Leading companies are adding new talent to support a digital operating model. To develop sharp insights using digital tools, procurement teams will need data science and analytics expertise.

In the last few years, I’ve chosen a word of the year. This word has become my theme and guides my actions throughout the year. I’ve come to recognize how much I’ve grown since I’ve incorporated this practice and I now teach my clients to do the same.

If you read my last post “New Year, Same You – Tips to Making 2019 an Extraordinary Year!” then you already know that I am not a big fan of making new year resolutions that will not stick. Instead, I focus on growing. I reflect on my life and my career and where I want to go and then I create goals to help me achieve that growth. Part of this practice is choosing one word that will help me grow during that year.

I typically start this reflection in December because not only is it the end of the year but it’s also my birthday month and what a better time to reflect to set goals for my new year. Last year in 2018 my word came to me during my November 2018 trip to NYC. Why you may ask? It all started because in being in my most mindful state during my trip and living like a New Yorker for a little over a week I had a sudden feeling of hope that I knew I didn’t want to let go off. Then suddenly I started to see the word everywhere. I even came across an Instagram post that broke down HOPE as the acronym for “Help Other People Evolve” and I took that as confirmation that HOPE needed to be my word for the year because that is indeed my mission. In choosing this word in only 18 days I’ve discovered that I’ve been waking up feeling even more positive and looking forward to the day. I decided to do some research and according to The Daily Meditation, Hope helps with the following:

• Hope helps you control your emotions
• Boosts your immune system
• Improves general health
• Reduces stress
• Improves respiration
• Hope is essential for creating self-worth
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves social relationships
• Motivates positive action that leads to real-life success.
• Hope motivates positive actions that will lead to positive results
• Hope helps strengthen the immune system
• Hope improves social relationships (you’ll get more friend being an optimist)
• Hope makes you happy
• Hope broadens and builds your mind

Getting this additional information totally confirmed that I’ve chosen the right word and I cannot wait to see what HOPE brings me in 2019.

Here are some tips on how to choose your word for the year:

1. Reflect: Take a moment to reflect on where you are, how you feel and where you want to be and how you want to feel. Are there patterns you want to break? Is there something missing in your life that you would like to have more off? For example, a few years ago I realized that I needed to become more compassionate towards others. Especially knowing that I was going to transition into becoming a full-time coach. I needed to be compassionate and so, I made compassion my word for that year. Last year I decided that I wanted to feel joyful at all times and to let go of things that did not bring me joy therefore I chose JOY as my word. Choose a word that reflects where you are now and how you want to be or feel the rest of this year and stick with it.
2. Visualize: Visualize your word. Write it down and look at it. Look it up in the dictionary. See what comes up for you.
3. USE it: Utilize it in a sentence and see how you feel. Use it to describe yourself and see if it fits. You will know immediately if that’s your word.

Now that you know how easy it can be to choose a word and some of the benefits it’s time to choose one. What will your word be for 2019?

#wordfortheyear #goals #words #motivation #hope #choice #tips #coachingtips

Share this with your friends on Social Media or Via Email and help them make 2019 extraordinary.  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @BeProductiveCoaching

About the author: Vimari Roman is a Career & Leadership Coach who helps individuals achieve their peak potential and live a fulfilled life by utilizing their natural gifts and talents (also known as strengths). 

January New Year – New Client Special 50% off – One on One Coaching Three Month Package – Twelve (12) 30 min sessions for only $480 

Call or Email to reserve the discount: 786-340-3174 vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

The first Monday of 2019 has come and gone, the first full week of 2019 has officially started and the anticipation of the New Year has sort of faded. You are back to work, kids are back at school and you sort of feel like the same person you were on Dec 31st. Well, that’s because you are the same person and that’s totally okay.

So many of us get anxious as the New Year approaches and our minds go crazy with anticipation of what we will accomplish, what resolutions we will make and how we can become brand new, then January 1st comes along and boom we are still the same person. What happened? We then get slowly into the New Year but we put off the diet, the going to the gym, the goal, the calls because Jan 1st falls in the middle of the week and we can start everything on Monday but Monday rolls around and… New Year and you are the same you. Does this sound familiar?

