Inspiration Friday: George Bernard Shaw on finding yourself
May 27, 2011 By
Inspiration Friday: Mary McCarthy on heroism
May 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
We are the hero of our own story. — Mary McCarthy
In the thoughts you have and the story you tell yourself, are you the hero? Or are you waiting for someone or something else to save you?
What makes you powerful, decisive, confident, and willing to act?
How can you bring more of that into every day?
Inspiration Friday: Billie Jean King on being bold
May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy. — Billie Jean King
Tennis fan or not, it’s hard not to admire Billie Jean King for her accomplishments as an athlete and a mentor. You can read more about her in Pressure Is A Privilege, the book she co-authored with Christine Brennan.
This quote reminds us to take risks. It’s not about taking unnecessary or harmful risks. But it is about betting big. If you are going to try for something, is the goal a big one? Are you stretching? Are you dreaming out of your comfort zone?
Inspiration Friday: Bertice Berry on Destiny
May 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Inspiration Friday: Winnie-the-Pooh on being proactive
April 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. – Winnie-the-Pooh
Do you think your resume speaks for itself? (More likely, it undersells you. Furthermore, recruiters skim in seconds. Finally, do you really want to cede control of your search to the reader?)
Do you think having a good business product is enough for customers to find you? (But how are they supposed to know about you?)
Do you accept that having a diverse and engaged network is a critical success but you’ll get to it later?
If Winnie-the-Pooh knows the value in putting yourself out there, so should you. What customer/ mentor/ strategic partner do you want to meet? How can you approach them? How can you develop a long-term relationship?
Inspiration Friday: Erma Bombeck on courage and dreams
April 22, 2011 By 1 Comment
It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else. – Erma Bombeck
At some point, we have to reveal our dreams — by applying for the job, raising our hand for the promotion, marketing our business. It’s okay to keep things secret in the planning stage, but when you go for it, people will find out.
Do you give yourself credit for the courage that you’ve shown just by putting yourself out there?
Is lack of courage a factor in not putting yourself out there enough? Are you not applying for the stretch job, not asking for that bigger role, or not publicizing your business?
Are you playing too small?
Courage is not just about running into a burning building. Courage can be found in the everyday as well, when we reach for our dream career or business and are not intimidated by the odds. We don’t always think about courage as a key factor in career planning or business building, but we should!
Inspiration Friday: Robert Sutton on Optimism and Bad Ideas
April 15, 2011 By 1 Comment
The only thing that is more important than optimism is the capacity to pull the plug on a bad idea — Robert Sutton
When was the last thing you said No, or stopped doing something you had invested time and energy in?
I certainly haven’t mastered this myself, but this quote is a great reminder of that fine line between perseverance that is admirable and stubbornness that is not. That line changes by goal. I know I tend to give up easily in areas like fitness but have rock solid discipline in other areas like finance. I wish that weren’t so, but it is. At least I now know where I need an extra push and where I am in danger of being pigheaded.
What are the areas where you stubbornly don’t let go? Where do you let go too soon?
Inspiration Friday: Bruce Lee on pushing past limits
April 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are no limits. There are plateaus, and you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. – Bruce Lee
Wow, I don’t know if I’d want my clients to think about the prospect of dying as they stretch for their goals, but I do admire the urgency and passion behind this quote.
In what area have you plateaued? Perhaps you are keeping busy on your job search by networking with friends rather than people who can actually hire you? Same thing for business owners — are you networking with prospective customers or just friendly faces?
Where in your life do you feel bound by limits? Do you think your salary is good enough and you shouldn’t press for more? How about your career, relationships, fitness level, bank account?
What’s the worse thing that can happen if you push past your plateau and test your limit? It probably won’t kill you!
Inspiration Friday: Steve Martin
April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. — Steve Martin
Funny is inspirational.
Being observant is important.
Calling it like it is a valuable skill.
I love Steve Martin’s wit, and he’s a terrific author too.
Inspiration Friday: Spanish proverb on the time crunch
March 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the year – Spanish proverb
Is there even one thing you are planning for tomorrow that you can do today?
If there is something you don’t want to do (mine was review my tax draft from the accountant!) can you set a timer for 15 minutes to get started?
Can you build refreshment breaks into your schedule — e.g., only schedule 60% of your work day, block into your calendar that walk around the block or chair yoga stretch time?
If your schedule is your own, have you considered 3 weeks on and 1 week off? 3 months on and 1 month off? What are some other creative combinations to get you outside of working 24/7?
