Nine historically correct rotten leadership tactics
Popular conceptions of current lousy leaders include all politicians, including dictators, warlords and rebels, by whatever percentage doesn’t agree with them; persons of the cloth, by whatever percentage doesn’t agree with them; and everyone else in major or minor leadership positions by whatever percentage doesn’t agree with them.
Why Learning Is A Leader’s Most Important Skill
Since I’ve done this many times in groups I am accustomed to what I will hear or read. These lists typically include: Leaders must have vision, they must be compassionate, they must be good communicators, they must build relationships, they must work well in teams, they must be powerful persuaders…and many other similar sentiments. All are excellent observations.
Diffusing Anger
No matter how hard we may try to avoid a volatile situation, there will come a time when you have to deal with an angry person. Whether it’s a boss, co-worker, team member, associate, employee, customer, or even a friend, at some point you will have to handle both the anger and the underlying issues.
Using Cultural Models to Change Organisational Culture
My experience is that it can. Changing corporate culture undoubtedly requires leadership. It is useful, however, for leaders to be able to build a picture of the change required using a model of the culture. Models of a corporate culture tend to be of two types.
School sans learning
I see parents and schools setting students up for failure in college, and this worries me. Entering students do not know how to study. They do not know how to do work outside of class. They do not know how to use outside resources. They have such a poor vocabulary that many words that are routinely used in technical fields go completely over their heads.
Ducks In A Row: Culture? Ask A Worm
Company culture is a hot topic in the business press; CEOs are working to foster cultures of innovation and culture is being lauded or blamed for a variety of happenings. The bird's eye view of what’s important in culture is as varied as the executives, academics, pundits, media and other experts who expound on the subject.
What Makes A Successful Team?
The organisational structure of a team is important. Who does what, how one job relates to another, the lines of reporting and communication – all affect effectiveness. This is something to continually re-assess. Any, even slight, incongruities about the way people are organised can easily dilute overall effectiveness.
Leadership’s Future: Entitled To Good Grades
A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students surveyed said that they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B for completing the required reading. Nearly two-thirds of the students surveyed said that if they explained to a professor that they were trying hard, that should be taken into account in their grade
Symptoms Of The Fear Of Poverty
Commonly expressed through lack of ambition willingness to tolerate poverty acceptance of whatever compensation life may offer without protest mental and physical laziness lack of initiative, imagination, enthusiasm and self-control INDECISION. The habit of permitting others to do one's thinking. Staying on the fence. DOUBT. Generally expressed through alibis and excuses designed to cover up, explain away, or apologize for one's failures.
What Addiction can Teach You about Personal Development
What can addiction teach us about personal development A lot. There is much wisdom to be learned by the addict's journey from addiction to recovery. I realize that many of you reading this now are probably not drug addicts and alcoholics. That's fine but you stand to gain great insight from the experience of those who have fought and overcome a serious addiction. There are several parallels between recovery and personal development.
The elusive key to Emotional mastery, Part 4: The danger of positive thinking!
This is Part 4 of a series on mastering your emotions. Please read Part One, Part Two and Part Three first. Before we continue let me purge some of my own emotions right now here goes ARGGGHH All these pop self-help books and websites ARRGHH Why this frustration Many of those are actually dangerous Did you know They hurt you more than they help. I came across many of these self-help books and blogs in my own journey they were popular, nicely written, with fancy words and a clean academic style.
Emotional Intelligence References
Computer simulation of hot cognition. In S. S. Tomkins & S. Messick (Eds.), Computer simulation of personality Frontier of psychological theory (pp. 277-298). New York Wiley. Ackerman, P. L. (1999). Traits and knowledge as determinants of learning and individual differences Putting it all together. In P. L. Ackerman, P. C. Kyllonen, & R. D. Roberts (Eds.), Learning and individual differences Process, traits, and content determinants (pp. 437-460). Washington, DC...
QUIT: Dying on the Treadmill
Sometimes we need to learn the same lesson over and over and over again. Like myself, who in spite of numerous posts on the same subject (see here, here, here, and here, to name a few) continually needs to remind myself of one Very Important lesson in particular. One lesson I finally decided to acknowledge earlier this week. Hustling, the Wrong Way Just last Thursday, I made the bold resolution to participate in EbookWriMo.
QUIT: Way Too Freakin' Many E-Mail Subscriptions
Part of my mission to live deliberately involves ruthlessly cutting out anything that saps my time, energy or money to no good end. I'm calling these things my Quits, and this is one of the many items that have found themselves on my Quits List. I've been struggling under a lot of overwhelm lately. Too many things to pay attention to, too many things to take care of and, on a more immediate level, too much stuff and information for one person to possibly process without going berserk.
