Author: Alastor

First of all: Understand how learning Spanish really works

Before we get started, we need to set some things straight… Because years of language education at school and in traditional courses (maybe even using language apps) have probably left you with some wrong (and counterproductive) ideas about language learning. If we don’t fix that now, you’re going to waste a lot of time.

People who learn (or teach) languages this way see language as a collection of words and grammar rules. A programming language with rules that you use to construct sentences from the ground up every time you want to say something.

So how DOES learning Spanish work then?

1. You learn some basic words to describe concepts, objects, feelings etc. So far so good.
2. But now, you start observing native Spanish speakers. You listen to what they say in conversations, and how they say it.
3. Because you’re observing, you discover exactly how native speakers express themselves… because you have the words and word combinations right in front of you.
4. While listening, you might start thinking: “Ah, so THAT’s how a Spanish native speaker would say it!”
5. The structure of their sentences will probably be a little bit different from what you’re used to in your mother tongue. So you get some grammar explanations that explain what you see in the native speaker’s sentences.
   (Read that again. They EXPLAIN what you see in actual speech. They don’t necessarily PRESCRIBE how you should construct sentences like a native speaker! 🙂 )
6. You’ve now seen which word combinations native speakers use (they’re called chunks), so you know they’re correct. So instead of learning single words, you immediately learn these word combinations. That way, you can bypass a lot of grammar rules.
7. You start using these word combinations yourself while speaking Spanish.
8. You keep listening and observing more and more, so you can discover more of these word combinations.
9. There we go: you speak with natural sentences that a native Spanish speaker would also use. From the very beginning.

I call this the OBSERVATION approach for learning languages — and it’s the fastest way of learning languages I’ve ever seen. What’s more: it’s incredibly intuitive as well 😉

This is what learning with chunks can do for you

What This Guide Is Not About

Repeat the same question to several Spanish-speaking children, and you might just get different replies! Depending on the area in which you live, now everyone agrees on what official alphabet should look like. However, the leading authority is Real Academia Española (RAE), who says it should look like this:

In fact, if you read a Spanish dictionary, the “ch” and “ll” words are listed separately, and not together with “c” and “l”. All in all, that would bring the total letter count to 29 because of “ch,” “ll,” and “ñ.” Some other sources include “rr” as a separate letter, which would make it 30. Yet other sources do not count the “k” or “w”, because they only exist in borrowed words like whiski and koala.

Spanish Alphabet Fun Facts!

How to learn Spanish: Our 10 key steps

1. Consider a big lifestyle change

For the sake of honesty, it’s worth acknowledging that a dramatic lifestyle change is the quickest way to fluency. Try to put yourself in a situation that makes it impossible for you not to learn Spanish. For example:

How to introduce yourself in Spanish

2. Read as much as possible

Reading in a foreign language might seem challenging, but if you find stories or articles at your level, it can be a huge help. In his top tips to learn a language fast , polyglot Ollie Richards suggests starting with short, simple dialogues that you would find in any textbook.

When you’re reading, you can highlight words and phrases that you don’t understand, note them and look them up. This will help them stick in your mind and broaden your Spanish vocabulary . Reading will also give you an understanding of grammar and how to structure sentences.

3. Take speaking-based Spanish lessons with a tutor

With so many apps and games available to learn Spanish online, it’s tempting to believe that language lessons are no longer necessary. However, if you want to learn a language fast, there’s no substitute for having a professional teach it to you. Online tutoring is a flexible and cost-effective way to do this.

Most importantly for your progress, 1-on-1 tutoring means you’ll have the chance to practice speaking Spanish from lesson #1. Some learners take Spanish lessons for years but can still barely string a sentence together. Others manage to have a basic conversation after only a week or two. The difference? The second group started speaking before they felt “ready!” Speaking is a very different skill from writing, reading or listening, and there’s still no method of practicing that’s as effective as working with a live partner.

“ If your priority truly is to speak, then speak already! Do other things too, as these are all part of the language learning experience and necessary to live a full life through the language, but speak! Speak NOW. Meet a native in person or online and show them what you’re made of, make mistakes and get through it – this is the best way to speak better quickly.”

Luckily, finding a great tutor to practice your speaking with has never been more convenient or affordable. With online tutoring sites like Preply, a private online Spanish tutor can cost as little as $5 per hour. If you’re serious about learning Spanish, making a human connection with a tutor and investing that little bit of money in lessons will keep you accountable to your goals like nothing else.

4. Memorize the first 2,000 words

According to the Spanish Dictionary from the Real Academia Española, there are 93,000 words in Spanish. But even when you get to native-level fluency, the most common ones will still be doing most of the heavy lifting in your daily conversations.

It’s common sense that some words appear a lot more frequently than others, and some research suggests that learning the most common 2,000 words will allow language learners to understand 80% of what they need.

: An online game that helps you learn vocabulary in context. You choose to play with the first 500, 2,000 or 1,0000 most common words. Instead of memorizing them by heart, you select which word fills in a blank in a particular sentence from a list of options. It’s excellent reading comprehension practice.
• Memrise : a particularly playful flashcard app. There are packs of the most common Spanish words , and plenty of games to help you study them. Check out our detailed review of Memrise if you want to know more. a no-frills flashcard app that has something of a cult following among language learners . It uses spaced repetition techniques to help new words “stick” in your long-term memory.
• Duolingo : Duolingo is a great free app that allows you to build vocabulary from a basic level. It is limited because you can’t practice or hear real conversations, but it is handy for establishing your first 2,000 Spanish words .

5. Learn the basics of grammar

Many successful adult language learners didn’t enjoy grammar in language lessons in high school. For a lot of us, those memories have just blurred into one prolonged conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn Spanish?

It takes the average English speaker about 575-600 hours, or 24 weeks of full-time study, to get fluent in Spanish. So, if you’re only studying one hour per day, that works out to about a year and a half. ‘Fluency’ is difficult to define because everybody progresses at different rates, and there are many contributing factors. However, achieving a conversational level of Spanish is possible for English speakers within 3 months.

How can I learn Spanish fast?

If you’re interested in learning Spanish quickly, you have to be committed. Consume as much of the Spanish language as possible in the first 3 months. Read it, listen to it, and of course, speak it. You can also follow these 10 tips to learn a language fast from polyglot Olly Richards.

How can I learn Spanish for free?

There are lots of great free language learning tools available online. These include apps for both iOS and Android , podcasts , Youtube videos, and blogs on topics like how to introduce yourself in Spanish . These can be a great way to get started without spending a penny. Search for the areas you’re most interested in or the questions you have, and try to find free content on your favorite platforms.

Is Spanish hard to learn?

This is a tough question to answer, but it is a relatively easy foreign language for English speakers to learn . Both Spanish and English use the Roman/Latin alphabet, just like many other European languages, including Portuguese , French and Italian , so in terms of letters used, they are almost identical. Plurals also work in the same way, and there is a lot of shared vocabulary. However, learning Spanish does have challenges. For example, the speed with which native Spanish speakers talk to each other and pronunciation can be difficult for beginners. But, if you’re considering learning Spanish as an English speaker , you shouldn’t be put off by the difficulty.

