Category Archives: Advice from a Life Coach
January 4, 2017 Your Best Work Year YET
It’s the New Year (how did that happen?)! It’s time for a fresh start and a clean slate mentality. It’s time for your best work year yet. If you believe you can do it, you’re already part of the way there!
How will you shine this year in your career-related endeavors? Start with gratitude and go from there…
Why gratitude? When you focus on being grateful, you focus on what’s going right–the things you do NOT need to change. In terms of your career, what’s going well? Do you like your boss or coworkers? Are you hitting it out of the park with creative solutions? Has your number of clients increased over the last year?
If you’re having trouble coming up with a list of positive aspects of your job, that may be a sign that you’re ready for a significant change. If that’s the case, you may need to completely re-strategize and enlist the help of a career coach.
If, however, you can identify several positive areas of your current job, that’s great! It’s easier to refocus and re-energize your current position than it is to seek something entirely new.
Once you’ve considered the good elements of your current job, think about the areas of opportunity. Write a list of all the things you’d like to achieve, no matter how impossible they seem at the moment. Maybe you want to increase your sales revenue this year. Or find more leadership opportunities. Or earn a promotion. This is your chance to jot down all your hopes and dreams for yourself.
After you make your list, circle your highest priority item. Then, mark your second-highest priority item, your third, your fourth, etc. It’s best to focus on only one item at a time and do it RIGHT. Think about what you need to do to achieve that goal. What steps do you need to take? What support will you need?
After considering your main goal, draw up a timeline. Be sure to include mileposts along the way (and remind yourself to celebrate whenever you hit a milepost!).
Then, STICK TO IT.
Easier said than done, I know. This is where your support network comes into play. Talk openly about your goal(s) with your trusted friends, spouse, and coworkers. Ask for their help and guidance. Ask a few of them to check in with you every once in a while to make sure you’re on track. And if someone in your support network comes to you for assistance, be sure to return the favor.
Your stick-to-it attitude is what is ultimately going to make this the best work year ever for you. You have the talent. You have the support. All you need is a clear direction, a plan for the year, and a good support system.
Let’s make 2017 the best work year yet!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: achieve goals, best work year yet, Better Business, career coach Margaret Smith, goal setting, improve work year, Minneapolis career coach, Twin Cities career coach, You Excel Now, your best year
December 28, 2016 Resolve to be KIND.
I’ve talked about making a keeping New Year’s resolutions in past blog posts, but I want to talk about the type of resolution you’ll make this year. Sure, it’s perfectly fine to resolve to lose weight or eat better or spend more time with your family. Those are great goals! Set those goals, but then add one more thing to your resolution list: kindness.
We live in a world where kindness is often lacking. We love to dwell on differences–the things that divide us–instead of appreciating differences and attempting to bridge gaps. Instead of making snap judgments and generalizations, I encourage you to pause, truly consider the other person’s point of view, and begin to develop understanding and empathy.
Resolving to be kind does NOT detract from your other goals. It is a supplement and an enhancement. When you resolve to exercise more, for instance, you are being kind to your body. When you resolve to get to appointments on time, you are being kind by your consideration of others’ time. Let your world teem with kindness and you’ll find that it’s easier to achieve your other goals.
During the holiday season, we are reminded to perform acts of kindness–donate to food shelves, volunteer, sing carols at nursing homes–but these nice gestures should not go away with the end of December. By making kindness part of your New Year’s resolution, you can help carry the giving spirit of the holidays throughout the entire year.
The world needs your kindness. Instead of focusing on the things that divide us, let’s look at the things that bring us together: family, health, productivity, the desire to live a good life. Find common ground. Reach out. Be kind.
Happy New Year!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: caring, kindness, Margaret Smith life coach, Margaret Smith Twin Cities, new years resolution, new years resolution 2017, resolve to be kind, this year's resolution
November 23, 2016 Your Daily Dose of Thanksgiving
It’s Thanksgiving month, so you’re likely seeing constant reminders about gratitude and giving thanks. A lot of it may seem fluffy, but there are actually concrete benefits to being grateful.
Studies have shown that moods lift, outlooks become more positive, and relationships are healthier when we practice gratitude. From a business perspective, showing appreciation for your clients, co-workers, support staff, or employees helps to foster a more pleasant atmosphere, boosts morale, and slashes employee turnover.
But, gratitude shouldn’t be treated as a one-off thing. We shouldn’t get through Thanksgiving and go, “Well, that was fun. Now, on to Black Friday!”
A grateful mentality should be a sustainable one. We’re talking about an attitude shift here, not just a temporary state of mind. Why change your thinking for a month, when you can change it for a lifetime?
The trick to sustaining an attitude of gratitude? Practice every day.
The moment you wake up, instead of dreading the day ahead, think about the many blessings in your life. These could be simple things–the hot coffee in the pot, your friends and family, the roof over your head. Think about three things that bring you joy, comfort, or stability. You can choose to write about these things in a gratitude journal, or simply meditate on them for a few minutes.
Then, see where your day takes you. This morning burst of gratitude should help give you a positive boost and, if you confront rough patches throughout the day, you can always think back to your morning meditation and remember the three things that you were grateful for.
(It is worth noting that being a grateful person doesn’t mean that there aren’t negative aspects of your life. If the negative parts get too overwhelming, it may be time for a significant change. But that’s a topic that I’ve addressed in other posts.)
When you’re grateful and appreciative, the world changes. Your personal outlook becomes brighter, the people around you seem more pleasant (or at least tolerable!), and your relationships become more amiable and love-filled. Try adopting a gratitude-filled lifestyle and watch your world transform!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: benefits of gratitude, business coach Margaret Smith, change your life, daily gratitude, give daily thanks, gratitude, Minneapolis career coach, thanksgiving every day
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