So often we get caught up in our daily routines only to forget the most important element in our lives, our health and well being. We are so busy taking care of everyone and everything else that we ignore ourselves until we either get sick or end up at the doctor with an injury. While none of us will ever admit to having the time to be ill or injured, we often don’t allow the critical time for health and wellbeing. When we honor ourselves and our bodies we will have a greater opportunity to experience the wellness necessary to keep up with and care for our families, enjoy time with our friends, succeed in our work, make a positive difference to ourselves and others.

*I am not a medical professional and all recommendations here are based on extensive personal experience and that of family and friends. I would encourage you to speak with a trained medical professional regarding your own physical limitations and challenges before following any advice.

Here are some great ways to celebrate your health and fitness:

Daily Exercise

Make a point of establishing a routine that works for you. If you are a morning person and can add in even 30 minutes a day at the front end for a brisk walk, a spin on a bike (stationary or otherwise), yoga stretches, Pilates, or whatever makes you feel good, do it. I have found that I literally block my fitness time on my calendar and won’t schedule anything over it. It is my time to feel good, get my heart rate up, and break a sweat! So many of us spend so much of everyday sitting in a car, in an office, on the sofa, at a table, we really do need to make an effort to keep our body active and in tune.

If you are a night owl and prefer to schedule your routine later in the day, make that commitment and create it to work for you. Usually doing exercise right before bed is not recommended as it tends to generate more energy than rest, but perhaps after work or before dinner you can salvage 30 minutes for fitness.

Often we get trapped in the thinking that if we can’t devote at least an hour, it isn’t worth it. This is inaccurate thinking and creates an excuse for not stepping up to take care of ourselves. I have found as have many others that a short regular routine that I do literally every day energizes me and renews my commitment to myself.

Meditation or Prayer

I like to add this on to my exercise routine as this is exercise for the mind and heart. While I know you can go to classes on meditation and that most programs demand 20 minutes to over an hour, I find that even 10 minutes at the opening of my day and 10 minutes at the close of my day can give me greater peace of mind and quiet any anxiety and concerns I may have.

This is an invaluable opportunity to clear your mind of all the priorities, obligations, challenges and more that we each experience daily and just tap into that inner quiet place we each have. (Yes, you do have it too!) This may seem almost impossible first as few of us are accustomed to sitting completely still and quietly for any length of time at all. We always have something distracting us whether it is a computer, television, phone, or someone else in the room. This is time free of distractions and interference, time with just you.

If you have time, do explore the meditation and prayer classes offered at local centers and churches. You may find your own road to peace of mind that much faster.

Cleansing

While I do have friends that swear by a regular colon cleanse, this can be time consuming, not always comfortable, and costly. You don’t have to go to extremes to get valued results. Cleansing can be as simple as taking one day a week or month to rid your body of the accumulated toxins by drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of purified water only, (if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 oz. of water, a good daily practice as well), no soda, no coffee or tea, no juice, no alcohol, and consuming nothing more than raw fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you prefer you can find any number of prescribed cleanses both online and in health food stores that will allow you the chance to get your body back in balance and give it a break from all the junk we so often consume. This is also a chance to become alcohol and caffeine free. Giving up white sugar and flour products can also be very freeing. Many of us have accumulated allergies to foods we eat regularly and just ignore the uncomfortable side effects. When we cleanse and allow our bodies the opportunity to rebalance, we will notice an increase in our energy levels, we often need less sleep, and we will enjoy sharper mental clarity.

Healthy Eating

IBS, otherwise known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Acid Reflux are all new diseases caused by reactions to foods we have been eating for a long time and the fact that our lives are usually overloaded with stress and anxiety. Rather than add a lot of pills to conquer the symptoms of these illnesses, it makes more sense to find out the root cause and deal with it directly. Often the medications only mask a larger problem and don’t address something as simple as lactose intolerance or an allergy to gluten (yes this does knock out a lot of foods, but there are just as many that are still available and delicious and won’t cause painful side effects when eaten.)