What is the best way to learn Spanish?

There is no single best way to learn any language. It takes a combination of different study techniques, and each person is different. Despite this, consuming as much Spanish as possible is the best way to start. It doesn’t matter if it is reading, listening, or practicing speaking in 1-on-1 lessons with a tutor ; you need to do as much as possible. The more you do, the faster you will progress. One of the crucial things Spanish learners can do at the start is to learn the regular verb conjugations as these give the basis of forming sentences in the Spanish language .

Resource:

https://effortlessconversations.com/learn-spanish/spanish-for-beginners/
https://speechling.com/blog/how-to-speak-spanish/
https://preply.com/en/blog/how-to-learn-spanish-and-succeed/

Best Planner Apps

Rachel Morgan Cautero has over a decade of experience as a writer and editor, specializing in personal finance and lifestyle matters. She writes about banking, saving money and budgeting, and family finances. Her work has been featured in publications such as Business Insider, Forbes, and Yahoo Finance among others. She has a master’s in journalism from NYU.

Tisha Collins is a fact-checker with a focus on personal finance. She began her professional career at Vocus Media Research Group where she established the quality assurance role of Database Editor. She is currently an Analyst at Kinetiq, a media intelligence platform. Prior to this, Tisha served Washington, D.C. families as a manager at College Nannies, Sitters, and Tutors.

It’s no surprise that being organized is directly linked to productivity. Whether you’re a die-hard to-do lister or someone who lives and dies by their paper calendar, or you simply need to get all your events, tasks, and work project deadlines in one place, finding the best task-organization tool for you can be a daunting task.

While you may be tempted to pick up another old-school paper office planner—and let’s be honest, have it collect dust in a drawer yet again—consider upgrading to a planner app instead. These apps replace a traditional office planner and keep your task lists, calendars, and scheduling at your fingertips—right on your smartphone. Read on for our favorite to-do, calendar, and general planning apps, and prepare to get organized.

The 9 Best Planner Apps of 2022

Best Overall : Things 3 for iOS

An iOS app that organizes your to-do list by category, Things 3 makes it easy to stay organized and, as the name suggests, on top of things. With a clean design, interactive checklist (who doesn’t love crossing something off their list?), and an easy drag-and-drop interface, Things 3 is the perfect planner tool for those who want to download an app and start using it immediately without any complicated processes or how-tos required.

The app also allows you to create headings within your task lists, making it easy to stay on task and accomplish your list without being distracted by other to-do items. This feature can also help you stay on track if your mind tends to wander. After all, did you know that those who multitask are actually less productive?

One downside of Things 3 is the price tag—at $49.99, it’s one of the more expensive options. But you get what you pay for. Also, it’s only available on Apple devices, so Android users will have to find an alternative.

Best Calendar App : Google Calendar for iOS and Android

You don’t have to be a Gmail devotee to use Google Calendar. This classic calendar app offers daily, weekly, and monthly views, with a seamless toggle. The search option is another great tool for when you can’t quite remember your last dental appointment. You can also set reminders, which, for the perennially forgetful, is a must.

Though avid Gmail users will likely benefit the most from this app, since events mentioned in your email (think dinner plans, hotel reservations, and flight times) automatically populate to your calendar, it’s still a solid choice. Another plus? You can share your Google calendar with other users, making it a great tool for multi-user households. And there’s no cost associated with using Google Calendar.

Best for Note-Taking : AwesomeCalendar for iOS

Avid note-takers, this one is for you. AwesomeCalendar combines notes, calendar events, color-coding, and your local weather forecast, all in one handy tool. You can even add photos and stickers to individual events. Think a barbell for gym day, an airplane for your upcoming trip, even a colorful clothesline to mark laundry day. Adding photos and stickers to individual events is a great organizational tool. It’s also fun. Sharing events with other users is also a snap.

This app is compatible with a ton of other calendar apps like iCloud, MobileMe, Google Calendar, Yahoo! Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, iCal, and more. Once you make a change in AwesomeCalendar, it’s automatically visible in your other calendar apps. The same goes if you make a change in, for example, your Google Calendar. Your AwesomeCalendar shows that event, too.

Another bonus? You can also check the weather via AwesomeCalendar. Great for those who frequently find themselves out and about—without an umbrella. AwesomeCalendar is priced at $9.99.

Best for Making Lists : Any.do for iOS and Android

A calendar and to-do list in one, Any.do is ideal for those who need a comprehensive tool that covers tasks ranging from buying a birthday gift to finishing a work presentation. It’s like the virtual version of crossing off every item on your paper to-do list.

Any.do is ideal for viewing both your month at a glance and a closer, day-to-day list of action items. The app’s dual-view shows your calendar at the top, then a scrolling list below of to-dos, events, and even overdue tasks. Tap on an event, and a new window with the location, time, invitees, and other event details pop up. Minimize, and you’re back to the main screen.

Do you tend to download an organizational app, then forget to ever open it again? Any.do’s home screen widget can help you stay on top of your tasks and events, keeping your tasks and calendars top of mind. This free app is also compatible with your other calendars—Google Calendar, iCloud, and Outlook.

Best for Teams : Trello for iOS and Android

16 Best Daily Planner Apps for 2022 (Features, Pricing)

1. ClickUp

ClickUp key features

• Break down large tasks into tangible Checklists and set Goals to tackle them
• Create meeting notes or task lists and collaborate with your team using Docs
• Create a virtual floor plan for upcoming tasks with Mind Maps
• Boost productivity with Time Tracking
• Scribble your work ideas or even your daily chores on a digital Notepad
• Set Reminders for tasks as per your calendar
• Create Checklist Templates for repetitive tasks to save time
• Add nested items as Subtasks and assign them to others to help you make every day productive
• Integrate with other work apps like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Time Doctor, etc.
• Work in Offline Mode when you don’t have access to the internet
• Access ClickUp via an iOS or Android mobile, your iPad, desktop, or through its web app

ClickUp pricing

ClickUp user ratings

2. Any.do

Any.do key features

Any.do pricing

Any.do user ratings

3. Trello

Trello key features

Trello pricing

Trello user ratings

4. Things 3

Things 3 key features

Things 3 pricing

Things 3 user ratings

5. Todoist

Todoist key features

Todoist pricing

Todoist user ratings

6. Google Calendar

However, it can be visually difficult to understand your daily schedule if you have multiple events in a day. You’re stuck with viewing in a time-list based format that you have to scroll through, there’s no way to get a quick overview of all your events.

Google Calendar key features

Google Calendar pricing

Google Calendar user ratings

7. Friday

Whether you’re looking for a student planner or need a daily schedule app, Friday is a good option. You can schedule meetings, set routines with recurring reminders, and break down to-do lists into subtasks.

