Life and Work by Design Blog

Remember when you were a little kid out on the porch in the evening and some grownup said, “oh, there’s the first star – quick make a wish?”   We asked for things like red bicycles, baseball mitts, and dolls.   And those things often appeared on our birthday or as a holiday gift.

I’ve been holding conversations with groups of adults over 50 around the topic of what they are going to do in the next phase of their life, and I find a lot of people start their answer with the words, “I wish……”

For the most part, these are folks who have spent the last 30 years living in the same area, employed in the same career and working hard just to maintain the status quo of their lives.  They haven’t had the opportunity to try to make any major changes so they can’t quite imagine how to start.

At a presentation for The Transition Network here, author Carol Saline (Mothers and Daughters) talked about the many transitions of her life.  She suggested an approach for career and life decisions that reminds us that making successful changes or transitions requires taking action. She calls it FOOFY and I like her philosophy.

•    “Get your Foot in the door
•    When Opportunity knocks, just do it
•    When Opportunity doesn’t come calling, send out invitations
•    If you believe in something Fight for it
•    Just say Yes – never let the fear of failure hold you back!”

Wishing for a different life gets us nowhere until we start doing.

In a conversation over the weekend I discovered that an acquaintance previously served on the Board of an organization I would love to be associated with professionally.

I discovered this only because when she asked “what have you been up to?”,  I didn’t hesitate to state clearly what my immediate goals are.   If I had said that I was just “busy trying to build my business” the opportunity would have passed right by.

She offered to provide an introduction to some current board and staff members and suggested an approach to getting involved with them.

I need to polish my resume and pull together a proposal to present within a week or so and that’s going to require putting in some extra hours, but I can’t ignore this “knocking” on my door.

What have you found yourself wishing for lately?  It’s time to turn some of those thoughts into real concrete ideas and apply the FOOFY principles to your efforts.   Paying attention to opportunities and taking even small actions are the first steps to success.

I had to choose between three possible places to be last weekend.   An internet marketing event in Stamford, CT; a Barbara Winter seminar in Dodge City, KS; and a National Speakers Association workshop 5 minutes away from my home.

Every one of the experts at these events is worth traveling a distance to hear, and all three events were about topics important to growing my business.

A trip to CT would allow me to see a group of old friends, and going to KS would mean finally meeting some cyber world friends in person.  I knew the least about the local event but I had committed to it first, and my intuition seemed to be telling me to stick with that decision.  I reluctantly did.

I know for sure that it was the least fun of the three, and from all reports I missed two other really inspiring events.  But that Saturday morning I had a V-8 for my business.

One of the hardest things about developing a new business idea is figuring out what it is you don’t know.  The only way you can do that is to put yourself out there in places where you can observe and learn and meet people who know what you don’t.

The speaker I listened to intently last Saturday not only knew lots of things that I didn’t, but he was eager to share and taught well.  And a couple of contacts I made there have resulted in networking connections to a group of service providers who are interested in hiring me to do training for their employees.

Yep, I chose the can of  V-8 instead of the fun, bubbly soda but my business will benefit.  I would have picked up great ideas at either of the other events also. You have to make choices some times – trust your instincts to tell you which ones are best.

My daughter called one day last week.  She is 32 and lives in New York City.  She was laid off in March from her job as an editor at a PR design firm.  This is the third time she has lost a job through no fault of her own and of course, in NYC, jobs are scarce.    So, having established a good reputation and a lot of connections, she thought she would try free-lancing for a while.

Of course I encouraged her since I know that she is organized, is better than most people at planning ahead, and is well disciplined when she wants to do something.   But I didn’t think about one aspect of her delightful personality.  She lives in New York because she is a high energy, fast-moving urban type of gal.

“I don’t know how you stand this!”  She sounded like an 8 on a scale of 10 for misery.  “How do I stand what?”  I asked.   “Staying at home alone all day….”    Oh, that.  I laughed out loud.  I had offered lots of advice on how to find jobs, had sent her several links for helpful websites, and was offering lots of cheerleading about how well she could do.  I mean, I am her proud mother, ok?

What I hadn’t done was clue her in to my “work at home” success tips.  Even though I don’t mind being at home alone, I do have to get out just like anyone else.  I plan my work in 3 -4 hour chunks and then take breaks to do other things like walking in the park, going to the gym, meeting friends for lunch, checking out the book store or library, and going to networking and professional events.   I also do a lot with friends in the evenings to balance my quiet days.   But I’m not sure even those tricks would help my sweet social child.

With lots of people looking for new ways to earn income, I know many are thinking of how great it would be to have a home-based business.  There are some great perks – no fancy wardrobe needed, time to exercise, ability to eat food that’s actually good for you, no sitting in traffic, etc.   But there are some requirements that need to be considered.

Here are some traits that matter:
1.    Are you self-motivated?
2.    Can you avoid distractions?
3.    Are you organized?
4.    Can you stay focused?
5.    Can you prioritize your to-do list?
6.    Are you good at managing time?
7.    Are you knowledgeable in technology?

But even if you are good at all of the above, if you are a people person who needs interaction with others, or prefer conversing with humans who will actually answer you instead of a cat who purrs regardless, working at home might not be your cup of tea.   Know thyself….   Try spending a couple of days alone working on your idea to see how it feels.

What if you had a chance to build a business where you get paid to turn your passion for thinking “Outside the Job Box” into an income producing business - and to make a difference in people’s lives
at the same time?

If you are a creative personality who loves to help others, take it one step further and work with them to help them discover ways they can turn their interests into income.

My colleague, Valerie Young, is the Dreamer in Residence at Changing Course. She also is considered an expert on uncovering career options for people who want to do their own thing. Hercareer change advice has been cited around the world. She’s beenstudying creative career change and entrepreneurship for well over a decade now - devouring every book and seminar she could. But, along with being an avid learner, she’s also an educator.

Of course, the question you have to answer right now: Is this the right path for you?

Well, let’s talk about that. Let me ask you this… ~ Are you somebody who’s always clipping out articles for friends and acquaintances? Always turning other people on to resources and alternatives they never knew existed?

~ Are you a creative problem-solver?

~ Do you instinctively jump in to help others?

~ Do you find yourself constantly thinking up potential business
ideas?

If that describes you, then I bet people love talking with you… Maybe they even seek you out. And why wouldn’t they? After all, thinking about creative ways to make a living without a “job-job” is something that just, well… comes naturally to you I’ll bet.

If you’re interested in taking your passion of helping others find their calling, she’s just opened up her registration for her Outside the Job Box Career Expert Course.

In these economic times, there are many more people who are seeking alternatives ways to make a living
without a j-o-b. It’s become increasingly clear that the demand for people who are trained to help folks pursue creative entrepreneurial paths is greater than ever before.

If this appeals to you, you owe it to yourself to check it out.  Now is just as good a time as any to consider becoming an independent consultant.

Here’s the link to check out her course:

http://ChangingCourse.com/cmd.php?af=958047

Don’t delay! She started taking registrations earlier in the week. You really can create the life you really want. But it’s not going to happen without you taking action.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me.

In the last post I talked about the importance of having a Personal Mission Statement (or even a series of them) that express the goal(s) you would like to achieve in the next year or so, and the values you want to maintain to get there.

Another important exercise is to develop the Big Picture or a Vision Statement that expresses what you want your life to look like over the next 5 – 10 years.

Vision statements are longer and paint a large picture of the life you desire using lots of detail, adjectives and emotion to express your hopes and dreams.

You know how some TV sets have a smaller window where you can actually watch one show on the main screen and keep an eye on another in a smaller screen?  (If you live with a sports fan, you know this feature well!)   Laurie Beth Jones, author of The Path,  uses that as an example of how to look at the picture of WCI (What Currently Is) and at WCB (What Can Be) at the same time.

