Well if you thought afternoon naps were just for babies, kids and pets, think again. As many companies figure out ways to get creative, engage employees and truly create a work/life balance, this new take on “nap time” may just do the trick! This trend is catching fire and for those employees who want to take a little break from it all while still clocking the hours some employers may need to provide a nice cozy place to unwind. While many employers might think this is taking the work/life balance thing too far, some are rethinking this popular trend. Laws were created to protect employee’s rights at work hence the creation of the “Lactation Room” for nursing mothers returning to work. I don’t know if you have to be considered an insomniac to qualify for a nap break during the workday, but it’s nice to know it can become an option for you in the future.

As you look at jobs that interest you and places you’d really like to work, how important are the “perks” that come with the paycheck? Money, title, and benefits use to be the drivers for recruiting and retaining successful candidates. Now, free food, nap rooms, and concierge services can be a deal breaker as employees consider their career options. When all you thought you needed to worry about was how long of a commute to work you’d have to endure, companies are fighting over new and creative ways to make you jump on accepting that job offer.

It’s not just getting a big car allowance or a corner office that’s important anymore. The war on talent means you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to asking for and getting what you want. Thirty years ago you would be fired for sleeping at work, now you are being encouraged. Heck, that was probably true even ten years ago! Times are changing fast and you have nothing to do but sit back and see what comes up next for you as you consider all the options. Allowing employee’s flexibility at work no longer means working a flex schedule or leaving early on Friday during the summer. Employers need to think more creatively about how and why someone would want to come work for them and pulling out all the stops as it relates to making your workplace feel like your home is no exception. I say bring back the cocktail cart please!

As you consider all that is available to you when it comes to your career choices and your next job move, think about how you want to show up for work. How important is it to be able to spend time with your family as well as get the job done? Do you need to take a nap or a walking break or play card games at work just to break up the day? How well can you stay motivated at work if you don’t have any down time available to you?   Knowing when to stop and rest even if it’s at your desk is important to stay the course no matter how many hours you have to pull at work. After all a happy employee is a productive employee and your boss would love it if you lived at work-why do you think there is an endless array of food available to you at all times of the day? Know what you want BEFORE you sign that offer letter no matter how big the ice cream bar is.

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There is a strong belief that the Universe can and will bring to you what you most want and desire in the form of “law of attraction”. Call it physics, call it magic, call it wishful thinking, whatever your belief system the one thing that holds constant is if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. The job market can and will be unforgiving. That does not mean there are not great people out there who have your best interests at stake. But generally, it’s a good idea to make things happen for your self. It’s kind of like you are a “job magnet” pulling the title, salary and company you most want towards you.

So what makes some people more successful at it then others? Simple it’s how they see themselves. It matters little how the rest of the world sees you if you think you are desiring of a particular job, position of responsibility or compensation. With the right of amount of focus and undivided attention you can and will attract that opportunity to you. Did you ever wonder why some people who have no relevant experience or even common sense yet seem to land jobs that make you scratch your head and wonder if they knew the hiring manager? It’s not that you are being conceited but maybe you should be and it might help you. It might mean however that these people see themselves in a way that gives the Universe the impression that they want it more than the rest. Now that does not mean that makes things fair, but what it does and should signal to you is that this can and should happen to you.

The Universe or law of attraction does not discriminate. It answers to the strongest of urgings. And if you are wondering why you are not able to manifest certain jobs or positions no matter how many times you interview or send your resume out it might be because you are not acting “as if”.   Pretending as a child was not only fun but it was a powerful way for you to escape whatever you wanted. You could do and be whatever you wanted. No one was judging you or getting in your way.

Well what if your job search was no different? What if you acted as if you could do and be anything you wanted? That desire is the strongest way for you to manifest what you truly want and not just in your job. If you aren’t believin’ it – it isn’t happening for you! Acting “as if” is simple just visualize yourself in the job, company, office or position you most want. Now it takes practice and it should not replace your actual job search but it should most definitely compliment your efforts. It won’t happen over night but if you believe it will most definitely happen. This practice of feeling how it feels to be where you want is a very powerful tool in helping you act as if you already have the job you want.

At the very least it’s fun and it will do little harm to you or anyone else. After all if you can’t see yourself doing the job what makes you think someone else will see you in the job. Next time you are frustrated with your lack of job progress, try this exercise for a week a few times a day 2 minutes max and see if the phone starts ringing just a bit more.

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Making a commitment is never easy. When you say “Yes” you are declaring not only your undivided intention to something or someone for the rest of your life but you are also stating that all other options are off the table! Wow, you better really know what you want when you say you are in it for the long haul! This does not only pertain to your committed personal relationships but it also plays a role in how you show up for your professional ones as well. No one wants forever-at least not anymore. The concept of staying in any relationship until the day you die is in itself a dying fad. We all would like to believe that when you say “Yes” it means forever-but let’s get real does it really?

Your job is no different. When you are committing to a career or a company or even to work for a particular boss it does not mean that you should enter the relationship lightly. Unlike walking down the aisle with your intended, your job holds no guarantees of lasting much past your orientation period. So when it comes to making the right choice understand your options and who is going to be there for you when all else fails. Next time you think about whether to leave work to be with your friends or family, here are a few things to remember and to know whether you are committing more to your job than to your spouse:

1. Your spouse may wait up at night for you to come home. Your job will likely keep you up at night.
2. Your spouse will kiss you goodnight. Your boss may kiss you goodbye.
3. Your spouse will have your back when the going gets tough. Your job will likely stab you in the back when the going gets tough.
4. You can trust your spouse. You can’t always trust your co-workers.
5. The coffee brewing in the kitchen is likely made just for you. The coffee in the break room was made yesterday and was intended for everyone.
6. You may get a raise from your boss for your hard work. You will always get a raise from your spouse just because.
7. Your spouse will pick the kids up from work. Your work will make you choose between the job and the kids.
8. You can sit at the head of the table at dinner. You will fight for your place at the table at work.
9. You will be called a breadwinner at home. You may be called ungrateful at work.
10. At the end of the day you come home to your loved ones. At the end of the day you know more work will be waiting for you tomorrow.

So the next time you want to compare your level of commitment to your job vs. your personal committed relationships, think about who will really be there for you at the end of the day? You know you have choices but if you had to choose which would it be? Your job may come and go but your family and friends usually last forever.

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It may be hard to constantly stay front and center when you are either in a job you love or fighting to get the job you want. When you work like a dog and your efforts don’t seem to be noticed or you continue to come in #2 on the endless list of job interviews you audition for, it’s time to make a mental checklist of how you need to get noticed. As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but if you seem to show up in a room full of other beauties how do you stand out?

Being the center of attention doesn’t mean you need to jump on the tables and become the life of the interview party. It does mean however, you need to do an honest assessment of how and why you are being overlooked when all you crave is a little attention for your efforts. In order to get noticed you need to first look at how you are coming across when and if you do show up for the job party.

1. What’s my energy level? Are you on high octane after your 10^th cup of macchiato or are you dragging yourself around like you just came out of a Zen coma. How you physically show up has more to do with your energy level, your attentiveness and your light switch being turned on then it does the shoes you decided to put on that morning.
2. What’s my awareness? Are you engaged? Do you care about this job interview or meeting? Are you feeling it or are you just dialing it in? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself when you wonder why you are not getting call backs or noticed for the job you say you want. If you are not feeling it, trust me no one on the other side is either.
3. Are you centered? Do you feel like you are in a calm and peaceful place when you show up? Do you exhibit confidence and a calm sense of self? If you are a nervous nelly or are not sure you should even be in the meeting, you are not going to get noticed by anyone of importance.
4. What comes out of your mouth? How you show up is one thing but what you say is quite another. If you think you are making points by acting like the smartest person in the room just to get noticed think again. Fading into the background like the bookcase is not going to get you noticed either unless someone wants to read something during the meeting. Knowing how to speak when appropriate makes others take notice even if what you have to contribute is not the most important point you’ve ever made.
5. Am I respectful? This does not only mean are you nice to others but do you respect what you stand for and how you show up? People sense the vibe no matter how sincere you think you are being to others and to yourself. If you don’t like what you stand for how do you expect anyone else to like you?

Having the ability to be totally self aware and transparent about who you are, what you stand for and can bring to the table means you are no longer willing to play hide and seek with your career. Stand up and get noticed the next time someone calls you for a job interview!

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It might be that you are rethinking the way you live your life and how many times you think you have to go down the same road again before you learn what you need to know. If you are living through some trauma or drama caused by your job, it’s time to figure out whether you like living in the middle of a thunderstorm or are ready to move out from under the mess. Whether you are the author of your own drama or are merely an innocent bystander, understanding that you can make the necessary changes and rid yourself of the chaos causing you to lose sleep at night.

You don’t need to take drastic steps like quit your job and live in a monastery the rest of your life to avoid trauma/drama. You do however, need to adopt some safe steps to rid yourself of this career chaos and guard against those people and situations that put you in harms way. How you define job trauma from job drama is simple:

1. Job Trauma is something that usually happens to you and is created by outside situations. Examples would be a layoff, a death of a co-worker, the company filing for bankruptcy. Situations and people that may inadvertently cause you to feel some level of trauma in your life and not necessarily from anything you may have directly or indirectly caused.

2. Job Drama is just that, any situation that is created by you or including you that has created some level of chaos or has directly or indirectly aggravated a situation. Examples of job drama would include office gossip, escalating a minor situation into a world war or divulging confidential information. Any situation or persons including you that have an uncanny ability to stir the pot or cause some level of unrest in the workplace constitutes job drama.

Whether you have experienced one or both or if you are honest with yourself have contributed to part of the drama it’s time to stop the self-sabotaging behavior and snap your career back into place. Finding fault with people or systems is not uncommon, your reaction to it however can and should be controlled. If there is a pipeline for communication to escalate an issue in the workplace even if it includes your boss, use it. It’s always better to take the high road and deal with a situation in a professional and above board manner as opposed to spreading your disgust through gossip and innuendo.

Knowing how to handle a difficult situation at work takes patience, trust and a tremendous amount of tact. You may not always find the right words to express how you feel but choosing any of the alternatives sets you and the person you may be trying to deal with in a potentially compromising position.

Understanding your rights and knowing where you stand in a situation forces you to take an honest and unfiltered look at who you are and who you want to be as a professional. You have a choice on how you behave, don’t fall victim to peer pressure especially if the fight is not even yours to battle. Save the job trauma and job drama for Netflix!

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