17+ Things Recruiters Must NOT Do

17+ Things Recruiters Must NOT Do Regardless of  who you are and what you do, there is always room for improvement. Its safe to assume that all  top-performing recruiters must continually  strive for best practice  and find ways to make their operations better, slicker, more efficient and strategic. However, honing  good habits only works when there is synonymous attention  on  breaking bad tendencies, too. With the new year just around the corner, its the perfect time to start reflecting and taking action. To  give you some pointers on where to start with your critical self-analysis, we  called in our expert panel. Heres what 13 recruitment leaders say recruiters simply MUST  stop doing: Billy Smith Recruiters need to stop relying purely on job boards. Candidates are more savvy and know how to market themselves with less and less good people using a job board to search for a new role. Good quality job seekers will go out to their network first and will prefer to apply for a job via recommendation before trying other methods. Recruiters need to also work on headhunting passive candidates with the majority of jobseekers open to new opportunities not on the open market. Billy Smith  is Managing Director at FGS Recruitment Iain Hamilton The rhetoric of passive and active candidates is old news, in fact, it is bad news. I still hear agencies saying we are so niche we dont advertise or post on social and this, in my view, means they potentially miss a huge market of candidates. I am not saying advertising on social is right for every profession, but making the decision because you are niche, is wrong. The way forward is to take a total addressable market approach and then to understand exactly what influences people to join you, or your clients company. Iain Hamilton is Founder of People Traction Adam Glassman What do they need to stop? Ironically, they need to stop moving so fast! In so many of our businesses, we are challenged with meeting high volume recruitment needs or finding a needle in a haystack. Which means we push, we push and we push … so much so that we’re buried in the weeds and can’t even remember what we’re looking for. In 2017, let’s commit to slowing down a tad and thinking through our strategies more clearly. Let’s connect with candidates personally, one on one where possible, and being proactive instead of reactive. Adam Glassman is Recruitment Strategies Manager at Alorica Lysha Holmes Spamming people on LinkedIn with Inmails which are clearly copy and paste with their contrived personalised email. Cold calling clients and candidates- this is not a 1990s movie- be authentic. And STOP mistreating other people. Call people back. Give timely feedback. Stop messing peoples lives around by focusing on your commission cheque. In such a congested market it is time recruiters focused on what their unique approach is and be true to their values. Lysha Holmes  is Founder of Qui Recruitment Gill Buchanan Stop relying on emails and look for more opportunities to talk to people on the phone or face-to-face. Email is an everyday fixture in everyone’s lives and it can be easier, and more practical, for both candidates and clients to communicate in this way. However, recruiters are far more likely to have a successful outcome if they can also speak direct to people. Only communicating via email can limit the opportunities to really get to know the candidate or client, and to find out the information which will lead to a successful, long-term placement. Gill Buchanan  is Director at Pure Resourcing Solutions Chad MacRae Stop treating your projects like transactions. Recruitment is about people. The people who hired you, the people you’re working with to complete the project, the people you’re recruiting a new teammate for, the people you’re recruiting. How do *you* want to be treated by the companies you pay money to? The companies you interact with in your business life? Like a human being, not a number â€" and *definitely* not like a cash cow. Chad MacRae is Founder of Recruiting Social David Morel 1 â€" Being too salesy â€" the market has moved on from hard core sales calls and the reaction generally will be negative. 2 â€" “Spraying and praying” â€" for the same reason as above. Hirers want a discerning service and candidate profiles tailored towards the vacancies they are recruiting for. 3 â€" Trying to be “all things for all people”. I believe hirers are more interested in recruiters that are experts in one or two verticals only.. David Morel  is CEO Founder of Tiger Recruitment Lisa Jones I have real thing about what to stop in 2017 Writing poor adverts and justifying this with the its admin statement, blogging and tweeting without having anything innovative or interesting to say, leaving marketing only to marketers, enter awards like you mean to win, telling me you are sick of distraction and disruption, then using too much kit to source / place, too many systems and not enough process. Stop measuring ROI incorrectly cash and placements are not the only way to measure success, even though they are clearly critical. And stop assuming that younger recruiters have a handle on tech they may do, but do they have a handle on recruiting and selling with it? Lisa Jones  is Director at Barclay Jones Bronwen Hann Recruiters need to stop feeding candidates lines. They need to stop ignoring candidates who aren’t right for their jobs and start responding, even to say they won’t be able to help them. They need to stop sending resumes to clients without the candidate’s permission, and breaching candidates’ privacy in other ways. They need to stop thinking in terms of databases and start thinking in terms of relationships. Recruiters also need to stop being completely submissive to their clients. They need to work so that clients see them as consultants and partners in the hiring process. They need to give clients market intelligence, and demonstrate that they’re experts. They need to make sure that clients give detailed feedback on candidates, because they owe it to those candidates to give them feedback. Bronwen Hann is  President   Senior Partner at Argentus Supply Chain Recruiting James Nathan Please, please, please put down the keyboards and start picking up the phones. Relationships cannot be built using words on a screen, you must interact with people directly, first on the telephone, and then in person. Stop hoping that a load of emails sent to potential candidates will attract them onto the market. Stop trying to persuade and influence by email, negotiate by email, and offer manage by email. It won’t work, you will lose control and you will become an order taker. As one of my first managers told me “you pick up the phone and money comes out of it” was there ever a truer statement made? James Nathan  is  Founder of The James Nathan Experience Dualta Doherty Stop sending generic inmails â€" As found in my article Why Developers Hate Recruiters â€" Recruiters need to invest in learning how to specifically tailor their approach on line to niche skill types such as developers. Dualta Doherty  is Founder of Pro Recruitment Solutions Angela Bortolussi Assuming assumptions can be flawed and for us (recruiters) it’s hard not to assume that someone: Doesn’t want to leave their job because they’ve been there for 6 months. Doesn’t want to leave their job because they’ve been there for 10 years. A candidate wouldn’t be interested in networking because he/she declined your career opportunity. Why should we (recruiters) stop assuming?  Well for starters, I think in 2017 we are going to be seeing the ‘boomerang’ effect make more of an appearance (i.e. employees going back to past employers (after a 2 year hiatus); in addition, there may be a lot more movement happening within the workforce employees wanting to get into management or decide to take the entrepreneurship path and switch to consulting. Whatever the case may be keeping the door open for conversation with candidates will always be an important aspect to recruiting.   Angela Bortolussi is Partner at  Recruiting Social Caroline Stokes Hustle without understanding hurts everyone. Recruiters are renowned for this, and it’s rare for talent, HR and hiring managers to report of a great recruiter experience’.  I’d like recruiters to stop trying to recruit on the fly, and to really and truly understand the environment, the people, the motivations and the vision of every person that is connected to the vision. My recruitment philosophy ‘from understanding comes growth’. Caroline Stokes  is Founder of FORWARD

