July 2021

Georgina Bowden Makes finalist for 2021 Aus Mumpreneur Awards. Congrats to
Georgina and we are looking forward to seeing what she does next. Want to
know more about Georgina and how she got to become a finalist?I’m Georgina Bowden (but you can call me George).

Business Mentor and Mindset Coach, champion of women in small business and
lover of a good Gin & Tonic. I empower women to let go of self doubt,
drop the procrastination and finally step into their brilliance as CEO’s of
their own business (and life) www.georginabowdencoaching.com

 

Have you ever experienced the power of life coaching? Maybe you know
a friend who has experience with coaching. For many, the role of a coach is
to bridge the gap between where someone is, and where they would like to be.
But coaching provides a number of added benefits and today we’re sharing 5
unexpected ones! For many, the idea of a coach is reserved for
entrepreneurs, business owners and managers within the corporate world,
however, we believe that coaching can make a long-lasting difference in the
life of anyone. Coaching will greatly benefit both individuals, groups and
teams alike. Having unbiased and non-judgemental support will help you reach
your goals faster and achieve better results than doing it alone. But
helping you reach your goal is not the only valuable thing life-coaching
brings to the table.

Here are 5 additional (and unexpected) benefits of life coaching!</strong >

1. Helps with self-reflection

By its nature coaching assists with self-reflection and self-awareness. This
is because there is no advice or input in the coaching process, rather the
coach facilities change with an individual through exercises and asking the
right questions. Coaching encourages individuals to stop in their actions
and learn to positively question themselves and look for solutions within.

2. Increase in self-confidence

Sometimes people confuse self-confidence with self-esteem or self-worth, and
whilst it is part of it, confidence is very much about ‘doing’ whereas,
esteem is about ‘being’. While working with a coach, they will be helping
you move at your own pace towards the goal, taking action to achieve your
goal. Furthermore, a coach will help you draw on your strengths, especially
those you might have forgotten. Session after session you will become more
confident because you will have remembered all the times you have been
successful – evidence that you can move forward with confidence.

3. Encourages problem-solving 

Through asking individuals what they want to do in a particular situation
and reserving any advice, coaches are able to encourage problem-solving.
Through asking questions like ‘how do you want to do this differently?’ or
‘how can we make this better?’ coaches offer a non-judgemental space to
start thinking critically and from fresh perspectives. This assist
individuals to develop their critical decision-making skills.

4. Have a safe place where you feel heard

The impact of being heard can be profound for anyone. Coaches offer a space
to be actively listened to, allowing a new conversation that will help
individuals move forward to achieve their goals. By actively listening to
you, your coach might reflect or mirror back what you just said, helping you
clarify thoughts and ideas while allowing new perspectives to emerge.

5. It encourages taking ownership of one’s choices </strong >

Working with a coach will help you reflect on what is in your control and
what is not, helping you focus on all the things you could do. For many,
this reflection aids in the realisation that there are many things in their
control and helps in taking responsibility for these things. Coaching is a
powerful and effective tool that can help you make positive steps forward
towards your goals and your future. Ultimately, the job of a coach is to
empower individuals by helping them reflect on what’s important and to
challenge preconceptions and limiting beliefs. It’s a wonderfully rewarding
job where you get to transform people’s lives – starting with your own.

Interested in empowering others to achieve their goals and
dreams?</strong >

Life coaching might be the path you are looking for. Find out how you could
start a new career as a life coach or add life coaching skills to your
current work by contacting us on info@lifecoachingacademy.edu.au</a > or Free Call 1800 032 151. Our programmes are all Nationally Recognised
and Internationally Accredited by professional bodies and third-party
organisations so you know that you are receiving the highest quality
training.

What does it look like to change careers in an unstable economy or time
of crisis?</strong >

 

One of the most important ways to invest your time during a career
transition is by reflecting on your current situation. Doing so can help
you set a strong foundation for understanding whether this is the right
time to switch careers, what you want out of a career change and what you
may need to do to make it happen.

Start by asking yourself specific questions that will help you understand
your current circumstances, such as:

Is a career change the right answer to my challenges?</strong >
Consider why you want to change careers. Making a shift under the current
circumstances will present unique challenges, so it’s important to
consider whether there are other alternatives. For example, if you are
unhappy with the roles you’ve held in the past, could it have been because
of your company or manager instead of the job itself?

Is now the right time? Changing careers may be
necessary during this time if your industry or job has been heavily
impacted and you are no longer able to find sufficient opportunities. For
example, if you were a flight attendant and cannot find similar jobs, you
may need or want to change careers now to find work. If you can wait until
a more stable and predictable time to change careers, you might consider
whether now is the best and most opportune time for you.

Can I weather the expected challenges? It might
be true that, to make a successful job transition, you must spend time
building certain skills or building a new network of relevant
relationships. It’s important to ask yourself if taking the time to do so
is an option for you at this time, or if you need financial support by
taking another job in the short-term.

