I ve had so many enquiries from people itching to know when the Happy@work book is coming out. I've even got a television interview lined up! I ve hated keeping everyone waiting so long especially when so many people are out of work or stuck in jobs they hate. My prospective publishers have been swamped with prechristmas deadlines and have promised a decision by the end of the week.

The timing couldn't be better! The global economy is showing signs of improvement and confidence is slowly returning. I'm having a re read of the book and can honestly say I'm loving it! It's an upbeat, inspiring, practical read and is really helping me personally as i crystallize my future career and life direction.

I believe in the power of this book with such a passion I know it's going to be a reality. Bring it on!

Thanks to all my followers who have pre ordered and to all the people I have coached over the years who have shared their transformational stories. If you haven't pre ordered I'd love your support:) plus stayed tuned to www.cassandragaisford.com for new happy@work interviews... Coming soon... From economics professor to tango teacher!

Labels: achieving goals, Book Launch, Communication, Overcoming setbacks, The Book

Self belief is a critical determinant of happiness and success yet sometimes an elusive factor. So many things conspire to weaken our self belief:
criticism from others
self criticism
perfectionism and overly high self standards
lack of focus and discipline
under resourcing - time, money, training
lack of encouragement

all of the above and others took swipe at my self belief recently when I went back to study. Family and friends said I was crazy, classes were over subscribed, money was tight, relationships strained, stress levels high, a horrible group critique that left one student crying, under-funding and indifferent tutors, impatience with lack of skill combined with minimal one to one tutoring eroded the belief I could turn my dream into a reality and made it "easy" for me to throw in the towel.

Passion, skill, and belief all determine success and happiness in life but with no belief you are destined to fail.

What did my recent experience teach me. In my case a large factor was suffering from way too much stress - as you'll see later I really needed to get that under control. Critical self belief boosters also include:
surrounding yourself with people who believe in you
remind yourself of and focus on prior achievements
don't settle for less - ask for your needs to be met
affirm your strengths
recognize areas for development and allow time for talent to develop
perservere in the face of setbacks
find another way around obstacles
get a mentor, coach, or tutor
practise, practise, practise
be positive
allow no doubt - fake it til you make it
fuel your desire - build a strong mental, emotionally evocative picture of your end goal
find role models who succeeded despite the odds
prioritize - don't spread yourself too thin
know when to give up, know when to stay

where to from here for me?
timing is everything. As Thomas Edison once said, " I haven't failed, I've succeeded in finding ways that didn't work".

I still have belief - I'm just clearer about what didn't work:
Being stressed to the max didn't work
juggling study with a new relationship didn't work
juggling two mortgages and finding two new tennants and try and study didn't work
lack of encouragement didnt help
moving between 3 homes and two campuses didn't work
crises with teenager didn't work
studying with savvy 18 year olds in over subscribed classes didn't work
house sitting and minding a dog didn't work
relying on others in group assignments didn't work
working two jobs and running a business didn't work


Gosh! No wonder it didn't work! But when the timing is right it still can. I know I can self study, I know I can apply for entry into year two in Dec. Mostly I know I need to take time to get my mojo back after an extremely stressful two years. And I know I need to take time out to clarify what's truly important and how best to achieve it.

How about you? What do you need to do to boost your self-belief?








waning passion for a career as an architect certainly didn't work

Labels: achieving goals, diary of an architect, Happiness, Motivation, Overcoming setbacks, passion, Powerful Creativity, Powerful thinking, Productivity

I received an update recently from a fabulously talented lady in the States I've been following and I couldn't help but be excited by how similarly we are feeling.

Here's her entry that got me thinking that it's time to stop, rest, dream and plan rather than continue frenetically along the pathS I'm currently on.

"You may have to reinvent your role as a marketer too at some point. It’s not that I’m wishy washy about it - I just have a lot I want to accomplish. I like teaching total newbies what an autoresponder is, or exchanging ideas with other advanced marketers. I like introducing new concepts to people and providing cheap writing via my PLR Mini Mart.

Right now, I have my hands in too many cookie jars - literally and figuratively. So I’ve decided that starting tomorrow and through the month of August, I am going to step back and decide what I want to pursue more heavily. Instead of doing a little PLR, a little info product training, a bit of social networking tutorials - I will decide what makes my heart go kerplunk and follow that dream full steam ahead. I need a drawing board with a plan, Stan! And I’m going to get it.

But I need a clear head for it. This month, I worked my butt off paying off my August bills ahead of time. I know it sounds odd to those without a problem, but I have to spend a lot of time on losing weight, too. It impedes my thought process. I can’t explain it - it just does. I’m happy in every way in life except my weight - and I have 100 pounds to lose. A mountain.

So I am making this next month (starting tomorrow), a period of back to the basics for Tiff. I’m going to wake up each morning, check email to answer customer service questions, etc., and then work on my weight. While I’m exercising, I will be exploring my options, thinking hard about what fulfills me - not just what makes ends meet or allows me to profit more. Right now, I can’t even multi task between weight loss and work. It is exhausting because exercise drains my energy and I need energy to work. I need my head to be clear and focused."

If Tiff can do it - I can do. So effective tonight I'm going to disconnect from technology for a while and do some serious thinking about who I am, who I want to be and how I'm going to get there. Exciting stuff!

So far I've cut myself some slack from my architecture studies - the course is not really what I need and being with 17-18 year olds not the stimulation I need to fuel my passion. So quess what - I quit! That doesn't mean I'm going to give up on my dream. IT just means I'm going to buy myself some time and really look at my options.

Effective tonight I'm baby sitting my mothers dog and her house for a month - so that will be a nice break.

After that....I'll deal with that then

How can you take time out to reflect on who you are and what makes you tick?

Labels: achieving goals, Career Creation, Happiness, Motivation, passion, Powerful thinking

I'm learning a lot about perseverance this week - week three of my return to study architecture after a gap of 15 years. Technology has surpassed me and kids the same age as my daughter draw like mini Michelangelo's! It's easy too feel less than adequate. During times like this the "easy" option is to quit.

But quitting won't help me achieve my end goal - making a living from creating regenerative architecture... Homes and buildings that improve life.

Quitting won't help me learn what I came to learn or acquire the skills I'm weak in.

So how do I boost my flagging spirits and growing frustration:

cultivate patience - remind myself mastery takes time
practise - related to the above is the fact that mastery takes work. More practise, much more in some areas, is needed

ask for help - head for the experts and ask them to give a little of their time - pay them for coaching and assistance if need be. I did this when I did my Commerce Degree back in 1996 and was struggling with statistics and quantative analysis and it worked a treat

look to mentors - i find architects like John Launter who weren't formerly trained and value skills I have encouraging

delay making a decision - today after an average critique session and mediocre lectures I felt like quitting. I also have my period, am lacking sleep and am generally unsettled - not helped by being away from home and lugging books and materials from campus to campus, house to house. My partner has made me promise not to decide about quitting until after the weekend. He knows I'll feel differently after a rest:)

stress less - keep stress levels at bay by exercising, eating well, resting, time with friends - and time alone!

Have fun - remind myself to enjoy the ride and to be grateful I have this wonderful opportunity:)

Labels: achieving goals, diary of an architect

I received this lovely feedback last month - but only just found it in my in-tray:


"Congratulations on being true to yourself and making your dreams become your reality.

I just love reading about people who “walk the talk” – and who are taking big, bold, exciting steps.

It is wonderful.

Warmest wishes for continuing a very successful life….
Liz, Career Consultant, Career Services rapuara

It really made my day - especially as this is day 2 of my course. I'd be lying if I said there weren't times when I thought "oh, my god, what am I doing?" There's even been times when I wanted to quit! So soon, I hear you say! But I'm not quitting, I 'm staying even though all this new learning is blowing my mind, even though assignments are already stockpiling, even though I'm trying to live a balanced life and make room for my partner and his needs, even though as of Thursday I'll be officially homeless (I've rented out the house to fund my studies).

What keeps me there? The share challenge - and the fact that for the first time in my life I am studying my true path with heart - creating healing, sustainable, organic architecture that feeds peoples mind, body and soul:)

I also remind myself how lucky I am to have this opportunity and affirm my courage - over the years I've career counselled many people too frightened, too lazy, too comfortable, or too suppressed to make a change for the better. I hope my journey inspires others:) If i can find a way - you can too!

Labels: achieving goals, diary of an architect, Happiness, Motivation, Overcoming setbacks, passion, Powerful Creativity, Powerful thinking

Costa Rica tops happiness, 'green living' poll



SAN JOSE (AFP) — Costa Rica is the happiest place on earth, and one of the most environmentally friendly, according to a new survey by a British non-governmental group.

The New Economics Foundation looked at 143 countries that are home to 99 percent of the world's population and devised an equation that weighed life expectancy and people's happiness against their environmental impact.

