How To Overcome Life Obstacles – Moving Backward To Move Forwards

There are always going to be challenges that knock us so hard that we fall righ on our backsides. Whether it’s work, relationships, or home-life.
It can seem like there are no options. 

“How can I fix this thing that is broken?”

Maybe you’re trying to do the wrong thing. Sometimes, you need to let that thing burn to the ground.

Set The Charges

Not everything can be fixed. That project, that career, that idea – maybe it’s just not right.

Perhaps it’s time for another incarnation of that concept, like rebooting a movie. Reuse some of the constituent parts, add some new elements in, shake it about, and maybe that will be better.

We can’t always go in the same direction. You might have to admit you shouldn’t have turned left. It might be time to turn around.

Maybe it’s time to get out of that relationship, if it’s no good for either of you. Or that job is leading you nowhere. Or that project, or business, is just not as compelling as it should be.

Think of a wildfire. It’s a storm of chaos, smoke, heat. It destroys everything in its path. It kills, maims, and traumatises. But, like so much in nature, it has a purpose.

The carbon released in the cathartic fires of the wildfire rejuvenate the soil. And where there once was only blackness, green shoots soon grow. The world reboots, burns everything to the ground, so life can go on in a promising new direction.

Work, love, and life are just the same.

Two Steps Back

It can feel counter-intuitive, but moving forwards is not always right.

And being stuck in the throngs of the situation can blinker your view of what is going on.

You need to zoom out to the 30,000 feet, general on a hill, type perspective. What is the long-term prognosis? What is the honest benefit that will come of what I’m doing? What would happen if I quit?

The truth is, if done carefully, the world will not end. As long as you move right onto the next thing.

And from quitting that job, project, relationship, business idea, etc you might just find yourself on a path to greater success.

Often in life, it’s better to take two steps back to take one forward.

KG Heath is a digital health tech professional, author, and lifestyle blogger. You can download his debut novel FREE here.

Why Nobody Cares – The Pain of Creation

For creators, there is a sad truth. Just because you made something does not mean anyone will care.

Whether it’s a YouTube channel, an Instagram account of amazing artwork, or a blog. Do not assume a throng of people will come, just because you completed the art of creation.

Does that mean we shouldn’t create? No, you must.

Why No One Cares

I said in my interview on the Build Your Platform podcast with Andy Stitt, your friends and family can’t be relied upon to be your first loyal audience. They will either dissuade you from the act of creation, or will not engage with your creation.

Is it because they are heartless bastards who want you to suffer in a pit of your own despair? No. They have their own lives and have no idea of your pride, or excitement in what you have made. Maybe they don’t like that kind of thing.

You also can’t expect the world to come running to your YouTube channel, or whatever else creative portal. Expect to be shouting into the void. You’ll be doing that because there is too much shiny out there, and these platforms are designed to support those who are popular, because the community endorses them, or the algorithms understand their work enough to promote with the confidence the audience will like them.

It’s also the artists journey, to at first make when no one is watching, to never give up until the world comes running.

Why You Should Create

If you have a talent, whether it is singing, photography, writing, painting, etc, then you should utilise that skill. You should hone it, and you should let it free into the world.

But, you cannot allow vanity to get in the way. Likes and followers allow for some instant gratification, but your work is not about them.

Creation is about letting your ideas free, to make something only you could have made and to share that with others.

But, it’s also about helping and connecting with others. Meet up with, or connect online, with other creators. Remember, YouTube, Instagram etc are social networks, so engage with others.

We need to fully explore the topic of platform building in more depth, but creation, broadcasting, is not enough. The future is about engaging.

In short, the tl;dr, is this:

Create like nobody cares.

Job Hunting Webinar That’s Free To Attend – Becoming A Self-marketeer

I like to help people. It’s in my nature. I hold open doors, help lift things, and do the best I can to look after those in my care (personally and professionally). So, when I was a life skills trainer, I felt this was a calling, because people really needed my help. 

Today, that fact is still true. There are too many people who are clueless about lots of things. But, they don’t have to be. 

If you’re struggling to find work, and you’ve been applying for a billion jobs, but not getting any interest, you probably need my help. 

You see, that tells me, you’re failing the first hurdle, the CV/resume/application check. But, the problem may have started much earlier (not birth), in that you may be using a scatter-gun approach to job application. 

There’s an example of the kind of insight I can bring.

The content is tried and tested, having been delivered a lot in front of live delegates, and is backed by industry standards and methods. 

I would like to run this as a free webinar in job search called Becoming A Self-Marketeer. 

