Did you know that September 21st is World Gratitude Day?

World Gratitude Day has been designed to bring the whole world together in a day that is all about being thankful. World Gratitude Day joins organizations, nationals, and individuals in sharing their gratitude in a number of different ways.

History of World Gratitude Day

The celebration started in 1965 in Hawaii when an international gathering decided that it would be a good idea to have one day per year to formally express gratitude and appreciation for the many wonderful things to be found in the world. Following the meeting in Hawaii, many attendees marked Gratitude Day on 21st September 1966 when back in their own countries. Since then, the number of people celebrating Gratitude Day worldwide has grown and grown. (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-gratitude-day/)

The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. In celebration of “World Gratitude Day”, I want to share with you some of those benefits in hopes that you can incorporate this important practice into your life.

It’s proven that people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they’re thankful for experience:

• positive emotions
• feel more alive
• sleep better
• express more compassion and kindness
• even have stronger immune systems

It’s in the little things:

• being grateful for waking up
• your health
• simple as a delicious piece of pie
• your mani & pedi
• your ability to move your body and exercise
• coffee
• a hug
• your daily dog walk
• being alive

This is all great but is there any research? Absolutely, positive psychology and a recent case study recognized that a gratitude practice increases:

• happiness and wellbeing
• appears to create a healthier heart (A Grateful Heart is a Healthier Heart)
• in the same study, gratitude was also associated with improved sleep and less fatigue

In addition, gratitude has been shown to:

Help you make friends: A study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek a more lasting relationship with you.

Improve your physical health: People who show gratitude report fewer aches and pains, a general feeling of health, more regular exercise, and more frequent checkups with their doctor than those who don’t.

Improve your psychological health: Grateful people tend to have stronger sage muscles enjoying higher well-being and happiness, and suffer from reduced symptoms of depression.

Enhance empathy and reduces aggression: Those who show their gratitude are less likely to seek revenge against others and more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, with sensitivity and empathy.

Enhance your self-esteem: Grateful People have increased self-esteem, partly due to their ability to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

Increase in mental strength: Grateful people have an advantage in overcoming trauma and enhanced resilience, helping them to strengthen their sage mental muscles allowing them to bounce back much quicker from highly stressful situations.

Combine your gratitude practice with a mindfulness practice, and you’ll actually be able to shrink your amygdala.

The amygdala is the ‘fight or flight’ center of the brain regulating:

• Worry
• Fear
• Reactivity
• Our response to stress

In addition, Univ. of Wisconsin – Neuro Richard Davidson, professor of psychology and psychiatry, confirmed that this combination could also increase the Immune System in as little as 8 weeks of training.

My goal behind sharing this information with you is that you understand how powerful a gratitude practice can be in enhancing your health, cognition, and performance.

Here are 4 simple exercises you can do to introduce a gratitude practice into your life:

