Your 2017 Goals

Last Sunday my husband and I hunted down an open coffee shop (not easy to do on New Year’s Day) and spent 90 minutes talking through the goals we set for 2016, and then created new ones for 2017. We go through this exercise every year—sometimes right at the start of January, other times not until March or so. But at some point, it happens. Part of me loves this exercise because I get to sit with my significant other and talk about our life together, from our deepest hopes to our most frustrating challenges to our most rewarding accomplishments. Another part of me digs it because writing down...

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5 Tips from Highly Productive People

I like to imagine that I am a fairly productive person. I stay on top of my work , I get enough sleep, and I don’t neglect my interpersonal relationships. However, some people far surpass me in their productivity. By the time I pull myself out of bed and make breakfast, they’ve already hit the gym, responded to emails, and walked their dog twice. It’s a state of being I envy, and I hope to one day attain. Because of this, I read a lot about the habits of highly industrious people. It turns out that many people marvel at the output of others and wonder how they could achieve the same. In my...

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Climbing in the Right Direction

Career progression as a process has changed significantly in the past few decades. It used to be that employees would stay with the same company for decades, and possibly for their entire career. When this was the case, companies had a vested interested in developing an employee, helping them to climb their career ladder with promotions and career development. Today, however, with turnover being much higher, companies won’t usually actively invest in an employee’s career progression. What this means is an employee often has to embark on career development by themselves. When you decide to...

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Long Term Benefits of Career Counseling

There have been a number of studies done over the past couple of decades to examine the short-term effectiveness of career counseling. The effectiveness of career counseling in these studies has been consistently demonstrated; career counseling helps improve career position and prepare the individual for the job search process. However, a study published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior and conducted by Sophie Perdrix, Sarah Stauffer, Jonas Masdonati, Koorosh Massoudi, and Jérôme Rossier found that career counseling also had positive impacts on individuals in the long term. The study...

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Life-Long Learning and Career Advancement

You may not believe it, but it wasn’t until high school that I heard the term “lifelong learner,” and not until college that I understood what was meant by it. I always knew you received some professional training upon starting a new career, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that you could independently go out and find new opportunities for education and growth. However, contrary to the belief of 16-year-old me, professional development and the practice of being a life-long learner go hand in hand. What do I mean by “life-long learner,” you may ask. It’s a valid question. The impression it gives...

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