Our brains don’t like ambiguity. We are wired to create a story to explain a situation, filling in missing details we don’t know. Unfortunately, we may not realize we are doing this and can get completely bought into the story we just made up. 

We also create stories about ourselves and why things happen to us, and often we have absolute certainty that our stories are true. But this may or may not be the case. Our limiting beliefs and negative self-talk may be running the show and spinning stories that have inaccuracies, or are completely incorrect. 

This is why learning techniques for reframing can be incredibly effective. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), reframing is:

n. a process of reconceptualizing a problem by seeing it from a different perspective. Altering the conceptual or emotional context of a problem often serves to alter perceptions of the problem’s difficulty and to open up possibilities for solving it. In psychotherapy, for example, the manner in which a client initially frames a problem may be self-defeating. Part of the therapist’s response might be to reframe the problem and the thoughts or feelings that the client associates with it, so as to provide alternative ways to evaluate it. Compare restatement.

It can be helpful to work with a therapist on a particularly thorny issue, but often you can do a reframing exercise on your own, with a friend, or as part of a group.

In the Sanctuary session on Monday, July 15, we will explore different techniques you can try to unravel complicated problems, creatively problem-solve, or just see a different perspective. (We meet virtually on Zoom at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central).

Much of what holds us back from creating what we want in our lives are the stories we tell ourselves. Consciously reframing and objectively exploring your current situation may lead to insights and possibilities for paths forward.

This should be a fantastic conversation. If you would like to join us, let me know and I will add you to the list. There is no charge for this session. 

Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash

I spend a lot of time trying to keep things in the right perspective. It is so easy to completely spin out, imagining that you can change situations where, in fact, you have no power.

Keeping the right perspective, and some semblance of sanity, is one of the challenges of these times. It might be something you need to work on.

In reality, it’s a calculation we naturally do all the time as humans. We walk into a room and immediately assess the power structure within a group – who is the leader, who is supporting the leader, who has no power in the situation.

In the July 1 session of Sanctuary, I want to explore:.

• How do you determine where you have power – and where you don’t?
• In what situations do you give up your power voluntarily? (Riding in an airplane is one example.)
• In what situations do you give up your power involuntarily? (Maybe to a parent, sibling, friend, or manager?)
• In what situations do you think you have power, but you actually don’t?
• In what situations would acknowledging that you are powerless be a good thing? (It can feel very freeing.)

We will meet on my Zoom link at 7 PM EDT / 6 PM CDT for 75 minutes. Please email or message Catherine Morgan if you want to join!

In the 14 years I have spent doing career transition coaching, I have learned first hand what makes people unhappy at work and why they quit.

What I learned while I was writing my book is that much of what causes stress and disengagement in the workplace is more easy to fix than you might think, and doesn’t have to cost a lot. 

This is good news for budget-conscious small business owners! Creating a good corporate culture in your small business is totally possible. 

The place to start is minding your manners, just like your elders told you to do as a kid. Good manners and common courtesy can go a long way in a professional setting. Remembering to check in with team members and subordinates is easy enough to do and makes a big difference, as does acknowledging an individual’s contributions and saying thank you. 

At the conclusion of “The Little Things That Make Employees Feel Appreciated,” published in the Harvard Business Review, the authors wrote:

“At the end of the day, building a culture of appreciation comes down mostly to a lot of small commonsense practices: Not taking your people for granted. Remembering to say thank-you in a personal and sincere way. Making it clear that you’re interested in your employees’ growth and in them as individuals.”

Please note: None of this costs anything and it increases job satisfaction and productivity, and decreases employee turnover, which is very expensive. 

I am excited to share that my interview on The Mental Health Today Show with licensed therapist John Cordray went live yesterday – and it’s a good one!

We talked about the impact a layoff or toxic work environment can have on a professional’s mental and physical health. We also covered multiple strategies for working through these situations. 

And, of course, we talked about my book, This Isn’t Working! Evolving the Way We Work to Decrease Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. (Available wherever you buy books.)

If you prefer video, you can watch below. I was pretty animated in this interview.

I was finally able to “go there” and talk about important parts of my book because it was appropriate for this audience.

And here’s the iTunes link.

I am excited to share that our new membership community, Sanctuary: A Respite From 2024, launched on Sunday, March 3, 2024. It is designed to give you some space from the crazy of 2024, and provide a supportive community that may help get you through these “unprecedented times.”

We spent our first session talking about the enduring power of myth, starting with the myth of Pandora’s box. 

I usually look forward to writing this post and it has always been part of my year-end processing. 

This year, I am forcing myself to sit here on a late Friday afternoon on January 26 and just get started. 

Last year was rough, I won’t lie, but there were also some big accomplishments.

My book was published

This year started out with fireworks toward the end of January for me. My first book, This Isn’t Working! Evolving the Way We Work to Decrease Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, was published on January 31. It was a #1 new release in two categories on Amazon. I was thrilled. 

And I did a blog book tour that was super fun and started some buzz.

If you haven’t checked out my book, you might want to. Despite the serious subtitle, it’s actually quite funny and extremely helpful. You can read the reviews on Amazon.

My book is available on Amazon, or wherever you buy books. 

We created the Recalibrate half-day workshop

My co-coach Angie Rome Gonzalez and I offered this three-hour workshop three times last year to great reviews. People told us it was a helpful reset, and we inspired one participant to totally change her life. 

Stay at home during 2020 sucked, but it also created some interesting opportunities. When Rob Bell sent out an email inviting people to have a Zoom session with him because he wasn’t touring, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. Our first session was me and two other people, and it completely changed my life.

Rob’s work is quoted throughout my book and I gushed in the Acknowledgements. Between our Zoom sessions (I did several) and The RobCast podcast episodes, I felt like he was with me for the whole excruciating book-writing journey.

As I hit the wall with the marketing of my book one year in last week, I reached out to him for a pep talk. He was so helpful and supportive.

What a beautiful soul. And hilarious.

If you don’t know Rob, he has written multiple New York Times bestselling books, has toured with Oprah, and shared the stage with the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu. 

Being competent seems like it is a good thing, but like all good things, too much can lead to problems.*

With my corporate employee clients, I am finding that they raise their hand to take on additional projects even with a full workload because they know they will be able to figure it out. 

Conversely, their managers often pile work on them because they are high achievers and their managers know they will likely be able to get it done. 

This often works for a while, and sometimes a long while, and then the employee burns out or leaves for a new role.  

So, how does this show up for business owners? 

As you look back at 2023 and take inventory, you may find that some things are working well in your life, but they could be even better.

You also may find that some things are not working in your life and they need to change.

Or, maybe you have come to a point where you are considering a big change like reinventing yourself, starting a business, or retiring.

You need to recalibrate. 

Small change, big difference 

You may not need to make a big change to change your life for the better. 

Or, you may want to completely reboot your life.

That’s fine – you get to choose! 

But thought won’t get you anywhere without action. What you need is a plan. 

That is exactly what we will help you create – a plan.

This article, “Celebrating 1 Billion Members with Our New AI-Powered LinkedIn Premium Experience to Elevate Your Career,” by Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn’s chief product officer, stopped me in my tracks.*

Like me, you may have gone numb to the constant cadence of AI taking jobs and all sorts of gloom and doom predictions, but is this new LinkedIn offering the nail in the coffin for career coaches – or not? 

With one billion users across the globe, more than 140 resumes are submitted each second on LinkedIn, says the article. That’s bonkers. The new features will help you parse your feed to identify trending topics and important information, position yourself as the right candidate, draft outreach messages to recruiters and hiring managers, and much more. 

Hypothetically, it will help with all that difficult and sometimes overwhelming work you have to do in your job search.