One of the keys to getting back our balance is to reevaluate our diets and pay more attention. This is not about going on a permanent diet unless you want to. I hate the word diet; it implies limitations and inability to enjoy what I want. I prefer instead to eat consciously and pay attention to what my body is asking for. Rarely is it screaming for the cookies, muffins, and desserts I think I want, or that are fast and easy. Instead it is wanting a balance of protein, carbs and fats that will leave me with energy and vitality. We all know how when we indulge in a large lunch loaded with carbs like that Mexican taco special or the pasta buffet that we are ready for a major nap by mid afternoon. We also know that if we indulge less and instead reach for a salad with chicken or tuna and skip the bread and pasta we’ll be more productive, less forgetful, and stay better on track through the remainder of the day. It is easy to get lazy, but the only one we hurt is truly ourselves when we don’t honor our bodies with healthy eating. Are you listening to your body?

Believe me, I have tried just about every diet on the market at one time or another with very little success or success that lasted a week to a month and no more. From Atkins and South Beach to Optifast and just plain old fasting, I’ve done the ketosis diet, the cabbage and orange juice cleanse diet, Weight Watchers and more. I’ve battled weight almost my entire life, but I have found that what works the best is listening to your body and knowing the consequences of ignoring it. Even 10 extra pounds will leave you feeling lethargic, uncomfortable, and uninterested in activities you might usually enjoy. We all make excuses, we are short for our weight, we are fluffy (my favorite!), we are overweight not fat (what is the difference?), we are bloated (everyday?), it’s hormones, it’s PMS, it’s our job, it isn’t. It is simply we are out of control and not honoring our bodies and celebrating the health we deserve.

Please know that I am not suggesting that you replace all your favorite foods with organic substitutes as often you will be dissatisfied with the lack of flavor and cardboard consistency! I know, I have tried this. I have also learned that attempting to find an energy bar that tastes as good as a balanced meal is virtually impossible. They should be used sparingly and as a meal on the go. Too often I know folks that have substituted these for candy bars, or added them to their diet multiple times a day as a snack, not realizing that while the calories may be better allotted to protein instead of carbs, it is still extra calories that will add up at the end of the day, and show up on the scales at the end of the week and month.

Regular Check Ups

How often do we make sure that our kids are well cared for by the pediatrician and that our aging parents get to the doctor regularly but we ignore our own needs for regular checkups. Our bodies are like cars and need to go in for periodic checkups and sometimes tune ups. We are far more likely to avoid significant illness if we stay on top of our health. I am not suggesting going in for every ache or pain, but regular preventive maintenance can be far more time and cost effective than periodic major overhauls and breakdowns.

Women don’t enjoy mammograms anymore than men look forward to prostate exams, but they are necessary to ensure our continued good health and to head off any possible challenges as early as possible. When you are scheduling the kids and your Mom and Dad, take time to schedule yourself.

Be sure to check out Celebrate Your Health and Well Being, Part II for more great ideas on honoring yourself! To get the book, Celebrate Your Life! featuring 101 ways to honor and embrace the best of life every day, go to www.theartofcelebrating.com. For more about author and lifestyle expert Melissa Galt, check out www.melissagalt.com.

Dump the junk! I’ve been unsubscribing like crazy the last week or so to rid myself of all the irrelevant marketing pitches, newsletters, and updates I get. It seems that there are those on Facebook who have automatically signed me up and I don’t appreciate it. This is called Permission-Based Marketing for a reason, you have to opt-in and must always have a way to opt-out. Remember this if you are starting your own ezine, do not add without permission.

Get permission! Permission isn’t as hard to get as you think. If you offer value content it is downright easy. While I’ll go into details in an upcoming article, the key is to get their initials on their card saying yes if you are leading an event. They can opt-in on your feedback form. You are not allowed to collect stray email addresses and send, it is considered spamming.

Lost in translation! Well I got my feature interview into the Chinese publication for translation. They asked both business and more personal questions, primarily to do with design, my legacy and such. I won’t be able to read it since it will be published in Mandarin. I hope that my meaning isn’t lost in translation, it is a little daunting to consider.

Prospering by Design, ARE YOU?

MG

Home is truly our external heart and as such it needs a lot of care and attention in its decorating and development. Invite friends and family to contribute to the creation of your home. A house is merely a dwelling; it becomes a home when you use your heart to express your environment in a comfortable and inviting manner.

Here are even more great ways to celebrate your home with friends and family.

