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it can’t get any worse, can it?

September 27, 2017 by

This month I was hiking in the California wilderness with a very rudimentary map. The trail did not seem to match the description given by the park ranger. Much younger people were breezing by me as they climbed the mountainous path. No one was coming back as this was a circle trail. Thus, no local information, no reassurance, no help. I could gauge my distance and estimate if I had enough daylight to make it to the end. But, there were dark rain clouds overhead. What to do?

Adventures in life have beginnings, middles and endings. You start accumulating these experiences early on. If you are fortunate at a young age, you have wiser people around who can help you with the challenges. As you age, you may be less willing to reach out for that help, but could still use it.

The majority of your personal growth occurs in two arenas. Freud said love and work are the two biggies in our lives. As you think back over your life, where are your greatest turmoils and resulting lessons located? I would suspect it’s your relationship and work experiences that most impact who you become. Play can also be a contributor to the development of your unique talents and interests.

“Love and work, work and love, that’s all there is”
Sigmund Freud

So I continued a gradual climb over the rocky, tree rooted trail. Enjoying the blue sky, clear air and gorgeous vegetation. I was at 8500 feet, but the air was sufficient for the task ahead. After a few hours, my enjoyment and the novelty switched to worries of how much farther to the destination and would it get more difficult and storm?

You often want to believe that the worst is behind you and you have clear sailing ahead. My companions and I entertained the idea of turning back. We knew that path and were positive that it would be downhill in that direction. But we had come more than half way.  What if we missed something glorious ahead? No one else had turned around. How difficult could it be?

These turning points in life occur on many different paths. Barbara is wondering whether she should leave her marriage. The children are launched and she feels a lack of camaraderie with her husband. Would a change be better or worse?

Mitchell thinks about changing his job and even starting over in a new career. He yearns to learn new things and to make a difference. His current work has grown stale and unimportant.

How do you choose? What process do you take in your decision making? In my dilemma I discussed it over with my fellow hikers. We all felt strong enough to walk the final miles. We expressed a curiosity about possible new vistas ahead and we wanted to test ourselves. How is this similar or different when the arena is not play, but work or love?

Barbara starts talking with friends and family about her marital dissatisfaction. She enters therapy to clarify her thinking and feelings. She prepares for communications with her husband and ultimately suggests couple therapy. Barbara is determining what her options are before she makes a final decision.

Mitchell likewise consults with friends and family regarding his work discomfort. He identifies areas for change and enlists his supervisor and co-workers in a plan. He decides to take some classes and finds a volunteer position that meets some needs.

Both reach outside and inside to get support, identify a vision and take small steps. My hike ended well. We were tired, satisfied and awed by the beauty in the forest. And the storm stayed away. Next time we will be familiar with this trail and can choose it again or pick a new one. The lesson was: it may get worse, but you can handle it.

What challenge lies ahead for you?

Pick a question to take on
Determine the resources needed
Ask for input
Create a plan
Take action and review results

Smooth sailing ahead and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , , ,

authentic life or imax: careers in flow

August 2, 2017 by

A few weeks ago I visited Niagara Falls for the first time. I had always imagined it was an old fashioned, hokey honeymoon place. For that’s what people did in my parents’ era, take a trip there. I hadn’t rushed to follow.

But what I found was a gorgeous force of nature that pulled me in with its mist, pounding water and wonder. There were families from all over the world taking photos, enjoying the majesty of the falls. It was a group celebration.

On the Hornblower boat the Captain drove us up to the edge of the falls. Young and old were in amazement. I hadn’t felt that kind of excitement in a long time. I remarked, “This is like an Imax movie”. But it wasn’t, it was real. We were totally immersed in this natural spectacle. It felt somewhat spiritual and electric.

This experience made me think about times when we are pretending versus times when it’s the real deal. I remember seeing people at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas paddling pretend gondolas and thinking, this is nothing like Venice. No smells, no Italian language, no damp air, no atmosphere. Much of our entertainment in the U.S., at least, is an amusement park. As little kids we beg to go on rides and be amused. Even more with video games, we act virtually without real people or challenges.

