Newsletter – Are you Taking Advantage from the World in 2012?
April 20th, 2012
“We all have time to spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever.” Bruce Lee
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Newsletter – The Powerful Art of “Letting Go” Without “Giving Up”
March 13th, 2012
“We can let circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our lives from within.” Earl Nightingale
Please read, I have a lot of experience in aclirte writing and actually offer it as a service, Is there any chance that I could do a guest post for your website? I am willing to write about any topic and it will be at least 600 words. The post will be 100% unique as I will have a member of my team write it for me. All i would like in return is one link at the bottom of the post (like a resource box when you submit to an aclirte site) If you are interested please use the email I have provided in this comment, as you can see it's my main business email . I really look forward to your reply thanks a lot for taking the time to read this comment I know how long it can sometimes take to go through all the spam comments that people leave these days. Thanks again, Lee
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How You Can Benefit from Coaching If You Are A Small Business Owner
February 27th, 2012
The benefits of coaching are endless: it brings clarity, provides accountability, keeps you on track, helps you discover the right direction, etc. However, different segments of customers benefit from coaching in different ways, and there are naturally some specific benefits for small business owners or even “solopreneurs”.
Firstly, let me say, I can easily relate to your struggles and challenges, having been a small business owner for over 6 years. Therefore, I am going to walk you through the aspects of coaching that can be specifically helpful to you and hopefully by the end of the article you will be convinced that hiring a coach is an investment well worth making.
1.) Whether you are a seasoned, successful business owner or a start up, one thing is for sure – throughout the process of running your business you will constantly be questioning your next steps and the decisions you need to make. Sure, you will probably discuss these with your family, friends, or even colleagues if you have any, but the truth is nobody will be able to give you the right answer better than a coach. Why? Because the coach will not give you any answer. The coach will make you think for yourself, to dig deep for the right answer which you have known all along; you just didn’t trust yourself enough to take YOUR answer, as opposed to the answers you received from others, as the right one. Imagine how much time you waste by asking around, hesitating and deliberating. One laser-sharp coaching session on the subject will leave you clear and convinced about the best next step.
2.) I have already touched upon the issue of trust in the point above. Being able to trust yourself and have confidence in your business when things don´t look rosy is a very rare feature amongst small business owners, especially those who are new to this business group. One of the major objectives of any honest and experienced coach will be to help you operate from a place of self-belief, positivity and motivation. The coach will help you to approach each and every project from the perspective of “happy anticipation”, meaning expecting a positive outcome rather than stressing over self-induced doubt and insecurity.
3.) When talking to various small business owners, I often hear the impact that their responsibility has on them. And it is overwhelming. Being a business owner is not for the faint hearted. The complexity of it all is never ending. There is the need to sell and generate the revenue. To achieve that, there are numerous (and not always successful) marketing and promotional efforts involved. There is the accounting, the networking, the admin, and a lot of interpersonal and team dynamics, if you have a team. Through it all, all you want to do is be as good a leader as you possibly can and put in place the vision that brought you originally to your business. And that is exactly where a coach fits in. He will always, I repeat always, be able to bring you back to your initial dream and enthusiasm.
She will help you to find the way through your numerous responsibilities and assist you in understanding what is important and what can wait or be delegated. Your coaching session will allow you to relax into who you really want to be while remaining accountable for all you want to achieve.
You can look at having a coach as like having a personal spring board where your opinions are heard, challenged but not diminished. You can also view it as a time when your intuition is allowed to flow and when no ideas are too crazy, too ambitious or flat out outrageous. During a coaching session, you are assisted and supported but not allowed to get away with excuses. And remember, a coach is a small business owner too, so he/she understands you really well.
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How to Decide on Your Best Business Idea
February 17th, 2012
Are you contemplating starting your own business? Have you been contemplating it for months, years even? If the idea of having a business is appealing but you are still hesitating regarding the area or sector of your business, read on, as the following points might just provide you with the answers you are seeking.
1.) What holds many people back is the idea that such a business already exists. As is often the case, when you finally decide on your business, you seem to come across this type of business everywhere! I also went through this phase where I kept meeting and hearing of coaches wherever I looked. If this is the case for you, don´t despair. Seeing businesses like your dream one around you only means that there is demand for such a service or product on a much larger scale that you originally thought! You need not give up on your dream business; you only need to figure out how you will be better, different and unique within your chosen field.
