Updates - (what we've been up to since we've been AWOL from posting)

Ok - we're here but sort-of-ish here. That means we've been busy doing what we always do coaching, workshops, seminars, webinars....ok a little R&R too and not too much blogosphere.
What we have been doing is working on the new projects for the Fall. I am so excited, I love all this stuff and I'm excited about the new projects to come.
In short;
* We'll be devoting one blog to your Q&A. The Motivation and Transition Coaching blog
will be the place to go to for asking, and getting answers to your questions about anything and everything motivation and transition related. If you'd like to see your questions answered on the blog please email motivateme at motivationandtransitioncoaching dot com. Can't wait to hear from you!

We've also been working on setting up workshops, seminars and classes online. Over the years we've been getting lots of requests for them to be online and now we're going to be doing it. Stay tuned for more info.

We'll be posting the schedule for the Fall workshops, seminars and classes in August. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered please email me at kiki at dailylifeconsulting dot com and I'll see when we can fit it in.

Topics that will be covered are career choices, career transitions, career and practice shifts, exploring new options, stress management, time management, creativity, finding focus, etherthink and more. Our education and parenting workshops will include learning skills, school skills, reading-writing and comprehension, competition skills, children on overload, parenting skills and helping children succeed and sometimes fail successfully, enhancing creativity in children, helping children become life-long learners. You can visit http://dailylifecoaching4kids.blogspot.com for more information or email me at kiki at dailylifeconsulting dot com

Enjoy the summer - I don't know how hot it is where you are but we're scorching over here in NYC. Argh.

Enjoy the day your way,
Rebecca "Kiki"
Daily Life Consulting

Follow-Up What Do You Want To Do in Act II?

Thanks to ASTD and everyone who participated in the What Do You Want To Do In ACT II? Webinar on Thursday, July 24th.
Thanks everyone for your terrific questions and kind emails! The questions you sent in are a bit too complex to do justice to with a brief few-line answer. I answered in general and they'll be posted on the ASTD site soon.

Of course, being a Career and Transition Coach, would suggest working with a coach to really flesh out a solid, fulfilling and enjoyable ACT II. It’s a great new ACT for a new stage of life. Lights, camera – take action and make it the best it can be. You deserve it. You’ve worked hard your whole life it’s time to reap the benefits and make the most of this great, new exciting ACT II.
Take center stage in this next phase! Wishing you all great good luck and lots of years to flourish and have fun in ACT II.

Rebecca "Kiki"
Daily Life Consulting

What Do You Want To Do In Act II? American Society for Training and Development + In Act 2 of Life Doing What Matters (NY Times)

The American Society for Training and Development magazine's July issue features a terrific article by Paula Ketter Are You Ready for ACT II? It was my great pleasure to speak with Paula about the different ways to prepare for a new lifestyle after retirement.

I am so excited to be continuing to explore this topic with ASTD.org. On July 24th, with ASTD, I'll be doing a seminar “What Do You Want to Do in Act II?” will offer some thoughts, ideas and tips on making the transition from your conventional work life to whatever form of retirement you're planning on having, followed by a Q&A session. Judging by my clients I think we're going to have to retire the word retire and come up with another way of describing the kinds of ACT IIs that people are having. Stay tuned for more details on the seminar.

On a very related note, I was happy to see Jane Brody writing about the same issues in her column in yesterday's NY Times In Act 2 of Life, Doing Work That Matters
As always, her article was informative and loaded with information.

Retirement isn't what it used to be. It's a new stage of life with lots of OPTIONS and as many ways to approach it as there are people approaching it.

Using the work I've done with clients, research and my experience as a Program Developer and Trainer I've developed the OPTIONS(sm) system for planning for ACT II which I'll be talking about in more detail on July 24th with ASTD. I'm very much looking forward to it. Some of my greatest work inspirations have come from personal mentors who have made fantastic ACT II shifts. Although I'm at a different stage in my work life the lessons I've learned from them and my clients gives me a great perspective on transitions, and new beginnings. I look forward to sharing my experiences with them, my clients and the research that's being done on this exciting new way to embrace Act II (the stage previously known as retirement - maybe we should just call it !!

Please email or call form more info - I will be posting more about it here as well.

