#induction for my new job starts on monday and most of it is online but i don’t know whether they want me to go there physically (to do the

[fingertipsmp3]

I love having no idea what’s going on. Like this is fine actually. I don’t mind this

[selfworthsam]

Some Feel-Good News About Imposter Syndrome to Brighten Your Day for New Professionals

Author: Self Worth Sam, Imposter Syndrome Expert

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome. Even the most senior and experienced in your field. Yep, believe it.

Imposter syndrome training should be part of induction day when you’re starting a new profession or job. However, most managers don’t know what it is, nor if their staff experience it, and they even experience themselves. A little conversation about imposter syndrome when starting your new profession could make a big difference in reducing your anxiety, self-doubt and instead, make you aware of the value that you bring, even though you might perceive yourself to be “new”. In this article Self Worth Sam will share with you Some Feel-Good News About Imposter Syndrome to Brighten Your Day for New Professionals.

I’ve been there a handful of times. New jobs, new people, new policies and procedures, new coffee room etiquette, and new territory in which you must find your feet, or sink into the psychological condition known as imposter syndrome. Take a breath, I got some feel-good news for you.

You’ve probably had a partner, a friend, colleague or professor tell you, “you’ll be fine.” However, it’s Monday and it’s day one of your new job in your new profession, and you do not feel fine. You feel far from fine. You feel terrified that your new peers, whom are much more experienced than you, are going to corner you in the coffee room, point their fingers at you and chant, imposter, imposter, imposter! Then you’ll run, hide and cry because your worst nightmare came true. 

Hang on, where’s the feel-good bright bit?

Right here. 

Pay attention. That fantasy in your head simply isn’t going to happen. Snap out it, pour yourself a red wine or cognac, allow your central nervous system to stabilize, and know this:

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome. EV-VER-REE-ONNNNNNNNE. Got it? I’ll say it again, in case it didn’t register. EEEEVVVVVVVVVVVEEEERRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—----EEEEEEEEEEE

ONE.

Everyone. 

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome. Even the most senior and experienced in your field. Yep, believe it. I’ve been in new jobs where I was the new guy and felt like an imposter, and I’ve been in jobs the longest and still had days of feeling out of my depth. It’s ridiculous. It’s a bit of a joke really. Especially since hardly any one talks about it. 

One of the best ways to reduce about 80% of imposter syndrome’s impact on you is to make one friend on day one of your new job and ask, do your ever go through imposter syndrome and self-doubt about being a professional, despite training, accolades, experience and the fact that the hiring team thought you could the job?

That one question will work wonders for your blood pressure, plus you’ll make friends faster at work. And ironically, believe it or not, it will promote you faster too, for the fact that people talk. That person you asked ‘if they experience imposter syndrome’ will quite likely talk to HR or a team leader and say something to the effect of, “hey that new girl / guy is ok talking about and bringing up something that everyone here can benefit from.” 

So really, your imposter syndrome has incredible benefits to you, if you just bring it up with a couple of people on day one. Go on, do it. Because remember… eeevvvv-eeerrrreeeee—-one!

Everyone goes through it. 

Why not set the tone, and activate your authentic leadership, day one. 

Take my free online course: How to Beat Imposter Syndrome and Be Confident

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 112, July 2018

On Monday morning, I had a job interview for Toll People which are part of the Toll Group, a global logistics company with the nearest office located in Dandenong South. To be honest, I haven’t had much time at all to process this opportunity since receiving the phone call last Friday afternoon from the recruitment consultant, Janella. However, I decided to dive in head first and quickly completed the required online induction and safety modules.

Over the past weekend, my brain has been flooded with many questions: Am I doing the right this pursuing an opportunity that I don’t know much about? Will I be able to fit a new job into my current lifestyle? Will I have to sacrifice and cut out some of my commitments? Will this casual warehouse role be right for me? What if I can’t handle it? What if I don’t enjoy it? All of this boils down to my huge fear of uncertainty and change.

So really this job interview is basically a learning opportunity to grow as a person. To embrace change and take a risk by potentially gaining new employment. The good news is that the ball is basically in my court. If things go pear shaped and it doesn’t sound like the right job for me, then I can always walk away and decline the offer. Also if I can’t seem to make it fit in or becomes overwhelming, the choice will always be there to pull the pin. But at the same time, I do want to give this opportunity a red hot go and see where it takes me. https://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-ways-to-deal-with-uncertainty/

It’s been over a year since my last job interview so of course I was feeling quite nervous and unsure about it. I wanted to make sure I was prepared enough for it in terms of my attire, presentation, what to bring, questions and answers, my skills and abilities. I normally wear standard business attire to job interviews but this part of the email I received last week suggested I should do otherwise:

“During this testing, you will undergo evaluation designed to identify some risk factors that are associated with your potential employment with Toll. This will include requiring you to provide a written medical history/questionnaire and to answer questions at the interview. This written form of assessment and interview will assist with evaluating your overall physical ability to undertake the inherent physical requirements for intended role. Please wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to undertake this task.”

