Career Advice from an Inspirational Journalist

Great Career advice – for any career

Hiya,

My wife pointed me to this excellent article on becoming a freelance journalist by George Monbiot. The clue is in the word ‘free‘. But even if you’re not trying to be a writer the words here will inspire and provoke thought with regards to your own hopes and dreams.

If you’re still under 30 you may still have hopes and dreams, if you’re over 40 you may be wondering where they went. Read the article and it might just remind you…

Read the article by CLICKING HERE

Enjoy

Stu

🙂

Getting To Grips With Fear And Confusion

Hiya,

This is an excerpt from my book: “Do You Hate Your Job?” – I re-read it today because I am feeling some of these feelings at the moment and this helped. To get a free pdf copy of my book see instructions at the bottom…

“If you do decide to find a new job, new career or start up your own business know that there may well be fear and confusion along the way.

Learn to accept that, learn to understand that growing as a person is happening alongside this journey of following your passion, dream or goal. Sometimes you have to take the hit. If you want to go into events planning but don’t have the experience, why not get a job just helping other planners set their events up and learn how they do it from the ground up.

If you feel totally stuck or paralysed by fear or doubt – get calm. Sit still, breathe deeply and slowly and reconnect with your intuition, excitement, creativity and imagination. Trust yourself.

Accept that you won’t know all the answers, accept that you will have to take risks and above all accept that you may fail along the way. This is part of the journey. If it was easy everyone would do it – but they don’t. This is the road less travelled, this is the path to success, the difficult path but the one that leads to more fulfillment, contentedness, happiness, joy and ultimately life.

I did it, in fact I’m still doing it. Yes, I still have doubts and fears and I still find myself procrastinating from time to time. But at least now I’m aware of what’s going on and how to change it.

And remember to give yourself a break. It’s normal to be afraid, it’s normal to be unsure. Rather than chastise yourself for these negative feel- ings, acknowledge them. Sit with them for a while. Listen to what they’re trying to tell you. Then question if you agree with them or not.

Feelings are natural – accept them, allow them. If you want to know the strategies and tactics to change them… read on.”

To read the whole book simply email me at:  stuart.young40@googlemail.com  with “Send me the book” in the subject line and I’ll send it to you direct, no strings, no endless emails trying to sell you something. Promise!

Enjoy

Stu

🙂

Take this job and shove it!

Stuart Young, London, UK

Hiya,

Thought this might be a bit of fun…

On a serious note – if you really are feeling this way – DON’T go and say this to your boss before you read this book:

You may be one of the 80% struggling to enjoy their job at the moment but grab a copy of “Do You Hate Your Job?” right now at NO COST before you make any big decisions. If not for you then for someone you know that’s struggling to get out of bed every work day.

It will help you understand if you can actually fall in love with your present job, or whether it’s time to quit.

Click here to get your copy.

Enjoy

Stu

 PS: It’s short, to the point, full of useful, practical content, easy to understand and apply – get it now.

 

 

Have You Got Less Working Years Ahead Or Behind You?

Stuart Young, London, UK

Hiya,

This is an extract from my new eBook “Do You Hate Your Job?” which is available for 2 whole weeks to my subscribers at no cost ahead of it going on sale at Kindle.

(Details of how to get your copy at the bottom)

________________________

p.9 of “Do You Hate Your Job?”

I read a blog post by Stephen Edwards recently and this line in it inspired the question above: “The truth is I have probably lived more days than I’m going to live.“ Wow! That focuses the mind, right?

We’ve all heard of Peak Oil – it’s the point when we have burned more oil than is left in the ground, we’ve gone past the halfway mark – there’s less left than what we’ve used. Trouble is, we’re using it faster every day so it won’t last as long as we’ve been using it already.

This is much like life – it goes faster the more we live it. The older we get the quicker it goes! The big question is – what are you going to do with what’s left?

Nobody knows how much time they have, so let’s make each and every day a step towards who we really are and who we really want to be. Let’s show the world our unique selves, let’s offer the gift of ourselves to everyone.

