Moxie Work and Career

Life/Work Balance – Does It Need A Serious Discussion?

February 9 Dawn

I’ve just been listening to Nigel Marsh, author of Overworked and Underlaid on TED Talks.

When someone else paid my wages, I was actually really good at creating a work/life balance.

Now, being self-employed, ha!

It’s funny to think one of the reasons for making the leap to go it alone was to create more time for family, friends, hobbies, social, and just living.

There is an assumption that self-employment automatically gives you these, in my experience, it’s been (at times) the exact opposite. There is always something else to do, maybe self-employment should be called the ‘To Do List That Never Ends’.

I agree with Nigel Marsh that work/life balance should become a serious discussion: it does bother me when I hear friends and family say ‘we have flexitime in place, but they like us to be in before 8 am’ or ‘they don’t like it when I leave earlier to pick up my children’ — are these so called friendly working policies just words on paper.

Written in guidance with the law and yet, in reality, mean nothing?

Enjoy the video, if you have any problems viewing click here (you’ll be taken to the video on TED Talks)

What do you think? Should life/work balance be a serious debate? Do you think it exists?

Coach Yourself Quick Tip Ask ‘How Do I?

January 31 Dawn

Here’s a quick technique you can use to coach yourself:

Get a pen and write down the fears that are holding you hostage right now. You don’t need to get into the detail, because you’ll know what it means, bullets or short sentences will do.

Next, take the fears and turn them into ‘How do I?’ questions.

For example: I don’t have any confidence becomes ‘How do I become a person of high confidence’, ‘I’m fearful of the opinions of others, becomes ‘how do I no longer care about what others think of me?’ or ‘I cannot speak in public’ becomes ‘how do I become an awesome public speaker’.

Then, write down your solutions.

Why am I sharing this with you? You will have the answers to your biggest fears, okay the next part — taking action may require a little more work!

We can sometimes become so caught up in the ‘fear’, without asking the right questions we can get stuck, getting bogged down with the problem and shutting down the creative conscious that may offer us solutions.

Goal Setting and Timescales

January 23 Dawn

Don’t Let Time Freak You Out

Setting timescales can be extremely motivating for some, or feel like a heavy cloud looming in the distance for others.

Setting a deadline can inspire, help you stay focused and ensure that you are taking action, staying committed, working smart and deliberately leaping over obstacles and barriers in your way.

Or, you could get freaked out, because things aren’t going to plan, it’s not happening quick enough, or you’re going to miss the timescale and not have achieved what you set out to do.

Realistic Expectations

When we set out on a goal, we usually have very high expecations of what we are going to have completed by a certain time.

However some us fall into the ‘too high expectations’ category. There is nothing wrong at all with setting goals that require you to push yourself. The problems can arise when you set the goal too high for where you are currently at.

That’s not an invitation to set them too low, you’ll get bored and not be motivated.

Your goals remember should be out of reach, but not out of sight.

Our expectations get us into trouble more often than we’d like to admit. If we expect something to go well and it doesn’t, we feel angry and disappointed. If we expect results by a certain date and it doesn’t happen due to circumstances beyond our control, we can lose all hope and give up because it seems futile to continue. I’m sure you’ve experienced situations like these before – most of us have.

While it’s favorable to set a timeline for completion of your goal, may I suggest you don’t become emotionally attached to the time?

I mean don’t get hooked on the idea of certain things happening at a certain time – especially if those “things” are largely out of your control.

Instead, focus more on your actions than the results. Set a timeline for completion of each of your actions, rather than the results you see from your action steps.

Also, be sure not to set unrealistic timelines.

Don’t create more stress for yourself by taking on a massive project and expecting to complete it within a few days. Moderate, consistent actions will be more effective than getting burned out.

Evaluate and Review Your Goals

January 23 Dawn

If you’ve worked on the planning and preparation, you’ll have set yourself some timelines of when you want your goal (including the smaller goals) to be completed.

Obviously, you may never think you have to review, especially if you can see and feel your goals working.

But what if you don’t? And what if the deadline comes and goes, and the goal is not achieved?

