Do you feel stuck in a rut with your career? You’re not alone. Plenty of people feel stuck. What you need is to clarify your career goals for the new year. Whether you hope to start your own business, get a promotion, or find a better job, it’s time to put together a strategy that works.

In this episode, we talk about how you can come up with realistic career goals this year, and the steps you can take to achieve them.

Concepts

* How to figure out what you really want out of your career this year.

* Understanding the why behind your desire for a change at work.

* What types of career goals and strategies make sense for you?

* How to set realistic goals.

* How to integrate your career goals into your overall life objectives.

* Tips for setting goals that might take more than a year to achieve.

* Who to talk to if you need guidance.

* The importance of knowing what you need to accomplish your goals.

* How to find free and paid resources to help you proceed.

* Tips for turning your goals into a strategy that works.

Our DO NOWs are all about getting started ASAP. We talk about figuring out the kind of work you want to do and researching what you need to make it happen. Then we encourage you to take that first step toward your career goals.

What happens when you’re happy with your job and your parents want to push you to be “more”? It can be tough to deal with this type of situation. We talk about what it means to be content, and why it’s ok if you don’t want to always be chasing more money.

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Resources

Many people are looking for a new job in the new year.

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Subscribe on YouTube to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Show Notes

Ugh. Does your first job out of college suck?

Join the club.

One of the first harsh lessons of adulting is that sometimes you don’t get your dream job when you finish your degree. But just because the job sucks, doesn’t mean you can’t learn something.

Lindsay VanSomeren from Notorious D.E.B.T. joins us to talk about her terrible first job after college — and what she did to get out of the rut. It’s your first job, not your permanent job. Learn, survive, and move on to something better.

Find Lindsay on Twitter and Facebook.

Watch the video above or listen to the audio podcast below.

Hosted byHarlan L. Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

We hear about IQ all the time — even if it’s controversial. However, book smarts and the ability to pass a test might not help you a lot in your interactions with other people. What you need to develop is emotional intelligence.

The ability connect with others is an important part of life. When you develop emotional intelligence, your relationships with others, from your friends to your coworkers to your kids to your parents to your life partner, improve immensely.

Concepts

* What it means to be emotionally intelligent.

* How your emotional intelligence helps you interact with others.

* Tips for using emotional control to problem-solve.

* The importance of being able to understand others.

* How to develop an emotionally intelligent approach to life.

* Tips for boost your level of emotional intelligence.

* Learning to recognize your emotions and others.

* How to practice different activities to make you more emotionally intelligent.

Use this week’s DO NOWs to get started with developing your emotional intelligence. Begin recording your feelings in a journal, and practice active listening. You can also begin looking for others’ good qualities and get input from others about your own personality and how you come across.

Having trouble identifying social cues? Our question this week looks at what happens when you struggle in social situations. We talk about developing emotional intelligence and how to improve your skills if needed.

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Resources

Basics of emotional intelligence

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Subscribe on YouTube to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Show Notes

Are you trying to figure out a health plan? During open enrollment, it can be difficult to decide what to pick. After all, there can be a lot of choices. You want to make sure you get the right one for you.

Today we’re joined by Jennifer Jackson from ADLT 101. She talks about the first time she tried to find a health plan. We’ll talk about how to make the most of your company options, and what to watch for the next time the government exchanges are open.

Health insurance is one of those things you need as an adult, whether you think you’ll get sick or not.

Find Jennifer on Twitter and Facebook.

You can always ask us questions in the #Adulting community on Facebook as well.

Watch the video above or listen to the audio podcast below.

Hosted byHarlan L. Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

Do you wish your friends and family would see you more? Maybe the issue is your living space. Is it comfortable? Is it clean?

If it’s not, that could be the issue. When your place is cluttered and/or dirty, it’s uncomfortable and it’s difficult for people to feel at home, they won’t want to come over. So, what can you do?

We’re going to talk about how you can make your living space into a place others want to be.

Concepts

* Why it’s important to clear clutter and clean up.

* Overcoming the difficulties of organizing and cleaning when it’s been a long time.

* The benefits of a clean and organized living space.

* Main issues: disorganization and cleanliness.

* Tips for organizing your living space.

* Ideas for cleaning your space — and keeping it clean.

* Why you should consider reducing what you have.

* Tricks for organization when you live in a small space.

* How to maintain your organized and clean space once you have it.

For this week’s DO NOWs, we start by looking at the living space and figuring out where to start. Choose one area and tackle that. Then move forward.

Do you wish friends and family would just accept your messiness? They might like YOU, but they might not be comfortable in your home. We talk about reconciling that reality in response to this week’s listener question.

