Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch

Originally posted to the End of the Day series on My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Sometime this afternoon, I looked up at the clock on the wall and said, ” I don’t remember the days going by this fast when I worked in an office.” Indeed, I don’t. It seemed that days would drag by as I performed one tedious task or another. As much as I liked parts of my past jobs, there were more parts that I loathed — and even wondered why they existed at all. Such is the nature of work, I guess. If you aren’t doing something that interests you, personally, in some fundamental way, it will seem boring and tedious. 

Of course, some of what I was doing today was tedious, too, but there was some underlying reason for the performing the tasks that would, hopefully, result in some change, some improvement, some earning. These reasons can help you push through those difficult periods when things just simply MUST be done, whether you want to do them or not. Now, you wouldn’t want to spend your entire, career or life doing only these tasks, but if you can find that little grain of NEED in the task, you can get it over and done with. Then you can move on to something else.

At age 50, I often wonder if I waited far too long to finally have the time and space to do the work I am doing now. This is the first time in my life I have been able to truly focus on particular goals in my life without the constraints (well, fewer constraints) than I had earlier in life. There has been many times in my past when I was feeling I was progressing down a new, better road only to have my attentions diverted into more necessary, productive and “normal” activities. Each time this happened, I did what needed to be done, but I think I lost a little bit of myself — a piece, a peace, and energy which I will never get back. You can create the best world you can today, but I wonder sometimes if it can or will ever be as good as it could have been, had I started down the path earlier in life.

You’ll never know if this is the case. Nor will I. A quote of unknown origin comes mind. “Life can only lived forwards, but only understood backwards.” In many cases, I think this is deep cause of the regret we often feel in our lives. Somehow we feel that path that led us to this location is the path we should have followed. All we can do, though, is take the next fork in the road and do the best we can.

Previously on End of the Day:

• An evening dinner with friends in the garden – End of the Day for July 20, 2014
• Brush up your (Independent) Shakespeare (Company) Tonight! – End of the Day for July 19, 2014
• Support your local brewer – End of the Day for July 18, 2014
• What makes the world suddenly turn – End of the Day for July 17, 2014
• Making my way in a new career – End of the Day for July 16, 2014
• Do you like? Do your share? What’s the difference? – End of the Day for July 15, 2014
• Record everything you do – End of the Day for July 14, 2014
• A Day of “Rest” – End of the Day for July 13, 2014
• A Tiring Day, but a Great Day! – End of the Day for July 12, 2014
• Lend a helping hand by organizing an unconference – End of the Day for July 11, 2014
• Hiding your light under a bushel – End of the Day for July 10, 2014
• Those who love confrontation and conflict –  End of the Day for July 9, 2014
• Procrastination only hurts you and your projects – End of the Day for July 8, 2014
• When it rains, it pours — End of the Day for July 7, 2014
• The time has come…to launch a new (media) career – End of the Day for July 6, 2014
• The Future isn’t coming…it’s here! – End of the Day for July 5, 2014
• A Contrary Country – End of the Day for July 4, 2014
• The 4th of July, 1776 – End of the Day for July 3, 2014
• A night out at the Hollywood Bowl – End of the Day for July 2, 2014
• End of the Day for June 2014
• End of the Day for May 2014
• End of the Day for April 2014
• End of the Day for March 2014
• End of the Day for February 2014
• End of the Day for January 2014

“Those who are chronically dishonest are always wary, always on their guard, lest their deceptions be exposed”

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Transition as the New Normal with Douglas E. Welch

Douglas E. Welch presents to Tuesdays with Transitioners in Northridge, California on “Transition as the New Normal” on July 14 2014.

While we all might like to think that transition is a short term process, it is not a fleeting process we fall into and out of. Rather, life is truly nothing but one long transition — a state of constant flux. We might have dreams and desires for stability, but in a world that is constantly changing, stability is only an illusion and a temporary one at that.

Transition is the New Normal. It is a constant part of our lives and careers and if we understand that, we can use it to our advantage.

