Emily Downward

Tag: career coach

  • Everybody

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    We often say “everybody says…,” “everybody will think…” or “everybody knows…” but in reality, our brains are generalizing this mythical Everybody based on the opinions of a few people.  As Martha Beck explains in Finding Your Own North Star, “Our social nature makes us long to fit in with a larger group, but it’s difficult…

  • Putting It All Together

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    I bought a new desk for my office, and it came in approximately 10,000 pieces. As I laid them all out on the floor and began to try to understand the directions and decipher which part resembled the diagram, I was reminded of a do-it-yourself mini robot kit I got one Christmas from an uncle.…

  • Strength in Resting

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    “The strength comes in the resting.” It was such a simple statement by my personal trainer (aka my boyfriend) but also very profound. He was remarking on my progress and complimenting me on sticking to my exercises to strengthen my hip, but he surprised me by telling me to take a day off – to…

  • One Small Step at a Time

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    I’m currently rehabilitating my right hip. Due to scoliosis and some other factors, it’s significantly weaker and has been causing me a lot of pain and making it difficult to walk. I’ve been doing a combination of therapies to relieve the pain and make it stronger, and after a couple of good days, I thought…

  • “I’ll Be Happy When…”

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    I have spent so much time looking ahead, looking forward to my next achievement. “I’ll be happy when I have ________” is what runs through my head. There are two problems with this way of thinking. One, I’m not in the present moment, grateful for and happy with what I have now (and all we…

  • What Are You Waiting For?

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    I was a senior in high school when the movie Dead Poets Society came out. In it, an unconventional English teacher, played by Robin Williams, inspires his students to seize the day. “Carpe Diem!” The Latin phrase became their rallying cry. I was moved by the movie and its message. What it meant to me…

  • Being Unabashedly You

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    One of my favorite assessments I ask my clients to complete is the Kolbe A Index. Based in decades of research, the Kolbe A Index measures your conative style, or how you take action. It focuses on what you do well, and learning more about your unique conative style can help you to leverage your…

  • Opportunities for Growth

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    I used to dread that time of year. You know the one, annual performance review time. Of course, it’s nice to think you might get a raise or a promotion you’ve been eyeing, but even with those potential silver linings, you still have to sit through about an hour of listening to someone point out…

  • Knowing Your Why

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    One of the tools in my coach tool belt actually comes from Toyota. The Japanese automobile manufacturers came up with a simple but highly effective way of determining the root cause of an issue by asking a series of “Why” questions. As a coach, I often use this with my clients to help them understand…

  • Embracing Anger

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    Anger is a tricky emotion for me, not one I generally enjoy. For years, I pushed it away, buried it inside or just avoided it altogether. Of course, this doesn’t work. Stuffing any emotion causes a negative reaction in the body. I’ve heard “Emotion” defined as “energy in motion,” and when we dam it inside,…