2013 THEME Consistency Wins

2013 THEME Consistency Wins I have a card from my business coach Mark Leblanc sitting right in front of me. I see it every day.  On the card is a picture of Mark speaking (he is a professional speaker), and at the bottom it says Consistency Trumps  Commitment. I get it. Im committed to things, including my business and business growth (Mark is a business growth coach, and was actually part of the inspiration for the 2012 theme). But magic (or success) happens when I consistently do the right things. I can be committed to doing the right things, but until I actually do them I dont see success. And doing them is one thing but I cant do them one day a week, or one day a month, I need to consistently do the right things. Consistency trumps  commitment. Commitment + consistency is amazing. This year well talk about consistency.  Thats the theme.  Ive been working on that for a few years, since I met Mark, and I can testify that it is one of the most powerful parts of my business growth. It will be a powerful part of your career management.  Lets make 2013 AWESOME! 2013 THEME Consistency Wins I have a card from my business coach Mark Leblanc sitting right in front of me. I see it every day.  On the card is a picture of Mark speaking (he is a professional speaker), and at the bottom it says Consistency Trumps  Commitment. I get it. Im committed to things, including my business and business growth (Mark is a business growth coach, and was actually part of the inspiration for the 2012 theme). But magic (or success) happens when I consistently do the right things. I can be committed to doing the right things, but until I actually do them I dont see success. And doing them is one thing but I cant do them one day a week, or one day a month, I need to consistently do the right things. Consistency trumps  commitment. Commitment + consistency is amazing. This year well talk about consistency.  Thats the theme.  Ive been working on that for a few years, since I met Mark, and I can testify that it is one of the most powerful parts of my business growth. It will be a powerful part of your career management.  Lets make 2013 AWESOME!

Press Release 2.0 - Social Networking Enhanced - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Press Release 2.0 - Social Networking Enhanced - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Press Release 2.0 Example Personal Branding Blog Press Release Download or View the Example The press release has been commonly used to introduce breaking news or to generate interest on a certain subject or company that has just recently gone into existence. Simple press releases, with a catch statement and a summary just dont make the cut anymore. The media demands a more interactive approach to creating, submitting and posting press releases on the global scale. This need caught my interest, so I developed a new age press release to meet these new requirements. I have used my blog as an example to show the power of the Press Release 2.0, as I so call it. Web 2.0 technologies, such as Wikis, Blogs, RSS feeds and others are common ground of most websites, so they just be injected into a press release, along with supplemental links that emphasize the article contents. To create an advanced piece of work, such as this is unique and a differentiator. If you choose to make one of these, using my template, then you will stand out and the media will keep an eye on you. The key is to keep it to 2 pages, with the article contents on the first page and all the media vehicles on the second (RSS, etc). I hope you enjoy and if you have any comments please leave them.