What are we missing when we pretend through life? Using reality shows, movies, tv, sports and books we plunge ourselves in strangers’ lives. Is it easier to be an observer than live a genuine life? Or is this one form of learning? Absent consistent role models. More often through technology we seem to be distancing ourselves from relationships.

In your career how are you expressing your authentic self, your bona fide interests? Is your work meeting your needs for purpose and value or is your main benefit the paycheck? Gina is right out of college and snagged her ideal job. Since high school she has been part of a movement. She’s worked as a volunteer for five plus years and her enthusiasm has paid off with this position. Not only is she advocating for a cause she believes in, Gina is growing her professional skills in organization, public speaking and interpersonal relations. She’s on cloud nine.

Brad is not so fortunate. He began his career 20 years ago with hope and excitement. However, his workplace’s bureaucracy has stifled Brad’s creativity. Over the years his efforts to make changes have been met with rejection and his client contacts are feeling repetitive. Brad is not being fulfilled and the stress is effecting him physically and psychically. He pretends to the outside world that all is well, but inside he knows he must change something.

What can you do to more accurately convey your authentic self? One is to take a temperature reading of what is going well and what is going poorly. Does your work matter to you and to the world? As we age, making a contribution is more important than material possessions.

“There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves. Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you”
Steve Maraboli

What is unique about you? What special gifts and interests do you love to express? How can the world or even one person benefit from you? What do you like to learn? What is a day well spent? It seems that contribution versus consumerism allows us to give back and add to the world around us. I’m reminded of Al Gore who suffered a disappointment in winning the job of his dreams. But he returned to an old interest and has established a community working on improving the environment.

Do an authentic check up:

Am I using my talents and interests?
Is this the real me showing up?
Where would I rather be?
Can I stay or is it time to go?

Sail on and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , ,

it’s never too late: career possibilities

May 3, 2017 by

Are you still waiting for your dream career or are you there? You know it when you have it. It may not be perfect, but it feeds your purpose and curiosity. It’s easier to know when you aren’t there. You may have more of the “not there” experiences or ones that started out well, but soured over time.

Perhaps what you wanted at 30 is not what you are wanting today. Your interests have taken a detour along with your priorities. Or you regret never really going after that ideal passion. Instead you’ve worked for financial well being, not to feed your spirit. Is it too late? Will you stay with the familiar? Or is it time for a change?

Many ingredients go into a change, two being readiness and courage. Where you work cannot be too comfortable. There needs to be a reason for change, more than you just want something new. You need to be hungry, willing to risk and curious about answering that call.

Shon Hopwood’s life started off poorly until he found work he was good at and enjoyed. Disinterested in college, Shon fell into robbing banks and served time in prison. There he unexpectedly found a passion and purpose. Eventually Shon worked his way into a career he loves as a Georgetown University Law Professor and a cause he believes in. Shon helps the less fortunate and is committed to reforming criminal sentencing.

In a way Shon fell into a field that was vital to him and his prison community. He learned to improve his life. Now on the outside he continues to help that community and teach law students to do the same.

Think of the areas you are attracted to due to personal or family experiences. A teacher who hated school but wants to improve it for others. A physician whose parent suffered from a chronic illness who wants to heal. A politician who lived in a poor neighborhood who wants to upgrade services for all. An immigrant who began a business and wants to employ newcomers.

What motivates you? What interests you? What are you good at? Every day you are exposed to things that spark your interest and touch your heart. Pay attention. If you stay mired in the same work that no longer serves you, you miss opportunities to charge after something new.

Shon was in a rut and his poor choices landed him in a seemingly hopeless situation. And yet he thrived in the prison library. Soaking up knowledge, writing and helping his colleagues. When he was released, people helped him because they recognized his passions and efforts.

It’s never a waste to work hard and create an meaningful role for yourself. The skills, relationships and experiences gained will asset you in your next chapter. After 15 years Dorothy has risen to management in her organization. She’s noticed for her contributions, but she no longer feels fulfilled. The skills that provide for her financial support don’t excite her anymore. The company’s mission doesn’t touch her heart. She’s feeling stagnant.

But can Dorothy make a change at 55? Is it too late? She can retire in 10 years. Is it best to hold on and wait until then? But what will be different at 65? What will Dorothy design then to have a meaningful life?

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been”

George Eliot

Beginning the inquiry now when you feel the dissatisfaction empowers you toward a solution. Staying stuck is never comfortable. Taking action, any action is an investment in the future.

Dorothy chooses to explore her interests. She notices where her eyes go, how she prefers to spend her time. She finds a theme that repeats, that was nagging her years ago. Sometimes you drop an interest or a talent for good reasons at the time. But now is a new opportunity to pursue something that brings meaning into your life.

Giving yourself permission to create the “just right” life of your dreams is scary. You have been settling for so long, it’s an automatic habit. Defining the direction and ingredients you really want is putting a stake in the ground. Shon knew that convicted felons rarely get a law license, but he went after it anyway. He faced possible failure and won.

You can declare: This is what I want. This is who I am. This is what I believe in. I’m going to do something about it. What if instead of asking, “Is it too late”, you proclaim, “It’s about time”.

Start Now:

Choose this as “your time”
Make your Yes, No, Maybe lists
Find immediate ways to add passion to your day
Hang out with people who share your passions

Take the leap and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , ,

chasing your dreams: the interim step

March 27, 2017 by

Last month I met several people who traveled near and far to realize one of their dreams. For some it was securing their ideal work. For others it was choosing a lifestyle fit for their souls. How often do you ask, “Am I living my dreams?” No matter what age, you ponder how close you’ve come and what still lies ahead.

Transition points can occur naturally or with effort. You graduate school and move into the work world. You change jobs as you advance in your career. Your children grow up and launch. You create a business. You leave the paid workforce. These transitions shape who you become and reflect on how authentically your path evolves.

An example of a crooked path that represents a life well-lived is Juan. I met Juan, a surfing instructor, in Costa Rica. Before he was able to actualize his dream, Juan’s passion for surfing led him on a detour. Juan grew up in a South American region with economic and political unrest, violence and kidnapping. He felt unsafe and feared for his family’s welfare. Surfing became an interest and escape from the stresses of daily life.

When Juan became an adult, his goal was to move to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As it happened, he went by way of Canada. Frequently, a straight line doesn’t exist to reach your goal. The goals identified in youth are transfigured by the experiences and information you obtain while on the road. At times you may feel totally off course and wonder, “How did I get here and why am I doing this work that doesn’t interest me?” or “Why am I living here or with this person?”

In Juan’s case he went to Canada to live in safety with his sister. He didn’t speak English and didn’t see an opportunity to surf, but a surprise was in store for him. Through his interests, he met a community of people who loved surfing and did it on the Great Lakes! As Juan says, “I didn’t expect to be surfing with ice on my beard”. But he was surfing and learning to teach others and studying English.

Eventually Juan made it to Costa Rica where he has the life of his dreams. He has a wife, a child, his family has joined him and he created his own business. Juan teaches others to use surfing as a means for growth and transformation.

“If you listen to your own inner voice, it will tell you where you are now, and which method will work best for you in your evolution towards the light”

Ram Dass

If you are stuck in a situation that seems not working for you, what are your options? Dissatisfaction leads to feelings of hopelessness and despair. You lose your creativity and positivity. One way to determine where you are is to cherry pick the good parts. Who is special in your community? What skills are you learning? What values are you expressing? What purpose is being shared? Selecting out the opportunities in your current position and viewing this time as a stepping stone help to cherish this moment in your life cycle.

You are never wasting time when you’re in an interim step. This can be a jumping off point for the next, tailor-made situation. Take in whatever you can. Ask what you need to learn and seek possibilities to do it.

So I spent the winter in a surf town. I’m not a surfer, nor did I plan to become one. But I learned from that community and I reveled in the parts that worked for me. I discovered what it means to fight to be in that almost perfect place that makes your heart sing.

