Archive for March, 2010

 

When you feel stuck in your career it seems like there are no opportunities and there is no way out. People tend to live their lives in one of three places: Resignation, Anger, or Possibility. The economy is bad, recent graduates can’t find jobs, and people have been losing their jobs for months. It sounds bad all around. So even though you want to change jobs, you tell yourself to hold tight because this is all there is or the best you can do, etc. So you have resigned yourself to the idea that this is just the way it is. Or even worse maybe you are angry about feeling stuck. When you live in resignation or anger, it becomes impossible to grow, change or shift things in your life.

 

Benjamin Zander, co-author of the Art of Possibility, discusses how you can change your circumstances by shifting your thoughts to possibilities. We have all heard that people who are the most successful are “out of the box” thinkers. How to you get to the out of the box thinking? By asking yourself these questions:

 

• What assumptions am I making that I don’t know I am making?
• What can I invent that I have not yet invented that will give me something new?

 

If you realize that you are dealing with assumptions, you naturally move to possibilities. It may not seem possible to leave your career at the moment, but if you allow yourself to disregard that assumption, you can actually create a shift in your thinking. That shift will allow you to be open to more opportunities and ideas. The new career may not arrive next week, but you will be creating the space for it to happen. The movement from resignation to possibility lies in the decisions you make and how you chose to live your life. When new jobs or opportunities do present themselves, employers will want someone who is fresh, energetic, and hopeful. Being resigned to a situation or downright angry about it is never appealing to prospective employers. There are many people who are having great success in this economy, the key to their success is not just plain luck; it’s their ability to focus on the possibilities. Whether it’s starting a new business or reinventing your career, you can move from being stuck to successful if you are willing to invent new ways of doing things.

Why do workplaces like yahoo have volleyball and basketball courts on site? I have noticed a theme in my research the last few weeks. Every article I read or news story I pick up discusses the benefits of exercise in the workplace. I have seen some fabulous examples where companies actually have fitness centers on site. Employees are actually encouraged to use these facilities during their lunch break or after work hours. Exercising and staying fit have a huge impact on your productivity level and your career. That’s why companies like yahoo are so successful; they understand that if you give people time to stay fit, they will produce better results for the company.

 

For those of you who do not work in a place that offers fitness activities, it still is very important to incorporate exercise into your workday. Though it may feel like one more thing to do, there are actually great benefits, besides just burning calories.

 

Here are some ways that exercise can improve your mind, not just your waist line:

 

• Increased energy level: It is easy to feel lethargic after sitting at a desk for 8 hours straight. That’s why exercise and movement is so important. The movement engages different parts of your body and mind; it will actually give you the momentum you need to get through the afternoon slump. If you stare at a computer screen for hours on end in the same position you actually lose focus. Shifting your mind and body to another activity can actually create more focus on tasks.

 

• Decreased stress level: Stress seems to be a normal part of the workplace for most people. Though it is normal for many, it is not healthy and has an adverse affect on your productivity in the workplace. Exercise can decrease your stress level, thereby helping you to make clear decisions and increase your productivity.

 

• Less prone to illness: Exercise and eating well helps your body naturally fight off illness. Those sick days can put you behind and make you feel more stressed to catch up to your normal productivity level.

 

• Goal-setting mind-set: Committing to an exercise routine and a healthy lifestyle requires you to set and achieve goals. When you meet this challenge in a fitness routine, it is easy to transfer these skills into the workplace. You have developed a system for implementing and achieving goals that can help you be more productive and success in the workplace.

 

• Helps creativity: People often have tons of ideas in their minds, but aren’t sure what to do with them. When you put your body in motion, your ideas form with more clarity and a framework is developed that can be used in projects. Whenever I feel stumped about the solution to a project or idea, I get physical. The solution often arrives when I am not forcing it, but am letting my mind do its own process as I focus on my body.

 

The problem at work could be a myriad of things: you’re too tired, you’re stressed, you don’t feel well, or you just can’t meet that monthly goal. The solution to overcoming fatigue, stress, and poor work performance is the same: get out and move. It will keep you focused, energized and ready to perform to your highest ability.

 

Laura Tirello is a Career and Life Coach. Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are looking to find their highest potential both in their careers and personal lives. Are you looking for ways to turn your ideas into goals? Get a copy of my *free* special report: “5 Ways to Eliminate Idea Overwhelm”.  Visit corelifedesign.com for more information. Laura can be contacted at Laura@corelifedesign.com

Have you been working towards the same accomplishment for years? Do you think that pure will and determination will create a force so strong that it will just happen? I love enthusiasm, but chances are this strategy won’t work. Before you get frustrated and stop reading this article, let me share with you what will shift you from trying to force things to happen to actually making them happen. 

