Jobs, Death and Living Life

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:21:20 +0000

Jobs, Death and Living Life

I recently lost my brother-in-law James. He was brutally murdered. You may be asking yourself how this morbid topic could possibly pertain to having a better, more enjoyable job? As a career coach and expert on job satisfaction, I provide clients with numerous tips and insights on creating better work environments; both in their current positions, and once they update their resume and move on.

In the year before James passed, he had lost interest in his work as a playwright and director. The glory days of being Off-Broadway and touring the country with a hit play were in the past. Don’t get me wrong, he made a decent living taking his plays to college campuses, but in this past year he just wasn’t experiencing job satisfaction. For someone who lived on his laptop writing compelling monologues, he spent six months without so much as cracking his beloved MacBook Pro open.

A Wake-Up Call

This man designed his own career. In the early days as an out-of-work actor, he created his own gigs by writing content. He hired and assembled the casts, rehearsed and directed them, sold shows, designed posters and sets, negotiated contracts, made travel arrangements, and worked in a profession he thoroughly loved. His career was actually recently highlighted by an entertainment reporter Michael Grossberg stating “central Ohio’s theater community benefited from his talent, his vision and his social concerns for many years.”

Not everyone is a professional actor, but do you find yourself acting in your current job, pretending that everything is okay when it really isn’t? Survey research indicates that 50% of working people do not like their jobs. CNBC reporter Christina Cheddar Berk recently wrote that as a result of the recession, many are rethinking their careers, and reorganizing their lives. Also, people are less likely to get a sense of identity from their jobs. I think this is a wonderful wake-up call because if the recession taught us anything, we saw that we can survive in difficult times. It has also hopefully taught us that there is much more to life than being a consumer.

Getting back to James. Here is someone who did pay attention to other areas of their life beyond work. If we consider work-life balance, he spent his last days on the ‘life’ part of that equation. And thank goodness for him that he had the foresight to do so, because now he will never be able have lunch with his friends again, go for a drive again, and work again, or do anything again for that matter. So my question to you is — what do you really want? What is important to you? What do you value and need? You are much more than a job title. It doesn’t matter if you need to sweep floors right now to earn a living. A job does not, nor should we ever let it define us. Go for the life you really want to live. Be open, be thankful, and live your life to the fullest.

10 Minutes for P, S & B

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:26:03 +0000

Where do all the hours go in a day? They just seem to fly by, don’t they? When making a career change, or walking through any type of life transition, a daily dose of P, S & B is something that should always be incorporated. So what does P, S & B stand for? (No, it’s not an acronym for a sandwich.)

Years ago, I took a Stephen Covey What Matters Most class. One of the tips offered, and one that I have successfully incorporated into my daily living (for the most part – some days are better than others) is a little thing I add on my calendar called P, S & B. Basically, we should take 5 or 10 minutes at the beginning of each day (or at night before you go to bed if you prefer) to do what Covey called Planning and Solitude. I later added the B into the equation for Brainstorming.

P, S & B is a quick and easy time management tool. Simply ask yourself the following question. “What do I want to accomplish today?” Take into consideration different facets of your life. For example, you could ask what you’d like to accomplish pertaining to your career change and transition, at your current job, in your relationships, physically, spiritually and financially. Also, part of my Balanced 6 approach includes self growth and fun. For me and I’m sure many of you – it’s important to have fun and continue to learn and grow.

Here are 6 tips to help get you started:

1. Schedule your P, S & B at a time that you can be most consistent with on a daily basis. (Recommend first thing in the morning or last thing at night). Honor yourself by keeping the appointment.

2. Review your calendar. Take a look at your change goals. Once you’ve identified what your goals are for that day, estimate how long it will take you to complete each one.

3. Now — get those goals scheduled onto your calendar, and preferably an online scheduler so that you can set alarms/reminders that will prompt you to get moving. (TIP — make sure to also add P, S & B into your calendar at the time you’ve determined is best for you).

4. If you need multiple days to complete specific goals, consider prioritizing your list – A, B and C, and add the future days/time to your calendar.

5. When completing your tasks, turn off your phones and however tempting — don’t look at email. Concentrate all of your efforts and be laser focused on completing the task. If necessary – put up a Do Not Disturb sign, or even bright yellow crime scene tape so that well-meaning interrupters will get the message.

6. Be kind to yourself and celebrate accomplishments – even the smallest ones. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get to everything in one day. No judgment, progress not perfection — just carry it over to your list for the next day.