Simple Tips To Make Sure Your Resume Is Top Notch

Simple Tips To Make Sure Your Resume Is Top NotchHow to build resume is a question that is frequently asked by a lot of people. A resume is essentially a written document that contains details of your job history and skills and allows you to explain all the things you have achieved in the past. Your resume also serves as a tool to help employers assess you and if they like you, they will be more likely to hire you for a position. In this article, I will discuss a few simple steps to help you make sure your resume is top-notch.First of all, let me tell you about the basic format for a resume. Remember that resumes are usually sent during job interviews, so make sure that the information included in the resume is specific enough to match the job being filled. The basic format is to start your resume with your name, followed by your title (which could be anything), your education and any achievements, and lastly, the job that you're applying for.I think the most important part of the fo rmat is the job title. What you should be aiming for is a cover letter that is very short and to the point. That is, your focus should be on giving a brief introduction to the company you're looking for and to give some sample work samples.As an additional point, your resume should include the contact information, including a phone number, email address and a website or mailing address. It is also a good idea to put your contact information right at the bottom of your resume. In addition, make sure you include your career goals.One other important part is to make sure that your resume is specific. You don't want to include too many irrelevant details. Make sure that you're being specific, but don't write too much detail because it can ruin the professionalism of your resume.Don't forget to use the keywords in your resume, too. Try to avoid using any special keywords. Instead, use those more commonly used words and phrases.Include your contact details at the end of your resume, so it can be mailed. Try to use a template so it will be easier for you to do this. If you have any problem using a template, just ask someone to write it for you.Now that you know how to build resume online, there's really no excuse for making one poorly. Keep these tips in mind when you're preparing to send your resume, and you'll be well on your way to building a great resume.