2.) When choosing your business, it is much easier to do it within the industry you are familiar with, either through your previous work or studies. If that is not appealing to you, go for the area that you might not be too familiar with but you have a great passion for; and thus would be willing to learn “on the go”. Still, you are trying to turn your passion into a business; therefore you need to start looking at it from a business perspective. What does the market want? How can you deliver it in a way that is unique? What is the best way to translate your passion into profit? Having passion is not enough, if you treat it as a hobby that’s what it will become. If you make a conscious decision to establish your business based on your passion, remember to keep your “business owner hat” on at all times; it will increase your chances for success.
3.) Before you make the final decision, try and do this little exercise. Put yourself in the head of your potential customer. What does he want? What would make him reach for his wallet and pay for your product or service right away? Can you provide him with that? What can you provide that is special? In what way can you provide it? If thinking about these questions make you excited and, more importantly, if the answers come to you easily, that is your confirmation you are on the right track. You should have no worries about taking steps towards starting your own business. How to get rid of worries and make the transition to being a business owner with minimum risk will be a subject of another article. For now, enjoy the clarity you have reached and start preparing your action plan – start acting as the business owner you are aspiring to be.
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Newsletter – Are You Ready to Do Things Differently This Year?
February 10th, 2012
If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be too cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Annie Dillard
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Getting Through and Moving on from a Job You Hate
February 8th, 2012
This is a Guest Post written by Sam Peters
Despite all the doom and gloom about the economy, the honest truth is that the overwhelming majority of Americans are employed. With that said, there’s no doubt about the fact that the job market is tight. When you do do find work, it’s likely that very few other options are going to come your way for while. So when the unfortunate event occurs where you are unhappy with a dead-end job, the resulting feelings of being trapped can easily become overwhelming. But do not fret – it’s not the end of your career and it’s certainly not the end of the world, no matter how much the talking heads on network news television insist that it is.
There are ways to help manage the stress spawned from unrewarding employment in a bad economy, as well as manage the makings of your next move. It takes little more than taking the time to remember the following:
Remember you aren’t alone: There are seven billion people on this planet, and it’s a guarantee that the overwhelming majority of the ones with jobs do not enjoy them. Take the time to talk to somebody. You may discover the guy on the other side of your cubicle is just as unhappy, or maybe you’ll find reasons why online therapy is right for you. Discussing what’s on your mind with someone else is a completely ordinary part of being human.
Remember, it keeps your resume updated: Maybe you hate your job and justify quitting by saying it will “force you” to find a new job. That may be the case, but keep in mind that being currently employed looks fantastic on a resume. Gaps of unemployment raise questions, as does the sudden decision to leave your former job. For the sake of future employment, stick to the job you have now.
Remember to keep applying, or to enroll: You can’t complain about not rising higher up in life if you aren’t actively hunting down new job opportunities. If you truly do not like your current job, then you’ll most certainly be on the prowl for new employment. However, you can’t be upset if nobody calls you back if you haven’t gotten yourself an education. Get back to school if it means better employment opportunities.
Remember you are lucky: Maybe managing at a fast food restaurant isn’t your dream job, but it’d make the difference in countless lives across this world if they had such an opportunity. It’s been said a million times before but it cannot be said enough: it most definitely could always be worse. Not only is not every American employed, but 200 million people worldwide are estimated to be out of the job at any given time – two-thirds of the American population. You could be shoveling manure behind a rendering a plant and it still could be worse.
Remember what’s important: When you find yourself seriously questioning your ability to carry onward at a job you do not enjoy, and feel helpless in the hunt for a better opportunity, stop and think about what’s really important. Whatever is ultimately driving you to press forward, whether fortune, family, or hope for a better future, it should always stay in focus. Not only does this help relieve the stresses of your current occupation, it gives you the motivation to refuse defeat.
If you don’t like your current job, do not despair. The future is far brighter than those on TV make it out to be. Things will turn up, and in the meantime, life really isn’t so bad when you really think about it.
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Are You Using The Best Career Change Strategies?
January 23rd, 2012
If you are reading this article, I presume that you have reached the point when you are clear that changing your career is a very potent option for you. Good, realization is only a few steps away from making a decision, which is only a few steps away from taking an action, so you are definitely on the right track!
To help you move from the “thinking stage” to the “action stage”, let me introduce the following strategies to you. I am sure they can make you better prepared for what lies ahead on this adventure called “career change”.
