Boss driving you crazy with micro-managing, irrational, controlling behavior, or not giving you the support and direction you need? Co-worker stealing your ideas and taking credit for work that you did? Mind-numbing, repetitive work or projects making you feel like quitting your job, right now? Or do you feel intimidated and under-qualified for the job…not talented enough, not smart enough, and generally overwhelmed?

You’re in good company. These stress and anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings induce a kind of tunnel vision. We hyper-focus on what’s not working, and often our conversations and thoughts keep coming around to the same points of dissatisfaction, and how we’re wanting to get rid of the problem.

Here are a few actions that have worked for my clients and have created some mental space, to alleviate some of the anxiety:

1. Take some time right now, and consider what your boss – or other annoying co-worker – is dealing with in their work or lives that prompts them to behave as they do. Who’s breathing down their neck? What life crisis are they possibly dealing with? What personality issue are they over-compensating for? As you consider these questions you might still be angry, but see if you can shift your view to see that this behavior is not always about you, and remember that we, too, are someone else’s difficult person. Perhaps there’s a conversation to be had with this other ‘human’, who’s more than just a label. Sometimes, just imaging what they looked like when they were 10 or 14 years old can help you make this shift.

Imagine yourself where you hope to be in 10 years.

2. Consider how this job is moving you forward on your path. What are you learning in this position that will serve you at a later point in your career? Creating reports or uploading images may not figure in your life dream, but having the discipline and grit to stick with the job right now, will undoubtedly be part of the story of how you got where you’re going, down the road.

3. Feeling inadequate is often a part of the growth curve; part of how we develop in our competencies. If we’re always feeling on top of our game we can’t be stretching ourselves. Yes, some of us suffer from too much ‘less than’ thinking. This is where we may need to do a reality check; ask others more questions about how they got to where they are. Find out what it’s taken others to achieve. And force yourself to recognize that it often just looks like everyone else always knows what they’re doing. Often, people are making things up and hoping for the best. They are trying things and then adjusting. Making mistakes is often how we learn our best lessons. If you find you really don’t like what you’re learning, then you’ll know it’s time to make a career shift.

Read this original article as it appeared on My L.A. Lifestyle.

I’ve done a lot of things in my life, lived in many places, and have gone through multiple personal transitions – some of which have been easier than others, while some have taken longer than others. Sometimes it seemed as though things had changed overnight, but really, the changes that occurred took years of marination…kind of like what they say about an “overnight success story”: They take 10 years.

So how long does it take to make a real career change? Four years.
In my experience, it takes four years to enter a new field, to (re-)educate, to develop a new network in that field, and to gain meaningful experiences that introduce you as a player – which then leads to gathering credibility and accessibility to your new work and new career. Of course there will be exceptions to this rule, but I do believe that even if someone were to fast-track it, they would still feel – internally – that they were in a learning curve for at least four years.

Shocked? Dismayed? I know. So here’s the deal: If you admit that you keep saying something like, ‘I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do with my life,’ or, ‘I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up,’ I recommend that you stop and take a good, hard look at where you are and make a grown-up decision. If you want to do something different with your work — your career — get going. Hire me, or someone else, to help you figure it out. Time is of the essence. Do you want to be four years older when you realize that you have four more years to get where you want to be?

I’ve worked with so many clients who started out by saying, ‘I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to come in and do this’. Clients often begin panicked, because they’ve waited until their alimony is almost done, or their family is growing, or their lifestyle is changing, or they’ve lost their job (maybe wanted to lose, it long ago)…but now what?

In short, they’ve waited until they have six months or two weeks – or two days – and they know they need to make a change, but now they’re up against the hard truth.

Really, even if you’ve waited until it feels too late in the game, there are actions that can be taken, changes that can be made. There are always options. I just want you to have the option to choose the option you really want.

Read this original article as it appeared on My L.A. Lifestyle.

How do you define a successful year? What goals do you still have on your list from 2013? Do you have clear action items for each goal? During this January 27 SAG Foundation “LifeRaft” Panel, panelists discussed methods of goal setting and strategic planning to set Screen Actors Guild members up for a successful 2014. Panel members included Ryan Basham, Oona Mekas, Daisy Swan and Ben Whitehair, with Moderator, Dennis Baker, LifeRaft Program Director. The topics in this discussion don’t just apply to SAG members, so watch the video now!

Guest Contributor for My L.A. Lifestyle

Conducting a conversation with someone we don’t feel at ease with, can have us feeling a little rattled and unnerved. We wonder how the other person will respond to us, and we might feel apprehensive.

Many clients tell me that they regularly have interactions with their boss(es) and co-workers that have them feeling uncomfortable, and wondering how they can – or could have – better handle those situations.

How do you know if you’re communicating what you really want to communicate?

