Staying In Shape

Why Lawyers Should Eat Bananas by Simon Tupman is a book that caught my eye both because of its unusual title and because I coach lawyers who are growing their practices. The book cover says it gives "Inspirational Ideas for Lawyers Wanting More Out of Life"

Much of what Mr. Tupman writes about is appropriate career advice for anyone, lawyer, business person or manager . He is an advocate of "Working smarter not harder" and so am I. I really liked his list of attributes for smart workers and number 8 on the list particularly appealed to me because it underscores much of what I say to my clients.

Number 8 says that smart workers "stay in S.H.A.P.E." Each letter of course stands for an element that he believes is vital in order to stay marketable.

Skills Today all workers have a responsibility to keep their skills up to date. If you are waiting for someone else to pay for your training you may wait yourself into obsolescence. If you are in business, someone else will take away your business if you let your skills stagnate. If you work for someone else, your employer may find that another employee who has more advanced skills can do your job better or faster. In my AT&T days the Internet was just coming into general use. Those people who could support it technically were the ones whose jobs were more secure.

Health It is something you may take for granted but you need to be proactive about your health. Proper diet, enough sleep, and exercise all help you to have the energy you need to do your job. Often my clients will say to me that they just don't have time to exercise or have a well-balanced meal. They say they have other priorities. I ask all my clients to make themselves their number one priority. You can't be good to others (clients, family, co-workers, friends etc.) unless you are good to yourself.

Attitude How do you approach a problem or something new? If you believe you can't do something, you won't be able to. As a sales manager I found it was so much easier to work with sales executives who were proactive and saw lots of possibilities rather than the ones who had a negative attitude and whined about their problems. People with positive attitudes attract success.

Persistence Life has its ups and downs. Everyone will have the experience of trying something that doesn't work out as planned. What do you do when this happens? Do you quit or do you use the failure to learn and grow? Thomas Alva Edison said, "Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work." Rather than being upset by failure regard it as just one more data point on the road to success.

Enthusiasm What is it that keeps you working at your job, business or job search? Somewhere in your mind you must have a vision of what you want to achieve that really excites you. Having enthusiasm for the end state (your vision) will get you through the toughest days.

As you can see the critical element here is knowing yourself. Look at each of the 5 elements and ask yourself how you stack up. Is there something that is holding you back?

Take action!

1. Identify the area that you would like to improve.

2. What is one step you could take to improve yourself in that area?

3. What are your challenges?

4. What steps can you take to overcome those challenges?

5. Take the step and start again.

Having difficulty? A coach may be able to help you to overcome the obstacles and move forward.

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker's Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are managers, business owners, sole practioners, attorneys and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

---

Recovering From a Career Crisis

If you have ever experienced any of the following, you... Read More

Discontentment in the Workplace

While more people are finding employment, more employed workers are... Read More

Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices

The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and... Read More

Ideal Job and Handling Criticism

How many times have you been asked, "What is your... Read More

Moving Without A Job: Should You Move to the Location of Your Dreams and THEN Look for a Job?

Moving without a job will challenge your identity -- but... Read More

Job Search: The End of the Line

There is an end to the job search tunnel!It has... Read More

What To Do When A Co-Worker Turns Nasty

A friend of mine laments that work would be great... Read More

Sample Resume Objectives: Read, Dont Copy

The resume objective statement is typically something that trips people... Read More

The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter

Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This... Read More

Dynamic Interviewing Practices

The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. If you're reading... Read More

The Perils Of Employment: Are You About To Be Let Go?

From the moment you are born and you take your... Read More

A Job is Not a Job

It only happened on Mondays. Sometimes I escaped... Read More

Ten Things To Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job

1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how... Read More

Get Inspired About Your Career

Get Inspired about Your CareerDo you linger in bed long... Read More

Corporate World: Jungle Or Paradise?

The road to the top is not easy, it is... Read More

Reinventing Yourself for Multiple Careers

In many countries around the globe, people are born into... Read More

Become A Personal Trainer

Every human body is different and a personal trainer will... Read More

Career Change: A Glittering Invitation To The Emotional Stalkers

As much as you are yearning for career-change, and as... Read More

5 Ways to Combat Job Burnout

Job burnout happens when the stress or prolonged frustration of... Read More

How to Turn Career Mistakes into Career Wins

I recently talked with a client who was paralyzed at... Read More

Successful Job Interview Tips

Congratulations! You've finally landed that job interview you've been waiting... Read More

Certification for Freelancers and Home-Based Business Owners

When we think of technical certification, most of us think... Read More

Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks Women with Families Face Making Career Changes

Family is the driving force of our lives. You need... Read More

Top 10 Super Job Interview Tips

Use these interview tips for job hunting success!It's a tough... Read More

You Can Identify a Problem Solver

As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people.... Read More

Are You Making These Common Job Interview Mistakes?

Going to an interview without a plan of action is... Read More

Have You Given Up On Yourself?

Have you given up on yourself? Have you decided to... Read More

Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design

There is one little practice that is vital to generating... Read More

Defining Success Your Way!

In my career advising practice, I often find that my... Read More

Is A Career a Calling or Choice?

How much of our career path is destiny and how... Read More

Factual Employment Screening Part 2

An Employment Screening OutlinePolicy DevelopmentA policy of Factual Employment Screening;... Read More

Create a Network and Catapult Your Job Search

Networking is still known as a great job-search strategy, yet... Read More

Reactions to Job Loss; Getting Past the Emotions

Without doubt, job loss through downsizing or redundancy, is a... Read More