Giving a Java Jump to your Motivation

Although my job has changed from proactively selling a product or service for a company back to selling people (me, myself and I), I have found many of the techniques which make me a successful sales professional have helped me to stay motivated in my career search. Everyone has down times and days. The call or email letting you know you were second choice at a position you were dying to get. The day you have to put your dog to sleep. Finding out yet another position has been put on hold. These have all happened in the past month. Yet, I need to stay motivated. Here are some of the tricks I use:

1) Daily goals: If you read this blog, you know my annual effort to establish and revisit goals for my professional and personal life. Most of those have gone firmly out the window this year. However, I am having success with the daily goals. Don't make your list too long but have a variety on there. Here are some of mine for today.

• Take Fiona for a Walk (done)
  
• Send Thank you notes for sympathy gift & yesterday's phone interview (done)
  
• Review job postings on Linked In (done - nothing interesting errr)
  
• Send out a tweet promoting myself and my skills (done and thank you to @mwalsh for the RT)
  
• Write a blog post (completing)
  

2) Have a Feel Good Play List: I have created a couple of play lists in iTunes that have music that make me feel great. I love Irish bar music for example. How can you be not motivated by a good jig like the Irish Rover? Another feel good selection for me is the soundtrack from Cocktail. The Hippy Hippy Shake, Kokomo, etc... love it.

3) Get some exercise: I like to go in the morning for a quick walk. Others might hit the gym or go for a bike ride... or simply dance to that play list like a fool in your living room.

4) Have a Work buddy: For the past five years, I have loved working from home. One of my key things I do when I feel like I can't possibly leave one more voicemail message is call my work buddy. We worked together ten years ago. We both have separate careers now but both work from a home environment. We use each other to motivate ourselves to make one more call or to read an email for tone etc. After five minutes on the phone with her, I am built up to attack the prospect mountain yet again!

5) Breathe and dial: Some of my best success has come after a huge rejection. I will say it is important to breathe first and put it behind you. Then make the next call or send the next email. Remember sales and job hunting is really about the numbers. If only 5% are buying or hiring in this economy, you may need to hear ninety-five rejections prior to the first yes.

6) Have a focal point: I have a picture in my office I took from the middle of the lake my Grandparents had a camp on in New Hampshire. I know every inch of the shore. The picture somehow centers me. For you, this might be a picture of your kids, pets or spouse.

7) Create a Motivational folder: Mine contains motivational quotes that were under the glass on my grandfather's desk (It is actually the same folder he had in his desk. Looking at the writing on it in his hand makes me smile and motivates me without opening it) , recommendations, emails from bosses that were complimentary, reviews, notes from friends and pictures of stuff I want.

8) Use your CRM System: This is something I am lost with out currently. I firmly believe that inputs equal outputs. I have always set up my CRM system to help me achieve my daily, weekly, monthly contact goals. I suggest talking to the most successful person that is in your profession and ask about their daily or weekly activity. For example, my VP when I started at DCI said that to be successful I needed to make 100 outbound attempts a week or 20 a day. Email didn't count back then. It worked. Today, I still use it as a measuring stick for throttling up or down my sales activity. A wise fisherman once told me the fish typically don't dump into the boat without being reeled in first.

9) Use a Notebook: Okay... huh... you just said to lean on your CRM System. Yes, I did. However, I also use a notebook to jot down notes from a meeting or call. Write down information when prospecting. It is sometimes helpful to flip back through to see someone you might have over looked, brainstorming new ideas, or just remembering past successful calls and meetings.

10) I am leaving this one blank... As I would like to learn from you. Please let me know what the tenth thing should be in your opinion.

Twitter and the TdF

@LeviLeipheimer Stg 9 finished, uneventful for the most part. Congrats to Fedrigo, they were strong! On our way to the airport now. Flying to Limoges 4 rest


My husband is an avid or maybe RABID road cyclist and racer. For the past ten years, I have been spending the month of July watching the Tour de France. The first couple of years it was half hour coverage on one of the sports channels. Now, it completely takes over the Versus Channel for the month. I have tried very hard not to check cycling news or to flip on the TV at lunch to check out coverage.

Some years I have done better than others. This year, it is almost impossible to not know what is going to happen. I have mastered the TV thing. We DVR the live coverage with Phil & Paul that airs in the morning to watch at night. I have even discovered that if we turn the flat screen we can see it through the window on the deck to be able to enjoy the July weather, dinner, and the coverage.

