Worse Than A Has-Been

What’s worse than a Has-Been?

A Never-Will-Be.

At least a Has-Been got the chance to be in the game. He may have been on top for some time and would probably know the way if he desires to go back. A Never-Will-Be has already given up without even trying. A Never-Will-Be has not yet realized his full potential. And may never will.

A lot of us are like the Never-Will-Be. We have masterpieces still to be painted and songs yet to be written. But if we don’t take action, we may never realize our full potential and we may be depriving others of the chance to be touched and impacted by our contributions.

Fear plays a major part. Fear of rejection. Fear of criticism. Fear of failure. It prevents us from taking chances. It stifles us. If we can learn to manage our fears then we have a good chance of preventing this from happening.

• Realize what you’re missing. Fear causes us to hang on to false security. We hang on to a job beneath our abilities or a boss we dislike as long as we think we are safe. This is a false sense of security. We plod on because of the salary and the fringe benefits, but we may be shortchanging ourselves.
• Accept fear. Fear is everywhere and even high achievers are not spared from it. The only difference is that they’ve learned to conquer it.
• Face your fears. Get used to the feeling. This is especially true when you’re about to take a major step in realizing your goals. Fear will always be there. For example, right before that big presentation or that major interview before the board.
• Be willing to plan. You can minimize the impact of fear by preparing as much as ou can in any undertaking. Our anxiety is magnified because of lack of preparation.
• Make a leap of faith. Honor the Lord by showing your faith in Him as you pursue your goals. By persisting in spite of fear and by dedicating all that we do th Him.

Competitors formerly known as your employees

I read a bit of blog poetry from Own Your Brand. This piece was written by actual employees who have come to own their brands – by owning their businesses. Their bosses were their strongest motivation to reach out and chase their dreams.

An excerpt…

…our Thursday nights have united us
with entrepreneurial spirit and ambition
with you as the heart of our motivation…

The writers of were driven to put up businesses through their experiences with their bosses. This is probably a constant thought in many an employee’s mind. Good thing that after having endured their bosses,

… we have agreed to disappoint you and your customers
as long as you “boss” us without leading us.

these former employees dared and executed their exit plan. Read the complete poem here.

How to make your job bearable

A lot of people hate their jobs. Or haven’t you noticed? The frowning clerk at the store. That smirking barista or the government employee who just shrugs her shoulders and tells you that it’s the only way they do things. Blame job hate for these people’s behavior. They hate

Count your blessings. Some people don’t even have a job that they can hate. Think about it.

their bosses, their co-workers and their customers. They also hate the fact that you can afford to shop in their store, or that you’re employed by a large, multinational corporation with a lot of perks. Sometimes people take jobs only because of the money but later realize that it’s a bad fit. This person might even be you.

If you also hate your job and may be planning to get out. Look before you leap. Unless you can afford to, it’s foolhardy to suddenly quit (especially if you have a family). If possible, try to bear with your current position while formulating your exit plan. Here are some tips you can use.

• Be thankful. Count your blessings. Some people don’t even HAVE a job that they can hate. Think about it.
• Love your job (again). What is it about your job that made you sign up in the first place?
• Get involved. Involve yourself in your office activities. They may have a need for your unique talents. You can also get to see the company in a whole new perspective.
• Save up. Build a war chest of finances so you can walk away if it gets really bad.
• Polish your resume. Record your achievements as they happen. This exercise also builds your self-confidence and keeps you prepared in case you meet a potential employer.
• Network. Your current job can be your path to meeting your future employers or clients (if you’re planning to put up your business).

When the right time comes, you can rest easy knowing that you can make your move without leaving a trail of broken professional relationships and burned bridges. Everybody wins.

Are you afraid of success?

Believe it or not, this fear is very real for some people. It is said that celebrities such as Judy Garland, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Prinze Sr. had it. According to Dr. Leon Tec, author of “The Fear of Success”, this fear is described as a person’s unconscious fear that his success is not justified and that he is a fraud. It is tied to one’s self image. The fear of success is a negative force that can paralyze and interfere with the kind of rational risk-taking necessary for success. An aversion to the responsibilities that come with success can also be a factor in fueling this fear.

It is said that even Judy Garland, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Prinze Sr. had the fear of success.

Is this fear preventing you from improving your present situation? Are you unable to make the transition to a better job, a better position or a better relationship because of this destructive habit? Here are a few guidelines in managing this condition.

