I Want A New Career, But Ive Got A Lot To Lose... What If I Mess Up

“I Want A New Career, But Ive Got A Lot To Lose... What If I Mess Up” Help from our Community “I Want A New Career, But Ive Got A Lot To Lose... What If I Mess Up?” * Karen is a successful lawyer, with a great salary, respected reputation and impressive connections… but she's not happy. She wants to leave the law and explore a portfolio career, but she's worried about giving up everything she's worked so hard to build. Can you offer her some advice? What's your career history and current job? I'm a qualified lawyer and a partner at a law firm, working under high pressure conditions on a regular basis in a commercially driven environment. How do you feel about your work? I took the law route on the advice of my family, not because I really wanted to be a lawyer, and the cracks are starting to show. I'm good at it, but it's not my passion. What would you like to be doing instead? I want a more fulfilling career that allows artistic expression but also enables me to help others. I like solving other people's problems and making them feel good about themselves. I enjoy health and well-being and would like to train as a personal fitness trainer and therapist. I also have interests in culture, antiques, art, fashion, and interior design and would like to try my hand at working in these arenas. In 12 months' time I'd like to have a portfolio career combining some or all of these elements, while also having a good income stream. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? Fear of failure. Things play on my mind like loss of income stream, loss of title, status, connections, future prospects. These things shouldn't really matter, but deep down they do! The biggest challenge for me is overcoming my own thoughts and not being so attached to my current status or where I will end up if everything goes wrong. Can you help Karen? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How could Karen deal with her concerns about losing her income and status? Can you relate to her fear of failing? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Karen a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

Permission to Be Brave In Your Career - Classy Career Girl

Permission to Be Brave In Your Career Do you ever find yourself seeking guidance or advice about what you should do with your career when you already have the answer? When I am second guessing myself on a decision with my business, I am notorious for asking a thousand questions of others until I find the answer I am looking for or until a consensus is in one direction or another. The problem with this is that it always makes me feel even more stuck, unable and not actually getting me any closer to the answer. There are times it is completely warranted for me to seek the counsel of my business friends, mastermind partners and of other coaches because in those time I am actually stuck and I need to hear how they would get themselves out of it. What I am talking about right now, though, are those moments in time when you have a deep intuition to do something but you are overwhelmed by the shoulds, opinions, and fear to make the wrong choice. When I start relying on the opinions of others, I end up not listening to my gut, my intuition and sometimes my own values. This pattern is known as permission seeking behavior. We seek out permission when we are faced with our own insecurities about our decisions and our thoughts. We seek permission for someone or something to get the answer we already have an answer to. For example, when I was deciding to leave my corporate position as a leadership development manager I was torn but had a gut feeling it was time to part ways. I would go downstairs and ask my very good friend to take a walk with me and weigh the pros and cons to leaving a very stable, well-paying job vs. leaning into faith about my gut and not knowing where my next paycheck would come from. After our many,  many months of this turmoil, I finally gave myself permission to leave. My friend had given it to me months before, my husband gave me permission long before that and even my parents (my natural go-tos for permission) were all about me leaving. The only one having a problem was me. It was like I didn’t trust my own intuition or trust that I would do whatever it takes to make my dream a reality. The moment I gave myself permission the weight was lifted, the clouds parted and unbelievable things started to happen. Now I have a thriving coaching practice, I teach at a college a few times a year, I have time to work on other passions and be home with hubby and kiddos. See the thing is when we ruminate and seek counsel (when we already know our answer) is that we are just wasting time and brain space. We become tunnel-visioned and only focused on this issue until we get the answers we want to hear. When we give ourselves permission, we give ourselves the power to be who we are and listen to our internal guidance of what is being asked of us. Giving ourselves permission in this way is what it means to be brave and courageous in our own lives. Being courageous doesn’t have to look like superman or batman. Being courageous means showing up to your own life and standing up for it. Permission to be brave in your career comes only from YOU. Permission doesn’t have be leaving your corporate job or even starting a business, permission can look a thousand different ways. It can look like: 1. Sign up for that course that you have been eyeing for months. 2. Take an extra hour to work on your writing. 3. Let the dishes sit until the end of the day. 4. Set boundaries with clients, employees, friends, family 5. Decline that  amazing  job offer because your gut tells you so. 6. Make your health a priority over work. 7. Spark romance in your relationship. 8. Be ok with where you are in life. 9. Ask for more responsibilities because you want to be challenged in your job. 10. Hire that coach that you know will change your life. And the list goes on and on Permission to live your life is something you have to grant for yourself. The biggest lesson I have learned in all these years of personal and professional development work is that no one, absolutely no one is going to know you more than you know yourself. Grant yourself permission to trust yourself and follow those big callings. Grant permission to be just 1% more curious than fear. Grant yourself to figure out what you actually want to be doing in your career. By granting permission, you never know where you may end up, who you might become or what you may end up doing. Give yourself permission to be brave. Related Post:  How to Decide If You Should Stay or Leave Your Job + Free Quiz

