New Year’s “Reso-Delusions”

Somehow, the start of a new year always reminds people to do what they have NOT done.  The average “New Year’s Resolution” lasts about 2 days and quickly becomes a New Year’s Reso-Delusion.  If we were honest with ourselves, we’d admit that our past resolutions like, I’ll be kinder to people; I’ll exercise more; I’ll read more books; I’ll save more and spend less; I’ll stop smoking; I’ll work smarter at building my business; I’ll work harder at finding the right job; I’ll lose 50 pounds, etc. were just thoughts on a wish list without an action component.  And a year later, we find that we just let another year slip away and are unfulfilled in so many ways.

A Life-Changing Question

As we enter a new year, let me share with you a question that is truly life-changing:

Most people never ask this question.  So let me ask you this:  A year from now, when December 2013 rolls around (and it will be here sooner than you think), how will you know that 2013 was the best year you ever had?  What has to happen for 2013 to be a magnificent and rewarding year for you? 

If You Don’t Know What You Want…

If you don’t know what you want, you’ll have to settle for what you get.   If you do not have goals of your own, you’ll wake up each day and help others achieve their goals at the expense of your own.  If you don’t have big plans for 2013, you’ll almost certainly wind up with big disappointments. 

The Pull of the Future is an Awesome Force

When you identify the two or three things that will REVOLUTIONALIZE the quality of your life for the better in 2013, you will identify ambitions that stir the imagination.  These goals become like a magnet.  And this magnet goes far beyond the Law of Attraction.  In reality, it is the Law of Living an Extraordinary Life. 

When the pull of the future is abundantly exciting and compelling, there is a magical power that is associated with his awesome force.  That power is called “getting through the adversities.”  You see, every promise has its price; every goal has its challenges – its brick walls.  And when you identify and commit to two or three things that will be life-changing for you; and that will provide you and your family with the riches and rewards you want and deserve, you will manage and successfully overcome all the setbacks, obstacles, adversities, and failures that are part of the journey.  Quitting is never an option. 

Clarity is Power

Master cellist Pablo Casals was once asked, “How are you able to play the cello with such magnificence?” He replied, “I hear it before I play it.” Legendary Golf Professional Jack Nicklaus said, “A clear vision gives me a line to the cup just as clearly as if it’s been tattooed on my brain. With that feeling, all I have to do is swing the clubs and let nature take its course.”  

When you are clear on what two or three things are worth committing to in 2013, you’ll pursue them even though you have no idea how you’ll achieve them.  The Law of Living an Extraordinary Life begins when you are clear on your purpose and vision.  Landing a man on the moon in a decade was the vision that John Kennedy held out as an inspiring magnet pulling an entire nation to develop the technological capability for manned space flights.  He had no idea how we would get there – he just had the burning desire to do so, regardless of all risks; including failure. 

So what are your burning desires?  You have them.  You simply must muster the courage to acknowledge and pursue them.   George Bernard Shaw believed the true joy in life was “being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

 Can you afford to waste a year of your life? 

Are you ready to inspire yourself and others to identify those few things that will make 2013 a superlative year?  We all have the ability.  The only question is… do we have the will?  And over the years, I have come to fully appreciate another Law of Life that says, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” 

You can’t believe how difficult it is to schedule an interview with Santa Claus this time of year.  So you can imagine my delight when Santa accepted my LinkedIn invitation and subsequently agreed to converse with me for 30 minutes by Skype for the sole purpose of writing this article.

 I asked Santa how things have changed in the North Pole and how he adjusted to change.

Emails

Most people take it for granted that Santa does the same things year after year. Not true.  “At my age,” Santa said, “I had to learn new technologies just to respond to the wishes of children around the world.  Yes, I am still flooded with letters from children who don’t have computers.  But now I get hundreds of millions of emails that need responding to. If you can imagine how many millions of emails I get, now imagine how many of them are spam!  I had to retrain many elves to address letters and correspondences sent by electronic mail.”

Downsizing His Elves

Santa was forced to reduce his workforce by 40%!  “At one time,” Santa said, “I had zero unemployment.  But today, with the cost of everything going up, I had to downsize the elf work population.  Today the unemployment rate among elves is close to 18% – and it isn’t easy finding alternative work in this part of the world.”

Santa told me that he now outsources more than half of his total production.  “There are so many countries that have been freed from the shackles communism; where capitalism now flourishes.  It is more efficient and cost-effective to have toys and other Christmas products manufactured in these countries than here in the North Pole.  And these companies provide valuable services like packing and packaging that we don’t have to do.

