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Making a Case for Lazy Saturdays

Here is a sobering thought. If you are around 50 years old, you might only have about 1500 Saturdays left to enjoy in your lifetime. That is an estimate, but you get the point. We only get so many Saturdays. So, let me make a case for not working on Saturday.

A large study recently published by the “Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health” found that men and women who worked weekends or more than 55 hours per week experienced increased signs of depression. When we don’t get a break from work, we put ourselves at risk for physical and mental health issues.

Being constantly connected to work through email, texts, and phone calls does not allow our minds and bodies to rest and recuperate. Likewise, working late in the evenings or on the weekend prevents us from letting ourselves decompress.  Being “on” all the time has negative consequences.

Economic issues force many to work more than one job just to stay afloat. This is a larger social ill that needs addressing. Many people have no choice. Yet, many of us could create a much better work / life balance.

Lean teams and demanding jobs leave many workers feeling like they have no choice but to work long hours including on the weekends. In performance-driven work cultures, employees often feel pressured to perform in order to rank high and be rewarded for their efforts. And, technology keeps so many people plugged into their jobs at all times.

Employers and smart phones aren’t the only problems. Many of us work too hard for internal reasons. We may want to prove our worth, impress the boss, and land that promotion. Sometimes we keep chasing the never-ending to-do list because we imagine how good it will feel to finally get caught up.

Some of us are addicted to being busy. Being “super busy” has become a status symbol that proves we are successful. Does extreme busyness really equate to success? Or, is this way of living and working really the very opposite of success?

Lazy is a powerful four-letter word in our culture. What if being completely and utterly lazy every Saturday was something to be admired? What if limiting our work week to 40 hours and unplugging from technology after hours was the gold standard?  What if you simply decided to make this your gold standard?

Workplace hygiene studies suggest you would likely feel an increase in productivity and creativity at work and in your personal life. You might actually fall in love with your job again. Or, your spouse!  You might decompress enough to want to pick up your old paintbrushes, golf clubs, or drumsticks.

Or, you might give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing. Summer is the perfect time to slow down and be still. There is actually great power in doing nothing. Some of the most successful and respected people in the world make doing nothing a priority.

Slowing down and doing nothing can be challenging! The ego chides, “You are wasting time and being lazy!” If that happens, listen to a deeper wisdom that says, “It is good to rest and unwind.”

If you need further convincing, read some Mary Oliver. Her poem, “The Summer Day,” is a fervent call to slow down and be present in the moment. I especially love the last line when she asks, “Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” One thing I know for sure is that I have no plans to work on Saturday.

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Resumé Advice You Never Hear: Stop the Endless Targeting!

Imagine you are at a barbeque and a friend says, “We are hiring. Shoot me your résumé and I will pass it along to my manager.” Elation suddenly turns to panic. You spend the rest of the weekend pulling your hair out in order to get a résumé together by Monday.

Whether you are in active job search mode or more passively open to new opportunities, it is prudent to have a sparkly résumé ready to send off in a moment’s notice.

Job seekers are generally advised to target their résumés to each specific position. This sounds good in theory but it is not always possible. The aforementioned barbecue scenario is one case in point.

Another issue is that position descriptions vary widely. Some are overly detailed while others are short and skimpy. Rather than expressing any amount of passion and truth, job seekers parrot back what they think employers want to hear. The end result is a résumé that reads like the back of a can of paint.

There are certainly times when we should tailor a résumé to a specific position. However, there is a lot to be said for creating a personalized marketing piece that can be used more broadly. This allows us to be nimble and effective in responding to opportunities and it ensures we don’t lose ourselves in the job search process.

For the next few minutes forget everything you have heard about the importance of targeting your résumé. Rather than focusing on employer needs, look into your heart to identify what you want in your next position. Here are three steps to creating a powerful, all-purpose résumé:

Be Future Facing

Let this version of your résumé describe the job of your dreams. Rather than simply regurgitating what you have done in the past, highlight what you want to do more of going forward. Don’t list anything that you find draining.