You can’t change your current life or work overnight but you can begin to focus your attention on a distant picture to help you pick and choose the path to get there.

So what does your vision look like?  There’s an article about the five W’s called The Possibilities are Endless on my website where I suggest some of the choices you can consider.
•    WHERE would you live?
•    WHAT would you be doing?
•    WHO would you be doing it with?
•    WHEN would you do it?
•    WHY do you want to do it?

Write your Vision Statement as if it is already happening. Here’s some of mine:
I live at least part of the year at the beach or near a body of water and travel frequently; I write books and do some public speaking to earn an income, and spend some time each day reading, playing the piano and doing art projects; I have a significant other person in my life and visit with my family often; I only work about 4 hours a day to leave time for volunteering and community involvement. I feel good that I am demonstrating to my children and grandchildren how to live a balanced life.

I’m not there yet, but I know where I’m headed.   Just like the Mission Statement, my Big Picture or Vision Statement gives me guideposts to use when making daily choices about how I spend my time, energy and money.

So, what’s your vision?   Most of you have at least heard about The Secret or The Law of Attraction.   These are the two most recent iterations of an ages old philosophy that says  “what you focus on will grow, what you ignore will whither.”

If you focus on a vision of the best life you can imagine you will find opportunities suddenly popping up. The key is paying attention so you don’t miss them.

If you sometimes feel like you are just moving from day to day without a plan, writing a personal mission statement can help you clarify what you want to accomplish and how you want to do it.

According to the dictionary, a mission statement is “a formal statement of the aims and values of a company, organization or individual. “  Thoughtfully done it provides a framework or template against which you can weigh all your decisions and actions.  It becomes a roadmap for your trip through the next year.

They are generally only 1 – 3 sentences and state goals you would like to achieve in the near future.
The goal may be personal or work related. The statement should be positive and  include behaviors, character traits and values that you consider important and want to work on further.

Here are some examples:

“To be healthy, fit and energetic so that I can enjoy life to the fullest and have the energy to pursue all my goals. I will do this by exercising regularly, following a nutritious diet and eliminating negative habits that are impacting my health.”

I will treasure time spent with my family and friends above everything else by putting aside time for them no matter how busy my schedule may become.

I will use my optimism, nurturing skills and organizational abilities to help others create more intentional lives as a way to earn a living.  And I will work at finding time to develop a romantic relationship.

These examples come from www.timethoughts.com  - a site that offers guidelines and lots of information on writing mission statements.

Think about a vacation – you can’t figure out how to get there if you don’t know where you want to end up or the type of transportation you want to use.  Working on your statement is a valuable exercise for creating the ideal life you dream of.

Once you have a mission statement, you can begin to decide on the action steps you will take to fulfill your mission.

Go to Google and type in personal mission statement to find a variety of sites that offer guidelines, lists of values, traits and actions, and templates to help you get started.

In the next post I’ll discuss another technique called a Vision Statement.

I’ve been known to suggest some pretty silly small biz ideas just to get your creative juices going, but since some people need some really good practical ideas here are some more serious ideas.

Computer work at home:  Virtual Assistants, Transcribers and Survey Responders are some possibilities. All three offer flexible hours, stay-at-home perks and pay per project. For valid information check out these two sites - www.e-workingwomen.com and www. ivaa.org

Mystery Shopper:   Offers flexible hours, requires a car, and becomes more lucrative as you prove your ability to provide good, timely reports.  Some allow you meals and merchandise at free or reduced prices.  Check www.e-workingwomen.com and www.mysteryshopper.org and www.mystery-shoppers.com   (Don’t ever pay a fee to a company to provide this service!)

Cater Waiter:  Offers flexible hours, usually requires only black pants and a white shirt (and comfy black shoes), responsible for helping with event set-up, serving and clean-up. They keep lists of available people and you can choose to accept or decline an event as they call you.   Check your local yellow pages for Caterers and Party Planning Services.   (There will always be weddings!)

