tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65037639436205034002011-11-21T01:40:16.107-06:00Information and ideas to make life a little easier, from Gwen Jewett, Life and Career Coach.Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.comBlogger341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-87153281844387532902009-08-19T14:59:00.007-05:002009-08-19T15:18:01.388-05:00

My child starts kindergarten next week. Earlier in the year I made a conscious decision to cut back on client hours during the summer months and spend the bulk of my time with her (although I have some neat business developments coming) and just go with the flow – a huge challenge for me! It has been great fun and I wouldn’t change any of it. In these few short months I learned some valuable life

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-1465501314207330702009-06-11T19:36:00.003-05:002009-06-11T19:43:45.149-05:00

Some new “a la carte” services have been added to my practice. I recently announced that I am offering resume critique and cover letter development; I’m also very excited to begin offering a one-hour goal-setting/strategy session.Many of you with whom I have spoken recently have expressed hesitation to commit to coaching for financial reasons which I completely understand and respect. The irony

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-84198621613563481512009-04-21T12:49:00.010-05:002009-06-11T19:46:09.360-05:00

This month's issue of Inc. Magazine features Jim Collins, author of Built to Last and Good to Great talking about how small businesses can thrive in 2009. Though focused on entrepreneurs and small business, a lot of what he said translates to other areas of life.One statement in particular has had a huge impact on me. In talking about how business (and life, I would add) has changed in the last

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-21169622399391298932009-04-14T15:26:00.006-05:002009-04-14T16:09:49.238-05:00

A few years ago a client mentioned that she had sent quite a number of resumes and was getting no response. Knowing her credentials to be impeccable, I asked what she said in her cover letter. Her response? "I don't have a cover letter because I have been sending them online." After I recovered from choking, we went over the importance of a cover letter even in the modern age, created one, and

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-40887463944571085492009-03-27T12:10:00.002-05:002009-03-27T12:38:02.916-05:00

In Texas, where I live and work, we are hearing reports of new unemployment records being set. Not surprising news. In recent months I have been talking with clients, friends and others in my network to find out what their greatest needs and what people need to be doing and have in place when/if you find yourself back in the job market. Besides the obvious need of having a financial cushion in

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-64299655184580094822009-03-04T09:48:00.003-06:002009-03-04T10:47:26.039-06:00

On Feb. 20-22 I attended Loral Langmeier and the Live Out Loud team's "Cash Machine Workshop" in Dallas. If you don't know Loral, she has written the series of Millionaire Maker books and she recently appeared on "Dr. Phil" as a financial expert. I have been recommending her books to coaching clients who were considering starting their own businesses and because of that, I have wanted to attend

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-30540872930132542662009-02-03T09:02:00.005-06:002009-02-03T09:48:26.151-06:00

When I'm working with a client who is either considering starting a business or is already running one, I usually recommend Loral Langemeier's "Millionaire Maker" books, and in particular "The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life," among a list of other books. (I sure wish she could shorten the title though.) So when I was notified that I could attend a free seminar

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-24284356381643094632009-01-26T10:49:00.001-06:002009-01-26T10:51:08.245-06:00

Just a quick reminder that this is the last week to sign up for my "Life in Focus" and "Career in Focus" e-courses at the early bird prices which expire on Jan. 31. For more information, visit http://coachgwen.com/e-courses.htm.

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-28800660690752385902009-01-06T11:49:00.004-06:002009-01-21T12:52:43.915-06:00

Though I no longer make New Year's resolutions, I usually get a burst of energy following the Christmas holidays when I put away the tree and all the decorations. After looking at all of the new "stuff" that was brought in for Christmas, I looked around and had this sense that if our house didn't explode, I might! So I began plowing into reorganization of everything in my home and office that

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-48050520697828142872008-12-18T14:06:00.002-06:002008-12-18T14:12:10.220-06:00

When I was single, it wasn't officially Christmas until I walked out the door on the last evening before my vacation began, often on Christmas Eve. Now, the last days of school before the Christmas holiday break send a much earlier signal that it's time to shut down. At my house, that is this week - I am officially in the holiday mindset!This week I have really enjoyed being with my family and

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-84121005925009962872008-12-15T00:03:00.000-06:002008-12-18T14:05:19.856-06:00

Donna hired me this past June to work through a much-needed career change. Over the years she had moved from a demanding career in the financial industry to working in a retail shop selling handmade products from third world countries, for a non-profit organization promoting fair trade and income for artisans in the developing world.As we progressed through the career work, she also mentioned

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-35486716820292188762008-12-13T07:14:00.004-06:002008-12-13T07:26:50.012-06:00

The Wizard of Oz was on television recently and my four-year-old said, “Mommy, I don’t like the witch in the 'Lizard' of Oz!” What I liked about the movie was that all of the main characters were searching for that one thing to make their life complete and just knew that the Wizard of Oz would magically give it to them. If you know the story, you know that when they get there it’s all smoke and

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-30745962098171383152008-12-08T11:11:00.002-06:002008-12-10T11:15:04.918-06:00

My high school piano teacher reminded me of Maude, the television character portrayed so well by actress Bea Arthur. Mrs. Price looked like her, talked like her and commanded the same amount of space in a room. I was at the other end of the spectrum; a tall, skinny, reserved girl who never used bad language and always made decent grades in school.When these two forces combined in piano lessons

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-59574153419261659562008-11-10T11:00:00.005-06:002008-11-10T11:33:20.341-06:00

I hope that you are well and thriving during this approaching holiday season. During this time of gloomy news about the world economy, most of us can still be thankful that we have homes and cars and loved ones in our lives.One thing I always encourage coaching clients to have is a Plan B, specifically when it comes to earning a living. And this applies whether you are in a career you love that

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-44382268719598057162008-10-31T12:19:00.003-05:002008-10-31T12:29:33.683-05:00

Ta Dah! Today I put the finishing touches on my Life in Focus and Career in Focus e-courses. The LIfe in Focus e-course is a rewrite of the previous "Life Upgrade" e-course. In this one I have improved the worksheets, added some material and revised the sequence of the lessons for better flow. The Career in Focus course is brand new, written from scratch by yours truly. It has taken me years to

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-90576267769580924252008-10-28T11:35:00.001-05:002008-10-31T12:19:01.233-05:00

Today was a first for me. I actually sat down and drafted a letter to a celebrity who took a position on an issue with which I strongly disagree. I won't say what this issue is or name the celebrity, but it was important enough to me to express my view. And I will rewrite and rewrite it until I can only say what I would say to their face, in person. Then I will mail it via snail mail because I

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-54877229182771837512008-09-10T10:47:00.002-05:002008-09-10T10:50:11.642-05:00

A former co-worker of mine used to comment about certain people that “She/he has no edit function!” He was describing those people who would say or worse, write, every thought that occurred to them, usually in emotional response to something they heard or read. What is your response when someone shares gossip with you about a friend or co-worker? Do you get excited and rush to share it with

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-90796963800543259992008-09-05T12:15:00.003-05:002008-09-05T12:57:16.261-05:00

When clients are just beginning a job search, I frequently tell them to "cast a wide net." This actually has a double meaning. First, it means to use all of your available resources to get the word out that you are looking for new opportunities; including friends, current and former colleagues, family members, old college chums, people with whom you have volunteered for worthy causes, and anyone

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-80503441234500893672008-07-08T15:00:00.006-05:002008-07-08T15:44:58.344-05:00

No, I don't have anything big or dramatic planned for tomorrow. If I knew it wouldn't bore you to pieces, I would have titled this post "Yesterday was a life-changing experience, today is a life-changing experience, and tomorrow will also be a life-changing experience. What will you do to make it count?"Recently I have heard the phrase "It was a life-changing experience" with unusual frequency.

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-29287527495052307082008-06-11T13:09:00.001-05:002008-06-11T13:12:19.056-05:00

Once a week I sort through the spam that has been filtered through my web e-mail server. It’s a nuisance, but for every 50 or so spam messages, there will be one legitimate business inquiry that gets filtered for one reason or another that I don’t want to overlook. So I slog through the rude and the ridiculous (put up with it, in other words) to make sure I don’t miss the pearl opportunity that

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-49316290717051290652008-05-06T17:50:00.003-05:002008-05-06T17:55:30.254-05:00

It’s an election year in the states and the economy is questionable, at best. Politicians are presenting bleak pictures or rosy ones, depending on what best serves their goals. Realistically though, the only outlook over which you have any control is your own. I’ve talked with individuals living in abundance who are worried about losing their wealth, and others in scarcity who choose simply not

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-7708579204025388772008-02-26T17:25:00.000-06:002008-02-27T17:35:28.182-06:00

You’ve been thinking about making a career move but keep wondering if it’s the right time, the right decision, the right direction. There are often many valid, wise decisions for taking a risk to gain something better. There are also reasons that it might be a bad choice, at least at the present moment. Here are ten reasons NOT to make that move right now:1. You can’t financially afford it. No

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-23734407755049592562008-01-22T11:35:00.000-06:002008-01-22T11:43:52.982-06:00

Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You're able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment. -- Ralph MarstonIt's finally here. The fourth week of January. We can stop talking and hearing about resolutions, the crowds at the gym begin tapering off, and the weight loss segments on the news are finally over.

