Join the U.S. JET Programme Alumni Association (USJETAA) and JETAA Western Japan for this upcoming event.
Becoming a Life Coach
May 24, 2021 at 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET
Japan Time: May 25th at 8 am
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcu-spjMvG9E9FEycUK1GkZWy5-SLd6U
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/24691713708797
Life coach? That’s a profession? Really?!? I’ve never heard of it! Perhaps you’ve heard of a life coach but aren’t quite sure exactly what it entails. Or maybe this is truly your first time. Join USJETAA and JET alum Jeff Singal who will kick off this event with a brief background on his journey from being a JET in Mie (1995-1997) to how he learned about life coaching as a profession and why and how he decided to enter this profession. We’ll cover how to become a life coach and what a life coach does, and much, much more. This event is brought to you by USJETAA and JETAA Western Japan.
The webinar is partially supported by CLAIR and the Japan Foundation CGP.
Ask Dr. Muse-Life Coach: Time & Money
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Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Dear Dr. Muse:
I don’t have time for all these creative exercises you post and I can’t afford to leave my current job, what can I do? B.B., Texas
Dear B.B.:
A common lament even from people who love their current jobs is that they want more time but cannot give up their current income level . Your question may involve several underlying issues. First, ensure you have accurate information regarding your current financial situation. Do you have a budget and understand exactly how much money you need to live responsibly now and in the future? Understanding your money now empowers you so that life does not force you to understand it later [with harsher consequences, usually]. The internet offers many resources for self education on this topic.
This information allows you to strategically plan for a job search or transition and aim higher for salary and job satisfaction. Also, pay attention and be responsible for the words you choose to characterize your life. If you find yourself stating you cannot afford something, an internal alarm should sound. We can afford the things in life we truly need and want; we allocate our resources—time and money—toward what we value. Finally, evaluate whether this statement hinders you from having what you want and challenge its veracity.
A second issue concerns the scarce resource of time. If you operate from a premise that you can make more money but not time, you may assess your life differently. What would you like time for? How do you currently spend your time in a day? Can you adjust something and make time to plan a change in your life? Again, we spend our money and time on what we value, so what we really want we find a way. If you really do want time to plan and do these things, you will find time. If not, then investigate other ways to shift your thinking around your current job.
Finally, this type of question often arises when people are stressed and in “survival” mode. During times like this, it may be helpful to first assess your lifestyle and health before embarking on big changes. Get enough sleep, exercise, and choose to take care of your health so you have a clear mind and energy to do the things you want. I hope this was helpful.
If you want to expand on any of these areas, email me with questions.
Like hiring a personal trainer to reach your fitness goals, a personal life coach can assist you to attain your personal goals. You may write the Muse with any coaching questions, or inquiries into life coaching options on a one-time or ongoing basis at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Ask Dr. Muse-Life Coach: The Quest for the Dream Job Continues
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Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Over the past couple of weeks, a few different readers have emailed with questions related to finding the “creative spark” or inspiration for finding their passion in life through work. Here is another creative task that may help, inspired by the highly recommended book “The Artist’s Way,” by Julia Cameron.
Task 1: Collect magazines of different types that you can cut up. One afternoon or evening, listening to music or watching a movie, skim through the magazines and without judgment, purely on attraction only, cut out any words or images that appeal to you for any reason. Do not analyze the selection, but instead enjoy the sensory aspects of the images or words that appeal to you. Take all your cutouts and place them into a shoe box, folder, or envelope for another task later.
Task 2 [different day]: Reread your paragraph and list from the exercise of February 15, 2010. [If you did not do that exercise, you can still proceed with this activity] Then, gather the following materials: a poster board of any size; some glue; scissors; and your shoebox or envelope of magazine words/images from Task 1. Lay everything out on a table or work space, and while listening to some good music or during some quiet time, make a collage of all these words and images.
Task 3 [different day]: Take some time to really look at your collage and reflect on what it tells you about what inspires you, what you like, and the type of work/profession you would enjoy right now. What story does the collage tell about how you want to show up/be perceived in your profession? Take time to journal all the thoughts and feelings that arise in a stream-of-consciousness way while looking at your collage. You may wish to do this over a period of time as new ideas and expression bubble to the surface of your mind. May you be pleasantly be surprised at what is revealed to you about your dreams and desires.
Like hiring a personal trainer to reach your fitness goals, a personal life coach can assist you to attain your personal goals. You may write the Muse with any coaching questions, or inquiries into life coaching options on a one-time or ongoing basis at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Ask Dr. Muse-Life Coach: How Do I Find My Dream Job?
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Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Dear Dr. Muse:
I am ready for a career change, but I have no idea what I really want to do. My current job is one that personality and career aptitude tests said I would be good at, but I am still not in love with my job. Any ideas? Cindy B. in New Jersey.
