Tomorrow will be a Better Day

Tomorrow will be a Better Day

Your career has its ups and downs

We all have or have had career slumps and they do pass. If you are feeling "slumpish" these days, know that you will look back one day and recognize the valuable lessons you've learned from this time in your life. Everything happens for a reason-you just might not know the reason yet.
If this is a down period for you, the good news is it's up from here.
While You Are Figuring Things Out, Trust That Tomorrow Will Be A Better Day. Here's How To Focus On What's Yet To Come:

1. Write Down What You Want Your Future To Look Like

Create a picture of where you see yourself in the future. Your picture can be one of where you want to be in a day, a week, a month, a year, or even farther into the future. This picture gives your journey a clear and reachable destination and provides focus.
Close your eyes. Let your imagination take over. Get in touch with what you really want and what is important to you. Ask yourself what you want and get your answers down on paper. Keep this description with you and look at it every day. Great things tend to happen to those who know where they are going.

2. Have A Plan

Once you have your answers, you can begin to put them into a formal structure.
Having a plan is vital to your success. With a plan, a fulfilling career will be far easier to achieve. Without a plan, you will be working far harder than you have to.
The trick is to be clear about the steps that are necessary to ensure your success. The more specific you can be in describing your steps, the better. Figuring out in detail what steps you will take-and when you will take them-is the foundation of your plan.
Another reason to create a plan is that it will prevent your goals from becoming overwhelming. The temptation to feel overwhelmed is normal. You are, after all, about to jumpstart your career. The structure of your plan will give you comfort and help you get moving again.

3. Take Action

Action is essential to your success. And, one of the best ways to keep your momentum going is having the steps you created in your plan written into your calendar.
Use your calendar as your friend to help guide you and keep you on track. Having a calendar will help determine whether you reach your goal or not. If your steps are written into your calendar, there is a higher probability that you can quickly check them off your list, because what you need to do is in front of you. If your steps are not in your calendar, they probably will not get done, because you may forget what you need to do.
Your calendar is your friend. Begin your friendship by opening your calendar and entering the steps from your plan into it. Commit to doing at least one thing every day, whether you feel like it or not. One action per day leads to a substantial number of actions taken over time. This is how you will be successful.

4. Tell Yourself That Greatness Is Waiting For You

The workplace, from time to time, can take a toll on your self-esteem. For example, if you are working in an environment that is filled with negativity, it will be harder for you to be positive. If your boss tells you daily that your work is no good, it will be harder for you to believe in your abilities. If you have been out of work for some time, it will be harder for you to trust that you have something worthwhile to contribute to the workplace, or more difficult to think why someone would hire you.
How you view yourself is how the world views you, too. If you are confident, the world sees a confident individual. If you don't feel good about yourself (for whatever reason), the world sees a person they don't have to pay much attention to.
Many clients have asked me whether I think they will be successful in reaching their goals. My answer is yes-if they do the work and they believe in themselves.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

How to Create a Vision For Your Career

 All of life's journeys begin with the phrase, "I want."

Think about your career and the times when you said "I want." Maybe you said "I want" go to college-and then enrolled in school and completed your degree. Maybe you said "I want" to work for a large or a small company-and you are working there now. Maybe you said "I want" to lead teams-and that's one of your current responsibilities. "I want" is a very powerful phrase. Without it, it's hard to go very far.
Imagine going on a trip without selecting a destination beforehand. What would you pack? How would you get there? Where would you stay? Your trip probably would not end up being much fun.
It's the same with your career. Not being able to visualize your desired result leads to results not happening. Goals are reached when you decide what you want, and then take action to get it. Without an end in mind, you will wander aimlessly; and as long as you are aimless, you will be wasting time. You will feel lost. You will be like a stray leaf, going wherever the wind takes you.

What's a Vision?

My definition of a vision is a visualization or a picture of where you see yourself in the future. Your picture can be one of where you want to be in a day, a week, a month, a year, or even farther into the future. The visualization of your goal is what compels you to move forward. A vision is a snapshot of what you want your career and life to look like in the future. This snapshot gives your journey a clear and reachable destination and provides focus.
All goals are reached in the mind first. You see yourself both achieving that goal and experiencing the satisfaction it will bring you once you are there. This picture is what will help you to persevere during times of doubt. Your picture of success will give you purpose, power, and excitement. Your picture will give you a reason to get out of bed every day.

How do you create a Vision?

Close your eyes. Let your imagination take over. Get in touch with what you really want and what is important to you. Ask yourself meaningful questions. Let the answers come to you.

What Questions will help get you to a Vision quickly?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• If it was possible, what would be different in my career?
• What type of job would I have?
• What would I be responsible for?
• What type of boss/co-workers/team would I have?
• What kind of hours would I work?
• What type of company would I work for?
• What sort of culture would the company have?
• What city would I live in?
• How much money would I make?
• How would I handle stress, my workload, and deadlines?

