Get free transition tips & my '10 ways to empower your journey'

executing your dreams: career and lifestyle

August 2, 2018 by

Current advice preaches staying aware in the present, being mindful of all that evolves now. However, creating a master plan or future vision guides us in our daily decision making.

Having life goals or dreams can take different forms. Some people think in long term goals, others focus closer in. Some like spontaneity and others prefer a planful approach. Without a plan we tend to drift and lose touch with what is most important to us.

As a Career and Life Coach, I ask clients to design 90 day, 1 year and 5 year goals. For some the exercise is easy. For others a longer term time frame is hazy. Perhaps giving yourself permission to dream big is a beginning.

While my life has progressed organically toward my passions and values, I hold some clear aims to accomplish. One was just achieved after over 40 years of execution. Finally reaching a long term lifestyle goal can be satisfying and amazing. It can also lead to more life review and discernment. What’s next?

Growing up in Minnesota, I became accustomed to cold and snow about 6 months out of the year. Now I don’t know how the current Minnesota weather is, but in the 50’s and 60’s it was a long winter. I left Minnesota to attend college in Southern Wisconsin. Not much change there. But in my sophomore year I studied and worked in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia. A change was coming, along with more information.

People used to ask me how I survived the cold in Minnesota. I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know anything else until I lived in Colombia. Medellin is known as the City of Eternal Spring and is it gorgeous there. Now this was more like it for me. I had found my sunshine and warmth as well as  foreign intrigue.

Now that I’ve lived most of my adult life in Northern Virginia, I still don’t like winter, even a milder form.  I long for a break during the most difficult months of January and February and I still love to experience the world.

With young children it was difficult to get away except for their school vacations. But once in a while, I’d take a long weekend to Florida. One year I even did a month volunteer project in Thailand. I found a way, however brief, to meet my winter needs with breaks and adventure.

Once the children were launched, I took 2 week winter vacations to various hot spots around the world. Subsequently having my own business, the escapes evolved to 2 weeks in January, come home and 2 more weeks in February. I later found ways to coach while traveling internationally. Now this was working pretty well for my goals.

But in 2018 I totally reached my goal of 2 winter months in the warmth. And since I’m still interested in seeing new worlds, this year was Southern South America. 

Even though achieving my goal took many years, I pulled it off and did it step by step. I see how seemingly impossible, long term dreams can be fulfilled through focus and determination. This success gives me confidence in setting new goals that at first seem overwhelming. I am so pleased with following my interests and being creative in the execution of this plan, that I can’t wait for the next one.

Susanna wants to become a children’s book author. She loves to write and took English literature in college. Her jobs to date haven’t included much writing, but they pay her bills. Still this ache to write fiction dwells within Susanna. She’s not willing to give up her dream. So she creates a plan of action to take writing courses, practice her writing, join a community of writers and volunteer to edit and research for established authors. While Susanna is not yet published, she is immersed in the world of writing. She follows her deadlines of production and submission and grows her skills and portfolio.

So what’s on your list? Have you dared to do some “out of the box” dreaming? All it takes is self awareness, a vision, identifying the steps and execution. Make room for review and reward and you’ll be on a good track.

 

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan in which we must fervently believe and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success”

Pablo Picasso 

Ready to commit to a lifelong dream?

Set your start date for action
Outline the steps
Find an accountability partner
Get in action
Smile at your courage

Full speed ahead and see you on the path!

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: 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: , , , , , , ,

your guiding star: creating principles to live by

April 23, 2015 by

Sunset/sunrise above the Earth on a starless sky.

Sometimes you feel lost, directionless, confused. It can happen in your work life, your personal life, or your family life. It’s as if all you believed in and counted on has changed. Bethany felt that jolt when her husband wanted a divorce. Owen fell into a tailspin when he was laid off.

Think of times when you lost your way. Perhaps it was due to external circumstances or instead a deep change within. What follows is a sense of unease and questioning. You wonder: what happens next? Where will I go? What do I want? This state of instability can occur quickly or creep up on you.