Think beyond recent work experience and also emphasize skills gained through volunteering and personal interests or from positions held long ago. A résumé is a ticket to your happy future and it needs to be written with a clear vision in mind.

Be Compelling

Beyond listing skills and qualifications, develop a “career highlights” section in which you provide brief accomplishment statements to communicate the real value you can provide.

These accomplishment statements are like pencil drawings that support your goals and ambitions. When you land an interview, you can turn these pencil drawings into vivid word pictures and stories. For now, let your resume offer captivating snippets of who you are becoming professionally.

Be Yourself

When it comes to landing a good fit opportunity, your best bet is to present yourself honestly. Most résumés are sterile and lack personality. It seems the goal of so many job seekers is to avoid offending anyone – ever.

Speak your truth. Use conversational language and let your natural voice flow on to the page. Being forthright and creative in your presentation will cost you some jobs but staying true to yourself increases the likelihood of finding a position in which you can thrive and grow.

A future facing, compelling and personalized résumé allows you to be ready when random opportunities present themselves. When you do need to target your résumé for a specific position, you can modify this version while maintaining your personal brand. Putting more heart into your résumé is a good first step to attracting the attention you desire.

 

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Creativity is Career Rocket Fuel

Nurturing Creativity – A Worthy Endeavor

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 In an ever-changing business environment, what is the single most important factor to lasting success? A stellar résumé? High emotional intelligence? Top notch interviewing skills? Maybe it all comes down to “who you know?” These are all good things but they won’t get us far without another ingredient that matters even more.

 There is one element that acts like rocket fuel in terms of powering our careers forward: CREATIVITY. Think about it. It is not the obedient drone that makes an impact. It is the creative outlier with the crazy ideas who solves big problems and makes the world better.

The old model of working was about showing up, being loyal, keeping your head down, and not making waves. Today, that approach is pretty much career suicide. Creativity is the antidote that can keep us thriving both at work and at home.

In Linchpin, Seth Godin, makes a compelling argument for re-thinking the value of being an “obedient worker.” Godin stresses that creativity is what allows us to become indispensable in today’s marketplace. According to Godin, “This is the time to bring our creative spirits to market and we will be rewarded for doing so.”

Most of us feel an incredible pressure to innovate at work. We are expected to make significant contributions every single day. The typical workplace culture does not necessarily support us in fulfilling these expectations. Long hours, lean teams, pressing deadlines, and fear-based leadership styles get in the way of creative thinking.

It comes down to choice. We can choose to be mindless cogs waiting for permission and the support we desire in order to innovate. Or, we can make a conscious choice to show up every single day determined to make a creative difference. Should you choose the latter, here are seven ways to stoke your creative fire.

#1 – Write it Down

Most great ideas begin as flashes of inspiration. Keep an idea notebook handy and jot down random ideas as they come to you. My best ideas come to me when I am out walking the dog so I use the voice memo function on my phone to capture them. Put your ideas into words so they can begin to take shape before they slip away.

#2 – Get Moving

Many studies show that we do our best thinking when standing up and moving around as opposed to sitting still in front of a computer screen. Some companies have instituted “stand up meetings” to ensure discussions are productive and idea generating. I know you have heard this many times before and it deserves repeating: take regular breaks away from the desk.

A brisk walk on your lunch break or some good old-fashioned pacing around the office will get your creative juices flowing. Make a priority to hit the gym for a midday spin class or yoga session. Riding a bike to work is another way to fuel your creative spark. Get moving and then choose not to feel guilty for doing so!

# 3 – Create Space

Do some office cleaning, reorganizing and decorating to create a workspace that energizes and inspires you. Hang a white board and use it. Add some live plants or lay a colorful rug on the floor. Maybe water is your muse. A small table fountain can provide an inspiring soundscape.

#4 – Encourage Creativity In Others

Keep an open mind and show support when others offer creative ideas. Resist the urge to bat down suggestions that seem outlandish or to immediately add your reaction. Keep the conversation flowing by asking questions, showing genuine interest, and nodding to keep teammates talking.

