Last week I talked about how it’s time for a 2020 do-over. Although our first quarter goals got chucked out the window due to the coronavirus, we now have the opportunity for a do-over as we slowly enter post-quarantine.

But maybe the method I shared last week for having a successful do-over doesn’t resonate for you. Maybe you’re less of a visionary or planner, and instead are more of a problem solver.

If this is the case, there’s also a method available to problem solvers like you to help you achieve your post-quarantine goals.

Goal-setting for those who hate goal-setting

There are all kinds of ways to set goals and several resources available for goal-setting as outlined below. I personally have used various ways such as vision boards, mind mapping, lists, and my Passion Planner calendar.

But if problem solving is more your thing than goal-setting, listen up! There’s a simple way to set goals from a problem-solver’s perspective according to Bobb Biehl. It’s a great method for those who cringe at the thought of setting goals but light up at opportunities for troubleshooting.

Here’s how it works:  create a chart first listing 2-3 problems in your life you want to solve. Then think about what goals would help solve those problems. Finally, list the opportunities you have surrounding those problems and goals. The opportunities are the steps you would take to solving your problems and, as a result, will achieve your goals.

Here’s what the chart looks like:

By starting with a focus on the problems first, you’ll be more motivated to set goals since this approach matches your skills and your preferred method of working.

Even though I’m not one who gets excited about problem-solving, I decided in this post-quarantine time to use the above method. It’s actually helped me think of some goals I may not have considered having not followed this approach. It’s even flexible enough to allow me to incorporate some of the other goal-setting tools I’ve used in the past.

The best resources for post-quarantine goal-setting

No matter how you prefer to set your post-quarantine goals, I encourage you to utilize the resources I’ve provided over the years that have also helped me achieve my own goals.

These resources include the 8-Step Goal-Achievement Plan, a 15-page resource designed to help you get out of a rut, free with any subscription option, including the free basic option.

This free basic plan also includes:

• Weekly blog post alerts, letting you know the minute I’ve posted my most recent blog and audio posts on topics such as career change, career etiquette, pursuing your passions, interviewing, and more.
• Bi-weekly “Sunday Inspiration” posts which are full of encouragement and motivation.

You also have the option to upgrade your subscription and receive the following:

• One complimentary résumé critique
• Earned credits for one-on-one career coaching
• A “fast pass” for priority scheduling
• 5 e-books on various job search topics
• 8 career success video courses (save an additional $200 off the regular price for the on-demand bundle)

For more details or to subscribe, click here.

By using the above methods and resources, you’ll be able to look back one day and see just how much you’ve accomplished in your life and your career.

Happy post-quarantine, and stay well!

Related posts:

• It’s Time for a 2020 Do-Over!
• What Are the Best Resources for Setting Goals?
• The Best Resolutions to Boost Your Career

Welcome to “Sunday Inspiration,” a bi-weekly devotional for those seeking spiritual encouragement in the pursuit of their passions. Each post comes from an outside resource (as referenced). I hope these posts will inspire and motivate you in your life and career in addition to our weekly original blog posts. Enjoy!

“It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.” Ps 18:32 NKJV

In her autobiography, singer Dolly Parton says:

“My high school was small, so during graduation each of us got a chance to stand up and announce our plans for the future. ‘I’m going to junior college,’ one boy would say. ‘I’m getting married and moving to Maryville,’ a girl would follow. When my turn came I said, ‘I’m going to Nashville to become a star.’ The entire place erupted in laughter. I was stunned. Somehow, though, that laughter instilled in me an even greater determination to realize my dream. I might have crumbled under the weight of the hardships that were to come, had it not been for the response of the crowd that day. Sometimes it’s funny the way we find inspiration.”

Every hero in Scripture, without exception, overcame obstacles and opposition. David writes:

“They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me” (vv. 18-19, 29-30, 32, 39 NKJV).

Source: https://jentezenfranklin.org/daily-devotions/with-determination-and-gods-help-youll-win

Remember how excited you were in January about the start of a new year and a new decade? You thought 2020 was going to be a year of new promises and new beginnings.

In January, I wrote a lot about how to set goals and make the best of a new year and new decade. And you used this advice to make new goals for yourself.