If this sounds familiar then that’s because perhaps you have not made the internal changes that need to be made. Change needs to come from within. Quality of life comes from our own feelings and emotions. You can make 2019 an extraordinary year by the way you show up.

Cultivate how you want to feel by creating deliberate habits and incorporating the following internal changes:

* Be Kind – to yourself and others

* Let Go – of all the pressure and negativity, be stressfree

* Be Present – slow down, be still, be mindful

* Be Respectful – of yourself and others

* Don’t Judge – yourself or others and look at yourself and others with dignity and love

* Keep Your Word – to yourself and others. Don’t break promises that you make, especially to yourself.

* Be Grateful – it’s the little things. Where focus goes energy flows. Focus on what you are grateful for.

Create these habits by using the 21/90 rule: It takes 21 days to break or make a habit and if you do it for 90 days then it becomes a way of life.

Once you commit to making the internal changes then you can start to reflect on the previous year, your life and the goals you want to set for the year.

Here’s how you can make 2019 an extraordinary year without the anxiety of the New Year resolutions:

* Get Clear: Do a self-assessment of where you are in every area of your life.

* Create a Vision: Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to become? On Dec 31, 2019, what do you want to look back to and be proud of?

* Set Goals: Set Goals that support the person you want to be in the next 12 months so that you can have an extraordinary 2019. Be ambitious about your goals and take command of your life by making them happen.

New Year Goal Setting

In the last several years I’ve broken up my life into twelve (12) areas and I’ve written a minimum of three (3) new year goals for each of those areas.

As we enter in 2019, I invite you to do the same. Following I share the twelve (12) areas (in no particular order). If you feel there is an area that I left out, go ahead and insert that area into your goals for the new year. If you would like me to email you the free New Year Goal Setting worksheet email me at vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

Here are some tips for getting ready to set your new year goals:

• Get yourself into a relaxed state of mind (meditate or pray and take some deep breaths)
• Sage or light up a candle or incent (this is a good way to cleanse the room that you are going to be sitting in and bring in good energy)
• Grab your favorite pen or pencil and write your goals on a piece of paper or in your journal.
• Dream: Be open and do not limit yourself.

Start by writing the following statement at the top of the page:

“I accept these things into my life now or something better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned.”

1. ATTITUDE: MENTAL/EMOTIONAL – EXAMPLE: Do not judge, Let go and let God, Be Fearless, Be Joyful, Have more focus, etc.
2. RELATIONSHIPS: SIGNIFICANT OTHER/FAMILY/FRIENDS – EXAMPLE: Date nights, Talk to my dad once a week, Spend time with my mom.
3. SPIRITUAL – EXAMPLE: Pray daily, meditate, etc.
4. PHYSICAL/HEALTH – EXAMPLE: Detox, exercise three times a week, etc.
5. CAREER – EXAMPLE: Change jobs, go for promotion, etc
6. EDUCATION/LEARNING – EXAMPLE: Get a certification, finish a degree, etc.
7. FINANCIAL – EXAMPLE: Refinance house, pay off debts, etc.
8. PLEASURE – EXAMPLE: Girls night out once per month, bowling weekly, etc.
9. SERVICE/MISSION – EXAMPLE: Volunteer, Donate, etc.
10. CREATIVITY – EXAMPLE: Take guitar lessons, draw, journal, etc.
11. TRAVEL/ADVENTURE – EXAMPLE: France, Skydive, etc.
12. GENERAL – EXAMPLE: anything else you may want to set a goal for or that you want to pay extra focus to like your romantic relationship or a big project.

Once you write out your goals:

• Put them away in a safe place where you can access them monthly and take a look to see how they are coming along.
• Choose one day out of the next 12 months that you will view your goals and evaluate your progress.

