I’ve been deliberating about several career moves lately. It can be hard to discern at times which thoughts are just good ol fashion fear of failure and which thoughts merit examination. We all are capable of making plans, it is the unknown outcomes that muddy the waters that can wash over your path along the way. Like Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” So when I came across the TED Talk below which focuses on what makes a startp successful, I listened hard. So what does makes a startup (or anything else you could argue) successful? Timing. I agree with what Bill Gross shares in his TED Talk. Perhaps you will too. So now the challenge becomes, jumping when the time is right, even if you don’t feel 100% prepared. Sometimes you just have to go and do before the right timing slips away. To hear what Bill Gross, founder and CEO of Idealab has to share, listen here.
What Is It Really Worth? Or, If You Aren’t Contributing Give Up Your Seat At The Table
With stats showing over 75% of the U.S. workforce is unhappy with their job(s) you have to begin to wonder why they stay. Where is the value for them in maintaining the misery, not only for themselves, but most likely, the ripple impacts their family and friends? Money and/or family, is the response I most often hear in regards to folks who consciously show up to a job they don’t like, and often full on hate. One, your family and friends want you to be happy. Two, there is most likely a job out there for you that you’d enjoy and would pay what you need to live a happy life. Three, if you are not looking for a better job, you can not find a better job. And four, perhaps there is someone out there that would really dig the job you are in. Summary: If you are at the table and not contributing, give up your seat to someone who will. You can’t find the right fit and fall into the right slot without shaking things up a bit.
Keeping The Faith In Uncertain Times
I was thinking the other day about some of the people I have coached. So often there is a common theme, fear of the uncertain. What made me pause and really consider this is the fact that we all have moments of fear when things seem uncertain. It doesn’t really matter if they are little things or big life changing things. So I find it so intriguing that, especially in the workplace we keep these fears to ourselves, further fueling their fire. Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but when you add fear to the equation you can begin traversing down the path of unbearable. This is something you need not do. When you speak about your fear it helps you to provide balance by adding back in the factual components. All this is to say, why torture yourself? Talk to somebody. The following blog post is one you may enjoy that speaks about career transitions and uncertainty. Enjoy! http://tinybuddha.com/blog/career-transitions-how-to-cope-with-the-in-between-stage