What Temperature is Your Thermostat Set To? Part 1

What Temperature is Your Thermostat Set To? Part 1 By Sue Courtney

You know how everyone likes the ambient room temperature set slightly differently? It is something I often come across in meetings and in families. When I was married I was always trying to sneak the thermostat up a bit, my husband preferred it lower (though I suspect this was more to do with cost than temperature). In meetings I often come across one person who needs the heating up full to feel comfortable sitting next to another who really needs the air conditioning on full. All very challenging.

But not as challenging as financial thermostat settings.

Are you aware of where your financial thermostat is set?

Are you aware where this originated?

 

Whose story are you perpetuating?

Are you aware of the impact this is having on your life and your success?

Most people will answer no to all of the above. Well, if you aren’t achieving the success you want and deserve, or find it difficult to hold on to money and success you need to know the answers –  I mean, you really need to know the answers!

I have been familiar with the concept of financial thermostats for some time and have had success with exercises that aim to raise them. However, this seldom lasts long if you aren’t aware of the origin of your present setting and how it impacts your level of financial success.

If you want things to change, read on.

Your lack of financial and career success is, in some measure, a result of where your financial thermostat is set. However, just turning the setting to ‘high’ isn’t the answer.

Imagine that you are sitting in a room that feels a little cold to you, so you turn up the thermostat and the room begins to heat up. Bliss. However, you failed to notice that all the windows are open and it is freezing outside.

 

·         Will the temperature rise as much as you would like?

·         Will the temperature stay as high as you would like in the face of the freezing cold air coming in from outside?

 

I think we can agree that it won’t. No matter how long you keep the thermostat turned up high, if the windows stay open the temperature will rise to your desired setting (with a struggle) but then gradually cool when the heating switches off. The only permanent way to ensure the room stays at the temperature you set is to close the windows!

And so it is with your finances and your career success. You may feel that you have your thermostat set at the temperature you want, but if your ‘windows are open’ – that is you are unconsciously living with beliefs that come from elsewhere and are not supporting you – you are unlikely to maintain your career and financial success long term.

So what are the beliefs holding you back from achieving your full potential?

You may be surprised – I was when I discovered my own truth about this.

I realised that I had spent my life living my mother’s ‘truth’ about money and wealth. But the most shocking part of this was that her beliefs had been formed during a family trauma when she was a small child – about 5 years old. I had spent my entire life living the results of an event that took place about thirty years before I was born and were obviously not relevant to me and my life – and never had been. This realisation was very powerful and I admit I did shed tears – of amazement and relief.

Now I know that my mother didn’t mean to affect my life and financial success in any way and would have been thrilled beyond measure if I had become one of the very rich people she claimed to despise. But, because of all I had been exposed to throughout my life I found myself ‘getting rid of’ any success and money that I didn’t feel I had worked hard for – and why? Because, in my subconscious mind, I didn’t want my mother to despise me for being rich. I also maintained a lifestyle that kept me more or less broke, so when I earned a lot of money my expenses grew to ensure it was all spent!

It took me many years to work this out and ‘close my window’. It all makes so much sense now – all the wasted extravagances, the unsuccessful ‘investments’ – all to ensure I stayed true to someone else’s beliefs. Now I can maintain any financial  temperature I choose, which feels so good.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Are you living the results of family beliefs around money and success? Were you brought up with the notion of ‘we are the workers’, ‘we aren’t management material’ or other negative beliefs around people who are successful in their career, life and finances?

Well, the good news is that it is possible to change this – to ‘close your windows’ – and turn your life around.

First you need to think the way successful people, who already have the career, lifestyle and financial success you desire.

In part 2, I will show you how.

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Female Quotas - The Way To Go or To Be Avoided At All Costs? by Sue Courtney

I have been watching with interest the debate on whether setting quotas for the number of women sitting on company boards is the way forward or pure folly. There are compelling cases for each viewpoint – so what do you think?

From my research it seems that the main issue preventing many women from reaching the top – and by that I mean executive committees as well as corporate boards – is motherhood. I must admit that I was astounded when I realised it was such a basic issue, which could be so easily addressed, if there was a will to do so.

It seems that the proposed EU quota would only address the issue of women on the board. Now, beneficial as it would be to have more women on the board of directors of the big corporate companies, I think their worth would depend on their direction of appointment.

To ‘parachute’ women in to the board seems a pointless act – a mere gesture to demonstrate (unconvincingly) that the company is addressing the issue and treating women equally. Far more effective is to promote up to the board from within the company on merit and ability. Currently women are falling out of the promotion pipeline at an alarming rate because they are electing to have children.

In financial terms alone, it is an unsustainable policy and very short sighted. Mixed gender teams and committees have been proven to be more creative and give the company a competitive edge. To lose half of the talent that a company had developed in this way is pure madness. It makes no financial sense whatsoever.

The government has made a small step in the right direction by introducing new maternity/paternity leave guidelines recently. This may result in childcare being shared more evenly between parents and could eventually eradicate the issue. However, I’m not holding my breath while I wait for this to happen.

Ultimately it is the responsibility of companies to decide for themselves how important their employees are and – with convincing evidence demonstrating the having a 50/50 gender balance at every level of a company makes sound economic sense – taking robust action to ensure that every member of staff is supported to achieve their full potential. If this means introducing flexible working for those who want it, workplace childcare or other measures then there is nothing to stop them forging ahead – both in terms of staff management and profitability.

The sad fact is that many, many women find themselves electing to work for far less than they are capable of in order to create a work/life balance once they have children. It is a waste of talent that companies and the country cannot continue to support. I absolutely realise that not every woman wants promotion. But those that do want to reach the top and have the talent to support that ambition should be encouraged to do so in the same way that their male colleagues are.

What do you think?

How is it in where you work?

What challenges or obstacles have you found in reaching for promotion?

I would love to hear from you. Please send me your stories of success and challenge, good and bad companies, achievement and disappointment. I would love to be able to share stories of supportive companies and success. It is always inspiring to know that there are beacons of good practice out there, so please let me know.

 

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Groundhog Life - 7 Top Tips To Transform It

Is your life becoming somewhat repetitive – do the same issues and challenges keep cropping up, over and over? Are you having the same negative conversations and getting the same negative feelings at work every day?

We all experience this at some time, but when it feels as if it is all the time it may indicate that now may be the right time to take stock and do something about it. It is possible to set yourself free from the ‘groundhog life’ – here are my top 7 tips to turn your life around.

1.      The first step is to actually recognise it. Life will keep giving us the same lessons, often in different guises, until we learn the lessons and can move on. So first you need to become aware of the scripts you are repeating, which aren’t serving to increase your happiness and wellbeing. The sooner you do this the better. So have a look at your life and discover the negative scripts you are running, both at home and at work.

2.      Write down the negative scripts that you keep repeating to yourself. Maybe you aren’t happy at work, you have applied for promotions and been unsuccessful and have begun running scripts around “I’ll never get ahead”, “people like me don’t get promotion”, “I’m just not good enough”. Write them all out so you can actually see them. Getting them out in the open and accepting that this is what you are telling yourself is often enough to bring about changes. Take a few weeks to write them all down as you think of them, along with the way the script makes you feel and any associated thoughts and feelings that come up.

3.      Now you need to develop a vision of how you want it to be. You need clarity on what you actually do want before you can move forward. When I work with ambitious, professional ladies I begin with a values exercise to enable them to find out what is important to them right now – what their purpose is. It’s no good making a change if it isn’t the right change. You need to know what you truly want and need in your life before you can decide how you want your life or work situation to be. Once you are clear on your values, write a detailed description of your ideal working day from waking up to going to sleep at the end of the day. Spend time adding to it and making changes until it feels perfect. This is your goal. You can now measure your current situation and progress against this ideal.

4.      Now return to your negative scripts and challenge them. If you are saying “people like me don’t get promotion” challenge this by asking “Where’s the evidence for this?” “Really?” “Never?” On a piece of paper, make two columns – one headed evidence in support and the other evidence against and begin to list all the evidence you can come up with. It probably won’t take long for you to realise that the evidence doesn’t stack up in support of your negative belief.

