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Guest Writers On Success Click on a Title to Read That Article: Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5? Recognize the Early Signs of Burnout Networking for Introverts: A 5-Step Plan -------------------------------- These articles may not be reproduced without including the author's credit which appears after each individual article.
By Francine Huff The glowing, red numbers on my alarm clock read 2:15 as I glanced at it for about the fifth time in 20 minutes. It was the middle of the night and I was unable to sleep, distracted by how I would structure the next chapter of the book I'm writing. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't erase thoughts of the book from my mind. Frustrated with not being able to sleep, I got up, went to the computer and quickly listed the main ideas parading through my mind. As soon as the list was done, I became overwhelmed with how tired I was and promptly went back to bed and a restful sleep. When I booted up my computer the next morning, I could barely contain my excitement for tackling the day's work that would now be easier because of the little blueprint I'd written during the wee hours of the night. Have you ever lain awake at night, pondering the details of some project you were struggling with? Perhaps as you laid there, you were amazed at all of the wonderful and creative ideas dancing through your mind, and couldn't wait until morning to put them down on paper. But by the time you woke up, most of the details were hazy at best and later forgotten in the rush to get to work or get the kids off to school. Next time, instead of losing those bouts of inspiration to sleep, why not take a few minutes to capture some of them at the time they occur? Not only will you have a record of some of these ideas, but you'll probably get to sleep quicker if they aren't distracting you from getting the rest you need. By keeping a pad of paper and pen next to your bed, you'll be able to quickly jot down a list of your ideas without having to get out of bed. Sticking to the main points of these epiphanies will help avoid getting bogged down in too many details or wasting valuable sleep time. After all, you're not trying to have an all-night work session. You're simply trying to make sure you don't forget what could be the catalyst for a successful project. Also, keep a small pad of paper with you throughout the day so that you can quickly jot down any intriguing thoughts or ideas. List as many ideas as you feel apply to your project, no matter how grandiose or bland. You may not follow through on each point right away, but can always refer back to them in the future. I've found that some ideas I think are applicable to a project I'm working on, are actually better suited to something completely unrelated. Maybe you've been trying to write music to go with the lyrics you've already finished, but find that a melody you jotted down a couple months ago works better. Or perhaps you made a list of subjects you want to draw a while ago, and now find yourself inspired to actually go back and complete them. In addition to getting you to brainstorm, using lists can help organize a hectic schedule, making it easier to follow through with creative projects. The lament that there's just not enough time to create in the midst of a busy day begins to fall flat when you actually begin to check off items and see the fruit of what appeared to be a fleeting idea. And it's hard to describe the excitement you feel upon realizing that a wonderful quote you heard three months ago and added to your list fits perfectly in a magazine article you're writing. * * * * * * * * * * * * This article may not be reproduced without including the following credit: Francine Huff is a financial journalist. Look for her book, "The 25-Day Money Makeover For Women," at www.HuffWrites.com . She is available as a guest speaker and can be reached by e-mail at Huff88@aol.com. ________________________________________________________________________ "Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5?" By Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn’t 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas. Your calling is that passion that you have deep inside – the career that defines your purpose in life. Someone once told me if you find a job that you love you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Some of us work in careers for so long that we are numb on the inside and outside. We go from appointment to appointment and our days are so mundane. We hardly get any enjoyment out of what we do because it is just another 9 to 5. Have you recently said, ‘I could do this job with my eyes closed?’ People who choose a career, instead of their calling, wake up disappointed that they have to go to work. They hate facing another day. If you find your calling and pursue it, life will become an adventure and not just another 9 to 5. Ponder over these statements: Your passion directs you to your calling. * A calling is who you are. * A career is what you do. * A calling is 24-7-365. * A career is a 9 to 5. * A calling is what you would do for free. * A career is what they have to pay you to do. * A calling cannot be measured with money or fame. In conclusion, take a few moments to ponder over what is going on in your life today and figure out if it compensates towards your calling. Listen to your mind, body and soul. Don’t worry about what others will think or even if they will agree to whatever calling you move towards. Live your life as if tomorrow is your last day on Earth. Enjoy today because tomorrow isn’t definite. --------------------------------- This article was written by Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman, Lifestyle Entrepreneur Coach and owner of The Brownstone Workshop located in NJ. If you would like to copy this article, please include the author’s credentials. If you are interested in a full, detailed description of lifestyle entrepreneur coaching™, kindly go to www.thebrownstoneworkshop.bigstep . _________________________________________________________________________ "Recognize the Early Signs of Burnout" By Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman Most of us are trying to balance work, home, and a family life. We tend not to accept the early symptoms of burnout and carry on our daily lives. In my opinion, living your life isn’t supposed to be that way. If you ignore the red flags, you’ll become gravely ill and your life could come to a complete halt. To add to the normal day-to-day stresses, what about the poor economy and the war on terrorism? How many of us watch the news and all of a sudden, you get a headache? As much as I find the news to be a source of information, I try not to watch it everyday. Here are some strategies that I put