Is it worth the expected challenges? You might
also ask yourself whether the payoff of transitioning careers is worth the
challenges that may come with it. For example, while it might be
time-consuming, stressful or costly to change careers, it could still be
worth it if it will help you get a role that aligns with your long-term
needs and values.

Taking some time to understand your qualities, qualifications and values
can help focus your career transition and narrow down your career path
options if you haven’t already. Doing so can also help you understand how
you might position yourself during the job search.

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

Which soft skills do I currently have? Soft
skills are related to your ability to work with others. Consider how well
you communicate, empathize with clients or solve problems. Soft skills are
often the most transferable, so identifying them early can help you
understand the ways you might bring value to a new role or industry.

Which hard skills do I currently have? Hard
skills are your technical abilities gained by education or training. These
could include skills like a spoken language, knowledge of a specific
software program or a certain method of project management. Taking
inventory of your hard skills can help you identify if there are certain
industries that might be easier to transition into.

Which skills am I interested in building? Once
you have lists of the skills you already have, make another list of skills
that you want to learn. They might be new skills you want to obtain or
ones you already have some knowledge of but are interested in
strengthening. Try not to limit yourself here. Instead, freely explore
activities that bring you joy or spark your curiosity.

What are my biggest career “wins”? This may come
easy to you or you might feel challenged by the task. Regardless, we all
have some career “wins,” it just might require some reflection to identify
them. Wins might be compliments from colleagues, recognition from
managers, the measurable impact you’ve made at a company or a promotion.
They could also be personal professional accomplishments, like winning
certain awards or achieving specific goals.

Taking note of your wins can help you realize what you’re good at, what
you like doing and how to communicate those achievements to employers
throughout the hiring process. Communicating the impact you’ve made
throughout your career can help employers quickly understand the value
you’ll bring to their organization, even if you come from another role or
industry.

Which tasks (big and small) do I enjoy doing most?</strong >
Draw from your “wins” and skills lists to get a better idea of which tasks
bring you the most joy. You don’t necessarily have to make a career out of
your passion, but it certainly helps to follow a career path that includes
some responsibilities that you know you will like. Evaluating which tasks
you enjoy doing most can help you direct and prioritize your search for a
new career.

Do I have a “dream job”? If so, what is it? This
is a good time to avoid limiting your options. Write down “dream jobs”
that are more realistic, but also include roles that push the boundaries
of what you think might be possible. You never know, at the end of your
evaluations, the impossible may seem more within reach than you initially
thought.

This might also help you identify a role that’s a stepping stone on the
way to your dream job. While the next position you take might not be
exactly what you are looking for, you can still gain experience from it
that will make you more qualified for your ideal role in the future.

What are my core values and non-negotiables?
Mapping your core values and needs to your job search is one of the most
important steps of a career transition. Doing so can also highlight
vulnerable industries that may not be evident when the job market is
healthy. Your values and needs should provide direction for the role,
company and industry you select.

Your values might include the desire to work for a mission-driven company,
in an inclusive culture or for an organization that prioritizes work-life
balance. Some examples of non-negotiables are long-term financial
stability, job security or more flexible working hours.

When considering a career change, there may be opportunities unknown to
you that you might be qualified for or interested in—this is not uncommon.

Find a position or passion that intrigues you and research it further.
When changing careers, it is important to read the job description instead
of focusing exclusively on the job title. Many employers and industries
use different titles for the same or similar roles. For example, an
“account manager” may be a sales executive or account coordinator/client
success position depending on the organization.

Pay close attention to the requirements and duties of jobs so you can
evaluate whether the career would align with your skills, interests and
values. This can also highlight the limitations of the situation. For
example, you may find a role you like, but it requires a degree or
certification that you would first have to earn. That might be feasible
for you or it might mean that it’s not an immediate option. Either way, it
helps you decide how to move forward.

On the other hand, by thoroughly understanding your existing transferable
skills, you can also identify jobs you might more easily get and succeed
in. This is especially important to do if you have less time to make your
career transition. In this case, try to focus on positions for which you
meet at least 60% of the qualifications with your transferable skills.
Meeting 60% of the qualifications isn’t a hard rule, but it’s a good
general guideline to help you determine whether it’s worth applying for.

Start adding the job titles that interest you to a saved list. Consider
collecting 15 to 20 jobs to start. Then, narrow this list down to the top
three or five best options for you to further explore through
informational interviews and industry outlook guides.

Next, select the top one or two roles you think you should pursue based on
qualifiers such as your non-negotiables, career goals, transferable
skills, available opportunity and barriers to entry. If you are
considering multiple positions, it is ideal if they are similar in nature.
It can yield better results if you fully commit your reskilling and job
search resources to one general area. Attempting to transition into
multiple roles that require different skills could lead to more indecision
and lesser qualifications for both options.

