there will be times when leaders have to make a decision that not everyone is going to like – it comes with the job. Although a leader ought to care for his people, they’re not necessarily required to be best friends. It’s kind of like parenting: you love your kids, but you’re their parent, not their buddy. If you’re afraid to make a tough decision for your group, always ask for help if possible, but know that there will be times where you have to make the tough call. And, as peers, it is always best to be respectful of a leader’s decision before declaring (like Rick’s best friend did), “I am a better man than you” – as you will come to find out, pride comes before the fall.

Bringing it all together

We are all leaders in one way or another, and we all have leaders to follow in one aspect or another. When it comes to leadership, just know this:

                   A leader is a human with a job to do, not a robot with a programmed task.

To our leaders we owe our respect, support, and understanding. As leaders we owe our peers responsibility, trust, and care. Who knew The Walking Dead had so much to teach besides the best way to kill zombies? If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, I would definitely recommend this enticing thriller as your next binge marathon on Netflix. Although, you may want to watch it well before going to sleep – I’ve had several zombie attack nightmares since we started watching it… but totally worth it!

Featured Image Credit: Casey Florig – The Walking Dead Season 5 trailer screenshots
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Written by Nayadee Wilson

 

What Happens When You Have a Personal Mission Statement

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From our early stages of life, usually we all have goals and dreams. Some of our goals may change along our journey, some may remain the same, but depending on what they are and who you are, these can be very versatile. One thing that can always remain constant, however, is something we often forget to even define for ourselves: our personal mission statement.

I was listening to a radio talk show a little while ago, and while the main topic of that discussion has slipped from my mind, one thing from the conversation did stick with me. Someone was asked what their company’s mission statement was, and afterwards they were asked, “and what is your personal mission statement?” That’s when it hit me: a defined, personal mission statement can be a very powerful thing, and here’s why you should know what yours is.

  1. Your mission statement is your guide.

    Here at CP Staffing, our mission statement is
    “CP Staffing Solutions is committed to being the clear partner of choice to our client employers and the individuals that we represent.  This is achieved by working tirelessly to understand our client’s needs and delivering staffing solutions that improve their competitiveness.  We strive to serve as a lifetime source of career management for the individuals we represent.”

    This statement is what drives everything we work towards, and how we get there. My point: your personal mission statement does the same thing; it’s where all your goals and aspirations will come from in the first place – what drives you to do what you do. Once you know what you want your life to represent, what you want to stand for (what you’d like your legacy to be), it becomes easier to map out your life goals in order to abide by your mission.

  2. Your mission statement keeps you on track.

    Because your statement is your guide, it means that when you’re going the wrong way, taking a look at your mission statement can sound off the alarm. A lot of times we’ll make goals for ourselves, want things, or make decisions that seem great at first, but can hinder us instead of move us forward. Just because we fit in somewhere, it doesn’t mean that’s where we belong. Having a mission statement can help you determine not only where you fit in, but where you actually belong, because of what you want to represent. So, when you start to steer off your personal road, your guide is there to lead you back in the right direction.

  3. Your mission statement helps clarify your purpose.

    Ah, there’s that tricky subject of “purpose” again. Some people believe wholeheartedly that we all have a purpose in life, while others firmly believe that we’re just passing by, with no real intent in the universe. Well, no matter where you fall on the spectrum, your life certainly is not meant to be wasted. If you’re having difficulty figuring out what you’re meant to do while you’re walking this earth, then figuring out and writing a personal mission statement can help you live your life with meaning. It can help you make better decisions at work, in difficult situations, and in everyday encounters. Even if you’re not fond of the word “purpose,” no harm can come from finding a way to always try and show what you consider to be your best self!

What’s your mission statement? 

One thing that the special guest on that talk show said was that, when it comes to mission statements, it’s probably best to have no more than 20 words; this can help prevent you from wandering away from it in the first place. So, there’s a start – you can go ahead and figure out a 20-word sentence or phrase of what you’d like your life to represent: your personal mission statement. And hey, if the 20-word limit isn’t for you, then feel free to add more and find whatever works best. Go ahead and give it a go! If and when you figure it out, please share with us what your personal mission statement is!

Featured image: created on Piktochart
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Written By Nayadee Wilson

Don’t Stress The Tough Challenges – Do This Instead.

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If you’re alive and breathing, chances are that you have been, are being, and/or will be faced with challenges; they’re just part of human nature. Although most of us feel some level of stress when dealing with a challenge, the stress does not come from the challenge itself, it comes from the ways in which we’re handling it. After all, most challenges are good and necessary – they put your mind to work, and they make you stronger and better in the end; they’re good for you!  We shouldn’t be afraid of challenges that come our way. Instead, we should embrace them. So, what’s the best way to do that? Here are a couple of things that have helped me in mine.

