Remember that old childhood story about Chicken Little convincing her friends that the sky was falling? Well, if you watch the news and read the papers on a consistent basis these days, it’s easy to begin believing that our sky is indeed falling. I just caught myself on this a couple of weeks ago. Time to take control of the only thing we can – ourselves and our thoughts. Read on…
From Jack Canfield’s Success Principles, principle #4 talks about the “expectancy theory”, yet another powerful example of how our brains work. Scientists say our brains expect certain outcomes because of our life-long conditioning. Through events and education, we believe things will turn out a certain way, whether they actually do or not. However, it is possible to replace negative expectations with positive ones. So when you begin to believe that the outcome you want truly is possible, your brain will start working on making that happen.
Now, let’s relate this to a real-life story about a job search from a former client of mine:
The first thing that struck me about Terry when we began working together a few months ago, was his confidence and absolute belief that he would find the type of job he desired. He never wavered from this and after getting clear on his wants & needs, brushing up his resume and getting the word out to his network, he started interviewing. Fast forward to last week: he accepted a job offer doing the type of work he had in mind for a growing exciting company, and still has two pending offers coming through from other possible employers. His advice to other job seekers: Get clear on what you want and believe that your vision is possible. Terry expected to achieve what he set out to do, rolled up his sleeves, took action, ignored the naysayers, and now is enjoying the reality of his vision, dare I say – even in “this economy”!
Your Challenge This Week: Pick a goal or dream you’ve put aside because of an expectation that it’s not possible at this time. Perhaps a promotion, a new project, new clients, bigger sales, new job, or…you fill in the blank. Think it through in very specific detail so that you can easily see it happening. Get past obstacles by asking “why not?” and “what if?” Try acting as if it is possible to have this thing you want. Choose to believe that you really can have it and expect to see it show up in your life. Believe in yourself and go for it!
Please post your success stories about how what you wanted showed up in your life. This stuff works! Tell us about it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Passion at Work - Real Life Stories
Many of you, I’m sure, celebrated Valentine’s Day this past weekend and recognized that much acclaimed passion in your significant relationship. That emotion that takes hold of us and makes everything else seem less of a priority can and does happen in the workplace, as I’ve been discussing this month. Read on for some real-life stories about people who absolutely LOVE what they do for a living.
*A dynamic grandma and former real estate professional is now heading a thriving non-profit business based on the concept of teaching kids the importance of self worth and appreciation of themselves and others on a world-wide scale.
*A woman who for 10 years worked in her family’s construction business and thought she’d found her niche. Then she realized that her new church activities were taking up lots of her time and found she didn’t mind that a bit. After analysis of the possibilities over a 6 month period, she is now happily entrenched in seminary school so she can build a career on helping people in a spiritual sense.
*An entrepreneur at heart whose career in selling business planning and management tools to small business owners developed into her own company for helping small businesses flourish and reach their goals with the aid of her experience and passion for other entrepreneurs.
*A former marketing executive in corporate and non-profit America had health issues which caused rethinking of his future. A lifelong passion for a healthy environment paved the way to opportunities in using his skills and expertise for the benefit of a large utility company and their ventures with the construction industry.
*A woman who thought her ideal career as a business coach would take her into retirement eventually realized that her true passion and talents were better suited to helping women transform their personal and professional lives. She now has her own successful coaching practice.
*A small business owner whose labor-intensive company was zapping his time and energy so much so that there was not much left after hours for his young family. He successfully made the switch to becoming a full time employee elsewhere so he could be more a part of his wife and kids’ lives on a daily basis.
*A professional man passionate about mentoring young adults in their careers, now leads a team of young engineers and is considered one of the most successful departments in a manufacturing company and looked to as the example to follow.
What do all these stories have in common? They identified their passions, persevered in integrating them, and held the desire to live life full out thus creating more meaning and satisfaction. Proof that it can be done and is happening right in front of us to people we see everyday. How about you?
To Do this Week: Review this month’s messages about passion and pick one activity that will help incorporate yours into your work life. Talk to someone who’s living their work dream and learn their story. Figure out how you can have some of that! Then write your own passion story and feel the reward and satisfaction. It’s well worth the effort.
*A dynamic grandma and former real estate professional is now heading a thriving non-profit business based on the concept of teaching kids the importance of self worth and appreciation of themselves and others on a world-wide scale.
*A woman who for 10 years worked in her family’s construction business and thought she’d found her niche. Then she realized that her new church activities were taking up lots of her time and found she didn’t mind that a bit. After analysis of the possibilities over a 6 month period, she is now happily entrenched in seminary school so she can build a career on helping people in a spiritual sense.
