Motivation to Success!

Hi all,

Every week I professionally help prepare people for interviews so I thought I would share some basic tips on how to prepare for them with you. For a sevenfold increase of chance of success I would still recommend going to a professional career coach like myself. In the mean time enjoy the article below.

Interview preparation

Understand the employer – This is the key to interview preparation. You need to know the employer and what they want. Only then can you focus your interview preparation. Also who is going to interview you? It is OK to ask or find out.

Identify how you meet the job requirements and how to use your exprience as an example– Listen this what the employer will want to know from the interview. You should also prepare examples and achievement to back this up. Your answer is example – benefit based.

Know your CV – What if the first question you are asked is when did you do your Leaving Cert and you fumble to get an answer. This is just to prove a point. If you do not know yourself how do you expect the employer to know you.

Research the company – Expect to be asked the question – “what do you know about us?” Research the company shows you are prepared BUT also interested.

Interview questions – There are a number of questions that you can be certain that you will be asked. Having said this if you get the above points right you will be fine.

How to get information on a potential employer.

Internet – This is the obvious port of call. Most organisations have a website which will provide most of what you need.

Employees – do you know anyone working in the company? This can be a great resource. If you don’t know anyone directly can your network of friends, work colleagues or family help you?

Marketing Material – The company may have brochures or other marketing material that you can request. To be honest this has been replaced by the internet but still can add value.

Competitors – What information can you get from the competition about the employer or as importantly about the competitor as this again can help you differentiate from other interviewees.

Patrick Mercie – 4ward 2 Success – 12th of June 2010

00 353 83 3008963 – patrickmercie66@hotmail.com

- Taking responsibility for your Life –

4ward 2 Success are delighted to announce Patrick Mercie’s seminar, to be held in the wonderful Absolute Hotel on Sir Harry’s Mall in Limerick. www.absolutehotel.com

Saturday 15/05 1000-1300 Seminar. ‘It’s your move next.’ Here Patrick will deliver a 3 hour high energy interactive talk about the how to and benefits of taking full responsibility for all your actions, thoughts and feelings. You will hear how you can take a level of control of every situation you face and empower yourself to deal with them YOUR way. Patrick uses examples from his own journey of self development to enhance the experience.

Your investment in this seminar is €25.

Testimonials for Patrick’s recent workshops:

‘I recently had the pleasure of attending Patrick Mercie’s Goal Setting workshop. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, the content was exactly what was required to get me started implementing specific goals and it was delivered with energy and enthusiasm’ – Laura Scanlon, Impressive Impact E-Brochures, Sixmilebridge – laura@noelscanlon.com

‘It was the first occasion I have ever written down my goals and I found the exercise very interesting. Patrick made the event fun and a very comfortable forum for all. I look forward to implementing my action plan.’ – Eugene Ryan – Qualified Financial Adviser, Limerick City eugeneryanqfa@gmail.com

Profile: Patrick graduated and qualified as a Personal & Business Coach with the Irish Lifecoach Institute (ILI) in 2007 and has this Diploma accredited by the Life & Business Coaching Association of Ireland (LBCAI). Patrick has been successfully coaching people from all walks of life towards taking responsibility for their future by acting on it today. Patrick’s style of working is interactive, motivational, energetic and above all positive minded. Patrick has been described by his clients as ‘infectious’ in positive thinking and attitude.

 Book NOW by contacting Patrick @ 083-3008963 or patrickmercie66@hotmail.com

Your Life Coached 1 VIP at a time!!

Patrick Mercie, 4ward 2 Success, 083-3008963.

4ward 2 Success are delighted to announce that Patrick Mercie is delivering a series of open workshops designed specifically with enhancing your quality of life in mind! Patrick mentions that the idea behind these workshops “is for people to stop the blame game and start taking responsibility for their own future”.

The next of these interactive modules is a ‘Career Guidance’ workshop which will now take place on Thursday the 29^th of April, from 1900 to 2130 PM, venue Absolute Hotel, Limerick.

The workshop is ideal for unemployed people, people who were recently made redundant or people who would like to change career.

This workshop covers and delivers the following for all participants:

1) Assessing your current position and using it as a start for your future career. At the end of this section all participants will know what is essential for their future career and what skills they have to offer.

2) Career Identification. How do you go about finding that career for you? Goal Setting for your career. All Participants will be able to establish in what field where their ideal career lies.

