It feels like too many things to do in a given day.

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Likely, you think you don’t have enough time to do everything you’d like to do.

You’re busy. I’m busy. We’re all b-u-s-y.

As a result, we don’t believe we have enough time to work on our dreams.

However, let me tell you what the real problem is.

It’s where we put our focus.

Our hours are soaked up by the varied responsibilities and priorities we have in our lives.

As a result, we live our schedules and we talk ourselves out of doing anything even remotely related to our dreams.

We’re just trying to get through the day.

So how in the world can you squeeze in dream time when you have no time?

The solution?

Focus on the tasks and not on the amount of time it will take.

It’s a subtle shift, but when you begin viewing your dream as a series of short term tasks and not a huge, overwhelming mountain of a dream you will give yourself the gift of hope.

Some days, you will only be able to take a baby step toward your dream.

Other days you’ll be on fire with your amazing productivity.

Either way, you’ve had a victory.

String together enough victories and you’ll find yourself moving forward one small step at a time.

Here’s four suggestions on how to shift your thinking to accomplish your dream:

1. Clarify your priorities. Michael Hyatt’s Creating Your Personal Life Plan is an excellent resource to help you get clear on your priorities. You’ll need this when life gets crazy and you have to choose between your dream time and the necessities of your daily reality.

2. Set yourself up for success. Have a way to capture those ideas you come up with for your project tasks. Then when you sit down to focus on those tasks you can hit the ground running. You may only have 30 minutes on any given day. Start with task one and go through your list with the time you have allotted. It may take you a week or 6 months to finish. However, you’ll finish your project if you just focus on completing one task at a time.

3. Cancel your cable. Read that again. Yes, call your provider and drop the “c” bomb on them. The first 30 days will be hard. After that you will wonder why you ever watched TV. On average, you’ll give yourself an extra 2.7 hours every day by not watching TV. You can either watch actors perform a good story on TV or you can choose to live an interesting story yourself.

4. Embrace the tension. You will never figure this out completely. You won’t find yourself achieving perfect balance with your schedule. That is the beauty and chaos of life. Some days you will quit on your dream. Then you’ll realize your dream is what makes you feel alive. You’ll start the balancing act again.

You’ll still be busy. You may become busier than is comfortable. However, it’s your dream and it’s your life. You just might find you have time for both.

Question: What would you do if you felt like you had more time?

Free Book Giveaway

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You hate your job but right now it’s the only thing standing between you and the homeless shelter downtown.

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You park your car, turn off the ignition and you begin to feel the zest for life being slowly drained from your inner being. Like bathwater after you pull the plug from the drain.

Sound familiar?

I hope not. However, I’m afraid it’s an all too common occurrence.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help yourself get through the day.

Here are six ways to survive your work day when you hate your job:

1. Know you’re not alone. The majority of American workers don’t like their jobs. According to a recent Gallup poll seventy-one percent of workers are disengaged with their jobs (HR translation: disengaged = hate their jobs). Seventy-one percent! This means when you get together with nine of your friends the odds are six of them hate their jobs too. For some reason it helps to know this.

2. Go outside. If your work environment allows you to take a break outside, do it. Something about being outside helps to calm us down. Take a walk down the street and back. If you already work outside, well, I’m not sure. Maybe go inside. The point is to change your environment even if it is only for a moment.

3. Have a friend at work. Research and polls have found those who have at least one friend at work will find their work more interesting. I must admit I’m lousy at this but I’ve seen it in action. I also think women are better at this than men (in my experience). Those who have a friend or friends at work have a built in support system every time they go to work.

4. Schedule some quiet time. I once coached a client who found he could change his attitude toward his job by scheduling times to get out of his cube. This client would take his laptop and go to the cafeteria to work and would avoid the constant interruptions associated with cube life. If you don’t have the luxury of leaving your workspace you may have to get creative. Put up caution tape around your work area, hang a sign on your back that says, “Do I look like a people person to you?” I don’t know, but do something to give yourself some much needed quiet time at work.

5. Focus on the future. This is the key to everything mentioned above. None of this will ultimately solve the root of your problem. It’s only a band aid. If you truly hate your job then you must start searching for another job or become self-employed. You can survive your workday if you know it’s only a matter of time until you’re on your way somewhere else.