“We don’t have unemployment compensation here in the North Pole, so the elves have to take personal responsibility to find new employment.  They must be open to change and even relocating to where the jobs are.  Many are now working in Indonesia, Vietnam, Poland, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, and places like that where manufacturing has soared.  Some, I know went to Hollywood and have become actors in Christmas movies where elves are needed.”

The World Population and Technology

“At the dawn of agriculture, about 8000 B.C., the population of the world was approximately 5 million, Santa pointed out.  “In 1950, there were 2.5 billion people on Planet Earth and today, there are over 7 billion.  That’s quite an increase in demand in a short period of time.” (In Santa’s world of time).

Santa, His Elves, and Social Media

Many Elves decided to go back to school and learn new skills… like social media.  According to the North Pole Tribune, kids can video chat with Santa, follow him on Twitter, or enlist NORAD to track his every move online.  That’s right – there’s an app for that!  Of course, Santa is unable to handle all the social media himself, so many of his elves now manage Santa’s social media.  “Technology has changed everything,” said Santa.  “But the good news new is that, as a result of technology, I have far fewer chimneys that I have to navigate.”

Technology and Santa’s Wardrobe

Santa suggested I contact Gregory Mone, an editor at Popular Science Magazine.  Mone told me that Santa uses tools that are hundreds of years beyond what we have at our disposal today.  He said, “It’s really all science and technology.  For instance, Santa’s red suit is designed for the extreme conditions he encounters while traveling at warp speed and bending space and time.”

Mone said, “Santa’s suit is laden with what are called metamaterials, which have the effect of bending light around a person so that they turn invisible” — which can come in handy if there are curious children peeking during his Christmas deliveries.  And Santa’s reading glasses, which contribute to his quaint image, are actually equipped with what’s called a “heads-up display.” When Santa looks through the lenses, he sees a range of information about the residents of the house he’s visiting, the presents to leave, directions to the next house and more.  Without question, Santa has gone high-tech, and made the necessary adjustments and learned the necessary skills to keep up with changing times.”

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121247367

 Conclusion:

We live in a global world where everything is changing for everyone – job seekers, employees, managers, business owners, even Santa !  We can learn a lot from Santa because he had to adapt to a changing world so he wouldn’t disappoint millions of children.  The same holds true for us.  We have to constantly adapt so we don’t disappoint ourselves, our families, or settle for less than we can be.

Some things haven’t changed – the basic values and goodwill of human beings.  Santa did leave me with a warm heart when he told me that with all the changes taking place in just about every aspect of our lives, some things CAN’T change.  He quickly listed 10 immutable aspects of Christmas and of life that must never change:

1. Be good for goodness sake
2. Focus on the needs of others
3. When giving, give from the heart
4. Feel the magic in your life
5. Take the time to hear others
6. Believe you can fly – and pursue and achieve all that you dream of achieving
7. Feel the joy of Christmas and the spirit of Santa Claus. It’s a “universal feeling” for all of us; as much as it is a holy day for others
8. Remember to laugh – Santa’s “Ho Ho Ho” is as iconic as his red suit
9. It is more important to give than to receive
10. Take time to enjoy the cookies

Yes, Santa Claus is a busy man on Christmas Eve. He has millions of stops with very little time to get everything done. But, he still takes the time to take a bite from a cookie and then enjoys a sip of cold milk to wash it down.

We can learn a lot from his habit. No matter how busy we are, or how busy we think we are, there is still time to enjoy the cookies. And when we do, we are able to enjoy our lives a little more along the way.

 Let’s cut to the chase.  The unemployment and underemployment rates in the US and around the globe are public enemy #1. 

Jim Clifton, CEO and Chairman of Gallup Corporation writes, “What would fix the world and create worldwide peace, global wellbeing, and the next extraordinary advancement in human development would be the appearance of 1.8 billion jobs.” (The Coming Jobs War, 2011).

Immediate Solution

While politicians and others argue how to create jobs, there is an immediate solution to lowering the unemployment rate and getting people back to work. There are well over 3 million UNFILLED jobs in the US today (CNBC; Wall Street Journal).  If there are approximately 12 million unemployed Americans… and all 3 million currently-available-jobs were filled with people who are out of work, we’d cut the unemployment rate by 25%! 

 The REAL Problem

No – the real problem isn’t a result of skill gaps.  The real problem is that job seekers have NOT been taught (or empowered) how to campaign for jobs in a confident and effective manner. 

The average job seeker spends less than 12 hours a week in A DEPRESSED AND FEARFUL MINDSET trying to work through a slimy and chaotic process known as a “job search” (college grads spend less than 6 hours a week).  The truth is… job search (or the job hunt) doesn’t work – it never did !  Who gets excited about “searching or hunting” for jobs? 

Time for a Change – RAPID EMPLOYMENT CENTERS™

UPS and Federal Express provided real alternatives to the US Postal service…. Better service and service that exceeded customer expectations.  When you absolutely positively needed to get a package somewhere overnight, you’d depend on Federal Express. 

Now, when job seekers absolutely positively need to land the job they want at the pay they deserve and need it overnight, they will have an alternative – Rapid Employment Centers™.  It’s time to “privatize” workforce services.  The old way of teaching job search must be replaced.

Motivation and Hope: The Centerpiece to Rapid Employment Centers™

The foundation to all Rapid Employment Centers™ is Jay Block’s 5 Steps to Rapid Employment™, a 5-step process that is highly motivational and process-driven.  The Dept. of Labor has recognized this program as a Promising Practice – where 80% of job seekers land jobs in less than half the time of the national average. 

Job seekers are taught to CAMPAIGN for jobs just like politicians do.  Job seekers must believe in themselves and know their value to prospective employers – and how to communicate it.  The process must be exciting, motivational, and effective. 

A Business Opportunity: Starting and Managing Your Own Rapid Employment Center™

To learn more about this business opportunity and how to Start Your Own Rapid Employment Center™ or to become CERTIFIED as a 5 Steps to Rapid Employment Coach™, visit www.proteancareers.com or call Paul Singleton at: (321) 506.9690

Think about it. Today’s new, transformational workplace offers…

• No jobs or careers for life
• No long (or short) term job security
• No guaranteed benefits
• No guaranteed sick pay, vacation pay, or pension plans
• A workplace where industries are here today and gone tomorrow
• A global workplace where companies outsource jobs just to survive
• A workplace where technology is replacing jobs
• A workplace where less than 9% of all workers work in manufacturing-related jobs
  • (33% of all workers worked in manufacturing-related jobs in the prime of the Industrial Age) 

The “new” workplace is called the PROTEAN WORKPLACE. 

Google the term Protean Workplace or Protean Careers.  It means that that individuals can no longer depend on companies (employers) to take care of them.  It means that businesses can no longer rest of their laurels (Blockbuster Video, Borders, Netflix, etc.) given unprecedented global competition. It means that individuals must take personal responsibility for the management of their livelihoods and careers.

The SHIFT from the Industrial Age to the Protean workplace is creating societal upheaval and anxiety unlike anytime in history; and goes well beyond “cyclical.”  Just look around.  There are no “labor intensive” industries on the horizon that will create 20+ million  jobs needed in America and 1.8 billion needed worldwide (Source: Gallup Corp., 2012). 

The Good News

Though there may be limited jobs, for the first time in history there are UNLIMITED opportunities.  Almost everyone can reach out and touch 7+ billion people around the globe for new jobs, new opportunities, new markets, and new market opportunities… for FREE !  But this requires a complete SHIFT in how we think.

8 Success Principles of the Protean Workplace

1. Assume Personal Responsibility
2. Direct Your “Thoughts” and RETHINK What You Know
3. Anticipate and Rapidly Adapt to Change
4. Build and Maintain a Positive Circle of Influence
5. Continually Increase Your Market Value
6. Generate Financial Well-Being – Live Within Your Means
7. Safeguard Your Physical and Emotional Health
8. Act Deliberately; React Appropriately; Adapt as Necessary

For more information see:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=3533493&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Find employment sooner, better serve your clients, enhance your own online brand, earn more money / advance your career.

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▬       Do you think a medical resident wants to work 24 hours straight?

▬       Do you think an aspiring Olympian wants to fall and fail over and over again?

▬       Do you think the average child can’t wait to go home and do homework?

▬       Do you think an author enjoys being rejected dozens, if not hundreds, of times?

If you want to succeed at anything, the formula for achievement is simple: Do those things you don’t want to do until you’ve mastered them.  Another way of saying this is to do what’s uncomfortable until it’s  comfortable.

Don’t wish for easy; wish for mastery

Easy is a seductive but treacherous path to take in life.  Easy requires no skill.  Easy requires no discipline.  Easy requires no commitment.  Actually, easy requires very little intelligence  Easy requires no constructive thought or action. 