1. Gratitude Journal – One Week Commitment: This is my favorite exercise to suggest for my clients. Take time at the end of each day to write down 3 things that you are grateful for. Think about what you’re grateful for concerning your work life, friendships, past events, or life circumstances. Maybe try doing this daily for one week, and then you can do it once or twice a week. When the strategy starts feeling like a chore, stop it for a while or mix it up. If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, take your journal out and read it to remind yourself of what is good in your life.
2. Handwrite Random Thank You Cards or Letters: I love doing this at conferences and retreats and leaving these randomly for my husband. Buy a stack of blank “Thank you” cards or just blank cards, and for one month, mail out a minimum of one (1) card or letter per week to someone who has done something you appreciate and/or you are just grateful to have them in your life.
3. Gratitude Rock: The secret to this exercise is that the rock is just a symbol, a physical object you can use to remind yourself of what you have. I brought a gratitude rock back from my recent pilgrimage on the Camino as a reminder of how wonderful I felt during that trip and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to complete the journey. The instructions are about as simple as instructions can be: just find a rock! Make sure to pick the one you like, whether you like it because it’s pretty because it is smooth or has an interesting texture, or because you picked it up from a special place. If you have another small object you’d rather use instead, feel free to substitute that for the rock. Carry this rock in your pocket, leave it on your desk where you will see it throughout your day, or even wear it on a chain around your neck or wrist. Whenever you see it or touch it, pause to think about at least one thing you are grateful for. Whether it’s something as small as the sun shining down on you at this moment or as large as the job that allows you to feed yourself or your family, just think of one thing that brings you joy or fulfillment. When you take the stone out of your pocket or off your body at the end of the day, take a moment to remember the things that you were grateful for throughout the day. Repeat this process when you put it on or in your pocket again in the morning to remember what you were grateful for yesterday. Not only will this help you remember the things you are grateful for, but it can also trigger a mini-mindfulness moment in your day. It will bring you out of your head and into the present moment, giving you something to focus your attention on. It can also act as a switch to more positive thinking.
4. Gratitude Jar: The gratitude jar is a stunningly simple exercise that can profoundly affect your well-being and outlook on life. My sister-in-law gifted us a jar a few years back, and we love having it on the kitchen counter as a reminder. It only requires a few ingredients: a jar (a box can also work); a ribbon, stickers, glitter, or whatever else you like to decorate the jar; paper and a pen or pencil for writing your gratitude notes; and gratitude!

Step 1: Find a jar or box.

Step 2: Decorate the jar with your decorating implements to make it a happy sight. (See pic for an example)

Step 3: This is the final, most important step, which will be repeated daily. Think of at least three things you are grateful for throughout your day. It can be something as benign as a coffee at your favorite coffee shop or as grand as the love of your significant other or dear friend. Do this daily, write down what you are grateful for on little slips of paper, and fill the jar. Over time, you will find that you have a jar full of many reasons to be thankful for what you have and enjoy your life. If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, take a few notes out of the jar to remind yourself of what is good in your life.

Tip: You can make any of these a team-building exercise, but I particularly love and recommend the handwritten thank you cards and the gratitude jar. With the gratitude jar, you can bring it to your monthly team meeting and have the team pick one piece of paper out and read it out loud.

I hope these inspire you. Gratitude is much more fun when shared, so share these with family and friends.

In gratitude,

Vimari

p.s. If you are seriously interested in shrinking your amygdala, I recommend you consider joining my next Mental Fitness Bootcamp. This truly life-changing program correlates with the 18-dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and is proven to increase your EQ by teaching you to respond to life’s challenges with a positive rather than negative mindset, creating more calm, ease, and healthy relationships in your life. The next cohort starts Mon 9/26, and it’s all virtual. Learn more here: Crushing Mental Fitness 7-Week Program

 

About Be Productive:

 

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

“I had a successful career yet I knew there was something even more significant I wanted to do with my life.”

There is no perfect time like the present. Yes, even during COVID-19.

The truth is that if you wait for a perfect time to change jobs you may wait a long time. The right time to change a job is the minute that you start thinking of doing so. The present time is always the best time. Chances are you have good reasons to want to make this transition and I am here to tell you that you shouldn’t wait.

I am well aware that more than 50 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic and this is definitely something to be concerned about. However, the most recent US Department of Labor release shows that the weekly unemployment claims dropped below one million for the first time since March according to a Wall Street Journal article from Aug 13, 2020, and although the numbers are still high this should not hold you back from looking for your next opportunity.

Here is why this is the right time for you to start looking.

• Number one – Companies are still hiring!
• People are moving – many people have taken this time to re-evaluate their situations and have decided to relocate which means that jobs locally are starting to open up.
• Lack of happiness – people were not happy with their jobs before the pandemic and are still planning on changing jobs.
• Better opportunities – as humans our need for growth is still there and many are still searching for more money, more responsibility, better benefits, etc.
• Fulfillment – this pandemic has put things into perspective for many. More and more people are looking to change jobs that are no longer exciting for them. They have either outgrown their careers or they were in a career that they didn’t like and have taken this time to align themselves and their future.