One of the most important things to do when you know there’s possible tension or ambiguity in any given relationship – and/or the communication between you and another – is to become clear in yourself about what’s happening for you with this person. Spend some time understanding what you see as your role in the relationship, and in the communication. Then look at the other person’s role, as well.

Author Stephen Covey suggests, “Seek to understand, then be understood.” There are several questions to ask yourself: Where/how are you judging the other person and what does your judging language sound like? How does this impact what you think about this other person, and then how do you behave because of these thoughts? What are your expectations of the other person? Have you actually stated your expectations, or are you silently and non-verbally communicating these? What might you have been avoiding in this situation?

Approaching a co-worker, boss (or anyone else, for that matter) with clear intention is key to clean communication with another person. Start your conversations with what you appreciate about the other person and what they’ve been bringing to the situation; what’s been working. Proceed with other points from there. Everyone needs more appreciation and encouragement!

Need buy-in from someone? Know what’s important to that person; what will help them to be influenced by you to agree to what you want to do. Do your homework to understand as much as you possibly can so that the other person understands how he or she will benefit from your idea. Need to work together on something but haven’t gotten off to a good start? Apologize and admit to your part in the situation. Establish a level playing field of humanity so that you have the opportunity to establish trust…the sort of trust that encourages giving the benefit of the doubt to each other.

Most importantly: Listen.

Most of us are so busy trying to be sure that we make our own points in a conversation, that we don’t focus enough on the person who’s speaking. Tuning in to others as they speak, giving them your full attention. This goes a long way in helping someone feel heard and seen – something most of us are really yearning for. Be sure that you understood what was being expressed by going over their talking points. And not to state the obvious, but…eye contact, an open posture and smiling, all help to create a collegial interaction.

Read this original article as it appeared on My L.A. Lifestyle.

Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) II: Cultivating Positive Emotions
(formerly Finding Happiness)

(a UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center program led by Career Coach, Daisy Swan)

This MAPs II class emphasizes heart-based qualities that complement mindfulness and can be cultivated through meditation practices. We will explore loving kindness, compassion, equanimity (even-mindedness), joy, generosity, and gratitude.

We will learn new meditations to develop these qualities, tools to work with when we find them ourselves stuck and not feeling positive emotions, and practical exercises to incorporate them into our daily life. This is a helpful expansion to our basic mindfulness practice.

Each class is a dynamic, interactive combination of lecture, practice, and group feedback and discussion. MAPs is taught in a context of a supportive community environment with classes no larger than 30-40 students. Daisy Swan will be leading this class series; she has years of personal experience practicing mindfulness, and teaching it.

* Prerequisite: MAPs I or equivalent
If you have not taken a MAPs I class at MARC, please email us a brief description of you equivalent experience to [email protected] before class start date.

MAPs classes meet weekly for two (2) hours per week for six (6) weeks.

These six-week class series’ are open to the public and to all UCLA staff, faculty, and students. MAPs is helpful for people of all backgrounds and religions. These classes are suitable for ages 16 and over.

Dates / Time: Sundays, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM; Starting Jan 15th-Feb 26th, (no class on Feb 19th)

Location: Biz Haus Co-Working Space at 1730 Holly Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245

To register, Click Here >>

For more information, please email [email protected].

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A new study claims that if a woman’s office wardrobe is viewed as “too sexy” it may hurt her career.

Daisy Swan is a career coach who agrees. She spoke with CBS2′s Rachel Kim about the so-called wardrobe secrets of successful women in the workplace, and says dressing too sexy for work could be career suicide.

“It’s lack of good judgement to wear something that is inappropriate for the workplace,” Swan said, noting it’s become harder for women to know what’s appropriate because the work environment has become more casual over the years.

That’s especially true in Southern California.

“We do have a sector that’s very conservative; we’ve got the attorneys, we’ve got the finance folks, but we also have Hollywood and a start-up culture,” she said.

Business etiquette experts say unflattering assumptions are made about women who wear provocative clothes and they’re not taken seriously. The study, published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, found that women in high-level positions, like managers, who dressed in what was viewed as “sexy” outfits were viewed as less competent, regardless of their skill sets. But those in lower-levels positions, like receptionists, were not.

Caleigh Raymer, 27, is an engineer for a construction company who is nevertheless unafraid to show how she’s built.

“I probably dress sexier than my older colleagues. It’s tight fitting, but not too revealing. I don’t think it’s racy, I think it’s confidence… I don’t think I should have to hide it just because I’m in a professional setting in a male-dominated industry,” she said.

But some believe Raymer’s confidence can hurt how people at work view her competence.

“I’ll be in a meeting for 30 minutes and they’ll say, ‘OK, what do you do again?’” she said. “[I] definitely don’t get the same respect.”

Experts advise women avoid tight and short skirts and dresses, low-cut necklines, tops with thin straps or sheer fabric. They also advise keeping your stomach covered and wearing heels no more than three inches high.

