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Career FITness: Beating Summertime Blahs
OK,
so you made it through the Memorial Day backyard BBQ with your neighbors without
feeling too badly about being unemployed. But have you made it through the
distractions of kids home from school and the "honey-do list"... the lure of the
lake and the bass therein... the house and the lawn that need your tender loving
care? If you find yourself sinking fast, you could be slipping into the
summertime blahs.
Back in college I used to refer to the time period between Christmas and Spring Break as the "dark ages." While involved in career transition, these same few months are very productive times. Don't waste them by falling into any dark ages, like the summertime blahs...
A little extra exercise may boost your spirits.
Executing your Personal Market Plan requires special attention to positioning, targeting… and YOU. Let’s start with you and your general physical fitness…
Level 1: LITE refers to both your exercise habits and your favored beer… Haven’t exercised regularly for years… have some health issues… walking to and from the car is the most exercise a normal day includes…
WALK YOUR DOG A MILE A DAY… whether you have a dog or not!
After checking with your physician to determine your physical limitations, simply starting a regular routine of early morning (good to get your energy up for the day) or early evening (good to "walk off" that heavy supper you just ate) walking will get you started in the right direction.FUEL your Market Plan implementation by 1) reading a section of your job search workbook, or reviewing your notes from a recent session with your Consultant. Then 2) considering how you are willing to commit to putting the information into productive practice during your walk. You will come back from each such walk refreshed and 3) ready to succeed in your next campaign efforts.
Take your exercise to the next level by rolling in some easy-to-do routines, exercises that don’t require any special equipment or time consuming preparation. Search out a fun, doable sport that you can do with a friend or colleague… biking, swimming, golf or tennis come right to mind (remember to check with your physician as to what is right for you).
Level II: Normal You exercise from time to time, maybe have an under utilized club membership… you try "diet of the month" programs to try to contain your weight gain (or loss)...You supplement fairly regular golf with quite irregular exercising.
Find an exercise that you can do while you’re reading (or watching TV) at home. That ½ hour it takes to read the paper in the morning (or watch a favorite morning news show) is a great time to be on a stationary bike… The keys, here, are to get some regularity and productivity out of everything you do while involved in career transitions.
Fuel your Market Plan implementation and engage your IMAGINATION, INTEGRATING your physical fitness with your career FITness. While exercising, think outside the box regarding both positioning (differentiation in your marketplace) and implementation issues. Consider your action plan for the day ahead or debrief your morning interview… Research-Research-Research. Consider ways to increase your physical fitness while gaining productivity with your CAREER FITness.
Take your exercise to the next level by making whatever you do a regular event in your daily/ weekly routine. A reasonable goal would be half to a full hour of exercise every other day… with a day off to relax. A regular visit to a workout location or club is a terrific networking opportunity. Including personal contacts in to your growing routine is a great way to share the benefits of your activity with a colleague.
Level III: COMMITTED to fitness. You are already involved in a regular exercise habit… regular visits to your gym are an important part of your weekly routine… Participation in a fun sport has become a social practice for you.
Attention to both your physical and career FITness is for everyone, not just the young. Habits you develop earlier in life can be 1) carried over into later years or ... 2) easily refreshed and brought back into play-- or... 3) part of how you may choose to REINVENT YOURSELF at various stages of your career.
So, if you are already paying attention to fitness concerns, look to set new goals, achieve new heights of intensity or stamina. FITness is a dynamic issue, not something you can achieve… then forget, or practice at the same level for many years. Fuel your life-long commitment to fitness each and every day.
The same can be said for CAREER FITness. During your working years, fully integrate your expanding Personal Market Plan implementation with your regular exercise habits. This creates a "self-regulated accountability" that feeds on itself to increase your productivity and, ultimately, your results. Remember that TIME IS YOUR PARTNER when you apply your imagination to make things happen within your life. Constantly seek out ways to increase productivity and efficiency.
Both physical fitness and career FITness represent a journey rather than destinations. As your life and career progresses, so does the journey. There will always be a next level. The full integration of physical fitness and Personal Career FITness takes time… perhaps, the rest of your career, at least. What are you waiting for?
Learning Points…
F
UEL your Market Plan implementation…I
ntegrate your physical fitness with your career FITness by using your IMAGINATION…T
ime is your partner."If you
practice the way you play, there shouldn't be any difference. That's why I practiced so hard. I wanted to be prepared for the game."Michael Jordan (1963- )
A famous Notre Dame football coach was once quoted as saying that, "Practice makes perfect."
Mr. Rockne was a bit misguided in his thinking...
You see, he drilled the IRISH to focus on the result of WINNING. An even MORE famous coach, of Green Bay Packer fame, spoke more frankly when he said, "Perfect practice makes perfect." Mr. Lombardi's intent was very different. He wanted his players to concentrate on PRACTICE, drilling on the "little things", the basics, so that they became instinct during the heat of real life. Such is productive mindset during any career transition...
Practice your two minute drill every chance you get.... its the fundamental building material of your communication strategy--your verbal collaterals!
Practice your exit statement... most all potential employers and networking contacts will want to know your current situation and why you are available.
Practice answering both common and tough questions... including pre-offer negotiation tactics.
Now, GO PRACTICE !
COMING NEXT:
This is the first in a series of articles regarding the integration of your physical fitness with your CAREER FITness. Next, we will be looking at Career FITness for those in the LITE level of current physical fitness.
Career FITness: LEVEL I | LEVEL II | LEVEL III
>> Home Fitness
>> TOP TEN: Basic Fitness Tips >> Get FIT
Bob Maher, CMF... The Careerpilot
Bob created his online presence, www.careerpilot.com, in 1994. He has over twenty years of successful experience in Corporate Recruitment, performance management and Career Management Services. He is an entrepreneur and innovator in the use of information technology in the recruitment and employment process. On the Founder's Council of the Association of Career Professionals - International and quite active in their Professional Development, Technology and Chapter Growth initiatives--a frequent speaker at industry conferences and seminars. Winner of ACP International's LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in 2006.