7 Steps to Reinventing

Your Professional Life

Jeff Nthiwa

- Destiny Life Coaching -

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CHAPTER

1 1) Perfect the Present

2) Identify Your Personal Requirements

3) Design Your Ideal Life

4) Identify Your Natural Talents and Abilitie

5) Identify Your Passions and Values

6) Create Your Career Profile and Life Plan

7) Making the Transition Smoothly

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1. PERFECT THE PRESENT What matters isn’t achieving or not achieving goals. Goals within

themselves are not good or bad. What matters the most is not

achieving the perfect goals, but cultivating the perfect path.

Master every aspect of your job

Clear the clutter

Handle any problems with your manager or colleagues

Sometimes my goals guide the path, sometimes my path guides the

goals I choose, but it’s always about the path, make sure its worth

looking back and celebrating. With this kind of mind set, you never

lose; either you win or learn!

Are you focused on the here and now, or off in lala land?

When you are aware of everything going on within yourself - in

both your body, soul and your mind. As a result, your concentration

is sharp, your relationships tend to flow smoothly, you’re generally

happy, and you sleep well at night. Work becomes one with play.

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STEP 2. IDENTIFY PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

Knowing what your own personal and emotional needs are makes it easier to design an ideal career. When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as intellectual ability (IQ). Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at work, and achieve your career and personal goals. For example, if you have the need to be independent or free then you might really chaff working for a micromanaging boss. You may prefer to own your own business. motional intelligence consists of four attributes: Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior, know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence. Self-management – You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances. Social awareness – You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization. Relationship management – You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.

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Step 3. Create your Ideal Life

our work or career is only one element in an ideal life. The first

step is to design an ideal life and then create or find the career

that supports that life. You may need to swap a lifestyle for a

real life.

• Write down your ideal life, record, and listen to it every day sfter

waking up.

Design Your Ideal Career First, Then Attract It.

Are you truly happy and fulfilled in your career? Do you wake up

with a sense of excitement when heading off to work? Are you

making the money and the impact you want to make at work and

with your customers, given your experience, skills and talents? If

not, maybe it’s time to reinvent your career path and actually

design your ideal career. Yes, it is possible because dreams don’t

have a shelf life.

Find your life’s work. What is the purpose of your life?

Many people have a heart attack or stroke between 8-9 AM on

Monday morning.

People are dying to go to work!

Start doing whatever you can to fulfill your life’s purpose. How

much time have you spent working on your dream?

Work to develop you. Most are not living their dreams because of

fear.

“I can’t see myself doing it.” Fear and lack of self-esteem keep

people from doing what they want to do.

Fear is the most subtle of all human diseases. Fear kills dreams

and hopes.

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STEP 4. IDENTIFYING YOUR NATURAL TALENTS

The top achievers in almost every profession, career and

field of achievement have built their lives around their unique

strengths and natural talents. If you want to find the best

career for yourself, begin by looking at what you do well and

what you love to do.

Interview your friends, family and colleagues:

1) What do you think is my greatest strength?

2) What is my biggest weakness? (Ask this only if you feel up

to it, and ask them to tell you in a constructive way. Do not

comment on anything they say, just write it down. You are

simply gathering data/opinions.)

3) What do you see as my special talent or gift? What do I do

naturally and effortlessly that is special?

4) If I were on the cover of a magazine, what magazine

would it be and what would the story be about?

5) When am I most fully expressing this gift or talent?

Note: For many people, their natural talent is so much a part

of them they take it for granted. It is like

breathing so they don’t even notice it. This is why it helps to

ask those around you what they see is special

or unique about you.

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STEP 5. IDENTIFY YOUR PASSIONS AND VALUES

What is most important to you? What do you love to

do? If you could imagine waking up and being able

to do anything you wanted, what would that be?

Creating, playing, teaching, leading, designing,

inventing, learning, etc.

Some Exercises:

• The Highlights of Your Life

• The Envy Method: Who do you envy and why?

• The Values List

• What games did you play as a child?

Natural Talents and Aptitudes + Personality +

Purpose + Place = An Ideal Career, Custom

Designed by You

Choice. Make an intentional, informed and inspired

choice. It's a brilliant concept; it's your birth right.

