If We Are Only Willing To Take A Few Risks

I left an aerospace company after being there 21 years. It would have been easy to stay and play it safe. But I had made a promise to myself that I would not retire from this company. I could not bear picturing myself receiving a gold watch, a few pats on the back and a polite shove out the door.

I had been part of a major SAP IT project for 18 months at this company during my final days. Prior to this I had been a buyer/planner for quite a few years. As the project wound down I asked if a promotion was in the works upon my return to the business. Meanwhile I also had a job interview at IBM ; however a co-worker (who treated people like crap and I despised) got that job.

After hearing, “no” about any sort of promotion - I quit.

Being no dummy, I also received a substantial severance package and a few weeks later I was at another company honing my IT skills. After a couple of more years there I landed a job at a pharmaceutical company and began yet another career change.

I’m not sure what prompted me to take these risks. Maybe it was my job interview at IBM. Perhaps it was because I had always embraced technology. Almost certainly my willingness to learn and a gutsy attitude had a part in it. I also desired to be part of a dynamic and growing business.

Are you playing it safe? Do you embrace change? Do you embrace technology?

Let me know, I’m curious.

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5 Reasons Why The Grass May Not Be Greener

Every day I hear someone daydream about changing jobs or companies. It’s incredibly easy to dream. I’ve made three major career changes and changed companies five times. Here are the top 5 lessons I learnt.

Money isn’t everything (but it can help). If you accept a job that earns you ten or twenty thousand dollars more a year, but adds another hour or two of a lonely and miserable commute, are you really ahead? Has your quality of life improved? Those dreadful and polluted hours sucking on someone’s tailpipe are never regained. You can’t call on the traffic fairy and magically have time turned back. Those hours are lost forever. Being stuck in traffic is the biggest stressors in people’s lives. Is your time more important than money?

Be prepared to have a boss that you may loathe. Sure it may be great fun to have your dream job, but when your new boss goes on to bigger and better things, you may be stuck with the company clown as your glorious leader. Now your wonderful new job is a horrific nightmare as each hour your new boss finds fresh ways to torture you. Not so much of a dream anymore huh?

Ready to give up the perks that come with company seniority? I lost three wonderful weeks of vacation time changing companies once. Are you willing to lose your vacation time? Not only will you work more but you have to cover for your co-workers that have more seniority.

Are you able to ignore company politics? Every company has clicks, favoritism and certain unappealing dynamics which may make you wound up over time. I’ve heard whispered plans and dreadful lies spread about me because certain people wanted their friend to be hired. Are you ready to ignore all that and focus on the job itself? Or will you transform into the office tittle-tattle and gleefully buy your boss a Starbucks latte each morning?

You decided to start your own business. Do you think that being an entrepreneur is all about giving yourself a fancy title and working from home in your shorts while the money pours in? It isn’t. Starting a business takes guts, hard work and persistence.

There you have it.

• Make sure your commute doesn’t kill you over time.
• Avoid working for the company clown.
• Think hard about your seniority perks.
• Get ready to ignore office politics.
• Figure out if you have the courage to become a successful entrepreneur.

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The Myth Of Finding The Perfectly Balanced Life

There is no such thing as a balanced life. You can’t just dump your life in a pie chart and always have perfectly balanced segments. What you can do is pay full attention to the aspects that are important to you. Little Jimmy having a soccer practice? Make sure you are there for him with unconditional love and support. Love to go sailing? Don’t think about those investment deals while enjoying the perfect sunset.

Let’s face it, the higher you climb the corporate ladder, the bigger the paycheck, and the more office time it requires. If you play it right perhaps you can telecommute from home and cut down on traffic jams. Quality of life means making certain sacrifices or trade offs. Quality of life means finding out what means most to you, not living according to a pie chart. The very best thing you can do is make sure that each area of your work and home lives are given their full love and attention. That includes family meals, outings, reading a book or just lazing in the sun.

Your loved ones and you will appreciate life 100% more if you show them an hour of quality time instead of two hours of Blackberry time.

So look at the different roles you play in life and decide how much time you want to live in these roles. It won’t ever be balanced, but each role can have its own joy. Now as your roles blend together your life as a whole becomes more joyful.

It’s a constant adjustment, but well worthwhile.

What roles and areas of your life are you fully appreciating and finding joy in now?

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