August 31, 2016 Seven Things to Think About When It Comes to . . . Creating a Fulfilled and Purpose-Filled Life

One of my favorite people is Anna Quindlen, author of the bestselling novels Object Lessons, One True Thing, and Black and Blue. Her New York Times column “Public and Private” won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992, she has also penned a number of other great reads. Although most of Anna’s books are novels, she wrote an amazing non-fiction book called A Short Guide to a Happy Life (Random House). Taking inspiration from some of the many great ideas and themes in this tiny powerhouse, here are seven simple steps to explore and discover purpose.

1. Be Present:

Stop your words and body from moving and be still and present for at least 10 minutes a day. Turn off all devices and try your best to return your mind to “nothingness” when it wanders. Having this time to re-charge is essential to moving to where you want to be in the future.

2. Have different kinds of new and old “fun:”

Carnival ride-fun, concert-fun, watching a baby sleep-fun, some trying new things-fun, and going new places-fun.

Not all parts of life are fun, however, we can find an element of fun in anything that we do. Fun helps us grow and connect with who we are and more importantly who we can become.

3. Think of and embrace your worst mistake:

Claim one lesson you learned from your biggest mistake, and think about what it taught yourself and others. When you claim your mistakes it frees you from them and eliminates the fear of someone else hanging it over your head. Mistakes (that we learn from) give us wisdom and make us who we are, perhaps even more than our successes. Create a concise story about your mistake and the lesson you learned from it to share with others ensure that their path will be easier to navigate.

4. Be a good (Fill-in-the-blank):

Don’t just choose generic words to fill in this blank like friend/daughter/son/mother/father instead use words or phrases that define how your actions and presence impact others. For example, I want to be a good “motivator” who lifts people up when they are feeling down and inspires others to make change. Or I want people to feel supported and empowered in my presence.

5. Remind yourself that nothing is promised:

We often put off making career changes because we assume that we’ll always have time to do so. The truth is, nothing is guaranteed. Make sure that the last words you speak to your family, loved ones and even colleagues are life-lasting. Take time to do something each week that works toward bringing you happiness. No matter how young you are live life knowing that your last work or deed could be your last.

6. Create a life that both connects you with others and allows you to have alone time:

Spend time teaching others and invest time alone learning about yourself. Find ways to “sign up” and “sit in the back seat” and learn what inspires you and what you do well.

7. Help others by sharing your craft, experiences and everything you know:

Your job at any age or stage is to help another person. We are all “teachers” and all “students.” There are always people who admire who you are and what you do no matter where you are in life. Through the process of sharing, you grow and learn not just about the experience you share, but about yourself.

We all experience success in our personal lives and in our careers. However, it’s often hard to sustain success in both parts of our life simultaneously. This week, try some of these suggested tips or pick up a copy of an Anna Quindlen’s book from a library or book store and start creating your own personal guide to a happy life.

August 24, 2016 Seven Things to Think about When it Comes to . . . Things not Turning Out the Way You Want.

Sometimes we do all the right things: exceed in our current jobs, continue our education or take a class to learn a new skill, but despite our best efforts, things still don’t go our way. Here are a few things to think about when you’re doing everything “right” but things are still going very “wrong.”

1. You can be everything you’re supposed to be but not everything you want to be:

Hopefully while you were growing up someone told you that you could be anything you wanted to be. Although very encouraging, this is, unfortunately, not true. I want to sing like the late Whitney Houston but no matter how hard I try that will never happen. We each need to spend time discovering what natural skills and abilities we were given and find ways to cultivate them and use them in how we work and what we do. Sometimes you may be pursuing something that you’re just not meant to do or be.

2. It’s time for you to do your own thing:

Many successful businesses are started by people who were once unemployed or unable to find the ideal job for them - so they created their own.

Everyone has a “lotto” business idea i.e., the type of company or business they’d love to have if money was not a factor. What’s yours? Often there is never a perfect opportunity to start an entrepreneurial venture. Sometimes that thing that you’re supposed to do falls into place when you create a plan, believe in yourself and just take the leap of faith.

3. You need to work smarter - not harder:

You’re inability to advance in your line of work or change careers may have less to do with what you’re doing and more to do with how you’re approaching things. For example, you might be spending two hours a day posting your resume to job boards like

www.Indeed.com

when you should be spending six hours every day reaching out everyone you know (and everyone they know) to expand your professional contacts and find job leads. Remember that about approximately 80% of workers get hired or selected for opportunities because of a personal contact or reference.

