Action Plans for Your Career

WHAT IS ACTION PLANNING?

Action planning is a process which will help you to focus your ideas and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular goals that you may have.

 

It is a statement on paper of what you want to achieve over a given period of time.

 

Preparing an action plan is a good way to help you to reach your objectives in life.

An effective action plan should give you a concrete timetable and set of clearly defined steps to help you to reach your objective, rather than aimlessly wondering what to do next. It helps you to focus your ideas and provides you with an answer to the question ‘‘What do I do to achieve my objective?’’.

It’s OK to have several objectives, but you will need to make a separate action plan for each, otherwise things get confusing.

Although here we shall be applying the techniques to careers, it can be used effectively to help you to reach your goals in many aspects of your life, for example: to pass your driving test.

The following are all valid goals for an action plan:

§ To get more involved in an organization or group to get to know more people.

§ To decide what skills I need to improve and how I will improve them.

§ To investigate the different tools available to help me to choose a career, such as computer-aided careers guidance.

When action planning in a careers sense there are likely to be three main areas in which you want to develop action plans. These are:

§ Choosing the career you wish to enter.

§ Working out a strategy to help you enter this career e.g. application and interviews.

§ Developing skills or determining the transferable skills that you need to acquire to allow you to enter the career of your choice and to be successful in it.

ACTION PLANNING MODEL

There are many different models of action planning, but a good starting point is the one shown below.

 

As you can see, action planning is a cyclical process, and once you have been through one cycle, you can start again at the beginning. Of course, in real life it’s not quite as simple as this. The process is more organic and stages will sometimes overlap, or you may change your goals as you progress, and you must be prepared to revise your plan as circumstances dictate. In more detail, the stages are as follows:

§ WHERE AM I NOW? This is where you review your achievements and progress, and undertake self-assessment.

§ WHERE DO I WANT TO BE? This is where you decide your goals.

§ HOW DO I GET THERE? This is where you define the strategy you will use to achieve your goals, and to break down your goal into the smaller steps you will need to take to achieve your target.

§ TAKING ACTION. This is the "nitty gritty" where you implement your plan!

§ WHERE AM I NOW?

The cycle begins again with a redefinition of your goals........

 

The main steps in preparing an action plan are as follows:

§ Have a clear objective. (‘‘Where do I want to be?’’)

§ Start with what you will do NOW. There is no point in having an action plan that will start in six months time.

§ Define clearly the steps you will take. ("How do I get there?’’) Think of all the possible things you could do to take you closer to achieving your goal, no matter how small. Break down any large steps into smaller components, so it doesn’t seem so difficult to achieve.

§ Arrange the steps in a logical, chronological order and put a date by which you will start each step. Try to set yourself weekly goals: what research you will do into jobs, what skills you will concentrate on learning etc. It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of planning a timetable each evening listing your tasks for the next day or two.

 

Decide when you will review your progress. Keep a diary or logbook of your daily activities and record in it your progress as things happen.

A good time to start your review is about two weeks after you have begun. Review how far you have got towards your objective, identify any mistakes you made and what you can learn from them, look at any new ideas or opportunities that may have presented themselves and then revise your plan to incorporate these.

To your successful job search and development of your Action Plan.

Fran Watson

P.S.  Need some help getting started?  Drop me a line or post a comment below.



P.P.S.  Check out this article

What Do Employers Want?

In today’s competitive life, employers are looking for people who can contribute to the growth of the company and boost its productivity.

Therefore, for people who are seeking employment and that dream job, it is important to know the most sought after job skills on the list of most employers.

1. The ability to research

Job seekers should possess the ability to research not because they wanted to land a job in a research company but in order to do simple searches on the data needed by a particular activity.

2. Logical thinking

Most employers need people who are able to produce effective solutions and to make sensible solutions regarding a proposal or a probable activity.

3. Technologically literate

With the advent of information technology, most job openings require people who are computer literate or know how to operate different machines and office equipments.

Most employers do not necessarily need people who are technological graduates. The simple fact that job seekers know the basic principles of technology is already enough.

4. Communication skills

People who are able to land a good job are mostly those who are adept in speaking and writing. Employers hire people who are able to express their thoughts efficiently through verbal and written communication.

5. Organizational skills

Organization is extremely important in maintaining a harmonious working relationship in the company. Hence, most employers look for people who know how to maintain order.

6. Interpersonal skills

Because the working environment involves working with people of various personalities, it is necessary to acquire the skills necessary to communicate with people from different walks of life.

7. Professional Growth

Employers hire people who are able to create a plan that will generate personal career growth. This means that the person is willing to improve him or herself professionally by learning new things he or she still does not know.

These are just some of the most wanted job skills by most employers. Hence, it is important for the job seekers to take note of these assets in order to be successful in every endeavor they make.

To your job search success

Fran Watson

Job Search Tips - Do You Know What You Want To Do?

I was surfing the net today and came across this article which I thought I would share with you.

What Do You REALLY Want?
Written by Editor, Pick The Brain on December 7, 2007

The statement, “You can do anything you put your mind to,” leads us to believe that all you must do is imagine what you’d like to accomplish, set your mind to the task, and wait for success.

To a certain degree this is true. Focused intention combined with action is a powerful force. But the statement is misleading because it fails to mention the difficulty and necessity of focusing your mind on a specific goal.

Most of us don’t know what we want. We think we do, but we really don’t. We only know what we don’t want. We don’t want a boring job. We don’t want to be poor. We don’t want to disappoint our loved ones.


Knowing specifically what you want is much different than knowing what you don’t want. When you only know what you don’t want, your intentions aren’t focused. Consider this example.

Pete doesn’t want to be poor. He’s sick of earning less than his friends, and he’s determined to raise his status. To accomplish this goal, Pete could take many different paths. He could train for a high paying profession, such as doctor or lawyer. He could start his own company, go into real estate, or do many other things that would lead to acquiring wealth.

But Pete isn’t sure what he wants to do. He doesn’t know which path best fits his skills and personality, so he doesn’t resolve to follow any particular path.

Hoping to answer this question, he investigates a dozen possibilities, but as soon as he runs into adversity he decides that path isn’t for him and moves on to a new solution.

Pete’s actions aren’t focused. Although he works very hard, his efforts don’t build on each other. Rather than building one giant impenetrable sand castle, Pete has built twenty smalls ones that are easily toppled. He ends up confused and discouraged. Ultimately Pete’s lack of focus leads to failure.

