15 Things To Do By Yourself…

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

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Spending time alone is one of my absolute pleasures. I’m sure I’m not alone. You may also like to do that as well.  A few years ago I shared that I had some planning to do and decided on a whim to jump into my car and drive to the beach. A few hours later, I had mapped out plans for my top goals for the rest of the year! yea! I left feeling totally satisfied to get things done! What seemed like an drilling exercise turned out to be quite productive, in a serene atmosphere.

Self-Care

Jo Chunyan shared a list of things do alone. I decided to pull my top 15 to share.

  1. Journal. Write up a list of things you would love to do. Declare your dreams and intentions or simply empty out all your thoughts into your notebook.
  2. Spend a day at a museum or art gallery

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HBR’s What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Identity?

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Is Your Career your identity?

What happens when your career becomes your identity? This Happens to so many of us? Here are 3 of the Questions HBR’s contributor Janna Koretz suggest asking yourself.

1. How do you think about your job outside the office?

2. How do you describe yourself? How much of this description is tied to your job, title, or company?

3.How would you feel if you could no longer continue in your profession?

Great questions. Read the article for the full analysis.

You may also listen to tips as I chat with Patricia Reid-Waugh or get a copy of my book ‘Your Career’ Ditch It? Switch it?’ Both provide a deeper dive into how you can ditch it and gain the identity that brings lasting satisfaction.

Cheers!

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Why Writers Write…10 Reasons

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

img_5189-1I write because there’s something in me that needs to come out.  I am at peace when I write. Writers write for many different reasons. Some personal, experiential, or environmental. Christine Caldalzo created a pictogram of 10 reasons writers write. Here I share 10:

10 Reasons Writers Write

  1. They love to write
  2. To express their thoughts
  3. To communicate
  4. To share experiences
  5. To tell about events
  6. To share their feelings
  7. To persuade
  8. To teach
  9. To Ask Questions
  10. They want something

Does any of the above resonate with your reason(s) to write? Any missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Register Now to attend Writers Retreat

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What Advice Would You Give To Your Younger Self? 17 Professionals Share…

Don’t get so caught up in the difficulties of the moment since they are only temporary

Kowalski 

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Life changes. We evolve, make decisions, choose careers, relationships, and enlarge our own space to embrace and create our own circle of influence including nuclear families. Recently I came across the common question about life and pondering the changes you would have made if you had the chance to advise your younger self. In deep thought I decided to ask professionals what their thoughts were. Most reflected. Here are excerpts of those who quickly chimed in:

  1. Stop and smell the roses. Life passes by in a flash. Children grow up. Relationships mature, evolve, change. Enjoy life. Appreciate the little things.
  2. Take more adventures. Let go of traditions.
  3. Enjoy life more along my journey. To be fearless and take more risks.
  4. Slow down, travel, start a business, invest, read more.
  5. Things don’t need to be perfect or need the…

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The 25 Challenges Of Writing…

A word after a word after a word is power.

~ Margaret Atwood

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

Writing is a joy. Being a first time publisher is exhilarating! But what’s difficult is some parts of the writing journey. In a Public forum authors were asked what was the hardest part of writing. Many eagerly chimed in with top issues such as marketing and editing. Here I share the top 25:

The Hardest Part Of Writing

  1. Marketing
  2. Building and attracting an audience
  3. A blank page
  4. Convincing people to read your book
  5. Being confident that you write for yourself first, then the secondary audience – the public
  6. Promoting
  7. Nothing really
  8. Editing because of perfectionist mentally
  9. Letting go…let the editing go to the editor
  10. Staying on track
  11. Not giving up
  12. Patience. Writing the book is the easy part
  13. Getting readers to write a review
  14. Staying on track
  15. Selling
  16. Being original
  17. Self Promotion
  18. Believing in yourself
  19. Starting
  20. Mindset challenges that keeps you stuck
  21. Prepping self for bad reviews
  22. Hoping people…

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Busy Is Good…

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

George Bernard Shaw

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

Busy is good. That’s my favorite response to entrepreneurs who express that they are busy.

You see, we have all been there when there is nothing to do. No job. No contract. No financial inflow. What frequently follows is sadness, apathy, boredom, inability to meet financial obligations and the list goes on. For sure that ain’t good for our mental state and wellbeing.

Among Others

An 80-year-old grandmother was busy going to the gym, church, shopping, Medical visits to the doctor. Those activities kept her busy. It made her feel alive. Then suddenly her husband also retired. Now they both sit at home watching golf, tennis, jeopardy and wheel of fortune on TV. This past weekend she spent time in the hospital. Latency had stepped in.

The Deal

That’s what happens when we are not busy. It happens to entrepreneurs, workers, student or retirees. There’s no respect of persons.

For…

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Travel’s Up And So Is Tipping…

Tips on tips! What to give. When to give. Should you give?

And the gratuity? Did you help me load my luggage? No, but …

-Jack Vance

CNN Headline News (HLN) shared the evolution of tips in our society. Cash registers now have built in tips at the grocery store, retail store and even at the plant nursery! Yikes! All this separated from the traditional tipping places like hospitality-hotels, restaurants, salon, nail services and more. Caused me to think. We are all being bombarded by this new extra invasion of the ‘plastic cards.’ Should we Fair Tip or Guilt Tip? HLN’s Money Coach recommends, no service–no tip.

