5 Ways to Learn Stuff That Actually Matters in the Real World

5 Ways to Learn Stuff That Actually Matters in the Real World5 Ways to Learn Stuff That Actually Matters in the Real WorldSome people dont read a single book after they complete their formal education. In his wealth attraction seminar, Dan Kennedy said that 80% of the books purchased on Amazon are not for personal consumption, but as gifts.But when we stop learning, we stop growing.Ive said before, I dont think that business school teaches you everything you need to know about running a business. And a formal education doesnt necessarily teach you much about how to navigate the real world. I welches looking at my bookshelf this morning and realized that in the last few years, Ive read more books than I did in the entirety of school.With constant information, resources, and knowledge at our fingertips, we have the ability to give ourselves our own version of an education. As Seth Godin has said in several podcast interviews, Anyone listening to this has more resources than the King of France did 200 years ago.So where do we begin?1. ReadOf all the expenditures Ive made in my life, books have had by far the most tangible return on investment.Theyve played a pivotal role in my seven-year journey from blog to book deal.I can trace back how I developed my habit of writing 1,000 words a day to a specific text The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. This is just one of the many benefits Ive derived from my books.Theyve served as an ongoing source of inspiration for my own work. If you want to be a prolific writer, become a voracious reader.Every book you read adds to the foundation of your informal education. And if you dont have time for a whole book, try reading news or industry articles online- it works just as well.2. Take an angeschlossen CourseOne of my friends didnt know a thing about writing code. He had an app that he wanted to build, but couldnt afford to hire anyone. So, he took a course on OneMonth, and by the end of the month, he had taught himself Python .As somebody who actually got an MBA, when Im asked about whether people should consider one, I always tell them to check out Seth Godins AltMBA first. Its expensive for an online course, but less expensive than business school and probably has a more significant ROI. Heres what else you can doVisit one of these 62 web sites that will make you smarter.Find the best online courses for what you want to learn, or check out these options hand-picked by career experts.Theres no shortage of worthwhile opportunities to learn from the netz. 3. Build or Make SomethingWhile consumption causes us to learn, creation gives us the opportunity for a practical application of whatever weve learned. The internet rewards creators far more than it rewards consumers. I will probably gain more out of writing this than you will from reading it. Build something, make something, and give people a reason to find you interesting- it doesnt even matter what you create.4. ConnectThe internet has given us access to the thoughts and ideas of some of societys greatest minds- use itSubscribe to newsletters like Peter Diamandis Abundance insider, Kevin Roses journal, and many others.Follow your heroes and role models on social media. Youll learn what books they read, what news they think is important, and much more.As Benjamin P. Hardy said, surround yourself with people who hold you to a higher standard- even if you dont know them personally.5. Listen and WatchListen to podcasts. Watch TED talks. Between iTunes and YouTube, you have a fountain of knowledge that could last you a lifetime. Theres probably a podcast, video, lecture, or channel for virtually any subject you might be interested in, so go out and find it.School might be where your formal education ends, but it shouldnt be the place where learning does. Make a commitment to lifelong learning, and youll give yourself an informal education that kicks the crap out of your formal one.This article was originally published on Medium. It h as been republished here with permission.

