The Occupational Adventure (tm)

On the fly opportunity

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

As I mentioned yesterday, I was in Milwaukee last week conducting a couple workshops. My plane didn't leave back to Seattle until mid-afternoon the next day, so I had a few hours to poke around and explore.

The guy at the front desk of the hotel had given me "can't-miss" directions to a great breakfast place about a mile away. Of course, I missed it. After grabbing a sandwich at a deli that was just opening for the day (I was starved), I headed back along the river walk.

Across the river, a sign painted on the wall behind a sporting goods store located alongside the river told me they had kayaks for rent. "Hmmmmm," I thought. "That would be kind of fun."

So I made a spur of the moment decision to explore Milwaukee from the water (the river goes through the middle of downtown). It was a great, unexpected, completely random adventure.

What, you may be wondering, does this have to do with career? What had initially seemed like a waste of time on a wild goose chase (unsuccessfully trying to find the restaurant) had sown the seeds for a fun opportunity. Had I not been trying to find the restaurant, I wouldn't have even headed down that direction. And had I been rigidly attached to my plans for the day, I would never have even considered renting a kayak.

I think it's the same in our lives. Sometimes what seems like a pain in the butt experience opens the door for opportunity. And often the key to capitalizing on that opportunity is first noticing it, and then embracing it. 

I'm a firm believer that part of success is recognizing opportunity on the fly. If you're taking action, opportunities will inevitably present themselves that weren't part of your original plan. I would go so far as to say that half (or more!) of the really cool things in your future are things you have no way of planning for from the viewpoint of today.

So feel free to plan your path, but keep scanning the horizon for those on the fly adventures.

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

8 keys to success

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

What is the secret to success? Well, according to this article, there are eight of them. The author is writing specifically about success for creative professionals, but the ideas he outlines are valid for anyone.

The eight keys are...

#1: Passion
#2: Ability to accept a risk
#3: High self-esteem
#4: Persistence
#5: Being nice to work with
#6: Who you know
#7: Master your craft
#8: Talent

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

The thriver's secrets to success

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

I see so many people trudging along, surviving, but missing out on the vibrant, juicy, success-filled possibilities that life has to offer.

What does it take to break through the haze and really thrive? Gail Stone (who was a guest on the Think Big Revolution podcast a while back) offers this take on The Thriver's Secrets of Success. 

In a nutshell, she says that people who are able to thrive...

1. Bloom where they are planted.
2. Don’t moan and groan “why me”, they make things happen.
3. Have the ability to laugh and find humor in things.
4. Are able to compartmentalize each challenge in their lives as a temporary blip rather than a permanent situation.
5. Know the art of creatively construing.
6. Have an attitude of gratitude.
7. Trust that there is a plan and a point to life.
8. Are optimistic and hopeful, not just some times, but all of the time.
9. Act “as if” and trust that sooner than later, they will become what they envision they already are.
10. Know that you can’t go it alone.

The article is worth reading, but don't just stop there. For each of the points she outlines, take a look at your own life and ask yourself, "What do I do?" If you find yourself out of synch with any of them, ask yourself, "What could I do differently?" Then pick one and start putting that change into action in the coming week.

To keep the momentum going on your positive change, try scheduling a monthly check-in with yourself to review the ideas and look at the action you've been taking to build on them.

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Success checklist

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

Are you successful? How do you know?

The traditional ways to measure success - money, status, etc. - are easy to measure, but have fallen decidedly short in terms of leading people to an energizing, meaningful career.

In an article on Seven Steps to Success, Lynne Robinson offers this fantastic list of questions to help you evaluate your own path.

• Are you enjoying what you do?
  
• Are your connections with friends, colleagues and family strengthened by your success?
  
• Are you proud of your accomplishments thus far?
  
• In the process of achieving your goals, are you developing the qualities of kindness, self-respect, courage, compassion, patience, love and hope?
  
• Do you feel more in control of yourself and your life?
  
• Are you able to shift negative self-talk to something more positive and useful?
  
• Has your spiritual life been enriched through the process of achieving this goal?
  
• Are you being of service to others?
  
