Are you doing what you love to do? Are you excited at the start of every new workday? If you wouldn’t think of ending your career even if you won the lottery, you must be following your intuition.

Intuition has been defined as a knowing. Others describe it as a gut feeling or a sense they get. People operating from their intuition notice that they are in the flow, their stress is down and that they are living their dreams.

Here Are Other Signs You ARE Using Your Intuition with your Career…

If you find yourself…

Whether you are in the entertainment business in Culver City, Ca., a salesperson in Mesa, Az., or looking for a new profession in Joliet, Il., are you one of those people who do everything the hard way? You don’t have to.

Our intuition can be defined as a gut feeling, a sense or a knowing.  Intuition can fix any career problem, eliminate our stress, give us our dream job and most of all, make the process enjoyable.

Here Are Other Signs You Are NOT Using Your Intuition with your Career…

If you find yourself…

It’s easy to let ourselves slide into our comfort zones and stay there. When you think about it, it’s not difficult to find reasons NOT to write an e-mail, pick up the phone, or go to a networking event to find a job. Have you already thought of any of these excuses?

Here are Excuses to NOT Contact Potential Employers…

• Because of the poor economy, no one is hiring.

• I don’t have my resume the way I want it. The first impression means everything.

• I’m too old or too young to find work.

It’s a new year. Is it time for a new job? As you reassess where you are and where you would like to be, I’d like to recommend a book. I’ve suggested to many of my coaching clients in search of clarity when it comes to a career that they read, Do What You Are.

The exercises help you to narrow your career search based on your personality type (how you process information, make decisions and interact with others). The book then lists occupations popular with your type. It gets people at least headed in the right direction toward not only finding a job, but loving it.

People pleasers make great employees…or do they? People pleasers, while often eager to help out, may not make the best employee if your business is in need of a great leader. Here’s why:

1  Great leaders are great decision makers.

People pleasers have a tendency to put off making decisions, fearing they will make a mistake.

2  Great leaders build strong teams.

People pleasers have difficulty delegating and have been known to overlook incompetent members of their team.

3  Great leaders communicate well.

People Pleasers usually avoid communicating when possible because they feel insecure when interacting with others.

I know this sounds crazy, but getting your script read is easier than you think.   Sure, it’s great to live in the heart of Los Angeles, have a great concept, fully developed characters, spot-on dialogue that has been rewritten to perfection, have famous and high powered contacts in Hollywood, have the best literary agent, or have won a Nicholl Fellowship… but it’s not necessary.

All you have to do is tap into your intuition. Your intuition can be defined as a gut feeling, a sense or a knowing.  Following to your intuition help you overcome any obstacle, get your screenplay read and produced and most of all, make the process enjoyable.

Don’t get stuck with exhausting, traditional ways in finding your dream job. Don’t waste any more time! Jump out-of-the-box. Try listening and following your intuition or gut feelings. 
 

Four Steps to Using Your Intuition to Find Your Perfect Job are…

1. HAVE A WILLINGNESS 
The most important requirement in tuning into our intuition is the willingness to hear the answer. Nothing more.

2. GET TO NEUTRAL
Next we have to open up and let go of our judgments. Release what we hold tight to as what we think is the perfect job or the wrong job. There are several ways to get to neutral but one of the easiest is through this affirmation: "I'm a ready for my ideal job and I don't care what it is." Repeat it until you believe it.

In this economy it's easy to get caught up in the fear and put getting your perfect job on the back burner. It seems that the only thing important now is just having a job. And finding a job in a lousy economy is neither encouraging nor easy, but there is hope. Economic downturns are cyclical and things will get better so now might be the time to take a step back, listen, and consider your values, dreams and hopes for the perfect job. 

When you...

• Believe security and money is more important than enjoying your job.

I ask this question all the time: "What are your dreams?" Most people stare at me blankly, or fish around for something to say (and it usually has nothing to do with what they really want). After exploring their answers further, I've discovered there are certain mindsets that most people have that can subconsciously sabotage their dreams.   
 

If you are having trouble accomplishing your dreams, look at this list…

This is the year you’ve decided that you’re going to live your dreams, accomplish those set-aside career aspirations and strengthen your relationships. But if you have a need to please – especially at work – it ain’t gonna happen. Know the signs of a People Pleaser at work. If you recognize yourself in the following examples, it’s time to stop. It’s time to change your reactions. It’s time to remember what you really want for yourself.