Then, everything stopped, causing you and me both to put some goals on hold. This gave us time to reflect on what’s most important, what we have to do differently, and what we want to do differently.

In fact, earlier this week I posted the question:

“There are now things we have to change, but also things we get to change. What’s one thing you’re excited about changing as a result of the current crisis?”

In other words, we’ve all been given the opportunity for a do-over!

As things start to re-open and slowly return to normal, I encourage you to ask yourself:

“How am I going to use my do-over for the better?”

Method to a successful do-over

In looking back over my previous posts at the beginning of 2020, the same advice for your goals then, also applies to your new post-quarantine goals. Here’s how to put your do-over goals into action.

1. Visualize it

Start by visualizing the success you want to have with your do-over. Close your eyes and picture yourself having already achieved this success.

What do you see?

Go back to your vision board I talked about in one of my previous posts and see what you might need to add to it. Look at it on a regular basis as a reminder of what you’re working toward.

Repeat this step again at least once every six months.

2. Prepare for it

Now, taking your vision, work backward to determine what steps must be taken to arrive at your do-over goals.

Do you need to learn something new through training or additional education?

Do you need to expand your network?

Or, do you need to just gather the courage to take a calculated risk?

Use a mind map like the example in my post “Are You Happy With What You Accomplished This Past Decade?” to help you plot your steps for success.

Then, consider if there’s anything you can begin now that will be required of you once you’ve achieved the success you seek. Map out those steps as well on your mind map.

Update your mind map at the beginning of each new year.

3. Trust in God

Like Amanda Foust said in “How To Find Peace About The Future,”

“We need to accept that the future is unpredictable in some ways, but what we do now does have an effect on where we will be later…Understanding our lack of control, continuing to work hard in the present, and letting God handle our future is the only sure way we will find peace.”

Once you’ve done the first two steps of visualizing your success and preparing for it, all you can do at this point is trust everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, as long as you’ve done your part.

It’s at this point you have to develop patience to see the fruits of your labor. And you must learn flexibility in case success might look different than you originally envisioned.

It may take a while to develop patience and flexibility, so allow yourself time to be molded in this way.

Believe in the success of your do-over

Success doesn’t just come from achieving your goals. It also comes from believing you can achieve them.

Start by using the 8-Step Goal-Achievement Plan, a free gift when you subscribe to any of paNASH’s subscription plans.

I encourage you to do what’s within your control. Recognize when you still have more to do. And know when you need to take a break and let God do the rest.

Related posts

• Original post: How to Make This New Decade Your Most Successful One Yet
• Are You Happy With What You Accomplished This Past Decade?
• The Best New Year’s Resolutions to Boost Your Career

In light of coronavirus times, one of my Facebook friends posted this the other day:

“So in retrospect, in 2015, not a single person got the answer right to ‘Where do you see yourself five years from now?'”

I commented:

“This is reason enough to retire such an overused and pointless interview question!”

Pointless interview questions

This common interview question is just one of many pointless interview questions hiring managers and recruiters continue to ask. I’m not sure they even know what to do with the answers to these questions when they get them. Kind of like how a dog probably wouldn’t know what to do with the car he chases if he ever caught it.

One article, written specifically to hiring managers to help them ask better questions, states these questions don’t make good use of the limited interview time, don’t reveal anything of value, and don’t impress the candidate. (Remember, they’re supposed to impress you too. Interviewing is a two-way street!)

Yet, interviewers continue to ask these questions. Maybe because it’s just how they’ve always done things. Therefore you still have to be prepared for them. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t give better answers than the average candidate.

And you should also be prepared for new alternatives to these questions. Just in case one of these interviewers happens to get a wild hair and try something new or different.

How not to sound like every other candidate

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

When answering overused interview questions, always avoid using canned answers.

For instance, when answering, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”, don’t say, “I’d like to be working for your company, in a stable senior position, I’ve reached through steady progression.”

Instead, you can respond using your own personal vision and mission statements as the basis for your answer. You don’t have a personal vision or mission statement? You must’ve missed all my other posts about the importance of having a personal vision and mission statement.

These statements reflect the things most important to you, the values you possess, and the talents you have to offer. Therefore they’re unique to you. No one else will have a vision or mission exactly like yours.

