Happy Sunday and Happy Mother's Day!
When I first wrote about spring cleaning a few posts back, and how every yes to one thing is a no to something else, this was as much a reminder to myself as to all of you.
I have since put my other blog on hold; tried to be better and more consistent about my exercise, diet, and sleep (still a work in progress unfortunately); and spent more time on the things that give back, such as reading. This is what I need to do, not only to be at my best but to be able to weather this career-change journey, for however long it takes.
Due to this, I'm going to make this blog monthly instead of weekly. I'm not sure how many of you read this or if it's helping you on your journey, and the writing is no longer helping me on mine. But I will post a recap of each meetup with some food for thought so that those that can't make it get some benefit and for those that could, to have something to return to as a reminder.
I welcome contributors to this blog and ideas for how to make WCC better.
Hope to see you at the next meetup,
Karina
Showing posts with label transition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transition. Show all posts
Face Your Fears
Being in transition is hard. You don't know how long it will take or whether you'll be happy with the outcome; all you can do is keep going forward, day by day, step by step, and hope for the best.
Some days and weeks are easier; others harder.
This past week was a hard one for me since my grandmother was hospitalized. Fortunately she's coming home tomorrow, but since she's elderly and ailing, we were all really afraid of losing her.
Death is one of my worst fears. I hate talking about it or even thinking about it, but there was no escaping it last week. And this made me realize that part of why I feared death was the unknown, but the other part was that it's an end and I'm terrified of not having the opportunity to contribute, to build—to make the difference I know I can.
I fear a life without meaning so I can't wait for a job to give me that meaning. I still hope for and will keep looking for that opportunity that is a great fit and that also allows me to contribute to something meaningful, but until that happens, I have to broaden how I define "meaning" in my life.
What is it you fear most? How can you redefine what it takes to face and overcome that fear?
Some days and weeks are easier; others harder.
This past week was a hard one for me since my grandmother was hospitalized. Fortunately she's coming home tomorrow, but since she's elderly and ailing, we were all really afraid of losing her.
Death is one of my worst fears. I hate talking about it or even thinking about it, but there was no escaping it last week. And this made me realize that part of why I feared death was the unknown, but the other part was that it's an end and I'm terrified of not having the opportunity to contribute, to build—to make the difference I know I can.
I fear a life without meaning so I can't wait for a job to give me that meaning. I still hope for and will keep looking for that opportunity that is a great fit and that also allows me to contribute to something meaningful, but until that happens, I have to broaden how I define "meaning" in my life.
What is it you fear most? How can you redefine what it takes to face and overcome that fear?
Make Time for Recharging
Happy Sunday, ladies,
For those who have not RSVP'd for Wednesday, it's not too late to do so and you won't want to miss all the great tips our expert panelists have to share with us.
And I hope you all had a good week. Mine was good but unusual in that I actually read more fiction than nonfiction, which was much needed. And this reminded me of an important lesson.
Change is tough and takes its toll. We all know this but do we recognize how it effects all of us who are going through a major change? Do we make the time to take a break and recharge?
Since we don't know how long our career transitions will take, nor where this journey will lead us, we need to treat this as a marathon instead of a sprint (I borrowed this phrase but can't remember from whom).
In other words, pace yourself. Find the balance. Recharge. Don't lose track of who you are and the things and people that inspire you to keep going. Don't forget to exercise, eat well, sleep, read...or whatever it is that you need to refuel for the journey ahead.
And with us nearly ready to "spring forward," more sunlight will hopefully help us recharge too.
Until next time,
Karina
For those who have not RSVP'd for Wednesday, it's not too late to do so and you won't want to miss all the great tips our expert panelists have to share with us.
And I hope you all had a good week. Mine was good but unusual in that I actually read more fiction than nonfiction, which was much needed. And this reminded me of an important lesson.
Change is tough and takes its toll. We all know this but do we recognize how it effects all of us who are going through a major change? Do we make the time to take a break and recharge?
Since we don't know how long our career transitions will take, nor where this journey will lead us, we need to treat this as a marathon instead of a sprint (I borrowed this phrase but can't remember from whom).
In other words, pace yourself. Find the balance. Recharge. Don't lose track of who you are and the things and people that inspire you to keep going. Don't forget to exercise, eat well, sleep, read...or whatever it is that you need to refuel for the journey ahead.
And with us nearly ready to "spring forward," more sunlight will hopefully help us recharge too.
Until next time,
Karina
Learn from the School of Life
Happy Sunday ladies,
I hope you've all had a good week and are looking forward to our next meetup, only a week and a half away. I was working on the questions I'll be asking the panelists and can't wait to hear their answers. And there will of course be time for your questions too, so come prepared.
My Sunday was more and less productive than hoped for. Less in that I didn't do everything I wanted to; more in that I made an important decision: I decided to drop out of an MBA program I was going to start in a month.
