Latitude Coaching

Leaping into the Unknown… Taking action on your goal NOW!

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:27:09 +0000

One of my commitments at the beginning of the year was to train for a half marathon in May. I am proud to say that I have since completed on that goal. Since then I’ve committed to running two other half marathons and in June declared to run the full 2011 NYC marathon in November. Let me just say that before this February, I barely jogged and considered myself a fast walker. I would look at runners and say “Wow that’s great, I wish I could do that.” I was never an athlete as a child nor did I want to be. Taking on the challenge of a full marathon tops almost any commitment I have made in my life (and I’ve made many!) It is what I always dreamed of doing as I watched all the runners in Central park year after year but never really thought it could happen to me.

As I made the decision to run the full Marathon I realized something. Being passionate and committed to running was not going to be enough. Passion and commitment are a given for me. I knew I had to step outside myself and declare to be extraordinary in new ways that I knew would not be easy. It was going to take a great deal of planning, giving up on summer vacations, passing on late dinner invitations, and trading those for early morning runs. I’ve had to think outside the box, dig deep and find courage, trust and discipline. Taking this challenge on was leaping into the unknown, I was going to have to let go of old habits and embrace new ones, reinvent myself as a leader in the area of my life called health and well-being. And most importantly, do this selflessly for something and someone other than myself – a worthy cause – Team for Kids.

You may not be running the NYC 2011 marathon on November 6th with me but I know there is something in your life that represents it. What’s that thing that you have always dreamed of doing and never have completed on? That thing that has always been in the back of your mind wanting to be set free.

The time is now! This is the time to take that chance, step out of your comfort zone and risk. Being comfortable doesn’t get you to the extraordinary. Look at all the prices you pay in your life when you don’t go for your goals and all the feelings that come with it; frustration, guilt, sadness, and anger. And then ask yourself what it would take to motivate you enough to start on it NOW. For me, knowing these children will be able to live a healthier lifestyle through good nutrition and exercise gets me up at 5am three times a week for a run. I remind myself with each mile of how I am lessening the statistics of child obesity around the world and allowing future generations the opportunity to learn about eating healthy and stay fit.

It’s September 2011, and before you know it Thanksgiving will be here. I challenge you to take a chance today. Allow yourself to be risky. Go talk to your boss about that new idea you have been holding back on for months, join a weight group or a new exercise regime so you can feel healthier and have the body you want, go speak to a financial advisor about how you can budget better, call that one person you have been avoiding all summer, take a risk! You too can create extraordinary results. Just take the first step and declare it.

Team for Kids is a committed group of adult runners from around the world who add meaning to their miles by raising funds on behalf of New York Road Runners youth services. Funds raised by Team for Kids members allow NYRR to provide free or low-cost school- and community-center based health and fitness programs to children who would otherwise have little to no access to regular physical activity. Currently, their programs serve nearly 100,000 children each year in more than 400 schools and community centers in NYC, nationally, and in the Cape Town region of South Africa.

Click here to make a tax deductible donation to Tina’s Team for Kids fundraising efforts.

Tina Puccio is a certified Business Coach, MSW and Gary Montalvo is a certified Life Coach and Leadership Trainer. Together they founded Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

Keeping the Past in the Past

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:21:33 +0000

At some point you may have heard the analogy that your brain is like a super computer. Well, there is a great deal of truth in that. Since birth every thought or behavior, regardless of how insignificant, has been stored in your brain. These thoughts/behaviors bring about experiences that are then assessed, compared and judged against other experiences and eventually we begin to form a pattern and create beliefs about these experiences. We all develop patterns of thinking and behavior through habit, and while it’s possible to adjust these patterns, as we meet new challenges many of us get stuck in the patterns that we know.

Cognitive theorists such as Piaget assert that conscious thinking is the basis for most human behavior and emotional experiences. Piaget had assessed that “the capacity for reasoning develops in stages from infancy through adolescence and early childhood.” He goes onto say that “our internal perspectives about the world, based on unique life experiences, lead to assumptions and related coping strategies.” (Walsh, 2006)

Eventually we accumulate enough of these experiences and begin to formulate a system of beliefs; the “Rules of the Game” if you will. Or rather, the rules of YOUR game since everyone’s experiences are different. Later in life these rules become the program for which you base all of your decisions. It’s a cognitive program which determines what you consider right and wrong, if there is some type of danger or threat approaching, and the ability to determine if you have reached success and/or failure.