4. Life isn’t fair - but the universe is:

Sometimes we are more qualified, more capable and more talented than the person who gets the job. Learning to accept what we can’t change is a continuous life lesson that we all have to learn. Remind yourself that no one ever achieved anything great with negative thoughts and energy. Forget excessive time wondering why someone got something that may have been rightfully yours and instead focus on what you can do and what else the universe has planned for you.

5. You need to hone your craft:

There are many reasons why you might not be hired for your dream job, but there’s no reason for you to lack experience in the field/area in which you want to work. Expand your experience by working for free, helping others with their new business ideas, taking a class, and doing just about anything and everything to get your side hustle on! Everyone, especially those looking to make a career transition, needs a side venture or hustle – so start yours today.

6. You think you are ready but you’re really not:

When it comes to career, your skill sets and are not the only things you need to master. Sometimes what’s holding us back is ourselves. Spend time each week honing your judgement or your ability to “read” people and situations, and even how to play office politics.

7. Something better awaits you:

Things might not be working out the way you would like because something better is waiting for you. What you think is your “dream job” could actually be “peanuts” in comparison to the perfect opportunity that you are meant to have. Some things in life and career are simply a matter of timing. Be patient and make the most of the time spent waiting for that bigger and brighter opportunity to appear.

The first line in the classic M. Scott Peck book, The Road Less Traveled is “Life is Difficult.” Life however can become at bit easier to navigate when you accept this reality and learn to take inventory in what you really enjoy and were born to do. This week take a second look at something that recently did not work out the way you would have liked – and consider these seven ideas to work on moving forward with a fresh perspective.

August 17, 2016 Seven Things to Think About When It Comes to . . . Knowing You are Not Alone in Wanting a Job You Love and That Gives You Purpose.

When I was in my late 20s, I started asking myself what I really wanted to “be when I grew up.” I hoped and believed that I was not the only person to feel that way, so I started reading books, taking classes and making up exercises. Eventually I created a course to help others who were wondering the same thing. At the time I didn’t have any “real” teaching experience, was unemployed and had no idea exactly how I was going to do this. So I just tried anything I could think of. I called people I knew and asked for contacts and ideas, researched what to include in my course proposal. I then made “cold calls” and sent my proposal to NYU, Columbia University, and The Learning Annex – in less than 7 months that “proposal” became a successful seminar, called “How to Turn Your Passion into Your Profession,” which I taught at NYU for more than a decade!

If you are feeling frustrated in your current job or profession you are not alone. Throughout our lives, we all have periods where we seek more from our work. So as you wonder what “that thing” is that you were born to do (and be) - here are seven things to inspire you to do to create change and to remind you that you not the only one to feel this way.

1. Unhappiness on the job affects 25% of the American work force according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Happiness is a choice not a circumstance. Challenge yourself to find three things that you look forward to every day even if one is the coffee guy who always greats you with a smile or remembers your name.

[] 2. 25% of people view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives says the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Develop routine ways like exercise, meditation, or even deep breathing to relieve stress you experience in and outside of work.

3. The book The Power of Uniqueness reveals that 70% of people are neither motivated nor competent to perform the basics of their job. Alter the parts of your job that you can change. For example, if you normally return calls at the end of day when you’re tired and mentally checked out - return them on the morning when you’re fresh and have more energy.

4. 43% percent of employees feel anger toward their employers often or very often as a result of being overworked according to the New York Families and Work Institute. Find constructive ways to discuss your workload and how it’s affecting you with your boss.
However, when you bring up the topic, first take time to think of what he/she might be able to do to rectify the situation. Remember, it’s easy to complain about what doesn’t work but far more effective to offer a possible solution to every problem you bring to the table.

5. 70% of us dread Monday’s and dream of Fridays. No one wants the weekend to end but there is a big difference between dread and disappointment. If you dread your job - start doing just one thing every day to work toward getting a new one.

6. According to a recent Gallop poll only 13% of the American workforce are emotionally invested in helping their organization improve/achieve its goals. You spend at least160 hours a month working; shouldn’t it be related to something you believe in or that interests you.

7. Most people - 80% according to a Deloitte shift index survey - “hate” or are dissatisfied with their jobs. Know what you’re great at and work toward doing it. Remember, if you don’t have a passion there are plenty of people who will hire you to work toward theirs.

Many people don’t like their current job but only a few muster the courage to change careers. This week make the decision to drop the “grin and bear it” attitude and embrace an “I can find or create my dream job” point of view. Try just one thing a day … make a call, connect with a former boss on LinkedIn or talk to a mentor or therapist. One slight mind shift and one simple action can help you become one of the 20% of people who find love and purpose in what they do.

August 10, 2016 Seven Things to Think About When It Comes to . . . the Do’s and Don’ts for Creating an Amazing Resume

Even though most people often get hired because of a personal contact or referral, you still need to have a great resume. Here are seven key do’s and don’ts to take your resume from ok to one that stands out in a crowd.