And because they’re based on your long-term values, your vision and mission remain rather consistent. They evolve over time instead of changing on a regular basis. Therefore, at least you know whatever you’re doing in five years, it will be in support of your vision and mission.

To learn more about how to develop a vision and mission that are authentic to your values and talents, check out my book: Personal Branding: Why You Need to Know What Makes You YOUnique and AWEthentic.

“What’s your greatest weakness?”

Another pointless interview question is, “What’s your greatest weakness?” No one likes this question! But it’s likely you’ll still get it in your next interview. Again, don’t use canned answers when responding.

For instance, don’t say:

• “I’m too much of a perfectionist.”
• “I work too hard.”
• “I’m a bit too passionate when it comes to my work.”

Instead, respond using the tips I shared in my post, “How to Answer ‘What Is Your Greatest Weakness?’“. These tips include:

• Understanding why this question is being asked.
• Listening to how the question is asked.
• Not negating your strengths.
• Never answering with a trait.
• And knowing how to follow up with a positive.

Click here for more details.

“If you were an animal, what animal would you be?”

Personally, I love this question. I think it’s one of the easiest questions to help you communicate your skills and strengths.

To answer it well, just think of one of your best skills and what animal represents that skill. For example,

• Strong leader = a lion.
• Clear communicator = a dolphin.
• Adaptable to different settings = a chameleon.
• Wise decision-maker = an owl.
• Good at conflict resolution = a dove.

You get the picture. Just don’t forget to include why you chose a certain animal! Then follow it up with one specific and interesting example of how you’ve demonstrated this particular skill in the past.

Alternative interview questions to be prepared for

Some interviewers have caught on to the pointlessness of these types of interview questions. Therefore they’ve come up with alternative ways to ask the same question in order to solicit a more honest response. As a result, you should be prepared for questions like:

• “What annoys you?” (I personally know a recruiter who asks this in place of the “greatest weakness” question.)
• “If I asked your references what your biggest weakness is, what would they likely say?” (This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to ask your references this question, but you can never be sure.)
• “How can you make an impact on this company in the first 12 months of the job?”
• “Tell me what you’ve accomplished in the last five years.” (This is a better question because past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.)
• “What would your boss, co-workers, and staff all agree about you?”

If you need help determining how to best answer these questions, consider some of paNASH’s one-on-one career coaching services.

Conclusion

Old habits die hard. This includes interviewers’ habit of asking pointless interview questions. So make sure you’re prepared for the predictable. And be open to and refreshed by the occasional unexpected questions. Remember, the kind of questions an interviewer asks says a lot about a company.

Related sources

• Excerpt from the book Personal Branding: Why You Need to Know What Makes You YOUnique and AWEthentic
• Blog post: “How to Answer ‘What Is Your Greatest Weakness?'”
• Free Video: The Most Common Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Welcome to “Sunday Inspiration,” a bi-weekly devotional for those seeking spiritual encouragement in the pursuit of their passions. Each post comes from an outside resource (as referenced). I hope these posts will inspire and motivate you in your life and career in addition to our weekly original blog posts. Enjoy!

“I have learned how to be content.” Php 4:11 NLT

When you aim to grow personally and achieve things in life, these are commendable goals. But when you covet what someone else has or want to be just like them, you’re entering into territory that’s forbidden by Scripture.

Contentment does not mean you should become complacent or settle for mediocrity and fail to achieve your God-given potential in life. Not at all! You’re supposed to work to improve yourself, while at the same time remaining totally dependent on God (See 2Co 3:5).

Self-sufficiency means to be “sufficient in one’s self” instead of putting your faith in God’s assistance. Contentment, on the other hand, is to know with certainty and firm conviction that God is able to meet your every need (See Php 4:19). When you understand that truth, you don’t have to covet anyone else’s position, property, possessions, or personality.

Why? Because you’re assured that all you presently have, and all you are today, is more than enough in the hands of God. Whatever you need to do to fulfill His will, you can do, not in your own strength but in the strength and power of Christ who dwells within your innermost being.

Covetousness comes to us all naturally, but contentment must be learned.

Paul writes: “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Php 4:11-13 NLT).

Source: https://jentezenfranklin.org/daily-devotions/learn-to-be-content-2