Month: October 2020

Once in a Blue Moon

Posted on by WorkAuthentically

This Saturday marks a rare occurrence in the night sky, the second full moon in the month of October. It’s known as a blue moon, although the moon will not look blue. The phrase “once in a blue moon” has to do with the infrequency of having 2 full moons in the same calendar month. It’s special and rare.

That got me to thinking (look out!). Anything that is special and rare deserves celebration. It’s a momentous occasion!

In a year when time has been both plentiful and scarce, depending on your specific quarantine situation, I’ve found it’s been especially important to create some momentous occasions. Many of the usual celebrations of getting together with groups to celebrate milestones have been canceled or looked dramatically different. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have new kinds of celebrations.

And no matter whether you have too much to do or not enough to do, you definitely need a break from it!

At my house, we took a virtual vacation to Australia. We made popcorn and watched a movie on a Saturday night. We camped in our yard. We did science experiments, watched wildlife and plants, and learned new things. We tried new recipes and reveled in old, favorite recipes. None of these is especially noteworthy on its own; it’s the fact that we celebrated them in new ways to make them feel special.

Even if it’s just a regular family dinner on a Tuesday, light some candles to make it different than every other dinner that week.

As we near the end of the most unique year I can remember in my lifetime (yes I know most are calling it a dumpster fire!), there’s still time to create a momentous occasion out of the blue moon, a movie night, and even a Tuesday dinner.

#PositiveAction Create a momentous occasion this week out of anything that strikes your fancy! 

 

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay

Squirrel!

Posted on by WorkAuthentically

Do you ever get distracted? I know I do! There’s a wonderful place called the internet that is filled with endless distractions. But this week, instead of falling into the internet black hole, I’ve been captivated by a children’s book I randomly grabbed off the library shelves. Initially, I got it for my kids… but I’ve read it and looked at it more than they have!

It’s called The Secret Life of Squirrels and is an entertaining story of Mr. Peanuts and his cousin, both of whom are squirrels. Every page of the book is a photo of the squirrels getting into hijinks at home and out and about. The pictures are as ridiculously cute as you would expect for a book on squirrels, but the part I’m obsessed with isn’t the adorable squirrel poses.

The author, Nancy Rose, builds every squirrel set by hand out on her deck (and each page in the book is a totally different set). Each set includes details, from tiny books (with squirrel-themed titles on the bookshelves!) to tiny furniture to tiny clothes, food props, and more! Then, she waits in her deck-adjacent kitchen to take photos of the squirrels.

She has found a way to seamlessly blend her talents AND her interests into one fascinating job! My kids were as astounded as I was that squirrel photographer is a viable career option and they were very excited to dream up all the other animals they might want to capture by camera.

It’s not all fun and games down at the tiny, hand-crafted squirrel set though. Rose shares that she might spend a whole weekend waiting and get no good pictures. However, the ones she does capture are SO worth it. Squirrels mailing letters. Squirrels grilling. Squirrels vacuuming. Squirrels on a picnic! Unbearable cuteness ensues!!!

Many of us feel stuck at work thinking there’s no way we can make a living doing something we’re interested in. This is just one very creative example that shows it can be done. You also don’t have to run out and quit your job (unless that was already on your to-do list for today!) in order to make it happen. You can start to bring your interests into your everyday work to make it more interesting and authentic. Squirrel photos optional!

#PositiveAction Do one thing today to incorporate an interest you have into your day job. It might just be the most fun you’ve had in a long while!

 

Do you need a distraction? As I said, I’ve been obsessed with the unique idea and approach, so I had to take to the internet to learn more. I apparently missed the craze that started back in 2014. Don’t worry, I’ve spent plenty of time getting caught up!!

 

Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

Pursue Your Passion

Posted on by WorkAuthentically

We all have something that lights us up inside. It’s that thing we do when we don’t have to do anything. I want to encourage you to pursue your passion.

How do I pursue my passion? For me, it’s taking action to address the climate crisis. Now, I know some will say that global warming is a political issue, but we don’t live on a Republican or Democratic or Libertarian planet. It’s simply OUR planet and the only one we’ve got! And I can’t imagine a world where I’m not doing something to make it better not just for my kids, but for everyone.