#5 – Watch Your Mouth

The most creative people I know tend to use positive language and focus on possibilities rather than obstacles. Replace “but” with “and.” Rather than, “That won’t work,” try, “Hmm, I wonder if that is possible?” Positive language helps our minds stay open to new ways of thinking.

#6 – Take Creative Risks

Creativity is the exact opposite of playing it safe. It requires putting your heart on the line and risking failure. Hopefully, you work in an environment in which creative risk taking is rewarded and not punished! If not, maybe it is time to go in search of an organization that truly supports creativity as a path to excellence.

#7 – Do YOU!

Very simply, following our creative passions makes us happy! When you do things that bring you joy, it is bound to affect your attitude and job performance in a positive way.

In the past decade, there has been an emphasis on finding a career that brings us a sense of purpose. However, it is unrealistic to expect our work, even work we are really passionate about, to fulfill all our needs and desires. Sometimes the best thing we can do to increase our creativity at work is to do what brings us joy in our spare time.

Maybe that means picking up the guitar that is gathering dust in the corner. Or, committing to working on that children’s book that has been rattling around your head for years. Perhaps now is the time to sign up for that watercolor class you have always wanted to try. No more procrastination – do what you yearn to do!

Pursuing our creative hobbies and interests offers other benefits as well. Doing what we love helps us find our tribe and offers a conduit through which we can form deeper connections to others.

It all comes back to choice. Nurturing our creativity is not a self-indulgent distraction. It is a worthy endeavor. It may be the most important work we do in this lifetime. Hmm. I wonder if that is possible?

 

 

 

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Your Ideal Day

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If your life was a blank canvas, imagine the colors and shapes you would want to use to create the life you want. How would it look? What images symbolize the life you want?

If you are musically inclined, you can think about this in terms of notes on a piano. How would you like the notes to be arranged to represent the life you want to live?

Imagine an empty vase and a table full of cut flowers. Each flower represents an important part of your life. What would each flower stand for and how would you arrange them?

Each of us has a unique set of needs and desires in terms of creating an ideal life. My vase would be full of big, colorful flowers to represent family, friends, time in nature, one on one time with clients, speaking, teaching, writing, collaborating, doing yoga, walking with my dog, swimming in the ocean, nurturing my body with good food, and learning new things. There would be small sprays of greenery and baby’s breath to represent mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion. There would be daisies sprinkled throughout because they remind me of my Mom who gave me the gift of life. I see rosebuds and thorns because I want to embrace pain and suffering as part of the journey.

I often ask my clients to journal about their Ideal Day. It is a wonderful way for them to begin to visualize how they want their lives to look and feel. I encourage them to get really granular and down to the nitty gritty. Here is the prompt they receive:

Find a quiet spot and set aside a time when you will not be interrupted for about an hour or so. Give yourself this gift of time and space to really think about and imagine the ways you want your life to look and feel. You may light a candle or brew a cup of tea to create a sacred space.

 Begin to journal about a day that involves work. Imagine what time you will wake up. Include your morning routine, the foods you eat, the clothes you wear. Think about the people you want to work with and the impact you want to have in the world. What skills do you want to use and what is the role you dream of having at work? Imagine how you spend your lunch hour and how you interact with the community if this is important to you. You can continue your ideal day all the way until bedtime. Think about your evening meal, how you spend the evening hours. Imagine the routines or rituals you want in your ideal day.

Next, journal about a day of play. Follow the same process from the moment you arise until the time your head hits the pillow.

Give it a try. Journal about your Ideal Day. See what comes up for you. Chances are that there are already many things working perfectly in your life. Notice what is already IDEAL. Notice too, the few things you might like to add to your life in order to make it more rich and satisfying.

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Advancing Your Career Need Not Be a Solo Journey

Here is my most recent column in BizWest…Read it here or there!

Need Help? Ask!

