by Caroline Leach | Apr 10, 2016 | Change, Learning, Work/Life
Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge this week got me thinking about how small steps add up to big things over time.
Was it really true that the bridge has to be painted 365 days a year? Turns out the answer is no. It’s an urban legend.
Of course, touch ups are required. Just as they are in our own lives.
And spending a few minutes each day on important goals can make it easier to achieve them. That’s what I’m attempting with my Spanish studies. If I can’t consistently devote a half hour every day, how about 10 minutes?
Technology makes this even easier than when I made my first attempt to learn Spanish a few years ago. Now I have a Rosetta Stone app on my phone and my tablet. It’s available anytime and anywhere. The only start-up time required is plugging in my earbuds and tapping on the app. Easy and effortless.
My daughter was amused last night at the airport when I squeezed in my 10 minutes of Spanish. But if I keep this up for a year, it will equal 60 hours of study. That’s better than zero. And perhaps as the days and months go by I’ll find that I can double and triple the time.
After all, it’s easier to ramp up the momentum on something already underway.
The photo above was taken in spring 2014 when my sister, Katie, and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and back from Marin County. Small steps added up to a beautiful and invigorating 3-mile walk that morning.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 9, 2016 | Work/Life
Happiness guru Shawn Achor advocates doing one conscious act of kindness each day.
Last week I was lucky enough to hear him speak, after enjoying his TED talk and book about the happiness advantage.
He gave the specific example of writing a note of appreciation to a loved one. In addition to that, when I’m traveling, I like to brighten the day of someone I don’t know by leaving a note and a tip for the housekeeping staff at the hotel where I’m staying.
Because housekeeping is such hard work and the housekeeping staff is often forgotten, it brightens my day to think about the person who’s cleaning rooms coming across their note and their tip.
And while I do it for fun with no expectation of anything in return, it’s brought a smile to my face to see some return notes.
The one above was in our room yesterday when my daughter and I returned from our day of sightseeing in San Francisco. And I’ve returned to my room to some extra creative organizing of my toiletries and luggage at other hotels.
As Tony Schwartz wrote in The New York Times, “What’s most gratifying is the give for no other reason than because it feels good to give.” I couldn’t agree more.
Like Tony, I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do the kind of work that I do. And it makes me happy to brighten the day of someone who’s bringing a clean and comfortable experience to me while I’m on the road.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 8, 2016 | Change, Learning, Work/Life
Once habits become part of a daily routine, they become a catalyst for other changes and function as the calm in the midst of a storm.
Habits can be a grounding a comforting force that enable you to navigate the really big changes in life. Maybe it’s a new career, evolving family relationships or a change in your health.
This became clear to me during this week’s road trip visiting colleges with my daughter. Although we’re in a place where in theory I should be right at home, I feel a bit out of my element.
Last night we took a dusk-to-dark drive along a beautiful yet desolate stretch of California’s Highway 1. We thought it would be fun to experience it. Even after a Google search surfaced something about a “devil’s slide,” we decided to go for it.
Yet the experience felt felt cold and foreboding at that time of day. The Pacific Ocean was more grey and angry looking than I’m used to seeing.
Maybe it was the absence of many other people and the familiarity of city life and civilization that felt different. If something happened to our car or if nature really asserted herself, could we handle it?
Surely we could. We know we can handle anything that comes our way. We can figure it out.
And seemingly a few minutes later we were steps from Union Square, checking into a boutique hotel. Being there re-energized us.
Yet as lovely (and trendy) as it was, I didn’t feel comfortable. I didn’t feel at home. That pushed me to remember that there are things to be discovered, learned and observed everywhere you go. You don’t have to be in your comfort zone to do it.
Part of that realization came from finding solace in the familiarity of my daily dozen. Writing my morning pages, getting some exercise and doing 10 minutes of Spanish calmed me down.
These are things I do each day, regardless of where I am or what else is happening. Doing them made me forget my unfamiliar surroundings. And even better, it moved me closer to my goals.
