Focus The Fire

If you’re listening to this any time near the year 2019, you’re aware that there are way too many things competing for our attention daily. Mobile phones alone make it easy to access just about all the information you want and certainly a bunch of other stuff you don’t need.   This can have serious negative effects on your own development, but here's how to fix it. More on this inside so check it out.   Question of the day: Who is one person you admire and would like to work with one day?  (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

High performers like to win. Hard work and challenges don’t phase you, but the idea of failure is scary. Sometimes it’s not even true failure, but just the appearance of it that makes you uncomfortable.    The pursuit of success seldom takes a straight path, so be willing to make adjustments and course corrections along the way. In basketball, when a player pivots one foot stays planted in one spot while the other one is free to move as needed. You can do the same in your career. Be focused, and flexible.     Question of the day: What’s one change or pivot you’re thinking about in your career?     Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

Looking to move up the corporate ladder? Demonstrate that you’re able to handle more.   Interesting things happen when you set aside your insecurities and take confidence in your ability to learn whatever is needed. The first thought that often pops into our minds when presented with a new task is “I’ve never done that before and might look stupid if I try”. Maybe so, but once you get past that you can learn to excel in that new area.    People who take on incremental tasks are increasingly valuable and can go on to be leaders in the organization. So maybe it’s time for a little more yes.       Question of the day: What is your first reaction when asked to do something you’ve never done? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

How do you run your day? Not just the morning routine before you leave home, but the entire day. We often start the day with big ambitious plans, then after lunch we begin to concede defeat and accept that a lot of that stuff will not get done.   Here’s one twist to start knocking off some big items early: Do the hard things first.    Instead of avoiding seemingly unpleasant tasks, push them to top of your list and attack them hard early in the day. To jump start the day, you may even consider crushing something important but challenging extremely early. After struggling with regular exercise for years, I’m finding many benefits to getting this in early in the morning rather than trying find time in the evening when my body and brain are fatigued.   Question of the day: What’s one tough thing you can start crushing early?    Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/

Self-improvement can work much faster when we engage in constructive multi-tasking. While isolating and focusing on one area certainly has its advantages, there are incremental gains available when we consciously choose how much attention to give a primary task, while learning some secondary skills.   Take a rounded balanced approach. Health, discipline, education, happiness, overall performance. All of these are important, and you can train more than one area, just not all at the same intensity.    Tune in to learn more.   Question of the day: What primary and secondary task are you excited to improve today?   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

Today we begin a mini-series of short actionable tips you can use to boost your career and gain more traction.   Today: Be intentional about your self talk. Even when you’re making jokes, be careful because your spirit can’t tell the difference.   If someone else’s negative words can make you feel deflated, imagine how much more damage it causes when you are generating the negative vibes internally. Flip that concept and let your word build you up. Of course there is more to success than positive thinking, but this is a crucial part of building your confidence and manifesting greatness.   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

In this episode we discuss some mindfulness practices, you can use to increase your focus and overall performance.   Yes, making the right moves and connecting with key players in the game are important to your career success, but there is a deeper part that often gets less attention: your mental and spiritual health. Remain calm, this is not about to be a sermon. The point here is that achieving great success takes serious mental toughness and focus. It’s hard to produce your best work when you’re depressed, angry or feeling otherwise lost in life.   Question of the day: What do you practice regularly to keep your mind focused? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

In this show we’ll discuss how basketball legend Dwyane Wade moved beyond career to legacy, and reflect on Episode 88 “Career to Legacy” with updated commentary. Click here to view full show notes and the related video.   Question of the day: Should we do like Dwyane? How can you start transitioning your mindset from career to legacy?   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire      

Get a job where you are paid to learn things you wanted to master anyway. I know this may sound a bit counter-intuitive since you think employers are hiring because you are already an expert, but you’d be surprised what they value more.     Question of the day: What’s the number one skill you can learn at your “regular job”? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

