As we wrap up the last few days of January 2007 (that was fast), some parting words on those new goals and intentions you’ve set.
In a great 5-step simple process for goal setting I recently read about, the last step was something most of us don't think much about:
“Get support. Find a friend, coworker, or hire a coach to keep you accountable and moving forward. Check in weekly with that person to track progress and celebrate victories you have along the way.”
By sharing your goals with someone and asking them to help you stay on track toward achieving them, it’s not so easy to just shove them into a drawer for the next several months and hope they come true somehow. A little bit of self-induced pressure to meet a goal and keep your word with someone is great motivation! Choose this person carefully – someone who is objective, not too emotionally tied to you, and won’t let you off the hook. Your “accountability partner” may be a friend, co-worker, mentor, coach, or even a small group of colleagues, such as a Master Mind group. Even better if you can reciprocate by holding them accountable to their own goals.
Make arrangements to meet or phone the same time every week to check in on progress and successes. As this person becomes more understanding of your goals and actions, they may be able to provide ideas, information, contacts, and resources as well. They become an important piece of your network.
As Jack Canfield says in his book, Success Principles, “The key to a successful accountability relationship is choosing someone who is as excited about reaching his or her goal as you are about reaching yours – someone who is committed to your success and theirs.”
So, think about who you can call on to take this role to help you achieve your goals and enjoy that success you so rightly deserve!
I invite your comments and success stories on this topic. How's 2007 starting out for you?
Please visit my websit at www.LousbergUnlimited.com to learn more about my career management and employee retention services.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Career Change Strategy for the New Year
Statistics from most recent job satisfaction surveys are coming in:
66% of working adults in a poll of 5000 say they’ll be considering a job change this year.
Over 50% of those people say they want that next job to provide balance and satisfaction in their lives vs. just more money.
6% can honestly say they “love” their jobs, while over 50% say they really “hate” their jobs.
Average job tenure these days is just 2 years.
A little disparity out there in the workplace, I’d say. So what does one do if they find themselves unhappy, unfulfilled, and stressed out with their current career? Below is a suggested strategy for making a career change. Please feel free to pass this along to whomever you know needing this advice so they can get started now.
1. Take stock – what are your strengths and accomplishments and experience to date?
2. Do some introspective work – identify your values, motivators, passions.
3. What would you really like to do? (identifying what you don’t want is a good start)
4. Define what your desired work environment looks like – its appearance, culture, pace, location 5. Temper the above with a dose of reality – what will it take, what will it cost, and with minor change, would my current job be a fit?
6. Revive and build your Network
7. Review your resume – does it accurately and positively reflect your experience and will it get you an interview?
8. Make a plan with action steps and target dates
9. Start the job search process
As with any major change, this takes commitment and time. The satisfaction, fulfillment and knowing you’re doing the work you love far outweigh any inconvenience. It can be done!
Here’s one more thing:
Please make note of my upcoming “New Year…New Career” workshop on January 27th in Vista, CA where these very things will be discussed. Contact me for more information. LousbergUnlimited@cox.net
and visit my website at
www.LousbergUnlimited.com
66% of working adults in a poll of 5000 say they’ll be considering a job change this year.
Over 50% of those people say they want that next job to provide balance and satisfaction in their lives vs. just more money.
6% can honestly say they “love” their jobs, while over 50% say they really “hate” their jobs.
Average job tenure these days is just 2 years.
A little disparity out there in the workplace, I’d say. So what does one do if they find themselves unhappy, unfulfilled, and stressed out with their current career? Below is a suggested strategy for making a career change. Please feel free to pass this along to whomever you know needing this advice so they can get started now.
1. Take stock – what are your strengths and accomplishments and experience to date?
2. Do some introspective work – identify your values, motivators, passions.
3. What would you really like to do? (identifying what you don’t want is a good start)
4. Define what your desired work environment looks like – its appearance, culture, pace, location 5. Temper the above with a dose of reality – what will it take, what will it cost, and with minor change, would my current job be a fit?