*An entrepreneur at heart whose career in selling business planning and management tools to small business owners developed into her own company for helping small businesses flourish and reach their goals with the aid of her experience and passion for other entrepreneurs.
*A former marketing executive in corporate and non-profit America had health issues which caused rethinking of his future. A lifelong passion for a healthy environment paved the way to opportunities in using his skills and expertise for the benefit of a large utility company and their ventures with the construction industry.
*A woman who thought her ideal career as a business coach would take her into retirement eventually realized that her true passion and talents were better suited to helping women transform their personal and professional lives. She now has her own successful coaching practice.
*A small business owner whose labor-intensive company was zapping his time and energy so much so that there was not much left after hours for his young family. He successfully made the switch to becoming a full time employee elsewhere so he could be more a part of his wife and kids’ lives on a daily basis.
*A professional man passionate about mentoring young adults in their careers, now leads a team of young engineers and is considered one of the most successful departments in a manufacturing company and looked to as the example to follow.
What do all these stories have in common? They identified their passions, persevered in integrating them, and held the desire to live life full out thus creating more meaning and satisfaction. Proof that it can be done and is happening right in front of us to people we see everyday. How about you?
To Do this Week: Review this month’s messages about passion and pick one activity that will help incorporate yours into your work life. Talk to someone who’s living their work dream and learn their story. Figure out how you can have some of that! Then write your own passion story and feel the reward and satisfaction. It’s well worth the effort.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Putting Passion into Practice, part 2
Last week I mentioned some ways to identify your passions or even clarify those you are already aware of. A really good book on the topic, The Passion Test, gives much more information and in-depth exercises for identifying them. It’s definitely a process. The passions I started with last year when I read the book have been reworked and refined until they are much more specific. For instance, I started with “inspire and encourage others to reach higher to discover their potential”. Now it reads “leading and facilitating groups where new ideas and methods are discussed, thus getting each person closer to doing what they love”. Here’s the next step in connecting the dots between work and passion: integrating them into your work life.
Putting that Passion into Practice
The best way I know for making a change (like integrating your now identified passions into your life) is to make a goal of it and create a realistic action plan. I’ve mentioned many times that studies show the most successful people set goals, and not only that, they write their goals down, keep them visible, and review them often. Next, think of ways to achieve this goal by creating an action plan, step by step activities that answer the question, “how can I do more of that?” And last but not least, hold yourself accountable for achieving them.
Let’s take an example of someone who is passionate about teaching and training. Their goal becomes “Spend more time each week in a training/teaching role until it becomes my primary function.” Their action plan may include such steps as “determine training needs in my department”, “find or develop appropriate classes for my employees, clients and colleagues”, “attend ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) monthly meetings for exposure to the field”, and “volunteer at xyz organization to teach xyz class”. These can be broken down into even smaller steps if needed – whatever it takes to make them feel realistic and achievable. The next step is to assign a date that each step will be completed by and put it on the calendar and weekly to-do lists to ensure activity. Regular review of progress, realigning with other priorities when needed, and noting accomplishments toward reaching the goal are all critical parts of the process.
Need some help getting started? I have a very simple worksheet for identifying and integrating Passions into your work life that I’ll be happy share with you. Please add a comment to this post and I'll send it to you.
To-Do this Week: Write down at least one goal that will add more passion to your life. Next, determine the action steps required which help you “do more of that”. Write these down and assign a due date – add to your calendar and hold yourself accountable. Even better, share this process with a friend and hold each other accountable. Celebrate your accomplishments and progress toward making your work more fulfilling and exciting, step by step.
“Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
~Arnold H. Glasow, American humorist and author, 1905-1998
Putting that Passion into Practice
The best way I know for making a change (like integrating your now identified passions into your life) is to make a goal of it and create a realistic action plan. I’ve mentioned many times that studies show the most successful people set goals, and not only that, they write their goals down, keep them visible, and review them often. Next, think of ways to achieve this goal by creating an action plan, step by step activities that answer the question, “how can I do more of that?” And last but not least, hold yourself accountable for achieving them.
Let’s take an example of someone who is passionate about teaching and training. Their goal becomes “Spend more time each week in a training/teaching role until it becomes my primary function.” Their action plan may include such steps as “determine training needs in my department”, “find or develop appropriate classes for my employees, clients and colleagues”, “attend ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) monthly meetings for exposure to the field”, and “volunteer at xyz organization to teach xyz class”. These can be broken down into even smaller steps if needed – whatever it takes to make them feel realistic and achievable. The next step is to assign a date that each step will be completed by and put it on the calendar and weekly to-do lists to ensure activity. Regular review of progress, realigning with other priorities when needed, and noting accomplishments toward reaching the goal are all critical parts of the process.
