We’ve Moved!

Please visit us at our new blog address: http://innerarchitect.com/blog

We’ve combined our blog and website presence to provide practical, inspiring content in one stop.

We’d love to hear from you!

All our best,

Susan Hanshaw and Dean Guadagni

The Most Important Step Towards the Life You Want

Q: What one thing can you do to enjoy success
in all aspects of your life?

A: Hold yourself personally responsible
for your success.

Personal responsibility is one debilitating obstacle that gets in the way for many of us. We recognize that unwanted pounds don’t melt away on their own, the love of our life isn’t delivered to our front door and our dream career doesn’t materialize overnight. Yet while we act responsibly to promote our employer’s success and our family’s well being, we often don’t maintain the same standards in pushing forth our own desires and dreams.

Consider these reasons to hold yourself responsible for your success:

· Control: You shift from a mindset of “I want greater success” to “My actions will create more success.”

· Opportunities: You recognize that it is your role to initiate your opportunities. You are not passively waiting for opportunities or good luck to land in your lap.

· Accountability: You see that the only thing standing in your way of creating success is yourself. You recognize that external challenges can be overcome with your focus and dedication to doing what it takes.

Steps to take this week to take responsibility for your success:

1. Consider your desires and dreams at the same priority level as your family responsibilities and job. Just like you wouldn’t ignore requests from your boss or fail to provide your child with health or school needs, don’t allow yourself to slack off on the steps you need to take to create your success.

2. Schedule time for the building of your success. You are in control of how you spend your time; don’t let it be your excuse. Put your necessary steps on your calendar and commit to them. Think of time as being the most important asset you have and invest it wisely. Always ask yourself if what you are doing is leading you to where you want to go.

www.innerarchitect.com

Surviving When Your Business is Low

A reduction in your income may impact many things, including how you perceive yourself, whether you are conscious of it or not. If you have prided yourself on financial success, your ability to feel good about yourself may be impacted as you battle a tough economy.

How to manage this challenge:

1. Remember that a successful life is not all about the money. Look for other non-monetary ways to define success.

• Are you helping people?

• Are you growing as an individual?

• What are you contributing to your community or to the world that does not involve money?

2. Look back on your life to periods when you weren’t making as much money as you are now. Believe that you have the capability to increase your income level once again.

• Is this an opportunity to start something new that could lead you to a better place?

www.innerarchitect.com

Career Satisfaction and How We Sabotage It

Most of us approach our lives by way of our conditioning. That is, we make our decisions based on how we were taught. Unfortunately, many of the ideas that have been passed down through generations go against what we really need to do to create and maintain personal happiness.

Here are just a few misconceptions:

Misconception #1: If an established, secure job or relationship no longer makes you happy, something must be wrong with you.

Consider instead: Your life experiences have caused you to grow and change. You are not the same person as you were, so what you are no longer happy with may no longer be a fit.

Misconception #2: Following your heart anywhere except your love life is bound to get you in trouble. Use your rational mind to make decisions.

Consider instead: Your heart is connected to ideas and passions that you do not consciously select and which reside in your being. Think of your heart as the most accurate compass for your life decisions.

Misconception #3: Taking steps backwards financially should be avoided at all costs.

Consider instead: Improving your inner quality of life deserves as much an investment priority as upgrading your external environment and material possessions.

Misconception #4: Having a successful career doing what you love is an unrealistic fantasy that happens only to a lucky few.

Consider instead: What you love is what you are here to do. Expect that you can create a successful career doing it.

www.innerarchitect.com

Job Layoffs and their Hidden Benefits

Being in between jobs doesn’t have to be experienced like the kiss of death. I know that it is natural to feel very vulnerable, yet that is what being in transition is all about. It’s the very point that you are temporarily unattached to a job that provides you with a rare freedom to ask yourself what you really want from your next adventure.

Key questions to ask yourself in between jobs:

1. How soon do I really have to land a job?

Can you afford some time to step back and evaluate what you really want from your career while you have the freedom and time to prepare yourself for it? Sure, it’s no fun watching your life savings take a downward climb, but is your time here really about the money?

Are you at a point in your life where you can afford to spend some time being selective about your next step or preparing yourself for a new path? Think of your career choices now as investments in your quality of life.

2: Would the jobs you are now searching for be top choices if you were just starting out?

You spend a majority of your waking hours at your job. Consider it like you would a romantic relationship. Are you willing to settle for second best just to be committed?

3: Is it possible to support yourself financially doing what you love?

Make a list of all the different ways you can generate income by doing what you love. Your financial support does not have to come from one income stream. Maybe one single role can’t generate enough money, but adding other roles that express your passions might make the necessary difference.

4. Are credentials getting in your way of going for jobs you really want?

Ask yourself if you are truly lacking what is necessary, or if credentials are a convenient excuse to protect you from risk or rejection. Research the kinds of credentials that others doing similar work have. If you don’t have what it takes, identify sources that can provide the appropriate credentials. Don’t make assumptions without checking the facts about the true requirements to do the work.

www.innerarchitect.com