Three Tactics for Managing Roadblocks On Your Road to Success

by Karen D. Swim

Photo Credit: © Elena Elisseeva | Dreamstime.com

You're tooling along on the road to success confident of where you're headed when you encounter the dreaded roadblock. What do you do?

This month we have been focused on moving forward, but what do you do when your journey is interrupted by those awful orange cones? Below are three options that will help you navigate the roadblocks that hinder your progress.

Wait it Out

Orange cones in the road may only signal a temporary road closure. As you idle your engine and wait, review your purpose for the journey and your directions to get there. Use the break in the action to renew your energy and enthusiasm or attend to other minor tasks are you wait. Check the oil and fluids, kick the tires and make sure you have enough air. When the road crew removes the cones you will be ready to move on with confidence.

Take the Suggested Detour

Detours keep you moving but may add a few extra miles to your journey. Don't view a detour as a setback but a continuation of the adventure. You may discover things along the suggested route that you otherwise would have missed. When I worked in Corporate America my company decided to centralize all of marketing to New Jersey. I didn't want to move (suggested detour) and I opted not to accept offers from the other companies that sought me out (suggested detour #2). Instead, I chose to take time off from work to do nothing (alternate route of my choosing).

Take an Alternate Route of Your Choosing

Choosing my own route turned out to be the best thing that could have happened in my life. I had no idea where any of the roads would lead but trusted that still small voice that said "turn off here." Roadblocks can be a divine signal leading you in a different direction. If the suggested route doesn't feel right to you, plan your own alternate. You may even decide to change your destination entirely, like I did.

As you move toward attaining your goals you will eventually hit a roadblock. Do not allow those orange cones to distract or discourage you. You will get to your destination, perhaps a little slower or by a different route, but you will arrive.

Please join and add to the discussion. What tips do you have for do handling the roadblocks in your life?

Above the Noise

by Karen D. Swim

Are you struggling to be heard in a noisy market place? Do you feel like even if you yelled at the top of your lungs no one would notice or care? It may be time to sing at night.

In 2007 a report found that birds in noisy urban areas began singing at night in order for their melodies to be heard above the clamor of city life. Researchers at Sheffield University studied robins in and around Sheffield and discovered that the robins adapted the time of day they sang in order to be heard. The report joins a growing body of evidence that birds are changing their behavior to adjust to modern life.

Our world is noisy. In every industry there are a multitude of choices and it seems everyone is delivering their message and attempting to be heard. Whether you have a blog, book, product, service or are in the job market it seems that millions of people are already out there singing at the top of your lungs.

The robins are not singing to attract or please people. Robins sing to attract other robins and to ward off rivals. In the bird world they are among the earliest to join the chorus at dawn and the last to fall silent at dusk.

"Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings."--Victor Hugo

It can be downright discouraging believing that you cannot possibly be heard above the noise. Rather than give up, consider the robins. You don’t have to sing your song at the same time of day or even in the same pitch as your competitors. Adapt to modern life just like the birds by finding and singing your own tune at your own time.

Photo credit: Flickr.com | Kerri 2008

The Power of A Moment

by Karen D. Swim

Photo: Flickr.com|pasotraspaso

Brief encounters can pack a powerful punch. This is the thought that ran through my mind as I watched the big fat raindrops fall from what had been a beautiful clear sky.

It was quiet and peaceful, a perfect Saturday. I ran errands enjoying the easy tempo of the day. The sun began to fade behind the clouds and the sky darkened. Just as I entered the long drive of my development, huge drops burst forth from the sky. The winds grew high and the drops fell hard and heavy. And then as suddenly as it started, it ended.

I reached my door with canvas shopping bag and noticed that the door was drenched with water, and the dirt from the garden had scattered around the walkway. In less than a minute the brief thunderstorm had transformed the landscape around it.

Like the thunderstorm, our thoughts, attitudes and actions impact the landscape and people around us. As we rush about through our days we may forget that we are connected to the world and people around us. Every small encounter has an impact. In other words we matter, so our words, actions and attitudes matter too.

In less than a minute we can transform ourselves too. In a moment of stress, taking a minute to breathe deeply and focus only on the rise and fall of breath can lower your blood pressure and calm your mind. A minute enjoying the world through your child's eyes can give you a new perspective. As I entered my house I renewed my determination to be present and to relish each moment.

Each moment does count, what will you do with yours today?

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Tips for Managing Your Energy When the Battle Grows Fierce

by Karen D. Swim

This morning I opened my devotional and the following words jumped off the page and opened my still sleepy eyes:

Each of us must decide where we're going to put our energy when the battle grows fierce.

The headline was particularly meaningful this week as I have read and listened to many others who are feeling the strain of keeping things in balance. Yvonne Russell wrote about managing the noise level in a Web 2.0 world and Wendi Kelly blogged about managing the multiple priorities in our lives. The demands for our time and attention seem to be growing at a rapid pace. We have to treat our energy as a precious commodity. As Ellen Wilson wrote this week "It pays (literally, because that is the currency that gives all the goods we need for survival) to think about how you spend your precious energy."

So how do we pick our battles? How do we choose where to put our energy?

Keep your Eyes on the Prize
The answer in my morning devotional was to keep your eyes on the prize. We're all in a race but what are you running for ultimately? Take some quiet time, shut off the noise and list what's most important to you. Are your day to day actions aligned with your guiding values? Your values, your purpose are your constant gut check as to where, how and with whom you spend that precious commodity known as energy.

Just Say No!
Women in particular seem to have a hard time saying "No." We want to support, nurture, do and help everyone but there's not enough of you to go around. I've learned to say "No" but even I still experience those times when I say "No" but feel guilty about it. This can be especially difficult when if time and and energy permitted you would say "yes." If you struggle with saying "No" learn to not give an immediate answer. Distance yourself from the pressure of the situation by saying "I'll have to get back to you," or "I have to check my calendar." Follow up by politely but firmly declining. Remember that YOU own your time. It is yours to spend as you please. You do not have to explain your reason for saying no.

Shrink your World
When my husband was diagnosed with cancer I became a full time caregiver. My world became smaller out of necessity. My husband was obviously my top priority. I also continued running and training for a marathon, stayed connected to friends and my church family. I had to narrow my focus and ignore everything else. Sometimes you have to prune your life. In planting, pruning removes the non-productive, diseased or unwanted. When you properly prune plants and trees it enhances the health, strength and beauty. Pruning your life can produce the same effect and is a practice we should all engage in periodically.

You do not have to read every blog post, accept every invitation or join and participate in every social media forum. Choose your battles based on your ultimate prize, your body, mind, soul and loved ones will thank you for it!
How do you manage your energy? How do you make the tough decisions?

Technorati Tags: energy management,information overload,inspiration

Photo: Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

by Karen D. Swim

Dusty camps littered with tents and the eyes that seem to long for hope haunt my thoughts on this day. The people of Darfur are suffering and there is barely a whisper of protest and support from the International Community. While I know that there is suffering in all parts of the globe, I wonder how we can ignore 2.5 million people who have been displaced.

For five years the conflict in Darfur has raged on, leaving in its wake widespread murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Various estimates indicate that 200,000 to 400,000 people have lost their lives. The Sudanese government has been escalating its attacks. On May 4, a Darfuri school was bombed killing at least 13 people, including 7 children.

Commercial trucks bearing food from the World Food Program were hijacked forcing the U.N. to cut its rations in half. Human rights organizations indicate that malnutrition is a concern in many areas of the region.

Are there no tears left for Darfur? Has the world turned its back on this genocide? We have failed Darfur miserably. After the May 4 bombing, it took the international community more than 48 hours to respond. Almost one year ago, the U.N. approved a peacekeeping force for Darfur. To date, less than a third of that force has reached Darfur.

You can support Darfur by making your voice heard. Amnesty International has local groups worldwide who have united to help Darfur.

United States citizens can email or print a petition to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice urging the US Administration to put an end to the devastating violence in Darfur by getting UN-AU boots on the ground with everything they need to protect civilians.

There are also countless organizations such as Save Darfur that are working to bring about change. I urge you to get informed, and then get involved. Darfur is running out of time.

Assumption is the Feast of Fools

by Karen D. Swim

As a teen I often quoted the familiar phrase "a-s-s-u-m-e makes an a** out out of you(u) and me." I have no idea where the turn of phrase originated or even why I said it so much, but as an adult I still fancy the simple message. Assumption can be good or bad. Being taking up into heaven is the good kind of assumption. Assuming power can also be good. If anyone wanted to assume my financial obligations well that would rock too. Assumption is bad when it is arrogant and pretentious.

I had a boss once who screened potential sales candidates by driving by their homes. If they lived in an apartment, she would not hire them. If they lived in a home that was "not nice" or in a "bad neighborhood" she also would not hire them. Her logic being that a successful sales person would own their own home in a "nice" neighborhood with acceptable curb appeal. Would you agree with my former boss?

My boss' assumptions were based on her value system and personal measure of success. This is where we can all get into trouble. By failing to expand the prism of our perceptions we risk becoming a horse's patootie. What if the salesperson was renting because they had made a conscious decision to donate 50% of their income to a children's charity? Or perhaps that person owned a home in another location and kept an apartment to avoid a commute. What if the salesperson owned the entire building? Could they have purchased a home in a less than desirable neighborhood that was on the verge of revival?

“If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance.”-- Orville Wright

The human race is diverse. There are cultural, gender, generational and individual differences. It is risky to assume facts not in evidence. Assumptions can hinder your personal growth, relationships and even impact your professional life. We must be willing to look past the top layer to discover the complexities that lie beneath. We are cheating ourselves and others if we hold on to a narrow world view where we expect everyone to be just like us.

How can making assumptions about the actions and comments of others affect the facilitation of a group? What are the cultural implications?

Photo Credit: © Brian Dunne | Dreamstime.com

Ease On Down the Road

by Karen D. Swim

All this month we've been talking about moving forward. Last night as I reviewed the events of the day I found myself singing "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz. I have not thought of or heard the song in a number of years but it is a happy song and a great road tune.

Unlike the characters in the Wiz, at the end of our road there is something far better than the Wizard. Put on your dancing shoes or if you're like Brett Legree, go barefoot and sing along as you dance on down the road to your destiny!

Do you have a song that gets you moving down the road?