Althea McIntyre’s
Transform Your Career
7-week Online Course
Class One
Workbook
“Everyone has a purpose in life. Everyone has a talent that is unique in its expression, so unique that there’s no one else alive on this planet that has that talent. This means that there’s one thing you can do, and one way of doing it, that is better than anyone else on this entire planet.”
- Deepak Chopra
Become more aware of your moods, emotions, drives and energy level.
What do you love MOST about your career right now?
What work activities excite you? You look forward to working on them.
What work activities energy you? You feel a sense of purpose while working on them.
What topic or subject are you MOST passionate about? You are brought to tears or anger when they are discussed.
What types of books dominate your bookshelves?
What section of the bookstore (or library) do you ALWAYS gravitate to?
What type of advise does your friends ALWAYS come to you for, especially in times of crisis?
What type of classes, workshops, seminars and conferences do you love to attend?
Find 60-90 minutes a day to work ON YOUR CAREER versus in your career.
What work activities drain your energy? You are exhausted just thinking about them.
What work activities bog you down? You struggle to begin and complete them.
What aspects of your daily work life would you like to eliminate?
What work activities are you currently doing, that you don’t enjoy doing and could be done by someone else who would love to do the work?
Eliminate ALL distractions such as:
1. Unwanted email newsletters
2. Social media apps
3. Text messages
4. Phone calls
5. Professional associations that no longer serve your personal/professional needs
6. Professional networking groups that no longer serve your personal/professional needs
7. Volunteer commitments that no longer serve your personal/professional needs
8. LinkedIn Connections that constantly spam your inbox
9. Facebook Friends
10. Twitter Followers
Set aside dedicated time that you will work on your career
(e.g. Monday – Friday 8:00-9:30am)
Next prioritize your to-do list
Greatest Long Term Impact – Least Amount of Effort – Least Amount of Time – Most Money
Finally organize your work activities
Bundle and Batch Your Activities (e.g. email, phone calls, research, social media, writing, etc.…)
What gives your life joy, meaning and purpose?
Circle the three areas that are most important to the quality of your life:
Physical environment Fun/Recreation Health
Career Spirituality Family
Finances Personal Growth Friends
Body/Appearance Relationship/Romance Community
How often are thee three areas that you circled above reflected in your daily calendar and bank accounts? (On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being “not at all”, 5 being “somewhat” and 10 being “YES”!)
List your five favorite hobbies, regardless if you are actively engaged in them or not.
Which one activity from above will you commit to engaging in for at least 60-minutes a day, once a week? What will you do?
Where will you receive emotional and spiritual support?
Who will encourage you when you feel hopeless, overwhelmed and lost?
Who do you know for sure won’t be helpful?
What can you read to support you emotionally and spiritually?
Where do you see, feel and hear the presence of God?
What most helps you hear your own wisdom and truth?
What three things make your heart sing?
What feeds your soul?
Boundaries: What You Create And What You Allow
What are boundaries? They are made up of two essential things: what you create and what you allow. A “boundary” is a property line. It defines where your property begins and ends. If you think about your home, on your property, you can define what is going to happen there, and what is not. You are “ridiculously in charge” of the vision, the people you invite in, what the goals and the purposes are going to be, what behavior is going to be allowed and what isn’t. You set the agenda, and you make the rules. It is your creation or your allowances that have made it be. But this positive and negative boundary-setting does not happen by itself. It takes energy and focus. [1]
Saying No to Demands[2]
Below are some specific key words or phrases you can use in saying No to other’s demand in a way that flows naturally from you Yes, your power, and your respect. Remember that your tone and underlying intent need to be congruent with your words if they are to have the right impact
“No” or “ No Thanks”
“No, I’m going to pass, let me know how it goes.”
“I have a policy”
“I have a policy of never serving on boards.”
“I have a policy of giving myself at least 24 hours to sleep on it before making a decision.”
“I have plans” or “I have another commitment”
“I’m sorry I already have plans that night. Thank you for the invitation. Let me know how it goes”
“I’d like to help you out, but I have other projects I’m committed to finishing before I take on anything else.”
“I need to focus on my family/personal/life/work/studies right now. I won’t be able to be involved.”
“I can’t do lunch these days, but coffee works.”
“Not Now”
“I’m sorry but I’m not able to commit now. I’ll let you know when a time is better for me in the future.”
“Now is not a good time. I need to focus on my family/personal/life/work/studies right now.”
“I’m not available now but will let you know when once I complete the project I’m focused on”
If pressed for an immediate answer and you do not wish to be rushed into a premature decision
“If you need an answer right now, the answer is No.”
Write Your Vision Story.
Emotional Guidance Scale[3]
Love/Joy/Appreciate/Empowerment/Freedom
Passion
Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
Positive Expectation/Belief
Hopefulness
Contentment
Boredom
Frustration/Irritability/Impatience
Overwhelm
Disappointment/Sadness
Doubt
Worry
Blame
Discouragement
Anger
Revenge
Rage
Jealousy
Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
Despair/Depression/Fear/Powerlessness
Key Characteristics A Purpose-Driven Career
1. You experience a sense of peace, happiness, meaning and purpose in what you do. You know that you are here to do this work. Your career will be your calling.
2. You love talking, reading and attending workshop (classes, lectures, seminars, conferences) about your work and your field. Your bookshelf is full of books on the field.
3. You feel innately connected to others in your field. They are members of your tribe. You like being in their company.
4. You lose yourself in your work. Time slips by. Retiring from it seems ridiculous. Working on the weekends doesn’t feel like work.
5. Friends and family members seek your opinion and advice on the subject long before you’ve begun getting paid for your services/products.
6. As you reflect over your life you see the path that brought you to your ideal purpose-driven career. You’ve desired, envisioned and wrote about your work long before you actually were doing it.
7. When you are working it feels effortless. The work is a natural extension of your unique self.
8. Your work gives you the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. You learn things about yourself that you didn’t even know you needed to learn.[4]
9. When you tell your friends about the work you do they usually respond by saying “that sounds exactly like you.”
10. Your career’s growth will be connected to your spiritual growth and personal relationship with God.
© 2004-2014 Althea McIntyre and The Best Career For Me. All Rights Reserved.
Althea McIntyre • http://thebestcareerforme.com • • 847-425-9730
1
[1] Cloud, Dr. Henry, Boundaries For Leaders 8th Edition (New York, New York: HaperCollins Publishers, 2013), pp. 15-19
[2] Ury, Williams, The Power Of A Positive No 8th Edition (New York, New York: Bantam Hall, 2007), pp. 133-137
[3] Abraham-Hicks; Ask and It is Given, pg. 114.
[4] Loeb, Marshall (2005, August 8), CareerJournal.com “Signs That Your Job is Headed In a Good..or Bad..Direction.”