How Much Money Is ‘Enough’? This Simple Thought Experiment Gives You an Exact Number to Aim For

Have you ever read those articles where some extremely well-off family details their budget and then bemoans that they're barely getting by? It's ridiculous that anyone could complain about raking in $350,000 a year, and it's clear many of these folks are wildly out of touch with how privileged they are. But while these families may be extreme (and annoying), they aren't alone. It's not just the wealthy who fall into the trap of earning more only to spend more and feel just as dissatisfied. How do you get off this treadmill? The answer is not to compare yourself with others (Jeff Bezos will always be there to make you feel bad), or to blindly try to keep making more (there will always be some shiny, new thing to covet). The answer is to take a hard look at your own financial realities and aspirations and come up with a goal number. How much money is enough for you? ...
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In Times of Crisis, Your Biggest Asset Is Yourself

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are scrambling to pivot down new avenues, employees are raising concerns about workplace safety and procedures, and consumers are living on edge. On top of all that, as a business owner, you want to keep your colleagues, family, and friends safe. This is a lot to manage.   During this time, the temptation to shift every minute of your day to focus on a number of factors can be hard to fight. But you must never neglect the number one investment you have--yourself. ...
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Keys to Success: Affirmations, Visualization, and Action

Thanks to the internet and recent technology, you can get almost anything at the touch of a button (or smartphone). The concept of delayed gratification has become outdated. Instead, we are living in a world of instant gratification and near-constant stimulation. For that reason, many people find themselves struggling to focus and get things done.  So, what's the solution?  Many successful people, including Fortune 500 CEOs, top salespeople, personal development mentors and athletes, have figured out how to focus in on their goals. Some practice and preach the process of reprogramming the subconscious mind through meditation, affirmations, visualization, breathing and more. ...
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Only 10 Percent of People Are Natural Leaders. The Rest of Us Have to Work on Developing These 3 Qualities

t one point or another, we all experience great leadership. Although difficult to articulate, the impact is profound. Whether it's a boss, teacher, parent, or coach, their example leaves a lasting impression, and we're happier, more engaged, and perform better as a result of their guidance. Unfortunately, this experience is not the norm. According to the global analytics firm Gallup, about one in 10 people actually possess the talent to manage. However, in my experience, most companies average more than one manager for every 10 employees. So, with a short supply, where do these other leaders come from?  ...
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How Do You Know Someone Is a Top-Notch Leader? Look for These 4 Signs

If you find yourself seeking to improve your leadership skills, remember this: Leadership is a journey, so enjoy the ride. And just when you think you've arrived at the top of the mountain, look up: You'll always find another peak to climb. This is what an old sage told me when I hit thirtysomething. Actually, back then a few wise business leaders who were further down the road than I told me I'd need to learn several things in order to attain their level of success. They saw right through me and they knew where I was headed (not a good place). ...
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Sleep Researcher: Do These 3 Things Before Bed to Become One of Those People Who Fall Asleep Instantly

Few things are as annoying to those of us prone to tossing and turning before bed than noticing that, after mere minutes, your partner (or airplane seatmate) is snoring away.  Why are some people just so good at falling asleep nearly instantly? Science is on the case and has found answers that can help transform restless sleepers into a hit-your-pillow-and-snooze types.  ...
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Why You Can Never Catch Up on Past Sleep, Work, or Time

Saying "I need to catch up" can be a recipe for failure. The problem isn't that you got behind. The issue is that it is impossible to truly catch up. Sleep experts say you can't catch up on lost sleep, just as much as you can't get time back. Worse, it gets you into the wrong mentality for future productivity. You are setting yourself up to always be behind. Imagine starting your day saying you need to catch up. When you think about it, it means you already believe you are behind. This only ups the pressure to perform, and even if you did "catch up," it implies that you still wouldn't have started the work that was supposed to be done today, rather you completed what you felt guilty about missing yesterday. ...
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7 Ways to Remove Biases From Your Decision-Making Process

We are defined by the decisions we make from the moment we wake up to when we fall asleep. Regardless of how mundane or unimportant these emotions and decisions may seem, you must learn how to remove any potential unconscious bias from your choices. Thankfully, there are ways to eliminate these biases from your decision-making and action-taking, such as the following seven strategies. ...
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The Top 4 Things Leaders Should Know About Emotional Intelligence

If there's one soft skill companies are looking for in both leaders and teams, it's emotional intelligence or emotional quotient. That's largely because EQ can dramatically influence our ability to interact effectively with others and thus has a direct influence on the wellbeing and productivity of the entire group. So unsurprisingly, your grasp of EQ should go deeper than what you hear at the water cooler. To break down what's most important or not well-known about EQ, I turned to Kerry Goyette, Certified Professional Behavior Analyst and Certified Forensic Interviewer. Goyette is also the author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence and has established an evidence-based approach that develops emotional intelligence in the workplace. ...
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5 tips from a chiropractor to save your back while working from your couch

When stay-at-home orders were put in place earlier this spring in response to COVID-19, millions of workers quickly moved to the home office. Easy enough, right? Grab your laptop, maybe a mouse and secondary monitor, and enjoy the sweatpants life while working from home. As states reopen, we are starting to explore our new normal. But, for more than half of employed Americans who have worked from home during this crisis, we’re seeing signs that many will remain there longer than initially expected. Facebook, Alphabet, Salesforce, and Slack all recently announced they have no intention of expecting employees to return to office buildings until at least 2021. Additionally, Gartner recently surveyed 317 CFOs and finance leaders and learned that 74% will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post COVID-19. ...
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How to Turn Your Work-Related Stress and Anxiety into Accomplishments

The following excerpt is from Kanika Tolver’s book Career Rehab. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes Career sadness can build over years and affect your confidence, but you have to get the sadness out and get to the root of what will make you happy. The process of letting go of this sadness will require you to fight off the mental, physical, and spiritual side effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. You can’t rehab your career if you’re feeling ...
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How Real Leaders Step Up to the Plate During a Crisis

You're reading this because you're a leader, but are you a fair-weather leader or one who can navigate the storm? While some people may set out to be leaders early in life, most of us stumble into it. For many entrepreneurs, leadership is the last thing they have in mind when starting a business. Usually the focus is on a great idea or product. Having to run a business is just what you need to do to bring that idea to the market. Then you wake up to realization you  are surrounded by people who are looking to you to lead. It's a humbling and daunting position to be in. You didn't ask for it, you didn't prepare for it, and yet here you are. ...
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Every Phase of a Career Has Different Goals. Here’s How to Figure out Yours

Trying to plot your career path can be confusing and frustrating. As a leadership coach, I've done a lot of work with professionals at many levels who need help making their next career move. I've worked with entrepreneurs who have successfully exited their business to college graduates looking for their first job after school and everything in between. With each of these varying tracks, the next move is different. What is helpful in all of these types of situations is understanding where you are in your professional journey. While the details of each journey are different, successful careers develop over several key phases. In each phase, the goals and criteria change. Here are the eight that I use to assess someone's current situation and help them map out their next steps. ...
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5 Books to Read Before Starting Your Business

Starting a new business is no small undertaking. There are many factors to be considered, and it is important to do your research and prepare yourself as much as possible, with some 50 percent of new businesses failing within the five years, according to the Small Business Administration.  Over the past 15 years, I have had the opportunity to be the founder or co-founder of three companies in three different industries. As part of this journey, my teams and I have done a lot of things right -- and a lot of things wrong. Building a business is a daunting task -- from originally creating the idea, then planning and validating that idea to fund-raising, staffing and achieving profitability. There are many pitfalls in the journey that could easily completely destroy your business.  ...
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