Search Results for: mindfulness

Three Words to Guide Me in 2024

January 8, 2024 by Jim Peacock 6 Comments

For nine years now, I have chosen three words to guide me throughout the year rather than creating New Year’s resolutions. Writing and thinking about the words daily inspires me and gives me the power to start each day. For example, in 2023 when I wrote the word Joy, I would stop and think about what I could do that day to bring joy. Throughout my day I would look for where the word Joy could be found. It was amazing how often it came to fruition in some form.

To choose my words this year, like the past eight, I scheduled a day-long tech-free retreat during which I could read, write, reflect, meditate, and take walks away from my distraction-filled home. I turned off my social media and phone and found that in and of itself to be cleansing. I spent the morning in one cafe and early afternoon in another.

It is amazing how by simply changing location I can be inspired to see things differently and be motivated to write. Being in a different environment helps me to think differently. I encourage you to try it if you can. Even a half-day can be powerful, but I recommend trying a full eight-hour day.

Peace. This word feels right to me as I look ahead in my life and with hope towards our country’s future. I was choosing my words shortly after the Hamas and Israeli fighting started, and as the war in Ukraine was coming up on two years since it broke out. So sad.

I try to start my day with stretching, walking, and reading before I begin working. This helps me start each day slowly and this year, I hope, peacefully. I am looking for ways to be more content with myself by incorporating meditation into my day and finding ways to be calm and kind to myself.

Catalyst. This word jumped out to me as I was reading J.P. Michel’s new book, The World Needs You. He is calling for career coaches to be career catalysts and help propel our students/clients to their future careers. My passion in life now is to give back to our profession by being a Trustee on the NCDA Board of Directors. I want to use my three-year commitment to NCDA to be a catalyst for our association.

Another passion of mine is offering a mentor relationship to people new to the field. Over the past few years, I have worked with several people who had various questions about how to get into the career development field, how to create a company that is currently centered in Brazil and move it to the US, what types of jobs are available for someone with the Certified Career Service Provider (CCSP) credential, or how to start their own consulting business. I want to help every one of them in whatever way I can, and I believe I can be a catalyst for them.

Discover. This word has several different layers to it. I like that the word feeds my love of learning. I am always looking to discover new information through reading, podcasts, listening to news shows, talking with people, or watching TV. I simply love learning. The layers include looking at ways to improve Peak-Careers and thinking about what I’d like to do with the business over the next few years.

The word Discover also has great meaning for who “Jim Peacock” is and will become over the next few years. I am in my mid-to-late 60s and find life is constantly evolving as my family grows (more grandchildren), my siblings are all facing retirement and we talk about how we can get together despite living 1000s of miles apart, my lifelong friends and I are closer now than ever, and my wife and I are traveling more.

I look forward to seeing how these words develop throughout the year.

Do you choose three words to guide you?

If so, please share your words and a little about what they mean to you.

Here are all my words from 2016-2023

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

2021 – Be ★ Kindness ★ Understanding

2022 – Community ★ Balance ★ Positivity

2023 – Joy ★ Humility ★ Exploration

2024 – Peace ★ Catalyst ★ Discover

If you’d like to read about how I choose past years words and/or watch some interviews with other people who choose three words, check out my website here.

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

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INTERVIEW: Resilience and Importance of Self-Care

March 20, 2023 by Jim Peacock 2 Comments

Another Peak-Careers INTERVIEW on Resilience for Job Seekers: The importance of having a Healthy Body and Brain.

My guests today are:

Sabrina Woods, Holistic Career Coach & International Trainer / Speaker

Aileen Axtmayer is a Career Coach and Corporate Wellness Speaker

Kim Bilawchuk is a Career Coach

(1)- Many of our clients struggle to find their next job. Why is having a healthy body and brain so important to them?

(2) What suggestions do you have to help them take care of themselves?