Friday key features

Friday pricing

Friday user ratings

8. Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook key features

Microsoft Outlook pricing

Microsoft Outlook user ratings

9. ZenDay

ZenDay key features

ZenDay pricing

ZenDay user ratings

10. Habitica

Habitica key features

Habitica pricing

Habitica user ratings

11. TickTick

TickTick is a great student planner app that lets you schedule tasks, reminders and create a shareable list. With its simple calendar, you get quick overviews of all your tasks.

TickTick key features

TickTick pricing

TickTick user ratings

12. nTask

Source:

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/best-planner-apps-4174743
https://clickup.com/blog/daily-planner-apps/

Read what people say about our CV maker online:

1. Professional templates for all types of jobs

Bothered by the CV templates available elsewhere? Thankfully, Zety CV maker offers you 18 template designs that you can fully customize and make just the way you want. For any job.

2. CV score

3. Built-in cover letter creator

4. Lightweight Chrome plugin

5. Ready-to-use content suggestions for all major professions

You won’t have to worry about writer’s block ever again. The Zety CV maker comes with job-specific content written by our experts. Simply drag and drop entire paragraphs onto your CV—it’s that easy!

6. CV file in various formats

No need for multiple software or file format conversion. You’ll download your CV in PDF, Word, or even JPG, all in one place. You can edit, save, and download as many versions of your CV as you want, thanks to unlimited cloud storage.

7. Reformatted version of your old CV

Already have a resume? Help it reach the highest standard and become fully ATS-compatible with a single click. Upload your old resume to the cloud and let our software do its magic. You can come back to it later and edit it as your career progresses.

If you don’t know how to build your own CV from scratch, don’t worry—the website walks you through the process step by step and tells you what information you need to input for each section… Zety is the best online [CV] builder overall.

List of achievements you can put on your CV:

1. Achievements within the field:

“Completed a successful project on Customer Support for the TICKET System”
This is a good choice if you’re applying for a role where you will be working on a project to improve the company’s customer support. It’s important to highlight that your work was successful and it was widely recognized.

2. Achievements within the industry:

“Delivered on–time and on–budget with the Data Warehouse project for our e-commerce company“
If you’re a software developer and are applying for a position where your skills will be used to develop software products, then this is a good example of how your achievements relate to that industry. You can also include a specific website or company name if it’s relevant.

3. Achievements within the organization:

“Participated in the development of the New Market Strategy, leading to a 25% increase in market share“
This is also a very good achievement to include on your CV if you’re applying for a role where you will be expected to figure out new ways to boost the company’s revenue.

4. Achievements within the team:

“Led a 5-person team to draft new inter-office procedures, reducing operational costs by $25,000 per month“
If you’re applying for a management role or a position where you’ll be expected to lead teams, then this is a good example of how your achievements will be beneficial for the company. It’s important to show that your contribution had benefits for everyone. That’s why it’s important to add some numbers here so that it’s more tangible.

5. Achievements in customer support:

“Saved our customers $25,000 in fraudulent transactions by identifying a fraud detection problem and proposing a solution“
If you’re applying for a position where you’ll be providing support to your company’s customers or clients, then this is a good achievement to add to your CV. You can also provide more details about how it helped and saved the company money.

6. Achievements in sales:

“Achieved a 150% increase in sales of our business-to-business service package, leading to the signing of new contracts with three new clients“
If you’re applying for a position where you’ll be responsible for increasing your company’s revenue, then this is an excellent example of a good achievement to include on your CV. Make sure that you focus on the quantitative benefits rather than just saying something about “successfully led the team”.

7. Achievements in research:

“Developed a novel technique for improving energy efficiency, which was published in an academic paper“
If you’re applying for a research-related role, then this type of achievement is good to include on your CV. However, it’s important to make sure that the achievement is directly related to the particular job you’re applying for. For example, if you want to apply for a role where you’ll be working with an existing project, then it’s important that you include any achievements related to that project. This is because that’s likely to be of more interest than achievements in research.

8. Achievements in leadership:

“Lead the development of a new client management system for the Australian mining industry, leading to its adoption across all 12 companies within the sector“
If you’re applying for a position where you’ll be leading projects, then this is another good type of achievement to include on your CV. It’s important that it mentions some specific numbers as it’s easier for employers to assess how significant your contribution was.

9. Achievements in marketing:

“Delivered a full-page advertising campaign for our company, which generated over $10M in new sales“
If you’re applying for a position where you’ll be responsible for promoting the company’s products or services, then this is a good type of achievement to include on your CV. However, it’s important to make sure that the work you did is directly relevant to the role.

10. Achievements in IT:

“Developed an enterprise-class application that achieved a 99.99% uptime over the past year, greatly improving customer experience“
If you’re applying for a job where you’ll be working with computer systems, then this is another good example of how your achievements will benefit the company. Make sure that the work you did is directly relevant to the role.

11. Achievements in business development:

“Led 9 negotiations worth over $19M with potential clientele, resulting in 5 multi-million-dollar contracts“
If you’re applying for a job that involves selling products or services to other companies, then this is a good type of achievement to include on your CV. It’s important to make sure that the work you did is directly relevant to the role.

Resource:

https://zety.com/cv-maker
https://resumekraft.com/how-to-write-achievements-on-a-cv/

How Many Hours Per Week is Part-Time?

There are a few key differences between full-time and part-time jobs. For example, depending on the employer, part-time positions may not qualify for the same perks and benefits as full-time positions. Fewer hours per week typically results in more flexibility, however, allowing you to work additional jobs or invest in your education.

There are no official federal guidelines that determine whether an employee is considered part or full-time. While the Fair Labor Standards Act establishes legally binding requirements for hours, overtime and wages U.S. businesses must follow, this law does not specifically state how many hours per week an employee must work to be considered full-time.

recognizes individuals working at least 35 hours per week as full-time employees, but this number is for statistical purposes only with no legal meaning. Many employers do, however, use this number as a guideline when developing their policies.

Improve your time-management skills

When you work a part-time job, you have fewer hours during the day to accomplish your responsibilities, which is why part-time hours lend to stronger time management skills. You need to be able to manage your time properly, make smart decisions, and come up with effective solutions to problems to make the most of the time that you have.

When you work part-time hours, you have the opportunity to gain experience and training in a variety of different fields. Some employers may be reluctant to take on a new employee for full-time hours if they’re less experienced. However, they may be more willing to hire a less experienced candidate on a part-time basis if they’re enthusiastic and eager to learn.

Working part-time also makes it possible to work for more than one company at a time, allowing you to gain new experiences and develop new skills that you might not otherwise have had. If you want to move back to full-time hours at a later time, these new skills could make it possible for you to qualify for other types of positions.

Take Away

Part-time jobs are typically a balance to the hours you spend at another full-time job. On average, part-time jobs require less than 35 hours per week. Because of this, they can be flexible, making it easy to work around other responsibilities. Part-time jobs are great if you’re still in school.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide what fits your life the best. Work less if you can, because spending time with family and friends matters the most. And in our opinion, there’s nothing wrong with working a few hours here and there from home.