Now, bring all of this to the present time in your life. As most of us do, you probably have a current goal you’re trying to achieve or a challenge you are trying to overcome. When faced with these circumstantial instincts your brain goes searching through its archives for similar situations it’s been up against in the past. It finds a pattern and formulates a strategy based on what you have experienced. In many cases this is enough to find a solution or a plan of action. But what if your goal or challenge is something you have never experienced before? Or what if the only events you can compare it to were past “failures”?

As coach and social worker we often see this happen with many of our clients. We work with clients to produce extraordinary results. Obtaining these outcomes can entail doing the “unthinkable” and stepping out of ones comfort zone. It no longer works for one to think that these results will arrive through your current belief system. Your existing “rules of your game” won’t work. It will keep you stuck and give you more of the same results.

Well, now the obvious question is how do you get unstuck? You can create a set of “new rules” to support your current goals or challenges. This is not an easy process and for some can take some time to master, depending on how you’re feeling about letting go of your past. It takes a cognitive shift towards learning a new way to think, behave and take actions. A formula that we utilize with many of our clients its the STOP, LOOK, CHOOSE, AND DO model.

STOP: Take a pause. Get present to the choice that’s in front of you. Allow this to be a new distinct moment in your life. Get off the automatic reaction.

LOOK: Really look at the choice in front of you. Look at the new possibility of the choice. Look at it for what it truly is. Not just your interpretation/judgement/assessment of it. Look at what you are experiencing and notice if it’s playing a role in your actions.

CHOOSE: Make a new choice. Not one based on what you have done in the past. Or one based out of automatic reaction, but one based on your goal and commitment. Step outside of your box, be willing to risk and create a new possibility for yourself.

DO: “Vision without action is merely a dream.” Put into action the new choices you have made, free from the influences of the past.

There is great value in using the events of the past to support you with facing future events. However, it’s important to remember that every time you do that, you are bringing all of your history (baggage) with you to the present. Every bump in the road, every failure, every painful experience you have comes back to the present and it gets measured against the current goal or challenge you are facing. Either way, keep in mind what happened in the past has nothing to do with what is happening now and it has even less to do with what’s possible for your future.

TAKING STOCK

admin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:14:58 +0000

As we come to the end of 2010 we often find ourselves taking stock of our year’s accomplishments, challenges and missed opportunities. I often use the last two weeks of December as a reflection period and time to release what has past and prepare to welcome in the new. I look over my bucket list from last December and ponder over where I have been and what I’ve created. I think about the actions I took, how it made me feel, what I liked, what I could have done differently and most importantly what I’ve learned from each experience, person, or situation.

Whenever I start this process inevitably that little voice “my ego” in the back of my mind starts to judge and criticize my results. That voice is very powerful and will give me all of the reasons, justifications and excuses I need to hear to beat myself up about not achieving my goals. Has this ever happened to you? Be honest! Thoughts such as “I tried to lose that weight but my work kept me too busy this year to get to the gym” or “Yes I wanted to make more money this year but the economy has not picked up yet.” Or my personal favorite “I wish I had someone special to spend the holidays with but I just haven’t met the right guy/girl yet.”

This period of reflection is to celebrate who you are, what you have accomplished and what’s next in your life. Most times people dwell on their failures and beat themselves up about everything they believe to have done wrong. I challenge you to shift that way of thinking and focus on what worked, what you learned, and be grateful for all the experiences that shaped who you are at this moment. Now that 2010 is over (regardless of what you created) take a leap of faith and look within to find the courage to create what you want in this new year! These judgments and criticisms do nothing but limit and hold you back from what you truly wish and desire to create – SO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

Not sure how? Here are 7 steps to help you begin on this path:

1. REFLECT: Review your 2010 bucket list and write down all you accomplished throughout the year. If you did not make a list then pull out your (2010 calendars, iPhone, Blackberry) to review your daily activities. This will help remind you of all you achieved this year.

2. LESSON: Next to each accomplishment write down what you learned from these experiences. What did it take for you to triumph? Acknowledge yourself for any new skill you acquired.

3. ACKNOWLEDGE: What were your top three accomplishments this year? What was your contribution? How did it make you feel to be a part of it?