How to Make Your Content (And Yourself!) Go Viral - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Make Your Content (And Yourself!) Go Viral - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Jonah  Berger is a Marketing Professor at the Wharton School at the  University of Pennsylvania  and author of the New York Times Bestseller  Contagious: Why Things Catch On. He has published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, and popular outlets like the  Wall Street  Journal and Harvard  Business  Review often cover his research.   Berger is a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, and why things go viral, and consults for a variety of companies and organizations to help them get their products, ideas, and behaviors catch on In the following interview, Jonah talks about how Contagious came to be, how marketers can leverage the framework set forth by Contagious, recent examples of contagious content, and what’s next in his contagious career. Amanda Healy: How did you come up with the ideas set forth in Contagious? What was the research process like? Jonah Berger: There was a great deal of attention on social media at the time, and as a result companies began to take a more vested interest in word of mouth and how to get people to talk about their brand or product. They realized word of mouth was far more effective than advertising, but couldn’t get to the root of why people talk about certain things or share them with others. I began teaching a course at Wharton called Contagious: How Products, Behaviors, and Ideas Catch On. It soon became one of the most popular classes, and many students were unable to enroll in time before it filled up. They would ask how they could best learn about the subject if not attending the class, and I would send them a stack of academic articles. While grateful, most admitted that the content was a bit of a snore fest. They needed something more accessible. It was an interesting space and while there were books on it by self-proclaimed “marketing gurus”, they lacked the data to support their ideologies. In writing Contagious, I aimed to combine science with stories. AH: How did you apply the teachings of Contagious to your own book launch? JB: The pressure was on because of the inherent expectation for a book named Contagious to be, well, contagious. Fast Company even wrote an article about how if my book was unsuccessful then the teachings put forth by it were clearly off base. Consequently, we put a lot of thought into each aspect of the book. For example, the cover was very intentional. We used the concept of “Public” to ensure the book was easy to see and interesting to look at. Bright orange catches the eye and is an active color. We wanted people to wonder what the book was about and imitate their peers by purchasing it. We also employed “Triggers”. As I mention in the book, “top of mind = tip of tongue”. We launched the book during cold and flu season, when there were lots of “contagious” diseases. We created orange tissues with the message “Don’t you wish your ideas were this contagious?” We liked the thought of people “sneezing” ideas. For “Social Currency” we produced a limited edition of the book, which I signed. I could go on with the practices we applied to the launch, but you get the idea! AH: Of the six key STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories) of creating contagious content, which are the most important and why? JB: This is a tough question because it truly depends on the industry. All of the STEPPS are important, but it depends on who you are and what type of situation you are wrestling with. An easy one to tackle is Social Currency â€" everyone wants to look smart regardless of what field they may be in. They want to be the first to know something. So using social currency to your advantage is really a no brainer. I would say that “Triggers” are the most under-utilized, yet important of the STEPPS. They’re also the most difficult to create. Companies care about their brand or products but they don’t think enough about being top of mind. AH: What is a recent example of a contagious content or program? Why did it work? JB: People just can’t stop talking about the ALS ice bucket challenge. It got huge so quickly and there was little to no marketing spend â€" it spread organically from person to person. It’s not a chain letter, and someone is publically challenging you. And because of the visibility, you are more likely to take action. Social Currency comes into play as it makes you look good to participate and/or donate to the cause. Emotion comes as a result of the surprise of seeing someone pour a bucket of ice over his or her head. The ice bucket challenge truly hit on all six STEPPS in a strategic way. AH: How do you feel about companies intentionally creating “viral” content? For example, Applebee’s recently launched a YouTube campaign named “You’ll Never Believe How These Applebee’s Burgers are Made”. While a bit corny, it generated 270K+ views. What lessons can be learned? JB: I actually work with companies and organizations to generate content or ideas that are contagious. From Fortune 500 financial services companies, to Google and General Mills, to small startups and medium business, the key to success is signaling without being overbearing. Being authentic without being sales-y. You have to have a Trojan horse mentality and leverage creativity to carry your message along for the ride. Create great content that people want to share that whispers your brand rather than shouts it. 3M is a fantastic company with successful products but while it’s great to say so, it’s even better to bake this message into a story; “Did you realize this is what it takes to make a paperclip?” Show the science behind how 3M makes things happen. The focus shouldn’t be on the product, the focus should be an engaging story that connects the product to a bigger idea. AH: How can one apply Contagious to I to their personal brand? JB: Contagious is not specific to a certain industry or area of life; it is just as applicable in business as it is in a personal sense. Think about your personal life and the gossip and information that you talk about and share. What will make you come to mind for others? What is your trigger? What’s your story and why are you valuable to your current for future company? Contagious is basic psychology, and can be applied to all sorts of aspects of life. AH: What is the single biggest takeaway from Contagious for marketers? JB: It’s a simple takeaway: word of mouth is ten times more effective than advertising but to make it work you need to first understand why people talk and share. Most of your business comes from existing business. How do we turn customers into advocates? AH: What’s next for you? Are you conducting additional research? Will you author another book? JB: At the moment I’m helping share ideas with other companies. My fall schedule is chock full helping people apply the principles of Contagious â€" I’m excited to teach them learn how to use this toolkit. I’m continuing my research, looking at how certain channels influence our propensity to share, both online and offline, and will likely author another book in the future. AH: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? JB: Yes â€" at www.JonahBerger.com/Resources there is a free workbook for those looking to use Contagious in their line of work. It’s a great resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs in particular!