Cassie Riley has a passion for all things marketing and social media. She is a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, language, music, writing, and unicorns. Cassie is a lifetime learner, and loves to spend time attending classes, webinars, and summits.

Source:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/part-time-hours
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-many-hours-is-part-time/
https://rigorousthemes.com/blog/how-many-hours-is-part-time-a-week/

You can also show your multitasking abilities in your extracurricular activities section. By listing volunteer work and other activities, you show your talents in successfully balancing a variety of projects.

Multitasking Skills: Definition and Examples

Managing your time and ability to balance multiple tasks can help you improve your career. Prioritizing and organizing your day can help you meet deadlines, remain focused and be proactive. You should be able to multitask to maintain productivity, which can lead to reaching important goals and advancing your career. In this article, we explain what multitasking skills are, include examples and show how to improve your multitasking abilities.

Multitasking refers to the ability to manage multiple responsibilities at once by focusing on one task while keeping track of others. Multitasking in the workplace most often involves switching back and forth between tasks and effectively performing different tasks rapidly one right after the other. For example, answering the phone in a busy reception area in between greeting patients or answering emails demonstrates multitasking skills.

Why are multitasking skills important?

Saves time: Multitasking helps save time by allowing you to complete multiple tasks concurrently. For example, you could type notes in a client document while speaking to them on the phone. In that shorter time period, you complete two tasks instead at the same time instead of finishing each one separately and spending twice as much time on them.

Saves money: Employers want to hire employees with great multitasking abilities because they can delegate more tasks to them, saving on the costs associated with hiring another person. Showing how well you multitask makes you a valuable employee.

Reduces procrastination: Multitasking helps people feel more accomplished because they can complete more than one task at a time. This feeling of productivity increases motivation and encourages people to keep working on their tasks.

How Multitasking Hampers Productivity

Multitasking takes a serious toll on productivity. Our brains lack the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time—in moments where we think we’re multitasking, we’re likely just switching quickly from task to task. Focusing on a single task is a much more effective approach for several reasons.

Multitasking Is Distracting

Multitaskers may feel more distracted than people who focus on one task at a time. This makes sense when you consider that, by habit, multitaskers constantly refocus on a new task, effectively distracting themselves from their original assignment.

Some research suggests that multitaskers are more distractible, and they may have trouble focusing their attention even when they’re not working on multiple tasks at once. Other research shows that while there may be a connection between multitasking and distraction, that link is smaller than originally thought and varies quite a bit from person to person.

Multitasking Slows You Down

While it may seem contrary to popular belief, we tend to work slower and less efficiently when we multitask. Multitasking leads to what psychologists call "task switch costs," or the negative effects that come from switching from task to task. We encounter task switch costs (like a slower working pace) because of the increased mental demand that’s associated with jumping from one thing to another.

Changing our focus also keeps us from relying on automatic behaviors to finish tasks quickly. When we’re focused on a single task that we’ve done before, we can work on "autopilot," which frees up mental resources. Switching back and forth bypasses this process, and we tend to work more slowly as a result.

Multitasking Impairs Executive Function

Multitasking is managed by executive functions in the brain. These control and manage cognitive processes and determine how, when, and in what order certain tasks are performed. There are two stages to the executive control process:

Moving through these stages may only add a few tenths of a second, but it can start to add up when people switch back and forth repeatedly. This might not be a big deal when you are folding laundry and watching television at the same time. However, if you are in a situation where safety or productivity is important, such as when you are driving in heavy traffic, even small amounts of time can prove critical.

Multitaskers Make Mistakes

Multitasking may lower your performance and make you more prone to making mistakes. Research has shown that students who multitask in class tend to have lower GPAs (and, if they continue multitasking at home, they often take longer to finish their homework).

Brain Function in Multitaskers

Doing several different things at once can impair cognitive ability, even for people who multitask frequently. In fact, research suggests that people tend to overestimate their ability to multitask, and the people who engage in this habit most frequently often lack the skills needed to be effective at it.

Chronic multitaskers tend to show more impulsivity than their peers, and they may be more likely to downplay possible risks associated with tackling multiple things at once. They also seem to show lower levels of executive control and are often distracted easily.

The research isn’t clear on the exact relationship between multitasking and brain function. It’s possible that chronic multitasking changes the brain over time, leading to more distractibility and problems with focus, or it may be that people with these traits are more likely to multitask in the first place.

Teens and Multitasking

The negative impact of chronic, heavy multitasking might be particularly detrimental to adolescent minds. At this age, brains are busy forming important neural connections. Spreading attention so thin and constantly being distracted by different streams of information might have a serious, long-term, negative impact on how these connections form.

Media Multitasking

Some research suggests that people who engage in media multitasking (using more than one form of media or type of technology at once) might be better at integrating visual and auditory information. In one study, participants between the ages of 19 and 28 were asked to complete questionnaires regarding their media usage. The participants then completed a visual search task both with and without a sound to indicate when an item changed color.

Heavy multitaskers performed better on the search when the sound was presented, indicating that they were more adept at integrating the two sources of sensory information. Conversely, heavy multitaskers performed worse than light/medium multitaskers when the tone was not present.

Break the Multitasking Habit

If you feel like multitasking is negatively impacting your life, it is possible to make some changes that will increase your productivity and efficiency. Next time you find yourself multitasking, take a quick assessment of the various things you are trying to accomplish. Then, determine which task you need to focus on first. Try to:

• Limit the number of things you juggle at any given time to just one task. If you do need to work on multiple things at once, try to combine something automatic, like folding laundry, with something that requires more focus, like having a conversation.
• Use the "20-minute rule." Instead of constantly switching between tasks, try to fully devote your attention to one task for 20 minutes before switching to the other.
• Batch your tasks. If you’re having trouble resisting the urge to check your email or engage in another distracting task, schedule a set time in your day to tackle it. By batching similar tasks together and setting a time to handle them, you can free your mind up to focus on something else.
• Limit distractions. This may mean seeking out a quieter place to work, switching your phone off, and turning off notifications and alarms.
• Practice mindfulness. Adding mindfulness to your daily routine may help you notice the times when you’re multitasking. Mindfulness can also improve your ability to focus and pay attention to one thing at a time.

Authorship:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/multi-tasking-skills
https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003#:~:text=What%20Is%20Multitasking?%201%20Working%20on%20two%20or,Performing%20a%20number%20of%20tasks%20in%20rapid%20succession
https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003
Multi tasking

Roles that require multitasking as part of the job need to be filled by individuals with a basic understanding of the term. Define the term to the best of your ability and consider offering an example of when you used multitasking in the past. If you’re unable to think of a time you multitasked successfully, relate it to the current role you’re interviewing for with a hypothetical example.

7 Multitasking Interview Questions and Sample Answers

Hiring managers often try to understand your experience and abilities by asking interview questions about multitasking. Some companies place heavy emphasis on the skill of multitasking and need new hires who understand the importance of prioritization. Multitasking well comes with many incentives, such as increased productivity, that help businesses in the distribution of everyday tasks. In this article, we discuss what multitasking is and review seven common interview questions with example answers to help you prepare.

