How to Handle Losing Your Flexible Work Schedule

How to Handle Losing Your Flexible Work ScheduleHow to Handle Losing Your Flexible Work Schedule2If this has happened to you recently, we have a plan for you that doesnt involveyou quitting. The plan will take some thought and much personal energy so that you can end up with the type of lifestyle you want. So before you go and quit your job, take a deep breath and start following these five steps.Describe your working lifestyle.Write down the answers to the following questionsHow does your work flexibility affectyour work performance?If an answer doesnt come to you right away, think about how work welches before your work flexibility was implemented.What challenges did you face that you no longer struggle with?After you started your flexible work schedule, how did it improve your work?Are there any big changes that occurred after you started your flexible work schedule? To help you determine this, dig up your performance reviews from before your flex-work schedule and after to compar e.On a personal note, how has it helped you manage your personal life better?What are three key things your work flexibility enables you to do, and why are thoseimportant to you?After you answer these questions, youll know why your work flexibility schedule is good for you. Youll understand why you value it and why it needs to be a priority in your professional and personal life. This understanding is the foundation youll build your case on to get your work flexibility back.Dealing withemotions.While you are working on the questions above, you are going to have to put your emotions aside.There will be a time when you need to pack up your anger or sadness so that you can continue to do your best at work. In your mind put these emotions in a compartment, or a box, and push them to the side so you can concentrate. There is still work to be done regardless of what management is doing to your lifestyle. Compartmentalizing your emotions will help you get through tough days of change.When the time is right you can unbox your emotions and get back to work laying the foundation of your case to get a flex-work schedule. If you dont unbox your emotions,you are allowing the situation to cause you more hurt.When you unbox your anger and sadness, let the emotions roll through you so they can pass. Then you can move on and take action in order to make achange.When youre at home and away from work, you can unbox your emotions and get back to work laying the foundation foryour case to get a flex-work schedule.Find out why.At this point, youre not as emotional about the change in schedule and can truly listen to an explanation. When you sit down with your manager, view this as a fact-finding mission and get some answers. Why did management make this decision? What does your boss think of it? Did human resourceshave any say in the decision? How will this change make a positive effect on the work the team does?Create your case and then present it.First, you determined why a flexi ble work schedule is important to you. Next, you got the business side of the story. Now its time to make your voice be heard. If you struggle with confrontation, follow the A-E-I-O-U model when preparing your case. It could go something like thisAcknowledge I understand that the business reason why the flexible work schedule was taken was because transsumpt the business reason that will result in positive results that you discovered during your detective work.Express I feel that the flexible work schedule Ive been following for the past decade has helped my work performance because insert here the foundation of your proposal you discovered while discovering your work lifestyle.Identify I would like to propose a compromise of some sort, perhaps only working from home two days per week.Outline Here is how I see a flexible work schedule benefiting both the company and myself insert details of your proposal here.UnderstandInstead of abandoning a flexible work schedule, Id like it if we could come to a compromise and use my proposed schedule instead. What do you think?This model should give you a five-minute speech that will demonstrate your knowledge of the business decision, how you feel about it, and what kind of compromise you are looking for.Explore your options.If you have exhausted all of your options at your current company and you just cant tolerate the change in your schedule, it mightbe time for a change. You are at the right place if flexibility is one of your top personal and professional values.Check out your line of work on and begin researching the companies that you find. You might be surprised by what you find.Youll never know what else is out there until you look and see for yourself.Readers, what advice would you give others about asking for a flexible work arrangement? Let us know in the comments below.

