Qutting? How To Give Notice.

Hi! So I thought that this would be an important topic, as everyone is going to have to do this at least once in their life. I had to leave a workplace a while ago as I was moving states. So I thought that it would be great if I did a short post on it!

People quit jobs for all sorts of reasons. Generally it is a common courtesy to give an employer two weeks notice when quitting a job. Most people would suggest that without giving notice you are burning bridges.

Why do people quit their jobs?

• They have done everything possibly to make their current job work.
• The business is experiencing loss of money, customers and there are rumours of possibly bankruptcy.
• The relationship between employee and employer is irrecoverably damaged.
• Life situation has changed and benefits no longer suit life needs.
• Moving on to better opportunities to support their lifestyle.
• Their values are at odds with corporate culture - a lack of congruence with corporate culture will destroy their attitude at work.
• They have stopped enjoying their job and dread to go to work in the morning.
• The company has ethics out of sync.
• Their stress levels are so high at work that it is affecting their physical and mental health.
• They become unchallenged and need more responsibility so they seek other opportunities as they have already explored the current and potential options and they are limited.

Quitting:

1. Make sure that you are making the right choice.
2. Get your facts straight for why you are quitting.
3. Write a formal resignation letter. Keep the letter positive and thank them for the opportunity.
4. Speak to your supervisor, be prepared that they may attempt to try and make you stay at the establishment. This is why you should be clear in why you want to leave.
5. Stay for your notice period outlined in your workplace contract do not leave your current job without doing this, as it leaves the business in a tough spot and will give them time to replace. Make sure to be diligent and committed until the last day.

Here is an example of a resignation letter

Your name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Suburb, State, Post Code

Insert Date Here

Official person of notification

Name of establishment

Address line 1

Suburb, State, Post Code

Dear establishment/person,

Please accept this letter as a formal notification of my resignation at (business establishment) as I have been offered a job at another company with more scope and opportunities. It is with great sadness that I leave a role with such a fantastic team and environment. I have enjoyed the (how long you worked for) and have learned more about the industry.

As per my employment contract I am giving (amount of notice) and my last day of work will end on the (insert date).

I would like to thank the rest of the staff for their acceptance and support in my role.

Yours sincerely,

.............................

Peter Pan

**********

It is very tempting to just blow off your current job for an amazing new prospects. Yet it is important to remain professional. You may never know when you may need a reference from a former boss or when you may end up working with former co-workers. By quitting a job as gracefully as possibly it will be more likely that more options will be open to you in the future.

~ V xo

New Years Resolutions

Ok, I know it's already halfway through the first month of the new year, but hey, new year resolutions are important so I had to think about mine for a bit. I have never really laid down new year resolutions for myself in the past, they've always just floated around in my head as a possibility, an "I should try to do that" kind of a thing. And you can bet what happened...nothing. I wasn't sure I wanted to do them this year, it felt like too much commitment, why can't I just roll with the punches? But almost everyone makes resolutions. Why? Well here's what I think...

First of all, people like to have a goal, something positive to work towards. That's a great thing! Goals keep us motivated and on track and in control. The new year is a fresh start, when could be a better time to give your own life a face-lift? I also think a lot of it has to do with tradition and culture, and the fact that everyone does it. I realized a lot of my friends go to measures of writing down their resolutions and posting them on the refrigerator or bedroom door and yet the next day...they walk straight past it. Don't put in the effort of setting yearly goals if your not even going to take note of them.

I'm not sure if I like the idea. I'm all for improving lifestyle and making goals for yourself, don't get me wrong. I just feel that a lot it has become...commercialized. I'm a pretty spontaneous person, I like to adapt as I go, I see something I'd like to try, try it, drive by a girl running and say yeah I really should be doing that. lol

Maybe I don't like the idea of new year resolutions just because I don't trust myself to complete them considering I haven't in the past. I've also heard a lot of people saying that they don't like resolutions because they think they will disappoint themselves and others...if it leads to that misery, why even go down that road. The fact is that resolutions are pretty much personal, you make chose to share them, but when it comes down to it, they are for YOU. Who will care if you complete them or not? (Different story if you're doing them to impress) It's definitely not because I can't think of them...my life is far from perfect and could use a good lot of resolutions. Motivation? Well, depends for what. I guess that could be part of the problem. Have you noticed it's so much easier to work out when you have a buddy to help push you along? (where are you V when I need you? ;p)

Well here we go, I am going to document some of the things I'd LIKE to make my resolutions, but I'm not promising anything. (This post might be deleted in about a week if it ends up disastrous ;p).

1. Exercise every day of the week (weekends off). V, let's make a new schedule for ourselves (and post a workout play list on here!! <--genius idea ;P)
2. Start skating again...even just once a week!
3. Get into this program at the place I ride and get hired!!
4. Save money...my travelling will definitely be become less this year so hopefully this is a possibility.
5. Keep my room clean!!
6. Take time to pamper myself.
7. Become an expert cookie decorator! (and maybe start a site to sell them!)
8. Go visit V!! <3
9. Post on this blog at least twice a week.
10. Start working toward my future and a future with the boy and become more open with it to my family and his.

and lastly...

11. Continue working toward become an INDEPENDENT WOMAN.

Well, let's concentrate on ourselves this year ladies, let's make ourselves happy before anyone else. And if that includes moving forward with a special someone that's great. The important part is to base your decisions in life on your own happiness, don't try to please someone and make yourself miserable. It's a new year and fresh start. I can't wait to go on this journey with all of you. Cheers!

XoXo

~M

How to Deal with Grief?

This is a post, that is personal yet I think it is really important to outline especially M & V is a blog about becoming and learning how to be an independent woman.

My parents split up and my mother and I moved when I was twelve, this was because my father was physically and verbally abusive, although he was only physically abusive to me not my mother. My mother was forced to leave, as if she didn't child services would have taken me away into foster care. Dealing with a parent who is physically and mentally abusive is very difficult, but like everything you can overcome anything you put your mind to.

Just before my 19th birthday I came back from Canada and my father had cancer, and I was asked to be his Power of Attorney, he said a lot of hurtful and nasty things to me during this time, even though I was there for him. I tried to be strong, and I was undertaking a full time dual degree at university in Business & Law and also working part time in a law firm.

The hardest thing for me, was talking to people I didn't tell anyone until he passed away the day before my 19th birthday, even my closest friends didn't know, I think it was because of my difficult past with him. Instead of dealing with these things I went to Canada to work in the ski fields and it was probably the best thing for me to do.

The thing is, I know it would have been easier for me if he was a different father figure in my life, and for a while after his death (I am now 21) I think i was mourning the father I never had.

Everyone deals differently with grief, I really struggled because of the hurt I went through in my life with him, but I mastered my courage finally and let go and scattered his ashes alone without anyone holding my hand, and I let go of my past while I did it, and I wasn't angry, or sad or resentful I just felt like I was accepting the past and accepting that he is my father, I do love him and he was good in other ways, there are just some things that no matter how much you analyse or think about you can never figure out. You just need to accept things, and move on.

It is hard, harder if you are mourning for a relationship you never had and never can have. What I learned was all I needed was time, take care of myself, the snowboarding helped, and I focussed on work and university. Really, you can overcome anything, you just have to be strong, resilient and you will have weak times, but in the end you just get a little bit stronger, and you will be so much stronger and happy, I know because I have been there. There are seven stages of grief:

Acceptance & Hope - you learn to accept and deal with the reality of the situation. This is where you will find a way forward. You look forward and plan things for the future, the wrenching pain will be gone. You will once again anticipate some good things to come. This is where I'm at now. :)