Daisy Swan & Associates – December 2009 Newsletter

change [cheynj]: a transformation or modification; alteration; the passing from one place, state, form, or phase to another.

In the past three years, I have had the good fortune of reconnecting with some very old friends – classmates and colleagues. They aren’t really very old people, but our friendship is.

How many old friends and acquaintances have you connected with through Facebook and LinkedIn, in the past three years?

While these technologies feel somewhat overwhelming to me at times, I must say I’m really grateful to have some of my old pals closer than they were a mere three years ago, when I didn’t use these sites as much as I do now. In fact, it’s bringing me great satisfaction to reflect on how these friendships have been re-kindled over the past several years. Who would’ve thought?

[Daisy and her son, three years ago…]

I’m using this three-year mark because I now have a thirteen-year old son, and the changes in my son and our relationship couldn’t be greater, it seems. Three years, I’m realizing, often makes a huge difference at many points in life. Think about it. Think about how much your life changed between the ages of 21-24, 29-32, 45-48, 47-50, 54-57, and so on.

[Daisy and her son, three weeks ago…]

How did you manage the changes that took place? Did you roll with them? Agonize over them? Did you go through more than one job-hunt? Layoff? Did you feel more successful at one point, than at another? Did you fall in and out of love? Become a parent? Lose a loved one? Did you successfully complete an undergraduate or graduate degree? Of course, you did. Life happens. Change happens. Like it or not.

When I was in my twenties I loved to consult “The I Ching or Book of Changes”. It always gave me a different perspective to consider when dealing with challenges. I also enjoy Tarot cards, sometimes. And I also consult with my own intuition, and hard statistics, and friends. And I have some wonderful teachers and mentors who’ve helped me to learn and to find new ways of dealing with change. And I, in turn, support clients who want to makes changes in their lives, like switching from an office environment to working from home – or vice versa. Or clients who want more “life” in their lives; or who want more money in their lives.

What do you want for 2010?

Whether you make a list of New Year’s resolutions, or create a compelling vision for your year, take some time to envision what you want and where you want to be by this time, next year. The clearer your vision, the more likely you are to achieve your goal. Of course, we often stop ourselves from envisioning what we want by saying “No way that’s going to happen…”, or other negative things. But if we stay within the realm of possibility, write down what we want, remind ourselves of what we want, keep our awareness and motivation up, and actively move in the direction of our desire, we really can see our vision come to life.

Life happens to all of us. The change of life is all around us…even in the lives of those who we look at and say, “They have everything under control” or “Their lives look so stable.” Don’t be fooled. Change gets them, too.

To help you to deal with your changes, we’re making some of our own, here: We’ve got a couple of new programs coming up in the first part of the year; a new “Job Search and Likeminding Group“, and a special networking event (details TBA).

And in 2010 we’ll be bringing you some new technologies, new classes, and even a book! So stay tuned, and join us at our new programs, where you can meet others who are also making changes as they move towards their vision.

In the interim, here are a few resources that I’d like to share with you – you can also find a wealth of resources on my site, from suggested reads, links to helpful sites, a Q&A with me, newsletter archives, and more:

Dice.com – A great career and job search site for Technology professionals.

EDJOIN.org – A good resource for education jobs and careers.

Creative Hotlist – Job Searches, Portfolios and Recruiting for Graphic and Web Designers, Writers, Photographers and Illustrators.

“When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present“, by Gail Collins – This is a must-read to understand how we’ve evolved into the society that we are, where we now have choices that we often don’t see as choices, for both men and women.

And for those of you who are in the process of updating your résumé, you can sign up to receive a FREE résumé template from Daisy Swan & Associates; the signup box is located right on our home page. And please feel free to tell your friends and colleagues about our FREE résumé template.

Let’s make 2010 great. We’ve had enough of this downturn, right? Turn your frown upside down and let’s get on with things – in a new way.

See you in January!

Daisy