Beware

It’s easy not to learn how to read.  But beware of ignorance and illiteracy.  It’s easy not to give 100% at your job.  But beware of downsizing.  It’s easy not to learn new skills and techniques.  But beware of becoming obsolete.  It’s easy not to put 50 hours into a strategic and fine-tuned job campaign.  But beware of long-term unemployment.

The pursuit of mastery

When you commit to mastery in pursuit of a worthy objective, you’ll do what you don’t want to do – and enjoy doing it!  This may not make sense at first.  But when you pursue worthy goals, and know the freedom, joy, and self-respect you’ll attain by achieving them, doing what you don’t want to do will become a habit you’ll both master and take pleasure in. 

Eating habits at age 60 !

I never thought about what I ate, because I always exercised and never gained weight.  But now, at age 60, I have to do what I don’t want to do – stop eating everything and anything I want.  Even with a solid exercise regimen, I have to change how I eat because I gain weight just going into the supermarket! 

5 ideas on how to do what you don’t want to do

1)      Think of the consequences of not doing what you don’t want to do.  How will your future look ?

2)      Begin doing what you don’t want to do in “small manageable steps.” Work your way into it.

3)      When the going gets tuff, don’t cave in. Associate joy to discipline and angst to neglect.

4)      Don’t make excuses.  Excuses lead to underachievement. Resolve leads to success.

5)      Do what you don’t want to do first.  Get it done and don’t procrastinate.  Procrastination is a primary enemy to all success achievement.

The industry leader in helping people find employment in a transformed & highly competitive workplace.

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Enjoying the Plateau

Smelling the Roses

George Leonard, in his book Mastery, discusses his concept of “enjoying the plateau.”  This really resonated with me because I, like many of you, find myself racing to get ahead; thinking so much about my next project and my next goal, that I don’t fully appreciate the time in between.  In other words, I don’t find the real happiness I desire in every moment.  I don’t always stop and smell the roses along the way. 

Exploring All that Life Offers

I have discovered that happiness is not in the getting. Happiness is in the becoming.  Happiness is a joy that comes as a result of positive activity in pursuit of worthy ambitions.  Happiness and fulfillment is both the joy of discovery and the joy of knowing.  It’s opening yourself to experiencing the full range of life’s symphony.  The highs and the lows; and everything in between.  Happiness is exploring all that life offers.

“Good Job, Self !”

Happiness is found in taking the time to enjoy and to bask in the glory of what you have already accomplished… enjoying the plateau.  The antithesis of beating yourself up when things don’t go the way you want is giving yourself credit when things do go the way you want.  It’s patting yourself on the back for a job well done – be it a small success or a major breakthrough.  If you mess up, you might spend a week beating yourself up over it.  But if you achieve something significant, you might spend an hour, at most, celebrating.  Why would you be that hard on yourself?

The Road to Heaven “Is” Heaven

I have also learned that happiness in part of the journey; it’s about the here and now.  Happiness isn’t the end result.  Perhaps you have heard the expression “The road to heaven is heaven.”  The happiness you seek in the future must be captured and enjoyed today.  Self-empowerment and self-motivation is created when there is a balance between the need to achieve something and acknowledging all that you have already achieved.   This acknowledgment of all you have achieved is, as George Leonard suggests, enjoying the plateau. 

5 Suggestions to Ponder While Enjoying the Plateau 

1)      Reflect back on your past accomplishments and intimately reacquaints yourself with them.

2)      Commit to spending a few minutes every day enjoying the plateau; and appreciating you for all that you are and all that you have achieved.

3)      Think about the untapped potential within you and all that you want to achieve.

4)      Without seeking an immediate answer, ask yourself: how can I achieve more in the future?

5)      Embrace it all.  Be happy with the good and the not-so-good.  It’s all part of the life experience.

All too often we spend too much time in the past and in the future that we don’t take time in the present to appreciate who we are and all that we have accomplished.  Remember to “sit back every day for a few minutes of enjoying the plateau.”

Shakespeare said, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”   Said differently, Live with certainty and never doubt yourself; for if you doubt what is possible, the possible becomes impossible. 

Your Sense of Certainty Determines Your Quality of Life

Creating a sense of certainly that you can achieve whatever you desire is powerful and life-changing.  But when you allow fear and doubt to take over, they become an enemy that destroys all possibilities.  They control you and, thus,  you settle for less and underachieve.  On the other hand, when you courageously conquer these enemies to success, you open the doors to high achievement with certainty and self assuredness.

Faith

Faith is a feeling of certainty that something can materialize even though, at this moment, it has not – like finding a cure for cancer.  Faith is also a feeling of certainty that something you believe to be true, really is.  You have faith that your car brakes will work when you drive and that a plane you travel on will reach its destination safely.

