It is during this time that we may lose focus and begin to stray further away from our dreams.  In this haze of comfort we may begin to experience an internal conflict.  We feel stuck and a sense of discontentment on the one hand and on the other we think we should keep pursuing the “success” which lies outside our true purpose.  This internal conflict can cause us to feel less engaged in our daily life and activities.

What do we do with these feelings?  How do we get unstuck?  Well the next statement may seem easier said than done, but we must take action.  When we find ourselves in this predicament we are normally faced with a difficult decision.  Do I continue to conform and live outside of my true purpose or do I EMPOWER myself to step out of my comfort zone and live my passion?

Now here come the ”what if questions” What if I fail?  What if I am faced with challenges?  What if things don’t go the way I want them to?  These are all FEAR based questions, and may be based on assumptions that you’ve seen or heard from or about others. 

I ask, “What if you SUCCEED?“

A question that I challenge you to think about is, “is your fear of failure greater than your possibility for success?”   

Not only do I dare you to dream, but I dare you to truly begin LIVING THAT DREAM!!!

If you would like to discuss how to begin “LIVING THE DREAM “ or other aspects of coaching please feel free to leave a comment or contact James Caldwell-Acha-Ngwodo, MHRM of S-P-I-R-I-T at james@lifecareerspiritcoaching.com.

SUCCESS!!!

 In many of the conversations that I have with people about what it is they want out of life, I often hear them say that they want to be successful.  I challenge this statement by asking a series of questions.

 SUCCESS!!!

 What does success mean to you?  What does it look like? Is it an end goal?  Are you successful now?  What types of success have you achieved in the past?  Take a moment to contemplate answers to these questions for yourself.

 SUCCESS!!!

 When I ask someone what their idea of success is the majority of the time they think success equates finance, and is viewed as an end goal.  We spend very little time looking at the process and evaluating if the success we’ve accomplished in the past is repeatable.  What if we choose to look at this differently?

SUCCESS!!! 

Think about the last time you achieved some form of success.   Try not to look at it from the standpoint of how much money you made.  Look at it more so from the aspect of accomplishing a goal e.g.; I installed my first toilet as part of my home improvement project, I finished a thesis paper for school, I completed a sewing project, I finished a PowerPoint presentation for work, etc. 

 SUCCESS!!! 

Now I want you to reflect on how it felt to accomplish that goal.  Take a moment.  Now think about the process which you engaged in to help you reach that success.  Can you do it again?  Many times what I have come to find and to help others to see is that we all have achieved some form of success. The more we can recognize those accomplishments the more likely we are to tap into the frequency of success by recognizing the repeatable process.

 SUCCESS!!!

 Now let’s try a bit of self-affirmation. 

Twice a day try repeating this phrase, “I am SUCCESS, I embody it!!!!”

 If you would like to discuss what it means to be successful or other aspects of coaching.  Please feel free to leave a comment or contact James Caldwell-Acha-Ngwodo, MHRM of S-P-I-R-I-T at james@lifecareerspiritcoaching.com.

Finding yourself overwhelmed with the excitement of a new opportunity, you have hundreds of thoughts racing through your mind.

What do I wear?  Am I qualified?  How should I wear my hair? What are they gonna ask?  Am I going to be on time?  How do I get there?  Do I have any questions?  What are my nervous mannerisms?  Will I bite my nails?

Relax.  Take a moment and breathe.

Let’s take a couple of moments to talk about the interview preparation process and some basic key strategies to assist you nailing this or any other interview you may have.
1.  Do your homework!!! When preparing for an interview with an organization it is important that you have done your research.  Not only do you want to research the position that you applied for, take some time to find out about the company, the industry in which they operate, their competition and their place in the market.

This can prove helpful when discussing the goals of the organization and how your skills and experience can drive the organization to reaching those goals.  It also gives a perspective employer the opportunity to assess your level of enthusiasm and interest in their organization.

BREATHE

2.  Review the job description for which you have applied.  Remember that the job description many times is a brief snap-shot of the qualifications and duties that you may need to have or demonstrate in order to be proficient in the role.

Also take some time to compare your most up-to-date resume with the job description, identifying any key strengths or areas of opportunities that you would like to highlight or may be addressed during an interview.

In this step, it is important that if you don’t already have a journal of documented work situations, you sit, brainstorm, and document some situations you’ve had in the past.

Things you may want to consider in doing this exercise, create a list of some challenges that you have encountered, what your role was directly in the situation, what was the risk or potential gain, and what was the impact.

BREATHE

3.  Be concise, honest, and confident. Many employers today are utilizing the STAR format when it comes to interviewing.  This is when the candidate is asked to give a specific Situation or Task, Action, and the Result.  This behavioral interviewing technique is based on the premise that past behavior and experience can be used as a predictor for future behavior in similar situations.

It is important not to fall into interview traps when this style of interviewing is used.

Many times after a question is answered the interviewer will allow time for an awkward silence.  We as the interviewee intuitively respond to this awkward silence by filling this space with our perceived need to provide information.  This is an old interviewers’ trick!  Be confident.  Be honest. Be concise.

BREATHE

4.  Practice, Practice, Practice! One of the most important, but many times overlooked steps when it comes to interview preparation is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!  It is important to practice the examples you intend to use in an interview so that you can form a clear picture of what it is you want to say.  There are several methods that you can use to practice articulating your interview ideas.

Mirror technique.  Standing in front of a mirror will allow you to see how you articulate your ideas from the perspective of the interviewer.  It also gives you the opportunity to build confidence in yourself without fear of embarrassment.

Mock interviews.  Mock interviews are designed to place you in a real life interview scenario providing the unique opportunity for you to receive feedback without impact to the position you are preparing for.  Mock interviews can be conducted by peers, friends, family, or others whose feedback you value and deem appropriate in helping you prepare for that next opportunity.

5.  Anabolic Energy!!! For those that don’t know, anabolic energy is a constructive energy.  It allows you to build and project positivity.  It can also help to create the type of environment in which you are most comfortable interviewing in by shifting the energy to opportunity and possibility.

Anabolic energy it is based on the premise that if you make a conscious choice to look at things with a positive perspective you generally exude a positive energy that others can sense.  Be sure to balance this carefully and not overdo it as organizations are not usually looking for cheerleaders, unless you interviewing with a sports team.  In that case have at it!!!

In general interviewers will look for someone who they think are positive and has a high amount of anabolic energy, even if it is not identified using the same term.

BREATHE

What’s next?

REST and Breathe! Well after all of your preparation and hard work, be sure to get a good nights rest the day before the interview and work to eliminate or reduce other stressors which can distract you from the task at hand.

Remember, be prepared, be confident, be honest, be concise and be YOU!

Contact Me! For more interview tips and other career coaching and infusing more spirit, contact James Caldwell-Acha-Ngwodo, MHRM of S-P-I-R-I-T Coaching at www.lifecareerspiritcoaching.com