How Personal Branding is Just Like Riding a Bike

How Personal Branding is Just Like Riding a Bike Dont worry, its just like riding a bike. How often have you heard this cliche? Chances are that around the age of 5, you learned how to ride a bike. After numerous times of falling over, banging your shins against the pedals, and losing control, something magical happens. You are riding! The feeling is euphoric and indescribable. In some way, you manage to combine a series of complicated skills balancing, pedaling, steering, shifting, braking in an uncomplicated way. You do not fall over, your shins are free of bruises, and you maintain control. From that point onward, riding a bike became second nature. You no longer need to think about it. It just happens. Perhaps the best example I have seen of the euphoria associated with the learning to ride a bike is by 6-year old Owen Kosevich. His YouTube video shot by his father last summer captured this experience and went viral! Owens parents were quoted as saying that he went through an emotionally trying time in learning to ride his bike. When the miracle of riding on two-wheels happened, his pride erupted into his inspirational message, Everybody, I know you can believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you will know how to ride a bike.   Believe in Yourself and You Will Be Your Brand! Being your brand is just like riding a bike once you believe in your brand you are inspired to take action and train to become your brand. Like riding a bike, becoming your brand includes combining a series of steps in an uncomplicated way. Your hard work and training then enables you to naturally be on-brand all of time and, like riding a bike, you never forget. I often refer to a quote from Lance Armstrong when people doubt or fear jumping on the personal brand discovery bicycle’: If you are worried about falling off the bike, youll never get on. Personal branding must first start with the belief that you have something authentic and unique to offer that thing that differentiates you from others. However, isnt it human nature to not believe in something until we have evidence that it actually exists? When learning to ride a bike, the evidence comes from the incremental steps we take from falling down, to momentary lapses of balance, and finally to the euphoria of riding your bike around the block for the first time. With each step our belief that we can ride a bike becomes more obvious and we continue to jump on the saddle. We do not give up! Ride Your Brand 360 Degrees Around the Block! In the personal brand discovery process, the best way to get the evidence we need to believe in our brand is through the 360Reach personal branding assessment. No other tool exists to give you actual input from those who know you well about your brand. When the final report of your results comes back, you will see evidence in all the brand attributes, skills, strengths, and competences people associate with you. By teaming up with a certified personal branding strategist you will analyze your results and establish that firm belief in your brand. Eventually you will be able to ride your brand around the block and being your brand will just come naturally! So, to borrow from Owens inspirational message, Everybody, I know you can believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you can be your brand! Related: 6 Ways to Start Building Your Personal Brand Today Image: Shutterstock

How to Use Your DISC Results to Improve Your Comminucation Work

How to Use Your DISC Results to Improve Your Comminucation Work Is someone in your office giving you a hard time, communication-wise? Does talking to that person feel like trying to break through a thick concrete wall with a tiny wooden hammer? If so, you might be dealing with someone whose communication style differs from yours. Specifically, your DISC profiles might be clashing with each other. What is DISC? DISC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Its also the name of a tool to assess your general behaviors at work; for example, do you actively involve yourself in office matters, or do you prefer to stay in the background and offer support from there? When you understand your profile, and those of others, youll find it easier to capitalize on your strengths, improve on your weaknesses, and make the workplace a more pleasant and productive environment for everyone. Everyone has all four traits described in DISC, to some degree. Its a matter of figuring out which set of traits your troublesome co-worker leans on the most, and adjusting your communication style accordingly. Heres what you need to know about the people whose personality traits fit best under the following categories. The Directors (D) A lot of D people are in leadership positions, and for good reason. Skilled at visualizing the big picture, D people tend to be confident, decisive and organized. They can also be argumentative, controlling and unwilling to listen to anyone whose opinions differ from theirs. Because theyre hard to approach, they might be oblivious to their subordinates inability to keep up with their demands. How to Communicate With Them: Be confident, prepared and respectful when approaching a D person. Present your arguments as concisely as possible, so you wont run the risk of wasting their time. Make sure you emphasize the this action will lead to that result parts, since D people are goal-oriented. Don’t argue with them for arguments sake or heap a ton of negativity on them. Avoid drowning them in an ocean of details or saying Youre wrong. Instead, begin sentences with “This could be better if. The Inspirers (I) A typical I person is easy to spot. Just hang around the sales or customer service departments where a ton of human interaction is necessary. You could say that these people are the heart of the office, with their cheerful, devil-may-care attitude and their tendency to talk, and talk and talk. They care about freedom and popularity above everything else â€" sometimes at the expense of office rules and professional relationships with co-workers. How to Communicate With Them: Talk to them the way youd talk to a friend. Weave your facts and figures into a story. Remember to ask them about personal-yet-safe topics like how their day went, and prepare to share a similar story of your own. Let them know that their feelings, positive or otherwise, are valid. Don’t give them the barest facts and figures without any context whatsoever, or let them figure things out on their own. Don’t shy away from small talk completely. Avoid being cold toward them, and don’t let them know that theyre nothing more than a cog in the wheel. The Supporters (S) If youre not sure about someones DISC profile, its safe to assume they fall under this category. A person with a dominant S style is patient, reliable and even-tempered. They do their best to maintain harmonious relationships at work, though this can lead to an avoidant style of managing conflict. They value job security the most, and may be uncomfortable with change. How to Communicate With Them: Use a friendly tone and positive body language. When talking to them about major changes in the company, frame it in terms of how itll help them keep their job. Give them enough time to make decisions based on the facts you give them. Always reassure them. Don’t be overly direct or confrontational. Don’t invade their personal space or pressure them into doing things against their will. Never belittle their accomplishments. The Conscientious (C) Accountants, programmers and statisticians usually have a C profile. They love details, and making sense of the same. They tend to get absorbed in their work, to the point that they come across as more interested in facts and figures than people. They seem pessimistic and humorless, but only because they want to know all the facts before arriving at a definite conclusion. How to Communicate With Them: Back up your arguments with plenty of solid data. Prepare to argue with a devils advocate. Give them time to consider and analyze what you just said. Be confident, but not arrogant, in front of them. Don’t give arguments based on pure speculation or clear up the awkward atmosphere with small talk. Never act condescending toward them. Recognize the Benefits of Improving Your Work Relationships Career assessment tools like DISC can help you navigate the stormy environment of the corporate world. More importantly, though, they help develop your empathy, which is a crucial â€" and often underrated â€" skill in the workplace. If you can consistently frame discussions in a way that looks good through the eyes of the other person, your relationships at work will improve, youll feel more motivated and productive, and youre more likely to succeed in your career. About the Author: Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer and career blogger with a passion for personal growth and a fascination with personality assessments. She is also the founder of  Punched Clocks, a career development site that helps professionals find happiness and success in their careers. Follow Sarah for more advice @SarahLandrum

