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Barbie Decker (Fri)

August 11, 2012 By Barbie Decker

It’s already Friday. Wow, where did the week go? “What did I accomplish?”, I am asking myself as I reassess my work week. I honored my commitment by guest blogging here daily, for one. Go me! Other than my weekly team call on Mondays, this was the only other activity that I couldn’t put off until the next day. That’s the beauty of my work. Some days I can decide to work two hours, while others I work non stop for ten. I’m able to go on vacation when I want, provided that I put in the necessary work beforehand. It’s really up to me how much effort I want to put forth and when. But because I love what I do, needing to work more is not really an issue for me. Making sure that I take the time to enjoy life and everything it has to offer is where I sometimes fall short. However, over the past year or so, I’ve gotten better and better at finding balance or I should say, I’ve gotten better at this balancing act of work and play.

I confess, the commitment to blog daily felt constraining, yet turned out to be enjoyable and even therapeutic. It added more or less two to three hours to my work day, which I resented just a tiny bit, since I love to own my time. Why three hours?  Because I spent quite a bit of time in front of a blank screen, processing my life’s decisions, thinking about what brought me from there, a university professor, to here. For that opportunity to reflect and the insight that I gained, I am truly grateful.

Part of the reason that I enjoy what I do and that I manage to stay out of overwhelm mode on most days is, as I’ve alluded to before, that I have learned to say no a lot more often. No to requests to be on other team calls, no to more work and more projects, and no to answering emails on weekends. However, I said yes to Michelle Erickson’s invitation to be a guest blogger because, well, for several reasons. Now that I think about it, there was still a part of me that felt that there were things left unsaid. Interesting. Yes, there is still that small part of me–but I promise you that I give it very little thought since I’m too busy living my life–that wants others in the world I left behind to know that I made the right decision for myself. I did not fail because I left academia. Leaving allowed me to actualize my potential. Secondly, the part of me that always wants to help others, wrote this for other academics who might be struggling with the decision to leave. I hope something I’ve written has been helpful. Know that our skills are indeed transferable; you just have to think of ways to apply them, possibly transform them a bit, and capitalize on them. A book I’d recommend if you are at all interested in this is by Brendon Burchard, The Millionaire Messenger. Last but not least, I said yes because I wanted to provide a service to the coaching community at Beachbody. I think sometimes folks underestimate the kind of commitment and determination it takes to achieve a level of success where you are able to walk away from your full-time job. But, also, some in the Beachbody community who have not followed my progress from the very beginning, see my position as unattainable. It’s not. It just takes a lot to get there. The question is: are you willing to do what it takes to get there?

I’d like to thank Michelle Erickson for the invitation to share and to congratulate you for daring to do something different.

I hope anyone reading this will connect with me through Facebook.

Barbie Decker (Thurs)
Tse-Sung Wu | Genentech

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Comments

  1. Morgan says

    August 12, 2012 at 5:15 PM

    I’ve followed this blog all week and really enjoyed it. It shed a lot of light on the activities I should be focusing my time on as a coach, and it really spoke to me in a lot of ways. I admire you because of your ability to balance work and play. You really do look like you have it all figured out. :)

    Reply
    • Barbie Decker says

      August 13, 2012 at 11:13 AM

      Thanks, morgan!

      I don’t know if I’ve got it all figured out. Really. It really is a balancing act. I have it figured out, then I lose balance, then it’s time to reassess. It never ends. But it’s good. That’s life and I’m just being honest.

      Reply
  2. Karen Clark-Bond says

    August 15, 2012 at 9:57 PM

    Thanks for sharing with us this week. I have enjoyed your insight and appreciate your efforts to help all of us.

    Reply
    • Barbie Decker says

      August 16, 2012 at 12:27 PM

      Thanks so much and you are very welcome. I appreciate the feedback very much!

      Reply
  3. Kiki says

    November 17, 2018 at 5:38 PM

    It’s impressive that you can make seven figures in an MLM. But don’t you feel bad for all the coaches under you for whom it’s mathematically impossible to make decent money? I’m not trying to be rude or confrontational but I think this business model is unethical and others searching for career direction should use their critical thinking skills and do their research before getting into an MLM.

    Reply

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Barbie Decker, PhD

Independent Coach & Business Developer
Team Beachbody

PhD, French Literature

The Name of the Father: Retif de la Bretonne and the Representation of Paternity in Late Eighteenth-Century France

New York University, 2007

Connect with Barbie

If I knew then what I know now…

… I would have left academia sooner with less of an internal struggle.

My Professional Philosophy:

Don’t stop until you get what you want and reassess what you want periodically to make sure you are pursuing the right goals.

Barbie's "Week in the Life"

  • Barbie Decker | One Year Later
  • Barbie Decker (Fri)
  • Barbie Decker (Thurs)
  • Barbie Decker (Wed)
  • Barbie Decker (Tues)
  • Barbie Decker (Mon)
  • Barbie Decker | Team Beachbody

Which is more important: luck, smarts, or know-how?

You really can’t say it’s just one. It’s what the individual does with all three that determines the outcome.

Best career advice ever received:

From a self-development book (can’t remember which): When you do what you’re passionate about, work feels like play. And when work feels like play, you’re happier, more creative, and more likely to produce great money.

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