This is a guest post contributed by Katheryn Rivas of online universities accredited.

The transition from a college or university setting to the real world can be a jarring one for many graduates. It's not uncommon for young people to suddenly feel plagued with doubts about their professional and personal choices now that those choices will be put to the test in a job market that can seem daunting. But this is when life coaching or career coaching can come in handy. Look at it this way: You've never had more potential than the moment you walked across the stage to get your diploma. Your professional history is free of error, and there's no reason to assume you'll be beaten down by circumstance. Career coaching can help you realize that.

For starters, ask yourself some genuinely probing questions: What do I want to do? Where do I want to go? Don't give the answers you've given throughout school; really consider them. From time to time, I ask myself two questions back to back: What am I pretending not to know, and what am I pretending not to cause? The answers to those questions can be revealing, and a great way to start focusing on the consequences of your actions.

That's what career coaching does: It helps you ask yourself the right questions so that you can begin to maximize your potential and achieve a level of satisfaction you might not have thought was possible. We aren't able to really discover our purpose until we figure out our core values and beliefs, so new college graduates need to do some soul-searching before they can begin to chart a successful course for their professional lives. Here are some of the benefits of career coaching for curious new grads:

Career guidance

Coaching is a wonderful way to focus on your true goals in life and how those goals might manifest themselves in a job. We spend so much of our time at work that it's vital to choose something that satisfies our desires and meets the standards we set for ourselves in terms of long-term goals. Career coaching doesn't just help new grads learn to be satisfied in their jobs; it's a way to redefine the entire approach to satisfaction.

Allowing yourself to succeed

This is a common problem for workers at every level, but it's especially problematic for new graduates because they're the most likely to run into opportunities that seem good but are really dangerously limiting in terms of potential growth. If you're a new graduate, you'll want to tell yourself you don't deserve a certain level of success, or that it's wrong to want it at this point in your career. To which I'd say: If that's the case, when do you think is the right time to want it? You have to allow yourself to succeed if you're ever going to reap the benefits of your education. By realigning your ideas about success and worth through career coaching, you'll be in line to achieve more.

Taking risks

Many new graduates are also uncertain about taking certain chances on their career, and that's another quick path to cheating yourself out of potential successes. Career coaching is a great way to find out what you really want to achieve and what you're willing to risk to get there. The point isn't to be reckless, but there is a value in taking calculated risks that a career coach can help you understand.

I'll say it again: You'll never again have as much potential as you do upon graduating from college, so amplify that potential with wise coaching and forward momentum. You'll look back later and thank yourself for it.

The moment you realize that you are solely responsible for our own life, for every choice and decision you make, you will realize that you can create anything you want. Why not create a masterpiece?

Creating a personal masterpiece means no more blaming others or circumstances, but fully accepting ownership of your life. Yes, you are the only one responsible for your life; your career, your talents, your weaknesses, your relationships, etc.

In order to create a masterpiece, you want to let go of the things that are not authentic. Most importantly the agreements you have made about what you think is possible and believe is true about yourself.

Taking ownership of your own life is ultimately about choosing freedom. Yet we sacrifice our personal freedom and happiness by trying to be good enough for someone else, by trying to please others, by trying to live our lives according to the rules and expectations of others.
We need to become aware about the beliefs we hold about ourselves. Only then can we challenge what we believe is true, and start believing in what we really want. The only way to reach your full potential is by becoming more aware of who we really are and not by becoming someone others want you to become.

Once you take ownership of your own life, once you become fully responsible for your life, ...

• You will experience freedom to see and hear what is really there, instead of what should be, was, or you imagine will be.
• You will have the courage to say what you think, instead of what you feel you should. 
• You will experience the freedom to feel what you really feel, instead of what you think ought to feel.
• You will begin to ask for what you want, instead of waiting for permission or trying to please others.
• You will be able to learn to face your fears, take risks, and take chances in life, instead of choosing the safe, familiar and "secure."