3) How to increase your chance of landing that job you always wanted. The bulk of the workshop will be spent on this. Here the participant will be shown the do’s and don’ts on how to write company specific CV’s and cover letters; as well as how to perform at interviews.

4) Patrick will share what resources the participants can use in their search for the next step in their career. From people to online resources, he will show you what is out there for you.

Profile: Patrick graduated and qualified as a Personal & Business Coach with the Irish Lifecoach Institute (ILI) in 2007 and has this Diploma accredited by the Life & Business Coaching Association of Ireland (LBCAI). Patrick has been successfully coaching people from all walks of life towards taking responsibility of their future by acting on it today. Patrick’s style of working is interactive, motivational, energetic and above all positive minded. Patrick has been described by his clients as ‘infectious’ in positive thinking and attitude.

Your investment in this workshop is €35.

To book one of the limited places on this workshop you need to contact Patrick Mercie by emailing him on patrickmercie66@hotmail.com or calling him on 083-3008963. Deposits will be asked for to guarantee your place.

4ward 2 Success are delighted to announce that Patrick Mercie is delivering a series of open workshops designed specifically with enhancing your quality of life in mind! Patrick mentions that the idea behind these workshops “is for people to stop the blame game and start taking responsibility for their own future”.

The first of these interactive modules is a ‘Goal Setting’ workshop which will take place on Thursday the 3rd of December, from 1900 to 2100 PM, in the Mall Suite of the Absolute Hotel. For directions check http://www.absolutehotel.com/directions

What is unique about this workshop is that it is interactive and will yield individual results for ALL the participants. It will also give them something concrete to work towards for themselves afterwards.

The workshop consists of four integral parts:

1. Goal identification through value based exercises
2. Reality check using the SMART checking system
3. Golden tips for enhanced success on goal achievement
4. Design of your own action plan.

At the end of the workshop there will be an opportunity to meet and talk to Patrick.

Your investment in this workshop is €35.

Profile: Patrick graduated and qualified as a Personal & Business Coach with the Irish Lifecoach Institute (ILI) in 2007 and has this Diploma accredited by the Life & Business Coaching Association of Ireland (LBCAI). Patrick has been successfully coaching people from all walks of life towards taking responsibility of their future by acting on it today. Patrick’s style of working is interactive, motivational, energetic and above all positive minded. Patrick has been described by his clients as ‘infectious’ in positive thinking and attitude.

To book one of the limited places on this workshop fill in the form below and send with cheque for €35 to 4ward 2 Success, 35 Meadowbrook, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick.

For more info on the workshop or 4ward 2 Success programs email Patrick on patrickmercie66@hotmail.com or call him on 083-3008963.

Book a Place on the ‘Goal Setting’ Workshop in Limerick on 03/12 from 1900 to 2100 for me please:

Name: …………………………………………………………………………………….

Address: …………………………………………………………………………………

Mobile: …………………………………………………………………………………..

Email: …………………………………………………………………………………….

Please enclose cheque for €35 and send to:

4ward 2 Success, 35 Meadowbrook, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick. You will be contacted with confirmation of your place at this workshop.

I keep being amazed with the reactions I get from people when I suggest a few simple actions to declutter their life from negative influences. Just so I get you all going at me as well here’s a few suggestions: Stop watching the news, reading the papers and watching soaps and ‘reality’ TV. Are you still reading? Thanks J

I’m not asking you to take my word for it. Try it for a couple of days. There’s only one proviso. Do something you really like with the time it frees up. Whatever that is, as long as it is something you like and is ‘good’ for YOU!

I’ve tried it and am 95% successful at not doing the things listed (I’ve added a few other things that are personal and stopped doing them as well). I am as a result generally feeling happier, more energetic, prepared to do more for others, less judgmental and definitely less angry about things. It freed up ‘me’ time and it also allowed for me to share and collaborate with others to start creating hubs of creative thinking people for the benefit of everybody! I’m sorry if the rest of this article has a bit of a negative undertone, it is merely so for demonstrative purposes.

Where does the title come from I hear you ask? When we watch those programmes or follow current affairs we get dragged into the Blame Game or into Schadenfreude. The vast majority of politics or corporate culture works on the Blame Game and the carcasses of others. It is all about how much you have, what do you own and who have you conquered? Competition is the be all and end all and others need to be destroyed en route to success which is measured in possessions.