“Understated elegance is a good rule of thumb,” Swan said. “Study what you see around you and work towards that in terms of your wardrobe.”

And with upcoming holiday parties, Swan warns it’s okay to glam it up, but wear something that’s in keeping with your role in the office.

“Not too much cleavage. Keep things simple. It’s not an opportunity to show off your curves and your great legs. You might do that, too, but it’s really still work — it’s fun, but it’s work,” she explained.

Raymer meanwhile says she won’t tone it down because the way she dresses makes her feel and look good.
“I’m waiting for the job environment to change. I don’t plan to change,” she said.

The Source: CBS Los Angeles

Guest Contributor for My L.A. Lifestyle

Ever look around and wonder how the people you know, got to where they are? I know you have. We all do this. We especially wonder about the people who have driven us crazy, right? Or perhaps a boss or your boss’ boss…how did they get there?

Career development is a little mysterious but also quite simple, like cooking. We start with a basic recipe: Relevant skills and strong personal development, like good listening, writing, speaking and presenting, a good sense of humor, and the ability to get the job done – and done well. Then add a bit of luck – being in the right place at the right time. Or friends and colleagues who become a good network and offer job referrals, and can be counted on to compare and share stories and ideas. If we’re talking a really fine recipe, we’d add a solid, strong mentor who offers guidance and well-timed introductions. Now we’re looking at one excellent career.

But wait…there’s also the important ingredient of risk-taking, of asking for more opportunity – holding your hand up, for the chance to do something no one is doing (yet), that needs to be done. There’s that bit about stretching into the work that you don’t know so much about, when you can see it will take you in a valuable direction – even if you don’t know exactly where it will lead.

Add a healthy dose of trust and optimism. Trust that somehow the next leap will land you close enough to what you want, that you’re willing to have a conversation with someone who might just be the person who becomes the bridge to that next opportunity. Or maybe it’s five or ten people with whom you need to speak, before the vision of that opportunity begins to take real shape.

And then there’s the learning and refreshing of our perspective, that’s critical to modern career life. Careers in this century take a lot of updating of information. One way or another, we need to update ourselves to stay current. Reading, taking classes, staying on top of new ways of communicating or presenting, are required to keep that career path humming along.

Tired? Burned out? We need to care for ourselves like a soufflé…a good recipe can go bad if we don’t pay attention to where we are. Take time off to cool down, slow up, and check the recipe for a good life…the recipe that’s just right for you.

Have you missed any of these steps? Just remember that they all take time to do, so plan your time accordingly and look ahead. There will be another opportunity; be ready for it.

Read the rest of the article here.

In the world of jobs, every year there are some changes. Old jobs that become less frequent and are already about to disappear and new jobs that jump on the job market. Usually, online jobs are among the most advanced and modern jobs.

However, there are also a few jobs that are related to hobbies and sports. These type of jobs include instructors, teachers, and pro athletes or pro gamblers for casino games.     

Unusual yet increasing: pro gambling

For many aspects, we shouldn’t even think of pro gambling as to a real job or career, but when you ask someone who loves to play poker or roulette games what about gambling, they will surely tell you that it’s a job for them.      

Actually, pro gamblers have to train for long hours in order to gain some expertise with a particular game. Usually, poker gamblers are also very skilled in blackjack games and roulette gamblers are also specialized in the American version of roulette.

Tips

If you want to become a pro gambler prepare yourself to hard training and to keep record of all your results. Records help you see your progress. Another good tip is to try to control your emotions and sensations the best way possible, otherwise you might ruin a successful poker hand for nothing.

Again, training plays an important and crucial role. You should consider to train using different casinos and different platforms: this will give you a better insight on the many difficulty levels you might meet.

Use http://www.casinoelarab.com as your next casino platform. This is a gambling platform featuring top casinos in the Arabic language. However, each single casino offers an English version.

Get international!

With Casino El Arab, gamblers who speak only Arabic and don’t want to struggle with other languages can find the best casino games and best bonus opportunities. The featured casinos of Casino El Arab offer exclusive bonuses for new registered members.

More opportunities comes from the excellent 24/7 support service which is ready to help and to suggest gamblers the best tips in order to win more often.

Consider that with Casino El Arab you can choose from a wide range of payment methods, including some of the most popular ones, such as Neteller, Paypal, bank accounts.

Casinos in Arabic Countries

Normally, Arabic Countries don’t accept the presence of gambling on their territories due to religious facts – in fact, muslims consider easy money as perverted – but it’s a matter of fact that today more and more Arabians would love to try at least once the thrill of a real Vegas rush.

That’s why Casino El Arab is today the most targeted and known online platform in the gambling market for Arabian gamblers.

Most popular games

At Casino El Arab you can find the most popular casino games: the roulette (French and American), poker and video poker, blackjack and more card games. Slots are also offered as part of the game selection and include a wide range of titles and styles.

