Career Options Begin With Career Planning

There are many factors that should be taken into account when considering a possible career change. Most people focus on only a few of these and this often leads to future job dissatisfaction.

Here is a top ten of what is important in career planning:

1. Clearly state your top 5 interests


2. List 10 of your tops skills and abilities - ask friends, co-workers, family, etc. for the skills they believe you have that you might not even recognize


3. Note your top 5 most important personal characteristics


4. Clarify your top 5 values


5. Know what environmental conditions you may want to avoid


6. Decide what level of continued education/training you are willing to complete


7. Know the amount of money you MUST earn annually (not what you would "like" to earn)


8. Determine what is the most demanding category of physical labor that you are willing to accept


9. Decide which hours and travel you need to avoid


10. Know if you want to work indoors/outdoors or a combination of the two

It's common sense, yes, but you'd be surprised the number of people who get excited over careers that are unsuitable for them. For example, yes, being a commercial pilot is an exciting career for those who love to travel, and of course, love to fly planes! Not really suitable, however, for somebody who is scared of heights or confined spaces or who, when it comes to the crunch, doesn't really like to leave home!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

PUTTING IDEAS INTO ACTION

Why aren't more employees' ideas implemented? In a corporate setting, new ideas automatically are met with resistance; there are always those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

But creative ideas from workers can benefit a business, primarily because workers have first-hand experience on office procedures. Getting good ideas implemented, however, requires effective presentation skills. Here are points to keep in mind when you're proposing new ideas:

1. Make sure you focus on the issue involved. Don't attack something you're trying to change or improve.
   
2. Consider the timing of your idea. You can't successfully pitch a solution to a problem when no one else thinks it's a problem. Your idea stands a greater chance of gaining interest and acceptance when a problem becomes apparent - and people are hungry for a solution.
   
3. Present your idea face-to-face to the key players, instead of writing a memo or letter. In a face-to-face situation, you enhance your credibility; you are more closely identified with your idea. A memo is too easy to file away. You'll often get a response like, "We're looking into it."
   
4. Don't be obnoxious about getting your idea across. Instead, be gently persistent. An employee successfully steered an idea to fruition by first meeting with requisite employees and supervisors. The employee pitched the idea and allowed supervisors to give their feedback. Then the feedback was integrated into the idea. Trying to get an idea accepted a little bit at a time can be advantageous. When employees try to get it all, they often receive nothing.
   
5. Don't kill your ideas altogether. As you go through the creative process of finding solutions to problems, don't talk yourself out of new ideas by saying:
   
   
   
   • "The boss won't like it."
   • "I don't have the authority."
   • "We've never done that before."

Just remember, there is always a first time for everything... and if your idea really is good, it's time will come!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

STAND OUT AND GET NOTICED

Fact: You won't get noticed unless you stand out. Therefore, you won't get promoted unless you can rise above the pack. Here are some ways to get that coveted interview with the boss, and to get noticed:

• Help solve important problems. Consider doing extra work or research on your own time.


• Get published. It could be in a trade or professional association publication, or in your organization's newsletter. Write a piece that will put your organization in a good light, or show your knowledge of your field.
  
• Develop your speech skills.
  
• Network with doers. Reach out to those beyond your own team or department. Do favors for team members and co-workers, but keep your own work top priority.
  
• Update your resume. Ask someone influential about where to send it in-house. Let a few select people see that you're serious about career advancement.


• Do good work. And make sure it gets noticed.

There's no sense being overly modest or letting others take all the glory for YOUR efforts. Stand up and be counted!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

REASON TO LOVE YOUR CROWS FEET!

Before you rush off to the local plastic surgeon, consider this:

A Psychologist report says that people judge the genuineness of others by looking for their laughter lines. Experiments showed that the eyes, not the mouth, were the main focus of attention in a smiling face.

Tests focused on the "crow's feet" laughter lines that appear at the corner of the eyes when a person smiles. An experiment, in which 60 volunteers were shown pictures of smiling faces, showed most spent up to twice as long gazing at the "laugh lines" than anywhere else, including the mouth. (The direction of their eyes was detected by shining an infra-red beam and measuring the angle of reflection 10 times a second.)

The researchers suggested this could be an instinctive way of assessing whether or not a smile was genuine. Plastic surgery to remove those lines takes away more than just your wrinkles! If your work requires sincere smiling (acting, sales, etc.), removal of those lines will make it hard for others to believe your sincerity because you'll have a "plastic smile".

Plastic surgery is little more than a band-aid for a fragile ego. It's like wearing a mask over your face. People might say, "Hey, great look!" But you know it's the mask they are complimenting... not you. You're still not going to feel good about yourself because YOU know it's not you... it's the mask!

Genuineness is always respected... plastic is disposable, so keep those smiles REAL and respect yourself!

