So while I wait for my dinner to arrive, I will go ahead and recap what I had originally wrote for today.

By the way I am writing this entire post via my mobile phone.

Chill.

That’s what I wanted to emphasize today. Mondays are days to set the theme for the week. And if you are as hungry as I am, then the theme for your week is to, “GO…”

Just non-stop action and progress. If your appetite for productivity is anywhere near mine, then you probably need to chill.

Not in the sense you no longer make things happen, but in the sense that you can get a lot more done if you just relax.

I used to be ratcheted up all the time then one day my dad said I seemed tk be busy without business.

That struck a chord with me, but took me a while to comprehend. Then one day I started noticing people acting so busy, but with nothing really significant to do.

It was then that I realized that being chill was not counter-productive. It was actually a way to increase my bandwidth. Because the less I worried about stuff, the more mental capacity I had to focus on other things.

That’s how I do so much, yet rarely find myself in a bad mood. I just believe in the cause and effect of my actions. In other words, the right action brings the right results.

The rest I leave uo to fate.

So try taking time this Monday to evaluate the sources of stress in your life. Figure out which ones are purely speculative concerns. Once you have done that, just chill.

Step back and look at the bigger picture. You will see that in the larger scheme of things, life is so perfect if we just stop trying to control it.

To really enjoy life you have got to chill.

Try it today and see if you can set a chill tone for the week. Just relax and make time for yourself.

We will meet back here next week to see how it went.

Until then, Make It Happen!

But you have to remember a simple concept, ’cause and effect’. If you truly believe one thing leads to another, then ask yourself what will your life look like 3 years from now if you keep on with your current routine.

Can you afford not to dream of a different reality? Will you survive another year like this past year? Or maybe life is good, but could it be even better? Just think bigger and see what you come up with.

If you decide you’d like to see a different reality, then you need to identify which actions you need to take today to see your dream come true in 3 years or how ever long you need to get there.

I am a firm believer in confidently doing the right thing over and over again to get the most desireable results.

For example if you start eating less today and start working out more today, its almost gauranteed you will look slimmer and probably feel better 3 months from now.

Or if you start learning a new language today and stick to the program, you will have picked up a lot on how to speak that language a year from now.

The point here is to think beyond today no matter how silly it seems. Then think about what steps you need to repeatedly take in order to make that dream of yours a reality.

Once you figure it out, then do it without interruption and watch your life change day by day. And when you look back to today 365 days from now, you will be amazed how much you accomplished in a year by making daily incremental changes.

So this Monday and every day, dream big, think big, dare, try, fight, believe and do!

In summary, Make It Happen!

Over the years I have been given absurd answers to questions that I have asked. But earlier in my career I was reluctant to question the answers even though my gut told me something was awry. Now that I am much more experienced and able to distinguish between credible and non-credible answers, I will challenge every answer that never made any sense then and probably still does not make any sense now.

So let’s kick off with one of the most absurd answers I have ever heard, “That’s just the way we have always done it…”

If I could turn back the clock a few years + another couple of years, I would respond to this answer completely differently. Fortunately I have not heard this response lately. But if I did, I would answer it the way I wish I would have when I first heard it. And that answer would be, “well that explains the gross ineffectiveness of the status quo…”

In other words, the status quo has no bearing on being effective today. In all fairness, things may be working fine by sticking to the original game plan. But if you don’t stop to evaluate advances in technology, lessons from industry trends or measure internal metrics for optimal performance, then how do you know if you couldn’t be doing much better? How do you know if you are actually hurting the company by chugging along the same beaten old path?

I hate to throw a 131 year old American icon like Kodak under the bus on this one, but they are close to bankruptcy for conducting business the way they have always done it. (source) While the digital revolution was happening, they were stubbornly clinging to paper based film as their foundation. Can you tell me the last time you actually got film developed?

If the company that invented the Kodak Moment can get annihilated for not adapting to new ways of doing business, then no one person or any other company for that matter is immune either.

GE & IBM on the other hand figured out new business models and adapted to current events. Microsoft currently has an opportunity to do the same now that software is moving to the cloud and a whole new business model needs to be adapted to compensate for lost licensing fees on their traditional Windows / Office business.

So where do you fall into this A&Q session? Do you walk away inspired to question answers that make no sense like I wish I had back when they were so carelessly thrown at me. Or are you the person who clings to old habits and ineffective status quo’s?

My guess is that you are an innovative, progressive get it done type who challenges people to be the best they can be. And that is what Empowered Employment is all about.

So until the next Answer…?’d, don’t settle for anything less than data driven accuracy!

Make It Happen!!!

If you have your priorities sorted out on this day, then the rest of the week should net a high return on effort.

On the flip side if you aimlessly wander into the week, two steps too slow and a dollar short, then you are sure to get no where fast.

I think the only people who hate Mondays are people who have no idea about the power of this day. If you string a few solid Mondays together, I assure you drastic changes to your life. And I mean in a good way.

My Mondays are always dedicated to me ensuring I am still on track to reach my short, mid and long term goals.

So if you have not already done so, make a list of the things you would like to accomplish or change today. Then make a plan of action that you can kick off today. After that, I will meet you back here next Monday to see what progress you made and what to do next.

Until next time, Make It Happen!!!

There could be nothing further from the truth. Sure everyone wants to have a good time and let loose, but no one wants to be exposed to any sort of wild personality trait that totally shatters their image of you being the in control, responsible corporate professional.

If you are dying to expose your wild side at work, then save it for a more intimate group of co-workers who know a little more about you. Don’t drop it on a bunch of folks who have only seen you passing by in the hallway. Imagine showing up to work the next day and trying to act like what you did was simply an aberration due to a fun environment. It won’t work,  no one will ever buy your facade again.

