Energy Management (Part 2): How to create the SENSE-a-tional life and career you deserve

Happy Monday World!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

That is one of the first questions we get asked when we start becoming reasonable little humans.

Didn't you use to love answering this question? Didn't it make you feel like once you've said it, you will become it? And it'll be worth all of your energy?  Just a snap of a finger, or at least that's what you thought, and you would become an astronaut, or a doctor, or a lawyer? And you would wake up every morning, sun will shine through your shutters and life will blissfully happen...

While having a child's fearless thinking and restless energy in an adult world is, some may argue, the secret to success, deciding on a career at an early age based on cartoon stories and parental expectations can be detrimental to our existence.

Why?

Who, at the age of five, would say that when they grow up they want to make a change in the world and become a Thinking Strategist? E.X.A.C.T.L.L.Y. This career wasn't even invented... Or, who at the age of seven, dreams to defying Einstein's E =  mc² for a living? How about composing the most beautiful sonata? 

In today's society, a child's fearless spirit is unfortunately not the way to go, as family therapist Michael Ungar finds in his studies. Ungar states that the lack of practical life experiences aligned with the financial ties of finishing a degree can hinder careers in this dynamic, fast paced, constantly evolving world. In other words, you will waist your beautiful energy on outdated dreams instead of experiencing the world as it is today if you don't do your 'homework' properly. Putting all of your money and focus into Med School to realize in your third year that your willingness to sleeping 4 hours a night is close to zero, can leave you feeling.. well, energy-drained, frustrated, mad, hopeless - you pick!

Career and knowledge,
Career and knowledge,
Go together like the horse and carriage!
This, I tell ya brooo-theeer,
You can't have one without the other! (Andrina Stan - Career and  Knowledge)

Ha-Ha! I hope you got my joke here... Changing Frank Sinatra's Love and Marriage song to my own semi-original, 5AM typing, one coffee down, eye-rubbing lyric creation. Not bad for 5AM, Eh?!

Realistically though, creating the life that you want starts with constant updated knowledge about the world and its possibilities. Let's try that again...

Constant Updated Knowledge + Energy Output = Life You Love 

Not to say that wanting to become a doctor or a lawyer is a poor career choice, however, in our day and age it is wise to understand that there are plenty other choices that allow your creativity and imagination to manifest itself like wild fire.

Picking a career is a process of trial and error, travel and discoveries, knowledge and imagination.

Following are four success strategies for building the career and life that you deserve!

1.Research

As much as you can!

I have had a tough time deciding on what most books and experts tell you to do, which is to visualize the life that you want without even knowing what exactly you are visualizing. There is this idea that "you don't know what you don't know", and not knowing that, will limit your imagination. For example, if all that you know about becoming a doctor is you will help others and, most likely, save lives because ever since you were a little child, you dreamed of helping the world and making a difference, guess what? The alarm clock has to ring you out of this B, because there are multiple ways in which you can give back to the world, and there are a billion other details of the life of a doctor which may leave you second guessing your initial career choice. This is not saying that you can't become the next Dr. Oz, be a celebrity, give back to the world and have your own charity in South Africa, but it is to say that...

You must do your homework on the career and life that you want before you fantasize about it.

A good strategy is to speak to experts and people who have the success and career that you desire. Ask them about the cloudy days and how they manage to push through rather than how amazing their life is. Ask them about the time they spend en route and away from their friend and family rather than how awesome it is to be in a limo. Ask them about their levels of stress rather than their $10,000 vacations. You get the idea by now! Make it a habit and plan attending events, conferences, seminars etc. where you can chat with the experts in your potential field and get the naked truth out of them. Start the conversation with: "I have been thinking of getting into your field, and I was wondering, how do you find the hours of work that you put in? What are some pros and cons of this career?"

Dip your fingers in this lifestyle if possible, and volunteer or apply for an internship in that field. Observing your future career as it happens to others is a great way to replace the idea of a dream with the reality of it. The reality of it is that any path you choose will have a routine that you have to be comfortable in, daily factors that will create stressful situations, alongside many rewarding opportunities you may not know of yet. It's like watching a live TV show on your future career, with all the action packed episodes, the drama, the tears of joy and the boring moments.. You know, kinda like the Kardashians, but with more poise ;). And, you know it! Speak to those whom you find will help solidify your view on the chosen career, gain their sympathy, and who knows? Maybe they will like you so much that you can consider yourself hired a few months down the road.

2. Visualize

The life that you want to have.

