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FREE Resources
to help you:
1. United States of
America's primary source
on career info:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates Bureau
of Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job
Search - Post a Question
etc.: www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After
Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for
Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine
.com
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_tool
box.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
to help you:
1. United States of
America's primary source
on career info:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates Bureau
of Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job
Search - Post a Question
etc.: www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After
Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for
Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine
.com
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_tool
box.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
Articles
A Personal Mission Statement - Replace Simon and the
Mad Hatter with Your Personal Plan
As children we all learned some very traditional games and stories from
which memories stay with us and continue to shape our patterns to this day.
For instance in “Simon Says,” we learn to respond to “Simon says do this!”
and “Simon says do that!” And if the leader doesn’t precede the directive
with “Simon says,” then you’re out of the game. Lots of laughs were had
with this game. And what a lesson to stick with you. Don’t do anything
unless you have the right permission. Argh!
Or how about Chutes and Ladders - the game of reward and
consequences. No matter how much you practice this game and how much
you prepare there is still no skill involved in winning. Winning is random and
determined by a spin of the dial. We played this for hours at my next door
neighbor’s house as kids because at any given time, any of us could win.
The shy kid could beat the block bully. Spin well, help a cat out of a tree and
climb a ladder. Spin poorly, write on the walls and fall down the chute. The
laughs were great but what did this teach us about control over our own
destiny?
Many fairytales are repeats of the same theme and taught us a lot about
romance. Girl is alone and sad. Girl meets prince. Prince rides her off into
the sunset to happiness. That puts a lot of pressure on the “princes” of this
world.
And how about the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland? Many people seeking
to find their life’s calling and entrepreneurs conduct their lives and their
businesses like the Mad Hatter. They often feel as if they are running in
circles saying to themselves, “I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!”
when in fact they can’t even focus on what it is that is so important.
Get off the treadmill of busyness. Put the glass slippers away. And forget
about asking for permission from anyone.
You are writing your own story. You are creating your own Game of Life. And
the only way you will shake the head trash you carry from the past is to
replace it with something – new habits. Here’s how:
1) Create a Personal Mission Statement
A personal mission statement defines in concrete form exactly who, what,
where, when why and how you want to be in the next one to three years.
Keep in mine you are defining these things in terms of your character,
behaviors, values, actions, habits and qualities. Keep it positive, passionate
and emotionally motivating. You might start your Personal Mission
Statement with "To live each day with ...[value and value]... so that ...[what
living by these values will give you]. I will do this by ...[specific behaviors you
will use to achieve these values]." Or "To develop the qualities of ...[two to
three character traits]... that I admire in ...[an influential person in your life]...
so that ...[why you want to develop these traits]."
2) Write Measurable Life Goals That Will Lead You to Your Mission.
Goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented and Time
framed. There is a complete article on writing SMART goals at http://www.
StartingOverNow.com. A life goal might be that in order to have more time
for your family you will devote an hour every evening to family time without
distractions for things such as games, TV, homework help, dog walking
together or some other activity. Another goal might be to devote the first two
hours every morning at work to focusing on the most strategic part of your
work. If that is sales, that may be when you make cold calls. If you work in a
service related industry, you might schedule meetings with managers on
quality improvements for the first two hours every day. You might consider
writing a goal that you will meet with a mentor once a month to discuss your
progress. There is an article on finding a mentor on the Web site as well.
3) Create Daily To-Do Lists that Reinforce Your Mission and Goals.
Creating a daily To-Do List keeps you on task to your ultimate goal. If you do
not have a To-Do List or journal on a daily basis, you often may find yourself
mitered down with mundane tasks that FILL UP your day instead of FILLING
UP the meaningful parts of your life.
How often do you sit down at your desk and start your day by reading and
responding to your email and phone messages? Then there are a pile of
things on your desk that need short term attention that you complete
because now the “In Box” is less full and it appears that you have been
productive because, “Look, I’ve finished all this work!” And Snow White
swept all the floors. And Cinderella cleaned the entire fireplace. And two of
the Little Pigs built houses they thought were great but were they able to
withstand the wolf?
The first things on your To-Do List should be the things that will reinforce
your Personal Mission Statement. Then prioritize you To-Do List. Think of
your time in terms of what is going to bring you the most valuable return.
