Trev

Here are the six skills/behaviors my children would be taught:

Honesty.

Telling the truth is always better than telling a lie, no matter the situation. I don’t do business with cheaters or scam artists, and I certainly wouldn’t want to raise kids to be like them either.

Discipline.

If I have to wake my kids up every day, I’m failing as a parent. The kids clearly aren’t disciplined enough to follow a schedule for life. I would teach discipline in terms of positive work ethic (not punishment, because that never solves anything). It becomes easier to be disciplined when one has a sense of meaning for doing things. The kids should be disciplined because it will help them get what they want. Maybe they want to eat candy or play outside. In order to get those rewards, they should have to work for them. Jocko Willink says discipline equals freedom. I agree, for all stages of life.

Love.

Love your parents. Love others. Be super positive and helpful towards others. People will always want to help you. You will never be poor again.

Responsibility.

To grow, people have to own their life situation. If kids fail in life, they need to learn that it is their responsibility to learn and recover. The parent can only hand-hold for so long before dependency develops. Dependency is not good. Responsible children, children who own their actions, are children who lead and grow.

Mindfulness.

Meditation practice doesn’t have to begin at age 25. Kids should explore their thoughts and feelings at a young age. Mindful meditation is great for this. Especially now, when kids are all over the place with iPads and iPhones. Just sitting still for a minute or two per day is all that’s needed.

Humility.

Being humble in the face of highly stressful events is a sign of top leaders. When life gets you down, can you remain calm and composed? Showing humility is a great skill to instil among kids.

Here are a few ways to improve your work life instead of quitting your job out of the blue.

Spend less time working and more time socializing.

We always feel like we have to be workhorses, fitting in more and more tasks to keep busy throughout the day. The one thing I wish I had done is socialized with co-workers more. I was always in an introverted silo, minding my own business. People never knew me because of it. I rarely collaborated with anyone. When asking for help, I didn’t know who to turn to.

Your workload will actually decrease if you get to know your co-workers. Don’t work so hard. Take that one-hour lunch break to connect with your peeps. They will be more likely to help you out when work is tough.

Reduce your commute time.

If you are commuting three hours per day like I was, chances are you will hate your job. You know what feels amazing? A 20-minute commute. Instead of waking up on weekdays with an imaginary rope around your neck, try reducing your commute time by moving closer. Or carpool with someone to make the time go by faster. Or listen to a podcast in the car/train/bus. Those are your commute-time solutions.

Ask for a raise.

Many employees hate their jobs because they don’t say what’s on their minds. If you want a raise, go ask for it. If they say no, ask how you can get one. At a past job, I asked how to get an extra $20K onto my salary. They told me what I needed to do (something stupid and highly unattainable, now that I recall). Ask and thou shalt potentially receive. Don’t ask and don’t receive. It’s worth a shot.

Do great work and get recognized.

Recognition is one of the greatest ways to feel good at a job. That’s what my Human Resources textbook from 2009 says. It’s true, we feel great when someone says something nice to us. One problem with companies is that they suck at giving recognition, but they excel at telling you where you go wrong every second of the day. If you’re lucky, you might get recognized with a “good job” by email these days. No wonder 50% of the workforce will be freelancers by 2020. We want to feel good. Do great work and potentially get a thoughtful sticky note on your computer monitor.

Store vodka in your desk for every occasion.

This ties back to my first point about socializing. If you carry vodka at your desk, people will like you. Especially on Moody Mondays and Fantastic Fridays. Being liked will make you feel good about your job. Vodka = liked. Mission accomplished.

Apple

Enjoy this self-confidence story, demonstrated by a bunny rabbit.