I absolutely love motivational/inspirational quotes, and have quite a collection of them. They raise the emotional level to keep focused on the positive thoughts, not negative ones. To me, they make you want to do and be more.
I found this great find as it is a inspirational journal – each page has a different quote on it, plus room to write on. I can either write about the meaning of the quote, as well as how it can inspire me to be better or to act on what I found the meaning is.
What a great find – to have a quote and a journal in one! As we go on during the (often) drudgery of our day, there are times that we need help to keep positive and inspired to keep focused on our tasks. The quotes are one way; the journal is another as you can write about events in your day, make your to-do lists or, better yet, work on your gratitude. These are easy ways to brain-dump and make sense of things to keep you going, when you may feel like saying ‘screw it.’
There are many places to find inspirational quotes: in books, on the web (just google it and see how many), social media (Facebook, Pinterest) – even homegoods and clothing has quotes on them. Whichever way you choose, find them. Start a collection of them. Make your own (Canva). Keep the inspiration around you and watch how much more positive and productive you are. As Earl Nightingale says, “We become what we think about.”
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com
Picking Back Up After a Career Set-back
As a beloved Pittsburgh Steelers fan all my life, yesterday was a brutal day for us; we lost to a mediocre team and our quarterback threw five interceptions – yes, five.
The media were really quick to announce how poor he was but their scathing headlines, of course, elicited many nasty comments about he needs to retire and what a has-been he is (none of which are true). In watching his interview afterwards, you could see that he was disappointed in himself, and his performance, but there are lessons we can learn from this, which are applicable to not just your career but your life. Picking yourself back up after set-back is a necessity so it does not overtake you and keep you down.
The ‘sting’ will be felt but only you get to determine how long it will linger. I look at professional athletes who are in the limelight, vulnerable for all to see and critique. How scary does that seem? Watching how they handle their setbacks gives hope for us plain folk:
- Admit your mistake – when you know you’ve made an error, don’t try to hide it or become defensive as this only makes the situation worse, plus it destroys trust in you and your integrity. Our quarterback said he did not play well, not giving excuses. Own your stuff – people will respect you more
- Have a way to rectify it – if it wronged someone, or the error affected others (or your work), then what actions will you take to make it correct (if possible) and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Determine to improve in that area, whatever that will be. Now, the QB on my team can’t correct what he did yesterday but he certainly can go and practice harder, as well as be in on the game plan for next week (he was not the only one involved).
- Say you’re sorry – people are willing to be more forgiving if they hear ‘I’m sorry’; it’s been found that doctor’s are less prone to getting sued for a mistake, even if it resulted in a death, if the family hears an apology. I think we all want an acknowledgement.
- Let it go, meaning -DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP! It’s easy to berate yourself, or feel sorry for yourself, which only affects the self-esteem and confidence levels. Cutting yourself some slack and that you’re human will lessen the blow. Focus on all the positives you have done; our quarterback has two Super Bowl wins/rings to speak for.
- Learn from the mistake and move on – we do need to review the situation and see what our part was, and what could have averted the setback. Mistakes keep mistakes if we don’t look at the ‘lessons learned.’ This is how progress is made; as Confucius said, “Our greatest is not in ever failing, but in rising every time we fall.”
Our quarterback will rebound after this, the team is rallying around him, and the coaches will ensure better preparation for Sunday’s game. He will rebound after this setback. Now, some of Steeler nation may not be but, hey, that’s their issue (they will be hard until he wins). Just as our QB will bounce back, you can, too. As Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not final; it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com
Are You Managing Your Career or is It Managing You?
In this day and age of careers, a great question to ask yourself is: “Are you managing your career or is it managing you?” Often, it seems that most people today (in history?) scramble and find a job; after all, isn’t that what we’re told? Making money is the goal in order to make our way in the world, which entails work.
A question for you – were you ever taught in school of what a career entails and how to go about deciding what it is that you wanted to do for a good portion of your life? Personally, no. I don’t recall one teacher who had us research careers and then how to go about finding the path that would lead me to finding fulfilling work. Now I had made a decision on a path but, as life circumstances get in the way, the college I was going to attend had teachers who decided that they wanted more money and went on strike. This changed my whole path.
