Express Your Own Fun
You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do. And since leisure time is limited, beware of forcing yourself to do something because you think you SHOULD enjoy it. Much as I am embarrassed to admit it, I really like Madonna. I admire Beethoven, enjoy Bach, and have been transported by Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor. But when it comes to giving my spirits a boost, gimme Madonna or Michael Jackson and I’ll find myself dancing and singing — happy chemicals whizzing about my body. Friday afternoon, with the three kids in the mini-van (yes, we...
Read MoreLaw School Grads — Where Did Our Drive Go?
“I don’t expect to love my job. There’s a reason they call it ‘work.’ That’s why they pay me for it,” my friend said to me at lunch yesterday. She is a senior associate at a big San Francisco law firm, and like many in her position, she is overworked and stressed but doesn’t know how else she can support her family. What has happened to all of those bright-eyed, eager law school graduates who were intellectually excited by their work, who wanted to make a difference, who loved the challenge and the puzzle of figuring things out? Far too...
Read MoreTen Tips for Business Development
Here are ten tips to help you grow your business and develop strong client relationships: 1. Know your value. What do you offer? What are your core strengths? 2. Know your edge. Be able to articulate what sets you apart from competitors. If you are a small player, know how being nimble and scrappy is an advantage; if you are the biggest, know how being established and well-resourced is an advantage. 3. Identify your ideal client or customer so you know what you want and whom to target. 4. Do your homework. Understand your potential client’s business needs and how to serve them....
Read MoreThis is Only a Test
Today I spoke with Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of The Happiness Project, about her book, happiness, and coaching. Our conversation touched on the importance of taking action. Gretchen’s project was all about test-driving a wide range happiness theories and practices to see if DOING things made her FEEL HAPPIER. In pursuit of happiness, she read a lot (I mean a lot), and thought a lot, but the focus was on doing (a lot!) In my coaching practice, I expect my clients to get into action right away. Sometimes clients are caught off guard by the need to take action before they...
Read MoreWork from the Outside-In
Sometimes, when all else fails, you need to fake it. I’m not talking about Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally.” I’m talking about creating an exterior that represents how you want to feel rather than how you actually feel, looking good when you feel not-so-good, and acting energetic even when you don’t feel it. After a recent night meeting, I went out with friends for a drink, got to bed too late, then was awakened by one child or another three times between midnight and four a.m. before my alarm went off at 5:30. Needless to say, I was not feeling my...
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