Build the Deck Bash

I’ve got too many do-it-yourself friends, not to mention handy guys I know, that think decks are the be all and end all of projects. And there are a wealth of manuals on the market for just such a design dilemma. Now generally this is best if coming just off the back of a house with a low drop-off (foot or two), or you need to have someone who really knows their stuff on hand. Often you may not be building new but simply replacing existing decking with new boards or adding a new railing, both appropriate do-it-yourself tasks.

You provide the lumber, food and refreshments and invite friends in the know to bring tools, tunes, and a desire to work. What would have taken you a month of weekends, can now be done much faster with the company of good friends and turned into an experience rather than the project that wouldn’t end. Be sure you have a plan to either dispose of or donate the old lumber if this replaces an existing deck.

Celebrate your home and the great outdoors with a Build the Deck Bash

Deck the Walls Celebration

Got all your furniture in place, but nothing to deck the walls? Make it an event and have guests bring you art for your home. Now, I know it is a little dicey to rely on someone else’s taste so you provide guidelines. You can also register and it doesn’t have to be at some expensive gallery (though go for it if you can!) Consider art from national sources like Pier 1 Imports, Z Gallerie, and Crate and Barrel, many of the major retailers and catalogue companies have registries and not just for brides anymore.

Alternatively, you can rely on just providing a color palette and style, such as Tuscan Countryside, Urban Sophisticate, Coastal Breeze or Classic Traditional. This gives a bit more latitude and creativity to the gift giver. While you may not love it all, you will know that they gave it some thought and you can always pass it on later. (I don’t believe in saving gifts because of who gave them. I also don’t ever check my friends homes for the gifts I’ve given, goodness, I don’t usually remember what I gave!)

Once everyone has arrived, be prepared with a hammer, tape measure, pencil and picture hangars to literally hang it all on the spot. Or, hire an installer during the celebration to do this for you with guidance on placement. Everyone will want to see their treasured gift displayed and know they made a beautiful difference in creating your home.

Celebrate your home with a Deck the Walls Celebration!

Dress the Bedroom Bash

Bedrooms are all about rest and romance. Keep the exercise equipment elsewhere and the desk for work in another room. I’ve also found that too often the bedroom is the last room decorated and often waits until after the great room, kitchen, kid’s rooms and more are done. Yikes! Your bedroom is your haven and deserves to be a priority. Don’t wait; celebrate it with a Dress the Bedroom Bash.

It is up to you to furnish the bed and that means headboard, footboard optional, and a bedding scheme. The rest you can leave up to friends. They can either provide actual furnishings in the form of night stands, lamps, pillows, window treatments, a chair or gift certificates. On the invite include a picture of you lounging on the bed, or your favorite Fido or Rover doing the same and invite them to fill in the gaps.

Yes, you can register pieces if your friends are decorating challenged or you just don’t trust their taste! Most often you can make returns, and it may be fun to see what someone else has in mind with your bed style. You just might find yourself stepping out of the box and getting something more than you expected.

Celebrate your home and optimize your rest and romance opportunities with a Dress the Bedroom Bash!

Knick Knack Party

Perhaps you’ve gotten all your major furniture pieces in place and even have some artwork hung but lack the finishing touches that really make a house a home. So invite your friends to help provide the accessories!

Again, you can register for specific pieces like picture frames, candles, glass bottles and vases, wrought iron figures, florals and greenery, or you can trust your friends, with just a bit about your style in the invitation and a picture or two to give them a head start.

Of course, gift certificates do give anyone an easy out and ensure you get what you want. And you can always do an exchange later. The more information you provide the more likely you are to get tasteful elements that really add polish and flair.

Celebrate your home with a Knick Knack Party!

Spa Bath Moment

It seems every party I go to someone brings the hostess a basket of bath goodies. This is usually much appreciated (except by those of us that are strictly shower types!) and is an easy way to get friends together to celebrate.

Plan a spa bath moment that includes sharing your favorite scents and colors. Do you enjoy lavender or eucalyptus? Lemon or Grapefruit? Are you into fruit or flowers, herbs or grasses? There are so many lotions, potions, aromas, potpourris, candles and more to choose from.