Expecting life to be smooth and predictable is futile. As living organisms, change is constant. Nothing in your life, outside or inside, will stay the same. If it did, you probably would stagnate and become dissatisfied.

“The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards, but we have to play those cards the best we can. And we can play to win. This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. It has been my guiding principle ever since. When I wanted something, the best person to depend on was myself”

John Gokongwei

Some things in life are changed for you and some you change yourself. By making thoughtful decisions and choices, you increase your chances of creating a life that is satisfying. But what aids you in making the appropriate decisions? You can ask for the opinions of others, gather information, and hire experts. But how do you know you’re heading in the right direction?

Eons ago our ancestors relied on the North Star to guide them and to guard against becoming lost. Currently we have technology to blaze our paths, but our confusion comes more from the lack of an internal compass. Many fail to ask the one who is most “expert” in what will work…oneself.

Instead of a North Star to point you in the next direction, you can establish guiding principles to shape your actions. Guiding principles are rules that influence the suitability of your actions. They are highly personal. Based on your values, self-awareness, and lessons learned, your guiding principles become the North Star you can consult. When faced with a dilemma or change, you have criteria to determine your precise direction/orientation. Without personal guiding principles you can become adrift in the life you design.

Just as companies and corporations outline their principles, individuals require them to stay on a steady path. Individuals uncover their guiding principles through self examination. Principles are ever evolving. As we grow and experience, they show up as guideposts for work, family, and personal life and demand effort to create.

Melanie is at a crossroad in her career. She studied biology and pursued a degree in research so she could work in a laboratory. After ten years on the job, she is dissatisfied. Rules and regulations interfere with desired discoveries. Melanie lacks the reward of seeing the results of her efforts. Instead, Melanie feels depleted of energy and frustrated.

What Melanie knows about herself is that she requires certain elements in order to be engaged. These include: connecting with people, teaching others, and making a contribution. Using these uncovered principles, Melanie decides that becoming a high school biology teacher would more meet her needs.

Knowing what guides her purpose and passions, allows Melanie to find a new direction that is a better fit. If she fails to heed these guidelines, Melanie will fall into greater disinterest and despair.

As I meet with others, I often hear their guiding principles: learn and grow, be in nature, connect with others, be happy, share your voice, be creative and active.

While you create opportunities to express your guiding principles in your career, you can also practice them in your personal life. The more you utilize your values and guiding principles, the more authentic and satisfying your life will become.

Steps to take now:

Review your lessons learned
Outline your guiding principles
Employ them whenever you can
Review periodically
Savor the results

Full speed ahead and see you on the path!

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

readiness for retirement: your time to plan

February 7, 2015 by

When is the right time to start planning for retirement? There are people in their 40’s who say “I’m too young to think about that” or people in their 30’s who already have a vision of the various career chapters they want to pursue until their last breath.

What actually is retirement? Why do some people love “retirement” and others feel they should have never retired? Let’s be clear. The term retirement is outdated and unrepresentative. We lack consensus on a more accurate term, but some suggestions are: Act II, Renewment, Encore, My Time, Refirement, and Next Chapter.

Historically most people retired at 65 when eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Often they no longer worked for pay. Today the average age of retirement from a main career is 62 and most retirees are wanting or having to find new paid work. So retirement is not a disengagement from work, but a transition to a new way of living.

Work in retirement will become increasingly commonplace. Seventy-two percent of pre-retirees over 50 say their ideal retirement will include working. Nearly 58% of working retirees transition to a different line of work and they are 3 times as likely to start their own business than younger people. This encore work is fast becoming the fourth leg of retirement financing along with Social Security, pensions, and savings.

Due to medical advances we have gained 30 years of life expectancy in the 20th century. In 1900 Americans lived to an average age of 47. Today it is 79 and rising. A 60 year old today has a life expectancy of 81.6 years. So at 65 you may have 20+ years to use as you wish. Working on your own terms for pay or love may be part of that life. Options include: bridge jobs, part time work, contracting, entrepreneurship, volunteer/civic engagement opportunities, phased retirement, consulting, job sharing, temporary work, seasonal, or encore careers.

