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Pianist and DMA, Juilliard School
I initially began coaching because my boyfriend, a big fan of Astrid's, saw that I was confused about a lot of things regarding the direction my life was taking career-wise. He purchased five coachings for me for my birthday with the caveat that nothing was binding and that I could opt out any time if I felt uncomfortable. From my very first session, it was clear that Astrid is one of the most insightful and generous people I have met. I walked into this session last fall, thinking that I had come to a dead-end in my music career and that perhaps I would benefit from heading in a new direction. After only a couple sessions, I renewed my sense of love for music and began to see possibilities for myself that I never dreamed of. Astrid is extremely dedicated and focused in each session. One major breakthrough I have had is the idea that being authentic is a major value for me and that I have spent so much of my life trying to please others or do activities I feel like I "should" do. I feel like I have blossomed in so many ways this year, taking on creative projects that I might have been cautious of before, meeting incredible colleagues, and being excited about the future instead of fearful of it. Astrid has a great gift of seeing the beauty in each person and allowing their strengths to come through.
— JC, New York, NY
Composer
Astrid has turned around the way I look at my career in the most extraordinary way. I used to think that the professional part of what I do was very separate from the creative and deeply personal aspects of being a composer. Going after professional opportunities to get my music out there felt to me like a very daunting task--one that I found a little distasteful because it felt like "selling myself." Astrid really helped me realize that building a career has to come from the most genuine part of myself--in the same way as building a piece. With this understanding, the professional world looks much less scary to me now, and I'm able to reach out to my professional network with the courage of my conviction, and with the kind of personal investment and care that makes professional experiences deeply meaningful. Career building is about believing in what you do, and its validity; it is about communication and courage. It only works if it feels true to who you are.
With her supportive and positive attitude combined with her incredible sensitivity and intelligence, Astrid has created for me a wonderful safe space to discover how I want to develop my goals from the inside out. I have found in her a true kindred spirit as well as a powerful ally and coach.
—Hannah L,. New York, NY
Attorney and ??????
There seem to be an infinite number of resources available to people looking to make career changes these days, and I think I looked into most of them before I met Astrid. Numerous books advised me to do what I loved. That sounded good, except that I didn’t know what I loved. A career test provided some insight and long lists of possibly compatible jobs, but ultimately directed me to do what I loved - back to square one. Another career coach, dispensing with frivolities like love, laid out a practical approach to a career path that objectively made some sense, but I knew in my heart that I would hate it. I felt deficient for not knowing what I loved, unreasonable for rejecting a sensible path that didn’t appeal, and in general, completely hopeless about my situation.
When I began coaching with Astrid, I was struggling with a strong feeling that there was some ‘perfect’ thing out there for me to do, if only I could think of what it was. I had a vague idea that finding the answer would involve going through the racks of possible jobs and holding each one up in front of the mirror to see if it might fit, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that we would take a more bespoke approach. There would be no squeezing me into a readymade career in this process - instead, we would be focusing on my strengths, values, work style, etc., to think about what might be right for me. Astrid’s willingness to cheerfully abandon any exercise that wasn't working for me kept me comfortable with everything we did, and helped me to get the most out of the process.
The work we did helped me to form a foundation for understanding why certain things, career-related or otherwise, are a better choice for me than others. With Astrid’s warm encouragement, I have also started to reconnect with the creative, less self-limiting side of myself that I feared was permanently lost. I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, and I have a career direction that I am looking forward to exploring. This may or may not turn out to be the ‘perfect thing‘ that I was looking for, but I no longer feel the pressure of that search; rather, I am hopeful that by taking actions that are consistent with my character, staying open to the possibilities that arise with each action, and correcting my course as necessary, I will enjoy the process just as much as whatever result I reach. I am grateful to Astrid for helping me to readjust my direction and my outlook, and I highly recommend her services to anyone who feels lost, stuck or anything less than wholeheartedly enthusiastic about what they are doing.
— Andrea K., New York, NY
Cellist and music entrepreneur
A good friend recommended I see Astrid because I was stuck. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck, and suffering. She has helped me parse through all the detail in what seemed panoramic hopelessness. She has worked in a distinctly different way than my psychotherapist, more pragmatically, and the combination of the two ... has been, for me, very effective. I have made tectonic shifts in the way I see myself, my place in the world and how I move through it. There have been some very painful changes and realizations, but most important, I have found a source for joy, hope and energy, undiluted by difficulties, so that I actually feel better, and stronger. This is my testimony to Astrid.