You provide your preferences and consider bringing in a manicurist or masseuse for mini treatments for your friends. Yes, it is usually a girl’s night only. But you can always expand it to guys being included if you have a handy project, like a tub to be replaced or maybe you just need a new shower head installed.

Celebrate your home, relax and rejuvenate with a Spa Bath Moment.

For more great ideas on celebrating your home, be sure to check out Part I of this article. And if you are ready to get the full scoop on Celebrate Your Life! The Art of Celebrating Every Day, go to www.theartofcelebrating.com. Author and lifestyle expert Melissa Galt speaks with audiences nationwide on how to add the celebration to life every day by honoring ourselves, our family, our friends, our careers, our travel and adventure, our health and much more. You can find out more at www.melissagalt.com.

San Francisco Rocked! This last week I had the good fortune of attending the TSS (Teleseminar Secrets) Reunion in San Francisco. There were 150 of us from a possible 500+ that made the trip to connect first hand and experience Alex Mandossian in person. We had all graduated from his 8 week teleseminar training in the last few years. It was outstanding.

Best experience ever! Never have I attended a live event where the participants were so open, connected, tuned in and turned on. I made a lot of valuable contacts and even more importantly some delightful new friends and colleagues. I also learned a revolutionary new goal achievement system, MAINLY^(TM) by Raymond Aaron. This was particularly extraordinary as his life’s work dovetailed with my concept that a goal (as we have learned to set them) leads to almost certain failure and it is desires we must focus on overall. His system is flawless, simple to apply and proven. Wow!

Gurus galore! Of course one of the highlights was meeting Alex in person. I have had the privilege to learn from him off and on over the last decade but this was to the next level. I also got to catch up with Mari Smith, “the Pied Piper” of Facebook, and my private instructor on social media. (Yes, I learn from the best, so I can share it with others like you!)

New initiatives and launches in the works! Got refocused and targeted and will be initiating new tools, great educational systems, and much more in the weeks upcoming. I also had the delight to meet Gail Doby, a design colleague and the prestigious head of Design Success University. You can never have too much education in the mastery of success!

Prospering by Design, ALWAYS!

MG

Home is truly our external heart and as such it needs a lot of care and attention in its decorating and development. Invite friends and family to contribute to the creation of your home. A house is merely a dwelling; it becomes a home when you use your heart to express your environment in a comfortable and inviting manner.

Here are some easy ways to celebrate your home with friends and family.

Housewarming by the Room

So few people it seems remember to throw a housewarming or if they do it is a couple of years after moving in. So, to get this ball rolling, don’t wait for the entire house to be complete; instead, celebrate room by room. Very few folks decorate their entire home at once anyway, and it counts to measure the small successes, even if it is a powder room, not to mention the big successes like a kitchen or bath remodel.

How many entertaining opportunities have you missed by waiting to get your house complete? Remember if your friends are waiting to see your drapery and not you, you might want to consider some new friends! Life is in the connection, not in the stuff. Celebrate every step rather than waiting for just one big one.

Celebrate your home with room by room housewarmings!

Stock the Pantry Party

No one likes to show up at a party empty handed and this is an easy way to get guests to bring what you need and want, while you share the welcome of your home and hospitality.

Create a master list of pantry stockers desired or even register if you are including kitchen appliances like blenders, toasters, and food processors. Let everyone know what you are into, whether it is a pantry full of bottled water, chips and dip or you are a bit more of a cook and want great exotic spices, tins of imported specialty foods, and international flavors. Sure flour and sugar are necessary staples, but I bet you can get more creative.

On appliances and kitchen tools, think hard about what you want and what you’ll use. Sure some are almost required like the blender and even a toaster still, but what about a divine bread maker, the latest ergonomic palm held peeler, a butterfly trash can by Simply Human, or a classic wine rack. You can even suggest gift cards from favorite big box retail kitchen good stores like Bed Bath Beyond, Williams Sonoma, and Crate and Barrel.

Celebrate your home with a stock the pantry party!

Grow the Garden Party

This is one of my favorites as I’ve come relatively late to the realization of a green thumb. The grow the garden party is ideal if you enjoy potting house plants, or dream of a cutting garden, or perhaps harbor visions of growing your own herbs and vegetables. Invite your friends to an outdoor picnic and while you provide the food and drink, ask them to provide a plant or garden tool.

Of course you may want to suggest gift cards from local nurseries for those that are green thumb challenged, and you’ll want to specify full sunshine or shade for desired plants. The point is that you get a more eclectic mix and when all are in bloom, they remind you of each guest and their personal contribution. You could even name each plant with tags after the person that provided it.

Celebrate your home and Mother Nature with a Grow the Garden Party!

Demolition Bash

Okay, you’ve made the decision to remodel and it is a big project. Kick it off in style with a Demolition Bash. Perhaps you are tearing out the kitchen or bath making way for a major update or reconfiguration. In any case, it’s got to go. Be sure you time this with your contractor’s schedule, and invite friends to bring a dish and a camp out in your newly emptied space.

(If you have handy careful friends you can actually invite them to assist with demolition, but be cautious in mixing a party atmosphere with hammers and other serious remodeling tools.)

It is always rewarding to enjoy even a day of the space unfinished before the work of putting it all together gets underway. Do be sure you have made all of your decisions at this stage and you don’t open up the event to brainstorming. Too many opinions will only result in confusion and frustration.

Remodeling can be an exhausting and sometimes chaotic process so celebrating at demolition can make it that much more tolerable. Be sure to plan the next bash at completion!

Paint Party

Personally, I can’t think of anything I’d rather avoid, but I can do it myself if necessary without training. (Heck, I once sponge painted my whole house, since the contractor had reversed the paint colors in the final coat!) But I do have friends that not only enjoy painting but actually find it relaxing, imagine it.

So if you have one or two rooms to get done and would be willing to do the same for friends or family (turn about is fair play in this), plan a painting party. You supply the paint, of course, but I’m betting you have friends with extra drop cloths, ladders, and even brushes that will be game to come and join you for an afternoon or a day of painting to be rewarded with pizza and beer or a cold cut sandwich buffet and icy sodas.

This can save the cost of a contractor and actually make an otherwise mundane and potentially arduous task fun. Many hands make light work, so invite others to help.

Celebrate your home with friends that will help you transform a room or two and a Paint Party!

For more great ideas on celebrating your home, be sure to check out Part II of this article. And if you are ready to get the full scoop on Celebrate Your Life! The Art of Celebrating Every Day, go to www.theartofcelebrating.com. Author and lifestyle expert Melissa Galt speaks with audiences nationwide on how to add the celebration to life every day by honoring ourselves, our family, our friends, our careers, our travel and adventure, our health and much more. You can find out more at www.melissagalt.com.

Chairish the Future was a big success! I have to say having never attended a live auction before that was a blast! I knew just when to bid to drive up the pricing and at the same time when to bid so I’d win and I did. I’m the proud owner of three new chairs for my ever growing collection with a fourth on the way since my Prince commissioned one that had sold! We also snagged a week at the beach in an 1800 square foot condo, ooooh fun! And I met VERN YIP!

San Francisco bound! This week I’m in San Francisco for Alex Mandossian’s TSS Reunion. I’m truly looking forward to meeting my mastermind members first hand and connecting with successful mentors to continue my business growth.

ACC Craft Show coming up! Are you going to attend? The weekend of March 13-15 is Atlanta Market but also the American Craft Council Show and I will definitely be checking it out. Years past I’ve gotten great finds in art apparel as well as artwork for clients and my own collection. It is a global gathering of talent you don’t want to miss.

Prospering by Design, ALWAYS!

MG

“Slumdog Millionaire“ -
Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan

Totally deserved the Oscar sweep it made. Having been to India made this so much more real to me. It was brilliantly crafted by Director Danny Boyle. An unknown and virtual outcast wins millions on national television and how does he possibly know the answers? Well that is where the movie tells its story. Each answer is uniquely and indelibly tied to an instance many horrific in the young man’s childhood. From his mother being slaughtered by religious zealots while doing laundry one day, to his time as an orphan who is kidnapped and forced to beg for a living, to rescuing the love of his life from servitude and prostitution, all of these are how he learned the answers and takes the prize. It is an old fashioned, in many ways, feel good story. Patel has a very promising future along with his stellar supporting cast.

www.chairishthefuture.com is this weekend! Vern
Yip of HGTV fame is emceeing the event at the King Plough Arts Center
in Atlanta. There is still time to buy tickets and partake of a
wonderful evening of food, drink, fun, connecting, and chairs! I will
be there with my new beau (I am too old for a boyfriend!) It benefits
the Metro Atlanta Furniture Bank, a great cause. Who knows, I might
even pick up a few additions to my collection. Love to see you there.

