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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: , , , ,

midlife gap year: finding answers experientially

May 21, 2016 by

Malia Obama will attend Harvard University, but first she’s taking a gap year. How she’ll use that time is not yet known, but many midlife adults are saying, “I want one too”. If you never scheduled a gap year or if it was a long time ago, how might a break like this benefit you?

Midlife is a perfect time to take stock, change direction, sample something new. Often you operate at supersonic speed in work and home. When asked what you really want, you are so unfamiliar with choices that you can’t reply. You know you want some changes, but you don’t know what else exists.

Exiting the daily routine exposes you to new ways of living and working. For young people, gap year traditions can occur between high school and college or become a “backpacking trip though the world” between college and career. Both provide a kinesthetic education in whatever intrigues the explorer. Usually there is an intention for the break: something to learn, experience, or decide. Rather than being frivolous, a gap is a creative method of uncovering new answers for yourself.

When I was 19 I designed some gap years. I studied in Bogota for a semester, fell in love with Colombia and a man, and invented a reason to remain. I landed jobs teaching ESL in Medellin and Barranquilla and stayed two years.

For me that experience was life changing. I was immersed in a new culture and language. I gained confidence and experience in teaching and I was ignited by the travel bug. So personally and professionally I benefited. Since then I have created other opportunities to gap it: refugee work in Thailand, stay at home parenting, overseas Spanish study, and extensive post graduate education.

So are gaps just for the young? Have you missed your chance? Do you have to wait until retirement to get out and do something different? I hope not. What if you could structure something now? What would you like to do? How can you make it happen?

Some careers have gaps or sabbaticals built into their life cycles: higher education, ministry, even school teachers have the summers off. Some people choose their career based on its flexibility for family or self. Is flexibility a benefit you can negotiate in a job offer, or prioritize in your search or even ask for now?

A midlife gap has to be more than a long vacation. You can enter into a discerning process of what personal answers you are seeking, what career information or experience you require, or what transformation is necessary for your next level of growth.

Sometimes the gap can be a lateral move in your organization. It could be a year off to get another degree or certification. It can be a planned interlude between jobs. While the Peace Corps has a mostly young face, it and other volunteer opportunities serve the gap purpose at any age. After my one year VISTA job ended, I went back to graduate school and also volunteered in a Thai refugee camp. Those were the days… And it doesn’t have to be a year. With clear boundaries and goals a gap experience can be beneficial for one, three or six months.

Stacy is a CPA who is itching for a change in work and life. She wants to possibly move out West and work for a larger organization. Over time Stacy identifies several government and corporate entities in California, Arizona and Utah that use the services of a CPA. She contacts managers and learns about their unmet needs. She negotiates a temporary reduction in hours and the capacity to work virtually in her current job. Once she obtains an offer, Stacy creates the space to move out West and work part-time. This gives her more information so that she can design a career vision that better fits.

Finding ways to think outside the box so that both you and the business prosper is challenging and compelling.  Without current gap institutions, midlifers need to design opportunities instead of wishing they were college students or retirees.  Our inflexible systems can be tweaked by taking risks to the betterment of all. The risk of not acting is to burnout and waste your talents.

Ethan Knight, Executive Director, American Gap Association, www.americangap.org, is a fan of the saying:

“Mankind can only dream as big as we’ve seen”
Unknown

 

So to do it, you have to see it, experience it, try it out. Perhaps you can pioneer gap years for midlife and become a role model in this transformative endeavor.

Design your personal gap experience:

What is missing in your life?
What do you want to change?
Identify 3-5 intentions
Create experiences
Evaluate the data
Incorporate the learning

Take your risk and see you on the path!

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

the audition: testing the waters to a new career

November 30, 2015 by

A 16 year old American girl in an impoverished Haitian neighborhood is interviewing sick people attending a clinic run by U.S. volunteers. How did she get there? Instead of texting with friends, learning the latest dance steps or writing an English paper, Claudia found herself in a totally unfamiliar environment. An invitation from her uncle turned into an experience of a lifetime.

Think of those incredible times when you experienced a unique experience. An experience that shaped your future. An experience available to you because you took a chance.

Claudia was open to seeing a new country and to taking on a new responsibility. From that short exposure, Claudia received an up close view of medical work. By trying on that environment, she now has more information about what it’s like to work as a doctor, nurse or medical assistant. Claudia loved being part of the team, loved seeing people get help and was intrigued by what future roles will be open for her.

