Do you update your Facebook status or browse Stub-Hub for hockey tickets on the job?  If you do, chances are you're looking over your shoulder to make sure your supervisor isn't watching.   RELAX.   You'll never believe what a recent article in TrainingIndustry.com stated:

According to the Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne:   "Workers who engage in workplace Internet leisure browsing are 9 percent more productive than those who don't".  Why? Leisure browsing generates ideas and discussion, boosts engagement and productivity, and sparks creativity amidst the mundane duties of a standard workday.  Some go as far as considering leisure browsing to be adding to an employee's knowledge-base, thereby fulfilling companies' overall objectives. 

Sounds far-fetched?  Believe it or not, there is some truth to these statements.  What do leisure Internet browsing and corporate productivity have in common?  It's all about the platform.

The vast migration toward E-Learning and real-time collaboration in the workplace can only be attributed to today's incredible attraction to the virtual sharing world.  Individuals who engage in virtual knowledge sharing are indeed strengthening the mobile business world and demonstrating the power of harnessing brainpower regardless of time or space. 

So tell your boss to allow her employees to sharpen their Facebook skills.  Have your manager encourage eBay bidding and Craigslist negotiating during company time.  Want to demonstrate that creativity and shoe shopping go hand- in-hand in the workplace? Now's your chance to prove it!

It's almost February 1.  An entire month has passed since the inception of our ground-breaking plans to better ourselves. 

Anyone making progress?

I've often heard complaints about the gym being too crowded during the month of January.  Too many people believing they'll stick to an exercise routine that will actually help them shed the 10-15 lbs. they've been meaning to shed for the past 10-15 years. 

If you have met with success or at least maintained consistency on your road to improvement – good for you.  As for the others, well, there's always next year.    

So what makes New Year's resolutions so exciting?  What's all the hype about? Change. Improvement. Advancement.  Everyone is up for a little change.  Especially when the change is for the better.  The idea of starting with a fresh slate is always enticing and encouraging. 

So, if you're having a difficult time sticking with your goals don't get discouraged.  Break down your goals into smaller, attainable steps - or set up landmarks along the way.  Reward yourself for reaching the small accomplishments.  Don't get discouraged. Working out 3 days a week instead of every day for the rest of the year is probably a more attainable aspiration. 

Change is exciting – but you have to work hard for it – consistently.  If your resolution was to pound the gym – I hope your sneakers aren't already accumulated dust.  Bottom line, don't get burned out.  After all, it is only February 1.