6. Revive and build your Network
7. Review your resume – does it accurately and positively reflect your experience and will it get you an interview?
8. Make a plan with action steps and target dates
9. Start the job search process
As with any major change, this takes commitment and time. The satisfaction, fulfillment and knowing you’re doing the work you love far outweigh any inconvenience. It can be done!
Here’s one more thing:
Please make note of my upcoming “New Year…New Career” workshop on January 27th in Vista, CA where these very things will be discussed. Contact me for more information. LousbergUnlimited@cox.net
and visit my website at
www.LousbergUnlimited.com
Monday, January 08, 2007
Making Change...and Making it Stick
Good News: a New Year gives us the feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate with the world of possibility before us, so we make resolutions.
Not so good news: In studies of more than 60,000 people over the past 15 years, psychologist Dr. James Prochaska and his associates found that only 77 percent of New Year's resolutions survive the first week. A month later, that decreases to 55 percent.
More Good News: There is a way to successfully make change, according to Dr. Prochaska, and it involves a 6 stage cycle. By identifying and understanding where we are in the process, we gain more control of the cycle and move through the change process less painfully, quicker and more efficiently. Here are his six stages:
1. Pre-contemplation (denial)
2. Contemplation (thinking about change)
3. Preparation (ready to make change within 30 days)
4. Action
5. Maintenance (holding onto the new behavior despite challenges)
6. Termination (the old behavior no longer exists)
The good Dr. notes that only 5% of people experience no setbacks. Most successful changers go through the six-stage cycle 3 or 4 times before they complete the process. He calls this “recycling”, indicating it is a process still in motion.
I like it. Change is a process, not something we can necessarily expect to achieve starting on January 1 just because we wrote it down. A good tool and a process we can understand, coupled with knowing it’s ok to dust ourselves off and get back on the horse however many times it takes, is very powerful. Try it out. I’ll apply it to my goal of working smarter, not harder this year.
One more thing: I ran across this “Affirmation for your New Year” from a book called “The Wealthy Spirit” and want to share it with you:
I am a person. I am a good person, and I love and care for those around me.
I do the best I can to spread joy and cheer in the world, take care of my responsibilities, and be honest, faithful and true to myself and others.
If I fail today, I will try to do better tomorrow.
No mistake is worthless if I learn something from it.
I hold myself harmless from perfection.
Here's to an exceptional New Year!
(thanks to Marcia Bench and her blog post regarding the Change Cycle by Dr. Prochaska)
Not so good news: In studies of more than 60,000 people over the past 15 years, psychologist Dr. James Prochaska and his associates found that only 77 percent of New Year's resolutions survive the first week. A month later, that decreases to 55 percent.
More Good News: There is a way to successfully make change, according to Dr. Prochaska, and it involves a 6 stage cycle. By identifying and understanding where we are in the process, we gain more control of the cycle and move through the change process less painfully, quicker and more efficiently. Here are his six stages:
1. Pre-contemplation (denial)
2. Contemplation (thinking about change)
3. Preparation (ready to make change within 30 days)
4. Action
5. Maintenance (holding onto the new behavior despite challenges)
6. Termination (the old behavior no longer exists)
The good Dr. notes that only 5% of people experience no setbacks. Most successful changers go through the six-stage cycle 3 or 4 times before they complete the process. He calls this “recycling”, indicating it is a process still in motion.
I like it. Change is a process, not something we can necessarily expect to achieve starting on January 1 just because we wrote it down. A good tool and a process we can understand, coupled with knowing it’s ok to dust ourselves off and get back on the horse however many times it takes, is very powerful. Try it out. I’ll apply it to my goal of working smarter, not harder this year.
One more thing: I ran across this “Affirmation for your New Year” from a book called “The Wealthy Spirit” and want to share it with you:
I am a person. I am a good person, and I love and care for those around me.
I do the best I can to spread joy and cheer in the world, take care of my responsibilities, and be honest, faithful and true to myself and others.
If I fail today, I will try to do better tomorrow.
No mistake is worthless if I learn something from it.
I hold myself harmless from perfection.
Here's to an exceptional New Year!
(thanks to Marcia Bench and her blog post regarding the Change Cycle by Dr. Prochaska)
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