4. ENJOYMENT: What accomplishments were the most fun for you? What did you do to create such pleasure in your life? Lavish in the sensation of the joy.

5. FACE UP: Where do you feel you hit a roadblock? What was the limitation? How could it have been different? This is an opportunity for you to LEARN something about yourself. Look within and have a conversation between your heart and your mind.

6. APPRECIATE: Who are the people you have shared this year with? What have they brought into your life? Make a list of these peoples names and consider letting them know how they have affected your life this year.

7. GRATEFUL: Now look at everything you have written previously on this list and be grateful for all of it – the joys, triumphs, challenges, difficulties and limitations. All of these situations and people were not an accident. These experiences supported you to get here now! SO BE GRATEFUL!

Tina Puccio is a certified Business Coach, MSW and Co-Founder of Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

What’s your Personal Strategy?

admin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:31:35 +0000

When it comes to our goals many of us know what we want. We have a crystal clear vision in our minds of what it looks like, what it feels like, how it would taste or even the smell. We read empowerment books. We say our daily dose of positive affirmations and patiently sit there and wait for the law of attraction to work its magic and bring to us our goals, right? WRONG!!!

Yes! You need to have a clear vision of your life and clear goals to support you in creating that vision. And yes, having the right attitude and mindset makes a huge difference in bringing your goals to full fruition. However, having a clear vision is not enough. Without a solid strategy your goals simply become nice dreams that may or may not happen depending on how the stars align with the moon that night.

If you look at any successful venture around you, they were ‘once upon a time’ a very solid blue print. Point blank, if you want to win the lottery, you have to purchase a lottery ticket. What’s your budget for purchasing tickets? Which tickets give you a bigger return on your investment? Which tickets give you better odds at winning? How often are you going to purchase your tickets? Which days are best for purchasing tickets? These are all questions that start to form part of your overall strategy in becoming a mega million lotto winner. Without asking yourself these questions and developing a solid strategy that allows for growth and correction, then you’re just putting all your energy into hoping and wishing upon a star instead of getting out there and making it happen.

Here are some important points to keep in mind when putting together your personal strategy:

Success – Define what success means to you and how you are going to measure it. Be authentic about this and don’t just use the standards you see around you. Feel free to create your own.

Time – Manage your time efficiently and effectively to work smarter not harder. This may require you to learn new techniques or it may require you to create a different support system around you.

Risk – It’s a necessary component of reaching your goal. Accept it. Embrace it. Take a leap of faith. Experience the rewards you reap when you take a risk and step outside your comfort zone.

Action – You can start with a small step, but there is no substitute for taking action.

Task – List specific tasks that will enable you to reach your goal and plan these task out on a calendar.

Excellence – Strive for excellence not perfection. Perfection is about not wanting to look bad or not wanting to fail. Excellence is about the joy and pride of a job well done.

Goals – Set measurable, specific goals with a due date.

Year – Break your goals down to yearly goals with bimonthly checkpoints along the way. Use a calendar to support you in keeping your checkpoints.

Remember, strategies don’t have to be these huge scary things. They can be simple and short term. A strategy is a plan, allowing you to stay focused, tracking your progress and effectiveness. Without a game plan you are just out there spinning your wheels and throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. Your time and energy is far too valuable to invest on wishy-washy luck, instead invest in yourself and your commitment, get out there and create your own luck.

TIna Puccio is a certified Business Coach, MSW and Co-Founder of Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

The End of Summer Blues

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:42:40 +0000

For the last two months I’ve been working in Seville, Spain running a new coaching and training center that just opened its doors. If there’s one thing to know about Spaniards is that they love their vacation time. And if you think things slow down in the States during the summer, seems like Spain comes to a complete halt.

During July and August Spaniards abandon the cities and head to the beach for weeks at a time. In Seville about 80 percent of the businesses are completely closed or running on a limited schedule. With 5-6 weeks of vacation a year as the standard, Spaniards can afford to do this. And if they have to loose a little profit while laying out in the sun, well that’s a price they are more than willing to pay.

Regardless of what country you find yourself in, or how many vacation days you have a year, switching gears and making the transition from vacation back to work mode can be a challenge for many us. Here are some helpful tips to get you back in the game and ready to go this fall:

Reconnect with your goals

Commitment is inspired by a vision. So before you race to jump back into your daily routine, spend some time reconnecting to the main reasons why you work so hard in the first place, your goals.

