4 Ways To Tap Into the Wealth of Your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

 Who are you at the core? 

            Each of us has an eternal spring that keeps us pressing on through adversities; do you know how to draw from that well? It is a reserve of perseverance and endurance, the nature of your past applied to your current environment, the source to nurture your family circumstances and attend to the challenges and opportunities of the present day. What does this well of abundance look like for you?

            Your journey to your current place in time is unique here and you are accompanied and your story is enriched by the baggage you hoist.

            Now it is totally and measurably about you.

            What makes you stand out?

            Do you also recognize your less desirable personality quirks that could sabotage your success? Can you identify how to stay out of your own way?

            Self-awareness and knowledge are critical in this shifting landscape. Knowing the aspects of our personality that are “good, bad, and ugly” allows us with the realism we need to fuel the drive down our individual paths. This information about ourselves is a valuable tool for negotiating new territory and exploring unrealized opportunities, both professionally and personally.

            I believe we are each bestowed with abilities of wonder, making us this unique blend. From arts, culinary, mechanical, scientific or plain common sense, the range of what we bring to the world is vast. Some gifts we are born with, others come as the results of how parents, caregivers, and teachers have instructed us. Eventually our own choices and pursuits add to this list of areas where we can excel.

            Our goal is to find these talents, at the right time, with the right count. Do not delay. Do not let others keep us from this treasure. These attributes shelter us in the turmoil of today, becoming our "fall back" in challenging economic and career times.

 

So here are four ways to best tap into this personal reservoir.

1.   Recognize That Assessment Is Continuous (Of Self, Skills And Situation). 

            Why? Because things change. We grow as we have new experiences and acquire fresh knowledge. Making decisions prompts new insights. Otherwise we stagnate when the status quo is just too comfortable. Sometimes a situation changes and causes us to reassess our options. Life’s interruptions can sway us and we’re forced to shift in another direction. Family additions or losses challenge or comfort us. Societal issues impact our lives such as global conflict, budget cuts or innovations in our industries. Windfalls in personal finances or new technology cause us to rethink our plans. Our strengths are zapped or recharged in these moments.

 

2. Don't Underestimate Or Downplay Yourself.  

            Learning to package ourselves with all of our talents, skills and abilities is Task One. What has brought you to where you are? Stand proudly there. Too many times, I hear people say, "I'm just a ... " when asked about what they do. Think about all you have to offer and be able to put it out in the universe with power. All career fields and jobs have value in this world. Single or married, college education or GED, suburban, rural town or inner city—‘it’s all good”, solidify your place to be and give.

3. Capitalize On Strengths.  

            Who’s the best person to …? The “old folks”, like we do now, asked this question to identify resources, for everyday survival. Mostly the sources were individual enterprises, built on strengths. From raising children, doing or cutting hair, to project management or cooking to playing basketball, we each bring our unique talents to our professional and personal lives. Figure out what you do well and market that to the max. “Do you” naturally. Claim your abilities and use them smartly. Use those gifts that allow us to circumvent and morph through daily and sustaining challenges. Bring them with enthusiasm!

4.   Acknowledge Weaknesses (Or Development Areas), Liabilities And Limitations

            None of us are perfect people. And yes we all have stuff and issues. Knowing our weaknesses helps us determine which ones we can correct and provides a degree of direction for improvement. With awareness of our liabilities in tow, this data helps us to avoid wrong careers or environments. Then there are some tasks or skills we just cannot do, they are our limitations. Various aspects of our personalities help or hinder us. Patience, attention to detail, outgoing or shy—some of us are, some of us aren’t. Own up!

Excerpted from the book, For People of Strength, Soul, and Spirit: 7 Guidelines for Life & Career Success  https://www.createspace.com/3983828 or Amazon

 

7 Career Transitioning Tips for Military: Insights and GPS for the Journey

Promotion to LTC, Army Reservist, 1998

Back in 1993, I conducted numerous career management and coaching workshops through the TAP (Transition Assistance Program) as an independent contractor. Having gone through the transition process myself (pre TAP), when I left army active duty status in 1984, I gleaned insights which became so useful, that I then used this learning to launch my training business. Subsequently, I went on to do similar work for private sector clients and continue today, along with leadership and diversity programs (also skills and abilities that were enhanced from my army experiences).