Pet Care, House Cleaning, Personal Companions, Tutoring:  These are all services that you can provide by posting flyers around condo and apartment communities and on public bulletin boards in coffee shops and grocery stores.

Newspaper Delivery:  This is Dave Ramsay’s (Financial Peace guru) favorite way to pay down debt.  Early morning hours allow you to make money and then get on with your day.  Don’t just think the big ones - many communities now have local papers that are delivered to stores and sidewalk boxes as well as home delivery.

While You’re Away Concierge:  Forward mail, water plants, check the lamp timers  - provide services to people away on long vacations.  I found out last summer that the post office is worthless at forwarding mail and that my house got too hot and humid while I was away causing some damage.  I will pay someone responsible to send me my mail once a week and keep my condo in working order whenever I am gone from now on.

Seasonal jobs:  think about what kinds of things happen seasonally in your area.  Grow vegetables, herbs or fresh cut flowers to sell at the Farmer’s Market; work as a tour guide at a local historical site; set up a street stall to sell your art, jewelry or hand-made items; be a “sandwich-board” for local businesses on the boardwalk at the shore ; offer lawn-cutting and trimming services; work as a life-guard at a pool.

I hope this gets you started.   The list of books in my February Workin’ My Way newsletter offer lots more ideas.   If you’re not already sign up, just Do It Now!   (Our official motto for this year.)

If you have other good ideas to offer or questions about any of these, please comment below.

I love the library and now that most of us are trying to cut-back and spend less I recommend you put it on your “I’m bored - What can I do?” list.  I try to spend at least an hour a week just browsing.  Last week’s search turned up a couple of gems I’d like to suggest.

McGraw-Hill has a series on Careers for ___(lots of different groups) and there’s one titled Careers for Homebodies & Other Independent Souls by Jan Goldberg.  It’s a jam-packed little soft-cover book that is a must-read if you are considering starting any sort of home-based business.  The first two chapters help you determine if you are the right type of personality to be self-employed, the next two spell out the steps to getting started, and the rest gives examples of real people and their biz ideas.

For those of you who live in Canada, it contains lots of resources for you as well.  The appendix has excellent lists of current books, web-sites and organizations that will help you find your way.

I’ve added it to my bookstore - go to my website, click on the Books tab and you can see all the books I’ve recommended in the last couple of years.  You can purchase right there and add other items from Amazon if you wish.  Same prices and same free-shipping deals - only I get a small commission.  I’d appreciate your support and it makes choosing easier.

Of course I understand if you want to use the library to borrow it instead…..:)

A recent Google alert reminded me of a fun career counseling site I had seen a couple of years ago.  It is a quick test that provides you with an analysis of your personality, work habits and ideal habitats for your career based on your favorite colors.

This is one of those tests you should do without thinking about it - your first instincts are important to your selection of colors.  There are 5 pages that each take less than 10 seconds to complete.   Then a basic report is generated about your personal traits.

It’s a fun way to see if you are even on the right track.  You may find that the real reason for your misery at work is that your position is all wrong for you.  I find that the results are spot on for myself - the analysis is amazingly accurate about who I am.

For $19.95 you can order a complete report of your strengths and weaknesses, abilities to work with others, etc. if you choose.      Give it a try - it might be enlightening!

You can find the test at:

http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

Some of my students say that they don’t know where to start to look for information about a possible career or great  business idea they need to learn about.  Some don’t know how to surf the internet for reliable information, and others don’t know about some great resources that are right under their noses.Well help is on the way!   I’m posting a series of articles on my website called Your Personal GPS that will explore lots of ways to find out “stuff”.  So far, there is one about all the great reference materials at the library and one about the ABC’s of finding good information on the internet.  Look for at least one more in the next week or so.  If you have a questions or challenges that you need help finding the answers to, please comment here and I’ll find places to help you.   Detective work is one of my favorite past-times!