Now, what if Pete had chosen a specific path? Suppose he decided on the law profession. His actions would have been clearly defined:

•Get a high score on the LSAT
•Attain letters of recommendation
•Get accepted to a good law school
•Decide on a field of law
•Earn a law degree
•Find a high paying job with a good law firm
A set of specific goals is much easier to achieve than a vague end goal like becoming wealthy. Being focused on a path gives Pete a logical set of actions to follow. Each accomplishment is one step closer to the final goal.

I think we can all agree that committing to a clearly defined path, regardless of which one, gives Pete the best chance of becoming wealthy.

But how can he choose a path if he doesn’t know what he wants? Maybe money isn’t his only goal. Maybe he wants to do something he loves at the same time. Maybe he can’t afford to go back to school. Reality is complicated, and Pete doesn’t want to commit too soon.

And that’s why he fails.

But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Most people don’t fit neatly into a predefined path. Forcing yourself into one may lead to success, but it probably won’t make you happy.

This is the point. If you want to be conventionally successful, to attain wealth and status, you need to choose a specific path (preferably something mainstream) and follow it to the letter.

On the other hand, if you aren’t particularly concerned with wealth or success, you can take your time searching for that perfect niche.

Just don’t wait too long to decide. Each moment you deliberate, your already committed competitors sprint further ahead.

But, then again, maybe life isn’t a race, and maybe the most interesting people follow a path all their own.

To find out more about Pick The Brain blog, click here. There are some really neat articles.

To your successful job search.

Fran

Awesome Adventures

"The Universe provides for us all every day, no matter how much we have or don't have. We deserve to feel that we are, have and do enough in our lives."
--SARK

If you have never heard of SARK, then you are in for a rare treat. Susan Kennedy (aka SARK) invites you to join her on an adventure!

What vibrant activies have you always wanted to try???? Try them now! Come along with us. See where the road leads. Click here to view more details

I have loved SARK since I found one of her books back in the late 1990's and she has been a part of my life every since. She is real and she encourages everyone else to also be real, to do and be who they truly are.

So, come along with us on our adventure. Take the road less travelled.

Fran

Your Career Health

"Somneone who hates details is not a good candidate for being taught how to scrutinize contracts. Somone who loves details is not a great trainee for sales. Being people-oriented is a characteristic that rarely goes hand-in-hand with being detail-oriented. It's not uncommon for companies to deal with the arduous task of training sales people to pay more attention. Telling a client to hire someone else is difficult, since detail-oriented people-persons simply don't exist. It may be a hard pill for HR to swallow, but accountants don't usually relish selling. What to do?" -- Roger C. Schank, President and CEO of Socratic Arts

*************************
Test Your Career Health by Jim Clemmer

Many of us invest time once a year for an annual checkup of our physical health. But what about a regular career checkup?

Canadian author and literary icon, Robertson Davies, once wrote, "Weigh up your life once a year. If you find you are getting short weight, change your life. You will usually find that the solution lies in your own hands."

Here are six questions to help you discover whether your career is healthy — and, if it isn't, to help put it back on track.

Can I be real at work?
I am all for professionalism. I also like the assurance that whether I am working with colleagues in my field or buying professional services, I am dealing with a true pro that really knows his or her "stuff." But too often "professional" is another name for impersonal. We often equate professionalism with being unemotional or not showing our true selves.

While few people want us to throw a temper tantrum or break down in tears when we might really feel like doing just that, if we can't be real and bring our true selves to work we may be selling our soul (or at least our mental health) for a few bucks every two weeks.

When we can be open, transparent, and not put on a "professional" act, is often when we're the healthiest and most balanced.

A key element of "knowing thyself" is sorting out what's really important to you. Through study, meditation, contemplation, talking with close and trusted friends, consultation with your spouse, keeping a journal, taking a personal development workshop, or whatever works for you, develop a written list of your four to five top principles.

Reputation is what people think I am. Personality is what I seem to be. Character is what I really am. Our goal should be to break down the barriers between the three until they are one.

Am I growing with change?
The popular goals of security, stability and predictability can be deadly. They can lead to stunted growth and reduced learning. In today's fast-changing world, if we fail to change, it is we who will likely be changed. If we don't control our own future, someone else will.

Only a mediocre person is always at his or her best. If you are getting very comfortable with your expertise and skill levels, your learning may have leveled out.

You may not be stretching and challenging yourself enough. Your comfort zone could be fossilizing into a complacency zone. Are your personal habits stepping stones or stumbling blocks?

Use Benjamin Franklin's "method for progressing." He identified 13 virtues he wanted to develop. Each week he worked on one of the virtues for a total of "four courses (cycles) in a year." Each night before retiring, Mr. Franklin reflected on and recorded his progress on that week's virtue.

Join the Daily Reflect and Plan Club. You need at least 15 minutes and ideally 30 to 45 minutes each work day.

Use this time to read or listen to spiritual, inspiring, or educational material, write in your journal, day dream, review the previous day, set your priorities for the next day to sort out the urgent from the truly important, pray and meditate, continue developing your vision, values, and purpose, etc.

Experiment with many of these activities until you find the ones most meaningful for you.

Develop or join a network of colleagues who are as interested in personal learning and development as you are.

This can be a powerful source of learning from other people's experiences. It's also a great place for you to reflect on your own experiences and articulate your improvement plans.

Stretch outside your comfort zone a bit at a time. It will never go back to its original size.

You might try analyzing a problem in a new way, developing a new skill, meeting new people who operate at the performance level you're aspiring to, watching or listening to an educational television or radio program, or making that tough phone call right off the top. Daily or even just weekly small stretches accumulate into powerful new habits and ever stronger discipline muscles.

Skill building starts with assessment. Develop your skills performance gap by identifying what skills you need to fulfill your vision. Then get feedback on your current skill levels.

Have I become a victim?
It's so easy to get stuck in Pity City. Since misery loves company, Pity Parties become popular as everyone points fingers at their favorite targets on the other side of the we-they gap found in many organizations. Problems, setbacks, and disappointments are often wailed about in a rousing game of blame storming: "They're doing it to us again."

We can't choose the sometimes disastrous changes that whack us on the side of the head. But we do choose how to respond. We can try to change or influence the environment to navigate difficult changes. Or we can try to work around the situation and succeed despite "them."