Senator Scott Browns Brand Lessons - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Senator Scott Browns Brand Lessons - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career You’ve heard about Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts by now. He’s the Republican (yes, you read that correctly) who made international headlines by winning Senator Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat (not a Republican) in the bluest state in the country and upsetting the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate…no mean feat. How did he do it? It’s all about the brand. Starting your brand Building your brand is different than building your career. Sure, Brown had been doing his job prior to election for a respectable time, but very few people had ever heard of him. You can do your job year after year with your green eyeshades on and your head down, but no one outside of the person in the cubicle next to you will notice. How do you start changing that milk toast image into a profile that people will respect and follow? You can start today. You make a decision. “Now is the time. How do I want to be known? What’s one, manageable thing that I can start doing today that distinguishes me from the rest?”   With Scott, he agreed to run against a well known Democrat, Martha Coakley, when even his own party didn’t expect him to win. You can start on a grand scale, or just step forward to write a blog, or lead a project at work. Big picture first Scott (and probably his campaign committee) set strategy first. “Let’s develop my brand to be warmth, openness, of-the-people, leadership, and cuteness,” he’s bound to have said. (Okay, I’m stretching on the cuteness part, but he is.) He undoubtedly had a political platform, too, but this isn’t about that. After all, do you always vote for people because of their political stands, or sometimes, just sometimes, because “they’re someone you’d rather have a beer with? Your brand goals are made real by actions. How do the rest of us get what you’re communicating otherwise? What you say, do, and message nonverbally, as well as verbally to build your brand continually and ideally, are consistent with the reputation and values that you want as a professional and as a person. Let’s stay superficial with the nonverbal, observable part now. Do clothes make the man? Senator Brown sends clarion non-verbal messages that support his non-fancy, populist image through channels that you can use as well: Clothing Tangible symbols (houses, cars, activities, etc.) Physical impression (hair, body art, weight, etc.) Body language, i.e. how you carry yourself We’ll touch on the first two today, but keep the last two in your plans. With clothes, Scott started barnstorming the state as a candidate in his barn jacket, a visible image of his “common man” brand that he became known for. He must have liked the results because he was at a fancy party at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston last week in his nice-but-not-fancy plaid suit (see photo). Everyone, every other man in a group of 800, was in black tie. His wife, Gail Huff, a news reporter for WCVB-TV in Boston, wore a beautiful ball gown with striking jewelry. Can you imagine the conversation they had as they were dressing for the event that evening? He chose his brand and he’s sticking to it. Cars and consistency Other tangible symbols beyond clothing range from houses to leisure activities to cars. Scott’s GMC pickup added to his populist image, big time. He leveraged the truck’s image frequently by sitting in it for a taping of Saturday Night Live and referencing it in multiple campaign speeches. Being conscious of the many ways you communicate with others before you open your mouth is a level of self-awareness that pays off in brand and career management. Saying that you’re fast and turn around projects on a dime is a disconnect if you’re not athletic-looking and evoking energy (unless you’re Shaq). Saying that you want to advise high net worth families about their investments when you’ve recently graduated from college is a disconnect. Consistency between nonverbal and verbal is the key. Other people’s brains I’m not talking about what’s fair or correct. I’m talking about anticipating the unconscious judgments that we make all of the time, then using these beliefs to your advantage. Whether it’s barn jackets, pickup trucks, Victory Gardens, or well-tailored business suits, what nonverbal symbols are you using to communicate your brand and are they consistent with your goals? You may be our next senator. Author: Pam Lassiter is author of the award winning The New Job Security and Principal of   Lassiter Consulting, a career coaching firm doing outplacement or internal growth programs for companies or individuals.

