1. Take an honest look at yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills? How did those influence—positively or negatively—your transition?

2. Step up your self-care. Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing. You need self-care now more than ever. Women are notoriously bad at taking care of themselves.

3. Engage your curiosity. What went wrong, or right? What could you have done better? What worked really well? You may find a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis useful.

4. Focus on what you want, and less on what you don't want. Keep your eye on the prize.

5. Find support. Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek the outside support of friends or professionals such as a life coach.

6. Work on your thoughts. Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope and happiness.

7. Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change. Surround yourself with a supportive network.

8. Create your own rite of passage. Ceremony and ritual help with all transitions.

9. Let go of how things were "supposed to be" and accept "how things are." Find appreciation for what is.

10. Keep things in perspective. Or try on a new perspective. Don't get stuck. Remember, the only constant is change.

If you would like some focused asistance in getting through your transition, email me about how a short course of life coaching could help you cope.

To All Juniors (and Parents of Juniors) :

Good luck on the SATs this Saturday!

Remember:

• The night before, prepare your admissions ticket, #2 pencils with eraser, id, and have an approved calculator with fresh battery.

• Have a relaxing evening Friday night -- get to bed early!

• Be familiar with driving directions to your testing location.  Get there early -- don't be rushed.

• Bring along a drink and a (non-sticky) snack, tissues, etc.  -- whatever you need to keep you going.

• Plan something fun or relaxing for after the test.  After all your SAT test prep - you deserve it!

Best,

Marla Platt

AchieveCoach College Consulting

Marla Platt, BA, MBA 

www.AchieveCoach.com 

Marla@AchieveCoach.com 

If you have been reading my recent blogs on Personal Branding,  and more importantly have taken action by completing the activities that I describe, you will be part of the way towards being able to announce the new you.  Before you announce your new brand, first give some consideration to who you will be announcing yourself to - your 'target audience'.  (If you have already done a Google search on ‘personal branding' you will know that most of the information available is about just that – announcing yourself to the world. But remember, I am helping you to create the brand first).

The foundation of your brand is the role you play with different audiences. Since your brand is a perception maintained in someone else's mind (even someone you may not yet have met), how others see you is of course key. For a business, its audience is its customers. For those building their personal brand, their audience is those that you have (or want to have) relationships with.

Your goal is the same as that of a business – to position and manage your brand for success and profitability. You want to create a particular impression in the mind of someone who you wish to become important to.

Consider who you currently have a role with. Maybe with your parents; your children; your employer; your friends and/or your partner.  And which of those are good for your brand? Which brand relationships would you like to improve? Who else would you like to be part of your audience in the near future?  No matter what your goal or dream is, earning the support of your target audience is crucial for meeting your objectives. Creating your strong personal brand will lead to the other person feeling better for having interacted with you – more cared for, acknowledged and even empowered. How supportive are those people to your goals?

If you are setting out on your quest for rebranding with the goal of finding a new personal relationship or new career, consider who else is competing for the attention of you key audience too. These will be your competitors. What are they doing? How can you find out more?

What roles do you intend to play for your target audience? If you have a new soul mate as your focus, what roles will your brand be playing?  (My suggestions would include companion, partner, friend, confidant etc.)

Before you can make your brand distinct, you must ensure that you can meet the baseline needs and desires of your audience. If you are seeking a new relationship, understanding your values is key – as is finding out about the values of the other person. Research by the Stanford University revealed 5 distinct factors that people use to identify personality traits in familiar brands, which were

• Sincerity
• Excitement
• Competence
• Sophistication
• Ruggedness

From this short and simple list, how could you show these traits in your personal interactions with your target audience? How can you find out early on in a new relationship (such as the first date) if you share the same core values? And should you try to change your standards and behavior to try to please everyone? Or focus them on the relationships you choose to develop with people who truly matter?