Knowing When to Ask for Help

If you had asked me a few years ago what I thought of motivational speakers, mentors and life coaches, I would have told you that it was all a gimmick and a sham. You could say I was a little sceptical.

I was a quiet, shy person and had little self-confidence. I was stuck in an awful mundane job; and by job - I mean JOB, I didn't enjoy it. There was no passion or happiness. It was a chore; every day was the same, repetitive "groundhog day".

I was in a work rut. Don't get me wrong though, I had happy hobbies outside of work which were the reason I got out of bed and plodded into work every day. Eventually, I decided to see what other "jobs" there were out there. I applied for only one as I honestly felt I didn't stand a chance; I would never leave "groundhog headquarters" because I was chained to my desk.

The day I was interviewed would be the day that changed my life. I was lucky enough to meet a modest and very kind lady who settled my nerves and "read me like a book". I didn't know at the time, but she would be a person of huge influence in my life and change it for the better. And yes, I got the job.

But...

Being Healthier and Happier in the Workplace

On average most of us spend more than 35 to 40+ hours per week at work; small business owners can spend double that running their own business. This can be both physically and mentally draining.

Spending too much time at work or building a business can lead to a very tiring lifestyle. The good news is you don't need to be a big corporation and spend thousands on staff gyms or health campaigns to improve your staff and your own health and happiness at work.

Take this advice - both for yourself and for getting your staff involved.

SADS - Are You Suffering from the Winter Blues?

Now that summer in Australia is over we have long, dark autumn and winter days ahead. Moods will be changing and many people will be staying inside longer, exercising and staying outside less.

Not to be confused with mental illness, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or "SAD", is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. According to WedMD, experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset the sleep-wake cycle and other day-to-day rhythms. And it may cause problems with the happy brain chemical "serotonin" that affects mood.

Who is the Pulse of Your Business?

And the award goes to! Ever watch the academy awards and disagreed with the best actor decision thinking "no way". In this article I will compare your business with other professions such as acting and sports in an effort to help you determine who or what in your company or business is the real driving force that is pumping the success, having the finger on the pulse. The best actor really, or was it a combination of the right ingredients maybe a better script or film crew, location, co-stars, lighting, sound or visual effects, leadership such as director or producer and more importantly budget and marketing.

The Importance of Keeping Your Employees Motivated

Did you know that happy staff and happy customers = happy profit? Engagement is the key, but what is it? In a nut shell, the emotional buy-in or commitment a person brings to a business and when it happens is a key driver for business success. There is plenty of research which backs up the notion that keeping employees happy also keeps them productive.

So what is the key?