I am failing with knowing the actual cyclists reporting the results on Twitter. I follow most of the leading cyclists. As I have said before, they get social media. However, I flicked into Twitter this morning while doing research for my interview tomorrow. I was looking up the company, person I am speaking with, and others. There was the tweet above from Levi. Arrgghh!

I am frustrated with myself for looking. Would I trade having the professional cycling community from being so active in social media? Heck NO! I think it is wonderful. No one can provide coverage than the cyclists themselves. They add a good measure of photos, blogs, and video blogs to their tweets. Beyond this, the cyclists are responding the twittersphere on posts that are completely off base. This weekend Lance Armstrong responded to a tweet suggesting there was a conspiracy between Nike CEO, the Astana Director de Sportif Johan Bruyneel to snub Alberto Contador for Lance. The Texan responded,

@BigMiggy Don't think so, mig. @johanbruyneel has the utmost integrity. He's the TEAM director not MY director. (about 23 hours ago from UberTwitter in reply to BigMiggy)


I am also impressed how LiveStrong has been able to capitalize on the tool as well. People are adding the yellow wrist band to their photos. It is getting the word out. I have even dug out my Livestrong band from my jewelry box.


Twitter in reality has given a new dimension to this year's tour. I continue to be impressed with how the cyclists are branding themselves, their teams, and the charities they support. Okay.. now time to get that walk in today with Fiona. She is antsy to get going....

Link to the Lance's video blog on www.Livestrong.com http://tinyurl.com/nmcn9o

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Seamus Brannigan, 2002 - July 8, 2009

Seamus Brannigan, our spunky little Brittany was assisted over the Rainbow Bridge yesterday after losing an eight month battle with lymphoma. Nothing is known about his puppyhood. Our best estimation is he was raised by a hunter some where near Memphis, Tennessee. We adopted this approximately nine month old puppy in May 2003 from National Brittany Rescue. Sue Blackman was his foster mom. Seamus was a Mother’s Day present to his human mommy, Pauline. We are not sure who got the gift as he was the definition of a “Momma’s Boy” like all true Southern Gentlemen.

Seamus was well trained puppy. It was apparent he knew all the standard commands and had been trained to hunt. However, given his separation anxiety and absolute terror at the sound of thunder, this was never fully explored.

We would say he would be missed by many but that isn’t the case given how protective of his mommy. Frankly, he wouldn’t really care. The only people he truly loved were his parents. They are grief stricken by his loss. Seamus loved to go everywhere with them and specifically his mom. Whether that was in the car or for a beloved walk in the country, he just wanted to go. This was especially hard over the past months with the cancer. We were concerned about taxing him too much with the longer walks his sister Fiona needed. Finally, as it had become apparent the cancer was winning we gave in and allowed him to be free again. Seamus enjoyed a long walk the day before his passing in the summer sun. He had a thing for bees and would stand forever watching them and trying to catch them. He was actually quite good at it.

Seamus served as a constant security guard for the home office. He was always by his mother’s side during long conference calls and working on proposals. She will greatly miss the shadow she has had for the past six years. Seamus was never from within sight of her if he could help it. He also had a unique ability to understand the human language. We swear he understood every word even though he could tune us out when a squirrel chase was on hand.

Seamus is survived by his father and namesake James Brannigan and his mother Pauline Brannigan, his canine Golden sister, Fiona, and feline sister HRH the Duchess of Brannydoon. Predeceasing Seamus was his sister, Annie in 2007.

We know that Seamus was the best dog he could be. We adored him for it and will miss him forever. Donations can be made in his memory to the New Milford Dog Park, Post Office Box 86, New Milford, CT 06776 or National Brittany Rescue, www.nbran.org

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam - May He Rest in Peace 

I took this picture and wrote the following poem yesterday during our last hours together...

Gra, Dilseacht, Cairdeas  (Love Loyalty Friendship)

You were mine from birth no matter what your journey

Puppy protection and love never ever has ceased

My shadow has taken a different form

Consuming my thoughts and life decisions

You showed me the absolution of love

Constant in your guard and friendship

Souls connected heart to heart

One without the strength to carry on

We must part today and you go beyond

I love you like you were part of me

My boy, my Seamus, mi mac…be at peace

I pray we will be together again in time, Slán agus beannacht leat

By Pauline Brannigan

Top Ten Things to do when getting a Dog

I hear from many friends when they are considering adding a four legged child to their homes or after they have started the wonderful journey. I was thinking when I was out for a walk with my two (Seamus is into his 7th month with lymphoma and is still kicking the cancer!)