I already have a Master's, although in publishing, and have four certificates in business-related topics. For years I wondered if having an MBA would make a difference and help me break out of publishing. So I started an online program, took three semesters (and did well), and then put it on hold since I had been let go and couldn't afford tuition. Truth be told, it had been somewhat disappointing anyhow.
Fast forward a couple of months and I hear that University of the People now has a free MBA. It sounded perfect, so I applied. It's all volunteer run so they're a bit slow, but I did eventually hear that I got accepted and was going to start in April.
But I've been dreading the semester's start instead of looking forward to it, and today officially withdrew from the program. I finally had to admit that I was doing this for all the wrong reasons and that my time could be better spent elsewhere.
Recently reading Not Taught: What It Takes to be Successful in the 21st Century that Nobody's Teaching You by Jim Keenan also helped. Part of what made the original more prestigious (and expensive) MBA disappointing was that it was too academic and not practical enough. I read so many business books and consider myself a student of life, so school just doesn't cut it for me anymore. And that's okay. Jim points out how there are many things we need to learn that school doesn't teach us, including how to sell, brand ourselves, network, think, and handle change, just to name a few.
But the ultimate deciding factor was that I'm not looking for a corporate job and the kinds of opportunities I'm interested in don't require (or care about) MBAs.
I think we all have things we think we need to do or pursue, either because it's what we were taught to do or because it seems like a shortcut. But time is money, and especially when you're juggling transitioning plus working, time is a very precious commodity and sometimes even more precious than money.
So reevaluate all the things you're doing. Is there something you're spending a lot of time, effort, or money in that you don't enjoy and feel you must do? Why do you feel this? And is it really serving its purpose or are you better off doing something else? Transition times are a great opportunity to reevaluate all aspects of your life and to "clean house" wherever needed.
Just some food for thought. Let me know if this resonates and/or helps.
Until next week,
Karina
I hope you've all had a good week and are looking forward to our next meetup, only a week and a half away. I was working on the questions I'll be asking the panelists and can't wait to hear their answers. And there will of course be time for your questions too, so come prepared.
My Sunday was more and less productive than hoped for. Less in that I didn't do everything I wanted to; more in that I made an important decision: I decided to drop out of an MBA program I was going to start in a month.
I already have a Master's, although in publishing, and have four certificates in business-related topics. For years I wondered if having an MBA would make a difference and help me break out of publishing. So I started an online program, took three semesters (and did well), and then put it on hold since I had been let go and couldn't afford tuition. Truth be told, it had been somewhat disappointing anyhow.
Fast forward a couple of months and I hear that University of the People now has a free MBA. It sounded perfect, so I applied. It's all volunteer run so they're a bit slow, but I did eventually hear that I got accepted and was going to start in April.
But I've been dreading the semester's start instead of looking forward to it, and today officially withdrew from the program. I finally had to admit that I was doing this for all the wrong reasons and that my time could be better spent elsewhere.
Recently reading Not Taught: What It Takes to be Successful in the 21st Century that Nobody's Teaching You by Jim Keenan also helped. Part of what made the original more prestigious (and expensive) MBA disappointing was that it was too academic and not practical enough. I read so many business books and consider myself a student of life, so school just doesn't cut it for me anymore. And that's okay. Jim points out how there are many things we need to learn that school doesn't teach us, including how to sell, brand ourselves, network, think, and handle change, just to name a few.
But the ultimate deciding factor was that I'm not looking for a corporate job and the kinds of opportunities I'm interested in don't require (or care about) MBAs.
I think we all have things we think we need to do or pursue, either because it's what we were taught to do or because it seems like a shortcut. But time is money, and especially when you're juggling transitioning plus working, time is a very precious commodity and sometimes even more precious than money.
So reevaluate all the things you're doing. Is there something you're spending a lot of time, effort, or money in that you don't enjoy and feel you must do? Why do you feel this? And is it really serving its purpose or are you better off doing something else? Transition times are a great opportunity to reevaluate all aspects of your life and to "clean house" wherever needed.
Just some food for thought. Let me know if this resonates and/or helps.
Until next week,
Karina
Remember Your Strengths
Hi ladies,
I hope you had a good week and weekend.
I've been trying to take advantage of my transition time to pick up some new skills and in forcing myself to sit through some digital marketing classes, had an epipheny.
Yes, it's good to have a broad skillset and learning is always an advantage, but we need to remember that everyone can't be good at everything. Knowing more is good but knowing what your strengths are, and where your contribution will be most effective, is even more important. And it's critical that as we transition and have our moments of despair, we not forget this.
I was reading Megyn Kelly's book Settle More. (You can read my brief review here.) I of course knew who she was, but hadn't realized that she was a successful attorney before she gave it up and started over as a journalist. And she was not born into money so she did this all on her own merits and through lots of hard work and perseverance.
Megyn realized that her law experience could translate to her dream—journalism—and that the strengths that allowed her to excel in one would help her succeed in the second.
