Skip to main content

Counting My Blessings -- And How it Happened

Recently, I got some very good news with regard to work-related compensation. In this economy, and in this troubled time of unemployment, any good news is really great news. So, for us right now, we're looking at a bonus, albeit smaller than expected. In addition, there will be a three percent raise.

So many people are losing their jobs, that there are not situations where people who even have their jobs may not be getting raises or bonuses at all. So, I'm quite grateful. I think that it is important that people are grateful for what they have and realize that this is a time to be even more conservative.

In this regard, I'm practicing what I preach here. And even in a good economy, this type of behavior is a good idea. It will make you more likely to keep your job when times are tough and more likely to get a raise and/or promotion when times are good. I'm convinced that these principals are what has helped me succeed in my current job.

1. Work hard. This is general, but in practical terms it means that you want to be someone who gets the work done, gets it done quickly and correctly.

2. Show initiative. Never say no to new work or challenges at work. If you're concerned about being able to do it, ask for help, but never refuse opportunities.

3. Be Grateful and non-confrontational. You have a job! Regardless of what you're putting up with, it beats being unemployed. While you want to be strong, you want to make sure you're being strong in order to do a good job, not just to be obstinate.

4. Add Value. This is a bit of a cliche, but you generally want to add value to the companies bottom line. No matter what your position is, you can add some value either by saving money or by generating additional revenue. Make sure you work hard on projects that are related to adding value and saving money and take note of your efforts.

5. Track your efforts; other people are. Come in early, stay late. Show that you're putting in extra time on weekends if needed, and never complain about the commute or extra hours. If you do this consistently, you're in much better shape. Other people may notice when you leave early so make sure that your work is without reproach and you'll be able to succeed.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Suze Orman Goes Too Far!

I've been a fan of Suze Orman for years. When I first started working after graduating college and then I started to make some money, my experience with other members of my family, mostly my grandparents, showed me that I needed to figure this money thing out. So, I set out to understand how money works and I found Suze. Many financial gurus are out there and for the most part, much of the advice overlaps, but Suze really seemed to be right along my line of thinking.  I bought the books, watched the show, and despite the fact that I feel like I've largely outgrown it so long as I follow the lessons, I really wanted to check up on how things were going. I went to the CNBC website and found an interview where she said this: "I do really live within my means. I have absolutely no debt. If I don't have the money to write a check, then I can't afford it. I never, ever, ever spend old money, so I'm only allowed by my own standards to buy something new with new mone...

Do Better With Your Time

Recently, I've been extremely busy with some work commitments. The interesting thing for me is that this increased work activity has really helped crystallize some of my feelings with regard to time. And these ideas are a critical part about my view on personal finance. I'm curious to know if others feel similarly. Time is money. That is, Time, in some way, contains energy. Money, is also energy. In the act of working, I am able to compound and increase the amount of money that I have. I am exchanging my time and effort and thought which are components of my work, for the productivity that I produce. And this production gets me money from my employer. However, the first dollars that I make each day, week, or month are the most valuable. Then the ones that I make at the end are the most valuable. (Forget about taxes for a minute.) The reason is, the first ones help me have a place to live and food to eat. And the last ones are the ones that I can use to really improve my life lo...

Credit Report Review

So, one of the things that I've started doing is trying to pull my credit reports at regular 4 month intervals so that I get a free one frequently to make sure that things are progressing as I'd like them to and also as a safeguard against identity theft. Of course, the part that I don't like is that these reports don't include a fico score - the key number when it comes to determining if you are going to be extended credit and at what interest rate. This time, I got the report from Equifax - I went to the end of the process and for 8 dollars more I could get my credit score. And the Equifax gave me a credit score of 742. This of course is not even close to the perfect score of 850 when it comes to fico score nirvana, but 742 is still a respectable fico score. Things to improve are basically lowering my balances on my credit cards and loans, which I already have a plan for. And also I noticed that the amount that I paid off on one of my loans is actually still being rep...