Need some help getting started? I have a very simple worksheet for identifying and integrating Passions into your work life that I’ll be happy share with you. Please add a comment to this post and I'll send it to you.
To-Do this Week: Write down at least one goal that will add more passion to your life. Next, determine the action steps required which help you “do more of that”. Write these down and assign a due date – add to your calendar and hold yourself accountable. Even better, share this process with a friend and hold each other accountable. Celebrate your accomplishments and progress toward making your work more fulfilling and exciting, step by step.
“Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
~Arnold H. Glasow, American humorist and author, 1905-1998
Monday, February 02, 2009
Putting Passion into Practice!
I had the great pleasure of being the speaker at the monthly meeting of the Good Ol’ Gals networking group last week in North San Diego County where close to 60 dynamic, creative women were in attendance. The topic was one of my favorites and very appropriate for the month of February: Putting Passion into our Work. Before making a career transition into my own career services business almost 4 years ago, I had made no connection between “work” and “passion”. Now I get it. I hope you do, or will, too.
What’s the Connection?
Passion is that powerful emotion that drives us to act or behave in certain ways. We can all relate to the romantic, February 14th type of passion; how and why does this emotion relate to work? Most of us spend an incredible amount of time working, usually more than just 8 hours per day. When you factor in morning preparation and 2-way commute time, you’re looking at 10 hours or more. That’s not even counting “mind time” when you’re still mulling over work issues without even being there!
What if you were doing work you absolutely love, work you feel “called” to do? What a difference that feeling, that passion, would make in those work hours. Imagine feeling fulfilled, completely engaged, and satisfied that you are making a contribution to others’ lives. Studies prove that people who do what they love for a living are happier and healthier – mentally and physically. They focus on the positive, less on negative, and therefore are less stressed. Family and friends find them more fun to be with, interesting to talk to, positive and expressive.
Ready to put some passion in your work? First you need to identify what your passions are by taking the time to answer the following questions:
1. What is it about your work that gets you out of bed in the morning?
2. What are you doing during the workday when time flies by?
3. What are you doing when, upon completion, you say “I can’t wait to do that again!”?
4. Complete this sentence: When my work life is ideal, I am…
This starts the process of putting more passion in your work. Your answers are clues to what you are happiest doing and get you closer to doing work you love.
To-Do this Week: Get a blank piece of paper and write answers to the 4 questions above If you already feel passionate about your work, maybe you can add a little more. If you have a good job but aren’t necessarily excited about it or able to leave just yet, here’s a way to make it more interesting. And if you’re in transition, actively looking for work, definitely take the time to do this exercise so your next job will include your passions from the get-go.
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman, theologian and writer
Are you passionate about your work? Drop me a comment and let me know how you made that happen!
What’s the Connection?
Passion is that powerful emotion that drives us to act or behave in certain ways. We can all relate to the romantic, February 14th type of passion; how and why does this emotion relate to work? Most of us spend an incredible amount of time working, usually more than just 8 hours per day. When you factor in morning preparation and 2-way commute time, you’re looking at 10 hours or more. That’s not even counting “mind time” when you’re still mulling over work issues without even being there!
What if you were doing work you absolutely love, work you feel “called” to do? What a difference that feeling, that passion, would make in those work hours. Imagine feeling fulfilled, completely engaged, and satisfied that you are making a contribution to others’ lives. Studies prove that people who do what they love for a living are happier and healthier – mentally and physically. They focus on the positive, less on negative, and therefore are less stressed. Family and friends find them more fun to be with, interesting to talk to, positive and expressive.
Ready to put some passion in your work? First you need to identify what your passions are by taking the time to answer the following questions:
1. What is it about your work that gets you out of bed in the morning?
2. What are you doing during the workday when time flies by?
3. What are you doing when, upon completion, you say “I can’t wait to do that again!”?
4. Complete this sentence: When my work life is ideal, I am…
This starts the process of putting more passion in your work. Your answers are clues to what you are happiest doing and get you closer to doing work you love.
To-Do this Week: Get a blank piece of paper and write answers to the 4 questions above If you already feel passionate about your work, maybe you can add a little more. If you have a good job but aren’t necessarily excited about it or able to leave just yet, here’s a way to make it more interesting. And if you’re in transition, actively looking for work, definitely take the time to do this exercise so your next job will include your passions from the get-go.
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman, theologian and writer
Are you passionate about your work? Drop me a comment and let me know how you made that happen!
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