– Before making calls, know the name of the person to whom you wish to speak and purpose of call.
-State your name, company and message briefly, clearly, courteously.
– Leave clear, concise messages, stating your name, phone number and message. Repeat twice.
Additional tips for
mastering lifelong career and personal growth issues are in award-winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job andLife.www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963
Author,
Carole Kanchier, PhD, is a newspaper/digital columnist, registered
psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change. Kanchier
has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of
Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with varied
individual and organizational clients. Dr. Kanchier is a career and personal
growth pioneer.
Darryl wants to establish his own
business, but thinks he’ll deprive his family of their comfortable lifestyle. Kelly wants to return to school, but fears
she’ll lose her independence.
What’s
stopping you from attaining your goal?
We
often hesitate to follow our hearts, because of perceived barriers. To take
charge of our lives we need to identify our blocks. Are any of the following
stopping you from pursuing dreams?
Afraid you can’t find help?
Fearful you’ll lose a secure or high income,
pension or other benefits?
Afraid change will interfere with personal
relationships or create family hardships?
Frightened of losing power or prestige?
Afraid of making a mistake or of being
successful?
Lack goals?
Other?
Managing Fear
Many
barriers to growth involve fear. Acknowledge your fears. Fear is a reassuring
signal that you’re about to stretch yourself. Fear alerts you to protect
yourself from loss.
Underlying
most fear is lack of trust in your ability to perform. Some fear is good,
instinctual. It alerts you to danger. But continuous fear is destructive, a
barrier to growth.
Fear is
the result of conditioning. We learn early to be cautious. Parents warn
children to “be careful.” This conveys messages that we won’t be able
to cope. Because fear is learned, it can be unlearned.
Tips
for Managing Fear
– Live in the present. Fear is the
acronym for False Expectations Appear Real. Don’t worry about what might
happen. Live now. Research your goal, develop an action plan to minimize
setbacks, and each day work toward your goal.
– Let go of “attachments.” Since fear
usually accompanies the process of “letting go,” the more attached
you are to something, the greater the fear of losing it. If you’re attached to
a good-paying job, you may fear leaving it for work that promises more growth.
– Know and accept yourself. Know your
purpose. Fear results from a discrepancy between your actions and needs. When
you’re true to your purpose, you experience harmony and stability. When you
ignore your spiritual self, you experience disharmony, indecision and doubt.
Work at achieving goals that are compatible with your purpose. Believe you’ll
attain them.
– Don’t try to live up to others’
expectations. What do you want? If you’re centered, your personal power
will help you achieve your goals. You’ll feel comfortable taking the necessary
steps. Money and possessions will often be a by-product.
– See yourself as someone who has choices, takes action,
and operates from a position of inner strength. You’re in control and have
choices. As your power builds, so will your confidence and risk-taking ability.
Not taking action is a choice.
– Watch yourself talk. Keep a log to
track the negatives you say. Each time you catch yourself saying something that
fuels your fear, replace it with a more positive statement. Think “I
can” instead of “I can’t.”
– Form a support group. Associate with
people who make you feel good and support your goals.
– Develop the will to risk. Risk taking
gets easier with practice. Start with small risks in daily activities. Before
going to sleep at night, plan your risk for the next day.
– Live a balanced life. Become involved
in varied activities (e.g., relationships, hobbies, spiritual and community
activities) to make your life complete. This will enhance your creativity. You
may even enjoy a job which was unsatisfying
Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Dr. Carole Kanchier, offers additional tips for managing fear: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963
“3 Tips from Albert Einstein – “Never stop questioning!” –
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important
thing is not to stop questioning.”
-”
Be curious, search for answers to questions
important to you.”
– “Pursue things that interest you, strive to learn something new
every day.”
Additional tips for
mastering lifelong career and personal growth issues are in award-winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job andLife.www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963
Author, Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an
internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered
psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change. Kanchier
has taught at University of California, Berkeley
and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta,
and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with varied individual
and organizational clients. Dr. Kanchier is a career and personal growth
pioneer.