Perhaps your community isn’t exactly what you want it to be. Perhaps you aren’t living your values doing precisely what you dreamed, but the experiences can be important. Being flexible, curious and open to possibilities and turns in the road can lead you closer to your authentic life.

Make use of Now:

Create your vision
Enumerate the parts
Check off what you have
What’s missing?
How can you get it now?
How can you make the leap?

Enjoy the curves and see you on the path!

 

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

bumps along the way: career challenges

January 18, 2017 by

Today my plan was to meet friends for a hike. It was a new spot for me and I thought I was in the right place. Instead I was alone, not quite lost, but not with my friends. They called, we negotiated and I went to them. Problem solved and a beautiful walk/talk ensued.

Instead of being upset, I reminded myself that without a hiccup most journeys lack adventure. I can’t tell you how many of my hikes contain an aspect of wrong direction, not enough water/nourishment, sore feet, “danger”, too hot/cold, fatigue. But I love that. I love that there is a challenge to overcome. It feels like a test followed by an accomplishment. It’s not perfect, but it gets done.

The hiking/journey metaphor can be used for career paths. Looking back, has yours gone smoothly over the years? Of course not. But what have you learned from those bumps? The obstacles, doubts, crises have to be there to grow the stamina to appreciate the blessings of your path. You have the choice to stop, retreat, go back, veer off, march harder, think deeper, ask for help.

When you are out of the crisis, it doesn’t seem so bad. But when you are mired in it, you wonder if you are up to the challenge. Tackling these experiences is like building a mastery muscle. The more you push through and create solutions, the more you believe in yourself. You amass a history of lessons faced and learned to use as resources.

Jessica is fed up with her job. She wants out, but has no idea what to do next. Like many, Jessica knows what she doesn’t want, but not what she does. That veto list pops up pretty quickly when you are in pain. To find what you do want takes effort. A review of times you were in work flow, remembering the particular circumstances: the colleagues, the purpose, the projects.

Often your work life cycle becomes a variation on a theme. You change situations 10 degrees at a time. Or others, you head for the opposite side of the pie. A doctor who works for a hospital starts her own practice. Or a teacher becomes a professor, or a lawyer becomes an artist. If you look closely, we seem to carry familiar skills and interests as we move around the career pie. Sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes across the diagonal. Taking a slice as you go.

Jessica is looking for a radical change. She’s a teacher who is burned out by administration, faculty, students. The schedule worked well while she raised her children, but after 20 years she craves a change. It’s been so long since she has job searched, she doesn’t know where to begin.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the (your) world”
Harriet Tubman

One way to create solutions for your world and your thinking is to get “away”. This can take many forms. Forms that stimulate all senses. One is to be in nature. Seeing trees, water, skies, wildlife. Smelling new flowers, fresh air. Another is to visit art museums, art shows, outdoor sculpture gardens. Another is taking a course.

Visiting a new neighborhood, city, country is assured to reshuffle your thinking and being. Experiences that allow whole brain thinking. Having great talks with friends and family can recharge your spirit and brain. Even playing with babies and children propel you into a new head space.

Being in a state of Awe leads to healing and possibilities according to Project Awe in California. Thinking of when you are at your best, when you feel alive, engaged and hopeful helps you to set the stage for problem solving and creation.

Jessica has decided to treat herself to a weekend trip to New York City. There she will connect to her interests in music, performance, art and walk in Central Park. She plans to eat adventurously and write profusely as she begins her journey to brainstorm a new slice of life.

Ready to begin?

Choose a beautiful journal
Set your intention or question
Enter a customized state of awe
Write/draw your findings
Design your first action step

Happy discoveries and see you on the path soon!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: ,

career confusion: the winding transitions

December 28, 2016 by

“What if I’m not good enough?” asks the Emma Stone character in the hit movie La La Land. She plays an actress/barista who faces disappointment regularly in her auditions. Likewise her love interest, played by Ryan Gosling, fails to earn money playing the jazz he loves. Are they stymied or do they forge on?