5 Blogging Ups, 5 Blogging Downs, and 10 Blogging Tips
The past few articles have gotten a bit hot and heavy. The blog, and my dear readers, need a break before everyone collapses under the weight of all that Love, Compassion, Loneliness, Depression, and all the other nonsensical ramblings. All my other prepared material are just as heavy, so let's take a short sabbatical and put a different kind of post. Not all the emails I get are about spirituality and emotions and all that I get quite a lot who ask me about blogging.
5 Mesmerizing Examples of Leadership Qualities That Amplify Your Influence
Do you have the leadership qualities to make you the next top influencer Everyone wants to know how to increase their popularity while becoming one of the hottest new influencers on the scene. I wish I could tell you there is a pill you can take and within seconds poof you're a top influencer. That would be nice no doubt. Instead, I am going to share with you a path that may take longer than two seconds but it will without a doubt lead you into a position of respect and power influencer.
Eeyore Phrases I Can't Stand
All too often, I hear people says things (often the same things, over and over) that make me horribly, deep-down-in-my soul sad . It's one of the (many) reasons I want to get out of the 9-5 Because it exposes me, day in and day out, to the widespread defeatist, Eeyore mindset that can't help but wear down the barriers of even the most determined wannabe optimists.
QUIT: Letting My Inner Penelope Overtake My Inner Cordelia
You may know me as Cordelia, but actually, I have a dual personality. And recently, the two personalities have been getting into some scuffles. Cordelia is who I want to be she's the cutthroat, take-no-prisoners rebel who is writing a novel, quitting things left and right, and will one day escape the 9-5 altogether. She's laser-focused, super-driven, and on a mission, punk. My other personality is neurotic, easily frustrated, and wastes too much energy on things that ultimately don't matter.
How You Can Manifest Your Dreams by Setting Smart Goals!
Let's start writing your smart goals, if you really want to make your business or life happen, get some paper and start your list I always say if you don't know where you are going how will you know when you get there You want to create between three and ten career goals to accomplish within the next six months. Remember you can make anything you want to happen in this life so be afraid to really go for it. There are five important elements 1.
Words of Encouragement for Manifesting Success, Happiness, Health & Love
On a daily basis I have had so many people ask me to share my words of encouragement with them. I noticed that we feel good when we hear inspiring and motivating words of wisdom. It also helps us to feel like we are not in this alone. Words of encouragement are a very powerful means which can be used to make a dramatic difference in people's lives. I often look to positive uplifting books and affirmations for support to give me the motivation to keep going when I feel discouraged or down.
How do You Achieve Work Life Balance? My Simple Formula!
Are you having a challenge with work life balance and making that happen for you Do you feel pulled in too many directions Can your life sometimes feel like it is spinning out of control Do you want true balance in your life Me too, I am writing about this now and sharing it with you because that is exactly what I wanted to accomplish in my own life not too long ago, work life balance. There was a time when that was a distant dream. Something that other people mastered but I could only image.
Motivational Whisperer F.A.Q
Question For the setup fee, is this referring to the web page that will be created by you Will everyone's page have the same look and have the same type of information such as who, what, and where, etc. Everyone's web page will have the same capabilities but you can add to it and make it unique and your own style. The set up fee is really for your customer service rep. She he makes sure you didn't miss anything important in setting up your page.
What Do All the Most Successful People Have in Common? Mind Power!
Everyone wants to know what makes people successful I am going to tell you the secret I discovered through my own direct experience, mind power is the number one reason why most people succeed at anything. I have throughout my life observed it in others around me as well. One person that I was able to observe up close and personal was my ex-boyfriend Dennis Tito. Who is one of the most successful business men in Los Angeles.
What are my Top Four Secrets to Increase Web Traffic, Get the Latest Buzz!
Having problems getting traffic to your web site How to increase web traffic, this is what I did on my site I went from two visitors a day to thousands of unique visitors a day in just six months. I now have over six thousand visitors every month and it keeps increasing by 35 each month. It really doesn't matter how fantastic your web site is if people can't find it. I have written many articles on how to create a web site that will drive web traffic to you in droves.
Searching for Spiritual Awareness
Spiritual awareness is an attribute we all have. It is uncovering that quality and letting it shine that takes some effort. In my search for truth, I found a perfect universe and a perfect spirit. My discovery came with the uncovering of all the junk I had layered on top of my spirit. Once I realized that I wasn't searching for anything that I didn't already have, I began to enjoy the process, always reminding myself it is the journey where the growth takes place not the destination.
Yoga is One of My Greatest Discoveries!
I always thought of yoga as just another form of exercise. I was really wrong there That was the biggest myth I discovered ,you have to be flexible. Thank God that isn't true If it were I probably wouldn't ever started. I have to say, yoga does help with your flexibility, which increases your over all health and longevity. I found out the more flexible you are the younger your body gets. Yes, you heard right we Can turn the clock back. I knew it ) Over time I became more and more flexible.
