Let’s hear it for the girls!
Being 2013, it would be good to feel like we recognise the achievements of women every day, but this still isn’t necessarily the case. Luckily, in the past few weeks, we’ve had a few built in occasions such as “International Women’s Day” and “Mothers’ Day” which encourage us to think about the amazing contribution women make… and hopefully these dates serve as triggers to remind us why we should celebrate the achievements of women all year round. Amidst these very worthy celebrations of the achievements of women, there were a couple of moments in the past week that made me pivot between pausing proudly to ponder how far we’ve come and stopping firmly in my tracks… in realisation of how far we still have to go. These included: 1. An e-mail from a childhood friendLast week, I received a beautiful email from a childhood friend of mine. She sent this email to a small group of her friendship circle, featuring women currently based in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and beyond – all of whom she’d gone to school / university with at some point during her journey. In this email, she eloquently shared her news on a city move and an update about her job situation intertwined with mention of her evolving relationship. I had opened this message when on the go between appointments and found myself stopping in the rain to read and re-read this message. I smiled. Not just due to the fact that I’d received what felt like the equivalent of a personal letter in the post (like back in the day before postal content... read more
3 reasons to LOVE your job
As much as some of us try to resist succumbing to a commercially driven day of ‘love’, it can sometimes be hard to resist getting swept up in the hype. A few years before meeting my gorgeous husband, I had one of my most enjoyable Valentines evenings ever. Sounds harsh but this wasn’t with another man (not one I was romantically interested in anyway) but was with a group of – at the time – single work colleagues and we had a great rebellious, ‘anti-Valentine’s day’ dinner. It was much fun – but admittedly, still a nod (in our own way) to what is a commercially driven occasion. The way I see it though is that taking a moment to think about something you love isn’t a bad thing (unless V day is the one and only day that love is recognised… Then that is bad) – so, whether in a loved up relationship or not, why not recognise other things you love. Like your job for example. Tenuous? Maybe… But work with me here: 3 reasons to love your job this Valentine’s week: 1. It is aligned with your values and beliefs This is a biggie. If the job you are doing/career path you are pursuing doesn’t align with your values and beliefs, it is likely that you’ll never love what you do. Values represent what is important to you – they reflect your authentic self. Do you value kindness? Helping the community? Fun? Adventure? If you are in a role that resonates with your values, that’s a great reason to love your job. If you’re not…then do something... read more
Where did January go?
Do you remember having discussions about how hard it was to believe 2012 was already coming to an end. “Where did the year go?” “2012 whizzed by… How did that happen?” “It seemed like only yesterday that”… etc. You remember those conversations? They happened over office Christmas meals, seasonal drinks with your friends and festive meals with your families. Yet, here we are at the end of January already… Suggesting that 2013 may have the same Usain Bolt-esque speed that we experienced last year. Whether or not you officially set yourself some resolutions / goals within the first month of the year, chances are, you at least paused to think about what you wanted 2013 to bring. How is that going for you? Here we are, past the alleged Blue Monday (3rd Monday in January – deemed to be a common day for giving up on new years resolutions), and on the cusp of the second month of the year. Even if you aren’t a structured resolution or goal setter, I bet you still don’t want the year to pass by without feeling like you’ve moved (edged, even) closer to your aspirations in some way. Whether its leaps and bounds or the slow but steady approach, don’t let 2013 come to an end with only fireworks to make you say ooh and aaah. My wish for you is that some of that incredulity is saved for your own special achievements this year. Whether that’s earning a promotion, finding a new job, getting onto the dating scene, improving your health and fitness, going on a trip you’ve always dreamed of... read more
Behind every President, there’s a…