5.      If you find the evidence does support your negative scripts then ask “what can I do about it?” This will open your mind to possibilities – write them down – all of them, however wacky. You don’t censor the ideas at this stage. By now you should be beginning to believe that you do have choices and options and what you want is possible – if you are prepared to make a few changes.

6.      The next step is to rewrite your negative scripts to make them more positive and supportive. So “people like me don’t get promotion” might become “There are three women who used to do my job and are now in senior management or on the board – if they can do it, so can I”. You are going to have to make a mindset shift for things to change. You might also ask them for tips on how best to gain promotion – I’m sure they will have many stories and will be very willing to share advice with anyone who really wants to listen and learn.

7.      Use your new, positive and empowering scripts to develop a plan of what you will do to make the changes happen. I have already suggested one action. I am sure there will be many more – practical action steps that will move you in the direction of your goal. My luxury, intensive seminars, webinar programmes and personalised programmes all address the issues that may arise with very practical steps to take to get ahead of your competition. It is my passion to help you get the job and lifestyle you want.

So now you have my 7 top tips for regaining control of your life and making each day deliciously different and packed full of potential.

I would love to know how you get on with these top tips, so please email me at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk with your stories.

If you would like to know more about my services and how I can support you, then email enquiries@successandimagecoach.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

How To Get To The Top Part 2 by Sue Courtney

Since it has been demonstrated that mixed gender departments produce more profits for companies, exactly what is stopping women getting to the top? And what can be done about it?

 

Succession planning in some companies is woefully inadequate. Grooming the most appropriate candidate for an up-coming position would, automatically include a number of women, so this is a place to start. It will work as long as women are encouraged and supported. So often they are not.

 

Too often the feedback I receive from women is that men often feel threatened by successful or ambitious women and so do what they can to hold them back. Disappointingly, the “old boy’s network” is alive and still thriving at the higher levels of many companies in this country.

 

In Norway businesses have benefitted from the implementation of a quota system. All companies are required to have women holding at least 40% of all boardroom positions. Richard Branson reports that the figure is now “an encouraging 44%”. However, this doesn’t translate into CEO status, where the figure is around 2%. This system brings a balance of experience and viewpoints and since the population is made up of both men and women it makes sense to have both equally represented at decision-making level in companies. This may soon become the law in the UK, as the EU is considering implementing it as law for the whole of Europe. Watch this space to see how it works.

 

Richard Branson also points out, in his article “Why We Need More Women in the Boardroom”, that since 70% of household purchasing decisions are made by women – from the brand of shampoo to the house, car and holiday– and since, often, 50% of the employees in a company are women, surely it makes sense to have them equally represented at the decision-making end of the company.

 

He goes on to suggest that companies might begin by considering the opportunities available for women to advance their career in the company – beginning with asking the female employees themselves for their experiences and advice. Such wise words.

 

However, this won’t address the most pressing reasons for the lack of female applicants for top jobs, which are

·         Lack of affordable childcare – the biggest issue for mothers wishing to return to work after birth.

·         Lack of shared parental leave after childbirth

·         Lack of long parental leave entitlement by fathers – mothers have long leave options, fathers are usually lucky if they have a couple of weeks.

·         The impact maternity leave can have on small companies.

·         The reluctance of some companies to promote women because they are unwilling to address the changes that this would require.

 

Not all companies can offer subsidised childcare for their staff, I accept that. But something has to be done to stem the loss of top talent in business.

 

Flexible working is an option. In the examples I have seen it rather looks and feels like being a small business owner, working from home. It allows employees to work out their own schedules and fit work round school runs and other meetings. This works as well for fathers as mothers and is something I read about many years ago, when it was seen as the future of business in the UK. Hmm. That prediction didn’t quite work out, did it?

 

There are many who are against quotas, preferring targets instead. There is currently a target to have 25% women board members by 2015, and certainly there is evidence that this would have a beneficial effect on society and business in the future.

 

 

So what are the answers?

As many and varied as there are companies I suspect.

 

 

I firmly believe that it has to be possible to “have it all”. That, if they so wish, women should be able to pursue a career, reach the top and also bring up a family – but it needs enormous determination on the part of both women and companies to achieve this.