As daunting as it may be to look for a new job during a global crisis, there are still opportunities to be found. Here are some reasons to consider changing jobs amid COVID-19.

• Excitement and Joy – do you wake up excited and ready for the day or do you wake up dreading your work? This is a huge indication that you may be ready for a change.
• Uninspired – do you leave work every night worn-out, deflated, and uninspired? Life is too short to hate your job.
• Purpose and Alignment – the pandemic gives you an invitation to reflect and align your career with your values and lifestyle. If you are like many of us, you’ve taken some of the downtimes to really evaluate where you are and where you want to go. For many, this includes their careers. Ask yourself if your current job aligns with your strengths and your purpose and if it doesn’t then that’s an indication that you are ready to move forward.

If you are lacking excitement, joy, purpose, and alignment and feel uninspired then the time is now. Here are some ways that you can prepare for your job search:

• Take an online class that may help you build on your transferrable skills.
• Get clear – really think about what you want to do next. Think about the lifestyle you want to have (work from home, travel, flexibility, etc). Think about what fulfills you. What is your expertise? What sets you apart from your competitors?
• Career Strategy – once you get clear, its time to create a career strategy. Identify companies of interest, job titles, and read job descriptions. Use the 80/20 rule – if you can do 80% of the work and it excites you then that’s a good fit.
• Network – The smartest way to transition is to connect with people in the field and organizations of interest. We are all craving connection so this is the best time to reconnect with old friends, friends of friends, old colleagues, and members of college alumni networks.
• LinkedIn – is the world’s largest professional network with 706+ million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find top-notch candidates.  Make sure that your profile is strategically updated and that your professional brand makes you stand out from the crowd.
• Resume – make sure your resume is updated and ATS friendly. Focus on your major accomplishments and make sure that the resume strategy is clear.
• Interview Preparation – most interviews are taking place over the phone and via video. Practice and make sure that your space at home if you are working from home is set up for good video and connectivity.

It’s time to get you out of paralysis analysis and into a thriving career. Do work that brings you excitement and fulfillment. Life is too short to hate your job. You will be happier, and your family, friends, and coworkers will be happier to be around you.

Do you have a personal experience with transitioning during the coronavirus you’d like to share? Please email info@beproductivecoaching.com and tell us your story.

Not sure where to start? Book a complimentary 30-minute discovery consultation. SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION

Most people dread interviews. Wait, let me rephrase that…most people hate interviews. I have heard so many people say that they wish that interviews were not a part of the process. But how else would a potential employer know if you are a good fit? I can certainly understand why you would dread or hate interviewing. Not only are you going in to speak with a stranger about your work experience, but in most cases, you are hoping that they will hire you. Many times the fear of rejection sets in from when you are asked to come in for the interview or jump on that phone or Zoom call.

I like to compare interviewing with dating. Most of us feel a sense of excitement and, at the same time, a sense of anxiety and fear when we are first asked to go on a date. You are excited that you are getting the opportunity to go on a date with someone who interests you and happy that the person has shown interest in you as well. Still, you have no idea what to expect. You start planning what you are going to wear, you may practice your greeting, and these days you may even look them up on Facebook or Google them. You prepare for the date so that you feel more at ease and so that perhaps you can have the opportunity for a second date.

Well, interviewing for a potential job is no different. Just like you prepare or prepared (if you are no longer dating) for that special date, you should also prepare for the interview with your potential employer.

