Now What?® Coaching

Category: Job Change

  • Are You Multi-Passionate?

    Are You Multi-Passionate?

    If you consider yourself multi-passionate or know someone who does, you’re going to want to read this.

    At face value, “multi-passionate” sounds like a wonderful trait to have. What could be wrong with having lots of passions – many different interests that you consider fun and exciting? The more, the merrier, right?

    Not exactly . . .

    As fun as it sounds to have lots of passions, many of my clients and the people I speak to every day are overwhelmed by their multi-passionate outlook.

    They have a myriad of interests that don’t fit in one neat box and a mixed bag of talent, experience, and abilities that open up a world of opportunities.

    Ahh . . . the possibilities!

    Being multi-passionate means your path isn’t straight or narrow; it’s one filled with options, alternatives, and potential. Sounds great!

    But it also means you can get lost in the twists and turns.

    Here’s what I recommend:

    1. Audit your interests.
      What brings you joy? Where are you most skilled? What’s the required time commitment? What’s the income potential?
    2. Consider the bigger picture.
      What aligns best with your core values? Does this option fit into this season of your life?
    3. Find the congruencies.
      Can you integrate one interest with another? How can you infuse creativity into what you’re already doing? How can you use talents and skills in different ways?
    4. Commit mindfully.
      How will you juggle everything? Do you have the time? Do you need new skills or support to handle things efficiently? How will this impact your bottom line?
    5. Find your pace.
      What’s primary and secondary, and how will you allocate your limited resources? What boundaries do you need to establish?             

    You can thrive in a multi-passionate career and life. I do it and have coached many to do so successfully.

    But if you’re not intentional about it, multi-passions can become nothing but distractions. You can’t allow yourself to get too scattered or spread all over the place.

    Success requires focus – in the moment, on one passion at a time.

  • Joy: A Survival Tactic

    Joy: A Survival Tactic

    You don’t need an update from me about the state of the world.

    We can all agree that there’s a lot going on and much of it is concerning. I almost added, “. . . if you’re paying attention” out of habit, but I can’t tell you the last time I spoke to someone who wasn’t on edge.

    You might not need an update from me, but there’s a good chance you could use an uplift.

    You’re in for a real treat because I have a lifetime of worrying experience! I’m good at overthinking my way straight into worst-case scenarios.

    But you can see I haven’t let it hold me back. The truth is, I’ve relied upon many different coping tactics over the years. However, when things started getting nasty, fear tried to take hold.

    As a coach, I’m surrounded by positive thinkers; it’s a perk of the job. I kept hearing them say, “I’m not going to let this steal my joy.” I understood it intellectually; it just didn’t seem practical. I look for strategies to implement – things I can work on, step-by-step.

    Joy is a feeling, an emotion. It’s something intangible, and I wasn’t convinced I could simply claim it on demand. So I worked on it . . .

    Here’s what I understand now —

    When we don’t have control over what’s going on around us, it’s our natural inclination to look for what we CAN control. It’s how we’re wired as human beings.

    But when we consider what we DO have power over, emotions are at the top of that list. Sure, they can take over briefly, but we’re ultimately in charge from moment to moment.

    We have the power to feel joy in almost any moment.

    Claiming joy doesn’t mean we’re in a constant state of happiness. We can take delight or pleasure in something, even if the feeling is fleeting. Appreciating that instant can be an impetus for survival.

    Think about each moment of joy as a driving force; the motivation that propels you to endure and overcome challenges. Consider joyful moments as momentum.

    What’s one small thing you can do each day to experience joy?

    Writing in a journal, riding a bike, playing with your pet, putting your feet in the grass, taking up a new hobby. It must be something personal to you.

    As for me, I’ve decided to start singing again! I was a musical theater performer for many years, so I’m dusting off the old vocal cords, practicing in the car every day, and going on an audition – simply for the joy of it! (I’m not sure I even want the part. I just want to sing for people!)

    Now it’s your turn. I challenge you to do one thing each day to claim your joy.

    Joy is a survival tactic, and it’s a powerful one!

  • How to Recession-Proof Your Business

    How to Recession-Proof Your Business

    One of the best things about being in business for yourself is that you’re the one in charge. But it’s also one of the hardest things about it. When things get tough, the buck stops with you!

    Well, I’m no economist, but last year’s whispers of a looming recession are turning into shouts lately.

    Some of my clients and colleagues are starting to panic (“I hear ya!”). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and throw up our hands in defeat. Remember, you’re in charge, which means you have options.

    It’s time to start recession-proofing your business. Here’s what I recommend:

    Diversify your portfolio.

    Just like your financial advisor would tell you to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket, I’m telling you to add some variety to what you offer.

    What can you do to make your services more accessible?
    How can you bring clients in at different price points?
    Where can you add new revenue streams?

    Retain the clients you have.

    Excellent customer service should always be a pressing matter, but now more than ever, do what it takes to keep your current clients happy! Think of creative ways to add loyalty perks for staying on board, such as bonus one-on-one time or retainer discounts for paying ahead. Retaining a client is cheaper and easier than attracting a new one in any economy.

    Enhance your value proposition.

    Make sure prospects know you’re worth the investment. What kinds of returns will they get from working with you? The results you deliver should make the kind of impact they would regret missing out on.

    Keep up with your marketing.

    If you’re looking for things to cut out of the budget, put marketing near the bottom of the list. Staying top of mind should be a top priority. Switch up your messaging to meet the moment if necessary, but don’t you dare go quiet. Stay out there, and stay consistent.

    Upgrade your skills.

    The key is to stay relevant, to stay nimble, and to pivot if you have to. Be smart about it, but focus on how you can best add value right now, and how you can make your business more profitable. Do you need to learn new technology or a new method?