Use this time to check in with yourself. Are you on track with your goals? What adjustments do you need to make if you are not? Also, consider any new support or resources that may have developed and create new strategies to capitalize on them. Use this opportunity to re-adjust your strategy, acknowledge what’s working, and reevaluate whether or not the goal is still something you really want.

Create a Before and After

It’s easier for your brain to make the switch if it knows that the change is approaching. Make an agreement with yourself about when you will transition and how. Decide which transitional strategy works best for you. Not the one you “like”, but the one that’s the most effective for you. I’m a fan of the cold turkey approach: It’s like jumping into a pool of cold water, the more you think about it, the harder it becomes. Just decide when you are jumping, go for it and don’t look back.

Focus on the Rewards

When vacations are coming to an end or when going through any transition, we tend to focus on what we are loosing or what we don’t want to loose. This creates resistance, causing us not to want to move forward. By focusing on what you have gained from this past experience and what you will be gaining from the new chapter, which can entail memories, experiences, lessons and relationships, you will be able to celebrate the switch as oppose to mourning it.

For some, making that end of summer shift can be painful. However if you follow these simple practices, you’ll be able to reduce some of the friction that comes with making any transition. Remember: With every change comes an opportunity for us to grow, an opportunity to create new possibilities, so when it presents itself, see it as the gift that it is and welcome it to the fullest advantage.

If you need a little more support making the end of summer transition. Consider joining our Collective Success Program starting September 13th. It’s an 8-week coaching group designed to produce results in your life NOW!

Happy End-of-Summer!!!

Gary Montalvo is a certified Life Coach, Leadership Facilitator and Co-Founder of Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

Creating a Lasting Impact as a Leader: Building Trust

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:19:50 +0000

Building trust is an essential component in creating a lasting impact on the lives of others. As an effective leader in an organization or business, your ability to get things done is directly leveraged by the amount of trust people have in you. Trust is the foundation for any relationship and it begins from the outset of the first meeting.

For some of us, trust is already established because of their reputation or previously achieved level of success. But for those of us that are up-and-coming, we may need to work a little harder at building that foundation.

Below are 4 key ingredients needed to build the trust necessary to effectively lead any team:

Self Awareness: Being an effective leader requires a great deal of shifting. The solutions that worked so well in the past may not yield the same results today. By actively practicing self awareness you will develop the ability to recognize when your communication is not landing. The sooner you become aware of this, the faster you can go to plan B and come up with a creative solution. Developing the ability to shift is crucial at times.

Empathy: When establishing trust it’s important to take the time to understand, value and appreciate others’ point of view. Effective leaders develop the ability to listen with understanding and say what they think without putting others down. They reflect before reacting in order to consciously choose an appropriate response.

Credibility: Credibility is the building block of trust. As a leader, keeping your word and living by your principles are essential. Every time you keep your word, you strengthen the foundation of your relationship between you and your team. If you have a strong foundation you can weather the darkest storm.

Authenticity: A leader’s character is grounded in integrity. Leaders need to be counted on to always tell the truth, especially when faced with moments of indecision, temptation and conflict. They do not twist facts for personal advantage and they are not afraid to be vulnerable when they make a mistake.

Practicing these four key qualities daily will allow you to generate trust in all of your relationships and connect to people in an authentic way. Once trust has been established, your team will be confident they are being lead in a safe direction.

If you want to learn more about becoming an inspiring leader, join us for LEADERSHIP 101 where you will be able to practice some of these skills in an interactive workshop setting!

Tina Puccio is a certified Life Coach, MSW and Co-Founder of Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

5 Ingredients to Effective Leadership

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:16:24 +0000

As a leader, you interact with your followers, peers, seniors, and others, whose support you need in order to accomplish your objectives. To gain their support, you must be able to understand and motivate them. To understand and motivate people, you must learn to trust and empower them to do their job.

Some people exhibit good leadership qualities early on and just need to hone them to become more effective while others become leaders over time. With desire and willpower, one can become an effective leader. Being an effective leader is a continuum that happens through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and most of all experience. To inspire others into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain qualities one must be, do and have. These qualities are perfected through continual practice.

Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they DON’T rest on their previous successes. As a leader, you’re expected to bring you and your team to success. As a leader, your team looks up to you for guidance and support. The goal of a leader is often to rally the team and delegate what needs to happen to enhance productivity for the organization to run smoothly. Leaders are most often visionaries with a specific goal in mind. A good leader will make sure everyone on their team is clear about the vision and create a clear map as to how to get to the end result. Again this is not something you are born into but something that comes over time with practice, education and support.

Wanting to know the qualities of a good leader is the first step towards becoming one. It takes teamwork, strength, being a good example to others, taking responsibility and having the willingness to think outside of the box to get there. Equally as important it takes competence.

Five key qualities found in a good leader are:

• Responsibility – leaders are willing to be 100% responsible for everything that happens and acknowledge those who make it happen.
• Commitment – leaders live by their values and to do whatever it takes in order to make it happen.
• Honesty – leaders display sincerity, integrity, and patience. People often want to emulate these qualities.
• Visionary – leaders set goals and have a vision of the future. They empower others to envision what they want and how to get it. They think out of the box and offer diversified goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. They are innovative!
• Courage – leaders have the perseverance to accomplish a goal and create a supportive and calming atmosphere especially during stressful times.

Pushing Through it

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:44:41 +0000

Where do you stop?
Runners call it “hitting the wall.” It’s that point where you feel like you just can’t go on anymore. Your legs begin to feel like bricks. Your lungs can’t seem to hold enough air. Your throat burns with thirst and your heart feels like it’s going to break out of your chest. You start to panic and doubt yourself. You start to rationalize all the reasons why you can’t go on, all the reasons why it’s ok to stop now: “There is just no way I can do it!” “I never really had a chance anyway!” or my personal favorite “At least I tried.”

We all have these walls in our lives, points where we just stop. Risks we don’t take. Conversations we don’t have. Things we avoid. I don’t care how daring, courageous and empowered you are we all have a wall! You can’t escape your wall.

On your side of the wall you have your history/experience, and most importantly your comfort. Everything you know and everything you THINK you know is on your side of the wall. On the other side of the wall are your unachieved goals, your desired experiences and new possibilities. Everything you want and for whatever reason haven’t been able to achieve yet is on the other side of the wall.

So how do I get to the other side?
Most of us either avoid the walls altogether or try to break through the wall somehow. Avoiding the wall can be a smart strategic decision at times, but more often than not it comes from wanting to avoid something. It’s a built-in survival mechanism of the ego to avoid any perceived “danger.” Notice I said perceived, not actual “danger.”

Trying to break through the wall can work at times, but it usually requires some sort of outside support: a coach, a workshop, therapy, or a life experience of some kind that somehow shifts your beliefs. Without an outside element, people who try to break through are usually acting out of some sort of resistance or judgment about themselves or their situation (ie. Something is wrong with me?, I can’t do it?, Why am I this way?) This kind of self-talk doesn’t break the wall, it only reinforces it and makes it taller.

So what can you do?
The first step is awareness. Become aware of where your walls are. What are the moments where you avoid? Where do you find yourself getting uncomfortable? When do you feel your buttons getting pushed and yourself reacting? These are all pretty good indications that you are hitting one of your walls. Get honest with yourself. Look at what’s really bothering you. If you are not used to doing this kind of self-reflection you may want to get someone you trust to support you in the process. They can ask you neutral open-ended questions that have you look at your feelings, thoughts, judgments and beliefs, this will allow you to identify the reason for the wall, a necessary step before you can move past it.

After you’ve identified the wall then you are ready to begin the process of “Pushing through it.” Pushing through it simply means taking some action that forces you to confront that wall. It’s taking action on your goal rather than your feelings, dislikes or considerations. It may mean going on a blind date when you are terribly shy, apologizing for an argument when you hate admitting you were wrong or going to the gym when you don’t really want to. Regardless of what action you take, when you “Push through it” you develop and strengthen your emotional muscles and promote personal growth. You take a closer step towards those goals you haven’t yet achieved and you open up new possibilities for yourself and those around you.

So next time you hit the wall, remember to just stop, take a deep breath in and lean into it!

