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The Healing Power of Thankfulness

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It’s true! The healing power of thankfulness!

The Healing Power of Thankfulness VickiTillmanCoaching.com

The Healing Power of Thankfulness

One of the healthiest things you can do for yourself is to be thankful. This isn’t surprising since we humans have been told to be thankful for thousands of years. The Bible is full of mandates for thankfulness. Here are just 2 of them:

  • It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord. Psalm 92:1 (KJV)
  • Enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, be thankful unto him and bless his name. Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)

How is thankfulness healing for us?

Studies usually define gratitude as thankfulness. Sometimes it is easier for my coachees to describe thankfulness than gratitude. So we will discuss thankfulness in light of the gratitude research being done by the Greater Good Center at University of California Berkeley.

Researchers there have found that people who daily write what they are thankful for to experience:

  • Stronger immune systems and lowered blood pressure
  • Higher levels of positive emotions
  • More joy, optimism and happiness
  • More generosity and helpful behavior toward others
  • Feeling less lonely and isolated

That sounds like a win-win! God says to be thankful and when we do, look at all the benefits!

Here are some thankfulness activities to try:

You can come up with lots of ways to practice thankfulness.Vicki Tillman Coaching

When you are ready to increase the goodness and thankfulness in your life, life coaching is a good first step. Contact me for life-changing coaching via Skype, phone or in person.

The Healing Power of Thankfulness

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

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What is Career Coaching and who needs it?

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It? VickiTillmanCoaching.com

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

Career Coaching is the process of working with a coach to tweak career paths, identify new career paths, and develop the skills to succeed in both. Career Coaches like me work with people like you, who:

  • are ready to fulfill their dreams and potentials by launching into a new career field
  • are determined to achieve more in their current field
  • are anxious to get back to work after having been downsized, outsourced, job-eliminated
  • are feeling a bit nervous as they look for a second career after raising their kids
  • are pressured to choose a college major before graduating high school and want so help
  • are fed up with their organization and want to move to a meaningful career
  • are delighted to give back to their communities in their retirement years

The Career Coaching process looks different for each person. That’s because everyone has different needs and desires. We will discuss what you are looking for, then set goals for success in one or more of these areas:

  • Discovering talents, gifts, callings, inspirations

    Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults VickiTillmanCoaching.com

    Get started on your journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

  • Identifying dreams and desires for career and life
  • Create a personal mission statement and personal visioneering tools
  • Clarifying needs, assets and limitations- then ways to work within or overcome them
  • Choose great-fit career fields and/or college majors
  • Develop skills for the job hunt (resume, interview, recruiter, Linkedin and more)
  • Develop soft skills and communication skills for career growth
  • Maximize resources available for career search and development
  • Enhance personal growth skills that help manage work-place stress (mindfulness, self-care)

You can get started on the adventure by contacting me. We will work in person if you are local or via Skype or Google Hangout if you are not. Don’t delay your adventure. Contact Vicki today!

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

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Dreams out of reach? Here’s how to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams.

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams VickiTillmanCoaching.com

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

Disappointment is part of life. (If I could give God advice about this, I’d tell Him that we should skip this part- but He seems to think otherwise.) We can have dreams, we can feel like we’re on the right track and then everything stops…falls apart…whatever. Then it seems like our dreams are ripped away from us.

Disappointment. It’s real. But life goes on. How do we allow life to be good even when it has been “wrong”?

Practice contentment. (Notice I said, “practice”? It takes a LOT of practice. It is a life-long, ongoing PROCESS.) BUT don’t give up on your dreams. Here’s how to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams.

How to be content with the life you have now.

*Keep daily gratitude lists. This isn’t cheesy, really. We know that Scripture tells us to give thanks and to have a grateful spirit (Psalms 100, 138, 139 and more). Now there’s research about the power of gratitude. University of California has done great work on gratefulness. They’ve found that written gratitude lists help

  • promote healthy immune systems and blood pressure
  • decrease depression levels
  • and more!Progressive Relaxation VickiTillmanCoaching.com

*Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of “calm, non-judgmental awareness”. The American Psychological Association shares some benefits of mindfulness:

  • stress reduction
  • improved working memory
  • better focus
  • more stable moods
  • enhanced relationships

There are many mindfulness practices. Download the freebie instructions for two of my favorites mindfulness practices: Progressive Relaxation and Ignatian Examen.

*Notice the good stuff that is here now. No matter how much “stuff” we have, we need something else- but that kind of thinking makes us sick. When you notice what you DO have (and are grateful for it), the pressure to accumulate things reduces.Ignatian Examen How-to VickiTillmanCoaching.com

*Notice the good people that are here now. Your friends and family are what they are- none are perfect but hopefully most are good. Concentrate on the good people and the good things they do. If you need to download some toxic people, go for it.

*Notice the good events that are here now. Every day, something good happens. What is it?

*Self-care. You can’t be content and then respect your body and soul. It works the other way around. Treat your body and soul well and you will more easily find contentment.

*Find 5 good friends. I always tell my clients, “You become like the 5 people you hang around with, so get 5 good friends.”

How to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams:

Don’t forget your dreams. They are gifts from God.

*Remember that there is always something ahead and that you already have a dream about it inside you. It’s there, trust me.

Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults VickiTillmanCoaching.com

*If you’ve forgotten about your dreams, start over.

*Rediscover yourself. Who are you? If you’ve forgotten, some Career Exploration (which is simply self-knowledge development) helps. Have some fun:

*Create a vision board

*Set aside a few minutes each week to develop a skill that will help you in your dreamTrail Guide to Writing Your Personal Mission Statement VickiTillmanCoaching.com

You can have both: contentment with the present and dreams about the future. Hold onto both! Contact me when you are ready to recalibrate your life through coaching.

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

5 You-Can-Do-It Networking Skills for Millennial Introverts

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There’s no escaping the need to network, so here are 5 You-Can-Do-It networking skills for millennial introverts.

5 You-Can-Do-It Skills for Millennial introverts VickiTillmanCoaching.com

5 You-Can-Do-It Networking Skills for Millennial Introverts

Networking happens. It happens all the time. Even if you’re an introvert, shy or just-don’t-like-to-network: if you’re going to be successful you must network.

Some of my favorite coachees are millennials who are introverts. I love watching their confidence grow as they learn some networking skills that ANYONE can do. So here are 5 You-Can-Do-It networking skills for millennial introverts.

At networking events, socials, parties, etc:

*Play a role. When you are at an event, you are not there to be “authentic”. Rather, you are branding your professional self. Imagine that the event is the stage of a play and you are one of the actors. Spend a little time creating a role for yourself:

  • I’m a quiet but intelligent biologist…
  • I’m a compassionate and helpful social worker…
  • I’m a wise and thoughtful English major…

*Get your power non-verbals on. Before you enter the networking event, try these tricks:

  • Before you go to the event, prop your feet up on a desk and place your arms behind your head (arms akimbo) for 2 minutes. This lowers your stress hormone- cortisol, and increases your confidence boosting hormone- testosterone.
  • When you arrive, enter the room with your shoulders back, chin up and a slight smile. This is an invitational non-verbal, folks will want to talk to you.
  • If you can keep something in your left hand such as business cards or a drink, you might feel more confident.

*Give yourself a job. Your job is to make someone else feel comfortable.

  • When you arrive, scout the room. Find someone on the fringes who looks shy and alone.
  • Introduce yourself and ask that person a question. In helping them feel welcome, you will have gained an ally and created some goodwill.
  • Be sure to shake hands (practice your handshake so that it is gentle but firm).
  • Introduce that person to someone else, if there is the opportunity.

*In day-to-day life, be a helper:

  • Volunteer to help with special projects or events. This shows you are invested in the culture and can earn you good favor (and make you feel good, too).

*In day-to-day life, show genuine interest in people around you:

  • Be a listener and encourager. Practice listening skills and saying uplifting things (no complaining or negativity).
  • Talk well to yourself, “You can do it!” is a powerful phrase! Confidence-Building Skills for Meeting New People VickiTillmanCoaching.com

For more tips, download this freebie: Confidence-Building Skills for Meeting New People.

When you’re ready for the adventure of increasing your confidence for networking and relationship success, contact me.

5 You-Can-Do-It Networking Skills for Millennial Introverts

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

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Time to re-do that old resume? Here are 32 easy do’s and don’ts to power-up your resume.

32 Easy Do's and Don'ts to Power-up Your Resume VickiTillmanCoaching.com

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

My clients who are in job transitions often feel nervous about their resumes. Usually it’s not because they have nothing meaningful to put on the resume. Nope! They are stressed about the format, wording and details.

Here are 32 easy do’s and don’ts that I share with them:

Do:

  • Read the job description and adapt the resume to it, if possible. Use keywords that help the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) identify your resume as relevant for the job (job titles, skills related to the job, leadership qualities and other “soft skills”)
  • Proofread and then have someone else proofread
  • Glance over your finished resume and ask yourself, “Will it catch the hiring personnel’s attention within 6 seconds?”
  • Keep it to 1 page (adjust font size and spacing- but don’t make the font too small)
  • Use a simple, clean font (no fancy or goofy stuff)
  • Use single spacing
  • 1-inch margins
  • Send as PDF if emailing the resume
  • Include
    • Name
    • Contact Information- email, phone, snail mail address, website
    • Profile (This is your one-sentence elevator speech or branding statement.)
    • Skills/Areas of Expertise- include professional, technical and networking/soft skills
    • Experience- jobs and internships (If you don’t have much job history, include significant experiences such as missions trips, significant travel, or significant charitable work.)
          • Describe your jobs in terms of accomplishments, leadership, problems solved, challenges overcome, results and positive impact for the organization
          • Include numbers, if possible, such as “Increased sales by 50%” or “Reduced error rate by 20%”
          • Explain if there is significant time between jobs
          • Watch your grammar- keep verb tenses same
    • Awards
    • Education (and Professional Development, if applicable)

Don’t:

  • Create a fancier format of resume than the position warrants- an artist or graphic designer should present a wildly creative resume look, a lawyer should not
  • Use photos or icons if the job is not a creative position
  • Give an email address that is silly or difficult to copy or remember
  • Include Objectives (they went out of style)
  • Include Date of Birth (unless you want to)
  • Include high school name if you already have a college degree (unless you REALLY want to)
  • If you use bullet points, try not to include more than 5 bullets in a section
  • Use slang, contractions or abbreviations
  • Use the word “I”
  • Exaggerate

Try:

  • 2-column format (You can buy templates on Etsy if you need help.)

