Lack of motion is what keeps us stuck.

Literally.

Take a step toward your dream job.

Just one.

Then do it again, or open another door.

Watch what happens.

You’ll amaze yourself.  That old Indian/Hindu/Eskimo/Twain/Sufi/Buddhist adage that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step is oh so true when it comes to dream jobbing.

Wanna be a writer?  Go hang out with a few writers.  Better yet, ahhh hmmm, start writing.

Always hankerin’ to be a charter boat fishing captain?  Go down to the docks and start talking to the guys.

Think you’re the funniest lass on the block and want to turn your gaggle of chuckles into stand-up comedy?  Put a small routine together and start doing your “show” for free at a local church, school, or neighborhood cook out.

Move.

Forward.

Now.

PS  No whining allowed.

Popularity: 46% [?]

I always wanted to be a ___________________ [fill in the blank with your favorite coulda-shoulda-woulda dream job] but I couldn’t ever quite get there because ________________________ [now, fill in that blank with the excuse/reason/person/whatever that kept you from your dream job].

Ya know, if I ever hear someone tell me that again, I think I’m going to barf all over myself.  Really.  I just don’t want or know how to accept these kinds of comments.  As Bill Cosby might say, “Come on, People.”

I mean, really.  Do you believe that there’s really anything other than yourself who’s holding you back?  Unless you’re physically locked up, strapped down, or held hostage, I just can’t believe there’s not a way out and on to your dream job and the life that you want outside of cubicleville or burgerland or whatever other trap you’ve found yourself in.

So, it was with such incredible joy that I came across this passage from my favorite historian, David McCullough, in his gem of an essay called No Time to Read? and here it is:

Once upon a time in the dead of winter in the Dakota territory, Theodore Roosevelt took off in a makeshift boat down the Little Missouri River in pursuit of a couple of thieves who had stolen his prized rowboat. After several days on the river, he caught up and got the draw on them with his trusty Winchester, at which point they surrendered. Then Roosevelt set off in a borrowed wagon to haul the thieves cross-country to justice. They headed across the snow-covered wastes of the Badlands to the rail head at Dickinson, and Roosevelt walked the whole way, the entire 40 miles. It was an astonishing feat, what might be called a defining moment in Roosevelt’s eventful life. But what makes it especially memorable is that during that time, he managed to read all of Anna Karenina. I often think of that when I hear people say that they haven’t time to read.

All right now, Dream Jobber . . . you don’t have time to sink your teeth into prepping for something — a change in career — that you’ve wanted your whole life?

Come on, People!

Popularity: 43% [?]

Okay, friends, I’m going to yell and scream a tad today.

Really.

There’s something about people who send resumes and don’t tell me why or where the connection is.

When I receive these where-in-the-hell-did-this-guy-come-from resume, all I want to do is go: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

And, if you want to hear what that sounds like, check this out.

 

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Popularity: 45% [?]

All right, so David Beckham’s back on top of the sporting news these days.

If you’re a soccer fan (or a footballer as most of the world might say, and any hoity-toity Americans who want to appear worldly), you know Beckham.

Of, if you’re a paparazzi-wannabe, then you might know Beckham by association via his wife, Victoria, who was one of the Spice Girls.   (I think she was Posh Spice, but I’d have to check with one of my kids to be sure.)

I had the great fortune, and one of the most interesting times of my life, to have lived in Oxford, England for a few months in 2006, and part of that time coincided with the World Cup (soccer championship) where the best teams on the planet get together every four years to shoot it out on a soccer pitch.

I’d not thought much about soccer one way or the other until my stay in England, where I became an avid fan of my host country’s team.  And, I learned a lot about the sport too, and came to learn that Beckham was one of the most famous set-up men of all time (he’s the guy that places the ball in the perfect spot near the goal so that one of the forward strikers can kick it in).

And, man, lemme tell you . . . Beckham was good.

But, as things worked out, and as life often takes us, the English team didn’t make it past the quarter-finals of that year’s World Cup outing, and the press and fans alike clamored for some changes . . . and, Beckham was not asked back to join the English national team for future international competitions.

However, he was still playing professional football for his pro team, Real Madrid, in the Spanish league.  But, as things would go, Real Madrid was looking to let him go at the end of his contract.  Just like the English team, Real Madrid was looking for younger and faster players.

Well, now, don’t fell too awfully sorry for Dave, at least from a financial standpoint.  The guy and his bride are gazillionaires, a few times over . . . so they decided to make one of their homes in Los Angeles (both Dave and Posh-I-Think like the celebrity lifestyle so would fit right in) when Beckham was offered a chance to play for a fat contract with the LA Galaxy team in the Major League Soccer (American) league.

At that time, most writers and fans had written old Dave off.  The Major League Soccer organization isn’t filled with the top names in the sport, so it wasn’t exactly top billing for Beckham.

But, as life would go, just one more time, Dave’s play jumps up a few notches, back to stellar level, in fact . . . so much so that his pro team, Real Madrid, doesn’t want to let him out of his contract . . . and . . .

Well, you guessed it, the English national team begged him to return . . . and he did.