Enjoy the day your way!
Rebecca "Kiki"
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Daily Life Consulting
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops, strategy development sessions, trainings or programs for your organization please call 646.468.0608 or email me at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com or Eva Harris at eva at shoutoutpr dot com

The Dramatic Mind - Quick Response

Hey all of you who feel neglected by The Dramatic Mind - I think we'll have to shoot for September for that one - but in the meantime here are a couple of quick answers to some requests for reading recs for some interesting and fun summer reading. This is for you J and B - who have been emailing since the end of June for books to take along on vaca! Get ready for the fall workshops - they're going to be fun!!

Meanwhile - for any movie lovers who feel a bit guilty indulging quite as much as they do - keep indulging! Read this article and head thee to the movies! Love this article - thanks C.R. for emailing it to me.
It's from Media Life Magazine and it's Revealed: Secret Life of Moviegoers.


*For F and G who wanted books that tell about the other side of the movie business, the one you don't read about in Script Magazine check out these books about the film business -

*Bambi vs. Godzilla On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business by David Mamet

*Hello, He Lied and Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches by Lynda Obst

*Which Lie Did I Tell? and Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

*Z check out Writing in Flow by Susan Perry I think it might have some of the material you're looking for.

*A.N. thanks for the rec for Wanted. It was as you said. The editing was terrific and the story, when taken as a comic book one lots of fun. A bit of gore but comic booky as well.

*I've heard that The Playwright as Thinker: A Study of Drama in Modern Times by Eric Bentley is powerful and will be starting that one as soon as I get it (I couldn't find it in any bookstore in Manhattan so so much for an impulse-read-this-minute but it is available at Amazon) I love anything I've ever read by Bentley so am totally looking forward to this one as well.

As for the other side of creativity - the where it lives and comes from and why we can't always access it when and how we'd like... well, I'll post those later this was strictly some quick answers to some specific questions. Let me know what you think of the books or any recs you may have - I love 'em!

Enjoy!
RK
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Daily Life Consulting

Age of Riches - Challenges of $600-a-Session Patients - NY Times

The question "what do you think?" is usually a loaded question for me because I usually have a number of thoughts and opinions, sometimes contradicting, on issues.
So to J, M, C, and R who emailed me links to the article in the New York Times
Age of Riches - Challenges of $600-a-Session Patients morning with the question
"what do you think and how does it relate to coaching?" I say "I think a couple of things".

*The first thing I'll say is that therapy is not coaching, coaching is not therapy and coaching shouldn't be a substitute for therapy, if therapy is needed and therapy shouldn't take the place of coaching if coaching is needed. The article was about therapy so I will only address my thoughts to general ones about topics in the article that you had questions about.

*The second thing I have to say is that I'm a firm believer in getting any kind of assistance one needs in order to have the most satisfying life possible. That assistance could be coaching, therapy, whatever it is that's necessary.

*The third thing I'll say is that each individual regardless of their circumstance brings individual issues into a coaching relationship.

*Moving on to the fourth thing I had a problem with some of the language in the article. Whenever it's a group of people with one thing in common....well, it sets up generalities that actually relate to many people.

*I don't think "in it to win" is a negative description (that one's for J). That's a personal thought and of course it depends on the situation. I do believe in, and work with my clients to achieve, a level of enjoyment and satisfaction from working toward goals and achieving goals.

*I think that people working with coaches or therapists will probably know more about their area of expertise than their coach or therapist (unless they happen to be in the same field and even then....) (that one is for M). I've worked with people in finance, the music industry and musicians, business, the arts, writers, directors, producers, people in sales, marketing, doctors, lawyers, government officials and agencies, educators, scientists, students, grad applicants and on and on. In each case I learned about the person's area of expertise even if it was an area I was trained or involved in. That's one of the great things about working with people in different fields - the things you learn.


*Being aware of life, mortality and legacy can work to assist people in really defining and focusing on what they find meaningful in their lives and how they want to move forward. (That one's for you R)

C and the rest of the emailers who have lots of questions. I hope I addressed some of them here and the rest we'll figure out later.

Enjoy the day your way,
Rebecca Kiki
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Daily Life Consulting
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For more info on coaching or programs please call 646.468.0608 or email coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com

Motivation and Transition Coaching + Starbucks

Who knew so many of you were at your computers yesterday? Thanks for the emails and texts and thanks even for the kind words about orneriness (is that a word?) - I guess there is a time and place for everything. Moving right along I will say that I am feeling blog-casual this week - I guess I'm having casual-blogdays so I'll just put a couple of thoughts into this one blog and call it a hot-humid-Wednesday-in-the-city day.


Motivation and Transition Coaching This blog (Kick-Start Self Coaching) will soon be renamed "Motivation and Transition Coaching"
since that's what most of the content here has been. We'll be finding new ether-homes for the other topic areas including EtherThink and the others.

