9,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Finding it, refining it, loving it, and actually getting out there and doing it
Don't waste your life not doing something you aren't brilliant at, not setting the world on fire with your ideas, your thinking, your inventions, your words — it doesn't matter how you do your Thing, what matters is that you DO IT! And how about turning that Thing into your business too? Lucy Whittington is on a mission — she wants everyone in the world to do what they're brilliant at and not just what they're 'good' at. Having done what she was 'good' at for a long time (marketing), and getting overqualified with an MBA, Lucy realized that her 'Thing' was finding other people's Thing and helping them turn it into a great business that they love. In this book, Lucy uses her proven five-step process to help even more people find what they are brilliant at.
- Find out what you should be doing and how to make a living from it
- Take advantage of Lucy's expertise and follow her five-step process for success
- Be inspired and gain real practical advice
- Receive guidance on taking your new business to the next level by creating your "Star Plan"
- Become famous for what you do
Imagine being so gifted that the work you are paid to do comes as naturally as breathing, and is so enjoyable that you would do it for free. It can happen. You're gifted at something, and that something is marketable. You can put yourself on the path to your ideal life, but first you have to Find Your Thing.
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 217
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
Ähnliche
FIND YOUR THING
How to discover what you do best, own it and get known for it
LUCY WHITTINGTON
This edition first published 2015 © 2015 Lucy Whittington
Registered officeJohn Wiley and Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom
For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com.
The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com . For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademark or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with the respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-0-857-08592-4 (paperback); ISBN 978-0-857-08596-2 (ebk) ISBN 978-0-857-08597-9 (ebk)
Cover image: © istock.com/shaneillustration
To my favourite Things… The colouring-in department, Miss small person and Master small person xxx
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
Why being grumpy is great
Good news – you already have it
Here's what's coming…
Being an Indie Professional
Getting business famous
It's on the end of your nose
You're looking straight past it
How to use this book
PART ONE: FINDING YOUR THING
CHAPTER 1: WHY FIND YOUR THING?
Here’s my Thing
And so I went to the niche supermarket
Doing something different can be difficult
Back to my panic
The irony
Are you wearing a uniform?
Photographer for two days
It might feel too small
Let me tell you about jam and cake
Don’t expect fireworks…
Expect ease
It’s not hard work
You’ve done your time
You’re already there
CHAPTER 2: HOW TO FIND YOUR THING
Thing finding way 1: what’s EASY?
Thing finding way 2: what ANNOYS you?
CHAPTER 3: DOING YOUR THING
Make your Thing easy to follow
Take on me
Find the way they want to pay for
You need a plan, Stan
Results
Get philosophical
Confidence sells Things
Why clarity matters
Things need labels
This is when it feels like sales
Watch out for misdirection
Get decisions
Serve and solve
PART TWO: GETTING FAMOUS FOR YOUR THING
CHAPTER 4: FAME NAME
®
Why now?
It’s the fastest way I know
It makes you sticky
The science part!
The one-name Fame Name
®
!
A close call with the Dark Side
Find the right words
The A list and the B list
CHAPTER 5: INTERESTING STORIES SELL
Don’t be faceless
Everyone is interesting
We’re all nosey
Once upon a time…
Don’t forget your ‘why-nots’
There’s more than one way to tell a story
It’s not all or nothing
CHAPTER 6: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
It’s like the trapeze
I didn’t hear a word he said
There’s always another way
How’s your state of mind?
Be amazing
CHAPTER 7: GET IN YOUR SPOTLIGHT
It’s going to be easy
Stick to your Thing
Communication is all
Clear and confident
Your Thing is wanted
We’ve done this already
Let’s look at the list…
Make waves
GET BUSINESS FAMOUS
Do your Thing so I can do mine
Be valued
It’s not free
Let them come to you
Being attractive
This is everything
MORE RESOURCES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Part
Pages
vii
viii
ix
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
77
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
161
163
164
165
FOREWORD
We all know when we meet someone who is doing their Thing. They are more interesting. More engaging. They wave their hands about more when they talk. They are more passionate – about work, about life, about everything. And generally speaking, they are better at what they do. They know more about it. They have thought more about it. The world is a better place because of all these things.
