I May Be Boring, But I#8217;m Very Rich

I May Be Boring, But I#8217;m Very Rich Last Thursday, I at long last got to see The Cars in show at the House of Blues in Boston. The Cars hadnt visited in 25 years, so this occasion was the buzz of the town the musicians being nearby young men all things considered. I love unrecorded music and throughout the years, I have gradually, however consistently, been scratching off my tremendous groups I-have to-see-before-I-bite the dust list. There are a couple of groups that have been stuck at the base of that rundown for longer than I can recollect names like Pink Floyd, Nirvana, (the first) Alice in Chains. These groups fall into the lamentably, its not intended to be classification. The Cars were consigned to that class excessively all things considered, the band separated in 1988, and Ric Ocasek (the lead vocalist) had consistently disheartened discuss a get-together from that point forward, disclosing to one questioner in 1997 Im saying never and you can rely on that. So this startling and cozy visit was an amazement to all. As it turned out, a great many individuals were as energized as I was to see them play. Ive been to the House of Blues on many occasions to see way greater acts yet I have never observed such a long queue of individuals at the entryway. Luckily, I was as yet ready to inch my way to the front. We were all side by side, stuffed super tight simply the manner in which I lean toward it. The environment was electric, and simply past 8PM, the energetically anticipated show started. Goodness, did they sound great! Ocaseks voice was totally magnificent. They opened up with Lets Go, one of their exceptionally cheery great. The group was siphoned and exceptionally vivified. In any case, after the third tune, I saw something exceptionally impossible to miss about the band they were totally tied down to their spot, and stayed semi fixed all through their exhibition. The Cars are potentially the least vivified band throughout the entire existence of humankind turns out, theyve consistently been like this. They have zero phase nearness and outside of their music, theyre a staggeringly exhausting bundle which is amazing, given this is their job. In any case, this didnt prevent individuals from turning out in large numbers to see them play. What's more, it didnt prevent The Cars from being one of the best groups of the 80s. This helps me to remember another band I worship Dire Straits. I saw them play in Perth, Australia, around mid 1990s. The day preceding the show, I ran into them inside a little recycled CD store (recall those?!) in downtown Perth. Here I was, flicking through dark CDs, and right close to me was Mark Knopfler, the lead artist and motivation behind Dire Straits. I didnt need to be one of those irritating groupies, so I just looked over at him and gestured. He was only a normal person truth be told, nobody else other than the storekeeper remembered him. Knopfler got a couple of CDs, and was off. The following day, hed be engaging a horde of 80,000. A couple of days after the show, the principle paper in Perth printed an elite meeting of him. At a certain point in the meeting, the columnist asked Knopfler for what valid reason he was so exhausting in front of an audience. A rankled Knopfler answered I might be exhausting, however Im rich. Like The Cars, Dire Straits is exceptionally static in front of an audience. There is zero connection with the group its everything about the music. Also, what music! Faithful comrades, the groups characterizing collection, is a standout amongst other selling, time with more than 30 million duplicates sold. The band visited angrily, playing 247 sold out shows in more than 100 distinct urban areas. Exhausting or not, individuals adored the music and the band was fruitful. What your identity is and what you do winds up characterizing you. You wind up falling in 1 of 4 quadrants: Exceptionally extravagant, and awesome at what you do its when you have something of incredible worth, and youre ready to hypnotize the world all the while. This makes unstable development. Woman Gaga and Facebook ring a bell. Extremely overflowing, yet what you offer is unoriginal and has little worth you will make an underlying sprinkle, however will in the long run blur away into obscurity. You consume money, and become the joke of the town. This helps me to remember Milli Vanilli and Jobster. Exhausting, however generally excellent at what you do you wont have a similar spotlight as your abundant partner, yet youll outlive them all. Individuals wont be enthusiastic about you, however theyll miss you when youre not around. These are the Dire Straits, The Cars and the IBMs of the world. Exhausting and not generally excellent those that crash on departure. The startup world is covered with those. As a business, you cant truly pick your quadrant you become it. Its a mix of your center standards, your qualities, your thoughts, your execution, etc. Yet, one thing is sure be acceptable at what you do, or youll in the end burn out. You can't be effective without creating something of significant worth yet its OK to be exhausting.