Stress is a common problem that affects millions of people from all across the globe. In fact, research studies shows that it's one of the main causes of common mental disorders. Luckily, there are a number of things that you can take part in to de-stress and promote your overall health. Below are 3 fun activities that you can count on to relieve stress.

Physical Exercises

There are hundreds of physical exercises that you can take part in during your leisure time. Apart from relieving stress, they improve blood circulation, strengthen joints, build muscles, and promote heart health. This will significantly reduce your preferences to various cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and heart attack. To get maximum benefits, it is recommendable to work out with a team or colleagues who share the same ideologies and objectives. Use your time management skills to come up with a schedule so as to meet all your other obligations. Some of the best physical exercises include Yoga, Swimming, Running, and Gymnastics among others. Be sure to follow the instructions provided by the instructor to avoid injuries, especially during the initial stages as the body gets acquainted.

Online Casinos

Advancements in technology has led to development of Canadian online casinos that players can access from comfort of their homes or offices. One of the major benefits of becoming a member in one of these casinos is that you will save money and time that would have been spent driving to a local casino. Also, there is no limit on when you can take part in any gambling game as the websites are available 24/7. To avoid chances of fraud, the managements of most Casinos have come up with strict protocols and ethics that all members have to adhere to. They have even gone a step further to install high quality software that automatically run the games and maintain high levels of transparency at all times. Again, in some casinos such as the Canadian online casinos, you can deposit and withdraw money from your account at any time using accredited money transfer companies and credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard.

Consider Travelling

This is one of the most popular ways of de-stressing as evident from number of people who travel from their home country or town to new environs just to see the natural features such as mountains and lakes. There are thousands of places that you can visit during the weekend without necessarily spending a fortune. You just have to do a background research and budget to avoid plunging yourself into financial turmoil. It is recommendable to carry some snacks and soft drinks when going for the trip to keep your body hydrated and healthy. Depending on where you intend to travel, check the type of foods that are served in local restaurants if you are on diet or allergic to certain ingredients. Finally, book your tickets in advance to avoid last minute rush.

De-stressing is one of the guaranteed ways of living a healthy and productive lifestyle. Again, budget and consider your other obligations to avoid making costly compromises.

Daisy Swan, now a contributor to
Find Bliss Magazine!

Read her article in the July 2013 issue, here…

The key to success could simply be showing up just as you are.

It’s all about branding when it comes to marketing ourselves for a new job, an online dating profile, or even in our current workplace. We want to present an intentionally consistent ‘brand message’ so that people (or consumers) know what they can expect from us. This is also known as a brand promise.

By Daisy Swan

When we buy a Coke, we expect it to taste like a Coke and not a Pepsi. If we taste the latter, we feel duped and confused. As individuals, our brand message is supported by the language used to describe us on LinkedIn or Facebook. Similarly our resume is representative of our professional skills and accomplishments. The information we share on social media should present a consistent view while weaving a bit of our uniqueness depending on the marketing platform. No matter if you’re looking for a new job, a potential mate, or simply being aware and strategic at work, you need to be clear and intentional about how your customers, boss, and others perceive you.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest achievement. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I find these words of Ralph Waldo Emerson inspiring; I have them framed in our family bathroom because I like my son and I to see these words every day- they’re a reminder that staying true to oneself is not only essential to authentic happiness, but also personal and professional success. You may be thinking: Easy to say, not so easy to do.

Most of us want to feel a sense of belonging . Without it, we can feel a bit edgy and insecure. When I worked as a graphic designer at a magazine in my 20s, I worked with a team of highly creative people who liked to come in late and work late. I, on the other hand, wanted to come in early, do my work, and leave so I could attend classes, concerts, and dinners with friends. Initially I wanted to fit in because I loved the creative energy of the people and place, and liked that I was doing something “creative.” To be honest, I didn’t really fit in. By leaving that job, I was being true to myself. Making this sort of decision can feel risky; but finding our true fit makes it worthwhile.

Be honest. Are you working to fit in with your work? Are you trying to be someone else for someone else?

Do you notice you keep more than a professional distance from those you work with? Do you feel like you can’t shine amongst your peers because you don’t want to be known or seen? Is someone casting a shadow over you? Showing up genuinely brings us satisfaction and often the reward of recognition of our true gifts. If you’re not bringing all of you to your work, you won’t know just how much of a fit you can have where you are. And really, isn’t that the truth about being who we are in any area of our lives? Be you. Market yourself genuinely, and then show up that way. Be your brand promise for you and everyone else.

Daisy Swan, founder of Daisy Swan & Associates and author of Making Work Work: Secrets from a Career Coach’s Office works with clients of all ages who are motivated to find the lifestyle that authentically works for them: daisyswan.com.