Take the initiative to keep communication channels open with your boss or other colleagues. Outline your roles and responsibilities. Set your top three to five goals. Get your boss' input and adjust accordingly. Meet periodically to review progress and reset priorities.

Try to better understand the bigger picture that "they" are operating within. Do you know what keeps them awake at night? What their key goals and priorities are? How can we align our efforts?

Learn how your organizational game is played. Any organization of five people or more is political. Politics involve relationships, trust, power, persuasion, and influence.

Don't succumb to the "Victimitis Virus" by allowing more senior managers to disempower you. Leadership is action, not position. Be a leader. Make things happen. If you know it's right for your team and the organization, learn how to play the system to get done what needs to be done. Remember the Jesuit's Rule — It's always easier to get forgiveness than permission.

Is there a moose-on-the-table?
Imagine a team meeting around a conference room table. They are reviewing progress and making plans. Charts are reviewed, slides are projected, documents are handed out, and calculations are made. Now imagine that standing in the middle of the conference room table is a great big moose. No one says a word about the moose. Everyone carries on polite conversation as if this situation is very normal. Meanwhile the moose is eating papers at one end of the table while plopping out moose pies at the other end of the table.

The moose is a problem that everyone knows about but won't address. People are trying to carry on as if things are normal. Meanwhile, the problem is blocking progress and has caused some team members to tune out of conversations. By failing to confront the problem, they empower it. The moose grows bigger.

In some organizations, identifying the moose-on-the-table can be a career limiting — or ending — move. The most effective teams regularly ask such questions as: What should we keep doing? What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? These questions identify the moose and move the team forward.

Play with the moose-on-the-table concept. It's a powerful and fun way to get serious issues out in the open. You could get team members at a meeting to write down and hand in a few of the biggest moose they feel are present. Cluster the similar issues and hold a secret ballot on the top clusters. If you suspect people aren't being open during a discussion, ask: "Is there a moose-on-the-table we need to talk about?" Or if you see a potential issue emerging you might say: "I'd like to put a little moose-on-the-table."

Contribute to authentic conversations in an authentic workplace. Speak the truth as you see it. Obviously the time and place needs to be appropriate. Diplomacy and tact are also critical. Help others (especially your peers and those above you) to see the moose-on-the-table.

Is work a four-letter word?
Years ago, I worked in a company with an emotionally intelligent CEO. A favorite motto of his was: "If you love what you're doing, you never have to work again."

We all have our doubt days, when we're not sure we're in the right job. But our jobs aren't work unless those doubt days become as routine as getting up in the morning. If your work has become work, you've lost the passion. Meaningful work goes well beyond what you do for a living; it joyfully expresses what you do with your living.

Identify your strengths and passions. Assess how often and in what ways your current job is aligned with these. If the gap is large, look for ways to make changes in your work, change the work you're doing in your organization, or leave and find work that is in stronger alignment with your strengths and passions.

Our passion for what we do — or our lack of it — tells us if we're in the right place. To be passionate about our work, that work has to keep moving us ever closer to expressing who we truly are. The more closely "who we are" is aligned with "what we do," the deeper is our passion and commitment.

Flight attendants instruct passengers traveling with young children that should the oxygen mask ever drop from the panel above, put the mask on yourself first, and then help your child. Our parental instinct is to do the reverse. Assess whether you're so busy attending to everyone else's needs that you're failing to oxygenate yourself.

Ensure you plan and hold sacred the time to do those activities that recharge and revitalize you. It's the only way you'll have to maintain the energy for your work and to help others in your personal or professional life.

Do I have a job, career or calling?
In the movie "City Slickers," Billy Crystal plays Mitch, a middle-aged man in crisis who has lost his direction. He and his friends go to a dude ranch to participate in a real cattle drive and search for the meaning of life. Jack Palance plays Curly, a crusty old cowhand whose job it is to babysit the city slickers along the dusty trail.

In one memorable piece of dialogue, Curly asks Mitch: "You know what the secret of life is?"

"No, what?" Mitch responds.

Curly holds up his index finger. "This." Mitch looks confused. "Your finger?"

"One thing. Just one thing," Curly growls. "You stick to that and everything else don't mean sh-t."

"That's great," Mitch replies, "but what's the one thing?"

Curly smiles. "That's what you've got to figure out."

In typical movie fashion, of course, Mitch solves his problems by gaining new perspective on his life and knowing what changes he has to make. He learns that "it" — the one thing — varies for each of us. As Mitch tells one of his fellow searchers, "It's something different for everybody. It's whatever is the most important for you."

At least once a year, spend a quiet evening of uninterrupted time "daydreaming" with your spouse or life partner. Take turns fantasizing, seeing, and describing an ideal life together while the other person takes notes. Look at family, house or home, your careers, your physical health, your financial health, community involvement, spiritual growth, and social life. Now start setting goals and improvement plans to turn your fantasies into reality.

To find the core of your deepest and truest inner desires and vision, you may need to keep a running "dream list" for awhile. Record every dream, desire, or goal that pops into your mind. Once the list is complete and exhaustive, start sifting through it to look for patterns or clusters. Begin to group and prioritize your dreams until they're narrowed down to a manageable number. This is your personal source of energy and passion. The next step is unleashing that incredible power through visualization or imagery.

Build your confidence and reinforce your vision by keeping a private "blessings and brag list." It should contain every accomplishment, strength, or success you've ever had along with all the blessings you've enjoyed — no matter how small. Keep adding to it. Review it frequently, but especially when you're doubting or down on yourself.

Balance is a popular and elusive goal for many of us today. Well-balanced people pause periodically to review their progress. They know how easy it is to confuse busyness with effectiveness.

Jim Clemmer’s practical leadership books, keynote presentations, workshops, and team retreats have helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide improve personal, team, and organizational leadership. Visit his web site, http://www.jimclemmer.com/, for a huge selection of free practical resources including nearly 300 articles, dozens of video clips, team assessments, leadership newsletter, Improvement Points service, and popular leadership blog. Jim's five international bestselling books include The VIP Strategy, Firing on All Cylinders, Pathways to Performance, Growing the Distance, and The Leader's Digest. His latest book is Moose on the Table: A Novel Approach to Communications @ Work.