Lucy Whittington is definitely someone who is ‘doing her Thing’. When you hear her speak for the first time you know there is something different. Something resonates. You know what she is saying is true, even though you might not have heard it expressed precisely like this before. It catches something inside you and you begin to see possibilities you hadn’t seen before. Her vision is a world where everyone is doing their Thing. Her Thing is helping that happen, one person at a time.
As she speaks, that world unfolds before us. Imagine if everyone you interacted with had that same glow of passion around them. Plumbers, doctors, artists, teachers. We’ve all met some of these, and we all know the difference. Sometimes they appear in unexpected places: the school caretaker who greets everyone he meets with a cheerful smile and ‘hello’; the gardener who wants to talk at length about plans and designs and progress every time you walk past – whether it’s your own garden they are working on, or an unrelated garden five doors up the street; the shoe shop owner who goes to great lengths to get you the right fit, and explains it all in detail, and the shoes they finally sell you feel like you were born with them on your feet…
Imagine if everyone you met had similar passion for their work. Everything would be done well. There would be no customer complaints departments, and all the unhappy people who work in them could be recycled back into the workforce, ready to find and do their Thing; customer service would be a totally different world, a place where supporting the customer joyfully would be rewarding work for the people whose Thing that is.
In a world of everyone doing their Thing, everything would work. Inanimate objects would do what they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to do them – can openers and air conditioning systems and mobile phone networks – because the people who design them and the people who make them would be focused and creative and innovative, filled with the energizing joy of doing their Thing.
I could go on, but you get the point. So how do we create this Utopian world? Where do we start? It starts with you. Are you doing your Thing? In your work, in your family, with your friends, in your life? It’s probably a question you know the answer to without having to think much about it. It might be ‘yes’ – in which case, brilliant! This book will help you take that further, do it bigger and brighter, get it further out into the world, benefiting more people. It might be ‘no’ – in which case this book will help you find your Thing, develop it and start doing it for the benefit of yourself and others.
Once you are doing your Thing, you stand out like a beacon. That’s the spotlight that Lucy talks about. It’s magnetic and exciting and it inspires others to do the same.
I’ve been impatient to see this book complete. Online, in person, on the radio, in interviews and on stage, Lucy has been sharing this message with many, many people. I want her to reach more. This thing is like a snowball. As one person reaches inside them and makes the bold move to step into their Thing, the standard rises. Once we’ve experienced the exceptional, we begin to expect it, and it becomes the new norm. That’s what I want. I want everyone I interact with to wear the smile of someone who is totally fulfilled in their work. I want you to read this book and raise your standard – not in ‘professionalism’ or ‘quality’ but in inspiration, the wild flow of life pouring through you.
That’s what doing your Thing makes possible.
Read this book. Let your mind run as ideas pop up. Stop and make notes. Put the ideas into practice. Take some bold, brave steps. Then once you’ve done that, look around to see where people you know are doing this and congratulate them, thank them. Let them know you see it and appreciate it and want them to keep doing it. Then look around again and see where people are not doing their Thing, or not to the full. You know they have passions and skills and talents but they aren’t being used to the extent they could be. Encourage them, gently, tactfully; or boldly and rudely, to make some changes. And give them a copy of this book.
Don’t we all want it? That world full of people – everyone – doing their Thing?
Thanks, Lucy. You’ve changed countless lives already. You’ve changed mine. Thank you – a BIG, BIG thank you – for doing your Thing.
Jennifer Manson – The Flow Writer – doing my Thing.
INTRODUCTION
You know when someone has found their Thing – they have that annoying ‘I can't believe I get paid for doing something easy that I love’ look of smugness and wonder about them. Like when you see famous actors interviewed who can't quite believe their luck that they get paid millions to dress up and enjoy themselves for a few weeks when making a movie. Or when you see a super-successful author hit the jackpot just from doing what they love (J.K. Rowling springs to mind).
My Thing is absolutely what I love to do. My Thing is that I help people find their Thing. More specifically, I help people find their Thing and then get famous for it. My intention in this book (and everywhere I do my Thing) is to create the space for people to find that Thing they are brilliant at and then help them get paid for it. It's like marketing meets business strategy meets personal branding with a few Lucy sparkles on top.
