Jen Gresham has been on my radar for quite some time. I even had the good fortune to meet her in person at BlogWorld. I admit, I hadn’t been on her blog in a while, but when I came back I noticed a big shift in what was going on. In addition to a killer design, there was a vibrant community!
You feel like you’ve tried everything. You set something outside with the garbage, but find it back inside the house because your spouse couldn’t bear parting with it. Or you plead for help with clearing the clutter, only to have what was supposed to be a guest room transform into a storage area.
You crave a more minimalist home, but not at the expense of your marriage. You’ve resigned yourself that living with all that stuff is simply the price you pay for love.
I sat in my hospital room, anxiously twirling the strings that were not securing the gown behind me, waiting for the nurses to wheel me into surgery. My husband squeezed my hand and told me we’d be okay.
Up until that moment, it certainly looked like I had it all.
As a freshman in college, I struggled to choose between two very different majors: chemistry and English.
I thought I loved them both. Since I was attending the U.S. Air Force Academy, I knew I'd have a job after graduation regardless of what I picked.
Chemistry certainly sounded more practical, and for a bright, over-achiever like myself, a professional track also seemed more appropriate.
Over the years, the Air Force funded my master's degree and then a Ph.D. The military culture, which encourages officers to change positions every two to three years, allowed me to explore a series of diverse jobs including nuclear treaty monitoring, teaching college chemistry, grants management, and corporate communications for the Air Force Research Laboratory.
I told myself I couldn’t afford to quit.
On the outside, everything looked normal. I was engaged in my work, did it dutifully, and casually chatted with co-workers in the hallways.
But on the inside, things weren’t right at all. My muscles tensed as soon as I walked in the office. I felt drained before I’d even sat down at my desk.
Your soul dies a little every time you drive to work.
The solution sounds so easy: ”follow your bliss.”
But you don’t get far before you discover more questions than answers: How do I know if something is really a passion? What if I don’t have a passion? What if I have too many? Am I dooming myself to a life of poverty if I follow my passion once I find it?
Career coach Jennifer Gresham, CEO of Everyday Bright, LLC, has experienced such a gearshift firsthand, having walked away from an enviable position as assistant chief scientist. “I found I enjoyed my days off much more than the ones spent in the office,” says Gresham. “I just wasn’t passionate about science.” She has also witnessed the same trend with countless clients. “Nearly all the women who come to me have what’s considered to be a ‘great job,’” says Gresham. “They do everything that’s expected of them, and it’s killing them.”
How passionate do you feel with your work and career?
Is it something that just pays the bills? Or does it make you feel alive with so much energy and attention you'd rather not do anything else?
You'll be joining Jennifer Gresham today, who coaches people who are in unfulfilling careers and helps them transition to careers they love.
You’re giddy.
Your team is about to unleash the results of months of creative thinking. You can’t help wondering how life is going to change after your product hits the market: the thrill of scrambling to meet demand, interviews by The New York Times, and leaning back in your office chair to bask in success.
Yep, this is going to be big.
And then … it fails. Spectacularly. No sales, no interviews, just a disappointing lesson waiting to be dissected so you can try, try again.
Back in the 1970′s, research showed both lottery winners and recent paraplegics reverted to previous happiness levels within a short period of time. This led scientists to believe there was a happiness set point, essentially a happiness cap determined by our genes. Accordingly, your decisions and circumstances in life didn’t have long-lasting impacts on your happiness level.
That’s a very frustrating question that many bloggers ask...Post after post reveals no more than a handful of comments (and half of those are your own replies). Your subscriber numbers have flatlined. And forget fan mail, that showing up seems as likely as finding a tall glass of water in the desert.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but the problem might not be your blog. The problem might be you.
After literally hundreds of platonic relationships and far fewer romantic ones, I feel pretty qualified to say men and women can be friends. The problem is there are so few role models for these kinds of relationships, men and women often don't know what to expect of if they can trust themselves to keep their end of the friendship bargain.
And then the proverbial light bulb went off. When was the last time I had reached out, seeking interaction? I had been so absorbed in deciphering everyone's friendship intentions, I had failed to step beyond my own emotional borders.
After literally hundreds of platonic relationships and far fewer romantic ones, I feel pretty qualified to say men and women can be friends. The problem is there are so few role models for these kinds of relationships, men and women often don't know what to expect of if they can trust themselves to keep their end of the friendship bargain.
Most small businesses know you have to develop a strategy for success that’s scalable. What works when your blog is small may not work well when it gets big. The scalability problem most bloggers worry about is the capability of their servers, but it’s how they spend their time that should be at the forefront of their strategy. To make sure you aren’t the latest victim of blogger burnout, take heed of these 6 potential pitfalls, and the strategies you can implement to navigate blogging success:
You tell yourself it’s irrational.
You know the stories are supposed to be inspirational. You know you’re supposed to think: if they can do it, so can I!
But let’s be honest. Sometimes, those rags-to-riches or instant success stories just make you feel like shit.
You’re working your butt off, you’re doing everything you know to do, and when someone does it faster or bigger or better, you lose faith. You wonder if you’re even capable of achieving your goals or if you should just quit while you’re ahead.
Monetization is all the buzz. While “hot trends” make a maverick nervous, blog + awesome products has the potential to be a true win-win. Fans get problems solved and you get cash.
So where does it all go wrong? I’ve seen a rash of bad behavior when it comes to monetization from bloggers who frankly have been around long enough to know better. Greed and a desire for passive income does funny things to people.
To get the inside scoop on how to land a guest post with me, watch this free webinar I did with Jon Morrow.