5 Things I Would Do Differently if I Could Start My Career Again

5 Things I Would Do Differently if I Could Start My Career Again5 Things I Would Do Differently if I Could Start My Career AgainMy career over the past seven years hasnt been perfect- in fact, we could all agree that if we had the chance, wed probably turn back time and do certain things a little bit differently.Alas, this isnt possible (otherwise someone please tell me where can I get one of those time machines). However, I have learned several valuable lessons throughout my experience that might help you as you navigate yur own career.Pst- youre not too late to do any of these things1. Invest Less in Materials, More in Your MindThe trajectory of your career will be largely based on how you decide to spend your initial paychecks. Youll be tempted to spend it on getting a nicer apartment, upgrading your clothes, and going out to fancier restaurants. While these arent necessarily bad things- you deserve to treat yourself every once in a while- you might want to think about spending yo ur money on knowledge instead. Itll not only give you the greatest return on investment, but also be the one thing that lasts over time. There are certain skills that are applicable to any job, such as communication, knowing how to effectively read and write, building strong relationships, networking, and time management, while there are obviously others that are mora specific to your industry.To expand on any of these, you have several options for investing your money (instead of having a luxurious weekend away)- you can take an online class, or buy a career-boosting book, or even hire a career coach.2. Make Health a Number One PriorityHealth is the foundation that accelerates everything in your life, including your career. It elevates your creativity, energy, and grit to get through the inevitable ups and downs youll experience. For far too long, I struggled to find breakthroughs in my career because I was neglecting my health, both mental and physical. This led to having less wil lpower and discipline during my day, and thus being less productive over time.Prioritizing your health isnt just a one-time task. It actually has to take priority over everything you do. That means scheduling it into your calendar, making investments to buy the right food and exercise regularly, and even giving up other bad habits.Its true Once you have your health together, everything else comes easier.3. Learn How to Best Manage Your Time (Whatever That Means for You)How we spend our time ultimately determines how much we accomplish in our lifetime. While 30 minutes here or there getting sucked into Facebook or taking one too many coffee breaks doesnt feel like much, it can start to add up in a bad way. The thing is, how you manage your time is something only you can figure out- everyone works through their to-dos in different ways.The best time management tactics Ive learned over time- that might help you get started- are usually the simplest. For example, you can try scheduling everything into your calendar so each task has a specific time frame for completion. Or, you can try the One Thing strategy of asking yourself, Whats the one task I can complete that will make everything else easier or unnecessary? Or, you can try one of these six better productivity hacks for people who dont love the famous ones.We cant control how time passes, but we can maximize it to be, do, and achieve more.4. Treat Every Relationship as Life-LongThe person you meet today may be someone you work with two, five, or 10 years from now. He or she could be an employee you want to hire, a potential business partner, or even your future boss. When you treat every relationship as a lifelong relationship, youll be more giving, more patient, and more pleasant to be around.To practice this daily, you need to focus on giving first without expecting anything in return. This might mean checking in with someone you met at a networking event via social media or over email every few months to s ee whats new with them. Or, setting aside time in your calendar to regularly have lunch with team members.And, you never know how even the most insignificant relationships will help you down the road. For example, because she stayed in contact with a networking connection, Ann Shoket, author and former Editor-in-Chief at Seventeen Magazine, turned a one-time meetup into the job that launched her career.5. Think BiggerOne of the most common regrets I hear from successful people I interview is that they didnt think big enough.Many of the things we want in our lives will come to us as long as we give ourselves the permission to receive them. Im sure there are things you have in your life today that five years ago you only dreamed about. Whether youre looking for a promotion, a new career opportunity, or a better life overall, it starts by thinking 10X bigger and raising your standards.For example, billionaire and co-founder of Paypal Peter Thiel came up with a great question you can as k yourself to do just thisWhat would you have to do if you want to achieve your 10-year goal in six months?As unrealistic as it may sound, this level of thinking forces you to break past your current limitations and fears and ultimately approach your career with confidence, ambition, and a clear head.How about you Whats one thing that you would do differently if you started your career over? Let me know on Twitter