Until next week...

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

THINK THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE?

BEFORE you jump the gun and make any impulsive decisions, have a good think about it first. Whether you are wanting to live somewhere different, get a different job, a different boss, a different partner or a different whatever because you believe it would be better than what you have now, THINK before you leap!

Are you familiar with the Aesop fable, The Ass and the Tanner? In a nutshell, an ass, belonging to a herb-seller, who fed him too little and overworked him, petitioned Jupiter to find him a new master. Jupiter warned him that he would repent his request, but found him a new master - a tile-maker. Soon, the ass was carrying even heavier loads and doing harder work, and so again, he petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter told him this would be the last time that he could do this, and arranged for his sale to a tanner. Of course, the Ass discovered he had fallen into even worse hands. He groaned and said, "it would have been better for me to have been either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and make me useful to him."

And the moral of the story is: He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another.

If you are sooo miserable where you are now, consider hiring a Life Coach. You may not need to make the same mistakes as the donkey when the "fix" might be easily within your reach right where you are now!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

WANT TO LEAD A CHARMED LIFE? BE CHARMING!

We've all met charming people - they're likable, popular, and if they said, "follow me to the ends of the earth", in a hypnotic trance, we just might do that.

We'd all like to think we are charming and sometimes we are, but true charm doesn't turn on and off like a tap. It's inherent in everything we do, in all our dealings with all people.

Fakes always get caught out. So we want to practice being charming at all times - whatever we are doing, with whomever we are doing it. When we earn the reputation of being "charming", people we deal with are more obliging, friendlier, and life becomes so much easier in so many ways. So, to live a "charmed life", we want to incorporate some charming mannerisms.

Being charming is having the ability to make people feel at ease around you and enjoy being around you and dealing with you, in business, your private life, or your career.

Face to face charm...You can practice your charm when you walk down the street... don't quickly look away when a stranger meets your gaze. Look back into their eyes and smile. Charming people acknowledge others, even if just with a smile.

Be friendly. You can practice this anywhere you meet people - strangers in the street, the movie usher, the checkout person at your local shop. Look them in the eye and smile. Use a friendly tone. Say, "How are you?" You will stand out in their memory as a friendly, charming person.

Friendly, small talk. Don't give us that "I’m too busy for small talk" business! If you have time to stand in a queue, in an elevator, or anywhere for that matter, near another living being, you have time to be "nice". People like to know others care about them. "How are you?" "How's your day?" "That's a nice jacket you're wearing." You don't have to dazzle with Einstein brilliance - just acknowledge another human being in a way that says, "Hello, I recognize and acknowledge you for the special human being that you are."

Be complimentary. Don't overdo it - you don't want to be smarmy or appear insincere! Not only do people love to be noticed, but also they love to be seen in a good light. Many times, we do notice nice things about other people - new hairdo, shoes, clothing, lipstick, or whatever, but we just don't say it out aloud. Try voicing your complimentary opinions next time.

Try this with your waiter and see if you notice an upgrade in service... "Hi, you look busy tonight. Are they running you off your feet?" You have just been friendly, acknowledged another human being and the fact that they are busy. You have, in a way, shown that you care about the waiter. He or she will give you great service, and the person who merely barked in snobbish tones, "Bring me a tonic water" will get that but little else.

We can practice our charm over the phone and in our emails. We do this by smiling and being friendly and polite. We watch our choice of words. We always want the other person to feel special and appreciated and acknowledged. It doesn't matter if the other person is higher up the ladder or not. A charming person does not differentiate between those perceived to be above or below or equal to him/her.

So, if you want to live a charmed life... be charming!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

GIVE UP PROMISES

Many of us find ourselves making promises in our business efforts, sales efforts and even in our personal relationships, that we just can't live up to.

When we make a promise, we make a commitment, we give our word and people expect a result. I have often told sales people, business managers or owners, and even couples, to "under promise and over deliver". I have had the belief that if you promised less than you knew you could deliver and then went beyond expectations, people would be pleased.

Now here's what I suggest for you: give up promises!

This may sound very idealistic to you on first glimpse. However, I have found that when I avoid making promises to others I don't have so much stress in my life in living up to expectations. I still work hard at giving my very best and going above and beyond my best - I just don't state the promises out loud. This has given me a new freedom and allowed me the opportunity to give without worry.

It may sound scary to you, (it did to me at first, too!), but I encourage you to try it. See how you feel when you make no promises at all!

Of course, I'm NOT promising you'll feel better... (smile).

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com/

Are YOU a "Judge"???

Judging people is a bit like judging trees and just as constructive. There are many types of trees, but because one is older, or taller, or has more branches than another does not make that tree right, or better than the tree next to it. There are many types of trees, but the truth is, they are still just trees.