If you’re a man of 38 or more, you’re probably halfway through your life – shocking right? The same if you’re a woman of 40 or more. I don’t say that to depress you but rather to spur you on to consider what you want the rest of your life to be like – work or otherwise.

And that is largely down to what you DO.

Every day is a new opportunity to change your mindset and change your life.

“All you have to do is decide what to do with the time that’s been given you.” ~ Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)

_______________________

To get your F.REE copy go here now

Enjoy

Stu

🙂

Do you suffer from Blue Monday?

Stuart Young, London, UK

Hiya,

You may have heard of Blue Monday , it’s the day in January that’s supposed to be the most miserable day of the year (as decided by Cliff Arnall but largely attributed to Porter Novelli PR agency).

Some say it’s the last Monday of the month, some say it’s the first.

According to the article it was a formula based on the weather, how many days it had been since Christmas, the amount of collective debt there is, and the time since failing any new year resolutions.

The equation has since been widely ridiculed but, there probably is some truth to it. This is the time of year when, certainly in the northern hemisphere, we are coming down from the high of the Christmas break. The weather IS terrible, we have spent to much, eaten too much, drunk too much and we generally re-evaluate our lives using the new year as a symbolic time of rebirth.

The Independent newspaper wrote about it the other day, as did many other papers and periodicals, so I guess this is on people’s minds everywhere.

But what can we do about it?

Well you can only change the things you can – the weather is the weather, everything else on the list is a matter of choice.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

For most people the act of going back to the same old workplace is key to the misery. If you are one of them maybe it’s time you start by looking at what you do for a living as a priority.

Do you want 2014 to be the same as 2013?

Enjoy

Stu

PS: To get your f.ree copy of ”Do You Hate Your Job?” a full two weeks before it goes on sale on Kindle, simply sign up for my f.ree ‘Ponders, Quotes and Questions‘ thought provoking email list here on the top right side of that page.

Earl Nightingale – The Strangest Secret

Stuart Young, London, UK

Hiya,

The late great Earl Nightingale spends 30 minutes in the video below teaching us about The Strangest Secret.

Including:

• WHY you should set goals
• How changing the way you think will be your greatest asset
• And a 30 Day test to improving your chances of success

Stay tuned over the next couple of days for details of how you can get your f.ree copy of my new eBook “Do You Hate Your Job?” – which shows you how to change the way you think about your present situation.

Enjoy,

Stu

PS: To get your f.ree copy of ”Do You Hate Your Job?” a full two weeks before it goes on sale on Kindle, simply sign up for my f.ree ‘Ponders, Quotes and Questions‘ thought provoking email list here on the top right side of that page.

What’s the cost of staying in your job?

Hiya,

If you’ve been following my recent posts, talking about whether you can stay in your present job or career or whether you may be better suited to getting out – then take a moment to consider the cost of doing nothing.

If you just stay where you are and you just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Not trying to fall back in love with it, not trying to recraft it into something more enjoyable – but just staying exactly where you are, it will cost you in the long run.

These are the three main areas where doing nothing will cost you:

• Emotionally
• Financially
• Opportunity cost

Emotionally – How I Identified I Was In The Wrong Job  will give you some clues to how you might be feeling right now and how you’re going to continue to feel if you do nothing about it. Anger, frustration, feeling stuck, chest pains etc. etc. It doesn’t get any better unless YOU change something. What’s the cost to your health and well being?

Financially – for me I was almost instantly better off when I made the change I needed. That may not be the case for everyone, but the question I asked myself at the time was: ‘Can I survive with less?’ When I decided I could, it made it easier to make the change – and that’s when opportunity raised its head. What’s the potential cost to your pocket?

Opportunity cost – I would never have known what opportunities were available to me if I had just put my head back in the sand, and I certainly wouldn’t be enjoying the lifestyle I have today. If you don’t put your head over the parapet you’ll never see what lies beyond the fortress walls. You have to consider the opportunities, look for them, recognise them when they show themselves and calculate the cost to you if you don’t seize them. What opportunity will you miss by staying as you are?