By that formula, Costa Rica is the happiest, greenest country in the world, just ahead of the Dominican Republic.

Latin American countries did well in the survey, occupying nine of the top 10 spots.

Australia scored third place, but other major Western nations did poorly, with Britain coming in at 74th place and the United States at 114th.

The New Economics Foundation's measurements found Costa Ricans have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85 percent of the country's residents say they are happy and satisfied with their lives.

Those figures, taken along with the fact that Costa Rica has a small "ecological footprint," combined to push the small nation to the top of the list.

A 2006 New Economics Foundation study designated Vanuatu the world's happiest nation, with Costa Rica at second place.

Sociologist Andrea Fonseca said Costa Rica gives its citizens the "tools" to be happy, but cautioned that happiness cannot be calculated just by looking at life expectancy and environmental practices.

She added that the country's rise to the top of the Happy Planet Index "has a lot to do with social imagination."

Costa Rica has a peaceful reputation because it does not have an army, and is also known for its protected ecological zones and national slogan "pure life," she said.

Read more about this fascinating destination here

Labels: achieving goals, Happiness

My daughter fulfilled one of her dreams the other day when she was invited by Dame Malvina Major to sing for her. Hannah was so excited, and so nervous, she nearly fainted! Minutes before she went in to sing for her she heard another girl singing and she rang me in a panic. “She’s singing the same song I was going to – and she sung it perfectly!”

After calming her down I asked for a bit more information and found out that the girl before her was in fact an older woman who was in Dame Malvina’s master class. “Remember how gifted you are, Hannah,” I counseled her, “remind yourself how you received a distinction pass in your Trinity Music exams and also that you are here to learn and have not had any lessons for a year – just sing from your heart and you will be fine.” And she was!

Hannah is lucky – I have always encouraged her dreams and nurtured her natural talent. But many others haven’t. When she was 6 I recall one day, as she was happily rocking in the hammock and singing on the verandah, the little girl next door popped her head out of her window and screeched, “You think you can sing but you can’t.” Hannah burst into tears and stopped singing.

As recently as last month when she told a careers adviser at Canterbury University that she would like to audition for the voice school the woman soberly replied, “Oh you won’t get in, it’s very competitive.” She hadn’t even heard her sing!

As Christopher Gardner said in his book, and later a movie, the Pursuit of Happiness, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it period.”

Having a dream is an indispensable part of happiness and success.

What his dad called a “pipe dream” led to a life of happiness and a multi-millionaire dollar career for best selling author Wilbur Smith. As a child Wilbur always dreamed of being a writer. But any notions of making a living from writing were nothing but foolish pipe dreams his father cautioned him. " Get a real qualification" boy, was his instruction.

Wilbur dutifully took accountancy at university and resentfully became a tax accountant. But he never lost sight of his dream. He immediately began moonlighting as a short story writer, selling the odd piece of fiction to magazines.

"I'd been told all along, 'you'll never make a living as a writer. Use it as hobby, but you'll never be a Hemmingway or a Steinberg.'"

Then on the strength of an early story, his first novel, When the Lion Feeds, was commissioned. It was written while he was a full-time accountant for Salisbury Inland Revenue. His publisher and later agent, Charles Pick, gave him advice he never forgot: "Write for yourself, and write about what you know best."

"When it was was actually published and people wanted more, I thought, 'I might make a living out of this.'"

Now aged 76, he has sold over 100 million books and written 32 titles.

"If you have a deep need to write then the hunger will remain."


If your dreams could do with a boost this inspirational eBook could be just the motivational kick start you need.

Create Your Dream Job eBook


Do you get discouraged when looking through the situations vacant?
Do you worry that you will never find the perfect job for you?
Would you love to create your dream job but dont know how?
Do you wonder how you can translate your deepest passions into a rewarding career?
Do you feel boxed in and defined by your recent work experience?
Could you do anything if only you knew what it was?

I'll help you clarify and create not just any job but a job you'll love, by:
•Clarifying the things most important to you
•Helping you learn creative, innovative ways to break free of constraints
•Strengthening your intuition
•Increasing your creativity
•Inspiring you
•Helping you identify the job that is right for you

E-book
35 pages of inspirational and practical tips. Includes quizzes, pictures, diagrams, case studies, action tasks and quotes.

Click here to purchase or view sample samples

Labels: achieving goals, Happiness, Motivation, passion

My daughter fulfilled one of her dreams the other day when she was invited by Dame Malvina Major to sing for her. Hannah was so excited, and so nervous, she nearly fainted! Minutes before she went in to sing for her she heard another girl singing and she rang me in a panic. “She’s singing the same song I was going to – and she sung it perfectly!” After calming her down I asked for a bit more information and found out that the girl before her was in fact an older woman who was in Dame Malvina’s master class. “Remember how gifted you are, Hannah,” I counseled her, “remind yourself how you received a distinction pass in your Trinity Music exams and also that you are here to learn and have not had any lessons for a year – just sing from your heart and you will be fine.” And she was!

Hannah is lucky – I have always encouraged her dreams and nurtured her natural talent. But many others haven’t. When she was 6 I recall one day, as she was happily rocking in the hammock and singing on the verandah, the little girl next door popped her head out of her window and screeched, “you think you can sing but you can’t.” Hannah burst into tears and stopped singing.

As recently as last month when she told a careers adviser at Canterbury University that she would like to audition for the voice school the woman soberly replied, “oh you won’t get in, it’s very competitive.” She hadn’t even heard her sing!

As Christopher Gardner said in his book, and later a movie, the Pursuit of Happiness”, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it period.”

If your dreams could do with a boost the following questions could be just the motivational kick start you need.


Action Questions Pursuing dreams
Write down at least 5 things that come quickly to mind for each of the following questions, then go back and circle the four things that excite you the most. Make a note of the patterns and themes that occur. (For example, they all have to do with taking a risk; or they have to creativity or helping people) Identify steps to help make these dreams your reality.

What would you be doing if you weren’t afraid?

If you were doing what you love how would your life be different? What changes would you make?

Where do your interests and natural talents lie?

What people do you most admire and why?

What secret longings do you have that are lying dormant or tucked away?

In the past what activities have captured your interest and felt most compelling? (This is an indication of your passion at work.)

If you followed the call of your passion where would it take you?

What activities do you love doing?

What energises you?

Write a ‘wish list’ of all the activities you would love to do if anything were possible.

What do you dream about?

Think about someone who has a ” dream job” - . What do they do?

What are you doing when time seems to fly?

What are your hobbies?

If money were no object, what kind of work would you love to do?

As Oprah Winfrey said, “I firmly believe that the universe dreams a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself….you’ve got to open yourself to the dream that the universe has for you…you’ve got to discover your true calling.”


Click here if you would like to work with purpose and live your dreams click here

Dream Big

Most people don’t dream big enough. Instead they take the save option or settle for less. Lack of confidence is often to blame and underlying this is an often unspoken expectancy that they won’t achieve their goals. I recall a story about a man who was driving with his wife one day. They were going to the stadium to see a game and were looking for a park. He was horrified when she pulled into a park miles away from the gates. “Why are you parking here? “He cried. “Because I’ll never get a park any closer.” Never mind where you’re parking your car, he later reflected, where are you parking your dreams?

Do you have a positive expectancy or are you settling for less?

Sometimes thinking big means you have to grow into your dreams. If you’re not growing chances are that you are not living either.

When I first started coaching I remember setting a big goal for myself that I wanted to present a workshop at a major international conference. I tapped into my creativity and intuition to help me by asking “How can I find a conference to present at?”

Little coincidences, or what intuitives refer to as synchronicity, started to occur. A newsletter was emailed to me from Australia telling all the people who subscribed to it about an upcoming conference in America. I was really excited and emailed off a proposal. Everyone said I was mad and that there was no way I would get selected to present my Passion Driven Work model of career planning. My business partners in The Passion Pack, who are normally really optimistic, said to me, “Selling passion to the Americans is like selling coal to people in Newcastle!” Still I kept my faith and kept visualising a successful outcome. Then one day the letter came telling me that we had been successful. Then I panicked! It was one thing to dream it; it was quite a different thing to actually have to achieve it! I panicked even more when I heard that Mike and Nigel couldn’t come with me. I felt that without them to support me I was going to be hopeless. I really had to work hard on my confidence to grow into this opportunity, I even considered not going.

But once I committed to my dream I was so pleased at the results. It was a full capacity crowd, I made some fantastic contacts, we sold all the Passion Packs I had taken over and I received a standing ovation. What really made the trip worthwhile was an email from a lady who attended:

“I don’t know who I am emailing…so whoever you are, could you please tell Cassandra Gaisford, that she was the most brilliant, most calming, most truth filled person I heard speak at the ICDC conference in San Francisco. When I heard Cassandra speak I knew she knew what she was talking about. I hate using words like career pathways, school to work, interest inventory etc..etc..It really is as simple as awakening oneself to dreams, passions etc to feel alive and happy.”