When you first realize that you are always in transition, it can seem a bit frightening. It can feel like you are the mercy of the time and tides, being buffeted about without any ability to control what is happening around you. You do have some control, but it requires that you pay deep attention to your life, your thoughts, and your actions. Yes, if you let the world push you around, it will gladly (and easily) do so. If you, instead, take your life directly into your own hands, you can ride the waves of change and transition in ways that best benefit you.

Douglas is writer and host of Career Opportunities, a long running column and podcast dedicated to “Helping to Build the Career You Deserve!” Career Opportunities began in 1997 as a magazine column and expanded to a podcast in 2004. Douglas is also a New Media Consultant, Technology and Career Consultant with over 30 years experience in high-tech. You can find all of Douglas’ work at DouglasEWelch.com.

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With our current obsession on time and productivity, you would think that punctuality would be de rigueur for any effective worker. We have our cell phones, our iPhones, our Blackberries, constantly reminding us of what we should be doing and when. Even today, though, there is a certain portion of the populace who simply can’t be on time to any event, whether a weekly staff meeting, school drop-off or dinner party. Why is this? What fundamental factor prevents them from engaging the world in this important way?

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Why is punctuality important?

Many people who are chronically late are often surprised at the response of those around them. What does it matter if they were late? They just don’t understand why people are so upset?

The problem, of course, is that the late person has wasted one of the most precious resources in today’s world – time. Worse still, they haven’t just wasted their own time, but the time of everyone involved with them. Meetings start late. Medical patients sit waiting in the lobby. Long lines start to form. The actions of one person can end up effecting hundreds of people and every one of them will feel abused by the waste of time that could have been applied, more effectively, elsewhere. People will forgive you wasting their money, to some extent, but they are unlikely to forgive you for wasting their time.

Think about that the next time you decide to miss a deadline or arrive late for an appointment. Multiply the wasted time, and ill will, by everyone involved and I think you will quickly see why everyone is so irritated. Your actions do have consequences regardless of what you might think.

Too busy?

Whenever someone is late, they will often blame the fact that they are simply “too busy!” Of course, this still means that they are late and the effects are still the same as previously mentioned. “Too busy” becomes an all purpose excuse and we are simply supposed to nod our heads in agreement and understanding. Wrong! While “too busy” is a convenient excuse, it is also a clear indicator that your life is out of control. We are all busy and yet many people can still arrange to be punctual. What it truly means is this person has not learned the important art of saying “No!” Often, we are too busy because we allow ourselves to be. We take on too many commitments and suffer from too much optimism that we can complete every project, every task that we are presented. There is a hint of arrogance here, too. Surely we can accomplish everything, we seem to say to ourselves. Yet, we can’t do it all. Projects are delayed, deadlines missed and those around you suffer for your inability to act logically.

Control

This leads me to another, more controversial, reason for lack of punctuality. It has been my experience that many people are not late due to work pressures, time pressures or lack of organization, but simply because being late gives them power. It gives them control over their life and the lives of those around them. They are late because it makes them feel superior.

These people seem to be saying, with their actions, “I am more important than you. You can’t control me. I live my life on my own schedule. You can’t make me do anything.” Of course, this is folly. Sure, they may feel powerful by showing up whenever they wish, but everyone around them, especially their own family, suffers. I have seen this concept at work at my son’s school. There are (otherwise wonderful) people who seem incapable of arriving on time for school. When I talk with them, it seems clear that it isn’t issues with preparedness or last minute problems. They could have easily arrived on-time and yet they didn’t. Of course, it is their children who suffer, though, more than they do. The embarrassment of tardy slips, the loss of education time, the stress involved in rushing about should be reason enough to modify this behavior and yet it continues. Once you remove all the other causes of lateness, control seems to be the only remaining factor.

