I know, I know, it's weird to talk about hibernation in the middle of summer (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere).

But I keep hearing from people who essentially feel "out of step" with the season.  In the midst of high temperatures, when it's beautiful to be outside, they are hunkering down, slowing the pace, and taking a rest in their careers.  Hibernating.

What's up with that?

First, I'd like to make a distinction between celebration (which is what summer feels
like to me) and hibernation (which is what winter feels like to me). 
And, we need both.  Well, of course, we need all of the seasons, but
the contrast between summer and winter is the most dramatic, so stay
with me here.

Celebration?  Sometimes, your career is going great.  You love your work.  It's
fun.  It's fulfilling.  You have big accomplishments.  You sign a new
client.  Your boss gives you a great performance review.  You're
promoted.  YIPPEEEE!

Hibernation?  Sometimes, things suck. That's blunt. 
But true.  You're ready to hang it up.  You feel slowed down.  Like a
turtle.  No, slower.  Like a polar bear, getting ready for the big nap.

Is celebration always better than hibernation?  Find out…

continue

Recently, one of my clients told me, “I only get things done when there’s a deadline attached to it.”  She was truly pleased that I had given her a deadline by which to complete a coaching assignment.  Otherwise, she dreaded that “it would never get done.” 

I started realizing how much people pressure themselves with deadlines.  I truly hate that word “dead” that’s at the front of “deadlines.”  Who wants to show up “dead” after doing all that work?  But with so much pressure, some people may as well be dead.  They just crush themselves under a condemning voice that always tells them what’s left to be completed. 

Look, it’s not as though I’m totally immune from deadline pressure, either.  But, actually, I prefer to have “lifeline” ease.

What’s “lifeline ease,” you ask?

Happy to answer.

I like to “throw” myself a lifeline in the form of the vision of the project being successfully completed.  In other words, I envision, from the start, a positive, happy, wonderful ending.  No, that’s not always easy to do.  Sometimes, I can’t believe how hard a task seems.  In that case, if things are feeling overwhelming, I’ll set a lifeline for a step that feels more manageable, a smaller chunk.  Or, I’ll imagine a positive lifeline in the form of a connection with someone who has the expertise to help me.  I’ll envision someone helpful showing up in my life.  For example, when my dissertation research was really stalled, I envisioned that I’d get a warm handshake and a smile from someone who had some idea how to help me out of my bind.  And, sure enough, that person emerged, in the form of a new chairwoman of my department.  She had some truly helpful advice that got me back on track, fast.

I prefer to see positive outcomes, and to allow myself to enjoy, as much as possible, each step along my journey.  I’m taking a different approach than pressuring myself and creating stress.  As I see it, our society is addicted to adrenaline.  It gets the job done in the moment, but over time, high-adrenaline lifestyles take their toll. 

Instead of setting a deadline, I encourage you to throw yourself a lifeline.  It’s also a little bit like a goal, but more like a target.  You know, with a target and a bow & arrow, how you’re trying to hit the bullseye? Well, that’s a pretty narrow spot.  What if you allow yourself a wider range?  That’s what I’m proposing with a lifeline.

So, for example, using lifeline might go something like this:

You have a paper you’re writing for work.  It will be presented at a conference in 30 days.  You know you’ll need at least 4 hours to write and edit the paper.  So, you make a promise to have it done within 28 days, so you’ll certainly have it done by then.  But you also set a “go for” of 20 days — a bit of a stretch.  And then, as a “super stretch,” you see if you can get it done in 14 days. 

Then, you track your progress.  You see how you’re doing.  And you know you can fulfill your promise to yourself.  You might also have the energy and time to “go for” it and get the paper done early.  And, if you feel really, really inspired, you might go for the super stretch.  Three “lifelines” all of which keep you moving and positive, not so stressed out. 

You can create “lifelines” for sales goals, for completion of “honey do” lists, and for lots of other projects. 

I hope you relax the need to work out of fear (”deadlines”), so you can do your work out of love (”lifelines”). 

Tell me what you think of lifelines, and how you use them.  I’d love to know!

To life!  L’chaim!
Susan

It’s a big deal for a mom to decide to go back to work, as my friends at YourOnRamp most assuredly know (YourOnRamp is a resource-rich website for anyone thinking of on- or off-ramping from work).  Many women agonize over the decision.  They wonder if they are being a bad mom.  They may feel guilty going back to work if their own mother was a stay-at-home mom.  There are all of the arrangements — daycare, backup childcare, working hours, commuting, and much more. 