Instead of choosing what other people believe you should do, or living your life trying to live up to the expectations of others, you get to focus on choosing what YOU want … and that’s very liberating. Choosing your life is a freedom and tremendous privilege. Don’t take that lightly!

Dieter Pauwels is a personal life coach, career consultant speaker and author based in St. Louis, MO.
He facilitates personal and organizational transformation and works with both individuals and teams to create new possibilities, navigate change and maximize their productivity and personal effectiveness.

As a personal life coach I work with many creative, intelligent, skilled, and passionate people who, despite having clearly defined goals, are not achieving the success of which they are truly capable. It’s not that they fear failure; it’s not that they don’t have the know-how. It’s because they unconsciously find a way to sabotage themselves. They don’t allow themselves to succeed. Unable to give themselves permission to value themselves, they cannot achieve the success they deserve.

One of my life coaching clients, a young and vibrant entrepreneur in his mid-thirties, started coaching with me because he wanted to take his business to the next level. He told me that for the last couple of years his business had remained stagnant and he felt himself procrastinating to make decisions needed to grow his business. I asked him what would stop a smart and creative young man from achieving the success he really wanted. “I don’t know,” he replied. “But sometimes I feel that achieving success means that I’m selfish, and I feel really guilty about that.” When I inquired more about his feeling of guilt, he mentioned that a voice in his head kept telling him that he should just be happy with where he was, that he didn’t need any more than what he had already.

I think we all have such voices talking to us. Like bullies, they try to intimidate us and keep us from achieving the success we want. They tell us that if we want too much for ourselves we’re self-centered or selfish, or that one day others will find out that we’re not that good, or that success is for others but not us. When we listen to these voices, and it’s hard not to, things can get pretty dark inside our heads. In personal coaching we sometimes refer to these little voices that hold us back as our “gremlins.” Recognizing these little creatures for what they are is a first step toward taming them. A playful, yet effective way we can deal with them is to personify our gremlin by giving it a name, some characteristics, and perhaps a personality.

I’ve always had this little voice—this little gremlin—in my head that I call Peter Perfect. He is a smart and witty creature who always tells me that unless I can do something perfectly, I shouldn’t do it. But instead of hoping that one day he would go away, I have come to understand that in recognizing Peter Perfect for what he is, I diminish his power to run my life and hold me back.

In order to succeed in life you must first give yourself permission to succeed. This means you have to develop a positive inner dialogue that is congruent with your true intentions. To determine whether your inner thoughts are supporting or limiting you, you want to ask yourself, “Would I say the same words to a friend, a family member, or colleague who needs my support?”

Suppose you went to a store and bought a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle,but it didn't have a picture on the box of what the end result should look like. Would you have a much harder time putting the puzzle together than if you had a clear picture of the end result? Absolutely! You may eventually figure it out but it will take much longer than if you had a clear picture of what the end result will look like.

The same holds true for the goals, dreams and aspirations we have. In life we move towards the images we hold in our minds. When your goal is 'in-sight', things will change dramatically. If you have ever participated in a race, you know the feeling you get when the finish line is in sight. Your pace quickens, you feel the adrenaline flowing through every cell of your body, your mind is focused and you are drawn to the finish line by a force that is nearly unstoppable.

The more precisely you can visualize your goals in life, the things you would like to change, the things you would like to attract, the things you truly desire, the more clearly you will understand how to achieve them. When the goal is in sight, so is the path which will get you there. Clarity is power!

What are the pictures you hold in your mind ? Can you see all the beautiful details? Are those pictures filled with vibrant, bright colors? Are they filled with hope, wonder, love and passion? Can you already experience the excitement, the satisfaction and the feeling of fulfillment?

Picture yourself being the best you can possible be. Hold that image in your mind, day by day, moment by moment, and you will find a way to live the life that will make it real!

"Peak performers develop powerful mental images of the behavior that will lead to the desired results.They see in their mind's eye the result they want, and the actions leading to it." (Charles A. Garfield)

About your life coach:
Dieter Pauwels is professional personal coach and career consultant. His life coaching programs empower personal development to navigate change and create new possibilities in your personal life and career.