No matter how busy you might be, or how much you hate being told when to arrive somewhere, for the sake of your own well-being, family, friends and career, now is the time to learn the importance of being punctual about your work and life. You aren’t just harming yourself, but everyone around you. As I said earlier, you are wasting the most precious commodity of all – time.

***

Career Tip 54

Communication is a skill, not just something that happens. Make rue people understand you.

Career Opportunities Podcast with Douglas E. Welch

Read and Listen this entire column and podcast, Communication

Career Tip 53

If you are trying to have your father’s career, rethink that immediately. Similar careers, maybe, but not the same.

Career Opportunities Podcast by Douglas E. Welch
WelchWrite.com/Career/

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From “Career Prescriptions” – Career Opportunities Podcast with Douglas E. Welch)

Watch this entire presentation – “Career Prescriptions” – Career Opportunities Podcast with Douglas E. Welch

Transcript:

One of the things I have been doing recently in the Career Opportunities column, I’ve been writing a series of career prescriptions and most of these prescriptions have to do with online, social media and new media. Because often we can’t understand the benefit of some of these media until we actually get involved with them. And so, in Jennifer and I talking in the chat one night, we said, “You know what? That’s what we need! We need to write people a prescription.” Just like when you go to the doctor, we need to write a prescription that says, I know you don’t exactly how this drug interacts and what it does for your body, but you need to take this. Ok? We go to the doctor. We expect them to give a prescription if w’re not feeling well, right? We expect them to do something for us. Even if we may not like it. That’s what I’ve been doing with these columns — these career prescriptions is I’m saying, “I know you may not understand what it’s going to do for you. You may not understand exactly how it works. You may not understand why, but what I am asking you to do is take 5 minutes and try it.”

Douglas is writer and host of Career Opportunities, a long running column and podcast dedicated to “Helping to Build the Career You Deserve!” Career Opportunities began in 1997 as a magazine column and expanded to a podcast in 2004. Douglas is also a New Media Consultant, Technology and Career Consultant with over 30 years experience in high-tech. You can find all of Douglas’ work at DouglasEWelch.com.

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Jennifer Oliver O’Connell, Founder of Tuesdays with Transitioners, was kind enough to take these photos during my presentation today on “Transition as the New Normal.” Complete video and audio of this talk will be available in the next few days. 

Watch a complete slide show

Doing or Done

In business, as in life, you can do something or you can have something done to you by others. It should be clear where you want to be in that equation. You have the ability, the talent and desire to do great things in your career, but this can only happen when you turn your focus inward and start doing what truly matters most to you.

Doing…or having done to you
Career Opportunities Podcast by Douglas E. Welch
http://tinyurl.com/DoingorDone

It’s Your Career, After All with Douglas E. Welch – Presented at CareerCampSCV 2014

Listen to  It’s Your Career, After All with Douglas E. Welch – Presented at CareerCampSCV 2014

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Douglas E. Welch, writer/host of Career Opportunities and Founder of CareerCamp International speak at CareerCampSCV (Santa Clarita Valley) on July 12, 2014.

“Your career isn’t about the externals of resumes, interviews, suits and ties, it is about the internal issues of your wants, needs and desires. You need to know what you want out of your career and then take the actions and make the decisions necessary to get there. If you don’t manage your own career, there are plenty of people who will gladly do it for you. Don’t let your career happen to you, though.”

Also mentioned in this talk, is Career Compass, FInding Your Career North. You can watch an entire talk on Career Compass, from a previous CareercampSCV, sample and buy the Career Compass book or read the original Career Opportunties column, Career Compass.

For more information on CareerCampSCV, visit http://CareerCampSCV.wordpress.com and http://CareerCampInternational.org

Douglas is writer and host of Career Opportunities, a long running column and podcast dedicated to “Helping to Build the Career You Deserve!” Career Opportunities began in 1997 as a magazine column and expanded to a podcast in 2004. Douglas is also a New Media Consultant, Technology and Career Consultant with over 30 years experience in high-tech. You can find all of Douglas’ work at DouglasEWelch.com.

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