For me this was confirmation that when you come from the heart and believe in something with such a passion it inspires others and becomes a reality.


Click here if you would like to work with purpose and live your dreams click here

Labels: achieving goals, Happiness, Motivation, passion

“The best thing you can do right now is to get a safe job,” my well meaning mother told me when I announced I was going to use the economic downturn to go back and retrain. Forget about the fact that there aren't many "safe" jobs out there, and I've plateaued in my current field. I NEED a new challenge or I'll go stir crazy “That’s scary,” said a friend. “I need some of what you have – courage, pleaded another, inspired by my ability to surge forward in the wake of challenges. “How do you do it?” asked another.

Fear is the biggest risk
To survive through a recession, over 43% surveyed in May 2008 by Uk firm Common Purpose think it will be important to take more risks. In today’s complex and rapidly shifting business world, it seems that being paralyzed by fear into inaction is the biggest risk of all, and the predictions are that people’s appetite for risk-taking in the workplace is likely to increase as the economy enters a recession. Taking calculated risks is very different to acting rashly – risk is an inseparable part of entrepreneurship, innovation, progress and success. The challenge is, however, that biologically human beings are hardwired to avoid risk at all costs. Proactive, vigilant, inspired and courageous action is needed in buckets full to steer away from the inherent risks of inertia toward to sunrise of success.

My favorite strategies for boosting courage and taking risks during the fear of a recession:

People often ask me what the secret to my success is – the great news is that there is no secret. The success factor is simple – remind yourself that you are in control, take calculated action toward your dreams, have a back up plan in case it all goes to custard, and, very importantly, have faith that what ever happens you’ll handle it.

Some of the things I do to boost my courage – especially in the face of discouragement, negative input and other potential handbrakes are:

Get inspired – I feed my courage with inspirational input from a variety of sources. These include books about people. I'm proactively weeding out badrap and filling my daily diet with gladrap - good news stories and signs that my new career direction is, or will, show an upturn in the not too distant future. With predictions of on going housing shortages and the Government announcing pllans to finance the building of new home, coupled with natural disasters requiring more housing to be created - and an increasing need for sustainable, affordable home - I reckon I'm pretty safe with architecture.
e living their dreams, inspiring quotes, DVD’s; goggle searches, positive people

I take action in spite of fear or uncertainty – better to take baby steps toward your preferred future than no steps at all. Currently I’m walking toward studying architecture full time by looking at funding options, minimising my outgoings i.e. renting my house, talking to people who can help etc and having a back up plan like doing papers by correspondence if it all turns to custard

I’m following my passion – trust your feelings. What inspires you? Gives you life, feeds your soul, and absorbs your every waking moment. For me it’s organic architecture and creating happy, healthy environments. The wheel hub on the back of my car say’s, “I’m following my passion, are you?” It’s a humorous and daily reminder to walk the talk

Living with purpose – linked to passion is purpose – the idea of working in a field to improve people’s lives gives me a motivating, sustaining sense of purpose

Stay away from critics – right now my own family is totally unsupportive of my plans to go back and study so I do the only thing I can do and shut them out of this part of my life. I know from experience they always come around – they just lack the vision I have to know where and why I am heading off on a new course. I do this with no attachment – free of negative emotion

Share my experience – I guess you could call this a form of paying it forward. By putting into practice what I am learning and sharing it with others I draw strength especially when people email me their support and tell me how I inspire them. I gain encouragement by encouraging others.

Mediate and maintain worklife balance – mind, body and soul are all connected. During times of change I put extra effort into ensuring I eat well (I barely touch a drop alcohol, I keep to a ration of 1 coffee a day, drink plenty of water, take vitamin b supplements, eat fresh fruit and vege), ensure Ilaugh a lot, take time out and meditate regularly are just some of the ways I manage what often is the stressful process of change – even happy times are stressful times and more so when you’re caught in transition.

Maintain the faith – related to meditating and taking time out is the importance of maintaining a positive expectancy spiritual perspective. This feeds hope. Without hope and a philosophical approach you have nothing.

Keep my eye on the future - I always, always project out 2-5 years and anticipate how life will be when I have achieved my goals. That way I’m future proofed to ensure success and I have something exciting to inspire action.

Gratitudes – whatever happens I remind myself of how lucky I already am. you are when I focus on this luck more good luck comes. I’m lucky I wasn’t caught in recent Australian bushfires, I ‘m lucky to have opportunities, I’m lucky to be healthy, I’m lucky to have this laptop on which to write, I’m lucky to be born in a country that gives women choices. I’m lucky to have the friends I do etc So much to be grateful for.

Gratitudes are an important part of training your mind for success – it would be easy to focus on the things that are going so well or are troubling me at the moment, and the many answered challenges that lie ahead – but doing so would be totally detrimental to going forward with any semblance of confidence.


Look, listen, feel, think, speak and act in the direction of where I want to be. Listening to inspirational music like Duffy’s song “distant dreamer” helps reignite my motivation to act!

“ I know there’s better things to come. When life gets tough and I feel like giving up, I hold onto a distant star. I’m thinking of all the things I’d like to do with my life. I’m a dreamer, a distant dreamer. Dreaming for a brand new day,” she sings.

What’s the worst that can happen – anticipating all the things that could go wrong is a great way to get the demons out of your mind and start tackling solutions. Whenever I am feeling fearful I get out a piece of paper and list all my worries and fears – and then I list some more. I uncover more by asking myself the following: “and what else could happen? And what else?” Then I assess the likelihood of them really happening.

Many of our worries often have very little likelihood of happening at all – especially if you take proactive steps to avoid or minimise them.

Supposing your worst-case scenario did happen – would that really be so bad? For example, if I really stop to think about it going off to study architecture is a bit scary – there’s a lot to learn and money is going to be super tight. I’ve already minimized financial pressure by reducing spending in advance and renting out my house.

Re having a lot to learn – the worse that could happen is that a flunk out and don’t make into year 2 – places are highly competitive and reserved for top performers. If I failed would this be so bad? The “fear” fo this happening means I’ll work dam hard to make sure I don’t fail but if I do I’ll find another way to make my dream a reality – I take courage and inspiration from reading about the many architects that never finished, or even began, formal training. Architectural greats like Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, and Tadao Ando spring quickly to mind.

Keep your goals visible and affirm for what you want - Related to the above I recall how, after failing my first exam, at University many years ago, I turned that setback into a teaching moment by looking at what I did wrong and changing the way I studied and prepared dramatically. I put a note over my desk where it was clearly visible which said, “ I have failed this time but next time I will get 80%.” My friends cautioned me that I was setting myself up for failure. “ It’s not realistic to go from 25% to 80%,” they warned.

Because their doubts where bringing me down I moved the post-it note somewhere more private, but still visible, and stopped telling people what I was trying to achieve. Keeping negative thoughts away, keeping my goals visible, affirming for what I wanted, and taking proactive, constructive steps to achieve my goals helped me get 78% - 2 % short of my intention but still a most excellent and pleasing result!

Keep your emotions in check - You may begin to feel tremendously courageous and have a great need to exercise your will and to determine where you are going and what you are doing. Be warned that because you will be motivated by tasks that relate to your own personal objectives you can be drawn into conflict with others. Sometimes this can arise from what they consider your selfishness and excessive self-involvement. Or as you pursue your own goals you may come into conflict with another whose goals are not in harmony with yours. No matter which of these alternatives you encounter, this is a time for enlightened self-interest. But you must continually remember the people around you and be very careful not to alienate them any more than necessary.

Unless you learn to keep your emotions under check there is a real danger of needless disputes, irritability, emotionalism, rash action and hastiness, which may result in problems later.

One of the ongoing challenges is to successfully let off steam without making an unnecessary shambles. If you frequently feel somewhat discouraged about yourself, you should be especially careful as you may be hyper-sensitive. You may see everything that comes your way as a threat and react much too defensively. If you have a bolder and more self-confident temperament you may be inclined to act too quickly, to be hasty and overcritical of others.

If you are like me you may find, while all your energy is going into building up your courage, it is difficult to handle other people for a while. At such times I often head off on a self-imposed retreat until things, or rather I cool down and regain perspective. In some cases it is a matter of allowing other people involved in some way, whether this is family, friends, or business associates, to cool down too.

Future Proof Your Income - Are you worried your organisation might trim staff numbers in the wake of the global credit crisis? If you are self-employed, are you worried your business won’t survive? While you may have reason to worry, with proactive action you can survive and thrive in the wake of this crisis.

• First, stay positive. It’s important not to panic. Many of the strategies I have shared in this eBook are ones I practice diligently – every minute of every day. Any little streak of negativity can open up hairlines cracks in my wall of confidence.

