Tackle Procrastination in 3 Painless Steps

Posted on October 25, 2018October 26, 2018 by Wendy Braitman

How to tackle procrastination is personal. It has taken me a lot longer to finish this blog post than it should have, because I was, um, procrastinating. And so the writing process became the ideal thought experiment to analyze what was getting in the way of finishing it, and to know whether I could follow my own advice. After spending (mostly non-procrastination) time researching experts, surveying Coaching clients and putting a mirror to myself, here’s what I’ve learned: […]

How to Believe in Yourself During a Long Job Search

Posted on October 3, 2018October 4, 2018 by Wendy Braitman

To be successful in a job search, your core mission is inspiring a potential employer to believe in you. And to make that happen, you have to embody confidence. But when you’re looking for meaningful work and the months are ticking by with no response, it can be hard to believe in yourself. So how do you draw from the well of self-esteem, when that well is drying up? […]

How to Find Purpose by Tapping into Joy

Posted on July 5, 2018July 10, 2018 by Wendy Braitman

To help you find purpose, I’m going to start with a question: When was the last time you had a peak experience? And by peak experience, I mean something specific. It’s called “flow state” and includes the following characteristics:

– Full immersion in what you’re doing

– Focused concentration on the present moment

– An activity with its own inherent motivation and reward

– A sense that you have the potential to succeed

In other words, flow state feels really good.

When was the last time you had that experience?

Hold that thought. […]

How to Stay Positive During a Job Search

Posted on April 10, 2018April 12, 2018 by Wendy Braitman

To stay positive during a job search, you’ll have to outwit despair.

The origin of the word despair is from the Latin — de-sperare — which means to lose hope. Despair not only feels uncomfortable, it crowds out hope, and without hope, it’s hard to imagine new possibilities and create effective strategies.

So how do you outwit despair? […]

3 Ways to Make Your Next Job Better

Posted on January 21, 2018January 23, 2018 by Wendy Braitman

To make your next job better, I’m going to start with a reality check.

There is no perfect job (full stop)

BUT…

There are valid reasons to be dissatisfied with your professional life and to long for employment that offers more meaning and satisfaction. In order to fulfillful these longings and make your next job better, you’ll have to identify the key ingredients that need to be in place for you to be happily employed. And to do that, I’m going to give you 3 tools to help sort out your priorities and clarify what has and hasn’t worked in the past. […]

How to Ditch the New Year’s Resolution and Achieve Your Career Goals

Posted on December 31, 2017December 31, 2017 by Wendy Braitman

For almost a decade, my ongoing New Year’s resolution was to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. I made it a goal because of the common knowledge that consuming this amount of liquid would make me healthier (and my skin more moist) and because well-intentioned friends would say, “You really should drink more water.” So every January 1st, I would try and then fail miserably within the first week. It wasn’t until the 8×8 medical myth was debunked, that I finally felt released. Now that I’m a Career Coach, I understand why New Year’s resolutions rarely work. And that’s why I’m offering a better approach to achieve your career goals. […]

How to Turn Career Transition Into an Opportunity

Posted on December 12, 2017December 12, 2017 by Wendy Braitman

Career transition can be scary. If you’ve lost a job, you may be worried about how quickly you’ll find a new one, and whether it will pay enough. If you’re still employed, but unhappy at work, what new strategy will finally enable you to experience professional satisfaction? I’m not one to offer empty platitudes during scary times. But I’ll make an exception in this case. With the right tools and focus you can transform a career transition into an opportunity. […]

To Land a Job, Go Beyond the Listings

Posted on November 15, 2017November 16, 2017 by Wendy Braitman

To a land a job, take charge. Don’t rely on job listings. They’ll break your heart. It’s the advice I regularly give my clients. And I only wish during my job-hunting phase, someone would’ve given that advice to me. Here’s why – […]

5 Reasons It’s Time to Quit Your Job

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Wendy Braitman

Few decisions impact your life as much as the one to quit your job. It disrupts family budgeting, collegial relationships and the essential structure of your day. So this is a decision best made with forethought. Before I lay out 5 reasons when it’s time to quit your job, I’ll start with things to consider BEFORE making a move: […]

How to Test Run a New Career Idea Without Risking it All

Posted on August 24, 2017August 25, 2017 by Wendy Braitman

When clients come to me during a career transition, I often ask them a version of the “genie” question. In other words, if I could wave a magic wand and presto! you could do whatever you want professionally, what would that be? It may take a gentle nudge, but most people come up with an answer – whether it’s a buried dream that’s been gnawing at them since childhood or a more recent yearning. In today’s post, I’m going to provide you with 3 steps to take the seed of a new career idea and make it grow. […]