Vacation: Ready, Plan, Go!

My friends and coworkers know thatI love to travel, but I am starting to suspect that they think I am a closeted trust fund baby or possibly, Gordon Gekko in disguise. Why, you ask?

I am always planning international vacations.

Here are a few tips that I use to satisfy my exorbitant travel whims:

 

1. Think long-term.

I am able to travel to far-flung places, because I plan trips waaaaay in advance. I am talking years here. Time gives you the benefit to search for cheaper plane tickets, earn points or miles on credit cards, find deals on hotels and vacation rentals, learn more about your destination, reach out to locals for advice and ultimately, take longer vacations. Look at the calendar and pick a date that realistically represents the size of trip you would like to take. The first step is always the hardest, but once I commit to a date, the motivation to plan and save comes easy.

 

2. Enjoy the planning.
Read this. It is all true.

 

3. Save where it counts.
I work for a non-profit and, unfortunately, do not have a money tree in my backyard. Saving is hard, no matter which approach you take. I find that weighing everyday choices with travel goals in mind is the best way to turn a little into a lot. So, I make it a game: Starbucks on the way to work or café crème at a sidewalk café? Date night here or date night in [insert chic global city]. Netflix subscription or museum pass? Beer at the local bar or a rum punch on the beach? Splurging at Whole Foods or exploring a quaint outdoors market? Pretty quickly, you will realize that purchasing a thing in the here and now does not compare to investing in an experience later.

 

5. Don't play hooky.

I will go out on a limb here and guess that most of you do not hail from Austria, Brazil or France. These fine countries mandate that employers provide an average of 34 days of paid leave every year. What is the helpless American worker to do? Hoard your vacation days! Do you really want to take off work, because it's Spring and the weather is nice? Because you don't want to deal with your boss on Monday morning? Because you have writer's block and cannot face your deadline? NO! If you are a wanderluster like me, you would rather enjoy an island holiday, a stroll down a boulevard in Paris or do pretty much any activity in a foreign destination rather than one in your present location. Keep that in mind next time the idea to raid your vacation balance pops into mind.

 

6. Au revoir, adios, sayonara
The grand adventure you have always coveted is possible! It only boils down to motivation and a commitment to make it happen. A few little sacrifices add up to major benefits and they are all worth it!

Have a Happy Day; It's Good for You

Today's infographic is brought to you by I Love Charts, a dreamy website for graphic nerds, and Mother Nature Network: 

View larger image at Mother Nature Network

Bonus tip: whistle this three times to cure all that ails you.

Put Down that Phone (or Else!)

One of my favorite work- and labor-related journalists is Lucy Mangan, a writer for The Guardian newspaper, BBC and, most recently, blogging for CollinsDictionary.com (It is a blog about words. Very funny words.) She is fabulously clever and sharp-tongued, but never misses an opportunity to make the audience laugh, even when covering serious issues. Her take on the move by French union leaders to prohibit the using mobile phones for work after punching out at the end of the day is no exception. 

You may already be familiar with notoriety of labor unions in France: they are the usual suspects when it comes to boycotts, picketing and protests in the news. Regardless of sector, they are far more influential than the unions we are accustomed to here in the United States. It is organized labor that brings about a month-long hiatus every August, when the population flees to Bali and Ibiza and tourists are left wondering who will make their baguettes. (Who me? Envious? Never!) Similarly, French employees work fewer hours than their US counterparts, enjoy drastically increased maternal and paternal benefits and many other "quality of life" perks. 

The latest jewel in the crown of French unions is an agreement to protect tech industry workers from the bane of my existence annoyance of after-hours, work-related calls and e-mails. As described by Ms. Mangan, under the terms of the agreement, "employees will also have to resist the temptation to look at work-related material on their computers or smartphones - or any other kind of malevolent intrusion into the time they have been nationally mandated to spend on whatever the French call la dolce vita." Simply put, bosses will have to limit communications strictly to the hours of 9-5. Or 10-5, or 11-5 or whenever the French normally arrive at the office. 

I tease, of course, but this new law points to important underlying questions about work-life balance. For example, to whom does time belong? Does it belong to employers, who conduct business around-the-clock in order to compete globally, increase profits and thereby, salaries? Or does it belong to employees, who cannot be expected to invest the same amount of hours as a business owner? Furthermore, how do the trends of hours worked compare to stagnant wages over time? In today's modern era, are office workers paid to be on-call, like doctors, mafia consigliore and tow-truck operators?

