It's the holiday season and I'm feeling grateful, positive and cautiously excited about the future. While businesses, big and small are flexing, changing and reorganizing every 15 minutes, it's easy to conclude that times are bad, that jobs/work are few and far between, but during these times opportunities abound. I'm hearing good news all around. Colleagues finding more work, news that the job market is opening up and that people are thinking clearer, more out of the box and considering new careers, and how to develop new skills and capabilities to leverage themselves for new opportunities.
I have to remind myself at this time every year when contracts are lapsing, things slow down around the holidays, budgets get tight, bills pile up and phones/emails quiet down that the new year is upon us...and I'm reminded that with the right attitude, faith and bit of luck thrown in for good measure, the opportunities are everywhere, waiting to be found and seized.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A full plate
This week I'm taking a lesson from my 12-year-old daughter.
"You have too much to do, Mom."
Lesson learned here is when your child says this to you...STOP and LISTEN.
I'd like to think I've taught my daughter (s) at least half (but let's face it, probably more than half) of everything she knows.
I often comment that my daughters are very smart and have good heads on their shoulders.
So, why then don't I listen to them more often?
I could blog here about my age, my life experiences, my general maturity, etc..that I just know so much more than they do because I've LIVED more.
Well, this week I'm telling you and them...that's just crap.
My daughter told me yesterday that she didn't want to try out for Soccer (a sport she just does not really enjoy) because she already has "a full plate" (her homework to do, a frequent babysitting commitment, a church youth group she wants to join and a newspaper club she'd like to work on at school). Not to mention that her first (sport) love is basketball. She's said: "Mom, I have enough to do."
Smart thinking, smart decision making, smart kid.
She's quickly and effectively evaluated her time, her likes/dislikes and her "priorities" and is not ashamed, stressed or afraid to tell her friends "this just isn't important to me."
I think you'd agree that we can learn A LOT from our children, when we take the time to listen and follow their lead.
"You have too much to do, Mom."
Lesson learned here is when your child says this to you...STOP and LISTEN.
I'd like to think I've taught my daughter (s) at least half (but let's face it, probably more than half) of everything she knows.
I often comment that my daughters are very smart and have good heads on their shoulders.
So, why then don't I listen to them more often?
I could blog here about my age, my life experiences, my general maturity, etc..that I just know so much more than they do because I've LIVED more.
Well, this week I'm telling you and them...that's just crap.
My daughter told me yesterday that she didn't want to try out for Soccer (a sport she just does not really enjoy) because she already has "a full plate" (her homework to do, a frequent babysitting commitment, a church youth group she wants to join and a newspaper club she'd like to work on at school). Not to mention that her first (sport) love is basketball. She's said: "Mom, I have enough to do."
Smart thinking, smart decision making, smart kid.
She's quickly and effectively evaluated her time, her likes/dislikes and her "priorities" and is not ashamed, stressed or afraid to tell her friends "this just isn't important to me."
I think you'd agree that we can learn A LOT from our children, when we take the time to listen and follow their lead.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Finding your Comfort Zone
How many times a year do you say: "I've just got to get away."
Personally, I utter "I need to get out of Dodge." at least 3x a week on average.
I think I feel that way for several reasons:
1) I'm a planner...and what's more fun than planning a vacation...mine, yours...doesn't matter. I'm not picky.
2) If the vacationing time is long enough in duration (over a week is best...but really hard to do...I'm an American...not a European), then I know by day 5 or 6 that I'm really "away" and what's back at the home and office is really just that...away, and what's right in front of me (my children, my husband, a beach, a mountain, a breath-taking view, exquisite art, fabulous food, a beautiful old church or just great friends) is the most important thing in my world.
3) Since the death of my mother in September 2006, I've looked at vacations like I look at shoes at DSW....so many choices, so little time. And for me, both are necessities, not niceties.
As a business owner with several different clients, who operate within very different worlds, have an array of needs, support, and requirements, I spend A LOT of time outside of my comfort zone. For me, planning a vacation and living it out is like a warm fleese blanket on a frigid night, a hot cup of spearmint tea and a good massage, all rolled into one. It's my comfort zone. A comfort zone means different things to all of us, but each of us needs to understand where it is inside, how to rely on it and to step into it to rejuvenate, re-energize and revive.
Can't wait for the next trip!
Personally, I utter "I need to get out of Dodge." at least 3x a week on average.
I think I feel that way for several reasons:
1) I'm a planner...and what's more fun than planning a vacation...mine, yours...doesn't matter. I'm not picky.
2) If the vacationing time is long enough in duration (over a week is best...but really hard to do...I'm an American...not a European), then I know by day 5 or 6 that I'm really "away" and what's back at the home and office is really just that...away, and what's right in front of me (my children, my husband, a beach, a mountain, a breath-taking view, exquisite art, fabulous food, a beautiful old church or just great friends) is the most important thing in my world.
3) Since the death of my mother in September 2006, I've looked at vacations like I look at shoes at DSW....so many choices, so little time. And for me, both are necessities, not niceties.