When you…

• Say yes to practically any task anyone needs done just to be “liked.”

It’s happening all around you. People are losing their jobs. Is it about to happen to you next?  You can wait for the dreaded phone call or the email that you’re wanted in your manager’s office. Or you can become proactive and tune in to see if a pink slip is in your future.

Here Are Some Signs You Might be Laid off or Fired soon…

When you…

• Absolutely dread going into work and can't wait to leave.

• Complain about your job duties, your co-workers, your boss and the company to anyone who will listen.

I decided to share some of my tips, suggestions, and advice about searching for a job.

To see more inspiring video’s visit Vickie Champion’s YouTube Channel

 
If you have money problems, contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary life coaching and consulting session.

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I have had the honor of filming a few of my coaching clients to get their advice, suggestions, tips, and insights on what they wish they knew in their 20s about careers.
 
Participants in Part II are Kimber Lambeth, Diane Bolden, JoAnne Musolf, Lucinda Lintz, Alita Kalgaard, Connie Phillips-Eary, Kelly Loeffler, Kathy Church, and Michelle Evard.

To see more inspiring video’s visit Vickie Champion’s YouTube Channel

 
Contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary life coaching and consulting session.

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I have had the honor of being a business and life coach to realtor, Alita Kalgaard.  I really admire how she worked through her resistance to change with her work situation. Below is her story of how she got out of fear of making that transition. 

Alita was struggling with a should-I-stay or should-I-go situation in her real estate business. It was nearly paralyzing but she did overcome the fear of change.

Here’s how, she…

• Took stock of where she was at. Was this a situation that she could stay in a little longer? No. She was miserable, dreaded going to work and “my clients were sensing my fear,” she said.

I have had the honor of filming several of my coaching clients to get their tips, suggestions, advice, and insights on what they wish they knew in their 20’s about money including savings, spending, earning, budgeting and debt.
 
Participants in Part II are Ericka Young, Sonja Haller, Lucinda Lintz, Alita Kalgaard, Darrell Merrick, Debbie Frank, Ketan Patel, Connie Phillips-Eary, Kelly Loeffler, Sally Marks, and Kathy Church.
 

 
To see more inspiring video’s visit Vickie Champion’s YouTube Channel.

 
Contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary life coaching and consulting session.

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I have had the honor of filming a few of my coaching clients to get their advice, suggestions, tips, and insights on what they wish they knew in their 20s about health.
 
Participants in Part II are Cindy Dillard, Lucinda Lintz, Alita Kalgaard, Darrell Merrick, Debbie Frank, Ketan Patel, Connie Phillips-Eary, Kelly Loeffler, and Kathy Church.
 

 
To see more inspiring video’s visit Vickie Champion’s YouTube Channel.
 
Contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary life coaching and consulting session.

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I have had the honor of filming a few of my coaching clients to get their advice, suggestions, tips, and insights on what they wish they knew in their 20s about careers.

Participants in Part I are Darrell Merrick, Ericka Young, Cindy Dillard, Sally Marks, Margaret Burnison, Jody Owen, Kimber Lambeth, Sonja Haller, Ketan Patel and Debbie Frank.
 

 
To see more inspiring video’s visit Vickie Champion’s YouTube Channel.
 
Contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary life coaching and consulting session.
 

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I have had the honor of being a life coach to Sonja Haller.  I really admire how she handled this situation. Below is her story of how she got out of fear of interacting with others. 

One of my longtime career and life coaching clients that I admire is Margaret Burnison.  Very seldom do I see people get out of their fear, ignore what others think, and treat their career like an adventure like she did.  
 
I recently asked Margaret to tell her story of overcoming the fear with her profession. This is it.
 

Life and business coaching is rewarding work. It’s not for everyone, but when it’s a fit I can’t think of a better job. My colleagues and the best in the business agree.
 

The Best Thing About Being a Coach is…

“The ability to engage with others in meaningful conversations about critically important topics is the best thing about being a life coach.  I feel honored and privileged to do this important work.  I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment and gratification from seeing my clients' create environments with greater authenticity, trust, transparency and alignment.  Environments where everyone is in the right role, doing the right work, using the right strengths accomplishing the right results.”
 
