In today's busy world, prioritizing between your work and your personal life can be a huge challenge. But studies show that a poor work-life balance can result in unhealthy levels of stress, unhappiness, and even reduced productivity. The 14 tips outlined in this article are designed to help you restore the balance -- and harmony -- in your work and personal lives, so you can enjoy both to the utmost. Step 1: Set your priorities Figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be. Ask yourself, "If I could only focus on one thing in my life, what would it be?" ... view article details

You Do Have to Be a Rocket Scientist Listening to a rocket scientist talk about work is impressive, but tough for the scientifically challenged. It's not unlike having a conversation in a foreign language you barely know. Talk of black holes and exploding suns switches to gyroscopes and accelerometers before you've processed what you think you heard, let alone understood. But then, as the cliché suggests, it is rocket science. Keoki Jackson and Bob Polutchko knew they'd become rocket scientists from early on. "I was born on July 22nd, 1969," said Jackson. "Mom used to talk about watching the ... view article details

In order to make room for the great new work habits you’re resolving to adopt on January 1st, be sure to ring out any bad office practices. And, yes, procrastination is on the list, so reading this now instead of later is a great first step in the right direction. Here are some tips for banishing common office behaviors that can get in the way of success.1. Put off procrastination…now Overwhelmed by the difficulty or size of a pending chore? Make use of calendars and computer alarms to plan out and schedule small pieces of big projects. Doing a little at a time is usually ea... view article details

Women are far less likely than men to negotiate at work, which typically costs women more than half a million dollars in earnings over the course of their respective careers, according to Linda Babcock and Sara Lashever, authors of the book Women Don’t Ask.The authors conducted multiple studies that found women miss out by failing to negotiate salary, promotions and other advancement opportunities that men commonly and aggressively pursue. The reluctance of female employees to advocate for themselves is often the difference between climbing the career ladder at a healthy pace and not climbing ... view article details

Although the electronic age has made it much easier to learn at a distance, the roots of today's distance learning courses are more than 100 years old. Some date distance learning back to 1889, when it was used as a way to provide learning opportunities for teachers who were unable to attend Montreal's McGill University during the cold winter months to study for their degree.Of course, technology has cranked distance learning up to new levels of complexity never dreamed of by chilly McGill students. While originally entirely paper-based, distance learning evolved to include radio broadcasts, s... view article details

We all want to be heard, but a surprising number of people only half-listen. If you spend more time listening than talking, use your listening skills to your advantage in job interviews, negotiations, networking, business meetings, and when selling anything to anyone. If not, improve your listening skills.'I remember an interview I had for a job,' says Doug Fidoten, president of Dentsu America, a full-service advertising and marketing-communications company. He shares this in my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®: 'I had already met with a number of other executives, and this was the last on... view article details

Everyone has worked a summer job at some point. For some those jobs may be their true calling, but for many they are a place to gain some valuable skills and foster passion for their future careers.Read on to see the most popular summer jobs our readers held, and how the skills learned there can help in preparing for a future career. Babysitter Respondents who had this summer job 35.9% A babysitter must learn the fundamentals of relating to young children. Valuable skill for careers in: Child Care Young children get in a lot of scrapes. Successful babysitters learn to use basic fir... view article details

Paid Vacation Before Your First Day on the Job? How does the idea of taking a vacation before you've started a job sound? The pre-cation is a fairly new development in hiring perks, and both new hires and the companies giving them out are reaping the benefits. Pre-cations may be particularly valuable to new hires that have recently left a job that was very frustrating or energetically draining. These workers are often exhausted to near burnout, and although they are grateful to have a new opportunity, they are often not in the best shape (physically and mentally) to start out on the r... view article details

Working in a nonprofit organization brings both material and nonmaterial rewards. Although some nonprofit organizations do not pay (or are unable to pay) market wages, the benefits of working in a nonprofit often outweigh the drawbacks for many employees.In the United States, nonprofit or charitable organizations such as foundations, churches, arts organizations, universities, and even some hospitals, are exempt from federal income taxes. Although the range of their services is rather broad, these groups have in common a mission to provide a benefit to a constituency that is more important tha... view article details

Summer Presents Unique Opportunities for You to Advance Your Career Summer is No Time to Slack Off at Work And suddenly, Summer. Coats go into storage, you’re buying sunscreen by the gallon, and your mind instantly shifts from spreadsheets and status meetings to suntans and sandy beaches. However, while kids might be screaming "school's out for summer" and racing for the playground, things don't quite work that way as an adult in the business world. But don't worry, the tips below won't be as painful as summer school. So here are 5 ways you can use summer to your advantage professionally. ... view article details