 All working moms, in my opinion, should be given a paid day off a week, because boy, do they work hard!

So, moms re-entering the workforce need all the support they can get.  And I want to share an information-packed video for all working moms who may be outside the San Francisco Bay Area who missed the View from the Bay show with LinkedIn PR Manager Krista Canfield, who spoke about what to do if you’re a mom who’s going seeking new work:

• Begin your hunt at least six months before you want to start work
• Update your skills and talents, if necessary, with courses
• Be a news hound
• Give your resume a facelift (you can learn to do this masterfully through the Job Search Gym)
• Do your homework on salaries (Use salary.com and payscale.com)
• Reconnect and rebuild your business network (of course, LinkedIn is amazing for this!)
• Feel confident in your dress
• Tap into local resources, like your state’s department of labor office, and of course, blogs!

Happy hunting to all you amazing moms!
Dr. Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author

www.WorkFromWithin.com

Work From Within, LLC

PS – I’m very happy to be newly-officially-affiliated with YourOnRamp as one of their featured career coaches — take a peek!

 I’m excited to share with you, dear readers, about a book that’s a gem for people who are returning to work after some time off.  It’s especially great for moms who are ready to add either full- or part-time work to their days, and is also helpful for anyone who might want to make sense of the working world after having been away….like traveling, taking medical leave, or working on a family project. 

This skinny book, Your Career OnRamp, is jam-packed with tips, suggestions, activities and inspiration for making a career change.  The authors, Catherine Clifford and Millie Froeb, spent lots of time gathering information from people who are experts in career change, both those who help people in transitions, like me, and people who have onramped (and offramped) and know what it takes.  It’s an amazing distillation of helpful ways to consider where you’re going.  The chapters help you assess your readiness for change, get support, discover your life path, consider education, create self-marketing tools, build your network, find your job, prepare for interviews, and assess jobs you’ve been offered.

I’m thrilled to announce that Catherine and Millie invited me to include an activity in this valuable book.  You’ll find a way to look at the activity I created, Drains, Gains & Desires, on pages 34 and 35.  Completing the information in this chart will give you a way to get clearer on where you’re headed as you onramp again.  So will the other exercises provided by a wealth of innovative career counselors and coaches.

I hope you’ll consider investing in Your Career OnRamp.

Wishing you well,
Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author

www.WorkFromWithin.com

Work From Within, LLC

Thinking about making a major career shift, particularly into a healing or helping profession?

You’re not alone!

Over the course of three postings (this is the third of them) I’m sharing a perspective that came to me from Sumya Ojakli, a marketing and positioning expert.  Both of us have "downsized" our lives, so that they are now filled with greater meaning, and so that we have the time to be with others (that’s how we both had the time to talk — that would’ve been a scheduling nightmare in my former consulting life!)

Let’s look now at two more types of people who are making career shifts…

Caregivers – These are predominantly moms, as more women than
men are making the switches from caring for family to working, although we must acknowledge dads for playing this vital role, too!  (PS – the photo is of my best friend, Karen (wonderful web developer), and her husband Brian, caregivers to the unstopped Ms. Sara)

Finally,
these caregivers are being recognized in the working world by sites like YourOnRamp. Caregivers often choose a career
related to a holistic product or service out of their own life experience.  Imagine, for example, the mom who
wants to keep her kids healthy. She might try Method home cleaning products and love
that they are environmentally-friendly, or discover organic snacks like ClifBars, to rival the icky chemical-laden
mass market treats out of the vending machine. As a lover of these wholesome
products and services, the Caregiver chooses to pursue employment with a
company that is doing good, so she can feel good about what she is doing for
the planet and for herself.

Are you a Caregiver looking to return to a career, but not just any career?  You want one with meaning, right?  You want one that won’t sap your soul, your time, or your energy.  I encourage you to do two things:

(1) If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can attend a workshop on Monday, March 4th, 2008 in Menlo Park.  I’ll be joining with the team of YourOnRamp for an evening of education and networking for moms and others returning (on-ramping) to work.  Register and pay online at the YourOnRamp site.   

(2) Look at some innovative job sites…like JustMeans which posts jobs for people who want to make a difference, or Bridgestar, which hooks up job seekers with non-profits. 