Procrastination

If you suffer from procrastination a good time management strategy for you is to make procrastination enemy number one in your life. Procrastination deprives you of satisfaction, success, and happiness. It causes unnecessary stress, frustration, and pressure in your life. Procrastination is the biggest unnecessary and controllable time waster that exists. So how do you know if you are a procrastinator, and what do you do about it if you are?

If you are a procrastinator, you have probably made procrastination a life-long habit. Your time management strategy is never do today what you can put off until tomorrow. You don’t even start something until it’s almost impossible to complete the project by the deadline. When you finally make the commitment to take action you are a whirl of activity and you don’t allow anyone or anything to interrupt you because you have a deadline to meet. If your time management strategy was to approach all your projects with that level of fury and commitment from the moment you were first aware of the project you would have it done far in advance of the deadline and could move on to other things without having to deal with all that unnecessary stress.

Your negative attitude may be the cause or source of your procrastination. Your attitudes drive your behaviors and your behaviors drive your results, so if a negative attitude is fueling your procrastination including affirmations in your time management strategy is a good plan. Affirmations are positive statements about your ability to do the task at hand, the value of the project, the speed with which you can complete the project etc. All re-enforcing the positive impact of successfully completing the project on time or even ahead of time in your life.

Have you ever found that sometimes you procrastinate because of your fear of failure? This one may not be one that you openly admit to yourself, but if you start thinking back to the times you didn’t follow up with a potential client or didn’t submit your work so it could be considered for an award or whatever you have put off in the past you may realize that part of you didn’t want to get things completed because of your fear of what might happen if you failed. A time management strategy for you is to ask yourself what the potential outcomes are when you take the action you are supposed to take, and then make sure you are comfortable with those outcomes.

The opposite of fear of failure is fear of success. Your fear of success can be another reason for your procrastination. You may worry what others will think of your new found success. As part of your time management strategy you may want to explore the impact of succeeding and prepare yourself for the consequences.

Do you find that its hard to complete things because they’re just never quite good enough? Perfectionism can really get in your way. Recognize that perfectionism can never be achieved and that you can only do your best. It is a better time management strategy to just do something than to just keep putting it off. Zig Zigglar is frequently quoted as having said, “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly”. Perhaps his advice is something for you to take to heart.

Do you ever find yourself just stuck because you aren’t quite sure how to handle the task at hand? Yet, as you think about when you were in those situations in the past, when you finally got started did you find that it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be? Whether you think it will be hard or if you get stuck working on the project a good time management strategy is to reach out quickly and get the help you need rather than just hoping you will somehow be able to work through it on your own.

Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. When you absolutely must have measurable results to consistently and predictably get where you want to go for Superior Success...visit CoachingMegaAgents to start on your journey for superior success.

Let's get started!!

Fran Watson

Comfort Zones...

I am currently reading some books I purchased from simple truths. I have discovered some fabulous information and I would like to share some of it with you. The following article is by Mac Anderson from his book Charging the Human Battery. These books are only available from simple truths. The books are hardcover with beautiful illustrations and they are easy to read in an evening.

****

"Change comes bearing gifts." - Price Pritchett

Comfort zones put padlocks on doors to growth, discovery and adventure. As painful as it may feel, change almost always comes bearing gifts. As nerve-wracking as it can seem, it's "in the winds of change we find our true direction."

Change is not easy, but it is simple. Things will always change. We don't have a choice about that. But we do have a choice about how we react to change. It really boils down to this...eitehr we manage change, or it will manage us.

In the long run, however, sameness is the fast track to mediocrity. To grow, to get closer to your goals, you must get off the path of least resistance. Lace up your running shoes, tie a double knowt, and discover all the advantages you can uncover on a new trail.

Remember: To get what you've never had, you must do what you've never done.

To your positive changes!!!

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca/Counselling.html

P.S. That website again is simple truths Check it out, they have amazing videos, CDs, books, etc.

12 Steps to Recession-Proof Your Job

Try the following strategies from Karen Coe of TMP Worldwide Executive Search and Ken Scott of Axmith to make yourself the No. 1 choice:

1. Be the best at what you do. Show others how to raise their skills, too.

2. Be the first to suggest cost-cutting ideas and track the return to the bottom line, even if it’s only in your area.

3. Examine how to redesign your own job to find ways to broaden its contribution.

4. Be prepared to put in extra hours to increase productivity and deliverables.

5. Keep a high profile in activities closely aligned with the company’s values, which includes volunteer work with charities and corporate causes that broadens your network and evidences contribution that is not self-serving and is team focused.

6. Don’t wait for the job vacancy. Pave the way by making sure your boss knows you want more responsibility.

7. Employees need to treat their own company as a client. In order to stay

8. Prepare for positions you’re interested in. If you’re gunning for a job in a foreign country, begin taking language classes before any opportunity presents itself. Think about portability.

9. Likewise, don’t let a company know you’re interested in a foreign post if you can’t do it. You could, though, tell them you can’t do it. That helps them know where they can promote you.

10. We are facing a severe management shortage in Canada with baby boomers retiring. Companies are deciding who their top talent is.

11. Opportunity comes to people who are dressed for it, so always be ready.

12. Follow through in every commitment made to your boss, colleagues or anyone else.

Do what you can!

Fran

www.franwatson.ca/resources.html

Job Finding Formula

Hey Job Seeker, welcome to my blog site.

I have just been given permission to share a fabulous resource with you to help you with your job search.

Are you aware that approximately 80% of the available jobs are not advertised? See what you can do to find the one that works for you!

This resource can help you look at what will work for you, some really neat techniques you can use to land that job you really want, and show you how to use the Hidden Job Market.

Check it out right away.

Contents include:
- The Hidden Job Market,

- How People Really Get Jobs,

- Developing Your Resume,

- Powerful Interview Techniques

and much, much more.

Best of luck....happy hunting!

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

P.S. Here's that link again: JobFindingFormula

How To Be A Leader At Work

Most organizations have at least one person who is a natural leader. When it is announced she will be leading a new team, employees line up to join. When he asks for a volunteer for an assignment, people jump at the chance. Employees turn to her as a mentor, or look to him as a role model.

Meanwhile, others in the organization are struggling to do their job with too few human resources. So how do natural leaders do it? What is their secret to getting people to go the extra mile for them?

Although many effective leaders are naturally charismatic, there are a number of leadership behaviours that can be adopted by anyone who wants to have greater support from other people. While some leadership techniques may sound manipulative, a wise leader knows the best results come from having people provide their support willingly.