And so I decided to go with neat casual dress and hoped that was appropriate as I didn’t hear back from the recruitment consultant, Janella, over the weekend. So it was a relief of sorts when I discovered most of today’s interview involved filling out copious amounts of paperwork with everything from my personal details and medical history to identification and police checks, superannuation, tax and banking details. It took me about an hour to get through it all as there was about 20 pages to read, fill in and sign.

The nice thing was that I wasn’t the only candidate applying for work which means less pressure on me. The interview itself with Janella was a lot more informal and brief than I expected. She asked a few routine questions to make sure I was still interested in pursuing a casual warehouse hand position, checked through all the paperwork and that was it really. Part of me is overcome with self-doubt and worries about whether this job is right for me but I’m trying hard to remain mildly optimistic about it.

Of course I was still flustered and exhausted as hell by the end of it but I’m really glad that I made the effort to do this. Even if I’m not successful, at least I can say I tried and did my best.  And if it turns out that this job isn’t for me, at least I can say I’ve gone through the interview process and it wasn’t a waste of time. It’s all learning. https://www.tollgroup.com/business-services/recruitment/looking-work

On Monday night, I attended a meditation class at Level Up Yoga in Berwick. Tonight's meditation class hosted by Angelina Morino was based around the theme of HEALING. Being the middle of winter, I usually get very susceptible to colds, flus and various sinus issues plus symptoms like dry mouth, dehydration, sleepiness, muscle tension, physical and mental fatigue and low mood/energy. https://www.aaronpetty.com/meditation/

Ange talked about the fundamental principles of a meditation practice including finding the spaces between thoughts and using the breath as a focal point or anchor. She also discussed how our minds constantly make up stories that aren't necessarily true. This is something I've been continually working on over the years, to let go and dispel of those bullshit claims that my brain is coming up with.

Some of my "stories" include: I am not enough. I don't have any friends. I am weird, boring and uninteresting. Everyone in this room is ignoring me and deliberately excluding me. Nobody likes me. I'm going to be lonely forever. There's something wrong with me. I'm too quiet. I don't speak up enough.

A lot of this comes from how comfortable I am with myself and having self-acceptance. That means accepting every single part of who I am, the good and the bad. It also means ridding myself of things that no longer serve me: negative thoughts, toxic emotions and self-doubt. It's a difficult process for me having severe mental illness but I've got to keep working at it everyday.

Tonight was a great example of why most of the above stories are bullshit. If those things were true, Aaron Petty wouldn't have hugged me on arrival or asked about my job interview today. Angelina Morino wouldn't have said hello, grabbed my props and offered me a muffin. And the other students wouldn't have said hi and acknowledged my existence. I am definitely not alone and I am very much enough. https://www.aaronpetty.com/teaching-schedule/

On Tuesday night, I had my YardFIT group training session at The Yard Strength & Fitness in Pakenham. I was burning the candle at both ends a little today after being out of the house for a total of 6 hours. I did a CX Works group fitness class at YMCA Casey ARC (I can feel my glutes burning) plus a half hour session on the treadmill. The new CX Works release was pretty tough with lots of tracks using the resistance bands and trying to incorporate Pilates movements. I’m surprised I didn’t get tangled up in the bands! I then drove straight to Frankston and parked in the multi-level carpark near Hoyts Australia FRANKSTON. http://w3.lesmills.com/israel/en/classes/cxworx/music-tracklists/

Of course I didn’t really anticipate the school holidays crowds which means more traffic on the road, more congestion, more time needed to find parking, more parents and kids everywhere and a long queue at the candy bar. Thankfully I managed to grab an exclusive Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom dinosaur drink cup with Blue the velociraptor on the top (Yes I’m a dinosaur geek and also love collecting stuff, what of it?). I really enjoyed watching JW:FK a second time even with the kid next door randomly asking me 20 questions before it started. https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom

PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC! It took me about an hour to get home from Frankston even with some quick decision making in going an alternative route. But inevitably I was going to get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Of course I forgot about the large round-a-bout on Hall Road. But never mind, I just wanted to get home so I could eat something and have some downtime before going out again.