• Next think of ways to generate revenues or cut costs. Proactively identify ways to work smarter not harder - either by generating more revenue using existing capacity or by trimming waste. Concentrate i on finding places to pinch pennies, or identifying cheap new sources of revenue. Or both. This is something I have done last year as I laid the foundation for the years to come. I’ve already mentioned renting out my home, starting a new business line and trimming expenses.

• Be visible. Now is not the time to go on leave. Out of sight out of mind – you may find your position could be axed while you're gone, Even if things have slowed down and the workload isn’t what it used to be now is not the time to cruise in around ten o'clock either. It’s all about perception management – if you look busy chances are the bosses will think they can’t do without you. Make it clear how invaluable you really are by identifying ways to stand out and distinguish yourself. If you're in sales, get your numbers up. Nobody will be laying off star salespeople. Get out from behind your desk and increase your visibility – proactively network and help others achieve their goals with your help whenever possible.

• Next ensure there is always a demand for your services by creating exceptional value.

• Update your skill set. Future proof your career by staying in tune with marketable skills and experience. What social, economic or technological changes are coming up and how can you be work-ready with the skills, knowledge or training required? This may mean forking out of your own pocket but the reality is companies get rid of people whose skills are obsolete. Take classes, join trade organisations, and prove you're in the know. Consider going back to school, perhaps even by correspondence, to show your employer you're serious about your career and your performance. Ask your way to success by finding out what is most relevant and needed by your current organisation. Future proof your career and ensure a good return on investment by finding out how marketable your new skill set will be outside your organisation.

Pursue your passion not your pension! Maybe your current position is perfectly "safe." But think about it for a while and you may find yourself wondering: Is "safe" good enough? Maybe it's time to change jobs anyway -- and heed the immortal words of Keith Richards, "I'm gonna leave while it's still fun/ I'm gonna walk before they make me run."

Doing what you love and doing it well is also a cure during economic downturns. There will always be a demand for people who love what they do and who do it well. The key to recession proofing your career and surviving and thriving in the face of uncertainty is knowing how to do what you love and still pay the bills. If you have no idea how to find your passion Happy@Work Job Hunting for Mid-lifers+ will show you how. Follow this link to for free downloadable preview

And finally, cultivate confidence and optimism. Opinions vary re whether we are really headed for a recession. Even the experts can’t agree. Things may not be so bard after all. But many economists agree that pessimistic, recessionary thinking and self-talk can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As the National Bank economists said in their August 2008 Economic Outlook, “We cannot stress the importance of confidence enough. It’s not a key driver of wealth, but critical for maintaining momentum. Economics and business cycles are as much about human behaviour, the feel-good factor and risk appetites – as well as the laws of supply and demand.... it’s a game of confidence.... the danger is that fear and caution becoming self-fulfilling. Signs of improving confidence is the first critical step.”

Labels: achieving goals, Overcoming setbacks

Boosting Courage During the Fear of A Recession


It’s the 21st of February 2009 and as I write this there is no doubt that the worldwide economy is reeling in the wake of a global credit crunch (and might I add as a result of too much consumerism, corporate greed and shoddy ethics). The media is churning out piece after piece of fear inducing coverage on topics such as increasing crime, corporate theft, foreclosures and increasing mortgage payment defaults, unparalleled job layoffs, job insecurity crippling debt, bad loans and more gloom and doom than you can possibly stomach in a day.

With all the focus on despair it is no wonder the world has come to a grinding halt and consumer and business confidence is at the lowest point in decades. But what about the good news stories – many businesses are reporting record growth, some are expanding into new markets, taking on new employees and even turning work away? You don’t see these stories very often in the media. What happened to balanced coverage? And importantly how is this lack of balance impacting your decisions?

• Are you staying in a job you hate because you’re afraid you won’t find one you’ll love?
• Are you delaying starting a business because you’re surrounded by news of business failure?
• Are you hanging onto your savings rather than invest in retraining or other strategies to help you advance and future proof your career?
• Are you working longer and longer hours because your afraid the boss will think you’re a slacker and lay you off?
• Is your mind racing and racing with so many bad news scenarios you can’t sleep at night?
• Are you afraid to take a risk or do something truly innovative because everyone urges you to be careful?


My favorite strategies for boosting courage and taking risks during the fear of a recession:

People often ask me what the secret to my success is – the great news is that there is no secret. The success factor is simple – remind yourself that you are in control, take calculated action toward your dreams, have a back up plan in case it all goes to custard, and, very importantly, have faith that what ever happens you’ll handle it.

I'm working on a new e-Book "Courage: simple, inspiring and powerful ways to challenge your fears" at the moment. If you could do with a dose of courage check back here shortly - I'll let you know when I've finished it! It will be filled with some of the things I do to boost my courage – especially in the face of discouragement, negative input and other potential handbrakes.

Labels: achieving goals, Overcoming setbacks, Powerful thinking

I am preparing my next book "How to survive without a job" and given the pressing economic climate thought you, or someone you know, may benefit from a sneak preview.

As Denise Linn writes in her book Sacred Space, "Our homes are mirrors of ourselves. They reflect our interests, our beliefs, our hesitations, our spirit and our passion. They tell a story about how we feel about ourselves and the world around us. A home is more than a place where you can interface with the universe. It is a crossing point in time and space that can attract or repel energy."

Our homes can bring a sense of regeneration and hope. It can be a place of safety - a sanctuary from all that threatens or overwhelms us. It can be a place where you can retreat and recharge during uncertain times, a place of calm in a world full of turmoil. Importantly, as psychologist Abraham Maslow points out - our home fulfills our primary need to feel safe and secure.

So it is especially worrying for me to see and hear of so many people being forced from their homes in the wake of the credit crisis. I cannot help but wonder what these men, women, and children feel as the one constant sanctuary in their lives is forcibly ripped from them. How they must suffer. While perhaps there may be some truth in the view that people should not take on more than they can afford, these are not times for people to be smug and say, as one man was recently quoted, "serves them right." Many people have lost jobs that once allowed them to service debt. Others have been lured by banks and finance companies into excessive mortgages - many people were offered $120% loans for example. Others purchased houses with over inflated valuations to begin with.

Tough times call for compassion. Tough times call for a helping hand from all stakeholders - banks and finance companies included.

SAVE YOUR HOME
Click here to read a draft from the chapter called "Save your home." It would be excellent to gain some feedback from you. Perhaps you have been faced with losing your home at some point in your life. If you have I would dearly love to hear from you.

Are any other solutions you are aware of? I have emailed this to my own mortgage lender for their comments also.

I am sure you agree, as indeed US President Barak Obama is signalling in the States, banks need to offer more humane, proactive assistance to home lenders to protect them when the everyone is under such strain

Look forward to your comments and I hope this is of help

Labels: achieving goals, Happiness

SAVE YOUR HOME


ACT NOW!

Paying your mortgage
Don’t let money worries strip you of the one thing that give you a sense of security – your home. A mortgage is a loan secured against your home, so if you can’t repay it and you get into arrears, the bank or building society can sell your home to get back its money. If you are worried you may not be able to pay your mortgage act now. The following practical strategies may help:

Speak to your mortgage lender – It’s common during times of financial stress that many people see their banks as the villain, especially when the news if full of stories about banks tossing people out of their homes following mortgagee sales. Be proactive - treat the bank like the partner it is in the house. A forced sale is in nobody’s interests. - Tell them about your current situation and ask them if they have any solutions that may help.

Work out a budget
List your income and your spending. This will help you work out where your money is going, and plan for the
future. Advice agencies may be able to help you with this or you can use the online Budget calculator – see Useful
Contacts. Use this plan to help you pay all your essential bills first, such as your mortgage, utility bills (electricity,
gas, water), insurances, council rates and housekeeping.


Pay what you can. Even if you can’t pay the full amount, you should try to pay as much of your mortgage payments as you can afford. This shows your lender you are willing to make an effort to pay,

Refinance. Take advantage of lower interest rates and /or shift to interest only payments until you get back on your feet.

Check your insurance If you can’t pay your mortgage because your income has fallen, you should check whether you have any mortgage payment protection insurance. If you do, find out if your policy covers your circumstances and make a claim right away.

Benefits
You may be able to claim some benefits to increase your income. Contact your local Work and Income
office or speak to an advice agency – see Useful Contacts.
If you claim Income Support or The Unemployment Benefit, your local Work and Income office will normally give you an accommodation supplement to help with your mortgage repayments.

How much you will get on the Accommodation Supplement will depend on:
• your income
• your assets
• your accommodation costs
• your family circumstances
• where you live.

If you or you partner are 65 or over

If you or you partner are 65 or over, you may be able to get New Zealand Superannuation and a SuperGold Card. You may also be able to receive extra financial help.

