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The 5 Zen Strategies for Success

The 5 Zen Strategies for Success

by | Dec 11, 2017 | Life, World of Work

Being successful is not just about opportunities and hard work, there is something else that comes even before these two factors many of us consider to be the most important factors for success. It is your attitude. Your attitude about how far you are willing to go, and how deep you are willing to dive to change yourself from within is what makes all the difference. And if you are ready then this post is just the right thing for you to read. Read on to find out what the 5 Zen strategies are for success!

  1. Breathe

    All the Zen masters you will ever read about, will stress on one foremost thing – breath, and breathing. Because while we underestimate it, our breath is the most fundamental aspect of our lives.  We are because we breathe. Not many of us believe in the power of tuning into our breaths and staying there awhile. But those of us who do, know how very powerful it can be. Meditation is nothing but a practice of breathing mindfully. To be aware of the rhythm of the breath as we breathe in and breathe out. This practice allows us to clean our minds and get rid of anything that does not deserve our mind space. To breathe is the first and foremost of all Zen strategies you have got to master!

  2. The STOP technique

    The second of our five zen strategies, is understanding the value of the STOP technique. Every time we get overwhelmed, our defense mechanism works itself up – as is natural. However, with a little bit of mindfulness, we can change how we are when we feel overwhelmed. Every time you feel like something isn’t working out the way you expected it to, or is too much for you to handle – say STOP. S – Stop, T- Take a Breath, O – Observe, P – Proceed. As soon as you do this, no matter what the situation is, you will have a greater clarity than you did a few moments ago.

  3. One thing at a time

    We believe that multi-tasking is a sign of greater efficiency. However in the current day context, there are more things competing for our attention than ever. So quite contradictory to being productive and efficient, multitasking can be detrimental to our productivity. Focusing on one thing at a time, and giving it our best enhances our efficiency and also gives us confidence to be able to finish tasks in a structured manner. Following this technique not only increases our productivity but also the quality of the same. Instead of doing multiple things at the same time, doing one task at a time with our full concentration is bound to get us better results.

  4. Respond don’t React

    It takes a while to understand the difference between responding and reacting. But when you do, you realize that you could have saved yourself a lot of unnecessary stress if you tried distinguishing between the two, earlier. Like they say – better late than never. We react when we perceive the situation from a personal point of view. We react when we want to defend ourselves. Many situations of conflict that arise in the work place can be de-escalated if either or both parties responded instead of reacting. When we respond, we detach ourselves from the situation and adopt a practical and logical point of view to what the argument at hand is. On the other hand, reactions are guided by emotions and not logic.

  5. Gratitude

    Making gratitude a practice is one of the most powerful, and fastest ways to unlock the immense potential within us. There is a very simple logic to this claim. When we are grateful for what we have, and what we are, we possess a state of mind where anything seems more. Making gratitude a habit is the most beautiful thing you could do for yourself. Every time you think something is wrong, or there is lack of something – look around you and within you, with your eyes and your heart open, and tell us if you still didn’t find anything to be grateful for.

Have your own Zen strategies? Write to us and tell us more about them!

Working From Home – Knowing When to Switch Off

Working From Home – Knowing When to Switch Off

by | Dec 6, 2017 | working from home, World of Work

Working from home has, in the recent past grown to be an increasingly popular option with several organizations. This option works well not just for individuals who are more productive working out of the comfort of their homes, but also for the organizations offering this option. Saving on the cost of maintaining a workspace is only one of the host of benefits the employers get. Several studies conducted on the benefits of working from home, for employers, have found that employees tend to take less number of days off, are more productive, and are generally more satisfied – which amounts to big bonuses for the employers.

In some of our previous posts, we’ve discussed a host of issues relating to work from home – including benefits, dos and don’ts, and tips on how to be more productive when you work from home. In this post, we speak about knowing when to switch off, when you work from home. As relaxing as it may sound, working from home can be quite the opposite. And in fact, can end up being more stressful than a regular 9 to 5 job, because when you work from home, you are always at work! There is always something to work on, always that “just this one thing to finish”.

Maintaining a work-life balance is essential even when you work from home. Switching off when you work from home can be tougher than working from an office. Here are five ways to help you know when to switch off.

1. Don’t wait for the trigger

It is not surprising that our outlook towards most things takes on the garb of a responsive/ corrective approach rather than a preventive approach. In other words, we always tell ourselves that should there be damage we can always go into the damage control mode. How about we prevent that damage by looking out for ourselves, instead of waiting for the trigger?

2. Practice Mindfulness

One way of preventing a burn out, when you work from home is to practice mindfulness all through the day. The underlining principle of practicing mindfulness is to first of all to practice awareness. Being present in the moment throughout the day is a way of never letting yourself wait for the trigger. While this may sound difficult to practice, with a bit of time and patience you can master it.

