“The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.”- Claude Levi Strauss

The problem with finding the answer…

is that you stop asking the questions.

Yet, as we’ve matured beyond the black and white, The Force or The Dark Side perceptions of our youth, there are few questions that have one single answer.

But, alas, there’s comfort in having an “answer.” We can sit on it, rely on it, revert to it, and stay fixed in it.

To do otherwise means we’re open and vulnerable for other possible answers to come in and shake up our steady foundation.

We like already knowing, so we don’t have to deal with other possibilities.

Unfortunately, very often, so goes our careers, our relationships, our plans for what is or isn’t possible for our lives, etc.

When was the last time you treated yourself, your job, your business, your marriage, your health, your plans for the future like a mystery?

There’s this idea called “inquiry” which, of all realms of questioning around, is the one that you never get to the bottom of.

Dictionary.com defines inquiry as “a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge” as well as “the act of inquiring or of seeking information by questioning; interrogation.”

Nowhere in those definitions do I find that the word inquiry involves finding the “answer.”

The coolest thing about inquiry is the idea I once heard from a very smart person: “What if finding the ‘answer’ is the booby prize, and real power comes from living in the questions?”

Where can you step back from an area already fixed in what you “know” and initiate a mysterious inquiry for yourself?

Here’s a short video addressing the tendency to “know” vs playing first with curiosity…something we tend to drop as we “mature.”

And Click Here for a free 15min inquiry into what may be possible outside of what you “know” for your career, business, life.

Got endless mystery?

“The ultimate mystery is one’s own self.”- Sammy Davis Jr.

The post July 11, 2018 – JOLT- An answer to the endless mystery? appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Finish each day and be done with it…tomorrow is a new day.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The tendency is to carry…

so much of yesterday into today.

The unfinished business, the things out that need to be put in, the incompletions, the wrongs to be righted, and even the general mood.

That’s the default way of being for human beings.

However, to generate requires something beyond default.

Generate is defined as “to bring into existence; cause to be; produce.”

We don’t often think that we need to do anything to have a day come about. The sun’s going to rise, we’re going to brush our teeth and grab coffee, and then get into what’s ahead of us.

But, without the clear and consciously demarcated choice to generate this day newly, the pull of default is simply too strong…like trying to escape the suck of a black hole in space.

What is a consciously generated ritual, affirmation, or even physical anchor you can put in to create a new generation of life in this new day?

The old business and things to be handled take on a fresh light when they show up in a new generation vs an extension of yesterday.

Got a second half/best half plan, project or initiative you want to breathe new life into? Click Here for a free 15 minute focus on new generation. 

Got new generation?

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

The post June 28, 2018 – JOLT – Breathing life into a new generation appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”- Babe Ruth

The percentage required for success…

in baseball should give us all some relief.

Ted Williams said “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.”

In the major leagues, .300 always has been regarded as a special number. Like a 20-point-a-game scorer in basketball or a 1,000-yards-a-season rusher in football, it is a benchmark for excellence. A .300 season will get you a pay raise.

However, when we look at our own life, career, pursuit of dreams and excellence, do we give ourselves that kind of leeway, to have 7 strike outs out of 10?

Not usually.

But what new idea, vision, initiative or action might get birthed if we did? Or what persistence might keep a dream already birthed alive?

The drives to “get it right the first time,” “avoid looking bad at all costs,” or “throw in the towel” causes the miscarriage or early death of so many inspirations.

You can say “But life isn’t baseball.”

I’ll respond with “But life is always happening first in your mind…and what chances are you not giving yourself right now because of the fear of striking out?”

Is it a career change? A business venture having you go out on your own? A stretch outside of the comfort zone in some area of health, relationships, creativity?

Look, you can resist and argue with the inspiration of these weekly missives, or you can just use them to take actions that you wouldn’t have anyway.

Who are you going to be after your 7th strike out? Learning and still swinging out, or resigned and aborting.

Take the 8th, 9th, or 10th swing today on something you’ve considered “game over” while you think about Micky Mantle’s quote

Let me know what you see for yourself. And to discuss your game or batting support, Click Here for an at-bat chat.

