What I learned from taking a Survey
A few days ago, I opened a survey from one of those online education sites. Right away I appreciated the design of the questions. They provided a ‘you’ve almost finished’ meter across the top in actual minutes. It was nice to know how much longer till completion. Surprisingly, I finished it; I’m glad I did.
Declare a Niche?
The survey asked what my specialty areas were and provided enough space to describe each one. By the time I’d finished, I’d identified — with clear statements, four additional areas of expertise — commonly called niches. The more I looked over my list, the straighter I sat at my desk, a happy feeling settled within me: I was indeed on to something here.
Un-niched Does not mean Unsuccessful
For the longest time, I’ve hesitated to identify myself as a writer for hire. And not because of the often debilitating imposter syndrome. It was because I had not declared a niche; that’s because I was laboring under the often touted notion that I would not be successful because I lacked passion about a particular thing, ok, two or three at the most. Enter said survey!
Claiming Your Competencies
I immediately realized that what I’d done was to list and describe the ‘KSAs’ I’d developed over my entire work life. Knowledge, skills and abilities — those things that provide the underpinnings of all endeavors. They are the very tools that help to form the basis of inquiry, ignite those creative sparks and act as gateways to wonder and fulfillment.
As a master social worker and fitness instructor I am squarely in ‘the helping profession,’ and fully embrace it; that was not always the case. I shied away from it for many years. Especially as I tried to identify my micro-gig areas; being immersed in the soft skills was just way too gushy for me — I am not a bleeding heart kinda helper, after all. Nonetheless, I finally accepted that the glamorous and sexy life of a hacker would never inhabit my wheelhouse. Realizing that great customer care, active listening and empathy underpin all areas of work was a tremendous help in this evolution.
Synthesis
The survey helped me to affirm that there are several things that I am very good at, enjoy a great deal and am certain that these things benefit others. (Yep, I even have a few testimonials!) What counts is that I bring the requisite amount of enthusiasm, maintain my integrity and continue to deliver a flawless product.
Now — get out that pen and paper and grow your competency list!
UnRutted — From Hope to Strategy
I have a routine until about 11:00 in the morning, I know I’m going to eat, stretch a little — then after that it’s anybody’s guess. Usually it’s Youtube and me, right now I’m talking to you laying across my bed. It’s bad.
Twice in one day, I heard a version of this scenario from two of my girlfriends. They both had zero enthusiasm for anything, couldn’t seem to get going, and were stuck in an uncompromising rut. Both came up with about five things that they really wanted to do but lacked the energy to get up and do it.
Thanks to Rick Page (author), we’re well aware that hope and similar sentiments are not strategies. None the less — a mix of desire and its attendant emotions are essential for developing the push that gets us off the couch and out the door. Before the lockdown I was a fairly active person; I’m convinced that remembering that more active, meaningful time was key in getting me on the outs again.
But it took some work. I had to develop a strategy. Usually I come up with several excuses for not doing something:
- It’s too far
- I have nothing to wear
- I can’t afford it
- Traffic and parking
I had to take these barriers out of the equation from the git-go.
Here’s My Strategy
It’s too far— I attached said activity onto something that was already in place. The hours between 6:00 and 9:00pm are hard for me. My fix for this was to spend from 4:30 or so at the gym (but it could be window shopping), then go from there to my evening outing a few miles away. An important point also was that the venue is along a route that was already a part of my travels, so there was no concern about venturing into unknown territory after sundown. Worked like a charm!
Nothing to wear — I choose a very casual girls’ night out! My black and white baggies and orange sweatshirt were perfect. The need to look cute was already half solved with my trusty mask. Sadly, it’s taken the place of my lipstick, luckily most of my earrings work well with my masks.
Money — By all accounts, there’s less of it circulating these days, so making sure I stayed within my budget was crucial. I regularly check the Meetup groups I belong to, many of them have events at no cost, such as book signings or game nights. This particular event involved learning a new skill so there was an equipment fee attached. My grand total for the evening was about 30 bucks. But don’t forget to check your neighborhood library. I’ve found lots of informative and interactive events at mine, always at not no cost.
Traffic/Parking — This event was a 20 mile drive away — at rush hour. The trick here was to arrive early and be in the area ahead of traffic. There was a bookstore nearby so, I got crosstown early and spent an hour or so browsing till event time. One of my favorite thrift stores was close in case I needed a plan B. The venue had a huge parking lot.
Your turn now!
Develop a Strategy: Devote time to developing a plan of action for those things that you want to accomplish. This means identifying barriers and developing solutions, the logistics of implementing the things you want to accomplish.
Anticipate the reward. Let it lead you to make the change, one that you genuinely enjoy and want, envision it. Recall a favorite time when there was more activity.
Visualize it now, in real time.
Operationalize your plan!
HOPE in the New Year
Winter. A time of natural rest and retreat, of wrapping ourselves in fluffy blankets and settling down, reflecting (or not!). Meanwhile, in perfect sync with nature, our furry and winged friends are nesting, mating, and traveling to warmer climates — making ready for a flurry of activity in the spring.
As mid-January a
pproaches, coming off the holiday season, lots of us are still a bit out of sync with our usual routines. But despite this disorientation, millions of people around the globe are busy making resolutions and plotting toward a better self — in the dead of winter — a most unnatural time for planning to eat less, be more active and engage in social activities for most of us.