Katharine Halpin
CEO & Executive Coach
Phoenix, AZ 85012
HalpinCompany.com
 
 

I get calls all the time from people thinking about becoming either a life or business coach. It’s rewarding, life-changing work. What could be better than helping people be their best selves? Like any profession, it must suit a person’s personality. Here is some straight talk about what to consider before becoming a coach.   
 

The Worst Thing About Being a Coach is…

“The risk of isolation.  Working 90 percent on the telephone in my home office can be lonely.  I love the freedom to take a walk during the day and dress comfortably but I miss the water-cooler conversation.”
 
Katharine Halpin
CEO & Executive Coach
Phoenix, AZ 85012
HalpinCompany.com

When staying in a job that is no longer right for you, you can feel listless, uninspired, depressed and angry at loved ones. So why are you still there? What’s stopping you?

We stay in our current job, when we…

1 Are scared that nothing will replace the much needed pay check.

2 Wait for another job offer first.

3 Would feel like a failure if we did leave.

4 Are making too much money and the benefits are too good.

5 Want toprove to the management team we are good at what we do and they would miss us.

One of the best reasons to pursue your dream job is the impact you make on other people. The ability to make a difference and improve people’s lives, I know from experience, is heightened if you love what you are doing.
 
I got this letter today from a student of mine many years ago and wanted to share it with you.
 
Hi Vickie,

I was talking the other night with friends and we were discussing a college assignment one of their husband’s gives his students.  It was to explain the most profound experience in your life that you feel made you who you are today. 

After twenty-some years in the publishing and printing business, I was getting little hints (I call this my intuition or gut feelings) my career was going to change.

• The actual work became “ho mum.”

• I started running into a lot of obstacles, whether it was complications in meeting deadlines, missed communications, or playing endless phone tag with customers and vendors.

• I noticed more and more I could think of dozens of things I much rather be doing than working.

• It was hard to concentrate, which was very unusual for me.

You don’t have to be stuck with that churning feeling in your gut called guilt. Many times we don’t even consider whether guilt is something we can overcome. We just assume we must live with it like a bad haircut. But guilt can be transformed.
 
Warning! Before you read this blog, you might want to read the blog on “What is Guilt?” so this will make more sense.
 
Remember guilt is nothing more than making up a rule or belief we think we need to follow and then breaking it.
 

Feeling poorly about yourself? Like you could and should do better? Maybe it’s guilt. Guilt acts as a negative detour in your life, prohibiting you from taking care of yourself, being kind to yourself and pursuing your dreams, among other things.
 

Here are Nine Reasons my Life and Business Coaching Clients Give for Feeling Guilty…

1  Filing bankruptcy.

2  Not doing it all, being the super mom or dad.

3  Getting divorced.

4  Ending a relationship.

5  Gaining weight.

6  Not caring for your elderly parents properly.

7  Cheating on your spouse.

Hey, you know that unsettled feeling in your stomach? The hang-your-head, slink-away, don’t-even-look-at-me feeling? It’s guilt. You know it when you feel it and you may even know what’s causing it. But do you know what guilt is?
 
Guilt is nothing more than making up a rule we think we need to follow and then breaking it.

Examples are:

• The rule might be “In order to lose weight, I have to stay on this diet.” Then you break the rule buying eating a piece of chocolate. This causes enormous guilt.

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…

INTRODUCTION
Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition.”

This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.
 

A COMMON SCENARIO- ACCEPTING A JOB

Not many small business owners realize there are different methods of motivation. Some get responses quickly but are short lived and others are the foundations of a healthy, strong business.

There are Three Ways to Motivate Yourself and Your Employees. You can be…

1 Motivated by Fear

This is the ability to prompt yourself or your staff to action because you fear what will happen if you don’t.

2 Motivated by Profit

Profits and wealth fuel this desire by you and your staff.

3 Motivated by Purpose

The other day I caught myself being defensive about adding color on my website. What would make me go off like that? Any time I'm that adamant, I know there is some hidden treasure I can learn from it.

Here's Some of the Advantages of Being Defensive at Work...

We can...

• Avoid changing our mindset or behaviors.
• Pretend it makes us a strong leader.
• Hide our doubts and the fear of losing control.
• Take full advantage of using excuses.
• Camouflage our oversensitivity.
• Keep ourselves busy constantly defending our position.

It surprises me that so many people want to ignore, deny or sabotage their dreams.

Here are Some Ways to Kill Your Dreams...

• Pretend you don't know what your dreams are.

• Brainwash yourself into thinking you are not good enough to ever achieve your dreams.