What road are you currently traveling on? Are you heading in the right direction? How do you know?
To know where you are on your journey, which direction you need to go, and how to get there, you need a compass to guide you.
Your inner compass represents your purpose in life, calibrated by your core values, principles and the beliefs that support them. You cannot always predict what the road ahead will look like but when you trust your inner compass you will always stay 'on course.'

Like a compass, your unique purpose is a strong source of guidance in times of adversity and challenge. When you come to a crossroad in your life, feel temporarily lost or sidetracked, you can always find your 'true north' when you trust your inner compass.

What is purpose?

Purpose is that special something inside you that gives your life meaning and direction. It is that special something that inspires you, excites you, and makes you feel most alive. To live your life on purpose is to experience the joy of being you in every moment, at work and in your personal life.

Purpose resonates within you at a deep emotional level. It is your responsibility and your greatest joy to discover it, live it and fulfill it.
William Barcley once said, "There are two great days in a person's life - the day we are born and the day we discover why."
Most people spend about 60% of their active life in work related activities. Research indicates that more than 50% of them are not fully engaged in their work! 

Why are so many people disenchanted with the work they do? What would be the effect in their personal lives?
Perhaps they haven't found a 'compelling' way to integrate their purpose in what they do each and every day. Maybe their purpose no longer fits with that of the company they work for. Perhaps they are so caught up with the 'busy-ness' and urgency of their lives that they make little time to discover what is really important.

Living your life on purpose gives you clarity of vision, even when fog sets in. Living on purpose demands constant reflection about the choices you make along the road. Ignite the spark of your inner purpose and unleash the immense potential within you that will take you to unimagined heights on your life's journey! 

Life purpose coaching can help you find meaning and purpose in your everyday life.

Life Coach and career coach Dieter Pauwels talks about the power of purpose in your life. Purpose is what gives your life meaning, direction, a sense of significance and fulfillment. Purpose is that special something that inspires you, excites you, and makes you feel most alive. To live your life on purpose is to experience the joy of being you in every moment, at work and in your personal life. Purpose resonates within you at a deep emotional level. It is your responsibility and your greatest joy to discover it, live it and fulfill it.

William Barcley once said, "There are two great days in a person's life - the day we are born and the day we discover why."

Most people spend about 60% of their active life in work related activities. Research indicates that more than 50% of them are not fully engaged in their work!  Why are so many people disenchanted with the work they do? What would be the effect in their personal lives? 

Perhaps they haven't found a 'compelling' way to integrate their purpose in what they do each and every day. Maybe their purpose no longer fits with that of the company they work for. Perhaps they are so caught up with the 'busy-ness' and urgency of their lives that they make little time to discover what is really important.

Living your life on purpose gives you clarity of vision, even when fog sets in. Living on purpose demands constant reflection about the choices you make along the road.

How life coaching can help.
A personal life coach helps people better identify and achieve their personal or career goals. Life coaches assist people in navigating change, overcoming obstacles and creating the results they really want. Life coaching creates the capacity for continuous improvement, development and success. A life coach relationship enables and supports you to make the best use of your own knowledge, insight, vision, creativity, awareness, determination, external resources and innate ability to learn and develop.

Some people are looking for a life coach because they want a more rewarding relationship, improve their health or find a more exciting career, while others choose a life coach for more business success or to discover their purpose and find a new sense of fulfillment or happiness in their lives with less stress and more balance.
If you’re looking to find a life coach online because you want to change or create something in your life or if you know someone who needs a coach for life, visit our life coaching website.

Telephone-based life coaching programs and career coaching services are provided but not limited to the following metropolitan areas: Kansas City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Denver, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, Cincinnati and St. Louis. Find your life coach at dieterpauwels.com

101Ways to Reduce Stress This new e-book is intended to create an awareness of stress on physical and mental health and provide you with ready to use tools and strategies to cope more efficiently with the stresses in your life.  To exist in today’s pressure cooker world, and deal with constant change, take the challenge to liberate yourself and manage your personal stress.

