'Mindscaping' for career building 26

'If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger

 to accomplish your dreams'.

Les Brown

Think for a few minutes: are you happy with your position in your organisation? Are you satisfied with the salary and the perks that you receive today? Are you happy with your power and authority?

If you are happy and satisfied, who is responsible for this? If you are not happy and satisfied, again, who is responsible for this?

Owning the responsibility is a very important factor for progress or corrective action. If we own the responsibility for our unhappiness, then, we will also take responsibility for the corrective action and the action plan that follows. This alone will give us the commitment and involvement.

If we do not own the responsibility for our position, and especially if we are not satisfied, we will resort to four responses: blaming, labeling, complaining, criticizing and avoiding.

For example, if we are not promoted, and if we are not satisfied, we will blame our superior, we will label him as unreasonable, we will complain to others that we did not receive the recognition we deserve, we will criticise our organisation and will avoid taking corrective action to improve the situation.

Over this weekend, spend some time on this very important question and check where do you stand.

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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'Mindscaping' for career building 25

'Mindscaping'  for career building 25

'Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.'

Oprah Winfrey

Answer this question: am I willing to continue to carry on with my job if my salary and perks are cut by 50%? Am I willing to work if all my power and authority is removed?

If you've answered with a strong 'yes' to these questions, it means that you love your job and not the salary, perks, power and the responsibility that go with your job. We need to be clear about what is that in your job which attracts us. The best motivator is the satisfaction that you get when you get immersed in the activities that you do in discharging the responsibilities.

If you love your job, you will do anything to do the list of activities that go with the job. You will sacrifice anything to get the satisfaction that you derive from the job. On the other hand if you love the salary and the all the perks and power of your job, you will sacrifice anything to retain them! But, satisfaction is something that cannot be 'purchased' by money or benefits. It is a feeling. This comes from a passion that makes you to do anything to derive the satisfaction.

Now tell me do you love your job or your salary?

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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'Mindscaping' for career building 24

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” 
 Albert Einstein

One key indicator of life if flexibility. When there is life, the body is flexible. It applies to animals, trees and plants also. I twig, a branch or a tree is flexible as long as they are alive. Once a tree dies, you cannot bend the twig or the branch.

So is the case with the human body. If there is life, our body is flexible. Once the life departs and the rigor mortise sets in, the body becomes rigid. If one wants to donate an organ such as the eyes, this has to be done before rigor mortise sets in.

When it comes to personal development and career, one of the key factors which will decide the degree of success is the ease with which we can change. The ease with which we can form a new habit and the ease with which we can come out from an existing habit is very important for growth. Of course this cannot be done with a 'alt+ctrl+delete' key! Unfortunately we are a not a computer. In fact I should say that fortunately we are not like a computer to have this key!

Here's a test: if you are used to getting up at 6.30 am, try getting up at 5 am from tomorrow!

NC Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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'Mindscaping' for career building 23

'It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it'

Dale Carnegie

Your mindset and the type of career that you want to choose will go hand in hand. Once you have decided on a career, then you should check the compatibility of your mindset for the same. Every other thing is secondary.

In my personal mentoring session and seminars, participants ask me a few questions: should I work for someone or should I work for myself? Can I quit my job and retire? Can I quit my job and start something on my own? Should I continue in this job or change my career? Should I work for the manufacturing sector or for the service sector? Should I work for monitory benefit or should I offer free service?

It all depends on your mind set. Ultimately you should be happy, satisfied and fulfilled. This will depend on the attitude that go with your mindset.

For example risk taking is an attitude. If you do not want to take risk, then you cannot be on your own. If you want security of income, then you cannot start anything on your own since the whole world is very competitive. If you are not tolerant with others mistakes, you cannot be in public life!

You cannot fit a square peg in round hole!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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'Mindscaping' for career building 22

'The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom'

Arthur Schopenhauer

How long have you been in your present job? Are you doing the same job over and over again? What do you do on a typical working day? What is the content of your job? How long has it remained static? Are you feeling bored?

When I ask this question in my seminars, some feel very happy and some others feel depressed!

I know a bus conductor for the past nearly thirty years. He has been in the same route, same duty from the time I was very young. I happened to travel in his bus a few days ago. I was stunned how he has not changed at all - the same smile, the same warmth and the same hospitality. I have come across people who say that they are bored of repetition. But I did not see this in my friend.

I asked him how is able to remain like this for ever. His reply was very simple: I do not consider my job as a means to earn a living, I consider this as a service! I love my job!'

I was wondering what happened to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs! Perhaps he has not read that, and ignorance is bliss!

After all, it is all in the mind!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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