If you would like to be invited to this webinar, please join the mailing list (you get a free copy of my debut novel too).

Why Attend

The host, me, is a manager within a digital health supplier, was a life skills trainer, and managed a department within hospitality. I have recruited people, been recruited, and helped others get recruited.

The tactics, tips, and tricks that I can teach you will get you interviews, and can get you job offers. 

Why is it called Becoming A Self-marketeer? Because this isn’t about job search, it’s about knowing you, the product, and selling that to people who need you, the hiring managers.

How? Well, I give you the behind the scenes angle of what it’s like as a recruiter and hiring manager. We would look at everything from choosing the job, to building the CV/resume, interview techniques, and finishing with career tips. 

Does that sound like the kind of thing you need to hear?

And I’d be more than happy to do it all for free via webinar. 

If you think a friend needs to learn this, get them to sign up to the mailing list to be invited. 

Nervous?

No need. All attendees would be muted and only able to use the chat feature to ask questions, though some will be selected to speak if they are happy to. Otherwise, it’s fine just to lurk on the call and soak up all the knowledge. 

As I always say, if you feel nervous, you know it’s the right action to be taking. It means you’re about to make a leap. 

Go for it. 

Join the mailing list and your invite will be in its way closer to the date of the webinar. 

How Seth Godin Manages His Life

To the loyal readers of this blog, I don’t have to do any introduction to Seth Godin. But, let’s just say he is a specialist in the area of shipping and marketing.

I have found his writing and talks to be utterly fascinating since I first stumbled across him about six years ago. Since then, I’d devoured what I can online. I have read a few of his books, but not as many as I should do. If you knew what my book backlog looked like, you would know why.

But, Seth Godin is someone you need to enjoy in either audio, or video – or, as I’m so jealous of, in person like my friend Fraser did whilst volunteering for one of his courses in New York.

And that’s why I’m recommending this podcast episode to you. I think it makes for the ultimate example of Seth Godin at his best. You will certainly come away with some great learning from this experience.

Stick your headphones on and do the dishes to this one.

Listen to the episode here.

Becoming More Likable Is Far Simpler Than You Think

We are drawn to likable people, the individuals who is ooze charisma and energy, and personality. But is it all about what they say? Actually, it’s not.

So often, life can seem complicated, full of barriers and limitations. But, as I’ve come to find, the things in life that can unlock your real potential are simple concepts that can be easy to put into action.

Becoming a more likable person is just the same.

Be More Present

• Put away your phone
• Actively listen
• Maintain eye contact
• Shut the hell up

By not doing anything, letting that other person talk, showing them that you are engaged with what they are saying, allows that other person to feel a connection to you. You get them, you want to be with them, and you care about their input.

But, our modern life and its ticks get in the way of this. Avoid the distraction of notifications by sticking your phone in your pocket, or in a bag.

For the outgoing person, the most difficult thing for us to do is to stop talking. It’s not because we like the lime-light, but because it’s our natural instinct to want to fill silences. But you need to keep in your mind that this other person needs their chance to talk.

Make Someone Talk

Some people are not used to their opportunity to talk, or they feel their views and ideas are undervalued. So, as a person seeking better connections with people, it’s your job to coach these individuals into talking.

How do you do that?

Use open questions: why, how, what, when type questions. These are very difficult to answer with a yes / no response – unless this person really has difficultly with social norms.

Asking a person “what do you think about…”, “how did you do such and such”, “when was a time you…”, this gives the individual the opportunity to really talk.

Get Your Drill Out

But, if you really want to understand a person and their view on a topic, that initial line of questioning might not be enough. You need drill a little bit deeper, that where the meat of the topic is.

The deeper you go, the more the other person will feel you are interested in what they have to say.

Hook onto something they have said, a thought, a reason why they can’t do something: “why do you think that?”, “who says that?”, “when did you realise?”

And the amazing thing about drilling questions is that you can keep going further, and further, until you really find the pearl that is hidden deep inside.

Isn’t This Fake?

It’s true that some people would use these kinds of tactics to be a very fake person. But, with great power comes great responsibility. A false person will always be find out. So, be honest.

The reason you need to use these kinds of tactics is that, deep down, individuals want to be changed and influenced, and heard. So, isn’t it up to you to help facilitate that in the people you meet?

And, by following these techniques, they will to you being seen as a very likable person, increasing your opportunities to help more people, growing your level of influence.

Your level of success is dependent on the success of the people around you.

So, help others.

Why You Should Be Sleeping Naked Tonight – Recommended Reads

Here is today’s recommended reading.