Dear Cindy B:
A vocation calls to us because of our experience, skills, and education; an avocation, however, calls to us from a deeper place. Sometimes we need a stable vocation to allow us to pay the bills and fulfill our obligations. If you feel restless and yearn for more, and if your discontent does not relate to some imbalance in other areas of your life [see other Dr. Muse posts related to this topic], then perhaps it is time to identify the ember of your avocation and fan it to a fire. The following two tasks may help you:
Task 1: Pick 4 jobs from your past and your very first job.. On the blank pages of your journal, draw 5 big circles with some space between [you may need several pages] . Above the circle, label the job. Then, for each job, inside the circle write 3 to 4 things about that particular job that you liked–e.g., projects; people; environment; anything. On the outside of the circle, write 3 to 4 things about that job that you did not like. Next, in a different color ink, go back and write inside the circle how you felt AT the job. Take your time to think and feel the whole experience of your past jobs.
Task 2 [different day]: Take out your circles of past jobs. On a single sheet of paper write a list all the items you wrote inside the circles.
When you are finished, take a moment to read through the list of all the things you liked about the past jobs. Then, reflecting on this list, write a paragraph describing as many details about the characteristics of the job/environment you like. Add anything else to this paragraph about the profession, such as your ideal day, the ideal coworkers, and ideal environment. This should provide the template for your avocation and you can analyze your current choice or potential choices against this template. The task is aimed at starting the process for exploration, and I wish you a happy journey on this adventure!
Like hiring a personal trainer to reach your fitness goals, a personal life coach can assist you to attain your personal goals. You may write the Muse with any coaching questions, or inquiries into life coaching options on a one-time or ongoing basis at drmuse@jetwit.com.
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Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Dear Dr. Muse:
Based on the question from N.H. in Long Island [January 30, 2010 Post], we are creating a series of exercises aimed at getting “unstuck” in a job or life. Based on the previous exercise of the Rating System, let’s revisit the eight areas of evaluation:
What three areas have the most priority or importance to you for the next three months? Using the logical, analytical, problem-solving side of the brain you will create an Action Plan. By processing backwards, in your journal, write the steps that it would take to lead you from where you want to be to where you are now. This is like planning a party or event where you have the end in mind. Try to get engrossed in the details because each little step leads you closer to what you want.
Now, looking at your Action Plan details, on a new sheet of paper, and processing backward from the end result, assign a deadline in three months for the first few specific tasks. For instance, in three months time, you wish to move one or two steps forward on the Action Plan. Determine what discrete tasks you need to do each month for the next three months to get there. Then, for this first month, break down the steps into weekly goals. Finally, with this upcoming week, set three tasks to complete toward this week’s goal.
Create an Action Plan for the three areas of the Rating System you determined a priority for the next three months.
Most importantly, spend time each week evaluating your weekly progress and establishing goals for the week ahead, all with your three-month goal in mind. This work-in-progress requires recalibration. Some weeks you may get ahead of your goals, and other weeks you may feel you lag behind. In truth, you continue to make progress, so enjoy the adventure!
Every few months, revisit the Rating System and create new Action Plans. While working on the foundation areas of your life, you allow more creative inspiration and energy to move you out of a place of feeling “stuck.”
Stay tuned for the next Dr. Muse post where I’ll answer other life/career change questions.
Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Dear Dr. Muse:
I feel so stuck and frustrated in my current job, but I can’t quit and don’t know what else I want to do. What if I feel the same in my next job and I will never be happy? –N.H., Long Island, NY
Dear N.H.:
This common issue resonates with many people who hire a life coach. Over the next few columns, I will break down some of the layers of this question and give you some tools to determine what changes you can make to feel less “stuck” in your life.
Step One: Gathering Information.
In any construction project you first have a plan, and it should be no different when it comes to building a life you want, including the profession you want. So, to begin, you need to assess your starting point and the resources at hand. Often a feeling of dissatisfaction at work is actually a distraction from dissatisfaction in other areas of life, so it is important to evaluate your life as a whole. Moreover, before you embark on a journey that involves change, implement measures to ensure your health and wellbeing remain balanced.
For this first week, take some time to assess where you are right now. First, obtain a blank notebook or journal to record your thoughts, ideas, and progress. On that first page, write your full name and then write out your commitment to make any changes necessary to create the life you want. Now, agree to have fun with the exercises and start with the Rating System.
The Rating System
First, rate each of the following, as it pertains to your life at this moment, on a scale of zero [absolutely stinks] to ten [could not get any better]:
- fitness/health
- money
- career
- friends/family
- fun/recreation
- personal growth/spiritual development
- physical environment/home
- romance/significant other
Next, on the other sheets of paper, put each label from above at the top of a page. Take time to look at each section and write a description of what a perfect ten would look like. Describe your perfect TEN in an uninhibited, entitled, and passionate way. In other words, you may not write what you think you can have, you must write what you really WANT.
Stay tuned for the next Dr. Muse post where I’ll expand on this exercise.