And, let’s look at the other group of individuals who are looking for career changes in the holistic arena…

Seekers or lost souls – Many of these people get the inner sense that “I have a purpose,” but they feel lost on their journey.  Often, they feel disconnected from the world in some way, and may wander, not settle down, and wonder where they belong.  This is often because they have not yet found or trusted in their real purpose.  They tend to take sustenance jobs, or move from job to job.  Their treasure is buried within them, but they do not tend to trust it. (PS – check out the artwork of the artist, Shanti Marie, who created this mystical painting — it dazzles me!)

If the "seeker" or "lost soul" sounds like you, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to ground yourself…in other words, find a way to put down some roots and nourish yourself.  That means finding your community and committing to finding your purpose and your work in the world.  Instead of taking jobs that allow you to just "scrape by," do something to nourish yourself every day and invest some energy in first finding your passion and then make it a priority for yourself.  That might mean taking art classes, participating in a workshop, or starting to sell and promote your products and services.  Find outlets to share your gifts, so that they can give back to you.  Get help and support from others. 

The world is becoming more holistic and connected. So with tools like Facebook to build community and iUniverse, CreateSpace, Lulu, and CafePress, you have many venues open for selling your writing and art with little to no upfront costs. 

So, start noticing.  Do you see more and more people crossing over to work that speaks to them?  Maybe you’re one of them, or will soon be.  If that’s you, I’d love to feature your story on the Work from Within blog.  Get in touch if you’d like to be included! 

Here’s to meaningful change,
Susan

Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author

www.WorkFromWithin.com

Work From Within, LLC

PS – Thanks again, Sumya, for an enriching conversation…glad to have a fellow journeyer extending her knowledge and our personal story to others. 

In my last posting, I started a theme about people who are moving from corporate careers to healing careers, based on a fast-paced, enervating conversation with branding maven Sumya Ojakli. Together, we looked at the psychographics of those  people.   

If you are considering a career change, perhaps one of these groups speaks to you…

The Aligned Professional – another group that is making the career
change is actually already in the
healing world. This group has, in some way, shape, or form,
already been in some aspect of the healing or helping world. Included in this tribe might be a massage
therapist or an acupuncturist already.

Aligned professionals start to recognize that they are not making enough money to
keep going. They want to expand
themselves or their practice; their desires is to become even more whole –
making their practice holistic or more well rounded. So, for example, the massage therapist might teach
her clients The Sedona Method or a
chiropractor might bring on a massage therapist and start encouraging her
clients to utilize herbal supplements.

These practitioners, according to Sumya, are seeing that they need to be
more “whole,” including being friendly to the environment. As the LOHAS
(lifestyles of health and sustainability) movement grows, we know that “green”
and “health” oriented pursuits should fare well over the next few years, as
this trend seems to be here to stay. As an example, my friend, Dr. Joel Kreisberg, a homeopath, made his practice in Berkeley a stunning example of green healthcare, based on the principles of the Teleosis Institute. 

If you are an aligned professional and sensing it’s time for a change with work, I encourage you to look at what’s happening in the green and sustainable communities that might interest you.  It might be time to go back to school, or to take some courses.  Or, perhaps it’s time to affiliate with other practitioners whose practices might complement yours.  If you’ve got entrepreneurial inclinations but aren’t sure what they are, or want help clarifying them, perhaps it’s time for a visioning session.  If so, I welcome you to get in touch!

Now, on to another group of career shifters…

Creatives – Another
group that is making career changes are talented creative types. Like
writers,
artists and teachers. These folks tend to be on a different
schedule
than those in the corporate world, having a lot more flexibility. But,
they also tend to need more money. As such, they look to pare down
expenses. Frequently, they want to be
able to heal themselves without having to go to the doctor. The concept
of healing from within — rather
than popping pills to make their ailments go away –  is comforting to
mind, body, spirit, and
checkbook.

Creatives tend to transform what has been self healing into
a form of a supplementary income. So,
for example, a teacher might find a way to create a supplementary income by
selling a product she loves, like vitamin supplements
or Deepak Chopra
Ayurvedic products. Lovers of
learning, Creatives tend to be in a consistent mode of self-education, and they
want to incorporate what they have learned about healing as part of their
income-generation approach.

If you are an aligned professional and finding you’re not making enough money, I personally encourage you to consider ways to make some passive income, including joining relevant affiliate programs such as Commission Junction.
When all of your work comes from your time with clients, you’re income
stream is limited by the number of clients you can see.  So, teaching
workshops, for example, is a way to earn more per hour.  You can
potentially earn even more by creating informational products.  Books
like
Timothy Ferris’ The 4-Hour Workweek share lots of tips for doing this.