So, washed up old Beckham is once again back on top of the world, and his game.

Welcome back, David, we missed you.

Now, so what about you, Dream Job Seeker?

Everybody writing you off?  You washed up and tossed out?

No reason in the world for Beckham to keep fighting for a sport and a spot he loved.  None at all, really — he had it made . . . none at all, except for this — Beckham loves football with a passion and wasn’t going to go down without at least another shot at the spotlight and playing for his national team.

And, you Dream Jobber?  What can you do to jump start your new career, the place that you just need to be?  Must be.

Write and tell me how you want to change your work life.

Tell me what you need and want to do to get yourself there.

Let’s see if we can get you back on top where you belong.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Don’t Have Enough Time to Pursue Your Dream Job?

Here’s what I have to say to that:

Phooey!

Ahhh, nuts!

Hogwash!

Oh, and one more . . . I ain’t buyin’ it, you dream job faker, you!

What if I told you I know how you can “find” 65 extra days a year to work on nothing but your dream job.

Sounds good, eh?

Here’s the secret, and it’s an eezy-peezy one to pull off . . .

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends 65 days a year watching television.  Yup, you read that right:  65 days a year sitting in front of that idea and dream-job thief.

You’re in charge here, right?  I’ll bet you could get a great start on that dream job if you “found” 65 days over the course of the next year, no?

Here’s your chance . . . and your choice:  get started on the dream job . . . or . . . watch endless reruns of Gilligan’s Island.

Let me know what you think.

Popularity: 6% [?]

We all have limitations.

Some more than others.

But, you gonna let yours keep you from your dreams?

My pal, Stephen Hopson, the world’s only instrument-rated deaf pilot sure hasn’t been held back by his.

Check out his Flight to Hartford video at YouTube, where he’s raising a bunch-o-dough for his church.

This guy just, flat out, pumps me up.

Check ‘er out, then check yourself and get moving!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Are you becoming the you that you want to be?

Or, are you just talking about it?

When it comes to figuring out who you want to be for the rest of your life, and where that dream job fits in, are you doing it, or just talking about it?

Over the years I’ve fielded hundreds, maybe thousands, of emails and posts at various career and job sites I’ve been involved with . . . the majority of them have to do with getting started on finding the dream job or figuring out what that dream job should be.

Most start off with “oh, my, I just don’t know what to do with my career,” or . . . “I’d really like to be a _______, but I just don’t know how to get started.”

Is that you?  Let’s check.

Here’s a quick self-test (no points, no grading needed . . . your answers themselves will tell you all you need to know) on the Dream Job.

In the past two weeks, have you:

1. Read a book or article about jobs that interest you?
2. Sent out your resume or contacted someone in your dream job field?
3. Volunteered to do work that relates to that dream job?
4. Started a part-time venture in your dream-job area?

If the answer is “no” to all of the above, you’re a dream job dreamer.  You’d rather be yappin’ about the new you than becoming it.

If the answer is “yes” to at least one of the above, you’re a dream job doer.

Be a dream job doer.  Take some action.  Even a step that turns out (with hindsight) to have been wrong, is a real step in the right direction, because you can eliminate that mistake and move forward on a different path.

Write and let me know what path you’re taking and if there’s a way I can help.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Using some language from the Buddhists, have you found your right livelihood?

In short, are you working at really and truly what you’re called to do?

Or, are you just a pig trying to sing?

I remember Robert Heinlein, one of the all-time great science fiction writers, saying that you should never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Why waste your time doing something you’re not suited for? That’s not your right livelihood?

Come on, Dream Jobber, don’t be a pig trying to sing.

Popularity: 11% [?]

NB:  Please don’t confuse this article about business success with success in life.  They’re not the same.  These are things that worked for me in business, and some apply to life . . . and many apply to getting and keeping your dream job, but being successful in life does not equate to being successful in business.

Here goes . . .

I made a bunch of money creating and running a business.

The business was software and Internet publishing and the money was quite a lot.

I believe that I can attribute my success to seven things that I learned; through books and from watching others, but mostly just from trying ideas out and flopping on my face the first couple of times.

Now, mind you, I didn’t come up with those seven things at one time and I didn’t “discover” them in some sort of a Eureka moment.  They just evolved.  In fact, it took me about 10 years to get my company to the point where I could sell it for the amount I was expecting.  And, it took me 8 of those years before we were even making a decent profit.

Despite what many purveyors of schemes (offline and on) might have you believe, there really is no special product, program, or plan that’s going to put you over the top.

Believe me, along the way I’ve tried some of the most highly praised get-rich-quick schemes in the business.  I do think you can learn a lot from many of them but,  in and of themselves, as complete programs, they’re not worth a lot.

Mind you, I don’t claim to have the answer to everyone’s future.  But I do have a series of key
elements that I know work for me.  They helped me make it in my last business, and I’m employing the very same keys in my current growing business.

1. Forget the money. If you’re even remotely doing something for the money, it’s not going to be successful in a big way.  I am not sure of why this is so true; but it is.  If you’re thinking about all the great things you’re going to do once you’ve made the money, you’re doing the wrong thing.  But, if all you dream about, and all you can think about when you first wake up in the morning is how anxious you are to get back to work, you’re on the right track.