I have come to treasure my P, S & B moments. It’s a great time for quiet reflection, and to ensure that I keep moving forward towards accomplishing my goals. So now that you have a pretty neat time management tool, consider what transitions you want to make, and take 10 minutes to P, S & B it!

If you are serious about making a career change, consider hiring me as your career coach. Schedule a free introductory call today. May you enjoy career bliss!

2010 Career Goal – To Have Career Satisfaction

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:08:19 +0000

Career Satisfaction – Is It Real Now?

Having career satisfaction can be challenging, especially during what has likely become one of the most difficult times we have ever experienced in our lifetime. Employers are very concerned about sustaining their businesses.

Employees are also concerned about their own sustainability, but for many it can come at a cost. Career satisfaction is completely achievable though, no matter what your job situation is.

As we enter a new decade, it’s important to recommit ourselves to our careers. Here are four tips to having greater satisfaction at work:

1	Beef Up Those Work Relationships — review how you can improve and enhance your relationships with customers (both internal and external), your professional network, and your boss. Relationships can be challenging — but by accepting and even forgiving colleagues for any past incidents can help in improving your overall experience at work.
2	Become a Lover of Life-Long-Learning — take a fresh look at new things you can learn, both inside and outside the job as part of your professional development. Consider getting further education in an area that you are both passionate about AND that is something you can become gainfully employed in. Consider mentoring newer employees and sharing your knowledge — giving back is a key component to job satisfaction!
3	Get Really Clear on What ‘Point B’ Is — this is one of the most important things you can do, especially if you are long overdue for a job change, are under-employed, or have increased responsibilities. Get inspired about what your opportunities are and become clear about what you want, need and value. Knowing where you are going helps during any period of transition, because you will feel more empowered to move forward and take those first steps. Knowing your ‘Point B’ also opens you up to thinking more creatively about accomplishing your goals, what resources you need, and how to prioritize effectively. By focusing on your goal, you become more congruent, knowing where we are going, you understand the benefits. The journey to get there becomes much easier and more enjoyable.
4	Find the Humor In it All — it’s easy to get caught up in the seriousness of life. I challenge people to purposely have fun at work — everything doesn’t have to be so formal and ‘uber’ politically correct. For meetings, bring in Nerf guns or insist that people wear slippers, organize a Superbowl pot luck party, heck throwing a football around for a couple of minutes with a colleague or bringing in a golf club and ball to put into a cup can help you and your colleagues alleviate stress.

Simple Pleasures

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:12 +0000

My niece, while recently visiting was game to see the movie Julie and Julia. For those who have not yet had the pleasure, it was a delightful illustration to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. On a more serious note, it addressed something we all eventually must face — that of finding fulfillment in life.

The ladies teach us to savor each and every delectable moment, albeit in a foreign country or atop a pizza parlor. Oh, how I related to each in their efforts to master their craft along with meticulously documenting and publishing their work. It provided them a forum with which to share something each was so passionate about. This currently ‘in recovery’ workaholic has been stopping of late to smell the ‘lunch bag’ (or coffee) I guess you could say. The ’smell the lunch bag’ phrase is a corny little something I came up with and have included in my new book ‘Should I Stay Or Update My Resume?’ — a reminder for us to enjoy each facet of this journey we are on, even if we haven’t yet arrived at our intended destination.

While it is not my intention here to write a movie review (although Meryl Streep was exceptional in this role and should win some pretty, shiny trophy to put on her mantle), I was so inspired after leaving this movie. I believe an actors job is complete when they move their audience to want to become a better person in some way. Since then my senses have been heightened to the smells in the air, the gentle caressing of the trees blowing in the wind, my stopping to appreciate even more the wonderful relationships I have and YES — need I say the delightful chicken ravioli I savored at Guisseppe’s Ritrovo in Bexley after watching the movie.

Another moment — was at the end of the movie when it showed how long Julia and Paul had lived, which was well into their 90’s. I think this is a shining example and perhaps some sort of anecdotal proof that we should lead a life that is fulfilling to us. So, whether it is your great pleasure to help women embrace their beauty, publish a compelling work of fiction, counsel a lost soul towards sanity, produce a riveting play or entertaining your friends serving up an exquisite French meal, I say – go for it! You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain! Plus — you just might just have some fun in the process.

Bon Appetit!
LA