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-62637930585922063512007-12-28T15:32:00.000-06:002007-12-28T15:51:18.539-06:00

This week we celebrated Christmas at our house. It was great! We enjoyed several house guests and lots of good food, attended a Christmas Eve service with family and dear friends at a neighborhood church, and showered our almost-four-year-old with lots and lots of new toys. It was wonderful, we're tired, and today I spent a few hours putting away all the Christmas decorations for another

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-68559479087766391422007-11-13T13:00:00.000-06:002007-11-13T13:05:06.993-06:00

We never know the worth of water 'til the well is dry. -- English ProverbSome days you feel great, some you don’t, right? On the days you don’t feel great it may be due to a physical ailment, lack of sleep, and general feeling of blahness about your life. The first two are easy to correct: wait for the ailment to heal and go to bed earlier. (A fantastic idea, by the way!)How do you get rid of the

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-37800253890393786192007-11-06T11:28:00.001-06:002007-11-06T11:36:11.855-06:00

Note to current and future clients: I will be increasing my monthly coaching fees in 2008 beginning on January 1. If you are a client now the new rates will not apply to you. The new rate of $350/month is only for clients beginning on January 1 or later. So if you have thought about scheduling a consultation but have put it off, now is the time! If you begin coaching with me before December 31,

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-89240277808694534822007-10-16T12:16:00.000-05:002007-10-16T12:21:26.386-05:00

It’s like the flip of a switch. You go from a relaxed, I’ll-get-to-it-when-I-get-to-it summer mindset and then September 1 arrives and suddenly you’re hit with corporate deadlines, school projects and all the things that have to get done “before the holidays.” October rolls around and oh-my-gosh it’s almost the holiday season and we don’t have our plane tickets booked and we aren’t going to drive

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-84264590615297556022007-09-13T12:20:00.000-05:002007-10-16T12:23:20.625-05:00

The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life. –Henry FordEvery day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. -- Robert OrbenMoney. That pesky necessity. If we didn’t have to pay for food, clothing and shelter, career decisions would be simple, right? You could choose

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-48453443009811005452007-08-28T12:56:00.000-05:002007-08-28T13:16:50.615-05:00

My family just returned from a week in the mountains of Colorado. We were in the spectacular setting of Snow Mountain Ranch, aka YMCA of the Rockies. We tie-dyed shirts, rode horses, hiked, made s'mores, played miniature golf (a new favorite of my 3-year-old), and hurled down the Winter Park alpine slide as many times as we could cram in to our half-day pass!Best of all - no television! Sure, I

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-17815622877595885202007-07-24T13:17:00.000-05:002007-07-24T13:29:03.121-05:00

Only positive consequences encourage good future performances.-- Kenneth H. BlanchardCareer anxiety. You’ve been there. You used to be happy doing what you’re doing, or maybe you never were, but you should be happy because it’s supposed to be such a great job and all your friends and family keep telling you that. So why do you keep feeling so antsy? Why can’t you simply adjust your attitude?I

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-14199347518744420772007-07-23T13:04:00.000-05:002007-07-23T13:12:19.057-05:00

I had the privilege of speaking at a meeting of the American Business Women's Association (Central Texas Area) this past weekend. Their theme was "Share the Power" and did they do just that! I would like to thank them for inviting me and for getting to spend some time with such a dynamic group! My topic was "Become an Opportunity Magnet" and we spent several minutes crafting and discussing

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-73388247318102157972007-06-16T23:56:00.000-05:002007-06-17T17:35:31.138-05:00

The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not overturning it. -- Edward Bulwer-LyttoMy father always taught me that no matter which career I chose, it would require that I work with people. And that includes pleasant people, grumpy people, demanding, know-it-all people, people who can never be satisfied, people who support you and people who do not. Even

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-67640882162050503662007-05-23T10:44:00.001-05:002010-02-08T12:03:48.934-06:00

How can you ensure that you are always open and ready for great things to come to you, no matter what? Chances are you have known at least one person in your lifetime to whom everything seems to come easily. The "lucky" one.Know what? Maybe some luck is involved. But even if good luck comes your way, you have to be ready for it or it might pass you by!How can you prepare yourself to be a receiver

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503763943620503400.post-16932414596743266432007-03-08T10:40:00.000-06:002007-06-15T14:42:29.839-05:00

People with similar interests and relating styles are attracted to one another and will eventually bond together. Frequently those bonds will be closer than a traditional family. This is community. Your community will tend to shape you more than your original family unit.A couple of weeks ago, I lost my mother to a long and tough battle with cancer. In the process of being with all of the

Gwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018640475032454961noreply@blogger.com0