As we enter a brand new year, I know many of you may be facing career changes (both big and small) in the future. While this can be exciting and energizing, it can also easily become overwhelming and draining.
Below, I’ve listed a few of my favorite inspiring quotes to help motivate you to take meaningful action towards achieving your career goals now and throughout the year ahead, whatever your goals may be.
If you have a favorite that I haven’t listed here, please share in the comments. Enjoy!
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
–Epictetus
You don’t need to win every medal to be successful.
–Jason Fried
A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm. –Charles Schwab
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.
–Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream. –Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Work to become, not to acquire.
–Elbert Hubbar
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
–Maya Angelou
Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
–Goethe
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
–Seneca
A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
–Mark Twain
If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius.
–Michelangelo
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
–Dr. Seuss
Life isn’t about waiting out the storm; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
–anonymous
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
–Oliver Wendell Holmes
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
–Eleanor Roosevelt
Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.
–Thomas A. Edison
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.
–Thomas A. Edison
If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
–Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
–Thomas A. Edison
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
–Thomas A. Edison
This time of year, as we approach the New Year, most of us spend an inordinate amount of time reflecting on where we’ve been and where we’re going. It can be depressing for some people; especially those who feel like their goals are never getting any closer to reality.
I know because I used to be one of those people. Every December 31st, I’d look back on the year that was and think, “Next year, things will be different.” But, inevitably, January 1st would come and I’d still be me, I’d still be facing the same challenges at home and at work, and I’d still be clueless about how to overcome them.
It’s like the U2 song goes: Nothing changes on New Year’s Day….
Somewhere along the line, I got sick of that little routine. I made the decision to change what wasn’t working in my life and at the top of my list was my career. That was about 7 years ago now and I haven’t looked back for a second. Sure, it was a difficult process. It was scary and I made some mistakes along the way. But I learned a lot about myself and ultimately, I landed here. Today, I do what I love day in and day out, and I make great money doing it. I’m still moving forward, still making adjustments and figuring out what really works for me, but I’m happy. This year, I’m not afraid of reflecting on the past or making goals for my future. I’m in the zone, you might say.
This post isn’t about making you jealous of my career or inspiring New Year’s Day angst. I simply want to point out that finding professional success and career fulfillment can be a long, arduous road to walk, especially if you’re doing it alone. But the journey is well worth it on the other side. Nothing has given me a greater sense of achievement. I have faith that, if that’s what you’re looking for in 2011, you are more than capable of reaching your goal.
So, if you’re approaching the New Year knowing that you want to change something in your career but you’re just not sure what that is or how to go about doing it, you’re not alone. I’d like to invite you to join me for a new group coaching program I’ll be hosting in February 2011. It’s called “Reinvent Your Career” and it’s all about finding career fulfillment and taking real steps towards achieving it. You’ll get the support you need to make 2011 the year you stop thinking about what you want to do and start doing it. Learn more about it here.
Written by Chrissy Scivicque, December 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
This past weekend, I attended a coaching course on the topic of Fulfillment. While I gained so much from the information presented, one of the most important things I learned was that fulfillment can’t wait. It’s the single most important thing we are all searching for. It’s the essence of LIFE.
And yet, so many of us put it off. Life, you might say, gets in the way of LIFE. We want to be “responsible” and “rational” and the end result is that we put our own fulfillment at the bottom of the priority list.
Now, let me clear: There’s nothing wrong with being responsible and rational. These are great qualities for any adult. But it’s easy to use them as excuses for not taking action.
And, when it comes to fulfillment, action can’t wait.
There’s another great excuse for not taking action that’s all around us this time of year. It’s called PLANNING. Yep. That responsible, rational side of your brain is convinced that making a New Year’s resolution is a real step towards achieving fulfillment.
Let’s be clear: TAKING action is not the same as PLANNING action.
Does this mean you shouldn’t plan? Absolutely not. Establish goals, create your to-do lists, dive into planning mode as much as your heart desires. But don’t get it confused with action. Realize that planning can, at times, be a hindrance to action.
(Yes, as a self-proclaimed productivity junkie, this statement gives me the hives. But there comes a time when we all must confront the things that are holding us back.)
Action is the key component to creating fulfillment. There’s nothing stopping any of us from taking action today. Really. I know it’s scary. I know it’s easier to just pull out the calendar and mark a day in the future as “The Day I Will Take Action.” But things come up. Life throws unexpected circumstances at us. That responsible, rational part of you will always find a way to jump in and say that today’s not the day, no matter how long you’ve been planning it.
I believe, with all of my heart, that you can take action today. It doesn’t have to be a giant leap of faith; just one tiny step is all it takes. LIFE is waiting for you to do this.
So today, instead of putting “run a marathon” on your New Year’s resolution list, go register for one. Instead of saying, “Next year I’ll start my own business,” go out and get a new client. Just go do it. There’s nothing stopping you.
What action will you take today to get closer to fulfillment?
Written by Chrissy Scivicque, December 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
You’ve just had the most amazing idea. It hits you like a tidal wave and nearly knocks you off your seat. THIS is the best idea you’ve ever had and you’re so excited to get started.
And then…the voice shows up.
“Who are you kidding? You’ll never accomplish that!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve had ‘great’ ideas before and none of them have ever worked out. What makes you think this will be any different?”
“That’s a horrible idea. No one will get it.”
“Maybe it’s a great idea…but you can’t do it. Someone else will come up with it and do it better anyway.”
Does any of this sound familiar?
That voice is what’s known as “The Saboteur.”
The Saboteur is a nagging, negative mental manifestation that tries to sabotage your efforts to grow and disrupt your desire to achieve new things. This guy is a real pain in the butt. He appears in a number of different ways and can use thousands of different disguises.
We all have saboteurs but many people don’t recognize them. The Saboteur doesn’t speak the truth but he still sounds pretty convincing. Don’t let yourself be swayed by his charms.
Here are a few things you need to know when dealing with The Saboteur:
The Saboteur Is Not Your Friend
Let’s be clear: That voice is a jerk. Seriously. His sole purpose is to discourage you and keep you from taking any risk at all. While he might sound like a caring, thoughtful voice of reason, he’s actually just a nervous nelly. He’s not looking out for your best interests, no matter what he says. Don’t hang out with him; don’t humor him. He’s no friend of yours.
The Saboteur Is Stuck in the Past
That voice only knows what happened in the past. He doesn’t know what’s possible or what could be. His job is to take the lessons you’ve learned and hold them over your head forever and ever. Sure, it’s a necessary part of growth to learn from history. But remember that the past isn’t always an accurate indicator of the future.
The Saboteur Loves the Comfort Zone
That voice comes up when the possibility of discomfort arises. He doesn’t want you to rock the boat. In his opinion, comfort is the most important thing in life. Of course, as you know, any kind of growth requires a little unease. So, if it were up to The Saboteur, you’d stay right where you are forever. You’d never move forward, you’d never improve. You’d live in the comfort zone and slowly waste away.
The Saboteur Doesn’t Have Faith In You
That voice isn’t aware of your capabilities. He’s not worried about pushing you towards your personal destiny or helping you become your best self. He doesn’t think you’re worth much anyway.
See what I mean? That voice is a JERK!! Keep your eye out for The Saboteur and don’t let him run the show. When you see him, say “hello” and simply ask him to take a hike. There’s no sense trying to reason with him or change his mind. Just put him in a box, place that box on a shelf, and carry on. Like I said, we all have saboteurs. The goal is to recognize them and manage them, so they don’t manage you!!
Out of everyone in my group of college friends, I was the only one who still had the same job two years after graduation. Everyone else had changed jobs once, twice, even three times. So, I felt somewhat smug—as if I knew something they didn’t. It wasn’t until many years later that I understood the positive side of job hopping. It hit me when I suddenly discovered that I had forced myself to stay in a job I hated for five years. If only I had just left at the very beginning when I realized it wasn’t for me…maybe I wouldn’t have wasted all that time being miserable…
Of course, job hopping also involves a few pretty serious downsides. In order to make the best decisions in your career, it’s helpful to understand both the positive and negative aspects of bouncing around from one job to the next, and how it can impact your long-term goals.
Self-Discovery
Clearly, no one expects you to know exactly what you want from your career the minute you graduate from college. But, as you gain experience, you should become more astutely aware of what your idea of “the right” job looks like. If you find yourself stuck, feeling like nothing will ever make you happy, it’s time to do some self-reflection. If you need help, download my free mini-workbook which walks you through a process to determine what’s working (and what’s not) in your current career so you can begin pinpointing the things that may provide (or detract from) career fulfillment the future. Once you know more about yourself, you can be more discerning in the job search process.
Proactively searching for a job that matches your unique career wants and needs should help prevent job hopping, but there’s no guarantee. Sometimes, the only way to really learn what works for you and what doesn’t is to simply step in there and give it a try. I always recommend that, unless things are really unbearable, it’s a good idea to stick with a new job for at least a year. This gives you enough time to really get a feel for it and make an informed decision.
Variety
Most of us enjoy routine…up to a point. Then, it becomes monotonous. Job hopping certainly provides variety. You end up learning about many different businesses and industries; you gain a variety of skills and meet a wide range of people. This is what many job hoppers crave when they bounce around. They just want to escape the boring everyday routine. Be cautious of this! While it’s nice to experience new things, most jobs will have some degree of monotony. When you’re being paid, it won’t always be exciting and new.
Shallow Experience
If you’re a job hopper, or if you end up being one, you can always frame your scattered experience as being a good thing: you have a wide range of capabilities and broad point-of-view. However, in reality, your experience in each area is rather shallow. If you only stay somewhere for a short period of time, you’re not getting a deep understanding of what’s going on. That usually takes several years to accomplish and prospective employers may be concerned about your skill level.
Lack of Loyalty
Inevitably, once you’ve job hopped a few times in a row, employers will start seeing it as a red flag. They’ll wonder about your loyalty. They’ll worry that it’s not worth the time, money and energy needed to train you because, in a year or so, you’ll be gone. This can be a hard stigma to shake so you better have some strong justification for why you left each position and proactively address it in your cover letter. Don’t try to ignore it and hope they won’t notice.
You Don’t Know What You Want (‘Till It’s Gone!)
The other thing prospective employers will assume is that you don’t really know what you want. When you tell them why you’d be perfect for the job and why it’s a position you’ll be thrilled to have, they’ll doubt your motives. Your past doesn’t indicate that you really know what will please you. Again, with a little clever maneuvering, you can frame it in such a way that your past actually proves that you know exactly what you want—and DON’T want.
But, ultimately, many job hoppers end up regretting their decisions. They fall into the “grass is always greener” syndrome. Once they’ve moved on and fallen into another monotonous routine somewhere else, they realize that the last job wasn’t so bad after all.
If you ever find yourself labeled as a “serial job hopper,” take some time to evaluate why it’s happening and how it’s affecting your long-term career objectives. Create strategies to overcome this issue so you can settle into a job that feels right and keeps your interest. Working with a career coach or participating in a group coaching program may also be helpful.
As we enter a brand new year, I know many of you may be facing career changes (both big and small) in the future. While this can be exciting and energizing, it can also easily become overwhelming and draining.
This past weekend, I attended a coaching course on the topic of Fulfillment. While I gained so much from the information presented, one of the most important things I learned was that fulfillment can’t wait. It’s the single most important thing we are all searching for. It’s the essence of LIFE.
You’ve just had the most amazing idea. It hits you like a tidal wave and nearly knocks you off your seat. THIS is the best idea you’ve ever had and you’re so excited to get started.
Out of everyone in my group of college friends, I was the only one who still had the same job two years after graduation. Everyone else had changed jobs once, twice, even three times. So, I felt somewhat smug—as if I knew something they didn’t. It wasn’t until many years later that I understood the positive side of 