Take a moment to reflect on what has now been a long-circulating article via the internet and social media. Although it has a somber tone, it sets the stage for the purpose behind this month\u2019s AGRI-SEARCH Update.<\/p>\n
First, I was dying to finish high school and start college.
\nAnd then, I was dying to finish college and start working.
\nAnd then, I was dying to marry and have children.
\nAnd then, I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school.
\nAnd then, I was dying to retire.
\nAnd now, I am dying \u2026
\nand suddenly, I realize I forgot to live \u2026<\/p>\n
We recognize that for some, this might be a little severe for what is normally a more lighthearted and thought-provoking newsletter, but as consultants who engage in conversations daily with hiring managers and candidates alike, a common question has emerged more in recent years than ever before.\u00a0 Now what?<\/p>\n
During the recession a decade ago, most organizations and individuals were laser-focused on survival or sur-thrival. Coming out of that challenging time, most were intent on regaining their footing. Now that the foundation has been restored, a new question remains \u2013 what happens next?<\/p>\n
Maslow\u2019s Needs: Professional\u00a0<\/strong>Fulfillment<\/b><\/p>\n Once we\u2019ve met the basic fundamentals of food, water, and shelter (or in a professional setting, career, advancement, and professional success) the next level of self-actualization starts to emerge. This can be an intimidating, foreign and awkward space to settle in! Instead of focusing on \u201cI would be happier if once I\u2026<\/em>\u201d look instead to fulfillment in daily interactions. Wealth management advisor and business coach Jeff Gitterman says giving to others every single day is where true fulfillment is found.<\/p>\n In a recent article Gitterman published, he shared \u201cMy understanding of the power of giving came about many years ago, when I was just starting out as a financial advisor. One of the initial appointments that I\u2019d have with any new prospective client is what we call in the industry a \u2018fact-finding session.\u2019 The idea is simply to gather data like their Social Security number, date of birth, place of work, the kind of house they live in, income, assets and so on. One day, I was getting out of my car and about to walk into a prospect\u2019s house to try and sell some insurance. I was way behind on my bills, and my mind was racing about how much I needed the sale. Desperation poured out of me as I caught my reflection in the car window. I stopped and looked hard at that reflection, and thought: \u2018Who would want to buy anything from you? Look at how desperate you look!\u2019<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Gitterman says it was in that moment that he dropped his needy mentality and met with the prospect looking to give without expecting anything in return.<\/p>\n \u201cI forgot my worry about having to make a sale and began to listen very deeply to what these prospective clients really wanted and needed. As I approached more clients this way, my meetings transformed. My success as a financial advisor grew exponentially.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As Gitterman reminds us, every appointment and meeting invite us to challenge ourselves to a life of giving. We all know that the fastest path to success is getting others to succeed; instead consider that the path to fulfillment (not just success) is to help others get and achieve what it is that they want.<\/p>\n Maslow\u2019s Needs: The Personal Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n Reflect on our Update\u2019s original poem. You have likely heard the clich\u00e9 that life is a journey, not a destination, but how do we remember that in the busyness of life? How can we de-clutter and enjoy the moments instead of waiting for a magical \u201cnext chapter\u201d to arrive? Evaluate, and then trim away, all the non-essentials in your day. What are you involved with out of obligation that could be less frequent or eliminated entirely? How many social networking sites do you really need to update or check, and how often per day? What do you say \u201cyes\u201d to that is unnecessary and takes time away from the things and people who are truly most important to you in life? Eliminating a few non-essential tasks or activities gives you the time and energy to invest in those things that are essential for your balance and wellbeing.<\/p>\n There are growth needs and basic needs; basic needs are external whereas growth needs are internal. That is part of what makes this journey so complicated! Take a moment to reflect on the following:<\/p>\n We have the freedom to choose our actions, our profession, our financial needs, and the path of our life. Each day is not about what we have to do.\u00a0 It\u2019s about what we get to do.<\/p>\n \u2014 written by Karen Schmidt<\/p>\n — edited by Dave Allen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Take a moment to reflect on what has now been a long-circulating article via the internet and social media. Although it has a somber tone, it sets the stage for the purpose behind this month\u2019s AGRI-SEARCH Update. First, I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then, I was dying to finish […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n