How To Write A Good Resume For ECE Students

How To Write A Good Resume For ECE StudentsResume writing for ECE students is something that they should learn as soon as possible. If you're looking to get into a particular career, you will need to make sure that you have all of the information that you can on your application. Whether you're looking to break into your career, or simply want to move up in the work force, it's important that you know how to write a good resume.There are a number of things that you need to consider when it comes to writing for the ECE curriculum. You should be aware of this as a student. The skill of resume writing can be used to land the perfect job for someone.Writing resumes is something that students should learn early on. It's an essential skill that every single person needs to understand if they are ever going to achieve success in the workplace. They will also need to find out what other things are required to achieve such success.If you are looking to start a great career in the work force, then you need to make sure that you start early. The fastest way to your success is by getting educated in the field. It's important that you make sure that you use these skills early on in your career, because they will be the only skills that you need to achieve success.It's important that any student need to know about the things that they need to have on their resume. The things that they should include on there are either certifications, degrees, experience, or skills. These items are things that every professional should include on their resume to help them land the perfect job.A full time career is something that is required in order to find a career. With this in mind, many students will look to expand their skills and knowledge with the help of a degree program. Many students will do this for the love of the field, but when they have the perfect degree, it can open many doors for them.Writing a resume for a degree program is something that students should learn early on. It will help them get the right kind of job and get the right kind of results. If you haven't already started learning about the craft of resume writing, it is something that you should take up sooner rather than later.If you're interested in the education field, then you will need to learn the skills necessary to succeed. There are many things that can be learned when it comes to curriculum development. By including this skill as early as possible, you will be on your way to achieving success as soon as possible.

So You Want To Make a Career Change, But Have No Idea To What - CareerMetis.com

So You Want To Make a Career Change, But Have No Idea To What Sometimes, you just know that the life that you’re living isn’t the one you want to be livinganymore. You can feel it when you wake up, it follows you around during the day, and it’s there before you doze off to sleep.But when it comes to making a career change, it isn’t so easy, especially if you don’t know what direction you want to go in. But fear not, because all is not lost. Below, we take a look at a few ways you figure out what you should do next.Source : Pexels.com1. Take a TripIf you’re “too close” to a problem, then you’ll never be able to get the perspective you need to figure things out. It’s important that you find ways to create a barrier between you and your daily life; if you don’t, then you’ll be too wrapped up in your stressful existence to know where to go next.evalOne of the best ways to do this is to take a trip. Spend a few weeks hiking in the outdoors, or visiting friends and family, and you should have a clearer understanding of the pat h you should take.2. Keep Things SimplePeople often go about their desire for a change in the wrong way. Instead of asking ‘what do I want to do?’, then get wrapped up in thinking ‘I don’t want to be doing what I’m currently doing anymore.’ A desire to not do something is negative energy; what you need is positive energy! Think about the simple things you need from life. It might be greater work/life balance, a shorter commute, a workplace you feel more connected to, or anything else. Once you’ve figured out the basics, the road you should take should be more clear.3. Try Things OutOf course, the right life for you might be something that you’ve never even thought of before. There are a million different ways of being on earth, but you might only know a handful of them!Before you commit to your next life, try a few things out. Make the most of the many volunteer positionsthat will be available in your area, and see which one you like. It’ll be a stress-free way to try out the type of career you might like in the future.You might find that you love doing something you would never have thought of before!4. Speak To PeopleYou’ve gone through life making connections with people. Is now the time to begin putting those connections to good use?evalYou have friends, family members, and colleagues who want to see you doing well â€" and will be willing to help you get there if they can. Let people know that you’re thinking of a change; they might just know of a job you’d be perfect for.5. Have FaithFinally, remember this: always have faith. Life isn’t linear, and everyone experiences ups and downs from time to time.Even if things aren’t perfect right now, remember to have the belief that all will be well in the end â€" it always is!