1. Size does matter: Your resume should use a 9 to 12 point font. Using anything larger or smaller makes it hard on the reader or seems like you are trying to make up for limited experience. Stick to fonts that are used in books, like Times New Roman, Helvetica, and Garamond, which will ensure that they are ideal for others to read.

2. Say it with color: Find ways to incorporate color into your resume to help you stand out. One way is to include a color logo of the companies that you have worked for. Adding logos is a simple and easy way to make your resume “pop” and differentiate it from the others in the pile.

3. Keep bullets to a minimum: For each section or job position include a maximum of 5 bullets. Any more than that will most likely not be read.

[] 4. Include examples and statistics: More than 50 percent of hiring managers say that they wish candidates would have included more examples and numbers to explain their previous work/accomplishments. Include the number of customers reached or the exact percentage growth of what you have helped create.

5. Avoid personal information: Don’t include your marital status, number of children, photo of yourself, or other personal details on your resume. A professional photo of yourself should appear on your LinkedIn profile. Also stay away from “cutesy” emails like 1hotmama@gmail.com, instead try to use your first and last name.@gmail.com

6. Manage the length: If you have less than four years of experience, the ideal resume should be one page and include approximately 400 words per page.

7. Take out filler words: Bullets are not meant to be complete prose sentences. Be sure to take out filler words like “a” and “the” and find the most concise way to list your work experience using tailored key words and action verbs like created, managed, coordinated, and developed.

This week, dust off your current resume by using these and other ways to make it engaging to the reader. Taking one hour to make simple yet important changes can make all the difference and enable you to stand in a meaningful way.

August 3, 2016 Seven Things to Think About When It Comes to . . . Asking for a Promotion/Raise

You’re working hard doing not only your job, but also half of your co-worker’s who left 10 months ago. It’s seems you’re doing everything to prove yourself but still haven’t gotten a raise or a promotion.

Often people only receive work-related financial reward when they ask for it. So, here are seven steps to help you negotiate a promotion or raise.

1. Lay down the promotion foundation:

Approximately six-to-eight months after starting a new job, initiate a promotion conversation with your supervisor. Express your love for both the company and the job, and ask him/her to share what is required to make it to the next level. Take a moment to recap your conversation in a brief email. If you haven’t had this talk soon after starting your current position, it’s not too late - have it today.

2. Master the unwritten requirements:

Every organization, regardless of size, has unwritten expectations for advancing. It’s your job to observe and have informal conversations with colleagues at all levels to find out what it really takes to get promoted. For example, some companies have an unspoken rule that you must work for at least two years at the corporate headquarters. In other organizations it’s only those who’ve worked in a particular area who are able to take that next step on the corporate ladder. You’ll easily learn who gets promoted and why from what your company actually does, not from what the HR manual says.

3. Consistently over deliver:

One way to create an air-tight argument for why you deserve a raise is to demonstrate and document how you’ve been exceeding the expectations of your job for the past 9-12 months. Identify 5-7 major responsibilities that extend beyond your current job description or that were previously handled by someone in a more senior position.

4. Expand your kudos file:

You should be keeping a file of all of the kudos and positive feedback that you receive internally or externally. Every “great job” email or note expressing a project well executed should go into the file. Remember, it’s your job to ensure the file is as big as possible, so when someone verbally praises you for “doing an amazing job on a recent project,” kindly ask them if they would send a brief email or memo so that you can show it to your boss.

5. Leverage your performance evaluation:

Your annual performance review can be a great tool to support your promotion negotiations. Take note of all of the areas where you have exceeded expectations and identify specific verbatim quotes that speak to your greatest accomplishments.

6. Draft a well written promotion memo:

Now that you are armed with tons of information, scour through your kudos file, performance evaluation, and extra responsibilities summary to select your top 10-12 accomplishments to include in your formal written request. Draft a memo that highlights these career accomplishments, and include metrics and numbers to support each accomplishment, if possible. For example, if you are responsible for getting patients to participate in a research program, list how many people you’ve signed up in the past year. If that number is greater than your predecessor, highlight the percentage increase.

7. Make the promotion pitch:

Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to formally present your promotion request. Give him/her your memo and attach a copy of your kudos file. Be sure to practice what you will say to ensure that you present your accomplishments in a compelling way. At the end of the meeting, ask for specifics regarding when your boss will respond to your request.

The best way to get a raise or promotion is to gather overwhelming data to support that you deserve it, not to whine or complain. Understand the unspoken requirements, document your accomplishments, and build a strong written case. This week, begin to map out your promotion plan and start developing and gathering these and other docs.