1.) Treat a career change as you would treat any other project. Being a business professional, you understand you need a final goal, a deadline, some action plan and, most importantly, some actions! Make sure that you devote a dedicated amount of time every day towards this “project”. The “action steps” do not have to be huge, especially if you are still employed and, of course, if your deadline is not dangerously close. Pace yourself but do something every day. Even going for a coffee with a friend but taking the opportunity to ask openly for his help or her useful contacts is a step. From my own experience and those of my clients too, very often the invisible dots connect in a mysterious way and your dream job offer may come from a completely unexpected source. Yet when you track it back, you understand how it started from your own small actions.
2.) Focus and use your time effectively. If you are in a situation when your time is limited, be very careful about how you spend the time you want to dedicate to your job/business search. Look at your options and choose the one that you believe has the potential to get you to your goal the fastest. It might come as a surprise to you but by far the biggest percentage of your time should be spent on networking, the rest should be split between very targeted job screening/applying and advertisement answering. But be under no illusion and understand that networking is by far the fastest job seeking strategy and if you haven´t mastered this skill yet, you better start practicing it straightaway.
3.) Look at what you have to offer from the employer´s perspective. Imagine you are the employer who would be considering giving you a job. What would your ideal candidate look like? What qualities would he/she possess? What working experience would be the most valuable for you? Then, having that knowledge, adjust your resume to fit their needs. Emphasize those parts of your experience that might catch their attention first. For example, let´s say your background is in marketing. If you apply for a job in an advertisement agency, you would want to talk about your experience in the creative part of marketing. On the other hand, if you are looking for a marketing job in a large company, you would want to present a solid knowledge of their customers as well as point out your ability to work within a structure, be a part of a team and your desire to learn and grow. Your past experience is still the same; you are just presenting it in a different manner.
4.) Understand that getting a job or building a business of your dream takes time and diligence. When you enter the arena of job search, you are joining tons of others who have exactly the same objective. Make sure you are better prepared. Have your plan and follow it. Don´t be distracted and don´t get discouraged. Keep your vision/final goal firmly in sight. And if you need help, coaching gets people pretty far, because the process ensures you keep your focus sharp. Consider taking it up; you will have a huge advantage over the people who are just stumbling along with no clear path set in front of them.
What’s riskier than leaving what you know to pursue the unknown? Changing careers means leaving behind a piece of your identity – your “I’m a lawyer” response to the “what-do-you-do?” question. It might mean admitting to yourself that you made a mistake with an initial career choice. That's why it is advisable to look for a Career Coaching & Counselling services on your area. Take the time to find a well educated Career Coach like Natalie, securing a knowledgeable Career Coach will help a lot..
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New Year, New You, New Career?
January 13th, 2012
If you, like many, are unhappy in your current job, perhaps a change in your career is one of the most important objectives for this year. Then again, maybe you are not that far along in the process; maybe the word “objective”, which implies “decision”, sounds way too strong and intimidating. Wherever you are on your journey that represents a bridge from where you are to where you want to get to, I thought I might pre-empt you with the following list of excuses.
Yes, you´ve read it right. I am going to beat you to it and come with the list of excuses that you will probably produce sooner or later this year. So I thought, why wait? Why not put them all out there and save you a waste of a year? Because here is the truth. If a career change appears on your objectives’ list year, after year, after year, you must be a master of these excuses by now, only you probably call them by a different name, like “solid reasons” or “plain facts” or better still, “real truths”.
So I am going to list some of your excuses and then explain to you why they are not valid. That way you can use the time saved by not having to build your excuses for something far more effective, like hiring a coach and working out a way to your new career!
Excuse 1.) I can´t quit. Nobody will have me.
Well, how many times have you tried? What evidence do you have? Sure, there are tons of people for whom this might be true. But there are equally huge amounts of people who tried and succeeded. You can be one of them. If you believe in yourself and have a very specific idea what it is you want, your determination and clarity will help you to succeed. Your courage will make you feel proud of yourself. Plus you can try while you are still employed. I have had many clients in these situations and each and every one of them managed to get the job they wanted. Each. And. Every. One.
Excuse 2.) It is too risky financially.
OK, so what´s new? Every change is risky; financially, emotionally, even physically sometimes. But watch your words here. You are not trying to cruise for the rest of your life (even though it might be the result of your career change, you never know). You are trying to replace one income (earned by being bored and uninspired) for another income (earned by having fun and enjoying yourself). So, technically speaking, you are doing a swap, right? What is so difficult about that? You see, it is all about how you look at it. Plus you would prepare yourself ahead with some smart financial planning. If your life depended on this single career change, you would come with ideas how to make it financially manageable, wouldn´t you? Well, in a way it is a live or die situation, isn´t it? If you count how many hours a day you spend working and if all of those hours make you feel miserable, then clearly you are not living your life fully but merely surviving?
Excuse 3.) If I quit and things don´t work out, I will feel ashamed to start all over.
Well, this excuse might have flown a couple of years ago but these days, when the whole working world is more flexible and fluid, your “case” would not be exceptional. Even the most hardened HR professionals understand that people who go out and try something different add value to the company, because they have the spirit for trying new things and being innovative. Again, you can view this situation as a predicament. You can also choose to view it as an advantage and an invaluable experience. And if you present yourself from that perspective, many doors will open for you.
Excuse 4.) My ego is in my way, meaning: I am too old, I am too young, I don´t have the right education, I will have to leave my title behind, etc.
If ego is in your way, there is only one solution. Put it aside for a while and explore how it would feel to have that new job/business. How it would feel to wake up every morning and be excited about what work you have ahead of you, what fun people you are going to meet and what a cool project you are going to work on. If you can do that and as a result understand that ego has no room in your decision making, you are on the right track. If, on the other hand, those feelings, as pleasant as they are, still don´t remove your ego reasons, then you are not ready. You need to struggle through your current work situation until such time when no ego in the world would stop you. Only you will know when the time is right.
I am fully aware that I have not exhausted all the excuses that are out there. I know we humans are a creative lot. We can find reasons for “not doing something” even if we have to steal it from a TV show. Therefore, for now, these 4 main reasons will do. In the future, watch out for my new product that can help you to overcome this initial status of confusion, indecisiveness and procrastination.
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Newsletter – What lessons have you learnt this year?
December 5th, 2011
“While one’s capacity to dream great dreams is infinite, the capacity to follow through with little, baby steps is quite rare.” Mike Dooley
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What to do when Your Career Change Did not Work Out
November 11th, 2011
There are many of you out there who are contemplating a career change at this very moment. Then there are those of you who have been there, done it and…it didn´t work out.
The process of career change is very complex and many different elements play a part in it. So, is there any wonder that often one, two or more elements don´t work out as you envisaged?
So if you recently changed your career and it didn´t work out as anticipated, you are most probably feeling hugely disappointed, you are asking yourself a lot of serious questions and you are experiencing a lot of self-doubt.
If you are one of these people, I would like to offer one word which might potentially carry you through this tough period.
The word I am talking about is: “bounce”. Let´s see what the dictionary has to say about it. To bounce: to fall rapidly, hit bottom suddenly with impact and rebound decisively.
Wow, pretty powerful, isn´t it? For me, these words stand out: fall, hit bottom and rebound decisively. Yes, changing career and then challenging that decision is not for the faint hearted. So, what are the possible steps for pulling yourself up and bouncing back?
Firstly, decide that you will treat all your falls as part of a bouncing action; meaning: the harder you fall, the faster you will bounce back. Don´t view your “falls” as “failures”. Take them exactly for what they are: trials and errors. Falls and rebounds. Mistakes and lessons learnt. Action and reaction. As you can see, the movement is constant. And movement is good news. It means, you are not sitting still. It means you are going after your goals and dreams. It might not be straight forward, it might be full of falls and rebounds but you are out there, taking action. And that is more than can be said about most of the population. So if you recently changed your career and it didn´t work out as anticipated, be immensely proud of yourself. Now bounce back and try again. This time you will bounce higher.
Secondly, “hitting bottom” will change you forever. It will either destroy you or you will emerge smarter and stronger. You will either burry yourself in self-pity or you will turn into an unstoppable, determined, super-charged “I am getting the career I want” hero. The choice is yours; I just felt like reminding you about the options.
Thirdly, think about which part of the process has the biggest potential to become “the making of you”. Is it the fall or is it the decisive rebound? Where will your focus be? Will it be on sadness about what could have been and should have been or will it be on the new adventures that lie ahead and bring so many opportunities? Stop looking back and start looking ahead. Remember, from the bottom you can only go up.
Lastly, enjoy the bouncing motion. By definition, it will bring you higher than you have ever been. Happy bouncing!
P.S. And by the way, feel free to apply the process to any other situation in your life that might call for it.
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