Im on the cover - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Im on the cover - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Look whos on the cover of the Modern Management magazine in the Czech Republic :) Kudos to Monika Hilm?and Michal ?rajer?for building such a powerful movement for happiness at work in the region! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Science-Backed Tips to Make You More Productive

Science-Backed Tips to Make You More Productive Do you promise yourself that you’ll do something, only to keep putting it off? Do you spend hours working, without accomplishing everything you set out to? You’re not alone billions of people struggle to be productive. But it’s productive people who built cities, gained followers, invented amazing things, and went to space. And here you are wondering how exactly did they do that? They stopped some bad habits. Habits that are proven to be unproductive. So, instead of wasting your time with bad habits, try these science-backed strategies to be more productive: Stop Being a Yes Man/Woman When youre asked to do something, can you say no? Sometimes, its really hard and you might find yourself constantly agreeing to everyones requests. Perhaps its time to rethink the way you respond to these requests. While its a given that you cant say no to people like your boss or your spouse, you can take control of everyone else you say yes and no to throughout your day. By saying no, you can rid yourself of the  Pareto Principle: 20% of your input creates 80% of the result. 20% of results come from 80% of the effort. The bottom line? Spend time on requests that actually matter.   Stop Doing Everything Yourself While it might be impressive to be a jack of all trades, it gets tiring. There’s also no reason to be a superhuman. If you shoo everyone away, where will people be when you inevitably fail and need help? They’ll be long gone by then. Brian Howard, author of the book 100 Principles for Leadership, suggests to ask yourself the following questions: What kinds of things are you doing that someone else could do? Am I the only person who  can do this task? Is there any better use of my time? There’s no shame in reaching out for help. It’ll save you time, energy, and maybe even money. And best of all, people will see you as human rather than superhuman.   Stop Starting Your Day Unprepared We all hate the feeling of rushing around in the morning, but we still do it every day. Jump ahead of everyone else and prepare the night before. Itll leave you feeling ready and refreshed. Business Insider compiled a list of things successful people do before they go to bed. On the list, it included making a to-do list, planning out your sleep schedule, and disconnecting from all work-related tasks. Go to bed prepared and wake up worry-free! Stop Letting Others Steal Your Time Do you have friends that like to hang out all the time, even when you have work to do? Or how about people that are just so grouchy, you wonder why youre hanging out with them in the first place? Its time to cut these people out for a while. Its so easy to allow others to consume a large portion of our day when we really need to get stuff done. Time Management Ninja suggests blocking your time so that you can have some of that precious me time without having to cater to others. Stop Obsessing Over Your Social Media No matter how much we think otherwise, the online world is not the real world. And having your online accounts open 24/7 wont help anything. One minute youll be working on a paper, and decide you need a break. The next minute becomes an hour as you waste time watching cat videos and cute babies! According to a Cowen and Company poll, Facebook users across all age groups spend an average of 42.1 minutes per day on the site. Just think about how many minutes you dedicate to other social media sites! Stop Being a Pessimist Life is stressful, so a little negativity never hurt anyone. But if youre always looking at the glass half-empty, it will earn you a bad reputation and keep you from accomplishing your goals. A 30-year Mayo clinic study revealed that pessimism has been associated to a decrease in physical and mental health and increases in chronic sicknesses. Maybe its time for a new outlook on life try enjoying the little things, finding comfort in small moments of peace, and turning negative situations into positives. Stop Saying “I Can’t” The phrase I Cant is basically a setup for failure. Eliminate it from your vocabulary. Business strategist Paula Onysko offers the following insight: Your brain is designed to gather evidence for what you say is true. It wants to prove you right every time. So it energetically attracts circumstances and conditions to do exactly that. So instead of saying I Cant, try phrases like How Can I? or I Dont. The first can help motivate you to achieve a goal, and the second can help you kick bad habits. For example, if you want to quit smoking, say to yourself I dont smoke. Stop Multitasking You may think that you can do multiple things at once, but as it turns out, youre wasting your time and energy. When you multitask, you give each task only a fraction of your attention and that can lead to poor results. A study published by Stanford University concluded that multitasking is less productive than focusing on single tasks. Researchers found that people who are bombarded with multiple information streams cannot pay attention or recall information as well as those who focus on individual tasks.   Stop Working (sometimes) When it all comes down to it, some of us simply need a break. According to the Center for American Progress, 86 percent of U.S. men and 67 percent of women work more than 40 hours a week. The demands of the 9-5 working world take a toll on our body and mind. This spells trouble for productivity, as well. Sometimes, the best way to become more productive is to take time off from work. After your time off, you can come back feeling refreshed, with an eager attitude and new ideas. If you stop doing these things were all guilty of, youll be a step ahead on the path to success!