Until I did it, I'd always known I wasn't doing my Thing. Don't get me wrong, I was very good at what I did (and that was a lot of things), it's just that I wasn't doing MY Thing. It's hard to put your finger on it but if you know, you know. I can stand up in front of a room of people and say ‘I help people find their Thing’ and anyone in the room who hasn't found their Thing yet gets it immediately. They know. Just like you knew – which is why I'm guessing you're reading this book. I'm guessing you've not quite nailed it yet (your Thing that is).
This doesn't necessarily mean you're drifting around right now in the middle of an ‘I’m trying to find myself' gap year (although it might be, and that's okay!). It's just that nag, that doubt, or if it's been there a while, that SHOUTING that is telling you ‘this’ isn't it. This is just some-thing, not your THING thing. After all, was this REALLY what you were born to do? Just be ‘good’ at something? Very often ‘this’ is a job you're doing when you actually want to be doing your own thing instead. But if you're going to take that leap into working for yourself you want it to be your ‘Thing’ thing otherwise you may as well stick where you are, doing another thing for someone else! Or maybe you took the leap already – you have a business, or you're a consultant selling something you're good at – but it's not your Thing thing and you know it. Maybe you're just doing what you're ‘good’ at to pay the bills and it's not exciting you…
What I do is find that Thing you do that's brilliant. And I didn't know this was MY Thing until I started looking for it. And I started looking for it because I'd gotten grumpy.
Why being grumpy is great
The typical side-effect of not doing your Thing yet is that you are grumpy about what you are doing. But this is good. If you're grumpy, you're far more likely to do something about how you feel than if you're ‘okay’. I do also help people who are ‘okay’ but want more, but it's when the grumpy kicks in that more of the motivation to change does too. So yes, I like grumpy people!
I once had someone message me (on Facebook, where all good business is done!) to say he was ‘beyond annoyed’ that he didn't know his Thing yet (yes Dave that was you!). That was grumpy kicking in… and let's just say that he's doing his Thing now because when you KNOW you're not doing it, the next step is to be open to what you're already doing that's brilliant (plenty more on that to come). It can be easy to find, but you need to know where to look and what to do with it when you find it.
Good news – you already have it
The good thing about your Thing is that you already have it. Everything you've done up to now, everything you've learnt, watched, read, experienced, understood, formed an opinion on, worked out a better way for, reacted to, adapted to, challenged, accepted and said – all of that is your Thing. Because when it comes down to it, your Thing is YOUR thing. It's what YOU do that's brilliant and it's entirely yours to own. No-one else's Thing is exactly like yours. No-one's. And that's a really good thing when it comes to selling it, as everyone wants to buy something that's different.
So, while I can help you ‘find’ your Thing, it's not actually lost. A bit like when you run around the house barking ‘where are my sunglasses?’ and you realise they've been on top of your head the entire time and, of course, everyone else could see them as plain as day… hmm, yes that's the Thing's best hiding place – in plain sight of everyone else (more on that later). The good news that you already have your Thing means there's no new qualification to pass or item to buy to get it. The trick lies in seeing it and then doing something with it! And in my world, doing something with your Thing means getting paid for it.
Here's what's coming…
This book will take you through the process I have used over and over to help people just like you find their Thing. I'll tell you where to look for your Thing and what it will feel like when you have it – those are the ‘Finding Your Thing’ chapters in Part One. Then I'll suggest (strongly!) what to do with your Thing once you've got it – that's the ‘Getting Famous for Your Thing’ chapters in Part Two. I am pretty serious when it comes to Things as the last thing I want you to do is find it then stuff it away in a cupboard out of sight so no-one gets the benefit of it. Don't get me started on that… When you have your Thing my recommendation is that you get ‘business famous’ for it. You learn how to sell your brilliant Thing to the people who need it.
