Turn off change tracking in Microsoft Word 2010

I had a document that was driving me crazy with tracking.  So to help other that may get frustrated, here is how to turn it off!

When you turn off change tracking, you can revise the document without marking what has changed.
This will not change anything that had already been tracked.  You should still have all the tracking to this point.

    Make sure you can see your Reviewing toolbar.  There is a graphic  of a paper and a pencil that says Track Changes.  Make sure it is clicked off.  (Word 2010)
    You will need to find where it says "Accept All Changes in Document"  Click on that and you should be on your way to no more tracking!

I hope I got this right!  Thanks for reading it.

One of the things I that heard way too many times before I finally landed the job I have now is "You were great, but you're a little too much for us." That is so frustrating! I had big ideas; I did my research about my potential employers and I was enthusiastic and ready to get started. So why did my interviews so often end up with a pat on the back and the words "no thanks?" Well, it turned out the answer was that I was a little too gung-ho - in fact, I was so ready to work that potential employers were not even taking me seriously.

How was that for an awful problem? I was literally too enthusiastic, too informed and too ready to work hard and get results! Well, I had to do something, because I knew that I was highly qualified and, frankly, better than the people who were snagging "my" jobs. So I settled down, took a deep breath, and started practicing. I toned it all down. And what happened? I still didn't get any jobs! I spoke evenly and calmly. I paused to make sure that I was conveying my points. I did not laugh and rarely cracked a smile. Finally, one of my friends at a place where I applied told me that she had heard that I "didn't even seem like I cared."

So ultimately, I was caught between a rock and a hard place. If I was myself, I was overboard. If I toned it down, I didn't show that I cared. I was getting really frustrated. Fortunately, I had some good friends who were willing to sit down with me and analyze what I was doing. We determined that I did need a little less "bounce," but that did not mean that I should lose my earnest desire to better the place where I was working. I should speak clearly and calmly (and not laugh too much), but that did not mean I should never smile or express eagerness to learn and improve my working environment. Basically, I did need to tone it down, but that did not mean I needed to write myself out of my own interviews. After a lot of practice, I finally got it right. I think that people who do not have "big" personalities may not have this particular issue as much as those who do, but if you are struggling to land a job and have everything going for you, consider toning your interview style down a little and seeing how it goes.
 

A lesson learned from experience:

When you are dressing for a flight, you may be tempted to go ultra-comfy. After all, we have all seen those people shuffling along in their fuzzy pajamas and big fluffy bunny slippers and secretly felt a little jealous. However, if you are traveling for work then there is a distinct possibility that you may not have time to change before a meeting - particularly if a flight runs late. On the other hand, if you dress too professionally then you may end up crumpled, rumpled and looking worse than if you had worn your "comfy pants." You have to strike a happy medium when you dress for a flight in order to emerge from that plane intact.

Here are some things that you can do to help keep yourself looking crisp and professional during a flight:

1. Wear clothes that fit you well.
A plane flight, however short, is not the time to cram yourself into those slacks that you love but that are getting a little tight. Even if they give you confidence on a normal day, after sitting for hours with the waistband cutting into your waist, you will not feel sleek and professional when you finally stand up. Furthermore, it is not healthy to wear constricting clothing when you will be seated for long periods of time.

2. Choose shoes that slip off.
If you can't have comfy bunny slippers, at least you can chuck your shoes once you get in your seat. The shoes should be easy to walk in but be nice enough that you do not have to change them before you enter your meeting. Pumps or kitten heels are good for this.

3. Go light on your makeup
You will not have much control over the environment on the plane. If you get hot, you will sweat and your makeup will run. Go with a moisturizer and light foundation, possibly adding a little mascara. You can add a little more later once you are off the plane.

Dressing carefully for a flight will not only make the actual flight more comfortable, but also help you look more professional when you arrive at your meeting or interview.
 

Time for another post!  I hope this post is useful to others..

As an assistant, one of your fortes is likely high productivity. Most people who have the ability to successfully work from home are naturally driven and work well without much supervision. However, often those high levels of productivity can lead to bad habits that can actually diminish your progress. Make some easy changes  that will help you work less and accomplish more!

Keep a time log
Knowing exactly how you are spending your time will help you spend it more productively. Keep track of your activities in 15-minute intervals. You may be surprised at where your days are going!

Stop multitasking
Some studies indicate that it takes you a full 20 minutes to return to optimum activity levels and focus after you have been interrupted. Multi-tasking keeps you in a constant state of this diluted focus. While you may feel like you are getting a lot done, the odds are that if you would focus on one task at a time, ultimately you would accomplish more.

Close the email
Email and instant messaging make you too accessible to your friends and colleagues, and also makes them too accessible to you. If you are working on a project that is less than enthralling, you are more likely to spend more time checking email or IMing than is really necessary. Even if you need to be highly accessible, try to keep your email checks to a 30-minute minimum, and in the interim, close the application.

By implementing these simple changes in your working style, you will soon see heightened productivity and still have time for other things in your life!
 
 

It seems at times like everyone is on Facebook. Social networking is a major part of most people's lives at this point, and even people who swore that they would never have a "profile" are uploading pictures and locations like crazy, letting the world know where they are and what they are doing. You have probably heard a lot of Facebook warnings already. You know that you are not supposed to announce your vacation schedule lest nosy burglars break in while you are away nor should you post private or identifying information about yourself that could enable someone to steal your identity or convince your children to hop in a car with them. However, there are a number of more common Facebook gaffes that can lead to serious professional consequences, including being fired.

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make on Facebook is to badmouth your boss. While you might think your employer is too busy to be online - and you may be right - someone out there is not too busy to read your wall, print out your snarky comments and deliver them in hard copy to your employer. Do not be misled by the fact that someone may be your electronic "friend;" they may feel it is their professional obligation to bring your comments to light, or they may just be bored. If your privacy settings are wrong, you might even be posting your feelings for the entire world to see.

In addition, do not post your location if you are not at work on a workday. Most offices accept that workers may occasionally call in sick when they are not feeling quite as terrible as they might imply. Most people have, at some point, taken a "mental health day" under the guise of a nasty case of the 24-hour flu. However, your little white lie can become a serious issue of integrity if your employer, who is thinking about you sitting at home sniffling and snorting in bed, notices that on Facebook you have just hit the mall or are posting pictures of your (perfectly healthy) self getting tan on the beach.

Social networking can be a great way to advance professionally and to make personal connections that can help keep you fulfilled in your daily life. However, a healthy dose of caution when you are using these sites will also help keep your private life private, and your professional life in the office exactly where it belongs.