Time vs. Timing

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:04:05 +0000

October is upon us which means the fall season is in full swing. This is the time of year many people start to ponder over what they achieved so far or what still needs to get done before the end of 2009 quietly creeps in. Still others are already thinking of their 2010 goals and laying the groundwork for the upcoming year. To top it off, the holiday are just around the corner and with that comes the stressors of what gifts to buy, dinner parties to attend, and trips to plan.
This is often the moment our clients start really struggling with time. We hear one complain after the next about not having the time to “get it all done” – work, family, friends, and “me” time. But underneath our ambivalent relationship with time is a more powerful dimension—that of timing. Timing speaks into the natural sequence of things; noticing, waiting and taking action when the time is right.
Timing is best accessed through your intuition. The ability to get everything done is possible. Giving yourself the opportunity to quiet your thoughts, temporarily disengage from time, tune into your natural rhythm, and plan your next course of action is possible.

Here are some time management tips to help you do so:

1. Set clear Goals
• Ask yourself “why am I doing this?” before you start doing a task.
• Write down your “to do’s” and make them visible.

2. Time Management is self management
• Attitude is everything - “you have choices”
• Eliminate energy drainers

3. Plan and Prioritize
• Differentiate “What MUST I get done” with What I’d “LIKE” to get done”
• Make a “to do” list everyday and set a mid-day check point to track your progress.

4. Schedule Efficiently
• Consider your prime time when scheduling. When are you most effective and energized?
• Don’t forget to block time for family apart from work tasks.
• Schedule “quiet time” to complete your tasks- put the iPhone and blackberry’s away!

5. Learn to handle interruptions
• Before you handle an interruptions decide whether it really needs your attention at that moment or if can wait.
• Ask yourself, is this a task that can be delegated to someone else?
• Practice saying, “not right now!”

6. Stop Procrastinating
• Accomplish large tasks in small pieces so they are less overwhelming
• Do the most important and unpleasant tasks in your prime time.
• Set up rewards to getting things done.
• Find an accountability partner.

7. Discipline your way to success
• Create good habits one day at a time.
• Remember that there is always tomorrow to get it done.

Remember, people who get things done have the same 24 hours in a day that you do. What makes them different is they have a structure and systems in place to ensure that in time it all gets done. To learn more about goal setting and time management sign up for our upcoming GETTING IT DONE workshop.

TIna Puccio is a certified Life Coach, MSW and Co-Founder of Latitude Coaching – A full-service coaching firm committed to empowering creative professionals and organizations to take action consistent with their vision to produce extraordinary results.

Staying Empowered in a Tough Job Market

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:45:51 +0000

Let’s face it! Most of us hate looking for work. And in this merciless job market “hate” is probably not a strong enough word. Between the doom-and-gloom headlines and all of the “thanks, but no thanks!” we have all the evidence we need to just turn in the towel and give up.
But, what if I told you that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. And Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he had “no original ideas and lacked creativity”, and Abraham Lincoln was defeated in eight elections before he got elected to the White House. Now imagine if any of these men would have given up? Look around: our history books, TV shows, and just our plain everyday life is full of inspiring stories of people who face everyday challenges and come out the other end bigger and better for it.

HERE ARE EIGHT GUIDELINES FOR BEING EMPOWERED WHILE JOB SEARCHING:
• Don’t live in the past: Stay focused on moving forward and creating the job you want. When you dredge up past failure, your automatic belief system kicks in and you just create more of the same results.
• Who do you want to BE?: Form a mental picture of the positive self you would like to become in job interviews. Before you can effect changes you must see yourself in your new role.
• Take the spotlight off of yourself: Focus on the interviewer’s problems. Find out what their challenges are and communicate how you can both solve them together.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: Repetition builds confidence. Whether in front of a mirror or with a friend rehearse your interview skills. Become an expert in your profession and learn to be comfortable while speaking about your strengths.
• Keep your sense of humor: People like to laugh! And employers like to be around positive people. So make sure you are having fun through the process, especially during the interview.
• Upgrade your image: Looking your best will do alot to improve your confidence. Whether it’s a new suit, a hair cut, or just a manicure have your outside match your new inside.
• Develop new relationships: It’s all about who you know, so get out there and meet people. You never know who can present you with a promising lead or give you a good referral.
• Avoid Desperation: We know it’s scary. Don’t make it all or nothing. This may or may not be the job for you. Trust yourself and trust that you will find the right job when it comes along. Becoming desperate will only interfere with your process and sabotage you.

So remember struggle is great for us. Not only does it challenge us to grow and learn, but it often creates possibilities that were not available before. See it as the opportunity that it is and use it to get you closer to your goal.