Recovering from a difficult career phase

How does one recover from a difficult personal or professional phase, and turn that experience into something that helps you grow (and even, possibly, open up a larger opportunity)?

Have you heard of the book entitled "I'll Love You Forever", by Robert Munsch? It is one of those must read books for children and parents alike. Last year alone, it sold almost 1 million copies - over 20 million copies in total – ensuring it will appear on the list of “classics” of children’s literature for years to come. The book follows the relationship of a baby and his mom through the trying years of infancy, the toddler years and the teen years, to the time when the child becomes an adult who, in turn, takes care of his dying mother.

Robert Munsch is a successful author who experienced tragedy in his own life; his wife gave birth to two still-born children. Having children myself, I cannot imagine the pain they must have felt. The story started in Robert’s head as a way of singing to his children that had died, until one day, as he said; "it popped out, and, when I told the story to an audience, I had the best reaction that I had ever had to a story. I went backstage and broke down."

A lot of people came up to him after the appearance and told him he needed to write the story down. His publisher, Annick Press, felt it was too dark of a concept for a children’s book. Instead of giving up, he took it to a small publisher called Firefly Books. The company loved it and promised to "go to town with the book". Twenty million copies later, Robert had proven to the world what a great decision that was.

Robert’s personal pain, in combination with his talents as a writer, had turned this story into one of the most inspiring books. What I admire about this author is his ability to listen to his audience (i.e. his market), to believe in the purpose of his story, and, even in the face of personal adversity, find healing.

We will all go through times when things are not very good in our lives. Perhaps we will even experience tragic events, such as the loss of Robert's two children. I encourage you today, no matter what challenges you are facing professionally or personally, to find some meaning or sense to it all. Use your ability to learn, grow, and use this experience for the benefit of others and yourself.

If you need a hand along the way, we would be pleased to help. Visit us today at www.careerjoy.com.

Is it 5:00 yet?

Popular science just compiled the top 10 "most apparently self- evident studies of recent years". Here they are:

1. Combining drugs and alcohol is bad for you

2. Gun-touting drivers are more prone to road rage

3. Too many meetings make you grumpy

4. Faraway objects are tougher to see

5. The “beer-to-goggle” effect is a bona fide phenomenon

6. Swallowing more than one magnet is dangerous

7. Smoking cigarettes costs you money

8. Memory and concentration fade with age

9. Women like funny men

10. Time flies when you are busy

You are probably saying; “Well, of course!”. However, Laura Allen, the writer of the article from Popular Science, said; "Scientists don't assume how the world works - they test it."

I thought #10 was interesting. Professor Anthony Chaston at the University of Alberta recently completed a study on "time estimation: the effect of cortically mediated attention". In this study, the professor and his team determined that statement #10 above was indeed accurate. They did this by asking participants to undergo a “Where's Waldo” experiment, increasing the complexity over time. People tended to underestimate the amount of time it took to do the puzzle as the difficulty level increased. In other words, the more you focus on something, the more your perception of how quickly time is going is affected.

I like to call it “the vacation puzzle” - you seem to wake up on the beach, only to find yourself heading for bed, and shortly after, you are back on the plane on your way home. We have all been in situations when that 1 hour meeting seems like it’s taking an entire day.

Your time test is a great way to look at your current level of satisfaction in your career - if your days feel like weeks, then it could be time for a change. We can help. Visit us online at www.careerjoy.com for more information.

The career Da Vinci code

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are at it again - this week
The Da Vinci Code hits the theatres. They have
already traveled to the moon together, and now, well,
they are on to a new conspiracy theory.

The Da Vinci Code is all the rage these days. I
remember a client of mine recommending the book
when it first came out, before it became the mega hit it
is today. As the movie is released around the world,
there will be all kinds of ways to experience the Da
Vinci Code - online, on DVD, on the movie
screen.

