|
Waiting for Lightening to Strike
Author and management guru, Peter Drucker says, "People adjust to the level of demands made on them." I would add, we also adjust to the level we demand of ourselves. At some point we grow up and pass for adults by how we look. To match that look with action requires both discipline and determination. I'll give you an example from my life. My son was born when I was twenty-six. I made the decision to stay home with him the first two years. But, I knew I needed brain stimulation and interaction with an adult world, so I decided to pursue my interest in writing. I wrote my first article, sent it to a magazine and waited. Every day I anxiously checked the mail to discover if today would launch my writing career. When the manuscript was finally returned with a regrets note, my aspirations of being a writer ended. I figured an editor knew better than I did what I could do. I'd been waiting for my career lightening to strike. Twenty something years later, I know success has little to do with lightening strikes. So, when I left the corporate world to live and work from the mountains of Montana, I took with me that same dream of being a writer. For six months I studied writers and writing, read books, attended seminars and learned the business of writing. I wanted to be a columnist so I developed a strategy to become one by volunteering to write a life reflections column for a regional magazine. When they agreed, my writing career was launched while I learned the discipline of column writing and fine-tuned my new craft. Today that column, "In the Scheme of Things," is self-syndicated in several states and Canada, and a second column, "Winning at Working," (the one you're reading) was launched a year later. It now reaches hundreds of thousands of web-based readers and is the foundation for my first book. So what's the difference in today's writing success? Luck? Yes, but it's self-created luck. Better writing? Sure, I'm a better writer today than I was in my twenties. But, that's not it. It's discipline and determination. There are days when I'm not in the mood to write, but writers write, and I write. There are days when marketing my column to another publication or getting one more rejection seems overwhelming. Those days I take a deep breath before giving myself a kick and moving on. People who are winning at working have discipline and determination. They demand more of themselves. They push themselves to do the project when they're not in the mood, make the phone call, brush off the rejection, or learn the skill they're missing. They know there are few career lightening srikes in the world they live in. (c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved. Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Jobs City of Rochester (.gov)
Careers Washington State University
Careers Freedom of the Press Foundation
Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools
JobFeed NSW Department of Education
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Back to School for a Career Change
Q. I hate my job as a computer consultant.
Unemployment Survival: Taking Back Control
One of the most emotionally crippling aspects of unemployment is the sense of powerlessness it engenders. Job layoff triggers financial pressures, emotional distress, family turmoil, and dashed career hopes.
The Secrets to Interview Success
Many well qualified and extremely able candidates fail at job interviews simply because they are unaware of the conventions of the job interview and the expectations of the interviewer.Successful candidates, on the other hand, manage to impress prospective employers precisely because they know how to present themselves.
Resume Writing - Tips and Advice
Job-hunting is not the most exciting thing in the world but you can make it easier. The key is organization.
Tips for Terrific Telephone Interviews
Telephone interviews don't just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting.
Ten Great Careers For Single Parents
The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of the home for 40+ hours per week to work and raising a child at the same time can be nearly impossible.
Drive Your Career Change - A Direct Approach
If your career has gone off the road, take control and drive back to job satisfaction with a direct approach.When you're looking for that new job or a career move it's easy to think that 'they' hold all the cards.
Top Ten Guidelines For Working With Executive Recruiters
1. Select the right type of recruitment partnerDetermine whether you would be best served by a retained, contingency, contract or research based partner at a global, national or local level.
Managing The Boss Is Essential To Career Success
Your boss is the gatekeeper of your career. Unless you are able to manage a positive relationship with him at each step in your career you will fall short of your potential.
Whats Stopping You from Getting Your Next, Good Job?
This question comes up often when I'm working with someone to help them move forward in finding their next job.What is it that compels people to stay "stuck"?1.
Job Offers and Pay Negotiations
When you first get the job offer it will often be a verbal offer and is likely to be subject to taking up references and perhaps even a medical examination.So never say you are accepting a job offer, or resign from your present job until you have received a formal offer in writing for the new position.
Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World
1) Build a Relationship With Your BossLike it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are "in it with them" as a team.
How to Close Your Interview and Leave a Lasting Positive Impression
Closing the InterviewKnowing how to successfully close an interview can make the difference between getting the job and being one of the unfortunate individuals who receives a rejection letter in the mail. While much attention is given to the matters of how to write a resume and cover letter as well as what to expect in regards to interview questions, far too many job seekers are unprepared when comes to knowing how to successfully close an interview.
What is Experience Anyway?
I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that's not the right equation when counting work experience.
Adapting To Change In A Changing World
Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your existing skill in the last six months to one year?According to the world acclaimed management guru and Writer Professor Peter Drucker - "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning news skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.
Before You Begin, Know What To Expect - How You Can Make a Living Proof Reading From Home
Proof reading from home is an excellent way to make money, right? How hard and challenging can it be to do some editing after all?In fact it can be quite challenging to find a good quality proofreader that works from their house. This is due in part to the heavy demands it places on the individual and on their family.
Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position
It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.
No Experience? No Problem!
Are you a new graduate with little or no work experience? Sometimes it can be tough to get a job without experience, and how do you get more experience if you can't get a job?
Well, your chances are better than you think. Even if your work experience is a little weak, you've probably got life experience that will help you.
Make Your Resume Keyword Rich and Scanner Friendly
If you haven't looked for a job recently, there are new tactics that hiring professionals are using that you should be aware of before updating your resume.Employers and recruiters increasingly rely on electronic resumes, resume posting boards and job banks to find job candidates.
Job Interviews: Use the Personal Touch to Get a Job
A study conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research in 1995 showed that sales people who used their prospects' names generated a 239% increase in sales. In today's fast-paced world, that personal touch is even more important.
|