Daisy Swan - Los Angeles Career Coach, Career Counselor and career strategy

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Happy 2014!

You might be back at work or getting back into your routine, now that the official holiday break weeks are over. Personally, I'm getting over the cold that I got while away, vacationing. That's what we do, right? Take time off to let our guard down, then find ourselves forced to slow down waaaay more than we'd expected.

But now I'm rested and ready to help more people find the work and lifestyle that holds the most meaning for them.

How - and where - do you find the meaning and value of what you do in your life?

Hopefully, the work that you're doing is feeding you (and your loved ones) in more ways than one. But I know for many of you, the nourishment feels - or actually is - less than what you desire.

How Work and Home add up to you

Take a moment to check in right now, and think about how your work (and home!) life is adding up for you. The following short quiz will help you assess signifiers that are important to most of us:

1) When I wake up, I think about the people and the projects that I get to work with in the upcoming day, and feel energized to get going.

YesNO

2) My significant other/friends look to me for advice about managing their time and money because I have found ways to juggle my fun and responsibilities, so that I'm not out of balance all of the time.

YesNO

3) I work out or do some sort of physical activity at least three days per week because it makes me feel good, and I enjoy the break it gives me from work and home pressures.

YesNO

4) The creative and logical sides of my brain are put to use almost equally each week at work and/or at home. This affords me the opportunity to try new ways of looking at projects and people.

YesNO

5) My compensation is appropriate and fair for the work that I do. While I'd like to make more money, I know that I'm earning a reasonable income for my work.

YesNO

6) I feel heard and seen at work and at home, and know that I'm able to communicate clearly with the people around me.

YesNO

If you answered "NO" to three or more of these questions, you are most likely one of the people who is looking for a new way to live your life in 2014. I know what it's like to answer those questions with "NO's". We want more "YES's" in life!

The coaching and classes that I offer, help my clients to enjoy more of those "YES's". So here's what we have coming up�

You might wonder why a career coach is teaching mindfulness classes � or, maybe it's obvious. We now know that an intentional 10-20 minutes of mindfulness practice � simple to do, but not always simple to bring ourselves to do � can increase happiness and satisfaction levels at work and at home. It really does improve our health and wellbeing, provides new ways of relating to those around us, and most importantly, it improves our relationship with ourselves and how we perceive our circumstances.

This quiet time helps us to calm our nervous system, which is essential since we're often just operating on adrenalin and caffeine! Not a winning combo, when we have so many important decisions to make all day long. Our next "Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) I" for Daily Living class series begins Wednesday, January 15.

Office Time

And to address frustrating and stressful communication issues that can really take us down the tube, and undermine our ability to achieve the results we hope for (see quiz question #6, above), I'm offering my next "Calm Communication" class, beginning Thursday, January 23. Utilizing a variety of techniques, conversation and assignments, you'll find new ways of being in conversation with others (and yourself!) that can pave the way to a whole new way of relating to your world.

And if you, like so many of us, find yourself recognizing that you're ready to look at the transitions that you know you need to address, I hope you'll join me for my six-week teleclass, "In Transition: Choosing a Happier Way to What's Next", which begins on Tuesday, January 21. Previous participants had these comments after completing the last teleclass:

"I took a 'transitions' workshop with Daisy in the Fall of 2013. We covered a lot of helpful territory such as resumes, informational interviews, self-assessment and imagination exercises. We also explored ways to tap into personal, internal resources and energy, which was equally if not more helpful than the more familiar topics. These strategies have helped me feel more personally powerful and grounded during my career change, which, in turn, provides a boost for taking all of those other external actions."

~ K.K., September/October 2013 "In Transition: Choosing a Happier Way to What's Next" Coaching Class Participant

"I love the small group formula as listening to other life experiences and insights helped me to step out of my own questions. Career change brings some similar emotions amongst people although in different contexts. It was truly a joy to listen and be listened to. It also kept me on my toes. I had to do my homework if I wanted to share something with the group.

Daisy brought us various tools that address the emotional issue of career change as well as very practical tools, such as resume building, interview preparation and various tips to help transition into this new career.

The reason why I took the class was because I wanted to clarify what my 'next career move' would be. I now know where I want to head."

~ G.G., September/October 2013 "In Transition: Choosing a Happier Way to What's Next" Coaching Class Participant

Coming up next: Some transitions of my own.

What's in store for me, in the New Year? Well for starters, I have a new logo and new web site design, headed this way. I'll also be announcing a host of new event and class offerings.

If you have a particular request for a certain kind of program that you'd like to see me offer, I'd love to hear what that might be! Please feel free to email us with any feedback or requests: [email protected] or [email protected].

As always, here are some suggested books that I've been enjoying:

"Wired for Love: How Understanding Your Partner's Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and Build a Secure Relationship", by Stan Tatkin PsyD MFT (Author), Harville Hendrix PhD (Foreword)

"Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself", by Kristin Neff

"To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others", by Daniel H. Pink

"Saying What's Real: 7 Keys to Authentic Communication and Relationship Success", by Ph.D. Susan Campbell

As always, you can also find a wealth of resources on my web site like other suggested books, links to helpful sites, a Q&A with me, newsletter archives, and more. You can even sign up to receive a FREE Values Exercise; the signup box is located right on our home page. Please feel free to tell your friends and colleagues about my FREE Values Exercise, or any of our other resources, services and offerings.

And don't forget that with my one-on-one coaching services, I'm also here for your individual coaching needs. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions about any of my coaching services: [email protected] or 1-877-872-3929.

Best wishes for a successful � and HAPPY � 2014!

Daisy Swan


Keep up with Daisy

Daisy Swan



Daisy S. Swan, MA, CPCC
Career Coaching and Healthy Life Strategies
4132A Del Rey Avenue
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
1-877-872-3929
www.daisyswan.com

© 2014 Daisy Swan