Help with housing and living costs
You may be able to get help with housing or living costs such as:
• essential house repairs
• rent, board or mortgage payments
• rates and rates rebates
• overdue power account
• buying household appliances and furniture.

Living alone? You may be able to get an ongoing extra payment on top of your NZ Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension, when you maintain a household on your own. You may also get this payment in some situations, when you have a spouse or partner, or are not living on your own.


Get money advice
Some advice agencies specialise in money problems – they can give you free and independent advice to help you plan and solve your problems – see Useful Contacts.

Generate income from your home
Brainstorm and list as many ways as possible to generate money from your home.

Some things I have done successfully in the past include:

• Renting my house out temporary on a holiday homes website. It costs nothing for the first few months to list it and could generate $250 or more a night. You could go and stay with family or friends while people are renting your house.

• Starting a business from home – start up costs don’t need to be high and you can claim many expenses related to running your business from home. My mother made ends meet by trading second hand furniture from our lounge. Wendy Pye started her publishing empire from her garage

• If you have a garage, as I did, rent it out. The extra $50 or so dollars can go along way.

You could also:

Rent the house out permanently and go and rent somewhere cheaper

Take in a boarder. Friends of mine had foreign students stay with them. They were paid to provide two meals a day and a roof over their head.

Sell your home and rent it back
Some companies offer to help you if you get into financial difficulties with your mortgage payments by
buying your home and then renting it back to you for a fixed period of time (six months or more). These
are sometimes called ‘flash sales’, because they can buy your home quickly, sometimes within a week, but
more usually between three to four weeks. You may also hear them called ‘mortgage rescue’, ‘rent-back’ or ‘sell- to-let’ schemes.

These schemes are not regulated so you may not have access to complaints and compensation
procedures if things go wrong. They are not the same as ‘home reversion’

Things to avoid
Many financial advisors caution people from taking out a loan to pay their debts. Think seriously before taking out a loan to cover your repayments. These loans can be very expensive and are often also secured on your home, putting it at greater risk. The same advise goes for consolidating credit card and other debt. Far better to have a bad credit rating than to loose your home. If you are thinking about getting a further loan, speak to one of the advice agencies listed in useful contacts.

Things you can do to pay off your mortgage arrears

You could think about any of the following:

Start repaying your arrears as soon as you can. Arrears can often lead to extra charges, so will increase the amount
of money you owe. Paying them off quickly may mean you have less money for a short time, but it will be
cheaper in the long run.

Make extra payments. You can pay off your arrears by paying a bit more each month than your monthly mortgage payments. Just make sure you can afford the extra amount. Even if your mortgage lender doesn’t think you’re offering enough, pay the extra amount anyway. Tell them why you can only afford this much – they may not be aware of your circumstances and it looks better than not paying anything.

Add the arrears to the mortgage. You could ask your mortgage lender to consider ‘capitalising’ your arrears. This means adding them to your total mortgage balance, spreading the arrears over the remaining period of your mortgage. Your monthly payments will increase because of this. Your mortgage lender is unlikely to agree to this if you’ve failed to stick to revised repayment arrangements in the past, or if the balance of your mortgage, including the cost of the arrears, comes to more than the house is worth.


Extend your mortgage period. Most mortgages are paid back over 25 years. If you have a repayment mortgage and you’ve been paying it back for a while, you could ask your mortgage lender to extend the remaining term to 25 years
again. This will reduce your monthly payments, but you will be making them for longer – perhaps into your retirement. Also, you will be paying more for your house overall. This is more difficult to arrange if you have an interest only loan.

Ask to delay paying your arrears. If you can now manage to meet your monthly payments, but can’t afford to pay anything towards the arrears, you could ask your mortgage lender if you can delay paying arrears for a time.
For an interest-only mortgage, you can also consider:

• Taking a payment holiday. For example, if your mortgage is linked to an endowment policy and you can’t afford both sets of payments (the interest payments on the loan and the payments towards the endowment policy), you could ask the endowment policy company if you can stop paying the endowment policy for a while. You will have to arrange with them how to make up the backlog of payments once you restart your policy.
• Cashing in or selling your endowment policy If your endowment policy has been running for several years, it may have built up a reasonable amount that you could use to pay off your arrears. This would mean cashing in or selling the policy. If you did this, you would have to take out a repayment mortgage, or find some other way to make sure you repaid the money you borrowed.

Before you cash in an endowment policy or change to a repayment mortgage, you will need to speak to your mortgage lender and the endowment company. If you cash in your policy early, the value of your policy might be considerably reduced. You should think carefully before you do this, and first ask your endowment provider how much you would get.

Sell-up. As a last resort If you can’t afford your mortgage payments and you think this situation won’t change in the long term, you could think about selling your home yourself. However, before you do this, think carefully about where you will live.

You may not get help from your local council with finding a place to live if they think you have made yourself intentionally homeless.


The main thing is don’t panic – specialist advice agencies can help you sort out your debts and plan your spending.



Useful contacts


Budget Advice and assistance

Work and income http://www.workandincome.govt.nz. Helpful information about a range of income support solutions and entitlements

Family Budgeting Service www.familybudgeting.org.nz
For free budgeting advice for families and individuals. Look in your local white pages under “budget Advice Service” or visit their web site.

Citizens Advice Bureau. www.cab.org.nz For free, independent information and advice on general financial matters, including your rights as a consumer.

General money matters

Retirement Commission http://www.sorted.org.nz/
Sorted is New Zealand’s free independent money guide, run by the Retirement Commission. It’s full of calculators and information to help you manage your personal finances throughout life. Check out their web site to see how interest rates chances might affect your mortgage with their Mortgage repayment calculator.

Banking issues
Banking Ombudsman
Phone 0800 805 950
www.bankombudsman.org.nz. You may wish to contact them in relation to over-charges or to complain about excessive break fess or other concerns

Generating income from your home
www.holidayhomes.co.nz or holidayhouses.co.nz. List your home to rent on a temporary basis here

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-property/index.htm. Rent your home out, or find somewhere else to live on a more permanent basis here

Business.Govt – sponsored by the New Zealand Government this interactive website provides a wide range of information and support, including links to organisations who provide free seminars and training to those thinking of setting up a small business. Visit the website at www.business.govt.nz

Labels: achieving goals, Happiness

"We are suffering from an epidemic of overthinking—caught in torrents of negative thoughts and emotions that overwhelm us and interfere with our functioning and well-being." Nolen-Hoeksema, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan

I recently received an email from a client asking me how she could stop over analysing everything. Her specific challenge to me was " How can Petra let her spirit run more freer? (and less dominated by the rational side of her)".

Rather than spend too much time thinking about this myself I did a brain purge - listing all the possible ways she could free her mind and let her spirit soar. "Just whatever comes up for you intuitively would be lovely!" she said. What an ideal client! I love to work intuitively. Little does she know that I am a recovering over-thinker myself. Still as they say, we learn best what we need to teach."

Here's my intuitive response:

Stop over thinking!

•MeditateNumerous studies have documented the health benefits of meditating daily. Increased creativity, clearer thinking, minimised stress and anxiety are just some of the many benefits. I learned the Transcendental Meditation technique over 13 years ago and have never looked back. See the resource section below

• Wear more colourful and flowing clothes. So many people's spirits are straitjacketed in tight, tailored, black suits. Woman especially seem to have lost their femininity at work

•Be silly, reckless, and childlike. Learn to adopt the spontaneous, playful curiosity of children. Spend time at a play centre, hang out with nieces and nephews if you have forgotten how and copy-cat your way to playfulness.

•Do at least one FTE a day - First Time Experience. This may be little like going down a street you have never been down before, or bigger like make an impulsive purchase or asking a complete stranger to dance!

•Have massages regularly to loosen up. It's hard to let your spirit soar if your body is tied up in knots.

•Take up dance - let your body move. Movement frees up tension and energises our minds and spirits. Take up a class or dance to your own music at home. Really let yourself go.

•Ensure your home and work environment reflect the way you want to feel. While studying interior architecture several years ago I came across a wonderful book, "the house is a reflection of self." This resonated with me. Look around your own home. Do the colours, shapes, textures, furnishings reflect the way you wan to feel? How can you create more spontaneity, intuition, creativity?

•Learn to say no. Taking on too much responsibility can cripple creativity. Learn to say no and delegate where ever possible. Practice creative procrastination - put off until tomorrow that which won't advance your life today.


•Monitor your words and thoughts. - "Must's, should's, have to's, can'ts, if's", are restricting words. Proactively weed them out and feed with "want to's" and more decisive, knowing words.

• See your freedom. Get a photo of you when you were most free - place it where you can see it everyday

•Affirm for what you want. Repeat, "I am a free spirit" or " everyday my spirit is feeling freer and freer" to programme your mind for success.

