These are the opening words to the theme from the movie Mahogany: Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know? Do you get what you’re hoping for? When you look behind you There’s no open door What are you hoping for? Do you know? Diana Ross (M. Masser/G. Goffin) Consider this tale of two coaching clients: One is hung up on seeing herself as a victim – depressed, financially challenged (an understatement) and despite having wonderful gifts, skills and abilities, un-WILL-ing to commit
Read More
Posts by Sue Koch
Making a Career Change Takes Practice
“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” ~ Aristotle Making a career change to a “Sexy Second Act” isn’t something most of us can just wake up one morning and do. We aren’t eighteen anymore. We have responsibilities and obligations and other people to consider. The good news is that while it may take time and creative maneuvering, making a career change IS possible. Not only that, it can be an exciting adventure! If you’ve been following the blog, you know we’ve talked about these steps … Step 1 – Giving
Read More
Preparing for Your Career Change
The secret of making something work in your lives is, first of all, the deep desire to make it work: then the faith and belief that it can work: then hold that clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one thought of doubt or disbelief. ~ Eileen Caddy, Writer ~ Preparing for your career change is a journey as much as it is a destination. Step 1 on the journey is about giving yourself permission to play. Step 2 on the journey is about designing a plan. Step 3 – Preparing for
Read More
Plan Your Career Transition
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” ~ Abraham Lincoln Many resources say that between 50% and 70% of Americans wish they could make a career transition giving them the freedom to work for themselves. Are you one of them? If you are, part of your strategy from now on must be to plan your career transition. The unfortunate thing is that whether or not you are aware of it, you ultimately do work for yourself. You may be employed by a company or organization, but ultimately, you
Read More
How Do You Begin Making a Career Transition?
The readiness is all. – William Shakespeare Successfully navigating your career transition as a Baby Boomer isn’t easy. I’ve been there and I had to learn a few things the hard way. Saying I was scared when I got laid off would be an understatement. I had never been “out of a job” before. Fear admonished me to hurry up and get on with finding my next job. So off I scurried to find resources to help me figure out how in the heck I was going to find “new cheese”. I was filled with dread and anxiety. I had
Read More
Successful Career Transitions Require Passion, Purpose, a Paycheck®…and a Parachute!
“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~ Louise E. Boone A comment posted by a friend on a Facebook photo of my skydiving experience made me chuckle. He posted “Passion, Purpose, a Paycheck…and a Parachute!” That made me think! It’s a no-brainer that most successful career transtions require Passion, Purpose, and a Paycheck®. In addition, wouldn’t you just LOVE to have a parachute? Just like skydiving, making a big career change feels risky. It would be INSANE to throw yourself out of a perfectly good airplane without a parachute. It would also be
Read More
How Can Thanksgiving Help You Design a Sexy Second Act Career Transition?
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude ~ Cynthia Ozick You’d be surprised how many people I talk to who are miserable in their jobs. Or maybe, if you are working in Corporate America, you wouldn’t be surprised. You likely understand why many people are unhappy these days and wishing they could make a career transition. If you are one of them and you would love to make a career transition but think you can’t, I get it. You have responsibilities – older parents who need your assistance, kids to put through college, a mortgage to
Read More
Want a Sexy Second Act Career? Try Putting Your HEART into It!
“I don’t like work–no man does–but I like what is in the work–the chance to find yourself. Your own reality–for yourself not for others–what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell what it really means.” ~ Joseph Conrad I’ve been reading articles about how to survive unemployment, how to reinvent your career, how to present yourself during a job interview to keep from appearing “too old” and on and on. They are the same, tired, old articles I read ten years ago when I was laid off my job. I
Read More
Take Your Career from “What If? to “Hell Yeah!”
The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one’s self to destiny. ~ Napoleon Bonaparte I used to worry. A LOT! Worrying is anything BUT sexy. It drags you down and it drags everyone around you down. What-ifs keep you from doing anything the least bit risky…or the least bit exciting or FUN! That’s not sexy either. What-ifs stop you if you don’t look beyond whatever yucky outcome your brain comes up with – like… I’ll die I’ll fail I’ll look bad I’ll feel rejected I’ll feel humiliated That’s where I
Read More
Finishing Average vs. Finishing Memorable
Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it. ~ Unknown I pinned a cartoon to one of my Pinterest Boards that got me thinking. If you are a Baby Boomer, your career is going to end in one of three ways: You are going to retire You are going to be laid off or quit Your job will become obsolete and you’ll need to find something else to do. Have you asked yourself…what then? If you retire at 65 and you have 20 or 30 (or more) years of good health, what are you going
Read More