Dealing With Mental Health Issues in Your Workplace

Dealing With Mental Health Issues in Your WorkplaceDealing With Mental Health Issues in Your WorkplaceMental health in the workplace is something that many people would like to ignore, but just like physical health, good mental health is critical to workplace success. When you understand the sources of stress and their impact on your mental health in the workplace, you can take steps to ensure that you are healthy mentally. A poorly run workplace can exacerbate mental health problems, or even induce a problem in a person who would otherwise be healthy. A study by Mind the Workplace found that mental health problems cost businesses $500 billion per year in lost productivity. Realistic Workloads The Mind the Workplace Study found shocking information about how people feel about their workloads. 83% of employees answered sometimes, rarely or never to the statement, My company appropriately deals with coworkers who are not doing his or her job.64% of employees answered sometimes, rar ely or never to the statement, If things get hard my supervisorin will betreuung me.66% of employees answered sometimes, rarely or never to the statement, I trust my team or coworkers to support my work activities.72% of employees answered sometimes, rarely or never to All people are held accountable for their work, regardless of their position in the company. In other words, people feel overworked, their managers and coworkers dont support them, and they resent the fact that not all employees are held accountable for their work. No wonder people are stressed and frustrated with their jobs. These are issues that you can fix, but fixing them requires good managers. Some managers find it easier to pile work on good employees and ignore bad employees, but this contributes to increased stress and reduced productivity. Managers need to handle issues when they come up. If an employee makes a mistake, thats fine- mistakes happen. But rather than having the star performer in the department simply fix the mistakes, themanager needs to help the person who made the error solve the problem. (Of course, there are times in which a deadline is critical and you dont have time for training and development. But, overall, managers need to expect accountability from each employee.) If managers step up to the plate and manage fairly, support their employees, and encourage their employees to help each other, not only do you foster increased productivity, you reduce stress. Reduced stress means a reduction in employee mental health issues. Workplace Stress Influences Home Life In the cited study, 81 percent of respondents said that workplace stress impacts their friends and family relationships, at least some of the time. Employers know that stress goes the other way. This is one of the reasons for laws like the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows people to take time off when they or a family member are seriously ill. If an employee is going through a divorce or bankr uptcy, employers provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help. Employers know that reducing outside stress helps increase work productivity. But, stress can spiral. If your employee is stressed at the office, he goes home and takes out his stress on his family. If hes acting short with his family, his family starts becoming short with him. That adds stress, which he then brings to the office, making it more difficult to do his work, which puts him further behind, which increases his stress. This is a never-ending spiral. It goes on until the situation changes. 63 percent of respondents said that their workplace stress resulted in a significant impact on their mental and behavioral health. Workplaces have an impacton the mental health of employees, and the relationship is quite clear. Recognition and Reward Affects Employee Mental Health Paying employees accurately and fairly reduces stress as well. 36 percent of executives, 43 percent of mid-level employees, and 45 perce nt of frontline employees say that people are being unfairly recognized while others with better experience or skills dont get recognized (e.g. praise, promotions always or often. The difference between frontline and executives is worth noting. It could indicate that the problem is not, necessarily, a lack of fairness, but a lack of communication between senior leaders and frontline staff. When employees dont understand why and how promotions and pay raises come about, they consider them unfair. Transparent Communication Affects Employee Mental Health For example, John may think that hes duefor a promotion to management because hes been in the department the longest. He finds it unfair or possibly even sexist when Helen receives the promotion. She has only been in the department for two years, compared to his 10. What John doesnt understand is that tenure isnt the deciding factor, but the ability to do the job is. Helen performed at a higher level than John and has demonstrated leadership qualities. Thus she received the promotion. When management keeps the decision-making process for promotions and career development a virtual black packung that employees cant see to understand, they rightly or wrongly see the process as unfair. Employees only fare well mentally when they can see and understand what they need to do to ensure their eligibility. If not, then they feel the system is unfair and it affects their workplace mental health and their sense of fair treatment. Its important to have a properly run, transparent workplace, to reduce stress and other mental health stressors for your employees in the workplace. - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance writer who spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers, and double-checked with the lawyers.

Data Entry Specialist Salary and Job Description

Data Entry Specialist Salary and Job DescriptionData Entry Specialist Salary and Job DescriptionAn excellent data entry specialist inputs data with speed and accuracy. Razor-sharp eyes for detail propel them through their workdays and keep them striving to meet high standards. Strong computer skills and experience working within databases set them apart from other administrative professionals. Does this sound like you? Then you might want to consider a career as a data entry specialist.Data drives organizations of every size and shape these days. Therefore, its crucial that offices have team members performing data entry jobs so the entire enterprise can access those numbers for use in their work.Lets take a closer look at what employers are looking for in a data entry specialist.What does a data entry specialist do?The job description for a data entry specialist varies slightly, depending on the level of experience. For example, an entry-level or junior data entry specialist is resp onsible for entering data into databases quickly and accurately. Job duties for this role may also include taking orders from customers and then entering those orders into a tracking system.At a more senior level, the job duties of a data entry specialist increase They are also responsible for prioritizing and batching information for data entry, as well as completing information analysis for procedures and reports. Additionally, a senior data entry specialist needs knowledge of technical material plus the ability to train and supervise colleagues, while totenstill entering high volumes of data.Regardless of experience, both junior- and senior-level specialists need strong Microsoft Office skills, especially in Word and Excel. As time is a factor with data entry efficiency, many employers seek candidates with excellent typing rates. Required rates vary depending on each individual employers needs.How much is a data entry specialist salary?As with job duties, the data entry specialis t salary depends on the experience level of each candidate. The 2019 OfficeTeam Salary Guide predicts the salary midpoint for data entry specialists will be $28,250. The midpoint salary for senior data entry specialists will be $33,500.At the midpoint, candidates have average experience with the necessary skills to meet the job requirements, and the role may be in an industry where competition for talent is moderate. Salaries vary depending on the area of the U.S. in which you live. You can further explore competitive salaries in your region with our Salary Calculator.Find your next data entry specialist jobHere are some open data entry specialist jobs in hot cities - or check your own city for job listings.Search data entry specialist jobs in AtlantaSearch senior data entry specialist jobs in BostonSearch data entry specialist jobs in PhoenixSearch senior data entry specialist jobs in San Antonio, TexasSearch data entry specialist jobs in Tampa, Fla. Tags

