“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate” (Thomas Watson). “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” (Winston Churchill)

There are many quotes and inspiring stories about optimism, perseverance and how failures ultimately turned into successes. Just think for a minute about Abraham Lincoln’s political career. I think nobody questions that he was a very successful politician up to becoming president. Still, there were several setbacks in his career where he ran for office in congress or senate and didn’t make it – but he never gave up.

Inventor Thomas Edison spent countless of hours on the development of the carbonized cotton-thread filament for the incandescent light bulb. When a reporter asked him about the failures, Edison supposedly answered “I didn’t fail; I found out 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb.” (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/National_Treasure_(film) )

Most of us would have given up earlier or not even started the endeavor.

Why some people are willing to embark on a long journey toward a difficult goal and others don’t even try is a question many psychologists would like to answer. There is evidence that genes play a role and some people are simply born more optimistic than others. However, there is also evidence that optimism can be learned, which is good news as this means we all can take steps to increase optimism.

Eight steps to increase optimism:

1. Don’t wait for life to happen. Set a goal and also define subgoals to mark progress toward your ultimate goal. Then make an action plan to implement your goal.
2. Celebrate milestones, for example when you reach a subgoal.
3. If there are setbacks, don’t give up immediately on your goal. Focus on  ways to overcome setbacks and remind yourself how far you have come already..
4. At the end of each day, recall positive events of the day. Find three things that you are grateful for that they happened. This can be mundane things like finding a parking spot quickly.
5. Surround yourself with positive and optimistic people. Over time you will learn from others to see the glass as half full.
6. Make sure that you do every day something just for fun. As more positive experiences you have, as more will you enjoy your life.
7. Exercise regularly. Studies show that physical activity acts like a natural antidepressant.
8. And last, but not least: Team up with a life coach to have someone who gently pushes you forward toward your goal, keeps you on track, is your cheerleader and sounding board, and helps you to overcome obstacles on your way to success. You will be amazed what a life coach can do for you!

 Written by Christiane Turnheim. Christiane is a professional life and career coach in Massachusetts and teaches psychology at a community college in the Boston area. She is author of the e-workbook “Job Satisfaction – Learn To Love Your Job”  . Email her at cten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirh

Are you getting ready for Black Friday? Before you join in the frenzy of holiday gift buying, just consider for a minute the results of a legendary research study.

In 1978 researchers presented a sample of adults a list of 24 big-ticket items such as a car, travel, a house, and so on. They were asked how many of these items they already possessed and which things on the list were part of having “the good life” as they would define it. 16 years later, in 1994, the same people were interviewed again with the same questions and presented with the same list.

Result: In 1978, the study participants felt that “the good life” would require having more things than they possessed at that time. Those in their twenties had in average 1.7 things from the list but thought they needed 4.4 items for “the good life”. 16 years later, the participants had more objects acquired (3.1 items in average) and thus were closer to their original wishes, but now they thought they needed even more stuff (in average 5.6 items) to have a “good life”.

In summary, having more possessions didn’t really change the difference between “Have already” and “Want to Have”, leading to the conclusion: The More We Have, The More We Want.

If you want to know what to give for Christmas that actually could increase happiness, stay tuned. Next time, I will write about “Gifts that spread Joy and Happiness”.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christiane Turnheim is a Life& Career Coach and a psychology teacher at a Community College in the Boston area. You can reach her at ten.u4hcaocnull@miehnrutc.

Are you feeling stuck in your old job? Are you unhappy with your current line of work?  Then you are not alone. Many people dream about a new and more satisfying job but only a few dare to take the necessary steps.

 So, what is holding you back? Fear of the unknown? Afraid that you would have to take a pay cut? Doubt about your skills and abilities? Feeling “too old” for starting over?

It’s true, making a career change can be a scary prospect – but think of the payoff: Loving again what you do, feeling challenged, seeing purpose, helping others, having fun… In all, working in your dream job means so much more than just getting a paycheck.

It’s not an empty phrase when I say that it is never too late to make a career change. In my college classes, I have every semester a few students, who are well into middle age. They are eager to learn, inspired by their goals, and therefore are often the highest achievers in class.

If you have a strong desire for a career change, don’t allow your fears to hold you back.

Many people find it difficult to find the energy, time and information needed for a successful career change. They worry that they may make a wrong choice and waste money on expensive retraining programs.

My Career Coaching Program can help you to find the right career for you.

I will help you:

• Identify your interests and abilities
• Explore career alternatives
• Find your dream job
• Compare and evaluate education and job training options
• Make an action plan witha  step by step guide to achieve your career goal
• Plan your finances
• Overcome roadblocks and obstacles that you may encounter on your way to a more satisfying new career.