Not sure when to give and how much? Here I share HLN’s recommendation of the amounts to give as fair tips for both the travel and restaurant dining options.

No Service. No Tip

HLN’s Money Coach

Appropriate Tip: Travel

  • Skycap & Bellhop: at least $2
  • Housekeeper: $5 per day
  • Taxi Driver: 15-20% of fare but minimally $1 (more if they carry your bags)

Appropriate Tip: Restaurant

  • Wait Service: 15-20%
  • Take Out: It’s up to you!
  • Bartender: $1-2 per beer, more for cocktails
  • Tipping Jars: It’s up to you!

So there you have it. Tips on tips! What to give. When to give. Should you give? It’s all like your career and the workplace. Pay for Performance. The more you work, the more productive you are, the more bonus and salary increase you get (all things being equal, right)?

What are your thoughts on this trend? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Where’s Your Dream Travel Destination?

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Paris, Santorini, Dubai tops the list!

Where do you wish to travel in the next 1-3 years? Which destination tops your list? Do you dream of traveling to enjoy the culture of others near or far? Traveling to learn about other people in distant lands?

Like Cavity, in the movie Eat. Pray. Love; Julia Roberts Imagination ran wild when she decided to get away to (as it were) find herself. Well she was not alone. The question was asked where’s your dream travel location? A few said “All over the world”,  but while we Sympathize, that doesn’t count. Goals must be specific to be achieved. Here I share excerpts as the masses chimed in:

Destinations

  • Bora, Bora
  • Rome
  • New Zealand
  • Santorini
  • Paris
  • British Colombia, Canada
  • Maldives, Santorini, Rio, Bali
  • Greece, Spain, Italy
  • San Francisco
  • Washington
  • New York
  • LA
  • Egypt
  • Greece, Dubai, Hawaii, Brazil, Paris
  • Mecca
  • Cuba
  • Shiraz, Iran

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Why People Accept Jobs: 9 Reasons…

Is Your Organization Selling what employees want to buy? The question Gallup posed most certainly creates a pause for both the employer who is searching for top talent and the job hunter who comes with his or her own fair share of what they will or will not accept.

9 Reasons Employees Accept Job Offers

Here are a few things that top talent seek in their next career move:

  1. Great Pay and Benefits (duh)
  2. Environments that are respectful, diverse and inclusive
  3. Great Cultural fit to bolster a sense of belonging
  4. Work in a location that is safe, easily accessible, and aesthetically pleasing
  5. The desire for flexibility –remote or hybrid work
  6. Work/ Life balance. Fast disappearing are those days of long working hours that when they get home they are no use to family or themselves
  7. Financial Stability. People want to work where they don’t have to worry about the business viability as well as their own ability to cover expenses and save for their future
  8. To work with great people (stress-free) and build key relationship with others in the industry
  9. The ability to learn and grow that fosters self-actualization

If you are providing these things as an organization, you are well on your way to attracting and retaining top talent. Seeing gaps? Lets connect to get you you started on the road to improvement.

Likewise, as you reflect on the 9 reasons, what stands out to you? Is there anything you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

What Does Success Mean To You?

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies


Get an education. Become a lawyer, doctor, get a cool career! Marry Prince/Princess Charming. Buy that nice big house. Have the perfect kids. These are some of the wishes that moms and dads often want for their children to Jolt them to success or to Restart. But I have always stressed that you should not let anyone define what success means to you. It’s entirely your decision.

Brian Tracy asked the question “What Does Success Mean to You?” Responses came in Opaque forms including:

  • Doing what I want when I want and helping others so that they can to help themselves
  • The highest level of success is happiness
  • Do the right thing and be a great person or human being
  • Not caring if it is Monday or Friday. Loving every day of the week the same. Having a good relationship with people. Making a difference. Continuously learning and…

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Fatherhood On Father’s Day…

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

How Do Dads Do Things Differently?

CNN Headline news posed the question to fathers. Tune into my Conversation with Senior IT Expert Daveyton Blake who is a Father, Coach and Community young adult Mentor. Dads of all kinds will be intrigued by the intense truths explored in this interview.

Listen in now and share with a dad this Father’s Day.

Cheers!

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Career Transition: Bezos Minimization Framework…

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

J.P. Morgan

The Regret Minimization Framework is a simple mental model to minimize the number of regrets in the long run. Jeff Bezos after a conversation with his boss asked himself what he would regret more when he was 80 years old: Trying to build something he had strong conviction in and failing, or failing to give it a try? He realized that not trying would haunt him every day (Utkarsh Amitabh HBR).

Walking away from a great job is not an easy decision. I know that because I did it. I walked away from a great career in the pharmaceutical industry. Naturally, this decision came with it’s fair share of ups and downs but when you decide to make a decision based on purpose, all you need to do is weigh the consequences. Like Bezos did, he considered himself at age 80 and thought about it in the context of regret. If you know Amazon, then the rest is history.

As a Certified Professional Coach who specializes in career transitions and people management, I have help many leaders become clear on the next step in their career journey. It may not mean that you want to venture out into entrepreneurship. It might very well be that you want to shift into a new career in the same company or another. I reflect on a client who left his career in the financial industry to venture into a new career in social work. Hmmm, pretty drastic change, right? But the change proved satisfying.

So what’s your plan? What’s your purpose? What’s your passion? Can’t figure it out? Let’s connect.

Have a success story? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

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