Pretend It's a Year from Now

Pretend It's a Year from Now
Seven years ago, I had a job in the corporate world. I had an office, a good salary, and the privilege of being known and respected for consistently doing a job well done. Even though I was successful, I'd been unhappy in my career for years. I stayed put because I was comfortable, tied to the money, loved the adrenaline rush that deadlines produce, and enjoyed the compliments I received from my boss and peers.
Secretly, I was building a business on the side. I was coaching people to live their dreams in the evenings and weekends. Although my clients were living lives they loved, I couldn't say I was doing the same.
Then, I got laid off. I was devastated, confused, and I felt betrayed. But I was one of many who were worried and wondering which direction to take next. Little did I know at the time, that this was the day I became a full time coach.
Today, I have a thriving coaching practice. I have never been happier. I owe my success to being able to imagine myself successful, visualizing victory in the future.
What I have learned can apply to you. Whether you have been searching for a job and it seems hopeless, or you are working and are tired, stressed, and barely keeping up with the workload. Start with the steps below.
Imagine yourself a year from now. The economy is picking up nicely. Although the previous year was tough for you, it was well worth it, because today you are enjoying your career tremendously. You are grateful for what transpired over the past year.
It took you a while to find your way, but you have arrived. You battled fear, uncertainty, and yourself. But you have come out a winner. Looking back, you see that there were five key steps that were your crucial to your success. They were:

You Accepted Where You Were

You stopped blaming the world for your predicament. You decided to forgive those who caused your situation. Most importantly, you forgave yourself. You acknowledged where you were because you knew that a better tomorrow would not happen until you accepted today.

You Decided You Would Win

You realized that you worked too hard to get where you were in your career, and you were not about to lose it all now. You decided that your present situation would not get the best of you. You let go of the shoulds, and the reasons why you couldn't have what you wanted in your career. Then, you made a plan to go after what you truly deserved.

You Persevered

You had a vision in your mind, and you did not give up. Sure, there were obstacles. But, you woke up each morning and told yourself that today was a brand new day. You made phone calls you were afraid to make. You wrote e-mail's and letters you weren't sure would get read. You networked. But most importantly, you were afraid, and you moved forward anyway.

You Asked For Help

This was a big deal for you because you were used to doing things on your own. You opened yourself up and asked for what you needed. You were surprised and appreciative because people from unexpected places took the time to help you. The best thing you learned is that life is much easier when you are not reaching your goals alone.

You Knew You Would End Up In A Better Place

You stopped driving yourself crazy because you knew things would improve. You recognized that your situation was only temporary. As a result, you enjoyed yourself more. You spent time getting to know you again. You lost weight, or took up a new hobby. You tried new things, and you grew in ways you never imagined possible. You are so much stronger and wiser now. You are not the same.
Ok. Now, it is today again. Do you want what saw? What steps specifically will you take to make it happen? Write it down. Look at it everyday. You have a bright future ahead of you once you can visualize the end result.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

Make a Fresh Start Today

Make A Fresh Start Today
Are you caught up in the day to day doldrums of your career?
The New Year is here. This means, it's a perfect time to complete the previous year and start fresh. If you haven't been passionate about your career in a while, capitalize on this time of the year to begin again.
If you've lost your "get up and go," maybe what's missing is a new goal. Something that gets you excited and motivated again. Whether it's a new job or a new way of doing something in your present position, a new goal can give you something to look forward to.
So How Do Find A New Goal? Follow These Four Steps:

Convince Yourself That You Want A New Goal

No goal is achieved without commitment. Have you ever observed someone pursuing a goal and said to yourself, "That person is a true believer." True believers are easy to spot because they are defined by their commitment. Are you a true believer in your goal? Are you committed? If not, shift your perspective. Don't allow yourself to be comfortable with circumstances that do not further your goal.
Want to know that you will succeed before you step out of your comfort zone? Guess what? You don't get this guarantee up front. The miracles in your career happen when you say "yes" and jump in.

