Motivation to Success!

According to the results of recent surveys in the UK, US and Ireland more than 50% of the workforce is unhappy with their career or job.

Most of these people are unhappy with the actual tasks they are doing in their job. The only way they will be happier is if they do something totally different – i.e., take a different career direction. The same goes for a lot of people who are made redundant.

These people have a choice, stay with the career they are or were in, or change it. The biggest thing preventing you from getting a career you love… believe it or not… is YOU!

Many people are simply not prepared to put in the effort needed, preferring to take the easy way out and accept second best… or maybe even whatever seemed like a good idea at the time. They do what they had the points for in their leaving cert or what their parents did/told them to do. Or they come up with excuses such as financial restraints.

It’s important to realise that choosing a career (or changing careers) is right up there with getting married, having kids, and buying a house. It is one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life! For a few decades you will spend 60 odd hours out of 168 each week working and travelling to and from work.

And what happens at work, whether it’s good or bad, affects ALL the other aspects of your life – your health, family, finances, relationships, self-esteem and so on.

Choosing a career is NOT something that can be done in less than five minutes, but unfortunately, that’s how much thought some people put into it. Then 5 years later they are still on the factory floor, or answering phones at a call centre, selling door to door or in the same office doing the same every day.

Choosing a career involves much more:

1. Looking closely at yourself
2. Researching jobs which might be suitable
3. Being able to make a decision, and
4. Acting on, and being happy with, that decision.

The first of these steps in finding a career you love is “self-discovery”. It looks at such things as:

* The things you like and dislike doing
* The things you are good and bad at doing
* The skills you have or need to get
* Your achievements to date, and what you want to achieve in the future
* Your attitudes, values and personal style.

A thorough, honest and realistic self-assessment is vital if you are to gather the necessary information to make a good career decision… if you are to find a career you might love to do! If you want to find a job that is not work anymore!

That’s where my I come in with my career coaching package. While people can just opt for a new CV or interview technique sessions, I encourage a broader view on how to choose a career or change to the career you always wanted.

First the client and myself look at what makes them tick, what their core values are, what needs to be in place for them to be happy. This can range from family to faith to competitiveness to control to joy. We then use these values as a benchmark for career identification.

Then we look at the clients existing skills, strengths and character traits. They might be skilled at talking or problem solving, their strength might be a natural sense of humour and their character may be Loyal and Supportive.

We then explore the client’s interests, hobbies and favourite things. What is their favourite pastime? What do you read books on? How do you like spending a Sunday afternoon, if you won the Lottery how would you spend it etc…

When we have the results of all the exercises and work done, we match all of these with the ideal role in the ideal industry for the client.

Once this work is completed we start the actual practical work of skills gap analysis, CV and cover letter writing, interview preparation and job searching. Another USP is that I always personally follow through until the client secured a job or is satisfied with the progress made. This is done on a 1 to 1, confidential basis with the client’s agenda as the only one in town.

So ask yourselves and those around you the question if they want to get what they really want from the rest of their career or if they want to settle for second best? If you or them want to stop dreading Mondays, please get me their number so I can call them for a no charge consultation.

Patrick Mercie, 4ward 2 Success, your career coached 1 VIP at a time.

- 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 rerun of his ‘Goal Setting’ workshop designed specifically with enhancing your quality of life in mind! Patrick mentions that the idea behind this workshop “is for people to stop the blame game and start taking responsibility for their own future”.

This ‘Goal Setting’ workshop will take place on Thursday the 8th of April, from 1900 to 2100 PM, in the Absolute Hotel in Limerick. 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 concrete goals 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.

Testimonials for this workshop:

‘ 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 wrote 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 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 or bank draft 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 08/04 from 1900 to 2100 for me please:

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

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

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

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

Please enclose cheque or bank draft 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.

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf’s edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.

The man was stuck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the person he said, “You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and picked up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, “It sure made a difference to that one!”

I publish this story so that you can ask yourself the questions: ‘What can I do this month to make a difference? Who can benefit from what I have to offer? When can I give of my time for others? Where can I help?’