Why Breaking Up With My Therapist Was The Best Thing For My Mental Health

Why Breaking Up With My Therapist Was The Best Thing For My Mental Health Everybody has “stuff”. When our managing editor asked us who would like to author a column on maintaining mental health, I raised my hand. That’s what humanity has been asking for lately, isn’t it? More people who are calling dibs on depression. More of us sharing our stories. More of us talking about our strategies and steps we are taking to living a better, more meaningful life. So here is how I improved my mental health in the past 9 months. Therapy initially helped me. I went with the intention of improving my self-awareness and increasing my self-confidence. Let’s start with self-awareness. The mindfulness learnings I picked up from therapy were excellent. I am one of those go-go-go types so for me, meditating daily seemed unrealistic. Before you eye roll and think I have gone all yoga budda zen garden, don’t worry, I definitely have not. I still race around the house working up a sweat when I clean. I still walk off the soccer field with huge bruises that I don’t remember obtaining. I still cry when I feel a flood of emotions all at the same time and am not sure how or which one to address first. But there are moments where I have learned how to do a few simple things to calm myself down: Breathing. I breathe in through my nose for four counts, hold my breath for four counts, and breathe out through my mouth for four counts. This is especially helpful at 4-minute stoplights, long lines at the grocery store, or anything that makes me feel impatient and agitated. These are also opportunities to think of something for which I am grateful. Watching clouds. As a meditation-novice, laying sill and watching the clouds for 3-minutes was incredibly helpful in my early months practicing mindfulness. Anytime there was a thought about something else, I would kick it out and watch clouds move and listen to the wind. I felt a calming stillness wave over me, a welcome opposite of running around doing 100 things per day. As Brené Brown writes in her latest book, Rising Strong, “the opposite of play can also be rest, contemplation, quiet, solitude, etc.” A fantastic read, btw. Non-judgmentally observing my thoughts. Or said another way, no more judging your judgments! I can be incredibly harsh on myself â€" that too-brutal coach who the organization would have fired. I am still committed to detecting my thoughts, good or bad, and looking at them through a neutral, objective lens. A great analogy my therapist offered for this one was “riding the wave” â€" so you observe your [insert emotion here] and watch it’s ascent, peak and then fall. You are exterior to it. Self-confidence was a little trickier than mindfulness. Years later, I still felt shame and guilt about my wanting to get married when I was 22 and then deciding to get a divorce. I still felt shame that for those years- as Eleanor Roosevelt would say, I gave someone permission to make me feel inferior. I still felt shame that I sought validation from other people instead of from myself. Eventually, I set in motion a few vital behaviors to stop the self-shaming and get my confidence back. I started setting boundaries. When someone asked me if I wanted to do something that I did not wish to do yet I felt obligated to do, I practiced saying no, thank you. People pleasers have a hard time with this. We just need to keep graciously yet firmly reinforcing our boundaries and eventually, it will become a part of our new system. I employed DEARMAN. This is a dialectal behavior therapy (DBT) pneumonic to help you get what you want. You can use it for difficult situations and even write out and rehearse each of the steps prior to the conversation: DESCRIBE Describe the situation with facts. EXPRESS Express feelings/opinions about the situation clearly. ASSERT- Assert your wishes. ?Ask for what you want. REINFORCE Reward people who respond positively to you. “Thanks for being so understanding. I really appreciate it. STAY MINDFUL Keep your focus on your objectives. APPEAR CONFIDENT Confident tone of voice and physical manner (heck even power pose). NEGOTIATE- Be willing to give to get. Offer to do something else or solve the problem another way. I worked in a safe space. Trying out setting boundaries for the first time is foreign. Working on this with your family, however, may be a safe place to start. For me it was I am blessed to be able to write that my family loves me unconditionally. Sure, they may not be used to this new version of you, but the more you can honor yourself and respect yourself, the more self-love you will feel. Within 6 months, I felt a marked change in myself â€" I had incorporated mindfulness into my daily routine which improved my self-awareness. And I had initiated boundaries that helped boost my self-confidence. Plus, I stopped being so hard on myself â€" except when I went to therapy. As soon as the door closed and I sat down on the floral couch I felt as if all of my forward progress went on pause. We would go back through the past and I would beat myself up for it all over again. I didn’t know how to stop. Side note, if you’re into astrology, Virgos by nature are hypercritical. And because I am sensitive and willing to look at and work on myself, this rearview mirror routine became too traumatic for me. Instead of leaving feeling lighter, I left feeling more weighed down and spent. It stopped being productive. I started to consider leaving and made a list of reasons why I would be okay and possibly better off if I stopped going: I am a self-motivated, curious, and driven person who is willing to be introspective on her own. How am I introspective? I read books that enlighten and inspire and I journal daily. I nourish my mind when I listen to guided meditations while I get ready in the morning. (A current fave is Soul of Healing Affirmations, by Deepak Chopra  and Adam Plack.) I FaceTime weekly with a friend to discuss people that we care about. I still cry when I am with my family or my friends when I feel a lot of emotions at once. This is healthy and they still love me. I decided to ditch the crying couch and continue my personal growth momentum outside the office. Many others have made this transition from therapy to coaching â€"Patrick Williams, Ed.D., MCC, sums up how coaching and therapy differ in this article: “therapy is about uncovering and recovering, while coaching is about discovering.” Many certified coaches offer complimentary consultation sessions for those individuals who want to see what coaching can do for them. Feel free to share your thoughts and continue the #mentalhealth conversation with us on our FB page and with columnist @kellymc247 Columnist Archive

