Making a difference in your career

Have you ever questioned what it is you’re doing everyday? We spend hours each week at work and many of us bring work home. With all the time we spend working, it’s no wonder we want to feel fulfilled in our jobs.

I spent years working at various jobs I didn’t enjoy - some of which felt like torture. Others were a blast! After paying my dues at several low level positions in fields I wasn’t interested in, I was lucky enough to land a job I loved at an advertising agency and was promoted several times within the company.

But even as great as that and later jobs were, I still questioned what I was doing. At some point in everyone’s life, we begin to consider if what we are spending our time on is making a positive impact in the world. After 18 years in the agency world of marketing, I wondered if my time might be better spent using my skills helping others rather than increasing the bottom line for another large corporation.

After spending unfulfilling years working at a direct mail agency, I began to question how important was it we sell another pair of pants to a buyer that probably doesn’t need them. It was at that time I began my quest to search for what was important to me. My deep soul searching revealed that I didn’t necessarily need to abandon my years of experience to help the world and make a positive impact.

That’s when my second career working with non-profits began. Today as a marketing consultant and professional life coach, I continue to use my marketing skills to make a difference in the world. I use my expertise educating the public about important issues that affect us all, encouraging individuals to live their dreams, and working with many other organizations who support those in need.

If you want to make a change in your life or career, don’t be afraid to look at options. To begin, take some important steps by asking yourself the following:

• What do I really want to do?
• What inspires me?
• What is truly important to me? In my life? In my work?
• How do I want to spend my days?
• How can I still use my unique gifts and the skills I’ve developed to assist me in my new direction?

With a little soul searching, you can use your life in a way that goes well beyond simply bringing home a paycheck.

Free stress solutions I

Do you find yourself tied to your desk all day long? More phone calls to return, more emails to craft, more industry trend reading to do, more work, more responsibilities, more “to do” lists and less time to accomplish it all. What do you do when work’s got you down?

Lately, I’m finding people running around like crazy. They go from work to home, to driving the kids around and taking care of the family, to cooking dinner and doing the laundry. I hear them say there’s no time to slow down because companies are down-sizing so work comes first. Putting in overtime, bringing work home, working on weekends all seem to be today’s reality. Does this sound familiar? What does one do when the thought of taking on one more project sends you over the edge?

Here are some ideas to get you through to the next moment:

1. Breathe. Stop what you are doing and take several deep breaths. On the inhale, hold for a moment, then slowly release your breath. Breathing deeply will help give you clarity, focus and a moment of peace.

2. Listen to music you like. Maybe it’s a quick beat or perhaps it’s a slow, romantic tune – music helps distract you from the hectic pace and puts you in a different frame of mind.

3. Unless you’re driving or doing something requiring intense focus, close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes. If you’re not into meditation, try a visualization exercise. Take a few deep breaths and imagine yourself in a beautiful, peaceful place far away. Maybe you are on a hammock on a warm sunny beach or perhaps you find yourself skiing down a cool mountaintop. Take a vacation from your present reality and visualize another calming environment.

4. Take a walk or move around. Any form of exercise from walking and jogging to doing neck rolls, push up’s or leg lifts will stimulate blood flow and help relieve stress. A walk around the building and moving your body is a great way to break the pattern of going from one task to the next.

5. Get out in nature. Being outdoors in nature is a cure-all for me! Even if it’s just getting a moment of fresh air, taking yourself outside of the confined office space will change your entire perspective and allow you to interrupt the build -up of stress.

More stress solutions next week!