This month marks C3's four-year anniversary.  It's hard to believe we are stepping into our fifth year of business.  We are so grateful for all of you who make what we do possible and for all the support we've received throughout the years.   As the leader of this business I am always seeking ways for us to grow and evolve - to change with the times and with the needs of our clients. 

For those of you who know me, you know I thrive on change and as great as stability is, I am always seeking ways to grow and evolve, both personally and professionally.  2014 is no different and for C3, there will be some exciting changes.   In response to a year's worth of requests and a shift in where we feel we can have the biggest and most positive impact on our clients, we will be expanding our services to include personal development and life coaching targeted at professional women / women entrepreneurs (and some remarkable men too!)   We are still fully committed to our current clients and providing them with the high quality service they have come to expect from C3 and are also really excited for all the new clients we will have the honor of serving with our new personal development and life coaching offerings.  Because of this change and expansion of services, C3's website and all our content are currently going though a rebranding process.  We are very excited about our makeover and will be sharing more details with you as we reveal our new brand sometime next month - stay tuned!!

As you might have anticipated, The Ripple Effect will also be going through a bit of a facelift.  In response to your feedback, we have decided that we will make our newsletters shorter and send them out every other week instead of once a month. So, instead of one long article once a month, the content will include a few inspirational quotes and thought provoking questions to motivate and inspire you; to encourage you to think about the quality of your life and also making some positive changes.  In addition, we will include links to our blog posts and other valuable content but again, the newsletters will be shorter quicker reads. We know you are busy and want to quickly inspire you throughout the month.  You'll get these to your inboxes every other week.    We realize this may cause some of you to unsubscribe from our mailing list and we appreciate and understand that.   We hope you will stick around and allow us to inspire you but if not, we get it! 

Since I've already written plenty in this intro, let me close by again, thanking you for all your support of C3 the past four years - we are excited about what's to come and that is only possible because of you!   To celebrate our anniversary we are offering a few complimentary consultations this month.  We had such a great response in December that we added a few more to celebrate starting our 5^th year in business. More details below - don't miss out! 

This month's article is a short quick reprint from a couple of years ago.  It's about knowing when it's time to make a change in your own professional life. I thought it was fitting for this month since I just shared the plan for C3's upcoming changes.

Feel free to pass this onto anyone you think may enjoy it and as always, keep spreading those positive ripple effects!

Best,

Andria

Three Signs It's Time for a Professional Change

Life is full of change. Sometimes that change occurs in our professional lives and it often seems to be directed by others and out of our control.  Yet, there are many times in our lives when we desire change, when we, in fact, need change to keep us inspired and motivated.  So, how do you truly know when it's time for a change in your professional life?  There are three signs that are clear indicators you're ready for things to be different.

First, you're bored.  You wake up unexcited to start your day or simply feel like you're in neutral.  You're on autopilot and are going through the motions without any real energy or excitement behind what you're doing. 

Next, you start to lack patience with your colleagues, subordinates, bosses, and everyone around you.  Things that used to be interesting or problems that used to be challenging to solve now simply annoy you.  You've been there, done that and don't know why you need to do it again.   The idea of having to do it again or deal with it again or listen to another complaint annoys you.  Your patience has worn thin for the "normal" issues in your job.

Lastly, you begin to feel antsy.  You're restless and you know there is something else you could do; in fact, there is something else you feel you want to do and, whatever it may be, you are beginning to feel eager to get there and do it.  

So, what can you do if you begin to feel these things?  Well, perhaps you have a really great job with a company where you enjoy working.  If that is the case, you can look for other opportunities inside that company or look for ways you can expand your skill base through taking courses, leading project teams, or getting certified in a particular skill that will benefit your career growth.   Talk to your boss or a mentor about the types of things that will re-energize you and then take action to make those things happen.

Or, perhaps you are more interested in exploring opportunities with other companies or in a different line of work.  Take steps to explore your options and the type of work that truly motivates and energizes you.  The idea is to do something that excites you and invigorates you enough so you are no longer bored, impatient, and antsy.  If and when you begin to feel these things, view it as an opportunity to explore new ways to engage and challenge yourself.  

Being aware of the signs that you are ready for a change is a great way to ensure you take action before any of your boredom or impatience begins to impact your performance.   

This month's development tip:  Being aware of the signs you're ready for a change is the first step.  Are you aware of any of these signs in your life?  If so, it's time to think about what you're going to do about it.  Make a list of the top three things you can do in the next month to move yourself from neutral into first gear again.