What kind of career do you want?

Career Focus
01 August 2024

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Wonderment. Joy. Freedom. Alignment.

What value do you attach to these feelings?

For me, it encapsulates how I feel about my career as a coach.

What kind of career do you want?

I believe you want meaningful work, the kind that gets you out of bed in the morning with a smile on your face.

Today’s blog isn’t about money, although money is the medium through which society assigns comparative value today.

Today’s blog isn’t about the importance of feelings, although feelings are often the barometer through which you judge your level of satisfaction and its opposite, dissatisfaction.

No, today’s blog is about identifying what you want because when you know what you want, everything, including your career, falls into place effortlessly.

Side Note

I’ve shared before about how to identify your values. For new readers of Life fully loved (and there are lots of you in the past two months!), I encourage you to read or listen to some previous blogs on the topic of values because knowing them is the first step to getting the career you want.

Determine what you (don’t) want

Step Two comes from knowing what you want and yet … it’s increasingly clear to me that most people don’t know what they want.

I can see the truth of this statement in the coaching work I do every day. I know because I ask. Directly.

People tell me what they don’t want. They tell me what makes them dissatisfied and/or unhappy. But they struggle with recognizing what motivates them intrinsically so they get stuck in the hamster wheel of possibility which arises from the opportunity to do what pleases them. Some return to the hamster wheel because it’s familiar and safe. Others return because endless choice becomes overwhelming.

Ultimately, for many the easiest way to begin the process of figuring out what you want starts with determining what you don’t want.

Play this Game

Try this exercise I call Play the Game.

Think of the games you liked to play as a child.
Now consider what types of activities you were attracted to.

I liked reading and playing teacher, biking and hanging out with friends. I remember longingly waiting for 8 a.m. which was considered an acceptable time to start knocking on household doors for playtime.

Work is play. Play is work.

You can gain clues on what you want by casting back to what you did for fun in your younger years. Studies now show what parents have intuitively known since the beginning of time. Play is the work of children. And it may also be the best way to determine your most fulfilling work as an adult.

My childhood play translates into the following as an adult. I do my best work early in the day. Reading is pleasurable for me and an easy way to learn. I’m a teacher at heart.

Be of Service

When you connect who you are with what you want, you will find meaning in your life. Your life will feel more purposeful, which impacts your career as you naturally seek ways to experience that fulfilment. Ultimately, you express your purpose by serving others.

Serve yourself first by doing the inner work. Build your self-awareness. Connect it to your work. Then, use your powerful gifts to serve the greater good.

Because whatever you do, I guarantee your gifts will serve others. Go after what you want. I give you full permission.

You have to be open minded in order to grow. The coaching that Laura gave me opened my eyes to what and how I was doing things and allowed me to see the bigger picture. I am not done yet but I already see the changes in my everyday life.
MM

I think coaching is a great way to help you clear your mind when you get stuck with overwhelming situations or when stepping into changes in your life.
MO

Coaching is life changing. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and challenges your perspectives. It is highly motivating and the exercises and techniques used are both fun and informative. I think the main benefits of coaching are to see yourself, others and the world more clearly. I think coaching is valuable to anyone regardless of where you are in your life or career.
LE

I honestly never thought I’d need a coach. I thought coaching was for CEOs and industry VIPs. I didn’t think it was for the “little guys” (i.e. me). Now, I’m of the belief that everyone – yes, EVERYONE – needs a coach. Coaching has really benefitted me and I’m so grateful to have had that time with Laura. It’s changed my life!
VB

Laura is very patient. She took the time to understand what was causing me to be stuck where I am today and help me build a better vision so I can continue to grow.
MM

I think Laura’s coaching was what I had been waiting for. Laura was so approachable, kind, and open. Her willingness to help and support made a difference for me. I found in her coaching new strategies, ideas, and perspectives that I could incorporate into my goals and objectives that I didn’t see before.
MO

Laura is an incredibly intuitive, positive and caring coach. Her techniques helped me recognize both my strengths and areas I might want to explore as I embark on the next chapter of my career. The exercises she employed were instrumental in providing self perspective and challenging my frames of reference.
LE

Laura is a natural coach. Her probing and compassionate questions helped me learn about myself: my value system, interests, goals and strengths.
LM

Coaching sessions with Laura gave me new perspectives on how to process specific feelings and situations in life. She showed me how to sit with my emotions, acknowledge them, and then use visualization strategies to move through them. I now feel more confident and in control of how I choose to walk through life.
CP

From the beginning, Laura put me at ease, creating a safe, open space for me to talk and share freely without fear of judgement. I loved the variety of approaches she used depending on the topic we were working on and it was fun being able to try out things I wouldn’t have considered before! With Laura’s coaching, I substantially grew my confidence in the workplace, overcame fears, dealt with issues I’d been carrying around for many years and, most importantly, learned to value myself and define a path forward into the future.
AG

Laura’s coaching was a breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what I needed at that point of my life. I didn’t realize how impactful coaching was going to be, but by the end of the sessions together, I left feeling refreshed, inspired and genuinely curious about what my future held for me. Because of Laura and her coaching, I believe I became a better person – someone who is more open-minded, someone with a clearer focus, and someone who is willing to explore opportunities and possibilities far more than I ever did before.
VB

I engaged Laura for coaching as I took on an expanded role leading an asset management company in Canada. As a female, I knew I would be a role model and had high expectations of myself. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

In our first few coaching sessions we worked through exercises that allowed me to reflect on my purpose, leadership style and what mattered most to me. I continue to be grounded by the clarity I achieve in my coaching sessions – allowing me to be resilient and confident when challenges came my way.
OS