Self Help: MY CAREER IS IN THE DOLDRUMS…Do I need a Coach or a Therapist?

MY CAREER IS IN THE DOLDRUMS…Do I need a Coach or a Therapist?

Written by Nina Ham

Is Monday repparttar

worst day of your week? Can you hardly remember when you enjoyed going to work? Do friends ask why you seem so down? Maybe this has been going on awhile, and you’re realizing it’s time to do something. But where do you turn? At one moment you tell yourself “It’s just my career…Change that, and everything will be OK”. Another moment, you acknowledge you’re living under a cloud and a lot of old emotional ghosts are returning. Your friend who’s recommending you consult her therapist may be right. Your uncertainty is understandable. Work itself is never “just work” but can reach deep into our attitudes toward ourselves and into our sense of belonging in repparttar 130466

world. Furthermore, therapy and coaching have much in common and differ primarily in repparttar 130467

emphasis each places on action and understanding. Whether you decide to deal with your work issues through a practical approach or a psychological approach is a matter of choice. The questions posed below should help you make that choice. •Are you an action person or an insight person? Most people are both, in some mix, but they instinctively approach change either by setting it in motion with action or by first assessing and preparing for its emotional impact. A shy mid-level manager, for example, who has taken on new responsibilities that involve public speaking, may gravitate toward a Toastmasters group for help. She would be a candidate for coaching if she wanted to develop her mastery further. Or she might prefer to look toward therapy as a setting in which she could explore her anxieties about being in repparttar 130468

spotlight. •What’s your track record for converting personal desires and dreams into real-time? Although all of us may have periods of doubting whether we deserve work we love and are good at, being able to sustain a commitment to having what you want is essential for coaching. If you find yourself stuck in daydreaming about repparttar 130469

ideal career, or perhaps avoiding or sabotaging efforts to create it for yourself, it may be that you’re blocked by low self-esteem and/or depression. In this case, therapy might be repparttar 130470

better choice, to help you build a positive investment in yourself.

"I Need Some Help. May I Ask You Something?" (Giving and Receiving Quality Advice)

Written by Lee Wise

Author: Lee Wise Copyright Date: 2003 Word count: 563/bio Characters/line: 60

I JUST WASN'T SURE...

I was in one of those "I'm not so sure what to think about this" moments when I stepped inside repparttar office of a friend. Had you been there, I am fairly certain you would have noticed repparttar 130463 sincerity in my voice as I stated: "I have 'one of those' questions for you again."

He didn't even need to hear me say, "Mind if I ask you?" A sympathetic glance followed by one word -- "Sure" -- put me in repparttar 130464 conversational driver's seat.

At least for a few minutes.

THEN THINGS PROGRESSED

It's a good thing I didn't plan on staying in that seat for a long time.

Why?

Because somewhere between minute one and minute forty-five of repparttar 130465 dialogue that followed, my friend quite naturally assumed his place behind repparttar 130466 steering wheel.

HE WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

My friend, who I will now refer to as "Paul," was *welcomed* into that position. It was a relief to have him there.

He listened. He evaluated. He clarified repparttar 130467 issues. And he gave me his advice.

IT WAS GREAT

I'm telling you... it was *great!*

The insights I received from Paul were to my heart what a glass of ice water is to a thirsty body on one of those hot, sticky days: refreshing.

WHERE THIS IS LEADING

I relayed this brief segment of my life to you for a purpose: to underscore repparttar 130468 value of giving and receiving quality advice.

Go on a mental road trip and revisit what it *meant* to you when you eagerly accepted repparttar 130469 words of a friend, associate or family member.

Hold on to that snapshot of your life and let it drop down onto repparttar 130470 stage of our imagination as you reflect on these statements:

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