What a day. I write this post after having woken up in the wee hours (UK time) to see CNN International confirm that Romney and and Obama had just spoken on the phone. It took over an hour from the initial projection of an Obama win but this “short polite” conversation eventually took place. So what happens now? As the President (re) elect takes to the stage… we celebrate. We celebrate and we celebrate some more. Not only is this a celebration of another historic win… but it’s another moment to be reflective. Am I talking about the economy? The pros and cons of Obamacare? Whether or not Sandy had an impact on the result? Not today. I’m not a political analyst… but one thing I’m happy to observe (and comment on at least) is the recognition both candidates gave to their supporters – hence the name of this post. Behind every President there are dedicated supporters, and it was my reflection on this point prompted me to deliver my very own PSA (public service announcement), so here goes: Take a moment, stop and think about the people who support you. Then take the time to say THANK YOU! They are truly a welcome factor in your success. If you don’t generally take the time to show your gratitude (which would not be uncommon due to how busy we all are), take the time now. Pick up the phone… drop them an email… send an effusive tweet… communicate in person (the latter may seem old school but it’s often the best!). Do all of the above if you feel... read moreReconnect . the . dots
Have you ever felt disconnected from something that you would like to be more connected to? In my experience, today’s fast paced world where the months and years fly by (I cannot believe it has been approx 6 months since I have posted here!) – sometimes you need to slow down to reconnect the dots – enabling you to re-engage with something important which has begun to take second (third, fourth or even last) place. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have on a number of levels… I write this post on a day when I am so appreciative to have reconnected with a school friend who I had not seen for 15 years. That’s right… 15 years, and yet, as it always is with true friends, we caught up on half a lifetime without skipping a beat. This felt like reconnecting the dots… and it made me wonder how many aspects of our life sometimes feel like they re temporarily disconnected… and wonder whether we take active steps to re connect. I know how it is… we get busy; we have way too many things to do; the days, weeks and years rush by; we feel exhausted; and other things tend to get in the way. However, as I emerge from the high of having reconnected some friendship dots in my life, I feel compelled to encourage you to: Call your mum, dad, sibling, friend living across the Atlantic, university buddy – whoever it is that you have been meaning to catch up with for awhile Spend a day with your phone switched off so... read moreInspiration needed? Yes We Can!
Today I felt inspired. This isn’t necessarily an unusual occurance. I am blessed to have inspirational parents, students I work with, clients, friends, fellow coaches, other associates and via varying networks as well as Twitter, a veritable plethora of amaaaazing (yes… amaaaazing) entrepreneurs of all ages who do incredible, inspirational work every day. Today’s inspiration however came from a group of 5 boys from Orlando – under the age of 18. Yup, although not yet of voting age, the group known as “Limitless” (no relation!) has created their own version of a “Yes We Can” election video, in support of Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign. These boys do not yet have the right to vote… but they are so throughly engaged with their country’s political process and indeed their support for the current president, that they took the time to do their bit to let the world know it. So is there an ulterior motive? The cynics in you will note that these boys are trying to raise money for band equipment and are selling Obama re-election t-shirts that they have designed but in my eyes, this is only to be applauded. Entrepreneurship should be encouraged at any time, and especially when the state of the economy means that unemployment figures have the potential to be more and more discouraging… and entrepreneurship in the name of something you passionately agree with deserves a standing ovation. My verdict? Nothing but congratulations to Limitless from Orlando who not only will hopefully raise the money for their group / band as they initially aimed, but will also engage people, whatever their political inclination,... read more
Resolutions vs. Promises
Within the last week or so, which of the following have you noticed? The gym is getting slightly less crowded yet you have regularly heard the phrase “I really should be going to the gym today” from your colleagues There is less resistance to a glass of wine after work Your fridge contains one of your favourite desserts… and less salad / notably healthy food The word detox comes up less frequently in conversations The bus is again deemed appropriate for a short trip up the road Nights in the office are getting slightly later Calls to members of your family are becoming less of a priority Keenness to budget is waning slightly Heard / witnessed any of this? You are not alone. It is not uncommon that even a mere 3 weeks into January, enthusiasm wanes and fervour for achieving fabulous New Year’s resolutions ebb. The wanting remains but the correlating action becomes less and less frequent. … and the naysayers love it! A large proportion of people profess not to make resolutions because they never work, and with that attitude, it’s no wonder. So… while I am not claiming that sticking to New Year’s resolutions are easy… here are some tips to help you stay on track: 1. Change your vocabulary… immediately! As articles such as this one in the Herald Sun, this one in the Daily Mail and this (quite helpful one) in Forbes show… even people who still make resolutions often expect to break them before the end of the first month of the year. See the Forbes articles for some insightful solutions – but... read more