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE INTERVIEW

Rise Above Your Stress: http://www.sabrina-woods.com/uploads/1/0/2/3/10238814/rising_above_job_search_stress_-sabrina_woods-_handout.pdf

10 Tips to Build Resilience: http://www.sabrina-woods.com/uploads/1/0/2/3/10238814/buiding_resilience_top_10_tips_-hopesummit-_sabrina_woods_5-4-20.pdf

https://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/471023/_PARENT/CC_layout_details/false

Tapping Solutions app https://www.thetappingsolution.com/

Calm App (on phone)

Insight Timer (on phone) Thousands of meditations to choose from, I love Mary Maddux’s Relax Into Sleep meditation and her walking meditation. Jim

Atomic Habits by James Clear
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Emotional First-Aid by Dr. Guy Winch

Yoga nidra and guided breathwork https://www.aspirewithaileen.com/workplace-wellness-guides

The On-Purpose Person: Making Your Life Make Sense by Kevin W. McCarthy

Bio’s

Sabrina Woods is a Holistic Career Coach & International Trainer / Speaker. She has 20 years in the career services field including at Harvard and Northeastern. In her coaching work, she uses holistic and mindfulness-based practices to help people with major career transitions. Sabrina also facilitates workshops on career and well-being topics such as the Myers Briggs, managing our stress, and capitalizing on Linkedin. For more info: www.sabrina-woods.com or www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinawoods.

Aileen Axtmayer is a Career Coach and Corporate Wellness Speaker. In her practice, Aspire with Aileen, she helps exhausted professionals restore their energy, feel their best, and do what they love. Over the past 15+ years she’s helped thousands of people manage their stress and has presented to global groups of up to 300 people. Aileen believes that happiness in our careers can make us healthier and being healthier enables us to thrive in our work. www.aspirewithaileen.com

Kim Bilawchuk is a Career Coach who is passionate about helping others live in alignment with who they are truly meant to be by slowing down to get ahead. A lifelong learner, she inspires her clients by creating unique approaches to explore and discover their greatest potential for transformation, growth, and healing, giving them individualized support and encouragement to live a life of calm and ease both personally and professionally, in a safe, supported, non-judgmental environment. Kim lives in Lowell, MA, with her amazing husband, two soccer-playing teenagers, and mutt named Albert. You can learn more about her at www.kbcareercoach.com and connect with her at www.linkedin.com/in/kimbilawchuk

Jim Peacock is the principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF, and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

January 19, 2023 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

This book was recommended to me because I love to take tech-free retreats and write, read, think, meditate, and just “be” in the moment. (Read bout my tech-free retreats).

This is a fairly religious book written by a Jewish man in the 1950’s but what really resonated with me is his concept of time vs space. And how so many of us have filled our lives with things that take space, like material goods, work, and doing things.

He talks about the importance of respecting time as a thing to enjoy…just the time we are in, like mindfulness. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes to think about.

“We must not forget – that it is not a thing that lends significance to a moment; it is the moment that lends significance to things.”

“We usually think that the earth is our mother, that time is money and profit our mate. The seventh day is a reminder that God is our father, that time is life and spirit our mate.”

“Time is the process of creation, and things of space are results of creation. When looking at space we see products of creation; when intuiting time we hear the process of creation.”

Amazingly I watched a Simon Sinek podcast today when I finished this book, with Brene Brown and Adam Grant talking about creativity and the importance of giving our brains space to think. To take the time to NOT think about being creative and to take the time to do nothing (Abraham’s “time”) to let our minds go free.

Taking my retreat and turning off the technology is the day I slow down. It is by far the most productive day of the month whenever I take it.

This book is a real thinker book and has references to lots of rabbi’s and readings from the Bible and the Torah. But the most important thing about it is that it reinforced my need to retreats and take the time weekly to NOT do things and “just be” in the moment.

My Three Words in 2023 to Guide Me

January 9, 2023 by Jim Peacock 4 Comments

My 2023 words did not come as easily to me as they had in the past. As always, I did a tech-free retreat to get out of my house, slow down, write, and think. This was a good starting point, and I felt like two words stood out for me. But the third word had been elusive, so I waited.

Journaling helps. Reading helps. Thinking helps. Slowing down helps.

Probably one of the best things I did this fall was to read Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart. I love how she broke down so many emotions and explained some of the subtle differences. It’s possible that all three words this year are because of this book. Yes, I had been thinking about some of them, but the book clarified what they mean to me and encouraged me to think deeper about them.

I struggled with the third word until one day when I sat down, pulled out my pen and journal, and just free-wrote for a few minutes:

I want to keep writing ◊ I want to stay humble ◊ I want to keep helping career coaches ◊ I want to slow down ◊ I want to keep working ◊ I want to keep playing ◊ I want to keep learning ◊ I want humor in my life ◊ I want to be outdoors as much as possible.

What I discovered was that the free writing confirmed the three words I had been considering…and it felt great. So much of this process is trusting my instincts and being authentic. So here are my three words for 2023 and why I chose them.

Joy

As I read Brene’s book, her definition of the word joy really stood out for me. It is “the good mood of the soul” and an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection, pleasure, and appreciation. While experiencing joy, we don’t lose ourselves, we become more truly ourselves.

She talks about how joy and gratitude are closely connected and can create an “intriguing upward spiral.” The opposite of what I call the “vortex of negativity” when people focus on the negative and all that happens is they get more and more negativity.

Gratitude was one of my 2019 words, and I’ve discovered that my yearly words never really leave me. I try to spend time thinking daily about what I am grateful for. So when I read about the connection between joy and gratitude it really resonated with me. Probably the phrase that really hits home for me is “good mood of the soul.” Yeah, I want some of that every day!

Humility

Although I list it here as second, this was the final word I chose. It didn’t really make the list until I did my journal purge and it came out almost immediately. Maybe it’s because I was just visiting my 96-year-old dad in Michigan and have watched him deteriorate from a healthy, vibrant, intelligent, successful man to his small world today. But he still remains thankful and gracious for all Jean (his wife) does for him and for all the times his children visit or call.

I’ve also seen some people in various fields who think they know everything. I am not one of those people and never want to be. I always feel like I have more to learn and that I am never the smartest person in the room. I might have more knowledge about a topic than others, but there is so much to know about any subject and there are so many people I know in the career field doing great work. I never want to lose my humility.

In Atlas of the Heart Brene describes humility as “openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth.” And most impactful is this quote:

“I’m here to get it right, not to be right.”

Exploration

This is an interesting word for me that has many meanings already. The word brings with it more questions than answers. Where do I want to spend my time this year? How can I explore new ways of working less while still providing quality? What are some ways to grow Peak-Careers in areas in which I want to do more in? (i.e. workshops) How are all my roles in life going to grow (husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend)?

Exploration could be my continued effort to explore my 2022 word, balance. This past year I worked to balance my life more by looking at work and life. Exploration seems to be less about balance and more about exploring options to keep my brain growing, me learning, and experiencing new experiences.

We have some travel plans this year too and my curiosity about cultures and meeting new people is always strong. Exploring new environments, a new backpacking trip someplace, and the always present book on my shelf, seems to fit me well for now.

———————–

If you have tried the New Year’s Resolutions and they have not worked well for you, you may want to try this activity of choosing three words to guide you each year. You can watch some interviews and read some blogs I’ve written on this topic here https://peak-careers.com/?s=three+words

My strongest piece of advice is to write them down regularly. Not just print them off and post them, but to physically write them down with a writing utensil. There is something kinesthetically magical about that process where it seems to embed the word in my head better when I write it.

Below are my past words. FYI, I feel like they don’t ever leave me, they just are not forefront in my thinking.

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

2021 – Be ★ Kindness ★ Understanding

2022 – Community ★ Balance ★ Positivity

If you have chosen three words to guide you for the year, I’d love to hear what they are and what they mean to you.

Watch this interview with three of us talking about our Three Words to Guide Us in 2023

Why My Career Community Is So Important to Me

March 7, 2022 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

Each year I choose three words to guide me, and one of mine this year is “community.” (Read all three and what they mean to me). The word “community” has multiple layers in its meaning to me, and as we come out of Covid my need to be a part of a community has probably never been stronger. I think about my hockey community which consists of about 8 or 9 guys who all love to play hockey outdoors here in Maine. And a high school friend and college roommate and his brothers who are all in a fantasy hockey league together.

Other personal communities include my backpacking buddies, my fishing buddies, and my family who are spread out across the country and stay connected via zoom for most of the year. All are important people in my world who add value to my life.

The other important community for me is that of the career professionals that I know. I have always been professionally involved, from my student activity days (1981-84) to my school counselor days (1990’s), and for the past 25+ years in the career development profession.

Often when I think of my career community, I think about things like:

What can I do to improve others?
Who are my “go to” people I can learn from?
Is there a role I could fill in my career development professional associations?
What else can I learn to better understand career issues?

As I think about what I can do to help improve others in my field, I think about my weekly career emails, or sharing great content I discover online, or writing articles, and more. I get great satisfaction from doing this and love it when I hear from others that whatever I shared, somehow connected or resonated with them.

CHALLENGE: What can you do to help improve our career community?

My “go to” people are many in this field and I see each one of them adding value in my life professionally and often personally. My “go to” people include: Hannah Morgan a.k.a. Career Sherpa who has nudged me to do more videos including a LinkedIn Live recently, Bob McIntosh who inspires me to write more, Barry Davis who shares my love for reading, and Sabrina Woods who has helped me realize the power of mindfulness and importance of slowing down. Others like Mark Danaher have helped me see the importance of sharing content with others with no expectation of getting anything back. (But the universe remembers). Thank you each for being such an important part of my community. There are many more and I hope you know who you are.

CHALLENGE: Who are your “go to” people?

I am finishing up my 6-year term (actually two 3-year terms) for National Career Development Association (NCDA) on the Training & Education Council in September. This has been a wonderful experience where I have learned more about NCDA, met people from all over the country, and have made a positive difference in the training programs we oversee. For many years I have been involved with the Maine Career Development Association and still keep a “finger” in the association, although not in an official role. I am not sure what I will do next but I am sure I will find something to keep me engaged in the career development profession.

CHALLENGE: What do you do, or could you do, for our profession?

Libraries mesmerize me. I still remember the Seattle Public Library years ago when I first walked through it. All these books and so much to learn. I feel much the same way in our profession, there is so much to learn about helping people with their career decisions. What don’t I know?

Well there is plenty I don’t know and I am always looking for ways to continue my learning which is why I read daily, listen to podcasts, attend conferences and webinars, and network. I feel like each person I meet is a person who can help me learn a different tool or perspective that I hadn’t known before.

CHALLENGE: What do you do to improve your own skills?

My career community helps me in each of these “challenges” and I hope you find value in your own career community.

My Three Guiding Words in 2022

January 3, 2022 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

A couple of weeks ago, I took my “tech-free retreat” which I try to fit in monthly. My focus was on choosing my three guiding words for the upcoming year. December’s retreat was scheduled on a day that turned out to be our first real snowstorm of the year. Hence, it became a half-day retreat, not my typical full day one. I’ve lost access to an office I was using for my retreats, so I spent the morning at Selah Tea Cafe downtown Waterville where I worked on my three words for 2022.

I had planned to move to my other favorite coffee shop, Jorgenson’s Cafe, at noon, but they closed early. My next back up plan was to hang out in the Waterville Public Library on the 3rd floor which has a wonderful room with lots of windows looking over downtown Waterville…but alas, they closed due to the storm as well.

All was not lost as I still did lots of thinking and writing, and came up with my three guiding words for the year.

First off, let me share my words from past years. Each word still resonates with me at some level. They were important to me then and still are now as a clue to who I am and who I want to be.

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

2021 – Be ★ Kindness ★ Understanding

Here are my three guiding words for 2022 and a little of the reasoning behind each one.

Balance

In 2020 I used “rebalance” which is similar, but as I looked ahead to 2022 and reflected back on 2021, I kept coming back to the guiding word of “balance.” A few years ago I was trying to rebalance, to make a bigger change. Now looking at this word the meaning feels more like balancing with smaller more permanent changes.

Like a few years ago, I am still interested in reducing the actual number of hours I spend working each week. My wife retired this past year and I am trying hard to spend more time with her. We have already gone to a number of matinees during the week, and occasionally taken some time off “just to hang out.” I want to explore this balance more in the upcoming year while continuing to add value in the career field.

Positivity

Ted Lasso inspired me on this one. Special thanks to my backpacking buddy, Howard who turned me on to the Ted Lasso show in September. I came home from our backpacking trip in Vermont and my wife and I watched both seasons this fall.

Ted Lasso is positive, unassuming, funny, and has a HUGE heart. Each episode had me laughing, crying, and often surprised at what happened.

Humor has always been a big part of my life. I want to BE a positive influence on others and I want to be as upbeat as I can every day. Life is too short to be any other way and the past couple of years have been difficult daily to navigate…sometimes I just have to stop reading articles and move on.

Community

As I think back to what I loved working on this past year, I found myself reflecting on the many zoom calls with people in the career field, many of who were thinking about going into private practice or exploring their own career development related to our field. I really want to continue to help other career practitioners and love the idea of figuring out where I want to spend my time in the career community.

I am also looking at my local community here in Central Maine to figure out where I might spend some time and energy. Of course, I also have a community of family, cousins, and friends that I want to continue to nurture.

In February I will share the process I used in choosing these three guiding words. Yes, it happened mostly on my retreat, but this year I did something a little different. I will also write more about what each word means to me in the coming months.

Have you chosen three guiding words for 2022?

If so, what are they and what do they mean to you?

Read how I choose my words this year.