How to Change From Employee to an Entrepreneur Mindset The Cure for Procrastination
An Entrepreneur mindset is a given if you want to get anywhere with your business. When you own and build your business, whether it is online or offline it takes a considerable amount of work especially at the beginning. It also requires that you change your mindset. Instead of seeing yourself as an employee, you now need to view yourself as an entrepreneur. With this mindset, you understand that you must invest time and energy upfront to build a thriving business.
There is a secret to visualization it's something most people miss...
I have never underestimated the power of visualization It has always been a winning technique for me. I want to tell you there is a secret to it that most people miss. I discovered at a young age that I loved to use my imagination. I would see all kinds of wonderful things happening for me. This brought me to the realization that everything I had created up to that point I had first visualized. I knew I was on to something. I realized I can create ANYTHING with this.
Persistence is Crucial To the Success of Your Business Learn Why!
One of my secrets to success is unwavering persistence. I share with you some of my Gold Secrets to getting anyone to do business with you. Get ready to open up to a new way of doing business that will put you on the fast track to super success. The Magic of Persistence and Why Everyone Needs To Clue In If I had to choose one thing that, I felt stopped most people from success I would have to say the inability to persist. Most people give up way to soon.
7 Game Changing Factors That You Must Have For a Successful Small Business
Who does not want a successful small business That is the number one thing on most entrepreneurs mind. What does it take What should you do that you are not already doing How much are you going to have to spend to in order to reach your destination How long is it going to take Will you make it that long I lay it out for you in an easy to follow format that holds no punches. This is it and that you can take to the bank. I hope that it will be you that goes to the bank often.
Social Media Marketing The Unwritten Rules for Success Every Entrepreneur Must Know!
When it comes to Social Media Marketing, you need to throw out everything you think you know about networking and marketing on social networks and get back to the basics of human nature in order to conquer this medium. An excellent strategy you can follow whenever you are in doubt how the dynamics of social media works . First comes the networking then comes the friendship then comes the trust THEN comes the business.
The Big Myth About Relationship Marketing Anyone in Business Must Read
What is Relationship Marketing What I am about to reveal to you might shock you. Many people over the years have asked me numerous times how did you become so successful What is the secret I am going to tell you my secret and I bet you cannot guess what it is I have heard many descriptions for Relationship Marketing and each one surprises me. The last time I checked the word relationship meant re la tion ship ri-ley-shuhn-ship Show IPA noun 1. a connection, association, or involvement.
How Niche Marketing Gets You Ten Times the Results
Niche Marketing is important so you can hone in and focus your marketing. One of the main concerns I hear from clients is I don't want to leave anyone out. Or How do I know what my niche is This type of thinking tends to stop people from actually Niche Marketing. The problem then is lack of focus on a particle area. When looking at your business or practice in order to set yourself apart you want to have a specialty. This is where you shine the brightest.
The Best Business Marketing Strategies That Boost Your Bottom Line
My top of the line business marketing strategies are the perfect solution for entrepreneurs who are out of ideas and scratching their head wondering what they are doing wrong or what they need to do right. These on target strategies I am going to share with you will take you out of your misery and into a winning mode in no time . 1. Business Marketing Strategies What quality do you have that if people found out they would pay triple your fee Build your brand around that one thing.
The Best Motivational Words for Achieving Success & Happiness
I put together these motivational words to show you that anything is possible if you believe. Words are powerful and they can absolutely manifest the action required to achieve what it is you are looking for. Read these words many times as many times as you can. Book mark this site & come back often as I add new pages like this every day or two. The more you hear positive motivating words of wisdom the closer you are to living the life of those words .
How Developing Intuition Can Dramatically Improve Everything You Do in Life Even Your Career!
By developing intuition I gave myself a scary but awe-inspiring upper hand in life. When I first started to make the effort to develop my intuition I had no idea the wonderful and amazing surprises that were in store for me. I started to feel like I had an unfair advantage in life that other people didn't have. Then I realized that other people have it too they just don't know how to use it.
The Shocking Truth about Your Hidden Self Esteem
What I found out about self esteem that turned my life around. My endless search came to a halt when I realized the reason I felt so bad was I didn't love myself or like myself for that matter. I know that may sound easy and not shocking, but what is shocking is that most people who suffer from low self esteem don't realize it is the relationship with them selves that is causing it. Or should I say the lack of the relationship. At the time I really never thought about it that way.