When it feels like everything around you is changing, it’s easier to be flexible and agile by staying grounded in a set of daily habits. Not to mention feeling healthier, more rested and better able to not only navigate change but to reap the benefits of it.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 7, 2016 | Learning, Work/Life
Even when life doesn’t work out exactly as you planned, there is tremendous joy to be found.
My daughter and I discovered it today on a road trip through Northern California. She says it’s not a road trip because we flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Having driven more than 150 miles today, though, it’s a road trip in my book.
We’re visiting the two colleges she’ll choose between this month. There have certainly been twists and turns of unexpected developments. And surely there will be several more before the May 1 deadline to decide.
In the meantime, today was near perfect. There were several hours of talking, laughing and exploring with my daughter. There was a college visit, complete with surprises of its own. There was an alternate route to our home away from home, exploring some surprisingly desolate areas of the California coast.
And it’s a full circle and a homecoming of sorts for me, since my life began in the San Francisco Bay area. My mom’s side of the family came here well over 100 years ago.
Back to the present, it’s day 7 of my April adventure. Even in that short time I can feel the perfectionist tendencies giving way to the stronger desire to achieve this month’s goals. There’s more of a willingness to lean into the messiness of life, if it means I can hit my goal to do my daily dozen.
It happened last night with a civic committee I serve on in my town. A few minutes before the meeting began, I was asked if I’d mind chairing it.
Of course I could do that. Why? Because these last few days I’ve found I can get highly creative and do anything necessary to accomplish my most important goals.
By the end of the month, my hypothesis is two-fold. First, that I’ll have established a half-dozen new habits. Second, that a “most days” approach will work better than an “every day” approach for my daily dozen. Some days I have work commitments that run well into the evening, or a community meeting at night or a family member who wants to spend more time together.
Underlying all of this, though, is an undeniable truth. The power of small steps is starting to create bigger changes.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 6, 2016 | Change, Learning
Will you sprint, stroll or stumble into a career?
That’s the question a New York Times article posed this week. It coincided with my 17-year service anniversary at my employer. So it got me thinking about my own career entry. I revisited my 20s, with its 5 employers and 2 career paths.
Near the end of that decade I landed my first job in my dream field of corporate communications. A few years later, a serendipitous connection through a professional association brought me to my current employer.
It was a thrill to make the leap from the aerospace industry into entertainment and technology at DIRECTV. It had been in business for 5 years, with just over 1,000 employees in 2 locations serving 5 million customers. With a career change already under my belt, I was sure this transition would be just as seamless.
That’s where I was wrong. At the end of my first week on the job, I was convinced I’d made a big mistake. The company had all the upside and downside of being in a startup stage.
But I couldn’t quit after only a week. So I decided I could do it for a year. Then I could reassess the situation and move on.
But something about the company grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I hired my first team member. And then another. I took on another function. And then another. It was and is a world of endless possibilities.
Reflecting on that time, there are a few obvious benefits. They start with building deep knowledge of the business and how it all works together to deliver on the company’s vision. Extensive networks get built over time, making it easier to know who to contact for what and how to get things done.
Well beyond that, unique experiences have brought growth and opportunity.
Working with an amazing boss today and 6 great former bosses has broadened my perspective, leadership capabilities and professional network.
Experiencing 5 different owners demonstrated the value of flexibility and agility. The best came last with AT&T’s acquisition of DIRECTV in 2015.
Working with 6 successive CEOs on corporate and executive communications during dramatic change in the company and the industry was a tremendous learning opportunity.
Starting as an individual contributor and building a team in Corporate Communications was a life-changing experience. I’m proud of the work we did together to achieve record levels of employee engagement and be recognized in The Civic 50 as one of the most community-minded companies in America.
As the company grew from a startup to the Fortune 100 and well beyond, it’s continued to be a world of possibility. My recent career pivot from corporate communications into marketing is a testament to that.
Yet navigating a career ultimately isn’t about the decision to stay put or move. It’s about ensuring there’s learning and growth wherever you are.
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