I thought I would put a list together of recommendations.




1. Do your initial research. Look into the breed, size and characteristics that work for you AND your family and living situation. Are they good with children? How much shedding? Are they typically easy to train? Do you want to run/hike or put them in your purse? If you travel a lot with your pet, you may want to keep the dog under 50 or 25 pounds. Are you going to adopt (this is still a cost) or get a puppy from a breeder. RESEARCH THE BREEDER.

2. Determine where the dog is going to be when you are not able to watch it. I advocate crate training. You may want two crates. One for the bedroom and one for the main living area. I could put more but this link is excellent: http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

3. Equipment suggested beyond the crate: Collar, standard leash, expandable leash with pack for holding treats/poop bags, bells for the door for potty training, brush for the breed (there are a difference), bowls, food (get the same type the foster family or breeder is using and then switch off), crate (I recommend getting one the size you are going to need when the dog is an adult), toys that are durable (kongs, rope toys, hardened bones), a pet gate for the back of an SUV.

4. Find a trainer. I have done both puppy group classes and private lessons. There are points to both. In the long run, I recommend a combination of both. Socializing a puppy with other dogs of all sizes is important as well as with children. However, I don't recommend sending the dog away for training. Part of who is being trained is YOU. Whatever method you choose, the most important thing is doing the homework. Work with your dog in 10-20 minute periods every day. I can recommend both Tom Dwyer in Brookline, NH or Christine Hillard in New Milford, CT.

5. Get to know your vet. Ask for recommendations from your friends that truly care for their animals. Beyond this, know where the closest ER is for your dog and do a dry run. There are no ambulances for dogs. You may have to drive there in the dead of night with one eye on an ailing pet and one on the road.

6. Pet Insurance. I HIGHLY recommend this. You have no idea what your blessed addition will develop or get into. Believe me. My rescue... developed positive heartworm, has eaten human medication requiring hospitalization, and now cancer. He has cost me thousands in care that would have been covered if I had invested in this earlier. This is especially important for puppies. I personally have had a great experience with ASPCA pet insurance. The important thing to talk to the insurance people about is existing conditions or prior conditions.

7. Walking your dog. As a small puppy you can't walk them too far. You want to be careful about their development. However, I think that walking your dog as often as possible is a key thing to having an awesome dog. They are exercised, socialized, and mentally stimulated. Beyond this, it is an excellent bonding experience.

8. Tags and ID. Check with your local community about licenses. Get a personalized tag for their collar. Pet's name, contact info. (cell number so if you are traveling), and the word REWARD. I also advocate chipping your dog. At least, you have a chance of getting your dog back if they wind up in a shelter. (Many will kill within a week.. especially in the South)

9. Food and Treats. Okay, I am a snob. Do me a favor. Read the package. Shopping for your dog food in supermarkets is like feeding at McDonalds every day. Don't do it. I am a fan of the Old Mother Hubbard brands and Canidade food lines. The food should be made in the USA and the fewer ingredients the better. The same is true with treats. The best treat is ice. They chew it and no calories. I am also a fan of putting peanut butter in the kongs and freezing them. Carrots and beans are also a great treat.

10. Figure out what you are going to do when you need to be separated from your dog. This is true if you go to work every day and for vacations. It is important to find someone to switch off with for pet sitting, a doggie day care, or a pet walking service. Great resources may be neighbors, teenagers, or others in your puppy class.

Finally have FUN! Being a parent to my dogs both living and over the rainbow bridge has been the most rewarding experience! They really add so much to our lives. I saw a bumper sticker yesterday " Who Rescued Who?" I smiled.

List of My Favorite Pet Resources:

Pet Insurance -www.ASPCApetinsurance.com
Training - www.gentlepersuasions.com
Grooming - www.amuddypaw.com
Pet Containment / Fencing - www.caninefence.com
Food & Treats -www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Food & Treats -http://www.canidae.com/dogs/all_life_stages/dry.html
German Short Hair Pointers & Training -www.2manydogs.net
Collars & Leashes - http://www.upcountryinc.com/
Fiona's breeder - www.k9goldens.com/
Brittany Rescue - www.americanbrittanyrescue.com
Brittany Rescue - www.nebrittanyrescue.org/

Motivation

Quietly, I have determined to use the time I am facing unemployment to make some changes in my life that hopefully can be part of my future career whatever that my be moving forward. Some of this is a seesaw I do on a regular basis fighting to keep weight and fitness in line. I am rarely motivated by exercise more by profit and french fries.