You can learn from getting canned

You can learn from getting canned Maybe you have never been fired. I sure have more often than I care to remember and I can assure you that, while the moment may be humbling, the experience has always been educational. Here are things I learned after getting the boot. They may not be earth-shattering lessons, but theyre good reminders when your earth has been shattered. Be gracious, even at the end. My first firing took place at my grandmas bookstore. She said, I told you that you cant read when youre working. I said, Just let me finish this one page. She said, You can finish all the pages because youre fired. Fine, I told her. Besides, she didnt pay enough. She told me that I made a lot of money for a 9-year-old. Then she said, When youre fired, its important to be as gracious as possible because theres no point in burning a bridge any more than its already burned. And you never know what you might need later from the person who is firing you. Then she took me out for ice cream. Youd rather be where youre appreciated, anyway. I worked at a pizza parlor, where we treated the kitchen like a chemistry lab. The bosss wife decided that 16-year-old girls were too tempting for him and instructed him to fire anyone who fit the above description. I tried proving my worth by inventing a method to make dough twice as fast as anyone else. But my hours dwindled. I was berated for not lining up the pepperoni exactly. It became a job I could only do wrong. The boss eventually followed his wifes directive, and I took my pizza expertise to another restaurant, where I became the go-to pizza queen. Even if you have a job, network like a person who needs a job. Continuing my career in food services, I worked at an ice cream parlor. It was easy when someone ordered a flavor like daiquiri ice, which would thaw in five minutes. But hard flavors like pralines-and-cream would take most of the day to soften, and scooping them made my muscles sore. So I started directing customers to other ones. (French vanilla? Feh. Orange sherbet now thats a flavor.) When the end was near, I gave ice cream away for free. When the end arrived, I got another job right away with someone who had benefited from my scooping largesse. Everyone is expendable. Especially you. Upon entering the real world, I worked at one of the first high-profile e-commerce websites. I had done my masters thesis on interactive media, and suddenly 50-year-old managers were asking me for advice. Competitors tried to recruit me. I felt wanted and needed, and I started believing my own press. So much so that I neglected internal projects for freelance ones, thinking I was untouchable. I was the only one who understood the Internet, right? Wrong. And anyone who thinks they cant be replaced is too.