Clearing your desk of clutter is not it. Your goals will help guide your To-Do
List so that you are focusing on the strategic objectives of your life and not
just clearing your desk.
I create my To-Do List for the week. Nothing on it includes daily work that I
know will be on my desk – letters to sign, meetings to attend, etc.
Think of your life as a framework of relationships and that does not just
mean with people. Think of your work in relationship to how it will help you
achieve your To-Do List which is focused on your goals which is focused on
your Personal Mission. You are thinking in terms of systems and
relationships. Not in terms of short term gain, unproductive patterns of past
behaviors, and head trash.
Remember: Personal Mission Statement, SMART Goals and a focused daily
To-Do List sets a pattern to start new behaviors. Habits take 21 days to
form. Stick with it until then and you will write your own happy ending. Start
now!
Email this to a friend.
Get Mary Lee’s new FREE e-book “Make Your Wheel of Fortune Spin on
Balance.”
Follow Mary Lee on Twitter.com at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “Does Your Resume Look Weathered?” and
“Where to Find a Job Other Than the Classifieds?” go to Mary Lee's Articles
and Tips Sheets page.
Mary Lee Gannon is a personal turnaround, leadership and productivity
expert who went from being a stay-at-home mother with four children living a
country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, homelessness,
and welfare. As a guest speaker, she demonstrates how she went from an
earning capacity of $27,000 to president and CEO. Her book "Starting Over -
25 Rules for When You've Bottomed Out" is available in bookstores. Email
Mary Lee at info@StartingOverNow.com.
Mad Hatter with Your Personal Plan
As children we all learned some very traditional games and stories from
which memories stay with us and continue to shape our patterns to this day.
For instance in “Simon Says,” we learn to respond to “Simon says do this!”
and “Simon says do that!” And if the leader doesn’t precede the directive
with “Simon says,” then you’re out of the game. Lots of laughs were had
with this game. And what a lesson to stick with you. Don’t do anything
unless you have the right permission. Argh!
Or how about Chutes and Ladders - the game of reward and
consequences. No matter how much you practice this game and how much
you prepare there is still no skill involved in winning. Winning is random and
determined by a spin of the dial. We played this for hours at my next door
neighbor’s house as kids because at any given time, any of us could win.
The shy kid could beat the block bully. Spin well, help a cat out of a tree and
climb a ladder. Spin poorly, write on the walls and fall down the chute. The
laughs were great but what did this teach us about control over our own
destiny?
Many fairytales are repeats of the same theme and taught us a lot about
romance. Girl is alone and sad. Girl meets prince. Prince rides her off into
the sunset to happiness. That puts a lot of pressure on the “princes” of this
world.
And how about the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland? Many people seeking
to find their life’s calling and entrepreneurs conduct their lives and their
businesses like the Mad Hatter. They often feel as if they are running in
circles saying to themselves, “I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!”
when in fact they can’t even focus on what it is that is so important.
Get off the treadmill of busyness. Put the glass slippers away. And forget
about asking for permission from anyone.
You are writing your own story. You are creating your own Game of Life. And
the only way you will shake the head trash you carry from the past is to
replace it with something – new habits. Here’s how:
1) Create a Personal Mission Statement
A personal mission statement defines in concrete form exactly who, what,
where, when why and how you want to be in the next one to three years.
Keep in mine you are defining these things in terms of your character,
behaviors, values, actions, habits and qualities. Keep it positive, passionate
and emotionally motivating. You might start your Personal Mission
Statement with "To live each day with ...[value and value]... so that ...[what
living by these values will give you]. I will do this by ...[specific behaviors you
will use to achieve these values]." Or "To develop the qualities of ...[two to
three character traits]... that I admire in ...[an influential person in your life]...
so that ...[why you want to develop these traits]."
2) Write Measurable Life Goals That Will Lead You to Your Mission.
Goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented and Time
framed. There is a complete article on writing SMART goals at http://www.
StartingOverNow.com. A life goal might be that in order to have more time
for your family you will devote an hour every evening to family time without
distractions for things such as games, TV, homework help, dog walking
together or some other activity. Another goal might be to devote the first two
hours every morning at work to focusing on the most strategic part of your
work. If that is sales, that may be when you make cold calls. If you work in a
service related industry, you might schedule meetings with managers on
quality improvements for the first two hours every day. You might consider
writing a goal that you will meet with a mentor once a month to discuss your
progress. There is an article on finding a mentor on the Web site as well.