My understanding is that it takes a full month of an activity to make it a habit. So I am going to list a couple of goals outside of my job search I am going to try to get in during the week:

1) A walk with the dogs. Only to be replaced by another physical activity. It must be at least twenty minutes
2) Drink 2 liters of water a day (oops I haven't started this yet today!)
3) Write 3 blog posts a week. (Sorry gang you are going to have to read along with me)

With that, I hope to knock a few pounds off and be a bit more attentive to the blog than I have been the last couple of months.

Nest Egg

I was taught to save from as long as I can remember by my Grandpa and other family members. If I made a quarter I had to put at least ten cents in the piggy bank. I can remember my first passbook savings account Mr. D'Amato opened for me. He was our bank president and more importantly my best friend, Dottie's dad. I loved loved loved putting money into the bank. I especially enjoyed this thing called "interest". Maybe that is why I am partly at sales? I listened to my grandfather a lot. He was pretty much one of the key people in my circle until I went to school. He was a killer insurance salesman. Grandpa retired comfortable and early with a built in job after retirement... playmate to his granddaughter that lived next door in the colonial duplex my family has lived in since 1908.

I am especially grateful for these lessons now that I am entering into my third month of unemployment. My husband and I have always saved money. Until the last move back to Connecticut, we have owned homes that either of us could support in case of a job loss or illness. I have thrown 15% into my 401k as much as possible since I was eligible. He has done the same thing. Yah, we took a beating with everyone else but at least I had something to get beat up over. Half is still better than nothing!

While I have always been good about saving for retirement, he has always been very protective of a nest egg. The emergency money fund is under his control. He demanded that it was to be kept in a simple savings account like the one I had when I was six years old. Thank God I let him!

Beyond this, last year I began to think it might not be a bad idea to have a little slush fund that wasn't in the hands of the broker off supposedly growth into a fortune. I did this. It has made the pain of an 80% drop in income at least a bit easier to get through. I threw in my commission checks, expense checks and a couple hundred here and there. It has made an incredible difference. We have cut back on everything . However, we can still do some things because we had been careful when we didn't appear to need to be. Have my husband and I made financial mistakes? Absolutely! We have too much car debt and even though I love my home the price of it that is now close to under water I wish we had something smaller and cheaper from time to time.

Everyone is going to splurge on something. (Shoes, shoes, shoes) It is critical to learn from those of us that are making up the 10% of the population that is seeking work. Nest eggs are can save you. I encourage everyone to make sure they have one. Make sure you have the cash on hand to survive financial in case you find yourself in the wonderful club I know belong to on the unemployment line.

It is important to ask people that are on unemployment in your state what they are taking home. Look at that and your monthly bills. What will you need to be able to pull from savings to off set the gap?

My Road....My Journey

Given my last employer's need to cut heads to survive this economic time, I have been forced onto the unemployment queque. It is a strange position for me to be in given I have pretty much been steadily employed since I was 14 except my freshman year of college.

My job is to find a position. This has brought about many both mental and physical sojourns over the past 60 Days. They have been countless trips into New York for meetings, interviews, and discussions as well as Boston and Boulder.

I have been close on a couple but have failed to close the deal on my next venture. There is a reason for this beyond my skill as a sales professional and overall corporate value. The ability to keep a positive outlook is key. However, many times I have wanted to climb into bed and pull the covers over me. I have instead pushed on to search one more job board. This has proven to make me a successful sales professional and I know it will pay dividends soon.

Most of the opportunities have come from my network. I am delighted to say social networking has not only supported me in the past but continues to keep me optimistic about the future.

You see, the road ahead may be bumpy, dirty and not the one I would choose to sail down. However, like the picture there has to be light at the end. Every time my life has thrown challenges at me, the journey was worth it. This rough patch has meaning. I will come out of it a better for the experience. If Lance Armstrong wouldn't trade having cancer, I can get through a bit of employment woes. My mantra is livestrong lately!!