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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
A Life of Fulfillment: Have a Dream...or have faith Part I
Lately, I have been hearing from a lot of people at how frustrated they are because they do not know what they are doing with their lives. “How do I figure out what I want to do with my life?” they ask me. Understandably, many people flounder when they do not know what it is that they are working towards. It often feels too hard and people get stuck along the way, even giving up and saying that there is no use in trying. No wonder so many people feel an underlying malaise with their lack of fulfillment.
I have a short answer: have a dream...or have faith that you will find your dream.
What do I mean?
People with a vision of what they want to accomplish in life are fortunate because that dream can serve as a magnet. It is a matter of translating the dream into a long-term goal and breaking down the goal into manageable and workable pieces. I call this “top-down” goal setting because you can see the endpoint and your job is to make it happen. Yes it is work and having a magnet like a vision makes it easier to set goals and milestones. The trick is then to overcome the obstacles that get in the way of achieving the dream.
Sometimes, it is a matter of seeing your dream and setting an intention around it. The most powerful intentions are written in the present tense with a due date. You do this by setting your intention for that dream. All you do is pick a period of time down the road and state what you are dong in that future time. The trick is to write this in the present tense, as though you were already doing it:
In ____years, I am a ________doing___________.
Set this down in writing and be sure to date your entry.
Congratulations! You have just announced your intention to the world. That is step one in making that dream a reality!
Why does setting an intention work? Because if you are able to visualize what it is that you want to do and capture that thought in writing, you are likely to seize the opportunities that will make that dream a reality. That is why I encourage you to articulate your dream. If you can see it, write it down as if you were already doing it. Then look for ways to make that dream a reality. You will be amazed at the results.
For an example of how setting an intention helped me in my career journey, read my recent blog post!
In some cases, the dream is there and you realize that you need more experience or some new skills in order to make that dream a reality. With your dream in mind, you fill in those gaps, knowing that you are working towards your end goal. You can help yourself along by setting interim goals that feed into that long-term dream. For example, if your dream is to run your own business and you realize that you need to pick up some additional business skills, you can enroll in a business course or work for someone else and learn those skills on the job. Completing the course or gaining that valuable on-the-job experience in order to learn new skills become the interim goals that will propel you forward.
To get an idea of how this works in practice, click here.
So if you are the person that has a vision of your success in mind, set your intention and then figure out how to get there. Be sure to look at what gaps may exist between where you are now and where you long to be. If you need more experience, if you need to learn something new, if you need more support, know that you are working towards making your dream a reality. Enjoy your journey!
© Astrid Baumgardner 2011
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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.