• Keep your habit of impulse buying so you can tell others you don't have enough money to go for your dreams.

• Wait for the perfect time to start working on your dreams, maybe after the kids are grown, or when you have all the bills paid off.

Obviously, working from home is not for everybody. With my business and career coaching clients, I listen to my intuition and often suggest they either find a new  job or change their thoughts and behaviors to create a better environment at the old job.

Here are some Disadvantages of Working from Home...

We can...

• No longer use our commuting time as our think time or time to wind down and relax.

• Have difficulty getting motivated without someone to impress.

• Overeat because no one's noticing.

• Work too little because of our flexible schedule.

We can set our own hours, get a massage in the middle of the afternoon and avoid the hovering boss. This much we know about working from home. But working from home has some subtle, not-so-obvious perks as well. Though small and even overlooked these advantages can influence our mental, physical and emotional health.

Here are Some Not-so-Obvious Benefits of Working from Home...

We can...

• Multi-task during boring conference calls.

• Provide companionship to our pets.

• Go shopping when we don't have to wait in lines.

• Forget what terms like office pod means.

When I started my own business years ago, I noticed quite a difference from working in an office environment and working from home. I was use to the hustle and bustle of a busy office with the phoning ringing off the hook, unproductive meetings and my team constantly wanting something or another.

Here is What I Think are Benefits of Working from Home...

We can...

• Save hours a day in commuting time.

• Relax. No one's looking over our shoulder, monitoring our every move.

• Eat healthier.

• Schedule dentist and doctor appointments easier.

I just put a job opening for an appointment setter out on Craigslist. A guy responded that was recently laid off from a restaurant stove cleaning service in California. He made calls to set up appointments in Orange County from his home in Phoenix. He said he did quiet well, and was let go only because this was the stove cleaning business slow season in Orange County. One thing led to another and I ended up doing a career coaching session to help him think outside the box with his job hunting search.

When is it Time to Rethink Your Job Hunting Search...

When you...

Part of my job as a business coach and consultant is detective work. A client presents me with a problem. It’s a lack of making sales problem. It’s a manufacturing problem. It’s a cash flow problem. We begin to talk about said problem. But after some probing and investigation I realize it’s not any of those things at all. Rather, it’s a relationship problem. I think we give our relationship problems many disguises either because we believe we must tolerate difficult business relationships or can avoid them altogether.

Here are Some of the Reasons Why we WOULDN'T Want to Improve a Business Relationship...

When we...

There are some people who would not profit from hiring a business coach. It would waste time and money. A business coach would only serve to rob them of   hours away from doing the work they love and helping others.

Here are Some Signs you DON'T Need to Hire a Business Coach...

• You wake up every morning and can't wait to get started on your work day and at night have to literally pry yourself away.
• You have more passion for your work than you did on your first day.
• You have more than enough clients or job opportunities.

For more than a decade now, I have suggested affirmations or mantras as a tool to solve just about any problem. I have seen them work at increasing sales, making peace in relationships and kicking bad habits. Out of the hundreds of workshop attendees and business coaching and life coaching clients I've had, I have yet to see anyone who did affirmations on a consistent basis who did not benefit from them.

Here are Some of the Many Advantages of Doing Affirmations...

• We see quick RESULTS with little effort.
• They help us achieve our DREAMS.
• Affirmations build CONFIDENCE and SELF-ESTEEM.

A yoga mat is just a foam platform and of no benefit to you if it isn’t used the way it was intended. Likewise, LinkedIn isn’t a social networking platform driving clients to your business if it’s not used in the right way. Both platforms can be transformative or they can fail to deliver any marked benefits if used in an infrequent, sloppy manor. First, let’s look at how you’re using LinkedIn ineffectively and failing to grow your business.

Here's how to use LinkedIn ineffectively...

1  Don't bother posting your photo or if you do include the one of you and your pet posing together.

I was thinking the other day how easy it is to put money on a pedestal and treat it as the cure for any problem. If we had money, we think, we could achieve our dreams, mend our relationships, improve our appearance, and essentially get everything we always wanted.

Here's Some Symptoms We Worship Money...

When we...

• Make decisions based on how much money something costs or how much money it will make us.
• Put most, if not all, our attention on ways to get more of it.
• Set money goals -- how much we want and by what date.