Hopefully you’ve spent the time necessary to create, separate and prioritise your opportunities list as mentioned in the last post How To Change Jobs (Step 3) . Those 5 top opportunities open to you, together with understanding the cost of doing nothing, should give you plenty to consider right now.

Mistakes

In my opinion, if you are in a job that you hate, or a company that you hate, then there are two mistakes you can make right now:

• #1 Doing nothing
• #2 Quiting before you understand what your options are

The next step is Deciding. This is the step that really set me on the path to my present lifestyle and circumstances. It seems daunting but in my next post I’m going to reveal how to make the decision process a whole lot easier.

Stay tuned

Stu

🙂

PS: Sign up for my free online video training series here: CLICK HERE and get my daily ‘Ponders Quotes and Questions‘ thought provoking emails automatically.

How to Change Jobs (Step 3)

Hiya,

Welcome back to this series of posts about understanding your opportunities and how they may lead you to your next career step.

In the last post How To Change Jobs (Step 2) we discussed sorting your opportunities list (of at least 30 items) into an A, B and C list. Give it a quick read if you need to.

You should have ended up with 10 items on your ‘A’ list. These should be the 1o things that you really enjoy doing, whether as a hobby or a part time income stream, or what you do right now for your job or what you’d LOVE to do.

Now sort this final list into order – #1 being the absolute best thing, right at the top. #2 being the 2nd best thing you think you could do, or would love to do, #3 being the third, and so on.

Once you’ve done that, get a pad and write down as many things as you’d need in order to make that #1 thing a reality. It might be that you need to retrain in some way. You might need to network with some industry leaders in your area. You might need to find certain resources like an accountant, financial advisor etc.

Then organise that list into the top 5 things you need to do.

You might be thinking right now – I hate all this list writing and thinking. I just want the answer. And I understand – I was there, to some degree I revisit there from time to time. But what I’ve learned over these last 10 years is… you get out what you put in. There is no short cut, you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get what you want in life. If this is too much hard work – ask yourself if you’re really committed to change your life. Are you committed to finding the career you love?

I hope you decide that you are, because I can’t help you if you’re not.

Those top 5 things that you need to do are now your opportunity to explore whether you can change your job or career.

Look out for my next post “What’s the cost of staying in your job?”

Take care

Stu

🙂

PS: My Free online Video Training series is here: CLICK HERE to sign up, and get my daily ‘Ponders Quotes and Questions’ thought provoking emails automatically.

PPS: My ‘Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life‘ 90 Day Program is still available as a complimentary bonus when you buy a copy of my book see here for details – offer ends 31st May.

How to Change Jobs (Step 2)

Hiya,

So, following on in this series of posts about getting out of a job that you feel trapped in, bullied, overworked, frustrated, used, or in any number of ways are just down right tired of – here’s what to do with your Opportunities List.

If you haven’t read the last 2 posts How to Change Jobs and Obstacles = Opportunities then take a quick look at them as this post will make a lot more sense if you do.

OK, presuming you’ve made your list and you have at least 30 things on there that you could do as well as your present job. Including things such as hobbies, activities that you have a skill in, other things that you just love doing, even if at the moment you don’t think you could make much, or even any money at.

The idea is that writing all these ideas down acts as a brain dump. You get rid of all the chatter and put it on paper – filed out of the way, so that your subconscious can offer forwards other options that you wouldn’t ordinarily think of.

When I first did this exercise after experiencing my catalyst, item number 27 was: start my own print consultancy business. That’s right, the most obvious thing to do for me – which was staring me in the face, which had been suggested many times by colleagues and friends, was simply not on my initial radar. It might seem crazy but we become so programmed by our education system, our family, friends, colleagues etc. that we’re good at something so we should just keep doing that, that when we decide we don’t want to do that anymore, we forget that we can still do it – but for ourselves instead. What we really might be thinking is: I don’t want to do this for someone else anymore.

So, on to prioritising your opportunities – go through your list and put the letter ‘A‘ next to just 10 of those things that you’d really like doing, the ones you’d love. The ones that you would jump excitedly out of bed for in the morning.

