And...? > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg> > Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2014 10:07:53 -0800 (PST) > > On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 4:11 PM, "Steve Piazzale, Ph.D. > BayAreaCareerCoach.com" <http://www.mail.vresp.com/~Steve_Piazzale_Ph.D._BayAreaCare> wrote: > > > "Making Crucial Career Decisions" Piazzale Newsletter > >Click to view this email in a browser > >"Making Crucial Career Decisions" > > Hello Noelle > > > >Hope your holidays went well. > > > >Around this time of year, we start thinking about goals and resolutions. And > >usually I send out a newsletter emphasizing how using the SMART (specific, > >measurable, attainable/action-oriented, realistic, time based) model helps you > >to clearly define and achieve sub-goal steps. > > > >This year I'd like to focus on how to make decisions that help you define the > >goals themselves. > > > >A common career question clients pose is "Should I stay in my current job and > >make the best of it I can or should I look for something else and, if so, what? > > > > > >To help answer such questions, I've come up with the "Ideal Job Description" > >action item and the "24-second clock." A personal story gives a rough example > >of how, without knowing it at the time, I used both of these concepts to > >decide to become a career coach. > > > >10 years ago, I had been laid off from my tech writing job (they closed the > >entire west coast office), I was tired of tech writing, I was going through a > >divorce, and my only daughter was going off to college--man, everything was in > >turmoil and I was pretty scared. > > > >I decided it was time to reinvent myself but doing what? I knew that it was > >really important for me to "make a difference" in people's lives, to be > >something of an expert in some area, and to have people coming to me for help. > > > >One day I thought "Enough debating and research about what I should do.Steve, > >you have 24 seconds to decide what your next career is and once the 24 seconds > >is up you are stuck with the decision for years to come. So I started the > >count down...24, 23, 22...remember there will be no going back...16, 15, > >14...choose wisely...10, 9, 8...remember what's important to you in work...6, > >5, 4...time's running out...3, 2, 1. Well what is it Steve? CHOOSE!!!" > > > >Psychotherapist! > > > >Psychotherapist? Why? Well I'd be helping folks, I'd be an expert in an area, > >and people would be coming to me. I knew, however, that I didn't want to get > >another Stanford Ph.D. so I did a lot of informational networking about > >related careers and found coaching to satisfy all the criteria without going > >back to school and that my training in Sociology and Psychology was totally > >relevant. > > > >Ok, so with clients who're deciding what their career goal will be, we often > >go through this dual exercise. The Ideal Job Description assignment is now a > >formal exercise in figuring out what your new career's characteristics must be > >for you to be happy and successful in it. And the 24-second clock is designed > >to help you go with your gut after having gathered facts about yourself. > >Interestingly, a recent study examined how top CEOs make their most crucial > >corporate decisions. The answer is they gather all the data they can and > >then...and then guess what? > > > >They go with their gut intuition!!! > > > >Oh and for those who are wondering; why 24 seconds?...That comes from NBA ( > >professional basketball) where they have 24 seconds to get a shot off--a good > >antidote to procrastination. > > > >If you would like a copy of either the "Ideal Job Description" assignment or a > >discussion of SMART goals, just ask. > > > >Here's to a healthy and very Happy New Year! > > > >Steve > > > >________________________________ > > > >Steve Piazzale, Ph.D. > >Get the work you want and deserve! > >http://www.BayAreaCareerCoach.com > >650-964-4366