Got swinging out?

“During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.”- Mickey Mantle

The post June 20, 2018 – JOLT – Stats support swinging out appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”- Marie Curie

Something once said…

about perseverance is that it is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

That’s saying a lot. We all have areas of once-inspired-and-vital initiatives, and many of those initiatives have become sources of frustration and a sense of incompletion.

Those splendid ideas, therefore, now take up weighty space in our consciousness, where once they were sources of endless energy and drive.

What to do?

Grow in size to revitalize. The seed once planted can only grow to the extent of the fertile soil in which it was placed.

There’s somewhat of a myth that goldfish can only grow to the size of their bowl. It really has to do more with water quality than tank size. But, yes, cared for properly, goldfish (and all fish) grow until they die.

The question is: have YOU grown to the point where your grand initiative seed can spread itself, or is it planted in a seale.

What new aspects can you learn? What fresh connections can you make? Where can you get support to press up to the next level of realization?

I have a bold initiative of my own, which you can learn about here. Make sure you’re on the list for when the project is complete. And Click Here if you’d like to share your grand initiative with me. Perhaps I can support your perseverance.

Got size to revitalize?

“Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place – that is, the unique you. Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to realise the great life.” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

The post June 13, 2018 – JOLT – Are you of the size to revitalize? appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Resignation, perhaps the most stifling word in the language.”- Caitlin Thomas

A major killer…

of countless ideas, splendid plans, productive careers and even entire lives is resignation.

Looking at homeless folks camping on the beach, I wonder at what point they finally gave up.

Early in my career, working in Beverly Hills, I’d eat lunch at a local park just off of Rodeo Drive. I noticed a woman there, every day, obviously homeless. Someone said she used to be an attorney and district judge.

Yet, homeless folks are only an extreme case of an all-too-common issue. Resignation can take many forms and infiltrate even the highest of put-together people and households.

Career growth. Relationships. Health and vitality. Personal dreams. Creative self-expression. All are areas ripe for resignation, whether acknowledged or not.

n the career world, before you can resign a job, you have to apply to actually have it. (I’m not an advocate for applying for jobs at all, but saying it only for metaphor purposes!)

In the same way, in all of these areas where we might notice a state of resignation in our lives, sometimes a willful application of effort — in a new way, from a new mindset, with a new inspiration — can often bring about movement and progress to an area which has laid dusty and dormant way too long. 

I’ve had coaching clients drop weight they’ve never been able to lose from a new inspiration. Others have stopped smoking after 30 years (and many attempts) from a new mindset. Yet others have reinvented stale and lifeless romantic relationships from learning a new way of communicating.

Today, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to ferret out an area (or two or five) of resignation in your own life and attempt a new willful application of effort.

Your relationship/career/body/mind/condition sitting in resignation right now won’t get any worse, for sure. Yet, a new infusion of attention might just start a reverse snowball effect, driving you up a mountain of newfound lightness and freedom.

What’s it gonna be? Accept the resignation…or apply for new hope?

If the only action you can take right now to move beyond resignation is to Click Here, do so to schedule a short conversation. Perhaps there’s a new inspiration/mindset/way for you too.

Got willful application?

“Self-acknowledgment boosts your emotional and spiritual immunity, giving you the strength you need to release the past and rise above fear, doubt or resignation.”- Debbie Ford

The post June 6, 2018 – JOLT – Some thoughts to apply before you resign… appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Balance is not something you find. It’s something you create.”- Jana Kingsford

The bad news is…

that we don’t generally turn on the creative powers to design balance in our life until we are forced to.

Too often, we hear ourselves say “When I get a chance, I’m going to…” or “I really need to start sleeping/eating healthy/working out/dating/meditating more.”

Yet, that “chance” usually comes in some kind of wake up call.

Take Ariana Huffington, for instance.

Her personal wake-up call came in the form of a broken cheekbone and a nasty gash over her eye — the result of a fall brought on by exhaustion and lack of sleep.

As former president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, she is celebrated as one of the world’s most influential and successful women.

