Thank you for the feedback from last week's email "Know and use your strengths, it is great to know people are working diligently on their strengths to further their careers and their personal goals. I thank you all for your kind words and just reply by saying - this is what I am here for. I especially like the comment, "work to your strengths and outsource your weaknesses". This is such a good way to recognize no one can be brilliant at everything.

So to follow on on this theme, this week I have 7 questions to assist in moving you out of your comfort zone. 

So are you? In a comfortable place that is? I don't mean your seat, but with your current state of play at work, in your career, or maybe in your relationship? In most aspects of life, being in your comfort zone is a great place to be, however, some might say "A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships are planned for." What were you planning to be, once upon a time?

This week, I would like to get you to consider if you are too comfortable, and what to do if you would like to move forward to maximize your potential and get back on track. Today I have the first part of an exercise I use with my clients, to help the begin the process of getting out of their comfort zone. To see the full exercise see the file below

A well-known quote by Gina Milicia reads,

 “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” 

As a coach working with many clients, I can attest that this is true. If you think logically - a new career, a promotion, dealing with unruly students, or even just becoming something more - only present themselves when you leave your comfort zone and stretch yourself. 

So this week, rank your comfort level from 1 to 10, where 1 = I’m not at all comfortable, 5 = I feel perfectly balanced between taking risks and feeling comfortable, to 10 = I’m so comfortable I feel bored and unmotivated.

Then ask yourself these 7 questions

1. When was the last time you tried something and what did you do? 
2. When was the last time you took a risk, what did you do and how did it turn out? 
3. Do you think you are currently learning, growing, and expanding? Why or why not? 
4. Do you think you are doing too much – busy to the point of being stressed out, what could you do differently?
5. Do you think you are doing too little – feeling bored with your life, what could you do differently? 
6. Is it time for a change? Why or why not? Explain. 
7. What is one action you can take right now?

These questions, if answered openly and honestly should have you thinking, and probably will give you insights you hadn't considered for a while. 

There are other parts to this exercise that can look even deeper into what you can do to help you out of your comfort zone, drop me an email if you believe it is time for a change.

This week my EDGE Coaching "tip of the week" is 

"Step outside your comfort zone" 

If you can do this once, each day this week, I promise you will likely learn something new about yourself, (or at the very least begin to remember why you do what you do).

Remember  as much as you have a comfort zone, you also have a courage zone.

Thank you for the fantastic response to last week's Tip (rebuilding your career confidence), it was lovely to see people sharing their thoughts and supporting others they know. A common theme mentioned was knowing what to focus on to improve one's prospects. This is a great point, so this week I'll cover this area very briefly if at all possible.

This week I will leave you with an opportunity to improve you or your business through the week by answering 5 simple questions to create 10 personal or business strengths. This is because we should all know that the area for greatest improvement lies with our strengths (and not our weaknesses)

This week's quote is so true as stated by American businesswoman Sophia Amoruso, she said'

"True success lies in knowing your weaknesses and playing to your strengths"

So this week, I would like to offer you parts one and two of a four-part exercise I give clients who are focusing on improving their prospects or that of their business or school. 

Part one is to consider your top 10 strengths, as you go about your day just be aware of this by asking yourself the following questions;-

1. What is the core of my success so far? What makes me (or your business) successful?
2. What are my strengths or unique qualities?
3. What am I particularly good at? 
4. When do I (or your business) shine brightest?
5. When I am challenged, what do I turn to, to overcome it?

The beauty of this exercise is that you will find yourself reminded of where your talents lie, so you can purposely utilize and demonstrate them more often.

I mentioned this was a four-part strategy, in part two I would be asking more detailed coaching questioning of you to support you in discovering your top 10 strengths and talents. If you are interested in seeing these questions, you can find the file on my website home page or click here Questions to identify strengths

Followed by using a coaching wheel tool to take a deep dive into your top 8 strengths, where you score how the individual strengths are currently used then look at how those scores can be improved. 

The final stage would be creating an action plan to help you commit to moving forwards by utilizing your strengths and talents on a more regular basis so you can boost your prospects.

If this is of real interest to you, feel free to make contact, but for now, my EDGE Coaching "Tip of the week" is 
"Know and use your strengths"
Be reminded of how special you are, and let me know how it goes.

.Lately, I have had a number of wonderful conversations about careers and the effect the pandemic has had on people's thinking. So today I thought I would share a brief thought and leave you with an exercise to rebuild your confidence in your career, if you or someone you know, may need it.  I am fully aware that you are most likely happy in your current position, but I am also of the opinion that you may know someone who may need a little support.

My quote for this week comes from Oprah Winfrey and it is so true.
"create the highest, grandest vision for your life, because you become what you believe"

So here goes.

It is true that most people are happy at work they have a good grasp of the path they are takings and how to get there. They feel great about their contribution and jump out of bed on a Monday Morning rearing to go. I know this as this was me as a teacher before making the difficult decision to give it up and focus my attention on coaching people instead.