Do you like routine, or are you O.K. with constant new material and schedule changes? Would you prefer to wake up in the morning, go for a run on the beach and start your day in full sunshine, or are you an adept of late night socializing and business development? Would you like to travel the world as a visitor, or as a businessman or a businesswoman? Are you a leader and a visionary, or are you amazing at task completion? Is your office on a porch somewhere in the Alps, or on the 100th floor somewhere in Manhattan?

Allow your imagination to run wild on your mind fields, because now you know, with more certainty than before, the direction of your career. So, it is a-okay to start flooding your mind with all of these amazing mental images of how your life will be in the future when you have a clear understanding of what you are getting yourself into. Notice how I said, "how your life W.I.L.L. be" and not should be, could, maybe-if-you-looked-it-up be?

You have to think of it as a written book: this is how it begins, this is the villain, this is the hero, here is where it gets dramatic bla bla bla. You are the actor of this script, and no matter what distractions come your way, you know that the movie ends with you living the dream.

A great way to go about visualization is to imagine how it would feel for you to have certain things in your life, and then find pictures that would match those feelings. For example, if you are thinking about becoming an architect and living in San Francisco, look up images of architects at work, pictures of San Francisco, or other photos that match your mind's creations, and print them in colour. Then attach them on a wall in your room, or on a bill board and look at it as much as you can because now, my friend, you have yourself a vision board. LOOK. AT. IT. ALL. THE. TIME.

3. Create

A master plan for your career achievements and life accomplishments. 

Grab a few pieces of blank paper, a pen, or a variety of pens and markers if you wish to get creative, and write it all down. Be ware of your demons whispering in your ear that "You can't make it! You've tried it in the past and failed! You're better off taking the easy way! Why bother with this anyways when the world is full of bad to begin with?". I'll tell you WHY! Because nobody wants to live an empty life, a life lacking excitement and discoveries and memories. If anybody tells you that they enjoy being bored and lonely, they are in denial or defeated by their own hardship and wrecks. Do them a favour, and share my blog with them- they will thank you later! 

So, grab one pen, or multiple pens, a few pieces of paper and get into your #empirestateofmind attitude! 

First start writing down all the steps you need to take in your first year. By now, you should know whether you want to start your own business, work for a top 500 company, get involved with a startup or be the superstar barista at your favourite cafe! Whatever your heart and mind decides to pursue will happen only if you put your energy into it, and mapping it out is the first step. Start with "YOU will (insert goal) by (insert date)". The date a.k.a. deadline should be an estimate for the amount of time you will give yourself to achieve that milestone. Use your best judgement towards it, but don't fall prey to stressing out that it's not attainable or realistic; chances are you may have to adjust it along the way! Ever heard about extensions? You may need to insert one once you...

Consult with an expert. The second pillar to your master plan is finding a mentor or a consultant to help you transition from a skeleton map to a SENSE-a-tionally achievable master plan! When looking for a MASTER, or a GURU, or a CONSULTANT, keep the "I have a friend who..." suggestions away UNLESS they have the credentials you are seeking. Your master plan must be done by a master not an amateur! When choosing a mentor, keep in mind the following: 

• Do they practice what they preach? 
• Have their clients succeeded with their master plans?
• How many clients haven't achieved their master plan, and why? 

Try your best to reach both the success and not-so-much parties and ask as many questions as needed. Also, keep in mind that some people are given the best of the best when it comes to counselling, but if they themselves don't to the work, no good counsellor will babysit their lazy bootex. Which reminds me to remind you: be prepared to...

4. Do The Work!

Some people will tell you that this is the hardest part, but they are lying. Liers! Liers! Liers! 

Doing the work is not the hardest part! Working with an empty goal is!

Think about it for a second. Go ahead and put on your thinking hat... 1, 2, 3, 4, ...  Good! Fit it on properly because here is the real talk: we get sucked up in this society and end up doing things out of inertia. When we sit through an interview and get asked about our intentions with the company, most times we lie because we know that the interviewer wants to hear some future plans from us. We ride the bike, but don't know where exactly we are going.

So don't be afraid of working out of love, passion and interest! Bumpy roads will come your way at some point or another, but the difference is that you are moving towards what you want. At the end of the hardship, there will be a check mark on your list, and then coffee will take you through to the completion of the next check mark, and the next, and by the time you realize it, you are creating the career you want and the dream life you have always envisioned (remember those old vision boards you have made?).

As a final note, your energy is too precious to go to waste!

Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision, understand that failure and mistakes are part of the process and go to bed every night thinking that tomorrow takes you closer and closer to the SENSE-a-tional career and life you so freaking deserve!

So, what do you want to be when you G.R.O.W. U.P. ?

oxx,
Andrina