Tag: jobseeking

On the periphery

FabrizioLeave a comment

What if you are not it?

What if you are not the best choice for that role you so much want?

What if you are not the outstanding writer you have worked so hard to become?

What if you are not the father of the year?

What if you are not the person that will lead the company out of the crisis?

What if you are not the one who has a solution for every problem?

We rarely plan for failure, but at some point, we ought to consider the possibility that we are simply not it. Perhaps, we are not the main character, after all. What happens when we realize that?

There are still a lot of things we can be. We can be the guide, the supporting role, the cameo, or the director. We can still play a part and also decide that, after all, it is not the movie we want to be part of.

A narrow approach will limit our peripheral view.

And there’s so much more out there that’s waiting to be appreciated.

Master of time

FabrizioLeave a comment

I don’t have time for this.

It sounds a lot better when you say instead.

I have made a decision not to invest time in this.

That is a more honest thing to say. It also shows awareness and determination. It denotes you are in control of how you spend your day and it holds you responsible for the things your are not doing.

Time is not an entity we can control. What we do with it, instead, is something we can learn to master.

Three sources

Fabrizio1 Comment

In any role, there are three sources of motivation.

First is what the company you work for values. This is not about the principles you read on the website, but what happens at the company at certain critical times. Is it an environment where people generally care about each other? Is there a lot of control, processes, red tape? What happens when somebody disagrees or fails? Who gets promoted?

Second is the relationships you have. Both with your peers and with your managers. When the first source fails, this becomes incredibly powerful. How often do you hear from them? Do you know them on a personal level? Do you have supporting people around you, and do you have people you feel like giving your support to? What happens when somebody leaves?

Third is the work you do. When the first two fail, this is all you have left. How do you feel about the tasks you are being assigned? Are you proud of what you do? Are you learning something new? Would you do this somewhere else? Can you?

The most important question: where do you get your motivation from right now?

The end goal

Fabrizio2 Comments

Today, I write my blog post number 1,000.

1,000 days of writing every day. Almost three years since I have decided to give it another try.

And one thing has become more and more clear during this time. The end goal is the act of writing itself. It is not the views – for those, I am grateful. It is not the likes – by those, I am humbled. It is the sitting down in front of the screen every evening, no matter where I happen to be, no matter the kind of day I had, no matter whether I know what I will write about or not. It is the habit. It is the doing.

We need habits. And we need to go back to choosing the ones we dedicate time to.

Unique personality

FabrizioLeave a comment

In whatever you do that matters to you, make sure to put a touch of your own unique personality.

When you apply for a job, when you write a blog post, when you deliver a speech, when you interact with others, when you are in a meeting, when you are bringing your boss up to speed, when you are out with your kids or talk to your parents. In every single situation there are many rules that have but one job: to make things predictable and dull.

Rules are important, and you should follow them. Few people are happy when all of their expectations are disregarded.

But remember to add a touch of your own unique personality. Few people are happy when all they see around is predictable and dull.

It is a difficult balance to strike. Just don’t forget who you are and what you stand for.