In my third of three installments on leaving a corporate career for a healing or helping profession, I’ll highlight two other types of career changers. 

Happy changing,
Susan

Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author

www.WorkFromWithin.com

Work From Within, LLC
 

Is it just me, or do you also see more people getting fed up with frustrating work where they are not appreciated, to opting for much more meaningful work? 

Are you one of these people?  Or would you like to be?

Recently, I felt a pang to connect with people who, like me, have crossed over from a life in Corporate America to doing work that’s more meaningful.  So, I posted a question on LinkedIn (one of my favorite tools for making meaningful connections) looking for such kindred folks, and heard back from a number of people, including Sumya Ojakli. 

Sumya is a branding maven with a wealth
of branding experiences from places like Snowball.com and GoldenBooks Family
Entertainment. She’s the person who
helped re-introduce Pat the Bunny to the world, infusing “emotional branding” into
this sweet character. Much like me, Sumya reassessed
and simplified her own life. She’s currently running her own
company, Evolution and Strategy, helping individuals and companies to
brand themselves more effectively in today’s changing marketplace.

Between us, Sumya and I know plenty of corporate folks who’ve ditched the cubicle, the
office building, and the “grind” of corporate life made major transitions.  Some have become massage
therapists, Reiki practitioners, psychotherapists, shamans, or naturopaths. 

According to Sumya, there are five types of people who are
making major career changes related to the healing or helping arts. Looking at the world this way helps me to understand some of the phenomena I am seeing in the world.  I thought you, my genteel readers, might be going through career changes yourselves, and might gain some insights by looking at these categories.  I’ll start with posting about one today, and then go through four more types over the next few days.

(1) MAXXED OUT:  Professionals who are
wanting to make a change in their lives, because things
have gotten to be “too
much.” They are traveling too much
and working too much. Often, their health
is not good, and they experience breakdowns in their bodily systems. Along their road back to health, they meet a
practitioner who empowers themselves to do the curing for themselves. These professionals are indebted to the healing
practice they have discovered. So they
want to bring the cure to others and spread the word.

Some of these professionals pare down their
work and practice their new-found healing on the side. Others leave their prior career to do healing
full-time. Sumya sees this trend
particularly among lawyers, many of whom leave large firms to start their own
firms, discover that’s still stressful, and decide to change direction. Sumya told me of a lawyer who became an
acupuncturist. For this woman, the
switch to even a very basic law practice was too much. She sold her apartment, pared down her life,
and is much happier. Makes sense.

From Sumya’s view, professionals are the toughest sale and
hardest to make the career transition. Often,
self-fulfillment means walking away from their former profession, which can
feel like letting go of what seems to be a safety net and a life preserver. But, as I know, when your career is killing
you, you often have no choice but to let go of what looks safe to take the new
path. That’s certainly been my story.

From what I’ve learned from coaching professionals, making
this sort of radical career change takes place slowly. If this life path compels you, and tugs at
your heart, then you put one foot in front of the other long enough, making
little changes, until you’re finally in a new life. You might first take a sabbatical, or do
part-time work. You might take a class
that leads you to a new interest, and pursue that interest in parallel with a
new, easier job. These are just a few
paths. Success in the new life rarely
comes overnight, but rarely is success defined as it used to be. After running around on airplanes, staying in
meetings until all hours of the night, and slaving over projects that
ultimately get killed, having time to yourself feels like success. Being able to see friends feels like
success. Taking a mid-day walk — as
Sumya does — feels like success.

At the same time, money generally feels less important. Whoa, Nelly, not unimportant. Just not acquired for its own sake. In the
“old” life, money was acquired “to be safe,” and now, you recognize that safety
comes from having your own inner assets and using them. Often, professionals start paring down, getting
rid of possessions (not everything!) that feel unnecessary.  Discovering and becoming involved with the simplicity movement can bring camaraderie and ease.  Money coaching can also help to reveal and heal underlying issues with inner and outer prosperity.

Do you relate to this type?

If you’ve made the transition already, what helped you navigate the changes? If you’re in the midst of making this kind of change, what’s your experience? And if you’re contemplating this type of change but feel stuck, what holds you in place?

What questions do you have about this type of change?  I’ll do my best to respond…I’d love to help you find work and a life that truly fits for you.  And, more on the other four "types" of meaning-filled career changers in the next two editions…stay tuned!

Constantly in change,
Susan

Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author

www.WorkFromWithin.com

Work From Within, LLC