You can also:

• Create a vision board that supports these goals. Not sure how to do this? I am a powerful manifestor and I can show you how. Join my free upcoming online workshop or join in person for just $25. Contact me to learn more: vimari@beproductivecoaching.com
• If you are an overachiever then you can write your goals using the Rapid Planning Method (RPM) – this will break down each goal on how you are going to achieve it. I teach this method to my coaching clients and you too can learn it. Contact me to learn more:vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

Now get going and get started in making your 2019 an extraordinary year!

Want to learn more about how I can help you make 2019 extraordinary? Book a complimentary 30 min. discovery coaching call by visiting my booking calendar and choosing a time that works best for you: https://calendly.com/vimariroman

Know someone who needs to make 2019 extraordinary? Share with your friends on social media, via email or LinkedIn.

January New Year – New Client Special 50% off – One on One Coaching – Three Month Package – Twelve (12) 30 min sessions for only $480 Reserve Here or call 786-340-3174

Leading companies are adding new talent to support a digital operating model. To develop sharp insights using digital tools, procurement teams will need data science and analytics expertise.

I received a call yesterday from a new prospective client who found me on Craigslist….yes, Craigslist. It turns out that as I was exploring ways of getting new clients earlier this year and I happen to be selling something old on Craigslist when the thought came to me to place a $5 AD focusing on my Resume Writing and Interview Coaching services.

Why you may ask?

Well, I realized that not everyone understands what “Coaching” is and how it can benefit them but everyone does need a resume (not to mention most resumes are horrific – but I’ll leave that for another post), and I figured there could be a chance that people may look for this service on Craigslist. It turns out that I was right.

After a few minutes of speaking to my new prospective client yesterday, he asked how much it would be for me to write his resume and although my pricing is clearly noted on the AD, I gave him the quote. He immediately responded that my quote was higher than what he had hoped to “spend” but that he would have to end up spending it because he was in desperate need of a resume as he needed to apply for a new position the next day. I explained that he was not “spending” he was “investing” and I agreed that I could certainly meet his deadline and would not charge extra for that.

When I asked if he already had an existing resume that he can send me he confessed that he recently spent $60 on someone with an HR background to do his resume but when he looked at it the day before and printed it he realized what a crappy job that person had done (why he didn’t go back to get his money or revise it is another story). Before I could speak the words he took them right out of my mouth and said: “I guess you get what you pay for”. I could not help smile and reply “exactly”. I went on explaining that is the exact reason why the AD he read on Craigslist says “Don’t forget…you get what you pay for!”

Turns out my new client’s resume is actually costing him and upward of $259 because he didn’t want to invest in the first place. Why an upward? Because time is money. The time he spent going on Craigslist to find a new service provider, the time that he took to call me, the time he took to speak to me, the time he took to email me his current resume and then the time he took to answer my questions all have value. The question is…how much is his time worth? How much is YOUR time worth?

So, the next time you are thinking of making an investment in yourself think about this: “You get what you pay for!”

Interested in having me look at your resume or considering coaching? Book a complimentary 30 min. discovery coaching call by visiting my booking calendar and choosing a time that works best for you: https://calendly.com/vimariroman

Welcome to a brand new month. A brand new quarter. A new beginning. The ability to start something new or depending on your perspective the opportunity to finish the year strong. 

I ❤ October. The weather is nice, the mood of the holidays is fast approaching and the end of the year is only 3 months away. 

But like you, I remember the days of entering Q4 and feeling the anxiety of my 2018 goals and wanting to finish the year strong. 

As we enter the first week of October this is the perfect time to pull out your journals or notebooks and look back on the goals you set for yourself in December or January.

Here are 5 tips to finish 2018 strong:

1 – Review your year:

• Write down your biggest success and shortlist actions you can replicate next year. 
• Do the same for your biggest failure. Write down what you have learned and preventive actions. 

2 – Review your goals:

• Reevaluate where you are as of today.
• Take a look at how far you’ve come.
• Establish what you can do in the next three months to accomplish those goals.