Resigning From a Job for Personal Reasons

Resigning From a Job for Personal ReasonsResigning From a Job for Personal ReasonsWhen you need to resign from a job for rolleal reasons, it can be difficult to know how to tell your employer, and how much information to share. Surprisingly, you dont necessarily need to provide details to your employer. For example, you can simply state that you are leaving for personal reasons or family reasons. In other cases, you may want to give a reason. For example, if you are leaving because of a family illness or you aregoing to be a stay-at-home parent, you might share this. To help you navigate the process, heres some advice on how to resign, how to tell your boss, and how to stay on good terms with the company after you leave. How Much to Share It can be hard to know how much to share with your employer about why you are leaving. If you are at all uneasy about sharing your reasons, simply say that you are leaving for personal reasons. This will demonstrate to your boss that you are not leaving because you are unhappy with the company. If you think you might reapply for a job at the company once your personal issues are resolved, you might provide a bit more detail. For example, if you are resigning because you are going to be a stay-at-home parent for a couple of years, you might explain this to your boss. If you are actually resigning because you are unhappy with your job, do not go into detail about this. You want to maintain a good relationship with the company (and your supervisor) so you can use them as a reference. In this case, you can use the vague language that you are leaving for personal reasons. The Resignation Process When resigning for personal reasons, you always want to talk to your boss first, in person. You can decide whether or not you want to provide him or her with personal details as to why you are leaving. After speaking to your boss, follow up with a resignation letter to your boss as well as a human resources representative. You can c hoose how much to share with human resources about why you are leaving but explain that you are leaving for personal reasons, and include details on when you will be leaving. If feasible, offer to help during the transition. Just remember in both letters not to get overly-wordy, you want tokeep the letter brief. If youre unsure how to write your letter, its okay to use a sample resignation letter. Be Positive Its key that you be positive when discussing the company, and your job. Theres nothing to gain by being negative, and everything to lose. Down the road, your employer might have to serve as a reference for you or you may want a letter of recommendation from him or her. Also, you dont want what you say about your employer to jeopardize future job opportunities if word gets out that youre negative. Even if you hate your job, hate the company, or the pay is terrible, you shouldnt mention any of that in your letter or your conversation with your boss. Other Ways to Resign fr om aJob While the best way to resign is to tell your employer in person and then follow up with an official resignation letter, sometimes personal issues come up quickly and youre forced to resign in haste. When there are extenuating circumstances, you might need to resign on the phone or send an email message. However, these are not professional ways to handle a resignation. Only use these methods in emergency situations. Ideally, you should give your employer at least two weeks notice when you resign. This is the accepted professional and courteous behavior in the workplace. However, in some circumstances, youll have to give less notice but only do so if its an emergency. You always want to give people as much time as possible to adjust to you leaving.

Organizing Your Job Search to Match Your Energy Level - FlexJobs

Organizing Your Job Search to Match Your Energy Level - FlexJobsOrganizing Your Job Search to Match Your Energy Level Some folks are morning people. Others are night owls. Interestingly enough, you can maximize productivity- and hopefully land a job- by following your bodys natural rhythm. Heres how to go about organizing your job searchMake a list. No matter if you jump out of bed ready to pound the pavement or hit the snooze button several times, its imperative to make a list of your daily duties. You should write down all the things you want to accomplish- and be sure that the list is manageable. Including Send out 100 resumes by noon, is a lofty goal but not realistic. It can make you feel like you failed even before you start.Do the hardest thing first. Whether its 900 AM or 900 PM, tackle the hardest task when your energy is at its peak. You will be able to concentrate better and schliff up your assignment quicker. If you schedule the toughest item last, youll be too tired to e xecute it well- and possibly make a mistake, like writing the wrong hiring managers name to your cover letter.Reward yourself.If you did all the research on that company that youre hoping to get hired by, give yourself a treat. And that treat can be anything from a rejuvenating jog to playing with your puppy for the daytime, and sipping a hazelnut macchiato or playing some soft night music during evening hours. No matter the time of youre your reward should be something that you love and can look forward to.Take breaks.Even if you want to plow through your job search efforts, dont. Be sure to take some breaks to stretch and relax. Even looking away from your screen for a few minutes will help you to refocus your energies. It will also help you to stay positive while job searching.Clear your desk.Before you log off for the day (or night), make sure your desk is tidy. After all, nothing zaps energy faster than a cluttered desk. Put papers away and shred what you dont need. Clear your desktop as well so you can actually see the cute photo of your kids on the screen. That way, when you continue your job search again, your home office will be clean and ready for you- no matter what time of day it is.Making the most of your productivity level will give a bigger boost to your job search efforts. Listen to both your mind and body to guide you to success- and a new job.Readers, when do you like to work- in the morning or night? Why?