Just some food for thought as you see your Blackberry light up and consider answering one last e-mail from "The Man" before calling it a night.

A Conference Call in Real Life

Happy Friday, workers of the world!

Created by: Tripp and Tyler  Produced by: Green Tricycle Studios

Make the Most of Your Commute

According the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 90% of Americans commute to work. A full 8% of workers commute more than an hour each way to their place of employment. While that last statistic is mind-blowing to me, the simple fact is that even average commuters spend a large part of their waking life getting from home to work and back again: 38 hours per commuter per year!  

How many times have you put off starting a new habit, practicing an old one or taking the time to relax, because you're just "too busy"? Well, it might be time to "Treat Yo Self"!

  

Learning how to multitask during a long commute will not only take your mind off the traffic, unexpected delays and smelly passengers beside you, but will also give you a head start on feeling great about the day (or help leave work stresses behind as you head home). Here are a few suggestions:

Audiobooks

The old standby. Worried that you'll never have the time for Anna Karenina? LibriVox has a ton of free audio books available, searchable by author, title or genre. Also, check out Audible, where you can download a free book when you sign-up for their membership program. Commuter Bonus: did you know that you can rent audiobooks from Cracker Barrel? (However, I do not recommend stopping for the Double Meat Breakfast everyday on the way to the office.)

Podcasts

In just a few seconds, you can download some pretty incredible podcasts to your iTunes account, computer or smartphone. Some of my favorites include: Marketplace Money, This American Life and Radiolab. Most podcasts can be pre-set to download new episodes every time your device is near WiFi and it's a great, on-demand way to stay entertained or informed while trapped in a car, train or plane.

Knitting

For all you public transportation commuters out there! Knitting is the perfect way to pass the time, make something cool (or uncool, depending on how experienced you are) and also keep obtrusive people at bay with big metal weapons needles! Need help? You don't need a fancy class to get started. YouTube and KnittingHelp.com are excellent resources: from step-by-step beginners instruction to advanced skills and everything in between.

Learn a language

Thanks to a killer hour-long commute in law school, I now claim basic French* as a skill. Try it for yourself. Most local libraries offer lots of language courses in various formats, plus there are some amazing free classes online. I love Learn French with Alexa, Learn French by Podcast and my all-time favorite: Notes in Spanish. 

Meditate

Mindfulness is not defined by sitting on a pillow surrounded by Tibetan chanting. A commute is the perfect time to let the mind wander, use your imagination, brainstorm for a project or to practice deep breathing. If driving in silence seems overwhelming (or too hippy-dippy) check out these tips or these for ideas and inspiration.

Lastly, don't over do it. I don't care how agile your texting fingers are, typing into any device while driving or walking on a crowded subway platform is a terrible idea. (And it's totally not worth it to prove me wrong.)

For more facts about commuting, check out this fascinating study from the Texas A&M.

*Defined as the ability to order croissants, find a bathroom and order wine with ease.

Carrot vs. Stick

This piece produced by AsapSCIENCE has my name all over it. Creators Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown break down the precise reasons that workers humans take every chance they can get to procrastinate. (Chances are you are procrastinating right now!) 

See for yourself:

Thankfully, the video offers a great solution: the Pomodoro Technique. This time management strategy focuses on four major actions, all of which are ones I happen to think lead to Sanity with a Side of Paycheck: 

1. Work with the time you have.
2. Eliminate burnout.
3. Manage distractions.
4. Balance your life. 

While I don't follow the precise timing of Pomodoro, I do stick to a similar work-break-work schedule. Earlier this year, I purchased a Fitbit Flex. This personal health tracking device allows me to set a silent alarm (I schedule one every 45 minutes) to ensure that I take a break from what I am doing, get up and move around. I'll walk around the block, make tea or just shift gears from the project I'm working on to another. While Fitbit is definitely geared toward fitness, it also offers the benefit of shifting perspective and avoiding procrastination. Try it out!

Stop Monkeying Around!

Does your office sometimes feel like a zoo? Perhaps you need Ape Management to get everyone sorted out! 

Ape Management is a Dutch company that studies primate behavior to better understand human dynamics in a group setting… much like the dynamics of any office. Founder Patrick Von Veen believes that studying our closest animal relatives is extremely helpful when learning about human relationships, communication and problem-solving. Apparently, stereotypes, managerial hierarchy, chit-chat and bullying are not solely limited to observations at the water cooler.