Ain’t nothin’ but a number
My heart dropped recently when I recently heard a careers advisor speak to a room full of students. Not the act of speaking to the students – clearly careers advice in itself in an excellent and much needed practice so I am encouraged when careers professionals are deemed an integral part of student development, however, what got me down was what I took away as the lasting message. After some perfectly adequate and relevant information delivery – the advisor said “and as you can see from the most recent unemployment statistics, there are over 1 million people out of work. It is hard to get a job.” What’s the problem with that statement you ask? Valid question I suppose. After all, November ONS figures highlight that UK unemployment rose by 129,000 in the three months to September to 2.62 million, as youth unemployment rose above a million. As the BBC reported, the jobless total for 16 to 24-year-olds hit a record of 1.02 million in the quarter and female unemployment was at its highest for 23 years. The the jobless rate hit 8.3%. While the facts speak for themselves, what made my heart sink was the fact that this information was presented as a foregone conclusion to the students in the room. The context of that statement was that it was presented in isolation. No following words of encouragement about why its therefore exceptionally important to focus on developing yourself etc. None. This approach unsettled me. Yes these statistics are a verified reflection of the current climate – but they are not an indication of anyone’s fate and should... read moreNo… thank YOU!
It’s nuts isn’t it. We all spend so much time working so hard in our respective careers and businesses… and lives in general… and it’s so rare that we get off the life treadmill and take a breath. Not ideal, but often how it works in our busy lives! One of the things that I always tell clients is that they need to take some time to celebrate their achievements. Not just the big end goals like achieving their job promotion, finding a new role or gaining their degree (though these are all FANTASTIC achievements)… but I am a huge advocate of celebrating the small achievements that lead us to those larger ones. Sticking to a study timetable… diligently researching job opportunities and doing 2 good applications a week… creating a newsletter for your clients – these are all smaller parts of wider goals and I encourage you to jumo off the treadmill – pause – and congratulate yourself on those achievements too. To that end, I too took a step back and compiled some of the lovely feedback I’ve recently received from clients and created a little video which reflect the great experiences they have had with coaching. This video is just a snapshot of some of these testimonials and my way of taking a moment to jump off the ‘to do’ cycle… and realise that the hard work is paying off. Have a look at the new Limitless Coaching testimonials video Thank you for being part of the journey and for continuing to spread the word and for more information about coaching with me, visit the... read moreEmbrace the impossible
It may be the case that the long hours you work don’t allow for much TV time (I can relate), but via my husband, I’ve become absorbed in a programme on UK TV channel Watch – Dynamo: Magician Impossible. For those of you based in the UK, you may have also watched in awe while the Bradford-born magician enthralled stars such as Natalie Imbruglia, Trey Songs, Rio Ferdinand, Travis Barker and regular punters… as he disappeared under a solid glass wall, turned plastic butterflies into real ones, stopped his own pulse, inserted a coin into a block of ice (while in his hands), walked on water and more. So how does he do it?! I must admit… I have NO idea. None. I’ve always been a sceptic where magic is concerned but this guy genuinely seems to have a gift. … and while it may not be in as jaw-dropping a way… you do too. Think about it. You’re not [necessarily!] a master of illusion but you’ve had instances where you’ve managed to achieve something you may have once considered impossible. You know someone who surpassed every expectation… and created their own kind of magic by defying the odds to be successful. Before you moved onto your current challenge… you may have had doubts about your ability to complete the last one… but you did. Dynamo is phenomenal. Certainly beyond my understanding… and while I know there must be some kind of inexplicable ‘trick’ / way of creating the illusion – it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the spectacle he creates. We can embrace the impossible on... read more
I believe in the power to change or develop anything that needs it and I have an unshakable belief in your ability to create a career and lifestyle which makes you light up.
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