By emersing yourself in diverse occupations, you can learn a great deal. Is this for me? Do I have a fit? You either are propelled to discard and move on or to delve deeper. Claudia is interested. She wants more experiences like this. She is on track to get medical training.

When you were young, it was expected that you would “audition” in various settings to gain information about your interests and aptitude. Your family arranged opportunities, as did the scouts, your schools and faith based groups. You experimented with many types of work and activities which helped you chose a focus.

But you aren’t 16 anymore. How do you make a career change when you long for something different?

At the end of the day, your life is just a story. If you don’t like the direction it’s going, change it. Rewrite it. When you rewrite a sentence, you erase it and start over until you get it right. Yes, it’s a little more complicated with a life, but the principle is the same. And remember, don’t let anyone ever tell you that your revisions are not the truth.”

Tyler Jones

Susana is in transition. She has practiced law successfully for 20 years. But something is off. Susana is reluctant to go to work in the morning and, once there, is often irritable and dissatisfied. She knows she wants to make a change, but she doesn’t know what or where. Susana needs exposure to some different environments. She needs to shake things up. Just like Claudia, Susana is eager to be amazed.

But how do adults test out alternate careers? You are working and handling life’s responsibilities with little free time. How do you carve out time for “auditions”?

Claudia was also busy. She petitioned her high school to take time off and agreed to write a special report on her Haitian trip. You too can be creative with your time. You can use vacation hours to volunteer or intern in an intriguing field. Organizations, domestic and international, look for people to teach, build, create and solve problems. Instead of a beach, perhaps an orphanage or wildlife preserve is calling you.

With free evening and weekend time you can take courses, volunteer in your community, serve on a board. Designing a detailed plan to investigate a new career field through part time emersion gets you in motion instead of misery. It also allows you to enter a community of people who are bursting with knowledge and enthusiasm about their fields.

The parts of Susana’s job she loves are mentoring new employees. They are eager to learn and ask probing questions. Susana wonders where she could do work that focuses on mentoring. She finds a Saturday volunteer position where she tutors students living in a domestic violence shelter. Her plan is to do this for 6 months and evaluate her aptitude and interest. While doing so, she is investigating part time adjunct law professor positions in local universities.

By trying on and expanding, or discarding, Susana is creating her own decision tree made up of experiences and answers. Some she will leave behind, some may become hobbies, and some may lead her to dive deeper into a new direction.

Decide it’s your time to make a change:

Dare to dream
List your interests
Investigate one
Create an internship
Interview the community
Evaluate your experience

Shake life up and see you on the path!

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

career exit strategies: letting go to move ahead, part 1

October 31, 2014 by

Doors

When negatives outweigh the positives in your career, you think about moving on. But what is involved? When you were younger you changed jobs, relationships, and housing frequently. But as you age, transitions become more complicated. Perhaps your decisions impact your family’s work or schooling, or you have greater financial responsibilities that depend on your earnings, or your identity is tied to this job.

Often you feel trapped, but don’t take action either to fix where you are or to move on. So you stay in pain and complain. This pain influences your mental and physical health, your relationships, and your hope. You have choices. They may not be your ideal dream, but there are always choices.

In order to creatively construct solutions for your career distress it’s necessary to be in top shape. Exercise, adequate sleep, socialization, and stress reduction are important. When you aren’t at your best, you become vulnerable to making poor choices and being adversely impacted by tensions around you.

If you work in a demanding environment, it’s almost as if you need to wear protective armor. This armor can consist of your confidence and focus. Holding a clear idea of your values and goals allows you to sort through interferences. Giving yourself the space and cushion to be mindful of your needs and mission allows you to be proactive in meeting them. Every workplace has some stress, dysfunction, and parts we dislike, but you have the power to minimize the hassles you absorb.

Allison Rimm, author of “The Joy of Strategy-A Business Plan for Life” uses the concept of the Joy to Hassle Ratio.  She has her clients measure where they stand on any day. If the hassles are overpowering your joy, it’s time to take action.

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today? And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something”

Steve Jobs

That “something” represents a continuum of change ranging from keeping the status quo to finding another job. The vision of walking out the door comes to us when we are fed up. It happens in relationships and work, but impulsively walking out is not recommended. You may ultimately decide to leave, but there are intermediate steps to take before you act.