Contact:
carole@daretochange.com; carole@questersdaretochange.com; http://www.questers daretochange.com
– Set attainable goals, and
enjoy the process of mastery.
Additional tips for mastering lifelong career and personal growth issues are in award-winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job andLife www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963
Author, Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach and author of Questers Dare to Change.
What
personality traits enable them to succeed?
What gives them inspiration and courage to pursue causes important to them?
Could you do the same?
Check
your Quester traits:
http://www.questersdaretochange.com/services-2/quester-quiz/
My
continuing research on life career transitions and empowerment on hundreds of
thousands adults representing diverse industries across the globe found significant differences between
people who took charge of their careers and those who did not. I call these entrepreneurial, creative types
Questers. People who follow conventional career paths are called Traditionalists.
Questers
represent all occupations, ages and walks of life. They’ve been around for
centuries. Famous Questers like Galileo Galilei, Mother Teresa, Marie Curie,
Florence Nightengale, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison have made significant
contributions to humankind. Others such as Steven
Spielberg, JK Rowling, Nelson Mandela, Usain Bolt, Jesse Owens, and John Glennare
contributing to contemporary society.
Questers are optimistic, creative, and
inner-directed. They view failure as learning experiences and measure success
by internal standards. Periodically, they reevaluate goals and make needed
modifications to maintain congruence between who they are and what they do.
Individuals, who take a more
conventional approach to their careers, are called Traditionalists. Committed to organizational careers, they value external
rewards and measure success by how their careers measure up against the
approved timetable. Although they may achieve temporary security, future
options are limited. In a world of continuous change, security must come from
within.
The differences between the types lie
on a continuum. Everybody needs some security, growth, and challenge, but the
types have different priorities. Quester qualities are healthy and enable us to
adapt to change. Questers report higher levels of self awareness, job and life
satisfaction, and health than Traditionalists.
Questers create work in harmony with their purpose and
move up or down the occupational prestige ladder toachieve
fulfillment and growth. Career advancement, to them, means growth of the whole
person
Fredstudied
mechanical engineering because he loved “fixing things.” He enjoyed his early
work but not senior management. Therefore, he created a maintenance position in
an apartment complex that enabled him to fix things. “If you’re doing what you
like, it’s not work,” he shares.
Jessy came to Canada
from China
when 30. She wanted to “learn about the world.” Zhao took various jobs
while studying English and computers. Now, 41, she works for an information
technology firm and recently purchased a home. Reflecting on her move, Zhao says, “It was challenging, but I
feel confident knowing I can do things!”
Attuned to changes within and around them, Questers
anticipate layoffs. While his colleagues worried about being laid off, Mike
upgraded his skills and contacted employers. He was offered a job the day
he received the pink slip.
Tadeus.
a creative Polish marketing
and communications executive, enjoys building and strengthening
relationships with colleagues in competitive environments. A people-oriented visionary,
Zorawaski likes advancing marketing
initiatives from concept through to completion to show companies how to use advanced research and digital
technology initiatives to increase corporate profitability.
Victoria left her career services
director position in San Francisco
to care for her ailing father who resides in a rural community. Foster turned
this crisis into the opportunity to pursue a long-time dream, real estate.
People who develop Quester qualities like Tadeus, Victoria and Byron will prevail in today’s fluid, technological times. They learn new attitudes and patterns of coping and continuously find innovative ways of expressing themselves in work and life.
Few Questers think of “retirement,” but continue involvement in meaningful paid or
unpaid activities that give them purpose, direction, and continuing
growth. Bea, took time out, at 66, to reassess goals after selling her
successful cosmetic business. She took a sales position with a furniture store on
the west coast which allows her to use her creativity and helping skills, but
remains open to new opportunities.
We’re
all born Questers. But as we grow older, many lose excitement for learning. We
forget the good feelings that come from mastering challenging tasks.
