Occupy Your Life!

Defined as to take up space or an amount of time”, the word occupy has come into sharper focus with the protest on Wall Street and elsewhere in America.  People who disagree with the protesters say stuff like “occupy a desk” or “occupy a job” and it gets me thinking that “occupy your life” might be the most apt phrase of all. 

Take full responsibility for where you are and where you are heading.  Occupy your career by making sure that you are putting your best foot forward each and every day no matter what you do for a living.  Be willing to make necessary adjustments to the course that you are on.  Speak up about problems on the job, negotiate better rates from suppliers, Say YES! to risky projects.  If you are in search make sure that your efforts are focused and organized.  If they are not, seek help, read books, blogs and newsletters.  Engage a friend, family member or expert as an accountability partner to keep you on track.  

Occupy your finances by living within your means.  Don’t waste precious energy and resources on a lifestyle that you can’t afford.  Live simply, and own your possessions, not the other way around.  Using a professional advisor set realistic and achievable financial goals and stick to your plan. 

Occupy your health.  Get a physical and follow the advice of trusted health care providers.  If you are dealing with a health challenge, engage in the treatment regimine fully and with a positive attitude.  And always make time for a healthy lifestyle.  It is important to eat right get enough rest and of course exercise. 

By occupying all aspects of your life all aspects of your life will improve.  Most of all occupy and upbeat and positive attitude on the job, in your business and at home.  It will work.  Try it. 

Confidence Attracts!

In an effort to appeal to a wide variety of hiring managers, people often adopt an attitude of “I’ll do anything.”  When in fact this is not true and the attitude is counterproductive. 

I remember discussing with some girlfriends a while back, how men are attracted to strong, confident women.  Similarly, strength and confidence is really important to people who are making decisions about candidates.  Those who can articulate their value, illustrate where they excel and recognize their areas for development come off much stronger and more genuine than those who try to fit into every situation.

As part of your interview preparation make sure you know what the position calls for and where you shine relative to the job description.  Where you are not strong, be able to illustrate where you have picked up a new skill quickly.  But recognize that not all people can do all things and accepts that.

Winning in a job interview is always a combination of skills, experience and an X factor.  Lots of times the X factor is how the manager perceives our level of confidence.  Confidence comes through when you are well matched to a position and you feel good talking about it.  Confidence flags when you attempt to shoe-horn yourself into a position you know is not a fit.

In an interview, let your value shine through by talking assuredly about things you know and not getting sucked into the “I’ll do anything trap”.  Be the confident candidate that attracts the employer.  TRY IT.