Start Small

Are you in one of these two places:

1. You have no idea what should be the next step in your career,
2. You do know, but haven't done anything about it yet.

Either way it doesn't matter. Now is your time to move forward. Start small. Small steps increase your confidence and lead to completing other small steps. Small steps taken on a regular basis are more effective than larger steps taken inconsistently. Slow and steady wins the race.

Create Your Game Plan

Having a plan is vital to your success. With a plan, success is yours. Without a plan, you will be working far harder than you have to. A plan adds organization to your goal because it details specific actions and steps to get there.
Another reason to create a plan is that it will prevent your goal from becoming overwhelming. The temptation to feel overwhelmed is normal. Your plan will give you comfort and help you be successful. There is no right or wrong way to plan. Your plan can be formal and long, or uncomplicated and short. Here's how to create one: Take your career goal and break it into smaller pieces. Get out your calendar and write down the specific small pieces you will do and when you will do them. Tweak and make changes as you implement your plan. Use your plan to encourage and guide you. After all, your plan's underlying goal is for you to have an exceptional year.

Look At Your Goal Every Day

Most people want a "do-over" or a second chance. You get this opportunity on January 1st. If you create your goal, and then put it away, your words will have no value. What you can't see will soon be forgotten as the year progresses. When you look at your goal regularly, it gradually becomes a part of who you are.
Look at your goal every morning so you can start your day with focus. Look at your goal every evening, so that it stays with you in your dreams. Looking at your goal, and contemplating it, plays a large role in making it real.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

How to Reinvent your Career

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.



How to Reinvent your Career
If you work long enough, something along the way will probably happen to you. You will work with a co-worker who drives you crazy, a boss that doesn't get you, or an employee that keeps you up at night.
It's all a part of the working world.
At other times, things will happen to you that will throw you for a loop. Your job is eliminated. You are fired without reason. Your industry goes away. This is when it's important to take stock in who are you, what you want out of life, and where you want to go next.
So, how do you get yourself back on track; find your passion and purpose again, and reinvent the next phase of your career? You soul-search and ask lots of questions.
Here where you begin:

You Make Time To Think

Reinvention cannot happen without thought.
A clear picture of where you want to go next cannot come to you unless you create time to think about it. This time is what will allow you to get in touch with yourself and your priorities.
One of the main reasons your off track right now, is because you've been "busy," too busy to make time for you. This does not mean that you have to allocate days or weeks of thought to nothing else; BUT regularly taking an hour here and there will make a tremendous difference.
Ask yourself, "When will I make time to think about what I want?" Notice that I am not saying to ask yourself whether you will find time, but rather when you will make the time. It is essential to be assertive with yourself.
Once you have made the time, find a quiet place. Sit down and take deep breaths, as many as you need to instill a sense of calmness. Your mind will want to wander, but you must bring yourself back. Remind yourself why you are doing this. You want something better in your career. Focus on the importance of this to your career, and channel your thoughts in this direction.

You Ask Yourself What You Want

Reinvention happens when you decide what you want, and then take action to get it. Without an end in mind, you will wander aimlessly; and as long as you are aimless, you will be wasting time. You will feel lost. You will be like a stray leaf, going wherever the wind takes you.
Ask yourself the following questions:

• If it was impossible to fail, what would be different in my career?
• What type of job would I have?
• What would I be responsible for?
• What type of boss/co-workers/team would I have?
• What kind of hours would I work?
• What type of company would I work for?
• What sort of culture would the company have?
• What city would I live in?
• How much money would I make?
• How would I handle stress, my workload, and deadlines?
• How would I successfully be balancing work and life?

There is no right or wrong answers to these questions. The answers are what are true for you-not what someone else wants for you, but what is in your heart. Listen to yourself, and your answers will be the perfect ones for you.
In addition, don't let past mistakes or choices cloud your answers. It's not too late for you.