The Military Spouse Employment Plight

The Military Spouse Employment Plight Active duty military spouses face a 24% unemployment rate. And over 31% are working part-time even if they would prefer to work full-time.  Though it might sound like these are historic data points, this is current data. Our military spouses are supporting our country in a very important way, but are facing these challenges. I am not a military spouse. But I have learned from those who are and ask that you join me in the mission to help them secure meaningful employment. Jennifer, a client of mine whose husband is stationed in Germany, lives in a small town in Texas with their three kids, ages 14, 12 and 8. She has 19 years of experience as a research  scientist in healthcare, a master’s degree in public health, and a doctorate in health sciences. She has a list of certificates, publications and memberships longer than 20 of us combined. She is currently teaching a few courses to pay the bills. Every year, Jennifer feels like her dream career slips further and further away. In the last 11 months, shes submitted 139 applications over two states, participated in two interviews and exhausted her unemployment benefits. Now, shes back to square one. Jennifer told me that there comes a time when military spouses want to throw in the towel and think that maybe they are just nothing more than a military spouse, and that’s all people will ever see them for. According to the Department of Defenses 2017 Profile of the Military Community, 24.9% of active-duty military spouses are 25 and younger and 13.5% are 41 years or older. Ninety-two percent are women. They are a very diverse community, varying widely in race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography, education and more. I will be focusing more on the pressing issue of military spouse unemployment in future articles, but today I want to highlight three barriers military spouses face when seeking a meaningful civilian position: Some facts: The unemployment rate for recent college graduates with a bachelor degree was 12.9 percent in October 2018 (S. News and World Report). In November 2019, Forbes reported that Recent College Graduates Have the Highest Unemployment Rate in Decades (Forbes). This Federal Reserve Bank data breaks the dilemma down by major or discipline. However, recall that their data was pre-coronavirus (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). The same organization shares the following shocking information (Federal Reserve Bank of New York): Good jobs ($45K+) were as high as 55% in 1990 and declined to 43% in 2020. Low wage jobs (under $25K) went up for college graduates from 8.6% in 1990 to 13.8% in 2018. Parents of college graduates and college graduates, believe it or not, this is not the time to hunker down and say, lets hold off on job searching or its not the right time to job search. Just the opposite. Students, you need to dial up your job search efforts and prepare to compete to win a meaningful job. You have invested tremendous time and money in the hope that one, your college institution will prepare you to secure employment and, two, you can pay back your college degree investment. 1. Interview Bias Up there with ageism, sexism and racism in the recruiting process (often referred to as unconscious biases), there is true military spouse-ism. These men and women are asked questions like, When will you move again? Why have you moved around so much? Or their applications are simply declined without being asked anything at all. 2. Résumé Gaps Spouses of our military service members and officers cannot work while overseas in many cases. Yet they are very active in the community, volunteering, securing advanced degrees and are the COO of their household. However, due to their backgrounds, their résumés dont always tell the clear story of their total qualifications; they rarely get a chance to showcase their skills. 3. Excluded From Veteran Hiring Programs Over the last 10 years, the combined corporate effort to hire veterans has accomplished its goal and continues to make a huge impact. Although under-employment is still high for veterans and transitioning service members, it is moving in the right direction. And veteran unemployment is at just 3% nationwide. However, for many companies, military spouses are not included in their veteran hiring metric. Its tricky for companies, too, since it is hard to know if someone is really a military spouse. Military spouse job seekers are torn on whether they should be loud and proud about being a military spouse or if they shouldnt mention it due to the negative biases they face. What Can You Do? Companies should strive to hire more military spouses because: They are diverse most are female and represent wide ethnic and cultural diversity. They are highly educated, hardworking and adaptable. They are customer-focused. They are fierce learners. Give them a challenge and they will exceed expectations. With flex work on the rise and a skilled worker gap, their cross-group collaboration and communications experiences make them an ideal fit. If you are hiring and welcoming military spouses, share your open positions with your local or leading national U.S. military spouse support organizations. I donate my services to a few of these, including the United Service Organizations, Hiring Our Heroes, and Blue Star Families. There are plenty more out there as well. Also, make sure your remote positions are on FlexJobs.com. When you encounter a military couple (veteran, active duty, National Guard/Reserve), please dont just thank the veteran, but go out of your way to thank their spouse for their support to our country. There is so much awareness-building and action we need to take for these men and women. This article originally appeared here on Forbes.com.

