I want to go back to work but need to improve, any advice?

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Sorry this is a long list but I really need to improve in these areas. I am signed up to take a series of life skills classes so that should help. But I want to know if anyone here has had problems with the following and been able to find ways to deal with these? thank you illona

1. Having problems following verbal directions
2. Not giving people enough information for them to understand what you are saying or writing
3. Lack of confidence about knowing what to do and be able to pull it off
4. Poor fine motor skills
5. Overwhelmed if multi-tasking
6. Unable to manage time, being late, over committing
7. Scared of having conflict, run away if in conflict, avoid person have conflict with, lie to avoid conflict
8. Over familiar with boss, don't distinguish between me and them even if have experience or credentials
9. Unable to take criticism, just shut down, use it to justify that I am a bad person, a failure

Joining Toastmasters helped me with most of those issues such as 2,3,7,& 9. I have a pretty good sense of time when I speak now instead of rambling on much too long. I went pretty overboard with it for awhile; I have 2 DTM awards and still am active. It has helped me a LOT.
You might have to shop around for a club that makes you feel welcome.
Dues are pro-rated based on when you join and the dues renewal for the next bi-annual will be collected in March so it would be relatively inexpensive to join now.

Otherwise use of technology can help you.
Get a voice recorder to record verbal instructions - listen and write them down.
Google calendar and my phone/PDA keep me on time to most things. I even put in nags to rem ind me a week, a day, 3 hours before anything important.
When I have any kind of meeting I try to make up an agenda so I can stay on topic more easily.
Good luck!

1. Start listening to audiobooks.
2. (I'm out. )
3. Suck it up and do what you have to do anyway.
4. Try doing craftwork/kitchenwork/electronic projects.
5. Breathe.
6. Use a daily planner.
7. (See #3)
8. (I don't understand the problem)
9. Don't take it personally?

I'll second listening to audio books. You get better at listening with practice.

Toastmasters would be a good way to deal with these issues that is a good idea, I have taken to putting signs in up to three places about important events and rewriting my calander over and over everyday and sometimes several times in an hour to sort out my thoughts. I find if I just do things without writing a calander of events and then every task to write a detailed list of tasks. Once I write my list a few times I end up weeding out a bunch of unneded steps and finish my work much faster, just need to use these great ideas. It is good concept to remember that practice makes everything easier. I have been participating in classes and pushing myself to perform and I have gotten compliments for first time in my life.

thank you everyone

I think the key - in addition to improving these skills - is finding the right career. I know this sounds corny but I believe we're all destined to do something - careerwise - and deep down you know what that career is. If you pursue that career you'll find it much easier, and be much happier, than if you pursue the wrong career.

I accept that the dream career isn't always to obtain, of course, but, nevertheless, the above principal stands.

You are so right Another_Alien. I thought I had to be an engineer, I am good at geometry, love geometric calculus. No way did I want to be an engineer once I got into the harder classes and worked at an engineering company. I cried when I was late at work, asking myself if that was all there was, it all felt so empty. Everyone was so concerned with making things work and I just loved the data. I am a confessed data junkie. I love data, lots of data, the more the better. I ended up having an awsome professional historian teach my history class and changed my major since it was the fastest way to graduate. There is no way I am going to teach, I so afraid of people. Put me behind a big desk or have me poeple watch and I am fun. Ask me to be in a room full of people and you better include some ativan with the job,

Hence, when reading up on what to do with history degree I ended thinking about library work and was directed to join the program by a business professor. I am hevan, I get to search for data all day long and people love me for it. I also get to play with the wiki, blog, movies on powerpoint and on Camtasia.