            And here we are again, twenty years later, and another drawdown looms as the two combat engagements subside. Unemployment rates are high and more so for veterans, along with other global economic realities. Transition GPS (Goals Planning Success), an overhaul of the former TAP program, will drill down to critical levels of each servicemember’s experiences and goals, to optimize their opportunity to be ‘career ready” beyond the military. A multi-agency effort, with DOD, VA, SBA, DOL and other initialed organizations, Transition GPS will take a more holistic approach for various employment and education options, to include entrepreneurship. Seen also as a ‘reverse boot camp’, this program seeks to reintroduce service members to other aspects of transitioning from a social, financial, and psychological perspective.

            So I found this article I wrote for transitioning military members while working with TAP in 1993, which was published in a couple of local Washington DC area newspapers and circulated to my military organizational affiliations. Much of the advice I offered in this piece is still applicable, with a tweak or two.

Military downsizing has brought on the inevitable for many. Retirement or early separation from a career that has provided a measure of professional growth, steady income, and extraordinary personal experiences is not an easy feat. But, the transition process is survivable and can be successful when approached from the standpoint of being yet another "opportunity to excel."

            As a consultant on career transition issues, I get to see and hear of the many concerns and issues facing a variety of separating service members. My workshops are filled with everyone from E-4 to O-6, specialist to Colonel, representing each of the services, and different occupational specialties, yet all are confronted with the same immediate task, how to find a job in today's tight market.

The following seven "up front" tips are those I find to be the most useful to a successful transitioning job search strategy:

 

I.                   Start preparation as early as possible. Especially for those who are retiring, gearing up for the emotional break is a process that can be started 2 - 3 years out. Get involved in other organizations that provide the opportunity to interact with people who are in other careers and who have varied professional, recreational, and community interests. Make yourself a "demilitarized zone."

II.                Focus on what it is you want to do, where you want to do it, and why you want to do it. Decide what is your prime motivator in this process. Are you seeking a position or career field offering huge financial rewards (mo' money), is stable and secure (not many are these days), offers intrinsic rewards (you enjoy it), utilizes your best skills (you're so good at it), or a combination of two or more.

III. Self-assessment is one of the most crucial yet often left out steps of the transition process. If you haven't done so already, take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (an instrument, not a test, which measures personality attributes and qualities) or some other informal assessment. Some companies use this instrument to determine the types of positions, and at what level, to place prospective employees. This will also be useful tool in handling questions in interviews that relate to your work style preferences (teams, offsite, management). Interviewers will want to know as much about you as a person as possible, not just about your work history. Do take inventory of your skills. Identify those transferable skills that are marketable (leadership, financial management, technology, logistics, environmental) to a civilian employer which could easily match with their organization's needs. Let them be your brand. See a career coach to help in this process.

IV.              Get your net working. Reach out and touch long lost cousins, old friends, classmates, people that you've worked for and with, as well as those that have worked for you. Facebook and Link In them. Seek out and go to meetings of professional associations that match your career interests. Let people know that "you're transitioning from the military and looking for new career opportunities".

V.                 Research. In this social media information age, the more you know better. Find out about the job market, work force issues, different industries, geographical information, various companies, product and economic trends. SEO and the library can be your best friends in this process. Most are well stocked with career transition related publications, computer workstations and may even have seminars. Librarians are knowledgeable about other local resources and may be able to steer you to them.

VI.              Attend career transition workshops, job fairs, and other professional and personal developmental courses. These are valuable sources for new information, reinforcement of things you already know and of course, an opportunity for networking. In the interview, a potential employer will be interested in your level of comfort and techniques in various "soft skills" in addition to your core expertise. Attend job fairs to just practice your “elevator speech” and as a form of researching the market occasionally.

VII.           Lastly, don't underestimate the necessity of a good support system during the career transition process. For many, this is a change of lifestyle, of environment, or mindset. Change brings about a certain amount of stress. Keep those stress levels in check. Take care of the mind: read and surround yourself with encouraging, enthusiastic, and empathetic people. Take care of the body: don't throw away the running shoes or forget the way to the gym. Take care of the spirit; pray, meditate, relax. Take it step by step, one day at a time.

Remember, the competition is stiff and starched too! Your goal is to be as well prepared, as well informed, and as well suited for the next opportunity as possible. That in itself is something that could give you the edge over another candidate.

 

Godspeed and good luck.

