Welcome to Issue 123.  If you did not receive a previous issue, you may use the archive link below to view it now.  The mission of "Marvelous Mondays" is to offer an inspirational thought, a practical exercise, some humor, or a simple tip to jump-start your week and to enhance your life, business, outlook or relationships. 

Please feel free to forward "Marvelous Mondays" to others who will enjoy it.

A common approach in career coaching is for clients to list their goals, prioritize them, set strategies, and create a system of accountability with a coach.  While this technique is a good one, it often is putting the cart before the horse.  And here's why.  When we hear the words "GOAL SETTING", we often think of quotas, milestones, or money.  These are very limiting because they tend to make us set goals and judge ourselves on the basis of someone else's belief system.  Instead, let's first do some SOUL SETTING, a term I learned from author Mitch Axlerod.

I invite you to complete this exercise with respect to your career.  Please force rank the following by assigning a number with 1 being your most important.  For example if recognition is the most important to you, put number 1 next to it.  If creativity is the least important, put 13 next to that.  [If you are not in a business career, you can still do this exercise by selecting something else or a relationship as the subject.]

____Recognition

____Creativity

____Financial Reward

____Team Play

____Security

____Challenge

____Mutual Respect

____Autonomy

____Fun

____Time for Family/Hobbies/Recreation

____Inspiring

____Service to Others

____Other 

Now please ask yourself these 4 questions:

1.  Is my career fulfilling my soul needs?
2.  Is my primary relationship fulfilling my soul needs?
3.  Would  I benefit from coaching?
4.  If my answer to #3 is yes, do I choose to invest in myself by getting help now?

As you reflect on this, what insights are you getting?  I would love to hear from you.

                   **John is currently accepting a few new coaching clients.**

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