It’s been a rough few weeks for Major League Baseball. Fantasy baseball, that is.

Specifically, my fantasy baseball team.

My #1 pick this season, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, is suspended for the final 65 games of the season for using PEDs or performance enhancing drugs.

And then there’s New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who is trying to avoid a lifetime ban from the game for his alleged use of PEDs. No, A-Rod isn’t on my team, but he’s causing heartburn in the Big Apple.

Everywhere we look: drug use dooming careers.

Did you know you could take steroids at your own job, boost productivity and get away scot-free?

To dope in the office, forget about pills, needles and human growth hormone. All you need is an open browser tab.

Use Google News to Get Better and Stronger

The wonderful folks at Google allow us to create a customizable news category for anything we can imagine. It’s a smart way to stay up on the latest headlines in our respective fields.

For instance, right now I want to keep watch on ‘Big Data,’ the nebulous term that defines all the analytics and bits of information created through our behavior online. I work in marketing, and there are lots of ways ‘Big Data’ can impact the world of communications.

To track ‘Big Data,’ I formed my own Google News group like so:

1. I went to google.com/news

2. On the right side of the screen, I clicked the wrench and at the bottom of the list I clicked ‘Advanced.’

3. On the next screen, I clicked the blue bar on the right that reads ‘Create a custom section.’

4. Then, I entered the name of the news section (‘Big Data’) and all the terms I want to associate with that topic. I chose big data, predictive analytics and data mining.

5. Once I built the news topic, it appeared at the bottom of the list on the right side where it says ‘Personalize Google News.’ I can move ‘Big Data’ up or down, and the topic also shows up along the left side under ‘ News.’

Customized Google News: Steroids for Your Career

If you start each morning with a quick perusal of your customized Google News page, you will give yourself a much-needed shot in the arm.

No, not that kind. The figurative one.

With the latest news about your business, you can:

– impress people at staff meetings

– speak knowledgeably at networking events

– make sure you’re always ‘in the know’

– understand the trends that may impact your bottom line (i.e. ‘Big Data’)

– leverage the information in 1,000 other ways that make you more valuable

Think of each article as a tiny pill that enhances your skills and gives you an edge. Over time, you develop into a mentally fit young professional ready to match wits with anyone in the office.

And if people become suspicious and ask “Are you doping?”

You can look them square in the eyes and say “Yep. Every single day.”

How do you stay on top of industry news?

Share below!

Feature photo from Erwin Bernal (Flickr)