    Streamline your operations.

    What things are nice to have, and what’s a necessity? How can you make your business run more efficiently (truly)? Be mindful and strategic about cutting costs and eliminating time sucks.

    Most importantly, stand in your power! Lean into your strengths and gifts. People may be discerning about where they spend their money, but they need you. Remember that.

    We’ll get through this!

  • The Cost of Doing it ALL

    The Cost of Doing it ALL

    In my line of work, people come to me with all kinds of challenges. The solutions aren’t always easy, but the answer to getting unstuck is often simpler than expected.

    Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted? Hitting a ceiling no matter how hard you work? Wondering why opportunities keep passing you by?

    It’s not because you aren’t doing enough. You’re doing too much. Chances are, you’re doing it ALL (or at least trying to).

    How do you move past what’s holding you back? The simple answer: delegate!

    Whether pouring your whole self into your own business, place of employment, family, or all of the above, you need help.

    The Cost of Doing it ALL by Laura Berman FortgangYou might be resistant to the idea; I’ve heard it all.
    “Who has money for that?”
    “I’ve tried; nobody can do it like me!”
    “I just can’t trust another person to…”
    “It would take me longer to explain it.”
    Here’s the truth —

    Think you’ve got it covered? Deep down, even the most stubbornly independent, headstrong among us realize they can not (and should not!) do it all.

    Think you’re the only person who does it right? You’ve never met a happy control freak; they’re the most stressed-out person in the room. Clinging to control is about trying to make the outside world reflect perfection so that you feel safe and worthy inside, which never works.

    To delegate or not to delegate? That’s not the question. Case closed.

    Now you’re probably wondering what to delegate. Again, the answer is nowhere near as mind-boggling as you might think.

    Delegate anything that’s not in your zone of genius.

    If it’s not something only YOU can do, get somebody else to do it. If it feels like a drag, it needs to go. Bookkeeping, errands, tech stuff, housecleaning, administrative tasks – farm it out.

    The next question I get is, “What about the expense?” (“In this economy?!”)

    I hear you. Think about it this way —

    Your time is money, and you’re investing in yourself to get a return. Do the math. What’s your hourly rate when doing your best work? That’s what each hour is worth. When you buy back time at a lower rate, delegating pays dividends.

    There’s no reward for trying to do it all; in fact, it comes at a hefty cost. Living your highest quality life requires operating in your zone of genius, focusing on what matters most.

    When you get your time back, you can use it to grow your business, pursue better career opportunities, or practice nourishing self-care that enriches your soul.

    What would you do next if you didn’t have to do . . . that?

  • How to Get Better at Operating in a Crisis

    How to Get Better at Operating in a Crisis

    Don’t take this the wrong way, but we are in crisis.

    What I mean by this is, as human beings, we’re in crisis — often.

    I’m not trying to bum you out here, just facing facts. The human condition includes the positives and negatives of the human experience.

    The reality is we’re in trouble sometimes. At times (like now!), it seems we’re in a lot of trouble.

    Lately, you may feel like you’re seeing a crisis everywhere you look — in your personal life, the lives of your loved ones, in politics, on the news: storms, wildfires, plane crashes, leadership decisions, family emergencies, business mishaps, technological glitches, economic downturns . . . you name it!

    You might be thinking, “Tell me something I don’t know!” So here goes . . .

    We have to get better at crisis management. Not just the head honchos in charge, but every single one of us. We can’t just expect “somebody” to do something. How?

    1. Start by dealing with what’s REAL. There is no need to catastrophize and make the crisis bigger than it already is by projecting the “worst case scenario” into the atmosphere. What’s actually happening right in front of you? (there is plenty of REAL bad stuff–just don’t make it worse.)
    2. Focus on what you CAN do. What can you control? That’s where you look; it’s where you take action.
    3. Keep things in perspective. Remaining calm matters. We don’t do our best thinking in a chaotic brain.

    Take one thing at a time. One day at a time. That is not to make light of anything that is going on personally for you or in the US and the world.

    Use your imagination for solutions, not for worsening the problem.

  • Does Life Keep Lifeing at You?

    Does Life Keep Lifeing at You?

    Do you ever feel like you can’t catch a break?
    Like one thing after another keeps going wrong?

    As soon as you recover from a disaster, hardship, or challenge, something else threatens to throw you off track again.

    Life keeps lifeing at you.

    Over the past month, I’ve been dealing with —
    A child hospitalized with a terrible autoimmune disease.
    A sibling affected by the California fires.
    Friends and family impacted by all sorts of chaotic events.

    And I know I’m not the only one. Life has been lifeing at me, at many of my clients, and people I speak with daily. There’s a lot going on!

    But no matter what’s going on in your life and the world around you, the show must go on.

    We have work to do. Businesses to run. Families to care for. Households to manage.

    You’re not alone if you ever feel like you have no idea how you get through it all.

    Here’s what I suggest.

    1. Surrender

    Surrendering doesn’t mean lying down, rolling over, and letting life walk all over you. It means accepting that sometimes there’s not a darn thing you can do to stop what’s happening. Trouble has come knocking, and you have to face it.

    2. Set Priorities

    You can only do so much on any given day. Be highly selective about what gets your attention and effort. Focus only on one thing at a time — the thing that will make the most significant difference.

    3. Practice Self Care

    Crisis mode isn’t the time for spa days, but you must take care of yourself. Set boundaries. For example, preserve your energy and time by limiting status updates to concerned loved ones to once daily.

    If you’re dealing with difficult stuff right now, my heart is with you.

    Whether grappling with the hectic pace of every day or facing tragic devastation (or both!), life can be hard on the nervous system.

    Successful coping requires calm.

    Remember: Surrender. Set priorities. Practice self-care.