 

However, I stress, “If they so wish”. Not every woman has to want to reach the top – any more than every man has to. It is time we got honest about what we really want, worked out what it will cost not just in financial terms, but also in terms of lifestyle, happiness and peace of mind. It should be as acceptable in the UK as it is in Norway, for men to stay at home and bring up the children – if that is their choice.

 

It also helps to have supportive family and to have the luxury of deciding when the right moment for career advancement is. It may be from the moment of birth or it may be once the children are older. Equally it may be to not have children at all. Again, no right answer – just a personal choice.

 

So, from my research, the main factors affecting the number of women reaching the top of their career ladder are

·         The attitude of the largely male-dominated upper echelons of major companies

·         The lack of affordable childcare

·         A lack of confidence in their ability to fulfil a role – especially if the job specification is worded in ‘male’ language

·         Women’s own doubt about the effort to reward ratio being worth the potential sacrifices.

 

My solutions?

·         Re-write job advertisements and job specifications to use more female friendly language. It would be great if companies would use more neutral language, but failing that, do it yourself and see the difference in your confidence.

·         Do the maths. Actually work out the financial benefits to pursuing your career against the cost of childcare. Then factor in your happiness, which is priceless. Do what feels right for you – otherwise you will be resentful, whichever choice you make.

·         Childcare not an issue? Great. Develop a plan – a detailed plan of all you will need to do, get a coach or mentor and get to work on achieving your goal. Be relentless in your pursuit of success – and be open to changing companies, sectors or career if that is what it takes.

 

I am able to provide a tailor made solution in the form of my unique 3 step MAP system for career success. This is available as

·         Option 1 - a series of 12 webinars with manual, over 6 months for those wanting an affordable option.

( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

·         Option 2 - A luxury, intensive weekend event, where clients use the whole of my MAP system to begin to develop their individual strategy for success. This works well for those who are impatient and want to get their career moving quickly. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

·         Option 3 - my bespoke promotion programme, providing individual support whilst using my MAP system. This is for those who want an individual programme and one to one support throughout the process. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

 

 

I am very happy to offer a complimentary strategy call to discuss options and whether any of the above would be suitable for your needs.

 

Whatever you decide to do – make it your conscious, positive decision, develop a plan and do something towards achieving your goal every day.

 

I would love to hear about your experiences of this issue – both positive and negative, so please email me with your thoughts at

sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

 

 

copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

How To Get To The Top - Part 1

 

·         More than 50% of graduates in the UK are women

·         Nearly 50% of the workforce in the UK are women

So why are the vast majority of the top jobs held by men?

 

It is widely recognised that businesses perform better with women throughout the company, so what is going wrong?

 

There are several possible scenarios:

·         Is it that recruitment is biased in favour of men?

·         Is the system stacked against women with families?

·         Or do few women aspire to the lifestyles that go with the top jobs?

 

Undoubtedly career success requires hard work and the willingness to make tough choices. Women have to make sure they are the right person, in the right job at the right time – but that isn’t the whole story. As Hilary Devey says

“It may be a little more difficult for a woman than a man so she has to work harder – fact.”

This may be true, but is it right?

 

This situation represents a shocking waste of talent – it is bad for women, bad for business and bad for the economy. The system of promoting from only half of the workforce, as is the case in many companies, is inefficient and is causing the loss of a vast amount of talent from the business sector.

 

Every business knows there is a huge cost associated with recruitment and training so it surely makes sense to retain the skill sets that have cost so much to develop? This has to be basic good business sense.

 

Women bring different life experiences, different perspectives and are often more constructive. This ultimately leads to better decision making. Evidence shows that companies with an equal mix of men and women in leadership positions make better decisions, make a higher return on sales, equity and capital investment.

 

So what can be done?

 

Hilary Devey states that not enough women are coming forward to apply for senior roles. Why is this?

 

It may be that the wording of job advertisements contain gender bias. Words such as “gravitas”, “demanding”, “relentless”, “outstanding” and “exceptional” will all lead to more applications from men. It may also influence the recruiters who may appoint candidates based on unconscious language bias and gender stereotypes.