Ape Management's trainings and workshops for companies conclude with a unique outing to a local zoo or primate sanctuary where staffers observe and apply lessons learned from watching monkey interactions. This unique approach to inter-office politics has been utilized by mammoth corporations in the insurance, accounting and energy industries and receives glowing reviews from HR professionals and staffers alike.  

So, are you and your colleagues in need of a field trip?

To learn more, listen to this Marketplace Story or check out this article on BBC News. 

New Day, New You

I love to tackle huge, seemingly insurmountable problems. To swoop in and save the day when everyone else has given up on a sticky issue or overwhelming problem. (Cue: super hero theme song!) 

My problem? Cultivating everyday habits like making time for small talk with colleagues, remembering to drop off the huge pile of clothes for donation, or registering for that free class I wanted to take at the library. 

Often, little events and to-dos pass me by while I am busy saving the world.

To my dismay, I recently learned that it takes more than 21 days to form a new habit. Alas, I cannot force myself to do something for three weeks and it will become natural for the rest of my life. Anecdotally, I know this, but why is that? 

Research shows that intention is everything. Pure willpower is not enough! Instead, it is the deep desire to change one's lifestyle that ultimately wins out in the end. So, unless I truly want to get to know my coworkers better, act more philanthropic with my extra resources or become a lifelong learner, I probably will never will.  

So how to get From Thought to Action? Psychologists propose that I spend a good amount of time thinking about what it is that I actually want to do or achieve. Am I simply looking to cross something off the perpetual to-do list? The satisfaction that comes from random acts of kindness? The confidence comes from being a good citizen and neighbor? Turns out that visualization is a very helpful tool when adopting new habits. Not only does it help with motivation, but it also helps identify concrete steps to turn a one-off action into a routine. I like the sound of that, since it harkens back to my strategy for saving the day (see above).

Now if only I could daydream visualize my way to math proficiency... well, I'm working on it.

NB:I got the idea for this blog, which was originally posted on SparringMind.com. 

If you like to nerd-out on behavior psychology and trying new things, this is the website for you!

Get To Work

What is your strategy for managing big projects? This is a weakness of mine: not procrastination, per se, but psyching myself out to think that projects are bigger than they really are (and thus, avoiding them).

Thankfully, Bob Pozen comes to the rescue with a few tips on how to tackle big to-dos. (Full disclosure: I have a little enormous crush on Mr. Pozen with his Harvard creds, financial know-how and dreamy hair.)

1. What's the hold up? Identify the stumbling block that keeps you from starting in the first place. Is it fear of difficulty? Worries that you don't have the necessary resources to succeed? Perhaps success is not clearly defined? Figure out what holds you back, brainstorm or research your way around it and MOVE ON.

2. Contrary to Julie Andrews, don't start at the very beginning. Spend time thinking about the ultimate outcome and work backwards. Keeping the endgame in mind allows the project's strategies and tactics to be focused and efficient at all stages of development and implementation. There is nothing worse than realizing you've been chasing a red herring that leads you nowhere...

3. We've all heard it before: perfection is the enemy of the good. I am especially susceptible here. I want the best every time, even to my own detriment (and insanity). Mr. Pozen also shares my spirit of Sanity with a Paycheck and he says STOP! If the opportunity of time or additional resources is there at the finish, you can always go back to tweak or edit. In the meantime, stay on task and keep moving forward. Chances are no one will notice the wobbles anyway.

4. Teamwork. Every successful big project needs a successful team. Every person should play a role and every leader should delegate according to the skills and assets of his or her teammates. Mr. Pozen suggests another important benefit of teamwork that I never thought of: accountability. If everyone is emotionally invested in the outcome, chances are far greater that they will contribute in equal measure to achieve success. 

5. Carrot>Stick. Deadlines motivate some, but usually in a negative way ("OMG! IT'S DUE TOMORROW!") Reward-based motivation spurs action early. Identify milestones in advance and properly reward yourself when you get there.

Want to learn more? Check out Mr. Pozen's book "Extreme Productivity: Boost your Results, Reduce Your Hours" here and also Inc.com's feature on big project productivity tips here.