Following are a few tips to help you prepare and stop hating interviews:

• Research the company by getting to know their mission, vision, and any latest news. Check to see if you know anyone who works there and perhaps give them a call to find out what they like about the company.
• Get the name of the person you will be meeting with and look them up on LinkedIn and Google.
• Put a list of at least ten questions that you will ask during the interview.
• Practice! Grab a friend or colleague and ask them to mock interview you. Put together a list of questions and practice, practice, practice.
• Make networking a part of your practice. Reduce your fear of meeting and talking to a stranger by getting out to network. If you cannot network in person, then network on LinkedIn and ask them to join you for coffee or a Zoom call. Speaking to strangers and asking questions to get to know them will improve your conversational skills and reduce the fear that creeps up during interviews.
• Visualize your interview. Work through the questions in your mind and begin to answer questions that may come up. I always recommend practicing the “tell me about yourself questions.”
• Write down what has made you nervous in interviews in the past. Then work through those points to overcome them.
• Make a list of your accomplishments. Everything you are proud of, read it out loud, then read it to a friend and then practice saying it to your friend without the list.
• Find out what the dress code is and take it up a notch and wear something that makes you feel good. Make sure you pull out your outfit and try it on a few days before to make sure it fits well and looks professional.
• Work out! Yes, before going to your interview, do something to move your body. Preferably cardio. Try to take the day off if you can or go in late to work so that you have time to exercise. Get your sweat on and release those endorphins. These endorphins trigger positive feelings and will get you in the right state of mind before the interview.

These tips should help ease the nervousness and anxiety that comes from interviewing. Also, do not forget that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Make sure you ask all the questions you need to determine if this is a good fit for you as well. 

Need help with interview preparation? A small investment can go a long way in your preparation and help you set yourself apart. Set up a free consultation to learn more about our packages: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

Have you been stretching? Stretching keeps you balanced and your muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Without stretching your muscles shorten and become tight. That’s why a daily stretching routine is important and NOT just for your body. It’s just as important to stretch your MIND and SOUL daily.🧠💪❤

Here are some tips I practice daily that will stretch your mind, body, and soul to benefit your overall flexibility, strength, and health. 🧠💪❤

☑ MIND, BODY, AND SOUL STRETCHING Pick One Activity in Each of the Categories and Do It for 10 Minutes Each – Daily:

1️⃣ Body: Yoga or Static Stretching

2️⃣ Mind: Read or Listen to a Book or Podcast, Take a Class, Challenge Yourself by Doing Something New

3️⃣ Soul: Pray, Meditate, Journal, Spend Time With a Loved One

Doing one of these activities daily for 10 minutes will make a huge difference in how you feel and help you stretch not just your body but your mind and soul as well. You’ll have overall health and this is so important now more than ever. Keep yourself healthy mind, body, and soul. 🧠💪❤

Stretch your mind, body, and soul with our High-Performance Coaching. Learn how we can work together – schedule a free consultation: www.beproductivecoaching.com

One of the most frequent questions I get is how to optimize LinkedIn and have a profile that makes you stand out. In today’s market having online professional branding, presence could be the difference between you and the next candidate. With 95% of recruiters searching on LinkedIn you cannot afford not to have a presence and you want to put your best foot forward. Here are six key areas to customize and pay particular attention to. The time to update or create a profile is now. The economy will open up and you want to be ready when it does. Take this time during #saferathome to get yourself ready and put your best foot forward.
👩‍💻👨‍💻

1. Head-shot & Cover Photo: You must have one. Make it professional and if possible make sure you are looking at the camera. Upload a cover photo that reflects who you are as a professional.
2. Headline: This is prime real estate. Make sure that you optimize it with the best keywords.
3. About Section: Use it! Tell the story of your career and offer the reader an understanding of what makes you competitive.
4. Customize URL: Remove the odd numbers that LinkedIn generates. This should be just your name and if it’s common then include a middle initial or something that differentiates you such as DR, MBA, PA, etc.
5. Experience: Make sure it matches your resume and quantify your accomplishments.
6. Skills & Endorsements: Update this section with your top skills and ask for endorsements.

Not comfortable writing about yourself and don’t know where to start? I can help I am offering 50% off all of my services now through May 31st. Schedule a free consultation- www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

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