How to Include Volunteer Experience on a Resume

How to Include Volunteer Experience on a ResumeHow to Include Volunteer Experience on a ResumeAsk Amanda How Do I Add Volunteer Experience to My Resume?Each week, TopResumes career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions like the one below from Quora and the Ask Amanda form. A certified zum besten vonfessional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for over 10 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here.Q Whats the right way toadd volunteer experience tomy resume?Someone told me its OK to add volunteer experience to my resume, especially since Ive been unemployed. Whats the right way to do that? Gary H.Volunteer experience is a great way to pad your resume when you find yourself in any of the following situationsYou recently graduated and dont havealot ofprofessional experience to share.Youre currently unemployed and looking tofill the employment gap on your resume while you job hunt.You want to change careers and are looking for ways to demonstrate a skill set you werent able to use during your regular 9-to-5 job.What type of volunteer experience should you include on your resume?The best volunteer experience you can add to your resume is skill-based volunteer (SBV) experience.These volunteer opportunities are considered very valuable for your resume because they allow you to donate your time and more importantly, the professionalskills employers care about to a worthy cause. Take a look atVolunteerMatch,Idealist,Catchafire, and Points of LightsHandsOn Networkto find the right volunteer opportunity for you.However, you might bedrngnis have to seek out a new charity in order to find a skill-based volunteer opportunity to boost your resume. If youre already involved in a networking group or other professional association, consider taking a more active role within your chapter. This could be anything from volunteering to manage the groups social media presence to becoming t reasurer of the group, to heading up a new committee.Where should you place volunteer experience on your resume?There are a few different places where you can include volunteer experience on your resume the placement will really depend on what the rest of your professional experience looks like and your current job goals.Nine times out of 10, the best place to include your volunteer experience on your resume is within the Professional Experience section. This is especially helpful if youre trying to fill an employment gap on your resume or youre currently employed and trying to draw attention away from this fact.Sample resume How to add volunteer experience to mid- or senior-level resumeIf youre about to graduate from college and you possessinternship experience that is relevant to your job goals and employers will find attractive, you may be better off creating a section for Relevant Work Experience and then adding another section called Volunteer and Leadership Experience for you r volunteer and other club activities.Sample resume How to add volunteer experience to an entry-level resumeIf youre currently employed, you dont have any employment gaps to fill on your resume, and youre not trying to parlay your volunteer experience into a new career, then your relevant volunteer activities can be placed in a separate section toward the bottom of your resume, either right before or just after the Education and Professional Development section on your resume. This is the only instance where you dont necessarily need to include many details about your volunteer work its enough to simply state the organization and your role within the group.How do you list volunteer experience on a resume?Write out your volunteer experience as you would any other position on your resume by including a blurb that describes your role within the organization and then calling attention to your main contributions and relevant achievements in a bulleted list.If necessary, you can get a lit tle creative when it comes to selecting a Job Title for your volunteer experience. Select something that reflects your responsibilities, while incorporating terms that prospective employers will be sure to understand. This is especially useful if your organization doesnt have an official title for the work youve taken on for the group. In the spirit of transparency, I recommend adding the term Volunteer at the end of whatever job title you decide to use.Need help positioning your volunteer experience on your resume? Let a TopResume pro helpRecommended ReadingHow to Handle Gaps in Your Employment HistoryHow to Bounce Back After Getting Laid OffOfficeHours How to Successfully Change Careers

Writing a Good Resume When You Have an Employment Gap

Writing a Good Resume When You Have an Employment GapWriting a Good Resume When You Have an Employment GapJust because you have a period when you were unemployed doesnt mean you cant produce an effective resume.In todays world, employers know you could have been out of work for a number of reasons through no fault of your own, such as a company downsizing or restructuring.Whatever caused your employment gap, writing a good resume in this situation means thinking strategically. Follow these three steps so that the next hiring managers focus is on your unique qualifications.Use a hybrid resumeA hybrid resume - a combination of a chronological and functional resume - is the way to go when you have an employment gap. On a hybrid resume, first list your most important qualifications related to the position youre applying for. Also, include work-related accomplishments youve earned along the way. Then, underneath, list your recent positions in reverse chronological order. As you can see, the hybrid resume allows you to get your potential employers attention right off the bat since he can focus on what you can bring to the position instead of seeing a work history with holes in it.Note how you filled the gapYou may not have been employed full-time, but employers still want to know what you did to remain professionally active and engaged. In addition to listing previous positions in your work history, include non-work-related activities in which you gained professional skills. Did you freelance, volunteer or take classes? If so, list them along with your previous positions. Include as much information as you can, such as the dates, location and a short description of what welches involved.Anticipate questions with your cover letterA cover letter is important part of writing a good resume but especially so with one that includes an employment gap. Anticipate questions your potential employer will have and explain them in your cover letter. Dont sound defensive or apol ogetic. Just address your gap in employment and mention what you did to remain active during the time. Coupled with a hybrid resume, a good cover letter puts your potential employers focus where it should be Why youre the right rolle for the job.What do you think is the best way to address employment gaps when youre writing a good resume? Let us know in the comments section.RELATED POSTSBack in the Job Market? 10 Resume Writing Tips You Dont Want To IgnoreResumania Leave Out Your Reason For LeavingHow to Write a Cover Letter They Cant Ignore