Moving Your Career Forward Need Not be a Solo Journey

Independence is a highly valued quality in our society. We take great pride in being able to think and act for ourselves. There is definitely something to be said for being self-sufficient. However, sometimes we can be independent to a fault. When overused, this quality of independence quickly becomes a weakness.

I see this in my career counseling practice. People come to me after months or even years of trying to find a job “all by themselves.” Armed with a fresh résumé, a boost in self-confidence, a renewed process for connecting with others, and some expert interview coaching, they quickly begin getting solid offers.

Why do we struggle alone when help is often readily available? Sometimes we doubt that anyone can help us. Perhaps you reached out for help in the past and did not get the support you needed. We may imagine people are too busy. At the core, many of us believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

Achim Nowak, Founder and President of Influens, an international leadership training firm as well as the author of, “Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within,” believes we need to flip a switch in our brain so that we see asking for help as a sign of strength.”

Nowak adds, “The moment I ask for help, other forces of energy are being released that want me to be successful. I am giving others a chance to share in my success by offering their expertise and good will. These people then become my allies.”

Job seekers often express frustration about networking. It is easy to think, “Why would someone want to help me?”

According to Nowak, “Most people will feel honored to be asked to share their expertise. The request alone makes someone feels good. The moment we ask, collaborative goodwill kicks into motion. This kind of helping energy accelerates success – our own success and that of the person we ask.”

Still, asking for help takes skill and know-how. The first step is measuring our own level of readiness for help. If you lack confidence in your abilities, people will feel that.

We need to believe in ourselves before we enlist help from others. Nowak adds, “I don’t ask for help because I somehow feel deficient. I ask because it will enhance my experience and it will make the outcome stronger.”

The next step is being selective about who we go to for assistance. Are you looking for a friendly shoulder or could you benefit from professional coaching?

Turn to people who have a mindset of abundance. Abundant thinkers believe there is enough opportunity for everyone. Your success will not be seen as a threat but as a ripple of good in the world that leads to a greater overall experience for everyone.

Nowak advises, “Trust your instincts. It may be presumptuous to ask for significant help from someone you barely know. Assess the quality of the relationship as well as the nature of your request. Avoid going to people who are too busy or who don’t have the expertise to be of real help…choose your allies wisely.”

Finally, be very clear about your needs. In essence, consider how to help your helper. People want to be helpful and it is tremendously beneficial when you are specific in making a request. This sets others up to be successful in helping you.

When we sense someone’s passion and we clearly understand their needs, right away we begin offering ideas and resources. On the other hand, we can feel frustrated or irritated if someone is vague about what they need and we are unable to offer assistance.

For example, it is ineffective to ask for help “finding a job.” This is much too broad. A better approach is to say, “You have a lot of experience as a hiring manager. I am wondering if you would be willing to look at my résumé and give me some feedback about how to grab the attention of a recruiter?”

Nowak adds that, “Offering a clear context shows that you are focused and offers a framework for the conversation. Again, most people want to be helpful. When we are specific about our needs, we make it much easier for others to offer valuable assistance.”

When we follow these steps, asking for help is a way of acting on our dreams. It clarifies our position and shows that we are ready to move forward. We need to learn to ask for what we need and then give the world a chance to respond.

According to Nowak, “One of the ironies is that the more senior we are, the more pressure there is to act as if we know everything. Truly great leaders, at every level of their careers, are willing to be vulnerable. They recognize the value in considering multiple sources of information when making decisions.”

Stop and ask yourself, “What is one thing I need right now? What problem have I spent way too long trying to figure out on my own? What positive changes would occur if I were to receive the help I needed to move forward?”

Independence is a worthy value. Still, I would encourage you to tap into the power of connection. Consider how much farther you could go if you were to cultivate a greater sense of inter-connectedness with others.

Asking for help does not make you weak or needy. In fact, it does the very opposite of that. By asking for what you need, you actually become stronger, more informed, and more capable. We need each other. You can try to go it alone but I guarantee you will get much farther when you learn to ask for what you need and give generously of all that you have to offer.

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