 I came across a quote in a book called “Strengths 2.0” by Tom Rath that states it quite simply: “You cannot be anything you want to be-but you can be more of who you are.”  We grow up believing we can do anything. We are often told that anything is possible if we try hard enough. The problem lies not in the trying, but in the frustration of trying to do something that does not fit who we are. Each of us has natural talents and strengths; it is within this realm that we can achieve to our highest potential. Too many people get caught up in reaching for something that they think they should want, usually a product of what the people around them are doing. But it becomes difficult to tap into that level of true inner genius when we are following a path that actually resists our own genius. 

 For my readers who love facts, Strengths Finder 2.0 is based on studies done by the Gallup organization. What they found in their research is that if you are doing a job or working on a project that is not geared towards your strengths, you are “six times less likely to be engaged in your job”. These are the side effects of that disengagement: “dread going to work, have more negative than positive interactions with your colleagues, treat your customers poorly, tell your friends your company is horrible, achieve less on a daily basis, and have fewer positive and creative moments”. So if the project you have been chipping away at for years is not helping you expand your expertise in what you’re naturally good at, the results will be similar. 

It’s not that it’s misguided to have a dream and to reach beyond your own expectations. It’s about focusing on what ways you work best and capitalizing on it. A prime example would be a highly creative person who has tons of ideas and amazing projects they want to explore. Should they give up the dream of owning a company because they may not be strong in organizing or precise in numbers? No. The best thing they could do is to partner with someone who is very adept at those skills. The combination of the two can benefit both people and their complimentary skills could create a level of success that would be impossible if they struck out on their own. 

Focus on being more of who you are without judgment. Own what you excel in and don’t hesitate to bring it to the table. You’re more likely to succeed and attract the people who can help you move forward if you do this, than if you spend all your time working alone on something that doesn’t fit your strengths. Take a breath and a step back. Notice if what you are focusing on is helping you develop your natural strengths. The key to true success is concentrating on building on who you are.

Laura Tirello is a Career and Life Coach. Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are looking to find their highest potential both in their careers and personal lives. Are you looking for ways to turn your ideas into goals? Get a copy of my *free* special report: “5 Ways to Eliminate Idea Overwhelm”.  Visit corelifedesign.com for more information. Laura can be contacted at Laura@corelifedesign.com

Is your perfectionism standing in the way of your ideas? Where do you draw the line between a healthy sense of accomplishment and an unhealthy obsession with being perfect? Finally, a study has come out that can help those of us who fall along the perfectionist spectrum. Many of my clients are very competent, creative, and full of great ideas, but they falter when making steps towards turning their ideas into actions or even sharing their ideas at the workplace. Their biggest fears lie in making mistakes that they believe will lead to criticism. A mistake, whether big or small, equals failure in their mind. Their perfectionism is literally holding them back.

Is holding a high standard of excellence bad for everyone? Apparently not. A new study has revealed that it is the motivation behind perfectionism that can make it a positive or negative experience. Psychologist Robert J. Hill of Appalachian State University has been researching perfectionism and making distinctions between a healthy and unhealthy form of perfectionism. The research, done by Hill and his colleagues has revealed what they refer to as “adaptive and maladaptive” perfectionism. “Adaptive perfectionism is an internal standard for achievement,” he notes. “Maladaptive perfectionism is an external concern – wondering what other people are going to think. It’s kind of a thinking habit: ‘I made a mistake there.’ ‘Someone will notice I didn’t do that right.’**

If you have a strong internal drive and are setting specific standards because they feel good to you and what you want to accomplish, you will also be creating a greater level of satisfaction in your career and life as well as a more positive attitude. If your drive is external, and dependent on approval from others, you will be dissatisfied with most outcomes and this will affect your sense of well being.

Obviously we all want to feel good about the work we do. If you want to change your perception and create a healthy internal drive, here are some suggestions:

• Focus on your mission. Ask yourself, what is it you are trying to accomplish? Make sure this accomplishment comes from you, not what you think will be impressive to others.
• Create daily routines/habits that bring you closer to achieving your goal.
• Ask yourself what you did each day to reach it.
• Focus on what actions felt good to you. Your mind may start chattering about the funny look someone gave you or the spelling error your boss found; just let the thoughts come and go. Come back to the parts you feel good about.
• Choose how you want to see yourself; we are all given that choice. It can be as simple as creating three adjectives to describe the quality of work you will produce each day. Frame your intentions and actions around those words and what you produce will reflect the thoughts you put into it.

If you have been weighed down by perfectionism fueled by external forces, it will take some time and practice to make the shift. Allow flexibility and space to create an internal drive that reflects who you are and what you need to be successful, happy, and fulfilled.

**Source: Miller-McCune Article, January 28, 2010

Laura Tirello is a Career and Life Coach. Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are looking to find their highest potential both in their careers and personal lives. Are you looking for ways to turn your ideas into goals? I am offering a free teleclass, “Shifting from Thinking to Doing: Creating a Mission Statement for Your Ideas”. Email Laura at Laura@corelifedesign.com to sign up or visit corelifedesign.com   for more information.