•Take regular holidays. Taking time out is a great tonic for the over-wrought soul

•Take up a creative hobby – painting, photography, creative writing, poetry, singing

•Set a freedom goal – make a project of it. Replace the word "goal" with " desire" to experience all the benefits shifting from over analysing everything will manifest

•Aromatherapy – smell freedom! Scents from essential oils like mandarin, orange and Ylang Ylang can alter brain chemistry and free up restrictive, analytical thinking. Pick up an aromatherapy book and find the scent that's right for you

•“Plan a day” where there is no plan – allow your soul to guide you. This reminds me of a very uptight friend of mine who turned up one day looking uncharacteristically untidy, "We're having a playful day" she proudly said.

•Take a load off your feet - Go gliding or soak in a flotation tank (a light-and sound-proof tank filled with water) like NZ Portrait artist Mark Olsen

•Free your working week. Create some more variety and freedom in your day. Cut down your work hours/times where you have to be available to others– so you can drive your time how you like

• Copy your way to freedom. Think of your least rational friend – copycat, ask them for tips, etc

•Leverage off your strengths. Make less rationality a research project – use your rational side to help you. Another rational solution is to complete a force field analysis:1. List all the forces against/things that constrain your spirit - if not "free" then what? "trapped"?? 2. Now list all the forces for a more free-er sense of self. 3. Now identify ways to maximise forces for, ways to minimse forces against 4. Develop an action plan

• Tap into the spiritual realm - Visit a psychic and have an intuitive, spiritual reading

• Trust yourself - make failure your friend. The fear of failure is one of the primary reasons people spend so much time over-thinking. Set a time limit on thinking and decide when enough is enough then commit to action. If it doesn't work out this time at least you'll know what not to do next time.

and not last, and not least....

•Trust your gut! As Einstein once said, "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." Listen to life’s whispers and act on your intuition. Intuitively I always “knew” I could build a house on the back of my section. Rationally I had no idea how!
Allow your intuition to guide you to the higher ground as Oprah does, "My business skills have come from being guided by my higher self or my intuition. I am who I am today because of... intuition, my ability to feel what is right for me and allowing that to be the strongest guide in my life. Intuition is akin to God. It is akin to being led by that which is greater than yourself. My intuition, my intention and my passion have allowed me to be who I am and will take me to higher ground..."
Everyone is intuitive – many of us have just forgotten how to listen. Listen to and strengthen your intuition – keep an intuition journal by noting all the times your intuition speaks to you.

Helpful resources:

Learn to meditate - read benefits and find out about classes

Women Who Think Too Much: How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim Your Life" -
Read the article here

Labels: achieving goals, Career Creation, Happiness, Health, Intuition, Motivation, Powerful Creativity, Powerful thinking

As basketball legend, Michael Jordan once said, "“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

At the mo the obstacles, or boulders in my way, involve trying to work out how to raise the money to publish the book affordably and to the high standard I know is an important part of communicating the hope and help mid-lifers need. This means full colour......a very, very expensive option. Hence the mass production of primarily wordy, black and white text books. Personally these do my head in...not enough visual communication. Did you know that 70% of people are visual learners?

The cost to print in New Zealand is huge....55,000 approx for 2000 copies...

so thinking, thinking...how can I afford to do this? Should I strip out images like other books do and just have text...it's not what I want......but one needs to be solution focused before one "accepts defeat"

Spent most of last night trying to figure out how to get over this latest hurdle to publication. Instead of wasting time tossing and turning I got up, turned on the PC checked for emails to see if a contact in China I emailed re a quote to print had emailed me back. Not sure if it was my intuition or my insomnia talking to me but I was thrilled to find a reply.

I was even more thrilled when he told me he can print for $16,000 USD...this is more doable but still a stretch..but doable...

In a moment of added flow Denis Robinson, the author of the New Zealand's Favourite Artists series of books called me last night (which was quite a surprise and very, very generous of him) and shared some helpful tips and contacts I will follow up on. Re a USD edition Max Gimblett has emailed me a helpful contact..so flow is still there...just a few boulders to get around

But where there's a will there's a way. Besides who said it was supposed to be easy? Would be nice if it was but then more people would be threading the same path. Check out the Powerful Creativity Blog to see how important encouraging feedback is during the creative process

RSVP TO LAUNCH:
Don't forget to put a bright orange circle around the 28th of
November 5:30 - 7:30, at Exhibitions Gallery, Featherston Street,
Wellington. Secure you place of happiness by RSVPing to
cassandra@cassandragaisford.com.
It promises to be a great night!

Labels: achieving goals, Book Launch

I am working around the clock to get my final edits done of my book, "Happy@work: job hunting for mid-lifer's". Tonight I'm working on a favourite chapter of mine - "Love it, don't leave it."

As one frustrated HR manager said to me recently, “The only time people tell us what they want is when they are walking out the door. If only they would tell as what they need, then at least we could try and work something out.”

The trouble. as you may well know, is that most people don’t know what they want. So they hop from dissatisfying job, to dissatisfying job, never pausing long enough to work out what’s wrong. Conversations are never had with work colleages and bosses to improve the unhappy situation, and internal opportunities are never followed. All in all it’s an incredible waste of talent, time, money and energy. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Job sculpting is a term that came out research by career theorists at The Harvard Business School. They encourage people to chisel way at their staid, linear job descriptions and tailor responsibilities, tasks, even remuneration to better meet individual needs – and both people and organisations all over the world are doing just that.

If you are already employed, but not really enjoying it, you'll find the job sculpting exercise in the book really helpful. As I was writing this chapter I reflected on my own experience.

My first job when I graduated from university as a mature student was working for an international recruitment firm. I had graduated with a Commerce degree – majoring in Human Resource Management. I was full of excitement about the prospects of landing a fantastic, high paying job. Hope turned to despair as initially I was only offered a role as a PA. I’d had seven years out of the workforce and even though I’d had numerous senior management roles prior to this, the organisation didn’t feel my skills were current enough.

I took a deep breath, sucked in my pride and, my eye firmly on my longer-term career goals, took the job. I was single-parenting at the time and desperate for relevant work experience. Even though I didn’t enjoy being a PA at all and I wasn’t too thrilled about not being taken more seriously I didn’t let it get to me. Leaving wasn’t an option. I actively set out to find ways of increasing my satisfaction and future career prospects. I signed up for an international certification in recruitment and asked my new boss if I could shadow him to gain more first hand experience for my assignments. It wasn’t long before he rewarded my initiative and enthusiasm by promoting me to a trainee recruiter. Was I glad. Being a PA didn’t come naturally to me. I found all the running around and organising stressful. The money was terrible too.

For a while recruiting was fine but the individual performance targets, and sales culture didn’t sit well with my values. The hours were terrible too. At the interview they told me, "We know who will succeed here - they work late at night and they are here in the weekends. I was tempted to leave – especially after I developed shingles from all the stress." The corporate culture was terrible and one of my bosses threatened to smash my head in if I asked him one more time if a candidate I was looking after was going to get an interview. I don't know what was worse - his bullying or the fact that because he was a big biller, the company ignored his behaviour.

What I really wanted to do was help people find a job they would love. So I did some internal research and found out that this was the kind of work that another part of the firm did. I networked actively with people in that department to learn more about what they did and to make a good impression in case an opportunity ever arose. When a vacancy came up I talked to my boss about moving across. He wasn’t happy at all. In fact he was positively angry. He tried to make me resign and then reapply.

The company made me apply for the internal vacancy with other external candidates. I had three interviews – including a panel interview with 8 senior executives. I also had to do a role play and perform in an assessment centre. Everyone asked me, “why are you staying? You don’t have to put up with that.” But I did. I needed to get more experience to achieve my long-term goals. Besides I didn’t want my bully boss to win.

I visualised succeeding, practiced for the interviews ,maintained my cool and promoted myself with passion. I got the job. Once again it was just a stepping-stone to where I truly wanted to be – career counselling and running my own business. When I moved into this role it was still a sales role - I brought in the work and other people got to career counsel staff affected by redundancy. My motivated skills of counselling and coaching, and my values of helping people still weren’t met. I tried numerous times to get the company to allow me to redefine my role. I showed them what was in it for them and how by helping me they would also grow the business. They wanted to keep me in sales. So I looked around for another company who needed my sales and marketing skills but who would also give me the opportunity to coach people hands on. While in the short-term I took a salary plummet, I moved to a Greenfield role that allowed me to gain the experience I needed. They also supported my counselling training. Four years later I went out on my own and trebled my salary and satisfaction.

Being self employed meets all my criteria for career and life satisfaction. Importantly, it has allowed me the flexibility to support and care for my daughter during her school years. It’s also enabled me to make the best use of my talents and the things that give my work a sense of meaning and purpose. My work is a powerful vehicle for me self-expression - it allows me to be who I am, and who I truly want to be,, while serving others at the same time. Bliss!

If you are already working but unhappy at work, rather than leave, I can't encourage you enough to look for internal opportunities to gain experience. Take a sideways move, put your hand up for a secondment, or identify an untapped market demand and create an internal opportunity. Let other people leave their fate in others hands - but not you my friend, not you.

Labels: achieving goals, Career Creation, Happiness

Someone asked me today: "What was the catalyst for writing this particular book?"

It is such a great question! The other day I received this email:

I'm sure your book will be a fantastic success Cass - I was talking to a lady when I was at work today and she said no one would employ her husband because he was 55 had been in the same job for 25 years until he was made redundant - and said he had no skills employers would want! Ummm what does one say to comments like that So you definitely have market out there : - )

This man's experience is one of the main reasons I wrote "Happy@work: job hunting for mid-lifer's." As a career coach helping people reclaim thier lives after redundancy, or re build self esteem after bullying or bounce back from the depression of spirit that staying in the wrong job can create, I felt strongly that people need more hope and practical ways to move forward.

Here is what I actually emailed back to my friend:

"Ohhh that is so sad - so sad because it is not true. That man has lots and lots of skills - he just doesn't know what they are. That poor man and his wife must be suffering so.....I hate hearing that.. that is why I am writing this book to show it doesn't have to be this way. "

The book also draws on my 4 years experience writing a careers column for The Dominion Post - plus as an artist I wanted to create something that was visually uplifting so have used my photos and others to communicate visually.....like a painting for me this book is a creative joy that I hope others will enjoy

Labels: achieving goals, The Book

Now I am settling down to focus on chapter 29 "staying on track" (or you could say going the distance)

In my role as a career and life coach, I play an active role in helping people stay on track when circumstances threaten to derail them and prevent them from achieving their goals. Despite knowing in their heart what they want to achieve and armed with all the best intentions of taking concrete action to achieve their goals, they stall. You may think, as I once did, that stalling is not as bad as being derailed. But check out the dictionary definition and it is quite clear. Stalling IS stopping.

De·rail (d-r l’)
* To run or cause to run off the rails.
* To come or bring to a sudden halt: a campaign derailed by lack of funds; a policy that derailed under the new administration.

So how, once they have derailed, do people get back on track?

Motivation, focus and empowerment comes from seeing life from the future rather than from the past. Identifying with the self they are heading towards, rather than their history, holds the key.

In this chapter, I’ll share some practical and helpful tips to get people moving toward their preferred future again

“The key that unlocks energy is desire. IF we expect to create any drive, any real force within ourselves, we have to get excited.”
Earl Nightinale, Author]

Labels: achieving goals, Motivation

Table of Contents:

1. Hello again!
2. Dare to Dream
3. Resources that can help
4. Inspirational Quotes – “New Beginnings”
5. Success Stories
6. Closing Notes
7. A final word and update on Cassandra's creative endeavours
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1. Hello!
Dare to dream!
Spring is here and there is no better time to clean out the old and make way for the new. Sounds easy but where do you start? As you know I am a big fan of beginning with the end in mind…..the end for me always begins with my dreams. In this month’s newsletter I’ll share some simple but effective ways to help you clarify your dreams and some action steps to help bring them into reality.

One of my latest dreams has been to integrate my creativity into my worklife. As you know – this month I have made that happen. Plus, a special bonus is that by collaborating with other artists I have also helped them achieve their dreams too. Check out the blog to share the passionate opening of our “Joy’ance” exhibition. It was so great to see so many of my past coaching clients there. Please do drop in if you live in Wellington – I will be in the gallery personally on Tuesday September the 2nd and would love to see you.


Until then, I hope you find some helpful tips in this month’s newsletter. Feel free to pass it on to any friends who could benefit from some inspiration as we head into spring here in New Zealand

Passionately yours,
Cassandra
ps Last month I was interviewed by the Auckland Herald. Check out the Media Page to down load this interview.

Plus check out the preview and download a sample chapter of http://Happy@Work:Job hunting for mid-lifers

If you haven’t already completed the Happy@work survey we’d love to hear your views
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2. DARE TO DREAM - PRACTICAL STRATEGIES TO CREATE MORE EXCITEMENT IN YOUR LIFE
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1. Collect feedback. One of the most effective ways to get clear about your dream life is to record the feedback that others give you. Today I had lunch with Jasbindar Singh – the very talented author of one of my favourite books
"Get Your Groove Back: how spiritual intelligence can give you the work and life you really want.” She told me she loved my new website www.cassandragaisford.com: “It is more you. It reflects your creative essence, your soul and your life purpose – it is far more expansive. I think that is what you should do. You should be the female equivalent of “Edward de Bono.” Collecting feedback like this energises me and helps me clarify possible dreams that I may want to pursue. Collecting feedback could also help you!

Learn more about how Jasbindar's book can help you live your dreams or buy this fabulous book on-line in our secure webstore

2. Upskill/get inspired – Read books about others already living your dream; listen to seminars. I dream of living and working in France. For the last 6 months I have been collecting articles, tuning into blogs and reading books about people who have made my dream their reality. I’ve also enrolled in French language lessons so that when the opportunity presents I am ready!


One of my client’s Cheree works for the Deaf Association. Here she is at the Joy'ance opening supporting my dream. Her dream is to help as many deaf clients as she can find employment – not just any job but a job they can love. Her work has paid for her to upskill and she has just completed our Certified Career Coach training course. Then yesterday I saw an amazing DVD that was based on the true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past, who returns from Vietnam severely hearing -impaired and finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities. Because I love to help people even after the formal programmes have ended I always keep an eye for ways to keep helping my clients live their dreams so I forwarded the name of the DVD and told her to go and get it. I know this will help her continue to learn new skills and have the courage and perseverance to pursue her soul mission.

Look at this lovely feedback I just received from her as I was typing this newsletter for you: “This course has not only re-ignited me but it has set my heart on fire.After so many months of dragging my feet into a job I once loved, I can now kick those heels with joy. My values, interest, passions and goals have now been clarified and I look forward to passing on what I have learnt to my clients.”

It is nice also to have my creativity affirmed – not all coaches work creatively. So many just use bland, rational approaches - in fact, when I attended an international career coaches forum in Venice, Italy experts there were predicting that the number one skill that career coaches needed was to help their clients to have more imagination! My creative, client centered approach to career planning and coach training was definitely appreciated by Cheree “What I enjoyed most about the Coach Training was: the flexibility, the one on one training and the creativity to learn. I also enjoyed the massage (I could tell she was stressed so I paid for her to have a massage!), crayon drawing therapy and of course the post dinner celebration!”

3) Wear your dream – One of my clients, a bank teller, dreamt of being the bank manager one day. He started wearing more professional suits and 6mths later was promoted! Of course he was busy doing other things to help him get noticed, but boosting his image in this way helped him live his dream before it actually happened. If you were living your dream what would you be wearing? Another effective way to wear your dream is to engage all your senses - wear colours that boost your confidence, aromatherapy blends, like orange and jasmine that boost confidence. Aromatherapy can be a great tool for unleashing the creative juices. – try oil blends of bay, coriander, grapefruit white or orange sweet to boost your creative, dream making capacity.

4. Live your dream – What would life look like if you already had the life you dream of? How can you begin to live that dream today? For some of my clients who dream of starting their own business this means having their own business cards. This is a great way to start planning toward their reality – suddenly they have to think about their logo, their name, their contact details etc. The vision of their business card helps propel them into the actions needed. Setting up my website www.cassandragaisford.com was my way of making a global statement of intention. It was, and is, a very public commitment to my dream. It’s also a safe way to give my dream a test run before I cut the safety strings tying me to my past. How could you live your dream?

5. Challenge your fears – Living your dreams can take great courage and often means confronting your fears and challenging unhelpful assumptions. Today over lunch Jasbindar and I played with The Passion Pack. I was telling her how it really is uncanny how it works as an oracle – my clients always pull out exactly the card they need. I was demonstrating this to her and I pulled out the “Fear of Change” card - it asked me “how can you confront your fears safely?” One of the first steps is to acknowledge all the things I am scared of…only then can I set about “problem solving.”

What stands in the way of your dreams? Where there’s a problem there’s a cure! Affirm for what you want

6. Meditate – People often ask me how I manage to stay so positive and juggle so many activities. I meditate regularly – at least once a day for 20 minutes…ideally twice a day if I can. I truly believe in the energising power of meditation to help me stress less and achieve more. Numerous studies have also proven that people who meditate are more creative, successful and resilient.
Eat your way to your dream – feed your mind, body and soul – eat healthy, energising food; exercise regularly and listen to music that keeps you pumped. Some of my favourite “dream” soundtracks are from the aptly named movie “Dream Girls”

7. Challenge negative thinking – What assumptions left untested are blocking the path on your road less travelled?

8. Share your dream – Sharing your dream with others can bring huge benefits including; motivating you to stay on track, supporting you when things get a bit grim, encouraging you when everything is going well and in some cases sharing tasks and responsibilities.