Professional Coaches are trained to hold a neutral position. After all, who are we to judge? For example, as a Coach, I may find myself a client who earns his living as a professional gambler, but what he does for a living is separate from who he is as a fellow human being. I tell him I stand for him as a human being, as a person. I stand for his rights and who he is as an individual and not for what the goals are that he accomplishes or doesn’t accomplish. He could change his career tomorrow, but he will still be a human being, like me, and that is the person I am coaching... not the gambler. However, letting go of reacting to what others say or do or who they are is challenging, admittedly, and requires a great deal of practice.

But you mustn't confuse making observations with making judgments. Making observations is something else we all do. We're always making observations too, like observing what somebody is wearing, what mood somebody is in, etc. Making powerful and useful observations is another Coaching technique. But powerful observations must always be truthful, and again, as a Coach, a powerful observation is my way of saying this is what I think at this point in time from the facts available to me at this point in time, but I do not make or express judgment and I am not coming from a position of who is right or who is wrong, I am simply expressing my perception of something as it appears. There is no right, there is no wrong, there is no judgment. I make my observations the same way that I might observe, "oh, it's a sunny day today."

Next time you hold a judgment about a person's appearance or something they are saying, practice this:

1. Remind yourself not to think about what they say with any judgment. Just "hear" what they're saying and don't form any judgment in your head about it.


2. Focus on the person you are listening to and not your feelings or what you want to say in reply.


3. Set aside your personal feelings, beliefs, or agendas. Don't take what they are saying personally - unless of course, it IS personal.


4. Listen to everything as if it was a plain and simple fact and nothing more.


5. Whenever you feel yourself getting emotionally charged or reactive, remind yourself to be quiet and just listen.

With continued practice, you will find that as you put judgment aside, you will gain the benefits of making greater connections with people, you will experience less stress and discomfort, and you will spend less time and energy with negative thoughts and more just being and letting others be.

Be Happy!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

Ever Thought You Don't Belong? Well, Consider this...

As a professional business and personal coach, I believe that we, as human beings, are all connected. Whether it be the mailman, our neighbor, a high-flying corporate CEO or the local check-out girl, we all have one thing in common. We all share the same qualities and traits for the simple reason that we are all human and we are alive, and we are all experiencing life's challenges, and we all have dreams and goals. We all experience happiness and sadness, ups and downs. We all bruise if you hit us. And at the very basis of our connectedness, we are all beings of spirit, all made up of the same stuff, all traveling the same journey but by different paths and taking different detours, playing different 'games' in this experience we call life.

We may not see this connection, and sometimes, we may even wish we weren't connected, but it is an essential ingredient in the coaching process. I recognize this sense of connection, but I also recognize that we are each unique and have special gifts, talents, and offerings.

One of the challenges we all face, as connected human beings, is that of remaining non-judgmental. We tend to put labels on what we hear, such as right or wrong, good or bad, happy or sad, etc. Even young children hold judgment about what they see, hear, and experience. A four year old, for example, will be quick to pronounce judgment on another child who is somehow different to him or her self, like an obese child, a loner, or someone from another country, and may even call the other child unkind names to express this judgment. And how many of us are guilty of that most easiest of judgment traps - that of judging someone by their appearance, or by the type of work somebody does?

Somehow, society has trained us to judge others as good or bad and not to accept those who are different from us or what we consider the "norm". But shifting into coaching mode, we believe that no one is right or wrong, good or bad ... they just are, and we accept who or what they are, period.

So, next time you think you were born on the wrong planet, think again. You are a part of everything and everyone. You have equal rights to be here, to look the way you do, to be the way you are. You most definitely BELONG and don't let anybody tell you differently!

Until next time...

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

How About Turning Those Problems into Opportunities!

Like the glass half full/half empty scenario, there are people who look at situations and see problems where others see only opportunities. Whatever the situation facing you, how you view it will affect the results you get.

Do you look at a problem with sagging shoulders and imagine the worst? Or do you look at a problem and rise to the challenge it presents to you? The challenge of finding a way to succeed.

The problem lies in giving up too soon. If Thomas Edison had given up we would not have the electrical light bulb - but it took 586 failed experiments before he reached success. Robert Perry finally reached the North Pole but it took 8 attempts over 23 years to do it. Alexander Graham Bell was laughed at and bankers did not take him seriously... just as well he didn't give up or we'd not have the telephone... and we won't go into Walt Disney's bankruptcies because we always use that example!

Don't quit something when success could be waiting just around the next bend... and if it isn't, it may be the bend after that. If something is worth doing or worth having, it is worth persevering for. You need to understand and accept that challenges and problems are not signs that you should quit, but rather, they are part of life. If you were never tested, how would you grow and learn and improve? And where would the fun and satisfaction be if everything landed easily on your lap?