So maybe you are wondering what are the definite “no’s” during the holiday party season. Let’s KISS, no that does not mean you and I will lock lips. It means, let’s Keep It Simple…. oh you get the point! Here are a set of rules that you should refer to after drink number 3 or 4 if you are a lightweight and drink number 6 – 7 if you are anyone else.

1. Tell jokes, but keep the naughty words out of it. Just because people are laughing with you does not give you free reign to drop all formalities and curse like a sailor. Why? Because you are most likely not a sailor. If you liberally curse and that is not your normal style, you will offend people. The last thing you want to be at your X-Mas party is the rebel without a cause who offends with reckless abandon. If you get too out of hand you will be fired with cause! Try that on for size.
2. Leave the girls alone. Maybe you have been so busy with work that you have not had a chance to get out and mingle. And now all of a sudden you are surrounded by office mates who totally have let their guard down because they rightfully should at an office Christmas party. So this is not the time and place to be the Don Juan of XYZ Widgets, Inc. I know of senior level leaders getting fired for inappropriate comments or actions at such parties. So no one from top to bottom and back to the top is immune from regrettable actions.
3. Don’t get tanked. You may like to drink and the bubbly will probably be flowing in abundance. But why on Earth would you let yourself get drunk in front of your co-workers. Getting drunk to the point where you wobble, stare at people or at worse pass out is a sure fire way to show people that you lack self control. Remember, at a Christmas party, the less concerned you become about yourself as you drink more and more, the more people around you get concerned about you drinking more and more. So don’t get to the point where your boss or your bosses boss asks you to lay off the happy tonic for the rest of the night.
4. Ladies, if you don’t want that creep co-worker from rule #2 to make you feel uncomfortable all night then keep your attire limited to something appropriate for a family function. I know this is the year 2011 going on 2012 and family functions have changed over the years, but think this one through for a second.  I am not saying you don’t have freedom to wear what you want… you certainly do. But what you wear will attract a certain type of attention. For example, if I wear a Boston Celtics jersey to a LA Lakers playoff game at the Staples Center, then I am bound to get heckled at some point. If you wear a revealing outfit to your office Christmas party, you are bound to get hit on by someone you may not be able to avoid the next day.  Imagine turning someone down after they hit on you and then running into them at the water cooler the next day. #uncomfortablemoments
5. Spouses… if you are attending your spouses Christmas party, you are not free to break the rules. Don’t be “that” guy or girl. Don’t embarrass your spouse and don’t embarrass yourself. And if you don’t want to be there, accept that you are there and don’t make it obvious you’d rather be doing anything else but this. Consider it an investment into your spouses career. If you really screw up at the party, chances are your spouse won’t get fired. But you will have eternally embarrassed them, and who wants do that? If you know you are going to act out, then you’d better just sit this one out. Spouses, if you know this is a possibility, don’t fret going it alone! Better safe than sorry.

I could probably think of 10 more things not to do at your annual company sponsored Christmas party, but if you follow through on the 5 mentioned above, you will probably make it out safe. Contrary to the amount of restrictions I have offered, the entire event can be fun, full of surprises and most importantly great for your career.

This can be your opportunity to build rapport with the folks who can get you to the next level. Or this could be your perfect opportunity to have a good time and keep your job for another day!

Make it Happen!

But I am going to let you in on a dirty secret. People who I have worked with in the past have not hired a qualified candidate because they were unemployed. In other words, I witnessed “unemployedism” in the workforce first hand.

Fortunately for me the days of working around people with a blunted human ethos are behind me. But what about the 5.9 million Americans who are unemployed today and have been unemployed for greater than 27 weeks? (source)

Each day they are unemployed, their chances of employment become more and more difficult. This is not a fair outcome to a person who has worked hard, proven their mettle and has been victimized by a broken inhumane system. And it is that same system that is keeping them from reentering the workforce.

So if you are one of those 5.9 million unemployed, then here is my advice to you.

Based on what I see in the employment market today, if you have not been able to find a job in 6 months after putting in a diligent effort, it is safe to assume that you will probably remain unemployed for the foreseeable future if you don’t change your tactics.

One thing you can do is start your own business in the area of your last job. If your last job was of a professional nature, then start up a consulting practice. During this time, I suggest continuing your employment search. But now, instead of having a blank space on your resume for the past 6 months, you will have some activity demonstrating initiative.

I have seen many people who have taken a shot at being self employed but chose to come back into the workforce. So if you don’t succeed, it is okay. The good thing is that your value in the market will simply increase by you demonstrating some form of relevant activity.

With that activity, you will have a lot more to say during interviews or you may actually hack out a decent living and decide to stay self-employed. Now don’t go break the bank trying to set up a business. Start small and operate with a healthy dose of frugality until you get your feet under you.

But don’t sit and wait for another 6 months to land a job either. Because today there are 13.9 million people who are unemployed. And in the last 11 months we have only added 1.3 million people to the workforce. So the scale won’t be tipping in your favor anytime soon. (source)

That is why it is so critical for you to take the step towards adding value to your otherwise stalled career!

I know I talk about starting a business as if it is so easy. From my experience, it is not hard. At least what I am recommending you to do is not hard. Because we are not talking about going out and buying a plot of land and constructing a brick & mortar store front.

With the amount of technology and simplified tools available to the everyday person, setting up an online entity that can be the place of commerce for your business is easier than ever. And if you don’t know how to go about setting it up, then this may be a good time to pick up a new skill.

In that case, could your unemployment be related to something beyond discrimination? It could be time to pull out those old tools of yours and sharpen them up a bit.

The idea is, activity, activity, activity.

Make it Happen!