Stress affects us all at one point or another, however, once it becomes a regular and uncontrollable part of your life, it should be considered serious. But what if you are “stressed out” and don’t realize it?

As a personal life coach and career consultant, I observe the symptoms often. Signs of increased stress levels can vary from insomnia, depression, anger, aches and pains and high blood pressure. These are only a few ways excess stress affects the body and mind. Alcohol, drug problems, heart attack and stroke, can occur if high stress levels are ignored.

You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to learn what self-help techniques are available to get your life back on track.

There are plenty of stress reducing self-help tips, strategies and techniques to choose from in my e-book. They are economical, easy to use and have tremendous potential to reduce the stress in your life. You can read a few tips before you start your day, or keep them at your bedside and implant them in your mind before retiring at night.  Implement the tips, thoughts and life coaching strategies that pertain to your situation when the opportunity arises, or create your own opportunity to reduce the stresses in your life.

Living in a world without any stress at all would be very dull.  Once you understand your own stress patterns and have learned ways to manage them, your health and disposition will improve.

Get your copy at 101 Ways To Reduce Stress

Peter Drucker, widely considered to be "the father of modern management”, was one of the most brilliant and insightful thinkers and writers on management in the history of mankind.

Reading what he said in 1999 about “Managing Oneself” has inspired my current work as professional life coach and career consultant. I wanted to share some of his thoughts.

Peter Drucker, in his own words....

“In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long term perspective, I think it is very probable that the most important event these historians will see is not technology, it is not the Internet, it is not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time, substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And let me say, we are totally unprepared for it.”

We will have to learn where we belong, what our strengths are, what we have to learn so that we get the full benefit from it, where our defects are, what we are not good at, what our values are. For the first time in human history, we will have to learn to take responsibility for managing ourselves. And as I said, this is probably a much greater challenge than any technology – a change in the human condition. Nobody teaches it – no school, no college – and it probably will be another hundred years before they teach it.

In the mean time, the achievers, and I don’t mean millionaires, but rather the ones who want to make a contribution, who want to lead a fulfilling life, and want to feel that there is some purpose in their being on this earth. They will have to learn something which, only a few years ago, a very few super achieves ever knew. They will have to learn to manage themselves, to build on their strengths, to build on their values.”

Life coaching? As if your life needs a coach? 
I would be the first to admit that the term life coach is a pretty loaded term that might even sound a bit spacious and pretentious to some.  Perhaps personal development coaching is a better term for what life coaching or personal coaching is all about. Increasingly people everywhere are starting to re-evaluate their life's direction and purpose.  People not only want a deeper sense of fulfillment, they also want to feel significant and regain control over their lives.

Most often people seek to work with a personal life coach because they would like to change, achieve or create something in their personal lives or careers. From the outside looking in they might appear to have it all together, yet they feel something is missing. They feel they can do better or achieve more. They come to life coaching because they feel they deserve to invest in themselves, without feeling that there is something wrong with them.

Some life coaching clients want a more rewarding relationship, develop a healthier lifestyle, a more exciting career, while others want more business success or seek a renewed new sense of fulfillment, balance or purpose in their lives. Others seek the guidance from a professional coach to navigate change during turbulent times or when faced with adversity.

Life coaching creates a relationship to support people in managing themselves more effectively and helps them achieve a higher level of personal and career success.  Professional coaching provides the structure, support, feedback, learning and accountability to help people realize their personal potential.

Every coach has his or her own personal style. I use a synthesis of different strategies adopted from current professional coaching models - The Inner Game, G.R.O.W., Co-Active Coaching, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Positive Psychology - together with insights from business and philosophy.

