Media Room - Newsletters
Mike's Message
Happy New Beginnings
On January 20th, all the talk about change will become a reality as we swear in the 44th president of the United States. Barack Obama is entering a world of considerable challenges which require great intention and resolve to accomplish his commitments.
At the beginning of 2009, many of us are also "swearing in" our commitment to the upcoming year. Whether we give voice to a formal resolution or not, whether we are feeling troubled or optimistic, each new year has that feeling of promise, of a clean slate. There is a sense of renewal and energy toward a new day. For some reason, on January 1st, we embrace the ability to change.
In an intentional life, every day is 'New Year's Day'. Every day offers the ability to set a goal, deliver upon our word, and see the results. Some days the results are amazing and energizing - we are ready to do it again tomorrow. And others - "it's dark, its cold, I'm tired, it doesn't make a difference, who cares..." It is how we handle these days that determine how change will affect us.
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Thriving in Your Career
A friend of mine recently told me about his “3 out of 5 rule” regarding his career. If he doesn’t get out of bed excited about going to work three days a week then he knows it’s time to do something else. When I asked him why he didn’t shoot for five days a week he paused and asked, “Is that possible?”
The answer depends on what expectations you have for your career. Most people’s expectations are significantly lower than being excited to go to work every day of the week. But, there are also many people living their dream and doing what they love.
Unfortunately, the current economic climate doesn’t invite people to think of what they want to do with their career. Instead we are more prone to think, “What happens if I lose my job?” and then do what we think we have to do to pay the bills. But even the prospect of job loss can invite another possibility. We can instead ask, “What would I like to do with my career if I had the opportunity to do so?” Many people are answering this question and are making big changes in their careers. Some are switching companies and industries and others are making even more radical changes like starting their own businesses. One participant in our most recent Career Reinvention Course committed to starting a company that he had been dreaming about since he was a young man. Another is actively exploring going back to medical school.