9 Reasons Why Doctors Should Indulge in Professional Networking - CareerMetis.com

9 Reasons Why Doctors Should Indulge in Professional Networking Source : Pixabay.comProfessional networking is a great way for making connections and finding work. However, it also has a greater role in building a strong and diverse community that is crucial for doctors. It embeds you within a valuable group of people filled with abundant knowledge and experience.Here are some more reasons why professional networking is important for doctors.1. Gain Benefit from Others ExperienceImagine your father sharing his first day at jobexperience or your mother sharing her first living aloneexperience. What do you think, why they do so? Well, of course, to make you familiar with the upcoming changes and how to manage in those situations.evalSimilarly, when a doctor works under some highly experienced personnel and interacts with them, they gain knowledge about various things related to their field.For instance, what possible complications can occur during a certain procedure or what to do if a patient’s disease is undiagnosable or what could be another w ay to treat a particular condition?Believe it or not, there is no better way to learn about medicine and surgery than from professionals who have already been there and done that. Whether you are in the prime of your career or an experienced doctor, getting tips and insights from experts is priceless.2. Key to New OpportunitiesAccording to a survey, approximately 85%of the jobs are found through networking. As a matter of fact, it is true. There exist a lot of organizations and institutions who do not broadcast hiring opportunities on a mass level. And, yet, their positions fill faster than anything. How does this happen?Well, to be honest, it is all because of professional networking. People recommend people they know and the ones they like. It is a universal rule and applies to every field big or small. In case of doctors, it is very crucial to be a part of professional networking.For a simple reason, there could be an underlying opportunity for internal promotion, or moving to a more challenging role. To bag that opportunity, a well-defined network is a must. Besides, candidates with great recommendations are often considered well-suited for the job.3. Exposure to Broader Spectrum of the IndustryThere’s a famous proverb, best conversations and discussions often happen with like-minded people. Imagine being a part of a community where everyone is acquiring their own set of information and sharing it on a common platform. That’s when professional networking comes into play.evalBeing a doctor, you have to be up-to-date with all the major revolutionary technologies and procedures that have a powerful impact on the medical industry. What approaches do other doctors apply, what is the prevalence of a certain disease in a particular region, etc.Networking can help you stay on the progressive side of the medical industry. Besides, being aware of new information always gives you an upper hand over your competitors. You may also feel satisfied by learning and imp lementing new and fresh ways of doing things.4. Enhances Interpersonal SkillsNetworking is the key to unlock hesitation and communicate well. When you converse with a certain set of brilliant doctors, it has a positive effect on your personality too. You realize how infusing mere words of politeness in your speech can change your whole persona.Besides, how delightful it makes others to speak with you! You will understand how important this skill is for you as it further leads to harmonious relations with your patients. Moreover, at any given time, you will be able to effectively communicate with your mentors or your peers in the industry.5. Offers a Different PerspectiveevalAs a doctor, when you deal with a complicated case, there happen to be many ifs and buts that remain unresolved. Even if you try googling those answers, you may not be able to devise a precise answer to those queries.This is where professional networking comes into the picture again. Speaking with other professio nals and discussing your areas of concern can help you resolve these questions.Therefore, your professional network basically functions as your resource. You can ask for their opinion and knowledge whenever you need to.6. Makes You ApproachableWhat many professionals fail to realize is that the fight for competition does not end once you get the job. In fact, communicating and making yourself more visible in the workplace is one of the major tasks.One of the benefits of networking is that it helps you become more visible. You become that one person that knows everyone and can be asked to make introductions or provide views on clients, associates etc.Sometimes, a simple smiling hello to your peers can put out a good word for you. Besides, it may also set you apart from the rest of your colleagues and make you easily approachable.As a matter of fact, everyone admires people who try and come forward to interact. You might not become very close to them in the first instance, but it give s you visibility.7. Endless Support Guidance NetworkAs a doctor, you’re likely to face several different tests and tribulations throughout your career. But life becomes easy when there’s someone to guide you at the time of need and put pressure whenever it’s necessary. This guide could be your mentor from the medical college or your current senior. However, to get their support and supervision, you have to maintain a professional rapport with them.By opening barricades of communication, you will be able to provide a chance for mutually beneficial relationships that will facilitate the success of your career. Moreover, it will help you achieve your goals, and unlock great opportunities for the future.8. Boosts Self-EsteemevalInteracting with experienced professionals, being asked about your outlook, and getting asked to introduce people is quite a social thrill. It can make you feel confident, part of the community, and happy. Besides, it is exactly what you need, especially i f you are an introvert who’s looking to mix themselves in a cut-throat environment.9. Personal BenefitsProfessional networking can also provide a great number of personal benefits. It can help identify practical solutions to everyday problems in your personal life.For example, if you’re going out to attend a medical seminar at a certain location where you might have some contacts, you can easily get to know where to stay, what places to visit, where to eat etc. Often, due to professional terms, doctors may also waive the amount of consultation fee for their peers.Given that, you can make some great friends at networking events that have similar interests and will be there for you always.Beinga part of a professional network can work wonders be it getting a job, promotion or even leveraging a raise. However, to attain these things, you have to leave your comfort zone and start connecting with people in your field. Always remember, you can’t just build the relationships, you nee d to nurture.eval