My intention and goal as a professional life coach is to

• provide you with the tools and strategies to create the results you want
   
• challenge and motivate you to take action toward your goals
  
• improve your critical thinking ability to enhance your decision making skills
  
• provide feedback, support and accountability
  
• help your overcome mental barriers and self-limiting beliefs
  
• improve your self confidence and authentic sense of self
  
• create a compelling vision for your future with clear action steps

The best way to understand the true value and potential benefits of life coaching is to experience it personally. Until you've had the experience of coaching, it will remain a concept in your mind. You can schedule a free 45 minute coaching introduction at www.dieterpauwels.com All life coaching services are available in person or over the phone.

Working with a lifecoach is the most powerful tool when people are committed to personal development and self improvement. Coaching is a means to an end, helping people lead more satisfying and happier lives.

In this video,St. Louis based life coach and career consultant Dieter Pauwels talks about the importance of understanding and living your core values to attract more of the life experiences you seek.

Life Coaching Core Values from Dieter Pauwels on Vimeo.

In 1937, during the Great Depression, Napoleon Hill wrote “Think and Grow Rich” – one of the best books ever written on the subject of personal development and success. Napoleon Hill has inspired millions of people and has been a major influence in the work of today’s biggest motivational speakers and coaches, including Steven Covey and Anthony Robbins.

In his book, Napoleon Hill discusses eleven traits of successful leaders. Not only are these leadership characteristics essential in any professional leadership role, more importantly, they can serve you as great points of reference in your personal life. You are the leader of your own life. You shape your destiny based on the choices and decisions you make each and every day.

Keep this list in mind as you navigate through your own life’s journey. These cornerstone qualities will heighten your awareness and encourage you to assume full responsibility for your life and become the leader you were meant to be.

Life Coaching Questions:

As you read through the list below, ask yourself the following questions:

• Which leadership qualities am I consciously expressing in my daily life?
  
• What personal qualities are not in alignment with my current lifestyle?
  
• What leadership traits are currently not being expressed in my life? What is preventing me from integrating them into my life? How can I become a better steward of my own life?
  
• What am I committed to? What choices will I make?

Here are the eleven leadership traits as discussed by Napoleon Hill.

1. Unwavering courage

2. Self control

3. A keen sense of justice

4. Definiteness of decision

5. Definiteness of plans

6. Doing more than one is paid for

7. A pleasing personality

8. Sympathy and understanding

9. Mastery of detail

10. Willingness to assume full responsibility

11. Cooperation

In this video, St. Louis life coach and career consultant Dieter Pauwels talks with Christine Buck about the Power of Intention on KPLR11 in St. Louis. Setting your intent is a powerful force for co-creating your own reality and attracting certain experiences and outcomes in your life. If you want to have a better job, a different career, or a more fulfilling relationship, it starts with setting and stating your intention.

The Power of Intention from Dieter Pauwels on Vimeo.

life coach,power of intention,life coaching

In this video Life and career coach Dieter Pauwels talks about the importance of developing a postive attitude in creating the life and career you want on KPLR11 News at Noon in St. Louis, MO. (video)

Life Coaching Principles of Attraction: A Positive Attitude (video) from Dieter Pauwels on Vimeo.

Stress often causes us to breathe shallowly and this almost always causes increased stress. Mentally scan your body for physical tension. Does your chest feel tight?
If so, you may be holding your breath without even knowing it. Shallow breathing puts less oxygen into the blood stream, producing an increase in muscle tension. When you experience headaches or feel anxious and uptight, try this:

• Choose a comfortable place to sit, preferably away from other people. Sit up straight and keep your feet flat on the floor. Imagine and feel your feet being rooted and connected to the earth.
  
• Place your hand on your chest. Place the other hand at your middle Dan Tian, one of your body's three reservoirs of energy centered at the middle of the chest.
  
• Begin taking slow, deep belly breaths. Concentrate on your body expanding and contracting. Visualize your energy sinking lower and lower into your body. Continue this breathing exercise for one to three minutes or a minimum of ten sets.  Breathing into the lower Dan Tian (below the naval) helps release fear and anxiety. In doing so, you create additional stability, and become more centered and secure within yourself and your body.