3 – Review your relationships:

• Both professional and personal.
• How are they doing?
• Are there any that may need some work?
• Are there any decisions that need to be made?

4 – Review your health:

• How are you feeling?
• Is it time to get back on track with your exercise routine?
• Do you need to eat better as we get ready to welcome the holiday season?
• Are there any pending doctor appointments you need to confirm?

5 – De-Clutter Mentally and Environmentally:

• Check items off your to-do list. The shorter the list the more you will enjoy the holidays.
• Get all the “must do” items or things you have been procrastinating out of the way.
• Delegate whatever you can.
• Donate items you do not use.
• Tidy up your desk and your emails.

The idea is to do whatever you can to feel good about ending your year strong and starting the New Year journey with as little baggage as possible. Think and plan S.M.A.R.T. 

Need a little accountability? Book a complimentary 30 min. discovery coaching call by visiting my booking calendar and choosing a time that works best for you: https://calendly.com/vimariroman

Find these tips useful?

Share with your friends on social media, via email or LinkedIn.

In the last two years, I’ve been actively assisting clients in many different industries in updating their resumes. During this time I’ve noticed a trend that I am hoping to help with. Nine (9) out of ten (10) resumes that I review are missing the 3 key elements that make a resume: Strengths, Skills, and Achievements

As a courtesy, I just reviewed a past colleagues resume in order to provide feedback and once again, their resume was missing these three key elements. Hence what has prompted this post.

These elements are what will help you stand out from your competitors. Think of your resume as your brochure; your marketing tool. It must tell the story of who you are and your background but most importantly it must start with the “Why?“.

• Why should your potential employer stop to read your resume out of the stack of 100?
• Why are you the best candidate?
• Why should they call you in for an interview?

To determine the “Why”, think your professional experience as it is relevant to the job that you will be applying for and ask yourself the following questions for each of the past positions you will be listing on your resume:

• What has made me stand out at work?
• What have I brought to the table?
• What do my bosses recognize and mention that I am doing well during my annual reviews?
• What do I love to do?
• What are my natural strengths and talents? What comes naturally?
• What strong skills do I have that my colleagues do not have or that are stronger than theirs?
• What am I proud of?
• How have I made a difference at my job?
• If I am gone, how would I be remembered?
• How have I contributed to the success of the business?
• What schooling or training do I have?
• What are some of the skills I’ve learned through my hands on experience?

After you ask yourself these questions you should have a list of top skills, strengths and accomplishments that you can incorporate into the body of your resume.

Now you may ask yourself, what is the difference and why are these three key elements so important? I’ll tell you why!

Strengths: Strengths are tasks or actions that you can do well and make you stand out from your colleagues. These include talents, knowledge, and skills. People use these traits and abilities in their daily lives to complete work, relate with others, and to achieve goals. Everybody has their own set of strengths. By discovering what your strengths are you learn how to use your natural talents every day so you can thrive in life and at work. Instead of wasting time trying to fix your weaknesses, learn how to develop and apply your strengths for success. To help you identify your strengths ask yourself the following:

1. How do you absorb, think about and analyze information and situations?
2. How do you make things happen?
3. How do you influence others? How do you build and nurture strong relationships?

For example your strengths may look like this: Strategic, Focus, Communication, Development

Skills: Key skills are work-related skills that you need to do a job. Most often, you can find key skills in job descriptions. Skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section. There are soft skills and hard skills. When you’re deciding what resume skills to add, technical and other expert-level know-how should definitely get first dibs.

Certain soft skills, like those that signal leadership, negotiation, and communication skills, are great to add to your resume in moderation and where appropriate. But be selective. You want to be avoid being overly fluffy. Employers are looking for concrete skills. If they’re filling an engineering position, they don’t care how ‘outgoing’ you are.

The Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills

What Are Hard Skills? Hard skills are teachable abilities or skill sets that are easy to quantify. Typically, you’ll learn hard skills in the classroom, through books or other training materials, or on the job.

