Tips for re-energizing your work life, from
Beverly Jones

A coach listens intently, offers her client a new perspective, and acts as a catalyst for change.   Coaches sometime describe the coach/client relationship as "co-creative" - the two parties work together on strategies that move the client forward.

Coaching can be like massaging your back - it is possible to do it for yourself, but it is much more effective to have somebody else do it for you.  I think that a coach's intense, intuitive listening is critical to the process.  That focused listening can stimulate you to articulate your own wisdom - to get in touch with the insights that are lingering at the edge of your own consciousness.

Coaching might offer you the structure that you need, in order to advance your career.  Meanwhile, here are a few tips for getting started:

* Convert that whining into a ToDo list.  If you're unhappy with your current job, make a specific list of things you don't like.  Then come up with a strategy for addressing each item on your list.  There will be things that you can't change, but you certainly can choose to change the way you handle those things.

* Make a list of the things that you appreciate about your current job.  Research shows that it is good for your attitude, and even for your health, to focus daily attention on the good parts of what you have.  So take the time, while you are still in this job, to articulate aspects that you do like about it.

* Build your career around your ideal life. If you build your whole life around your career, sooner or later things will feel out of balance.  To turn that around, write a summary or make lists, or a drawing, describing what your life would look like if things were good.  Think big.  Describe all the elements that you want in your life - everything from relationships, to financial security, to the activities that make life fun.   Then, if some elements are missing -- like personal growth or a sense of community -- you can either build those elements into your career, or you can find ways to include them in your life without expecting that they come with your job.   

Don't just wait - meditate!  Reducing stress can be key to a more fulfilling work life, and meditation is a good path to stress reduction.  Ancient meditation practices were developed by monks, for monks, and may seem out of reach for today's frantic professionals. But there are countless meditation techniques...as simple as counting your breaths... that can convert wasted or frustrating times into stress-relieving breaks.

* Re-phrase those negative monologues.   Carry around a little notebook, and jot down the negative statements that echo in your head.  Then reframe those self-fulfilling statements in positive terms.  For example, if you hear yourself repeating, "I'm sooo bored," then it is time to re-program yourself. Come up with an alternative, action-oriented phrase, like "I am talented and I will find new ways to use my use my talents."  When the negative phrase drifts through your mind, talk back to yourself.  Say that you refuse to be bogged down with that useless old thought, and repeat your positive alternative.

*Feeling lonely? Then do something kind.  It is easy to feel disconnected, as we rush from one crisis to another.  If you're feeling isolated, then look for an opportunity to be kind to somebody else.  Whether you volunteer your time, or just engage in a courteous gesture, exercising kindness can start a more positive spiral.

* Get that energy flowing.  Energy generated in one part of your life can get things moving in other parts.  For example your career is going nowhere, and you don't know how to change it, focus some attention on your health and fitness regimen.  If you don't have an exercise program, start one now, beginning with modest goals.  Then don't be surprised if you start seeing changes throughout your daily routine.

* Clear the clutter.  One way to start things moving when your career feels stagnant is to get rid of clutter.  Clutter can rob you of valuable workspace, waste your time, leave in you in a constant state of annoyance, and even sap your energy.  Whether you're talking about the papers stacked in your office, or your bedroom closet, the same formula applies to getting rid of clutter: 

1) Purge stuff you don't really need (once you start, you'll be amazed at how good it feels to have more clear space).

2) Categorize the stuff you want to keep, first by the way you use it, and then by type. 

3) Arrange and put away your papers or other stuff according to simple systems, using containers (including file folders), and putting the items that you use the most often into the most accessible places.