This is inspiring for two reasons:
I hope you had a good week and weekend.
I've been trying to take advantage of my transition time to pick up some new skills and in forcing myself to sit through some digital marketing classes, had an epipheny.
Yes, it's good to have a broad skillset and learning is always an advantage, but we need to remember that everyone can't be good at everything. Knowing more is good but knowing what your strengths are, and where your contribution will be most effective, is even more important. And it's critical that as we transition and have our moments of despair, we not forget this.
I was reading Megyn Kelly's book Settle More. (You can read my brief review here.) I of course knew who she was, but hadn't realized that she was a successful attorney before she gave it up and started over as a journalist. And she was not born into money so she did this all on her own merits and through lots of hard work and perseverance.
Megyn realized that her law experience could translate to her dream—journalism—and that the strengths that allowed her to excel in one would help her succeed in the second.
This is inspiring for two reasons:
- It is possible to transition mid career or higher and make a success of it and there are so many more women who have done this than we realize.
- All the time and effort you put into your original career or job are not lost, but can be useful in your new career and its success.
And this all brings us back to spending the mental time in figuring out what our strengths are and what we really want in our new career.
More food for thought for next week's discussion and I look forward to seeing you all there.
Until next time.
How to Figure Out What's Next
Hi ladies,
I hope you all had a good week.
I had originally planned on writing about a different topic, but then something serendipitous happened. Since I hadn't finished the business book I had started, I didn't have a new post for my other blog and therefore had to access the few drafts I had previously written and not posted. Funny enough, the oldest one was about figuring out how to figure out what was next during your career transition. You can read it in its entirety here.
Regardless of when I originally wrote this and why, it speaks to me a lot more now then it did then. In rereading this post, which I hadn't touched since November of last year, three things jumped out at me:
I hope you all had a good week.
I had originally planned on writing about a different topic, but then something serendipitous happened. Since I hadn't finished the business book I had started, I didn't have a new post for my other blog and therefore had to access the few drafts I had previously written and not posted. Funny enough, the oldest one was about figuring out how to figure out what was next during your career transition. You can read it in its entirety here.
Regardless of when I originally wrote this and why, it speaks to me a lot more now then it did then. In rereading this post, which I hadn't touched since November of last year, three things jumped out at me:
- Looking back to what you enjoyed as a way to figure out your path forward.
- Considering the things friends and family naturally come to you for as indication of what your purpose is.
- And really digging into your essence even if the package may not be practical.
Since we're all transitioning, I think these questions—and perhaps this book—are things worth considering. And don't we all aspire to do the thing we enjoy and are naturally good at?
What other questions do you ask yourself to help you forward during this time?
Please share your thoughts either here or in our Facebook group and I look forward to discussing all this during our next meetup.
Until next time.
Your One Word as Transition Guide
Happy Sunday, ladies,
My aim is to try and blog once a week and I figured Sunday evening is practical for several reasons, and one is because it's a good time to look back at the previous week and look forward and plan the coming week.
One of the great wins this past week was finishing reading Evan Carmichael's Your One Word: The Powerful Secret to Creating a Business and Life That Matter. The reason this was a win, besides that I finished another book, is what it taught me: that my one word is #Build.
You can read more about what that means to me and how I got to that conclusion at my other blog, but I wanted to bring it up here since figuring out my one word was an especially valuable experience because I'm in transition. Knowing that my value is #Build means that any job offer or opportunity that does not allow me to #Build—whether solutions, connections, or opportunity—is one I should walk away from.
That is the strength of knowing your one word: it is your core value, both what you consider important and what you have to offer, and is your compass. It can help guide you in making tough decisions in life, and especially when going through a transition as we all are.
I recommend you all pick up his book, if you can, but if you can't, I'm sharing the key questions below that Evan offers to help get to your one word.
Until next time!
My aim is to try and blog once a week and I figured Sunday evening is practical for several reasons, and one is because it's a good time to look back at the previous week and look forward and plan the coming week.
One of the great wins this past week was finishing reading Evan Carmichael's Your One Word: The Powerful Secret to Creating a Business and Life That Matter. The reason this was a win, besides that I finished another book, is what it taught me: that my one word is #Build.
You can read more about what that means to me and how I got to that conclusion at my other blog, but I wanted to bring it up here since figuring out my one word was an especially valuable experience because I'm in transition. Knowing that my value is #Build means that any job offer or opportunity that does not allow me to #Build—whether solutions, connections, or opportunity—is one I should walk away from.
That is the strength of knowing your one word: it is your core value, both what you consider important and what you have to offer, and is your compass. It can help guide you in making tough decisions in life, and especially when going through a transition as we all are.
I recommend you all pick up his book, if you can, but if you can't, I'm sharing the key questions below that Evan offers to help get to your one word.
- What makes you happy?
- What connects your happiness?
- What trait do you hate?
- What's your constant?
- Is this really who you are?
Until next time!
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