The Wrong Kind of Help Six Key Traits of Help that Hurts - Kathy Caprino

The Wrong Kind of Help â€" Six Key Traits of “Help” that Hurts As an empowerment researcher, I’ve studied for eight years what constitutes “helpful” help versus advice or counsel that diminishes and demeans, or sends you in the wrong direction. The sad news is that thousands of so-called helpers in our world today â€" our family members, friends, service providers of all walks (doctors, lawyers, financial consultants, therapists, coaches, counselors, intuitive, healers, etc.) â€" simply haven’t done the inner and outer work they need to, to offer empowering, uplifting support.   Instead, the assistance they give is the disempowering kind, dragging us down, keeping us stuck at the same problematic level we seek to rise above. In my therapy training and work as a career coach, I’ve learned (and tell my clients openly) that only they can discern if the help they’re getting is right for them.   And they should walk away immediately when it’s not. Each individual has his/her own unique personality, values, beliefs, traits, needs, and priorities â€" and these coalesce in a way that is individual and special. So the help you receive needs to honor that individuality â€" and make you right, not wrong.   My advice to folks seeking help is this â€" if after the first meeting with the helper you feel empowered, excited, and validated,   and if the help allows you to progress in satisfying ways, then it’s a good match.   If on the other hand, you feel demeaned or misunderstood, challenged in negative ways, and discouraged,   then it’s time to change your helper. What Kind of Help is the Hurting Kind? The following are hallmarks of assistance that is wrong for you â€" and ends up being hurtful not helpful. You’ll know “bad” help when: The helper claims s/he is an expert about you (it’s not true â€" you’re the expert about you) The help is one-size-fits-all, that applies the same tools and approaches to everyone  â€" it’s not tailored to your individualized case or scenario The helper assumes you need “fixing” or believes you’re the problem The help you receive keeps you stuck    you keep experiencing the same the problems over and over The helper is enmeshed with you â€" s/he does not support you to grow beyond the help they give (I hate to say it, folks, but there are many therapists, coaches and consultants out there who WANT you to keep you coming back because of the money it makes them or because they want you to need them.   I see this in some exorbitantly-paid therapists and consultants all the time.) Receiving help is a negative experience that drains you of your vitality, hope, and excitement for life.  (Or, on the other hand, the help is so overly-optimistic that it doesnt reflect reality and leads you astray).  My world is about helping professional women achieve their highest visions.   As I’ve moved into the leadership arena, I’ve seen a lot out there that calls itself “leadership coaching” for women, claiming that it helps women advance.   But what I see instead is a good deal of faulty advice or information that tells women they’re wrong for how they feel and what they want.   To counter this, I’m launching a new yearlong, 12-part Career Enhancement Program for corporate women for corporate organizations, designed to enliven and support professional women to attain the career visions they hold most exciting and fulfilling.   I aim to provide the highest form of help I can â€" assistance that achieves the following goals: Empowering Support: 1)           Validates you Makes you right (not wrong); focuses NOT on “fixing”you, but honoring who you are at your core 2)           Tailors the help to your specific values, beliefs and needs â€" not one-size-fits- all 3)           Strengthens and stretches you, helping you see your greatest talents and strengths as well as growth areas 4)           Takes you to a new level â€" so you overcome previous challenges and are ready for new ones 5)           Encourages you to be more of who you already are â€" authentically and with integrity, so you can help others expand and grow as well 6)           Fills you up so you want to experience even more of life and work gives you a deep and thorough understanding of who you are and where you want to go, realistically. If your organization is committed to inclusion and diversity, and wants to support professional women’s growth, I hope you’ll reach out â€" I’d love to offer this 12-month Career Enhancement Program to you and your colleagues. In the meantime, please remember that getting outside your own head and asking for support to overcome your specific challenges is vitally important.   But choosing the right kind of helpâ€" the kind that allows you to move toward the highest and best version of you â€" is the most important choice of all.   And only you can choose the best help for you. What kind of help works best for you? And have you ever received help that hurts?

Tips On Choosing Federal Resume Writing Software

Tips On Choosing Federal Resume Writing SoftwareFederal resume writing software is a very effective tool if you are seeking to create a professional looking resume. It takes an enormous amount of time and skill to create a resume that is both professional and accurate. There are many factors that you need to consider when creating the perfect resume, but sometimes it can be difficult to choose which resume writing software to use. Here are a few things to consider when choosing to use a resume writing software program.The first thing you need to do is decide which type of resume to use. You can choose from many different resume writing software programs that will help you create your resume. The primary reason for this is that you can narrow down your choices to a few types. This will help you focus on the resume that you are most interested in.If you want to create a particular resume, then it will help to research the software that is available and determine which program will best meet your needs. The best way to find out about the software that is available is to visit the different websites that offer resume writing software. These websites will provide you with a list of the various programs that are available. By reviewing these options, you will be able to find one that will meet your needs.Most of the different websites that offer resume writing software offer free trial versions. This way you can experience the application and find out which one works best for you. In addition, these websites are very user friendly and easy to navigate. This will help you get started without any issues. If you have any questions, you can contact the company directly or ask them to send you a live demo of the software so that you can test it for yourself.If you are looking for a more professional resume then it is important to read as much as you can about the many different types of resume writing software available. Try to learn about the differences between traditio nal resume writing using software. Find out if there are any differences that you would need to know about to best utilize a particular software program.As you can see, the best way to find out if resume writing software is right for you is to spend some time researching the various programs available. Make sure that you read reviews of each program so that you can make a comparison of the features that they offer. Check for any negative or positive reviews to help you choose the program that is right for you.When using federal resume writing software, you will be able to create your own resume to ensure that you stand out from the rest of the competition. This will help you get noticed by recruiters, employers, and potential clients. The best part is that you do not have to invest a lot of money to create a great resume.