3 Musings on Work + Life.
Thank you for your compassionate notes from last quarter’s deeply personal newsletter. I continue my healing journey and feel humbled and grateful for you all.
Each quarter, I reflect on themes I notice from my clients, colleagues, friends, books, podcasts, and more. Below are 3 musings as I celebrate my 4th year in business. Thank you for joining me on this journey of learning and development.
1. Embracing a Good Enough Job.
In the past, I coached people to find their passion in their work. While some can see it, it is rare for many. Now, 15 years later, I sometimes share a different message. How can you add value to an organization with your strengths? Is the job good enough? Can you fulfill your dreams through volunteering, side hustles, and play?
I and many of my clients now consider jobs as one part of our lives, not our entire lives. It is essential to look at our careers on a continuum over decades with different priorities and preferences. Some will be filled with meaning, purpose, and joy, and others will not. For example, I found jobs that allowed me to work a reduced schedule when I had children and attended graduate school. They weren’t perfect, but they were perfect for me then.
Journalist Simone Stolzoff recently wrote The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work. The author exposes what we lose when we expect work to be more than a job. Rather than treating work as a calling or a dream. What does it mean for a job to be good enough? If you are interested in better work-life integration, give him a listen here or here, and maybe order his book.
2. Enhancing Your Creativity and Growth Mindset.
Do you think of yourself as creative? I saw creatives as artists who paint landscapes, play music, and design stunning graphics. However, after taking a creativity class this year, I learned we are all creative. We are born with this gift.
During my class, I came across this podcast of the legendary record producer Rick Rubin, who shares insights from his new book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He discusses what to do when you're feeling stuck, the difference between authenticity and sincerity, and his work/life balance approach.
“We're all faced with choices daily, and if we're making considered choices, that's an artist's work. In whatever job you do, chances are you're there to make decisions that involve creative choices. Every choice we make is a creative act. We do them all the time. It's funny when someone says, ‘I'm not creative.’ You're not a human being if you're not creative. It's truly our birthright.”
I now notice my creative side when I purchase bouquets at the grocery store and deconstruct them into multiple arrangements throughout my house, choose a playful color palette for my home with oranges and greens like the branding of my business, or design a client development plan with metaphors, songs, and poems to touch their soul.
3. Exploring the Perennial Generation.
Being current on generational theory is essential to my practice in coaching individuals and organizations. Notably, experts like Lindsay Pollack, a New York Times best-selling author specializing in multigenerational dynamics, proposed that our rapidly changing society, coupled with our heightened connectivity through the Internet, mobile devices, and social media, is bringing us closer in terms of shared expectations and experiences versus the typical 15-20 years difference.
This shift is evident in my interactions with clients, when I observe Boomers aligning with Millennials in team projects and Gen Z valuing face-to-face meetings. More often, people from five generations are discovering more similarities than differences, fostering increased understanding and stronger connections.
Gina Pell coined the term “Perennials” to describe this fusion of people who transcend the entire concept of generations by remaining current and timeless. “They are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who live in the present time, know what’s happening in the world, stay current with technology, have friends of all ages, and push up against their growing edge.” This is a goal worth pursuing.
Invitations
Micro-dosing Mindfulness  I encourage my clients to take some time to meditate multiple times a week for as short as 5 minutes. Although we can benefit from this practice, it can be challenging for many of us. This podcast teaches a new 30-second practice backed by science and fits into your day. It’s micro-dosing mindfulness. | Calming Your Nervous System  Fall is a time of transition. It can also be busy with “year-end” work expectations and holiday celebrations. Plus, networking events are back from the quiet pandemic days. Our nervous system can be highjacked with all this activity. Take some time to calm your nerves with Adriene’s yoga practice. |
Comments