Here’s a list of typical hard skills to include on a resume:

• Proficiency in a foreign language
• A degree or certificate
• Machine operation
• Computer programming
• Accounting
• SEO/SEM Marketing
• Bookeping
• Planning / Event Planning
• Project Management
• Data Analysis

What Are Soft Skills? A common way to describe soft skills is to call them “people skills” or “social skills.” Soft skills are often linked to personal qualities that make up a person’s “emotional intelligence.”

Examples of soft skills include:

• Communication
• Ability to Work Under Pressure
• Decision Making
• Time Management
• Self-motivation 
• Conflict Resolution
• Leadership
• Adaptability 
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Relationship Building

Achievements: This is the area that most miss. Remember when a resume mainly listed responsibilities? That’s a thing of the past. Responsibilities are job descriptions pure and simple. Today, employers want to know what you actually achieved—delivered based on key organizational goals. Achievements is what you brought to the table. How you made a difference in the organization.

What qualifies as resume achievements? Think about sales performance, increased team efficiencies, new policies, procedures, and systems … stuff like this.

They want to know how you performed—the results of your efforts, not just a description of your job functions.

For example: Replace such statements as “managed marketing department” with “optimized department by building a marketing team that focused on media needs and captured 15% more market share.”

Stand out and get the attention, promotion, salary, and recognition you deserve by not ignoring these 3 key elements and I promise you will have a resume that will be worth more than 3 seconds.

If you rather have someone help you and want to learn how I can be of assistance schedule a call on my calendar at a time that is convenient for you: https://calendly.com/vimariroman

www.beproductivecoaching.com

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Brian Tracy

♡

This year has been the year that I have decided to push my boundaries. I am purposely stepping out of my comfort zone weekly in order to continue growing. Stepping out of your comfort zone is not always easy. But once you do, I promise that the feeling will be amazing.

♡

We have reached July 2nd – the first Monday of the mid-year point. This is a good time to look at the last six months, evaluate your goals, do some shifting if you need to and step out of your comfort zone.

Here are 12 ways you can push yourself out of your comfort zone daily:

1. Take the first stepAll you need to do is to take the first step. It will be difficult. The first day at the gym is the worst. The opening line of your story takes the longest time….etc. But as you gain momentum, it is easier to keep moving.

2. Put yourself in a new environment

Begin with some small changes that do not present any real threat, such as eating at a different restaurant in a different part of town, or attending an art exhibit. The idea is to place yourself in new areas where you control the interaction.

3. Don’t pick the safe choice

Every time you’re making a choice, one choice is the safe/comfortable choice, and one choice is the risky/uncomfortable choice. The risky/uncomfortable choice is the one that will teach you the most and make you grow the most, so that’s the one you should choose.

4. Take a different route home

If you drive or walk a different route, you will see different things. In a small way, that increases your view of the world. That is just an easy way to start. After that, you can make more drastic changes. Eventually, you will feel comfortable thinking out of the box. 

5. Make a snap decisionIt doesn’t have to be a life-or-death decision. Anything from choosing a restaurant to shopping. Just make a choice that’s unusual for your routine without overthinking it.

If that still sounds daunting, flip a coin. Yes, I am serious! Flip a coin over the decision and stick to it. I do it all the time and end up glad that I did (mostly).

Eliminating the need for mulling over a decision greatly boosts the process of stepping out of our comfort zones. Plus, snap decisions instill a feeling of self-trust. So, like Nike ‘just do it.’

6. Consider other points of view

Surround yourself with very smart people who are a little bit arrogant and disagree with you on many things. Make sure to debate ideas with them, in a civil way, which will cause you to re-examine your beliefs.

7. Say “yes” more often

Say yes even when you don’t think you’re ready. … If you are working, say yes to new projects, new assignments, new roles — even when you have not done it before. It opens up huge opportunities in your career. Who knows — you might find yourself enjoying something you never got the chance to explore earlier.