Amy is in her late 40’s and has practiced the same profession for 20 years. She has worked in different settings and is on an upward career path toward success. But while Amy is excellent at her job and is achieving success by society’s standards, Amy is no longer satisfied with her vocation.

But what can Amy do? Perhaps she can take efforts to create more of what she wants at work. Or if Amy knows she wants something different, she can begin a search and establish networks in that field. She can also prepare herself for a new field through training and volunteering. All of that can be done while still working, but it takes stamina. That’s where personal wellness promotion is vital.

In order to take on new learning and community building, you have to make room in your life. Too many people pile on goals and fail. Unless you let go of some things on your plate, you won’t have the space and energy for anything new. Determining what you can let go of and taking action are essential to success in any new endeavor.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage, pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say no to the other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside”

Stephen Covey

If Amy doesn’t know what she wants to do, there are more answers to discover. She can begin an inner journey alone, or with a professional guide, or with trusted friends and colleagues. By getting curious about who she is now…20 years into a career…Amy can analyze the lessons learned about herself.

These are the questions to ask: When are you at your best on the job? What lights you up? What gets you in flow? What do you care about? If you could change something in the world, what issue would you seek out?

Next month we’ll look at what to do with the information you are amassing and what next steps are possible.

When you have one foot out the door:

Test your joy to hassle ratio
Ask yourself some hard questions
Dream about what is missing
Learn from your experiences to date
Determine what information you need

Happy journey and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: , , ,

turning points: events that change your life

May 15, 2014 by

Sign post

Ever wonder what influences you to change direction after being on a steady path? Sometimes it’s your deliberate act and other times it’s more unanticipated. You go along in life taking care of business, often operating on auto pilot and wham, something hits you over the head. Maybe it’s a break up, a new boss, you get sick, or your last child leaves home. But something happens to get your attention.

Then the questions start flowing: Why am I here? What am I doing? Am I happy? What do I want? You begin to question everything that is familiar. You wonder what would happen if you changed direction. An opening beckons. 

Molly worked hard for 15 years climbing the ladder in her company. She was successful and engaged at work. The only things missing were a partner and children, or so she thought. Then Molly met Howard. He was someone who shared many interests. They began to spend time together and Molly’s life outside of work became rich and full.

Both Molly and Howard are committed professionals in their fields and yet something else began calling them. They talked of living overseas and helping those in need. Their meeting changed the plans they had previously designed. Together they created a new vision, which they are carrying out together.

Have you ever met someone who changed your life? Maybe it was a teacher, or a classmate/colleague, or a new friend. But you know that person touched your life in a way that changed it forever. Maybe they introduced you to something new or their presence stimulated you to think in creative ways and take risks. One benefit of interacting with new people is an infusion of innovative ideas and possibilities.

Ingie was frustrated in her job. During two years, her efforts to gain greater responsibility were stymied. She watched others get promoted who were less skilled than she. She questioned what she was missing and how long she should wait. Then Ingie met Sharon at a networking event. They shared some professional interests and held a captivating conversation. When Ingie took Sharon’s card, she noticed she was a manager. She decided to contact Sharon and set up an informational interview which eventually led to a job offer for Ingie. She made the move and is now working at a level more aligned with her skills and passions. Ingie is thrilled.

Sometimes it takes a significant loss to get our attention and lead us to a turning point. It can be a lost relationship, a health scare, a death of someone close, or a layoff. In these extreme times of stress we may be awakened to what we value. Instead of proceeding on automatic, we stop and take notice of what’s most important. This is an opportunity to reflect and adjust our lives and often a time of energy renewal.

“Sometimes the course of our lives depends on what we do or don’t do in a few seconds, a heartbeat, when we either seize the opportunity, or just miss it. Miss the moment and you may never get a chance again.” 
Aidan Chambers 

Have you ever been fired from a job only to have that be the BEST thing to happen to you? You sink or swim to the next possibility. The same happens with divorce or break ups. At the time you wonder how you’ll survive. But when you eventually do, you are grateful for the new opportunity. Once you lift your head above the pain, your eyes notice a fresh vista.

Ways to make use of Turning Points:

Look back on your life and learn from those events
Take careful stock when something shakes up your life
Keep an open mind to the possibilities
Map out a few alternatives
Try two or three
Celebrate your new direction

Embrace change and see you on the path!

