How well does your job "fit" you right now?

Do you ever feel like a square peg in a round hole, like you are not in the right job for your talents at this time? Do you worry that you are not making the difference you want to make in this world? Are you unable to keep up with (possibly unrealistic) job productivity measures? Maybe you are exhausted from balancing home and work, and work involves a complex travel schedule or other major overtime. What can you do if you are faced with a situation like one of these? First, make a list of your skills, even if they are not related to your current work. Second, describe your ideal job, or as many aspects as you can. For example, you prefer to work in a teams of 2, you want different hours, you like to work with food, or you want to make a difference in the world by _______. Consider your current job. Can it be modified in some way to use more of your talents? Can you ask for a transfer to another department that would be a better fit? Do you want to move to another part of the city or country? Look online at LinkedIn.com, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, your local newspaper, and many other such sites. Look in your professional journals and online at your professional association, if you belong to one. As the economy starts to improve, the job market should loosen up, and more positions become available. Remember you do have options!

Motivating Yourself: Facing a Difficult Challenge

Have you ever faced a challenge to improve something about yourself after years of tolerating the problem? Suddenly you have an opportunity to make the change - but now you are trying to decide if it is worth the effort that will be involved? What made you decide the effort was worth it, at least enough to take the first step? Please share how you motivated yourself to start, and to continue the process! How did you deal with any setbacks, and what was the challenge you were overcoming? I will pass on your responses to someone who is trying to make such a decision now, and who might welcome words of wisdom from people who have already successfully tackled their own challenges (or are in the process of doing so).

Have you ever been strongly urged to do (or not do) something? Did you feel you were being manipulated? The next time this happens, ask someone else for his or her view of the issue. For many issues, you can also Google the issue online - and sometimes get a large number of responses! The upcoming elections (national, state and local) plus many claims for products or other suggested actions will provide lots of opportunities to think for yourself. If someone is vehemently opposed to, or strongly in favor of, something, know that there is often another side. Be aware - and think for yourself! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in communication skills for leaders, accent modification, diction, presentation skills and more. Training is available through coaching and e-books.