You asked to see The Bag!
I had readers request to see the bag that “he” bought me spur of the
evening on Valentine’s, so here it is. And I have to confess that my
real treasure was a red balloon that he gave me at lunch the day before
Valentine’s and I kept it attached to my purse (not the one here, the
everyday bag) for over 8 days as it continued to fly high! You’ve no
idea the amused looks and comments it drew from men and women alike,
unfamiliar with seeing an adult with a red balloon.

Under the Big Top again! Heading
into Atlanta this weekend for Cirque du Soleil. Betting many of you
have seen a show or two, if you haven’t DO, if you have DO AGAIN! There
is nothing more stunning than seeing the human body used as a living
art form and that is really what Cirque does. It is also a brilliant
reminder of how DESIGN is a totally engulfing sensory experience
touching our sight, our hearing, our touch, our smell, and our taste. How can you DESIGN a total experience for your clients? It isn’t about the sofa but about the experience they will have by owning it . . .

Prospering by Design, ARE YOU?

MG

More than a third of our lives are spent in pursuit of our livelihood. Too often this is not a celebration but instead an obligation and a decision by default. We are put on a career track before we even know what we truly want to pursue and by the time we figure it out we have already achieved a level of success and financial reward that to start anew would mean setbacks and sacrifice. Unfortunately without the willingness to take risks and sometimes take a new path, we wind up living our work life by default rather than by our own design.

Regardless of where you find yourself in your career there are ways that you can celebrate that commitment and benefit from your unique skills and abilities (even if your genuine talent rests on another path.)

Lunch with the Bunch

Both for business owners too busy in their own fields to connect to others and for those in corporate America who feel pigeon holed in their own specialties, mix it up. That is make a point once a month to lunch with others outside of your expertise. For business owners this means connecting in a meaningful way with other entrepreneurs in other fields. It can create new perspectives and allow us to see new ways to do old things. As a member of corporate America take a look at what other areas of expertise your company offers and connect with some of those individuals. It will give you a broader understanding of what your company brings to the table as well as provide opportunities to explore unique synergies amongst diverse divisions.

So often we are too close to the forest to see the trees. Broadening our circle of influence is a successful way to expand our own potential and affiliations.

Supplier Thank You

Do you regularly say thank you to those that supply your business? Even if corporate do you know what your company does to say thank you to vendors? No business can survive in a vacuum and while we all are suppliers to someone else, we often forget that we are kept afloat and our success depends on those that supply us. I often send or deliver boxes of Godiva chocolates to my vendors as random thank you. I don’t wait for the holidays as we all are inundated then, it is the season for thank you. What about the rest of the year? When the ladies at my drapery workroom are really slammed, I’ll send in pizza for lunch and at least twice a year I send flowers for no reason at all, just to brighten their offices.

Think about your printer, your computer tech, your advertising executive, the cleaning service, the phone repairman, the security system expert. When was the last time you showed them thank you, not just said it.

Celebrate your career by being gracious with others.

Women/Men on the Move

There are many opportunities to grow your mind and your career if you pay attention and make the time. There are roundtables you can become an active member of, and groups for both men and women dedicated to grooming top executives or cultivating entrepreneurship. These are great chances to connect with others beyond your field and learn about their expertise and find potential synergies. It is a question of whether you are ready to lead the same life everyday or create a new and unique experience daily. All of life is about growing and it is only when we stop growing that we truly start to die. Pushing our boundaries, challenging out limitations, and growing our potential can give us a present beyond our dreams and a future without limits.

Continuing Brilliance

Many of us have requirement for continuing education built into our careers with necessary certifications or levels of achievement. Even without this it is essential that we stay on top of the latest developments and introductions with classes offered by professional industry organizations, trade shows, guest speakers, and more. We often do this early on in our careers but then get caught up in our success and progress and forget to continue our brilliance. We leave these opportunities on the table for those in the early stages of their careers and in doing so run the risk of becoming the dinosaurs we read about.

