Daisy Swan – Career Coach Guest Contributor for My L.A. Lifestyle We are all so good at ‘shoulding’ on ourselves. So very accomplished at this. I ‘should’ get that project finished tonight; I ‘should’ go to the gym; I ‘should’ make that call, etc. Think about it, though: What’s the next word that usually follows a ‘should’? [Pause. Think.] I would assert that the next word is usually ‘but’. ‘Shoulds’ have the magical effect of eliciting a rebelliousness or irritation that keeps most of us from taking action on that very ‘should’. Not always, but often. ’But’ I have three other things to do first; ‘but’ I’m starving; ‘but’ I don’t have the information that they need, yet…you know the drill. ‘Shoulds’ are real anxiety-provoking thoughts. When we have so many things to do, and so many options for actions to take, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. ‘Shoulds’… Read More
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NEW! Manhattan Beach Mindfulness Group – Starts Thursday, May 1
I’m happy to be offering a new mindfulness meditation group in Manhattan Beach, beginning THIS Thursday, May 1. This group is for anyone who has completed the UCLA MAPs I class, or for those who have sitting meditation experience. We’ll begin at 7:00 PM with mindfulness meditation; I will facilitate a discussion on a particular topic related to our practice; and finish at 8:30 PM, leaving time for casual conversation afterwards. Light refreshments will be offered. Please join us, to meet others who are interested in living with a more mindful approach, bringing more balance into their daily lives. Start Date: Thursday, May 1, 2014 Location: Joslyn Community Center; 1601 N. Valley Dr., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (Street parking is available.) $125 for six (6) weeks; no meetings on Thursday, May 15 or Thursday, June 12. We have the option of continuing on into July,… Read More
Spring’s Transistions
April has arrived…and with it, more fresh starts. I’m excited to see how many great job openings have popped up lately, for my clients at every career level. Good news for people who are transitioning to new ways of working, and living. I have to say, the emails that I receive from former clients are incredibly touching and exciting for me to read…people who have completely changed course, switched to a new company or a freelance status, or have even started their own businesses. I am loving my work more and more these days, having the opportunity to see women and men round out their lives in subtle ways that actually change everything – for the better. New season, new announcements. I’m thrilled to announce that I’m offering a new day-long program, in one of my favorite places: Ojai, CA. Just a 90-minute drive north of L.A., sits the loveliest… Read More
3 Actions To Get Over Who, Or What, Is Driving You Crazy At Work
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… Read More
How Long Does It Take To Make A Career Change?
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… Read More
Starting January 15: How to Acknowledge – and Conquer – Stress
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… Read More
Could Dressing ‘Too Sexy’ Be Career Suicide? Daisy Swan Offers Wardrobe Tips For Work
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… Read More
WHERE TO NEXT?
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… Read More
Do You Really Represent You?
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… Read More
Calm Communication: Skillful Strategies for Stressful Social Situations
Guest Contributor for My L.A. Lifestyle We live in a noisy world; one that is often overwhelming for even the toughest of us. For many introverts, the noise of life and the incessant social situations in which we find ourselves can be mind-numbing and exhausting. I’ve been studying the ‘quieter’ folks of the world for years. I grew up in a family of introverts, married a couple, and am raising an introverted son. I’ve also worked with hundreds of introverted clients who have struggled to stretch into a larger world, to connect with others who could help them attain their next opportunity. So when a former client contacted me to see if I’d be interested in offering a class for people like her – someone who has achieved a lot, but who finds the social demands of her work daunting – I happily said “yes”. All of… Read More