Now that you have answered those questions, go to the beach and rescue some starfish!!! 1 at a time!

A lot of us every New Year after 2 cans of Lager to many make New Year resolutions of all kinds. We are going to climb Kilimanjaro barefoot, give up smoking after we finished the 400 packs we got in Lanzarote, walk the dog 8 days a week, never get angry anymore at politicians, get fit watching Davina McCall fitness DVD’s, support our local sports team instead of watching reruns of Leinster’s Heineken Cup win on Sky Sports 7 and so on.

Inevitably by the 5th of January you have blisters from walking the kitchen floor barefoot, got another 100 packs for New Year of your neighbour who came back from Gran Canaria, realise there is only 5 days in the week you want to walk that dog, get hit by another 5% levy and spit at the politician on your telly, eat 10 packs of crisps and drink 2 more cans of lager watching Davina do it for you and order in ESPN cause they have the Premiership rights for the 5pm matches on Saturday.

How does this happen? What can you do for this not to happen? Here’s my 10 tips for sticking to that New Year resolution and becoming the envy of begrudgers everywhere!  

1- Write it down in detail. This makes it real and gets it registered into your subconscious. Put it in your diary on page 1, write it on a notepad and stick it on the fridge. Make sure it is somewhere you go very regularly so you constantly remind yourself of it. This helps you staying motivated.

2- Believe you can do it. If your goal is realistic and you can visualise yourself achieving it, then you can do it. Make a clear mental picture of you achieving it. Seeing yourself succeed puts you in the right frame of mind.

3- Make a list of all the ways you will benefit from sticking to your New Year resolution. The more ways you can find, the more motivation you will receive from them.

4- Set a timeframe and write it beside the goal. The date by which you will have achieved what you set out to do. Again you are making it real both visibly and in your subconscious.

5- Think about all the difficulties you may encounter on your way to achieving your New Year resolution. These difficulties may come from inside you (such as willpower, lack of a certain skill etc…) or may come from external influences (such as uncooperative family members, time spent at work etc…). By identifying them you can already start looking at a way around these before they occur.

6- Check what information you lack right now to be able to start your journey to success and take steps to get this information ASAP.

7- Make a list of people you need help from; whether they are friends, relatives or professionals. By asking for their help, you validate them. Ask yourself what you can do for them so they will gladly help you.

8- Use all of the above information and make a detailed plan. Be precise, thorough and specific. Write down step by step how you will succeed. Brake down the resolution into manageable steps and plan them 1 by 1.

9- Celebrate every completion of one of the steps. Pat yourself on the back, give yourself a treat. Congratulate yourself. It keeps the motivation meter at 120%!!!

10- Never give up! You are always closer to achieving than you think you are. So NEVER give up. While change is always good, nobody said the transition period is a bed of roses. There will be thorns, admire them for what they are and move on!

I want to congratulate all of you in advance on bucking the trend and making 2010 the year where you turn those New Years resolutions into real achievements!! WELL DONE!!!

P.S.: remember there is always a friendly Life Coach nearby to help, motivate and support you. He/She is only a phone call or email away.

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.

You can convince yourself that life will be better

After you get married

Or after you had a child

Or even after you had that second child

Later you feel frustrated

Because they won’t leave the house fast enough

And you think life will be better

When they have started their own

You are convinced you will be happier

Once that step is reached

You think your life will be more fulfilling

When things start to get better for you

For your partner

When you have a powerful car

Or even when you will have that country house

When you will go on holidays to paradise

Or even when you will retire

The truth however is that there is no better moment

To be happy

Than right NOW

Than the present moment

Life will always be filled with projects

Targets, goals and deadlines

It is better to accept that for fact

And to decide to be happy now

For a long time I was looking

For the real start of my life

Yet all I met was barriers

Problems and roadblocks

An unfinished goal

A debt to be paid

Time not in hand

Until I became aware

That those barriers are part of life

And that there is no journey to ultimate happiness

The journey IS happiness

Every moment is special

Treat them that way

Then there are no more barriers

And happiness will be your life!!

(Adapted from a Flemish text – Author unknown)

(Patrick Mercie – 11-06-09)