Multitasking is the act or skill of managing more than one task at once. Employees frequently need to handle multiple projects or tasks at the same time. For example, an executive assistant often takes notes during meetings as people speak. They both listen and write to ensure accurate documentation of the meeting.

Les 2 expériences qui prouvent que le multitasking est dangereux sur votre cerveau

Gloria Mark, professeur d’informatique à l’université de Californie explique que les gens, après une interruption, prennent 23 minutes pour retourner à leur tâche initiale. et la plupart d’entre eux vont faire 2 autres tâches avant de revenir au projet initial.

Que vous ouvriez ou non l’e-mail que vous venez de recevoir, vous avez déjà, inconsciemment, utilisé de l’énergie pour décider ou non de continuer la tâche du moment. ou de quitter la tâche et de passer à cette nouvelle demande.

Le multitasking n’est pas uniquement une perte de temps et d’énergie, mais il est également générateur de stress. Avoir plusieurs dossiers ouverts nous fait perdre la vue d’ensemble sur ce qui doit être fait, ce qui nécessite notre priorité et augmente notre sentiment d’impuissance face à la tâche.

Start improving your multitasking skills now

Efficient multitasking can be easily achieved if you understand its true meaning. You will be able to deal with more than one project as long as you aren’t trying to complete tasks at the same time. Count on simple lists and online tools to help.

Cirkus apps can help with planning your to-do lists and managing your workloads. Setting due dates, project milestones and priorities will help you to focus on what is important today, this week and this month. Collaboration on tasks with your colleagues will give you focus and show real progress in what you have to do. Marking tasks as done and sharing that status with your team, will give you a real sense of achievement as well as communicating your progress with the team.

Authorship:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/multitasking-interview-questions
https://organisologie.com/multitasking/
https://cirkus.com/blog/multitasking-skills/
Multi tasking

Multitasking under Windows requires programs running on the computer to be isolated from each other and a protected mode of operation is thus required. In protected mode, a program cannot write directly to memory. Instead, any data to be written or read is done to virtual memory space and transferred to physical memory using a process called virtual-to-physical translation by the CPU.

Multitasking

Multitasking is the capability of the operating system of running several applications at the same time. It is therefore deeply related to the OS capability for managing shared resources, and in particular for arbitrating conflicts resulting from resource over-commitment. In a multitasking environment, the totality of the computer’s resources (memory, files, CPU time) are allocated to different applications, and they are managed in such a way that each one of them gets a share according to specific priority policies.

When CPU resources are over-committed, the operating system schedules the different active processes by performing a process switch at regular time intervals, distributing the available CPU cycles according to a well-defined priority policy. Multitasking is therefore the natural execution model of single or multiprocessor systems. It is the way several applications share the resources of a computing platform. Processes are, in fact, highly autonomous and protected independent execution streams. If a resource—CPU time, I/O device—is available to one of them, it may not available to the others. The operating system provides inter-process communication mechanisms, like pipes or signals. They are meant to enable communication across applications.

Switching among different processes naturally induces an execution overhead. Whenever a process switch occurs, all the process resources must be saved. If, for example, there are several open files, the file handles that identify each file, as well as the file pointers that identify the current positions inside each file, must be saved. The operating system is also forced to save all other information related to the state of the process (instruction pointer, stack pointer, processor registers, etc.) needed to reconstruct its state at a later time slice.

Using OO Design to Enhance Procedural Software

12.3.6 Modelling multitasking

Multitasking concepts such as threads and processes are normally considered to be a physical design concern, and are not added in logical descriptions of behaviour. However in our system multitasking was a pervasive feature of the architecture, which we had to consider early on if we wanted our new models to fit nicely with the existing design. For example, mechanisms used for communication between different objects depend on whether the objects reside in the same thread, the same process, or different processes. We found that an effective way to model this was to create classes that represented the multitasking structure of the system.

This involved two classes: one representing the operating system interfaces for a process, the other representing the operating system interfaces for a thread. The Thread class interface enables threads within a process to communicate and the Process class interface allows a thread in one process to send a signal to another process. Thus, objects running in different threads can communicate. Each type of process in the system is represented by a subclass of Process, and each type of thread is represented a subclass of Thread.

The Process class has a “has” relationship between one or more instances of the Thread class (see Fig. 12.4 ). This captures the concept that a thread belongs to a process (and a process can have many threads). There is no association between threads in a process. Thread-to-thread communication actually goes via the Process class to ensure both threads are part of the same operating system process.

The classes that represent each type of process are joined using “has” relationships with the appropriate classes that represent the types of threads. This shows the threads that each type of process contains. The classes that represent the threads own (though the “has” relationship) the objects that made up the behaviour of the thread. Some objects are shared between threads in a process. These are shown as owned by the particular class for the process. These types of objects are responsible for supporting any locking required to allow concurrent access.

Following our policy to model only parts of the existing software affected by new functionality, we did not model every single class in its multitasking context. Classes whose internal behaviour was not affected by new design could span threads/processes.

What is Multitasking?

Multitasking is a term used to define the performance of more than one task at the same time. In other words, when a person is juggling with a lot of a task or switching between one task to another, it is known as multitasking. Multitasking can be a boon or a bane depending on various factors.

Starting a business venture is a worthwhile accomplishment for any entrepreneur. However, a successful startup doesn’t only get started but must also fulfill the vision upon which it stands. If you’ve started with your business already, you probably know that the real challenge is transforming your…

Disadvantages of Multitasking

1. Excessive stress
2. Burnout
3. Multitasking may lead to mental issues
4. Multitasking can even lower the overall efficiency of people
5. Not sustainable in the long run
6. People often have a flawed perception of the success of multitasking
7. Sleeping problems
8. Motivation issues
9. People may act like machines
10. Overall quality of work will suffer
11. Wrong priorities
12. Multitasking can distract your focus
13. Working atmosphere can suffer due to multitasking
14. Multitasking is just not suitable for most people

Excessive stress

Burnout

However, in the long run, this sort of excessive multitasking can lead to serious burnout and people who suffer from burnout will often have to wait many weeks or even months until they are ready to function in our society again.

Multitasking may lead to mental issues

Our brain only has a limited capacity to process information and if we want to do too much at the same time on a regular basis, chances are that our brain will no longer work property at one point in time.

Multitasking can even lower the overall efficiency of people

Therefore, in order to optimize the productivity of their workers, companies should not advise employees to engage in multitasking but rather that everyone should only do one task at a time in order to avoid drops in efficiency in the long run.

Not sustainable in the long run

People often have a flawed perception of the success of multitasking

Although many studies have shown that multitasking decreases the efficiency and productivity of workers in the long run, people often have a flawed perception of their actual performance and many people really think that carrying out several tasks at the same time will make them more productive.

Sleeping problems

Motivation issues

People may act like machines

However, humans have never meant to be machines and therefore, if you are one of those people who act in a machine-like manner, you should really ask yourself whether it is time for a break or a significant change.