While doing a workshop with acclaimed artist Jane Kellahan I had the good luck to meet fellow aspiring artist Janet Mazenier. I have not known her long but already we are planning to travel to Provence in late May next year and soak up the skills of acclaimed Canadian landscape artist and author Ian Roberts. We are even going to room together – so sharing dreams can even save costs. The same can be said for the Joy’ance exhibition. Not only are Deanna, Amie and I sharing costs, but we are sharing the highs of our sales and media coverage and the lows that can come as we establish ourselves. When one of us is down the other/s are up - together we stay up!

My client Cheree also knows the positive power of sharing a dream and surrounding herself with people that inspire her: Not only did I re-energise her but in turn she has taken what she has learned and re-energized her colleague Karen: “Thanks again for getting me out of the “puddle” and splashing again (she wants to make a big splash for her clients and get them all great jobs!). Karen and I very excited about implementing some of the great ideas that we covered in the course.”

How could you surround yourself with your fans and other like minded people?

10. Visualisation – Bring your dreams into reality. Many of us are visual learners. Words – especially black and white words have very minimal motivational impact. Have a peek at one of my clients dream journal. . Click on the video link of my interview with Brendan Pongia on The Good Morning Show. Check out the Media Page http://www.cassandragaisford.com/media.html.

11. Write it down, make it happen – Knowing what you want and then getting it are pretty closely connected. Affirm for what you want by writing a letter “recalling” how it felt to achieve your goal. Writing can help you clarify what you want, focus your mind on your dreams (not your disappointments), tap into your intuitive guides, and reassure yourself that when the timing is right your dream can be true.

12. Set a goal and reward yourself - I can honestly say that within a goal I achieve nothing. During the few times I feel down it is usually because I have nothing to aspire to – that is until I set myself a challenge and then….whoosh I am like a dog with a bone…unstoppable. Even if I do pause now and then to catch my breath or to change tactics when something temporarily gets in my way.

This brings me to my Happy@work project….yes I did get off track a little waiting for the New York agent to deliver…well she hasn’t….so now I’m getting off that track and getting on a new one…..I’m back to doing it my way….(I love Frank Sinatra’s song “my way” – it’s a great motivator …and one that my daughter sang at my father’s funeral…I must u-tube it so you can hear her!

My goal is to have it totally ready for publication by 29 September and to have sold a minimum of 2000 by April 2008 – my reward will be to stay in Provence for 2 months following the workshop! There I have shared my goal with you! Please help me make it happen! 2000 books at $35 per book will be $70,000 – gosh that’s a lot of money…achieving that goal definitely feels exciting!

3. RESOURCES TO HELP

Life Coaching: being in the love wars can play havoc with your self-esteem, confidence and emotions. Prepare for success by getting these things in order. When you love yourself others will too.

Career coaching: If you are unhappy@work chances are its affecting your love life too. When you do what you love, other loves come too. Get a career makeover this autumn. Career coaching can help you discover your life purpose, get clearer about your passions and goals and tap into proven strategies to help you achieve them.

Check out the Worklife Solutions website for more information about career or life coaching or contact me in person. We offer one off sessions, email coaching and face-to –face session individually tailored to your needs. Cassandra@worklifesolutions.co.nz . I’d love to hear from you.

Books - Listed below are just a few of the wonderful books written by career planning experts. If you find any more brilliant ones please let me know - I’d love to share them with others:

“Write It Down, and Make It Happen" - Henriette Anne Klauser
“It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be” - Paul Arden
“Dream Big” - Ian Falconer
“Get Your Groove Back: how spiritual intelligence can give you the work and life you really want” - Jasbindar Singh. Learn more about how Jaspindar's book can help you live your dreams or buy this fabulous book on-line in our secure webstore


Websites - Listed below are just a few of the websites that address issues related to career changing. Self-help by searching for more on www.google.com. If you find any more brilliant ones please let me know – I’d love to share them with others.

Gift Vouchers – Help someone you love fulfill their potential and achieve greater success in their life. Enquire now about our gift vouchers.
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4. INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES RE DREAMS AND NEW BEGINNINGS

"Spring is nature’s way of saying “let’s party." Robin Williams, US comedian

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his own dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” - Henry Thoreau

"All glory comes from daring to begin." - Eugene F. Ware

"Almost everything comes from nothing." - Henry F. Amiel

“You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” - Zig Ziglar

“Let us live our lives as though all of our dreams have come true and then challenge reality to catch up.” ?


5. SUCCESS STORIES!
Happy@work is gaining momentum - finally the corporate world is waking up to the compelling evidence that helping staff be happy at work is not just a nice to have but a must have. Yee-ha! I can't tell you how delighted I am to be working with national and multi-national clients to create happier, healthier, more humane place to be work.

Passion@work workshops for Colgate Palmolive
Last month I ran several Passion@work workshops for staff at Colgate Palmolive. They had just moved into new offices and wanting to begin with the end in mind chose me to run the first workshops ever held in their gorgeous new training room. Here’s some of the feedback I received:

“It was great to push the message about the importance of passion at work.”
“The most helpful part of the workshop was sharing ideas with the wider group and seeing similarities.”

“I loved the exercise involving the Passion Cards – our topic “Daily Tonic” was particularly interesting.”

Keynote presentation on happiness@work and productivityIn September I will be speaking to the institute that provides a tertiary qualification for Company Secretaries, the members of which are made up of accountants, lawyers and other professional people who manage staff. The institute has discussed the issue of productivity and having read my article in the Dominion on the 6th of February is keen to tap into my knowledge about the direct link between our current workplace productivity problem and the management of staff.

Please contact me if you feel a similar presentation may be of benefit to your organisation. Or, on a more personal note if you would like me or one of my team to help you live and work with passion, achieve the job of your dreams, tap into your intuitive intelligence or help you make positive changes in any area of your life contact me without delay. Mention this newsletter and you will be eligible for our spring promotion – a whopping 20% off the cost of all coaching programmes. Plus you’ll receive a free copy of “You Don’t Make a Leap Without A Gulp.” – a total savings of over $200

Preferred Supplier for Land Information New Zealand

We are also pleased to be riding the waves of success by being selected to be one of Land Information New Zealand's preferred provider of career coaching and leadership coaching services. LINZ has been a great client of Worklife Solutions for many years now and it was affirming to be reselected after a competitive tender process. I can honestly say they are one of the best companies I know re valuing and investing in their staff. Thank you LINZ – we are proud to partner with you.

Returning clients

We are so pleased to be passing on our skills, passion and knowledge to Cheree Walker. It's great to be helping her pursue her dreams again. Not only was she one of my first clients when I began my business but now I am training her to do what I do. Cheree is truly passionate about making a difference - vivre la passion!

If you are an employer and would like to help her in quest to find meaningful work for her deaf clients please contact her via the Deaf Association here in Wellington.



6. A FINAL WORD!
Tap into spring’s inspiring energy – make room for the new and get rid of the old. Life is too short to put up with a less than satisfactory life. Having a spring clean and say goodbye to anything that is zapping your energy and hello to living the career and life of your dreams. Commit to making a fresh start. This may mean leaving unhappy situation, banning negativity or rekindling the sparks of your most passionate, inspiring dreams.

Dust of your adventurous spirit and prepare for some fun this spring.
Passionately yours
Cassandra and the Worklife Solutions team.
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7. CLOSING NOTES and Update re Cassandra's Creative Endeavours
www.cassandragaisford.com is live! Last month I was interviewed by the Auckland Herald on the subject of the great mid-life adventurers. Check out the Media Page to down load this article

Check out the powerful creativity blog for tips and inspiration on work and creativity. You can also have a wee sneak at the opening night photos of Joy'ance

Here is one of the three joys - my fellow artists Amie McCarron, Deanna Gracie and I


Check out our practical and inspiring eBooks on a range of topics including how to find your passion and still pay the bills, overcoming obstacles, and powerhouse interview techniques. http://www.cassandragaisford.com/shop/

You’ll also find gorgeous photos, paintings and other artworks to give your environment a boost. http://www.cassandragaisford.com/shop/

And last but by no means least, please come and visit us at 128 Featherston Street, Wellington for the final days of our Joy’ance art sale. Check out the powerful creativity blog to take a peek at our opening night party.


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I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR SUCCESS STORIES. PLEASE SEND ME A NOTE!
You can email me at: Cassandra@worklifesolutions.co.nz or info@cassandragaisford.com

Labels: achieving goals, Career Creation, Happiness, Motivation