When have you fought for your dreams or, on the other hand, walked away from them? What is the tipping point that signals you to muster more faith or to know that it’s time to discard an ambition?

A complicating factor on many career paths are relationships. Can you have both work and love or must you sacrifice one for the other? Once choices are made, do you consider “what if”? What lessons do you take from the decisions you chose?

Life doesn’t consist of just one career decision. You may have several transition points along a full life. Your dreams grow and change as you do. What you longed for as a child can be vastly different at midlife. Sometimes you discard early dreams only to circle back to them at a later time.

Michael always loved science and entered medical school to become a surgeon. His career was long and outstanding. He had few regrets. But now in his 50’s, Michael is ready to leave medicine and take up something different. Healing, fame, money no longer call him. Michael wants to use his hands in a new, creative way. He wants to sculpt.

Fortunately, Michael is financially secure and has the freedom to explore new ways to use his time and talents. What of those who dream of a transition, but need to earn a living? Or perhaps specific opportunities lie far away from family and friends. How to choose? What will you regret most? The lost career or the lost relationship? Is it possible to have it all?

Life is a series of twists and turns. Sometimes you think lightly of a single decision: which school to attend, which major to study, which person to date, which city to live in. Yet those decisions can influence which doors open and close and impact your progress. Careful thought in decision making is important. You never have a crystal ball: all the needed information about yourself and the world. But you can consider wisely with what you know at the time.

“To be careless in making decisions is to naively believe that a single decision impacts nothing more than that single decision, for a single decision can spawn a thousand others that were entirely unnecessary or it can bring peace to a thousand places we never knew existed”

Craig D. Lounsbrough

Your work lives mean a great deal to you. They support you as you support the missions of your industries. Keeping a steady hand on the tiller as you navigate the smooth and choppy waters and acting with your values and priorities give you a sense of engagement and control. With eyes wide open you can make the best decisions for your future.

Believing you are “good enough” and capable of growth sustains you as you reach for your dreams. Maybe life doesn’t turn out exactly as you imagined, but if you are nimble and hopeful, what appears can be an intriguing opportunity.

Clarifying the confusion:

What currently works?
What doesn’t?
What change do you seek?
Where do you start?
What resources do you need?

Happy New Year and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , ,

seasons of your career: change you design

November 22, 2016 by

No matter where you are on your Career Life Line, ten years ago it looked different and it may change in the next ten years. Your parents and grandparents probably worked many years at one place. But just as factory and farm jobs have dwindled, 20-30 year long careers are often a thing of the past. Career reinvention has become the norm as we work into our 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

To see how far you’ve come, draw a line across a piece of paper to create a Career Timeline. Start noting work in your teens and progress to today. There may be some non-employment sections where family care, education or sabbaticals were your focus. By analyzing your reactions to each period or season, you can gather information on their personal significance.

What motivates you at 50 is often different than at 25. Unless you live a single life, family influences your decisions: where to work, how intensely, what salary, amount of travel and responsibility. The risks you undertake depend on your responsibilities. If you have only yourself to care for, you may take more chances: go overseas, live simply, change jobs frequently, start a business.

But often in the middle of your life, you have commitments that color your decision making. Maybe it’s children, aging parents, a partner, mortgage or other debts. These are practical obstacles. Unlike obstacles, your motivators call you to follow your passions, grow in expertise, make a difference, become a leader or accumulate a fortune.

When Mark graduated college he felt an urge to see the world. His interest in becoming a financial analyst was intriguing, but the call to leave the U.S. was greater. Combining both was a possibility that Mark investigated. He was able to secure an opportunity in India with an international company. Because he had no ties in the form of partner, children, mortgage or aging parents,  Mark told himself this was his window of opportunity. He could follow the risky path. He took the job and tested out life overseas and India in particular.

When have you taken a fairly risky career jump? I took my first one at 19 by teaching English in Colombia. After a semester abroad, I had 8 months free from college and sought out more experiences. This proved invaluable to me personally and professionally. While I never was a full time educator after that, I have always incorporated teaching into my life work.