7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professional

7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professional7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professionalFinancial goals are important. And in order to get to a desired end, we first have to imagine it. Have you thought about how youd like your finances, your career, and your life to look in the next 20 years?Spend time thinking about what success and financial security means to you and write out a plan. To get you departureed, weve scoured the internets and interviewed industry experts for the top financial goals every young professional should haveParticipate in a retirement planWhether your employer offers retirements, or you have to start your own through an investment company, its important that you start and start early. Even small contributions like $50 per paycheck can make a dent in this critical financial goal.Need to pay for an important milestone like buying a home? Some retirement accounts allow you to borrow from them or withdraw from them early.Get out of debtObviously, the less debt youre saddled down with the mora money you have to invest and put towards retirement. Scott Wellens, the founder of Fortress Planning, explained to Forbes magazine that people who have a lot of consumer debt and other loans do not have the cash flow to save in the first place. Debt-ridden individuals end up paying interest to the credit companies instead of earning interest on savings.If youre overwhelmed and not sure where to start, try the snowball method or avalanche method.Have an accountability partnerWhether you are losing weight or quitting smoking, experts suggest using an accountability partner. Financial Planner Taylor Schulte suggests you apply this same accountability partner concept to your finances.Make a pact to help one another stay on track with financial goals and celebrate together when you meet them. This person could be a family member, friend, or mentor.Go on a cash-only dietLimiting your purchases exclusively to cash can really cha nge your finances. This can be a very aggressive way of paying down your debt. The way it works is that you only use cash for discretionary spending. One woman gave herself $10 a week for her cash-only diet and she was able to pay down $35,000 in debt in two years. Unlike a credit card, when you groe nachfrage out of cash you, you are done spending.Have specific financial goalsQuantitative and specific financial goals are important. Instead of saying I want to save say I want to save $5,000 in 6 months.Knowing the amount you need to pay off debt and the timeline in which you want to do it is incredibly helpful for your pockets and your brain. Sure, you will see the benefits of this on your credit report, but you will also feel a sense of accomplishment because you are achieving goals.Financial goals can also be designed to help you build your savings. Just like paying off your debt when you hit your savings number you will feel a sense of accomplishment.Change your mindsetYou are wh at you think. If you think you can never pay off your debt, guess what? Youll never pay off your debt. The Muse suggests that you adopt positive financial mantras to set yourself up for success. Changing your mindset can help change your behavior.Negotiate your payIts your first job out of college and they offer you mora money than youve ever seen. Most peoples gut reaction would be to take the money and run. Remember that you may be able to get more money or some additional perks if you negotiate.Things life benefits, titles, and time off can sometimes make up for a less than robust financial offer. Consider all of your options. Check out these Forbes tips on negotiating here.This article first appeared on Capitol Standard.7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professionalFinancial goalsare important. And in order to get to the desired end, we first have to imagine it. Have you thought about how youd like your finances, your career, and your life to look in the next 20 yea rs?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSpend time thinking about what success and financial security means to you and write out a plan. To get you started, weve scoured the internets and interviewed industry experts for the top financial goals every young professional should haveParticipate in a Retirement PlanWhether your employer offers retirements, or you have to start your own through an investment company, its important that you start and start early. Even small contributions like $50 per paycheck can make a dent in this critical financial goal. Need to pay for an important milestone like buying a home? Some retirement accounts allow you to borrow from them or withdraw from them early.Get Out of DebtObviously, the less debt youre saddled down with the more money you have to invest and put towards retirement. Scott Wellens, the founder of Fortress Planning,explained to Forbesma gazine that people who have a lot of consumer debt and other loans do not have the cash flow to save in the first place. Debt-ridden individuals end up paying interest to the credit companies instead of earning interest on savings. If youre overwhelmed and not sure where to start, try thesnowball methodor avalanche method.Have an Accountability PartnerWhether you arelosing weightor quitting smoking, experts suggest using an accountability partner. Financial Planner Taylor Schulte suggests you apply this same accountability partner concept to your finances. Make a pact to help one another stay on track with financial goals and celebrate together when you meet them. This person could be a family member, friend, ormentor.Go On A Cash Only DietLimiting your purchases exclusively to cash can really change your finances. This can be a very aggressive way of paying down your debt. The way it works is that you only use cash for discretionary spending.One womangave herself $10 a weekfor her cash-only diet and she was able to pay down $35,000 in debt in two years. Unlike a credit card, when you run out of cash you, you are done spending.Have Specific Financial GoalsQuantitative and specific financial goals are important. Instead of saying I want to save say I want to save $5,000 in 6 months.Knowing the amount you need to pay off debt and the timeline in which you want to do it is incredibly helpful for your pockets and your brain. Sure, you will see the benefits of this on your credit report, but you will also feel a sense of accomplishment because you are achieving goals. Financial goals can also be designed to help you build your savings. Just like paying off your debt when you hit your savings number you will feel a sense of accomplishment.Change Your MindsetYou are what you think. If you think you can never pay off your debt, guess what? Youll never pay off your debt.The Musesuggests that you adopt positive financial mantras to set yourself up for success. Changing your mindset can help change your behavior.Negotiate Your PayIts your first job out of college and they offer you more money than youve ever seen. Most peoples gut reaction would be to take the money and run. Remember that you may be able to get more money or some additional perks if you negotiate. Things life benefits, titles, and time off can sometimes make up for a less than robust financial offer. Consider all of your options. Check out these Forbestips on negotiating here.This article first appeared on Capitol Standard.