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No matter who you are, there has been at least one day when you’ve woken up and hoped a snowstorm or some other disaster has meant you don’t need to go to work. Of course, these wishes never come to fruition, and you’ve always dragged yourself out of bed and gone to work, not caring about what you’re doing or who it benefits. If you’ve lost your passion for your job, you might feel like every day is worse than the one before, so here are a few ideas to reignite your passion for work.
Learn More Many professionals lose their passion because they feel like they have plateaued. They have achieved everything they think is possible, and now they are simply going through the motions. This is enough to make anyone fall into the trap of presenteeism, which is why online training for professional development can help to gain new skills that you can apply to your job. These courses can boost your confidence and help you expand your strengths while working on your weaknesses, and this may even make you more employable to other companies. Take On More Responsibility Similarly, you can use this professional development to take on more responsibility. Whether you ask your manager for more opportunities with senior tasks like project leadership or feel like you can handle running a business by yourself, you have plenty of options. If you want to go out on your own, you can consider franchise opportunities like the Fox in a Box escape room or any of the numerous fast-food companies in your area. Get A Change Of Scenery Sometimes, just a change of scenery is enough to help you rediscover your passion. If you’re bored of seeing the same faces and the same walls every day, you may benefit from lateral movements within the company. Exploring new departments can help you learn more about how the business works and give you crucial insight that could be useful when targeting potential challenges the company might face. Give Your Work Purpose Everyone wants to feel like their job means something, but if you think about it for too long, you may realize that it doesn’t really matter if you show up for work or not. Still, you can always find ways to give your job purpose regardless of your industry. You can consider developing a mentorship program to offer advice to younger employees and prepare them for the future. Follow Your Passion If you are tired of the same old nonsense every day and are financially comfortable making a drastic change, following your passion is a fantastic option. Quitting your job to pursue a career in music, art, or anything that excites you will help you reignite the spark and could give you the peace of mind you need. You don’t have to follow your passion forever, and even taking a year out to explore your options could be enough to rejuvenate you. The Spark No one should make their entire life about their job, but considering how much time the average person spends working, you may as well do something you enjoy. If you feel lost, apathetic, or plain bored, these tips should help you rediscover something you enjoy about your job.
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 Image credit: Skitterphoto from Pixabay While success is the goal for every poker player, it’s no secret that the game can also get you well acquainted with losing as well. Take for instance when High Stakes Poker legend Sammy Farha lost to Chris Moneymaker at the final table. Moneymaker was unheard of in world poker at the time, when he qualified for the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and then went on to win it.
Unexpected circumstances will always arise. But in business, just as it is in poker, your success is ultimately determined not by how flawless your record is, but by how well you deal with adversity. After all, successful business leaders have an ability to look at the bigger picture. That said, here are some tips from the world’s most successful poker players on overcoming failure — and how you can apply them to your own business endeavours. Move Past Your Mistakes Although you can still make mistakes regardless of how thoroughly you prepare, what’s important is how you move on from them. Dan Smith is one of the best poker players of all time, nabbing his first ever tournament win during the Heartland Poker Tour back in 2008. However, he has won many high-stake tournaments since that time and has experienced many failures as well. According to Smith, in the poker world, players who are thrown off by their mistakes suffer from a state of mental confusion called ‘tilt’. This makes them vulnerable to making more errors. But Smith says that feeling bad about something that you can’t control is counterproductive. Those who reach for success are usually the ones most likely to encounter bumps in the road, yet the most important thing is moving past your mistakes so that you can avoid tilt and remain clear-headed with your next challenge. Turning Flop Hands Into Potential Assets Chris Sparks was a professional poker player listed among the top 20 online cash players in the world. Today, he is the founder of Forcing Function, where he provides practical applications for elite poker techniques in business. Even though making mistakes can cause doubt moving forward, Sparks emphasises that you should overcome doubt by setting up ‘experiments’. These experiments involve going with a decision, and acting as though it’s the correct one. As time goes by, keep track of how these decisions have fared against your initial expectations. Sparks states that often, what happens is that you find that your vision will begin to align with your reality. Similar to making a semi-bluff in poker, which can turn a flop hand into a potential asset by getting your opponents to fold, expelling your doubt can bring about the results that you desire. Seek Continuous Learning Chris Moneymaker’s historical win in the 2003 WSOP Main Event changed the landscape of poker forever. At age 27, the amateur poker player from Tennessee bested 838 players and took home millions of dollars as his prize. He went on to become the figure behind the term “Moneymaker effect”, after sparking the poker craze of 2003. Despite his legendary win, Moneymaker placed second in the next tournament he played. He attributes this to having been too complacent and sparing his efforts in the game. Big success in business can be followed by failures, especially when you grow complacent. But Moneymaker says that in learning his lesson, he now seeks continuous improvement and hopes the results will follow. Similarly, when it comes to entrepreneurship, the best way to move forward from mistakes is to double down on your efforts to become better. Business and poker both hold significant risks. But for the entrepreneur playing the long game, mistakes are only minor bumps in the road. Just as these legendary poker players have shown, finding success is all about leveraging failures to become better.  Image credit: Alexandra Koch from Pixabay If you want to make sure that your child achieves the most in terms of their academic performance, it’s important to play your part in that process as a parent. You can’t simply expect them to succeed if you’re not supporting them in the correct ways.
But what does that look like and what can you do to make sure that your child’s grades are as strong as they possibly can be going forward? We’re going to talk about all of that today, so read on and find out more. Take an interest in their education First of all, you should try to take a more active interest in their education and the path they’re taking. When you know what they’re doing at school, what they’re learning about, and which subject areas they most want to pursue, you’ll be closer to your child and also get better at helping and assisting them with their learning. So this is always the first thing you need to do if you want to support them better. Listen to their struggles It’s also important to be there to listen to the things that they’re dealing with. From the point of view of a parent, this is something that’s useful for a number of reasons. When you stop to listen to what they’re going through, you can support and reassure them. You can also find new ways to help them with those specific struggles in mind. It’s always easier to help as a parent when you know what your child is actually struggling with. Help them set goals Setting goals is something that can be very helpful for them as well. When you set goals as a team, you can make sure that you help them understand what their goals should be and that they’re staying on the right track. Most children don’t do well with planning ahead and setting goals, so as a parent it definitely makes sense if you help them as much as possible with this whole process. They then have something to aim for and work towards. Coordinate with their teachers It can be hard for you alone to understand how your child is performing at school because you're not there seeing it play out. Their teachers, however, are. And that’s why you should always try to stay in regular contact with their teachers and why you should listen to the feedback that they’re giving you regarding your child’s performance in the classroom. You can use the information they give you to help you do more for your child at home. Find them the right tutor Sometimes, all it takes is a little extra help and support outside the classroom. When you can make the right decisions regarding their tutor and the kind of help they get, they can push ahead and exceed the expectations of their teachers. There are so many benefits of tuition that you might want to explore before you decide whether or not this is something that might benefit your child and what they’re able to achieve in terms of their grades going forward. Encourage interests and activities outside the classroom It’s always important for your child to have interests and pursuits outside of school too, and that’s something you definitely shouldn’t overlook. If you want them to make progress and get the grades that you feel they deserve to achieve, they’ll need a degree of balance in their life. And that comes from doing fun things and spending time on the things that interest them too. There’s nothing wrong with that can be very healthy. Establish some healthy routines Finally, you should try to establish some healthy routines that help your child to stay on the right path with their education. When they get out of bed early, start the day in a healthy way and feel alert and focused during school hours, that’ll really benefit their education and make it more likely that they’ll achieve the grades they’re ultimately capable of achieving. So those routines really are essential. So if you want the very best for your child and their educational attainment going forward, be sure to make the most of the tips and ideas that we’ve shared here today. Each of them will help your child reach their full potential and get to where they want to be in terms of their education. So be sure to make the most of them and do your best to support your child. 
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In life, we all understand the importance of education. This is something that’s drilled into us from school, and it’s a belief that we take with us into higher education and, eventually, the workplace. At some stage, though, many of us consider that there will be a time when learning can finally come to an end.
If you’re at the top of your company or are just generally working in your dream role right now, for example, then you might consider that you’ve done all of the learning necessary. But, is that true? Don’t get us wrong, there’s certainly a place for utilising the knowledge you have (otherwise what would be the point in acquiring it?!) but this ‘nothing left to learn’ mentality can also be damaging in ways that you might not expect. To prove as much, we’re going to consider precisely why you’re wrong when you assume that you know everything you could need. # 1 - Self-development means exploring new avenues As humans, we constantly seeking advancement. As such, staying happy in even your dream role is all about ensuring that you’re keeping your ideas fresh and approach exciting. That’s never going to happen if you stick too avidly with the same skill set you had back when you started ten years ago. Instead, that satisfaction of self-development is reliant on the exploration of new avenues even within your position. This needn’t be anything groundbreaking, but something as simple as an organisational course to learn how to be more productive with your time and space, or even seeking something like training in a new managerial approach can all help to invigorate you and, in most cases, your team. 
