Leaps of Faith? Key to Having More Control Over Your Life.
Some people go their whole life without taking a risk, without straying from the path they’re on, no matter how unpleasant it is. Others leap from one adventure to the next, seemingly with no need for security or routine. Most of us, though, fall somewhere in the middle. We choose our leaps of faith carefully, sometimes agonizing for years before taking one and sometimes regretting missed opportunities for years after the fact.
Are there prerequisites for a leap of faith? A college degree doesn’t hurt — though dropping out didn’t stop Bill Gates from launching the world’s biggest software maker. Being rich would solve the problem of start-up financing — yet Sam Walton got his start in business on not much more than a wing and a prayer.
What Leads Us to Leap? On a sunny Saturday in March 2005, Valerie Due, of dueinc.com sat at her dining room table working on a PowerPoint presentation. Her colleagues at Qualcomm needed it for a deal they were negotiating in China. Due’s partner, Chris Brewster, 49, was in Europe on business. Her grandfather was in failing health in Nebraska. Tapped out of vacation time and busy at work, Due had put off visiting her grandfather for too long. Her mother called to tell her he had died.
“I thought, ‘Is this really what I want in life? I’m not with my grandfather, and I’m not with Chris.’ ”
Due went for a 5-mile run. By the time it was over, she had decided once and for all: “I want more control over where I work and how I spend my time.”
Our blinding desire to see our dreams come true sometimes makes it painful to keep things the same. We feel stuck and blocked from realizing our full potential, and that can be unbearable. As Anaïs Nin wrote, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
For some, a leap of faith comes only after a long period of research and consultation, or after an assurance of success (or at least a minimal risk of failure). For example Victoria Duvall of cookiecouture.com, took a leap of faith when she leased a 2000sq ft of space for her bakery and equipment before she had enough orders to guarantee her success. She had only shipped her cookies to Harpo Studios in Chicago and was believing the “Oprah effect” would be true in her life. Well after she was chosen as one of Oprah’s favorite things, the orders starting rolling in but she was prepared as she had taken a leaap of faith.. Tim Berry, author of Business Plan Pro says, “If you’re going to work in small business, you’re going to do a lot of guessing. Educate those guesses. Research the market, study as much as you can, ponder if you insist, and then jump. Or don’t jump.” I think he’s saying, either way – make a decision!
Which Leaps Are Worth Taking? Every day offers forks in the road where we can either take a risk or do what we’ve always done. Small things like leaping through your shyness to speak up at a meeting, or larger things like starting a business or publishing a book. You may choose your leap based on intuitive hits or coincidences, such as people or things seeming to point you towards the leap you’re considering. Or your choice may be logical: you’ve done the research and your leap is sound.
Before You Leap, Here’s What You Do …
While there’s no way to guarantee the outcome of your leap, there are 4 things you can do to be true to your values of safety, security and success:
1. Think it through. What are the possible consequences of your leap? Write them down and prepare for them.
2. Assemble a support team. Make sure there are people you can talk to every step of the way, people who appreciate what you’re doing, people who celebrate you for who you are and what you are trying to achieve. People who know how to turn your ideas into actionable steps that will start turning your ideas into income.
3. Build reserves. Ensure that you have time, money and energy to see you through this period of uncertainty. Track those time wasters, energy depleters and money wasters. Then commit to eliminating them from your life. The more time, energy and money you have, the better you become at taking the steps that will lead you to have the control over your life you crave.
4. Adjust your attitude. Strive for success, but if the results are less than what you had hoped for, accept that the experience has helped you learn and grow. Henry Ford has said of failure that it only allows us to begin again but more intelligently.
While your success is not guaranteed, resisting the call to leap could be far worse than falling short. What would you rather look back on: a failed attempt that led to something even better or a missed attempt that led nowhere at all?
If you would like to discover your ideal leap of faith, to guarantee you can work where you want, doing what you love, be sure to sign up for the Great Job Escape Plan and get access to Finding Your True Calling e-book. A 100 page workbook full of inspiration and exercises to get you to where you dream about being.
This post was written by Charlene Nora, your Personal Development Coach and Career Transition Mentor, on 03/06/2011. To claim your FREE guide to weekly leaps of faith tips click on the link to gain access.
Dream Jobs Are Created (7 tips to Start Creating Your Dream Job Today!)