As U.S. President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower defined it:
Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

People naturally want to follow a good leader. After meeting with an effective leader it is not unusual to feel uplifted, inspired and motivated to work towards a common goal.

Effective leaders make others feel good about themselves as well as the work they are doing. The leader has a vision of what she wants to achieve and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes people want to be part of it.

One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture, so that each employee can see how the particular role he plays makes a contribution to the final result.

In a recent study of employees at all levels in companies of all sizes, Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, authors of Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em, found that “meaningful work, making a difference and a contribution” was one of the top three reasons given by 90% of employees when asked why they remain at a company. (The other reasons cited among the top three were “career growth, learning and development” and “exciting work and challenge.”)

When someone understands why a job that might otherwise be considered menial is important, that person is likely to be both more committed and more productive.

People are also likely to follow leaders they see as positive role models. If a leader demonstrates a strong belief in something, it inspires others to work towards the leader’s vision, even when a situation might appear to be almost hopeless. An excellent example of a leader who faced this type of situation is Lee Iacocca. When Chrysler’s fortunes reached a low in the 1980s, he cut his salary to $1 per year to prove his conviction that things would get better. They did. Under his leadership, the company flourished.

Good leaders not only “walk the walk”, they “talk the talk”. When they speak about the future, they are positive and upbeat. Mark Victor Hansen, a successful motivational speaker and co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, said that even in the early days of his career, if someone asked how he was doing he always responded that he was doing fabulously. His enthusiasm won him plenty of supporters who helped make his vision a reality.

Yet some people feel the way to get support from others is by telling them how grim a situation is, hoping that will make them want to help turn things around. On the contrary, Eeyores (those who sound like the gloomy Winnie the Pooh character) may inspire people to start looking for another job, rather than work to improve the situation they are in.

If you have a tendency to be negative, but want to inspire others to support you in achieving a goal, resolve to focus on solutions rather than problems. If Plan A isn’t working, avoid bemoaning the situation and instead come up with a Plan B. If necessary, have Plan C waiting in the wings. Maintain a can-do attitude and you are likely to attract people who will support you in achieving your goals.

As well as communicating their vision, good leaders know they need to communicate “what’s in it for you” in order to have employees go the extra mile.
They also understand that different people are motivated by different things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenging but achievable goal. Those with a desire for power are told how their participation can bring them prestige and lead to greater opportunities. While employees who are motivated by affiliation need to hear how they will be part of a team of people working together.

Effective leaders also use techniques to communicate their belief that each team member is important, including remembering and using people’s preferred names (e.g. not "Rick" if someone prefers to be called "Richard"). As Dale Carnegie observed, “the average person is more interested in his or her own name than in all the other names on earth put together.” Keys to remembering names include paying attention when introduced to someone, mentally repeating the name and using it in conversation.

Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job title. They refer to employees as team members, associates, or colleagues – never as "subordinates" – and make no distinction between "essential" and "non-essential" staff or "professional" and "non-professional" staff. Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or not they are important to the success of an organization.

Good leaders believe that every team member matters and foster an environment that makes everyone feel important. It is no wonder they attract all the support they need to help them achieve their goals.

Tag Goulet is CEO of Fabjob.com, a company that publishes e-books on how to break into a "fab" job. Visit www.fabjob.com for information

*********************

Lead On!!

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

Commit To Lifelong Learning for Personal Success

Commit to Lifelong Learning to Achieve Professional Success
by Debra Pestrak

Being the best in anything requires long hours of practice and a commitment to lifelong learning. From the greatest athletes to the most talented musicians to the world’s prolific writers, these people dedicate themselves to their chosen profession and continually strive to improve themselves. They know that self-improvement is the key to success, and they make a daily effort to hone their talents.

Success in business is no different. In order to be an expert in your field, you must continually improve your business skills and stay on top of business trends. The more you commit to self-improvement and learning, the better you will become and the faster your career will excel.

In order to stress the important correlation between learning and business success, several Fortune 500® executives recently explained how self-improvement paved the way for their rise to the top. Their insights and advice go beyond traditional business school teachings and encompass vital learning's that all workers at any level should heed.

Learn From Those Around You

After spending anywhere from 12 to 18 years in school, many people embark into the business world believing they have all the knowledge under their belt that they’ll need. In reality, quite the opposite is often true. Real business learning begins your first day on the job and it continues until retirement. Those people who accept this fact master business trends and advance their careers faster.

One of your most vital learning resources will be your senior co-workers. They have experience you can learn from and can guide you to correct decisions. Jean Hamilton, Chief Executive Office, Prudential Institutional, cites her mentors and co-workers as her greatest teachers. She says, “I’ve been lucky to work with a number of people from whom I’ve been able to learn. I’ve used them as role models, carefully watching to see things they do well and thinking about how I can emulate them in what I do…. Listening to what others have to say, observing success, and then finding a way to personally incorporate that into your own set of goals and standards—all of that is critical.” By following the lead of these people, Hamilton was able to push past her limits and hone her business judgment.

Similarly, Ellen Hancock, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exodus Communications, reveals that she acquired most of her communication, leadership, and influencing skills through on-the-job training. When she began her career, she made it a point to meet with her mentors monthly.

She believes having a mentor is vital to success because the learning “becomes more of a personal experience rather than just an assignment.”

To adequately learn from others, look around your current organization and find someone who represents your values. Align yourself with that person so you can continually learn how to best do your job and how to improve your business skills. As you discover the type of support you need to advance your career, you can build a support network of those people who can best assist you with attaining your goals.

Learn From Your Own Mistakes

While mistakes and failures are often painful experiences, they are wonderful learning opportunities that can guide your career and self-development. Too often, people are afraid to make mistakes. They prefer to take the safe route and don’t challenge themselves to achieve more. Those at the top of their field are not afraid of mistakes. They know the importance of risking and learning from their mistakes and are able to move on to achieve greater things with the lessons their mistakes teach them.

Anne Sweeney, President, Disney/ABC Cable Networks and President, Disney Channel, agrees that mistakes are vital to career success. As she says, “I believe that if you stay in jobs where you know you cannot fail, you will never grow. Along the way, you must be prepared to take risks and make mistakes. I mean big mistakes. Mistakes that people know about. Mistakes that people may even write about. Mistakes that will make you question whether you have in fact chosen the right path. This sort of risk-taking constitutes an act of faith in yourself.”