As a business owner with several different clients, who operate within very different worlds, have an array of needs, support, and requirements, I spend A LOT of time outside of my comfort zone. For me, planning a vacation and living it out is like a warm fleese blanket on a frigid night, a hot cup of spearmint tea and a good massage, all rolled into one. It's my comfort zone. A comfort zone means different things to all of us, but each of us needs to understand where it is inside, how to rely on it and to step into it to rejuvenate, re-energize and revive.
Can't wait for the next trip!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sanity Checkers
Sanity checks are something we all need from time to time. I have so many balls in the air at any given time that I make a NYC street juggler look befuddled. What keeps me sane, you ask? My sanity checkers. These are people you often like...but could, quite possible despise. These are the people (colleagues, friends, strangers) who, when asked provide you with a "check", who tell you you're on track, you're following through, you're valuable, you're sane. There are also the people (colleagues, enemies, strangers) who tell you when you've lost your mind, you've dropped the ball, your idea/solution is ridiculous or needs more thought, research or collaboration. I "love" this latter group of people. Actually, I want to dislike them right from the start... after all I did not ASK for their sanity check, but once I've either booted down for the day (or is it night ?), and hung up the phone from the endless teleconferences, I realize they were right and I was...well "insane." The moral of this story is....don't kill the messenger. A sanity checker is very important to people like me....a busy business owner, wife, mom of two, friend, daughter, sister...yeah you get the point. Sanity checkers come in various shapes and sizes often with complex personalities and demeanors, but we need them all nonetheless.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Pride
What's the story with "pride" as a negative connotation?
Here's what I think is the upside of pride.
Today, I sat in an audience of students, teachers and a few parents that attended our middle school's 6th grade awards ceremony. I was bowled over by the spirit of pride in the room...parents that not only cheered for their own kids, but cheered for their kids' friends, for the neighbor kids up the street, for the kid who played on their daughter's/son's basketball team 3 years ago. Teachers who insisted their wish for the day was to present "awards to every child in the room...because they were so proud of each and every student."
There is this collective sense of community, of hard work paying off, of struggle and sacrifice in pride. Pride is the driver behind highly motivated (and successful) people. Sure it has to be well managed and sometimes even contained, but isn't pride really a positive motivator...and a trait we should be encouraging in our kids...in ourselves?
Here's what I think is the upside of pride.
Today, I sat in an audience of students, teachers and a few parents that attended our middle school's 6th grade awards ceremony. I was bowled over by the spirit of pride in the room...parents that not only cheered for their own kids, but cheered for their kids' friends, for the neighbor kids up the street, for the kid who played on their daughter's/son's basketball team 3 years ago. Teachers who insisted their wish for the day was to present "awards to every child in the room...because they were so proud of each and every student."
There is this collective sense of community, of hard work paying off, of struggle and sacrifice in pride. Pride is the driver behind highly motivated (and successful) people. Sure it has to be well managed and sometimes even contained, but isn't pride really a positive motivator...and a trait we should be encouraging in our kids...in ourselves?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
MAC4 Launches blog...
I'm very excited about the first MAC4 Blog. As the head of my own communications firm, I should be walking the "talk." I really should have done this years ago.
It's June and it's hard not to react to the feeling of "change" in the air.
Kids are getting ready to jump the "school" ship; summer vacation excitement looms ever closer; colleagues and friends prepare for the summer and how to get the "work" in around the "fun." Colleagues have already written their "out of office" messages and can't wait to click the "I am currently out of the office" button. Every point of purchase ender in Target is selling SPF-like products and more beach towels and flip-flops that I know what to do with. In my business, change is constant. As a matter of fact, as more companies experience change, restructures and realignments, my business flourishes. So why is it that by mid-June every year, am I put-off, off-balance and just plain stressed out by the imminent change of the next 13 weeks?
I think the answer is in the "unknown" ...change's favorite pal....the double-edged sword...the real McCoy. Change = Unknown and if you're like me....you do 3 things to cope: prepare as best you can, go with the flow whenever possible (aka be flexible) and stay positive!
It's June and it's hard not to react to the feeling of "change" in the air.
Kids are getting ready to jump the "school" ship; summer vacation excitement looms ever closer; colleagues and friends prepare for the summer and how to get the "work" in around the "fun." Colleagues have already written their "out of office" messages and can't wait to click the "I am currently out of the office" button. Every point of purchase ender in Target is selling SPF-like products and more beach towels and flip-flops that I know what to do with. In my business, change is constant. As a matter of fact, as more companies experience change, restructures and realignments, my business flourishes. So why is it that by mid-June every year, am I put-off, off-balance and just plain stressed out by the imminent change of the next 13 weeks?
I think the answer is in the "unknown" ...change's favorite pal....the double-edged sword...the real McCoy. Change = Unknown and if you're like me....you do 3 things to cope: prepare as best you can, go with the flow whenever possible (aka be flexible) and stay positive!
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