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4 Ways That Returning to Higher Education Can Change Your Life

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In life, it is never too late to make a change. The fact that you are heading down a certain path doesn’t mean that you have to keep moving in that direction. Instead, you can make decisions that will change your every day. One of the best ways to alter your future is by investing in your education. This will provide you with the opportunity to advance your career and improve your intellect. If you are searching for inspiration, you will need to read on. Below are four ways that returning to higher education can change your life.

It can help you to advance your career

Pursuing higher education doesn’t mean that you will have to give up your full-time employment. In fact, a new qualification could be the perfect way for you to advance in your career. For instance, if you are currently working as a nurse, you should explore a range of exciting nursing programs online. Not only is this an extremely affordable degree option, it is also a flexible program that is sure to complement your current lifestyle.

It can improve your self-confidence

If you struggle with your self-confidence, investing in further education is a great way to resolve this issue. Instead of focusing on what you can’t achieve, why not embrace a positive attitude? Setting yourself goals and seeing them into fruition will remind you that anything is possible. Furthermore, achieving a new qualification will help you to feel more confident at work. If you would usually shy away from the chance of promotion, your new qualification could be just the thing to help you step up to the plate. If you are determined to achieve success, self-confidence is key.

It can improve your earning power

In order to enjoy a bright future, it is vital that you are working towards financial security. Returning to higher education is an important step on this journey. One of the greatest benefits of investing in higher education is that your earning power will be improved. This will help to increase your career options for the future. Instead of putting up with your current wage packet, why not aim higher? Of course, you will have to spend money on your education, but you should try to look at this cost as an investment. It is extremely likely that your wise decision will pay off in the long run.

It can inspire the people around you

If you are raising a young family or are part of a particularly close group of friends, it is likely that your educational endeavors will act as inspiration to the people around you. It is extremely moving to watch somebody pursue their dreams, and it can lead you to question what you really want in life. Perhaps your loved ones will be encouraged to transform their own lives. Maybe they will invest in their own education and will use your story as motivation. Just imagine how proud you will be if your hard work has a positive effect on those around you.

Why Professional Development Is Key to Your Success

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Focusing on improving your individual skills is essential to moving forward in your career. Although some people don’t push for it as much as others, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. If you’re someone who’s on the fence about it for yourself, then you’ve come to the right place.

You won’t get very far doing what you’ve always done. You and your company will suffer from you not advancing your skills. It’s worth setting aside extra time to work on yourself and improve your foundation. There’s never a downside to increasing your knowledgebase. See why professional development is key to your success.

Knowledge & Education

For starters, you’ll learn new knowledge when you participate in professional development courses and activities. You’re going to get smarter and that’s a positive outcome. You can use your new knowledge and apply it to your career and personal life. It’ll get you a leg up on your competition and chances are you’ll move quicker toward that next promotion. You aren’t going to get too far relying on the information you once brought to the table from college. Always be learning and growing if you want to thrive.

Confidence

Your confidence will grow the more you invest in yourself. You’ll have the self-assurance to suggest changes and updates at work without having the fear of being turned down. For example, if you believe your company’s in need of a more modern website to sell your products, you’ll do the research and suggest a solid option like Eventige to help you out. You can express how the intuitive and simple design will guide customers to your products seamlessly. This confidence will stem from you taking your professional development opportunities seriously.

Challenges You

It’s healthy to be challenged once in a while. Being bored at work isn’t doing much for you and will only leave you feeling drained and tiresome. Participating in professional development activities puts your mind to the test and forces you out of your comfort zone. It’s also a great way to meet other people at face-to-face events and build relationships. Going through your same routine each day isn’t stretching you and helping to shape your full potential. There’s nothing wrong with feeling like you don’t know a subject matter well and having to ask questions to learn more.

People Skills

Professional development opportunities help you brush up on your people skills. This is great for anyone doing business with others or someone having to converse a lot with others in the office. It’s also good to be able to speak in front of groups and communicate your ideas clearly with people. Your reading, writing and socializing skills are ones that can always be improved upon, no matter who you are. It’ll bring you out of your shell and you’ll become less nervous as you practice.

Conclusion

Knowing it all isn’t anything to brag about. What’s worth boasting about is learning new information on a constant basis. This is why professional development is key to your success.