Reprimands, don’ts, and shames result in fear of trying. We set up barriers to
growth manifested in expressions of resistance including fear, denial, delay,
and low confidence.
Fortunately, we retain Quester qualities within that can be strengthened. Sometimes, crises such as layoffs, illness, and divorce precipitate self-evaluation and growth
Strengthening Quester traits
Clarify purpose. Identify themes: absorbing childhood activities, proud accomplishments, when you’re most energized, a favorite Halloween costume.
Be authentic. Do what’s
right for you. Ensure actions are consistent with thoughts and feeling. Set
goals in harmony with your purpose.
Build
confidence.Focus on the positive. Avoid, “I can’t.” Don’t compare yourself with others. Judge
accomplishments against personal standards and strive for excellence.
Continue to learn. Read, take
courses, volunteer. Challenge conventional beliefs. Recognize and seize
opportunities. Find better ways to do things. Try. Place no limitations on
yourself.
Enhance courage to risk. Review three successful risks
taken. Note what made these successful. Identify perceived barriers for taking
another risk and explore ways to overcome these.
Manage fear. Identify worrisome issues. Minimize these researching relevant information and
resources. Live in the present. Let go of “attachments.” Form a
support system.
Create a life in which you can continue to
learn, grow, and have choices. Life is an opportunity, take it, life is an
adventure, dare it!
What’s next for you?
Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life,
by Carole Kanchier, PhD, shows readers how to clarify life career goals and
develop a master plan for success. Get a copy of Questers Dare to Change:
https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963.
Author Bio: Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life. Kanchier has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with clients representing varied disciplines. Dr. Kanchier is known for her pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to human potential. Carole may be contacted for interviews and consultations.
Many of us spend much of our lives trying to stop or resist change. It’s human nature to be comfortable with the way things are. However, our lives, our growth, and our career advancement are fueled by the dynamics of change.
The energy we spend fighting to keep the status quo is energy we could be using to understand the causes and nature of the changes occurring within and around us.
The ability to take planned risks is just what we need to manage our careers in today’s dynamic world. Without change, there is no growth, no vitality, no joy.
To have a satisfying life, we need to change again, and again,
until we have created the best possible lives for ourselves – a life in which
we feel comfortable being ourselves, without apology or pretense; a life in
which we can be all we want to be!
Award-winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, shows how to manage change and create a purposeful, fulfilling life: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/ 1508408963.
Based on Dr.
Carole Kanchier’s ongoing research with thousands of adults for over 50 years, Questers
Dare to Change redefines
careers and work, and shows how succeed. Questers shows readers how to
empower themselves to manage change.
Check your Quester traits: http://www.questersdaretochange.com/services-2/quester-quiz/
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
Change happens around us every day. Yet, why do many people fear change?
We get into comfortable ruts! When something takes us out of our comfort zones – job loss, geographic move – we feel uncomfortable because we must adjust to a different situation.
We can learn from adversity or change if we look at lessons with open minds. Winston Churchill said: “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty”.
Eastern thinkers believe everything in life is impermanent. When we accept the fact that nothing lasts forever, we’re equipped to manage changes. Therefore, enjoy good times, and remember challenging times are temporary.
How well do you adapt to change?
Answer yes or no:
1. I’m self-reliant, resilient, flexible
2. I like learning, challenge
3. I like stability, structure, predictability
4. I’m cautious, dislike fast-paced environments
5. I value growth over security
6. I adapt quickly to new situations
7. I dislike variety
8. I’m bothered when something interrupts routine
9. I like trying new things
10. I handle stress well
11. I get frustrated with time pressures
12. I like doing things the same way.
Scoring: 1 point for each yes to 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 10; and each no to 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12.
To empower yourself to manage change, consider suggestions below.
Adapting to change
We can learn to respond to change with positive anticipation, believing change brings new opportunities.
View career growth as a lifelong process of personal and professional development – a continuing quest to maintain harmony between who you are and what you do.
– Take responsibility for your career. Create new opportunities with your current or another employer. Consider time out, full or part-time study, travel or self employment.