The TV news fails to break the mould. It predominantly brings ‘bad’ news. As if that is all that exists. As if there are no newsworthy good people or inspirational events. They do this for the reasons above. Keep you thinking in the Blame Game because that way you are not looking for answers or solutions to the bigger picture. And that suits the people in power fine as they are in control and shiver at the thought of confrontation with their destructive ways. They make you feel it is your fate to be who you are. Where did I hear that before??

Then there are the soaps and reality TV series. That’s where Schadenfreude comes to play. Schadenfreude comes from the German words Schaden or harm and Freude or joy. According to Collins dictionary it means ‘one person’s delight in another’s misfortune’. By seeing others suffer, row, fight and behave badly or live in misery we comfort ourselves to believe that our Fate is not that bad after all. So why question it??

In the mean time our planet’s health is in jeopardy, people are at war in several parts of the world, fanatics are trying to use religions to justify destruction, our health care is in tatters, our kids sit in overcrowded schools, there is severe poverty and malnutrition and so on and so on.

It is high time to start thinking differently. It is 23.55 and the clock is ticking. It is time to stop the ‘them and us’ way of life. We can all do more than we know. We can all change the world. Each one of us can. It is time to start thinking big (thanks to Michael Port for the idea – check ThinkBigRevolution.com and join us in the thinking big revolution)!!

As Michael said in his fantastic book (The Think Big Manifesto), thinking big is not about accumulation of possessions, fame, friends, or influence. Though you may get financial rewards it is not about getting rich. It is about collaboration and cooperation instead of competition. And it starts with us, one person at a time. It is about sharing what we are best at and enriching each other. Whatever that may be. We all have something wonderful to contribute to the world. We just have to know we do first. You can, I can, we all can!! Make that choice today and forevermore. Join us in the revolution on the website or via the book or by giving me a shout.

Switch off that TV and switch on your brain!!! I promise you in return increased happiness, self belief, self esteem; improved relationships and more energy. Can you afford to let that offer slip by????

Have a great day and talk soon

Patrick

If you or anyone you know is deciding on taking part in THE running event of 2009, the Lifestyle Sports – Adidas Dublin marathon, then NOW with 6 months to go is the time to start training. The marathon promises to have a record entry for its 30^th anniversary. The organisers expect up to 15.000 participants.

NOW is the time to consider starting your training. There are a lot of great training programs to be found on various websites, yet they are general programs not specifically written for you. Or you could pay a trainer to write a 6 month training program for you. This fails to allow for increases or decreases in performance and is rather inflexible.

If you want a personalised training program written specifically for you on a WEEKLY basis then 4ward 2 Success is the place to be. We will contact you individually every week to check on progress and availability and send you the program for the following week based upon your actual performance rather than on a prediction months in advance. There is also the possibility of going for runs with the coach, breaking the boredom of training solo. And you will get all information necessary regards gear, medical attention, injury prevention, nutrition advice etc…

As a qualified and accredited Motivational Coach, based in Limerick, Patrick is also ideally equipped to deal with the mental side of training and running so you get the best preparation possible for your race.

For information on our very competitive packages and a FREE assessment meeting contact Patrick at 4ward 2 Success in Limerick on

061-340156

083-3008963 or

patrickmercie66@hotmail.com

P.S.: Please pass this on to anyone you want to help succeed; they’ll thank you for it!!!!

Nearly everywhere I go most people I meet are a bit downtrodden about the current state of the economy and the effects it is having on them. And I must admit it is hard to look past it right now. We are definitely living in challenging, problematic times. We are now faced with the challenge to let those problems defeat us or to use them as stepping stones to further personal development.

It is what we do and how we react that will determine the outcome of the problems we face. If we get angry and look for other people or organisations to blame, we relinquish control of the problem to them. How do you think that will advance us?

If we decide to look at the challenges from a smaller base, in other words individualise them more, then it will look a lot more manageable then we first thought it was. Life is a learning process. Many times we learned something from the problem we faced or the mistake we made. Therefore it is very important for us to have the right view about the challenge.

Problems can be used to find a new direction and can be used as the encouragement and motivation to take that step we feared to make before. Problems are therefore the perfect launch pad for a new way forward with your life.

At 4 ward 2 Success we support you 1 to 1 with stepping on that launch pad and assist you all the way to the achievements you desire!

Use these hard times as your new start! Give us a call now or email me!