  1. How long will the elephant stay in your room?
    A lot of times we look at challenges from the wrong angle, missing (or refusing to look at) the main, underlying problem. The only way you can start to get rid of the elephant in the room is by acknowledging and identifying it; it’s there, and it has a name. It’s not enough to just know that there’s an issue, you should truly make yourself aware of what exactly it is that you’re dealing with.

    For example, after writing blogs for about a year (I’m a bit of a rookie), I’ve been moping in my head about my decline in writing frequency for quite some time now, but I refused to deal with this issue. It was the elephant in my room, and I finally decided to stare at it – why am I not writing as often? As I focused on the issue, it turns out my challenge was not exactly the act of writing; my actual challenge has been coming up with new topics to write about, having my creativity bucket collecting dust. And so, by identifying the essential issue I can now focus on finding an effective solution. This is the first step to overcoming any challenge: look past the surface, and identify the fundamental problem.

  2. How will you get the elephant out?
    Sometimes, identifying the real challenge can be a lot easier than finding a solution to it, but at least it gives you a start! Writing about my personal challenge helped me identify it, which was step number one. In the course of nature you’ll often find that once you take that first step, it’s a lot easier to take that second one. After you’ve done your first step of identifying, you can now focus on how you’ll overcome your challenge.

    a.) Write down your own ideas on how to approach your new challenge.

    b.) Talk to others about your struggle; share with people that have dealt with a similar challenge. Chances are that someone somewhere has gone or is going through the same thing, and could offer you some useful insight.

    c.) Put all those ideas and advice together and do some good ‘ol fashion trial and error. You may not stumble upon the greatest solution right away, but if you do nothing then your elephant might live there forever, rent-free.

The take-away.

All in all, when it comes to facing your challenges it really comes down to these three points:

1. Knowing the underlying issue allows you to focus on finding an effective solution.

2. Do some good ‘ol fashion trial and error – it’s better than doing nothing.

3. Learn from all of it.

The best thing about overcoming a challenge is that if you’re faced with it again, you’re ready for it; it becomes less “challenging,” making you ready for better and bigger challenges. You learn the good and the bad and can add another star to your “Life Experiences Board,” while also learning how to deal with other difficult situations. So, the next time you’re faced with a challenge, make sure you look at it from the right angle and tackle it like a pro! 🙂

*Featured image: Life is Stressful by Ayana

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Written by Nayadee Wilson

How Consistency Leads to Success in 3 Simple Steps

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Featured image: Raphael Love

I used to think it was just me, but the more I observe myself and others the more I find a majority of people having a tough time achieving consistency in any given area. Time and time again I hear people say that consistency is a big key to success, so it makes me wonder why so few of us take it into account. As for me, sometimes I feel “creatively stuck,” or have a lack of motivation to carry out consistency – as may also be the case for you. But here’s why consistency should be our top priority when reaching our goals, and why you should join me on a 5-week long consistency challenge!

  1. Consistency provides real substance.
    How many times have you tried a new “life-hack,” skincare/hair-care routine, etc., to then give up a few days later and say “I tried that and it didn’t work for me”? Well, how do you know whether or not something is effective if you don’t have realistic, consistent measurements? Until you perform a task consistently for a proper period of time, you will not be able to determine if it works or not. Being consistent helps you become successful by allowing you to see which tactics work for you, and which ones don’t. Otherwise you’re just doing random, incomplete experiments; getting no real answers.
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  2. Consistency creates discipline.
    There’s no question about it: in order to be successful, you must have a good level of discipline. Without discipline, you must rely on a great amount of luck in order to achieve your goals – and that’s highly unlikely to happen. When you develop consistency in what you do (your tasks, your strategies, your daily plan of action), you begin to form a good disciplinary habit, getting closer to achieving your goals. I read somewhere that it takes an average of 66 days for something to become habitual (I always thought it was 21 days), so this goes to show how strong and important the power of consistency is!
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  3. Discipline creates success.
    So you’ve gotten a few things down: you’ve become consistent in your work, you’ve developed discipline with your daily/weekly/(whatever applies to you) routine, and now you get to watch the results. You get to see whether what you’re doing is working, or if it’s not. And no matter what the result is, you’ve become successful. How? By being able to weed out what doesn’t work from what does work – and that’s a success in your journey! The great thing is that once you’ve found what works really well, you’ve become disciplined enough in your tactics that it’s easy to continue the work you’ve already put in and accomplish even more. Ergo, you’ve achieved success. 🙂

In his article, “No Consistency, No Success,” Grant Cardone stated that “Successful people don’t change their approach unless it doesn’t work—they only change to change with conditions.” So, unless it’s broken, don’t fix it – keep working consistently towards your goals! And if you’re finding yourself stuck in a rut wondering why your goals seem so unattainable, then perhaps it’s time create a consistent plan of action 😉 . Join me on my 5-week long challenge (pick any one task that you want to start doing consistently) and let us know how it goes – grab hold of your success!