— TM, Rhode Island
Educator
Astrid Baumgardner is a true facilitator, and in that capacity she has guided me to discover the values and deeply held beliefs essential to my happiness and fulfillment in the workplace, wherever it may be....Through our coaching sessions, I was able to draw out and fortify my self-confidence, without which my ambitious relocation would not previously have been conceivable. When you are determined to strive diligently for change in your life, Astrid will be there to help you to create a roadmap to navigate and overcome every obstacle you encounter throughout your life-altering transition.
— MH, New York, NY and Tokyo, Japan
How to Maximize Your Productivity in 5+ Steps
How often do you feel completely overwhelmed by all the things that are on your plate both at work and in your personal life? Wouldn't it be great to have a system that would help you organize your projects in such a way that you knew what to do and could get through your tasks with ease and confidence?
Here is a simple 5+step process that can get you out of overwhelm and make you more productive and effective.
1. Prepare
The first step is to make a sweep of everything that you are currently responsible for both at work and in your personal life. Start with work. Write down all of the projects. Next, take a look at your extra-curricular activities like board service, music lessons or clubs that you belong to. What is on that list that you have committed to doing? Then look around home and see what needs to be done. Broken appliances? Car repairs? How about the family reunion that you are organizing? Write them all down!
A lot of people are afraid of this step. Often, just by writing down the various things that are floating through your mind, it relieves a lot of stress because your list is not as long as you think. On the other hand, if you have too much on your list, you can see what you can get rid of and learn how to say no the next time.
2. Process
Now that you have everything in front of you, it's time to funnel the information through the following process:
• Break down each project into tasks;
• Delegate it or do it;
• Decide how long each task will take.
What are you working on now? What are the different tasks involved in that project? Write down the tasks in chronological order. Look at each task and ask yourself: do I do it or delegate it? Delegate anything that someone else can do. Finally, figure out how long each step will take and assign due dates for every task. Once you accept a project, it is a commitment so honor it!
3. Prioritize
Look at the tasks that are on your list. Sort them by due date. Then look at which ones are the most important. By sorting them into these two categories, it will be much easier to zero in on which tasks need to be done first.
4. Plan
Sit down with your calendar and block in each task by due date and by order of priority. Some people say that they do not have time to plan. In my experience, the most productive people take time out to plan every day, every week and every month.
Which activities are on your to-do list for the week? Schedule them into the appropriate time slot.
Some people like to write each task down on the calendar. Other people prefer to log in the big things only. It's up to you. If there is something that you might overlook, book an appointment with yourself on your calendar.
Now consider your energy cycle. One of the big advantages of breaking down your tasks is that you can clearly see the different aspects of a project. What tasks require your heavy thinking? Do these when you are feeling energetic and inspired. What about administrative tasks that you have not delegated? How about collecting sources for your project? What about paying bills? Do these when you feel less energized.
In this way, you can manage your tasks and always have something to do.
5. Produce
Now is the time to sit down and do your work as planned, with tasks nicely broken down and assigned according to priority and your energy cycle.
Honor your deadlines and the corresponding intermediate goals to avoid the deadline adrenaline rush.
Enjoy getting through your list in a productive way. Your resulting work product will be that much better since you will be feeling so much more in charge of your time.
One last thing: plan for the unknown or the + Factor.
By following the 5 Step process, you can avoid a lot of emergencies. Nevertheless, things invariably arise in the last minute that you could not have foreseen. In that case, shift your schedule to deal with the urgent matter and then attend to things with a less urgent time deadline. Reschedule your other tasks. If the urgent matter is going to make it difficult for you to do other work, be sure to consult with your team members and make sure that the other task is attended to!
By following this 5+ Step Process, you will know what projects to take on and you can devote yourself to doing what you do best. Enjoy how great that feels!
(C) Astrid Baumgardner 2010
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I would be delighted if you should wish to reprint (for free) any part of this article in your newsletters, blogs, websites, and message boards. Please include the following attribution:
Astrid Baumgardner, JD, PCC is a professional life coach and lawyer, Coordinator of Career Strategies and Lecturer at the Yale School of Music and the founder and President of Astrid Baumgardner Coaching + Training, which is dedicated to helping musicians, lawyers and creative professionals take charge of their lives and experience authentic success. In addition to her work at YSM and her individual coaching practice, Astrid presents workshops at leading conservatories and law firms on topics including Career Planning, Goal-Setting, Time Management, Dynamic Communication, Conflict Management and Personal Branding and Networking. She is the author of numerous articles on the various aspects of how to achieve and live authentic success.