I would like to suggest to you that you evaluate and review your goals on a regular basis, at least once a week.

Not Seeing the Results?

This can be demotivating or the point where some say ‘what’s the use, nothing is happening‘.

Assuming that you are taking action, 100% committed and have not ‘sold up’, this would be a great time for a review.

Also, you may not see the results right away.

There is a great book title called ‘You’ll See It When You Believe It, Or You’ll Believe It When You See It’. We can get hung up on the not seeing, I know many of us want concrete evidence that all the action we are taking is worth it, but life isn’t like that.

Why Review and Evalute?

Sometimes you’ll notice small results, but not as much as you’d like so you need to tweak your plans slightly to adjust the outcome. Or you’ll figure out that changing your approach on one simple thing will explode your results like crazy!

Evaluation is a worthwhile activity because it can help keep you honest about your efforts, it can reveal holes in your plans and it can inspire you to keep going when you notice even moderate results happening.

There are two types of evaluation you should do periodically. The first involves frequent evaluation of your daily actions.

Try Not to Leave Them Hanging

Commitment at the time when you aren’t seeing results is crucial. Where it may seem easier to ‘put them aside and forget’, this is time when you need to have that accountability ‘chat’ with yourself. Or find someone who you can talk to. Someone who is rooting for you, they may be able to offer another perspective, or help you with ideas.

Leaving them hanging because it’s getting ‘tuff, is such a waste (in my opinion). You could be one action away from a breakthrough.

Every one to two weeks, take a few moments to answer these questions with honesty:

Are you sticking to the plan?
How can your plan be improved?
Have you needed to use Plan B?
If so, how did that work out for you?
Where can you improve on your orginal plan?
Do you need to modify anywhere?
If so, are they working better for you?
Have your results met your expectations so far?
If not, why not?
What can you do to improve your results (go back to the orginal who, why, where, when, how, can you add to it?)

The other type of evaluation can be done monthly or even quarterly; and it should focus more on your long-term progress rather than your daily actions.

Answer these questions:

Are your plans moving you in the right direction?
Is your ultimate goal still the same, or are you considering a change in direction?
Can you think of any ways to improve upon your original plans?
What are you learning about yourself through this process?
Have you developed a stronger appreciation of any aspect of yourself?
Which of your qualities and habits still need improvement?
How can you begin to expand your potential and stretch your limits?
Are you beginning to think of even larger goals you can achieve now?

Do You Find it Difficult to Sell ‘You’?

December 7 Dawn

You’re not alone. Let’s look at it a different way — starting with business. Every business has (or should have) a marketing plan, one that is easy to follow and clearly lays out what needs done, when and why.

What about marketing yourself, do you have a well thought out, do-able, fun, step-by-step plan, that is clear and concise?

Yes?

No?

Well done if you said yes! Hold on though, let’s back up a little…

If you said no, let me ‘help’ you feel better for a minute, did you know 49% of small businesses don’t have a plan of any shape or form!

Not even notes on a napkin! For some, it’s all ad hoc: sometimes a little marketing, sorry, advertising is undertaken (usually out of panic when there is no custom).

In my experience (working with local business owners), they say things like ‘I’ve put out few flyers and heard nothing’ or ‘I’ve advertised on a free ad site (Gumtree etc) and no calls’ or ‘we ran an advert in the paper, so far zilch’. And sadly the approach many small biz owners take when putting out their ‘message’ has nothing to do with their potential customer, no, they make it all about them.

Okay, that’s business but what about you…

Sadly many job searchers apply the same tactics. The difference is in language they say ‘I’ve sent my CV and heard nothing back’ or ‘I applied for 50 jobs online, not one has replied’ or ‘I called a number to an advert and nothing’.

Their search can also be ad hoc: applications and CV’s are sent out of panic (when the current job is painful enough to apply elsewhere), they apply the same method and information to numerous job adverts, and like in business they make their search all about them and not what problem they solve for an employer: they not have thought through their ultimate value of their offer.