What Everybody Should Know About The Power of Positive Thinking …
Does it sound simple The power of positive thinking Is it something you wish just came naturally Having positive thoughts It's important to let the Universe know what you want. Not everything in life that is good just happens. Sometimes we need a little push. Sometimes we need a little help to get going again and to get into a positive attitude. During a time when the world seems a bit uncertain the power of positive thinking is more important than ever.
Can You Really Make Money With an Internet Marketing Business? Five Sure Fire Business Changing Tips
How do I make money with an internet marketing business I have many people from all over the world come to me for guidance and answers on just that question. They come to me because I have had a lot of success over the years and most of it came rather quickly. What I mean by quickly is I find out how to get a business going and become profitable in the first year. I don't waste anytime. I do know more about internet marketing business then most people.
Priceless Branding Strategies That Turn Your Business into a Cash
Branding Strategies in today's online world is one factor you cannot leave out of your business. To give you an idea of what your competitors are doing along the lines of branding strategies, the ones that are doing great are implementing branding and marketing. The ones that are struggling have not even done a simple branding and marketing evaluation. This type of assessment can often save a business from failing. Yes, this is always shocking to me.
How to Apply “ The Secret ” to Your Business and Get Results!
The secret which is the law of attraction really works if you understand a few important factors. It's not enough to just want something or to tell the universe you want something, you have to allow that something to come into your life. There is a certain level of energy that you need to be connected to in order to allow want you want into your life.
An Invitation to all the Motivational Whisperers...
Are you thought of as a Motivational Whisperer There are so many wonderful talented people out there that no one knows about. We here at Qualified Life Coach.Com feel we want to bring all of the talented experts and professionals out into the center of attention to shine their light. It's a new day and with that we want to bring out the people that were born to motivate, inspire and lead I'm talking about all of you who are in some way helping and serving others.
5 weeks to developing the magic of visualisation
Want to experience something magical for free Find a piece of string, and hold it in your fingers lightly, letting it dangle. Wait for the string to stop moving. Now, keeping your muscles still, imagine that you are spinning the string around. What happened Most likely, you'll find the string began to move too just a little. Magic Not really. Sorry I lied But it displays the effectiveness of visualization.
The Game of Life
I Have to Do What, Now I never played The Game of Life as a kid. Count it among the many random ways my childhood was deprived of things most normal American children experience (including ordering something from the ice cream truck, seeing The Goonies, and going to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese). Maybe if I'd played it back then, when things like jobs and life insurance policies seemed cool because they were grown up, I would have enjoyed it more.
QUIT: Explaining Myself to the Cult of Mommyhood
Not wanting kids isn't a decision my husband and I came to just recently. It's been pretty clear all along. See my very first ever guest post as Cordelia, titled Things I Want to Punch in the Face Baby Worshippers, which will also give you a rundown of the whys behind our decision. What's new is my finally accepting that crazy mommyhood evangelists will never stop trying to convert us, and nothing we ever say will make an impression on them.
Progress Report: T-Minus Till Part-Time
These progress reports feel like they've been coming rapid-fire since I embarked on my Freelance or Bust journey. It seems like just yesterday, I was dumbfounded to be able to take my Freelance Fridays off, and it was only a wee month ago that I got the Brazen Assistant Editor position that had me debating whether part-time would be around the corner. It wasn't, just then.
How Do You Want to Feel Today?
When we think of lifestyle design, our minds tend to jump to 4-hour workweeks, location independence somewhere in the Caribbean, and those clich d shots of someone's laptop on their legs as they sit on a beach as the rest of us wilt away in cube-land. And I'm not saying that doesn't sound hella lovely. But it's a bit misleading. Because whether your goal is to jetset off to St.
Is Your Lack of Verbal Communication Skills Stopping You from Being Happy?
Without good verbal communication skills you're going to have a much more difficult life. I can attest to that It's not only knowing how to verbally communicate, it's about being willing to do that. Most women are much better at this than men. That has a lot to do with the fact that we use both sides of our brains.
The Best Life Quotes and Positive Words to Rock Your World!
It starts with life quotes that inspire and empower and it ends with positive words that show you how life can be when you believe. Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect it means looking beyond the imperfections. *** Eventually everything falls into place in the mean time laugh at the confusion. Live for the moment and know that everything happens for a reason. *** Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Affirmations That Produce Results!
Affirmations really do work I personally have found them to be very powerful and effective, when I use them consistently. It is the regularity of everyday use along with repetition through out the day that brings results. I like to make it into a game. Something that is fun and creative. To start with I'll share with you some of the affirmations that have worked for me in various situations. You can use these or create your own.
Motivation .. is What Takes You From a Mediocre Player to the Big Leagues
If anyone knows about motivation it would be me I was born motivated, and I just kept going. It is one my natural gifts in life. It would be no surprise to you then if you knew I made an incredible amount of money motivating people. Since it does come naturally I want to share a few of the top things I do to get people jazzed.
