What does your IDEAL work day look like?
Could it look like a day at the beach?
For years, I dreamed of doing the work that I do today and this week, I’m spending three days in Panama, working on the next 12 months plan for one of my dear clients.
I flew in, especially for our work together and we have designed three days. Day 1 is a day of IDEATION and putting all the pieces on the table. Day 2 is a DAY IN — a day to be with what there is, a day of relaxation. For us, it means a day on a beautiful island, swimming and spending time together. Day 3 is a DAY of planning, of seeing what stayed with us and how to move forward.
But that is about my work.
What does your IDEAL work look like?
What does your IDEAL life look like?
Let me help you find out! Here are 3 steps you can take:
- STEP 1 – Design Your Day: Grab a piece of paper and write down an imaginary journal entry. Pretend you are waking up on an ideal Tuesday (work day) and describe everything that happens that day. You can start with: “I wake up and have XYZ for breakfast with XYZ…” You get the picture. Describe what you eat, who you eat it with, what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of house you live in, who is in your life, what kind of work you do, etc. The more details the better.
- STEP 2 – Design Your Work: What would you do for FREE all day long? Understanding that we can use our unique skills and turn them into our business is the first step towards designing a life and work we love. Make a list of all the things that you do and that you take for granted. Include the things you LOVE helping people with and the things people always go to you for help with.
- STEP 3 – Design Your Positioning: Now, let’s put it together. The fact that you love doing something does not necessarily mean that people would want it. Next to each of the things you LOVE to do, be creative and think of problems that people have that might need that skill. Think of jobs or solutions that are sold in the marketplace. Then look at writing your unique talent as a solution to one of these problems.
I believe that you CAN design a life and work that you love –a life that is fulfilling, exciting AND financially abundant!
Here’s a worksheet that might help you in your exploration:
Go ahead, do the work and let’s figure out how to design the life and work you love! Come and let us know in our FACEBOOK group.
In Clarity,
Where were you when the twin towers got hit?
Do you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing, what your plan was for that day?
Lisa remembers that day very well. She had just dropped her older children at preschool and was getting her 4-month-old baby settled for a morning nap when the telephone, the doorbell and the cell phone all started ringing at the same time…
Have you ever experienced a moment in your life when EVERYTHING changes?
Well, meet Lisa Luckett, 9/11 widow, breast cancer survivor, single mother, entrepreneur, author, TEDx speaker …
Lisa’s world collapsed at the same time the towers fell down. While surrounded by neighbors, strangers, and family at her home, she felt alone, facing a world tragedy in her own home.
In this interview, Lisa shares with her healing journey from sudden widow and terrorist victim to author, speaker, and ultimately advocate for embracing our fears, our difficult times and finding the light and the lessons in them.
I loved interviewing Lisa. While she and I had worked before in preparation for her TEDx talk in 2016, in this interview, Lisa truly stands up for her message and her purpose. She carries forward the IDEA of empowering the next generation to look at the world from a perspective of love and opportunity versus fear.
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- Do you avoid networking events like the plague?
- Do you go to networking events only to eat more cheese than you should and come home with no new leads or opportunities?
- Do you hide in your room during breaks at conferences and events to avoid the whole thing?
As professionals (whether you are in business for yourself or not), you must get into the real world, shake real hands and connect with people; but that is easier said than done.
For years, I would come home from networking events feeling drained, empty handed and with a feeling of not being enough. Everybody was doing great work, except for me. My hands sweat every time I was asked about my work and to avoid the whole thing, I always spent more time asking the other person about their work so that I would not have a turn.
But once I figured out how to effectively network in a way that felt aligned with who I am and that people could resonate with, everything changed. I not only began to enjoy it, but I also began seeing the impact in my business.
So here are three strategies that will help you not only enjoy, but also use networking as a powerful business growth strategy:
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- State The Problem: Leading the conversation with a short statement of what you do, the problem you solve, can be a magnetic way to engage with people. All you want is to get the listener curious enough so they ask to learn more.
- Anchor With Your Passion: Once the listener asks for more information, then and only then, get into the emotional space of your work. Share a case study that moves your or your personal story of how you came into this work. Connect with your emotions about your work so that the listener can connect emotionally as well.
- Guide Next Steps: Aim to end every interaction with clear next steps. While handing out a card or a flyer can be a good strategy, I prefer to ask for their business card or information and I will make a note, right there, of the conversation or what they are interested in and I let them know I will follow up. This is the best way to take the leadership role in the relationship and lead the conversation.
While the world has gone digital, we are still human beings working with human beings. The more you connect with other people, with their needs and their emotions, the further you will go.
People like to work with people they know, or at least with people who know people they know.
Happy Networking,
PS: Want to learn more how to stand out? Download my FREE EBOOK “Stand out the TED Way”
Have you ever colored outside the lines?
I know that I didn’t until well into my 40s.
When I started my coaching practice, I wanted to help people get unstuck.
After a while, I stopped loving it. I felt constrained.
As an ICF certified coach, I was trained to guide clients to their CLARITY, their transformation.
But I asked myself: What else can I bring to the table? I began “sprinkling” my other skills, expertise and experience and always letting the client know that I was talking my “coach hat” off for just a second…
And little by little, I began getting messages like this one:
Today I don’t just help people get unstuck — I help them fly! Being a coach has given me a capacity to support people through their growth and my expertise in communications, business, speaking and marketing gives them the tools to fly.
Truly, it wasn’t until I dared to “color outside the lines” that I was able to stand out amongst the noise of the industry and truly grow my business.
So what would that look like for you? Here are 3 steps you can take to begin clarifying and “sprinkling” your unique talents and stand out from your competition:
- Explore Your Journey: What brought you where you are today, doing the work you do, is a combination of experiences, education (formal & informal), past successes AND past failures (though I don’t believe in failures). Understand what of all these are unique to you and bring it into your work.
- Connect With Your Unique Brilliance: What comes so easily to you that you discount it? Who needs this? Who would pay for this? This is so basic/obvious… make a list of these… you might find a pot of gold 😉 For years, I discounted my skill of breaking tasks, thoughts, and conflicts down into ways that people could actually handle. I NEVER in my life thought this could be a marketable skill… and now here I am, breaking down messages, thoughts, and business challenges for my clients every day! Just this morning, I helped turn a book into a 15 minute talk for a client so that they can engage their audience!
- Understand Your Client: Nothing is more compelling to a client or a human being than to be seen and heard. Your job is to guide your client to their goals and sometimes, it takes more than coaching. Be willing to take off your “coach hat” and share your brilliance.
Go ahead, color beyond the lines, sprinkle your brilliance!
PS: Want to learn more how to stand out? Download my FREE EBOOK “Stand out the TED Way”