In an ideal world, our brave adventures would be met with support and enthusiasm from the people in our lives.

We’d have a cheering chorus of raving fans, saying “You can do it!” from the sidelines. Our successes, big and small, would be acknowledged and celebrated by the people we love and admire.

But that probably hasn’t been your experience.

It certainly hasn’t been mine either. It’s a lesson a lot of people have to learn the hard way.

Sharing your big goals and dreams is a big deal. In fact, it’s terrifying for a lot of people. And for your honesty and authenticity to be belittled or minimized is painful and it really does a number on your confidence.

So what is an ambitious person to do when she’s met with negativity from the people closest to her?

Take a deep breath and try one of these three ways to deal with negative people.

When Work Wonders started as a side hustle, I was not only working a full time job, but a part time job as well.

Suffice it to say that I’ve experimented with fitting my business into my life in a few different ways.

Weekends, early mornings, evenings.

Even on my lunch break when I was still working a day job.

But without a doubt, retreat days have been the best way for me to truly be productive on my own goals and projects, especially while working full time - which is why I recommend them to my clients so often!

The purpose of having a retreat day is to set aside time to work on your own projects and your personal development.

While you may be fantasizing about the day you get to give your notice and quit your job, believe it or not, actually quitting your job can feel very stressful.

You’re making a big change, leaving a familiar environment and you’ll probably have to have at least one difficult conversation where you actually let your boss know that you won’t be around for long.

When it comes time to quit your job, it’s often a mix of excitement and fear!

Since working with people one on one and watching a lot of my clients eventually leave a job, I have come to realize that no matter the situation, quitting is hard for everyone.

And the fear around quitting – whether it’s fear of actually giving your notice or trying a new opportunity – can really hold you back in your job search.

I’ve put together some principles for quitting gracefully and bravely when it’s your time to go.

Here’s how to quit your job without burning bridges.

While I love some PTO, it isn’t always possible to take an entire week off to catch up on life.

So this week, I’m sharing some tips you can use to get it together any time and will leave you feeling a bit more organized - and each one can take less than 30 minutes!

There’s a club for people who’ve started on the path towards their goal and found themselves a little behind schedule off track.

And everyone is a member!

I’m a firm believer that shifting priorities is simply a reality most professionals must face - and it’s better not to anticipate that we’ll be all in on our goals 24/7/365

Life just doesn’t work that way!

If you’re in need of a little reset, here’s some of my advice for you.

It’s hard to believe that the year is half over.

If you’re part of the Work Wonders Career family, you already know that I do quarterly check ins with myself to see how my annual goals (aka resolutions) are going.

It’s fun — and much easier! — to do a review when you know you’re totally on top of things.

But…we both know that’s not always the case.

A mid year review can still be really helpful, even if you haven’t looked at your goals since January.