Travel Tips

Here are my top tips to keep your Joie du Travail mindset while jet-setting around the world:

Pack Snacks. Pre-washed, pre-cut, finger-friendly food. Berries, grapes, carrot sticks, hummus and pitas, granola bites, nuts, cheese cubes, apple slices, whatever*. Throw them in a tupperware with a napkin and you're ready to go. You'll be so happy to munch away on good food while the masses around you suffer through Sbarro or Mandarin Express. *Exception: bananas... they do not travel well and nobody wants to dive into a brown one.

Download the App. Say goodbye to standing in line at customer service. I cannot tell you how many times the Fly Delta app has saved me in a pinch. You can use it to upgrade your seat, find and book other flights when yours is delayed, search old itineraries, book a last-minute hotel, you name it. In addition to Delta, I highly recommend Kayak, Southwest, Hilton Honors, TripAdvisor and XE Currency apps.

Do Yourself a Solid. Solid shampoos, conditioners and detergents save space and sanity when traveling through security with a carry-on. For travel-friendly, non-liquid body care products, I recommend Lush and I cannot live without Wash and Stain bars from The Laundress. You'll never come back to a hotel room that smells like your morning workout clothes again!  Speaking of which...

You Really Should Work Out. Hotel gyms ain't what they used to be. In fact, I am constantly amazed at how nice some are compared to the gym I actually pay for at home. There is nothing worse than sitting in meetings all day, eating out for most meals and returning back to the hotel late at night feeling like a tired old slug. Even 20 or 30 minutes in the morning will give you energy and a positive outlook for the rest of the day. Traveling is taxing - so don't expect to set a PR - but putting on your sneakers will break up an otherwise monotonous schedule and leave you feeling positive. Bonus: You'll be glad you packed tennis shoes when stuck in the airport and want to take a concourse walk instead of watching the same CNN loop for hours.

Photograph Receipts. It is hard to keep up with those pesky crumpled slips of paper. Take a quick photo of your receipt with your phone right when you receive it. It takes 30 seconds and can save you so much hassle on the phone with Finance when you get back.

Business Travel: A Poem in 12 Lines

Don't take your shoes off, please.

Would you do that in a client meeting?

Don't answer that.

Crushing push toward the gate agent

Who you know cannot help you

Even if he wanted to.

Blue screen of death means something different here.

Reflected in the eyes of weary travelers

Gazing up at delay announcements.

"It's not all bad," you repeat to yourself

How else will you rise to the top?

Don't answer that.

Wasting Time at Work

The following hits a little too close to home: "Top Work Related Distractions: Fixing other people's work (54%)."
Guilty as charged.

This awesome graphic came from Tempo: www.tempoplugin.com

Schedules

What is your daily schedule? My typical work day (when I'm not in an airport, car or conference center far, far away), goes a little like this:

7:00a   Wake up

7:30a   Make coffee and take dog out

8:00a   Excavate inbox from weekend e-mails

8:30a   Begin to-dos for the day

11:30a  Take a 10-15min break. Make tea. Stretch. Watch animal videos.

12:30p  Lunch + take dog out 

1:15p    Long-term projects, conference calls, read reports, etc.

5:30p  Say I'm done working

6:00p  Actually done working.  Head outside or to the gym.

7:30p   Dinner

8:30p  Answer more e-mails and complain about everyone working late

10:00p Read, blog, watch TV

11:00p  Bedtime

Even at a glance, you can see that work days like this easily add up to over 40 hours a week. I've written before about how hard it is to put down the phone and close the laptop, but this schedule is generally what it takes to get everything done. (I am loath to ever fall behind.) At this point, I think we all realize that there is a point of diminishing returns. Many countries, including the top six most productive countries in the world, outlaw working over 48 hours a week. Australia prohibits work weeks over 35 hours!

So why do Americans keep working so much? Is it our Puritan-derived work ethic? Manifest destiny? Nah. I think it is peer pressure, plain and simple. "Everyone else is still working, so I guess I will too." While I continually try to buck this trend, more often than not, I fall right back into the same workaholic schedule.

However, my goal of finding sanity with a paycheck is resolute and I am always on the lookout for more efficient and effective ways to adjust the work day. I also want to set a good example for others when it comes to prioritizing work-life balance and finding success. So, I am not willing to give up yet.

Looking for Feedback?