I was feeling mentally exhausted by the time I got to The Yard and perhaps it was a good thing that I didn’t rush myself to get there by 5.30pm. I was just me and Rodney Millar tonight. We worked on a lot of mobility, stretches and muscle activation through the glutes, hips, hammies and back. To warm up, Mandi Herauville drew from a deck of playing cards and corresponded these to a particular exercise including ring rows, med ball snatches, jabs on the punching bag, burpees, squats, lunges and push-ups.

For tonight’s WOD, we did a modified version of the FILTHY FIFTY. As the name implies, we had to do 50 reps of each of the movements which is very tough. These included: Box Jumps (Step Ups), Jumping Pull-ups, Kettle Bell Swings, Overhead Bar Presses (Med Ball Snatches), Knees to Elbows, Wall Balls, Burpees (Supported with a box) and Double Unders (Single Skips). Rodney and I were both stuffed after just 15 minutes and Mandi knew when to draw the line. https://www.boxrox.com/crossfit-workouts/others/filthy-fifty/

That’s the thing I love about Mandi as a personal trainer and coach. She knows exactly when to back off or modify a workout if things are becoming too difficult and not achievable for the client. She can also be really blunt and direct with a strong “no bullshit” radar but she is always coming from a good place. Even during the final cool down, she reminded us that life can be really tough and we should be proud of our efforts both at the gym and in life.

“I fall into the ocean, I fly into the sky. All my broken emotion is slowly drifting by. The further I go into myself. The more I find, then I find, I need someone else.”     Evermore - Into The Ocean (Calling You) (2004)

“Leave the TV on to fill the empty air. Loneliness sinks in, like ink into my skin. Should have seen it all. The climb before the fall. I held to what we shared. But now its disappeared.” Evermore - Come To Nothing (2004)

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 111, July 2018

On Monday morning, Mum and I paid a visit to our old neighbourhood of Ashwood as it was the start of the July school holidays. But first we dropped into The Pancake Parlour (Malvern East) for brunch. We both decided to order the hot cakes winter special with fresh strawberries for $10.90 each. It was absolutely amazing and honestly looked too good to eat.

Next we walked down the main street of Ashburton with its array of cafes, florists, massage salons, newsagent, bakers and butchers. It’s become an area exclusive to the rich and well off with residents walking their dogs and driving expensive cars through the back roads. Lastly we checked out our old house and street. We used to live close to Jordanville during most of the 1990’s in a single-story commission home, my childhood home. It features cream coloured walls rendered with cement, a brown tiled roof and a glass-fronted porch.

Some of the houses in the area have been demolished and some modern townhouses and apartments have been erected in their place. It’s lovely to see that half of the run-down looking commission houses have been preserved and left alone along with features like front fences, plants and hedges. It brings back a lot of nostalgic memories of regular walks and bike rides along the street that I used to live in over 20 years ago. I also remember some of our old neighbours like Gwen and her German Shepherd named Twiggy who we used to visit from time to time.

Lately we had a drive past my past primary school and high school. There has been many additions and renovations made to both Parkhill primary school and Ashwood High School (formerly Ashwood College) but parts of them are still the same like the ovals and wetlands plus the reception and office buildings. I attended both of these schools back in the mid-late 1990’s and generally had some fond memories there. I loved hanging out by the pine trees which divides the schools right down the middle, sliding down the grassy hills and playing on the play equipment.

On Monday night, I went to a Yin-style Yoga class at Level Up Yoga in Berwick. It was taught my a young lass named Emma Ahearn who just started teaching at the studio a couple of weeks ago. I firmly believe that you’re only as old as you feel and whilst Emma does seem young and inexperienced, I could tell that she’s wise beyond her years. This was my first class with her and I’ve already learned some new things about what a Yin class is all about. It’s a case of the young teaching the old, and at 32, I don’t even feel that old. https://www.aaronpetty.com/

Emma guided us through some supported variations of classic yoga poses including Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), Bridge Pose, Child’s Pose and Fish Pose using one or two bolsters. She made several references to water and its connection to the breath. The inhalation and the exhalation can be seen as similar to the tide coming in and out. Plus water is a very cleansing substance to wash away negative emotions, fears, anxieties and doubts from the body. https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/the-benefits-of-yin-yoga

On Tuesday morning, I went down to YMCA Casey RACE to do some cardio exercise in the gym. I didn’t end up getting there until around 11:30am as I was struggling to get motivated and I did a few household chores beforehand. I decided to split it between two machines: the treadmill and the upright bike. I didn’t find the bike all that challenging to begin with as the resistance level was quite low but when it creeped up to level 10 and 11, I could definitely feel the difference as it was getting harder and harder to keep pedaling. After half an hour on the bike, my legs felt like jelly.