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

from the horse’s mouth: informational interviewing

April 24, 2014 by

Group of three young horses on the pasture

Have you ever thought, Oh dear, I’m in the wrong career! Sometimes that truth comes as a whisper and others it knocks you off your feet. What started as a good job and long term plan has become a straight jacket. All that training, all that money and effort, and one day you find you aren’t where you want to be.

How do you find a new career path once you’ve been working for several years? First, congratulations for listening to your heart and head and considering a change. Second, there is hope. People transition into new career fields all the time. In fact it’s a common part of human development. What interests us early in our lives may change.

“I keep telling you the future isn’t set in stone. It’s not all decided yet. The future is just what’s down the road we decided to walk on today. You can change roads anytime. And that changes where you end up.”
Catherine Ryan Hyde

Many people tell me they are too old to go back to school. Even though I believe education is valuable and necessary throughout one’s life span, let’s look at alternatives to formal “schooling”. Multiple resources exist around you in the form of experienced professionals, people who are doing what you think you’d be good at and enjoy.

I first heard about Informational Interviewing in the 70’s from Richard Bolles’ “What Color is your Parachute?”. Perhaps it has existed throughout time in the form of apprentice programs. The value of talking with people who are working in fields you are curious about is obvious. They have answers about opportunities, necessary training, pros and cons, and trends.

The way to get current career information is to set up an interview. Today with the internet and social media, finding people to call is very easy. Pick people who are seasoned and successful in your chosen field. Find out how they got there and how it has turned out. What were their steps? What advice do they have for you?

Howard is a teacher of 20 years who now wants to become an innkeeper. He loves to cook and meet new people and he’s always wanted to live near the mountains. When Howard and his wife travel, they tend to choose bed and breakfast establishments for lodging. They enjoy the cozy, home-like atmosphere and the special attention provided by the owners.

Rather than just dream about this career, Howard can create a plan to learn more about inn keeping. Instead of seeking out formal education as he did when he became a teacher, Howard can explore informal resources by talking with innkeepers.

Informational interviewing requires a list of questions you want answered and a list of people currently doing the work. Help with both can be found on the internet. The hardest part for many is getting started, making the first request. Once people realize that folks who enjoy their work love to talk about it and give advice, the process feels effortless.

A second piece of career investigation is setting up an internship. Many of us had internships during our college years.  We had a chance to try on a job with no long term commitments. It provided valuable information for deciding whether to follow that field. Today mature workers can “try on” something new through brief shadowing of a professional or through volunteer work.

Howard decided to spend part of his summer vacation working for free with an innkeeper. He got an up close look at the duties involved as well as more time to be mentored by the owner. Howard couldn’t have paid for that experience and knowledge. He decided this was a good fit and he’s established a 3 year plan toward his career transition.

Whether the information you obtain leads you forward or you decide to keep looking, your investigation will maximize the likelihood of a great fit. The day may come when you’ll be asked to share your career experience. Enjoy the curiosity and passion from a potential colleague as you guide them on their path.

Steps to take:

Choose a potential career
Identify your questions about it
Locate successful professionals in that field
Schedule a brief interview
Express appreciation and ask for more names
Synthesize the information gathered
Take your next step

Stay inquisitive and savor the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: , ,

what’s holding you back? moving ahead with career change

July 22, 2013 by

lock and keyRemember Bob Dylan’s song “The Times They are A-Changin”? That was the 60’s, but people today appear to be in a swirl of change also. Is it just me or is technology changing so fast, it’s hard to keep current? Oh, I know the kids seem to be on top of it, but what about their parents or their grandparents?

How comfortable are you with the speed of your work life change? Many professionals say they are doing more with less support and their work has changed drastically from when they began. To make it worse, people feel that no one seems to understand their unique situation…how difficult things feel with no apparent way out.

When asked what change are you looking for, people at midlife often say “Freedom”. Freedom to do something different, freedom to direct the work day, and freedom from pressures. People are longing for: more autonomy and control, less stress, more laughter, more variety, less regulation, more appreciation and less responsibility.

By using our freedom in the past, many of us designed our lives around our interests and values. We chose careers we thought we would love or that would give us status, financial security, or meaning. Ten, twenty, thirty years later, are those careers still meeting our needs?

If yes, you are in good shape. If not, what can you do to become more satisfied? I hear many say, “I would really like ______, BUT______”. What follows are reasons, excuses, and barriers that appear so legitimate that no solution is possible. The result is often enduring dissatisfaction and a feeling of being trapped. Do you feel that way and will those barriers keep you from improving your life?