If you want any part of your life to change – be it a new job, a new relationship, or improved health, a feeling of certainty must exist.  Certainty assumes faith.  If you are certain you can do something – you have faith that you will.  If you doubt you can do something, this lack of faith will ultimately lead to underachievement.  Henry Ford said, “If you think you can (certainty), you will.  If you think you can’t (doubt) you won’t.”

Three Ways to Build a Sense of Certainty:

1)      Question and change existing beliefs:  Evaluate whether your existing beliefs serve you.  Do you believe you won’t find a new job in this economy?  Does this belief serve you?  Are you even sure this is true?  Most of your beliefs are thoughts that you have simply adopted without exploring the truth of them.  And it is safe to say that most of your thoughts and beliefs are merely “mirages of the mind.”  When you change a belief – you go from doubt to certainty – instantly !

2)      Seek out new references. References are life experiences that you have acknowledged and accepted. If you have seen many marriages end in divorce, you’ll have a reference that marriage doesn’t work.  If you have seen many loving marriages, you’ll have a reference that marriages are blissful.  References determine certainty or doubt.  If your references do not create a high degree of certainty, you have the ability to re-think what you think you know, to find new more empowering references, to achieve whatever you are committed to achieving.

3)      Be curious: The adage “same old; same old” does not create certainty.  Be curious and seek out new information. Ask: “What am I really concerned about?” “What are the stories that I, and others, have told me that may not be true?” “What am I not exploring that would immediately  eliminate doubt and instill certainty?”   

- Certainty creates; doubt does not -

According to a poll conducted by the consulting firm Twentysomething Inc., 85% of graduates will soon remember “what Mom’s cooking tastes like.”  In other words, some 85% of college grads are moving home (Time Newsfeed).   Sociologist Katherine Newman, based on her research concluded that “well over half of college graduates move back home.” 

 It is safe to say that somewhere between 50% and 85% of all college grads move home because they are unemployed or underemployed – and can’t sustain an independent lifestyle.

Can you relate?

The Job Market Is NOT to Blame

Yes, the job market is a challenge – but there are plenty of jobs open and ready to be filled.  Here are some facts that parents and live-at-home college grads must acknowledge:

1)       Grads haven’t been taught how to campaign for a job in a confident and enthusiastic manner; or how to create resumes and portfolios that will get them noticed and hired.

2)       Grads haven’t been informed that they will average 29 jobs in their work life; and are unprepared for this.

3)       Grads, on average, spend less than 5 hours a week actively and productively seeking jobs.

4)       Grads (or parents) invested a fortune for “degrees”… but invested little, or nothing at all, in job campaigns.

A “5 Steps” Quiz for Grads:

1)       Do you have a confident and positive ATTITUDE – where you awake every morning eager to put in a good day’s work to land the job you want at the pay you deserve?

2)       Do you have a career or job GOAL that excites you and that you will work hard and relentlessly to attain?

3)       Do you have an exciting VALUE-BASED RÉSUMÉ, REFERENCE PORTFOLIO, and LINKEDIN profile that are “self-marketing profiles on steroids”… or are they boring, assembly line, chronological obituaries?

4)       Do you have a well-thought-out WRITTEN STRATEGY with weekly tasks and goals – or are you waking up every morning and simply winging it?

5 Steps to Rapid Employment™

There are plenty of jobs out there.  But employers hire based on one’s value, not one’s need to get a job.  Jay Block’s 5 Steps to Rapid Employment™ is a motivational, effective, and award winning program recognized by the Dept. of Labor as a best-practice… where 80% of all job seekers land jobs quickly. 

What makes this program so effective?

1)       Grads are taught how to proactively campaign for jobs, just like politicians do; job search doesn’t work

2)       Grads learn their market value and what results and contributions they can produce for employers

3)       Grads create exciting tools and effective strategies that promote confidence, courage, and employment

4)       Grads learn an easy 5-step process that virtually guarantees ‘rapid’ employment 

5)       The program is cutting edge, updated regularly to meet the new, transformational workplace

Is a College Graduate’s Career Worth $395?

Contact us now to take your job campaign to a whole new level!  What is it worth to give college grads the ability to land a job so they can become independent… for life? 

Don’t just take my word for it…

Click here to watch real-life student testimonials and to read the case study that resulted in the nomination for a U.S. Department of labor promising practice. 

Click here for more detailed information and a short demonstration of this revolutionary program.