 

Added to this is the tendency for women to point out the few attributes from a long list that they feel they fall short in and use this to talk themselves out of a job. Men, on the other hand, will often point out the few attributes they are confident in and ignore those they may not possess.

 

It is an issue of confidence.

 

In the UK today, approximately two-thirds of women work at least part time.

Many of these find the challenges of juggling work and family commitments can affect their confidence and their career progression.

 

There comes a point when women have to choose what they want to do with their lives and often, work is an important part of this. However, the reality is that being a mother can slow their progress up the career ladder.

 

More than four in ten mothers with good degrees say they have taken a job for which they are over-qualified in order to secure a part-time working arrangement. Too often they have to sacrifice seniority and pay to achieve a satisfactory work/life balance.

 

There are also the costs of childcare to be factored in to the equation. Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and many families spend 33% of their annual budget on this. Often it just doesn’t make financial sense for women to return to full-time work after having children.

 

Clearly it is a complex issue. However, there are facts that point to it being cost effective for companies to develop strategies for managing career breaks because it has been demonstrated time and time again that mixed gender teams and departments produce more profit.

What do you think?

Do you have a solution to the issue?

 

More to follow in Part 2.

 

Sue Courtney is an expert in Personal Rebranding for Career Success.

For information about her programmes and events please email her at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

Or go to her website at

www.successandimagecoach.co.uk

Free book – “The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder” can be found at www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

Career Success The Olympic Way

 Career Success the Olympic way my top 10 tips – by Sue Courtney

The Olympics – how was it for you? Did you watch every moment, ignore it completely or dash out and begin participating in a new sport?

I was totally captivated and inspired by the achievements of the athletes and Team GB in particular. As I listened to their stories and watched in awe as they achieved great results I was struck by the fact that there were lessons to be learnt here that could be applied to your career success.

So here are my top 10 tips for Olympic style career success:

1.     Run your own race. Many of the most successful athletes had a plan for their event and they stuck to it. There is a lot to be said for this confident approach – be yourself, maintain focus and believe in yourself and your plan for success. (This pre-supposed you actually have a coherent plan!)

So be sure you have a detailed plan for your career success and stick to it. Don’t allow others to derail you. Believe in yourself, remain focused and take action.

2.     Set the bar high – aim for excellence. I think that the cycling ladies in the Velodrome  demonstrate this particularly well. Every time they got on their bikes they broke their own world record! Their determination to succeed combined with the belief that they could win was a powerful combination.

Jessica Ennis also showed that she was aiming for nothing less than excellence in her event by winning in spectacular style.

Jessica and the ladies cycling team had set their own personal bar very high and would settle for nothing less than excellence in their performances. We can learn a lot from them.

Every day you have the opportunity to aim for excellence and raise your bar very high to demonstrate that you are a world class performer.

3.     What you measure you can improve. All the athletes were aware of their figures – how fast, how long, how strong – they had been measuring their performances over time and analysing how they could improve.

      As Oscar Pistorius put it, "If there is something I can do to be faster, I just do it, it's simple."

At work, ask yourself how well are you doing – and how do you know this?

How can you improve on your current performance if you really have no clear idea what your current performance is?

What do you need to be measuring?

What do you need to be achieving?

4.     Celebrate your achievements. Some bronze medal winners were ecstatic – others were inconsolable – distraught because they had failed to win silver or gold. To them, bronze meant failure! Other gold medal winners were measured in their response. Many of these were comparing themselves to the achievements of others which is rarely an uplifting experience. Others who had not won a medal cried tears of joy because they had achieved a personal best time or distance. Such a huge variety of responses.

What does this have to do with career success? Plenty.

Celebrate like the last category – when you achieve a small victory celebrate your achievement and then plan how to make the most of the opportunity it brings.

If your CV gets you an interview – well done. You have won an opportunity to go further. Celebrate and plan for the next step. Focus on what you have to be grateful for. If not – it is teaching you something. Learn the lesson, improve and move on to success.

5.     Pay meticulous attention to the detail. The top athletes ensured they left nothing to chance. To quote Oscar Pistorius, “Being a perfectionist is everything. If you skimp, you lose.”

