5 Things to Improve Yourself
and Your Business in 2009

1. Keep Learning— Choose to learn something new every day. Learning something new every day will make you a more interesting person…and knowledge just may lead to wisdom.

2. Stay in touch— Networking has never been easier. Email is becoming obsolete among the teens and twenties crowd. Communicating through online network sites such as MySpace and Facebook is the ever growing choice of the younger generation. Linkedin, ActiveRain, and other topic specific blog sites are ways to be socially connected to friends, family and colleagues.

3. Expand your comfort zone— Some comfort zones are established for safety or security, but many of our self constructed boundaries are barriers to our own growth and fulfillment. Choose something today that challenges you. Try a new food, talk to a stranger, try sky-diving. You get the idea. Expand your comfort zone to enhance your life.

4. Take care of yourself— “Help others” is a common New Years resolution. But you cannot take care of other people and their needs if you have not taken care of yourself. Schedule that check-up. Go to the spa. Buy a journal if it helps you to focus or gives you pleasure. Get a gym membership. Physical exercise is fantastic stress reliever, and makes you feel better about your self physically and mentally!

5. Write it down— Measure your progress by writing down your goals and then check on them every now and then. If you’ve moved toward your goal in some tangible way, make a note of it and then reward yourself. At the end of 2009 you may just be surprised at how much you have accomplished…and THAT is success. Making yourself stronger is an intentional choice. Here’s to 2009 and a stronger YOU!

“You are never too old to set another goal
or to dream a new dream.”
-C.S. Lewis

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Where Do All the Happy People Work?

You see their smiling faces in the car next to you at 7am on your way to work and you think to yourself. “Well what do they do that makes them so happy?” According to a University of Chicago study Job Satisfaction in the United Sates, what you do for a living is major factor in ones overall happiness..

Most of these jobs involve helping others, technical and scientific expertise, and creativity. Hmm…maybe our high school science teachers were on to something! Take a moment to look at what these happy folks are doing:

1. Clergy
Job description: Conduct religious worship and perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.

Very happy: 67.2%
Median Salary*: $44,102

2. Firefigters
Job description: Control and extinguish fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.

Very happy: 57.2%
Median salary: $45,553

3. Reservation, Ticket, & Transportation Agents (such as travel agents)
Job description: Travel agents plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency customers.

Very happy: 56.5%
Median hourly rate (travel agents): $14.23

4. Architects
Job description: Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.

Very happy: 53.5%
Median salary: $54,079

5. Special Education Teachers
Job description: Teach school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students.

Very happy: 52.6%
Median salary (pre-k, kindergarten, & elementary): $41,344
Median salary (secondary): $43,060

6. Actors & Directors
Job description: Actors play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions for entertainment, information, or instruction.

Very happy: 51.0%
Salary varies greatly

7. Science Technicians
Job description: Use principles and theories of science and mathematics to solve problems in research and development, and to help invent and improve products and processes.

Very happy: 51.0%
Median salary (research scientists): $72,435

8. Miscellaneous Mechanical and & Repair Occupations
Job description: Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.

Very happy: 53.6%**
Median hourly rate (mechanics/auto tune up): $15.26

9. Industrial Engineers
Job description: Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes.

Very happy: 48.4%
Median salary: $61,729

10. Airline Pilots & Navigators
Job description: Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes.

Very happy: 48.4%
Median salary: $61,729

(source: hotjobs.yahoo.com)

*All salary data are from PayScale.com and show median salary or hourly rate for each profession for workers with 5-9 years of experience.

**For an explanation of study rankings and percentages, see "Job Satisfaction in the United States," footnote 3, page 1.

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