Vol 5 Iss 2

Wow – my head is awash in numbers. I’ve been gathering receipts and data to begin the annual income tax dance. Every year I promise to keep every piece of paper, and about this time every year, I regret keeping that promise.

As tedious a task that it is, it’s still instructive to see how you’ve lived your values in the financial world. Every year I try to surpass the one before in charitable donations. (Here’s one I regularly support: http://www.villagebanking.org ) and this year I met that goal. But there are other goals that I didn’t make, and those become the beginnings of the goals for this year.

My focus this year is “Back to Basics” and the article below talks about what that might mean for someone looking for a career change in the near or perhaps not-so-near future. For me, though, it means doing more of what I love best, presenting workshops. So far this year, I’ve held two classes and have a few more scheduled before summer. And, I’m planning another get-away for either fall or spring 2009. More details to follow. (Don’t worry – you’ll be the first to know!)

It’s always great to hear from my subscribers. Please let me know what back to Basics means for you this year. If you have a different theme, I’d love to hear about that too.

And when you realize you’re ready to make that change, take that plunge, and stop acting your age, I can help you with that.

When I think of “back to basics,” I think of my Aunt Edith living on a farm in Roanoke, LA. She made her own butter and clabber cheese, which is similar to cottage cheese. I remember those dripping cheesecloth sacks hanging over the clothesline. Farmers in that generation, like my Uncle Bonnie, lived “back to basics.” It was their life.

So, how is getting back to basics with your career like being a farmer? I have no clue. If you can create a good metaphor out of that, I’ll publish it in my newsletter. (Doesn’t that sound like fun? Let’s dance in a metaphor together! Send it in!)

I do, however, have some suggestions on ways you can get back to basics:

Start. Nothing beats stagnation like action. You may have a million ideas and don’t know where to start. In that case, choose one. Doesn’t matter what you choose, what matters is THAT you choose. Just one. And then, do one thing that will head in that direction. Do it. Don’t think about it or talk about it. Do it. Start. That’s pretty basic.

Another pretty basic step would be a self-inventory. Not a “measure-yourself-against- everyone-else” kind of self-inventory. A simple observation of your automatic responses and habits. Observe yourself during your normal day and notice how you react. It might be a hearty laugh, or it might be very serious. Very Serious. This isn’t about changing, it’s about observing what’s present now. How do you know what needs to be different if you don’t know your self?

When you find yourself judging (as we all do – sorry, you didn’t make it up all by yourself) you recognize it for what it is. Judgment. Then you let it go. You don’t get to be wrong.

Don Miguel Ruiz in “The Four Agreements” said we are to be “impeccable with the truth”. When we tell the truth to ourselves, we’ve just taken the first step to living in integrity with the rest of the world. I talked to a client this morning who told the truth in his performance evaluation this week. Now that his boss is aware of his exit strategy into the retirement beyond, he feels freer. Freedom. That’s what you get when you’re impeccable with the truth.

And as a coach, I would be remiss in forgetting that along with self-examination comes self-care. What do you observe about those habits? Those mundane things like flossing your teeth, or getting enough sleep, or cutting back on the caffeine or tobacco.

Self-care is more than a bubble bath with candles, it is consistent loving care of yourself. You are fully deserving of contentment, no matter what your job or background (or any of the other ways we cheat ourselves of our greatness). You are on this planet to bless others with your gifts so you’d better be in good shape for it.

So, that’s getting back to basics, not only of career change, but any kind of change. Everyone faces it at some time in their life, sometimes many. The key is… to start.

Learn the process of discovering your next career step, whether it's a different job or a brand new career. This workshop is a practical lesson on the 'how-to' of career change. In this highly-interactive fun class, we'll look at how to define what work suits you best, job search strategies, and action plans. You'll learn how to research and approach the companies you'll be happiest working for and how to network to find that company.

Two Saturday dates to choose from: March 22, 2008 or April 19, 2008

9 am to noon, class will meet at Longmont Free University.

To register, call 303-702-1500, or visit their website: http://www.longmontfreeu.com/

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, PCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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