Life Tip #26

Avoid the career of least resistance. Go for greatness! Your career will likely consume upwards of ten hours a day, five days a week, for more than 30-40 years of your life, so strive for something you truly love. If you settle for the job or career of least resistance, you’ll never be fully satisfied …

Life Tip #65

  When it sounds too good to be true, it always is. When we were a very young couple, my wife and I were more than a little tempted by various schemes, including selling health supplements and peddling medical billing services. Thankfully, we turned these schemes down before it was too late. If you are …

Life Tip #28

Your employer doesn’t want you to pursue your dreams. Thaaaat’s right, your employer doesn’t want you to strike out on your own to chase your dreams, because that means they will lose your skills and experience, and then have to hire and train a whole new employee. Nor do they don’t want word to get …

Life Tip #101

Newsflash—it’s not the president’s fault. If you ever need a “kick in the pants” version of motivation on self-sufficiency, check out Gary Vaynerchuck on social media. He is one of the many people whose videos and podcasts I listen to on my pre-dawn walks. He’s a social media marketing guru and just an overall inspiration …

Life Tip #202

Write your own script. Don’t let others, or circumstances, or your past set the agenda for your future. Don’t let your mom, or your dad, a friend, or a sibling write it for you. Don’t even let your significant other write it for you (although I strongly suggest that you include your significant other in …

Life Tip #247

What motivates us in our career moves? Let’s start with that. Do we allow the base desire for “more money” determine our career path, from a materialistic and worldly mindset? Do we choose our career simply for status, to feel more important? Does a need for approval drive our career choice? Approval from friends, parents, …

Now This is the Right Attitude

I'll let this news story speak for itself. I would only add that this kid's got spunk! Our country needs more people with this kind of positive attitude, motivation, and courage to go out there and get what they want! While you may have heard this story, there is some footage of the young man …

Changing my Tune on Millennials

For a while there I was like many Gen Xers who piled on "those lazy Millennials." But the more I observe them, I find myself changing my opinion of them. First it was the generalization that Millennials are shunning the old notions of big-ticket property ownership. You know, cars and houses. As I murmured "phthth" under …

Fulfilling Other People’s Dreams

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Kurt Borne No matter your opinion on the current NFL Players vs. National Anthem debate, I think the far bigger question is, “Why do we spend so many hours helping to fulfill the dreams of others?” Those others being the overpaid players and coaches living their dreams on the …

The Skills Employers Wish College Grads Had

By Kathryn Buschman Vasel at Money Tree January 30, 2014 Turns out, the skills and education recent college graduates acquired during their time on campus might not be serving them well when it comes to proving their worth to potential employers. “Soft skills have deteriorated more than hard skills in the view of CEOs and recruiters …

Greg Hartle’s “Ten Dollars and a Laptop” Project

This gentleman's career-life project speaks for itself, so I will not attempt to add to his amazing story. Greg calls it "An Epic Quest to Discover What It Takes to Succeed Starting From Scratch"...and it truly is. Learn all about Greg and his project here: "Ten Dollars and a Laptop"

Freelancing in America: Rise of the Contingent Workforce

By Dr. Woody September 30, 2013 We live in an on-demand world where speed is everything and companies better be prepared to keep up, or get left behind. Modern companies are faced with moment-to-moment fluctuations in reaction to market demands that require quick decision-making and agility to adapt to new trends. But these characteristics are …

Should You Bring Mom and Dad to the Office?

Employers Are Embracing the Involvement of Parents to Attract and Hold On to Talent By Anita Hofschneider September 11, 2013 Paul From was used to meeting the spouses and children of employees at company events. As chief executive of Central Wire Industries, a manufacturing firm based in Perth, Ontario, he has long held regular baseball …

American Life Planning in a Nutshell

What Have I Done? Baby Boomers Reveal their Deepest Financial Regrets

By Tim Sprinkle at The Exchange June 24, 2013 Over 50, underfunded, and ill-prepared for retirement. Unfortunately, that’s an all-too-common scenario for the Baby Boomer generation – those born between 1946 and 1964 -- many of whom are still smarting from the economic downturn and are now looking back at their earlier financial choices with regret. …

Resolving to Help Others See a Bigger Picture

I'm not typically one for New Year's resolutions, but based on what I've been witnessing in the workplace, in my hometown, and in the media, I think I need to make one very serious resolution, at least in my work. I work in the training and development field, and I often serve as facilitator to newly hired …

The Vanishing Respect for Skilled Trades

One of cable television's most recognizable characters, Mike Rowe knows a thing or two about jobs, particularly jobs involving skilled trades and manual labor. On his Dirty Jobs program on the Discovery Channel, Rowe learns and then performs hundreds of jobs that require getting down and dirty. If you haven't seen the show, he opens every episode …

Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die

If you haven't seen it yet, "Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement address at Stanford University" is definitely worth a look. Below are some of his memorable quotes on the subjects of connecting the dots of your life, loving your work, and living your own life. "You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect …

Early American View on Job Training

I am currently reading "The Americans - The National Experience" by Daniel Boorstin, Pulitzer Prize winner and former Librarian of Congress. The book is part of his trilogy on the social history of America. In his chapter on how innovative New England manufacturing methods were quickly putting American manufacturing ahead of old England, Boorstin wrote an interesting passage on the training of …

The Happy Secret to Better Work

Here is an entertaining yet serious look at how positive psychology and happiness can be the answer to more productive employees and organizations: Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work. Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think Inc., researches life's "positive outliers," people who are considered "well above average," to better understand where human potential, success, and …