• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

LifeWork Coaching

transition coaching for women

  • About
  • Coaching
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Order My Book
  • BOOK A CALL
  • Show Search
Hide Search

The Lost Art of Reading Books

Lai Han Sam · Jan 13, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash Tsundoku (Japanese: 積ん読) is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them. The term originated in the Meiji era (1868–1912) as Japanese slang. It combines elements of tsunde-oku (積んでおく, to pile things up ready for later and leave) and dokusho (読書, reading books). – Source: WikipediaIn other words, buying more books than one can read. I love books. My life has changed multiple times because, together with, despite of …

[Read more...] about The Lost Art of Reading Books

Courage and Fear

Lai Han Sam · Dec 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Come to the Edge By Christopher Logue Come to the edge. We might fall. Come to the edge. It's too high! COME TO THE EDGE! And they came And he pushed And they flew. Making a change, taking a risk can be terrifying and paralyzingly fearful. I say paralyzing as I see that in the eyes of the people I meet every day. Every single one of them wanted more for themselves and for their lives. They most often suffer analysis paralysis of all the different options they have. So instead of deciding …

[Read more...] about Courage and Fear

Knowing Your Values Will Help You Grow

Lai Han Sam · Sep 30, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Values are the important ingredients that determine how we do things, make important decisions and derive meaning. It is the way we believe to be our standard of behavior and how we live our lives. You can see a person’s values by the way they speak, treat others and the work they do. You can see values in a company’s tagline, vision and how their employees speak about them. Values are who they are and how they operate. When you think of Mother Theresa, you think compassionate – that is one of …

[Read more...] about Knowing Your Values Will Help You Grow

Benefits Of Simplifying Your Life Dramatically

Lai Han Sam · Sep 12, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Marie Kondo did not come up with a magic formula - granted she developed her own method for keeping her home clutter free - but by no means this is new. Yet with Netflix and great marketing, a petite Japanese woman took the world by storm with her book and the KonMari Method. "Kondo" is now a verb just like Google. Why? This is because we are all looking to tidy our space and as a result transform our lives, as promised on her website. We are looking for peace and joy. Peace, not just in …

[Read more...] about Benefits Of Simplifying Your Life Dramatically

How to Discover What Makes Your Heart Sing

Lai Han Sam · Jul 23, 2019 · Leave a Comment

What do you enjoy doing during the weekends? Is it as hectic as the weekdays? No work but loads of chores, running kids to their enrichment classes and perhaps a family event? Is your life a constant to-do list? With so much noise in our lives - whether work or personal - there is not enough space or quietness in our lives. With no thinking or reflection, our lives feels like a runaway train but we don't know where we are going. Most times, we are just surviving and coping with what comes at us …

[Read more...] about How to Discover What Makes Your Heart Sing

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Welcome!

 

Hi, I’m Sam, founder of LIFEWORK – a transition coach working exclusively with successful women who want better work-life balance, fulfilling relationships, productive careers and financial freedom.

LEARN MORE

Recent Posts

  • The Lost Art of Reading Books
  • Courage and Fear
  • Knowing Your Values Will Help You Grow
  • Benefits Of Simplifying Your Life Dramatically
  • How to Discover What Makes Your Heart Sing

Order My Book!

Finding Joy in Transitions Book Cover

LET’S CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @LIFEWORKGLOBAL

I have a client who often laments that she has a h I have a client who often laments that she has a heavy work load and she can’t possibly tell her manager that she cannot work past 6pm. As a result, she often feels regretful about the loss of her time with family or being not fully present with her children. After work, she is drained, feel obligated to continue to work overtime and don’t know how to find time to rest. Thus, the quality of her life and relationships deteriorated over time. 

During our sessions together, it is revealed that she often accepts all the work her manager assigns her without question. And since everything is urgent, she works overtime on many days to get the work done. It also dawned upon her that the workload never reduce no matter how hard she works! 

There was also a lot of fear around getting a bad performance review or getting pass over for a promotion. These are signs that the culture is not a fit for her. If she is afraid at work, perhaps it is time to think about what she really wants in her life and explore other opportunities. 

Her behaviour and handling of her boundaries taught her manager and colleagues how to treat her. As she is always breaking her own boundaries, she is giving others the permission to do the same.

In the end, she realised that: 
1. She needs to protect her own boundaries at work so that she can have a balanced and sustainable life. That responsibility is hers and to stop wasting energy complaining about the work or her manager. 

2. She does not have to carry the responsibilities of others. Often she wants to be seen as cooperative and nice, thus she would say yes to everything, even when it is not her responsibility. It is okay to say no.

3. Her bigger responsibility is to herself and to her family. That’s one of the big reasons why she work! So making sure she can continue working, feeling fulfilled and healthy in the long run benefits everyone!