Ten Mistakes People Make In Business And How To Avoid Them

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Making mistakes is fine. We all do it, from small mistakes to life-changing disasters. So it is with people in business. Embarking on a new venture can be rewarding, and the chances of getting things wrong are high. But then again, nobody’s perfect, not even experienced business owners with inflated egos and know-it-all attitudes

Whatever your position in business, take heed of the following mistakes that many people make along the way.

Having no vision

You need to have a vision for your company. Without one, you are destined to fail. You need a business plan, so you know where you are heading. Consider your target demographic, budget, and your goals in both the short and long term.

Being second best.

Maybe you have a business selling cushions. You may think you are the greatest cushion maker there has ever been. However, there are a lot of other cushion sellers out there, so you need to be able to compete with them to stand out in the market place. Check out the competition and find ways to make your product unique, in design and affordability. No matter how busy you get, don’t get corners. If your product is not up to scratch, it is not going to sell.

Doing everything

Sadly, no matter what you think, you are not superhuman. You may be able to take on some or all of the tasks your business needs, but you will be tiring yourself if you try to do everything. Find people who can help you, such as hiring new staff or an accountant for financial matters. Ultimately, it is better to be a master of a few things rather than everything.

Poor marketing

All good businesses use the power of the internet  for their services. Whether you own an actual store or are setting up a business when working from home, you need to get online. Create a website to sell your product. Make a social media account, Facebook or Pinterest for example, and rally a legion of followers and customers. Send out business cards and flyers, through email and the post to local houses and businesses. Hire somebody with SEO skills to ensure you are featured prominently on search engines. Take out ads in the local media, including radio and newspapers.

It is rare that people will just stumble on to your business, so make it easy for them to find you.

Not budgeting properly

Many companies fall at the first hurdle because money dries up. You need to plan right at the beginning of your business, be it through saving capital or taking out a bank loan. You will run at a loss initially, but with the right marketing and selling tools, you will eventually make money.

Money invested into the business should not go towards the new TV you always wanted, so have separate bank accounts for business and personal use.

Most of us buy insurance cover to protect our lives and homes from potential damages. Doing the same for our business is equally as important. There are different types of business insurance, covering your assets, employees, and liability in the event your product harms somebody after purchase. It may cost a little in the short term, but is vital for the long term.

You still have a life outside of your business, so in budgeting take into account other important expenditure such as family, bills, and food!

Not taking it seriously

There is a lot of hard work involved in setting up a business, so it is important to take it seriously and not treat it like a hobby. Check out the competition when considering prices, spend time maintaining your website, and do all the legal and accounting paperwork. Cutting corners in any area of the business may cause problems down the line. Yes, it is hard work, but it should be worth it down the line when you start making a profit.

Poor leadership

If you have a small or large team working with you, it is important to communicate with them clearly. Share with your team the company vision and work collaboratively in making it come to fruition. Be honest about your feelings towards them, giving praise when it is due and pulling individuals up if they are slacking. Good communication is a two-way process so listen to the opinions of your team. Be a good role model, inspiring the trust of those around you. A good leader is one who knows what he wants and delivers on his promises. It is important to give equal respect to everybody on the team, to ensure you get the same in return.

Ignoring customer needs

Without customers, the business is not going to go anywhere. Therefore it is important to understand the needs of the customer. For example, help them to save money by offering promotional deals and allowing for free shipping of your product. Listen to any feedback and take action on it. When a customer raises a question, don’t wait a week before you answer them. Remember, there are probably hundreds of businesses like yours, so maintain customer loyalty, and consider these customer service quotes.

Forgetting their personal lives

Of course, you want to make a good go of your business, but don’t forget other areas of your life. Spend time with family and friends, and enlist their moral support in both the good and the bad times. Make sure you eat well and maintain a healthy lifestyle, including exercise to build up your physical and mental health. Being happy in both your personal and professional lives is important as if you fail in one you may fail in the other.

Giving up

You aren’t going to get rich overnight; it could take years to achieve. Whatever pitfalls you encounter, don’t give up too early. You need to persevere, seek help where you need it and be prepared to eat humble pie occasionally. If it doesn’t work out, well, at least you tried. Whatever mistakes you make, learn from them.

StrategyDriven Practices for Professional Article
Photo courtesy of Walter Lim via flickr

How to Fast-track and Accelerate Your Human Potential Beyond Perceived Limits

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What if through every struggle, adversity, illness or ending in your life you adopted a new, simple, and yet a very powerful tool that helps you identify the root cause of your problems, fears, and disempowered mental states that make you feel as if you are broken and in need of a “fix”?

