"A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future."
- Albert Einstein
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Why Worrying is a Waste of Time
This past 4th of July weekend, I went golfing with my boyfriend. I had not been golfing in a while and we did not go to the driving range beforehand. I just decided to get out on the course and play. Well - the first two holes were pretty bad for me. It looked like I had never played a round of golf before in my life!
I felt anxious to play well and the harder I tried and the more I thought about it, the worse I did! I felt enraged inside that I could not hit a decent shot and I could feel myself getting angrier and angrier with each failed shot I took.
After the second hole, my boyfriend - who was not having fun due to my horrendous showing - decided we should take a break and regroup. We sat on a bench and let another group play through for about 10 minutes. I got a drink, let myself relax for a little bit and we started again on the third hole.
From that point on I played much better and started having fun. The ironic part about this was that once I actualy did relax, I didn't even have to think when I was hitting the ball. The more relaxed I was with my swing the better my hits became. It felt effortless to hit a good shot.
I began thinking about how easy it seemed right then and also about how hard it was on the first two holes no matter how hard I tried. It made me think about how silly it was that I was putting so much pressure on myself to hit a great shot, but then when I relaxed I actually did hit a great shot.
In that moment I had an epiphany about golf and more importantly about life! Worrying and anxiety take you totally out of the game. You cannot think straight when you are worrying or anxious. I realized that while you should always try your hardest at whatever you are doing, overthinking things or trying too hard can actually back fire. It is best in life to try and not worry about the outcome of whatever you are doing, but to simply try your best, relax, have fun. Usually if you do those things you will get the outcome you want. If you worry though and try too hard, usually the opposite of what you actually want to happen - will.
It seems counterintuitive doesn't it? But if you look at my simple example on the golf course, it is easy to see how this method of thinking and acting can actually benefit you in most aspects of you life.
So stop worrying - relax and have fun! Things would turn out much better for all of us if we could learn how to do this and we would all enjoy our lives so much more in the process! Worrying is simply a waste of time when really there is so much fun to be had instead!
I felt anxious to play well and the harder I tried and the more I thought about it, the worse I did! I felt enraged inside that I could not hit a decent shot and I could feel myself getting angrier and angrier with each failed shot I took.
After the second hole, my boyfriend - who was not having fun due to my horrendous showing - decided we should take a break and regroup. We sat on a bench and let another group play through for about 10 minutes. I got a drink, let myself relax for a little bit and we started again on the third hole.
From that point on I played much better and started having fun. The ironic part about this was that once I actualy did relax, I didn't even have to think when I was hitting the ball. The more relaxed I was with my swing the better my hits became. It felt effortless to hit a good shot.
I began thinking about how easy it seemed right then and also about how hard it was on the first two holes no matter how hard I tried. It made me think about how silly it was that I was putting so much pressure on myself to hit a great shot, but then when I relaxed I actually did hit a great shot.
In that moment I had an epiphany about golf and more importantly about life! Worrying and anxiety take you totally out of the game. You cannot think straight when you are worrying or anxious. I realized that while you should always try your hardest at whatever you are doing, overthinking things or trying too hard can actually back fire. It is best in life to try and not worry about the outcome of whatever you are doing, but to simply try your best, relax, have fun. Usually if you do those things you will get the outcome you want. If you worry though and try too hard, usually the opposite of what you actually want to happen - will.
It seems counterintuitive doesn't it? But if you look at my simple example on the golf course, it is easy to see how this method of thinking and acting can actually benefit you in most aspects of you life.
So stop worrying - relax and have fun! Things would turn out much better for all of us if we could learn how to do this and we would all enjoy our lives so much more in the process! Worrying is simply a waste of time when really there is so much fun to be had instead!
Friday, July 2, 2010
10 Useful Tips for Interviewing
1) Arrive 10-15 minutes early. You do not want to make a bad first impression by arriving late for an interview.
2) Look presentable. Always wear a suit.
3) Start with a solid resume.
4) Know what is on your resume and be able to speak in specifics about your experience including examples of what you have done.
5) Be confident. Even when you are being asked tough questions do not let the interviewers rattle you. Stay confident and answer the questions as best you can. You are there for a reason. If you did not have something they like then you would not be there in the first place.
6) Sell yourself. No one else is going to believe in you unless you believe in yourself first. Let the interviewers know what they will gain by hiring.
7) Know your strengths and weaknesses. It is common to be asked what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses.
8) Have an idea of what your career goals are. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? in 10 years? These are common interviewing questions and it is useful for you to know this for your own goal accomplishments anyway.
9) Ask intelligent questions that show your passion and interest in the position.
10) Always send a thank you note to the interviewers stating your appreciation for their time and restate your skills and interest in the position.
There are many questions you could be asked in an interview. However, if you consider at least these 10 tips before going on an interview you are at least starting with a solid foundation. Starting off on the wrong foot can sway the entire interview the wrong way, so make sure you have the basics covered for your own comfort and success!
2) Look presentable. Always wear a suit.
3) Start with a solid resume.
4) Know what is on your resume and be able to speak in specifics about your experience including examples of what you have done.
5) Be confident. Even when you are being asked tough questions do not let the interviewers rattle you. Stay confident and answer the questions as best you can. You are there for a reason. If you did not have something they like then you would not be there in the first place.
6) Sell yourself. No one else is going to believe in you unless you believe in yourself first. Let the interviewers know what they will gain by hiring.