I found it was hit and miss in courses I took, not knowing what career I wanted to be in. So, from pushing by my mother and a desire to go away, I transferred to an out-of-state university and a new college path. Looking back, I only knew how exciting an advisor I had made this new major sound but, unfortunately for me, it never felt aligned with, even though I had successes in it. Until I started my own business.
My story is not uncommon; my office is near a major university so I get students who come in struggling with classes or feeling unhappy with their current state. Many chose their major due to a parental influence, or it sounded good (or friends who were going to pursue the same degree) but they now find themselves unfocused, having difficulty waking up to go to class and, sometimes, failing. I feel so sad for those who find themselves in this state who are about ready to graduate.
Sadder yet is that these stories are common among those already in the workplace, who find themselves in a job they don’t like or can’ figure out how to navigate to be successful. They often don’t like the work they do, finding it routine or boring; others want to move into a new role or up the ladder but feel there are no opportunities to do so; while another group can’t stand the people they work with or the overall culture of their department (or organization).
These examples are a big part of why our current engagement level continues to stay around 33% (Gallop, September 2017). People feel frustrated with their work, with their boss, with coworkers, with the time they have to spend in work, with not feeling they are paid enough, and not having enough time for themselves and their family. Essentially, they are allowing their career to manage them and their life.
Is it possible for one to manage their career? I emphatically say YES! There are many components that go into this but, once started, self-management becomes easier. Here are some components to consider:
- Self-assessment/awareness: this entail fully owning your skills, abilities, aptitudes, values, beliefs, expectations, interests, to name a few. This helps you to know what you have to offer and your motivation to best manage how your career path goes
- Awareness of your preferred work environment – not everyone aligns with how things are run in a business, no matter the size. Knowing the type of culture, i.e. the environment, values, and the way things are run, will lead to having more satisfaction. Knowing yourself and how you act in situations is important to finding them; as an example, I thrive in busier and more active environments, where I can move around and interact with others so an organization that prohibits this type of movement will not work for me – this I know for sure
- Goal setting is a critical component – where do you want to go in your career? Is it to be a CEO or VP, or other position? Perhaps it’s an industry you want to work in? Having that end-goal in front of you will lead you to investigate how you will go about getting there
- Good actionable steps – these are the daily actions you will take as you work on the identified goals. This can include: working on a particular skill to get better at it, raising your hand to take on more challenging work so you get noticed for upward mobility, networking internally to get to know those who can move you up; it also can include ensuring your resume is up to date, looking for those internal opportunities, and working on your personal development.
- Having a clear plan to follow – this means writing all of these steps down, so you can refer back to them frequently. I’ll tell you a story of a young, late twenty-something, gentleman who I was helping with his interviewing skills; he was going after a very high-level position with a retail giant. I was amazed at how far he was in his career at such a young age. He said that he started working for this company when he was 18 but knew that he wanted to move up every two years; he learned everything he could about the job he was doing in the first year, and then, in the second, he learned all he could about the position he was going for – he reached all his goals (and did get the position he was going for). He had a clear plan and followed it.
Managing your career is not only empowering but your responsibility. Having control over your work-life will give you more control over you life overall; you will feel more empowered, more focused, and more motivated to go after what you say you want. I think identifying resources you may need is another part of the plan, i.e. a mentor, hiring a coach, as relying on others isn’t a bad thing in some situations. Don’t allow your career to manage you – take back control and get in charge of your career; you will be glad you did.
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com
Goal Check-In and Your Own Olympics Competition
Happy August! Here we are at another new week and new month = plenty of time to get those goals accomplished. This is my birthday month, also – hate the numbers but am blessed to be alive another year with plenty of opportunities available for me to create.
This is also a time for other celebrations, as I have six other family members who will be celebrating birthdays in the next two weeks – watch Leo power when we all get together! Another celebration will be for my Uncle Lou, who passed away last week.
The Olympic Games will be starting this week so why not think of your goal accomplishment like your very own Olympics competition?
- you may compete in the sprint race, where you will run to the finish line to get your goal finished;
- you may be the archer who will laser focus on your goal to really hone in on one decisive action you can take to get it done;
- you may be the one who runs the mile or swims the 1500 meter, where it is slow and methodical but focused on the gold at the end; or
- you may be on the soccer or rugby team and need to have a group around you to help you get the goal done
We sometimes need to ‘trick’ our brain to make our desires more pleasurable and reward-focused so we will go after them, no matter what. Keeping the end in mind is the appeal, IF that ignites our passions and we can see, hear, feel and taste it; igniting the senses is a great way to ignite the brain into getting what we want. Begin to visualize the goal, rewrite it out in detail (include sights, noises, people, etc.) as these make it more real and attainable; track your progress to ensure you are on the right track.
I’ll be watching the Olympics and I encourage you to do the same as this is a great way to be inspired and to see the results of going after a goal; if they can, so can you. Wishing August to be productive and a success!
Moving On From Loss
I know it’s been a few days since a post has been made; it’s not due to falling off on my habit but for the fact that I have had a death in my family – my uncle and godfather has passed away. He was my father’s older brother; but he was the last of his daughter’s immediate family as her mother, brother and now father are gone. She has been distraught with grief, as one can imagine, and keeps questioning how she can move on.
Loss can be felt very deeply by those who have experienced it, whether the loss is from death, divorce, or a job loss. While each has their own causes and issues, they will all feel the loss deeply. How we view the loss and our ability to deal with it will set the tone for how we move on; research has shown that loss, which relates to our social needs, activates the same threat and pain ‘circuitry’ in the brain which activate our cells so that we feel pain (Fuller, 2009).
Of course there will be a mourning time, where it’s ok to grieve the loss but there has to be a day when it is time to move on and to let the healing begin. The more we tell ourselves we can’t move on, we won’t; it’s when we take courage, pick ourselves up and decide to move on then we will – one day at a time:
- recognize the loss: it is important to be full-in on the emotions that will result once a loss has occurred; for some, they will be inconsolable while others may suppress their emotions. It’s ok to feel whatever you are feeling and to let the emotions out as the body needs to release the painful and negative energies that build up.
- focus on self: at times like these, anxiety can set in which leads to sleepless nights, loss of appetite and wanting to be busy to avoid thinking about the loss. Worrying about other or extrinsic factors can become the norm to avoid facing being alone and facing the loss over and over again. Allow yourself to rest, eat, take a walk, garden, or whatever gives you some peace, which can include allowing others to help you out.
- find activities that will help you face the loss more courageously: pray, meditate, journal, take up a hobby, color or paint, etc. All of these activities help to calm the cortisol in the brain and increase dopamine to feel calmer and happier.
- reframe the situation: often, guilt can weave its way into our thoughts once a loss is felt (“If only I had….” or “I wish I had…..”). Going back and writing out the situation that led to the loss can help to put it in a frame to see if we had a part in it, or if it played out as we think it does, which can get skewed when emotions take over. The loss can’t be changed so don’t allow yourself to stay in that dark area. Be grateful for all you have; as Tony Robbins says, “you can’t be {upset} and grateful at the same time.”
- Seek help: as it’s often easy to have difficulty moving on, it is helpful to find help either in your social circle (family, friends) or professionally (a counselor or coach, or a support group) to help you express your thoughts and feelings and help you find comfort to move on.
- begin planning for your next steps: you will eventually have to move on and get back into life. It’s ok to begin planning or what that might be in regards to your career, finances, legal matters (if needed), relationships, hobbies, spiritual, and household matters. Sketch out what it might look like, allow yourself to see into your future, whether that is a month, or 3,6, 12 or longer. Do what makes you feel comfortable but be sure to do so. Life will go on and you get the choice for what it will look like.
- remember that you are Stronger than you know