 Email me to find out more:  ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc

 Christiane Turnheim is psychologist and Life & Career Coach. She also teaches Psychology at a Community College in Massachusetts. Visit her website at www.coach4u.net

US employees get on average per year 9 days paid leave and 6 paid holidays – despite the fact that the US is the only advanced economy in the world that has no paid leave law. European workers, for comparison, get in minimum 20 days of paid leave in addition to paid holidays. In my native country Austria, workers can get even up to six weeks of paid leave plus 13 holidays.

In the US, full time employees and those with a higher income are more likely to get paid vacation days than part-time and low wage workers. And despite having on average only nine days of paid vacation, roughly a third of employees with vacation benefits don’t take all of the vacation days they receive. Many believe that management perceives it negatively if they take vacation. A typical fear in these days of high unemployment is that workers are afraid that they may get replaced if they don’t give 110 % and therefore they rather forego on the well deserved time-off. About 25% of those, who do take vacation, stay connected with their company by checking work email or taking phone calls from the office while on vacation. About one third of employees admitted in an Expedia.com survey that they feel guilty about taking time off.

They shouldn’t – because it’s not only in their own interest if they use their vacation days to relax and refresh. There’s also a benefit to the employer: Workers who don’t get a break will become exhausted and burned-out over time. They are no longer able to perform to their full potential. They are also at risk for depression and other health issues, which may end up to cost the company more than the vacation days. On the other hand, workers who come back after a break with new energy and new perspectives and ideas will be more productive.

Therefore, talk to your employer about your vacation needs and how the company can even benefit from it. Plan ahead and talk to your co-workers about your vacation. Ask a co-worker to cover for you if necessary and offer the same favor in return. Final advice: don’t take work with you and avoid checking emails. It’s quite unlikely that your office will fall apart just because you take a few days off.

And with these lines, I say “Good bye” for two weeks. I will be on vacation in Austria!

Christiane is a Life and Career Coach. She also teaches psychology at a community college in Massachusetts. You can reach her via her website http://www.coach4u.net or email her.

Currently, job satisfaction is down to a record low in the US. About 55 % of Americans are unhappy with their work, according to a recent survey by the Conference Board research group.

Are you unhappy, too?

This eWorkbook will help you to identify strategies to get a satisfying job. “Learn to Love your Job” is not just a book to read. You will get 2 in 1, an eBook and an eCourse. “Learn to Love your Job” combines information with questions and self-tests about your own experiences and attitudes. You will also learn more about strategies to improve your job situation.

After reading the eWorkbook and doing the exercises, you will have a better understanding of your needs and what you are expecting from a job – besides a good salary, of course. You will know what makes you happy at your workplace and what triggers unhappiness.

After reading the eWorkbook “Learn to Love your Job” you will be able to answer among others the following questions:

• What are the 5 most important job satisfaction factors?

• How important are good relationships with co-workers for me? Do I have a strong need for building relationships with co-workers and/or customers?

• Do I need challenges in my work more than pay and benefits?

• How important is work for me? Am I just working for the money?

• What bothers me most at my workplace? My supervisor, not receiving recognition, or the working environment….?

• How can I improve my relationship with my boss?

• What can I do to make my work more interesting?

As the last two questions demonstrate, you will also learn how to change and improve the problem areas at your workplace so that you can finally say:

 I Love my job!

Chapter Overview:

1) What exactly is job satisfaction?

2) Why does job satisfaction matter? – Your health and job satisfaction. Test yourself: How satisfied are you at your current workplace?

3) Why are you working? Learn to distinguish between motivation and satisfaction!

4) What gets you out of the bed and to work every morning? Is it just the money? Or are you someone who needs challenges? How important are achievements and making a difference? Do you need interactions with other people? Read what famous psychologists say about motivation. (Herzberg, Maslow, Discrepancy theory, McClelland)

5) Role of key elements: Leadership and leadership styles, co-workers, salary and benefits. Take a test to determine your job happiness triggers! Discover also what you dislike most about your job.

6) How to get your dream job? Strategies to improve your current workplace.

7) Make an Action Plan, and start moving toward your Dream Job.

Don’t spend one more day in a dissatisfying job!      

Would you like to know more about the eWorkbook “Learn to Love your Job”? Call me at 781 777 2791 or email me.

The majority of the American workforce is currently unhappy at work. Surprisingly, this situation seems to be not even directly related to the recession. There has been a 4% drop in job satisfaction just between 2008 and 2009, but annual surveys by the Conference board research group  have shown a steady downward trend: 20 years ago more than 60 % of workers were satisfied with their jobs, today only about 45% of those surveyed expressed satisfaction.

The youngest workers are particularly unhappy: Only about 36% are satisfied with their job.

There are several reasons for the growing dissatisfaction:

According to the survey, workers find the work itself less interesting. Further, the satisfaction with job security is down – no wonder with an unemployment rate of about 10 %. Rising costs of living and health care are also to blame as many workers had to accept a cut in income when companies downsized production and work hours.

Christiane Turnheim is psychologist, college teacher and Life & Career coach. Contact her at ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc