Recruitment market feeling positive in Feb
The latest Seek statistics released show Auckland and Canterbury enjoying an increase in advertised roles. The press has been reasonably negative around Wellington's recruitment market of late with unemployment figures at an 18 year high. However, February is showing the Capital joining the upswing in activity, in terms of both job opportunities and available candidates. There are a number of fast growing organisations within the Wellington market, with a demand for candidates who not only bring the right technical skill level but also have great interpersonal and relationship skills across the board.
New Year - New Goals
As we near the end of January, I guess the question begs to be asked; “how are all those New Years resolutions going?” I am thinking they are either now firmly a part of the your routine or firmly filed in the dark recesses of your brain, where they will more than likely stay until the next New Years eve rolls around….
For those out there who are struggling, Kim Coates has some tips and tricks on setting goals and sticking to them. Kim is a NZ Registered Industrial Organisation Psychologist and has her own business Talent Edge Limited.
It seems that each year comes and goes with increasing speed. This January I find myself again thinking through all the areas of my life that I would really to see progress in: career, finances, fitness, losing weight, relationships, service to the community and the list goes on. You could probably add your own half dozen areas. With this list I inevitably realise that setting goals is a key to achieving a shift in any one of these areas. I realise that incremental progress will probably be made simply through the course of time, but to really make significant advancement or improvement in any one area there needs to be a particular focus and commitment.
I think back to 2010 when I had this burning desire to walk the Rotorua Marathon (I knew that running it would just be a bridge to far for me). Now I’m no fitness freak or even particularly consistent in my fitness regime but I believed deep down that I really could put in the work and the discipline in order to achieve this goal. I trawled through the internet to find a training programme for walkers, what to wear, what to eat and how long and how often I needed to train. For eight months I diligently put in the hours of pounding the footpath – rain, hail or sunshine in order to be ready for the big day. That day came in May 2011 where with thousands of others I crossed the finish line after six and half hours of walking. I did it! I achieved what I set out to do.
I look back with great satisfaction knowing that when I really put my mind to something, and am motivated and disciplined for the long haul – I will ultimately achieve whatever goal I set for myself. What I learned is that there are the cornerstones to effective goal setting - motivation, mindset and discipline. Without these, it is likely you will fall short of achieving what you set out to do – no matter how many times you have written it down or visualised it. Equally, smart goals will fit in there – but you need to be motivated to execute them.
I like Pat Brans recent article that simply outlines three easy tips for goal setting:
Once upon a time there were 7 Hobbits...
…Christmas Hobbits (of course!)