Once you have thought about these questions, it is time to get your answers down on paper. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The answers are what is true for you-not what someone else wants for you, but what is truly in your heart. Listen to yourself, and your answers will be the perfect ones for you.
Once you have your vision, then it's time to make it real.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

Laid Off? Today is a Brand New Day

A sudden job loss can be very unsettling, and it makes a person look inside in order to get perspective on their situation.
I was a person that was laid off too a few years back, so I know what it is like to not have a job to go to.
I feel fortunate, though, that I was building my coaching practice while working full time. Because of that, I was able to transition into coaching full time. But still, not seeing the same faces everyday, having deadlines, and an office to go to, took some getting used to.
The best thing about that experience is I had the opportunity to create whatever I wanted with my future. I could coach full-time. I could go into consulting. I could freelance. Whichever way I chose, I knew that it was the start of a new adventure.
For me, the job loss was a blessing; and it can be a blessing for you. Yes, you will worry about how you will pay the bills, if you will get another job, and when the new job will come. You will also have the opportunity to spend more time with your family, friends, and yourself. You will have time to do all the things you wished you had time for when you were working. You can go to the gym, get outside more, and use the time to reevaluate your life and your career. (Yes, this is a good thing.)
So How Do You Make Peace With What Just Happened To You And Create A New Future? I Have 7 Tips For You:

Recognize That Losing Your Job Was Not Your Fault

Yes, there is some relief knowing that the inevitable has finally happened vs. the waiting to see if you will go next. But there is still a little part deep inside you that wonders if it was your fault. Maybe if you worked harder, then this would not have happened. Maybe if you worked weekends, evenings, etc, it would have been some else that was cut. Maybe if you participated in office polices more, you would still have a job. All these thoughts drain your energy and take away from the contributions you made when you were there. Your company was not doing well. They had to cut costs, and you were one of the people they cut. This is all there is to it. Period. Stop making it mean something more.

Decide What's Important To You

You probably have put YOU on hold for years as you have been spending all your time figuring out how to mold yourself to be someone else. You worried about what your boss thought of you, what his or her boss thought of you, and what your co-workers thought of you. You spent many evenings trying to calm down or figure out what to do with a co-worker or boss that was driving you crazy. All of this is gone (if only temporarily) and now you get to decide what is important to you. What makes you happy? What gets you excited? These are questions that you can answer because you have been given the gift of time to do so.

Recognize That The Time Off Is A Blessing

Things in life happen for a reason. There was some purpose for you to stop and reassess how you have been living your life at this point. Why do you think this happened now? Were you working too hard? Were you neglecting yourself? Was your family screaming for you to spend more time with them? Now is the time to see if your former lifestyle will fit your future one. Use the time wisely because an opportunity like this one may never come again.

Decide What You Will Do Next

Will you stay in the same career? Will you do something different? Will you start your own business? Or, will you decide to scale down your lifestyle so you can stretch out the time before you go back to work? There is no right or wrong choice, only what calls to you. Trust your instinct. The answer is inside you. It is up to you if you will take the time to listen.

Put An Action Plan In Place

Now that you have free time, how will you make it as productive as it can be? How many resumes will you send out each week? How many hours each day will you spend searching for jobs online and in the paper? How may people will you talk to, and how e-mail's will you send out? Your job search does not have to consume you, but having a daily plan, will keep you from sitting in front of the TV saying "I really should be looking for another job."

Get Support

Enlist the help of a friend, spouse, coach, colleague, etc. Someone who will listen and support you through this transitional period in your life. Looking for a job can be frustrating, time consuming, and disappointing. Remember that you do not have to do it alone.

Reward Yourself

Yes, the final reward is finding a new job, but there are milestones that can be rewarded along the way. Sent your resume to five employers? Reward. Went on one job interview this week? Reward. When you look back, you will know that you are not the same person you were before this happened. And, you will smile to yourself because you know that this is a good thing.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

Pretend It's a Year from Now

Pretend It's a Year from Now
Seven years ago, I had a job in the corporate world. I had an office, a good salary, and the privilege of being known and respected for consistently doing a job well done. Even though I was successful, I'd been unhappy in my career for years. I stayed put because I was comfortable, tied to the money, loved the adrenaline rush that deadlines produce, and enjoyed the compliments I received from my boss and peers.
Secretly, I was building a business on the side. I was coaching people to live their dreams in the evenings and weekends. Although my clients were living lives they loved, I couldn't say I was doing the same.
Then, I got laid off. I was devastated, confused, and I felt betrayed. But I was one of many who were worried and wondering which direction to take next. Little did I know at the time, that this was the day I became a full time coach.
Today, I have a thriving coaching practice. I have never been happier. I owe my success to being able to imagine myself successful, visualizing victory in the future.
What I have learned can apply to you. Whether you have been searching for a job and it seems hopeless, or you are working and are tired, stressed, and barely keeping up with the workload. Start with the steps below.
Imagine yourself a year from now. The economy is picking up nicely. Although the previous year was tough for you, it was well worth it, because today you are enjoying your career tremendously. You are grateful for what transpired over the past year.
It took you a while to find your way, but you have arrived. You battled fear, uncertainty, and yourself. But you have come out a winner. Looking back, you see that there were five key steps that were your crucial to your success. They were:

You Accepted Where You Were

You stopped blaming the world for your predicament. You decided to forgive those who caused your situation. Most importantly, you forgave yourself. You acknowledged where you were because you knew that a better tomorrow would not happen until you accepted today.

You Decided You Would Win

You realized that you worked too hard to get where you were in your career, and you were not about to lose it all now. You decided that your present situation would not get the best of you. You let go of the shoulds, and the reasons why you couldn't have what you wanted in your career. Then, you made a plan to go after what you truly deserved.

You Persevered

You had a vision in your mind, and you did not give up. Sure, there were obstacles. But, you woke up each morning and told yourself that today was a brand new day. You made phone calls you were afraid to make. You wrote e-mail's and letters you weren't sure would get read. You networked. But most importantly, you were afraid, and you moved forward anyway.

You Asked For Help

This was a big deal for you because you were used to doing things on your own. You opened yourself up and asked for what you needed. You were surprised and appreciative because people from unexpected places took the time to help you. The best thing you learned is that life is much easier when you are not reaching your goals alone.

You Knew You Would End Up In A Better Place

You stopped driving yourself crazy because you knew things would improve. You recognized that your situation was only temporary. As a result, you enjoyed yourself more. You spent time getting to know you again. You lost weight, or took up a new hobby. You tried new things, and you grew in ways you never imagined possible. You are so much stronger and wiser now. You are not the same.
Ok. Now, it is today again. Do you want what saw? What steps specifically will you take to make it happen? Write it down. Look at it everyday. You have a bright future ahead of you once you can visualize the end result.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy

Make a Fresh Start Today

Make A Fresh Start Today
Are you caught up in the day to day doldrums of your career?
The New Year is here. This means, it's a perfect time to complete the previous year and start fresh. If you haven't been passionate about your career in a while, capitalize on this time of the year to begin again.
If you've lost your "get up and go," maybe what's missing is a new goal. Something that gets you excited and motivated again. Whether it's a new job or a new way of doing something in your present position, a new goal can give you something to look forward to.
So How Do Find A New Goal? Follow These Four Steps:

Convince Yourself That You Want A New Goal

No goal is achieved without commitment. Have you ever observed someone pursuing a goal and said to yourself, "That person is a true believer." True believers are easy to spot because they are defined by their commitment. Are you a true believer in your goal? Are you committed? If not, shift your perspective. Don't allow yourself to be comfortable with circumstances that do not further your goal.
Want to know that you will succeed before you step out of your comfort zone? Guess what? You don't get this guarantee up front. The miracles in your career happen when you say "yes" and jump in.

Start Small

Are you in one of these two places:

1. You have no idea what should be the next step in your career,
2. You do know, but haven't done anything about it yet.

Either way it doesn't matter. Now is your time to move forward. Start small. Small steps increase your confidence and lead to completing other small steps. Small steps taken on a regular basis are more effective than larger steps taken inconsistently. Slow and steady wins the race.

Create Your Game Plan

Having a plan is vital to your success. With a plan, success is yours. Without a plan, you will be working far harder than you have to. A plan adds organization to your goal because it details specific actions and steps to get there.
Another reason to create a plan is that it will prevent your goal from becoming overwhelming. The temptation to feel overwhelmed is normal. Your plan will give you comfort and help you be successful. There is no right or wrong way to plan. Your plan can be formal and long, or uncomplicated and short. Here's how to create one: Take your career goal and break it into smaller pieces. Get out your calendar and write down the specific small pieces you will do and when you will do them. Tweak and make changes as you implement your plan. Use your plan to encourage and guide you. After all, your plan's underlying goal is for you to have an exceptional year.

Look At Your Goal Every Day

Most people want a "do-over" or a second chance. You get this opportunity on January 1st. If you create your goal, and then put it away, your words will have no value. What you can't see will soon be forgotten as the year progresses. When you look at your goal regularly, it gradually becomes a part of who you are.
Look at your goal every morning so you can start your day with focus. Look at your goal every evening, so that it stays with you in your dreams. Looking at your goal, and contemplating it, plays a large role in making it real.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Written & Contributed by:
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC
Career, Life, Wellness, and Mentor Coach
President, Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

employment, careers, Indonesia vacancy