Then go back through the list and mark the letter ‘B‘ next to the next 10 things that you could do, if push came to shove,  – even if only on a part time basis.

Then mark the letter ‘C‘ next to all the remaining things that you really don’t want to do, you might be good at them, but you just don’t want to do them.

Now copy just the letter ‘A’s onto a separate sheet of paper.

In my own ‘A‘ list I had painting, writing, starting my own business based on my job, investing in property and teaching amongst other things. Once I had my ‘A‘ list I felt a surge of determination, but I knew I still needed even more focus.

In my next post How to Change Jobs (Step 3) I’ll explain what I did next.

Stay tuned

Stu

🙂

PS: Free online Video Training series here: CLICK HERE to sign up, and get my daily ‘Ponders Quotes and Questions’ thought provoking emails automatically.

PPS: My ‘Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life‘ 90 Day Program is still available as a complimentary bonus when you buy a copy of my book see here for details – offer ends 31st May.

How To Change Jobs

Hiya,

In the last post here we discussed how you can change how you feel about your job, please take time to read it if you haven’t already. Can you fall in love with your job (Pt.3) 

In today’s post I’m going to cover the very first thing that needs to happen if you do decide to move to another job, company or career – and especially if you want to start your own business.

How to Change Jobs

So whether you want to change your job or change the company you work for, or start your own business there’s ONE thing you absolutely must do – Change Your Mindset.

Most people think their qualifications or skills or network are the most important factors in creating the career of their dreams, WRONG! It’s our Mindset that determines the results we get in life. Your Mindset is made up of your beliefs, past experiences and associations you have about those experiences – good or bad!

You may not even realise how your Mindset has sabotaged you in the past or how it might continue to do so in the future. A great indicator of your Mindset is your life. If your life reflects all of your hopes and dreams and you are fulfilled and content, then I bet you have a great Mindset. If however, you look at your life and see areas that need definite improvement, then a shift in your Mindset is what’s required.

The good thing is the present state of your life is a result of who you ‘were‘ not who you ‘are‘ or ‘can be‘.

How To Change Your Life One Day At A Time

How To Change Your Life One Day At A Time provides a simple guide each day for an entire year that will help you shift your Mindset and improve ANY area of your life whether that’s your job, your relationships, your health, your achievements or anything else.

It’s a collection of all the learnings I’ve received over the last 20+ years on my journey of self improvement (which is ongoing) – many of which led me 10 years ago to get out of the rat race, start my own company, become a successful artist, a property investor and an author amongst other things.

If I can create the lifestyle I always dreamed of by changing my Mindset – YOU can too!

What are your options?

I suggest one exercise from the book – write an opportunities list. Get a pad or blank sheet of paper and over the next week write down every skill you have and then turn those skills into opportunities. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert at something, and remember to consider ALL of the things you have some skill at – you don’t have to think about doing that thing as a full-time job. And include them even if you think you’d never want to earn money at it – just for the moment.

It will take at least a week to exhaust all of your skills/opportunities – talk with family members and close friends – they will be a mine of useful suggestions. You should aim to have at least 30 items on your list.

Consider things like:

Your present job – could be happier doing this in another company

Spin-offs of my present job – could do another aspect of my job in another company

Able to cook – could work in a restaurant or cafe

An interest in writing – could write articles for magazines or information books

Coaching kids sports – could offer one to one tuition

Clean driving license – could drive a taxi, courier van, limo etc.

Experience in volunteer group – could work for a charity

Love to paint – could sell art to galleries, art shops etc.

Good at DIY – could become a handyman/woman

Very organised – could become a PA

The list is waaaay bigger than you will first imagine. As it grows, so will your excitement and confidence that you can get away from the job you’re in. This in turn will shift your Mindset about the possibilities in front of you.

In my next post I’ll explain what to do with that list of opportunities.

Stay tuned

Stu

🙂

PS: Free online video training series here: CLICK HERE sign up and get my daily ‘Ponders Quotes and Questions‘ thought provoking emails automatically.

PPS: My ‘Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life‘ 90 Day Program is available as a complimentary bonus when you buy a copy of the book see here for details – offer ends 31st May.