Use Blogging to Achieve Your Professional Goals

By: David Schuchman
       Princeton Technology Advisors, LLC
       Innovative Solutions for Your Growing Business

As I look at the performance of my own TechTopics4U blog site, I am impressed by how my following has grown, both organically and with my own self-promotion. For example, my site no longer has any zero-view days.

Here are my observations as to why you should use active blogging for achieving your professional goals:

Establish Yourself as an Expert in Your Field
As you write more posts and share more of your expertise, your blog site will change from "just another blog" into a strong demonstration of your knowledge in a field. When somebody visits your site and sees the insights you have shared on a subject, along with the comments of people who respect and seek that insight, it will be clear that you are genuinely an expert in the field. Being an expert is a good thing. You may get consideration for new business, career advancement, or consulting opportunities.

You Will Become a Better Communicator
Just the discipline of sitting down and writing will improve your writing and communication skills. The more you blog, the more you write. Therefore, you will become a more effective communicator of your ideas.

Take Control of Your Online Identity
Whether you are a person or business, there is probably a lot of information about you online. When somebody searches for you or your company online, you want to make sure that they get an accurate and complete picture of who you are and what you are passionate about. A blog is a great way for you to control your online identity and make sure that the top search engine results make the right first impression.

Build Your Professional Network
Starting a blog is a great way to expand your professional network. A blog is a good platform for reaching out to others, who in turn will look to contact you. Interesting and relevant blog posts attract readers who will then comment on your site, and can send you personal messages through your "contact us" widget or page. Some of your readers will ask for help, while others will look to help you.

Improve Your Visibility and SEO
People search for and discover information online more than ever. Search engines want to deliver results that are helpful and relevant to their users. When you write a series of in-depth and valuable posts around a topic, search engines such as Google takes notice. Each blog post that you publish is another opportunity to get traffic from search results. In addition, the comments you receive on your blog posts implies that your blog postings are relevant, which will also improve the SEO visibility of you and your blog site.

No Dessert until After You Eat Your Dinner!

By: Tom Callahan
       Only Seniors, LLC
       Crisis Manager and Consultant

Remember when you were growing up and your mother told you, “No dessert until you finish your dinner.”  She also imparted other words of wisdom like, “Eat all your vegetables to grow up big and strong."  It was instilled in you that a balanced mean contained selections from the five basic food groups. 

So, why is it that when you now go to visit your elderly mother, she has cabinets full of cookies, pop-tarts and Entenmann’s pastries but nary a vegetable in sight?  Who is this woman and where has your mother gone?

This phenomenon is quite common and a sign of several different issues. 

If your mother is single, understand that it has become more of a chore to cook dinner for one than it was to cook for the whole family.  

It is also a sign of depression.  Sugary foods are a treat and provide short term comfort.  When mom is feeling lonely or sad, she turns to pop-tarts and the sadness disappears…temporally. 

It can also be a sign of dementia.  Mom is forgetting basic skills like cooking but she remembers how to open the Entenmann’s box.  And as stated above, that box brings pleasure.

So, what is one to do? 

The first thing to do is realize it is an issue.  The next thing to do is to make a plan.   Sit down and talk with mom to see what might be causing the issue.  Dine with mom a couple times a week.  Make sure she goes home with leftovers in microwavable containers.  Look into some meal delivery programs, (store bought frozen dinners aren't the best option).  Check in with mom to make sure she is eating.

Proper nutrition is important at all ages.