Paying meticulous attention to the fine detail in your work will get you noticed because so few people do this. Ensure you are always immaculately turned out – whatever your position in the company. Ensure your work is of an exemplary standard at all times. Ensure your behaviour is of an exemplary standard at all times.

6.     Who – me? Why me? I listened to an interview with Duncan Goodhew in which he said that the first reaction of many people, when told that they can be world class, is disbelief – they can believe it is possible for someone else, but they feel themselves to be too ordinary. Their second reaction is to ask “why me?” Well, I would ask – “why NOT you?” Everyone has potential greatness in them – it just requires a mindset which knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are the capable of world class greatness.

7.     Prepare mentally for success. This brings me nicely to the fact that, as Oscar Pistorius and all the other medal winning athletes know – success is all in the mind. They will have spent hours visualising winning, running the perfect race, overcoming obstacles to claim the gold medal until they have complete belief that the gold medal belongs to them. Failure is not an option.

The same holds true in your career. You need to believe with absolute certainty that the job you want is yours. To do this you will need to have developed a plan, taken all the actions necessary to achieve success – in world class style – visualised success and taken on a coach to help you through the tough times. Remember – just like preparing for the Olympics – achieving career success demands focus, hard work and determination.

8.     Make your own decisions. The top athletes always take advice from their coaches, trainers and mentors – but in the end they have the ultimate responsibility for their own success. It is essential to have total belief in yourself and your ability. Only you know your capabilities and so only you can decide how you will “run your race” and achieve success.

9.     Take responsibility for your actions. The top athletes had top coaches, trainers and mentors who worked tirelessly with them – but they still had to take responsibility for ensuring they did the work. Ultimately they alone were responsible for their input and outcome – and so are you in your career. Where are you abdicating responsibility?

10.   Step through the door.  When Andy Murray won gold I remember a commentator saying that they hoped the result would enable him to finally “step through the door” and accept his status on the world stage.

You need to do the same. Walk through the “door” to your greatness. Accept your place as a world class performer. Become that person you were meant to be.

 

These are my top 10 tips to produce world class results for your career. How can you begin to apply them to your situation today so you too will achieve a “gold medal” and a “world record” in career success?

Here are two bonus tips to start you off:-

1.     Online control. Take control of information that appears about you online. Develop a strong online presence that demonstrates your professionalism and strength in the area of work you wish to specialise in and be promoted for. Remove all items and references to less than professional conduct and monitor what others post about you.

2.     Take time out. It is vital to take time out to re-group and re-energise. So ensure you take your holiday entitlement and really relax. Know that taking your full holiday entitlement and not being available for work interruptions sends a strong and positive message about your confidence and boundaries. It is a very strong action.

 

If you are an action taking woman, determined to succeed in your career then I have the perfect event for you. An exclusive, intensive, luxury focus on your career or business. For more information email me at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

www.successandimagecoach.co.uk

www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

Redundancy or Release

Redundancy - or Release?

In these economically uncertain times there is increasing talk about ‘redundancy’. It is a word that sends shivers of fear down the spine of many people today, but what does it really mean?

According to the dictionary, ‘redundant ‘ means “superfluous, no longer needed”. In the thesaurus, similar words are “surplus, unnecessary, unwanted”. Who wants to feel they are any of these? The word ‘redundant’ does not have positive connotations. However, truth be told, it is not the person that is redundant, it is the job – you just happen to be filling it!

If viewed positively, it could be the best thing that ever happened to you, after all ”every cloud has a silver lining” or so they say.

I think the process should be called ‘release’. This may bring to mind being released from prison, but I am sure that many of us have, at some time, felt as if our jobs imprison us and stop us doing what we would truly love to do with our lives.

So redundancy can give life to dreams and ambitions that have been buried under layers of habit, fear and procrastination for years. Redundancy is one of the biggest fears as it takes away security, regular income, status and identity. But it gives a lot as well – the opportunity to take stock and redesign your life.

Have you ever asked yourself what success means to you?

Anthony Robbins defines success in the following terms:

“Success is doing what you want, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want”

Your definition will be as individual as you are, but I suspect that as well as a certain amount of money and security there will be a thought as to the way the money and security is gained. Few people have the opportunity to achieve success in their chosen field of endeavour because obligations of family and home take priority over an authentic life. If you are facing the threat of redundancy, or have recently experienced it then you have the perfect opportunity to reconsider your whole future and change the outcome.