The best Brighton student food - Debut

The best Brighton student food - Debut If you’re familiar with the city of Brighton, you’ll know that it can be a bit of a ‘hotspot’ for students. Last year, we showed you the best places to eat in Bournemouth. With its eclectic street art, the Laines, the beach, and the pier, Brighton has a variety of unique, weird and wonderful places to find student food even if you need just a coffee or a snack. From the best ready-to-go-wraps, to (in)famous rainbow cake, we’ve compiled some of the best places to grab a bite to eat. Naan Hut Located a short distance maybe ten minutes away from the station, Naan Hut is not to be missed. Wether you would like a portion of fries (hot, ready to go) or a wrap (especially when you are very hungry), Naan Hut has a lot to offer. As a student myself, I studied just across the road; Naan Hut was always the target for a bevvy of hungry students. Open six days a week until five o’clock, Naan Hut is a perfect place for food. Just as a tip, be aware if you’re walking to the station with food. Wraps are the perfect target for a Seagull or three. (I speak from experience here.) Click here to view their website. Cloud 9 Are you on the hunt for an ascetically pleasing slice of cake? Or what about delicious ice-cream and a cool drink? Cloud 9 should be your port of call. Cloud 9 has two different branches owned by a local. With a selection of cakes and ice-cream, Cloud 9 caters to everyone who has a sweet tooth (they also offer a vegan selection of goodies. As we move into the summer, this is the perfect place to cool off. With a relaxed atmosphere and many different flavours to try, Cloud 9 is a staple of the Brighton student food scene. And if you do end up visiting, make sure you snap a photo of their famous Rainbow cake for the ‘gram.   The cupcakes are also pretty spectacular. Click here to view their website. The Marwoods In need of Coffee? The Marwoods have the ‘coffee ninjas’ you need! Open Tuesday to Saturday until 11pm, with a DJ on Friday evenings, The Marwoods offers a selection of snacks and drinks, catering to a large variety of requirements. It’s good for being a ‘meeting place’ grabbing a coffee to network, anyone? or just being sociable. There is also wonderful, street-art inspired decoration outside along with the outside seating. (I loved the “journalist” mural best as a student.) The Marwoods should also be noted for its interior design; more ‘niche’ than what may be considered conventional, this is the archetype of a Brighton cafe. Click here to view their website.   Ole Ole Tapas Bar And Restaurant   Are you looking for somewhere that is a bit more lively than most other establishments? Make it Ole Ole! An authentic Tapas bar, the menu is delicious; note that it may be suited to larger parties, as the portions are very generous. There is also musical/dance performances on particular days of the week. Click here to visit their website. Flour Pot Bakery If you’re even just visiting the city, you cannot leave without visiting the Flour Pot Bakery. With emphasis on the artisanal, virtually everything in the shop has been crafted to perfection for the customer. And according to their Instagram profile, they serve “Fresh sourdough coffee, pastries and cakes…” The bakery also has a relaxed atmosphere; it’s perfect for meeting your friends, reading a book, or just if you need a quiet break from studying, like with listening to a podcast. The popular influencer Zoella has also mentioned the bakery on her social media. Click here to visit their website. Boho Gelato If you prefer Gelato to Ice-Cream, then you should definitely visit Boho Gelato. An independent Gelato retailer, there are two branches in Brighton with others in places such as Worthing. Known for sometimes serving unusual flavours, this is the one-stop-shop for all of your Gelato needs. Click here to visit their website.