3) Create Daily To-Do Lists that Reinforce Your Mission and Goals.
Creating a daily To-Do List keeps you on task to your ultimate goal. If you do
not have a To-Do List or journal on a daily basis, you often may find yourself
mitered down with mundane tasks that FILL UP your day instead of FILLING
UP the meaningful parts of your life.
How often do you sit down at your desk and start your day by reading and
responding to your email and phone messages? Then there are a pile of
things on your desk that need short term attention that you complete
because now the “In Box” is less full and it appears that you have been
productive because, “Look, I’ve finished all this work!” And Snow White
swept all the floors. And Cinderella cleaned the entire fireplace. And two of
the Little Pigs built houses they thought were great but were they able to
withstand the wolf?
The first things on your To-Do List should be the things that will reinforce
your Personal Mission Statement. Then prioritize you To-Do List. Think of
your time in terms of what is going to bring you the most valuable return.
Clearing your desk of clutter is not it. Your goals will help guide your To-Do
List so that you are focusing on the strategic objectives of your life and not
just clearing your desk.
I create my To-Do List for the week. Nothing on it includes daily work that I
know will be on my desk – letters to sign, meetings to attend, etc.
Think of your life as a framework of relationships and that does not just
mean with people. Think of your work in relationship to how it will help you
achieve your To-Do List which is focused on your goals which is focused on
your Personal Mission. You are thinking in terms of systems and
relationships. Not in terms of short term gain, unproductive patterns of past
behaviors, and head trash.
Remember: Personal Mission Statement, SMART Goals and a focused daily
To-Do List sets a pattern to start new behaviors. Habits take 21 days to
form. Stick with it until then and you will write your own happy ending. Start
now!
Email this to a friend.
Get Mary Lee’s new FREE e-book “Make Your Wheel of Fortune Spin on
Balance.”
Follow Mary Lee on Twitter.com at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “Does Your Resume Look Weathered?” and
“Where to Find a Job Other Than the Classifieds?” go to Mary Lee's Articles
and Tips Sheets page.
Mary Lee Gannon is a personal turnaround, leadership and productivity
expert who went from being a stay-at-home mother with four children living a
country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, homelessness,
and welfare. As a guest speaker, she demonstrates how she went from an
earning capacity of $27,000 to president and CEO. Her book "Starting Over -
25 Rules for When You've Bottomed Out" is available in bookstores. Email
Mary Lee at info@StartingOverNow.com.
StartingOverNow.com
Articles
| Mary Lee Gannon is interviewed on Mind Your BIZness |
FREE e-book.
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
People who use the
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
Mary Lee Gannon's
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Follow Mary Lee's tips
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
Starting
Over
SMART
Mary Lee shares
tips on how to get
off the treadmill of
busyness, put the
glass slipper
away and set
asking for
permission aside.
Reroute your life
with focused
strategies today.
START NOW!
Over
SMART
Mary Lee shares
tips on how to get
off the treadmill of
busyness, put the
glass slipper
away and set
asking for
permission aside.
Reroute your life
with focused
strategies today.
START NOW!
’)Productivity and Leadership with a Healthy Life Balance
Make It Fun = Get More Done!
Whether your company is in need of better productivity from your workforce, or
you want to build a better network, are starting over, are an empty nester
re-entering the workforce, have been laid-off, or are going through a divorce
there is information here to help you! Learn to take your interests and channel
them into productive goals on a fast track. Reach out of your comfort zone to
achieve proven and practical strategies for success. We invite you to share your
insight, take advantage of the resources here, challenge yourself, and continue
to develop and grow.
For the FREE StartingOverNow E-newsletter, or to contact Mary Lee simply send
an email to: info@startingovernow.com. Share your story.
Make It Fun = Get More Done!
Whether your company is in need of better productivity from your workforce, or
you want to build a better network, are starting over, are an empty nester
re-entering the workforce, have been laid-off, or are going through a divorce
there is information here to help you! Learn to take your interests and channel
them into productive goals on a fast track. Reach out of your comfort zone to
achieve proven and practical strategies for success. We invite you to share your
insight, take advantage of the resources here, challenge yourself, and continue
to develop and grow.
For the FREE StartingOverNow E-newsletter, or to contact Mary Lee simply send
an email to: info@startingovernow.com. Share your story.