“Most things worth doing come with their fair share of risks”
Kirsten Beyer

As Mark aged, his priorities changed. After 5 years he transferred with his company back to the U.S. He had traveled greatly which was invigorating, but he missed his family and friends and wanted to experience life in the U.S. again. The good news was that he had gained expertise and advanced in his company. A low risk change. Over the years, Mark married, raised a family and bought a house. His need for stability grew.

Frequently at midlife the reasons you work are complicated. You may be responsible for others and have serious financial obligations. Your freedom to take large risks is compromised. Much weighs on your decisions. This restriction may feel like a burden that you’d like to throw off. Some people do this through divorce, job termination or drastic moves. Sometimes that works and sometimes not.

What are your options during this responsible period? And what lies after it? Although it may not feel like it now, life gets more simple as you age. If you are fortunate, you launch your children, are financially secure and your health is good. Any of these can go wrong, which complicates the picture and changes your focus temporarily.

But let’s hope that you handle the bumps that come along and eventually end up in a calmer period of time. This is a season when you can again focus clearly on your livelihood and life style. And take a risk.

For Mark he wanted more freedom in his 60’s so he could return to travel and foreign living, so he became an international consultant. For me I wanted to work for myself and also have the flexibility to follow my interests. During 4 years I planned an exit from my main career, including financial planning, career identification and re-training. By 59 I was ready to move on and start a new business. No one was dependent on me, so the risk was mine alone. I had a mortgage, but also a nest egg and significant experience.

The seasons of your careers grow and develop. It’s up to you. You create the scenario partly through your actions and partly by how you handle unexpected life events. The best reminder is that you are the captain of your own ship. If you want change, head in that direction.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done”
Nelson Mandela

Craft your seasons:

Identify your passions
Choose an opportunity for change
Design the needed preparation
Commit on a beginning date

Step outside the box and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , , ,

working for yourself: taking action, part 2

September 29, 2016 by

To become an entrepreneur requires much enthusiasm, imagination and execution. If truth be told, we’d all probably prefer to be our own boss and create our special business. A common belief is that running your own business is fun all the time. What I hear from entrepreneurs is they enjoy parts of their work and dislike others. Just as employees do.

So why take that risk? Why stick your neck out to give up security for the unknown? As we saw last month, Marion, the bank VP, is wondering just that. Financially, if she continues for 10 more years in her current position, she will be able to retire with a good monthly income. Then at 60, what will her lifestyle be?

How will she spend her time, Marion wonders. Her mind drifts back to her clothes designing interest. “That’s how I want to spend my time now. I don’t want to wait 10 years in the future”. The thought of remaining with the bank for 10 more years is agonizing to Marion. She wants a plan to leave, but leave in a way that preserves her investment and prepares her for a more satisfying future.

The results from Marion’s financial health analysis detail her income, expenses, debts and assets. In preparation for this career change, Marion vows to pay off her debts, lower her expenses and save more. If she leaves the bank now, she will have a retirement account for the future. But she doesn’t want to deplete that money for her current personal expenses. If she stays, that account will grow.

Marion concludes she needs her bank salary to survive. She cannot quit and fund a new business without substantial savings or a benefactor. Rather than being discouraged, Marion is inspired to start a part time business on the side. She wants to answer some vital questions: do I really like doing design work, is there a demand for my creations, and can I make a profit at this?

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Marion decides she needs role models, people who are successful at designing and selling clothes. She wants to learn from people who do the creative work as well as the business side. She did some informational interviewing in Italy and now will contact professionals in her community as well as in U.S. fashion capitals. She uses her contacts and her knowledge of the field to come up with a list of people to call.

This outreach into an unfamiliar business community provides Marion an entree into her desired field. People contacted are generous about sharing their advice, support and start-up lessons. Just like with Positano, Marion is thrilled to talk business with these professionals. They share the same “fire in the belly”. Marion comes away with possible models for her design business. She shadows owners and offers to assist them where possible.