25 Inspiring Quotes From the Worlds Most Successful Billionaires

25 Inspiring Quotes From the Worlds Most Successful Billionaires 25 Inspiring Quotes From the Worlds Most Successful Billionaires The world's wealthiest individuals didn't arrive in such a state coincidentally. Regardless of whether by smart speculation or sharp business instinct or some excellent blend of ability, coarseness, and situation, extremely rich people have unmistakably accomplished something right. (Furthermore, by and large, a ton of somethings.) Whenever you need a jolt of energy, think about these moving words from probably the wealthiest and best individuals on earth. Achievement is a lousy instructor. It tempts savvy individuals into deduction they can't lose. - Bill Gates You know, when you've faced malignant growth, everything else feels like a quite simple battle. - David Koch I gained from my father that change and experimentation are constants and significant. You need to continue attempting new things. - S. Robson Walton When we understand that flawed comprehension is the human condition, there is no disgrace in being off-base, just in neglecting to address our mix-ups. - George Soros To do what you wanna do, to leave an imprint such that you believe is significant and enduring that is a real existence all around lived. - Laurene Powell Jobs America, for me, is where, on the off chance that you have something extraordinary to offer, you'll be esteemed profoundly. - Tadashi Yanai Vision is maybe our most prominent strength...it has kept us alive to the force and progression of thoroughly considered the hundreds of years, it makes us peer into the future and loans shape to the obscure. - Li Ka-shing In case you're changing the world, you're taking a shot at significant things. You're eager to get up in the first part of the day. - Larry Page I don't care for making good on charges, yet I like dozing around evening time. - Leonardo Del Vecchio It's smarter to spend time with individuals superior to you. Select partners whose conduct is better than yours, and you'll float toward that path. - Warren Buffett There is a permanent clash at work throughout everyday life and in business, a consistent fight among harmony and confusion. Neither can be aced, however both can be impacted. How you approach that is the way to progress. - Phil Knight I appreciate the chase considerably more than easy street after the triumph. - Carl Icahn I think thriftiness drives advancement, much the same as different limitations do. One of the main approaches to escape a tight box is to develop out. - Jeff Bezos One of the extraordinary duties that I have is to deal with my advantages admirably, so they make esteem. - Alice Walton At the point when you manage transform, you have a few options: You can lead it and make the standards, or you can be a quick devotee, or you can be a moderate supporter. - Charles Ergen We all, it could be said, battle persistently constantly, on the grounds that we never get what we need. The significant thing which I've truly learned is, the means by which do you not surrender, since you never prevail in the main endeavor. - Mukesh Ambaniz Try not to partner your own advantages with the advancement of the organization. - Wang Jianlin The greatest hazard isn't taking any risk.... In a world that is changing actually rapidly, the main procedure that is ensured to fizzle isn't facing challenges. - Mark Zuckerberg Extraordinary organizations, in the manner in which they work, start with incredible pioneers. - Steve Ballmer I have had the entirety of the hindrances required for progress. - Larry Ellison At the point when you are on the administration side, you despite everything need to comprehend the masterful reasonableness so that there is a discourse with the inventive side. - Bernard Arnault Clearly everybody needs to be effective, however I need to be thought back on as being extremely inventive, trusted and moral, and at last creation a major distinction on the planet. - Sergey Brin What's more, in light of the fact that regardless of what your identity is, in the event that you have faith in yourself and your fantasy, New York will consistently be the spot for you. - Michael Bloomberg Help youngsters. Help little folks. Since little folks will be huge. Youngsters will have the seeds you cover in their brains, and when they grow up, they will change the world. - Jack Ma The three brief years I spent at Harvard, where I lived with great individuals, showed me not just that I should realize how to pick my accomplices yet in addition that picking amazing accomplices is an ability you can learn. Clearly, when you invest energy with the best, you figure out how to pick among them. - Jorge Paulo Lemann More From Inc. 5 Powerful Productivity Boosts From TED Talks About Life Hacks The 10 Commandments of Leadership The Top 6 Tech Skills You Need in 2015 Photograph politeness of JStone/Shutterstock.

