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Get A 'Foot In The Door' like this... |
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In This Issue:
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Issue 349 - - March 27, 2007
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Welcome! And what's new...
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3. The Power Of Self-Discipline
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1. Get A 'Foot In The Door' like this...
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4. Humor -- I'll Take That Job
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2. “Cow Paths” and Water Buffalo Thinking
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5. Quotes -- Families & Business
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Bob sent his resume out wrapped around an ear of corn. He included phrases like, “Just give me your ear for a minute,” “Aw shucks,” and “I’m sure you think this is corny, but..” He received multiple job offers as a marketing rep for TV and radio stations.
I have seen a resume arrive in an old shoe from an applicant who just wanted to “get a foot in the door.” A lady who wanted a position with an upscale restaurant included a photo of herself holding a sign that said, “Will work for food.” Phil put together a Power Point presentation with some ideas for the company he was interviewing.
We often see that as a job search stretches on, a person may become more creative in making his/her approaches. Some get to the “what do I have to lose” mentality. But is there any reason not to start out with a creative process? Competent professionals are typically too reticent in promoting themselves, feeling that it is unprofessional or low-class to tell the world how great they are. Naturally, be realistic about your targeted area. If you are seeking an accounting position, don’t have your resume delivered with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. But depending on the position, be creative about an approach that would show you are someone who thinks “outside the box.”
Find many more creative approaches in Chapter 7 of your copy of 48 Days to the Work You Love.
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I grew up on a farm and had plenty of time to practice my “success” principles on our cows. Unfortunately, they were not good examples of creative thinking and innovation, but rather, were easy to confuse and control. Scientists have described the standard, unchallenged thinking of humans as “cow paths in the brain.” Cows will all follow each other, usually in a single line, moving along in a very predictable pattern. They do not challenge this pattern, even when it is clearly self-defeating. If an obstacle appears, they will stay where they are, waiting for the obstacle to be removed.
When we were young children, no “paths” existed. We took in and processed information in all parts of our brains with seemingly endless options as possibilities. However, as we grew from infancy to childhood and beyond, our brains developed identifiable paths. We no longer used our whole brain as we learned to limit the options we would consider.
These “cow paths” often keep us from seeing all there is to see. We limit ourselves by not looking for the real opportunities available to us. Phrases like “everybody’s laying off” or “nobody’s hiring” or “I don’t have enough money to start my own business” or “I’m too old” are examples of “cow path” thinking.
If you’re feeling trapped, you just stepped in something mushy, and you think the whole world stinks, it’s likely that you are simply on a “cow path.” Move off that path and you may see a whole new field of opportunity.
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Speaking of cows, I recently worked with a professional who said most people in her profession were like water buffalo. Water buffalo will stand on the sidelines and watch one of their own being destroyed and eaten without doing anything to stop it. They then go back to eating as if nothing happened. (I’ll let you guess the profession.)
Check out “The Little Book of Big Ideas.” This is one of my favorite sources of creative inspiration. What idea are you sitting on that could change your life?
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I’ve often said that self-discipline is the one goal that makes all the others work. Without self-discipline, you cannot expect to be successful. Look at the people you consider successful and you will see habits like punctuality, organization, persistence and respect for others.
The good news is that you can learn better work and personal habits. Don’t have the Popeye mentality – “I yam what I yam!” No, back when I owned a health and fitness center, we would tell members we can form a new habit in 21 days – good or bad. Decide to be punctual, and you will soon keep your appointments as naturally as brushing your teeth. Start an exercise routine and in three weeks you will miss it if you break the pattern.
Self-discipline increases efficiency, provides immediate satisfaction, releases your strongest assets, and initiates success in all areas of your life. Without it, you will continue your current level of success and be vulnerable to the circumstances around you.
Significant others rank first as the source of advice executives turn to when considering a job change, according to a recent study. Sources of advice are ranked as follows: Significant other – 42%, Mentors – 28%, Co-workers -- 13%. Source: Accountemps survey of 150 executives.
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Having kids has been a fantastic thing for me. It's meant that I'm a little more balanced. In my twenties I worked massively, hardly took vacation at all. Now, I, with the help of my wife, I'm always making sure I've got a good balance of how I spend my time. -- Bill Gates
It's not enough to make time for your children. There are certain stages in their lives when you have to give them the time when they want it. You can't run your family like a company. It doesn't work. -- Andrew Grove
They talk about how hard coaches work. They work 18, 20 hours a day. They sleep on a couch. They don't come home. You know, that's not the hard job. The hard job is a coach's wife, believe me. The job of the coach's wife, she has to be mother, father, driver, doctor, nurse, coach, everything, because the coach is out there working. -- John Madden
Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world. -- Mother Teresa
At home we have always regarded the dining table as the prime seat of learning. We planned it so it was impossible to see or hear a TV from the table, and it has paid dividends in the volume of ideas that have been shared over the evening meal. -- Noel Whittaker
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