What results is a preliminary collaboration with a design firm that needs production assistants. In addition Marion is able to use their facilities to produce some of her own samples. Once she has a portfolio of dress designs, Marion explores her distribution options. Building on the advice of her mentors, she chooses two delivery methods: one is direct sales at a local market and the other is consignment to a nearby boutique.

Marion isn’t making a profit yet. But she is learning the parts of the business needed to excel on her own. And she discovers that design is the aspect of work she prefers. Sewing feels like a mechanical exercise that she would rather hand off to someone else.

As Marion grows her reputation, her products show up in more boutiques locally and nationally. She hones her signature style and receives requests for custom work. She continues to work at the bank to pay personal bills, but her business gradually becomes self supporting. At the bank Marion develops a special interest in small business funding and is able to create a department specializing in micro loans to new entrepreneurs.

The satisfaction from helping others implement their dreams as well as following her own allows Marion to stay on a path which will lead one day to leaving the bank and working solely for herself. The years of experience and exposure will ensure a smooth transition into her next act.

“Everyone who achieves success in a great venture solved each problem as they came to it. They helped themselves and they were helped through powers known and unknown to them at the time they set out on their voyage. They kept going regardless of the obstacles they met”

W. Clement Stone

Invest in your dream:

Choose your business niche
Join your community
Learn all you can
Ask to work collaboratively
Create your mark
Enjoy the innovation

Make your unique way and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , , , ,

working for yourself: the entrepreneur within

August 23, 2016 by

You have unique ideas. You dream of working at something you love. You feel bored at work. Your co-workers are nice, but your heart isn’t engaged in your present role. You aren’t even sure the organization’s mission resonates with you anymore.

Perhaps you have traveled this experience as far as you can. Or perhaps you can alter your current position to better things in the future. You can either unravel what is possible within or outside of your organization.

Often at midlife employees feel chained to their jobs. Some call it “Golden Handcuffs”. I first heard that term when I worked for local government. All of a sudden the job you took on a whim in your twenties/thirties has lasted 20 plus years and you are deep into the benefits package. Your lifestyle and responsibilities have grown and you are living well on those benefits. Alternate companies are no longer offering defined retirement plans, 5 weeks vacation, security, recognition.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”

Chinese Proverb

What would make you leave all that behind? What leap are you willing to take? Some people have a burning desire to create their own business. After learning the ropes in a particular field, you want to be in charge, to do it your way, to be creative. Or you have a secondary interest that has followed you throughout your life. It never seemed practical enough to provide support, but it kept calling you.

Maybe you left it behind or maybe you made it a hobby. But it’s always brought you great pleasure and satisfaction. It’s something you could learn about and practice for hours without tiring. What would it be like to turn this love into a business?

The fear in taking this passion seriously is that it would erase the joy. It would become work and resemble what you are struggling with now. So you ignore the call and put it in the impossible dream category.

What if you had the courage to look at it differently? What if you examined the possibilities versus the unlikelihoods?

Marion loves designing and sewing. Since being a young girl, she has drawn and made her own clothes. Marion learned from her mother who created her children’s clothes for financial reasons. Marion has less time now to sew and more money from her job as a bank Vice President to buy designer clothes. But she’s still fascinated by the innovative, hands on process.

What can Marion do? It might be foolish to give up what she has developed as a professional. But every year she is feeling more restless, less satisfied. Her job is not very creative. She is extremely competent at her position, but has little wiggle room to operate differently.

Marion takes an Italian vacation and visits Positano. There she is fascinated by the unique stores selling handmade clothes and shoes. She learns the town has a long history of family workshops and begins talking with the owners, designers and seamstresses. She is in heaven to be around these people.

Once home to her real world, Marion cannot forget what she experienced in Positano. She wonders about having her own business. Is it an unachievable dream or something she could establish? Being a practical person with many resources, Marion begins researching the design trade. She locates people to interview. She begins drafting a business plan.

Having seen many business plans as a bank official, Marion is familiar with the required elements. Each one leads her to more thought and investigation regarding niche, legalities, expenses, marketing. She takes a local course given by a small business attorney to learn more. All the while, Marion is planning and building, weighing the costs and benefits. She is excited.

