Category: Sweetspot
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Stop Trying to Measure Up
Most of us struggle to measure up. It can be subtle but not hard to see when we look. We want to get the grade, win the prize, be special. Or at least be in the running, not in last place. Even those of us who eschew the rat race strain to distinguish ourselves by […]
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Is Work a Drain?
If work is a drain, then we are not working in our SweetSpot. That is, we are not using our talents, not engaging our motivators, not getting our needs met, and/or not serving others. When we work in our SweetSpot, we have all the energy we need. In your corner, Mike
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Our Power and Purpose
[W]e are torn this way and that. Social and business pressures push us, and we go along, but the spark within is hard to extinguish, and even as we hurry to conform we may pause to wonder if this is all there is to life, and we glance uneasily over our shoulders (once a week…
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Are You Tapping the Fear or the Spark?
There is a fear within each of us. Tap it and you’ll get hurried, harried, and short-lived results. Further attempts to mine this source become ever more costly, unpredictable, and ultimately doomed. There is a spark within each of us. Tap it and you’ll get long-lasting, wonderful results. Of course, mining sparks is not a…
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The Best Way to Land a Job These Days
Job boards, applications, resumes. Oh. My. Stories from the front lines tell us that the traditional way of finding a job is pretty well broken. The best way to land a job today is to a) become a “killer candidate” and b) grow our network until it includes our next employer. Growing our network is how we…
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Chasing Career Specters
In every industry or profession there is a mythical, ideal character we feel compelled to emulate. If we want to get a good job, get ahead, and be seen as on top or at least acceptable, we twist ourselves to think and act as they do. But this ideal doesn’t exist. She/he/it is a loosely defined…
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How Meaningful Is Your Career Right Now?
Meaningful careers are those where we are doing: Something that we are good at, Something that motivates us, Something that satisfies our needs, wants, and desires (e.g.ideal work environment, income, lifestyle), and Something that solves the problems that others have and that we find compelling. When our work satisfies all four of these criteria–when our work…
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All Is Nominal
People who fire rockets like to say, “Conditions are nominal,” when everything is good to go. Guess what? Conditions are nominal. All the courage you need is already within you. All the resources you need are lined up, waiting for you. All that remains is for you to decide what you really want to achieve…
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But What Should I Commit To?
“Ah,” you say. “I would love to commit but I haven’t a clue what I should commit to.” It turns out that this is also simple. Go with what makes you leap for joy. Pick anything (and there are several things that will work for you) that makes your heart sing, that demands your talents,…
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Fear of Making the Wrong Choice
Fear of making the wrong choice is one reason we may not commit to a career, market niche, or organizational strategy. “What if I/we choose this option and it’s not quite right? What if I/we choose this one and then learn of a better one? After all the investment in this one, I/we couldn’t go back.”…