Five Great Posts!

I’ve had some great comments about the site lately. One was ‘you have so much information on your site; it’s a veritable treasure trove for professional women looking to get ahead‘. Then she asked me which was my most popular post and I didn’t actually know! So I checked out the top five blog posts for women over the last six months and they are:

• Are You Perfect? A quick canter through some of the drivers of Transactional Analysis; you loved it!
• Take Off Your Pyjamas! A humorous look at my flirt with BBC fame (Can’t help thinking some folk will have been searching for something else when they alighted on this one…)
• Inspirational Women – Hannah Coleman. Everyone loved Hannah’s story, including me!
• Women Lack Confidence My take on some research on ambition and gender struck a chord.
• How to Get More Women on Board Posted when the UK government told companies to get more women in the higher echelons or they’d introduce quotas.

It’s been fascinating for me going back through the stats to see which have resonated most soundly with you.  If you have any thoughts on topics you’d like me to cover just drop me a line or comment below.

PS. I am sure given another month or so last week’s post about Feminism and Princess Kate will be there as it’s still rising high!

Photo Credit: Ilker

Women in Business – How are you with change?

It’s a pretty unpredictable business world at the moment. To be honest, for most of my adult life it feels like it’s always been a pretty unpredictable business world; this time around the stats are telling us that women in business are getting the worse end of the financial crisis, (somewhat ironic in light of a new book published on neuroeconomics, highlighting how if women had been in charge we probably wouldn’t be in a downturn!)

However, we are where we are and our attitude to change will be a significant factor in how we survive.

How do you React to Change?

There are two ways of responding – try to ignore and resist it and adopt the ‘if I stay quiet it won’t notice me and will go away’… stance. Of course, it won’t go away and you will feel weak and powerless and a victim of circumstances. This victim mentality will not help you deal with whatever life is throwing at you. Although for a while it can be a comfortable place to be as we rant and rave at the powers that be, frequently quoting how different it might be if women had been in charge! Be warned, the apparent comfort of moaning is a terrible trap to fall into….it won’t help and it may harm you.

And the second option? Don’t give away your power. Life throws rubbish at us from time to time but we always have a choice – recycle or drown in garbage. Recycling is so much better!

Keep the End in Mind

It might not be exactly what you want because you’re making it from what you’ve actually got, not what you’d choose, but it’s better than the alternative! Even when times are tough there are solutions, you just have to look a bit harder.

Don’t stop looking ahead and making plans for your future. Don’t stop investing in your career. Perhaps you can’t afford a course but you could could get a good career relevant book or an on-line course. Tap into all your resources., including friends and colleagues and give back too.

Know where you want to be ultimately, even if for a while circumstances mean you need to do a bit of fancy footwork. and make some compromises. If you can keep those longer term aims in sight it makes the interim stuff much more bearable.  See it for what it is, a deviation on your route which might mean the route takes longer. Keep your eyes fixed on the end goal and one day you will be doing just what you want to do!

Photo Credit: Dieter Joel Jagnow

Fed Up With Sundays?

Try doing something different today. Sunday’s can be a tricky day for anyone feeling low. I don’t really know why; it’s what people tell me. Sundays can drag on forever. So here’s some things you might try this Sunday:

• Get a newspaper that you don’t normally buy (even if you have to hide it in another cover). Challenge your comfortable views by reading the editorial.
• Walk around your nearest town and look up (don’t fall over). It’s amazing what you spot if you look at the tops of buildings. A whole history can be unveiled before your eyes.
• Buy a return bus ticket and get on the first bus you see and go wherever it goes. Look out of the window and be a tourist.
• Help out someone who looks as if they need a helping hand.

I hope that gives you a new perspective on Sundays! And do tell me, how are Sundays for you? What’s your week end favourite activity? How do you deal with feeling a little down in the dumps? And if this post has been helpful, you might find Banish Anxious Thoughts of interest too.

Photo Credit: Sanja Gjenero

3 Amazing Women Share their Success Secrets!

If you’re a regular reader of ChangingPeople you’ll know that one of my favourite sections is my inspirational women section. Over the years I’ve interviewed some amazing women who all have some great advice to share. I have picked out just three very different women to share with you in case you missed them. All different but all amazing!