– Identify personal and transferable skills. These enable you to perform in varied situations. Employers value adaptive skills like openness to ideas, persistence, critical evaluation, enthusiasm, helpfulness, patience, optimism and tolerance.
– Strengthen “meta skills.” These skills for tomorrow can’t be easily automated. They include problem solving, research, judgment, inspiration, relationship building, ethical leadership, mental training and emotional intelligence. Continuously update technical and professional skills and strengthen Quester qualities like authenticity, purpose, risk, confidence and resilience.
– Cultivate and use intuition. Intuitive skills help you deal with ambiguous circumstances. Practice relaxation to slow your mind and listen to inner signals. Ask dreams for direction before going to sleep. Keep a journal. Pray. Communicate with nature.
– Continue to learn. Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for personal, interpersonal, leisure, health, spiritual or professional reasons. Workshops, online courses, night school, apprenticeship programs, and correspondence school offer programs. Some learning activities are recognized by traditional educational institutions and may be called adult education.
– Think critically. Critical thinkers ask questions, evaluate, categorize, and find relationships. To read critically, ask: What are main points? Can I put this into my own words? Is a bias apparent? Could a different conclusion be drawn? Are ideas supported by evidence? Do I agree with the author? What are implications?
– Strengthen creativity. Approach the problem from different angles. Ask for feedback from people with different backgrounds. Avoid negativity. View work differently. What would happen if you shrink, enlarge or change its shape? Surround yourself with diverse stimuli. Seek information outside your specialty. Awaken your child within. Play. Believe anything is possible. Expand your horizons. Go beyond borders. Prepare for and welcome the unexpected. Innovate, adapt, explore, seize opportunities. Nothing is beyond reach!
Follow examples of Questers in Questers Dare to Change —Paper edition: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963
Author Bio: Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life. Kanchier has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with clients representing many disciplines. Dr. Kanchier is known for her pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to human potential.
After thousands of efforts to make the
electric light bulb, Thomas Edison
said, “I haven’t failed, I’ve identified 10,000 ways that it doesn’t work.” Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, Marie Curie
and an endless list of other contributors to humankind found that success inevitably
arrives for all who persevere in pursuing their purpose.
Do you persevere? Or, after meeting rejection or difficulties, do
you quit? Get
sucked into social media, extra coffee breaks or other? To get back to your work schedule try the
following.
Tips
for Persevering
– Clarify your goal. Base it
on your purpose, needs and abilities. Know why you want this goal and how you
and others will benefit.
– Intend
to achieve your goal. Outline your goal, strategies and
timeline. Identify people and resources that can help you attain it. Break the
goal into small steps, working backward from your desired outcome and attainment
date.
– Maintain
optimism. Expect good things. Keep a daily diary
of good experiences.
–
Acknowledge accomplishments. Judge these against
personal standards of self improvements. Have the courage of your convictions.
Don’t change for others or compare yourself with them.
– Live
in the present. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about
what might happen. Let go of attachments. The more attached you are to
something, the greater the fear of losing it.
– Try
new experiences. Experiment with new ways of improving
a product or service.. Investigate how successful individuals or teams have
achieved similar goals.
–
Care for mind, body, emotions and spirit.
Schedule quiet times to think and reassess. Practice stress relievers such as
deep breathing and exercise. Get sufficient sleep, eat healthy, and take time
for fun and friends.
– Experience yourself living your goal today. Hold your desired outcome firmly in your mind. See, smell,
touch, and hear aspects of your goal. Each morning upon rising, review your
goal. Repeat the process at night.
– Persist. Focus on goals daily. At regular
intervals, ask yourself whether your activities are moving you forward.
What
can you do tomorrow to move forward in your life career?
Questers
Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, PhD, shows how to clarify
life career goals, and develop a master plan for career success. Get a copy of Questers
Dare to Change: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963
Author Bio: Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life. Kanchier has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with clients representing many disciplines. Dr. Kanchier is known for her pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to human potential. She is available for consultations and keynotes