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# 2 - There’s always room for improvement
It’s also important to note that there’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to our approaches to work. Most notably in recent years, it’s become obvious that the handling of things like mental health is sorely lacking, meaning that even the best-educated manager or employee could still benefit from taking something like a mental health first aid course. Equally, the longer you’ve been out of the classroom, the more likely you are to forget crucial pieces of information about what you do, meaning that refresher courses are almost always welcome for helping you to be better at your job.
# 3 - Knowledge is an advancing issue
Note, too, that knowledge isn’t static. The speed with which technology has become imperative in nearly everything that we do especially means teachings today look very different from even ten years ago. By resting on your laurels, you therefore risk falling behind in terms of the knowledge that even individuals working under you hold, with everyday software and the like very quickly becoming untenable until you accept that you could benefit from an educational upgrade. Learning is no one time thing, and these reminders should be all you need to get back to the classroom, or at least accept that you might need to one day, before it’s too late.  Image credit: Brett Jordan from Pexels Hands up here if you procrastinate? Come on be honest, there is no judgement here!
If you've ever put off a task that you know you really need to do, but instead found something else more shiny to distract yourself, its very possible that its not because you're lazy! The New York Times can tell you why procrastinating has nothing to do with self-control...  Image credit: Max Fischer from Pexels Trying to study and can’t concentrate? It’s possible that your surroundings could be having an impact on your ability to learn. Studies show that surroundings can affect our concentration and motivation. Below are some of the environmental factors to consider.
How comfortable is it? When we’re not comfortable, we’re likely to be distracted. It’s important that our learning environment is cosy so that we’re not constantly shuffling around. Make sure that you’re not studying from an uncomfortable chair. If you’re studying at home at a desk, consider buying yourself a height adjustable office chair. This will allow you to position yourself at the right height and will provide the lower back support that you need. What’s the lighting like? Poor lighting can make it harder to concentrate. Ideally, you want lots of natural light pouring in while you study - natural light can help to reduce anxiety and lift our mood more so than artificial light. Many schools have started looking into modular building hire, investing in purpose-built classrooms with lots of natural light. It’s worth noting that while natural light can improve concentration, it needs to be positioned correctly - if students are studying at computers, you should ideally avoid having a light source directly behind as this will cause screen glare. Instead light should be pouring in from in front or from the side. How noisy is it? Many of us are easily distracted by loud noises. At the same time, silence may increase anxiety levels - many of us need some background noise to concentrate. A good learning environment should have the right balance. When studying from home, choose a room that is fairly quiet where you haven’t got sounds like the TV or washing machine to distract you. Ambient sounds and low-volume music could be worth trying to see if concentration levels are improved. Is there a lot of clutter? Being surrounded by clutter can negatively affect concentration. You should consider whether your learning environment is tidy and organized - and if not what you can do to reduce clutter. Finding ways to store clutter away out of sight can help. When studying at home at a desk, try to keep your desk relatively tidy. Are the colours affecting your studies? There have been many studies into colour psychology when it comes to learning. Certain colours can be more suited to certain types of learning. Blue tends to be a good colour for improving concentration, while green can help to nurture creativity. Yellow can be an uplifting colour that is great in young kids’ classrooms. Red is a colour that is generally best avoided aside from heavily practical areas - it is an energising colour and may increase stress levels due to its association with dangers, making it ill-suited for study tasks that require concentration. In all cases, it’s better to use colours than it is to stick to neutral tones. Whites, greys and blacks are uninspiring, which could negatively affect concentration when it comes to creative tasks.  Image credit: Pixabay Although most people think animation movies are meant for children, they are wrong as adults could join in too. What these people do not realise is that these movies always have a lesson to teach. They are put together so simply, but in the end, there is something both kids and adults could learn. So remember this the next time you brush them off as kids’ stuff.
With the right platform, making an animated video is quite an easy task. This article discusses some of the life-changing lessons you can learn by watching animation movies. It Is Okay to Have Negative Emotions Most people tend to pride themselves in their positive emotions while stashing the negative feelings away. They fail to realise that both of their emotions play an essential role in their lives. Therefore, it is wise to pay attention to both your positive and negative emotions as neglecting the latter won’t do you any good. The solution is working on the negative ones to make you a better person. Minds Mature It is not uncommon for animated movies to have both children and adults. One thing that is made evident is the differences in the thinking of these groups. While an adult’s emotions are organised, a teenager’s are chaotic. Adults can stay calm and embrace teamwork, but the same cannot be said for kids. Seeing this discrepancy will help parents understand children better and therefore be compassionate with them. It Is Okay to Be Different Just because the people before you did unspeakable things does not mean you have to follow suit. You can change the narrative. You might have watched animation movies where a character was rejected for choosing a different path, such as pursuing a career that the parents disapprove of. You must have seen the hurt they felt for not being understood and how firm they were with their decisions. Ultimately, they achieved whatever their hearts wanted. This teaches that no matter how misunderstood you can be, the key is following your instincts and doing what makes you happy. It is not always easy, but it is worth it. Just Keep Going This ought to be the theme of most animated movies. If you are a cartoon fanatic, you must be aware that most characters are faced with hard times, but most of the time, they never turn back. They keep swimming. The lesson here is to always look at the bigger picture despite the situations you are facing the moment because, trust me, it always gets better. Follow Your Dreams Another valuable lesson you can learn from watching animation movies is that there is no timeline to achieving your dreams. You must have encountered characters that were, for instance, too old to go to school, but because they hold on to a dream, they defy all odds and get into school. This is a lesson to always look for people that want better lives for themselves, and they dare to do so even if it means leaving everything they have behind. Such people instill confidence in you, and you, too, believe you can change your course. In the spirit of following your dreams, you too could learn to create animation videos. Yes, action movies are one thing, but animation movies are a whole different thing. There are a lot of lessons to be learned that could better your life.  Image credit: Geralt on Pixabay If you imagine being a teacher, you’ll probably think about teaching children. After all, this is the usual way of things, and it’s how things are most often done. Children need to learn, and they attend school where a teacher gives them the information they have to know.
Yet this is not the only form of teaching; there are many more. One of these forms of teaching is adult education. Adults who feel they want to gain more information about a specific subject, or who want to enhance their education in general, can sign up to classes and be taught by another adult, sometimes on a one to one basis, so that their knowledge base is shored up. For the teachers in this situation, it is very rewarding. Of course, teaching children is terrific, but there is something special about teaching adults and seeing the direct impact your teaching has on their lives and careers. Why is it so rewarding to teach adults? Read on to find out. You Will Learn When you teach adults, whether you’re teaching art classes, science, or helping them learn to speak English online, among many other options, you will be using your vast wealth of knowledge and passing that onto your students. However, in return, you will also learn a lot. Adults who have gone back to school or signed up for additional classes will have much life experience behind them, no matter what age they are. As you get to know them better, you will discover things that you never knew before. This is not something you can usually get when teaching children, but when teaching adults, not only will you teach but you will learn. Action Is Taken Children have to attend school even if they would prefer not to. It’s not their choice; it’s the law. Adult learners do have a choice, and if they have chosen to attend your class it’s because they want to, not because they are being forced to. This means they will be more interested in what you have to say and will engage in your lessons much more fully. When this happens, you can see progress being made as it happens. You will start the work in class, but a fully engaged and interested adult will seek out more information or practice what you have said in between lessons, so by the time you see them next, you can see that action has been taken, and the lessons you are teaching are making sense. This is incredibly rewarding. Changing Lives The biggest reason why teaching adults is rewarding is that you are changing lives. Someone who wants to learn, someone who has chosen to learn, will have done so for a reason. It might be because they never finished high school. Perhaps it’s because they want to make someone proud of them or be proud of themselves. Maybe they want to do more in their career, and they know they need a better education to do it. Whatever the reason, once they have learned what they need to learn, their lives will change, and you will have made that happen. It’s not everyone who can say they can do this regularly, but as a teacher of adults, you definitely can. Invest In Educational Marketing For those who are keen to make a real change to adult learners, it’s important to get your name and business out there for everyone to see. The right type of marketing can be effective in getting more adults enrolled onto the course you’re providing. Companies like n-roll exist to help those who are looking to provide more students with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in life. Educational marketing can be a great investment to make in order to appeal to more adults who are looking to learn later on in life. |
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July 2023
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