Natasha Courtney-Smith is a journalist who set up her own hugely successful business. Read about how she managed to thrive despite an unexpected pregnancy!

Sarah Beeny is the well known TV presenter but did you know she ended up presenting because of a chance encounter at a party? Well that, and the fact that she’s very good at what she does!

Gee Backhouse actually did what so many of us dream of doing. She packed herself up and moved to France to follow her dream. Where she now makes gorgeous bespoke jewellery and lives la bonne vie!

I hope you enjoy reading about them and more importantly I hope they inspire you to make some positive changes in your own life! If you’ve been thinking about making changes, maybe it’s time tomake your thoughts a reality! Who knows, maybe I’ll be interviewing you next year?

There’s more here about working with me to make positive changes in your life!

Change Your Future with This Simple Exercise

When you look back, what will you see? Will you be looking back in anger, sorrow, or joy?

The future is yours to create, right now.

Your Personal Development Exercise

Take a few moments to imagine yourself five or ten years from now. You’re sitting in a cafe, with a friend and you’re both reminiscing. Maybe you have a glass of chilled wine, or a mug of coffee or a cup of tea.

You’re really happy with what you’ve achieved over these last few years. You listen contentedly to your friend describing her life and now it’s your turn. What are you going to say? What do you want to see when you look back and share some significant events in your life? What would make you proud of yourself?

Focus for a few moments on the following key areas in your life and consider what, if anything, you want to change:

• Significant Others?
• Career?
• Where you live?
• Friends or family?
• Places you have visited?
• Hobbies or pastimes?
• Add your own…

What do you have to do now, this week, this month or this year to make those reflections become a reality? To allow yourself to look back in JOY, to be proud, content and fulfilled in your life?

Photo Credit: Ivan Freaner

A Job You Love?

“Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” So said Confucious and I who am I to disagree with him? I love my job - I have created the job of my dreams! First, of course, I had to work out what my dream job was!

I have loved other jobs in my time. And when I haven’t loved my job I’ve tried to find something loveable about it until I was able to get another. As long as I’ve had enough to pay the bills money has never been a great motivator for me. It rarely is. Money is no substitute if you hate your job, not in the longer term. And in work satisfaction surveys  money never comes top. It’s usually there, but it’s not number one.

Job of Your Dreams

You may not have found the job of your dreams yet; but don’t stop looking. And let’s not beat about the bush. It’s bloomin’ hard in the current economic climate to make changes. Great jobs are few and far between.

You can get ahead of the game though. Try not to be despondent and down hearted. Things will change. I know it feels like you can’t change anything yourself, and of course, that’s true on one level. But you can change how you react to what to what is happening in the external world. And don’t underestimate the power of your thinking in helping you make effective, lasting and positive change in your life. Along with actually doing something, of course!

Here’s one exercise to try to help you start preparing for your next move, and help you gain some control over your work situation.

• Grab hold of some kind of box, and if you wish cover it with images of work which inspire and motivate you. This is your ‘ideas and inspiration’ box and it’s a tangible reminder that you’re taking back some control.
• Start looking for jobs which you like the look of, in newspapers or on the internet. At this stage you’re not going to apply for them so they can be anywhere in the world. Don’t be constrained about meeting the requirements. Nothing is out of your league for this exercise. Go as high or low in salary and seniority as you like.
• Cut out/print off as many of them as you can and don’t censor yourself
• Collect all your cuttings together in your box
• Once you’ve got a good collection together read through them all at one sitting. Is a theme emerging? What is the common denominator? Are they ‘telling’ you something about your values? Is there an indication there that you need to add a qualification or two? Is that possible?

Once you’ve answered some of those questions you’ll have a good idea of what you next move might be, and you can start to make plans accordingly.

I have another exercise here which might help. And take a listen to my free audio download which you get immediately by clicking this link.

If you’d like some help and support making positive change in your life take a look at my 3Qi package. We can chat informally to see if it’s for you (01761 438749). And I’d love to know how you’ve found your dream job. Or if you’re still looking, what helps you through the daily grind?

Photo Credit: Sanja Gjenero