Staying Inspired

Filed under Staying Inspired by on December 6, 2010 at 12:17 pm {no comments}

I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed lately.  I  haven’t been any busier than usual but I was spending too much time on minutiae and not enough time on important goals.  Once I recognized I was out of balance, I eliminated and/or readjusted my time commitments.  Though I’m still busy, I’m a lot more enthusiastic now and have more energy to commit to the goals most important to me.

Thinking about the last few days reminded me of the following quote from the great John Wooden.  Hope it helps as you start your week.

“We should not confuse activity with achievement.”

John Wooden (1910-2010), winner of ten national championships while coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team, widely considered to be the greatest coach in American sports history.

Staying Inspired

Filed under Staying Inspired by on October 25, 2010 at 5:21 am {no comments}

Things are plodding (read below quote) along here at PUTM.  Have interviews lined up with two interesting people that are working on some fantastic projects in their respective post-corporate lives.  I look forward to sharing their stories.  Given school application season is in full-swing, I am also working on an article about a few things to keep in mind during the application process.  Until those are posted, hopefully the below gives you a little encouragement to keep pursuing your meaningful goals, even if progress seems slow.

“In truth, I am nothing but a plodding mediocrity-please observe, a plodding mediocrity-for a mere mediocrity does not go very far, but a plodding one gets quite a distance. There is joy in that success, and a distinction can come from courage, fidelity and industry.”

Benjamin Cardozo (1870-1938),  Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Should I Go To Law School?

Filed under Career, Life, Transitions by on October 4, 2010 at 7:00 am {no comments}

A family member recently asked me that life-changing of all questions, “Should I go to law school?”  I wanted to shout, “No, are you crazy? Why would you do that to yourself?”  I caught myself though and tried to answer the question calmly.  I am sure that most lawyers have heard this question multiple times.  On average, I probably answer some variation of this question a few times a month.

With few exceptions, there are only two groups of people that should attend law school.  The first group is the largest group and comprised of those individuals that want to be a legal professional.  So if you want to be a corporate lawyer, a prosecutor, a judge, a law professor, etc…you pretty much need to go to law school.  The second group is much smaller and consists of those that want to go into public service or politics at some point.  Obviously, attending law school and becoming a lawyer is not a prerequisite to running for office or serving in government.  That said, it certainly does not hurt and in some situations a legal background can make the path easier.

(more…)

Staying Inspired

Filed under Staying Inspired by on October 1, 2010 at 9:10 am {no comments}

“How is a man to find where he belongs in life?  The more original he is, the less likely is he to find his place prepared for him.  He must not expect to see from the beginning what mould his life will take… The power to work on faith is what distinguishes great men.”

Charles Cooley (1864-1929), Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan

Base Camp

Filed under Getting Up the Mountain by on October 1, 2010 at 9:02 am {no comments}

Since this is the first official post of Paths Up the Mountain (“PUTM”), I felt Base Camp was an appropriate title.  You can read Why Paths Up the Mountain? and About the Sherpa to learn about PUTM’s genesis.

At its core, PUTM’s mission is providing information and inspiration to those navigating career and life transitions.  I hope to accomplish this through sharing my experiences and those of others, interviewing people that have navigated their own transition process, and providing detailed information about different roles that goes beyond the generic description commonly found in a job posting.  I mean let’s be honest, when was the last time a job posting was accurate? Depending on what is being shared, some information may be changed to preserve the anonymity or privacy of those involved.

I absolutely welcome suggestions and feedback from readers.  Since I’ve taken most of the photos that you will see on PUTM, thoughts on those are welcome as well.  You can follow PUTM on Twitter, via RSS, or email subscription by clicking the appropriate link under Subscribe on the right sidebar.

Many thanks for your support and hope to see you on the mountain.

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