February 21, 2011 by Charlene · 2 Comments
Dream jobs (and their creation) are as unique as your DNA. Where you want to work? How you want to work? There are all sorts of dream jobs. But you’re the only one who knows which dream job and which career choice will make you happy. Maybe your dream consists of hoping that a position, title or award will make you happy. What about those dreams you have of the way the world would be if you were in charge of your schedule, your time?
But when it comes to dreams that orbit your picture of career success, where do you begin to make them a reality? How do you enjoy career success without a job-job? How will you know if it’s even possible to make your dream job a reality? So many questions circle in your mind and you’re not sure what or where the answers may be. Yet to get to the answers that will move you forward, you need to ask the right questions.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?
Could it be freedom? Whatever your dream job, it means you need to make more money to get (or do) the things this freedom represents. I believe you’ve been richly blessed with certain gifts to make the world a better place (and in the process be provided with compensation). But do you know why some people use their talents and abilities and succeed while others fail?
THE WINNING FORMULA:
Winners take swift decisive action. When you understand how to leverage your strengths and time for compensation you’re one step ahead of the majority of the population. Use these questions to help you start on the path of creating your dream job. If you answer honestly you’ll be even closer to making your dreams a reality. Ask yourself the questions and then make the commitment to do whatever it takes to make your dreams a reality.
1. If your dream is fulfilled will it help other people? We’re not here to only serve ourselves. I know it’s hard to resist the temptation to only think about HOW your life would be better if you had ________ (fill in the blank). But WHY are you here? You’re here to serve in the biggest and best way you can. If your dream only orbits your life, then it’s not worth pursuing. Refine your dream by asking: How can I use my skills, talents and abilities to 
benefit others?
2. What’s the cost of your dream? When we think of career success without a job, the tendency is to think about the initial loss of earnings. It’s hard to look at the temporary setbacks if there isn’t a long term goal. There is always a price when anything great is achieved. Sometimes it may be a temporary financial setback or it may be the cost of becoming a different (read -better) person. To be successful you will have to go beyond your comfort zone but always staying within your gifted zone. Remember dreams are personal and there will always be a struggle or sacrifice for it to be achieved. Nothing great was ever achieved without sacrifice and strategy. Speaking of strategy….
3. Do you have a plan to achieve your goal? Do you have a written plan of how you’re going to make this dream a reality? It’s amazing how much clearer you see things when they are out of your head and looking back at you in black and white. Once you have a clear plan, you become immediately aware of the priorities you need to have. You understand what new skills you may need and the habits you’ll need to adopt. Remember, excellence is a habit. Beyond a plan, have you shared this plan with people you respect?
4. Do you have a dream team in place? Every great thing that was ever done has always included a team. You may have one visionary leading the cause but surrounding and supporting this person is a diverse team with unique strengths, skills, talents and abilities all focused on one thing. Bringing the DREAM to life. Surround yourself with people whose feedback you respect. Are there people who will hold you accountable for the things you say you’re going to do? Or have you not even spoken your dream out loud to others for fear of rejection? If you’re going to have success on your terms, be sure to recruit and keep the right people in your corner. After all, we all need cheerleaders.
5. Are you passionate about your dream? If you’re going to do this, mediocrity and survival is not going to get you any where. It takes enthusiasm, motivation and effort and these are only sustained with passion. That’s why your dream has to include others, it has to benefit others and most of all, it needs a plan. WHY? Because without a compelling and strong emotion you can’t recruit the right people to help you. You can’t keep yourself going when it gets rough and your dream will die a premature death. If you’re not passionate about it, then just shelf it.
6. Is this your dream? How many of the things you’ve done in life been of your choosing. We often choose the schools we go to because our parents thought it was a great idea at the time. On the job we do things because the higher ups think it’s a great plan when in fact you know it’s a waste of time. In fact we do things because of who we wish we were, who others think we are OR who our parents think we are. So you stay and stay and eventually you’re stuck living someone else life. Think about it. How many of your plans, goals and desires have been influenced by others? When this is your dream it just feels right and you feel like you were born for this. Well, is this your dream?
7. If you fail while pursing your dream would you consider your life a success? The toughest question I know. But it’s something you have to ask: Is it worth it? If not, you’re likely to do the chicken dance at the first challenge you encounter. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for more than 2 decades to see his precious South Africa freed from apartheid. Your dream may not be that grand but the point is this: Achieving a dream is about more than just what you accomplish, it’s about who you become in the process. John Maxwell believes a dream is less about the destination and more about the journey.
