In my experience with my coaching clients, myself and other humans, I have discovered that the misalignment between WORD (what I say I want) and ACTION (what I do about it) comes from one of the following issues: I don’t really want what I SAY I want. Instead, I am operating on an assumption about what I [...]
I am proud to announce that I have a new office space in the thriving Montavilla Business District in Portland, Oregon. It was a very quick move as Jyoti Family Wellness Center (my previous location) was asked to leave with only a couple of months notice so the landlord can remodel. It was hard to leave my [...]
Sometimes clients are surprised by how much we laugh during coaching sessions! I have discovered that a playful and curious attitude toward even the trickiest problems helps to engage the creative and intuitive parts of the brain. Albert Einstein once said, "Play is the highest form of research." My clients are smart, conscious individuals who would "logic" [...]
Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure and honor of supporting Linda Chase in her One Week Job Project, Never Too Late! This dedicated lady is not letting financial stress, single-parenthood, or job-market ageism hold her back from realizing her potential and going on an adventure that would daunt many a brave soul. [...]
There is a simple yet profound attitude shift that can make all the difference in how you feel about yourself as you focus on achieving your goals. As a recovering perfectionist (is there a 12 step group for us?), I have experienced great relief in shifting my mindset from "be good" to "get better." Photo by [...]
One of my clients sent me a link to this TED talk by Kristen Wheeler, "Evolution of a Job Hater." What I loved most about this talk is the question: "What is the seed of your native genius?" In other words: "When you are most yourself, who are you being and what are you doing?" In an [...]
People often come to life coaching wanting to change the circumstances of their lives: they want a more fulfilling job, better communication in their relationships, improved health, ect... In a nutshell: they want to be happier! In our work together, they soon discover that happiness is not about what happens and that it can even [...]
In my life coaching work with women, I am regularly faced with the honor and challenge of helping clients mitigate the negative impacts of perfectionism. One of my primary tools for working with clients who are highly self-critical is self-compassion. An article this week on MSNBC describes recent research showing self-compassion to be much more [...]
One of the (many) reasons that life coaching works is the focus on what is already going well. When clients are ready to make important changes in their lives, I often turn their attention to what is already working for them. In other words, gratitude. It can be easy to focus on problems. The big brick wall [...]
If I accept the job as a teacher, then I will be giving up on my dream as a writer. When I take time for myself, I am taking away from my family. if I get married, I won't be able to make my own decisions anymore. I have heard each of these statements from clients in [...]
Often, coaching clients come to me wanting to make changes in their lives but feel either overwhelmed or paralyzed. They have a sense of wanting to move towards something that feels positive, such as a new career, better communication in their relationships, an exciting new project, more fitness and self-care, etc., yet they don’t understand why they [...]
How many times have you wanted to change something in yourself or in your life but were overwhelmed at even the thought of such a big undertaking? Have you ever jumped right into change, only to fizzle out or discover it wasn't even what you wanted? Sustainable change often comes from tiny, purposeful steps in a positive [...]
Happy New Year! 2010 not only ushers in a new year, it is also the beginning of a new decade. 2009 was a rough year for many people and several clients and friends shared with me their relief that it is over. From economic hardship to illness and relationship challenges, some folks were put through the wringer. [...]
As a client was leaving my office last week, she turned to me and said: "Savannah, you are a brain organizer." I looked puzzled for a minute and then laughed when she said, "My thoughts are so clear right now!" As a Life Coach for women, a big part of my job is supporting clients in uncovering [...]
I am reading a very thought-provoking book right now. Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed World by Peggy Orenstein is based on 200 interviews with women between the ages of 20 and 45 about the choices that they are making in a world only half changed by feminism. While these women [...]
