What if you're Easily Addicted?

You don’t have to abuse drugs or have a gambling habit to struggle with addiction.  Have you ever been so involved in a book or video game that you completely shut out the world around you? Have you ever spent an entire day obsessed about what you were going to eat after work? Have you ever been talking about one topic so passionately that your listeners’ eyes glaze over? Have you ever had family or friends tell you that (fill in the blank) seems to be all you care about?

Some people, due to environmental factors or brain chemical imbalances, tend to be more prone to exaggerate everyday behaviors and turn them into something unhealthy.  What do you do if you know you’re vulnerable to these behaviors?

1. Stay away from the dangerous stuff.  If you know you’re prone to excess, avoid alcohol, drugs, even cigarettes.  Combining addictive substances with addictive personality is a sure recipe for disaster.
2. Have an accountability partner.  Whether it’s a spouse, sibling, or best friend, have someone in your life who can tell you the truth about your behavior when it gets out of hand.
3. Indulge, but set limits. If you know Oreos are your weakness, you can still eat them, just take a serving and put the package away (or have someone hide it).  This is easier when you’re not alone.
4. Or stay completely away. If an activity doesn’t contribute to your well-being, and takes you away from your friends and family, you may have to avoid it and all environments where it is available, when feasible.
5. Set goals. If you have a direction for your life, and are committed to the steps it takes to get there, it’s harder for an addiction to become primary in your life.  Addiction tends to fill a void, so fill your life with good things first.
6. Consider working with a life coach to guide you and help hold you accountable for goals while steering you clear of behaviors you want to change.

Having an addictive personality means you may be able to focus completely on a project in a way others cannot.  Take these steps above to keep it healthy.

Making a difference in your career

Have you ever questioned what it is you’re doing everyday? We spend hours each week at work and many of us bring work home. With all the time we spend working, it’s no wonder we want to feel fulfilled in our jobs.

I spent years working at various jobs I didn’t enjoy - some of which felt like torture. Others were a blast! After paying my dues at several low level positions in fields I wasn’t interested in, I was lucky enough to land a job I loved at an advertising agency and was promoted several times within the company.

But even as great as that and later jobs were, I still questioned what I was doing. At some point in everyone’s life, we begin to consider if what we are spending our time on is making a positive impact in the world. After 18 years in the agency world of marketing, I wondered if my time might be better spent using my skills helping others rather than increasing the bottom line for another large corporation.

After spending unfulfilling years working at a direct mail agency, I began to question how important was it we sell another pair of pants to a buyer that probably doesn’t need them. It was at that time I began my quest to search for what was important to me. My deep soul searching revealed that I didn’t necessarily need to abandon my years of experience to help the world and make a positive impact.

That’s when my second career working with non-profits began. Today as a marketing consultant and professional life coach, I continue to use my marketing skills to make a difference in the world. I use my expertise educating the public about important issues that affect us all, encouraging individuals to live their dreams, and working with many other organizations who support those in need.

If you want to make a change in your life or career, don’t be afraid to look at options. To begin, take some important steps by asking yourself the following:

• What do I really want to do?
• What inspires me?
• What is truly important to me? In my life? In my work?
• How do I want to spend my days?
• How can I still use my unique gifts and the skills I’ve developed to assist me in my new direction?

With a little soul searching, you can use your life in a way that goes well beyond simply bringing home a paycheck.

Is life coaching for you?

Hiring a life coach can assist you in many ways. If you are looking to change something in your life or empower yourself to do something different with your life, then consider working with a personal, professional life coach. Coaching can provide you with:


• Action plans to ensure you reach your goals
• Strategies to overcome sabotaging patterns
• A direct path for continued success
• Tools to help you make difficult decisions
• Support and guidance to help you get where you want to be in life
• Techniques to assist you in facing and overcoming fear successfully
• A sense of purpose and direction
• ....and a way to empower yourself for life.

Perhaps you want to move to your dream destination, lose weight and get healthy, find your perfect mate/relationship or enhance the relationship you are presently in, locate a better job, or make more money. Consider learning more about professional life coaching. It is possible to change the way you think, look and live to reflect what you want. You simply have to decide that is what you want to do. Making the decision to investigate your fears and look at what is NOT working in your life is the first step.

Is life coaching worth it?

Ask yourself these questions:

• What's it worth to me to achieve my goal?
• What's it worth to me to have changes in my life (big and small)?
• Am I ready to commit to having my goals?
• What's the cost of NOT making a change?

Decide today no matter what your fears to change your life, to let go of the weight, to find love, to discover your true purpose and to live a much happier, more fulfilled life. Commit to yourself and not to the wishes of others and find out how you can move forward in thought and action.