Someone said to me recently “you’re active on social media…” to give me a heads-up on the final marketing outreach for an upcoming #BYDN book event. I am, however, I like to think of it as being active in my career — putting my ideas out there, actively getting in front of opportunities not waiting for chance or luck or “if only” wishful thinking.
You can live within your head or you can take the other route. Trust me, the other route while scarier a lot of the time (WTW! you need to persevere and believe in yourself, Yikes!) is also far more rewarding (and ultimately much more fun).
Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do. — Nadia Comaneci
I just finished reading Brene Brown’s “The Gifts Of Imperfection”. I concur! cultivating the life you want to lead is a journey. Stay focused on the destination and build the relationships you’ll need to stay headed in the right direction. Let’s face it, while you can never 100% predict the outcome (Will I make law firm partner? Will I get that promotion I’ve worked so hard for? Will my book get published? ) you can control how you show-up everyday. Are you consistently showing up for your career — and for others? Think about your daily interactions. Yeah, take a slightly critical outsider’s perspective for a moment…would you help that person if asked?
At page 29 of Build Your Dream Network I say –
“Just as hope is not a strategy, random outreach is not an effective approach to problem solving, and at its core networking really is about seeking a solution to a problem or challenge you’re facing.”
And I may need to re-think the hope part…thanks to Brene. At page 65 of “The Gifts Of Imperfection” Brene addresses Hope and Powerlessness. Hope she writes is a “combination of setting goals, having the tenacity and perseverance to pursue them, and believing in our own abilities.”
I can get behind this concept of hope. Hope as goal-directed thinking — just make sure your hopeful approach includes building meaningful relationships. Don’t just hope people will support the idea you so passionately believe in (or your career or or or)! Seek supporters, recruit champions, pursue feedback — create your team — at every chance and direction.