You have invested in yourself and hired a business coach. As a result, you’ve saved countless hours of learning the hard way and your career has progressed by leaps and bounds. Now your momentum has slowed. Your enthusiasm has waned. And your sense of purpose has drifted.

You’ve switched hair stylists. You’ve switched investment advisors. You’ve switched child care providers. When your intuition, your heart and the face in the mirror told you the timing was right you’ve switched professionals. Could it be time to switch business coaches?

Here are some signs it’s time to change business coaches…

When you find yourself…

Public speaking is, by far, my greatest fear. I was completely and utterly terrified of speaking in a group. I would even forgo attending meetings and workshops if I knew I would have to announce my name to the group.

Fortunately, my intuition gave me a way to move past this fear. Each and every one of the 1000 or so times I’ve done public speaking, I speak to (God, universe, source, inner guide, higher self, whatever you identify with) first. I tell God, “this is your event – let me speak your words, hear with your ears, see with your eyes, and touch with your hands and let me not judge anything that happens.” This “letting go and letting God” releases my stage fright every time.

Everyone says go for your dreams.  But if you haven’t first dealt with your sabotaging beliefs, your dreams will stay at the starting gate instead of manifesting in your life.

Here are 9 Good Reasons to Keep Your Dreams on the Back Burner-

I believe…

• My dreams aren’t really that important.
• It takes money to achieve my dreams.
• I don’t have time to pursue my dreams.
• It’s more difficult to go for my dreams because I have a family.
• If I achieve my dreams, my relationships will change for the worse.

In the 14 years that I have been a small business coach, I have noticed some disadvantages that women business owners face far more often than men. It must be the way we were raised and a belief system we bought into. I think these are among the primary reasons we aren’t as successful as a whole in business as men.

Here’s Some of the Disadvantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur-

We have a tendency to…

• Think multi-tasking is normal and pride ourselves at being good at it.
• Have an “I’ll do-it-myself attitude".

Before you charge ahead and start your business, consider the stumbling blocks first. Your business success depends on how well you adjust and resolve these disadvantages.

Here are Some of the Many Disadvantages of Being Small Business Owner...

• You can’t blame the boss.
• Things constantly change, especially with this economy.
• You’ll have to learn to like marketing and sales, whether you supervise or do it yourself.
• To be successful, you must make and follow a budget.
• You have to make lots of decisions quickly all of the time.

I just heard recently that the Arizona Small Business Association (located in Phoenix and Tucson) added 700 members in a little over six months. Wow!  Either ASBA has a really effective marketing plan, or there are lots of people sick of job insecurity. Maybe people are lost and just don’t know what else to do but start their own business. Or what I like to believe, lots of people are finally going for their dream jobs.

Here are Some of the Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur:

• No one can fire or lay you off.

Every once in a while I come across someone who I would say is outstanding at networking events. You know, the person who brings the room to life and makes everyone feel good.

Here’s 12 Signs You Are Great at Networking Events-

When you…

• Look forward to them, especially those that don’t have speakers.
• Are the first to say hello.
• Go out of your way to meet new people.
• Often smile and look others in the eye.
• Take time to make genuine compliments.
• Follow-up the next day with new acquaintances.

Maybe you steer clear of networking events because they scare you to death. Or maybe you’re the type who attends a networking occasion believing you’re managing your fear just fine. But time after time you come away with little or no sales. Do one of these profiles fit you?

16 Signs That You Fear Networking Events…

When you…

• DREAD networking events, especially those that don’t have speakers.
• Are reluctant to INITIATE a conversation.
• Almost insist on BRINGING SOMEONE with you to the networking event.
• Mostly hang around people you KNOW.

We’ve all heard about meditation as a way to stay in the moment.  But we can learn to be present in any situation, any time of the day, anywhere with anyone without meditating. An easy opportunity to practice being mindful of the present moment is through travel.

Here’s How to Stay in the Moment When you Travel…

• To be in the present moment the most important thing you can do is release thinking you KNOW what’s going to happen on the trip, when it’s going to happen, how your traveling companions are going to act and how you’re going to react when something does happen.

It’s easy to put achieving your dreams on the back burner during these hard times. Maybe you’ve used the excuse that you need to figure out how to pay the bills this month, get a job or keep the job you have.

But have you ever considered that part of the reason we’re having this economic crisis in the first place is because millions of us have put our dreams on the back burner?

I’ve got a NEW quiz on my website, Are You Ready to Get Your Dreams. See how you score!

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