Overall quality of work will suffer

Yet, if we have to do many things at the same time, chances are that we will no longer be able to spend sufficient time for each task and therefore, our overall working quality may drop significantly due to multitasking.

Wrong priorities

Multitasking can distract your focus

Working atmosphere can suffer due to multitasking

Multitasking is just not suitable for most people

Authorship:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/multitasking
https://www.startuptalky.com/pros-cons-multitasking/
https://environmental-conscience.com/multitasking-pros-cons/

37. Teach Thought
Teach Thought offers posts that focus on innovation in K-12 education. Teachers interested in growing and improving their skills can find useful pieces of advice in this blog. The blog was founded in 2012 by Terry Heick, an author and a former teacher interested in reshaping K-12 teaching.

The Headline

Most people on the Internet are borderline hypnotic. The constant inflow of content just renders them damn near comatose. Your blog post is just one of likely hundreds hitting them at any given time. Your’s must stand out and smack ’em in the eyeballs in order to get noticed.

That’s a bit of a buzzkill, huh? But, we have to work with human nature, not against it. Plus, it isn’t as if you have to have a 6-word headline. In fact, the headlines most often shared on Twitter have 8 to 12 words (according to Hubspot). So, what we want to do is craft a headline that does the job, but emphasizes those first few words and last few words.

The mistake I find most people do with their headlines is just state the topic and leave it. Or they’ll give it some cutesy title that gives zero clue what the post is about. I remember one time looking at a photography blog where the lady had written a blog post about lighting. The title: “Video Lighting”. This is headline fail.

The Feature Image

The feature image is that graphic image which usually shows up right at the top of the post. Most importantly, it is what will show up when the post is shared on social media. This why the image is important.

Many bloggers don’t use feature images at all. That could be fine if you’re just doing an informal journal-style blog for fun. However, if you like traffic, you should do a feature image. It takes a bit of extra time, but it is worth it.

Featured Image Dimensions

Technically, you can have a feature image of any size you want when it comes to presenting it on your blog. However, the real importance of the image is due to social networks. And each social network has their own ideal dimensions.

Now, you might be thinking this is just impossible. The good news, though, is that all these networks will auto-resize the image as needed in order to fit their network. You just want to make sure the aspect ratio (the ratio between the horizontal and vertical) is such that it can resize properly.

Almost all of the networks will take your horizontal image and resize as needed. The portrait layout is primarily for Pinterest. There’s probably no need to bother making a portrait image for your post unless it is the kind of material likely to do well on Pinterest.

Featured Image Content

How to Write a Perfect Blog Post

Every great blog post starts with a headline that grabs the reader’s attention, and compels them to click and keep reading to learn more. Internet readers have very short attention spans — around eight seconds in length — and the headline is one of the critical first elements that help readers decide if they want to click and stay on your site. In fact, 60% of readers don’t read past the headline, which presents a big opportunity. Here’s how to write a great headline:

Brainstorm a Working Title

Start with a working title in mind and brainstorm how to make the angle as interesting as possible. This is the phase of blogging where you start with a general topic and narrow down exactly what you want to write about that topic.

For example, if I want to write about the topic of "blogging," I need to come up with a more specific working title first. And those working titles depend on the format of my blog post. Whether you’re writing a listicle, an explainer article, or a how-to guide, brainstorm a few titles to guide your research. Here are a few ideas:

Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research will help you create a headline that will perform well on search engine results pages (SERPs). Your headline is one of many factors Google considers when ranking results on SERPs, and an optimized title will help people find the information they need more easily.

"Blogging" is a broad search term, and when I dropped it into SEMrush, more than 75,000 keyword results were returned. We recommend targeting long-tail keywords that are more specific to the exact audience you’re targeting — which you can learn more about by creating buyer personas.

Once you’ve nailed the keyword you’re targeting, you can create your final title, as well as your headers (more on that later). For the purposes of this example, I chose, " The Definitive Guide to Business Blogging."

Craft a Title

4) Introduction

The introduction needs to quickly hook your reader and convince her to read the rest of your blog post. It also has to let the reader know what your post is about, so she knows what she’s getting. Nobody likes clickbait, so you want to make sure your post is about what the headline says it is.

Whether your approach is humor, interesting and surprising facts, or asking a question, find a way to make the first lines of your blog posts as attention-grabbing as possible. Write an introduction that would make you want to keep reading an article — a quick few paragraphs to draw the reader in and let him know what he’s about to read.

Frost uses a cliffhanger approach here — and now I want to read more to learn about how hard it is to be an entrepreneur. For more introduction inspiration outside of HubSpot Blogs, I recommend reading posts on Medium and Buffer.

Best marketing and social media blog examples

49. Jon Loomer
Loomer launched JonLoomer.com 11 days before he was laid off in 2011. At that time, he didn’t realize that he was building what would be one of the most successful social media marketing blogs in the world. His site focuses on training advanced Facebook marketers and showing various tips and tricks for running successful SMM campaigns.

50. Awario
Awario was created in 2015 with the goal of helping businesses and individuals improve their presence on social media. Awario is actually a tool that helps thousands of customers reach their SMM and analytics-related goals. The blog section offers a wide array of topics, including market research, marketing, competitor analysis, and SMM.

51. Mari Smith
Mari Smith is an experienced marketer with a professional team around her. This team helps businesses grow using digital marketing techniques. The site also features a blog where Mari writes about Facebook and Instagram as marketing tools.

52. Ask Aaron Lee
Aaron Lee is a social media expert whose work has been featured on sites such as Inc, Forbes, Success.com, and The Huffington Post. This young entrepreneur from Malaysia wanted to share his knowledge via his blog for free. The blog currently has more than 60,000 subscribers.

Authorship:

https://www.blogmarketingacademy.com/perfect-blog-post/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/anatomy-perfect-blog-post
https://firstsiteguide.com/examples-of-blogs/

This information should ideally be presented in a ‘funnel’ format, flowing from the most general information at the beginning of the section to more specific information as the text continues. Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements in turn.

An Introduction to Writing Review Articles

Last week, I gave a talk (online, of course) about ‘Writing review articles’. It was aimed at graduate students who, as part of their training, had to identify a topic in the field of developmental biology and write a mini-review on that particular topic. However, my talk contained some general advice about writing review-type articles, as well as some general writing tips, so I thought I’d share a summary of it here.

I guess the first thing to point out is that review-type articles come in lots of different ‘flavours’. They all vary with regard to length, scope, style and overall purpose, and are given different names by different journals. But they all aim to summarise and distill research findings. This makes them very different to primary research articles, whic h aim to present data, although they are handled in similar way, i.e. they are submitted to a journal and peer-reviewed by 2-3 experts in the field.

But remember that readers are usually a mix of experts and non-experts who will be looking for very different things so a good review will cater for both of these audiences. For example, a graduate student might turn to a review article when they start in a new lab to find out more about the history of a field, or to get a summary of key findings. By contrast, an experienced post-doc or PI might want to read a review written by one of their peers to find out what the current state of thinking in a field is. Ideally, a good review should therefore aim to provide a combination of balanced summaries and critique whilst being authoritative, forward-looking and inspirational. However, note that the exact ‘flavour’ or format of the review will also dictate its purpose, e.g. a ‘Perspective’ article in Journal X might aim to summarise a handful of recent studies, whereas an ‘Essay’ in Journal Y might aim to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the last decade of research.

The first step is to choose the topic you want to write on and come up with a rough idea of the scope of your article. You may already have this in mind but it’s important, before you begin writing, to really nail the exact purpose of your article. To help you do this, I‘d suggest the following:

• Identify the particular theme/topic/idea that you want to focus on. In most cases, this will be something that’s closely related to the topic you work on, e.g. you might be working on something, or reading up on a particular area, and feel that a review would be helpful. If you need inspiration (i.e. if you want to write but aren’t sure what to write about), read, speak to people, and think about talks you’ve been to. What’s exciting in your field right now? Are there papers that change the way we think about something? Have you seen/read papers that converge on a similar theme/idea?
• Check that there aren’t already reviews on this topic, i.e. something that’s been published within the past year or so. This is important; no-one wants to read a review that doesn’t offer anything new.
• Decide if there is enough recent material to include (or too much). At this point, you may need to go back to the drawing board to either expand on or refine the scope of your article. It’s also helpful to read a few reviews (mini-reviews vs longer reviews) to get a feel for how much material a review can cover.
• Identify and write down the main aim/purpose of your article. What’s the key message you want to get across? Why is this important and timely? Why would people want to read your article?

Note that lots of reviews are commissioned, i.e. the author is invited to write by a journal/editor. So, if you know you want to write a review on a particular topic and have a pretty clear idea of what your review will cover, a good place to start is by contacting a journal to see if they’d consider it. This also then means that you’ll (hopefully) be working alongside an editor from the outset to develop and refine the scope of your article. You’ll also have your target audience, article format and word limit in mind while you’re writing so can tailor the review accordingly.

Once you have a plan, you can start writing. I’d suggest that you start with the Title, Abstract and Introduction – these are the first parts that the reader sees of the article so they need careful thought. By starting off with these, you’ll also have the scope/purpose of the article clear in your own mind. You can then work on the main text of the article (the ‘meaty’ bit) and the Conclusions with this scope/purpose in mind, although you’ll need to return to the Title, Abstract and Introduction for a tidy up once you’ve written the main text.

• Title, Abstract and Introduction: These should be short and self-contained, and should complement each other. Each one in turn should provide more detail, aiming to draw the reader in. Remember: lots of readers will only read the title and abstract (e.g. when they search for articles in Pubmed) so these basically act as a ‘hook’ to grab their attention. They also need to be ‘discoverable’ on the Web, i.e. database friendly and containing the relevant keywords.
• Choosing a title: Choose something that is short, clear and self-explanatory; try to avoid puns/idioms and colloquial phrases or references. Try to convey the key message but also provide context.
• Abstract: The abstract should then aim to highlight the most important parts of the article. The answers to the following 5 questions provide a good starting point: What is the main topic you’re going to focus on? What do we know so far? What is new/why is this now an interesting time for this field? What are the broad implications of these newer findings? What does your review aim to do?
• Introduction: The Introduction should then expand on the Abstract and set the scene. Provide context by first introducing the topic: why is this topic interesting/significant, what do we know about it so far, how has the field progressed, what has the new progress shown? Ideally, the Introduction should end with a clear description of the article’s scope, aims and structure, i.e. a walk-through of the main topics that will be discussed and the order in which these will be covered. This just lets the reader know what they can expect from the article. If possible, introduce or re-iterate the main ‘message’ of the article.
• Conclusions: Emphasize the key message or theme of the article and, if needed, reiterate the data that support this message. Highlight the broader significance of this conclusion. Finally, if possible, bring your voice to the article: What do you think are the most compelling questions raised by these studies? What approach(es) could be taken to address these open questions? Are there technical hurdles that need to be overcome? What are the broader implications of this, i.e. why are further studies needed and what benefits might they offer?
• Display items: Use figures to emphasize or illustrate key concepts/processes, or to introduce or summarize. Remember that figures should ideally act as stand-alone items; you should be able to follow them by eye and without referring to the main text, although each figure should have a clear title and a figure legend the walks the reader through the figure. In general, schematics are easier to follow than images reproduced from primary articles. Tables can be useful for summarizing lots of information, for comparing/contrasting things, or for highlighting advantages and disadvantages. Some journals encourage the use of text boxes, which can house additional or background information or material that is peripheral to the main theme of the text.

General background information

The first paragraph of the introduction establishes the broad context for the study by providing a general introduction to the field. How broad this paragraph is depends on your target journal and audience. If you choose to submit to a general journal with a wide scientific readership, it is a good idea to start with some fairly general information, as not all readers will necessarily be familiar with your specific field. If you plan on submitting to a highly specialized journal, however, you can begin this section with a much more specific and focused description of the background, as most of your readers will already be familiar with the context of the study.

Let’s say, for example, that your study addresses MAPK signalling in triple negative breast cancer in a specific population. If you are submitting your paper to a journal with a broad focus, it could be useful to begin this section with a brief introduction to breast cancer in general. If, however, you choose to submit to a breast cancer–specific journal, it would be reasonable to start the introduction by discussing triple negative breast cancer, or even the role of MAPK signalling in triple negative breast cancer.

Making structure work for you

Notice how articles on bigger outlets (particularly those that focus on news) tend to have an introductory phrase, similar to a subtitle, which resumes the article or creates the premise for the topic to be discussed:

Sources:

https://thenode.biologists.com/an-introduction-to-writing-review-articles/careers/
https://www.cwauthors.com/article/How-to-write-an-introduction-to-an-academic-article
https://mktodyssey.com/2019/11/21/article-introductions/

We think that Supergirl is the perfect teen girl costume for you. You’re basically Supergirl because you maintain amazing grades, while exceling in sports, and still finding time to hang out with your friends. Plus, this cute S symbol top, pleated skirt, and cape will give you a heroic look that fellow comic book fans will geek out over!

Teen Halloween Costume Ideas You Can Wear to School

You like to travel in a pack, have your creativity stand out, and look stylish on Halloween. You could dress up as a Harry Potter character (we vote Luna Lovegood!) or choose a group costume and go as the cast of Grease, but this year, you want something even more… inspired. Stay creative and adventurous with one of these 52 teen Halloween costume ideas.

Halloween Costume Ideas for Teens

Growing up can be rough, especially the influential teenage years. Not only do you have homework and exams to stress over, but you also have to worry about whether or not your crush will text you back. It’s an awkward time when you’re not quite an adult, but you’re also far from being a kid. We want to make sure that your Halloween experience is just as exciting as it was during your childhood, so pick out the teen costume that you like best and get out there and start celebrating. You may be a little too old to go trick or treating with your friends, but we’re sure that you’ll find your very own way to have fun when you’re all dressed up! And don’t worry, we’re here with the coolest teen Halloween costumes to make sure you’re the best dressed at any Halloween party.