Gaining Confidence
There have been times in my life when my confidence was soaring and times when I couldn't find a drop. I have really experienced both sides of the spectrum. I have had amazing success and devastating loss. I know what they both feel like and for me the balance of feeling good about myself and knowing I belong on this planet and why, has given me the most sincere form of confidence I have ever experienced.
7 Deadly Dream Killers That Will Destroy Your Chances For a Successful Business
Which one of these dream killers are you guilty of committing Are you wondering why your business is not reaching all those lofty goals you set Once Upon Time you had a dream for your business. You were excited motivated and above all you believed in your dream. Are you thinking that dreams should stay that way, a dream That could not be further from the truth. I will take you through the solutions you need to get your business back on track and doing better than ever.
Announcing Easy and Effective Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills To Get What You Really Want!
Are your communication skills lacking Are you tired of not getting what you want because you don't know how to express it Do you often feel misunderstood In this article I will take you through some motivating and effective ways to communicate. After you finish reading this page you will find new positive and productive ways to get through to your loved ones and or business prospects that you didn't think was possible.
The Simplest Way of Dealing with Change That Works Likes a Charm!
No one really likes dealing with change, especially when the change isn't their idea. I would say at one point in my life I was right up there as one of the worst people on the planet when it came to managing change in my life. That sounds pretty dramatic doesn't it Sad but true. I had to turn that around if I was going to have a happy and successful life and I had to do it quick I made a 180 degree turn on dealing with change and that is what I am going to share with you today.
The Six Instructions For Cosmic Ordering Every Person Must Read!
If there was a way for you to live your dreams and achieve all your goals through a process called cosmic ordering would you want to learn how you too could do this Imagine all your dreams can come true You can achieve great health Find your soul mate Gain financial freedom Have a fulfilling and meaningful life All you have to do is follow a set of instructions Would you do it I did When it comes down to it we are all here trying the best we can, with the awareness that we have at this moment...
Free Guided Meditation & Visualization Products MP3's
I always knew the answer to helping people start on this amazing journey of meditation and visualization, was through guided meditation. I found that many people have a problem meditating on their own. For myself I ended up experimenting with so many different types of guided meditation tapes, some had breathing exercises, others had guided imagery some had music and sounds.
QUIT: Being a Selfish Bitch About My Husband's Illness
This is one of those posts that has the potential to make you hate me. I hate myself for it. But we're all about the honesty here, and I'm hoping there might be someone out there this could help in some way or another. I don't know in what way, but something has been pushing me to write it for weeks, so I'm just going to write it. It needs to get out, because it's been a huge issue that needs dealing with.
What Lies Beneath the Panda
Since I'm all as of late, I thought I'd go one step further and do a little get-to-know-me-better post. I personally love it when the bloggers I've been reading get a little down and personal it makes them feel more like a friend instead of some nebulous writer-from-the-ether. So, since we're all friends here (I hope I like you lots ), I d like to share with you, in no particular order, some random stuff about me .
You're Too Intelligent to Waste Your Life in One-Track Employment
Ever met a successful slasher doing it all social media marketing, sales, tourist guiding and lifestyle blogging and getting paid for all of this Do you love variety and get bored easily Me too. I have a friend who makes a living from public speaking, writing books and hypnotherapy. How cool is that She wakes up with great enthusiasm every morning she meets awesome people, has interesting stories to share and generally embraces the joys of what the true work life can give.
The One and Only Cure for a Case of the Mondays
Find a better way to spend your Mondays. That's it. Not What You Want to Hear Sure, I could give you all sorts of Top 10 lists that the SEO engines (and the majority of society) would love because they're full of softball ways to cope or distract yourself from the inherent dread that takes residence in your gut every time you think of another workweek looming. I could tell you to find hobbies to fill your evening hours so you have something to look forward to that gives you a sense of meaning.
Stressing Over Stress In Which My Eye Starts Twitching
Credit Leeni (license) I don't know if it's ever happened to you, but every once in a while, the corner of my eye will start twitching. It happens maybe once a month or once every two months, completely at random, and it goes away after a minute or so. Except for the last time it happened. The last time it happened, it lasted for about two weeks straight. It wasn't constant, thankfully, but it was very frequent, and very consistent.
Frugality vs. Happiness
You not only have to understand what your happiness is worth, but you have to be strategic about it. Imagine I had a genie who could magically double your happiness for the right price. How much would you be willing to give him Then ask yourself are you investing that much in your happiness today And if not, why not Jennifer Gresham, The Best Thing I Ever Did For Myself at Everyday Bright I am, to put it modestly, ridiculously gungho about being frugal .