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Written by Nayadee Wilson

Top Perks of Working With a CP Staffing Recruiter

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I have previously discussed the facts and myths of working with a staffing agency, but the great thing about letting a recruiter help you in your career search is the amount of awesome perks that come along with it. Although many people will come across a staffing agency at some point in their career, a lot are hesitant to jump on board. However, I can give you at least five great pros for working with a great staffing agency, particularly CP Staffing Solutions, which will make you want to ditch the endless online job applications. 😉

  1. Delegation of job search.

    The greatest perk of working with our recruiters is that the recruiter works for you! Instead of you spending countless days and hours filling out online applications for a countless amount of jobs, we will do the job search for you – so you can relax! 😉 . Not only will we be aware of what you need and what you are looking for, but we also know what our client needs and what they want, so we can make sure that we link you with the right employer, on all accounts.

  2. Open door to hidden jobs.

    Perhaps equally as good as (or even better than) doing the job search for you is the fact that our recruiters have access to jobs that you would otherwise never find. Top employers hire employment agencies to find top talent, and so you might never see these top-quality jobs posted online. And so, while you’re pulling your hair out trying to find your dream job, you may be missing out on it because it’s actually hidden – with us!

  3. Untapped potential.

    Another great benefit of working with CP Staffing Solutions is that with over 125 combined years of recruiting experience, we know talent when we see it. We are able to pinpoint strengths and skills that fit a particular job, that you may not have even been aware of yourself. With our ability to recognize key skills and experience, we are able to introduce you to new career options that you may have not considered before.

  4. Coaching.

    What is a great staffing agency without that personal touch? The best part of CP Staffing (in my opinion and from my experience) is that our recruiters don’t throw you out on a limb; they prepare you for your interviews, making sure that you are your best professional self when meeting with your potential employer. How many times do you stay up tossing and turning the night before a big interview because you’re not sure of how prepared you are? CP Staffing recruiters make that preparation a lot easier, so you can get a good night sleep (we hope!). 🙂

  5. Salary negotiation.

    A big, and oftentimes uncomfortable, part of the hiring process is the salary negotiation. I used to get knots in my stomach just thinking about that whenever I knew that conversation was coming. We make this a whole lot easier for you due to our long standing relationships with our clients. While we will absolutely remain realistic with the salary expectations (which depend on your experience, skills, etc.) we are also able to get you the best negotiation for your salary, so you don’t feel like you have to throw up at the thought of this discussion.

Save yourself the trouble.

As you can see, you can save yourself a lot of headaches when you let us help you. Helping you find the best possible career fit is what we are here to do, and we love doing it! So, the next time you’re in the market and you’re looking for a more effective and efficient way to find a job, give us a call! We promise we won’t bite – we are here to help. 🙂

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By Nayadee Wilson

"Boundaries" by Sarah Zimmerman - Unearthed Comics

The Simple Step to Achieve Great Work-Life Balance

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Featured image: “Boundaries” by Sarah Zimmerman – Unearthed Comics

The issue of life and work balance is so common that you hear it being discussed all the time – you read articles about it, talk about it with your colleagues, with your family, so on and so on. It’s a struggle that many of us have, sometimes for a lot longer than we anticipate, and oftentimes we sort of give up on trying to fix it; we say “it is what it is,” or “I do what I have to do.” Meanwhile, we, as well as the people we care about, are unable to escape the consequences.

In reality, the step to achieve a good work-life balance is a lot simpler than we’d think, although simple does not mean easy. However, you’re going to find out that although it may sometimes be difficult to apply this step, it is well worth it in the long run. Not only will it keep you from going insane, but family and loved ones will be grateful for it too. So what’s the secret? Simple: setting Clear Boundaries.

I want to emphasize the word “clear” because a lot of times we say that we’re setting boundaries between our work and our personal life, but in reality we just put up a fort with bendy straws. Having clear boundaries means you have specifics; you set a specific line for yourself that you will not cross when it comes to your work interfering with your personal life at home, and vice versa. Sometimes we realize our need to do this too late, and we might end up telling a story similar to the one below:

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Shared story from Work it Daily

Becca Thomas mentioned how she “took back the ability to say ‘No’,” and while that is essentially what setting a boundary entails, for some of us simply saying “No.” is virtually impossible (at least for me it is). If you’re like me and have a relatively tough time saying “No.” to requests, there are other things you can do for yourself that make it easier to do so, like your time management.