There’s no getting around the pesky dress code at school. You can’t wear short skirts, halter tops, and even tank tops, which are popular features among the cutest costumes for ladies. Don’t get bummed quite yet because we have plenty of Halloween costumes for teenage girls that will give you a stylish look without making you look like your kid sister. We gathered some of our most popular teen girl costumes so browse this section and grab the one that will compliment you best!

50’s Sock Hop Costume

Are you willing to trade in your iPhone for a pair of saddle shoes? If you rather hang out at the sock hop instead of posting on Twitter, then put on your poodle skirt and start doing the twist. This 50s style teen costume comes with a dress, polka dot petticoat, belt, scarf, and an assortment of iron-on letters. Your classmates will look at your retro outfit and wonder if you hopped inside a time machine!

Teen Snow White Costume

Super cute Clueless inspired two-piece

This look is very eye-catching, spring bright yellow with streaks of black. You can really enjoy this outfit and you can even wear a short jacket over it for that clueless touch. I know this look is one of the most popular with our readers.

Remy and Chef Linguini from Ratatouille

Barnacle Boy and Mermaid Man

Devil and Angel

Devil Costume for Dynamic Duo Costumes

Angel Costume for 2 Girls

Elmo and Cookie Monster

Elmo Halloween Costume Ideas

Cookie Monster Costume Ideas

M&M Costumes for Teen Girls on Amazon

Daphne and Velma from Scooby-Doo

Daphne Costume for Two Best Friends

Velma Costume for Teens

Cher and Dionne from Clueless

"Relationship" is the new "religion."

Don’t believe me? Check out Wildfire by Fuse, Reckless Love by Cory Asbury, Testify by Jervis Campbell, or So Will I by Hillsong. Christian music was still only organs and hymns until the movement of new Christian music in the 1970s. This is when artists started making Christian music sound a lot more aligned with pop culture, yet with lyrics that were all about Jesus. Since then, it has only continued to revolutionize with bands like Hillsong United, Bethel Music, Jesus Culture, and the list goes on. Even artists like Justin Bieber are noticing these songs. Last month at the Coachella music festival, Justin Bieber covered some popular Christian worship songs at one of the events. Seeing a major celebrity praising God at a festival is certainly not something you see everyday.

I know it can’t just be me that has noticed this sort of "hipster plague" that has come over the Church. It is possible that this is only really a thing in non-denominational churches like my own, but we all know that Christian who always posts those super hip "Sunday OOTD" Snapchats, or those trendy Bible study photos on Instagram. I can’t lie, I am probably one of those people. There is no doubting that social media and fashion trends have played a huge part in this aspect of modern-day Church transformation. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that many Christians take after the style of influential churches like Hillsong and Bethel, whose leaders just so happen to be extremely stylish. Now when we think about the modern day church-goer, we no longer envision a perfectly ironed dress and stockings. But instead, it’s common to see people show up to Sunday service wearing ripped jeans and Vans.

References:

https://www.brit.co/teen-halloween-costumes/
https://www.halloweencostumes.com/teen-costumes.html
https://inspired-beauty.com/20-spring-outfits-for-school-teens-will-love/
https://veryeasymakeup.com/best-friends-halloween-costumes/
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/to-my-middle-school-best-friends

You will not accomplish anything great if you’re too afraid to tell anyone about it.

But when you have anything worth saying, some people will hate you. That’s a fact. Self-promotion exposes you to ridicule and negativity from the all the haters out there.

Self-promotion is no accident

Every day, we see politicians, business executives, musicians, actors and athletes on TV or in the news. This was not an accident. Every one of them intentionally exposed themselves to the press. They asked for it. They demanded our attention.

Have you ever been approached by the press to share your accomplishments? Have you ever asked for it?

Many people think celebrities inherently get press because of their occupation. This is not true. You have to reach out to get it. Even when they’ve reached the top, they still have to give people a reason to listen.

The same goes for you. When you want to accomplish a goal, you have to tell people about it. You won’t succeed at selling a product or service if no one knows about it. And it all starts with your personal brand as the product.

We live in a competitive market. Just as products need to differentiate themselves against the competition, so do people. When your personal brand is the product, some people just won’t want to buy.

Why should a company hire you instead of the competition? Why do people buy into you?

Products don’t have feelings

A unique personal brand (your product) makes the difference. Tangible products don’t have feelings. But people do. When a customer says, “I hate the iPhone”, and chooses an Android instead, the iPhone doesn’t care. The business executives running Apple care, but the phone does not. The little iPhone didn’t get offended. Its feelings didn’t get hurt. It didn’t cry or get angry or become demoralized. It just sat on the shelf for one more day.

People on the other hand, feel those emotions. Engaging in self-promotion to get your personal brand out there risks people choosing the other product. Except this time, they may say, “I hate you.”

Has someone ever said that to you?

I know a few of my ex-girlfriends have. Does that mean I shouldn’t date anymore? No.

The risk of rejection does not outweigh the benefit of a great relationship. Same concept applies in business. You have to put yourself out there. If you want to get noticed, you have to stand for something. But…you’ll have to overcome the fear of the haters.

The most successful people in the world regardless of their occupation or opinion have to deal with the negativity. It is unavoidable in your rise to popularity.

The President can take it

Consider the position of President Obama. Forget about your personal political position for a second. This is not a political endorsement. In the last US presidential election of 2012, 62 million people voted for Obama while 59 million people voted for Romney. 59 million voted against him! That’s a lot of people publicly expressing support for the competition. Same goes for Romney. 62 million people said “we don’t believe in you.” Few can stomach this level of opposition.

Political success is dependent on the ability to self-promote. And success is easily quantified by the number of supporting votes. President Obama and the Democratic Party spent $985 million marketing their message to the American people. That’s a lot of money to promote a personal brand.

Any level of success in business comes at a price. Some people will HATE you. That’s the way it is and the way it always will be.

Thousands of people may LOVE you. But one nasty email, blog comment, facebook message, text or phone call from a hater can be devastating.

So what do you do?

Ignore them. Forget about them. They are not your audience. They are not your customer. They are not your friend. There are 7 billion people in the world. Who cares what one a$$hole thinks. In your case, for every 1 hater there are probably 100 supporters. Go find them.

You don’t have to start by talking to newspapers or a television networks. Start with the people around you. Start defining your personal focus, your personal message. Define the audience you want to attract. Then start standing for something. Have an opinion.

Nobody says, “Hey, I wanted to talk to you because you’re really good at being like everyone else.”

Take the risk of self-promotion. You will reap the rewards. People can’t help you achieve your goals if you don’t share them. And you can’t solve anyone’s problem if they don’t know about your skills.

Do you have friends just blending in? Maybe reading this paper will light a fire under them to take action and succeed more in business!