My Biggest Blog Pet Peeves!
My new job often keeps me so busy that even taking a break for lunch is impossible, but this afternoon things slowed down a bit. So, I spent a little time searching for and reading new blogs with the hopes of gaining some inspiration, information and maybe a laugh or two.
I used a couple of new blog searches I’ve discovered like Blog Flux and a few of my old stand-bys like Technorati. But after an afternoon of blog discovery, the only thing I have to show for all my time spent is a case of mild frustration.
If you’re wondering why I’m so peeved, here you go. The following are my major issues with several blogs I’ve encountered today.
I hate blogs and bloggers when…
…they tell me what to do/how to blog. Well, actually they tell me what not to do and how not to blog. However, the problem isn’t with the advice. I take offense with the tone in which they offer their opinions. If I wanted to be criticized for my actions I’d hang out with my older brother.
…I find a blog that sounds really interesting, only to find out that the blogger hasn’t updated since January…of 2005! Is it too much to ask that people remove their blogs if they’re not planning on actively engaging? I don’t think so.
…they treat their posts like diary submissions. Unless you’re Barack Obama, Tiger Woods or Brittany Spears, I don’t care what you did last Thursday night or what you ate for breakfast this morning…I wonder if Barack likes Grape Nuts…
…anyway…
…when a blog is neither useful, funny, insightful or smart. See peeve #3.
Now that I’ve finished my rant, this post feels a bit foreign to me. Although I am often sarcastic, I am rarely negative or pessimistic. So, in the hopes of lifting my spirits, I’ve included a couple of things I love most about blogs:
I love blogs and bloggers when…
…they make me laugh so hard that the people around me either think I’m crazy or want to get in on the joke (sometimes both).
…they have great applications and widgets on their pages that I later attempt and fail to add to my own blog.
…they make me think about an issue in a different way.
…they give me useful advice that I want to include on my own blog.
…they provide the kind of relevant information that I can regurgitate to coworkers and sound smart.
In case you were wondering, I’m not the only blogger who finds herself frustrated with the bloggosphere. Here are some other bloggers’ blog pet peeves:
- Darkside Dreamland …Why so many blogs piss me off…
- Original G.R.I.T.S. Blog reading pet peeves.
- Bloggerdygook What are your blogging pet peeves?
image from sarahintampa.com
Don’t Have a Cow: Managing Your Stress at Work.
Having a career is great, especially in these very troubled times (remember to vote!). But as we make our way up the corporate ladder, our responsibilities hit the top rung with our stress levels not far behind. For those of us new to the 8 to 5 (what I’ve discovered is often the 7:30 to 6:30) managing our stress can be a challenge. However, there are some easy tricks that may help us chill out and minimize stress at work. Here we go:
Take five minutes. No one understands the instant response mentality perpetuated by the email driven workplace more than me. But unless your job consists of preventing world annihilation by pressing a big red button before a nuclear missile hits, you CAN take a couple of minutes to relax.
Let things go. You’re not the only one stressed at work, so if a curt comment or careless act flies your way, don’t let it bother you. Distract yourself and think about something else. If you try hard enough to forget what was said, you will.
Take a lunch. As we all know, some days taking a lunch is a true luxury. But on the average day, when stepping out for an hour is a viable option, do it. Even 30 minutes away from the office, your inbox and the annoying coworker in the cube next door, can give you some much needed perspective and cut down your stress level.
Talk about it. If you’re stressed about something, finding a coworker or friend to confide in can help you recognize what exactly is bothering you, get it off your mind and get over it faster. Just remember, when the tables are turned, you should always return the favor.
Breathe. When we’re stressed, we often fail to breathe properly, which can cause us to feel physically constricted (on top of the emotional) and lead to headaches, which make it even harder to think. Remember to take full and deep breaths throughout your day to prevent your already high stress level from getting worse.
Still stressed out? Well, there’s always happy hour.
image from prweb.com
Justifying My Addiction…to Twitter.