Today’s economy is confronting people with fewer jobs, less money and more needs. Aging parents are living longer, kids can’t find work and everyone seems to need our help. But if we’re looking for freedom, how will we create it?

What if instead of “But” we add “And” to our reasoning? “I really want to enjoy my work, but everything is changing for the worse, AND I’ll have to change with it”. Instead of hoping everything and everyone else will change back to what worked before, we have to step up and change. That action is the shortest line to getting what you want.

Of course, people can band together and push for organizational or societal change. And in your personal lives family and friends may change somewhat, if you make a request. But the distance to those changes is longer and outside much of your control.

You may not relish change, you are tired of changing and accommodating. When is it your turn to get a break? Perhaps, this could be your time. A chance for you to create a new way of living and working that better fits the maturely developed you.

If we don’t give away all of our energy at work and save some for the creative exploration called transformation, we may become intrigued and hopeful.

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after”

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

It may be time to contemplate what you have been searching for all your life and if you already have it. If you first appreciate what you already have in family, work, community, and self, how might that lead to your freedom? Or is freedom what you are really after?

Try this out:    I would like __________But__________And__________

Here’s an example:

I would like to change my career, BUT I can’t afford to lose my salary and benefits AND so I will begin to examine what other possibilities exist.

Happy fishing and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: ,

value added to your life: turn it upside down

June 20, 2013 by

Woman Hiking toward Cathedral Rock (Sedona, Arizona)

What is your philosophy of life? Have you developed one? Have you paused long enough to recognize your life lessons so far?

Recently while hiking in the red rocks of Sedona, I met a philosopher from China. He would call himself a cook, but he shared his life lessons along the trail. Joe worked extremely hard for over 20 years and now is touring the U.S. at his own pace. If you ask Joe “what are you doing tomorrow?”, he’d say “I don’t know yet”.

Instead he does what he feels like when he wakes every morning. If it means spending 3 hours patiently waiting for a butterfly to land near his camera or driving across the desert without stopping, Joe uses his intuition and interests to point the way.

Now if you think Joe must be retired, you’re wrong. Joe is 48. Earlier in his life he had different priorities: raising a family, making money to buy a house, helping his parents, becoming an entrepreneur. While family is still important to Joe, working long and hard is not.

When you scan back over your life, what emerges as your priorities? Do you notice you were more involved in certain roles, responsibilities, or activities at particular stages? Can you see that your life has ebbed and flowed according to the choices and circumstances present? Perhaps your calling wasn’t always expressed through your career. And that was ok.

I have another friend Caroline who is also in her 40’s. She works when she needs to and goes for long stretches of time when she lives off that money and does volunteer work. To Caroline her volunteer work is her passion and her work is to pay the bills.

What strikes you about Caroline and Joe? What role does work play in your life currently? How does your work meet your needs? The old model of working 40+ hours per week for 5 or more days during 45+ years of life is changing. People are moving in and out of work.

Instead of taking a break at the end of a long career, people are taking sabbaticals after 10 years or less. They are learning to live more simply, saving wisely, and not becoming captive to possessions. Even the old adage of home ownership as the American dream is changing. Many of us don’t want the responsibility or expense of home ownership.

What are you a servant to? What would you like to throw off or away? Joe and Caroline value their opportunities to chart an independent course toward their happiness. Neither are tied to a clock or a timeline. They certainly are in flow much more than most of us.

What if you took a leap like Caroline or Joe and tried something new? What do you have to lose? What could happen with this new sense of direction? How did Joe and Caroline break out of their traditional work schedules?

Something greater called them. At first it wasn’t clear what part of their lives needed changing, but they knew something needed to be different. They worked at figuring out the missing pieces by trying on interests gradually. Maybe that calling was percolating from long ago…an interest in adventure, a passion to help others. They fueled those interests and their creativity grew.

Caroline and Joe were rewarded for their efforts. They heard a “yes, this is what I want”. Some people find a way to follow their bliss part time on the side. Some do it for huge chunks at a time. There is no formula for everyone. Only trial and error and a willingness to take a risk.

Ready to dip a toe in?

Make a list of your interests and values
Draw lines out from each, developing the possibilities
Pick one and go investigate
Ask yourself if you want to know more
Follow your answer
Get in action

Enjoy the ride and see you on the path!

 

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