Technology can make learning more accessibly and convenient but it can’t replace the synergy of a live group and often more is gained by discussion and listening to other queries than by the actual lecture itself.

Celebrate your career by expanding your mind and maintaining your edge.

Conferences to Connect

Anyone who has been knows that trade shows and conventions are a lot of work. I don’t mean just for those that do the planning but also for the attendees. There are always tough choices to be made between sessions to attend and then there is all the connecting you want to take advantage of. I often find that the true experts are most accessible at these events. It seems everyone else thinks they will be unapproachable so don’t even try, leaving a wide open entrance for me to share in their experiences. Try this next time you attend and event and single out one or two of the presenters you’d like a minute with. Sometimes you can wrangle an hour of their time consulting or snag a seat next to them at lunch or dinner and glean a tidbit or two that can transform your journey from the on ramp to the fast lane.

Be brave and take a chance. We too often are intimidated (even if we won’t admit it) by someone else’s perceived success and stature. There will always be those greater than us and those lesser than us, it is up to each of us to determine where we will stand.

Share the Wealth

Be generous with your time, your expertise and your rewards. When I taught “Interior Design as a Second Career” at Evening at Emory for over a decade I was always amazed when my students (busy professionals) exploring the interior design career told me that I was the first professional to truly freely share with them the inside scoop including salaries, hours and the nitty gritty. In fact my favorite compliment came from a gal who came up to me after class and thanked me for showing her that design was not for her but she had decided what was and was thrilled to have made the decision to pursue it. You see my job wasn’t to convince or sell anyone but just share my knowledge and experience wholly and completely so any one person listening could make up their own mind. There are others who felt empowered and encouraged by what I described and have decided to pursue it.

By simply being ourselves and contributing our personal experiences and wealth of talent to others we can make a world of difference.

More than a third of our lives are spent in pursuit of our livelihood. Too often this is not a celebration but instead an obligation and a decision by default. We are put on a career track before we even know what we truly want to pursue and by the time we figure it out we have already achieved a level of success and financial reward that to start anew would mean setbacks and sacrifice. Unfortunately without the willingness to take risks and sometimes take a new path, we wind up living our work life by default rather than by our own design.

Regardless of where you find yourself in your career there are ways that you can celebrate that commitment and benefit from your unique skills and abilities (even if your genuine talent rests on another path.)

Strategic Alliances

I have found that as an independent business owner, my business appears much larger and stronger by the strategic alliances I have formed with fellow businesses. The same applies to any corporation that aligns itself with other organizations to create a masterful synergy. As an individual, no matter where you work, you can create strategic alliances that will grow your own career. These can be fellow business people whose business goals complement yours and you regularly work together. It can even be a competitor with whom you are able to mutually appreciate the idea that there is enough pie to go around and the more you work together, the greater the share each of you gets.

Take a look around you both within the organization you work for or have created and outside of it to identify your strategic alliance partners. Usually it is an informal agreement, though at times you both may benefit from a more structured format with scheduled meetings and planned outcomes.

Give to Receive

The old adage “what goes around comes around” is all too true and so it is that by giving of ourselves, our expertise, our talents and abilities that we truly become rich and will receive the bounty of others. Establish charitable goals for your business, your department, or your position. Make your contributions unique and measureable, though it is likely their value will be infinite. Focus on giving and you will be surprised at the gifts that will return to you. Too often we can get caught up in looking for the return. Rarely does it show up as we might expect but bigger and better than imagined.

Mentoring

Not everyone can be an effective mentor but it is an invaluable gift to others when you can. I have sponsored many an intern over the last decade plus and find it incredibly rewarding to be able to show them a true view of my career path and help them see what parts they excel at, where they need further study, and what path they may decide to pursue.

Mentoring can be formal or informal in structure. It can mean a lunch monthly, a phone call twice a year, daily interaction such as with an intern, or a once time meeting of minds to share hopes and dreams, experiences and lessons learned. Mentoring is as much about teaching as it is about learning from those coming up.

These are just three of the many ways available to celebrate your career by sharing your knowledge, expertise, and wisdom with those around you because together we will go farther.

Be sure to look for Part II!