Learn From Training Opportunities

In order to advance your career, you must also take advantage of every training opportunity, whether it’s from your company or an outside source. Why? Within most organizations, knowing various areas of the business is a prerequisite for a move into the executive ranks. You may be able to move close to the top as a specialist, but most organizations will not give you a policy- or decision-making position without knowledge of other areas of the business. This is why you must expand your knowledge base and seek out new ways to gain useful information.

When it comes to learning, Shelley Broader, Senior Vice President, Hannaford Brothers, is a pro. Throughout her climb to the top, she took advantage of every training session she could. She now advises aspiring businesspeople to do the same. “Take advantage of cross-functional learning opportunities and don’t pigeonhole yourself with a single set of skills,” she says. “I’m not practicing what I learned in college by any means, technically. Yet, I have a marketable set of skills and I can learn any tactical function. I can manage people and manage process. I can learn the tactical function that I’m managing.”

To gain hands-on learning, volunteer for new teams and task forces. Read your company’s annual report. Also, look to outside sources, such as trade journals and industry newsletters, for up-to-date market information. The more you know about your company and your industry, the higher you’ll go in your organization.

Learn Something New Today

Career advancement is possible when you make lifelong learning one of your top priorities. As you gain new knowledge and insights, you can continually evaluate the path you’ve chosen to be sure you’re on the right track. By committing yourself to be an eternal student of business, you can rise to the top of any organization.
Read Only © Copyright 2002 Debra Pestrak Used with permission of copyright holder

***********************
Debra Pestrak is an expert at helping people unleash their success, allowing people to be more productive and getting what they want out of life. She is an award-winning speaker, author, business consultant, educator and coach. Pestrak is founder and CEO of Success UNleashed, Inc.®, a company dedicated to delivering high-impact and empowering programs. Visit www.debrapestrak.com for more information on Debra and her programs.
***********************

Article courtesy of Bob ‘Idea Man’ Hooey & Ideas At Work! Visit our webiste: http://www.ideaman.net/ for more downloadable Business Enhancement Success Thinking series of articles by some of North America’s top speakers and experts. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please let the author know, and tell them you read it on http://www.ideaman.net/ Bookmark this site as we add new articles as they are received.

*********************

Bob has lots of great articles, check them out!!

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

Expanding Your Horizons

It's important that you take risks when you are job searching, that you try something new and different instead of just sticking with what worked in the past. This poem is something I wrote about taking risks in Toastmasters, but it works no matter what you are doing. Be willing to try something new - a new taste sensation, a food you haven't tried before, a job that seems interesting, a book you haven't read... The possibilities are limitless and your personal growth will be tremendous if you try one new thing each and every day. By the end of the year you will have tried 365 new things. Some you will like, and some you won't, but you will have enhanced your capabilities.

You may not have heard about Toastmasters, but if you haven't, you should look it up at www.toastmasters.org and find the club nearest to you. Go and attend a ocuple of meetings. You will learn many new skills there which will help you in your job search. Toastmasters is all about communication - both speaking and listening. Members learn how to think on their feet and come up with answers to spontaneous questions. You will be amazed at how well this prepares you for interviews.

Trying Something New

Expand my horizons?
Oh no, I’m too scared,
I don’t think I’d know what to do.
I’ve grown used to the comfort
Of just coming and listening,
And maybe doing timing, or ah counting or quizzing.
But take on a role of Toastmaster, no way.
I might make mistakes. What would I say?
And table topics is frightening, people might boo,
When I introduce a topic or two.

Expand my horizons
Do you really think I could?
The thought just scares me to death.
Well, ok, not quite, but almost, but then,
That’s how I felt before I began
My weekly sessions at Toastmasters.
So maybe I can.
Ok, yes I’ll do it.
Sign me up.

I did it, I did it, and I did ok.
I really expanded my horizons today.
And it felt so good I’ll do it again,
Just give me that schedule
And I’ll put down my name.
Perhaps next week I’ll give my next speech
Or maybe even the word of the week.

My confidence grows with every new step,
And I look forward to things that I haven’t done yet.
I’m expanding my horizons and I’ll continue to soar,
As each week I’ll do something and then one thing more.

I want to say thank you to all of the group.
It’s because of you I was able to do it,
Because you supported me all the way through it.
Thank you for being there when I was afraid.
Thank you for helping me to be prepared.
Thank you for showing me how it is done.
Thank you for sharing and for having fun.

So expand your horizons and try something new.
Or you’ll never know just what you can do.


Here's to taking risks and facing challenges head on!!

Fran Watson

www.franwatson.ca/publicspeaking.html

Your Prescription For A Healthy Career

Although these statistics were quoted from 2006, the information contained in this report is as valid now as it was then, if not more so as several hundred thousand more people have turned 60 since then (including me). My mother is 88 and still living on her own, my boyfriend's mother is 75 and living on her own.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that eight of the 20 fastest growing occupations are in healthcare. In fact, more new healthcare jobs will be created by 2014 than in any other industry.

Why are healthcare careers so hot? Here are some of the major reasons:
 Baby Boomers turn 60 this year. The population of elderly persons, who have greater healthcare needs, are increasing faster than the overall population.
 In addition, Boomers' aging parents, whose life expectancies have increased in recent years, have caused the demand for home healthcare and residential care workers to increase significantly.
 With the recent advances in medical technology, lifespans have increased, and new technologies make it possible to treat illnesses and injuries that in recent years may not have been treatable.
 With federal law requiring that the healthcare industry technologically update its record-keeping practices and with health insurance becoming more complex, the need for administrative support in healthcare will also grow.

On top of these facts, many of those employed in healthcare will soon be retiring themselves, leaving vacancies in the industry. Now you can see why people interested in pursuing a healthcare career can be virtually ensured a lifetime of secure employment.
The Path to Healthcare
While it's not always necessary to complete a four-year degree program to work in the healthcare industry, the majority of occupations require completion of some kind of training program. Nurses, for example, may begin their careers with an associate's degree and Registered Nurse (RN) certification program.

According to CareerBuilder.com's Spring 2006 quarterly job forecast, nearly one in five hiring managers in the fastest growing industries, including healthcare, will be hiring administrative and clerical staff. That's especially true in healthcare. Medical assistants, pharmacy assistants, dental assistants, and other administrative positions, which only require training programs of two years or less, will be among the fastest growing occupations.

