1. 8/22/09 - Article about "Don't make career plans - "... That’s why it’s so necessary not to hold onto your plans, opinions, and beliefs with such strictness that you can’t change and adapt ..." - (Read member's comments)

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Opportunities for you to pursue work that matters to you (your dream job or your LifeWork) can cross your path at any time - and many times - during your life, especially if you plan for and make your luck. Even if you love your current (life)work, circumstances do change.


Scenario: Your on a train, plane, bus or in an elevator or in a coffee shop, etc and you overhear someone talking about work that you love.

You want to tell them that you share their passion for their work and consider inviting you to join them, but there is no time and you do not have your resume in your back pocket.

But you did plan for this day and you hand them one of your LifeWork cards. It has your "LifeWork Statement" which very briefly describes your passion and a link (URL) to a post in your blog that explains why you are the best person for the job.

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I subscribe to The Career News e-newsletters. Here is the archives. Below are links to articles I found of interest.

1. Why Google might be killing your job search: "Your" Internet presence may be hurting you. Tips on fixing it.

The most powerful force in the world is

1. you
   
2. love
   
3. friendship
   
4. an idea whose time has come
   

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I received a slide show attached to an email that described the story behind Beethoven's "Moonlght Sonata" using twenty (20) beautiful pictures and the sonata.

Click here to see the slide show. It has no sound track.

Click here to download the original slide show (2 meg) I saw and heard. It has a sound track of the sonata.

I attributed all but five of the key words below to this very inspirational presentation.

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Return to Take advantage of unexpected disappointments

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If you want to link to this post, use the LWPS WYSIWYG editor and COPY/PASTE the following hyperlink below.
The story behind Beethoven's "Moonlght Sonata" - an ode to the joy of life

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About Planned Happenstance

There is a belief entrenched in American culture that career planning Is a logical and linear activity...

... But it's not.

We are expected to choose a career from among thousands of possibilities, often before having a chance to explore one option. Even experts cannot always anticipate the economic, social, and political events that will impact employment. How can anyone be expected to prepare for a career in a world that is constantly emerging?

...

Planned Happenstance is not just luck or being in the right place at the right time. It is a conscious, purposeful, and on-going process that will help you to build a more satisfying and fulfilling career.

Planned Happenstance website of Kathleen Mitchell, Ed.D

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Steve Jobs commencement speech where he said "... getting fired from Apple was the best thing that happened to me ..." at location 07:02 in the 14:33 min. video.

"Take advantage of unexpected disappointments" is the first "point to remember" in Chapter 1: Myth: Don't let unexpected events disrupt your plans. Truth: Make the most of unplanned events. of the book "Luck Is No Accident".

Below are links to posts of LWPS members who have offered to share their experience about this topic.

1. The story behind Beethoven's "Moonlght Sonata" - an ode to the joy of life
2. Pete Hubbard's list of unexpected disappointments.

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If you want to link to this post, use the LWPS WYSIWYG editor and COPY/PASTE the following hyperlink below.
Take advantage of unexpected disappointments

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Planning to Get Things Done

I ran across the following passage from What Clients Love by Harry Beckwith. I haven't read the book, but it's next on my list.

Planning, whether business planning, career planning, life planning or financial planning, often doesn't receive the respect or attention it deserves.

Quite often the reason -- yeah, we did a plan, put on the bookshelf and never touched again. Planning, like organizing is the prelude to action. The better the planning, the better the preparation, the better the performance. It's not about the plan, it's about the process and what you learn. Good planning is critical and every plan should be reviewed, assessed and revised - continuously. But it should never take the place of action. (Source) 

 

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(MISC. to be editted.)

It's not easy deciding what to type into the "Top five" columns of each row. Nor should it be. This is an important task and one should equate it to the rigors of doing a research project - on oneself. Thus, the first line below.

It is not easy deciding what is most important; nor should it be. LifeWork planning is tedious. And life is about decisions.
Your LWP should be a research project you do on yourself that is graded by life.
A plan that is not written is not a plan.
"Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal" - Unknown
Plan your work, work you plan!
People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan

 

Click on the short (5:27 minute) video to the right to listen to Dr. Krumboltz describe some of the "radical advice" he and Dr. Levin offer in their book "Luck Is No Accident". [1]

(I've prepared one (1) post (below) for Chapter 3 as an example of the posts I will create to entice you to read each chapter and share your experiences about the ten (10) myths about planning your life and career. As I develop the other nine (9) posts/chapters, you will not be able to access them until Dr. Krumboltz has given me his approval.)

Below is a table of ten (10) "myths" about planning your life and career and their related "truths". Click on one or more or all of the links to a truth. If you have had an experience with that myth/truth, create a post about it in your personal LWPS blog, then give us a link to it if you are willing to share it.

Chapter	Myth	Truth
1	Don't let unexpected events disrupt your plans.	Make the most of unplanned events.
2	Choose a career goal as soon as possible.	Always keep your options open.
3	Follow your dream.	Test steps for evaluating your dream.
4	Take action only when you are sure of the outcome.	Try it - even without knowing the outcome.
5	Avoid making mistakes.	Go ahead and make mistakes.
6	Wait for a lucky break.	Take action to create your own luck.
7	Go for a job only if you have all the skills.	Go for the job - then learn the skills.
8	Make your career your top priority.	Enjoy yourself - the good life is a balanced life.
9	Whatever you believe now must be true	Examine your beliefs carefully.
10	Believe that luck is just an accident.	Remember that luck is no accident.

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The text of each of the ten (10) myths and truths in the table above were copied from LUCK IS NO ACCIDENT: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career © 2004 by John D. Krumboltz and Al S. Levin. Reproduced by permission of Impact Publishers, P.O. Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016, www.impactpublishers.com. Further reproduction prohibited.

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[1] This keynote event was taped on 12/11/07 at the ACSCI conference in Las Vegas with permission. [Other snippets may follow.]

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The video was announced in the following two places on 1/19/08, and there have been 32 views - on YouTube - as of 1/20/08

1. ACSCI-L Yahoo Group
2. Career Development Forums - Topic 413

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John, only you and I can view this post.

[If the video we take at the ACSCI conference pertains to this chapter, we can insert the video here, like this one for Paul McCartney's "With a little luck".

We are not apposed to planning, but we don't think you should stick with a plan that is not working for you anymore. p.3 “Luck Is No Accident”

Each of the following lines are titles to sections within this chapter. There is at least one personal story in the book attached to each that will inspire you. If a title is a hyperlink, then at least one LWPS member has offered a link to a post they have written about that experience.

1. Take advantage of unexpected disappointments. p.6
   
2. Be open to changing locations and occupations. p 8
   
3. Share your interests and experiences with people you meet. p.9
   
4. Convert frustrations into opportunities. p 10
   
5. Realize that unplanned events result in more unplanned events. p 13
   
6. Make the job fit you. p 15

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The two blocks of quoted text above were copied from LUCK IS NO ACCIDENT: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career © 2004 by John D. Krumboltz and Al S. Levin. Reproduced by permission of Impact Publishers, P.O. Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016 (12/11/2007), www.impactpublishers.com. Further reproduction prohibited.

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If you are willing to share your experiences of making the most of unplanned events,

• add a comment below that
  • includes only three items: 1) the link and 2) title of your post, and the title number (1-6) (above) that relates to your experience.
  • Make sure that your saved your post with an AR of "public" so that it is visible to anyone on the Internet (search engines will find it), or "Logged in Users" so only LWPS members can view it.
• I will create a post (and link) for your title and COPY and PASTE it there.

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Click your browser's BACK/Return arrow to return to the post that brought you here, or return to

• Ten (10) myths about planning your life and career.

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COPY the red line below and PASTE it at the bottom of the post you create for this myth/truth so you have a link back to this post.

Go or return to <a href=http://lifeworkps.com/luck/weblog/3082.html>Chapter 1: <b>Myth</b>: Don't let unexpected events disrupt your plans. <b>Truth</b>: Make the most of unplanned events.</a>

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[1] [The video is private until Dr. Krumboltz has had an opportunity to review and approve it. When you click on it, you will see the message "We're sorry, this video is no longer available."]

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