Summer — A Time to Restore + Reclaim

I don’t know about you, but for me, summertime promotes two things:

1. Tranquil sentiments of rest — Summer provides us with a chance to slow down and restore our energy, especially in the Northeast. It’s a few short months to get outside and bask in the warm sunshine. It’s a time for effortless adventure and a season of play.
2. A token of time — Summertime is also a gentle reminder that we’re halfway through the year. This is an ideal time to recheck your career goals. I’m not talking about those stale, demotivating, check-the-box S.M.A.R.T goals. I’m talking about your heart-based goals. Your career aspirations that are FUN & ENERGIZING — the way work should feel.

Are you on track?

Each season I spend time dreaming & scheming about the coming months — it’s a process I call Heart-Based Career Planning. Here’s my breakdown:

• What do I want to accomplish this season? Do these goals generate excitement in my belly?
• From there, I break down my ideas into tiny actions — this makes them MUCH more digestible and likely to turn into reality.
• Finally, I add all the tactical details to make it happen — get them on the calendar, reach out for help and give myself a deadline.

Speaking of dreamy goals, I have an idea brewing in my head that I can’t let go of. I’ve been thinking about creating my own small group coaching experience. It would include an online framework and a 6-month program (led by me) all centered around heart-based career planning. Ultimately, helping you go from feeling fried about your ill-fitting job, to feeling confident and energized as you craft a personalized + proactive strategy to land a career that fits.

Stay tuned for more information or send me an email and let me know what you think!

This summer, I invite you to join me in basking in this restful season and checking in on your heart-based career goals — are you ready to reclaim your career path?

Are you running toward something or running away from something in your career?

A few years ago, while working in corporate America, one of my most esteemed colleagues asked me that exact question. After some reflection, I realized that most of the time I was actually running away from something. It was always something that didn’t quite fit — whether it was a rowdy team that wasn’t a good match for my personality or a dark + stale office that stifled creativity or a role that required too much travel and left me drained… I was always running from something.

The second I became clear on exactly what I wanted, I mapped out a proactive plan to get there and everything after that changed. The momentum was ignited, and the rest is history.

If you feel like you’re constantly running away from something in your career, here are a few quick tips to help you turn your path around:

• Clarity — Identify the industry you would love to contribute to + the role that would energize you.
• Connection — Make a contact list. Who’s out there doing something you want to do? Connect with them!
• Consistency — Show up for yourself daily: 5 minutes a day consistently, every day will make a difference.

Because, the thing is, you deserve to have a long, happy + healthy career. 

I’m incredibly inspired by people who leave the traditional workplace behind and dare to build their dream — from the ground up — and make it happen.

Fran Parrish, farmer-florist extraordinaire, is one of those people. Fran left her job in architecture to grow a flourishing flower farm here in Western NY — Heirloom Soul Florals.

It all started when Fran began recognizing and challenging the uncomfortable feelings building up in her role as an architect, getting curious about allllll the possibilities, and taking that first step: That first step was accepting a part-time job at a florist AND placing an ad on Craigslist to barter her skills for a plot of land to grow flowers.

Fran’s story inspired me as I took a leap of faith from corporate HR to career coaching. It was an honor to talk with her about her career story and to have the opportunity to share it with you!

CLICK HERE to watch + listen to our #careertalk

Who has been an inspiration to you in your career?

In the spirit of summertime rest, have you been contemplating an extended break from work?

Recently, I’ve found myself talking with more and more clients who crave real time away from work — beyond the stingy five days of PTO. Here’s what I have to say... you’ve been through a lot over the last year alone; it’s OK to take a break.

There was a point in my career when I needed a break, and I took one — 100 days away from corporate America, to be exact. It wasn’t easy, especially because my company didn’t have a policy for this type of leave of absence. But we figured one out and that break turned into the best thing I could have done.

My brain unwired itself and my relationship with time shifted so much, I now have this quote by the late, great Muhammad Ali plastered around my workspace to summarize it: “Don't count the days. Make the days count.”

And that’s the opportunity for us all — to discover for ourselves what’s important and how to make each day count.

So, if you feel like it’s time for you to take a pause — check out THIS blog post for THREE steps to take a sabbatical from work, even without a policy in place.

Jenn's Flourishing Favorites

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For more insider stories, quick tips, and #careertalk, I invite you to connect with me on Instagram @flourish.careers