Turning a new page
Give the gift of career help and personal growth
THE holiday decorations came out early this year, with New Yorkers wanting to make merry, as well as looking toward a brighter 2022. For some, that might mean learning to put our lives before our jobs, polishing up the skills we need to stand out or identifying and illuminating our strengths.
So for friends, family or co-workers who might be looking into these sorts of things, we’ve got some gift ideas that they may like to see in their stocking — or you might want to treat yourself to.
“Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work That Makes You Come Alive”
Jonathan Fields (HarperCollins, $24.49)
Is work a drag? Do you feel you’ve missed your calling, but don’t know what that is? “Sparked” offers a fun way to move toward an answer.
Fields says that people possess different DNA drivers called Sparketypes. There’s the Maven, Maker, Scientist, Essentialist, Performer, Sage, Warrior, Adviser, Advocate and Nurturer. Once you identify where you fit, a profile is developed, representing your impulses at both ends of the spectrum, the work that fills you up, as well as what empties you out. The idea is to focus more on the former and less on the latter, unlocking your ability to find joy in your work and to matter.
“Greenlights”
Matthew McConaughey (Crown, $16.95)
Whether you’re a movie star with an Oscar or an ordinary Joe, “We all step in s - - t some of the time,” writes McConaughey.
The trick is to scrape the brown stuff off your boot, learn a lesson (if there’s one to be had) and then move beyond it.
McConaughey’s autobiography prompts you to take work and life seriously, but to wear the results loosely. Whether you win, lose or land someplace in between, the red lights in life eventually turn green, and the green lights turn red, but they are both temporary.
The Academy Award winner shares what he’s learned about catching more green lights.
“It’s a matter of how we see the challenge in front of us and how we engage with it,” he writes.
But worry not, the book is hardly a lecture — McConaughey also has stories to share about taking peyote in a cage with a mountain lion and playing the bongos naked.
“Betting on You: How To Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career”
Laurie Ruettimann (Henry Holt and Company, $25.99)
Giving everything to your job all the time is the recipe for a breakdown. According to Ruettimann, there has to be room in your life for other things such as hobbies, relationships, rest, volunteering and even binge-watching TV shows.
A former human resources executive, Ruettimann argues that your job will take all you are willing to give, so it’s up to you to step back and say when you’ve had enough.
“Pivot away from work and embrace your emotional health. Nobody gets fired for getting more sleep and being happier. People get fired for being jerks,” writes Ruettimann, who calls on the reader to be brave and to learn how to say no.
If there’s someone in your life who doesn’t have the courage to put themselves first, Ruettimann’s book can empower them.
“Digital Body Language: How To Build Trust & Connection, No Matter the Distance”
Erica Dhawan (St. Martin’s Press, $20.99)
Working from home for almost two years has opened the door to all kinds of digital communication — and miscommunication. Whether having discussions in video meetings using Microsoft Teams, Webex or Zoom, or leveraging messaging apps like Slack, the little things you don’t say or do convey a lot, according to Dhawan.
Consider that responding to a question on Slack during a Zoom call might be received as a personal offense. Ditto for not acknowledging an e-mail. And who knew that there was a formula for crafting the subject line of an e-mail?
“Digital Body Language” is full of easy-to-implement tips that can help make you, and those around you, more productive and less frustrated in the digital world.
Headspace (Headspace.com, $12.99 per month)
With the world changing so quickly, some folks might benefit from help managing not only their time and priorities but also their anxiety. Needless to say, there’s an app (or apps) for each, like the Headspace app, which promises to help you catch your breath, relax your mind and feel 14 percent less stressed in 10 days. It also has options for sleep, exercise, mindful eating and more.
RescueTime (RescueTime.com, from $6.99 per month)
To some, time management is a challenge, and this app might help. The productivity assistant that lives in the task bar of your PC or Mac cannot only assess how you are spending your time, but also inform you that you need to stay focused without interruption. It can even trigger a Focus Session and disable interrupters.
At the end of the day or the week, you can see how much focused time you needed and used and then make plans to do better.