Apply choice to your career. With a trusted Career

Coach, the right tools, and a commitment to living

an extraordinary life, you can have a career that fits

you perfectly.

Visit us for Career Coaching Services.

www.dlc.co.ke

0722992111

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STEP 6. CREATING CAREER PROFILE

A “Personal Career Profile” is a self-assessment

document that summaries your skills, values, interests,

personality traits and other necessary background

information. The purpose is to have everything you have

discovered from self-assessment on one page as a future

reference tool. This will give you more clarity in career

decision-making. I recommend to my clients to develop a

one page list of the following ten areas.

1. Skills – First, list the top 5 skills you possess. What are

you best at? What abilities have you used in your past

jobs? What general skills have you utilized for your

greatest accomplishments? (i.e. Team Building,

Interpersonal, Problem-Solving, Communicating,

Negotiating, Influencing, Organizing, Helping, Creating,

Analyzing, Leading, Managing, Researching, etc.). In

addition, what specialized skills do you have (i.e.,

Accounting, Customer Relations, Economic Analysis,

Grant Writing, HR Administration, Policy Development,

Recruiting, Training, etc.)?

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2. Values – Create an inventory of your top 5 things you value. What is really important to you in a career? What are the top 5 things you want in your next boss? What do you care about most in a job (i.e. Achievement, Challenge, Creativity, Duty, Expertise, Family, Flexibility, Friendship,Health,Independence, Making a Difference, Recognition, Salary, Security, Self-Actualization, Status, Varity, Work/Life Balance, etc.)?

3. Interests – Record the top 5 things you are the most passionate about personally and professionally. What do you like to do? What activities and types of work do you find most satisfying? What were your favorite classes? What types of books or magazines do you read? What do you prefer to do during your leisure time? What do you like best about this job and past jobs?

4. Personality Traits & Style – Next, list your top 5 attributes or characteristics. Are you outgoing or more reserved? Are you detail oriented or do you prefer to look at the big picture? Are you organized or do you have trouble keeping things in order? Do you like structure or prefer to take things as they come? Do you prefer working with people, ideas, data or objects? List the adjectives that would best describe you (i.e. Ambitious, Loyal, Optimistic, Practical, Persistent, etc.).

5. Knowledge – What do you know a lot about? Is there an area where you are a Subject Matter Expert (SME)?

6. Preferred Work Environment – Describe the work environment in which you would feel the most comfortable. Identify and catalog the types of duties, typical work week, reporting structure, colleagues, geographic location you seek. Would you like to work as part of a team or work more privately? Do you like to be an independent contributor or do you prefer to problem-solve with others? Do you prefer to lead by example rather than by giving directions to others? Do you prefer mental or physical work?

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7. Education and Training – Inventory your past degrees and/or current degree program, subject areas, certifications, technical training, licenses and any other credentials.

8. Experience – Put down on paper your core work experiences, job titles, awards, community service, etc.

9. Earnings – What earning level is important for your lifestyle? What benefits will be important to you? What kind of financial security do you need? What are your top 5 financial objectives?

10. Goals – Lastly, make a list of your top 5 short-term goals? Make another one of your top 5 long-term goals?

Making this detailed list will help you organize your thoughts. It will provide a useful snapshot of where you are and also help you answer the question, “Where do I want to be?” You can utilize the information in the Personal Career Profile to match it with appropriate job options. In addition, it may be a valuable resource when it comes time to discuss your assets in an interview. A one page Personal Career Profile can be an important career development document that can serve as a reference point that can help send you in the right direction.

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1) My Personal Requirements

2) My Ideal Working Environment

3) My Unique Talents and Natural Abilities

4) My Envy List

5) My Values and Passions List

6) My Favorite Skills and Hobbies

7) My Ideal Job Description

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Contact Jeff

Let’s Connect If you would like to get in touch or have any questions about coaching with me, please contact me on jeff@dlc.co.ke I aim to respond to all emails within 48 hours. Or simply call me on my personal number 0722992111 www.dlc.co.ke

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