• Are you more self-confident and sure of your capabilities as the result of pursuing this dream?
  
• Are you continuing to stretch just beyond your comfort zone?
  
• Are you easily able to shift direction if the course you've been on isn't working?
  
• Are you consistently listening to your inner guidance and following its wisdom?

I love these questions! They cut straight past all the external crap we've been conditioned to respond to and go right to the heart of what's really important.

[via Rebecca Thomas at CareerNiche]

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Four words for success

Want to learn four simple words that will ratchet up your success? They're not magic, but they are powerful.

The words, according to this article, are "What-Can-I-Do..."

The four words that will create power and guarantee success are: 'What - Can - I - Do".  Uh, that's it?  Yes, those are the four words that create unstoppable power.

Here is what I mean.  For any given problem or situation you have choices.  You can either ask "why does this always happen to me", or you could say, "why does this have to happen now", or you could say, "when will somebody (else) do something about this",  or you could say this:

"What - Can - I - Do that will turn this situation around?"
"What - Can - I - Do that will stop this from happening?" 
"What – Can  - I - Do to take action right now?" 
"What - Can - I - Do to get me one step closer to my goal?"

A variation of those four words and ones that are equally as powerful are:  "How - Can - I - ...?  Complete the phrase and you'll see what I mean.  For example, "How - Can - I -
take action now that will change the status quo?"  "How can I - do things differently and get a better result?"  "How can I - change my behavior?"

What is your dream? And more importantly, What-Can-You-Do?

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Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst (sm)

Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams

Thirty career lessons

Here's a great list of thirty nuggets o' career wisdom from people who have been successful in their careers. A couple examples...

Amsale Aberra, president & creative director, Amsale Aberra, Inc., New York, NY. "Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned building my company is that to be successful you must have a passion for what you are trying to achieve. Success, whether it is financial or artistic, only comes from very, very hard work. If you do not have a burning passion, you cannot commit yourself."

Dionne Q. Blackwell, president of Nirvana Retreats, Inc., Chicago, IL.  "Your career life lessons are not as unrelated as they look! Everything you do has some bearing on what's to come. As you move through your career, you'll develop skills that appear unrelated. Over time, patterns develop. My career started in financial counseling and ended in personal development. Pay attention. Your life purpose will be revealed through the skills you acquire.

Debrena Jackson Gandy, author of All the Joy You Can Stand and Sacred Pampering Principles, owner: Masterminds, Seattle, WA. "As an entrepreneur who has had internships, the Fortune 10 corporate experience, and the small corporate experience in my background, my career "journey" has brought me many insightful lessons that boil down to two key revelations:  I've learned that 1) every work/job/internship opportunity offers personal refinement and personal growth opportunities. Be sure you know what each brings or has brought you; and 2) Every work/job experience should move me closer (not farther away) to the point where I have a livelihood/profession based on the expression and contribution of my natural gifts, talents, and abilities. This is where I've finally arrived. Hallelujah! It's heavenly."

Moses A. Hardie, Jr., assistant vice president - human resources, Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL.  "Always look back and remember from whence you came.  No matter how successful we become, don't forget who you are.  Reach back and help someone to achieve what you've achieved.  You didn't make it alone."

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Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst (sm)

Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams

How do I define success?

A couple weeks ago, a conversation with a client about his definition of success got my brain spinning about my own definition. Later, I went to the whiteboard (my external brain), and an expanded picture of what that looks like spilled out.

For me, success has multiple facets, not all of which are work-related. At the heart of it is feeling truly alive in all parts of my life. The main categories that bubbled up are:

* Career passion (of course)
* Financial abundance - having "enough"
* Time abundance
* Love
* Health
* Being present
* Meaning

As I started writing about it, I realized that there is enough in it to merit several posts. Over the next couple weeks I will look at each of those facets more closely.

[Update: I've provided links above to each post.]

None of this is my cast-in-stone definition of what success must look like for everyone. It is simply the result of my own personal exploration in my own journey.

I welcome your thoughts on the matter over the next few days.

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Curt Rosengren

Passion Catalyst  ^SM

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