Creativity and Writing Coaching information will be on a soon-to-be-launched blog/site called "The Dramatic Mind" (I'm a dramatist by training and personality - what can I say?).

Workshops and Seminars will continue for all the topic areas in the fall, along with Daily Life Coaching 4 Kids workshops, seminars and groups. I'm putting together some really exciting programs and materials and I am really really excited about it.

In response to some of your questions about the materials - short answer - Yes! The materials provided are proprietary. As a program developer and educator by training and experience they are based on the work I do with clients, along with new and emerging research in all the fields covered.

In addition, this coming year we will begin coach and program training for people in the field (coaches, teachers, therapists, trainers, educators, facilitators) who would like some additional training in ME FIRST(TM) Coaching, FINDING FOCUS(TM) and Transition Coaching. I will also be offering Coaching Workshops on Burnout and Stress, two areas that are coming up a great deal lately.

Speaking of workplace stress and transitions. To all Starbucks employees who are being shifted, downsized, laid off or any other term you'd like to use - I'd like to offer some assistance in the way of a quick-pick-me-up. Since you've provided us with the energy to get through some awful mornings/times I'd like to return the favor. A quick-pick-me-up coaching session to help you get back on your feet. Please contact us at coach at dailylifeconsulting (please put "Starbucks" in the subject line) and receive one Grande-Moving-Forward Coaching session for $25.00. Whether you're there part-time, full-time, first job, transition-job, retirement job, writing the great american novel job or love-the-smell-of-fresh-brewed-coffee job you're eligible.

So everyone. Onward and upward as I always say. And of course....
Enjoy the day your way,
Rebecca (Kiki)
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Daily Life Consulting
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For more information about individual coaching, groups, workshops, seminars or talks, workshops and materials for your corporation, business or networking group please call 646.468.0608 or email coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com

Summer in the City + HopStop.com, AAA and Travel Agent approach to Coaching

Confession time. I love summer in the city. Not that I love the city in the summer. I just love how the city empties out. I'm figuring I can be a bit ornery here today since so many of you have skipped town for the week. Thanks. Here's how it is for me. I love the country, mountains, nature, trees, the outdoors, and all the rest of it. It might be because I'm originally from Vermont - I'm New English - or because I spent three months a year in the mountains every year from the time that I was zero until college. Or, I just love it. I prefer being outdoors to being indoors anytime. Whatever the case may be (again - I'm taking liberties here today because I figure most of you are on vaca) so what I try and do is make sure that I get to spend as much of every day as possible outside. I also love the city - I love the culture, the energy, the opportunities, but I can't stand it when it's too too crowded which is.....always. So what do I do? I stick around the city when everyone packs out and crowds the country and shore and I head out to the country and shore when everyone comes back.

So the thing is that different people like different things different ways, which is really the point of my work and my approach to it. What is it that you like? Want? How do you want it? What's the best way for you to get it? I had a terrific conversation yesterday with the wonderful writer/person/parent Gina Roberts-Grey and we talked about lots of things including the ins and outs of coaching for an article she's working on. (Check out her work and articles - you'll learn a lot!)

I tried to explain my approach to working with people and the different kinds of coaching different people need. With some clients it's the HopStop.com approach. Where are you? Where do you want to go? How much do you want to use transportation and how much are you willing to walk? The person knows where they are and where they want to get to, they just need some assistance with the logistics. So we map out a route and take it from there.

With some clients it's more of the AAA (American Automobile Association) approach. I'm here and I'd like to travel to there but I need a roadmap, some places along the way to stop, figure out the most scenic/quickest/fill in the ________ route. Should I use my car? Should I drive part of the way and take the train? Should I fly and ride? Should I rent a car at my destination? All of the details about the best way to do it for what the person would like.

With some clients it's more of the travel agent approach. Hmmmm, I know I need to get out of town but I have no idea where I'd like to go! Do I want a hot climate? Cold? How do I want to get there? How long do I want it to take? These are all the questions that come into play. That takes longer.

So the short answer to "what kind of coaching is best/would work for me/do I need?" is that it depends on what you want and what the best way is for you to get it.

Enjoy the day, wherever you are!!!!!!
Rebecca Kiki
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Daily Life Consulting
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For more information on individual or group coaching, workshops, seminars or coaching/education materials for your group or corporation (or just to say hi!) call 646.468.0608 or email me at coach at dailylifeconsulting.com