Be Deliberate

To be DeLiberate you must embrace a few principles:

• Screw the rules
• Let yourself off the hook
• Only fools fit in
• Give your collateral cojones

Are you ready?

1. Screw the Rules

OK, not all the rules, but many of the rules that we live by. They are old rules, like a pair of old shoes that we’ve outgrown.

These rules are really hurting us. What if you let go of trying to prove something right or wrong by the way you live your career? Think about the art major who changed to engineering because her husband thought art was frivolous. (You would love to know what she is doing now!)

You know exactly what I mean. If you have the sense that you’re in a “plan B” career, then your old rules are ruling you. Period.

2. Take Yourself off the Hook

There are a million career weights I see people carry. What’s your albatross? Perhaps you’re someone who’s “stayed at the fair too long” and you’re carrying the regret of wasted years, or depleted after putting in the time and being laid off anyway.

Or maybe you’re in a job because you feel it’s the “responsible” thing to do, especially in this economy. What if the most responsible thing to do is to cut yourself some slack and begin to create your own economy?

3. Only Fools Fit In

Many of my clients and I have spent years trying to find the perfect career where we finally fit in. The truth is that there is no magic wand that will give you that “fitting in” feeling. You are in charge of your experience. And your unique experience is what will make you fit in anywhere if you decide to. No amount of external validation will make you feel that you fit until you hear your own voice saying, “This is where I belong.” So buy your own darn magic wand (maybe it’s me?) and let’s get to work.

4. Give Your Collateral Cojones

“My resume is fine.”

“Shouldn’t the recruiter handle that?”

“My boss knows what I’m contributing – I don’t have to spell it out.”

NO. Nada. Not these days.

And that’s a good thing. Because the old rules for career search were about fitting in, checking the boxes, polishing up the resume, and blasting you to the universe. And they were exhausting. Stop sending your boring, flat resume to people who don’t care about you.

In today’s career market, you need collateral with cojones. It’s not just about what you’ve done, it’s about your big “so what?” You will never stand out, command a higher salary, or make your job search fun if you don’t know what your impact is and aren’t willing to share that value with your potential employers. I call it your “negotiationship.”

It’s bringing the right impact to the right people so they are willing to pay top dollar for Y-O-U. But you’ve got to get REAL.

R – elevant – What is important to you?
E – valuate – Where are you now, and where do you want to go?
A – ction – Set goals, get into action and celebrate the progress.
L – everage – Move forward for your best life and career!

REAL people get REAL jobs and make REAL money.

It breaks my heart when people think of themselves as ordinary – just another accountant, engineer, CPA, or graphic artist.

Because it leads them to approach their careers in an ordinary way.

But you are extraordinary. You have a purpose.

You may be just one of a few PhDs in a graduating class or one of hundreds of lawyers or engineers, but no matter the numbers — you are unique.

Two people may have the same degree, but one got it while fighting fires and another was fighting cancer. Be deliberate about where you’ve been and where you’re going, because your path has value.

What if you treated yourselves as a special guest? Would you begin to watch out for your needs and desires and maybe even notice what’s extraordinary about you?

When you start expecting extraordinary things from your career and your life, no ordinary resume will do, no ordinary job search, not the everyday networking – no way. No settling for companies and organizations that don’t fit.

I am not afraid to grab you and shake up who you think you are so you can claim your real prize.

It’s great here on the DELIBERATE side of life. Join me!