• More people are becoming near-sighted – and no one knows why, and it’s becoming a silent epidemic
• What you can learn from Saint Lauren designer Hedi Slimane – from an interview, Om Malik took a number of take-aways focusing on culture, society, and contemporary life
• Why you should be sleeping naked tonight – some top tips on why wearing clothes to bed can be bad for you
• 10,000 hours with Reid Hoffman – 16 lessons spent being very close to the LinkedIN chairman (still working my way through, but very compelling stuff

Do you like these recommended reads? Let me know in the comments.

Today’s Links

• I’m already on British Summer Time – how one guy just never turned the clocks back and he’s loving every minute
• We could not look the survivors in the eye if we didn’t build this back door – emotional arguments always win over a logical argument. But, how do you get the public to understand legal precedent?
• Tell me about when you failed – the higher up the ladder you go, the tougher the questions get. Here’s some killer interview questions to get your teeth around
• How to use LinkedIN groups – becoming the savvy networker you know you should be 

The Most Dangerous Word Is Just – How To Know Your Real Career Potential

We have probably all said it when describing ourselves to others. “I’m just an X.”

But, I was taught this lesson a long time ago when I said: “oh, I’m just a trainer.” Right there, I degraded a career seen as a skilled worker’s job.

The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential.”

Calvin Coolidge

I’ve been fortunate to work in the training world for over six years. In that time, I had a chance to work with people down on their luck, fighting to get back on their feet and find work. Much of the work I had to do was to get them to take pride in their achievements and the skills they had gained.

The feeling of falling behind is common among high achievers. The bar is set high. Drive leads us to look at others who are further ahead, and to feel that we are not enough.

But, like a child learning to work, who falls after only a few steps, it’s important to look back at how far we have come, no matter how many times we have – or we feel – we have tripped.

Realising Your Value

So, how do we realise what our worth is, how much progress we have made?

We need to see the forest for the trees.

Write down on a sheet of paper, or several, all the individual skills you have. Whether it’s tying knots, cooking, quieting a crying baby, teaching a nervous technophobe to check their emails, motivating someone, CPR, writing clearly and concisely, or putting together furniture. You are the sum of this jigsaw of skills.

It is these abilities that are the envy, and the desirable abilities, others want or need.

It’s important to take pride in each of these abilities, to use them to get ahead of your peers, to help others, and to teach them to others.

Every step on the career ladder is about reaching for the next thing you cannot do yet, and relying on the multitude of things you are already capable of.

Grasp these skills, master them, utilise them, and cherish them, with unapologetic pride.

Looking Back

Do not look back on your journey with negativity, believing it is not enough. You cannot change the past, you can only move forward.

Accept the lessons you have learned, and move forward with purpose and conviction.

You are not just anything. You are the envy of others, but only if you realise your potential. For then you will have the kind of sense of purpose and positivity that others will lack.

Become an inspiration to them. Do great things, using your real potential. Do not be held back by your negative perception of what you can do and what you have done.

We can all be great, if we believe it.

Do you? Let me know in the comments.

It’s Not Your Turn Is It

Seth Godin’s article is a wake up call. You don’t have to believe what you hear. 

If you’re moving forward and moving fast, you’ve no doubt heard it:

People who look like you aren’t qualified to do this work.

Your resume is thin.

You don’t know the right people.

You’re too young to take this one on.

Read the whole article.

Make This The Year You Start Your Journey To Fulfilling Your Ambition

We all have career and life goals, and they seem so difficult to attain. But, here’s the thing. This can be the year you start your journey.

And it’s easier than you think — not to reach your end goal, but to start the journey there.

As Casey Neistat says:

“It’s not the ideas that matter, but the execution.”

That means you need to start, and do, and work, and finish.

All of that is going to be on top of the day job — or the three jobs you hold down. But, the sooner you start to do the real work you’re dreaming of, the sooner you will achieve your end goals.

This year can be about starting and doing. You just need to start.

If you want to be a Youtuber, you just make an account and start making you first video. If you want to be an artist, then you be start making some art. If you want to have your own business, then you best start working on your product/service.

Don’t Have A Definite Goal?

If you’re not sure what you want to do, then you need to start doing more of anything. It’s only through action that you will find your purpose.

Because sometimes, your purpose will be a surprise to you.

Go and meet more people, experience more things, say yes to what you makes you scared (especially if it’s about what other people will think of you).

Adventures are meant to be scary.

You can make this year what ever you want it to be, you just need to do it.

Tell me what you are going to do with this year in the comments.