It is often the case that we won’t jump voluntarily but wait until pushed. As a child I was taught to dive. It terrified me, mostly, I think, because I have an irrational fear of being upside-down. So I would stand on the side of the pool, perfectly poised to dive but not actually taking the plunge. I knew what to do but didn’t dare do it. Instead I waited until someone came along and pushed me because they couldn’t stand it any longer. Think of redundancy as the Universe giving you that push to lead a more authentic life.

Many of us suffer a sense of disappointment our whole life, not because we don’t have love and fun in our lives but because we aren’t brave enough to make changes and admit what we would truly love to do, in case it upsets the status quo. Many who have faced redundancy have the feeling that they have somehow failed, even though it is not their fault and they have done nothing wrong. Indeed they may have been the model employee.

Many who do not experience redundancy would love the opportunity to make the change and move out of jobs they hate, but are terrified to risk change despite the damage it is doing to their self esteem and inner happiness. On the outside you may appear a success but only you will know how successful you really feel.

In many cases redundancy is firmly in our panic zone and is to be avoided at all costs, but when it happens, what can be done? Firstly know that you have not failed, the universe is forcing you to take hold of a new opportunity, giving you the chance to rethink and redesign your future. It has been said that the worst thing in life isn’t failing, it’s never having tried.

A coach can guide you to a place where you can access your own inner wisdom and take charge of your future. It may be an unfamiliar feeling to have choices as to the direction you might like to take and how you would like your future to be. How fortunate you are to have this ‘problem’. It usually comes with a cash cushion to enable you to take a little time to consider your options or to simplify your life by paying off mortgage or loan. Not many have this golden time for reflection – embrace it.

Many people say they feel they have let down their family – especially their children. I have news for you – staying in a job you hate just for them is letting them down far more. Children admire parents who have the courage to make the change – they are the inspiring ones who dare to go after their dreams. By doing so they give their children permission to do the same. I wonder how many parents have told their children to find a job that makes them happy, while staying in a job they clearly hate? Children know when you aren’t walking the talk – you owe it to them. My son often tells people that he finds me the most inspiring person he knows – because I had the courage to quit a well paid job and pursue my dreams. He is now doing the same!

Ask yourself what your ideal day would be – where would you live?

 Who would you spend time with?

 What would you do with your day?

What would you eat?

 What would you wear?

Write it out in minute detail – really feel it, get passionate about it. If there is no passion, think again. Keep playing with the idea until your true desires surface – maybe kicking and screaming at the unaccustomed daylight (they have been hiding in the darkest recesses for many years, possibly your whole life) and feel the passion they unleash.

Now take each aspect of the dream and find out exactly what it is that holds the appeal for you – what makes you want it? Then ask what you need to do, or know to make it happen. Do you need to learn new skills? Taking on the services of a coach can make the process a

lot quicker and less frightening. You will be guided at your pace and will work entirely to your agenda. The coach is non-judgemental and gives you space to explore who you really are and what you really want by asking incisive questions.

Once you have some ideas you then need to make a plan of the order in which actions need to be taken. Find out about courses, ask about financial support and advice, talk to family and friends openly and honestly about the situation. To be on your side they need to know the reality of the situation – it isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It is an opportunity to celebrate – you are very fortunate.

Once you have a plan then you must take action. This is another area where a coach can be an enormous benefit. A coach will help you explore the possible barriers to action so you can work to remove them and then a coach will hold you accountable for the actions you have decided to take. You will have to explore deeply the reasons for not taking action – this often spurs people on to do what they say – so much easier!

SO, redundancy is a good thing – if you decide it is. I think there should be a new definition of the word which should be “ a golden opportunity to redesign your life and achieve your authentic goals and ambitions”. It’s much easier to do this with the support that redundancy offers than it is without it. So smile, be grateful for the shove that the Universe has given you and go get your dream life – it’s got your name on and it’s waiting for you to claim it as your own. Have a great future!

For more information go to www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk
www.successandimagecoach.co.uk
www.suecourtney.com