It’s the middle of summer and it feels like we all could use a little encouragement to mentally “beat the heat”. This month we share a success story and some guidance on how to get “unstuck”. Our August 16 breakfast seminar has this same theme as we discuss how we end up in “stuck” places and what we can do to avoid the pitfalls. We hope you’ll join us.
Summer also conjurs up images of “fun”. We recently had a lot of fun at our Shedding the Shoulds event. The room was buzzing with dynamic women learning and creating professional connections. Times like this keep us motivated and inspired in our mission to support women and their careers.
Enjoy your summer!
Susan & Lynn
Feature Article
UnStuck
In the 1989 classic movie “Christmas Vacation”, the lead character, Clark Griswold, is on a mission to create the perfect old fashioned family Christmas. In his determination, he leaves all sense of reality behind. It starts when he takes a reluctant family to the country in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Without a saw (“Hey Dad, Did you remember to bring the saw?”) he pulls an oversized tree from the forest up by the root ball. At home after a major chain saw trimming, the tree branches blow out the living room windows and Clark is covered with sap. At the end of the day everything he touches sticks to him from the sap on his hands. As Clark pushes forward with every detail for the perfect family Christmas, it just keeps getting worse until…he steps back and regains perspective.
Whenever that “stuck” feeling comes up, the image of Clark Griswold trying to shake magazine pages off his sticky fingers comes to mind. A blindly determined Clark reminds us to step back.
A friend of ours (actually a very close friend of Susan’s – her husband!) is an airplane pilot. He refers to a piloting fundamental: “To get out of a tailspin, you just have to change one thing.”
That’s the way it is with our lives and our careers. You CAN get unstuck. You just have to change one thing to get started down a different path.
If you’re feeling like your life or career needs a minor (or major) adjustment, there are some simple things you can do.
We’re thrilled to report that the woman we wrote about in our April newsletter (Who’s With You?) has gotten herself ”unstuck”. She had made some quick and significant career changes without consulting her supporters. As a result, she ended up in an untenable situation in a company where she didn’t “fit”. Here’s what she did to correct her situation and how it correlates to our Career Fulfillment Model™.
She started by taking care of herself physically by engaging a running partner to train for a marathon. (Take care of your Basic Needs.)
She intentionally connected with her husband and daughter for support to remind herself of her priorities. (Recognize your priorities.)
She then took a step back to gain new perspective. This happened through the guidance and perspectives of other caring, but objective individuals, both friends and professionals. (Gain Perspective)
To regain clarity on those activities which she enjoys and does well, she carved out time for reflection. (Identify your Energy Gems)
Change requires action. She then assessed possible remedies and took action towards correcting her career crisis. In this case, she determined that there was no remedial action where she was, so she sought out the support of her professional network to begin looking for a job that would take her back to the energized and effective place where she had been. (Take Action.)
Any one of these actions would likely have put her on a path to recovery. The key is doing something to get out of the tailspin. She is now feeling restored, confident and on her way again!
On August 16 we are hosting a breakfast seminar entitled “When What You’ve Always Done Doesn’t Work Anymore”. If you feel the need to make some adjustments or just need a refreshing start to your day in community with other women, please join us by signing up here. If you have a friend who you know is seeking support (or could benefit from this seminar), please forward this newsletter to her!
We love success stories of women creating fulfilling lives and careers. We’d love to hear yours. Please share with us at Linkedin or Facebook.
If you’d like to catch up on previous newsletters, click here.
Resource Corner
You CAN take care of your basic needs, even during the workday. Sheryl Richardson shares her “New Rules for 21st Century Business” to support you in doing so.
Susan Hodge and Lynn Rousseau created Women Leading Together in order to provide seminars, workshops, and coaching circles to help career women move forward to create fulfilling careers. Visit our website at www.WomenLeadingTogether.com.
