It all begins by knowing yourself. That is not to say that you will choose one career for life, no, it is an ever evolving process of making more and better distinctions of who you are and what you want to accomplish in your lifetime. It is about, learning, researching, and talking a little everyday about potential and opportunity. It is not in obsessive thing though. It is more about going with the flow in a productive manner yet always honoring when you are right now in the process.
Archive for 'small steps'
We have all heard the statistics about setting goals. Those who write their goals down are more likely to reach them. For me, writing down main goals in several categories on an annual basis is the best way to go. I use the time around my birthday each year to inventory which goals were achieved and which were not, as well as to set goals for the next year. I pick the most important ones to me and break them down to smaller steps to be accomplished each month or quarter along the way to my next birthday.
Goal setting is a very personal thing, though. We all have to take time to learn what works best for us and stick to that. If a technique sounds good to you, try it for a month or so. Check your motivation and results at the end of the month to determine if that system is a keeper for you. Finding what works best is simply a trial and error exercise. The important thing is to keep trying.
When there is a goal you do not reach on a given year or time period that you established, it is time to reassess whether it’s important enough to keep it on the list for the next year. If it is important to you still, no harm done, you just guessed wrong about when you could get it accomplished. So put it on the list again and spend time reviewing the reasons why it is important to you still. Then try again. If the goal is no longer relevant or important to you then let it go without worrying about it any further. Turns out that goal was just not important in the grander scheme of things.
Living in the moment and being fully present is also an important idea to remember when goal setting. Sometimes it can be easy to be distracted with anticipating a future goal or accomplishment that must be achieved before you can move on. But, there is no need to be unhappy seeking a time in the future when all is accomplished. Even though it is important to outline goals and work towards accomplishments, it is also imperative to learn to enjoy the process!
Finding your dream job is a process not a destination. The key factor to start the journey is to define your dream job, yes, but also add “for now.” This is important for many reasons but mainly so that you can have some appreciation for where you are right now in the process. It is also important because you are continually learning more, acquiring new skills, and making new distinctions about whatever career you are pursuing so that your “dream job” is constantly evolving as you become more aware about yourself and the possibilities.
I am movin’ and groovin’ on my infopreneurial websites this week. Yes! Got Google AdWord campaign set up. My goal is to get a mailing list built so that I can be ready for a successful launch.
Most of the steps are simple. I usually spend a bit of time intimidated and worrying about messing something up. But once I take action, it is often surprising how easy it is…just one little step at a time…that is key.
With each tiny accomplishment, my confidence and understanding of the technology grows exponentially. It does seem to take a leap of faith at each point though. It also takes a bit of persistence and patience because invariably there are little problems that have to be worked out along the way. With experience, I am learning to refrain from making the problems bigger than they really are and to find a workaround when possible.
So I was going strong last month, feeling at the height of my creativity and productivity. I love it when that happens! But, like most things, creativity goes in cycles. I’m trying to learn to embrace noncreative times with the idea that if I do maybe I’ll come out of it quicker. After all, those are times that are meant for rejuvenation which is so important to keep from burning out. So I’ve lounged around a bit more than I’m comfortable with and I’ve had a lot of fun watching some footfall and being a vegetable.
I think I’m starting to come out of it now with the help of a friend who reminded me of something important on Friday… just try to complete one thing a day. I’ve learned this before but I’d forgotten how effective it can be. When things are moving slowly just a tiny step forward each day really adds up fast.
So, today I charged into my office with the intent of just updating my coming soon page for my website. Before I knew it, I had my free article completed and added to my autoresponder in addition to having my coming soon page updated. I had forgotten how close I was to having these things done.
The process for me and has been quite a challenge. I had to figure out what kind of website I wanted, which way to build it, including the content management program I wanted to use; and I had to learn how to manage that software, then how to FTP, then about getting an autoresponder to work right and on and on and on.
Most importantly, I just wanted to share with you that if you have an idea you want to pursue, just keep making small steps and things well unfold nicely for you too I’m sure. The process is very fun and it’s interesting to see how pieces start coming together when the time is right.
I had a great idea for a book back in 2003. I really thought I would have it published or out of my system by now! Turns out the idea has evolved to a website over the years. I don’t know why I didn’t pursue the website idea more after reading Robert Allen’s book the first time in 2004. Reviewing his book now, it is all right there in front of me. I had to go through my own process though, and the process has been fun if a little frustrating. The best part is that I am so thrilled about the pending end result.
That is the thing about sparks of intuition. If you decide to follow-up and take action, it is good to be open to new turns and twists on the original idea. That is probably why my process took so long. I only saw one path from the original idea for quite a while and I also lacked the confidence to go for it in a real way. But the idea was still there on the edge of my consciousness so to me that is a sign to keep moving towards it even if at a snail’s pace.
Go and see!
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