Sital Ruparelia

The phrase “Nothing happens in the summer months” is all a bit of a myth.

Yes, key decision makers may be on holiday and things may slow down – but it doesn’t mean that you have to as well.

Here are 5 ways for you to get more proactive this summer:

1. Get working on the new career or business idea

You know that great idea you have for changing careers or starting / expanding the home based business? Well now is a good time to work on it.

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‘Sarah’s got a great job, look how well she has done for herself’

‘Sanjay is so smart. I wish I’d applied myself to my studies like he has’

‘Sandy has done really well for herself – just look at that great house and the holidays she goes on’

‘Marco and Tina have the perfect family life. I’m so jealous’

‘Brian’s so ballsy. Just look at how he reinvented himself and started that business of his’

‘Emma is so damn organised. I wish had the kind of work-life balance she’s achieved’

Stop Comparing

Comparing yourself to others is drilled into us from childhood and school. But it’s completely misplaced and irrelevant when most of us get into adulthood and are in charge of managing our careers.

Here are 3 reasons why:

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Most of you will have very good intentions when it comes to exercising and keeping fit.

Some of you will have good habits and may be regular runners, swimmers or gym goers.

But I suspect that everyone reading with this will, at some stage, have fallen out of their exercise routine or got sidetracked by competing activities.

A busy work schedule, an injury or simply feeling lazy leads to several weeks (or months) without working out or visiting to the gym. Very soon you’re caught in a rut whilst promising yourself that “I’ll get back to the gym from Monday”- but Monday never comes.

Sound familiar?

The same thing often happens in our working lives and careers too.

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Below is a excellent guest article from my friend Colin Hiles.

Colin is one of those rare people who dreamed of a more meaningful and exciting lifestyle – and then went for it.

Originally from the UK and now living in Spain, Colin is the author of the Midlife Maverick blog and runs a series of workshops and retreats (in sunny Spain!) for mid-lifers going through transition.

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How To Transition From Success To Significance

Many of us arrive at mid-life with a degree of success but find our fulfilment flags flying at half-mast leaving us perplexed, confused and unsettled.

As midlifers we can find ourselves well and truly caught up in life’s merry go round of busyness, feeling like we’re being pulled in many directions. We may find our work crosses over into our personal lives. Our boundaries become so skewed. Often we can’t even remember what they were in the first place.

The over whelmed, over worked feeling becomes part of our everyday life and energy to keep going comes from the adrenaline of non-stop “doing”. It’s no wonder that in mid-life we begin to question the meaning of it all and think about the legacy we want to leave.

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“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”

- John Allen Paulos

Ever-changing technology, globalisation and hyper-competition have conspired to make most of our professional lives an ever-changing landscape. Add to that a changeable economic climate, political uncertainty and a sprinkling of volcanic ash and voila – you have the makings of constant change and unpredictability.

While your ability to create and execute detailed plans may have served you well in the past, in today’s economy and work place, it’s your ability to operate in a much more fluid environment that determines your progress.

Regardless of whether you’re currently trying to lead a team through change or attempting to navigate your own career through turbulence, here are 17 tips which may help.

1. Focus on clear outcomes instead of detailed plans

In an ever-changing environment, you need to stay focused on your goals whilst still being light on your feet. So be clear about your broad business objectives, career goals, financial requirements and lifestyle needs – but be flexible about the precise ‘plan’ you’ll use to get there.

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1. The Trigger

Something happens which stops you in your tracks:

• Major changes at work which make you think… “Is this what I really want?”

• Redundancy

• A major health problem (for you or a family member)

• The death of a close friend or family member

• A divorce or major a relationship break-up

• Financial difficulties

• Extended travel or volunteering activities that make you question what you’re doing

• External factors that move you (e.g. 9/11, the tsunami in Asia, earthquake in Haiti)

Tip:

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Career Changer: “Sital, I need your advice.

I’m a qualified accountant but have taken a career break for a number of years for family reasons. I’m about to start a 12 month teacher training course and become a teacher. But I’m not too sure if I’m doing the right thing. What do you think?

Sital: “Firstly, tell me attracts you to teaching. What made you sign up for the course?”

Career Changer: “Well it’s the easy option”

Sital: “The easy option?”

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“Focus on networking with your warm contacts first”

- hardly rocket science is it?!

Yet so many people (particularly job seekers and career changers), seem to think that networking is all about spending time with “the right contacts” (whatever that means) and connecting with “key players” (a terrible buzz word).

This ‘Person X’ is the holy grail apparently. And whilst this sounds logical and sensible in theory, in the real world it’s completely the wrong approach if you want get connected to with the right people and opportunities.

Here are 5 reasons why you should focus on networking with your warm contacts rather than “the right contacts” (Person X)

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“Pay no attention to what the critics say; no statue has ever been erected to a critic” - Jean Sibelius

Whenever you attempt anything worthwhile, you’ll often have more disbelievers than you will have believers.

Whether you decide to transform your business and your team, decide to change careers and pursue your passion, commit to starting a new business venture, choose to become a consultant or interim manager – in fact, do anything big, important or different and you’ll often find 3 things happen:

a) The people who you thought would support you the most – probably won’t (the support often comes from the least expected sources)

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Next week I’ll be at the Vitality Show at London’s Earls Court to offer career advice to visitors as part of the Career Shifters Career Advice Clinics.

The Vitality Show is the UK’s largest health, beauty, fitness and well being event. And this year is host to the annual One Life Live event which is the biggest  annual UK event for individuals looking to make major changes in their life. Featuring a range of workshops, seminars and specialist career advice, it’s a unique event for anyone facing a big career decision.

So if you’re interested in shifting careers, taking a career break, starting a business and want some advice, come along to the free career advice clinics where you’ll be able to book a 15 minute session to get advice from some of the UK’s leading career coaches.

The career clinics run for all 4 days – Thursday 18th March to Sunday 21st March.

I’ll be running clinics on the following dates / times:

So if you are visiting the show next week, drop by and say hello!

For more details about the event and tickets click here.