2.  So, follow your passion.  Figure out what you love to do, I mean REALLY love to do, then do it.  There’s money to be made everywhere.  If you love something, chances are you’ll be pretty good at it; and if you’re better than most others around you, you’ll be successful.  Of course, I’d like to think that you’ve been striving to be the best in your field, but don’t forget that there are a few million quite happy and wealthy and successful number 2’s and 3’s around as well.

3.  Then create a product or service that matches your passion.  Don’t resell something somebody else makes. Make your own.  You’ll get into it and you’ll love your business because it’s truly yours.  My passion is teaching; I get a real buzz by explaining stuff to beginners . . . so, I love to run seminars, write books and articles, creating teaching and learning products and services, and run Internet businesses that relate to all that.  Whatever your passion, there are books, videos, seminars, and software that need to be made for it. Go, make stuff of your own.

4. Don’t be a perfectionist.  One of the biggest and earliest stumbling blocks to my own success was that I couldn’t let go of anything until it was perfect.  Phooey!  Make it fast, get it on the market, and let your customers tell you what’s good.  Then fix what needs to be fixed and move on.

There’s an old adage that goes something like this: “it’s better to be first than better.”  I think that’s true, and although most of us can’t really be first, we can be sooner!

5.  Drop what doesn’t work.  Fast.  And, do more of what does work.  There’s a sign that hangs in one of MIT’s engineering labs that I just absolutely love, and it says this:

-Do simple things first.
-Learn to do them flawlessly.
-Add new layers over the results of the simple tasks.
-Don’t change the simple things.
-Make the new layer work as flawlessly as the simple.
-Repeat, ad infinitum.

So, don’t screw with what works.  Just do more of it.

6.  Do not give up.  Ever.  I’ve never met anyone who achieved any real level of success quickly (Okay, okay, I know . . . those YouTube guys that sold out to Google for a couple billion in less than two years . . . but, know anyone else?).  It just doesn’t happen. Maybe it appears to outsiders like it has, but it doesn’t.  Come on, every single great leader, writer, business person, and motivator in sports, politics, business, and life tells us this simple truism:  Don’t quit.  So, why is it so hard for many of us to believe them?

Sure, I almost quit.  A dozen times.  It was only through the ongoing support of my partners (business and spouse) that I didn’t.  So, suck it up once in awhile.  How will you ever know if tomorrow’s mail or the next telephone call brings the order that will nudge you forward if you quit?

7.  And, finally, learn to trust your gut.  If you have a passion, it’s there for a reason.  Don’t do stuff because that’s the way it’s always been done, just because.  Do it because you believe in it.  Do it because it makes you feel good inside.  And, do it because, in your own private world view, it just feels right.

Popularity: 7% [?]

I’ve found that most people don’t seek out their dream jobs for one very reason:  they just don’t believe in themselves.  It’s as simple as that.  Really.

Sure, they’ll come up with all sorts of reasons (translation: ex-freakin’-cuses) why they can’t possibly make a change right now — you know the line . . . can’t take the risk right now, gotta get the kids through school, my spouse wouldn’t want me to become a ________, I can’t afford it, it wouldn’t look good, I studied something else in college, Yaddy yaddy yadda.

Bleh!

And, that belief in self really boils down to getting away from all of the negative images you’ve taught yourself to believe about yourself over the years.

So, it was a nice coincidence when I came across a section of Jeffrey Gitomer’s new book, Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, (and, wowie, zowie, let me tell ya, that little baby is a gem of a book), a few days ago because he has a section that relates directly to this topic — turning the negative into positive.

Here goes 8 things (Gitomer calls ‘em 7.5 things) you can do to turn around the negative and make it a positive.  Note that Gitomer’s references are often to a business situation, but you can turn those around to fit your dream-job-searching scenario.

1. Stop blaming circumstances for your situation.  It’s not the rain, or the car, or the phone, or the product.  It’s YOU!
2. Stop blaming other people for your situation.  If you are consistently blaming other people, guess what, Bubba, get over it — it ain’t them.
3. Know your customer or prospect better.
4. Persist until you gain an answer.
5. Know where you are or where you should be.  Manage your time.  Have lunch with a customer, not a friend.
6. Work on your skills every day.  (Werner note:  This one is huge!)  Books, CDs, seminars.  You can never read enough books or listen to enough CDs.
7. Become solution oriented.  Instead of griping or wallowing in your problems, why not spend the same amount of time working on solutions?
8. Think before talking.  People speak without thinking, only to regret what they’ve said.  Every time you are about to engage someone else, think quickly about what it is you are about to say.  How will the words be received?  And, what else could you be saying that might create a more positive expression?  The goal is a positive response or result.

Check out Jeffrey Gitomer’s stuff.  Worth a long look-see.

Source: Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude (I’ll be doing a full review of this whack-your-noggin’ book later on; it’s real solid, and a fun read to boot).

 

Popularity: 7% [?]