In a culture that’s constantly pushing us to give more in pursuit of success, is there even room for rest? Over the past few weeks I’ve been confronted with this and want to share some thoughts on how we can make work, work better.   Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

This is the true story of how perfection killed my mojo and made me miss many opportunities for growth.     Do you find yourself doing nothing, because you don’t think what you do will be good enough?  This is the fastest way to stay exactly where you are. Let’s talk about some great advice I heard this month: start ugly.   Question of the day: What is one thing you can start today? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire    

It’s time to settle this old argument. Is comparison good or bad? Usually I’m pretty decisive, but this time I’m torn. Yes comparison can be toxic, but if managed correctly, it can be a great source of motivation. Have a listen to me arguing with myself, then let me know you thoughts.   Question of the day: Is Comparison the Thief of Joy? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

To get more value from your career you need to increase the amount of value you can offer to clients. By “clients” I mean anyone involved in the chain of events that gets you paid. In some cases this may be the organisation you work for, teammates on a project or external clients.   Hard work is great, but we also need to be serious about ongoing professional education. Whether it’s books, courses, podcasts or conferences, be intentional about getting new information and taking massive action.   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

If you’ve been wondering how to up your LinkedIn game and optimise your resumé to make that job hunt more successful this is your moment. Today we’re on the mic with Mariyah S. Bryant, founder of the career writing agency, The MFactor. As a Certified Professional Resumé Writer she is giving us the power tactics to make you stand out amidst the ocean of job seekers and win.   Tune in to learn more.    Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

Success takes time. Mastering a skill or career often takes longer than expected. There will be moments when you feel like quitting, but consider whether it’s really time to walk away. Have you done the work? Does your strategy need adjustments? Is it time to quit, or is the win on the other side of some hard work?   In the words of legendary reggae singer Maxi Priest, let’s discuss whether you need to hold on “just a little bit longer baby”.   Question of the day: What is one area of your life or career where you need to hold on just a little bit longer? (Comment below or on twitter) Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

So if I’m hearing you correctly, you want more out of life? More from your career, more return from your investments of time and energy.   The good news is that you can have it and you already have most of what it takes to make it happen. The challenging news is that you will need to give more than before to manifest your best self. Tune in to learn why and how to get it done!   Question of the day:   What is one area of your life where you are ready to give more than before? (Comment below or on twitter) Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

It’s hard to do good work, when you’re in a bad mood. Managing your energy is an active process. On this episode we discuss 10 tactics to protect your energy for high performance.   Exercise & rest  Food & Nutrition Silence Social Media Friends and family (For a deep dive on this one see Circle of Greatness Part 1 and 2. Episodes 007 and 014) Time management & organisation Delegate Money vs. Time Say no quickly Focus on your WHY   Question of the day: What’s the number one thing that affects your energy? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

We’re all guilty of doing it at some point. Using “I don’t have what it takes yet” as an excuse to avoid starting.  It’s not starting that scares you. It’s the fear of failure, or the load of external judgement that litters the path to success. What if you had to accomplish your goals only using the skills and resources you possess now? What if it was life or death? It sort of is!   Let’s talk about tapping into the juice inside you.   Question of the day:   What is one thing you wish you had but don’t really need? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

Some things are good but optional. Others are absolutely non-negotiable. This simple distinction determines in part, how much value people place on what you have to offer. It’s how much clients are willing to pay and how much your company is willing to give in return for your work. Question of the day:   What is one must have item on your list? (Comment below or on twitter) Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire  

Have you ever worked on an old computer? I mean an old machine that just does not have the right software to accomplish what you need. The operating system is slow, buggy or plain out cannot run the new programs.   Well our minds are similar and your operating system is downloaded when you are very young.  This early programming greatly affects how you move through life as a teen and adult.  It could even impact your chances of being successful. The good news is that you can upgrade that software. Let’s discuss how on today’s show.   Question of the day: What limiting beliefs do you need to reprogram? (Comment below or on twitter)   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Full show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv   Connect with show on twitter @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire