CareerAdvice posts

So, how many of your New Year's resolutions have you accomplished so far? Maybe you're on the road to achieving a few but often it seems like we start the new year with the best of intentions and as we get deeper and darker into the snowy, slushy months, our greatest urge - instead of getting up for our great goals - is to hunker down and hibernate. To help combat that feeling, here are some scientifically proven tips on how to get motivated, whether you're looking to get fit or focus more on productivity at work.

1. Use peer pressure as a motivational tool.
Research has shown that exercising with a group, or even a workout partner, is motivational and people tend to stick with fitness programs longer when they do it with others as compared to when they do it alone. Try applying this technique in other areas of your life too. Have a motivational buddy who you email with a specific goal each week, and then email her when you've accomplished it so you'll feel more committed.

Canadian business journalist Amanda Lang looks at the power of asking
the right questions in her new book, The Power of Why. Lang tackles the big issue of the Canadian productivity gap head on by looking at a solution: how to spark innovation in Canada. Currently the senior business correspondent at CBC News, Lang reaches out to business leaders and innovators and also looks at her own life to showcase how asking the right questions can lead to greater connectedness, innovation and productivity in the lives of Canadians.

As the weather changes for the better and work slows down (at least work productivity) it's a good time to reassess what you're doing, why you're doing it and if you're on the right career path.

The unpredictable state of the economy has a lot of us feeling like we should be glued to our desk chairs but the road to success and job contentment may lie elsewhere. Career coach Catherine Thorburn, founder of Ideal Life & Career Coaching has the following tips for Canadians thinking of making a change in the coming months.

1. Think about what excites you.
When you start to think about making a change, list what you enjoyed doing when you were a child. Or, what do you like doing so much that causes you to lose track of time? Thorburn says these are among the first set of questions she asks clients looking to switch jobs, since they are good indicators of what people are passionate about and what makes them feel good. Going through an exploratory phase is a direct way to flesh out what you might enjoy doing so you won't end up in a miserable situation once you're in a new role.

There's hardly been any job growth in Canada in the last little while -- in fact, a recent Statistics Canada report shows that employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, nobody seems quite sure where the economy's heading. As a parent of two young boys I find myself worrying about what opportunities will exist for them when they're ready to embark on their own career paths.

What I'm realizing is that when it comes to kids and their future, there's no time like the present to start teaching them skills that could eventually turn into employment. There are many classes and camps for kids offered as after school programs or on weekends that could be fun ways to learn skills or spark an interest that will help them find their way to a career later in life.

LinkedIn is a fantastic networking tool that can be used to stay abreast of industry news, discuss new trends with people in your field, meet people who can help further your career, and intelligently market yourself and your business to people who will want to meet you and use your services.

You should also be using it to help other people reach their career goals, because that's what social media's about - the more people you help, the more who will want to help you. If you're looking to change companies or jobs there's no better place to research how to make contact with people at those companies. LinkedIn will help you find the person in your network who can help introduce you. You can also reach out to people in your groups (if their settings permit it) by sending them a message and asking them to connect with you.

Do any or all of those things intelligently and LinkedIn can become the central hub of your career advancement. Do them wrong, and you can quickly become a pariah.

I read today that Twitter has well over 30 million users, and that number is growing by leaps and bounds. Of those more than 30 million users, how many do you think have used Twitter in a way that could jeopardize their jobs? Are you one of them? Don't answer too fast. I was surprised to find out that I was making some classic Twitter mistakes, and you might be too. And so I give you three simple ways to tweet yourself out of a job.

1. Say something inappropriate about your boss, colleague, or employer. Most of us think we know better than this. We don't insult our boss or the company we work for. But are we always being as discreet as we should be? Just a few weeks ago, British Airways union boss Derek Simpson tweeted about confidential union negotiations, as he was in the middle of them. This is an extreme example, and I really can't imagine doing this, but can I honestly say that I've never shared confidential information without thinking about it? Maybe you have a really horrible colleague who just got fired, and she completely deserved it, and you really want to share it with all your followers. Don't. Some of your followers probably know where you work, and your employer does not appreciate you sharing this kind of gossip on the web.