While Marion knows she likes to design and sew, there are more pieces needed to run a successful business. She identifies those and consults people who are doing them. She ponders the options of a brick and mortar store, or online sales or supplying inventory to larger companies. Which would bring her most satisfaction? Delivering the products into the hands of customers or being further removed?

All the while, Marion is examining her financials. What is needed to begin a business? How much does she require to live on? What is the risk of leaving the bank and going off on her own? What is the risk of never trying this?

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon seem inevitable”

Christopher Reeve

We’ll learn more about Marion’s decisions next month.  Meanwhile you can:

Identify your work passion
Ask what part of it intrigues you
Visualize developing a business
Find role models to learn from
Assess your financial health

Start dreaming and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , , , , ,

late blooming: careers meant for you

July 28, 2016 by

Ever wonder how your career would look if you had chosen a different major, or lived abroad or worked twenty years before starting a family? We can call these curiosities or regrets or even contemplations. What still nags at you to accomplish or experience? I’ve always wanted to live on the edge of water and if I’m really truthful, wanted to live and work outside the U.S….for a while.

I did the foreign piece and still am fortunate to travel frequently. After a long career as a therapist, I started my own business. Which is like giving birth at 60. And I’m still helping people, which I love. So what’s missing? Is it just a lifestyle by the water?

What is essential in your lifestyle and livelihood? What is calling you? Is it a writing career, politics or that invention you never started? Is it a dreamed about community or lifestyle?

Whenever I return from a trip I’m thrilled to be back in my own comfortable space. I say to friends, “I love my house and garden, but I wish I could carry them around the world”. Seeing and experiencing new vistas and cultures bring excitement, stimulation and learning.

People feel similarly about their jobs. Over time they become stale, you want something new. And yet frequent reluctance to change keeps you inert. Career benefits, security and colleagues block any urge to transition. Plus a worry that it is too late. You wonder if you are too old to be hired, too foggy to go back to school, too tired to become an entrepreneur.

The myth that everything career related must be accomplished by age 65 restricts you from dreaming up new paths. And yet look at the “late” bloomers, people who have entered new realms while in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s: Grandma Moses, Colonel Sanders, Ronald Reagan, Laura Ingalls Wilder.

You probably have already bloomed in one or more fields, but is there a new one bubbling inside? Sometimes your blooming interest is related in focus, but comes in a different form. Or you turn a hobby into a career. Or you proceed in an entirely different direction.

Experience and age lead to increased self knowledge and motivation. You have the awareness of what makes you happy, how you prefer spending your time, what’s essential to your existence. Creating purpose and giving back call out as we get older. Knowing your work is vital to others allows you to feel relevant and useful.

Aging reminds you that life is finite. You don’t have unlimited time. What are you avoiding that is important? Even if the answer isn’t readily evident, the nagging dissatisfaction signals it’s time to look. To dig deeper into what needs to be eliminated and added to your life.

“Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open”

Alexander Graham Bell

Bill is 55 and has a good position and success in his company. He enjoys his co-workers and makes a comfortable living. But Bill is wondering how much longer he wants to remain. While considering retirement at the traditional age of 65, Bill can’t fathom doing this career ten more years. He wants more freedom, more creativity, something more challenging to sink his teeth into. Something that matters. Bill is on the Board of a local non-profit. Helping children from impoverished homes feels very fulfilling to him.

“Certainly I can’t go back to school to become a social worker,” Bill thinks. “I’m way too old for that.” But who says Bill is too old and that higher education is the only entry to a new field? In order to discover his options for helping children, Bill needs more information about what organizations exist and the variety of roles professionals fill. Bill needs to talk to people who are doing what interests him. He requires role models and mentors.

What actions do you need to take in order to bloom in a new way? How vital is it for you to grow and develop? What will be the loss if you fail to act? A place to begin is this resource on career changes.

And no, for me a lifestyle by the water isn’t enough.

Get ready for blooming:

What will you regret never doing?
How do you want to contribute?
What talents can you share?
Explore the possibilities
Try one on

Keep growing and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , , ,
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