6. Fake it. It does you no good to mope around co-workers. Unless they are your friend, they don’t care. They probably feel the same way. Your boss doesn’t want to see your sad face either. You’re not a victim. Remember, you make a choice every day to go to work or not. You are in control of your attitude. Smile, you’ll be surprised how it will help you survive your workday.

Now when you get to work you will at least have a plan. You may still hate your job, but you’re in control (at least a little more). Remember, this is only temporary. You’re working toward getting a new job or a new career you enjoy.

Question: What other tips do you have for surviving the day in a job you hate?

(Leave your comment below.)

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However, this book was released by The Domino Project, so that was my first clue it would be good.

Yet, Read This Before Our Next Meeting wasn’t just a good book.

In fact, it really isn’t a book. It’s a manifesto. There’s a difference.

There was passion and energy in this manifesto. A passion and energy I have never observed about how to make meetings better.

For those of you who aren’t readers, and especially aren’t readers of manifestos about meetings, rest assured. This manifesto can be read in about an hour and it’s well worth your time.

Al Pittampalli is a corporate culture warrior trying to change the way modern meetings are conducted. I can say that if all companies adopted his philosophy meetings would be more substantial and effective.

So here’s the breakdown of the manifesto:

1. Al says that meetings should only be called when a decision has already been made. The    purpose of a meeting is to debate the decision, propose alternatives, make suggestions, or  address any concerns. In addition, different teams and departments can coordinate to make  their action plan.

2. The modern meeting starts on time, moves fast, and ends on schedule.

3. Modern meetings are small. Only those critical to debate the decision should be there.

4. Everyone is prepared. If they’re not, they will be asked free to leave.

5. The point of a modern meeting is an action plan. What are we doing? Who will do what?       When will actions be completed?

6. Everyone is expected to have read all pertinent memos prior to the meeting.

7. The modern meeting only works in a corporate culture where brainstorming is valued. The brainstorming happens separate from a modern meeting.

Some of my favorite quotes from the manifesto are:

“If an operating room were as sloppily run as our meetings, patients would die.”

or

“We’re now addicted to meetings that insulate us from the work we ought to be doing.”

It’s so true.

The manifesto is an insightful and strategic take on how we can make meetings better.

However, it’s much more than that.

The reason this manifesto resonated so much with me is because it’s really about how to make work life better.

Instead of spending time at work in meetings and trying to get buy in, and trying to communicate, and trying and trying. If we adopt Al’s philosophy we can spend our time doing.

That’s when the real fun begins because we get to do the work. Work we enjoy.

To purchase Read This Before Our Next Meeting go here. (Not an affiliate link)

What’s your take on the manifesto?

The best way to open this post would be to have a meaningful story about how my ebook 5 Essential Steps to Landing Your Dream Job was inspired by the night I couldn’t sleep so I watched the J.K. Rowling episode on the Biography channel when she goes back to the apartment where she lived pre Harry Potter and breaks down in tears as she ponders how far she has come. I stayed up all night, wrote my manifesto then looked around my house and thought, “I wonder how my sunshine yellow walls will look on the Biography channel someday?” However, I’m afraid I don’t have a meaningful story like that to draw you in.

Sure, I went through a fairly dramatic and traumatic career change, sold my house, moved in with my in-laws, started a business, dissolved a business, quit three jobs in one year and eventually found my way again. But those stories will have to wait.

Right now all I have is shameless self-promotion and a passion to help you with your career journey so you enjoy what you do for work every day.

My ebook 5 Essential Steps to Landing Your Dream Job is available for free download when you sign up for my newsletter. So if you’ve ever asked yourself the following questions this ebook might be helpful for you:

What do I want to be when I grow up?
Which kinds of careers will I find meaningful?
How do I get through the job search process?

If you download the ebook please email me your feedback on the book or leave a comment below. I’d love to know what you think, good or bad.

Oh, one last thing. What types of topics related to the world of work and your career would you like to see featured on my blog?

Comment below. Thanks!

The coal mine meant hard work, black lung, and a steady pay check.  If your granddad worked there, your dad worked there, and guess what? You were going to work there too.  Seemingly there weren’t a lot of choices.

In times past children were expected to follow in the paths of their parents.  The son of an engineer was expected to be an engineer, the daughter of a nurse was sent to nursing school, and the children of a farmer were going to work the land. Today that is not the case at all. There are so many options and opportunities available for interesting, enjoyable, and profitable work.  Yet we often spend more time planning a vacation than we do outlining the career we want for ourselves.