Free* Money Series: Online Surveys
If you like expressing your opinion about everything from shopping to food to politics (and some really random odd topics in between), survey taking can be a fun way to bring in a little extra cash. I will warn you up front that it takes some patience. You may have to try a fair number of surveys before you find one you qualify for. (Most surveys let you know within a few questions in if you don't.
Free Fridays Guidelines
Today begins my Free Fridays Summer. (What-WHAT ) And, like the Penelope I am, I feel the need to set some ground rules for my Free Fridays. Not just because of said Penelopeness. But because these Fridays are free for a reason . I have so many things I want to accomplish this summer. And as much as this experiment is also for decompressing I want to make sure I accomplish them. I know my natural tendency.
Your Guide to Calling It Quits: Because there are better things to do with your life
We all put up with things we know make us miserable. Bad habits that drag us down. Bad attitudes that make our days suck. Obligations we no longer believe in, standards we don't agree with, responsibilities we never signed up for. The grown up, Real World life is (as far as they say) all about compromise, settling, and learning to deal with the fact that no one is ever really happy. Well, I hate to break it to you, but they don't know jack shit.
Why You Should Quit the Toxic People in Your Life, Pronto
You've heard that before, I'm sure, and probably took it to mean what most people take it to mean If you hang out with losers, you yourself are more likely to become a loser. If you hang out with winners, you're more likely to become a winner. And etc. You know, the sort of stuff your parents told you when explaining why you could hang out with your straight-A-student friend as often as you liked, but your black-eyeliner-wearing, rumored-to-be-a-smoker friend was off-limits.
QUIT: My Abusive Relationship
I've been in an abusive relationship for well, more years than I've really been counting, especially since it took a while to see it for what it really was. Abusive relationships are like that. You find lots of ways to justify them, explain them away, make excuses for why they make sense and why you deserve precisely what you've been getting. It's sick and twisted, and deep down somewhere, you know that, but it's hard to muster up the full-on realization it takes to walk away.
Why Losing Nearly Everything Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
This past year, I've called it quits on an epic level I never expected or anticipated and not willingly. I called it quits on my freelance career in an ill-advised foray back into the 9-to-5, hoping it would salvage our precarious financial situation. My sanity called it quits on me as I quickly remembered why the 9-to-5 is not the place for me, while watching my sacrifice do nothing for our bank account because one income and a disabled spouse's medical bills don't play well together when...
Embrace Whatever Makes You Happy Even If It's Totally Weird
I wished I loved anything in the world as much as my current foster dog loves this one janky, busted-ass tennis ball. Mocha has a plethora of toys at his disposal, including several he's gutted in a spree of delightful destruction that have since been retired to the trash can. But I can't trash this ball, because for some reason, in spite of its having lost nearly every trait that makes a tennis ball entertaining, it's still his absolute favorite toy in the world.
You Do You Like a Boss or a T-Rex
The Tyrannosaurus Rex was the pimp of the dinosaur world. He took names, he called the shots, he ruled the show. Which dinosaur got to be the logo for Jurassic Park Which dinosaur do most kids want to see first at the science museum Which dinosaur's name (rex ) actually means king in Latin That's right the mother-effing-T-Rex. Because he is the incarnation of awesome killer monster dinosaur power.
Was Wrong: Quitting Your Job Won't Make You Happy
It will get worse before it gets better. But there is a happy ending, if you're willing to stick around for it. Are you ready to read about why everything I've said on this blog over the past 3.5 years has been hypocritical and misguided Awesome. Then let's begin How I've Messed Shit Up Ever since I quit the day job to freelance full-time, things have felt off. It wasn't what I thought it would be. It didn't feel amazing.
QUIT: Whoring Out My Dream
Perfectly good project offers in that they would pay me a reasonable amount to do things vaguely writing- or editing-related. Me of a few months ago would be horrified by this because up until fairly recently, my dream has been Just to Get Out of My Job. Writing and editing was the way to do that, but what kind of writing and editing didn't really matter.
QUIT: Letting People Walk All Over Me
Jekyll I think we all have several different personalities. They each come out at different times, particularly when dealing with different types of people. For example, my boyfriend and mother think I'm hard headed, stubborn, and ambitious. I argue with both of them over everything and make sure my opinion is heard and accepted. I frequently get flack from both of them for things being my way or the highway. I know what I want and I know how to get there.
Want to Pick My Brain? Now You Can And It Won't Cost You a Fortune Like Coaching Does
I get lots of emails from readers asking to pick my brain. Sometimes they actually use that phrase most of the time they just send me a short (or long) note with a request for some quick advice. They want to get started in freelancing, but they're not sure how. They want to quit their sucky job, but they don't know where they want to go next or how to start moving towards it. They want to take their life up a notch, but they've lost the motivation or hit a roadblock.
The 3 Big Things in Life?
(In which I use an innocent moment of small talk to launch into a small rant about aspirations.) A while back, I did a survey asking you guys what you wanted to see more of at CCIQ. One of the overwhelming votes was for more personal anecdotes from my day to day life. I agree. I love getting to know the people behind my favorite blogs their daily doings, their weird habits, the odd things that happen to them.
How to Get Off Your Hustling-Yet-Sedentary Freelancing Butt and MOVE, for Chrissake!
I never would have considered my day job as a paralegal to be a particularly active position, but now that I've been a full-time freelancer for a month, I've come to realize how infinitely more sedentary it is at least for someone like me. At my day job, there were plenty of things that forced me to get up and move about on occasion visiting someone's office to ask a question, going downstairs to use the copier, carrying heavy file folders from one place to another.
Reader QUIT: Second-Guessing the Path I'm Meant to Follow by Brooke
Starting Out My mom tells stories of when I first learned to write, how she spent hours and hours on the basement carpet with me, dotting out my name and our address over and over so I could trace the letters. For some reason I didn't like using those learn-to-write books I wanted her to do it. And she complied. For hours. (Thanks, Mom ) Then I progressed to writing stories.
You're Worth More Than That. Seriously. Stop It.
If you ever start to feel P.O.'ed at the self-obsessed nature of our society (how many pics of other people's dinners must I be subjected to, Facebook ), you can get a healthy counter-dose of sadness by taking a look at examples of some people's horrible lack of self-worth. How Just peruse some of the big freelance job boards. It's not pretty, man. I've seen things. People clambering over each other to snag a gig that pays 5 for a 500 word article, SEO optimized.
Your “Better Life” Is Now So What Are You Going to Do About It?
The goal might sound great run a marathon, complete a project, get out of debt, get nice abs, make a million dollars. But it's a fantasy, and when (if) that fantasy comes true, it won't be what you imagined. It will feel like regular life, not some amazing new life that is different than the life you had. Life won't be better, and never will be, until you stop wishing for this better life and realize that life is already incredible.
The Awesome Power of Tiny Triumphs
It all started with a dirty medicine cabinet. One night as I was absentmindedly brushing my teeth, I suddenly realized the shelves inside our medicine cabinet were kind of disgusting. Abhorrent, really. I'm far from a model homemaker and have never pretended to be (ain't no freelancer who brings in her family's sole income got time for that). But my bathroom is usually comparatively clean.
Thank You Letter to the Shit in My Life
There are those times in life when you stop and think, Huh. So, I'm here, now, apparently That moment happened to me this week, when a big greeting card company reached out to me to submit content to them because they liked my interesting voice and proclivity towards motivating, inspirational content. It wasn't in that moment that I had my moment. (Although it easily could have been.) It was a few days later, as I was brainstorming potential ideas and looking back over old posts for fodder.
Why You Shouldn't Give a Shit What Successful People Eat for Breakfast
12 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast 11 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Successful People 5 Nighttime Routines of Successful Entrepreneurs These are just a sampling of actual headlines from the million and one articles out there that promise you ultimate success and fortune if you eat the same breakfast cereal as Warren Buffet or wait to poop until the mid-evening like Mark Cuban.
Don't Play the Result
The other day, I had a powwow with a friend about an uncertain situation she's in. She wasn't quite sure what to do about it, and after an hour and a half of throwing our best masterminding skillz at it, I wasn't really sure, either. We're both of the highly analytical (a.k.a. overthinking ) variety, so we'd done a great job of exploring every possible angle of the situation, decoding any meaning that might potentially be there, forecasting every outcome imaginable.
That Awkward In-Between Place
I have about ten million bobby pins in my head at the moment. This is because, as is the custom with my never-ending love hate relationship with my hair, I decided to chop nearly all of it off at the beginning of the summer and then decided shortly thereafter that I missed having it long already. (The grass is always greener, my friends.
The Annoying Two-Year-Old's Guide to Intentional Living
I've been getting into a lot stuff since my recent declaration to Slow the Fuck Down. I've dropped some perfectly lovely clients because they no longer jive with the business model I'm pursuing (namely, writing, editing, and more writing (with a side of writing)). I've developed a smarter strategy for what work happens when based on my own natural rhythms.
27 Reasons Why You Might Fail & 2 Reasons Why You WILL
Why You Might Fail You don't have the time. You don't have the talent. You don't have the energy. You don't have the experience. You don't have the money. People say you will. You're not strong enough. You're not smart enough. You're not creative enough. Your fortune cookie horoscope advised against it. No one cares what you have to say. No one's done it before. Not one's done it that way before. It's not the way things are done. Someone once laughed at it. Other people would do it better.