How to Read a Job Posting the REAL Way

How to Read a Job Posting the REAL Way ShareShareRead between the lines when you read job postings. In this post Ill tell you how to do that, as well as how to Evaluate the fit, Apply with an advantage and Learn from the experience so youll have a better chance, not only with that job but with other opportunities that may follow. Read between the lines. Reading a job posting very carefully can save you a lot of time if you realize the job isnt really for you. It can also help you land the job if it turns out to be a great fit. For example: A catch-all job description or vague language like other duties as required: If this is a new role, maybe they still arent sure what it will entail. That could be a disaster or an opportunity. At the interview, ask questions like Is this a new position? If so, what need was it created to fulfill? Present yourself as the answer to that need. A casual, lively tone and/or an emphasis on having fun:This might tell you that most of the people there are young. If youre older, make sure you know how to ace an interview when the boss is younger than you. Verbiage like self-starter and work independently: This could be a tipoff that you wont get much guidance or training. Solution-oriented could mean lots of fires to put out and little help doing so, and works well under pressure could mean long hours. But dont just assume! Do some research on sites like Glassdoor.com and through word of mouth. At the interview, tell stories that illustrate your dedication, but also ask questions such as Whats the typical work week like here? and In my past roles there have always been some crunch times when we all worked late or on weekends to get the job done. What does that look like here? And remember, the human resources employee who wrote the job announcement may not deeply understand the role theyre describing. If youre really interested in a certain opening, research the companyand also plan some tactful and probing questions to ask at the interview. Reading the posting carefully will already put you ahead of many of your competitors. One company was so tired of receiving resumes from candidates who hadnt read the description that they added this to the posting: To make sure you read the job description, please add the word moussaka to your cover letter. Im sure there were many moussaka-free applications, but they never stood a chance! Evaluate the Fit Assuming youre still interested in the job, will the employer be interested in you? Is it worth applying if you dont have 100% of the experience, skills and credentials mentioned? First, ask yourself these questions: Am I confident I could do this job, and if so, why? Is there a talent shortage for jobs like this? Would a person with 100% of the requested qualifications be extremely hard to find (what some recruiters call a purple squirrel)? Do I have at least 80% or 90% of what theyre looking for? Do I have REV Pointskey selling points that are highly Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiablestrong enough to outweigh what Im lacking? Do I have the qualifications listed at the beginning of the posting, and the ones labeled as required as opposed to pluses? Do I have a personal connection? Am I willing to do some additional networking or phone calling to get the attention of the hiring manager? If you can answer yes to some of these questions, you may have a good shot at getting an interview. If not, you may want to skip straight to the L in REAL (see below). Apply with an advantage Its not uncommon for a job announcement to draw a couple of hundred applicants. Beyond sending a great resume and following the application instructions, there are some extra steps you can take to stand out from the crowd, for example: Find allies within the company and get a personal referral. This is best done far in advance. Developing these connections is the main thing I mean when I talk about effective networking. Make sure your online presence, especially your LinkedIn profile, will sway the recruiter towards putting you on their short list. This, too, is best done in advance. Call the hiring managerand handle the conversation effectively. Be well prepared for the phone screening. Learn from the posting, whether you apply or not. Last but definitely not least: capitalize on job announcements as a fantastic source of information, not only about this job but about the job market and your position in it. Keep a list of keywords and skills youre seeing often in postings. To the extent you can honestly do so, include those terms in your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile. If youre repeatedly seeing interesting postings that call for skills you dont have, consider building those skills. If the postings keep emphasizing certain soft skills that you abundantly have but dont know how to prove, gather social proof for them. If a job isnt right for you but the company sounds great, consider adding it to your target companies list for ongoing networking. The fact that theyre hiringeven if not for your target rolemay indicate growth and future opportunities. Look up anything you dont know. If you see a technology or skill you arent familiar with, you can probably at least get conversant with what its used for and what other tools/skills are similar to it. If it looks like a trend, make sure youre well informed about it. Job postings are a window into your target job market and your industrya great way to poke your head out of your professional cubbyhole and discover whats new. So remember to be REAL when you read a job posting. Read, Evaluate, possibly