Here are my results for each workout:                                                                    1) UPRIGHT BIKE. Total Calories = 212 cal. Distance = 9.57 Km. Duration = 30 minutes. Average Speed = 19.16 Kph. Pace = 3.07 minutes / Km.

2) TREADMILL. Total Calories = 224 cal. Distance = 2.26 Km. Duration = 29 minutes. Average Speed = 4.55 Kph. Pace = 13.10 minutes / Km.

On Tuesday night, I attended my YardSTRONG (Strongman, Weight Lifting) session at The Yard Strength & Fitness in Pakenham. Tonight I was joined by Jeanette Spiteri who I used to bump into last year down at UFT PLAYgrounds in Berwick during my PT sessions with Luke. Whilst I’ve consciously cut the cord with most of the members at UFT, I certainly don’t hold any grudges or hard feelings. That’s not the way I roll. My decision to leave UFT before the end of last year was very much a personal one.

We started the session by doing some Yoga Sun Salutations to WARM-UP with (Forward Fold, Plank, Cobra, Diver’s Pose, Extended Child’s Pose). Next I was doing some Pilates movements to work into the quads, glutes and hips including Side Hip Raise, Glute Bridges with Leg Lift and Side Leg Lifts. Next I did some Walking Lunges with dumbbell weights, lifting them up on a diagonal and slicing across the body into the side hips. https://www.livestrong.com/article/424147-benefits-of-dumbbell-lunges/

For the DEVELOPMENT part, I had to do some Strongman carries with a variety of deadball weights ranging from 6kg to 40kg. It was pretty challenging especially trying to support myself, place it up on my shoulder and keep my form. By the heaviest weight, I literally felt like I was a pregnant lady! Lifting the deadballs onto the wooden box was also pretty tough because it required the correct squating technique to place it up there. https://www.ironedge.com.au/blog/heavy-dead-ball-training/

For tonight’s WOD dubbed “The Dixonator”, I had to do as many rounds as possible of the following exercises: 15kg Keg Carry, 10 Tire Flips, 5 Medball Cleans, 15 Deadlifts @ 35kg, 20 Sandbag Lunges and 25 Weighted Sit-Ups (5kg plate). Easily the hardest part of this workout for me was the lunges as the fatigue sets in very quickly and I find it hard keeping my head up the whole time. However, I was smashing the keg carries, tire flips, cleans and sit-ups. Felt really good to finish 3 rounds in under 20 minutes given how intense this WOD is. Thank goodness for Mandi and Jeanette for their encouragement plus cranking some hits from Christina Aguilera.

On Friday morning, Mum and I dropped into Toll Group to apply for a job there in Dandenong South. I didn’t feel like I was ready or prepared enough for this and with my poor quality of sleep and lack of energy, this really didn’t help matter. But still I made the effort to at least print a resume out and hand it in to the reception girls. What I wasn’t expecting was a phone call about 2-3 hours later from Toll giving me an interview opportunity.

It’s a lot to process for me right now as I’m not exactly in the most ideal headspace. I should be excited about the news but instead I’m dreading it. My brain flooded with so many “What if?” questions: What if I can’t make this work? What if I have to give up my other commitments like going to the gym, counselling, going out to local gigs, lunch, coffee etc? Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. I just hate the uncertainty so much.

So I’ve locked in a time for next Monday morning to have this interview at Toll but before that I’ve gotta get an online induction and police check completed. I just hope that I’m cut out for both of these. One step at a time as always. https://www.tollgroup.com/about/working-toll

I was also feeling physically exhausted and emotionally flat today. Beating myself up for not going to my Body Combat class this morning, I was getting myself upset about being stuck at 93kg and wishing that I could somehow feel good about body, overweight or not. I’ve been reaching out for the comfort foods again and I’m feeling really guilty about that, knowing that I’m consuming excess calories and not doing anything to burn them off. Hopefully things turn around for me next week but right now I feel like shit.

“Cause it makes me that much stronger. Makes me work a little bit harder. It makes me that much wiser. So thanks for making me a fighter. Made me learn a little bit faster. Made my skin a little bit thicker. Makes me that much smarter. So thanks for making me a fighter.” Christina Aguilera - Fighter (2002)

“I am beautiful. No matter what they say. Words can't bring me down. I am beautiful. In every single way. Yes words can't bring me down. Oh no. So don't you bring me down today.” Christina Aguilera - Beautiful (2002)

“Life is a journey. It can take you anywhere you choose to go. As long as you’re learning. You’ll find all you’ll ever need to know. Be strong. Break it. Hold on. You’ll make it.” Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within (2002)