Progress Report: Commencing Countdown…
I'ma take your freelance work. No, for real, ask your blogging friends Do they need my services (admittedly) awful riff on Thrift Shop I've been very careful and logical about this whole transition-to-freelancing thing. I've slowly been stepping down the day job, building up the freelance biz, juggling and hustling and working my little tail off to get myself to the place where Calling It Quits could (*cue angelic choir song here) become a doable and feasible...
Why I Turned Down an Offer for My Dream
Last week, I turned down what could have been my dream job. Or, rather, what would have been my dream job a couple years ago, but was now almost my dream job, but not quite the more I started to think about it. I will explain (then tell you what it means to you skip to the last section if you're a skimmer 'cause it's a lesson you need to hear) The Gig Through an acquaintance (networking and word of mouth work, kids), I was introduced to someone looking for an Editor-in-Chief for a well-visited...
How to Deal When Everything's Not OK
Some people wear their smile like a disguise. Those people who smile a lot, watch the eyes. I know it 'cause I'm like that a lot. You think everything's OK, and it is 'til it's not. Ani Difranco, Outta Me, Onto You That blast from the past (from the days when I wielded song lyrics like personal mottos) has been in my head since last week.
My Misery Is Miserabler Than Your Misery
Don't Mind Me While I Momentarily Become an Annoying 'Tween Monday's post had me entering the office Monday morning with a particularly stormy outlook. Having spent the weekend dwelling on a post that summed up weeks of anger and sadness and worry and stress, I'd finally begun to realize really realize that my husband wasn't going to get better and this was going to be our life going forward. Having this hit me left me like one big raw nerve.
There Will Always Be a Reason Not To
There will always be a reason to be afraid. You're new at this. There are risks. You might fail. Three will always be a reason to doubt. You don't have the experience. You don't have the credentials. There are so many other people more talented than you. There will always be a reason to wait just a little longer. A few more courses to take, a few more books to read, and then you'll be ready. The economy is shitty. The status quo isn't that bad. There will always be a reason to hold back.
The Beauty of Boredom
Forget the iOS install and focus on the huge problem illustrated by this user He's on vacation in AFRICA a foreign continent and can't find anything to do without his iPad. There isn't one single compelling thing to do in all of Africa We've Cured Boredom and That's Not Good, Unclutterer When I read the above post a while back, I gave a little damn straight cheer then felt immediately guilty. Because I am just like the dissatisfied iPad user in the story.
When You Should Quit Something
But where do you start How do you know which things really ought to be quit, and which you're tempted to give up on for the wrong reasons This is where the whole living intentionally thing really starts rolling. Because you can't recognize what needs to go unless you have a good grip on who you are, what makes you happy, and where you want your life to be heading. You don't have to have it all figured out. In fact, if you already do, you don't really need to be reading this.
Why I'm No Longer Writing for Lifehack A Lesson on How to Run a Blog
I contribute regularly to a number of different sites. Many of them are paid gigs (that's how mama brings home her bacon). But some of them, like Brazen and Lifehack, I do free of charge because they bring something every bit as valuable as , if not more so traffic. Note I do get paid for my duties as Assistant Editor for Brazen, but my bi-monthly posts are written with no compensation. I'll admit I haven't been as good lately as I wanted to be when it comes to my Lifehack posts .
8 Things Amateur and Sometimes Professional Bloggers Do That Make Me Want to Smack Them
You may heard me mention before that I'm a blog snob. As with anything I do, I take my job as a blogger very seriously, and I want to make CCIQ the best it possibly can be. I also want to help other people make their blogs the best they can be, which is why I offer my blog review services. This is self-serving for two reasons.
The Deceptively Quiet Truth About Most “Aha” Moments
You'd think my aha moment the moment I knew my life choices had led me horribly, dangerously off-track might be the Friday night I texted Crisis Services and told them I didn't want to die, per se , I just didn't want to live anymore. Or the following Monday morning, when I couldn't stop sobbing long enough to get my body into the bathroom to shower for work. Or the hour or so after that, when I sat on the couch across from my crazy doctor and heard the words, I'm writing you a note for work.
Of Pants & Procrastination Cordelia Learns a Lesson About Avoidance
My husband and I are both not tall people. This means that usually, when we buy pants, they will need to be hemmed. Being frugal and also owning a lovely sewing machine (bought for me last Christmas by my mother-in-law for this very purpose), the task of hemming said pants falls to me. I do not enjoy sewing.
Quit: The Chase
A private group of oddball entrepreneurs had extended me an invitation to rejoin them after I'd quit a while back. The idea crept into my head that I really ought to be giving this entrepreneurship jazz a go so that I could properly diversify my income, so I accepted the invitation, gave my credit card details over and logged back in.