Apply and always Learn! How to Read a Job Posting the REAL Way ShareShareRead between the lines when you read job postings. In this post Ill tell you how to do that, as well as how to Evaluate the fit, Apply with an advantage and Learn from the experience so youll have a better chance, not only with that job but with other opportunities that may follow. Read between the lines. Reading a job posting very carefully can save you a lot of time if you realize the job isnt really for you. It can also help you land the job if it turns out to be a great fit. For example: A catch-all job description or vague language like other duties as required: If this is a new role, maybe they still arent sure what it will entail. That could be a disaster or an opportunity. At the interview, ask questions like Is this a new position? If so, what need was it created to fulfill? Present yourself as the answer to that need. A casual, lively tone and/or an emphasis on having fun:This might tell you that most of the people there are young. If youre older, make sure you know how to ace an interview when the boss is younger than you. Verbiage like self-starter and work independently: This could be a tipoff that you wont get much guidance or training. Solution-oriented could mean lots of fires to put out and little help doing so, and works well under pressure could mean long hours. But dont just assume! Do some research on sites like Glassdoor.com and through word of mouth. At the interview, tell stories that illustrate your dedication, but also ask questions such as Whats the typical work week like here? and In my past roles there have always been some crunch times when we all worked late or on weekends to get the job done. What does that look like here? And remember, the human resources employee who wrote the job announcement may not deeply understand the role theyre describing. If youre really interested in a certain opening, research the companyand also plan some tactful and probing questions to ask at the interview. Reading the posting carefully will already put you ahead of many of your competitors. One company was so tired of receiving resumes from candidates who hadnt read the description that they added this to the posting: To make sure you read the job description, please add the word moussaka to your cover letter. Im sure there were many moussaka-free applications, but they never stood a chance! Evaluate the Fit Assuming youre still interested in the job, will the employer be interested in you? Is it worth applying if you dont have 100% of the experience, skills and credentials mentioned? First, ask yourself these questions: Am I confident I could do this job, and if so, why? Is there a talent shortage for jobs like this? Would a person with 100% of the requested qualifications be extremely hard to find (what some recruiters call a purple squirrel)? Do I have at least 80% or 90% of what theyre looking for? Do I have REV Pointskey selling points that are highly Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiablestrong enough to outweigh what Im lacking? Do I have the qualifications listed at the beginning of the posting, and the ones labeled as required as opposed to pluses? Do I have a personal connection? Am I willing to do some additional networking or phone calling to get the attention of the hiring manager? If you can answer yes to some of these questions, you may have a good shot at getting an interview. If not, you may want to skip straight to the L in REAL (see below). Apply with an advantage Its not uncommon for a job announcement to draw a couple of hundred applicants. Beyond sending a great resume and following the application instructions, there are some extra steps you can take to stand out from the crowd, for example: Find allies within the company and get a personal referral. This is best done far in advance. Developing these connections is the main thing I mean when I talk about effective networking. Make sure your online presence, especially your LinkedIn profile, will sway the recruiter towards putting you on their short list. This, too, is best done in advance. Call the hiring managerand handle the conversation effectively. Be well prepared for the phone screening. Learn from the posting, whether you apply or not. Last but definitely not least: capitalize on job announcements as a fantastic source of information, not only about this job but about the job market and your position in it. Keep a list of keywords and skills youre seeing often in postings. To the extent you can honestly do so, include those terms in your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile. If youre repeatedly seeing interesting postings that call for skills you dont have, consider building those skills. If the postings keep emphasizing certain soft skills that you abundantly have but dont know how to prove, gather social proof for them. If a job isnt right for you but the company sounds great, consider adding it to your target companies list for ongoing networking. The fact that theyre hiringeven if not for your target rolemay indicate growth and future opportunities. Look up anything you dont know. If you see a technology or skill you arent familiar with, you can probably at least get conversant with what its used for and what other tools/skills are similar to it. If it looks like a trend, make sure youre well informed about it. Job postings are a window into your target job market and your industrya great way to poke your head out of your professional cubbyhole and discover whats new. So remember to be REAL when you read a job posting. Read, Evaluate, possibly Apply and