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Do you want a better job? You need professional references to help you reach the next level.

As always, who you know matters. You don’t necessarily need to know someone on the inside, but you do need to have references who matter. As you apply for jobs, make sure you have the right references to make a difference in your career search.

Concepts

* Reasons your professional references matter so much.

* How the right references can build your credibility.

* Tips for choosing the right people to serve as your references.

* The difference between personal references and professional references.

* How to approach potential references.

* Things you need to let your references know if you want to make the most of the situation.

* Why you need to be prepared to write your own letter of recommendation.

* What to do after your reference has agreed to help you out.

* Tips for leveraging your network down the road.

For this week’s DO NOWs, we take a look at how you can identify professional references and practice how to approach them. Then we ask you to take action and make contact with one reference this week.

What happens if you don’t have anyone who can give you a good reference? This week’s reader question tackles the thorny issue of winning over a reluctant reference.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Subscribe on YouTube to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Show Notes

Today we don’t have a video, but we did talk to Lillian Karabaic from Oh My Dollar!. We talk about finding your dream job. Lillian has had several interesting jobs in her life, and she’s done what she can to enjoy what she does.

Sometimes, your dream job isn’t what you think it is. And sometimes you have to create your own dream. No matter your path, though, it’s possible for you to enjoy yourself and make a difference.

Lillian brings a dash of glitter to everything she does, from personal finance to job hunting. Let’s make it happen. With kittens!

Oh My Dollar! on Twitter.

Oh My Dollar! on Facebook.

And make sure to join us at the #Adulting community on Facebook!

Listen to the audio podcast below.

Hosted byHarlan L. Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com

Holiday debt is a real thing. And it can be super stressful. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you’re going to use a credit card — and carry debt into the new year.

It doesn’t have to be like that, though. You can save money during the holidays and still have an amazing time. We’ll show you how to avoid being another holiday debt statistic.

Concepts

* How come we feel like we need to spend so much during the holidays?

* Do you feel like you have to travel?

* Problems with getting caught up in the excitement and overspending.

* Tips for avoiding debt during the holidays.

* How to save money during the holidays.

* Ideas for creative ways to show your loved ones you care without overspending.

* How to create rules and a budget around your holiday spending.

* Tips for making sure you avoid this problem next year.

Our DO NOWs focus on helping you save money during the holidays by getting your spending under control. We talk about setting up a realistic budget and savings plan and making a list of things you need to cut back on.

This week’s listener question is about trying to explain to others what you’re doing to save money during the holidays without looking cheap.

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Resources

Holiday spending trends

You want to talk to someone, but you get tongue-tied. Trying to talk to someone you’re attracted to can be difficult. After all, you don’t want to say something stupid or end up rejected.

In this episode, we talk about how you can meet people you’re attracted to and even talk to them without falling on your face. Can you make that first move?

Concepts

* Reasons it’s so difficult to meet people you’re attracted to.

* How introverts and those with social anxiety can find it even more difficult to talk to someone you’re attracted to.

* Fear of rejection and feeling foolish.

* How to feel better about rejection, and why it’s good.

* Tips for approaching someone you’re attracted to.

* Ideas for asking questions and starting a conversation.

* What to do after you’ve had a successful conversation.

* Tips for avoiding playing games afterward.

Our DO NOWs this week focus on your ability to meet people without feeling totally uncomfortable. We talk about feeling good about yourself and practicing with a friend.

Our reader question takes a look at what to do if your attempts to approach someone doesn’t work.

Become a Friend of Adulting

To get Adulting delivered directly to your device, subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or your app of choice.

Join the Friends of Adulting! Please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. We would really appreciate the feedback!

Resources

How to break the ice.

Once in a while, we present Adulting.tv LIVE! Subscribe on YouTube to hear about future events, and share your questions about or suggestions for our next discussions!

Show Notes

You know you want to travel. But you also need to be on a budget. Today, we talk to Whitney Hansen about how she does the travel while budgeting thing. We look at tips you can use to save money on travel. We even take a look at how you can do it with kids.

Just because you don’t have a ton of money doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy seeing new things. Here’s how to get out of town no matter how much (or little) you have.

twitter.com/whitneyhansenco

Facebook.com/whitneyhansenco

instagram.com/whitney_hansen_co

WhitneyHansen.com

themoneynerds.com

Watch the video above or listen to the audio podcast below.

Hosted byHarlan L. Landes and Miranda Marquit

Produced byadulting.tv

Edited and mixed bySteve Stewart

Music bybensound.com