3. Maintain strict work hours

The reason why it is mostly difficult to switch off when you work from home is because you are always in your ‘work place’. When you have an office to go to, you know work time is over when you turn off your system and drive home. When you work from home however, switching off may not always feel that easy. Make it a point to maintain strict work hours through the day – just like you would if you weren’t working from home. Start at 9 and switch off at 5. Remember that there will always be that one extra thing to finish off, but ask yourself if it’s really that important that it can’t wait.

4. Have daily rituals

Having before and after work daily rituals is a great way to help you switch off from work on time. Making meditation, some exercise and reading a part of these daily rituals is a great way to have yourself look forward to switching off. Make sure that you go out for a short walk every day after work. This prevents that feeling of ‘being holed up’ all day. When your home is the space you work from, feeling ‘holed up’ is the last thing you want to feel. Having simply daily rituals anchors your day and boosts your productivity by preventing burn outs.

5. Learn to identify the triggers

The first thing we spoke about was to not depend on triggers for switching off from work and tuning in to yourself. However, knowing how to identify triggers is also important. It can be hard to take notice of these if its been a while since you’ve turned your focus to yourself. If you are feeling jittery, unproductive and dissatisfied – these are some definite signs. It is like your mind is turning on an alarm for you to pay attention to what it wants to communicate to you. Which is, to switch off from work and to tune in to yourself and give your soul some pampering.

Do you have problems switching off, when you work from home? What is your tactic to handle this problem?

Post by Shreeradha Mishra
Shreeradha is a development professional who loves her work. She is an avid observer of life and enjoys penning down her experiences and learning from the world of work. You can get in touch with her at shreeradha@obolinx.com.

Saying ‘No’ at Work

Saying ‘No’ at Work

by | Nov 28, 2017 | Managing Yourself, World of Work

Being able to say ‘No’ at work, without sounding rude, or unenthusiastic, or lazy, isn’t always the easiest thing to do. But saying ‘yes’ to everything you are asked to do, even when you are already crumbling under work pressure isn’t the wisest thing to do either. It is possible to Saying ‘No’ politely and avoid getting pummeled with work that isn’t yours to take care of anyway. How? Read on to know.

  1. Do a cost-benefit analysis

    If the extra work that has come your way might be an exciting new project, which will add value to your profile, you might want to consider thinking about it. However, if it is something you feel is purely mechanical, and not worth taking on given your current work load – you may want to let it pass. Be objective about the work, and remember it is completely alright, and not selfish to think about it in this way. Taking something on purely under pressure isn’t going to benefit you in any way. Conversely, it may affect the quality of the work you deliver. Think about what you may have to gain or lose if you take on the extra work. If your pre-determined commitments are going to suffer because of the extra work, consider saying ‘no’ to it.

  2. Know your limits

    Not every project that you see as a value add, or as a ticket to that ever elusive promotion needs to earn a yes from you. It is better for your productivity and peace of mind to accomplish whole-heartedly what you already have on your plate, than taking on more than you can chew. An honest assessment of your existing work load is something you have got to do before saying yes to extra work. And if you feel that taking on the extra work is going to stretch you beyond your capacity, it isn’t worth saying yes to it.

  3. Be clear in your response

    If you do decide to say no, make sure that you don’t ‘hint’ at it, or leave the concerned person hanging. This could create misunderstandings and you will in all probability come across as unprofessional for something that wasn’t your mistake in the first place. However you choose to tackle the issue, be unambiguous about whether or not you are taking on the responsibility being offered.

  4. How you say ‘no’ matters

    How you say no is important because this could determine a lasting professional impression on you. Being polite, yet firm and absolutely ambiguous is of course the first thing you must understand. However, saying ‘no’ up front or directly may come across as rude. There are two ways of responding that almost always work.
    a) Saying – “I really wish I could help you out/ I would love to take this on, but unfortunately my week ahead is planned with the xxx project I am currently engaged with.”
    b) In case you are unsure, ask for some time and ensure you respond within the time frame you have mentioned. Saying, “I am unsure about taking this on given the current status of my existing commitments. However I sincerely want to help you with it. Could you give me until tomorrow to confirm if I can take this on?” is a great way of letting the other person know that you are not disinterested, however you may not have the bandwidth to take on the extra work at this point in time. So that’s a win-win situation for both parties concerned!

  5. Offer an alternative/ any help you can

    If you do genuinely wish you could help, but aren’t in a position to, offer ways that might make the job easier for the person concerned. If there are tools, or specific material the person may benefit from – share them. In case you can offer some quick guidance to make the job easier, offer it. Without stepping on anybody else’s foot, if you feel that the opportunity may be of benefit to someone else who might take on it and deliver, recommend their name. However, it would be best if you first checked with the person concerned, before making the recommendation. Doing the best you can by helping in whatever way you have the capacity to, establishes the fact that you aren’t shrugging off a responsibility, rather, you sincerely aren’t in a position to do more than you have offered to.

In the world of work, we are constantly faced with challenges. One of them is indeed how to say no, when you are already over burdened, or not interested in the extra work coming your way. We hope the factors we discussed in this post help you make your mind up next time you are faced with a similar situation!

Social Media Resume – The Basics

Social Media Resume – The Basics

by | Nov 21, 2017 | Communication, Social Media, World of Work

Before we delve into the basics of the Social Media Resume, and what makes for a great one, let us understand what a social media resume really is. Simply put, a social media resume is your online presence, across platforms of social media. Lets tweak that a little bit, a social media resume is the ‘quality’ of your online presence.  It is the quality of your social media cv that attracts recruiters and hiring managers to you, rather than you scouring for job opportunities. About 80% of job opportunities are channeled through networking, and a strong social media resume is a powerful way of changing the meaning of networking in the current day context.

Simply existing on various forms of social media, most importantly on LinkedIn does not qualify for a great social media resume. It is your engagement, and the quality of content that you put out which determines the strength of your social media resume. Earlier, we ran a hugely popular series on personal branding. Building a good social media resume is strongly intertwined with the principles of personal branding. Through social media, you put out who you are, i.e., you put out your personal brand, because you are your own personal brand.

Based on the strength of your social media resume, you can attract your dream job opportunities. Here are 5 ways of building a strong social media resume.

  1. Consistency is everything

    You may have an account on every social media platform that exists. However that is to no avail unless you are consistently active on them. Being regular and updating frequently is an imperative to having a consistent and powerful social media presence. Make sure your profiles are updated. It is also important to engage in conversations and discussions relating to topics of your interest. The form of engagement could range from commenting on articles to writing your own articles and posting them.

  2. Understand the unique use of each platform

    Every social media platform has a unique selling point. In order to make the most of the social media platforms you use, understand the uniqueness of each of these platforms. For example, Instagram is a very visual platform, allowing you a number of tools to express yourself and the work you do through photographs. Facebook is a multipurpose platform that also allows you to network. While LinkedIn serves as an information base, and the best place for off-line professional networking. By understanding the unique use of each platform, you can curate the content you put out accordingly. This also helps you to keep in mind the very specific target audiences for each kind of platform.

  3. Integrate your social media profiles

    If you have a blog or a website, you could integrate all your social media profiles into it for keeping them all synced, and easily accessible to recruiters. Most platforms allow you to create social media badges which you can embed into your blog/ website. One pointer before you go ahead and integrate your social media platforms is to keep in mind how your profiles would appear to a potential recruiter. Before you integrate your social media profiles, go through them with a fine tooth comb and scour for anything that may come across as unprofessional. In short, look for any social media mistakes that may stand out for a recruiter.

  4. Be responsible

    We began this post by stressing on how a social media resume isn’t very different from having a personal brand. A social media cv is powerful because everything about you, your qualifications and your aspirations are out there. This kind transparency and outreach lend a kind of validity to ‘you’, which is why a powerful social media resume has the potential to attract recruiters.

    Being responsible about what you speak and choose to put out is a ground rule for not just personal branding, but any form of social media interaction (and otherwise!). Remember that when you put out or say certain things on interactive platforms, people listen to it and engage with it in a conscious as well as subconscious manner. That is the power of personal branding and social media. Therefore while you have access to a wide range of liberties to make speak your mind and make yourself heard, make sure that you do so responsibly.

The secret to a great Social Media Resume is having an impressive online presence. Have you come across a great social media cv, you’ve had a chance to learn from? Comment with links below and we’d be glad to feature your thoughts in our upcoming blogs!

The Work from Home Woes and Dealing with Them

The Work from Home Woes and Dealing with Them

by | Nov 13, 2017 | working from home, World of Work

If you are someone who works from home, chances are you are constantly struggling to balance your expectation of productivity versus the reality. Working from home affords you a number of comforts such as flexibility over your schedule, time saved due to lack of commute and not to mention comfy clothes! To every situation however, there is a flip-side. In this post we explore what we call Work from Home Woes, and explore ways of tackling them.

Work From Home Woes #1: Procrastination

The very first obstacle that every professional who works from home encounters is procrastination. When you work from home, you begin the day with the illusion that you have the entire day to get a task done. This thought enables you to put off your work until the very last-minute and then you realize that the day is almost over! It is only then that you rush to finish the tasks, often working into late hours which has an adverse impact on your work life balance.

Procrastination is a vice that most of us face, whether we are working from a formal environment or from home. To tackle this, make your mind up to follow the “eat the frog” method, first thing in the morning. No, we are not suggesting you eat harmless froggies for breakfast, but what it means is, get the most difficult task out-of-the-way, the first thing in the morning. Once that is done, your productivity gets boosted automatically.

Work From Home Woes #2: Distractions

When in a formal work set up, distractions are comparatively fewer because work spaces are designed keeping this aspect in mind. You are less likely to spend time on the phone, or on Facebook when you know your supervisor may pop up unannounced. Besides, watching colleagues working spurs you into action, and you are less vulnerable to getting carried away by distractions. However, when you work from home you are prone to a zillion distractions, and even end up creating them for yourself. The television, noisy neighbors or family members, Netflix – the list would really never end if we started.

The solution here is to create a distraction free work zone, even if you are working from home. There are a few simple ways you can do that. Take care of the physical aspects such as letting your family know that you are working and to call upon you only when absolutely necessary. Remove the clutter from your work space, so it helps you retain your focus on work. Put your phone on silent, and disable notifications for your desktop. One effective way of dealing with distractions which may be internal or external is to divide up your day and tasks into 60 or 90 minute slots.

Simply focus on the one task for the allotted time, completely tuning out from everything else that may pose as a distraction. Another way of making this sustainable, and feeling good about yourself is setting simple rewards at the end of the day – if you feel satisfied with your productivity. A piece of cake, or an extra hour of Netflix – simple, yet effective. Like Tony Robbins once said, “feed your focus, starve your distractions”, and soon there will be no distractions.

Work from Home Woes #3: Isolation

It may get a bit lonely when you work from home. If you are an entrepreneur or a part of a team which functions from remote locations, the odds are you don’t get to have a lot of human interaction on a day-to-day basis. This can get to even the most introverted people. When you work from a formal set up, you meet colleagues and have a chance at engaging in conversation. Whereas, working from home minimally limits that option.

In which case, you have to make up for face time by consciously increasing your interaction with your team and peers through intensive communication and collaboration. Pick up the phone and talk to people more, take every opportunity to collaborate, create mailing groups to inform and be informed – just because you are not physically present in the office doesn’t mean you can’t be a present and active member of your team. If you are an entrepreneur, make it a point to be a part of groups of similar people who meet up once in a while and exchange ideas. A healthy dose of interaction is absolutely crucial to your productivity.

Work from Home Woes #4: Lack of Routine

Working from home comes along with that amazing feeling of being your own boss. There is however, a slight (not) problem attached. This knowledge of being your own boss can often induce a lack of discipline in your routine. Which means, you end up feeling unproductive – one of the worst feelings ever.

Even if you work from home, especially if you work from home, create a strict routine for yourself. Have a morning routine where you wake up at a fixed time every day. How you start your day has a definite impact on the progress of your day. Exercising and getting some fresh air, and a good breakfast is an imperative to having a fulfilling and productive day, or so we believe. Even if you do not have to go out to get to your workplace, make sure that you set strict working hours for yourself. Get to your desk by 9 AM, or a time you feel suits you, and go through your day in a time bound manner – just like you would if you were working in a formal environment.

Work from Home Woes #5: Getting bogged with Domestic Drudgery

Another peril of working from home is getting bogged down with domestic drudgery. There are ample things that we allow ourselves to procrastinate with – cleaning, organizing, doing our laundry, the list goes on. Being present at home while working does not help take your mind off from the dishes or the laundry or the cooking that needs to be done. This can retard your productivity to a greater extent than you can imagine. Domestic chores take up a lot of time. If we allow ourselves to get distracted by them, they won’t ever stop snatching our attention away from tasks that really need it.

So we’re saying…

Let go of things that do not need your immediate attention. Prioritize and see if a certain domestic task is a priority. While this may be an exception, do not make it a rule. It is worthwhile seeking help with the chores, so you are not constantly struggling to maintain balance. Speak with your family and divide up the chores. You could also hire a help if you are in a place to afford it. Delegating these tasks go a long way in fueling your productivity.

Being able to work from home can be the best thing that ever happened to you. Only, you need to be able to tackle the woes we just spoke about. And like you just read, it may not be all that difficult to put those woes away. All it takes is a strong mind, and a healthy body. With that combination, there will be no mountain you cannot scale – we mean it in a literal and metaphorical sense. Working from home can feel like a blessing – you get the gift of time because you end up saving so much time. Which means, you have a chance to get more done, and also a chance for more ‘me – time’. Win – win, then? We’d say yes!