Yet, as she found herself going from bran MRI to CAT scan to echocardiogram to find out if there was any underlying medical problem beyond exhaustion, she wondered: is this really what success feels like?

It’s a question we all might ask…before we take a blow to something near and dear to our heart. Including our heart.

There are lots of musings on creating successful life balance from the likes of clear successes like Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and Richard Branson.

But do we have to get on that Top 10 Success List to implement them?

Hmmm…maybe overall balance is the way, not the challenge?? What a concept!!

Right now, before the health/relationship/life emergency wakes you up, where can you proactively implement balance?

What’s the daily practice, new hobby, regular ritual, or actionable commitment you can take on? And who will you tell, to hold you accountable?

If your career possibilities/impossibilities are a source of imbalance, let’s talk. Click Here to schedule a short, balanced conversation. For a sense of career balance folks have gained, see reviews here.

Got balance?

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.”- Betsy Jacobson

The post May 30, 2018 – JOLT – – Balancing your teeter before you totter appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.”- Robert Morley

Did the Beatles have it right?

Is love really all you need?

We need to eat, sleep, recreate, procreate, and pay the bills too, yes?

Absolutely. Yet, each and every other necessary element or activity gets shaped by that one.

Pointing that all-molding element of love toward “self,” even with the…
     -warts
     -challenges
     -unknowns
     -seeming defects
     -dark side

…seems to be a key point of leverage and tipping point.

Short and sweet: toward what aspect of YOU can you point that power today?

Pick one of the above. Tell somebody what you picked, or write it down. Do it. Self-love anyhow. 

On the career front, if you need help finding something to love click here. If you have questions about the potential for feeling the love, see reviews here.

Got all you need?

“The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all.”
– Linda Creed (Lyricist)

The post May 16, 2018 – JOLT – Giving you all you need… appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“If you’re not getting any bad reviews, you’re not taking any risks.”- Susan Egan

One of the toughest things…

…is getting reviewed.

It’s not something we necessarily look forward to, though we know deep inside that it’s generally going to make us better. Can you say medicine?

Like all medicine, it may taste bad going down but, as we appreciate and acknowledge why we’re taking it, our life is usually improved.

It’s the mindset of openness for critique that makes the difference.

If we’re walled off from constructive criticism, we might be living it up in our “own private Idaho,” but won’t see much advancement in our lives.

However, if we can find a safe, inner place to stand — undergirded by our desire for the best [career/business/relationships/health/life] going forward — and open ourselves up for input, we can be shown blind spots we didn’t know we had…and be blessed by that ability to see newly.

None of us can know everything. None of us can do it all “right.”  And none of us can know what others can see (right in front of our face) that we don’t.

A great phrase I love about being truly open for supportive input is: “Throw yourself on the sword!”

It means, don’t run away from the sword, and don’t even try to fight it. Rather, impale yourself on it as quickly as you can, brave and willing to have whatever doesn’t work inside you exposed and removed.

It’s a heroic phrase and way of living…but we all love heros.

Where can you open yourself up wide for review today? (Tip: When you pick a place and get reviewed, thank them profusely, no matter what they say…and just sit with it.)

On the career front, if you’d like to connect with me for a Complimentary Resume Review, click here to answer some brief questions and schedule a time. I can’t promise that it will be “complimentary,” but I can promise it will be valuable and, yet, free. If you have questions about that value, see reviews here.

Got reviews?

“Getting bad reviews or doing something that’s not great is also really good for you…it also makes me feel…that I’ve earned my stripes a bit.”- Greta Gerwig

The post May 9, 2018 – JOLT – The hard truth about reviews… appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Expecting something for nothing is the most popular form of hope.”- Arnold Glasow

We’ve all heard…

…that you can’t get something for nothing, there’s no free lunch, and all the other versions of that seeming “truth.”

Even most things purported to be handed over free, gratis, no obligation, etc., have the invisible hand of “in order to” underneath them.

In an economic and technological society in which you must give, give, give to rise above the noise to establish trust, it still makes for a much better environment than the what-can-I-get alternative…even if only thinly veiled.

A fun exercise in Universal Principle, however, is to play with actually giving something for nothing. That means there’s absolutely no way what you give or the service you provide can ever come back to you.

This may not be news for you, as many people have played from the idea of “givers gain” for much of their lives.

Yet, taking it to the next level of giving in a completely untraceable and unrecompensable way…that could be interesting.

As a kid, I used to marvel at stories of Elvis Presley’s giving, such as buying a car for a young couple goggling it at a dealership. The dealer simply approached them, handed them the keys, and said “It was given to you by an anonymous friend.”

When I visited Graceland, I was also blown away by an entire wall of $1000 checks he seemed to send to any and every organization that reached out to him. I developed a term years ago to capture this essence as being an “Elvis Giver.”

Dr.Robert Cialdini wrote a book several years ago entitled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.” Though the title itself seems to reference the “in order to” aspect of giving, he points out, through several case studies, that humans are programmed to give to settle the score, so to speak.

That means that, counter to common thought that people want to take more than they give, he proves that when someone is given so much, they simply can’t rest until they give back as much or more.

The interesting societal game to play here — in “pay it forward” spirit — is how much we ourselves (as, perhaps only a little speck of giving-ness on the planet) can shift an entire culture by giving for (really, really, really) nothing. If we practice giving something for nothing, what chain reaction to we create?

Want to play? Pick a person, co-worker, group, or any other creative venue to simply give today when nobody can ever know you did. I’d be interested in hearing what unfolds…if you’re willing to share.

Also, one of our most precious commodities is time. Unfortunately though it can’t be anonymous, Click Here to schedule a simple hello call with me. Let me know what you’re up to in your life, I’ll share what I’m up to in mine and offer myself freely to answer questions or help you in any way I can. I’ve enjoyed these calls since mentioning it last week and, I’ll tell you, it’s where miracles lie.

Giving something for nothing?

“If you get something for nothing, part of you may be pleased, but part of you moves your hand to give something back.” – Jonathan Haidt

The post May 2, 2018 – JOLT – Something for (really) nothing?? appeared first on CareerGuy.com.

“Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

“Reach out…

…reach out and touch someone” is a jingle many of us remember from years ago.

It was before the quick, techy methods of connecting available now.

No, this isn’t about making a case for “the good ol’ days” because these are the good ol’ days! The ways in which we can connect and stay in touch today bring a quality of life we didn’t have in the days when you “let your fingers do the walking.”

For example, when I vagabonded through Europe after college, I had to find specific locations in major cities where international calls could be put through, and I’d stand in a booth and pay out the wazoo to chat for only a few minutes with family. Then, after a year abroad, I showed them pictures of my travels.

Today, my fiance’s daughter can keep us apprised in moment-by-moment real-time of her own year abroad with high-def pics and videos of everything she does PLUS unlimited calling or video chat for the price of air.

Communication has definitely gotten easier. Email (such as this), social media platforms and all manner of tech-connect has brought us together like never before.

AND…let’s not forget what the power of an actual voice-to-voice, face-to-face, or flesh-to-flesh interaction can provide.

Five years ago, the Asst Dean of Career Services for USC encouraged me to begin teaching the principles in my book “Never Apply for a Job Again” to MBA programs because, he said, those younger folks needed to know how to communicate better outside of texting or social media.

Yet, the simple art of direct, meaningful, and discovery-oriented talking has started to slip by many of us…not just the up-and-comers.

Sure, it’ll be very efficient to fire off some emails (like I did here), texts and engage on [fill in your favorite social media] today.

But who you gonna call — or coffee with — for the sake of greater connection?

Today’s mission, should you choose to accept it: pick someone, surprise them with a personal reach-out, and take a few minutes to simply see what unfolds from the conversation.

Also, putting my schedule where my mouth is, given you take the time to read my weekly missives, I’d enjoy getting to know you better. Click Here to schedule a simple hello call. Let me know what you’re up to in your life, I’ll share what I’m up to in mine and offer myself freely to answer any questions.

Got reach out?

“Make connecting with others a daily priority.”- John Maxwell

The post April 25, 2018 – JOLT – A personal reach-out, from you to who? appeared first on CareerGuy.com.