always Learn! How to Read a Job Posting the REAL Way ShareShareRead between the lines when you read job postings. In this post Ill tell you how to do that, as well as how to Evaluate the fit, Apply with an advantage and Learn from the experience so youll have a better chance, not only with that job but with other opportunities that may follow. Read between the lines. Reading a job posting very carefully can save you a lot of time if you realize the job isnt really for you. It can also help you land the job if it turns out to be a great fit. For example: A catch-all job description or vague language like other duties as required: If this is a new role, maybe they still arent sure what it will entail. That could be a disaster or an opportunity. At the interview, ask questions like Is this a new position? If so, what need was it created to fulfill? Present yourself as the answer to that need. A casual, lively tone and/or an emphasis on having fun:This might tell you that most of the people there are young. If youre older, make sure you know how to ace an interview when the boss is younger than you. Verbiage like self-starter and work independently: This could be a tipoff that you wont get much guidance or training. Solution-oriented could mean lots of fires to put out and little help doing so, and works well under pressure could mean long hours. But dont just assume! Do some research on sites like Glassdoor.com and through word of mouth. At the interview, tell stories that illustrate your dedication, but also ask questions such as Whats the typical work week like here? and In my past roles there have always been some crunch times when we all worked late or on weekends to get the job done. What does that look like here? And remember, the human resources employee who wrote the job announcement may not deeply understand the role theyre describing. If youre really interested in a certain opening, research the companyand also plan some tactful and probing questions to ask at the interview. Reading the posting carefully will already put you ahead of many of your competitors. One company was so tired of receiving resumes from candidates who hadnt read the description that they added this to the posting: To make sure you read the job description, please add the word moussaka to your cover letter. Im sure there were many moussaka-free applications, but they never stood a chance! Evaluate the Fit Assuming youre still interested in the job, will the employer be interested in you? Is it worth applying if you dont have 100% of the experience, skills and credentials mentioned? First, ask yourself these questions: Am I confident I could do this job, and if so, why? Is there a talent shortage for jobs like this? Would a person with 100% of the requested qualifications be extremely hard to find (what some recruiters call a purple squirrel)? Do I have at least 80% or 90% of what theyre looking for? Do I have REV Pointskey selling points that are highly Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiablestrong enough to outweigh what Im lacking? Do I have the qualifications listed at the beginning of the posting, and the ones labeled as required as opposed to pluses? Do I have a personal connection? Am I willing to do some additional networking or phone calling to get the attention of the hiring manager? If you can answer yes to some of these questions, you may have a good shot at getting an interview. If not, you may want to skip straight to the L in REAL (see below). Apply with an advantage Its not uncommon for a job announcement to draw a couple of hundred applicants. Beyond sending a great resume and following the application instructions, there are some extra steps you can take to stand out from the crowd, for example: Find allies within the company and get a personal referral. This is best done far in advance. Developing these connections is the main thing I mean when I talk about effective networking. Make sure your online presence, especially your LinkedIn profile, will sway the recruiter towards putting you on their short list. This, too, is best done in advance. Call the hiring managerand handle the conversation effectively. Be well prepared for the phone screening. Learn from the posting, whether you apply or not. Last but definitely not least: capitalize on job announcements as a fantastic source of information, not only about this job but about the job market and your position in it. Keep a list of keywords and skills youre seeing often in postings. To the extent you can honestly do so, include those terms in your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile. If youre repeatedly seeing interesting postings that call for skills you dont have, consider building those skills. If the postings keep emphasizing certain soft skills that you abundantly have but dont know how to prove, gather social proof for them. If a job isnt right for you but the company sounds great, consider adding it to your target companies list for ongoing networking. The fact that theyre hiringeven if not for your target rolemay indicate growth and future opportunities. Look up anything you dont know. If you see a technology or skill you arent familiar with, you can probably at least get conversant with what its used for and what other tools/skills are similar to it. If it looks like a trend, make sure youre well informed about it. Job postings are a window into your target job market and your industrya great way to poke your head out of your professional cubbyhole and discover whats new. So remember to be REAL when you read a job posting. Read, Evaluate, possibly Apply and always Learn!

