Hallie Crawford

Finance Executive Walks Away to Work His Way Up From Waiter

There was a great story in the Wall Street Journal last month about finding a job that you love and are passionate about.

Check it out here!

Here’s to having a career you LOVE!

Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

Staying optimistic during tough times

I was reading an article about Michael J Fox in Time Magazine a few months back and I thought I’d share a small piece:

A reader asked “How do you keep your optimisim in the face of difficult circumstances?”

Michael said "I think it's mostly about acceptance. I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those choices, there's freedom to do a lot of things in areas that I wouldn't have otherwise found myself in."

His perspective and attitude about having Parkinson's is amazing!! Remember that we are always at choice in how we react to what happens to us.

Have a great weekend!

Hallie Crawford
Certified Career Coach

 

Smart Career Decisions in a Tough Economy

"Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one’s courage." Anais Nin

I belive that this is true. I know that when I am feeling courageous and more confident, I make things happen. I’m more willing to step out of my comfort zone and take a risk to do what I need to do to make a change in my life towards something I want.

Career transition takes courage. It’s a change, and change can be scary. There are many things you can do to successfully manage your career transition. One of the key elements you have to tap into is your courage. We all have it - sometimes it’s just buried under disempowering beliefs, negative past experiences or fear of change. Imagine you can move those things aside in your mind, as if you’re moving aside a big brick wall. What do you see on the other side? Where is your courage and how can you tap into it more?

Here’s to making it happen!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

P.S. Join me TODAY for "Survive the Job Crisis: Creating Career Possibilities for Yourself in Three Short Steps" at 12 noon ET. In this FREE teleclass, find out live the 3 things you need to do right now in order to survive the job crisis. Learn how to handle whatever career transition you are currently facing. Register for the free teleclass here http://www.halliecrawford.com/survivethejobcrisis.

Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent

If you haven't yet seen this video yet, you HAVE to watch it.

It brought tears to my eyes, very inspirational: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY.

Have a great weekend!
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis

Happy Monday!

My sister in law sent this to me recently. Thought-provoking and inspiring – think about your dash.

The Dash Poem, by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Have a great week!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach Atlanta

Inspirational Thought: What Have You Accomplished

Happy Monday! Can you believe it is almost November? After Halloween everything seems to move over to the holidays. With Thanksgiving creeping up, now is the time I like to take some time to look at what I've accomplished so far this year and celebrate what I've achieved.

I find that for many of us when we accomplish something we typically take just the briefest moment to relish in it before quickly moving on to the next thing. While I believe forward movement and growth is important (it is one of my values), I also like to remind myself and my clients to consider where they’ve been, what they’ve accomplished and really celebrate what they’ve achieved.

What have you accomplished?

The holiday season can be stressful for many of us because we've got a lot going on....holiday parties, shopping, and trying to meet our 2008 goals. In our society, we are always going going going, and the pace seems to be picking up with each passing year.

As we close in on 2008, take some time and truly savor your successes for this year! As you’re giving thanks this holiday season, be sure to take some time to really celebrate what you have accomplished this year and the good things that are going on in your life.

This month as part of giving thanks, when you find yourself dwelling on, or stressing about, future tasks and projects, consciously bring your focus back to the present, breathe and enjoy the moment.

Have a great week!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Inspirational Thought: Choosing a more fulfilling career path

Happy Monday!

I recently read a quote by inspirational speaker Tony Robbins: "Most of us do not change until we experience deep pain.”

Sound familiar? It’s like going to the dentist - few people like to go so they wait until they’re in pain before they take action.

Don’t wait until you’re in pain to make the changes you need or want to make in your career or your life. If you are unsatisfied with something at work, do something about it: proactively look for opportunities to make desired changes to your responsibilities or work environment, or make a plan to change jobs or career paths if you need to.

Don’t wait until you are so frustrated that you end up taking a drastic action out of desperation. Take charge of your destiny with concrete steps to change what you don’t like and create what you want. Start today!

Here's to having a career you love,
Hallie Crawford
College Grad Career Coaching

Inspirational Thought - What's possible for you in your career?

I've kept the following video in my email inbox so I can watch it anytime I need a boost of inspiration. If this woman can ride her horse without a saddle and bridle - what's possible in your life? Challenge your assumptions of what's possible for you in your career.

Watch the video here: http://www.halliecrawford.com/Newsletter/downloads/Bridleless_reining.wmv

I included this video in my newsletter earlier this month and I have received a lot of emails from newsletter subscribers about how much this video made them think about what was possible in their lives.

I would encourage you to download it and keep it handy for the times when you just need a boost of inspiration!

Happy Monday!

Here's to having a career you love,
  Hallie Crawford
  Career Coach

Garbage - Don't Take It. Don't Spread It...and Stay Clear of the Truck

Happy Monday! I shared this story in my newsletter [Creating Your Own Path] this month and I loved it's life lesson so I wanted to share it with you. It was sent to me by one of my clients:

"How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude wait person, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she/he can get back her focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." Some people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.

How often do you let Garbage Trucks run right over you? And how often do you take the garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? Make a commitment today to stop doing this. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. They take this in stride and move on to what's truly important in life. Imagine what would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Love the people who treat you right. Forget about (forgive) the ones who don't."

Have a great week!

Here's to having a career you love,

Hallie Crawford
Career Seekers Coach

Inspirational Thought -Tips for Maintaining Balance When Setting Goals

Last week, I shared a quote about goal setting with you and encouraged you to enjoy the process of working towards a goal.

Here are some thoughts to keep in mind to look ahead and maintain balance in your life: 

a. Your "To Do" list is never ending
Not to sound ominous, but your list is never going to end. You might as well enjoy the journey. Notice if you’re living each day like it’s your purpose to get everything done on your list. Do you tell yourself that if you can only get things done, you’ll feel relaxed and happy? There will always be unfinished items on your list, so enjoy the process instead of being run by your desire to get everything accomplished. Be happy and at peace now, don’t wait until you’ve checked everything off.

b. Be honest with yourself
If a goal doesn’t really fit or is something you think you should do but aren’t really energized about, ask yourself…Do I really need to be doing this? Get rid of the goal, change it, or put it on the backburner for a later date when you feel more energized about it. Similarly, if a goal is too big and makes you feel overwhelmed or frozen into inaction, change it or change its deadline.

c. Cut yourself some slack
Give yourself a break. Goals are a tool to help you plan and motivate you, not something to beat yourself up with if you don’t achieve them or achieve them in the time frame you expected. Cut yourself some slack and acknowledge that you’re headed in the right direction. Instead of getting frustrated over small setbacks, learn from them and move on.

Hallie Crawford
Career Tips