I don’t think it would surprise you that many people ‘struggle’ selling themselves when it comes to job searching and applying. (I’m not going to ignore the fact that ‘job roles’ are disappearing, more people are applying for the same position, which why it makes even more sense to learn how to sell you!)

Selling is not a dirty, rude swear word, honest. The art of selling is ‘to persuade (another) to recognise the worth or desirability of something’ – in the case of the job searcher it’s your sole (only) task to persuade a hiring employer that you are worthy of being hired. That’s it!

When it comes to marketing a business, brand, service or YOU, you’re ultimate goal is to make the strongest persuasive pitch of why ‘you’ are the best choice for an employer to ‘buy’.

1. Know Your Product, You!

No business owner in their right mind would market a product, service or business unless they knew everything that it does for a customer PLUS it’s weaknesses and flaws.

In order to sell yourself you have to know and be able to describe your ‘product’: who you are, what you do, your mission, your uniqueness, your skills, your attributes, your weaknesses, the benefits of choosing you above others.

If you need help to figure this out, get it! Even a friend who won’t put words in your mouth can help.

2. Tell Them Why You’re Unique

What is it you do better than anyone else?
Where in life have been your successes?
What’s your unique selling point?
What is it you need people to know about you?
How can you get that message across in everything you do?
What are you worth?
Where do you add most value?

In my experience many people miss this crucial step, it’s not a 20-minute ‘job’ when a form arrives or when you are sitting in front of monitor.

What happens is this, if you are vague about what your product does, you leave gaps or holes in the message you’re trying to convey, leaving the space for a hiring employer to fill in the details in their own head. What a waste of an opportunity if they are ‘making up information’ that isn’t accurate (another reason why you should never leave gaps, questioning heads fill in the information.)

3. Know Your Customer (Employer) – Do Your Research

In business some companies waste time trying to market what they offer to everyone, the truth is not everyone is going to be interested in what they have to sell.

Do your homework for each and every position you apply for and work out if what you’re selling will appeal to an employer; in other words do you actually want to ‘sell’ to them? Look online at a company, follow them on social media, speak to people already in the organisation. Does the culture ‘fit’ your brand?

Will your product (you) actually be a match? Many apply for ‘anything’ without even considering if they are the best match. Seriously, you’re product may have flaws such as how far it can travel to work, caring responsibilities, times that can be worked etc. I’ve seen many people take the ‘apply for anything’ approach and they get anything! A few months down the line they are incredible unhappy with what they got! Do your research.

The ‘Sell’ is NOT About You

You may think because you are the one applying, it;s about you, which actually makes the ‘sell’ hard.

In all the steps you take, take ‘you’ out of it and focus on the needs, headaches, problems and nightmares of the employer. They DO have one, otherwise they wouldn’t be asking for help!

When marketing yourself (online, off, via forms, CV’s) state how you solve the problems, be specific, and make yourself a ‘magic pill’ or formula to the headaches.

Day 4 Invent Where’s Your Life At?

December 4 Dawn

We talk about ‘crossroads in life’: the paths, the journey, the direction headed – how can you know where you are heading if you don’t know you’re starting point?

Think about it, you would never be able to plan a journey from A-B, without first knowing the destination of A!

Nowhere is this more visible in the questions ‘what do I want to be paid for?’. Many don’t know their current strengths, skills, weaknesses, knowledge, information, expertise, abilities, passions and goals. How do you know which direction to take, until you know the current surroundings?

How do you discover where you are now?

Here’s a few questions that can help you figure out where you’re at:

What motivates you the most? (NOT what do you like, what DRIVES you, what MUST you inclide in your life?
If you had to make one decision, what would it be?
Describe in detail where you add most value, not what you do.
What does your current reality ‘cost’ you?
What has been your ‘finest hour’ so far? Is it a hint?
What fears keeps you awake at night?
What skills do you KNOW you have, yet others don’t yet?
If you could have a meeting with your ‘future boss’ who, where would it be? (It could be you!)
What do you know, that you excel in and could teach to others?
What opportunities did you let slip? Are they still available?
What do you fear won’t happen for you? Is it enought to drive you forward?

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