10 Habits of Successful People

Everyone needs every advantage they can get in the working world. Here we’ve compiled some of our favorite tips for getting your day off to a SUCCESSFUL start.

1. Wake up an hour early. Yes, we know, we know. An hour? But that’s what the snooze button was invented for! Well break that habit once and for all. People who wake up an hour early have the time to take care of themselves, eat a healthy breakfast, and gradually prepare for the day without the hectic running around, key-finding, and stressful panic.

2. Early birds also get to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. In your car or on the train, you might listen to the radio, your music, or the chaos around you. Taking some time to just enjoy the sounds of silence will center your mind and let you be alone with your thoughts.

3. Early to bed…To still get the seven to eight hours of sleep you need, go to bed an hour early. Turn off the Netflix, put down the phone, and get some Zzs! Getting enough sleep amplifies your ability to think clearly when you’re awake, and it boosts your metabolism. If your body is rested, it performs at it’s peak ability!

4. Pack some snacks. Rather than working through lunch, keep some nuts, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit, etc. at your desk so you can graze all day. It’ll stave off the dreaded 2pm wall and keep your blood sugar from crashing and burning.

5. Keep moving. Start your day with a few push ups or a walk around the block. Then at work, keep moving! Print and hand-deliver that memo. Walk to a bathroom on another floor. Movement keeps your blood flowing through your body, especially to your brain, to help you think clearly and stay awake.

6. Talk to friends/family. Taking the time to talk to people you care about and who care you about early in the morning gets you off to a more positive and optimistic start. You can use that energy to power you through that morning meeting you used to dread!

7. Have a mantra. Speaking of positivity, sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader. Motivation starts from within you, so have a key word or phrase that keeps you going through the day.

8. Visualize. Visualization during that quiet time in the morning will clear your head and help you prioritize your day. Decide what needs to be done in what order and following that road map will lead you to a successful end to the day!

9. Check yourself. Keep that check list on you and mark things off as you accomplish them. You’ll be able to actually see yourself kicking butt and taking names and you’ll feel that much better because of it.

10. Purge. At the start of every day, de-clutter your life. Get rid of those old magazines, files, receipts and other miscellaneous junk pieces cluttering your desk. It’ll make you feel better (physically and mentally) and you’ll improve your productivity.

Have a great week!

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Be Heard! Here’s How!

What does it mean to be heard? Too often– especially this time of year with the presidential debates–the idea of “being heard” means being the loudest one out there or the most insistent.

Let’s be clear: being insistent is different than being persistent. Persistence is not giving up in the face of adversity and finding new ways to achieve your goal. Being insistent is stubbornly sticking to your own opinions, ideas, or plans without trying to adapt. An insistent person will shout and argue and talk over everyone else. A persistent person tries again and again to come out on top, but even if they don’t, they’ll consent to change.

Marketing is all about being heard. It’s communication in essence. Zingy slogans, eye-catching ads, enticing campaigns are all ways that companies use to be heard by consumers. And there are several ways that you can communicate with your target market. Since communication is a two-way street, you have to be willing to not only put your ideas out there, but to listen to the feedback. The most successful businesses out there are the ones who have a strong working relationship with their customers. They send emails, they have “Members” discounts, they put out surveys and offer perks and sales to those who provide that all-too important information.

Think of it as two people trying to communicate from opposite sides of a football field. The only way they have to communicate with each other is by writing notes on the same football and then throwing it to the other person. They have to keep passing the ball with new questions, answers, comments, and responses in order to come to any agreement. Neither can make the next move until the other has handed over communication. If one person holds onto the ball and refuses to pass it, the communication has broken down and nobody is being heard anymore.

The best way to get communication going between a company and the market is to make it fun for the people! Here are a few great interactive campaigns we’ve seen over the years.

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The Search for More BusinessWOMEN

Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and a well-equipped one at that. She left Google for the social media megasite with the skills to tackle everything from communications to business development. She has also worked at the US Treasury and has worn several hats including human resources, sales, marketing and media, and more. She’s even an author of her New York Times acclaimed bestseller, “Lean In.” Her concern in this video is over the lack of women at her level. Sandberg highlights 3 key pieces of advice for women to stop leaning away from such success and instead step up to the challenge.