Quick Tips Towards a Better You

KIDS KIDS KIDS
FEARS: Help your child handle fear by listening respectfully to what they say, without becoming overly concerned or active, which would reward the feeling of fear. Belittling the fears will make the child less likely to share them with you. Patience is key, and you have to give them time to overcome their fears at their own speed. You can help them come up with ways to handle their fears, praise them as they get better at facing their fears, and acknowledge their coping skills.
QUICKTIP: Physical play, drawing, painting, and completing small tasks help children master their world and can make them less fearful.

ETIQUETTE: Have a "Polite Night" every so often to teach kids table manners. Get out good plates, and silverware, and dine by candlelight. Practice the proper etiquette for a formal dinner, from setting the table correctly, to eating rolls and cutting meat.

PERSONALITIES: If your child is particularly intense, let them win when disputes are unimportant. Be careful not to give in to unreasonable demands though. From time to time, pick activities where winning is not the main objective, like gardening or storytelling. When your child begins to get riled up about something, try a diversion tactic, i.e. That should be enough of (insert current activity here) for now, how about a quick snack? Make sure your child sees you relax, and acknowledge your own mistakes so they can learn to deal with theirs.

FEELING GOOD
In Your Flow: How do you feel when you feel really good? Typical responses are: alert, joyful, energetic, accomplished, challenged, lucky, strong, at peace, winning, etc... Whichever words you use, they determine how you feel when operating at your personal highest level, which some refer to as "being in the flow." Focus on these feelings when you have them, and use them every day to create better results for yourself in everything you do.

Being More Productive: It is NOT possible to catch up on five days of sleep deprivation during a 2-day weekend, and as a result, many people are perpetually tired or even lethargic. Instead of a coffee break, try relaxing into a 20 minute nap, especially between 1 and 3 PM, when there is a natural dip in human body rhythms. This dip is noticeably worse for people who are sleep deprived.

WORK LIFE
Excuses - Don't Use Them: You always want to be known as a star performer, which means you'll have to ditch these excuses.
- They didn't get back to me. This implies reactive instead of proactive choices. Take the initiative to come up with creative solutions when the normal methods for reaching someone aren't producing results.
- I thought (insert coworker's name here) was taking care of that. This not only starts the blame game, but is completely unproductive. Stay focused on the project's overall progress so that you're aware when something isn't being done when it's supposed to be. You may wind up taking on additional responsibilities, but you'll come out looking like a champ instead of a chump.
- No one ever told me. This sends the signal that you're oblivious to what's going on around you. If you have questions about something, figure it out, or ask, BEFORE it becomes a problem.
- I didn't have time. This would indicate poor time management on your part, particularly if it's an item that is regularly completed within a given time frame.
- I didn't think to ask about that. This shows off your lack of foresight and/or proper planning.
- I'll do my best. This is a tricky one because it almost doesn't sound that bad when you just look at it. Ultimately though, it suggests that you are trying to avoid final responsibility if things don't go well. Turn it into a determined "Yes."

Employable Forever: Manage your career so that you are always in demand, not only in your current company, but elsewhere as well.
- Keep your knowledge up to date. Be on the lookout for new skill-sets to learn and ways to improve existing ones.
- Have quantifiable accomplishments. These should show how you reduced costs, increased revenue, or made work more productive or efficient. An easy way to keep track of this is by continuously updating your resumé.
- Network constantly. If you're not a people person, become one. There is a lot of truth to the old saying, "It's not what you know, but who." Take the opportunity to talk to people representing other businesses which interact with your employer's. This will help you explore your career options on an ongoing basis, as well as open your eyes to potential areas for those quantifiable improvements.


Best wishes for a bright and happy weekend!