Power Vocabulary for Resume

Accomplished  

Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Get started on your career-change journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

Achieved

Analyzed

Arranged

Assisted

Collaborated

Communicated

Completed

Composed

Conducted

Contributed

Coordinated

Created

Directed

Demonstrated

Determined

Developed

Enhanced

Evaluated

Executed

Explored

Facilitated

Founded

Generated

Guided

Identified

Implemented

Improved

Increased

Influenced

Initiated

Leadership

Led

Maintained

Managed

Mentored

Networked

Obtained

Organized

Overhauled

Performance enhancement

Pioneered

Planned

Problem solving

Processed

Productivity enhancement

Programmed

Promoted

Reduced

Reformed

Repaired

Represented

Resolved

Spearheaded

Stimulated

Strengthened

Team building

Trained

Won

Now it is your turn! Get busy with your career change and your resume. Contact me for wise guidance on your adventure!

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

6 Steps of Career Change: More Than Dreams

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There are 6 steps to career change: more than just your dreams.

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams VickiTillmanCoaching.com

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams

Much of the career coaching that I do is with people who realize they need out of their current situation:

  • Their current corporation is being sold and they can see that the new organization will outsource their position
  • There are only lateral moves available within their current corporation
  • They get up every morning and HATE what they are doing
  • They know there is more inside them than the work they are doing now
  • They are worth more than they are being paid
  • They remembered they once had dreams…

When my coachees are ready to launch into the adventure of recreating their careers, we talk a LOT about dreams.

  • What did you use to love?Trail Guide to Writing Your Personal Mission Statement VickiTillmanCoaching.com
  • What do you love now?
  • Forgot?
  • Don’t know?

How about you? What are YOUR dreams?

If you can’t remember, get started on a fresh life journey. Remember, re-evaluate. Re-write your personal mission statement. That will help you remember who you are and why you’re here on earth. If you’ve never had one, take a day to yourself and do this workbook:

Now, you’re ready to adventure!

But career change is NOT just about your dreams. Here are other things to think about:

  1. What are your strengths?
  2. What are your masteries or most powerful experiences? (Either in work or out)
  3. What has God revealed to you through those experiences?
  4. What are your values (what is most important to you- money, relaxation, travel, family, etc)?
  5. Who is depending on you?
  6. What is your cause (what are you involved in that has transcendent – or goodness- value)?Vicki Tillman Coaching

Sound overwhelming?

You’re right. Career changes can be tough. It’s best not to do that journey alone. Take along an experienced guide- in other words, a Career Coach.

Contact me today to get started! We can journey through your career change in person, by email or via Skype.

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams

7 Do’s and Don’ts When You Lose a Job

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Here are 7 Do’s and Don’ts when you lose a job.

7 Do's and Don'ts When You Lose a Job VickiTillmanCoaching.com

7 Do’s and Don’ts When You Lose a Job

One of the joys of my work as Career Coach is helping my coachees recalibrate and launch the adventure of finding their NEW career. Here’s what I’ve found helpful for a quicker, more satisfying job-hunt journey.

The first couple of weeks after your last day at the old job are crucial. Remember these 7 Do’s and Don’ts when you lose a job:

Don’t berate yourself. There’s no time for that. If you made some serious errors, note what you need to learn, then set aside the negative self-talk. Self-blame or berating will shut your creative brain down and cause you to miss opportunities.

Do talk about losing your job as part of your journey, getting you closer to an awesome job. Keep your brain in the positive-thought zone.

Don’t dig out your old resume and cover letters and tell yourself they are good enough for career search. They were good enough for your LAST job. You will want an excellent resume to help land the NEW job!

Do jump into upgrading, tweaking, revamping, updating both the resume and a basic cover letter. Have them on your desktop ready to print on nice 24 lb paper.

Don’t sit at home watching reruns of The Walking Dead. It works against the successful job hunt to sit still- it shuts down momentum and makes it hard to start up the search.

Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Get started on your journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

Do get busy doing volunteer work. It is good for the soul and the community AND it fills in any blank places on the resume timeline that could occur if you were just home watching Netflix.

DO take time to recalibrate and renew your knowledge of yourself.

  • What did you gain and lose at your old job?
  • What would you like to see and do differently this time?
  • What do you really want and need to do with your life?
  • What is your personal mission?
  • What are your goals and values?

This is a good time to do some real Career Coaching. Contact me, we can work in person if you’re local OR over Skype if you are not driving distance.

Follow those 7 Do’s and Don’ts when you lose a job and you’ll find the transition to the new career goes so much better!

7 Do’s and Don’ts When You Lose a Job