Opportunity often comes to us at the strangest time.
Sal Riina (president of Gem-sen) was attending an
industry show in Las Vegas last year. As Sal and his
wife were waiting in line for a bus after the show, they
started discussing The Da Vinci Code. Their
conversation was overheard by a person waiting in
front of them. This person happened to be an
executive with Sony Pictures, the producer of the
movie: "We started talking, and one thing led to
another" said Sal.

Sal's company, Gem-sen, is based in Vaughan, Ontario.
It has won the Canadian rights for all Da Vinci
Code merchandise - a pretty terrific outcome for
being in the right place at the right time!

There is a lot of truth to that statement when it comes
to opportunity in our careers. I do believe, however,
that there are a few other things that also play out in
getting these "mega opportunities". You have to be
open, pay attention, and be curious. And you
ultimately have to follow through and be able to deliver
the goods - just as Gem-sen hopes to be delivering a
lot of goods and all the royalties attached!

I find it interesting that big opportunities need help -
Sony needed Sal as much as Sal needed Sony. Next
time you are in line, open your ears to other
possibilities. You never know what you may be in line
for.

Are you flexible enough?

A few years ago, I was leaving my office on a winter day when I slipped on some ice and tore the ligaments in my left ankle. Ironically, even though I had been running for over 10 years without injury, I was unable to run for the next three months, all because of a short walk to my car!

So, I started to do Yoga. To be frank, I was always suspect as to whether it was "real" exercise. Boy, was I ever wrong! If you work with a good teacher, Yoga is not only relaxing, but a great way to increase strength (when you are not losing your balance and feeling like a fool!).

Why does stretching feel so good? According to Dr. Stephen Juan, when you stretch, "the oxygen-poor blood is squeezed out of the muscles and is replaced with oxygen rich blood. It also clears out metabolic wastes such as carbon dioxide, which also accumulates. When you stretch, it essentially wakes up your muscle".

I was always somewhat reluctant to stretch, but it always helped me to feel great after my workout. I sense the same thing in my clients, when dealing with a change in the status of their careers. We often use the term; “it was a real stretch". In most cases, we are reluctant to take a specific action, such as doing our resume, or looking for a new role. Often it is an external event (i.e. my slide on the sidewalk) that will "stretch" us.

In my experience, the event generally turns out more positive than negative, more times than not. We learn during the process - our "career muscles" grow, and we feel more alive.

Do yourself a favour - start some career stretching. Consider CareerJoy your Yoga instructor. We can help you learn the moves. Visit us at www.careerjoy.com for more information.

Spending time with Canada's richest man

You never know what kinds of decisions that you will make in a day – ones that could open the door to a great opportunity.

This past Saturday, I was downtown at a hotel in the Yorkville area. I had decided to spend a few hours working on a book that I am writing, to be published by Harper Collins at the end of this year (details to follow!). I managed to get some really good work done, so I decided to wander around Yorkville. As I was wandering, I stopped at a private art gallery. I noticed the gallery was fairly busy, and was showing a particular artist’s work.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone that I thought looked like Kenneth Thomson. In case you haven’t heard, he happens to own a number of companies, including The Globe & Mail. Mr. Thomson is worth over $19 Billion US dollars – yes, that is “billion” with a “B”.

I had never been in the same room as a billionaire before - needless to say, I was interested without being intrusive. I watched as he and his wife were introduced by the owner of the gallery to the artist whose work was being featured. I noticed how respectful they were, and how generally curious Ken and his wife appeared regarding the artist’s style and work.

As I thought about this, I realized this type of behaviour – being respectful, curious, and looking to understand what the artist was thinking - is part of the reason for his success. Mr. Thomson has one of the greatest art collections in the world. He has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of art hanging on his walls, and yet he doesn’t appear to think more highly of himself. Rather, he related to the artist as a peer.

I wondered how these types of attitudes have helped him be so successful as a business person. Yes, he is very well connected, but his respect for the expertise of others and his understanding of the way they contribute has probably helped with his own development both as a person and as a professional.

So, be respectful, be curious, and always look for opportunities to learn. You never know who is watching.