When it comes to time management, there are a couple of ways you can go about it. For example, there are times when my husband has to do some work from home after a full day of work at the office. When this is the case, his boundary is to spend no more than 20 minutes working at home. You could also simply say “I will not work past 6:00pm,” and have that be your boundary instead.

These kinds of boundaries are clear, making them simple to follow, thus making them very effective. Are they easy to follow? Not always – there has been one or two times where Patrick goes a little over the 20 minute limit, but these are very rare occasions. The fact that the boundary has already been established makes it easier to be aware of how you’re handling your work-life balance, preventing you from going on a downward spiral of unbalance like Becca Thomas. Although, with stories like hers I would still argue that it’s better late than never, as you could see from her testimony this wouldn’t be a situation in which “fashionably late” is a good thing either.

So, what will your clear boundary be? Will it be “no working past 6pm”? No checking emails during dinner time? No more than 20 minutes working at home? Or maybe it’s “Thursdays are strictly family days – no phones, no emails”? Of course, it’s hard to decide to step away from your work at times, especially if your role is extremely involved in essential operations of a company. However, there are certain things that will always be more important, that also need your care and time – yourself being one of these. Having clear boundaries to maintain work-life balance will always work out in your favor, and you’ll also find that the business world will not fall apart when you decide not to be a 24/7 working robot. So have at it and take back the ability to say “No.” 🙂

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By Nayadee Wilson

Stop Wasting Your Talent

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I’m at the point in my journey where I’m questioning and thinking about what it is that I truly want to do with my life, and how can I get there. So far everything seems to be running smoothly, and all the pieces seem to be falling into place, but I’m still not certain of the image these pieces are forming; i.e. where my life is headed. Which leads me to the next question: What are my gifts? What are my talents?

Last week, one of our pastoral leaders at my church said this:

“Let’s say you’ve been planning for quite some time the perfect gift for someone you love. You’ve put a lot of thought, time, and maybe even a lot of money into it. The day comes when you see this person and you finally get to give him/her that very special gift – the one that you personally chose to fit him/her, because that’s how well you know this person. You finally gave that person your gift, and you’re ecstatic about it!

Then a month goes by, and you happen to come across that special gift that you gave to that special person. It’s sitting on a shelf, unopened, certainly not used, and collecting dust. Imagine the feeling you would have, knowing that after making that gift so very special for your loved one, that person didn’t really care for it.

That’s how God feels when you don’t use the gifts that He’s given you.“

Whether you believe in a God or not, I believe we can agree that most of us here on earth do feel that we’re alive for a reason and a purpose. We have certain gifts and talents that we were born with, or developed over time, that were meant to impact the world around us. Of course, some of the impacts we make are very small, while others are very big, but they are significant nonetheless.

From time to time we may think that we’re aware of our skills, and that we’re working towards our goals. However, especially when it comes to our careers, oftentimes we let our talents take a back-seat. We follow orders blindly and conform to just making ends meet, justifying our decision to leave our gifts unopened.

The truth is, that when you don’t use your talents you’re not only doing a disservice to humanity, but also to yourself; you were meant to use these! Why should you be stuck at a dead-end job, where your talents aren’t used to their full potential? Why should your gift sit on a shelf?  When searching for a job and taking steps to pursue your career, these steps should always be part of your life marathon, not your practice treadmill.

Maybe you’re taking solid steps in your career, but you still fell stuck. Perhaps the reason you’re in a career rut is because you honestly don’t know what you want to do – you don’t know what your gifts are. Well, that’s a common struggle, but there’s a way around that. You can ask yourself these three questions:

1. What did I want to do as kid?

2. What makes me come alive when I do it?

3. What opportunities have I been given? 

The third question is particularly useful because it’s one we don’t often think about. Maybe you don’t know what you’re passionate about, and maybe you no longer like what you loved as a child, but one thing may still help you: that thing in which you stand out to others. Was there ever a time when someone said to you: “Hey, have you thought about doing XYZ? I think you’d be really great at it!” This is your ticket to exploration. There may be a hidden talent that you didn’t know you had that might be what you were meant to do. You just have to take the opportunity to try it. And if it’s not your thing, then keep searching.

Not everyone believes that we all have a purpose, but even if you don’t believe so, that doesn’t mean you have to wander aimlessly in life ignoring your natural abilities; we can find our gifts and put them to good use. If you know what your talent is, don’t hesitate to use and perfect it – find the job/career/course that will use these to their full potential! If you don’t know what your gift is, then be diligent in searching for it – you can start a “hobby career” and move on from there 🙂 . But whatever you do, don’t waste your talents – they are valuable to the human kind!

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By Nayadee Wilson

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