Greetings , How is your new year going so far?

In this issue:

On a Personal Note

Inspirational Quote and Food for Thought -- Value your softer side

Check it Out -- Career Seekers Mastermind Event

Career Corner -- Tip of the Month, F.REE Career e-Course, Jump Start Your Career audio

What's New and Coming Soon

Hallie Recommends

On a Personal Note

So how is your new year so far? Are you keeping up with your goals and staying on track? No? Why not try what I did?

To keep myself on track, I wrote my goals on a note card and placed it on the wall in my office so I could see it everyday. (I will admit there are some days I forget to actually read over my goals, but just having the note card in a visible place serves as a constant reminder.)

Be sure you have set both ‘being’ and ‘doing’ goals for yourself. (I wrote more about being in last month's column). Here’s why: you’ll have goals that are tangible and have a time frame. These are action items -- things to check off your list. But you’ll also have ‘being’ goals. These are goals based on the person you want to become and the new habits you want to develop (e.g., being more patient). These aren’t “check off the list” items. They are ongoing commitments you’re making to yourself to swap old habits for new ones.

It’s really important to stay focused on your goals and to re-visit them once a week. And it also helps to have someone remind you to review them … like your coach. (Jeanna, are you reading this?   :-))

Keep rockin’ and rollin’ on your goals! Hallie

Hallie Crawford

Inspirational Quote and Food for Thought

I came across this quote recently and it had a big impact on me.

"The soft skills are the hard skills."

As a child, I thought the soft skills – the “touchy-feeley” ones -- were less important. I got the message that hard knowledge and facts were the things to value the most. As I’ve matured, I’ve become more and more aware that soft skills are just as important -- if not more so – than the hard skills. Soft skills enable us to work successfully with others. They help us to know and motivate ourselves, and to really connect in a fulfilling way with the world around us.

A financial advisor I heard recently said the soft skills are the hardest thing to master. She said it drives her nuts when people discount the value of emotional intelligence because these softer skills are a vital part of our relationships with others. We need to incorporate soft skills into every part of our lives and not discount or de-value them.

I urge you to develop your “soft skills” like empathy, listening, leadership, etc. In order to be successful at work and in your personal life, you need to have a balance of both of these. You could be the smartest person in the world, but if you can’t communicate what you know to others in an effective way, it doesn’t matter how smart you are.

Some food for thought for you: What soft skills do you need to work on? Are there areas or times when you discount the value of these skills?

Check it Out

Career Seekers Mastermind Extravaganza

At the end of my Career Seekers classes, participants often ask me if there is another class. They want to know what’s next -- where do they go now? Here's the answer for everyone who wants to participate!

On March 27th and 28th, I will be holding a Career Seekers Mastermind Event in which you will find answers to your burning questions, such as:

• How do I find out what the ideal job is for me?
  
  
• I feel like I’m going in circles in a job I dislike; how do I get unstuck?
  
  
• How do I discover what I’m passionate about?
  
  
• How can I find my direction?
  
  
• I have an idea of what I want to do; what should I do next?

If you feel like you’re out there alone, spinning around, and are not sure what to do about your career path – this event is for you! It’s going to be a FUN class where you’ll have the opportunity to learn not only from me, but also from your career-seeking peers. Plus you’ll be able to get individualized answers to your specific questions.

Get all the details here.

Career Corner

Choosing a career path that's right for you is a process. Here's a tip that can help you get started.

Tip of the Month: Stay in Balance

Ever notice how when we’re learning, we tend to bounce around between extremes? For example, we accept a position that ends up not being a fit for us, so we decide to try something that is the complete opposite. Or we decide that one boss isn’t the right fit, so we look for someone who’s the exact opposite of that person.

After trial and error, we finally realize that what we wanted all along was something in-between, and that bouncing around between extremes didn’t work.

It’s OK to try different things, but realize that just because you don’t like something, the answer may not be the exact opposite. Instead, give some thought to what career path you really want to follow. Take the time and do the work to find out what would work best for you. It will be worth it! I promise.

A great place to start on this is my “Jumpstart Your Career” audio. It provides the components to finding a satisfying career and is only $15. Read more about it below.

(Want to see more tips like this one? Visit and bookmark my Blog and my f.ree Articles page.)

If you'd like to use these tips in your newsletter or website: You can, as long as you include this “blurb” with it: Hallie Crawford, certified Career Coach is changing the way people feel about work-from just a paycheck to a fulfilling endeavor that is an extension of their purpose and passion. If you're ready to have a career you love, learn more about Hallie at http://www.HallieCrawford.com.

NEW! F.ree Career E-Course, "The Five Keys to Finding a Career that FITS "

Get started in your career search by signing up for this inspiring and fun F.REE Career E-Course. It’s chock-full of valuable information, such as:

• How to get clear on what you want in your ideal job
  
  
• How to shake up your thinking so you can overcome obstacles
  
  
• How to develop greater confidence
  
  
• How to create a transition plan
  
  
• How to make it happen!

(Want more extensive help with your life and career direction? See details on my next Unlocking Your Purpose teleclass in the What’s New and Coming Soon section below.)

New "Jumpstart Your Career" Audio

Want to learn about the 4 Key Components to a Satisfying Career?

Take advantage of this 50-minute audio that’s full of information and tools you can use right away. You will learn:

• The 4 key components to a satisfying career.
  
  
• How to identify what each component means to you.
  
  
• How to uncover what would be fulfilling to you in a career.
  
  
• The 7 keys to successfully navigating your career transition.
  
  
• How to identify what you’re passionate about.
  
  
• Why you need to shake up your belief system to empower yourself to move forward.

Click here to purchase the MP3 recording of this class for only $15. You can even download it right to your iPod and listen to it anytime for inspiration and clarity about your job search.

What's New and Coming Soon

Unlocking Your Purpose Teleclass -- April 4, 2007

• Feeling a little empty or lost?
  
  
• Do you want better direction for your life?
  
  
• Are you looking for more fulfillment and balance?
  
  
• Need more motivation to achieve your goals?

We all have areas of our life where we feel "stuck." We want to make a change, but for whatever reason, we're like a music CD on repeat mode -- playing the same song over and over. Once you define your purpose, you'll be able to break out of those repetitive cycles and begin to lead a more fulfilling life (instead of letting your life "lead you").

Click here for more info.

"I Kick A** T-shirts

These fun, hip t-shirts will be available at the end of this month. Check back on my website to order yours right away! Here’s a peek at what they’ll look like:

Hallie Recommends

Audio Recording

Record teleclasses you attend, create your own recordings for your website, and more! Audio Acrobat is my system of choice when I record my teleclasses. Their system is easy to use and provides superb sound quality.

PR Guru Shannon Cherry

You lie awake. Worrying about how you’re going to get more customers … how you’re going to pay your bills … how your baby – the business you have nurtured since its conception with blood, sweat and tears – is going to survive.

Wouldn’t you rather sleep soundly and dream peacefully because you are:

• attracting more clients?
  
  
• establishing name recognition?
  
  
• distinguishing yourself from the competition?
  
  
• hearing everyone talk about you and your services?
  
  
• transforming prospects into loyal repeat customers?

Contact Shannon Cherry today! http://www.BeHeardSolutions.com

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About Hallie
An experienced coach and trainer with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communications from Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, Hallie is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). Hallie is certified through the Coaches Training Institute, a program accredited by the International Coach Federation, and the most rigorous coach training program in the industry. She has over ten years of professional experience within diverse corporate and non-profit organizations, and six years of experience as a communications specialist and manager.