Now of course once you know your Thing you can go and find a job doing it. And in fact, I do have some clients who – once they'd found their Thing – were able to find a job description that fitted, or were able to ‘develop’ their current role to do their Thing. Corrine was determined to work independently as a coach but when she saw her Thing was helping people manage choices she saw opportunities in her job (as a Business Analyst) to coach there. Having said that, Corrine has since taken the leap and is ‘on her own’, so don't rule out going solo. For most people though (and definitely myself), it's not an option to find a job doing your Thing. If you ask me, the best way to really do your Thing is to do it YOUR way.
Being an Indie Professional
‘Indie Professional’ is the name I've given to those people who are best doing their Thing (and getting paid for it). These are the people I absolutely love and choose to work with. It means being business-like, being different and definitely doing your Thing your way. It's important to me that it's ‘Indie’ not plain old ‘independent’. Why be normal when you can do something brand new?
Being an Indie Professional means you're in charge – it's your business that's allowing you to do your Thing, get paid for it and then get business famous for it. And who wouldn't want that?
Getting business famous
To make your business easy, my advice is to get known and sought after for your Thing. Just like being ‘properly’ famous, you'll be well known and recognised but the difference in being a ‘Business Celebrity’ is that what you're known for is a valuable business service or product (not that I'm suggesting all celebrities are airheads or anything… there's the odd exception, right?).
Valuing your Thing means you'll get paid for doing your Thing. And if you can get paid for doing your Thing then you've just reached that holy grail of ‘doing what you love’ for your work. So now we're talking: life purpose, fulfillment, legacy – or just smiling every day, that works too.
So here's what being business famous looks like: you, standing in your own spotlight, clearly showing off what you do that's brilliant – so your value is clear and obvious to those who need it. It's about confidently attracting attention, not desperately seeking it. It's about being bold and being in business, not simply shouting and showing off with nothing to share (see previous comment about vacuous celebrities!).
The fact that you get paid for doing your Thing also demonstrates the value of what you know and have experienced. Build a business around this and you'll have something that's exciting, easy and yours. You'll have created a mini monopoly and that means you can charge and supply exactly what you want to. And while a monopoly is definitely not a good thing when it's a utility company it's brilliant when it's your business. Welcome to being in charge.
It's on the end of your nose
You could stop reading now because I've just told you exactly where your Thing is! We're not even done with the Introduction and already I'm giving it all away…
Your Thing is on the end of your nose
Think about that – it's right there, plain as day in the middle of your face. Everyone else can see it. You can see everyone else's too. But yours? Nope. No chance, not even if you go cross-eyed. If you want to see the end of your own nose you'll need a mirror. And that's my intention as you read on – keep looking for yourself reflected in the stories and examples of how things show up, so you start to see your own Thing.
You're looking straight past it
Because your Thing is on the end of your nose, it means you look straight past it every day… your Thing is so ‘there’ it's not there. You overlook it, stare right past it and just get on with what needs doing. You look past what you do brilliantly. Everything that's automatic and natural for you is actually your Thing… but you don't see its value, you just do it.
But surely that's just common sense? Sure it is. It's common sense to you because it's your Thing… But your common sense isn't someone else's common sense. So it's actually uncommon sense. Am I making sense? Keep reading and all will be revealed. Thing finding this way…
How to use this book
If you're a fast reader like me you might want to race through this book in one go, and please do (after all, I want you to read it!). But I also encourage you to pause and ponder while you do. You will never find your Thing by looking ‘really hard’ for it; instead, it shows up in the spaces you leave. So however you need to create space, do it – take a break, look out of the window for a few minutes or write a few notes while you have a cup of tea, whatever works for you.
The book takes you through a process, so the order does make a difference. Of course you can skip to the chapter that takes your fancy, but the ideas build up as you read through so bear that in mind… And while it's been written in order, this isn't one of those ‘and here's another exercise you must do now – fill in the blanks before you go on to the next step’ books. They annoy me, as I just want to read on and find out what's next! But that's not to say I don't suggest you do some of the exercises, or work some ideas through, just do them when you want to.
I've left a few pages at the back of the book if you need to scribble down thoughts and ideas (although I'd prefer you did that in pencil as I'm one of those ‘don't bend the spine, books are sacred’ kind of people!). And of course if you're reading this on a Kindle, you can just stare at those blank pages and meditate! Take your time, enjoy and let your Thing show up in the spaces.