7) Know your strengths and weaknesses. It is common to be asked what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses.
8) Have an idea of what your career goals are. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? in 10 years? These are common interviewing questions and it is useful for you to know this for your own goal accomplishments anyway.
9) Ask intelligent questions that show your passion and interest in the position.
10) Always send a thank you note to the interviewers stating your appreciation for their time and restate your skills and interest in the position.
There are many questions you could be asked in an interview. However, if you consider at least these 10 tips before going on an interview you are at least starting with a solid foundation. Starting off on the wrong foot can sway the entire interview the wrong way, so make sure you have the basics covered for your own comfort and success!
Motivational Quote of the Day
"As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Interviewing
This week I had a three hour interview for a financial analyst position with a very famous company. During the three hour period, I had to meet with four different sets of people for 45 minutes each.
When I graduated from college I was going on interviews frequently and I got quite good at them. I have been on a few recently as well, but this interview process was unlike anything I had ever gone on before. The thing I forgot was that during interviews you need to continually sell yourself. Even when the interviewers may not believe in you, or might be giving you a hard time, you need to keep believing in yourself.
By the end of this particular interviewing process though I felt worn out and unsure if I could even do the job. This was my own self doubt taking over.
Part of the issue at hand was that I would be moving from the Government sector to the Private sector. It seemed like this private firm had some reservations about the differences in work load and pace between the two sectors. I assured the team of people that my 6 years of experience working on the Governor's Budget was not the stereotypical "state" job where people are leaving at 3:30 everyday and just doing the bare minimum. However, I do not know if they really believed me or understood how hard I had worked. It was very frustrating to sit there and tell these people how much I had done, and for them to keep telling me how fast paced and tough their work environment was, like I was a baby. They did not even know me!
The interviewer even asked me my college G.P.A., after having over 6 years of actual work experience. It was as if she was just looking for reasons not to hire me.
The lesson I learned through all of this is, you really cannot listen to other people and let them bring you down. I know if I was given this job, that I could do it just as well as anyone else, maybe even better. I was starting to feel down because of the doubts this woman and her team had about me, but I know they are not true. In the end, interviewing is like anything else, you need to keep your confidence about you and continue to persevere even when people are telling you, you can't do it.
When I think about Britney Spears, or Jennifer Lopez, or any other big star that has made it in Hollywood, you always hear about how many people tell them "no" before they actually make it. Just because one person doesn't hire you or doesn't think you can do the job, does not mean that they are right. Interviewing, job hunting, and pretty much life in general are all about perseverance in the face of doubt and scrutiny. If you can overcome these things and keep plugging away at your goals and beliefs, it is bound to work out at some point. And even if you do not get exactly what you want from your dedication, I would bet you that you will get something pretty close or maybe even better than you could have imagined for yourself.
So in the end, I do not know if I would even want to work for these people that are putting me down before I have even been hired. If they are doing this now, what do they do when you are actually working for them? Everything in life happens for a reason, and if I do not get this job I am going to look at it as a blessing that I will not be surrounded by such negative people. It is their loss and I will be great - even without them!
When I graduated from college I was going on interviews frequently and I got quite good at them. I have been on a few recently as well, but this interview process was unlike anything I had ever gone on before. The thing I forgot was that during interviews you need to continually sell yourself. Even when the interviewers may not believe in you, or might be giving you a hard time, you need to keep believing in yourself.
By the end of this particular interviewing process though I felt worn out and unsure if I could even do the job. This was my own self doubt taking over.
Part of the issue at hand was that I would be moving from the Government sector to the Private sector. It seemed like this private firm had some reservations about the differences in work load and pace between the two sectors. I assured the team of people that my 6 years of experience working on the Governor's Budget was not the stereotypical "state" job where people are leaving at 3:30 everyday and just doing the bare minimum. However, I do not know if they really believed me or understood how hard I had worked. It was very frustrating to sit there and tell these people how much I had done, and for them to keep telling me how fast paced and tough their work environment was, like I was a baby. They did not even know me!
The interviewer even asked me my college G.P.A., after having over 6 years of actual work experience. It was as if she was just looking for reasons not to hire me.
The lesson I learned through all of this is, you really cannot listen to other people and let them bring you down. I know if I was given this job, that I could do it just as well as anyone else, maybe even better. I was starting to feel down because of the doubts this woman and her team had about me, but I know they are not true. In the end, interviewing is like anything else, you need to keep your confidence about you and continue to persevere even when people are telling you, you can't do it.
When I think about Britney Spears, or Jennifer Lopez, or any other big star that has made it in Hollywood, you always hear about how many people tell them "no" before they actually make it. Just because one person doesn't hire you or doesn't think you can do the job, does not mean that they are right. Interviewing, job hunting, and pretty much life in general are all about perseverance in the face of doubt and scrutiny. If you can overcome these things and keep plugging away at your goals and beliefs, it is bound to work out at some point. And even if you do not get exactly what you want from your dedication, I would bet you that you will get something pretty close or maybe even better than you could have imagined for yourself.
So in the end, I do not know if I would even want to work for these people that are putting me down before I have even been hired. If they are doing this now, what do they do when you are actually working for them? Everything in life happens for a reason, and if I do not get this job I am going to look at it as a blessing that I will not be surrounded by such negative people. It is their loss and I will be great - even without them!
Motivational Quote of the Day
"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."
- Maya Angelou
- Maya Angelou
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