Benefits of coaching and why I want to clone my coach!

Benefits of coaching and why I want to clone my coach! Great example of the benefits of coaching from one of my clients who wanted to lose weight.-Coach Wolfgang My company offers health coaching as an employee benefit.   Her name is Colleen and I love her!   That is, I love the process she uses to help me.   Heres how she works and examples of the benefits of coaching. Start with your goals Were always focused on what my goals are and how well know that I achieved them. For me, I have a weight loss goal that weve broken down into 1) control portions at meals, 2) eliminate late night binge eating, 3) drink enough water, 4) eat enough vegetables and 5) substitute unhealthy food. Fill your toolbox Colleen has lots of ideas for how to make it easier to do and stick to those things. Infuse water with fruit or mint; have a lollipop or low-fat pudding at night; put your veggies into a fruit smoothie; cut my meal in half and put one portion away for leftovers She listens to me explain why I stumble and how Im struggling and she comes back with stories of her own struggles and then tactical ideas I can try. I fill my toolbox with these ideas so I can employ them out when Im struggling. Define reasonable action items Each week, at the end of our call, she asks, what are the items you are going to work on before our next call? Its fairly open-ended which lets me choose reasonable, achievable goals. Im sure it helps that Ive committed to her verbally what I will do a kind of social pressure. I choose goals Im comfortable with such as 1) logging my water intake, 2) buying low-fat pudding instead of ice cream at the store, 3) setting an alarm to go to bed on time, etc. Meet regularly We meet every week or two. Sometimes I push our meeting out by a week and once I took a couple of months off. I dont usually look forward to the meetings but they are easy, move quickly and I almost always feel better and enthused. Every week is the most effective interval for me. I remember my goal for the day after my meeting and then a day before my next meeting. Theres just too much time in between if I only meet with her once or twice per month. Report on progress At the start of each phone consultation, she asks if I weighed myself and what that weight is. Even when I lose only 1 pound she gets me fired up that I was able to accomplish that. Shes right it does mean something and I should feel good about it rather than feel it wasnt enough. She also asks how I did with my goals from the previous week. This is often where I open up about how Im struggling and what it is that is challenging me. She lets me know its okay and usually tells me one of her own stories. Just hearing about her own struggles is one of the best benefits of coaching, for me. Then she brings it back to my goal and the tactics I have in my toolbox to use to combat those challenges. Theres something very elegant about how she is so systematic! Lather, rinse, repeat Each week I know what is coming. While sometimes I would rather blow the call off, I always take it because I love the benefits of coaching. Thanks to the frequency of our calls and the repetition of some of the tactics, I can see my habits starting to form. Yes, its getting easier to make better choices at restaurants and in the evenings. My exercise routine has been the easiest habit to form I never thought I could do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day! The benefits of coaching Im not sure if this is true coaching but, honestly, Im the one coming up with the goals and the actions. I drive the meeting times and Im the only one who puts pressure on myself. She is there to give me ideas and guide me through a structure. Shes changed my life by opening my eyes to what Im capable of. How do I clone her for the other parts of my life? This is why I recently hit up a life coach and a career coach. Im looking into whether my company will pay for these coaches still but, even if I have to pay for it out of my own pocket, its a helpful motivator to get my moneys worth. Would love to hear your stories about coaching below in the comments.