#careercoachingforwomen #careertransitions #boundariesatwork #powerfulquestions #worklifebalance
During a coaching session with a senior leader, sh During a coaching session with a senior leader, she was apprehensive about her desire to transition into a new role in a different industry. She was also worried about the length of time she had spent in her current job and feared that she is rusty from the interviewing process. She was also concerned that she may be stereotyped from her current industry. 

As we talked, it was clear to her that her thinking around interviews stopped at when she first started as a fresh graduate rather than where she is at as an experienced senior leader. It was more about helping the interviewer see her as a suitable candidate - thus, the pressure to “sell” herself. It was also from the position of scarcity instead of abundance. 

At the end of the session, she realised that:
1. I don’t need a new job, I want a new experience. Thus, I can enjoy the interview process rather than focus on the outcome. This helps me to relax and be the best version of myself. 

2. This is a 2 way process. The interviewer is interviewing me and I am also evaluating the role. It is important to understand the partnership and expectations clearly. I see it as a conversation rather than an interview. 

3. I am enough. I have a lot to contribute and I don’t have to be able to do 100% of the role in order to take it on. I have a positive attitude towards growth and learning so I will succeed with a suitable role in any organisation. 

#careercoachingforwomen #careertransitions #interviews #powerfulquestions #leadership
“The safe choice is not always the best choice.” 
.
Because we have to live with it.
.
Life is not without difficult situations with sometimes impossible choices. Does a mother choose to save both her twin babies but has a higher risk of losing both versus saving just one? Does a man choose a more aggressive cancer treatment with higher risk of death or a less aggressive route knowing it may come back in the future?
.
How about leaving a mediocre relationship where nothing is seriously wrong or staying in one because it is easier to settle? What about the secure job that is leaving you unfulfilled versus the new job with a possibility of it being worse?
.
We cannot change the past and our lives are the sum of our decisions. Make one that you can live with and make peace with it. Only then can you move forward with 100% conviction to make it work, to accept your journey ahead. 

#decisions #acceptance #choice #conviction #lifework
Our education has taught us how to use our brain. Our education has taught us how to use our brain. Skills, knowledge and credentials form a strong part of who we are. The more we know or learn, the more respect and credibility we get. We get better jobs, salaries and more opportunities. 
.
We often focus on our goals, how we get there and what mistakes to avoid. We make decisions, plans and targets. 
.
While being cerebral is good, what about the human side of us? What about how we feel and how we make others feel? What about intentions of our goals rather than just a goal in itself? 
.
Feelings give texture and depth to who we are. Achieving a promotion makes one person feel proud of his achievement, to another makes him feel relieved that he can pay for his child’s medical bills. 
.
Even if she is okay to go along with her husband’s practical decision, it does not mean she feels good. She could still feel worried about it. 
.
If we choose not to ask about the other person’s feelings, we are missing an opportunity to understand the other person, to truly help them feel heard and understood. 
.
How do you feel about what you just read?

#feelingsareimportant #understanding #deepening #awareness #intentionalliving
Things are never what quite it seems. They also do Things are never what quite it seems. They also don’t always go the way you plan or want. Life has a life of its own. Thus, wanting 100% control may not always be the best way to live. 
.
The word “control” can be positive or negative.
“I am taking control of my dreams.” or “I have control of the situation.” are empowering and reassuring to say and hear. 
“He is a control freak!” or “She wants to control my decisions!” may be perceived as disempowering and disheartening.
.
So how then do we balance this two sides of the same coin? I can say to myself, “I am taking control of the plan, and I accept that there are parts that I cannot control. When these parts happen, I will go with the flow and do the best I can. I know it may be difficult and I also know I can ask for help.”
.
What areas of your life do you struggle with control? What other ares if your life can you let go of that control to have a better quality of life?

#lifeworkcoaching #hansamlai #transitioncoach #change #transition #lifecoach #motivation #lifecoaching #coaching #love #coach #mindset #inspiration #selflove #life #lifestyle #selfcare #mentalhealth #mindfulness #personaldevelopment #goals #happiness #loveyourself #fitness #healing #lifequotes #motivationalquotes #positivevibes #careercoach
My son is about to make an important life transiti My son is about to make an important life transition decision. And here I am struggling between wanting him to be happy and wanting the best for him.
.
They should be the same thing but in this situation it may not be. On the one hand I THINK I know what decision will give him a better future; on the other it is HIS decision. 
.
The anxiety I feel is not new to me. After all he is my third child. And yet every single time, I struggle. I often ask myself this - am I doing it for him or am I doing it for me? Truth be told, it is probably a bit of each. 
.
Ah but I know this is his transition and not mine. So I have chosen to help him see what he needs to see, know what he needs to know and let go of the need to control this. I know this decision is not mine to make. And whatever the outcome, I will always be there to love and support him.

#lettinggo #transition #trusting #knowing #motherhood

Copyright © 2022 · LIFEWORK COACHING · FGD