1. Learn to recognize this fear. You may not even be aware that such a condition exists. Increase your awareness. The only one holding you back from winning might be – you.
2. Find a reason to succeed. This fear is so widespread that even successful individuals also admit that they have it. The only difference is that their desire to succeed is stronger.
3. Be open to changes. New promotion, new job means new responsibilities and a lot of adjustments, right? Of course. It’s always been like that. The sooner you accept this, the better it is for you.
4. Fear not the responsibilities. You’ll always have to deal with these as long as you are alive, so fear not.
5. Be at peace with yourself. Feel good about yourself.. Forgive yourself. This takes the pressure off. As long as you feel positive about yourself, you will be productive wherever you are in the pecking order.

Are you being micromanaged?

Is your boss constantly hounding you and just won’t go away? Is he more obsessed with the activity than the outcome? Is the situation causing stress for you, and is now wreaking havoc on your productivity, morale and self-esteem? Maybe you’re being micromanaged

According to Harry Chambers’ My Way or the Highway: The Micromanagement Survival Guide here are some signs that you are being micromanaged:

• They exercise raw power: They assert their authority just because they can.
• They dictate time: They don’t trust people to assess their own workload, so they routinely impose priorities.  And while they guard their own time with an iron fist, they constantly interrupt others.
• They control how work gets done: Things always need to be done their way.
• They require undue approvals: They allow no one to move forward without their approval — even on routine or time-sensitive matters.
• They demand frequent, unnecessary reports: They monitor others to death — requiring a stream of needless reports that focus on activity over outcomes.

The business world is full of micromanagers.  While it is a serious career issue the situation is not as hopeless as it looks.  Here’s how you can manage the situation according to The Monster Blog:

1. Critique yourself.  Take a hard look at how you work.  There may be gaps in your performance and your boss may have some unmet expectations.  Do this first.
2. Understand Your Boss.  Understand where he’s coming from – an authoritative background, low self-esteem, insecurity, etc.
3. Confront Your Boss. Directly expressing your concern over his management style may do the trick.  For all you know, it may only be a miscommunication.
4. Document Your Work.  Record your actions and achievements.  Nothing beats having a reference the next time you are called to account for your work.
5. Extreme Measures. When all else fails, find another job. While it may be attractive to jump the moment you figure out that you’rer being micromanaged, don’t just leave without taking care of business. You should have a place to transfer to before saying adios.  You need an exit plan.  Your priority is to make your transition as smooth as possible. More on this during the next posts.

Letting go of Egypt

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

- Exodus 16:3

I was listening to Ed Lapiz on the radio one night when I thought I heard him say, “Let go of your Egypt”.  The phrase stuck to my mind.  He was talking about the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land.  When the Israelites came to the Desert of Sin (between Elim and Sinai) on the fifteenth day of the second month, after their final escape from the Pharaoh’s forces. They were grumbling because they had no food.  They recalled their days under the Pharaoh’s rule.  They were oppressed yet comfortable, to a certain extent.

The Lord may may have great plans for us but sometimes the only way to reach them is to get out of our comfort zones.  Moving on to a better position, a better job or to better circumstances, means taking a leap of faith.  It doesn’t mean being irresponsible and just leaving your current obligations.  It means planning, as much as you can, for that next big step.  Anticipating all possible scenarios and preparing for them gives us comfort but then, we get a feeling that somehow, certain factors can still conspire to foul things up just as we are making our big move. Now THIS is what makes us uncomfortable.  And this is were we need to make that leap of faith.  It will never make sense now but in hindsight (it’s always in hindsight, isn’t it?), you will understand why you were made to undergo such an experience in getting to your goal.

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

- Jeremiah 29:11

We should seek the best from God, but we have to leave Egypt to get to the Promised Land.

What’s your personal Egypt?

Are you dissatisfied?

Positive dissatisfaction is an expression I often hear during business reviews.  I’ve even pinned it down to its basic structure:  “You’re doing great and I’m happy with what you did ..(more praises) but (here it comes) in the spirit of positive dissatisfaction you should…(insert improvement opportunity here).”  While dreadful at first, this is exactly the type of comment we should learn to welcome. They’re actually letting you off the hook! To me this feedback means, “We believe you’re STILL CAPABLE of doing better.” Now, is that a statement of belief in you or what?

I’m all for positive thinking and reinforcement. We need these to encourage us and to motivate us further. But to a degree, we also need to always be critical of what we have achieved and to be always thinking of improving what we have done.

How dissatisfaction can help:
1. Keeps complacency in check.
2. Spurs us into further improving ourselves and our situation (irritants create pearls).
3. Nothing new was created by a satisfied person
4. Change and progress were always brought about by dissatisfied folks
5. Satisfied people tend to keep doing the same thing, that’s why things never seem to change.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!