Welcome to the Fulfillment@Work Newsletter
Published by Joel Garfinkle, Dream Job Coaching
ISSN: 1533-3906

Contents

1. Feature Article: Forty to Life
2. Quotes of the Week
3. Love Work Tip: From Unemployed To Entrepreneur
4. Dream Job Tip: Getting More Out Of The Circle Of Life
5. We Recommend: Healthy Level of Insanity

Feature Article
Forty to Life

Statistic gatherers tell us that on an average day, 8,838 Americans turn 13, 10,951 turn 40, another 6,000 turn 65, and 35 turn 100. So who cares? What really counts is what we do with the information, wisdom and experienced we have accumulated over the years.

A client of mine recently said, "It's awfully depressing to be over 40, still not knowing what you want to be when you grow up and possibly starting all over again and getting situated in a new career. It makes me feel like a total failure at this stage in life, when there are so many others I see secure in what they're doing and able to concentrate on other things."

This individual is far from alone in his way of thinking. No matter how successful we are, everybody encounters failure on the job and life in general. But what so many of us don't realize is that there are really no mistakes in life and what we consider failure can actually be a step forward to creating an empowered and passionate life.

It's perfectly understandable why someone at this stage in their lives would see themselves a failure. However, when you fail or have to make a career change in later life you are in truly good company, especially when you consider the resume of this great American: Age 22, failed in business. Age 23, ran for legislature and was defeated. Age 24, failed again in business. Age 25, elected to legislature. Age 27, had a nervous breakdown. Age 29, defeated for Speaker of legislature. Age 31, defeated for elector. Age 34, defeated for Congress. Age 37, elected to Congress. Age 39, defeated for Congress. Age 46, defeated for Senate. Age 47, defeated for Vice President Age 51, elected President of the United States.

This is the record of one of the greatest leaders in world history, Abraham Lincoln. Throughout his life, he suffered more setbacks than successes but because he never gave up his prize for perseverance was the highest office in the land.

Other so-called failures include another famous U.S. President, Harry S. Truman who lost it all as a haberdasher and R.H. Macy who went out of business seven times before his store caught on in New York. Likewise, when Bob Dylan performed at his high school talent show, his fellow classmates booed him off the stage.

When we come to realize that failure is the instructive side of experience it becomes easier to see how much more in life is available to us and no matter where we are on our individual paths to success is an incredible place to be.

Aristotle Onassis, one of the world's richest men, once said, "You don't fail until you give up." In other words, giving up is not just quitting, it is actually choosing to fail. No matter what your age or status in life never put more energy into not making mistakes but instead devote your maximum efforts into doing work that is truly meaningful.

If you want to learn how to Find Your Dream Job, click here:
http://www.dreamjobcoaching.com/coaching-overview.html

If you want to learn about Executive Coaching, visit:
http://www.GarfinkleExecutiveCoaching.com

~ Joel Garfinkle
Dream Job Coaching:
Live Your Dream Life!

Quotes of the week

"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
~ George S. Patton

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
~ Confucius

"I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile."
~ Walter Chrysler

Love Work Tip
From Unemployed To Entrepreneur

If you're unemployed or soon to be out of work you may be considering going into business for yourself. Here are a few strategies to help you evaluate whether your finances, personality and skills are ready to take the plunge.

1. Consider whether or not you'll enjoy being your own boss and possibly managing others? If you feel more comfortable reporting to someone else then running your own business might not be for you.

2. Talk to other business owners to see what being self- employed entails, often you'll find it's harder than working for someone else.

3. Make sure you have enough money to get started. You'll need enough funding to sustain your daily expenses until your business turns a profit which could take a minimum of three to six months. Many times it's more economical to purchase an existing business rather than starting a new one.

4. Conduct research on government loan programs and other low-cost resources that may aid you in the startup process. The U.S. Small Business Administration is an excellent resource.

5. Most importantly, just like finding your Dream Job, pick a business that matches your talents, interests and passions.

Dream Job Tip
Getting More Out Of The Circle Of Life

Since the above article deals so much with life changes, now is an excellent time to briefly review an exercise from my interactive Land Your Dream Job workbook entitled the Circle of Life Assessment. First of all, everyone's circle of life can broken down into eight separate sections. These life domains are: health, money, family, friends, intimate partner, leisure, personal/spiritual growth and career.

To begin this exercise, construct a pie chart with a separate slice for each life domain. Seeing the center of your circle as 0 and the outer edge, fill-in the pie where you think rank in each individual "slice of your life."

Using a scale of 1-10, (one represents not satisfied, ten represents true happiness) label your level of personal satisfaction for each category accordingly. Once your pie chart is completed, now the real work begins:

1. Focus on at least one segment of the pie chart to begin working on right away to improve it's score. For example, if your leisure slice of life brings forth thoughts like "I don't do anything for fun because I don't have the time," start by eliminating the time which is already dedicated to "necessary" activities. Factor eight hours a day for sleep, eight hours a day for work, commuting time and meal time. How many hours in the day are left over?

2. Examine how you spend the remaining time. Are you using segments of your remaining free time to do something you enjoy? Try listing leisure activities you regularly enjoy in the pie chart. If you come up with a larger number than you thought, adjust your score accordingly. If you come up with less or none at all, then your score should be lower.

3. If your satisfied with your leisure time move on to the next segment. As you go through each segments you'll begin to see how best to use your time and create a life around what is most important.

We Recommend
How to Keep a Healthy Level of Insanity (for fun only)

1) At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

2) Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

3) Insist that your email address is: Xena-Warrior-Princess@Uwillnotwin.com ....or Elvis-the-King@iseedeadpeople.com

4) Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

5) Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN."

6) Pretend an unnatural fear of staplers.

7) Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

8) In the memo field of all your checks, write "FOR SEXUAL FAVORS".

9) Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."

10) Don't use any punctuation

11) As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

12) Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.

13) Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

14) Sing along at the opera.

15) Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.

16) Put mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

17) Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

18) When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won!", "I Won!" 3rd time this week!!!"

19) When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"

20) Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."

And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity....

21) Send this e-mail to everyone in your address book, even if they sent it to you or have asked you not to send them stuff like this.

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Copyright 1998-2006, Joel Garfinkle, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute DreamsWork so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached.