How is Hard Work Working for You? Three Steps to Success

For most of us, it’s a long and winding road to success. Are you a bit lost on your way to success? Are you feeling overwhelmed by challenges? Not feeling motivated enough? I’d like to share my 3 steps and 3 quotes that boost my motivation, make me feel inspired, and strengthen my resolve to power through the work on the road to reaching new horizons.

There are three key elements to achieving long term career success:

1. Purpose: working for meaning
2. Approach: working smart
3. Attitude: trust that things will work out

First, you need a strong sense of purpose, a clear objective and focus.

“Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success, no matter what may be one’s aim.” ~John D Rockefeller

You need to believe in what you are doing, digging deep for your compelling purpose, to withstand all adversity and hurdles and to triumph over hard times. Without clarity about what you’re aiming for and the reason for striving for it, you may lose the energy to continue the course. I often find that behind a failure to achieve there’s a lack of that essential ingredient, purpose.

There is a widespread belief, held to be common sense, that you need to work harder than anyone else if you want to achieve success. I like to remind myself of a different perspective:

“I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult job because he will find an easy way to do it.”   ~ Bill Gates

Working hard is important, but knowing where to make the effort will determine the ultimate success of your endeavors. As you set yourself up for success, be open to new ways of thinking and doing things to ensure you are working smart.  You may recall the “too busy for round wheels” cartoon that has been making the rounds on LinkedIn. Don’t be the guy keeping busy pulling the cart all the while ignoring the opportunity to replace the square wheels. Make sure to step back from the wagon to discover opportunities for improvement.

And most importantly, attitude is everything when it comes to success. Self-trust is the foundation of achievement.

“Self-trust is the first secret of success, the belief that if you are here the authorities of the universe put you here, and for cause, or with some task strictly appointed you in your constitution, and as long as you work at that you are well and successful.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The road to success is always under construction, and the path you walk may be rough going. The third element of success is crucial: trust that you can succeed, belief that you deserve it, and have faith that you will get it. Self-trust may not bring success, but it gives us the strength and driving power to face any challenges. Fear and doubt are par for the course. To succeed, our dreams must be bigger than any doubts and our self-trust bigger than our fears. When the going gets tough, dig deep for the courage to stay the course. Most people fail to reach their goals because they give up too easily or turn back too soon. Keep believing that your success is just around the corner. Put your self-limiting beliefs aside and engage in courageous self-talk. As long as you don’t truly believe that it’s possible for you to succeed, you are going to keep creating excuses and distractions. Like the little engine that could, believe you can, and you will.

The bottom line: know what you want; believe that you can, make the effort, work smart, & repeat until you eventually reach success.

Struggling with your New Year’s resolutions? Choose One Word!

I typically start my New Year’s resolutions prior to the holidays. I find that it helps me stay focused through the hectic holiday season. But then every year, around mid-January, after the excitement of spending time with family and friends over the holidays, as I transition back to my normal routine, I sense a weakness in my resolve. This is when I have to re-engage and re-commit to my resolutions. I’ve found that the One Word approach truly gets me (and my clients) off and running. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oetiY0EkdQE

With 50% of resolutions failing by the end of January, the idea is to find the One Word to get inspired and live by for the year. Starting the day off with One Word in mind helps put the day in perspective. It certainly helps focus our thoughts, choices, and actions. This is my 3rd year doing this. My word for 2015 was "gratitude,” which helped me to better appreciate all the good in my life and to find the opportunities hidden in each new day. My word for 2016 was “courage,” which empowered me to take the plunge and quit my job to start my own business. My word for 2017 is “positive.”

If you’d like to learn more, you may want to get the book “One Word that will Change Your Life” by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, & Jon Gordon. https://www.amazon.com/Word-that-will-Change-Your/dp/111854241X.  However, despite my resolution to look at the positive, not the negative, this year, I cannot fully positively recommend the book without offering a word of caution. While the concept of One Word is brilliant, some may find the book light on content. Moreover, the book has a religious tone, and the references to God and prayer may be off-putting to those who are not religious. That being said, choosing One Word is a great way to stay on track all year long. The book outlines the process to discover the One Word and includes a personal action plan for strategic implementation.

To start off, I approach resolutions and the One Word process positively, using positive language. Think of this as a 3-step process.

1. Choose your positive word: your cue to trigger action.
2. Choose your positive reinforcement: your reward for taking any action aligned to your One Word and overarching goal.
3. Create a positive change cycle: keep making small changes in your habits and choices to stay the course and achieve meaningful and sustainable lone-term change.

This year, I will look at the positive. As discussed in many of my previous posts, decades of Positive Psychology research point to evidence that positivity fuels success and performance at work. When we actively engage in positive thinking and keep a positive attitude, we become more creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive. We all face obstacles along the path to our goals. Use the power of positivity to break through barriers and overcome challenges. It is often the difficult roads that lead to the most beautiful destinations. Ask anyone who ever drove the road to Hana in Maui. I am excited to focus on growing my talent consulting and coaching business this year with the word “positive” as my filter. I am determined to be more positive in all areas of my life and consciously choose to see the glass half full in every situation. Good luck achieving success with all your goals in 2017!

Make 2017 Your Year for Success: 10 Reasons to Hire a Career Coach

It’s that time of year again. We are starting the year off with the best of intentions for our 2017 resolutions. While it is true that most New Year’s resolutions fail, don’t get discouraged. You are still more likely to make a successful change in your life when you make a formal resolution. The first step in making any life changes is to wish for something meaningful, to recognize a problem, an area to improve on, or an opportunity to pursue. The next is to set a goal which is then further broken down into action steps. But the most important factor in achieving a resolution success is the daily re-commitment to follow the plan.

Unfortunately, our bad habits are hard to break and willpower runs out quickly. There are many things in life that call for the DIY approach; however, going DIY may not always produce the best results. Sometimes we need a little extra help, guidance and support to stay the course. Coaches are change agents helping to transform dreams into reality. Coaching is the vehicle transporting people from point A, the starting point, to point B, the desired destination.

One coaching specialty area is career coaching. Spending most of our waking hours working means we need to make the most of our investment of time and energy. Similar to an athletic coach training athletes for peak performance, a career coach would help you create a winning game plan and identify the resources you need to reach your full career potential. Make 2017 your year to stick to and achieve your career resolutions, perhaps with the help of a career coach.

Here are 10 reasons to work with a career coach:

#1: To create your personal brand

Building a strong personal brand opens up professional opportunities. A strong professional brand leads to better jobs and getting on the “fast track” to career advancement. Building a personal brand is like planting a garden. It takes time and dedicated effort to grow and expand a garden, and often the help of a professional is required to set the groundwork.

#2: To effectively tell your story

Whether pursuing a new job or a promotion, telling a compelling story is paramount to inspire trust and confidence in you. Your story needs to clearly define what you offer and how your interests, experience and skills align with the job you want. Each of us has a story to tell than can move others. It is the story of who we are, the choices we make, and the aspirations we have. In order to accelerate your career progression, you need to get comfortable telling your story and cultivating relationships. If this scares you, this would be a good reason to hire someone who can help you craft your story and practice this new skill.

#3: To create your strategic career plan

A strategic career plan serves as the roadmap guiding professional choices throughout the different career stages. Almost everyone has a dream or an aspiration they hope to achieve in their life. This is also true in the world of work. A solid career action plan would help you define goals and develop attainable milestones to land your dream job, accelerate in your chosen field and find fulfillment in your career. A career coach will guide you through drafting or implementing a career action plan. This may be the best investment you could make in your career.

#4: To effectively manage a career transition

Change is an inevitable part of life. In our work life, major changes are all too common from any new business initiatives to reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, and changes in leadership. Such times create a lot of uncertainty about job security, work duties and priorities, corporate culture, and new reporting structures. Change presents challenges and opportunities. To weather any professional storms and ride out the rocky waves of transition, we need a plan to make the most of every opportunity. A career coach will help you identify the possibilities, explore the options, and navigate the new path.

#5: To get un-stuck

At times we all experience feeling “stuck”, “running fast nowhere” or being “spread too thin” and struggling to “keep it all together”. When it feels like you're stuck on the hamster wheel, it may be a sign it’s time to hire a coach to help you identify specific steps to get unstuck. Coaching inspires excitement, curiosity, and ambition and help transition you into the next phase of your career.

#6: To enhance employability skills

Soft skills are the new hard skills of today's workforce. It's the hard skills that get you the interview, but it’s the soft skills that will get you the job. Employability skills are those intangible soft skills that go beyond credentials, qualifications and experience. They are the building blocks of career advancement and success. The challenge is that mastery requires a high degree of self-awareness and a lot of practice. Coaching will help you gain a deeper insight to cultivate soft skills and improve your personal effectiveness.

#7: To gain an unbiased expert perspective

Family and friends often have an opinion and advice to offer you, even when it isn’t asked for. Sometimes the well-meaning advice isn’t what you want or need. A core coaching principle is that the client knows best what’s right for them. When you don’t have clarity as to what you want and how to move forward, a career coach, who is not impacted by your decisions, can offer an unbiased point of view on your challenges and progress. You will have a safe sounding board and will get honest feedback on your ideas. The coaching process will help you find solutions more quickly and effectively than you could on your own.

#8: To get the results you want

Sometimes despite our best efforts, we don’t meet our goals nor achieve the desired outcomes. If you don’t seem to get the results you want at work, hiring a coach can have a huge impact on your career. You may be able to do a fair assessment of the current state of your career, clearly define your goals and put together a detailed action plan all on your own. However, a career coach can motivate you to pursue your goals, help you get past obstacles, create an action plan, and keep you accountable to your commitments. A coach will be dedicated to your success and work tirelessly to challenge you to perform at your best and get the results you deserve.

#9: To handle a sticky work situation

Conflicts are an unavoidable part of life and the workplace. If you’ve been working long enough, you’ve most likely had to manage a workplace conflict or some sticky work situations. Handling these sensitive workplace issues can be physically and emotionally exhausting. If you don’t have a trusted advisor or mentor, you’d be wise to look for a professional coach to guide you through an existing conflict or workplace challenge. Whatever the situation, a coach will support you as you analyze the facts, consider possible solutions, and develop resolution strategies.

#10: To improve your management skills

School does not teach you how to manage people. Even management courses like MBA’s don’t teach practical people management skills. Management would be easy if every employee was hard working and had a great attitude. But the reality is that being a people manager is hard work, and it's not for the faint of heart. Career coaches have business expertise, including leadership training, and helping people develop and manage a team. A career coach can share resources to help you develop, both as a manager as well as a leader.

Career success is about bringing value to others, making a difference and affecting positive change. Make sure you get expert guidance in advancing the trajectory of your career to make your daily work experience more focused, fulfilling, and successful.

Start your 2017 strong: give yourself or someone you acre about the gift of success. Contact me at info@choicefulpath.com.