Well, Are you ready to start creating? Call today to let me be part of your “DREAM” Team so you have more control of your time, your schedule, your money and your life.
This post was written by Charlene Nora, your Profit From Your Passions Coach, just for you on 2/21/2011 because I believe ANYONE can have their Dreams Come True.
“A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.” John Maxwell
Need A Career Change? Boost Your Creativity in 7 Steps!
July 27, 2010 by Charlene · 2 Comments
Career Success without a Real Job by Ernie Zelinski is founded on the principle that “we’re never at a shortage for money only for good ideas”. It’s true that we stay on the job we hate or the career path we despise because the “good idea” avoids us. Or do we avoid the good idea?
You’ve been blessed with certain tools to effect change in the world and in the process receive compensation. The more excellent and or skilled you become using these gifts, the larger your capacity for influence and your ability to receive higher rewards for your work.
I had the privilege to listen to Adlan Cruz perform. This gifted Latin American pianist gets to travel the world performing before varied state dignitaries, compose music and also assist on developing the score for various movies. But you know what he talked about the most. He said he spent hours as a child practicing, honing his craft, learning from the masters. Yet when he wanted a creative boost he would watch TV with his little brother Omar, and listen to all the music of the various sitcoms, cartoons and movies to get his inspiration. What do you do to boost your creativity?
Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, 
relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc. We avoid the ideas we are presented with because we immediately assume it’s failure. Our humanness says its negative, impractical, unrealistic and it gets chucked before we’ve thoroughly evaluated it for its merits (and de-merits).
Natalie Zaun of Pursenally Yours began her custom designed purse company while an English teacher. Today her nationwide million dollar company she began in 2007 allows her to maintain her stay at home status. She knew she loved to sew and got her inspiration by hanging out some friends designing purses on the weekend. Want to learn how you to can boost your creativity?
How to Boost Creativity?
- Start and Maintain an Idea Log. This could be in the form on an actual notebook or you could opt for more modern options like notes on your ipod and recorded voice notes on your cellphone. Whatever you decide the key is to be consistent and make it something you can do easily. Whenever an idea pops into your mind, just log it and return to it in 24 hours. If after 24 hours it still seems like a good idea then research it.
- Pay attention to your Environment. Observe the trends in society. Listen to the complaints of your friends and family. As I watch the news I see everyone’s concern about the current heat wave hitting the east coast of the USA. I immediately thought now will be a good time to invest in an ice cream truck and slushie stand. It’s obvious people are still going outdoors and I just want to help them cool off.
Can you think of any ways to help people manage their summer outdoor activities while dealing with this unbearable heat? - Join a group. If your creativity is suffering from shyness joining a group of like-minded individuals who will provide honest feedback while supporting you on your plan of action is the way to go. You will steer off course if your circle of influence rejects your ideas and your attempts to think outside the box. Occasionally you may find you don’t need to change your act only your audience.
- Listen to your inner child. Children have the unique advantage of thinking out loud without fear of rejection or any other learned behaviors that hold back adults. It was once said that if you want to solve a problem, give it to a group of 5 year olds and see what they come up with. Without fear, constraints and negative emotional baggage, you will see an exponential increase in your creativity.
- Get negative. Describe in detail what you don’t like about your current job and get really wild and toss in characteristics of a job from hell. Once you’re done describing it, do a 180 degree. Describe your dream job as being the complete opposite of what you described. This act alone could mean the difference between the creation of your creativity oasis or creativity wilderness.
- Read or Do something you’re not used to doing. Sometimes you may become so bogged down in your routine you lose sight of all that life has to offer. This shuts down your ability to be creative. The goods news this can easily be reversed by just doing something different. If you’re a science fiction addict then try romance or business journals. It just helps with your perspective. In the end perspective is key to maintaining and building your creativity.
- Play games. Here’s a game offered by Harvey Mackay . Try this exercise: Look at two items on your desk right now and figure out a way to put them together. A clock radio and a coffee mug, for instance, could be turned into a coffee mug with a clock on it, maybe at the bottom. This won’t necessarily generate a useful idea, but it will train your mind to see different possibilities.