However, it would be irresponsible to believe everyone is of the same mind.  Some are so unhappy at work that they dread Monday mornings, Even after the restful weekend they feel burnt out, anxious, or even a little depressed because of their job or job prospects?  

Not wanting to focus too much on the negatives, there is also a group of people who are both happy and unhappy, If this is you, perhaps you feel you’re in a position to step up to the next level but are being held back by something or someone (maybe even yourself). Then even though you love your job, because of the pandemic, your confidence in yourself and in your professional skills might have suffered. 

Many people experience these situations at some point in their careers, but not everyone experiences low career confidence. Over time, having work-related low confidence and self-esteem can lead to a variety of physical and mental health issues. You might doubt yourself and over-analyze your decisions – not just work-related ones. This lack of confidence can also slow your career progression and affect your financial stability.

There are a number of things that may create low career confidence? Here are a few that may resonate with you:

• feeling inadequate or like a “fraud”
• comparing yourself to others
• being under-skilled for the role
• focusing on mistakes over successes
• experiencing work-related stress caused by a micromanaging boss, uncooperative co-workers, organizational changes, or new responsibilities
• having a fear of failure 

Regardless of the reasons, low career confidence can be effectively addressed. Here are six suggestions to begin re-building your career confidence.

1. Realize there is no such thing as perfect. Aiming for perfection will always lead to disappointment because it’s unobtainable – and you fail to acknowledge your achievements. Give yourself a break when you fail, make a mistake, or miss the mark. Failure is a valuable part of life because it offers you the opportunity to reflect on all the lessons you learned from your mistakes.
2. Identify your feelings. Think about when your low confidence started. Was it after an event, such as a lay-off? Do you struggle in certain situations? For example, if you’re burnt out and work in a highly stressful environment, it might be time for you to find another career – one where you are engaged, passionate, and confident.
3. Write down your career achievements. Research indicates that writing down accomplishments releases feel-good chemicals in the brain, increasing feelings of pride and motivation. Start by writing a list of your past career achievements – big or small. Use a journal or notebook and begin a daily practice of recording your work-related achievements.
4. Identify your strengths, skills, and talents – and capitalize on them. One of the best ways to increase your confidence is to get clear on your strengths and find ways to integrate them into what you do each day. You’ll be more engaged, energized, and self-assured. Write down the things you do well and reflect on how you can use your strengths to do your job.
5. Reach out. Connect with personal and professional networks for help and support. Get feedback from colleagues. Seek advice or secure a mentor or coach to help you work through your feelings and create a plan.
6. Identify weaknesses, and work on them. If you have weaknesses that are affecting your confidence, work to reduce or eliminate them.

This exercise will help you fill the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be. Be honest be confident and be proud, and remember
 "Self-confidence is a super power, once you start to believe in yourself, the magic starts happening"

As a coach, I am here to champion you. I see you as naturally creative, resourceful, and whole, so this week's "Tip of the week" is 

"Rebuild your career confidence"  

This week, be aware of what you bring and make notes of what you have achieved, and the skills, strengths, and talents you bring to the role. Just two things each day will show you your importance to the business. Drag out your resume and start to add new insights. Always be ready, just in case an opportunity does present itself.
At the end of this week you, or if you have shared with someone you know, will be more confident in your (their) self-worth.
If you would like more support in this area, reach out, or use the diary link below. As always I am here if you wish to invest in yourself.
​For more support use this exercise to highlight your challenges career_coaching.pdf
Have a wonderful week

This week I would like to share some thoughts on "being your own best friend" as an extension of last week's "Tip" I will also leave you with an additional exercise to try through the week.
It was so lovely to receive the responses to last week's Tip, it seemed to resonate with a good few of you. I love hearing from you and getting your feedback. 

Talking of feedback, I had a comment about the best way to remember the importance of being kind to yourself, especially in these difficult times for everybody.  I had put in the following point last week

Be your own best friend; treat yourself like your most treasured friend whom you respect and trust. Remember never to talk down to yourself, always talk yourself up. Again speak to yourself as you would your very best friend.


To that lovely person, I share this quote and I would recommend everyone to copy and paste it on your fridge so you see it every day;

"You will never speak to anyone as much as you speak to yourself in your head, be kind to yourself"
 
Remember that your world will not get any better by focusing solely on your faults, so why do it.
Being kind to yourself definitely has an impact on your mood and that of those around you. 

So this week I would like you to try this exercise for 24 hours and see where it takes you.

The exercise;
For one day (24Hrs), decide not to moan, whinge or say anything negative to yourself. If you catch yourself doing any of these, then start again from the beginning. Once you get accustomed to this, then start to find a positive in the situation. 

This may not seem difficult, but believe me, if you are not used to it, it can be quite a challenge. When you can achieve one day, it'll be easier to do two and three until it becomes a habit, it will certainly make you a better friend to yourself

Tip of the week "Be your own best friend"