Of course, it wasn’t always this way. The planet used to be something I said I would work on someday. You know, when I had free time or when work calmed down or when my family life didn’t keep me so busy. As you can imagine, someday never arrived. I had to make a choice to prioritize my passion. 

You might be thinking that the climate crisis is a dramatically different interest than my day job, but it turns out I use the same strengths and skills in both. It’s simply a different topic.

As a coach and speaker, I share knowledge with others, encourage them on their path, and guide them toward taking small actions that make a big difference. As a volunteer educator for the Climate Reality Project, I do the exact same thing! I share knowledge with others, encourage them on their path, and guide them toward taking small actions that make a big difference.

It took me a while to realize that I could contribute in a meaningful way without needing tons of time or expertise. My enthusiasm for the topic and existing skills are more than enough.

You don’t have to wait for some time in the distant future to pursue your passion. You can use your existing skillset right now to get started! TODAY!

#PositiveAction Do one tiny thing today (using your existing skillset and schedule) to pursue your passion. There’s no better time than right now!

 

If your passion is also the environment and you want to learn more about the climate crisis, join me October 19 for a free virtual presentation! It'll be a short 30-minute presentation with optional discussion at the end. 

And if reading is more your thing, you can learn a lot from this book. And if watching is more your thing, you can check out the documentary version.

 

Image by silviarita from Pixabay

Job Searching Is Like… A Marathon

Posted on by WorkAuthentically

Last week, we talked about how job searching is an awful lot (emphasis on awful!) like dating. Now, let’s explore how job searching is like a marathon.

A marathon is a running race where people voluntarily choose to run (or jog or walk) 26.2 miles consecutively. And they have to pay money for the privilege of doing so! Crazy right?

Although it’s a running race, a marathon has almost nothing to do with racing. There are very few people on the planet that have the ability and have done the intensive prep work to be in contention for winning the race. Nearly everyone who enters a marathon is doing it to test their limits, endurance, and sanity!

Pretty sure you can see how the job search is exactly like a marathon. Anyone who’s looked for work recently knows it’s not for the faint of heart. It takes more effort, energy, and emotional fortitude than you ever expect when you start. Most of us think (or more accurately hope) that we’ll hit the apply button to the first posting that catches our eye and they’ll see what a talent they have on their hands and hire us immediately.

Just like a marathon, the job search rarely goes exactly according to plan!

I’ve completed several marathons and a bunch more half marathons (you’d know I wasn’t bragging if I shared my finish times!) and not a single one of those events went off without a hitch. There was the time I forgot my running shorts and had to run in my pool cover-up bottoms (not recommended!). There was the time the start of the race was delayed due to excessive lightning and a torrential downpour on the course. There was the time I drank a glass of beer offered by a random spectator and immediately regretted that decision! The list of ailments, injuries, and idiocy is long.

But when testing your limits, endurance, and sanity whether in a marathon or in a job search, you’ve got to be ready to adjust!

It could be as simple as changing your pace to apply to more job postings. It definitely involves reaching out to people and activating your network. It could be an overhaul of your resume and LinkedIn profile to help you get the results you want (I know a great career coach that specializes in this! Spoiler alert: It me.)

The point is, you need to remember that the job search is a marathon rather than a sprint. Your search requires sustained effort over time to get where you want to go. There will be challenges and setbacks; what separates the successful people from everyone else is their willingness to adjust.

My favorite part of any running race I’ve done is the gathering of runners after it’s over. It’s the camaraderie of a group of people that all in some way pushed against or past boundaries. It’s where we share the stories of what went wrong and how we found a way to make it to the finish line in spite of the challenges.

You’re creating those same stories right now in your job search. And everyone is excited to hear the challenges you’ve overcome when you finally get that offer!!

#PositiveAction Do something this week that energizes you so you’re ready to give your full effort to your job search!

And if completing a marathon is on your bucket list, I loved The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer (affiliate link). 

 

Image by Th G from Pixabay