How to Say Yes and Stop the 'Cold-Calling' Process

When you are a novice in the industry that you are becoming acquainted to, there is the general assumption to ask for more tasks, more jobs, more experience, more contacts, more networking, more full exposure to get yourself associated with the right people and right contacts to know your name. How do you stay present within the industry without having to rely on cold-calling and running your energy dry? 

It's been a year since I started teaching yoga professionally, and I still have constant fears that I am not already well established within my direct community and fitness industry. And that's okay...

I was having a conversation with a co-worker whom was interested in becoming a full-time yoga instructor once completing the 200-hour teacher training program. I didn't absolutely agree and support the idea, but I wasn't about to shut the possibility of it happening for this person either. Being given the opportunities to teach does not happen right away, like anything in the fitness and wellness industry, and it may take many trials in different studios, gyms, and systems of management before finding something that works for you financially and for your lifestyle.

“It’s not always about being everywhere and being on the top of every important person’s list that should be of high priority to you. ”

Sometimes saying "Yes!" to an opportunity opens new doors; other times, being able to carefully craft a plan of what to work around and say "No, thank you" is equally as valid and makes room for where you need to direct your energy in a wise and optimized manner. 

Prioritizing work for work's sake is something most of us dread unless we are absolutely stimulated and excited by what it is that we wake up every day for. 

Perhaps we can create that mentality of waking up with a fresh, new opportunity constantly on the horizon. I like writing these things down, first thing when I wake up.

• Find the things that stimulate you:

  • whether this may be cooking and meal prepping, deep conversations with coworkers, group exercise, etc. Carefully carve out what it is that you look forward to in a work day.
  • And if you don't know what stimulates you - make a list of the things that absolutely BORE you and that you would rather avoid doing. Next, use this list to find things you would enjoy instead. 
  • Do the work environments that you seek out promote these activities, values, or principles as well?

• Create opportunities that don't already exist.

  • Look for areas in your life and habits that you usually frequent and take notice of the things most people including yourself complain is missing
  • Are there talents or areas of expertise that you can offer, simply by speaking up and providing feedback for?
  • Sometimes, planting the seed and creating the invitation of a potential event speaks louder than planning and executing an actual event out. 

• Keep some doors open in the meanwhile...

  • Be proactive, but not too proactive while you wait. It's good to have an end-goal to work towards but if that specific hiring manager or company does not contact you, that doesn't mean you should switch professions or call it quits. Sometimes, it's good to keep good relations with management and HR to ask for specific opportunities down the road that may be more specific to what you really want. 
  • It helps to maintain a reputable demeanour across the community - so whether you are volunteering, offering service and your time to a community, or other voluntary act, business professionals will see this as a high-level of commitment and trustworthiness to invest in your time. 

• Build a brand portfolio

  • Create a mission statement. Why is it that you do what you do, for what audience, and towards what benefit.
  • It's common for hiring management to check social media handles, blogs, LinkedIn profiles in addition to checking references and reading mindfully-crafted cover letters. Be authentic in your prose and never copy another user in a similar industry just to gain credibility and professionalism. 
  • Collaborate! What a wonderful avenue to share the artistic merits of other producers, designers, creators and thinkers, while sharing your own vision as well.

Setting up an example of how you wish to be portrayed and treated in the industry, allows others to direct their resources and energy towards you. This may skip the more formal steps of having to provide an elevator pitch, perform an audition, or submit a written request letter. Constantly reflect on your current opportunities and if they are the stepping stones leading up to your favoured end goals.

By narrowing down the opportunities that align with your mission statement and allow you to authentically thrive, you will gain more energy to give back to yourself and the sources that fuel you with more work. At the end of the day, anyone will tell you, networking is all about building relationships. If you spend energy building the wrong types of relationships, your end-products will have the weakest foundation. 

The less energy you spend dwelling on situations that could have happened, or should have happened, start creating and embellishing the situations that you see unfolding. Start having conversations, start having empowering brainstorming sessions, start journalling, get it all done clearly so you don't have to waste time cold-calling and figuring out if you fit into another rigid cookie-cutter mould. 

“Just as grace is the ultimate source of the force that pushes us to ascend the ladder of human evolution, so it is entropy that causes us to resist that force, to stay at the comfortable, easy rung where we now are [...] The issue of power, in spiritual growth as in professional growth. The call to grace is a promotion, a call to a position of a higher responsibility and power.”

— M.D. Scott Peck, The Road Less Travelled

Be Careful not to get Burned by Your Mistakes

How to stay focused on your end goal without getting distracted and burning out. 

I have to admit: I ever rarely get burnt. Sunburnt, that is. My skintone tans and I increasingly get darker in a short period of time in the sun. That isn't to say I haven't experienced an actual burn. I recently tried turning on the BBQ grill at home (while aimlessly doing a handful of other things) and BOOM! The flames shot all up in my hair as I pushed the ignition button. It all happened in a matter of seconds, parts of my hair were singed, and my lips and right arm immediately felt tingly. Let me say the scent of burnt hair is something that I have memories of, and they are not very pleasant. 

It's really my ego and self-confidence that I have to get in check in the meanwhile. I immediately tried to coax myself, reminding myself that I was still alive, nothing was blackened, my eyes were still intact, along with my clothing. But the full realization came down to slowing down and recalibrating my gears to focus on what I was doing in the present moment.

““I need to slow the fuck down and focus on what I’m doing right here in front of me...””

Why is slowing down so difficult to manage?

Energetically, we have to learn to withstand our desires, our momentum to move forward, and learn when to give in the towel. Trust me - it's not easy, especially in the summer. We run rampant, we want to do all the things, we think we have no time to reflect, slow down, re-prioritize and re-focus on where we are heading. 

Why would we work on giving in and giving up when we spend so many months of the year, preparing, looking ahead, planting seeds, and nourishing ourselves to find our fullest potential?

Even as the summer months are perceived as being 'busy' and fully scheduled with weddings, birthdays, long weekend getaways, vacations, trainings, and more, it is important to stay grounded in fulfilling a small list of S.M.A.R.T. goals by the end of the summer. 

S.M.A.R.T.:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Action-Oriented
• Realistic OR Relevant
• Time-sensitive

Here are some of my S.M.A.R.T. goals for this summer:

• Complete my Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor Training and 20 hours of practice teaching by the end of August
• Teach at least two weekly yoga classes outdoors and create more active community outreach
  • Offer Reiki and journalling consultations in a private, one-on-one session
  • Save up money to pay for Yin Yoga Teacher Training in the autumn of 2018

I've been reading a lot about the Third Chakra - (Manipura in Sanskrit) in the spiritual body and how we need to hold ourselves accountable, with discipline, stamina, and endurance in acts that scare us, trip us up, or creates instant flux in our routine. 

Learning when to say no, to respect your body's energy, your ability to give back to yourself is incredible important and fulfilling. 

I must admit I have been feeling like I want to become more distracted, more aligned with all the 'summer activities' that the pleasant weather and humidity has to offer. I want to sun tan, watch movies in the park, stay up until dawn, bike for miles with little regard for the destination, eat tubs of ice cream, etc. But holding yourself accountable, remaining re-directed to your goals, conserving energy, focusing on your long-term prospects rather than your minute, immediate gratifications plays out immensely in the long-run. Having to nurse my wounds (blistered lips and a peeling burn on my forearm) while staying indoors has definitely kept me more mindful of my energy levels and focus calibration. 

We all have to take breaks, even in the act if it means doing absolutely nothing for ourselves.

At the end of the day, how do you stay grounded, and remind yourself to keep moving forward?

“It’s really my ego and self-confidence that I have to get in check in the meanwhile.”

Read more here: 

Anatomy of the Spirit

by Caroline Myss

Explore the seven Chakras in relation to how they play a part in the emotional release of the subtle body with a series of transformational questions and activities in each chapter.