krakauer1

Were you contemplating a career change when the pandemic hit and now it feels like the change you wanted to make will never happen? Maybe you were in the middle of a job search and it’s been put on hold indefinitely. You are not alone. Lots of people are feeling scared,  stuck, or worried things will never change. Many have already lost their jobs or are facing significant income losses. Taking time to prepare and shift your mindset may seem like an impossible task right now. But if not now, when? I’ve seen clients learn to adapt and shift their focus, with [...]

  A Coaching Program to help you bridge the gap from uncertaintyto growth Over the last week or so, I’ve noticed a shift in conversations with clients, colleagues and friends. Despite ongoing fear and anxiety about the impact of Covid-19 on our loved ones and our lives, I hear how people and organizations are learning to adapt. I am heartened by some of what I see: people connecting with each other more often than ever, even if it’s virtual. Leaders speaking up with courage to acknowledge their fears and inviting others to do the same. Businesses and professionals coming up [...]

It’s been an eventful couple of weeks, and like many of you, I am carefully monitoring the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID19) both locally and globally, and trying to stay well informed on how to take precautions during this time to stay healthy, and do the right thing to protect loved ones and the broader community. For many of us, even those without immediate health concerns, the uncertainty of what we are facing and the constant news is taking an emotional toll. For those who are self-isolating, or experiencing work and income disruption, or having difficulty looking after their kids, [...]

The level of uncertainty and pace of change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been dizzying. I am hearing from friends, colleagues and clients about heightened levels of anxiety, not just about the impact of the virus itself, but also the consequences of the measures taken to contain it. We are living in a state of high alert, and one thing we know about the human brain is that it doesn’t function very well in a constant state of high alert. You may find yourself reacting with some variation of fight, flight or freeze. During a crisis this is [...]

I went for a jog in High Park this morning. I am not a runner and in fact I have always been skeptical about the joys of running…until today. Like many of you, the uncertainty of what we are facing and the constant news is taking an emotional toll. I fear not just for the risk of physical illness but the impact on our mental, emotional, economic and social wellbeing. Personally, with my usual wellness routines disrupted and social networks cancelled - gym, yoga studio, professional conferences to name a few – I realized I had to establish new routines. [...]

A coaching program for women leaders and entrepreneurs(Starts Jan 2020) Change is hard for all of us, coaches included! We all get stuck in familiar ways of doing things. Our brains are wired to repeat patterns of thinking in order to use as little energy as possible. While that’s useful in some aspects of our lives – we need structure and routine to cope with daily living – when it comes to trying something new, this type of patterned thinking doesn’t serve us well. In my client work I see it a lot! People are really good at giving the reasons why change [...]

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."  -  Albert Einstein The back to school season is a perfect time to think about how we want to grow professionally and personally. My back to school project this year? To understand the complexities of the mind at work and what holds people back from making desired changes. To get started, I signed up for a neuroscience and transformation coaching program.I set out to learn about the brain. It’s a big project, [...]

I recently had an interesting conversation with writing coach Stephanie Mitchell about the meaning of transition vs transformation.  My quick Google search uncovered these definitions:Transition = “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another”Transformation = “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance” The onset of spring in Southern Ontario is transformation writ large. The drama of the seasonal change in Toronto over the last week literally became a theatre, as people streamed into local parks to witness the cherry blossoms up close. As human beings, we are changing all the time. Some [...]

As the year draws to a close, I am grappling with how to make sense of uncertain and unpredictable times.  I don’t think I am alone in this endeavour. 2018 has been a tough year for many of my clients and friends. On a macro level, we seem to be living through particularly disruptive times.  There is a lot of bad news to digest every day. One friend told me recently he has stopped reading the news altogether. On a personal level, my husband had a head injury last spring that left him unable to work and engage in many [...]

I attended a conference earlier this month hosted by the International Coach Federation . Picture a room with hundreds of professional coaches who dedicate their working lives to bringing out the best in people. Not surprisingly, it was a very affirming experience just to be in their presence! Yet even coaches get stuck and don’t know how to break ingrained patterns of behaviour. One of the speakers, Robert Keegan, gave a thought provoking talk on the psychological challenges of changing our mindsets. It was fascinating to hear the research on what gets in the way of change and how to establish [...]