Hi there!

I hope you enjoyed your summer and had some fun outside. I try to spend as much time outdoors as I can during the summer to soak up the sunshine, but with the high temps this past month some days the only thing I did outside was go to the pool. Now it’s time to get back into the groove of fall and back to work.

In this issue’s Life Lessons and Career Corner, I discuss how you can take greater control of your life and career, and improve your ability to overcome obstacles by choosing how you react to situations outside of your control. For those of you who need a boost in your career transition and have specific questions you want answered, get some quick coaching in my new one hour Jumpstart Coaching Session.

Finally, for you singles out there who feel like you’re alone and without support in your career transition, check out my new book coming soon: Doing it Solo.

See you next month! Here’s to having a career you love,

Hallie Crawford

On a Personal Note

Thanks for all of your well wishes on my pregnancy! Things are going well. I am definitely larger, which is part of the deal of course (grin) but it feels very strange to me. Because I am a small person, any extra weight feels like a big change. According to friends and family I am not that much larger but there are days when I feel as big as a house. I think the people at the pool where I’ve started swimming are wondering when I’m going to stop squeezing myself into my old bathing suit! Here comes that pregnant lady again. Gaining weight is taking some getting used to, but has not diminished my overall excitement about becoming a mom. (Guess I have to start getting used to that word ;-)

What's New and Coming Soon

Introducing the Jump Start Coaching Session – Available Now

Are you looking for a boost in your career search, but you’re hesitant to begin a coaching program? The Jumpstart Coaching Session is the ideal solution! It’s a one-hour session in which you get to ask as many questions about your career goals as time permits. If you feel stuck where you are and just need a little boost to get you moving forward. Sign up now

Career Coaching Squidoo Page

Here’s a new resource for you during your career transition. My new Squidoo page has career tips and articles to help you make your transition as smooth as silk. Good luck!

Life Lessons

A few weeks ago, I started worrying about some things that were going on in my life. No matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept returning to the situation. Then, in a conversation with my coach, she made a comment that, serendipitously, I had just read earlier that day. She said,

“It’s not the situation, it’s how you react to it.”

As soon as she said this, I realized I had two choices: (1) I could continue to worry about my situation, or (2) I could shift my focus and do something about it.

Here’s the deal: We all know we can’t always control what happens to us, and we certainly cannot control other people. But we can control one thing – how we react to a situation.

Try this: Think of one thing that occurred recently that bothered or frustrated you. How did you react to it? If your reaction was not positive or beneficial to you, how could you have responded differently?

For example, say a co-worker made you angry and you blew up at her. Instead of becoming instantly angry, you could have temporarily removed yourself from the situation, taken a few deep breaths to relax, and then returned to discuss the situation in a calmer frame of mind. Take it a step further and you could have discussed how the two of you could avoid this kind of issue in the future through clearer communication or more realistic expectations.

By simply changing your reaction, you can often turn a difficult situation into an opportunity to improve future communication and work-flow.

Now…how does this relate to your career transition? Read on.

Career Corner

Suppose you were laid off from your job. Now it's obvious you did not create the weak economy leading to that event. BUT – you ARE in total control of how you respond to that event. Here's how that works: Suppose you get depressed and just give up. Your response would obviously create a negative reality in your life.

But what if you instead respond by "taking the tiger by the tail" and start a new business on the web, or become a consultant in your field of specialization. You have then created an entirely different reality in response to the exact same event.

Here’s another example: You’re unhappy in your job and on top of that your boss is being a jerk. You realize it’s time to make a change and you’d really like to tell your boss to go pound sand. Again, you can’t control how your boss behaves but you can choose your response and what you do with the energy you’ve built up about his behavior. Turn your frustration into a motivator to start your search for your ideal career. When you find yourself focused on your boss, consciously shift your focus to where you want to go instead. You’ll create a whole new reality for yourself that will allow you to move forward, instead of remaining stuck where you are.

Life doesn't just ‘happen' to us. It's our responses to life that create our personal reality! Think about this for a moment. You really ARE in charge of creating your own life ... So take the reins with your career and contact me for help – that’s what I’m here for.

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.

Want to see more tips like this one? Visit and bookmark my Career Tips Blog.

Hallie Recommends

My Girlfriend’s Kitchen (www.mygirlfriendskitchen.com) – I’ve talked before about how vitally important it is to have support during your career transition, and to make things easy on yourself while you’re going through the change. When I was changing career paths and working 2 jobs, my husband and I would argue about who would cook dinner. Boy that was fun. I wish My Girlfriend’s Kitchen had been around at that time. It’s a meal-preparation service that will save you time in the kitchen when you are busy devoting your time and energy to your career change. I have tried it and am now addicted. When you are in transition you need all the help you can get. I recommend checking this out.

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About Hallie Crawford