Career Change Begins With A Change In Your Environment
July 19, 2010 by Charlene · 3 Comments
Want a Career Change but not sure which way is up? You may benefit from a change in environment. Do you feel like you just don’t belong? Maybe you don’t dislike your boss or your co-workers, but you’re bored? Maybe you find the tasks you’ve been assigned not only boring but quite frankly annoying? You try to communicate your ideas and vision and you look like the odd man out. I hear it all the time. Typically the person has been at their job for more than 5 years and there’s just no “oomph”. No desire or motivation to do or be anything. It could just be you don’t belong. And that’s OK!
YOU NEED YOUR OPTIMAL ENVIRONMENT!
Everything on this planet has and needs an optimal environment for peak performance. The earth needs to be tilted 
at the right angle and positioned at the perfect distance from the SUN or this planet would never be able to sustain life. Plants need sun, soil and water to produce beautiful flowers. Fish need water. Athletes need the correct diet and training regimen to excel. You get the point? You need the proper environment to excel, to feel “at home” at work and to be satisfied.
HERE’S THE SCIENCE …
Holland’s RIASEC theory supports this view. He believed that certain personality types created a work place environment which compliments their personality. As a result they were more successful and satisfied. So if you feel like you don’t belong you could be trying to fit yourself into a square hole when you may be a round peg. I know our society in theory talks about everyone being an individual and valuing the individual. Yet in reality we all try to be the same. We conform in our attire, our homes, our cars and even in our career choices. The pressure from your friends, family and significant others could box you in to a career choice that you are not uniquely qualified to perform.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT…
If you’re not happy about your career path, you are most likely in the wrong place and doing the wrong things. It’s because you’re not following your passions, interests, inclinations and gifts. We all have a natural career path. With a little creativity, imagination, enthusiasm and effort you can find work that is profitable, satisfying and compatible with who you are. If you’re not excited, enthusiastic and rewarded about what you do, the beautiful thing about being human is you can choose to change today.
If you would like to discover your ideal environment for development, career satisfaction and a prosperous life be sure to sign up for the Great Job Escape Plan and get access to Finding Your True Calling e-book. A 100 page workbook full of inspiration and exercises to get you to where you dream about being.
This post was written by Charlene Nora, your Personal Development Coach and Career Transition Mentor, on 7/19/2010. To claim your FREE guide to weekly career change tips click on the link to enter your email information.
Career Change Advice | Develop a Kangaroo Attitude!
July 13, 2010 by Charlene · 9 Comments
Changing Careers always seems to desirable when you are marveling at the in-effectiveness of your superiors. It’s the middle of the week and you’re feeling like you’re about to blow a gasket or get a heart attack. The boss has asked for yet another impossible task to be done and you are quite sure there are at least 100 ways to achieve the same result in less time. But the economy is tight and you’re telling yourself to just keep quiet. Even though it’s obvious you’re smarter than he is and its obvious to you that no one will “get it”, you don’t risk it.
Career Change On The Back Burner?
How long are you going to keep quiet though? You have these creative ideas and as of this moment, they only bounce around in your head. You see people like Alice Patton, a 38 year old breast cancer survivor who is going to be paid to travel around the world as she works in the spa on the cruise liner. You wonder, just a bit, Could you possibly make your dreams come true? Is it really possible for fun and work to go together?
Last month, Phyllis Korkki of the the NY Times reported new entrepreneurs are not willing to give up their new freedom. “ Once they taste having more control over their lives, they never go back.” I think they never go back because they are committed to their success. They are committed to having the life they dreamed of for so long. There is only one animal in nature that is incapable of going back.
Can't Go Back!
The mighty kangaraoo! A little science lesson here. At an average weight of 200 pounds, it can reach speeds of 60mph. Did you know the word Kangaroo is derived from an Aboriginal phrase meaning ” I don’t understand” or “I don’t know”. I wouldn’t understand if I saw the largest animal that only moves by hopping and is incapable of going backwards.
If you ever feel like turning your back on your dreams. If you ever feel like throwing in the towel, think of the animal known for its powerful legs and its cute little pouch. Once it’s started its journey it just keeps hopping. No retreat, no second guesses no “I wonder ifs”. It sets a course and starts going. Are you a kangaroo?
If you’re not ready to surrender your dreams to time and you’ve made a committment to yourself to do whatever it takes to have career success without a job, then contact me today to get started on your natural career path.