It’s been several months since I was first exposed to the newest and most alluring drug on the market: Twitter. For the first couple of months, I “tweeted” only recreationally, you know, when I was bored and looking for something fun to fill the time. Plus, everyone was doing it. If I could keep it under control, why couldn’t I do it too?
But now that I have a job at which I sit in front of a computer screen for much of my day, my addiction to Twitter has reached a dangerous level. Shockingly, it has even joined forces with my CrackBerry obsession through an application called Twitterberry, which allows me to obsessive compulsively update Twitter from my phone.
So, like all true addicts, in an attempt to justify my addiction, I’ve come up with the top five things I (and you) can do with this dangerous yet great thing we call Twitter.
5. Keep your loved ones updated on your life. Awwww!
4. Get updates in real-time from your favorite news outlets (have I mentioned how much I love NPR?)
3. Stay up to date with colleagues for on the spot insights on projects your team is working on, opportunities to lend a helping hand or opinion, or simply be in the know about what’s going on in their lives.
2. Make your friends jealous of how fabulous, successful and busy your life is.
1. Follow dramatic people you don’t know. Also known as having constant access to the most amazing reality show you’ve ever encountered.
Click here to follow my addiction for yourself.
images from Twitter.com
Money and Happiness: A “Little” Paycheck Perspective
If you’re one of the many people on earth whose relative happiness seems to revolve around the dollar amount on your paycheck, the reality of starting out your career in an entry level position may just have you running for a cliff.
You (and I) may think that money is the key to living a happy life, but according to many experts, a six figure salary may buy you a nicer car, but it won’t buy you true happiness.
According to the blog Personal Finance Advice When Money Can Buy Happiness is when the amount you make meets your basic life needs: shelter, food and clothing. When those needs are met, it shouldn’t matter whether you make $100, $1,000 or $100,000 more, you already have the freedom to be happy.
And I would have to agree. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as superficial as the next 22 year old post-college sorority girl. I too dream of driving a nice car, having a closet full of cute new clothes and possessing the cash to eat out every night with my friends. However, when it comes down to it, my long term happiness (and yours too) doesn’t hinge on having the kind of money that makes those things possible.
The bottom line, as I’ve found out in the last six weeks of my new job, is money doesn’t mean happiness. Money means responsibility. None of us want to spend our carefree youth working 12 plus hour days because we have so much to do at work to earn that $80,000 paycheck. So, what we twenty-somethings need is not a bigger paycheck but a massive attitude adjustment. We have our whole lives to work ourselves to the bone chasing the ever-growing cash carrot. Why not enjoy living within our means (at least for now).
Not convinced? Check these out:
- 5 Way a Big Check Can Backfire from CNN.com
- Money Wont Buy You Happiness from Forbes.com
- Why Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness from Newsweek
image from azmythfinancial.com
Work-Life Balance? What the Hell is That?
When you start your career, there are going to be a lot of new terms thrown around that you might not have heard before. And if you’re like me, the phrase “work-life balance” will be one of them. For those of us lucky enough to work for an amazing organization that prioritizes this; your life and work at least have a chance of balancing.
However, no matter how hard the HR people at your office try to stress the importance of a balance between work and life, when you first start a new job, especially right out of college, maintaining this balance will be damn hard.
Not only are you probably working harder and longer than ever before, but you also have more responsibilities, and if your life is anything like mine your day starts long before the sun rises and ends long after it sets. This means that when you finally return home from your long work day and seemingly endless commute, you’re probably going to be so tired that spending time with family, socializing with friends or enjoying hobbies will be lower on your list than editing your coworkers’ collection of poetry about her cats.
In an effort to find a more even balance between my own work and life, I’ve embarked on a quest for advice. However, I got a little side tracked…thanks to youtube. Check these out.
Ok ok. They might not give you any tips for balancing your life and your work, but hey, you’re taking a break from work to watch them, right? That should count for something.