You Turn What You Want Into A Vision For Your Career

A vision is a picture of where you see yourself in the future. Your picture can describe where you want to be in a day, a week, a month, a year, or even farther into the future.
All goals are reached in the mind first. You see yourself both achieving that goal and experiencing the satisfaction it will bring you once you are there. This picture is what will help you to persevere during times of doubt. It will help you with your reinvention. Your picture will give you purpose, power, and excitement. Your picture will give you a reason to get out of bed every day.
Here's an example of a vision:

I will have a career that energizes me. I will work for a company that cares about its people and be responsible for projects that make a difference. I will be paid well for my contributions. I will have a great relationship with my boss, co-workers, and staff, and work with supportive people. I will work in a location with plenty of sunshine, for no more than eight hours a day. I will commute no more than a half-hour each way. I will feel calm when everyone around me is stressed and I will wake up every morning looking forward to the day.

Remember, reinvention is a journey. One day you may have no idea who you are anymore, and on another day, you will be grateful for the events that have transpired in your life because you have become a person you truly love.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

Take a step back in your Career

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

Take a step back in your Career
Take a step back in your Career
Are you moving forward in your career? Or, are you spinning your wheels wondering when the spinning will stop?
Do you feel at times that you are working hard, but not seeing the results you want? That you are trying to push your way past a brick wall that won't budge? Rather than pushing forward which is causing stress and frustration, why not pull back instead?
In order to move forward in your career, sometimes you have to take a step back. Back to a time and place when you had clarity and meaning; a time when things made sense to you.
Pulling back doesn't mean you've failed in your current situation. It just means you need to reassess a situation in your career to see if it's still working or not.
So, How Do You Take A Step Back? Follow These 4 Steps Below:

Decide to pull back

You can't get what you want in your career until you decide that you want it. Although this seems like a simple concept, many people miss this piece.
Decisions are powerful. They get you geared to go in a certain direction. Without a decision, the intent to do something is not there. Decide to pull back because you know in your gut that it's time to do so. You've been working hard and you need a break. Pulling back allows greater creativity. Decide to pull back because you know it will take you to a better place and you won't be able to reach your goals until you do.

Choose To "Be" Rather Than To "Do"

We are a bunch of do-ers. We like to have specific tasks to work on and enjoy putting check marks next to completed items on our to-do list.
But sometimes "doing" gets in the way because you get so wrapped up in what you have to do and you miss why you are doing it in the first place. "Doing" is good, but not if it keeps "being" out of the loop.
When you give yourself time to "be" you are able to gain focus and insight. When you're on overdrive, pushing becomes a way of life and you lose yourself. You get so caught up in your goals that you forget why you created those goals. Usually we rush towards something to get answers. Rushing won't provide the answers you are seeking, "being" will.

Give Yourself Time To Think

Thinking is not something we like to do. While we are thinking, negative thoughts may appear. Or, more things that we have to add to our to-do list.
Thinking is important because it gives your mind the outlet it needs to run well. Thoughts can only stay bottled for so long. Then, they need to be channeled somewhere. The amazing thing about your thoughts is they belong to you and only you. And when you take the time to listen, what you need to do next comes from you. Making time to think allows the real you to get out; a person you may want to get to know again.

Re-Choose Your Goals

As the days, weeks, and months go by, momentum slows down when we are trying to reach our goals. What once were goals that were inspiring, became hard work and frustration over time. This frustration you are feeling means it's time to reconnect with what's important to you.
Why did you choose your career goals initially? Did you choose them because they inspired you? If yes, remember that time you made your choice. Remember when you felt hopeful, excited, and optimistic. Tap into that feeling again and use it to get back on track in a more powerful, calmer, and empowering way. If you choose your goal because you felt you had no choice, reevaluate this choice. Choose your goals not because they've become something you "should" do, but because they are important to you.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy