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
how to get a job
What’s Next?
It’s easy to get down and depressed when it seems like so many things aren’t happening the way you want them to. I meet with men and women who are working hard to find the next right thing for them and they come in stooped and frustrated. But they do perk up and become inspired once we scratch the surface and find the quiet possibilities that lie, often, just below the surface.
I Don't Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up
While visiting friends in Colorado over the holidays I had the great good fortune to meet and spend time with a woman who told me she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up. She is 86 and an artist who brought a train car onto her property and transformed it into her home. Bright and warm, her sense of color and design fill the space. She has brought striking color and imagination to the lives of so many, and continues to develop ideas and create art. She is curious about the internet, i phones, and cameras. She asks pertinent questions, and keeps important quotes nearby throughout her cozy home. And she’s on alert for learning more about what she wants to do when she grows up. This artist embodies the curiosity and playfulness that empowers her to keep trying new things in her work, and… Read More
My Graduation Gift
What’s the best graduation gift? Money? A watch? A car? A trip to another country? All good! But I’m giving something some might think is rather dry. I’ve decided to give the gift of education…I’ve been reading about the difficult time new grads, and those who haven’t even graduated yet, are having finding jobs this summer and I want to do something to help. I’m offering our Interviewing Excellence program on June 10th for free to those people out there who are under 23. I may even do that with our Navigating Career Change panel on July 10th, too. There’s just so much you don’t really know about work when you’re just getting started. I know I didn’t know much about how to handle an interview when I was 21, or 23 (and sometimes when I was older, too, although I did get really good at it). My life… Read More
