My Lifestyle Career

Reinvent Your Career: Lessons From Curious George

When I was little, one of my favorite book characters was Curious George.  As you may recall, George was a darling little monkey who was like a mini-magnet to mischief.

In one of of the books, George goes  on a hike with two other young children and is assigned the task of carrying the bag of marshmallows. He ends up ripping the bag and the marshmallows begin to fall out of the bag one by one. 

After several hours, the children realize they are lost in the woods.  Scared and hungry, they decide to stop and eat, only to discover their beloved stash of marshmallows has disappeared.  The kids are understandably upset with George. 

But then they see one of the marshmallows on the ground.  The first marshmallow leads to the next, and then to the next, and before they know it, the children are able to follow the path out of the woods and safely back home again.  All is forgiven and George goes from being the goat (or at least a bad little monkey) to the hero. 

All because he built a path out of the woods -- without ever being aware of it.

Although I hadn't thought about this story in years, it came back to me yesterday when I listened to Debbie Fay of bespeak presentation solutions deliver a speech about finding your true purpose in life (an awesome presentation, I might add).

Reflecting on her career path, Debbie explained that she never set out to become a public speaking coach.  But now looking back, she realizes that every one of her life experiences helped lead her, step by step, in that direction.  

Like George's haphazard path of marshmallows, the trail was built piece by piece.  It was not a straight line to success, but a winding adventure with stops and starts, triumphs and challenges. Her early involvement with theater helped her feel comfortable on stage.  Her experience as a teacher gave her insights into how to best motivate others.  The years she spent organizing the talent shows in her hometown taught her how to nurture talent and encourage nervous performers. 

She didn't always proceed confidently in the direction of her dreams, but like George, she had fun along the way.  Each experience became a stepping stone to the next, and over time, she amassed a collection of skills, contacts, and expertise that eventually led her "back home" to her intended vocation.

If you're feeling "lost in the woods" invest the time to discover the clues to your true path.  Take a page out of George's playbook and get curious about how the parts and pieces of your past fit together.  The clues are always there.  It's up to you to find them and follow the marshmallow road back to your authentic self.

Want a Lifestyle Friendly Career? 5 Questions to Consider

When it comes to designing a lifestyle-friendly career, my emphasis  is first and foremost on YOUR LIFE.  After all, I can't begin to help you design a great career until I understand what you want your life to look like.

Consequently, when I work with clients, we examine lifestyle goals from several different angles, exploring both the big-picture items and the day-to-day details that color your world.  

We start by identifying major lifestyle motivators.  For example, some of my "mom" clients need or want to find work from home or entrepreneurial options.  While many of these women, most of whom are highly educated and savvy, could earn more outside the home, their driving priority is to work around their children's school hours.   Other clients have looked to reinvent their careers in order to satisfy other lifestyle goals; such as a desire for greater "me-time" after retirement, a pull to work in a more socially conscious field or the wish to lead a less-hectic lifestyle.

Point  to Ponder: What are your primary lifestyle goals and objectives?  Do you need to work from home?  Are you looking to have summers off?  Are you interested in a portable career that would allow you to work from any where at any time?  Would your life be more fulfilling if you lived closer to family or were able to travel more? Do you need more flexibility in order to care for an aging parent or friend-in-need?

After naming the major lifestyle objectives, we dig down deeper in order to identify other elements critical to creating a lifestyle-friendly career.  We look at a range of topics, including:

1. Where do you want to work?  City or country? Corporate or small-business?  Home office or on-the road?  Are you interested in a career that allows you to work from a non-traditional location such as on a boat or while living on a farm?  When you think about your perfect office, how important are elements like good light, nice furniture and/or a cozy ambiance?  As lots of cubicle workers have discovered (much to their chagrin), our physical surroundings play an important role in our job satisfaction.
2. When do you want to work? Perhaps you are at a point when you're simply looking for a "little something extra" as opposed to a full career.  Are you looking for a career that will allow you to dial-back and work a part-time schedule?  Or are you more interested in maintaining a full-time income but want to explore career options that will give you greater control over your day-to-day schedule?
3. Who do you want to work with?  This is a biggie!  The types of people you work with has an enormous impact on career satisfaction.  Spend time thinking about this.  Do you prefer being around women or men, children or the elderly, a homogenous group or a culturally diverse crowd?  Think about the types of personalities you find appealing. Are you happiest when you interact with creative types, intellectuals, socially conscious folks or fashionistas?  Remember, the average worker spends 2000 hours a year at work.  That's a lot of hours to spend with people you don't like!
4. What activities do you want to make more time for in your life?  My clients often express concern that they don't get to spend enough time doing things they really enjoy.  Not enough time for family, exercise and travel are common complaints.  But the little things matter too -- a desire to read more books, visit more museums, enjoy some meaningful volunteer work -- the lists go on and on.  Fortunately, by picking the right career focus, there are opportunities to merge your favorite past times with your career.
5. What are the elements of your ideal (but typical) day?  Here again, the details matter.  I for one, need enough time in my day to exercise, prepare a healthy dinner for my family and have some time to read before the end of the evening.  Working from home in a "by-appointment" business provides me with the needed flexibility to meet those goals (at least most of the time).  Jot down a paragraph or two describing your perfect day that includes information about where you hope to work, what you wear, the types of people you are around and other non-work activities that you would like to blend into your day.

Putting together a vision for your life, whether you do so in writing or by designing a vision board, is a critical first step in moving towards a lifestyle career.  Once you know what type of life you want to lead, it will be far easier to focus in on the types of businesses, income streams and jobs that will best support your dreams.

Turn Work You Love Into Work That Matters

Are certain lines of work more admirable than others?

At first blush, the answer is an easy yes.  Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching our children; all of these are examples of work that make a meaningful difference in our society.  We use descriptors like "selfless" "noble" and "caring" to describe people in these occupations.

There are few people who would dispute the value of these careers.  But, if we restrict our view of "good" professions to the obvious choices, and fail to see the subtle but important opportunities to make a difference that are possible in every vocational choice, we do ourselves a big injustice. 

Let me explain what I mean.

Last week I worked with a client who has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, a woman who has spent her career helping both children and adults to overcome their challenges in order to lead more effective lives.  She has worked with the elderly in nursing homes, alcoholics and children trying to overcome serious learning issues.  

By any measure, her contributions have been valuable and important.  

But as much as she has enjoyed her work, she is ready for a change.  And you know what she likes to do more than anything?

Shop.

In fact, she loves to shop so much that she is seriously considering going back to school to get a masters degree in a field related to fashion.  She found a program that really, really thrills her.  When she described the courses to me, the excitement in her voice was palpable.

But, one question keeps bugging her.  What will people think?  

After all, if you ask someone which field is more important, fashion or psychiatry, 99% of folks would probably answer the latter.  And, in many ways, they are probably right.  It is hard to argue that a great looking pair of shoes is more valuable than the ability to cure a new mom of severe post-partum depression.

On the other hand, if fashion is all fluff and no substance, why do we care so much about the way we dress?  Why do we pay such close attention to stars on the red carpet or critique the latest outfit sported by Michelle Obama?  Why do we pay millions of dollars each year to read about the up-and-coming trends in magazines?

Because it matters. 

• The teen who trades in her jeans for a prom dress that makes her feel like a princess, knows it matters.
• The new college-grad who stands up taller after trying on a great interview suit, knows it matters.
• The battered woman in the domestic violence shelter, who is reminded of her inner beauty after putting on a special new dress, knows it matters.

Any therapist will tell you that sometimes change needs to start from the outside in.  The right outfit can be as powerful as a good therapy session.

No field has a lock on making a difference in our world.  Every career choice has the potential to make the world a better place: 

• The event planner who organizes a family reunion that connects grandparents to their grandchildren, makes a difference.  
• The make-up artist who helps a shy teen feel beautiful by teaching her how to apply make-up, makes a difference .  
• The cake decorator who bakes a spectacular cake to thank a teacher for ten years of service, makes a difference.  

Each of these professionals makes a significant and transformative contribution through their respective endeavors.  

So if you've been hesitating to pursue your love of fashion or make-up or food or jewelry, because someone told you it's "not serious enough", get over it.  

Find a way to make your contribution count.  The world needs your talent and the time to start sharing it is now.