With such a healthy future in the industry, the prognosis is good for those considering a career in healthcare.

Sources
 "Health Care" - Bureau of Labor Statistics
 "Survey: More Jobs Expected in Spring '06" - CareerBuilder.com

To your health
Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

**********************

"My wife used to just sit around the house taking her perscription drugs for depression and anxiety. When she did work, she had trouble concentrating throughout the entire day. When we would take trips, she might be able to drive only an hour or so. Then, she started taking Veriuni's Diet Assist CLA. On our last trip, she was able to drive almost the whole way from Portland to Los Angeles and Las Vegas and back home! She no longer wants to just sit at home, and when she works, she can put in the whole day. CLA has helped her regain some the energy she lost due to Chemo Therapy and Radiation following her Breast Cancer treatments...she has also lost a total of eight pounds since taking CLA. I am now a happy husband because of CLA and what it has done for my wife!"
Norman Patton
WA, UNITED STATES

**********************

Retired? Unemployed? Laid-Off, or Insufficient Income? Start your own Internet business from home. Build residual and leveraged income to create real wealth. World Wide Income System that REALLY WORKS! FREE Training and FREE Training support, websites and products all provided! - ZERO RISK! All it needs is YOU!!

**********************

Network Marketing is BOOMING on the Web! Learn how we're sponsoring OVER 30,000 monthly worldwide without mailing anything, without faxing anything, without calling anyone! Totally Internet and system-driven and we've only scratched the surface. Get started FREE! Sign up as an affiliate at: http://www.quickinfo247.com/7910757/FREE. Then watch the explosion before your eyes. NO OBLIGATION.

Life Is About Choices

Life is About Choices and the Decisions We Make


In our journey through life we travel along many different roads and paths. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are roads that lead to fame and fortune and roads that lead to isolation and poverty.

As we pass along these roads and paths we encounter various corners, detours, and crossroads. Some paths seem to easily lead us in a new direction, but often the most perplexing road that you encounter is a crossroad.

With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they lead, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that you will choose the right one? How will you make your decision?

First, it is important to remember that there are no guarantees.

You never really know where a road will lead you until you take it. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. There are so many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you react to different situations.

It is important to act

Since life offers no guarantee you might as well take the risk and decide on a direction. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure. It is all a matter of perspective.

Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:

• Get as much information as you can about your situation.

Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

• Identify and create options.

Discover what options the situation gives you? Sometimes the options may be few, but often they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. Start brainstorming ideas - from the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. If you have difficulty doing this, you can ask a friend to help you identify options, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

• Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

• Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option for you at this point in time. You can always change your mind and take a different direction at a later date.

Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret making a decision, whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

When it comes to your job search, you don't have to stay in the same job year after year, you have choices. Assess your situation, brainstorm some ideas, and make your decision, then take action.

Georgia Donovan: http://www.theclothesdoctor.com/index.html
**************************

Has Business Casual Gone Too Far

Get rid of the tee shirt that has your life motto or philosophy statement written across it. A simple white or colored tee works best.
Get rid of anything dirty, worn, torn. If you wash your car in it or wear it to clean out your backyard it's not right for the office.
Get rid of anything tight. That goes for guys too. Loose the tight jeans, tank tops or anything that is suggestive or bare. Short shorts are a no no and are in very bad taste.

Get rid of the backpack and save it for weekends. Invest in a good briefcase.

Get rid of the baseball cap. Save if for the softball game.

Get rid of your favorite tattoo, I'm not saying that you should go to local dermatologist and get it burned off, but at least cover it. The same goes for body piercing.

Get rid of those dirty sneakers .

And women should never ever go braless! I don't care if you're a 32AA, you ALWAYS wear a bra to the office.

What works best: A basic blazer in navy, black or tan over a great pair of pressed jeans and a white tee shirt. Denim shirts with khaki pants or skirts.

The look you want here is professional yet casual . If you still haven't a clue as to how to put it together, here's a tip. take a look at your boss's, boss.

The above is from Georgia Donovan's blog. For more information on Fashion and Makeup, check it out here:

*******************

To putting your best foot forward in your job!

Fran Watson

Are you Good Enough... or Better?

When we were in school, 50% was a pass and often many of us were content to just do enough to pass. many of us have carried this mentality on into our working lives. We do just enough to get by each day, to produce the minimum that we can get away with. If we make mistakes, we figure that someone else will pick up the slack. We never really think about what happens beyond our own doors. We forget that "no man is an island" and that every stone thrwon into a pond causes a ripple effect that affects everything around it.

You are the stone, you are cast into the waters and what you do affects everyone around you. What kind of an effort are you making in your job today. Are you content to be "just good enough", or are you striving to be better?

Consider the following:

If 99.9% is good enough, then...

12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped each year.

18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled per hour.

2,000,000 documes will be lost by the IRS/Revenue Canada this year.

2.5 million books will be shipped with the wrong covers.

Two planes landing at Chicago's O'Hare airport will be unsafe every day.

315 entries in Webster's dictionary will be misspelled.

20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written this year.

880,000 credit cards in circulation will turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.

103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly during the year.

5.5 million cases of soft drinks produced will be flat.

291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly.

3,056 copies of tomorrow's Wall Street Journal will be missing one of the three sections.

Think about the above as you go to work this week. Be the best you can be and do the best you can do. GIve all your effort to your work while you are at work, and all your effort to your family life when you are at home.

Have a wonderful year!

Fran Watson

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Looking for something a little different? Click Here!
*****************************************

A comfort zone denotes the limited set of behaviors and environments that a person can engage in without becoming anxious.

The Comfort Zone is our living, work, and social environments that we have grown accustom too. It determines the type of friends we make or people we associate with. It determines a life style we accept or reject.

Most of us love the familiar. Whether we realize it or not, we put a lot of work into ensuring that certain things in our lives remain constant.This personal “comfort zone” is the invisible, but very real area that defines the boundaries of what we know and understand. By staying within this comfort zone we reassure ourselves that we are safe. And as long as we are safely held within the walls of what we know we feel secure and confident.

As we move closer to the edges of that zone we begin to feel a bit shaky and unsure of ourselves. But those edges are where we grow. And by stretching those boundaries we increase our ability to receive.

T. Harv Eker, the author of The Secrets of The Millionaire Mind has said that our comfort zone equals our money zone. In order to have more money in our lives we must expand our comfort zone.

I would add that our comfort zone equals our joy zone, our love zone, our fulfillment zone, our spiritual connection zone, you name it.

So if you want more of anything in your life, the place to start is with your comfort zone. By expanding your comfort zone you will get more of what you want. It’s that simple.

Now it sounds easy enough, but most of us have built up some pretty sturdy walls around our comfort zone. Pushing them out or breaking them down requires conscious, concerted effort. And I have found that it’s easier to expand the comfort zone in small, steady, steps than in great big leaps. But in order to do that, you need to intentionally take expansive action on a daily basis.

So to get you started, I’ve created a list of 50 actions that might expand your comfort zone.

Keep in mind that the parameters of everyone’s comfort zone are different. So if you already love to Scuba dive, number 30 on this list isn’t going to expand your comfort zone very much! But there are most likely other items on this list that will work for you.

Also realize that many of these can, and may need to be, turned around to work for you. For example, number 6 is “Be the first to say, “I love you.” But if you’re the one that always says I love you first, you’ll need to turn it around to “Let the other person say ‘I love you’ first.” For some of you that’s going to be quite uncomfortable, especially when the other person doesn’t say “I love you!”

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. It can’t be. Instead, it’s a catalyst and a reminder for you to take small steps each and every day that expand your comfort zone.

Here’s the list:

1. Try some new food.
2. Go on a silent retreat.
3. Ask for a raise.
4. Smile at strangers.
5. Say hello to people in the grocery store.
6. Be the first to say “I love you.”
7. Perform at an open mike night.
8. Eat at a local restaurant by yourself.
9. Take a day off from work to volunteer at your child’s school.
10. Go back to school.
11. Start a new business.
12. Moonlight as a waitperson.
13. Unplug the TV for a week.
14. Write in a journal every day.
15. Learn to surf.
16. Go to a different church/temple/mosque each week.
17. Get your news from different sources.
18. Live in another country.
19. Do a house-swap for a month.
20. Use public transportation.
21. Wear an outrageous outfit.
22. Meditate for 15-minutes a day.
23. Put your cell phone in a drawer for a full week.
24. Make a fool of yourself – on purpose.
25. Call someone you admire in your community and ask them out for lunch.
26. Ask someone you admire to be your mentor.
27. Switch sides (of the bed) with your partner.
28. Confront a phobia.
29. Jump out of a plane (with a parachute please!).
30. Learn to scuba dive.
31. Say I love you to your parents/children/siblings/friends.
32. Admit you were wrong.
33. Go to a movie by yourself.
34. Take responsibility for something you didn’t do.
35. Give away all one-month’s income.
36. Give a public talk on a topic you’re passionate about.
37. Join a networking group.
38. Disconnect the Internet for a week.
39. Ask for help.
40. Get a part time job as a checker at your local grocery store.
41. Enter an art show.
42. Forgive someone.
43. Join Toastmasters.
44. Start a blog.
45. Ask for a partial or complete telecommute arrangement at work.
46. Take lessons in something you’ve always wanted to try (art, music, woodworking, dancing, etc.).
47. Learn a foreign language.
48. Read a book in a genre you don’t usually read.
49. Delegate more of your work.
50. Get up an hour earlier than usual.
51. Try a therapy or modality that seems a bit “out there.”

Which of these have the most potential for expanding your comfort zone? Which ones made you gulp or start to sweat a bit?

Which actions did I leave off this list that, for you, are particularly effective at expanding your comfort zone?

*** from Evolving Times

Take a chance on yourself - step outside your comfort zone at least once every day. It will improve your self-confidence and make you a better employee.

Fran

P.S. If you want to read other's comments on this post, go to http://www.evolvingtimes.com/2007/09/51-ways-to-expand-your-comfort-zone.htm

Insight

Points to Ponder

What are three things you are doing regularly that don't serve or support you?

What can you do to change this?

What could you work on now that would make the biggest difference to your life?

What would be your ideal career - if you could do anything?

Fran

Pursuing Your Own Self-Direction

Ambitiously Pursuing Your Own Self-Direction by Jim Rohn
(Excerpted from The Power of Ambition series)

What is the origin of true ambition? There exists really only one place to find true ambition and that is within you – in every thought, in every movement, in every motivation. Your ambition is an expression of who you truly are, your own self-expression.

Self-expression. Isn't self-expression really self-direction? How you think, how you move, how you motivate yourself. Ambition is a result of self-direction and self-direction is one of the six key principles necessary for building ambition. Positive self-direction says, "I know who I am and I know where I want to go. I'm accumulating knowledge and experiences and feelings and philosophies that will help prepare me for opportunities that I know will show up without notice or any help on my part." Because you know where you want to go, you have already been working on the parts of your personality that will make you better. Working on your attitude, working on your health, working on your time management skills. Putting it all down on paper. And you constantly see yourself in the place you want to be, going in the direction you want to go.

************************************************
Special - Jim Rohn's One Year Success Plan
************************************************
Direction determines destination. So here is a question you must ask yourself, "Are all the disciplines that I'm currently engaged in taking me where I want to go?" What an important question to ask yourself at the beginning of the month, the beginning of the week, the beginning of the day. Because here is what you don't ever want to do - kid yourself. Kid your neighbor, kid me and kid the marketplace, but don't kid yourself - fingers crossed - hoping you will arrive at a good destination when you're not even headed that way. You have to ask yourself often, Am I? Am I doing the disciplines that are taking me in the direction I want to go? Don't neglect to ask these important questions, questions that help determine your direction, the set of your sail, your destination.

Is this the direction I want for my life?
Is this someone else's direction?
Is this a goal I have been ingrained with since my childhood?
Is this goal my parent's, my spouse's, my boss', my children's or is it Mine?

Ask yourself these questions and then debate them. After you have answered these questions within yourself, then take it one step further and ask, "What am I doing that is working or not working?" Debate it all. Work with your mind to figure out the best possible direction for you - your self-direction. And then ambitiously pursue your own self-direction. Let the power of your own ambition take you where you want to go, to do what you want to do, to create the life you want to live!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Credit Statement to be included in Reprints:

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher.
To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com or send a blank email to subscribe@jimrohn.com
Copyright © 2007 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.
************************

Special - Jim Rohn's One Year Success Plan