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#53: How To Feel Free At Work
You well know that feeling of being trapped. I need to do something else, but I can't because . . .
Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret. That dread and anxiety goes away the minute you are confident in another option.
You don't even have to leave your job or get a new boss. All you need to believe is that you can say "adios" whenever you want.
So, here's 5 ways to increase your options so you don't have to give AF at work.
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Back to the newsletter --> Freedom = Options
The key to not giving AF, and feeling free is to always have another option.
When you have options, you care less about what happens.
You’re confident you have a way out.
You don’t have to say yes just for the paycheck.
Your mind is free to BREAK out.
Let’s go.
So how do you create options?
Here’s 5 ways I’ve used to increase my optionality:
1.Get out of the optimization and productivity mindset.
Those give you tunnel vision.
Unable to see synergies or other paths.
Instead, embrace a little dis-organization and chaos.
Leave a little room to make a mistake. That’s essential to discovery.
2.Create space for me time.
Me time is simply carving out time in your week to explore YOUR curiosity, build YOUR skills, tinker with YOUR interest and discover YOU.
This isn’t some crazy idea.
Google has 20% time
Charlie Munger always used the first hour of his day to learn and grow outside of work.
You’ll be amazed at the ideas you come up with, the synergies you see and the ways you can use your other talents and abilities to create ADVANTAGE to do something else with your life.
3.Be damn good at . . .
You can be damn good at one thing (and expose yourself to risk of that thing changing).
Or you can be damn good fundamentally - able to shift, adapt and jump on opportunities.
Be damn good at things you can always take with you in the middle of a change.
4. Try things
Especially things you’re unsure of.
My 9 year old tried Indian food last night after resisting it.
Now he loves it.
He also tried my tea. Hated it. Said it tastes like licking a tree 😂
Sometimes you’ll like it, sometimes you wont.
But at least you’ll know.
5. ABN - always be networking.
Yeah, yeah . . .
Contrary to popular belief, networking isn’t even a separate thing.
It’s really just being a damn human being, strategically.
Meet people, let them know who you are and what you’re about. Help them first. Watch options flow in.
Here’s to breaking your old habits and becoming the best version of yourself!
Mike
mike@careercloud.com
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P.S. My Advantage Mapping Program is all about betting on yourself and using signal to guide your decisions - giving you tools to evaluate what progress and success looks like so you can have confidence in your path. We aim to deal well with uncertainty and create a systematic, high odds approach to aligning who you are with what you do. I'd love you to check it out Join the waitlist
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The Break Job Board
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The Latest Conversation on THE BREAK Pod
I talk a lot about risk and uncertainty, but one of the most counterintuitive lessons I learned from my time in finance, entrepreneurship, and design is that there is an upside to uncertainty.
Sometimes chance encounters we never would have expected break our path and launch us in a better direction. These are our happy accidents.
Dennis Geelen is an accidental solopreneur.
After being laid off from his corporate job in 2018, he decided to bet on himself and launched a business consulting company, Zero In. Through Zero In, Dennis helped companies ‘solve indifference’ by implementing strategies to build a more customer-centric and innovative organization.
Author of the best-selling book ‘The Zero In Formula’, Mr. Geelen has worked with companies in several industries, spoken at countless events, conferences, workshops, and webinars, with dozens of guest appearances on international podcasts.
And now? Dennis also helps other solopreneurs get started. His latest book, ‘The Accidental Solopreneur’, and online course ‘The Solopreneur Playbook’ provide strategies and tactics for success.
Dennis is also the author of the Happy Accidents weekly newsletter and co-founder of the Solo Creator Summit. The Solo Creator Summit will take place September 20-21.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was super helpful!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Could be better.