A Deadly Mistake Uncovered on What Goes on a Resume and How to Avoid It

A Deadly Mistake Untitelbilded on What Goes on a Resume and How to Avoid It Life, Death and What Goes on a Resume Additionally, you may wind up in work that you cant do. Each time you put in an application for a new job, check your resume to guarantee that it isnt only targeted, but in addition current. Also, dont hesitate to list non-traditional work like volunteer jobs or freelance work, particularly if you havent held a normal job in a little while. Naturally, it might not be a great job, or a job in your regular field, but nevertheless, it is going to be a job of some kind. One of the hazards of a resume objective is that youre able to focus too much on what you would like in your career, and not enough on how you are going to add value to the corporation. If youre responding to an advertised position, indicate youre anticipating the chance to discuss the way you can add to the success of the organization. A resume objective might also incorporate where you are, and wher e you would like to go in your career. No relationship on the planet is likely to make me happy if I dont love myself and treat myself right. The absolute most important consideration to bear in mind when writing both is that you do not tell an employer what you would like. Well, regardless of what stage youre in your career, youre likely to should understand how to make a resume for a job interview and we will demonstrate how Most individuals look at writing a resume as just something youve got to do to have a job. Technically, theres no correct or wrong means to list your experiences. Make certain that your resume contains everything the employer should be convinced that youre a very good match for the position. Business success rests to a huge extent on the capability of people to communicate effectively in English. Capturing an individu attention and making an amazing first impression in just is no simple feat. Chess team might not be a great option for interest on a S erver resume, but drama club may be The Hidden Truth About What Goes on a Resume If you merely incorporate the statement References available upon request at the kusine of your resume and the individual has to track you down and receive the information from you as a way to get in touch with your references, they may not feel that doing so is well worth the additional work. You may feel like the document is unnecessary since youre already providing a resume with lots of information. Take a look at our article on the way to use your job references strategically in the event that you need more info. Graphic-based resumes permit you to lay out complex data in a simplistic way. You have to show employers that what you bring to the table is precisely what theyre searching for. The main advantage is it helps your resume stand out. There are a lot of resume strategies to master which will help you land the job that you desire. If youre interested in turning in an application for a p articular job, review the post carefully and observe the list of skill requirements. A thriving cover letter will result in an interview for the position. You should make sure your resume summary statement concisely demonstrates why youre a perfect candidate for the particular job and business. A resume summary may be called an executive summary, particularly for upper-level positions. A resume summary or career prole is a short statement at the peak of your resume. If you are in possession of a wide selection of technical abilities, however, your abilities might end up being precisely what gets you hired. Whenever you wish to emphasize that youre ambitious, that you understand what you want in a career, or you have the skills for the particular job, you could benefit from a resume objective. Thus when writing down your job skills take some time to strategize and find out the ideal approach to organize them in your resume. Also, you should be certain you list because many skills from the work description as possible. The History of What Goes on a Resume Refuted Do the very same, in various places, every day till you are employed. If you worked during the summertime, be sure you have that too. A complete resume includes these sections. Nearly all resumes also incorporate a concise work history section. Standard small business cover letters will use the exact same full-block format as common small business letters. Its so important that you know your audience when writing your letter. The candidates resume is a very good illustration of clear and strategic formatting for the next reasons. While resumes are usually pretty cut-and-dried documents, there are strategies to give hiring managers a better feeling of your nature and expertise without breaking a number of the standard resume guidelines, Augustine explains. Resumes are generally quite short often only about a page but they are frequently the very first chance youll have to make an im pression. You may also download absolutely free templates from our Resume Library to get going on your best resume. Preparing resumes is simple, but writing an effective one which catches the interest of the reader isnt. First of all, employers wish to understand if youre qualified for the job. Recruiters and prospective employers will request references when and should they need them. Focus just on jobs in the identical industry as the one that youre pursuing or jobs requiring skills or qualifications it is possible to transfer. 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in contrast to traditional hiring methods.

5 most common resume mistakes

5 most common resume mistakes 5 most common resume mistakesPosted September 16, 2013, by Bookboon.com Applying for a job can be a stressful business and mistakes can happen. However, resume errors can easily be avoided. In this article we gather five of the most common mistakes weve seen in resumes. If you find your resume is falling into any of these categories then try to change it up 1. Your resume is not reader friendly It is important to make sure that your resume is reader friendly. It should be structured simply, include clear sub-headings and remain uncluttered. A simply typo or grammatical error can get your resume tossed in the bin so look over your resume several times and ask a friend to proofread it for any mistakes you might have missed. 2. You havent tailored your resume to the fleck When it comes to your resume, one size does not fit all. Your resume should be modified slightly for each position, highlighting your most relevant experience to the position you are apply ing for. 3. You have relied on an online resume template If you use an online resume template there is a good chance you will look like every other job seeker out there. Online resume templates can be outdated, include complex or difficult to read layouts and cause you to lose authenticity. 4. You havent focused on your achievements The competition for jobs is fierce and it is no longer enough to simply list duties and responsibilities from your

Issuing a Verbal Warning for Poor Performance

Issuing a Verbal Warning for Poor PerformanceIssuing a Verbal Warning for Poor PerformanceSupervisors issue a verbal warning when an employees poor wertzuwachs warrants a disciplinary action more severe than supervisory counseling and coaching. Its purpose to get the employees attention when normal managerial discussions, meetings, and suggestions have failed to have a beneficial effect. Documenting a Verbal Warning The verbal warning is documented by the supervisor in his informal leides about the efforts he has provided to help the employee improve. If the verbal warning is not documented, with the employees signature indicating that he has received it, it may as well not exist. The verbal warning would be difficult to prove during any potential progressive discipline warnings or future litigation. But it also has another advantage Employees also tend to take any documented criticism of their performance to heart. This verbal warning documentation is included with any otherwrit ten documentation that the supervisor maintains such as employee goals, progress, backup information for the employees performance development plan (PDP) or performance appraisal, and so forth. These notes are not part of an employees personnel file they are private supervisory documentation of an employees performance. If the employees performance eventually warrants termination, however, the verbal warning paperwork may end up in the employees personnel file as a backup to proveformal progressive disciplinary action. Performance That Warrants a Verbal Warning Several types of behavior might make a manager want to use a verbal warning. Common ones involve time spent on the job or lack thereof An employee is consistently late for work, leaves work early, or doesnt work the required number of hours. Other performance issues The employee is failing to complete assignments on time because of procrastination and poor planning.The employee is interacting negatively with co-workers or customers.For no reason, the employee fails to gather important backup information and research necessary to adequately study and present solutions to a problem or process that needs improvement.The employee talks flippantly and nastily to his boss. Steps After the Verbal Warning The verbal warning is generally followed, in disciplinary action procedures, by a written verbal warning that begins the documentation of disciplinary action in the employees personnel file. The written verbal warning provides the beginning of the documentation necessary for an organization to fire an employee. Then, if an employees performance fails to improve during a series of disciplinary action steps, the employer has legally documented the steps taken to help an employee improve and retain employment throughout the process. The employer has also demonstrated that she did take necessary action to help an employee improve and that the subsequent disciplinary action was not arbitrary. While the step s in disciplinary action, including a verbal warning, differ from company to company- and even within a company, depending on the nature of the non-performance- a verbal warning is a negative event. The employee has failed to perform at a level that the employer determines requires disciplinary action. In keeping with the disciplinary action policy outlined in the employee handbook, a verbal warning may be the first, the last, or the only step required before employment termination, depending on the severity of the non-performance or the precipitating event. For this reason, employee handbooks should remain vague in terms of whether a formal progressive disciplinary action is always followed. If the employers havethe option to terminate the employee from his job much earlier, thats usually an advantage. You dont want an employee hanging around, for example, if he is having an impact on the work and the morale of the other employees or if he is actively interfering with progress in t he workplace.

10 great pet friendly companies to work for in the U.S.

10 great pet friendly companies to work for in the U.S.10 great pet friendly companies to work for in the U.S.Everyone knows that having a dog in the office elend only brings stress levels down but is also great for everyones wellbeing. But, which companies will let you share your desk with your dog? Look no further, we have found 10 great pet friendly companies in the U.S. for youCostco WholesaleKununu score4.05Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreCostco Wholesaleis a shoppers paradise. This membership warehouse club, platzset up in 1976, offers members quality, brand-name merchandise at really low prices. You may already have seen dogs wandering around the stores, but employees can also bring their service animals to work, and, in some distribution policys, also their pets, so what are you waiting for? Make sure you bring it up in your interviewEmployees sayA great company to work forCheck outCostco Wholesaleon kununuSony Electronicskununu score3.71Sony Electronicsisnt just home for dogs of the robotic kind, it also allows employees in a number of jobs to bring their furry ones to work tooSony Electronicswas founded in Japan in 1946 with 20 employees and is now a powerhouse for all things electronic, so if youre looking for a creative, digital workplace for you and your hound be it real or virtual this could be the place for youEmployees sayWorking here has been great. I get to use the newest and advanced technologies while also getting to be creative.Check outSony Electronicson kununu.Petcokununu score3.14ForPetco, National PetsWork days are not enough.Petcobelieves healthier pets make happier people, which makes the world a better place - and that translates to the workplace, too. Since setting up National PetsWork Day in 2016,Petcohas been actively advocating for pet-friendly workplaces and encouraging employees to bring in their pets.At Petco, were exp erts in celebrating the joy that comes from time spent with the pets we love, and we know firsthand the added benefits of extending that time into our work days that includes my own yellow lab Yummys positive presence in our corporate office, said Petco CEO Ron Coughlin. With decades of experience in managing pet-friendly work environments, were proud to be a leader in this space and committed to encouraging and helping more employers go pet-friendly too. So, if youre looking for a pet-friendly place to work, you cant go wrong withPetcoEmployees sayIt is a nice place with nice people.Check outPetcoon kununuStarbuckskununu score3.89Starbucks Corporation the American coffeehouse chain founded in Seattle in 1971 not only makes Puppuccinos for well-behaved pups, it also welcomes four-legged friends belonging to many of its employees in the workplace and offers pet insurance So if youre a coffee-fanatic and dog-lover,Starbuckscould be a great place for your next job.Employees sayThey h ave been good to me for the most partCheck outStarbuckson kununu.Goodwillkununu score3.03Goodwill Industrial Industries Inc., is a non-profit organization that offers job training, career development and other community-based programs for those who struggle to enter the workplace. Working atGoodwillmeans that you could be working with people with diverse needs and you could bring your four-legged friend along with you, which is sure to brighten everyones day.Employees sayIt was a good workplace with great people to work with. They helped me learn the job I had to doCheck outGoodwillon kununuThe Home Depotkununu score3.54This home improvement chain is known for being dog-friendly in its stores. What you might not know, though, is thatThe Home Depotis also a pet-friendly employer. It offers nose-to-tail Veterinary Insurance for its employees four-legged loved ones, for everything from erfahrung care, like shots and exams, to unexpected expenses, like illnesses and injuries and service s like dog-walking and pet-sitting during your vacationEmployees sayA great place with on the job training and room for advancementCheck outThe Home Depoton kununuAmazonkununu score3.53Amazonrecently opened its doors to four-legged employees At the retail giants Seattle-based headquarters, human employees share their work space with approximately 6,000 pups on any given day. WhileAmazonemployees receive perks like happy hour Fridays, their pups get some cool perks too. Not only do they get to spend the day with their owners, and receive unlimited belly rubs they can also beg to borrow or steal dog treats at every reception desk in the company.Employees sayIts a great company to work for.Check outAmazonon kununu.Walmartkununu score3.43Walmartallows dogs in its 11,527 stores worldwide, but what about those pups belonging to its employees? Well, at some locations, employees are able to share their desks with their dogs In Bolivar, Mo. they even have a special four-legged employee with her own name tag and vest withWalmartlogo on it, called Henley.Employees sayIt is a pretty good job. I dont recommend this job if you have a large family to support.Check outWalmarton kununu.Hewlett Packard Enterprisekununu score3.29At multinational IT company Hewlett Packard, the D in BYOD no longer stands for Device, but also Dog, as many employees can take their furry companions to work with them.Hewlett Packardis also one of around 5,000 U.S. companies that has started offering pet insurance for its employees canine, feline and reptilian friends.Employees sayIf you want to grow not only as a person but your mind, Id suggest working with HPCheck outHewlett Packard Enterpriseon kununuTeleperformancekununu score2.69Do you live for customer-oriented solutions?Teleperformanceworks to connect brands with their customers with customer support, digital solutions and other specialized services. It could also be just the place for you and your dog as pups are allowed in some offices throu ghout the U.S. You could be sharing a desk with your furry friend very soon.Employees sayI love working with them great and happy environmentCheck outTeleperformanceon kununuThis article first appeared on Kununu.