I stopped in my tracks yesterday when I heard this "Giving feedback can be an awkward experience. Those who give it out -- employers, parents teachers -- can fear the reaction they'll get. Those who get it can feel embarrassed or unmotivated." Ok, not really... I was in the car, so stopping in my tracks would have been dangerous. The quote came from Stephen Dubner, of Freakonomics-fame and regular contributor to my favorite nerdy public radio show Marketplace.  And I couldn't agree more.

I hate feedback. I do not appreciate criticism - constructive or otherwise - EVER. I realize that this is not a quality to brag about (I'd bet the Forbes 500 list doesn't include critique-wimps like me), but I think I have a good reason. The way I see it, the person criticizing has rarely spent as much time as I have thinking, planning, weighing, implementing, tracking and assessing whatever-it-is that they do not like about my plan, decision, activity or work product. I believe that I invest more thought into my actions than most and it really grinds my gears when someone jumps-in with a piece of criticism and assumes I haven't already weighed the pros and cons of that option.

www.tumblr.com/tagged/grinds%20my%20gears

As soon as someone says "Well, I would have handled it this way", I lurch into defense mode: painstakingly arguing the multitude of reasons I disagree, something I am sure they don't care about whatsoever.  Totally not productive.

What IS the best way to deal with criticism? Grin and bear it? Release a tirade of disagreement? Probably neither. I've found the best way to respond is to tell the critic that I appreciate their interest and pivot to a question asking him or her to get involved in a more substantive way, to take ownership of the critique. This shifts the focus to the project itself (and off me) and maybe even brings in some extra help, attention or capacity to work on the solution. It also weeds out those critics who only have something to say and nothing to contribute.

Relating to my unproductive defensiveness, I could always try harder not to take things to heart. As Mr. Dufner said, "... there are two ways to look at [feedback]: you can either look at trying to make people happy or trying to make people better".

Read learn more about feedback - both positive and negative - here.

Stop Counting!

I came across an article today entitled "What worries keep you awake at night?" Reading through the author's Top 5 nighttime worries promptly increased my heart rate and made me a little clammy as my own worries pushed their way into consciousness. Now, I bet you think my list-loving-self is going to detail some of those here as an example. 

Well, you're wrong. 

Instead, I'm going to advise myself and you and anyone else I come across today to STOP COUNTING. That's right. Take a timeout from self-assessment and enjoy a day without pros and cons, without lists and without others' opinions. Instead, manifest a good night's sleep without counting sheep (or to-dos).  

Rat Race

Yesterday, I alluded to the fact that I spend an inordinate amount of time putting out make-believe fires,  i.e. scrambling to accomplish tasks on tight timelines that are entirely preventable or do not actually exist. I cannot speak for other industries, but this is a common thing in the non-profit world: a philosophy that equates being busy to producing good work and vice-versa. It kind of reminds me of this bumper sticker:

allposters.com

It is exasperating and everyone is in on it: from CEO's to mid-level employees to interns. It is easy to become an enabler for this phenomenon too. I certainly fall into it when I stop eating dinner to return an "important" e-mail or when I pick up the phone after hours... waaaay after hours. None of these bad habits lead to productivity. For me, they lead to quite the opposite: spinning my wheels until I am exhausted and left hating my job and/or feeling bad about myself. In a great piece for the Harvard Business Review, entrepreneur and productivity expert Tony Schwartz offers great advice on slowing the wheels down and re-centering your focus on the personal qualities that make you a great worker in the first place. He writes that there is a sweet spot of productivity that lasts about 90 minutes.  Breaking your projects or day up into 90 minute chunks can go a long way to achieving your goals and objectives. Pushing it much longer than that without a break to decompress does more harm than good. Instead, get up and leave your desk! Even if it's to take the dog on a walk, get a snack or chat with a coworker, it will break up the intensity of the day and you'll return to your desk with fresh perspectives and added capacity to tackle the project at hand. Another great piece of advice was to spend a few minutes giving thanks: to colleagues, a client, the UPS guy, whomever is around. Too many times we notice or critique outcomes we don't like, instead of being grateful for what works. Even if it's a small compliment, it will go a long way for both you and the recipient.  

There are tons of other great tips in the article, all of which will help get us off the hamster wheel, slow down and start feeling better about the great work we really do!

Career Development

It's too bad that most of us only evaluate our professional development when updating a resume during a job search. At those times, we invest tons of time thinking of clever descriptors, transferable skill sets and personal goals, but rarely do we do so on a day-to-day basis. Yet, it is the daily grind of work where we spend 80% of our waking life! On any given day, I spend more time assessing the efficacy of my deodorant than cultivating the qualities I need to succeed in my current position and beyond. Instead, I punch the virtual clock, scramble from one "emergency" to the next (NB: these are not true emergencies, but a complicated system of smoke and mirrors that makes it seem so) and lie awake at night formulating mental checklists for the next day. What a better employee I would be if I devoted some of the mad dash to practicing the habits and characteristics that would better serve my employer and my own career development!

Here are a few virtues that come to mind when I think of constructive redevelopment:

- Identify the root of problems: those unproductive patterns and trends that reoccur in the workplace. How many times have I smoothed over the results of a larger, more difficult challenge lying in wait? More importantly, how many times have I been an enabler to the problem itself?

- Build empathy skills. It is so easy to write someone off if they speak, think or react to a situation differently that I would. It's a rare thing to admit that my way of dealing with something is not the best way to deal with it.

- Seek complementary personalities. I spend a lot of time negotiating with troublesome personalities, a skill that I actually take some pride in. However, it's not all about dealing with difficult people. Do I actively seek out coworkers and colleagues that bring out the best in me?

These are just a few dimensions that I would love to brag about in a performance evaluation or interview. This week I'll be looking for ways to beef-up those personal qualities that better serve myself and others in the workplace. I have an inkling that all have some bearing on creating Sanity with a Side of Paycheck.

Happy Valentine's Day

A work-appropriate love note from me to you.

www.fifthandhazel.com

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Yesterday was all about success, but today let's think about happiness. In my obsession with making lists, I like to jot down a few words of current things that make me happy.
Daffodils       
                Travel daydreaming
                                                Yoga workshops
                                                                            Date nights
                                                                                               Glass of wine
It's the small things, right? Well, positivity psychologist (what a job title!) Sonja Lyubomirsky has a good list of her own: 12 Things Happy People Do Differently. Here's a quick run-through: Happy people express gratitude, cultivate optimism, avoid over-thinking and social comparison(*guilty), practice acts of kindness, nurture their relationships, develop strategies for coping, learn to forgive, increase flow experiences (that state where everything slows down and you are solely focused on a task), savor joys, commit to goals, practice spirituality and take care of oneself.

What I like about Sonja's list is that each suggestion is DOABLE, i.e. not something that requires a particular situation to arise before achieving happiness is possible.

What are the small things that make you happy?  

Success Through the Ages

If I had to make a list detailing the ingredients that make a successful career, it might look something like this:

- Feeling I've made difference at the end of the day;

- Gaining respect from my peers;

- Receiving recognition from my boss;

- Controlling my to-do lists and e-mail inbox;

- Living a life outside of work with time for family, friends and fun.

Recently, I read another such list written by Amelia Barr, a British-cum-American novelist who lived at the turn of the last century. It's interesting to compare/contrast our lists, written over 100 years apart. Amelia's list is grandiose and inspirational, while mine is practical and focused on the here and now.

Here is an abbreviated version of her Rules for Success, taken from a great book entitled "How They Succeeded":

1. Men and women succeed because they take pains to succeed. Industry and patience are almost genius; and successful people are more distinguished for resolution and perseverance than for unusual gifts.  
2. Success is the reward of those who "spurn delights and live laborious days." We learn to do things by doing them.
3. No opposition must be taken to heart. Our enemies often help us more than our friends.
4. A fatal mistake is to imagine that success is some stroke of luck. This world is run with far too tight a rein for luck to interfere.
5. We have been told, for centuries, to watch for opportunities, and to strike while the iron is hot. Very good; but I think better of Oliver Cromwell's amendment - "make the iron hot by striking it."
6. Everything good needs time. Don't do work in a hurry. Go into details; it pays in every way. Time means power for your work. Mediocrity is always in a rush; but whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing with consideration.
7. Be orderly. Slatternly work is never good work.
8. Never be above your profession.
9. Don't fail through defects of temper and over-sensitiveness at moments of trial. One of the great helps to success is to be cheerful; to go to work with a full sense of life; to be determined to put hindrances out of the way; to prevail over them and to get the mastery.

The last one really speaks to me, as someone with an "oversensitive" temper. A smile really does go a long way... then or now.