 

Deborah

https://twitter.com/dlp2080

https://www.facebook.com/TheDPJTrainingGp

 

 

Writing: The # 1 Way to Review and Reconcile Your Life



 

What do we do with the memories of how we've navigated our different life stages? Some pleasantly, others not.  Is there a way to reflect and make peace with it all?

WRITE!  It's Cathartic, Freeing, Healing.

Find a place for your words, describe who you were and are, along with the people and experiences that have shaped you. Create your chronicles. It can be a help to others too.

When my mother passed from leukemia in March 2010, grieving swept me like a tsunami. Like many of us, the loss of a parent is one of those defining moments that changes everything. She was a determined single parent with humor and focus. Not that we didn't have our challenges, particularly as me being her oldest.  How could I come to a place of peace? Then I birthed a book, Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, claiming my mother as its spiritual co-author.  This publishing goal of 15 years came to be out of these intense emotions, and a fellow writer had shared that this was a good time to pen a memoir. The best teacher, life itself, had taught me much as an army veteran, cancer survivor and go-getter in spite of my family's poor, rural beginnings. For more information and to order a copy of this book on Createspace, see Navigating Life's Roadways

Keep it moving.

As I mentioned, writing has been on my radar for a while, so I discovered there were many pieces I'd put to paper over the years, in addition to poems, blogs and speeches.Gleaning lessons from my varied life stages such as watching the careful way in which my grandfather grew collard greens in my youth, to the emotions of seeing a fellow soldier and friend off to war for the first time, gave voice to my varied experiences. So now what to do with those?  Life is A Review, my new eBook is a compilation of those. Check it out!

Life is A Review on Amazon

I've spoken to many people in my work and personal life about the value of journalling, or just carrying a notebook. Which I see as an important first step if you're a writer or non-writer.  My advice, "Just get the words and energy out, it'll take shape when it's supposed to."

Many events in life are ordained, part of our purpose. Share them in your stories. Others have expressed how my triumphs as well as tragedies have given them permission to take a look back at their own lives in a different lens.  With a "me too" reaction, they appreciated in knowing they were not alone in their sufferings or successes.

The review of my journey continues.

Try it for yourself!   Review and Reconcile.

9 Quick Ways to Steer Towards Your Success: From the Beginning

Deborah at 4 years old.

It really did start here. Born the oldest child of a single teen parent, there was much for me to grasp early on in my life.  So I learned to navigate.  Responsibility, focus and a love of learning put me on a trail that led to beat the overwhelming odds that could've stopped me in my tracks. My earthly entry came also in the midst of the pulsing quest for civil rights as well as gender equity - the movements. Yet, through the many lessons provided by my determined mother, wise grandparents and supportive small town community, I steered through a few things.  Graduate from a prestigious college, became an army officer, entrepreneur and now author. Not that there weren't numerous mistakes and failures along the way.  And now I share the glories of those successes and setbacks in my motivational memoir, Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey. I've enjoyed some scenery on my sojourns, much of it similar to what you see in the picture above. Whether it was a smooth waterway, hard hill, or imposing stone, there's been a take-a-away in it from that part of my journey!  Sharing these nine ways for your to steer on, my hope is that you too will see that there is a message in the middle of wherever we find ourselves. Use it to move forward!

1. Be determined to drive on!

•       In spite of.. headwinds,  uncertainty, and storms (Whatever they look like for you - slow economy, job market, relationship challenges)

2. Rudder at the right signs.

•       Stay anchored in your values, vision and interests (List and revisit them)

3. Open all lanes for learning.

•       Detours and potholes are there for a reason (If you fall in or go the wrong way, so what? Find a way out or around)

4. Crank your motivation motor.    

•       What’s the gas in your engine? (Passion, giving back, your expertise, challenge, taking care of your family )                            

5. Acknowledge fellow travelers.

•       We don’t journey alone. (Get support from friends, mentors and network)

6. Plot a route that’s realistic.

•       Be who you are and pace your journey to your style of moving (Do you)

7. Rejuvenate at rest stops.

•       Take a break, vacation or staycation (Have a special spot that fuels you)

8. Boldly stay on the boulevard of belief.

•       See it to the right, left, front and rear as you check your mirror views (Engage!)

9. Claim victory at critical times.

•       Segment your successes for each leg of your journey (Small wins are good)