8. Volunteer

Preferably, make it a learning experience. Pick something you’re very unfamiliar with and soak up everything you can while also making yourself useful.

9. Do what you’re afraid of 

New mindset. It goes like this: Does this scare me? Then I have to do it. That’s how you conquer fear. It never goes away, you just learn how to ride that energy.

10. Create challenges to push yourself in areas you want to improve

Decide on a few challenges (and their triggers) for yourself designed to push you outside of your comfort zone in areas you want to develop.

• Next time you see a handsome boy or girl (trigger) you have to go and talk to him/her (challenge).

• Next time you go buy a cup of coffee (trigger) ask for a 10% discount (challenge).

• Next time you find yourself making eye contact with a stranger (trigger) keep it until they look away (challenge).

• Next time someone asks you how you are (trigger) respond by saying you are great/fantastic instead of just ‘good’ (challenge).

Just focus on these triggers and don’t make any excuses. It’ll become a habit after a while.

11. Allow others to decide for you

I make all the travel plans for my husband and I. If he was in charge we wouldn’t go anywhere. So, catch hold of friends who are more outgoing than you. Let them make the plans, and just go with it.

12. Remember that tomorrow is a new day

It helps to remember that what doesn’t kill you generally really does make you stronger — you will survive, you will heal, you will learn something, you will have a better chance of emerging unscathed next time.

♡

My challenge to you today is to put some of these into practice this next couple of weeks to step out of your comfort zone then email me at vimari@beproductivecoaching.com and let me know how it goes.

Know someone that could step out of their comfort zone? Share with them via Facebook, Email or Twitter.

“When love and skill work together, expect a MASTERPIECE” Anthony Robbins

Are you ready for a new career or a better opportunity? Do you have the tools needed to get you that interview…that new opportunity?

A good resume can be hard to find; just ask any recruiter or hiring manager thumbing through stacks of them. To stand apart from the crowd in today’s competitive employment market, you must submit a document that makes an immediate impression. In fact, a well-crafted resume is your most effective tool for landing an interview and, ultimately, a new job.

According to quite a few studies, recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing an individual resume. What does that tell you? That if you’re a job-seeker, it’s incredibly important to make those few seconds count.

Your resume is the most important document in your career. Job seekers are 40% more likely to get noticed by hiring managers with a professionally written resume. Today, your skills, credentials, and accolades must truly stand apart in order to get a second glance. Once you get beyond the six seconds it takes just another few seconds for a recruiter or hiring manager to lose interest and decide to look at the next resume. Your resume must sell your strengths, skills, and achievements in a precise and organized manner.

Following are some key “do’s” and “don’ts” of resume writing.

Do:

·        Do use action verbs as much as possible. For instance, instead of writing a passive sentence such as, “My company has provided me with five years of meetings and events experience,” write using an active voice: “Possess over five years’ experience in strategic meetings management.” 

·        Avoid vague terms such as ‘familiar with’ or ‘experience with’ — these phrases set off alarms to recruiters and hiring managers, who may question your actual depth of knowledge.

·        Be short and to the point. Use bullets. Avoid fluffy or redundant language. The goal is to communicate your abilities clearly and concisely.

·        Use a chronological format. Recruiters, Hiring Managers and Executives prefer work histories listed in reverse chronological order rather than grouped by skills or job function. 

·        Skills, Strengths, and Key Achievements: these are all different and your resume must sell and highlight these separately. Do remember to tailor your resume for the job you want and make sure that your key achievements and qualifications relate to the position. 

·        Let the job description guide your resume. If you’re applying for a position, and the advertisement for the job asks for candidates with ‘high energy’ and ‘experience with corporate clients,’ integrate those phrases into your resume. Many companies electronically screen resumes for keywords, so you can boost your chances of landing an interview by adopting any applicable phrases.

·        Be honest. Do not lie in a resume. People who try to outsmart potential employers by attempting to lie in their resume usually discover that the only person they have outsmarted is themselves.