In this video, career coach and personal life coach Dieter Pauwels talks with Christine Buck about the importance of maintaining good posture on News at Noon at KPLR11 St. Louis. Your body language is an important part of your communication and a skill that can enhance your personal and professional life.

Posture and Body Language from Dieter Pauwels on Vimeo.

Negative emotions such as fear, stress, anxiety, guilt, or resentment burn your will power and drain your energy more and faster than anything else in your life.

Emotions are labels we put on ourselves to describe a very personal physical experience. They arise from personal judgment, low self-esteem or a lack of trust in your own capabilities. These labels confine you to an imaginary box and inhibit your innate ability to learn, grow and expand.

Seek truth in your body

When you experience anxiety, fear, stress or worry, be aware that these emotional states are logical and intuitive responses to uncertainty. However, prolonged exposure to these negative emotional states can affect your self esteem and erode your self confidence.

Pay attention to your emotions. Allow yourself to feel your stress, anxiety or fear instead of avoiding, rationalizing or judging it. How do you experience stress? How does fear express itself in your body? How does anxiety feel? How does worry move through your body?

Once you acknowledge and become fully present with your emotions, you can start to take control of your own feelings, instead of having them run your life. There is tremendous personal power in facing what feels uncomfortable at first.

In his bestselling book, “The Power of Now”, Eckhart Tolle wrote that “If you keep your attention in the body as much as possible, you will be anchored in the Now. You won’t lose yourself in the external world, and you won’t lose yourself in your mind.”

We don’t typically consider the possibility that our emotional experience is there to teach us something. When you allow yourself to feel what you’re really feeling and listen to the truth in your body, you will gain remarkable insights into who you are and the emotional needs you have been avoiding or ignoring.

Frequently returning negative emotions give you an opportunity to become more aware of what’s really going on in your life.

Start moving

Energy in motion creates emotion. The energy needed to move forward and fully engage in the process of your life comes from your emotional state. Moving will not only discharge some of your anxious energy but it will change your emotional state. You will feel like you are doing something and moving forward.

Take action

Create a list of 5 things you can do or steps you can take to make your lifestyle congruent with that what you really want and need in your life. Each step will help to further dissolve the negative emotion bit by bit, bringing hope and empowering you to continue to take action toward meeting your challenge.

The launch of News 11 at Noon on April 6 marked a new venture into the daytime news market for the station. Anchored by KPLR's well respected news veteran Christine Buck, the one-hour program highlights local news, national headlines, live breaking news, weather and daily features. Christine Buck, who has been with the station for over 30 years has been honored and recognized for her work as well as her community involvement.

Joining Christine Buck each day on News 11 at Noon is Chief Meteorologist, John Fuller, who provides in-depth weather reports as well as news features on a regular basis. Fuller, who has been with KPLR-TV since November 2008, brings a loyal following from his many years as a popular meteorologist in the market.

Life and Career Coach, Dieter Pauwels will appear every Friday on KPLR-TV's News 11 at Noon. You can watch the daily highlights of each show at http://www.cw11tv.com/news/noon_show

We live in a world with tremendous possibilities, endless opportunities and more choices than during any other time in history.

With the choices and freedoms we enjoy, come a variety of challenges. The choices we make are not always positive. In fact, some of them can be self-destructive.

Choices bring with them increased responsibilities, challenges and changes. In the face of the myriad of options we have, our challenge is to make decisions that will advance ourselves, our communities, and our world.

Change and challenge often combined leave us in dynamic, fast paced and complex situations that we are not always prepared to deal with. Change, and the challenge of dealing with it, creates anxiety, discomfort and a feeling of uncertainty among many of us.

Dieter Pauwels is a life career coach, speaker and author based in St. Louis, MO.
He facilitates personal and organizational transformation and works with both individuals and teams to create new possibilities, navigate change and maximize their productivity and personal effectiveness. 

If you're like me, and most other people, there are things in your life that you wish were different and would like to change for the better. Although you may have had the best intentions to change in the past, for some reason you have not been able to successfully achieve the results you want.

Perhaps you have wanted to kick a bad habit. Or you feel you deserve a raise or promotion at work, yet something is preventing you from asking for it. Alternatively, you find yourself in a relationship that is no longer fulfilling. Maybe you have wanted to lose weight, and have tried all the miracle diets, or joined a local health club, but never shed those extra pounds.

What could prevent you from making the changes you desire?

1. Positive side effects 

Sometimes you may try to create change in your life, but you are not consciously aware of the positive benefits or side effects that you are getting from your current situation.

Some people who label themselves as depressed, stay depressed, because of the extra emotional attention they are receiving from family and friends. The desire for attention, or the need for significance, becomes a strong enough motivator for them to stay depressed.

Think about the positive benefits of the situation you would like to change. What are some of the emotional, mental or physical positive side effects of your current situation? How important are these benefits to you? How could you maintain the same positive side effect by making the change you desire?

2. Inner conflict

Sometimes you may resist the change you think you want, because of an inner conflict between the values you hold.
 
Values are basically ideals that are important to you in your life. They are usually expressed in abstract terms such as success, respect, freedom, health, love, loyalty, honesty, integrity and so forth.
 
Let's assume that you want to get a promotion at work but never asked for it.
 
Now imagine for a moment that you actually did receive the promotion you wanted. What would getting a promotion mean to you? More money? And how important would that be compared to some other values that you hold? 
 
If a promotion means a better paycheck, but it also means more time away from your family, this may create inner conflict which will likely cause you to resist moving forward. What you resist will persist!

3. Self-limiting beliefs and thoughts
 

Another reason why you might resist change is because t you’re holding on to limiting or outdated beliefs that prevent you from moving forward and getting the results you really want.
 
Think about the change you want to make …
 
How confident are you that reaching your goal or outcome is possible for you? Do you believe that you have what it takes to make that change? In other words, do you believe that you are truly capable of getting what you want? Do you believe you are deserving of the change you want?

Now, again imagine that you already successfully achieved your outcome. How would this new situation affect you and the people around you? And, would that be okay? 
 
By exploring some of the questions above, you may discover some limiting beliefs you hold about yourself or the situation you want to change. 

It is only when you become consciously aware of the internal barriers - positive side effects, conflicting values or limiting beliefs - that you will be able to make a full personal commitment to the process of change.

Remember the last time you were at a networking event or a reception and you were introduced to someone, yet within a few minutes after the introduction you could not remember her name? Or you were having dinner and someone you met before walked into the restaurant, but you could not recall his name? Does that sound familiar? What did you do?

1. Focus

The neurological pathway in the brain that is used to process your internal dialogue is the same pathway used for selective listening. Have you ever attended a presentation but you were so caught up with other thoughts that you didn’t hear a word that was being said?

Focus your attention fully on the other person while they’re saying their name. Look the person in the eyes for a few seconds while shaking their hand firmly.

2. Listen and repeat

Listen attentively to the person saying their name and repeat their name back to them. If you’re not sure how to spell the name, ask them to spell it out for you. Rest assured, people love to say their name!

3. Visualize

Pick your favorite color (mine is blue), and imagine writing their name in big bright letters on their forehead.  Keep this image in your mind anywhere between 5 and 10 seconds. Make sure you don’t use small letters as they are harder to read and remember.

While seeing the name clearly printed on their forehead, repeat the name to yourself silently a couple of times. It also helps to use the same voice qualities of the person, and it makes it more fun.

4. Write it

The final step is to write the person’s name on your hip or in the air. I recommend you keep your hand movements fairly small …

Dieter Pauwels is a career life coach, speaker and author based in St. Louis, MO.
He facilitates personal and organizational transformation and works with both individuals and teams to create new possibilities, navigate change and maximize their productivity and personal effectiveness.