Comparing your current with desired life style (how you live) and your livelihood (how you work) allows you to design a life portfolio that meets your vision of the future. In fact people will plan multiple retirements or transitions as they create new opportunities for themselves.

Mark is a real estate agent who is 60. While he loves working with new clients and helping them find their dream homes, Mark has begun thinking about other ways to contribute. After 30 years in his career, Mark is eager to try something new. Through talking with his wife and friends, reading, and taking courses, Mark is designing his next chapter and beyond. He is drawing a timeline with the steps needed to transition into becoming a self employed CPA. Mark figures he can work as much as he wants and needs, but also take time off in slow periods. He likes the idea of learning new skills, becoming more flexible, and continuing to help people.

You may have dreams of your own. What everyone shares is a drive to establish an authentic lifestyle along with determining what financials are needed to support it. The reasons people seek retirement are varied. Some leave work voluntarily and others are let go. Some run from an unsatisfying career and others exit to pursue a new passion. Taking an annual review of what’s going well and what’s missing in your life allows you to become aware of your values, interests, and goals. From that knowledge you can begin a thoughtful plan toward self directed change.

“We spend the first half of our lives learning what we love, we should find a way to do those things in the second”

David Whyte

It’s vital to replace the perks of our current career: the friendships, roles, purpose, money, creativity, stimulation, identity and structure. A full life includes relationships, engagement, health, giving back, activity, learning, and passions.

Initial Action Steps:

Create and implement a financial plan that reflects your vision and values
Take action to improve your diet, exercise, sleep and stress reduction
Ask yourself whether your work is fulfilling. If not, brainstorm ways to change it
Evaluate your relationships, leisure time, and happiness. What actions will you take?

Rewire and see you on the path!

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

Step One to Finding Your True Calling

December 19, 2012 by

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to my way of staying in touch. This is my first blog entry and I hope we will be spending much time together.

Inuksuk

If you are here, it’s because you share a love of growth and adventure. I’ve chosen to use the Inuksuk image as a symbol of your time on the path. The Inuksuk points the way, protecting you from getting lost as you move ahead. While there are many paths for different times in our lives, there are ways to figure out if your current one is authentic for this particular time.

Taking risks to begin a new path can be overwhelming and scary. We usually appreciate the familiar, the status quo. When what we have and who we are is no longer working as before, the courageous look ahead and make a commitment to try something else.

The people I work with are often part way out the door of one life and wondering what’s next. You’ve probably experienced those times when you lack investment in your current work, relationship or lifestyle. I remind people that it’s much easier to know what you don’t want than what you do.

People are hungry to discover what’s best for them, but the process can be messy. William Bridges of Transitions calls this in-between time the “neutral zone”, when you’ve left one chapter and haven’t found the next. It is similar to the trapeze artist who has let go of one swing and hasn’t yet grabbed onto the other.

The thrill that comes from finding a great fit in career and in life makes all the hard work and uncertainty worth the effort. So I encourage you to take the first step.

This year I participated in a coach training program based on the book Becoming a Life Change Artist by Fred Mandell and Kathleen Jordan. One exercise to increase focus and clarity is to make a collage representation of your current life by pasting images, words and objects to a poster board. When completed, you can take a photo of that Current Life Collage.

Then think ahead toward the horizon of your future life. What is different there? What’s important to include and eliminate? When you have a vision of what’s desired, make another collage of how life looks in one, two or five years. Take a photo of this Future Collage.

My clients find this vision board provides a structure for where changes need to be made. Continue to use a collage as a living guidepost which develops as your desires do. Just like with clothing, we have to try on many options before we are pleased with the results. Our interests and ambitions continually change as we grow and develop.

Feel free to send me the photos of your collages and notes on what they express. Stretch yourself more by creating an original mantra for your future, like “the best is yet to come” or “I can do anything”. Find ways to stretch and surprise yourself.

See you on the path!

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