How to make time for that passion project if you are too busy with work

How to make time for that passion project if you are too busy with workHow to make time for that passion project if you are too busy with workThe time before work and after work is golden, and its usually completely yours to schedule.Choose to spend some of that time on your passion project.Morning and evening routines are the bookends of a prosperous life, argues Darren Hardy in his book, The Compound Effect.Move your wake up timeMaking time for your side hustle out of your 95 doesnt necessarily have to be an after-work hours-only type of thing.You can work on them before work hours if youre up for the added challenge.Your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life explains By simply changing the way you wake up in the morning, you can transform any area of your life, faster than you ever thought possible.Use your mornings to achieve your goals and accomplish some pretty amazing things. If you win most of your days, the years will take care of themselves.The hours after you wake up are truly precious because your brain is in one of its most creative states of minds.Thats why many successful people put in an hour or so on their personal projects before they officially abflug their days.You can get a lot done before dealing with other responsibilities at home or at the office.Carving out the time in the morning to write, create, build, design, and making it a habit, means you would actually follow through.You dont even have to do a lot at a time. Taking small actions every day is what matters.Ian Fleming, who is best known for his James Bond series of spy novels maintained a rigorous morning routine to stay prolific. He once saidWriting about 2,000 words in three hours every morning, Casino Royale dutifully produced itself. I wrote nothing and made no corrections until the book was finished. If I had looked back at what I had written the day before I might ha ve despaired.Early mornings are your sacred time to start your day right - dont fill it with just news, email, social media, apps or notifications.Dont focus on drastic changes in the beginning.Start slowly, by waking just 1530 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes.Do this gradually until you find a suitable time that works for your passion project before your other work begins.Trying to do too many things at once spreads your focus too thin, and makes success less likely.Change your evening routineThe time between clocking out of work and hitting the sheets every night is yours to do whatever you want.How you spend the hours before you go to bed reflects the value you place on the most important things in life.Using that time to pursue something meaningful to you will immensely improve not only your total well being, but sense of self worth.Extracurricular outlets dont just boost your sanity - they feed back into your day jo b and can actually make you more productive.But the daily grind can easily overshadow passion project like writing a book, starting a blog, learning a new language, starting an online business, creating art, learning an instrument, designing, learning to code, collecting and selling vintage objects etc.The biggest harte nuss many people have is finding TIME to actually put ideas to work.Striking a balance and committing time, attention and energy to that one special project that needs your focus is possible if you really want to pursue a meaningful project.The trick is to turn that passion project into a habitWhat you do every night after work can be life and career changingDont settleSurprise yourself every dayIt doesnt matter if you succeed or fail - all that matters is that you made the effort. Simply taking action is often overlooked - but even the best idea is nothing without action.Decide to pursue your passion project no matter how busy you are and create your best life.Giv e yourself permission to create something you deeply care about.Spend your mornings and evenings wisely and your passion project will be within reach soon. Set attainable monthly, weekly, and daily goals to help you take action every day.Before you go If you enjoyed this post, you will love Postanly Weekly, my free weekly digest of the best posts about behavior change that affect health, wealth, and productivity. Join over 50,000 people on a mission to build a better life. Courses Thinking in Models and Kaizen Habits.This article first appeared on Medium.