Yet according to a national representative sample conducted by the Economist, one in four Americans say they will make resolutions. While the number of resolutioners gets lower with age, we baby boomers are still chiming in at 60.91%. The big three are still healthier living, personal improvement and losing weight.
Doing The Work
No matter what the goal, statistics also tell us that less than 8% of people who make resolutions actually keep them and do not achieve their goals. One explanation for this is the CLIFF theory — something I happened upon several years ago. Here’s the breakdown:
- Can’t find time
- Lacking a game plan to keep going
- Ignoring your commitment
- Frustrated with early results
- Forgetting what you started
Through the years, and lots of CLIFFs, I have navigated many an uncertain start to making changes, regardless of the season. Even when I used the very helpful and practical SMART model, I often came up short. With each new effort, I reminded myself that in addition to following this model, I also needed to find a way to make the changes enjoyable — especially if it involved a new diet or activity routine. But, I’m an old social worker — so trying to more fully understand why behaviors happen is important. It puts things in perspective and helps me to understand and normalize my actions.
Stages of Change
So awhile back, I pulled out one of my dusty theory books and read the Stages of Change with new eyes. What a relief! This model was designed in the ’70s to help understand why some smokers were able to quit and others were not. Essentially, change happens in cycles, or stages. A great sense of relief came when I learned that stages often overlap. This was huge in helping to understand all the hesitations, starting and restarting I’d experienced. I was further affirmed by knowing that change is not a straightforward process and that there will most likely be a number of attempts; the key is that each iteration brings us closer to achieving our goals. This perspective has been an absolute boon when trying to figure out where I’m stuck:
- Precontemplation — People do not intend to take action in the foreseeable future (within the next 6 months).
- Contemplation — People are intending to start healthy behavior in the foreseeable future (within the next 6 months) and recognize that their behavior may be problematic.
- Preparation (Determination) — People are ready to take action within the next 30 days, making small steps.
- Action — People have recently changed their behavior (within 6 months) and intend to keep moving forward with that behavior change.
- Maintenance — People have sustained their behavior change for a while (6 months plus), intend to maintain the behavior and work to prevent ‘relapse.’
- Termination — People here are sure they will not relapse.
Conclusion
Coming off almost a full three months of visiting family, hanging out with my sisters — hiking, eating, buying my first wig in my 67th year (!) and cooking with my son and 20 month old granddaughter, I have never begun a new year with more HOPE: High On Positive Energy. With the right combination of persistence, dedication, patience and flexibility, we can develop new and good habits. Seeking like-minded company is high on the list of things that increase successful outcomes. As a former fitness instructor and group facilitator for helping professionals, I applaud the value and use of coaches and mentors. Participation in online learning groups is also extremely valuable. Often marketed as ‘challenges,’ these groups run the gamut of topics and are facilitated by professionals and subject-matter experts. There are a wealth of interactive opportunities on the various social media platforms; I have also found them at my local library.
Whatever path you take, find your HOPE and — whether or not you join the 8%, do it on your terms!
***
Craft a Personal Pitch — Get Paid!
In my daily ‘new writer’ readings, I came across something called an annual review. Unlike most of the suggestions and approaches I consume, this one really resonated. I’d been the volunteer writer/proofreader/editor for a small nonprofit historical society for some time and decided to pitch the idea. The agency is run by a volunteer board of two and an extremely underpaid executive director who almost single-handedly conceives and implements all programming.
Timing
As it happened, they were in the beginning stages of planning for their 50 year anniversary. Drawing on my background as a master social worker with many years of nonprofit management, I knew the value of a process evaluation for planning next steps; an annual review is very much the same thing.
Agency Life Cycle
In addition to its dismally small staff and almost no operating budget, community involvement and participation had been at a stand-still for many years. However, the previous five (2017–21) years had seen a sort of revival with the incoming executive director. The agency was able to form a collaboration with two museums and assumed the administration for both, thus climbing out of decline for a time. The museums were similar in size and could comfortably share a building. One consisted of photos of the town’s dwindling Black community, reflecting a more vibrant time and depicting various professions. The photos were mounted on free-standing frame boards. The other museum displayed artifacts from the beginning days of the town’s telephone company. An actual switchboard and telephone booth were easy favorites for its visitors. Nostalgia and great memories were displayed.
This collaboration brought with it new programming, expanded representation and involvement; it was pivotal in capturing the nuances of this small community’s growth via acknowledging and involving its diverse members. Nonetheless, it was short-lived and the agency’s decline continued.
Pitch Highlights
I focused on:
- acknowledging this shift
- its value in potentially re-shaping the agency
- outlined how perfectly its evolution aligned with numerous funding opportunities
- its appeal to a larger, diverse audience
Summary — Use What You Know
By accessing knowledge and experience gained years ago, I was able to develop a convincing pitch whose concept and design could be used in a variety of ways. Additionally, because of the agency’s evolving and uncertain nature, my services have been retained for a number of rewrites as next steps are navigated.
Conclusion
(Copy is used to develop everything!)
Maybe your hairdresser needs a prospectus as part of a media package or a funding application, perhaps a friend who is YouTubing needs a new script… Remember the knowledge, skills and abilities that you have collected through the years, bundle them, find the agency, business or person — and pitch!
(As I write this, the report is being partially used for a state grant, a summary to be submitted to its membership, as a framework upon which the ED is basing a presentation at a national convention and — I got paid!)