What if you discovered that by design you were built with a powerful ALARM that alerts you each time you are not aligned to your true essence? What if this inbuilt security system is what activates your switch that turns on your inner light, puts you back on track to accelerate your human potential, and supports you to achieve outcomes that go way beyond your expectations? What miracles would you then create in your life?

Since I can remember, I was curious to know why some people have it all and others spend their entire life suffering, struggling, and make ends meet. I wanted to know why some people die young and others live healthy until very old age. Why some people find it easy to achieve their dreams, heal fast, and easily attract opportunities in their lives and yet others were consumed by their negative self-talk, illness, and blaming others for their misfortune.

By design we are extraordinary, our evolutionary advantage is our brain and our ability to communicate, plan, reason and work together, our survival depends on our collective ability and not on our individual mind. We are connected across all of live spans to one another, through invisible forces that bind us.

To stay present in the midst of adversity, it helps to be deeply rooted within ourselves; otherwise, the mind and our emotions, which have incredible momentum, will drag us into the deepest caves of the wretched solitude along like a wild and uncontrollable river.

I trust by now I have helped you awaken your curiosity and are asking what is it that you can do to accelerate your human potential and achieve extraordinary things in your life.

There are many ways you can do this, what I would like to share with you is the five key principles of TJS Evolutionary Method that I use daily to help my clients that you too can use on your journey to creating and living an extraordinary life.

  1. Acknowledge that support and challenge will always be part of your life. To do that you need first and foremost become aware of the form in which support shows when you are challenged and the form in which the challenge is present when you feel supported.
  2. Question the Rules that hold you back from honouring the infinite wisdom of love and from being centred in your heart. Develop a bold and balanced vision of yourself and of the future of humanity: Cut through to the root of exactly what it is that you want and find the most optimal path to getting there.
  3. Thrive to achieve self-actualisation by focusing inwardly, boosting your mental, physical, emotional and etheric body with knowledge and the wisdom required to immunize itself against many of the life adversities that may come your way. Combine Science and Spirituality to evolve your being.
  4. Make a conscious choice to turn any life struggle that you may be experiencing into seeds of gratitude and fuel for love, great health, and heart based living.
  5. Get connected and pave the way for you to unlock, listen, and use your hearts intelligence to create life miracles, a global coherence that shifts the evolution of mankind towards a more balanced, collaborative and peaceful world.

Spirit-based principles and practical, do-them-in-the-moment tools shared in both books are there to help you bring into your own life the hidden miracles of your true essence, equilibrate your mind and amplify your intuition and rebalance your inner being that is required for you to be extraordinary.

Lastly, remember, you are the call for love, the solutions people need to redefine themselves in the face of life’s greatest challenges and the light they need to help them get on a path that shifts them towards love, wisdom, wealth and making a greater impact in the world.

Use these five vital principles daily, they will help you build the skills, tools and the knowledge required to overcome the physical ramifications of loneliness, accelerate your human growth, and help you live an epic life.

About the Author

Tony J. SelimiTony J. Selimi is internationally known as a human behavior, cognition and emotional intelligence expert. He is a keynote speaker, entrepreneur and the creator of the TJS Evolutionary Method. Tony is an award-winning and international best-selling author of A Path to Wisdom – How to Live a Balanced, Healthy and Peaceful Life and Loneliness: The Virus of the Modern Age. He teaches people the tools and the knowledge required to face life’s greatest adversity head on and live life in a specific state of self-mastery that helps them accelerate their human growth, potential and impact. For more information, visit www.tonyselimi.com.

Practices for Professionals – How to Ensure Your Year is a Good One

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals ArticleMany top executives are hired because their knowledge and experience will combine with and enhance current corporate practices; resulting in improved performance and higher profits. But what happens when this hybrid becomes the new norm and performance and profits plateau? The executive is replaced.

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About the Author

Nathan Ives, StrategyDriven Principal is a StrategyDriven Principal and Host of the StrategyDriven Podcast. For over twenty years, he has served as trusted advisor to executives and managers at dozens of Fortune 500 and smaller companies in the areas of management effectiveness, organizational development, and process improvement. To read Nathan’s complete biography, click here.