Once you’ve decided on the role, you can begin to bridge the gap between
the skills you have and the skills you need to be qualified for your new
career. Before committing to a new degree or certification which can be
costly, investigate the industry and ask relevant questions to industry
bodies before being convinced of a path that will not give you the
credentials or accreditation’s the industry requires.

 

If Life Coaching is a pathway you would like to investigate further, to
give you flexibility and a lucrative income working from home in these
uncertain times?

Contact us for a chat and to find out what the requirements are to ensure
you enter into a course that is going to tick not only all your boxes but
that of the industry too.

NLP is a powerful tool that empowers people to have greater control over
their emotional state.</strong >

We’re sharing 4 powerful NLP techniques to get you started! Neuro-linguistic
Programming (NLP) is a powerful approach to communication and personal
development that empowers people to have greater control over their
emotional state. NLP skills and tools give you the ability to be at your
best more often by effectively managing your thoughts and feelings. These
techniques can help when you’re feeling overcome with emotion, when you feel
out of control or even with social disagreements. Most importantly, learning
NLP gives you additional tools to help your clients with their goals.

These 4 NLP techniques are some of our favourites!

1. Anchoring

Anchoring is the most well-known and widely used NLP technique. The purpose
of anchoring is to associate a positive memory with a deliberate gesture.
For example, a memory where you felt powerful can be empowering and a
valuable resource. As through Anchoring you can use this memory and store it
through your senses: either Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory and
Gustatory. By making this association, your brain will be able to make the
connection between this positive memory and a particular gesture. As such,
you will be able to elicit a positive emotional response simply through your
actions. In turn, you can activate this anchor any time you are feeling low
or stressed and in doing so, you can return to a state of happiness. If
you’ve tuned into our insightful Lunch & Learn conversation with Jo
Mason, TCA Mentor, high-performance coach and winner of the NLP Award in
2018, you’ll know that Anchoring is one of Jo’s favourite NLP technique’s.

2. Reframing

Next on the list of NLP techniques that can boost your happiness and overall
success is reframing. This technique is all about perspective and it allows
you to see the opportunities in hardship, opposed to dwelling on barriers or
the negatives. For example, let’s imagine your relationship has recently
ended. Initially and on the surface, this will feel awful, however, let’s
try reframing it. You can do this by asking: what are the possible benefits
of being single? One could be that you are now available to meet new people
or are open to other potential relationships. Another is that you now have
the freedom to do what you want to do on your own schedule. Furthermore, you
can take notice of the valuable lessons you have learned from this
relationship which will allow you to have increasingly fulfilling
relationships in the future. All of these points are examples of how we can
reframe a situation. In doing so we can reframe the meaning and experience
of the hardship or situation. Reframing empowers you to change the focus
from negative to positive.

3. Meta-model

Meta-modelling is a great technique that will help you discover the hidden
truth of your reality, by identifying the limiting language you are using in
your daily life. You can use meta-model by paying attention to these 3 main
language patterns that can hold you back from happiness:

• Generalisations: “My boss never listens to me.”
• Mind Reading: “Karen didn’t say hello to me today, she must be angry
  with me.”
• Deletions or choosing your language to confirm pre-existing beliefs:
  “People don’t find me attractive.”

Once you identify which category your language patterns belong to, then it
is time to challenge them and the limiting beliefs that they contribute to.
For example, if you hear yourself saying something like “people don’t find
me attractive,” you can challenge this through the meta-model by questioning
the statement. For example, you might ask yourself, “who are these people
specifically?” and “how do you know that they think this?” The chances are
that by questioning the language and limiting beliefs to be more specific
you will prompt your brain to think more logically about the situation and,
in turn, begin to understand that these are ingrained responses that can be
altered. Meta-modelling can prompt you to challenge negative language and
unhelpful beliefs, so you can live a happier and more successful life.

4. Rapport Building

The ability to easily build rapport with people around you is an impactful
way to make a real difference both personally and professionally. NLP tools,
such as mirroring is a simple, yet effective way to connect and communicate.
This technique involves subtly mirroring another person’s body language,
tone of voice and language choices. However, the key is to do so subtly. If,
for example, you are talking with someone who is using a casual tone of
voice, is sitting down and has an open stance, mirroring this person’s
language and behaviour will keep the tone they have set. Whereas if you
chose to address them formally, with your arms crossed and refuse to sit,
but instead stand, the tone of your conversation will dramatically shift and
in turn, this person will feel uncomfortable. While it might seem obvious,
mirroring is meaningful and easy to implement the technique that can enhance
your communication and enable you to create a positive impression. The art
and psychology of NLP give you greater control over your ability to be at
your best more often. It allows you to communicate more effectively and have
greater control over your emotional state. In turn, you are able to feel,
think and be your best each day.

Interested in learning more about NLP and NLP techniques?

Please contact the Life Coaching Academy to obtain more information about
our Professional Coach ICF NLP program – www.lifecoachingacademy.edu.au</a >

or call us on our Free Call number 1800 032 151

The Life Coaching Academy – YouTube</a >