Careers by Jenn Podcast: Get the Job, Love Your Work, Advance Your Career

Overwhelm is that feeling you have when you just want to get off the spinning world for a while…when there is too much to do and you don't want to do any of it…when it's too much that it paralyzes you and you spend time procrastinating because there is too much to do that you don't know where to start.

Have you ever experienced this?

You can experience overwhelm when your work life and your home life are too full, when you feel the pressure to perform or when you are a perfectionist and things are not going perfectly…when you set your own super high expectations and then have trouble living up to them…when you are a control freak (and lots of us are) and you feel like you are losing control…when you have to learn a TON of new stuff and you feel like your brain is full and you can't retain one more tidbit of information or your brain will explode…when you are running out of energy for things that require energy, when you are full of worry and anxiety…when you are fed up.

Any or all of these things can be signs of overwhelm and it's very, very common. Life is stressful sometimes, and even the most together person…or rather the person who appears to be the most together on the outside…can be suffering from overwhelm.

Join me in this podcast where I walk you through an exercise that will overcome your overwhelm and turn it into an organized plan of action. Get from overwhelm to organized FAST. Grab some sticky notes and a pen, clear a space on the table, give yourself a block of time to spend with me, and I will get you from overwhelmed to organized in short order.

I'm not sure when this term first came into my awareness…but it's been around for a while now, for about 5 years or so anyway, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, let me explain: the idea behind the term "laser focus" is that you focus in on something with the same intensity as how a laser points its beam at one small point and how all its energy is aimed at that one point and nowhere else. That's what laser focus means.

There are ways in which it is not helpful. Being laser-focused doesn't mean to the point of ignoring other important things in life, like your health or your family and friends. That would not be cool. What it does mean is that by finding your laser focus, I am talking about how to focus on the task at hand or the goal in front of you IN THE MOMENT…and not get sucked into that rabbit hole of distraction, because when that happens, you become unproductive. You waste time, and you can become even more stressed later when you realize how much time you've wasted or how you haven't accomplished what you first set out to do. This can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, to negative self-talk, stress and regret.

"Why didn't I just get it done when I had the chance?"

"Why can't I use my time wisely?"

"I wanted to get so much done today and I didn't. I'm so disappointed."

Sound familiar?

And then sometimes, there is guilt. Guilt is a wicked ghost, my friends.

In this episode I share 5 strategies you can use to get you to your goal fast. Tune in to hear more about these 5 strategies:

1. Make a conscious decision to get focused.
2. Purposely ignore distractions.
3. Schedule it.
4. Do it.
5. Once you've done whatever your one task or action step is, celebrate!

Thanks so much for tuning in and for sharing this show with your friends, family and colleagues! If you'd like help with 5 concrete action steps to help move you closer to a new job or career, click here!

It's free and fun, too.

Until next time,

~ Jenn

Some days just fly by...or zoom by...or crash by, and when asked, "did you have a good day?", I don't know how to respond. Has this happened to you?

Other days are magnificent. Not in a "that was the most awesome, life-changing experience" kinda way, but in the way that I end them feeling satisfied, accomplished, and full of gratitude for how it went.

You probably do too. In this podcast episode, I offer 8 steps to help you make the most of your day. Of course, these will only work if you actually DO THEM...so it might be best to start with one or two, and work your way up to doing all 8.

but they are effective.

Try them out. Let me know how you do.

If you apply these steps, you too will be able to make the most of every day.

Join our FB group too! If you;d like to jump in to more conversation and to meet people who are working on getting the job, loving their work or advancing their careers, Join us HERE.

In this SHORT episode, I give you eleven signs that might mean you would be wise to start looking for a new job. These 11 signs are not the only ones, but they are good indicators that all is not well and that you might want to take some time to reflect on what is going on.

In today's episode, guest author and workshop leader Diana Mohrsen shares her love of journaling and talks about how it can be good for you to get introspective in the midst of a busy working life. Journaling can give time to think, and to pause, and to release tension and explore questions. She talks about how at the end of a journaling session, she finds she has discovered wisdom she says must come "from somewhere beyond me!"

The act of journaling can help you set career goals and ask yourself deep questions that end up setting you on a whole new path. Find out how to journal and where to get Diana's beautiful and thoughtful guide to get you started.

What kind of attitude do you default to in the workplace? If it's less than positive and professional, you could be doing your career a disservice. In this episode I tell a story or two, and I talk about attitude in general, what benefits and pitfalls there are involved, how humility, gratitude and generosity can advance your career, and how a willingness to learn is vital.

Sometimes, we don't know what we sound like. Now, as a podcaster, I have the unfortunate experience of having to edit my shows, meaning I have to listen to myself ALL the time, and so I know very well that I say "you know" too much and that I have not yet eliminated the dreaded "ummmm". However! There are often words and phrases and filler sounds that we use that take away from our speech...that cause us to sound less professional than we might want to.

In this podcast episode, I take much of the info from Chapter 6 of my book, "What They See: How to Stand Out and Shine in Your New Job." In it I'll take a look at tired old cliches that you can eliminate, slang words that make you sound less intelligent, less capable and less professional...even if none of that is actually true!

Award-winning actor and author Alan Alda has been using his acting skills to change the world...literally, by helping others do their jobs more effectively. Through the use of specific improvisational training, he and the organizations he has helped to found have allowed thousands to communicate their ideas and their work to others more effectively and efficiently. His most recent book "If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on my Face", was published in June of 2017, and is a delightful and informative read, full of stories and examples of how we humans can more deeply connect with each other, for the good of the world. In the book, and this episode, we learn about the power of using improvisation to build connection and to open up channels of communication between people.

And so I invite you to join me in this rich and inspiring conversation with Alan Alda.

Something I learned recently is that applicants themselves seem to dismiss or diminish the importance of volunteer work when considering what to include on a resume. There was a 2016 Impact Survey done by Deloitte in the Us that says only 30% of applicants in the survey bother to include volunteer experience on their resumes, which is really surprising given that the same survey said that hiring managers highly valued volunteer work on a resume. Join me as I explore why and how volunteer experience on your resume can make a BIG difference to whether or not you get hired.

Marilyn's story of reinventing herself at age 50 is an inspiration to anyone looking to change careers or embark upon new adventures. Her advice? If there isn't a door there already,make your own! Join us in this wisdom-filled conversation as Marilyn shares her books, her story and how she is passionate about hearing yours.