Problems are just experiences in life. Everyone alive is facing, has faced, or will face some kind of adversity in life, and not just once, but possibly many times. This doesn't signal the end. It is an experience and an opportunity for personal growth. The wonderful thing about overcoming problems and adversities is that once you've faced and overcome them, you don't face the same problem again. It's like being in school. Once you've passed the exam for one grade, you never have to sit that exam again.

Too often, some people see successful people, enjoying their wealth, and assume it came "easy" for them. But you don't know the long hours, the sweat, the failures, etc. that came before the great success. And if you persevere and work at it, you too can sit back one day and really enjoy the fruits of your labor and taste for yourself the sweetness of success.

Stick with it!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

SETTING YOURSELF FREE WITH THE TRUTH

I was going through the archives, clearing out old correspondence, candy wrappers and cobwebs (don't your archives have these features???), and came across a letter which made me reflect once again on matters of honesty and integrity. I thought I'd share my thoughts with you...

It is so sad when people we trust and believe in deceive us and let us down. What signs did we ignore that might have alerted us to this potential? Do we go around wearing blinkers? Do we see only what we want to see? And here we are deceiving ourselves!

Alas, we cannot change other people; we can only make the world a better place to live in by changing ourselves. If we all changed ourselves and worked on ourselves then the world becoming a better place is a given.

And this applies to all areas of our lives. Start with yourself. Are you deceiving yourself right now? What 'lies' or deceptions are you accepting now that are making you uncomfortable or unhappy and what can you, and should you be doing about it?

What are you tolerating or avoiding or making excuses for?

We all deserve to live rich, fulfilling, honest and happy lives, but should we expect others to be honest with us if we can't even be honest with ourselves?

Improving your life demands a truthful look at your life and yourself and the situations you are involved in. It may not be easy, but it certainly is worthwhile.

So this week, start being honest with yourself - the truth really will set you free, or at least, put you on the right path to setting yourself free!

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

ACHIEVING BALANCE

Do you control your life or does it control you? Do you feel caught in a perpetual tug-o-war between the needs of your family and the demands of your work? If so, you've got a lot of company. Balance has become the Holy Grail in the new world of work .

What is balance? Let's begin by talking about what balance is not. Balance is not about squeezing as much as possible into every second of every day. Balance is not about double booking your schedule or worshipping a ten page "To Do" list. Balance is not about being a slave to email. No, balance is about savoring life. Balance is about listening to your favorite music or eating lunch in the sunshine of a beautiful day. Balance is about making choices that allow you to be YOU in the best way possible.

Achieving balance begins with tossing out time management tools. Realize that time management tools are just that -- tools. They are only effective when used in the right situation. Would you use a tape measure to plug a leaky pipe? Probably not.

Too many of us have blindly embraced a generic "one-size-fits-all" time management lifestyle in our quest to squeeze more things into our lives. But do you really want to do MORE things...or do you want to do MORE MEANINGFUL things?

Go for balance by building your life around what is truly important to you.

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

Everyone has off-days!!

If you're human, chances are you've experienced off-days when you feel "down", you feel life is unfair - maybe so many things have gone wrong for you that week you begin to wonder if there really IS anything in that old folk tale about breaking a mirror brings 7 years bad luck... and you think back trying to remember the last time you broke a mirror!

Sometimes it helps to have something to put life back into perspective - something that reminds us of what really is important - something to pick us up and put a smile back on our faces - something that reminds us of how much we already have and for which we can and should be very grateful.

I wish I knew the author of the following so I could acknowledge them, but wherever I've seen this it always says "Author unknown" - he or she is another reason to be thankful! They have written something simple and easy to read that puts everything back into place. Enjoy!

I AM THANKFUL...

for the wife
who says it's hot dogs tonight,
because she is home with me,
and not out with someone else.

For the husband
who is on the sofa
being a couch potato,
because he is home with me
and not out at the bars.

For the teenager
who is complaining about doing dishes
because that means she is at home,
not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay
because it means that
I am employed.

For the mess
to clean after a party
because it means that I have
been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes
that fit a little too snug
because it means
I have enough to eat.

For my shadow
that watches me work
because it means
I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing,
windows that need cleaning,
and gutters that need fixing
because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining
I hear about the government
because it means that
we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot
I find at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable of walking
and that I have been
blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill
because it means I am warm.

For the lady
behind me in church who sings off key
because it means
that I can hear.

For the pile
of laundry and ironing
because it means
I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles
at the end of the day
because it means
I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm
that goes off in the early morning hours
because it means that I am alive.

And finally...
For too much trivial e-mail
because it means I have
friends who are thinking of me

Author unknown.

And I bet you can add to this list... what are YOU thankful for today?

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com