How many people do you know who are in their current careers and are miserable because they chose a career they were not interested in but their parents encouraged them to go into it. Or they graduated from college, applied for a couple of jobs, and the first employer to make them an offer sent them on a career trajectory they never wanted.  Today, we still have the equivalent of the coal mine when we choose particular careers because we believe our options are limited.  So how do you begin to escape your version of the coal mine?

The first step is to start asking yourself the right questions.

Stop asking yourself these questions:

1. What careers will be most in demand in the next five years?
2. What job pays the most with the least amount of education or training?
3. Which jobs are easy to get?

Start asking yourself these questions:

1. When I daydream about a career, what do I dream about?
2. How can I add the most value to others?
3. What types of things do I tend to do in my free time away from my job?
4.  What recurring themes have I noticed in my life about things I enjoy doing?

When you start asking yourself these questions you will begin to move toward the type of work that is most fitting for you and is truly work you enjoy.

I would love to know your answers to the four questions.  What did you come up with?

As you wait for someone to call your name and lead you to the conference room for the interview you flip through a magazine to try and stay calm.  However, you might as well be sitting in the middle of the Indy 500 because your mind is racing and you couldn’t retain a word even if you wanted to.  Ah yes, the interview.  We’ve all been there and we all wished we didn’t have to go through it, but the interview process doesn’t seem to be going away. So here’s how to handle the process like a pro:

1.  Be Gracious and Kind to EVERYONE.  The first person you will come in contact with will likely be the receptionist or administrative assistant.  He or she may be low on the org chart but believe me they are watching you and they have more influence than you know.  Any hint of condescension and guess who they relay that information to?  That’s right, the hiring manager, recruiter, HR or whomever is involved in the interview.  In addition, a lot can be said about your character in how you treat those who seemingly have nothing to offer you.  So treat everyone you come in contact with as though they are interviewing you…because they actually are.

2. Be a Gunslinger. You’re going to be nervous and likely your palms will get nice and sweaty. As a recruiter I have shaken too many hands that felt like a slip and slide.  This is a party foul and there is a way to avoid this and start your first impression off the right way.  As you approach whomever you are about to shake hands with, subtly (and I stress subtly) slide you hand across your right upper thigh just enough to wipe that pesky perspiration right off as you extend your hand.  It works like a charm, your palm is dry, and the recipient of the handshake is none the wiser.

3. Keep Your Hands Where I Can See Them. During an interview all of a sudden you hands can feel like they have a mind of their own.  What do you do with them?  Under the table, to your sides, folded?  I recommend keeping them on the table in full view, similar to a newscaster on your favorite local news.  Watch what they do next time you flip on the news.  Their hands are typically poised in a way that shows confidence but not aggression.  Keep your hands one the table, palms down, close to each other and maybe even slightly touching.  It will feel strange but it communicates professionalism and keeps you from shifting too much in your seat.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “I don’t know.” I have sat through too many interviews where the hiring manager asks a question about a particular experience or area of knowledge and the interviewee comes up with some far fetched thing that really does not apply.  If you don’t know the answer to a question or don’t have the specific experience that is in question it’s OK to say you don’t know or you don’t have that experience.  It shows you’re honest and you’re not going to waste everyone’s time trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.  Unless you do it too often in the interview it won’t cost you the job and it may even help you land the job because the hiring manager will know you are self aware enough to know your limits.

5. Have Questions. Before you get to the interview write down some questions you have about the job, the company, the hiring manager or anything else you might want to know in order to make a well informed decision about the job.  If by chance all of your questions were answered in the interview then ask other questions that you may not really care about, but just ask something,  Always ask what the next steps are and when the interviewers anticipate a decision will be made.  Candidates who ask good questions appear more intelligent and more interested than those who don’t.  Never bring up salary or benefits in the first interview and if the interviewer brings it up let them drive that portion of the conversation (for now).

6. Follow up.  After the interview send a thank you email to everyone who you interviewed with.  In addition, as soon as you get home write a follow up letter to each of the interviewers.  The follow up letter allows you to thank the interviewers again for their time and to reiterate your interest in the position.  Nine out of 10 candidates will not follow up on their interviews so just by doing this small step you have separated yourself from the other candidates.  You have also made your name hard to forget when they make their final decision.  Mail the letters the next day after the interview.

Feel free to try these the next time you interview and I’d love to hear if they worked for you. What interview strategies have you had success with?