What To Do When Change Happens

As Carol Adrienne writes in her book When Life Changes - Or You Wish it Would, 'Life is not quite the same as it was. But then, it never really is. The pace of change seems to be picking up'. If at the start of the New Year instead of feeling hopeful and optimistic, life is starting to resemble shifting sands and the familiar comfort of your known world is in danger of becoming unpredictable and chaotic then don't panic too soon.

Change in life is inevitable, whether it is starting or leaving education, getting married, experiencing loss, or changing jobs. Nothing stays the same for ever. However, the fear of the unknown makes us resist change and want to hold onto the comfort of what we know. Ultimately this paralyses our ability to make choices, take decisions and spot opportunities or possibilities.

Being prepared for change involves flexibility, self belief and strength of purpose. Here are some ideas we have devised at Real Coaching Solutions to help you manage change powerfully and purposefully. continue to read

Increase Your Visibility At Work

If you want to move on or up in your career then it is time to get noticed. Women in general don’t always realise the importance of increasing their visibility at work and think that by working harder and keeping their heads down they will eventually get rewarded. On the other hand men are better at letting others know what they are working on, what they have achieved and take the time to form strategic alliances which help position them for interesting opportunities and projects.

It is true that it is not just what you know but who you know that counts and it really is that easy to be passed over for a job if you don’t raise your visibility. If you have your nose to the grindstone from 9 to 5, and are rarely seen other than at your computer, now is the time to step out and make yourself know.

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Will you Reach for the Stars in 2009?

With the end of the year in sight this is a great opportunity before the holiday season, to reflect on past successes and make plans for 2009. Although many people I speak to are concerned about economic uncertainty and what this means for their business and jobs next year, it pays to manage your future career prospects whatever your current situation. Job security is increasingly dependent on your employability and the ability to be aware of opportunities. Aim to be proactive and vigilant as you move into the New Year. As you reflect on 2008 ask yourself:

1. What did I learn about myself? Are you more aware of your values, interests and strengths? How might you use these in shaping your future work?

2. What new skills and knowledge did I acquire? Did you attend any development courses or study programmes? Were you able to get involved in continue reading

Why Unemployment Could Be More Difficult This Time

In a recent Time article Stephen Gandel writes that for those in America who lose their jobs it could be much harder to regain their place in corporate America than in past recessions. The financial sector is shrinking, technical roles have been outsourced overseas and an ageing population requires different services.

There is some good news in that a more educated workforce will make it easier for people to make job transitions, but this takes time and could be difficult for those used to a certain level of income.

Making a Decision about Your Career

Everyone faces having to make a career decision at some point – whether to stay or go, take a promotion, move overseas, start a business, take a career break, retrain. As we get older and have more commitments in terms of partners, children, schools and homes, then making the next career move can start to seem both daunting and complicated. It may take more time but it is worth:

1. Identifying all the choices and options that you have in the situation

2. Gathering information on each option by talking to the appropriate people, asking advice and conducting background research.

3. Writing down the pros and cons for each decision and prioritising what is most and least important to you

4. Brainstorming all possible alternatives. Look for ways to make the situation work for you. How can you maximize the pros and minimize the cons

5. Noting any fears that are of concern and putting these into context. Consider what you need to do or actions to take in order to address your concerns

6. Putting a deadline on making a decision to avoid over thinking and analyzing. There may not be a perfect decision as there likely to be an element of uncertainty about the future.

Find Your Purpose at Work

Have you ever set out on a journey knowing your destination and then finding that you misread the map and one wrong turn led to another and after several detours you finally got there or even perhaps gave up? Life can be like that.

What can happen is that instead of planning our own route we end up using someone else's map and destination, whether our parents, friends, teachers or reacting to what may or may not be happening in the job market. Following someone else's map can often lead to frustration, anger, depression and a sense of ’how did I end up here?’

In our heart of hearts we know how we want to feel or we may have secret ambitions which have never been fulfilled. So if you are desperately seeking a life try all or some of the following exercises.

What You Want and What You Don't Want
This can be an easy way to start off. Divide your paper into two and write on the left hand side all the things you don't like about your life at the moment - what is making you unhappy at work, home or in your relationships. Then on the right hand side write down what life would look like if these circumstances were working for you.

Think through how you can eliminate or reduce the impact of those things that you don't want in your life right now. Then move on and be creative with ideas to bring more of what you do want into your life. Try one or two small actions and you will be amazed how when you start to make changes, your confidence and willingness to experiment with new approaches will grow.

Develop your Passion
When outstanding entrepreneurs were asked what has contributed to their success 10 times out of 10 they responded by saying it is their passion. They felt passionate about achieving their vision despite all the obstacles, the failures, the stress and the crises.

Passion gave them energy to stay up all night to finish a proposal or write a book. Passion gave them the determination to take action to achieve their vision. Your life vision needs to be connected to your passion otherwise you are in danger of running out of steam just at those critical moments when the going gets tough.

Many of us have lost touch with that passion and energy and feel weighed down by what other people think and say. Gone are the inklings of desire and interest to be replaced by the shoulds and musts and the ’be good’ thinking

Taking Action
By this stage you may have gathered some ideas and are beginning to feel a bit excited. I hope so. Now you have to take the actions to start to make things happen.

One of the more interesting ways to achieve this is by getting in touch with people who are doing what you want to do to share their ideas. Gather names from newspapers, articles, the internet or join professional associations, attend conferences, join a local group. By talking to people who have similar interests and desires the feedback you get will validate or otherwise your own desires and interests.

What is it Worth to You?
Finally, now that you might be all fired up you need to seriously consider:

What is the cost of not pursuing your dream in terms of stress, ill health, depression, regrets?

What price are you willing to pay to achieve your dreams? Financial sacrifice, facing your fears, changing habits, taking tough decisions?