together that might help you right now: Eat well and exercise. Take vitamins and drink plenty of water. Get your rest. Slow down. Ask for help. Some of us are so self-reliant that we won’t ask for help from our family members or close friends. You can’t do it all, all the time, by yourself. Take care of yourself first before you commit to others. Don’t wait until the weekend to take that long, hot bubble bath. When you get home from work, (temporarily) turn off the ringer on your phone, shutdown the lights, and light a scented candle while sipping a cup of tea. If you have children, find a babysitter for a few hours. If you haven’t read a good book lately, start today. Go to the nearest bookstore, order a hot drink, then enjoy yourself. Don’t skip your vacations and breaks. Spend your breaks meditating, praying, or reading. Don’t bring your work or your laptop with you on vacation. Use technology to your advantage. Let the voicemail pickup your messages. Ask those who have e-mail access to send their responses to your e-mail account. That way, you won’t have to respond immediately. Meet for brunch or dinner, at least once a month, with a group of close friends who share your common goal. Remember, take care of your body because it is yours to cherish. If you don’t, life will be hard to manage. Every little incident that happens, whether small or large, will become a huge risk toward a sound, healthy life. This article may not be reproduced without including the following credit: Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman, Lifestyle Entrepreneur Coach and owner of The Brownstone Workshop. Visit www.TheBrownstoneWorkshop.BigStep.com for more information and a "free" consultation. _________________________________________________________________________ Networking for Introverts: A 5-Step Plan By Penelope Trunk In college I was such an introvert that when I was dragged to parties I brought a book. It was a lonely existence, but the pain of having to talk to people in an unstructured environment was much too great. So I was shocked a few years ago when someone told me, "Job hunting is easier for you than most people because you could sell yourself to anyone." That comment was testament to the fact that I had recognized you can't get what you want in life without networking. Even though my natural instinct is to sit home and read, I worked very hard to learn how to talk to people. Luckily for me, books are a great resource in this regard. I read everything I could find. I read that most introverts are scared they'll say something stupid or have nothing to say at all (both applied to me). So I read up on ways to feel self-confident in a room full of strangers and come up with things to say when I felt intimidated. (Here's a recommendation: "You Are the Message" by Roger Ailes.) I learned that people who are good at networking are interested in other people. And they are good storytellers. After that, I was able to go almost anywhere and talk with people. Good talkers recognize that there's something interesting about every person, and it's their job to get them talking about it. But you can't just bombard people with questions. You also need to reveal things about yourself. The best way is by telling fun and interesting stories that make you look good. Not everyone can do this, though. After I had been dating my husband for about six months, I watched him print out a spreadsheet of names and phone numbers. "What's this?" I asked. "It's my networking list," he replied. "But you never call anyone. Ever." "I know, but networking is important, and I read that the first step is to have a good list." It was an extremely detailed list. For every name, there was a phone number and description of the person. For example, "Bennie Conover. High school music teacher -- dead." Or my favorite, "Penelope Trunk. Girlfriend." But my husband is an introvert, someone who loves details but hates talking to people. If you're similarly introverted, you can still network even though you'll never get excited about going to parties and learning interesting things about each person in the room. These tips can help. Use e-mail. Nowadays, you don't have to speak to contacts. You can write and rewrite your message until its right. And you don't have to worry about saying something stupid because the person caught you off guard. Of course, you lose the intimacy of a personal meeting, but you can sometimes compensate for this by sending an extra e-mail or two. Read everything. When something is published about someone you know, send a congratulatory e-mail. Incessant reading means getting gossip without having to gossip. Just be sure to act on it. Go to parties rather than dinners. If you're like most introverts, the problem isn't the quantity of people; it's having to show up at all. You can kill more birds with one stone by making one of your rare social appearances in front of lots of people. And think ahead: Have a few things prepared and ready to say to other partygoers. Help others. For instance, send leads to jobseekers you know. You don't have to talk to them, but they'll remember the favor and view you as a friend. My husband maintains a list of specialized job sites that he sends to friends who have recently lost jobs. They're grateful for his help and the time it saves them, while my husband is grateful that he only has to research job sites instead of having to talk to people. Send New Year's cards. Sending cards at year-end is tantamount to saying, "You're someone I care about." So send cards generously. If you can, include a short note to each person. Sure, it's a struggle to find things to say, but since its early November, you have two months to think. Write a few cards each day, and when you're stuck for words, remember the key to good networking: Be interested in other people and talk about yourself in interesting ways. Networking is one of those long-range, money-in-the-bank types of things; you never know when something you say will have big return. So introverts, start writing! -------------------------------- Penelope Trunk (a pseudonym) started Internet divisions at Fortune 500 companies and was a founder of two technology-focused companies. She has endured an IPO, a buyout, and a bankruptcy, and is currently a business development executive in the high-tech industry. Under the pen name Adrienne Eisen, she received the New Media Magazine Invision Award for her website and was nominated for a Henfield Award. A frequent presenter at digital media conferences including PEN/West and the Dartmouth Institute for Advanced Studies Conference on the Information Highway, she also taught a writing course at Boston University. Search an archive of her articles at http://www.bankrate.com/brm/archive_BrazenCareerist.asp |
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