Reflection Archives - DYD Career Coaching

December 9, 2022

Remember in December: Lessons from Quarter 2 of 2022

By Katie Corbett

This month, I am reflecting on lessons I learned throughout each of the quarters in 2022. In the second quarter, I was offered a new job, worked a lot (sometimes three jobs at once), and started writing my novel again.

I think the biggest take away is that no matter how busy you are, make time for things that are fun. If I hadn’t been working on my novel during that time, I don’t know that I would have been able to accomplish all of the things I wanted to accomplish. It was a wonderful, creative outlet, and I am excited to be , working on it again. (I originally started it when I was in college, and have written several iterations since then; now I feel like it is finally coming together.)

What creative hobbies sustain you during times of busyness and stress? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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December 2, 2022

Remember in December: Lessons from the First Quarter of 2022

By Katie Corbett

As the year comes to a close, I will reflect on what I have learned in each quarter. During quarter one of 2022, I went on a work trip for two weeks with my coworkers, lead a focus group for the first time, Did a lot of reading and meditation, and landed some unexpected clients in my business.

I think the most valuable lesson I learned in that quarter was to keep discovering more about myself. I found it helpful to sit in the quiet and reflect on who I am as a person.

What did you do in the first quarter of 2022? I’d love to hear how it went and what you learned.

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September 16, 2022September 16, 2022

Real Friends

By Katie Corbett

As I enter a new season of my life, I am finding it important to evaluate which people are my true friends and which are acquaintances. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed it gets harder to make new friends because people have busy lives. This is especially true if they move away, get married or have some other relationship change, or if they have kids.

When I do take the time to meet new people, I like to evaluate whether they might become true friends, or if they will remain acquaintances. There is nothing wrong with having acquaintances. These people can be fun to do things with every once in a while, and you might see them around at events and it could be nice to have people to say hi to.

True friends, while harder to find than acquaintances, are totally worth the investment, in my opinion. I recently made a list of the qualities that I am looking for when I make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

I encourage you to think about the qualities you are looking for in your friends. Do you want them to be reliable? Is it important that they understand and accept factors of your identity or life situation?

Have you made a list of criteria for evaluating whether someone might be a true friend? What happened? How did it help you? I would love to find out, so feel free to leave me a comment!

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September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

Qualities of an Ideal Boss

By Katie Corbett

This week, I have been thinking a lot about leadership. I have realized that as I’ve gotten older, it is easier for me to be led by people who have personality types that I had found difficult to work with in the past. I think this is because I have thought a lot about the qualities that make a supervisor ideal for me, and I will not work for someone unless they display those qualities. For me, they are:

• Self-aware: I enjoy working for people who are aware of not only their strengths, but the areas in which they need to grow.

• Motivated: I work best under people who are motivated to see a project through to the end.

• Goal oriented: I work really well under people who know what needs to be done and have goals and benchmarks set to get us there.

• Vulnerable: I excel under people who can be vulnerable, and who can allow others to be vulnerable, about their failings, feelings, and frustrations.

• Encouraging: I perform my best under people who are encouraging and supportive.

I encourage you to think about the qualities that make an ideal supervisor for you. In order to make that list, are there some examples you can point to in your life of people who can lead well?

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September 2, 2022September 16, 2022

The Power of The Perfect Question

By Katie Corbett

Last night, I was chatting with one of my friends about a past situation in my life, and she asked the perfect question. I won’t share what it was because of the personal nature of the situation, but it got me thinking about how important questions are to our growth and development. I came up with this list of questions you can use to ponder what question you need to be asked most. (I know, a list of questions about questions; so meta!)

What is the question you most need to hear right now?
What one question has had the greatest impact on your life trajectory?
What question would, if answered, help you determine your next action steps toward a better future?
What question do you wish someone would ask you?
What question has come up repeatedly throughout your life?
What is the question you hope to answer by living your life?
What question could help you become the best version of yourself?
What questions do others ask you to help them answer?
How do you feel about questions? Love them? Hate them? Indifferent?
What is your best method for answering questions? On paper? By pressing record and verbally processing? By quietly reflecting and then bouncing ideas off of friends?

The question I was asked last night has the promise of leading me down a journey of self-discovery. I hope the questions in your life do the same for you, and that you have people who can ask you the hard ones.

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December 24, 2021November 26, 2021

Remember in December, Part 5 of 5

By Katie Corbett

For these last weeks of 2021, I’m switching things up! I love to learn. I’ve come up with a list of 31 categories and reflected on what I’ve learned about this year in each one. If you decide to do the same, I hope this category list enriches your reflections and helps you learn more about yourself and your experiences.