Ireland 083-3008963

patrickmercie66@hotmail.com

“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

“Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right.”
-Henry Ford

Hi All,

Please find below the latest exciting new product from 4ward 2 Success Coaching & Training. 

There will be days you don’t think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have. (Dublin marathon email excerpt)

There is a marathon in everyone. (Dublin Marathon magazine)

Most of you that know me have been bombarded last year with emails regards the Marathon I ran, for the Barretstown charity, in Dublin. I also ran the Dublin Half marathon, the Frank Duffy 10 Mile and the Plassey 10k, all in relatively competitive times for a 42 year old who had given up smoking for only 1.5 years when I started training. My time of 4hrs 11 for my first Marathon was very pleasing. This year I will take part and compete in the Connemarathon (1/2 marathon for me) on 22/03, the Great Ireland run (10k) in the Phoenix Park on 05/04, the Burren Half marathon in Ballyvaughan on 23/05, the Achill Half marathon on 04/07, the Dublin Race series 5 mile, 10 mile and ½ marathon in July-August-September and the 30^th Dublin Marathon on the 26^th of October. (Hopefully in around 4 hoursJ).

I will enter some other races as I become aware of them. To be able to do all this I have had to get serious about running. It has become part of my daily life. I train 5 to 6 times a week, changed my lifestyle (healthier food etc), put together training programs, visit physio’s and GP’s, talk to experienced runners, get advice from professionals etc… By doing all this, what looked like a mountain of work became a very pleasant (most of the time) molehill of a journey leading to successful completion of the Marathon.

Positive results other than the races have been more energy, a leaner and fitter body, less stress and feeling like I can handle anything life throws at me.

All this preparation work is time consuming so I imagine that if you work 9-5 or more this might be daunting for a beginner or novice to undertake. You might also lack the right motivation to take this on or the right person to help you and guide you and push you forward without judgment or negative comments!

That’s where I come in as a Motivational Coach. I am a qualified Personal and Motivational coach (Dip. Personal & Business Coaching from the ILI (www.ili.ie)).

Combining my motivational coaching skills with my running experience I have come up with a Professional Motivational Running Clinic. This is aimed at the Beginner, Novice, Intermediate runner who wants to compete at their level in any kind of distance events, from full blown Marathons to Mini-Marathons or 5K’s.

Apart from gaining from my experience as a runner and a coach you will get personalised training schedules adapted to your needs, wants and aspirations. You will get 1 to 1 assistance on medical check-ups, dietary advice, race planning, running gear, injury prevention, warm-up and warm down. Also included in different packages are an initial assessment meeting, phone support, regular  assessment meetings and a weekly run during the weekends with me if desired.

DO YOU WANT TO SUCCEED? CALL ME NOW FOR THE FREE INTIAL ASSESSMENT MEETING ON 083-3008963 OR EMAIL ME AT PATRICKMERCIE66@HOTMAIL.COM

(The rates charged are depending on the level of assistance the client requires or desires. Packages start from €100/Month. (How much would all this cost in a GYM or from a personal trainer???).)

Today is the first day of Lent here. For a lot of people that equals the first day of a 40 day ‘giving up things’ period. Traditional ‘culprits’ are alcohol, cigarettes, sweets, chocolates, television. Personally I will try to give up on judging people. Not for 40 days, for good. It won’t be easy but I will do my best.

Anyway as usual I digress (maybe I should give that up as well)J. I just wanted to briefly point out one thing to look out for when ‘giving up things’. As with most stuff when you remove something it leaves a void or vacuum behind. The question is what are you going to do with that void? You are used to have that pint, sweet, cigarette, TV soap at certain times during the day. Now that you decided to give them up, you created a vacuum or void. What are you going to do with that time?

If you don’t think about this you might have an extra glass of wine instead of the sweets whilst you didn’t want to have an extra glass of wine to start with. So that void has been filled with something you didn’t want to, negating the good you thought it was going to do.

Instead think about what you really like doing and is good for you and replace the free time with it. Instead of watching the TV, go for a walk. Instead of the sweets have a fruit salad. Instead of going to the pub, go support your local sports club (that’s one for the armchair fans who after this rant I will no longer judge on it J).

Filling the void purposefully with positive things you like enhances the chance of you sticking with it after the 40 days have past. And if not then you had fun doing it instead of feeling it was a chore.

Enjoy your 40 day transformation. Enjoy your new found habit. Have a great Lent!!

Patrick Mercie – 4ward 2 Success – 25/02/2009