<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
THE INSIDE CONNECTION: Focusing on what's most important.
A free newsletter from Kesslin Associates Inc.
http://www.kesslin.com
mailto:insideconnection@kesslin.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
ISSUE NO. 3 - JANUARY 2002
In this issue...
1) Welcome
2) Inside The Inside Connection
3) Feature: Forget New Year's Resolutions!
4) Action Tip
5) Related Resources
Subscription, unsubscribe and copyright information can be found at
the end of each issue.
===================================================================
1) Welcome
===================================================================
Thank you for joining us to explore The Inside Connection. We want
to encourage, challenge, and support you to explore your full
potential. We believe that success comes most directly when you look
inside yourself first, before seeking change from other people or
the things around you. If you enjoy our e-zine, please forward it to
colleagues, friends and family who might benefit.
===================================================================
2) Inside The Inside Connection
===================================================================
2001 was an extraordinary year for all of us and the multi-faceted
aftereffects of September 11th will be felt for a long time. As the
New Year is often a time for looking back and forward--a time to
assess, to plan and to check in on the health of our larger desires-
-I decided to question the value of the traditional New Year's
resolution in this month's article.
On a more personal note, on January 6th, 2002, I'm getting married.
So my year begins with a most joyous life event. I don't know of
anything quite like the life commitment promise of marriage that
both touches my soul and challenges my humanity. For me, engaging
authentically with another person in a supportive and caring
relationship, for life, is one of the most wonderful and challenging
things I can imagine.
My best wishes to you for a year of extraordinary success that's
filled with personal discovery, deep passion and lots of joy and
laughter.
===================================================================
3) Feature: Forget Those New Year's Resolutions
===================================================================
Forget all those New Year's resolutions and lists of goals for the
year. Instead, just live your life with passion, integrity and
authenticity!
Here's one thing I know. Satisfying success doesn't come from
achieving a long list of goals. In fact, success isn't found
anywhere in the world of things or external events. The only place
you'll find (and feel) true success is within yourself. So this
year, instead of repeating the annual resolution ritual, spend some
time reflecting on who you are and see if you can identify what
would bring you closer to living your personal truth.
What would happen if instead of creating New Year's resolutions and
lists of goals you'd like to achieve, you spent time discovering
your true purpose is in life? My own experience (and that of many of
my coaching clients) clearly shows that when you live a life and do
work that's aligned with who you are, creating and sustaining
extraordinary success is not a struggle, but rather a natural
byproduct.
Let me say that again. When you're living the life and doing the
work you're meant to do… success is a natural byproduct. It's also
so much easier to get excited, motivated and creative when you're
doing what's deeply important, what deeply moves you and what
speaks directly to your soul.
What if the secret to success wasn't about identifying goals and
staying focused on them until completion? What if success was really
much easier to achieve? I believe it is! Below are a few suggestions
for finding your way on the road to easier success.
===================================================================
4) Action Tip
===================================================================
Here are a few simple, sometimes challenging ways to move forward in
the "success is easy" direction:
1. SEEK TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF. Before you spend lots of time,
money, and energy trying to create external success, spend time
getting to know yourself. What really motivates you? What truly
matters to you? What are your values and morals? What are your
beliefs? And how do all these things influence your decisions, your
feelings and your actions?
2. DISCOVER WHAT'S UNIQUE AND SPECIAL ABOUT YOU. It's much easier to
succeed when you fully understand and use your unique talents and
gifts. Too many people struggle to fit themselves into positions or
roles that already exist. That's not a good way to honor your
uniqueness. Only after you see what's special about you can you
start to create a place that fits you, rather than the other way
around.
3. PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. Once you discover your talents, gifts and
strengths, play to them. Why spend lots of time struggling to
develop your weaknesses when you'll be so much more successful when
you focus on maximizing your strengths?
4. HELP SOMEONE ELSE. You may decide to help one person, An entire
community, or do something big and bold to improve the planet. What
you choose to do isn't as important as taking an action--actually
doing something to help someone or something other than yourself.
There's a healthy combination of selfishness and selflessness that
works well together in life. A dedication to your own growth and
development goes well with a willingness to assist others in
discovering themselves. It's always amazing to me how much success
we discover when we choose to serve others. There's a reason why the
concept of "servant leadership" has garnered so much attention
in
recent years. Try it for yourself and see.
5. INSTEAD OF GOALS, SEARCH FOR JOY. Discover what energizes and
excites you and do more of it. Reflect on your current life and work
to identify the parts that you truly enjoy. Your joy is a strong
clue in determining the direction for your most natural success.
===================================================================
5) Related Resources
===================================================================
ONLINE:
Ansir Personality Profile
www.ansir.com
Free and unique personality profiles (fee for more in-depth info).
Keirsey Temperament Sorter
http://www.advisorteam.com/user/ktsintro.asp
Based on same concepts at MBTI (Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator). Free
version for basic information and fee-based report with more detail.
BOOKS:
Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow : Discovering Your Right
Livelihood
by Marsha Sinetar
A liberating, step-by-step guide to finding the work best suited to
your needs and talents.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D.
Describes 34 positive personality themes the two have formulated
(such as Achiever, Developer, Learner, and Maximizer) and explains
how to build a "strengths-based organization" by capitalizing
on the
fact that such traits are already present among those within it.
Includes a single-use web-based assessment and report of your own
top 5 personality themes.
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was : How to Discover
What You Really Want and How to Get It
by Barbara Sher
"A life without direction is a life without passion!" In this
book,
a sort of broader, less dense, and less intimidating version of What
Color Is Your Parachute?, Sher reveals how to "recapture long lost
goals, overcome the blocks that inhibit your success, decide what
you want to be, and live your dreams."
What Color is My Parachute?
by Richard Nelson Bolles
A classic career guide. For nearly 30 years, this book has been the
guiding light for those in pursuit of satisfying and fulfilling
employment. Regularly revised and filled with personal assessment
tools and tips.
===================================================================
THE INSIDE CONNECTION is a free monthly publication from Kesslin
Associates designed to help you stay focused on what's most
important for lasting success. Most of our readers are passionate
leaders who understand that they must BE the change they want to see
in the world.
Kesslin Associates is a success coaching and training company
dedicated to helping you become an extraordinarily effective leader.
We help you strengthen your inside connection to values, passion,
vision, and soul--so you can deliver extraordinary results with far
less effort.
For lasting success, we also work with you to discover how you, your
work, and the rest of your life can support each other, rather than
cause conflict. For more information about our work, visit our
website at:
http://www.kesslin.com
You can subscribe or unsubscribe at:
http://www.kesslin.com/resources/newsletter.html
PRIVACY: We never share or sell our mailing list.
We encourage you to forward this e-zine to anyone you believe would
benefit and we welcome your comments and suggestions. You may copy
or distribute THE INSIDE CONNECTION as long as you include the
complete copyright notice and contact information below.
===================================================================
The Inside Connection
ISSN: #1535-1076 Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Copyright © 2002 by Ken Kesslin - All rights reserved.
http://www.kesslin.com
mailto:insideconnection@kesslin.com
===================================================================
|
