Welcome, new subscribers and loyal readers.

I hope your holidays were wonderful!

I’ve had fun with my friends and colleagues these past few weeks.

First, Alice, my friend from graduate school, visited and it was great to catch up with her. She brought her new puppy Jaymie, who is training to be a service dog. Jaymie was amazingly well behaved and adorable. Here’s a photo of Alice, Jaymie and me in Central Park.

We also had fun at Jane’s wonderful yearly Xmas bash in her beautiful apartment. Here’s a picture of my favorite coaching colleagues: Jane, Sharon, and Bonnie. My life is truly enriched by knowing these ladies.

I’ve been pondering about hope and how it can inspire. It seems especially fitting now, when there’s a brand new year ahead. And you can wish and hope for a new beginning. What are you wishing for in your career? The feature article this month, Career Dreaming, can help you dust the cobwebs off your career dreams.

I’ll be back soon with more useful career tips and strategies. Stay tuned for exciting announcements about what’s in the works for 2007.

Wishing you a January filled with hope and inspiration!

Career Dreaming

This is a message of hope to all those who have long ago stopped dreaming. Dreaming about a better life. A happier day filled with activities that are satisfying. Feeling like you’re making a difference in the world. Even in a small way.

Imagine if you could hold those dreams close again, dust them off and let them once again fill you with the excitement of what might be possible. Imagine a future in which you could make those dreams, those aspirations, come true in some fashion.

It’s never too late to hold hope in your heart and mind. As long as you breathe, you can change your circumstances. The act of bringing forward forgotten aspirations and yearnings can prompt renewal and a sense of reconnecting with your real self. Opening that portal can lead to reconsiderations, epiphanies, and fresh thoughts. And, in a word, hope.

I’m often thrilled by the seeming coincidence and interconnectedness of wanting something to happen, and filled with a sense of awe and gratitude when it does. Is there actually a connection? Well, I can’t prove it, but since it’s happened to me so often, I’ve learned to steer the conversation in my mind towards my wants and desires. And away from anxiety producing negative self-talk.

So, how does this apply to your career? Simple. Moving ahead in your career is a direct result of two factors: motivation and skill development.

Of those two factors, motivation is the mother lode. The intensity of your motivation, your burning determination, your keen desire and your willingness to do what it takes is what brings your career dreams to fruition.

If you focus instead on your fears, you chase away the positive momentum you need to make a change. And you attract more of what you don’t want, that which is keeping you stalled in one place, in a rut.

This is not rocket science. If you want to bring new beginnings into your life, you need to create the space and welcoming atmosphere for new ideas to flourish. Hope is a powerful lever to open new career doors. Hope lights the way to kindling your motivation. So start with hope, even if you don’t know what your next career move should be.

Next, turn off the TV, unplug from your iPod, and spend time with a good friend, one who will support you as you start to explore your career dreams. Don’t know what your career dreams are? There are career coaches and counselors that can guide you on this quest.

Lastly, ponder these questions as 2007 unfolds:

• What are your career dreams?
• How can you build your hope?
• If you felt buoyed by hope, what would you do next?
• Who can you partner with to help you feel understood, motivated and focused?
• What incremental steps can you take?

You’ve got a brand new year ahead. Be bold. Think big. Dream big.