Do not:

·        Don’t include a long, unrelated list of job duties on your resume, such as ‘familiar with XYZ design software’ and ’good with numbers’ if you are going for a marketing position. Instead, think outside of your job title and list only those skills that are relevant to the opening.

·        Do not make it too long. Do not include 20 years or history or 20 different jobs if you are a job hopper. Make it relevant to the position you are looking for and keep it at a max of two pages.

·        Don’t include irrelevant facts about your personal life: The fact that you enjoy yoga isn’t relevant unless you’re applying to work at a yoga studio. Only pertinent information — such as volunteer work or connections with professional associations — should be listed.

·        Email address: Do not include an unprofessional e-mail address in your resume, such as ‘onesexygal@gmail.com’ or ‘mrgq@gmail.com.’ Uses your name in the email address instead. 

·        Grammar, spacing and fonts: Do not overlook the little things. A resume that has typos, misspellings or grammatical mistakes and different fonts send the message to potential employers that you lack attention to detail. It is always a good idea to use spell-check and ask a friend or relative to review your resume for accuracy before submitting the document.

·        Once again, do not lie in a resume. The truth always comes out. Integrity is important and you never know whom that recruiter or hiring manager may know. You will also be interviewed and you need to be confident during the interview in order to get the job.

·        Don’t list references or write ‘references available on request.’ Hiring managers assume you will provide this information when asked. I also recommend you give each of your references a copy of your resume so they can more adeptly highlight your achievements when contacted.

Not sure where to start? Today, more than 60% of executives hire a professional resume writer. The best athletes have coaches to take them to the next level, so why wouldn’t you hire an expert to help you with your resume and interview preparation?

About the author: Vimari Roman is a Career & Leadership Coach who helps individuals achieve their peak potential and live a fulfilled life by utilizing their natural gifts and talents (also known as strengths). Learn more at www.beproductivecoaching.com. Contact at 786-340-3174 or vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

Self-control and discipline. Both of these actions go hand and in hand. You can’t have self control without discipline. Our level of both significantly affects the level of happiness we experience. As Matthew Kelly puts it in his book “Mastery of self and happiness are intimately connected.” So what is self-control? Self-control is the gateway to freedom. So many of us struggle with appetites and impulses which lead to addiction. This could be anything that we do on impulse such as shopping, gambling, eating, drinking, working, social media and so on.

How do we break from these addictions? One way is fasting. Giving yourself a break from whatever you feel has that control over you. Personally, I like to practice my fasting during lent which is 40 days. This year, I gave up my number one addiction which is coffee. I love my coffee. But I gave it up because I want to be free. I also gave up my wine and bubbles which are my go-to alcoholic beverages and lastly, I gave up Facebook. In giving these things up I felt and saw the difference it had made in my life. The sense of freedom and knowing that I can do anything that I put my mind to brings me joy. Don’t take me wrong, I especially missed my coffee but when I thought about it I said to myself “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and then I quickly got myself busy or drank a cup of decaf tea.

We all can do this. For example, if your addiction or thing you want to practice self-control with is soda then when your body asks for soda ask yourself these two questions:

1. Why did I give up soda?
2. What could happen if I drink the soda?
3. Is this really what I want?

After you answer these three questions, reply to yourself and say “no, we will have water or juice today because of ____”.

When you are shopping and you have an impulse to buy something ask yourself “do I really need this?” If you are in the middle of your day and have deadlines but your mind wonders and you have the urge to go into Facebook ask yourself the three questions above and remind yourself of what is most important at that moment, and what a time waster Facebook can be at times and fight that urge.

Addictions aren’t always food, shopping, or social media, sometimes they can be behaviors such as criticizing yourself and others, complaining or procrastination. You can fast from these also and free yourself from these behaviors. Try it. Practice self-control and I promise you will accomplish so much. I’ll end by sharing this quote from John of the Cross in the book Perfectly Yourself:

“A bird, whether it is tied down by a thread or a chain, still cannot fly.”

What is tying you down? What is it in your life that is stopping you from flying?