I'm noticing a trend among the women in my orbit - the "safe" path isn't cutting it anymore.
After years, sometimes decades, of playing it safe in their careers, I'm witnessing my coaching clients take risks - from army crawling their way through the ranks at unforgiving companies to courageously leaping into the unknowns of a career transition - these women are forces to be reckoned with.
The pandemic has given us all a renewed sense of urgency, because nothing is promised - even the "safe" path could slip out from under us, so why not be bold?
Is it time to find clarity on your terms, your priorities, and freedom from the shame that comes from feeling stuck or lost in your career?
Are you seeking alignment between your gifts and the impact you want to have on the world?
What I know is this...
Our careers can hold a deep invitation for richer fulfillment - where we can grow and expand into our truest versions, where we feel accomplished and satisfied by our contributions, acknowledged for our gifts, where we get to play, experiment, and shine.
Whether you’re getting that nudge for something new, you’re already exploring something new, OR you're deep into the nuts and bolts of a job search that’s not yet clicking, our work together can guide you through the change in front of you.
For a limited time, I'm opening my calendar up for Single Coaching Sessions - typically only available to prior clients, this virtual 60-minute one-time session is for you to get a quick hit of individualized support and motivation to find the confidence to focus on what’s important to YOU.
You can reserve your Single Coaching Session HERE.
Reach out today and let's take the next step on your path together.
Every January and February, I work with clients to assess their current situation.
I ask the question, “How’s work working for you?”
The gut response is often…”I’m not sure...”
So we get more specific by answering the following questions - allowing my clients to get honest with themselves about what’s working, what’s not, and what actions they need to take next.
Growth:
Have you identified what you’d like to learn in your role?
And/or what would you like to learn in your career in general in the next year?
Are you on track to take on projects, attend workshops or participate in programs to help you get there?
What are your biggest obstacles to going after the growth you want?
What are you doing about those obstacles?
Energy:
What percentage of the time in your role are you feeling sparky, fully alive, in flow?
What are those things that make you feel sparky in your role?
Is there a way to do more of them or spend more time on them?
What are the things that are currently draining you in your role?
Is there a way to do less of them?
What would your work feel like if you could do more of the sparky things and less of draining tasks?
Life Fit:
Is your work aligned with your values?
What are your top life priorities right now? (Money you need to make, flexibility you need, etc.)?
Is your work in sync with your priorities?
Are you able to spend time with family and friends?
Do you have time for creative projects or the things that bring you joy?
Set aside some uninterrupted time to reflect on your own answers. And then, without judging any past decisions or current desires, ask yourself - how’s it really going? What grade would you give your current work situation? And if it’s a C or below…what do you want to do next?
Reach out to me at rachel@rachelbgarrett.com let me know what showed up for you and where you want to go from here!
Goodbye, January 2022!
I haven’t been this happy to release a month since March of 2020.
Emotions ran high. PTSD from early pandemic days loomed large. Decisions became impossible to make, to get right and to stand by.
I drew my energy and my peace from my new daily writing practice (I passed my one month anniversary!), my work helping more women identify and claim their career desires (we just wrapped an exciting 4-week group program), our family Wordle competition (That somehow my 10-year old is winning. I want 10-year old neural pathways!) and of course, you know me…my podcast addiction.
Here’s a round up of podcast episodes that are giving me the tools and the inspiration to keep moving forward and doing my best despite the big expectations I had for 2022.
The Happiness Lab: Stepping Off the Path of Anxiety
https://www.happinesslab.fm/2022-new-year-mini-season/stepping-off-the-path-of-anxiety
First of all, I recommend the entire 2022 mini season that dives into the tougher emotions we don’t like to recognize or talk about like anger, anxiety, grief. In this episode, Dr. Laurie Santos talks with Psychotherapist and meditation teacher Andrea Wachter about tools to acknowledge and quiet anxiety. Have a notebook handy for this one. I listened to it twice!
On Being: Pico Iyer and Elizabeth Gilbert - The Future of Hope 3
https://onbeing.org/programs/pico-iyer-and-elizabeth-gilbert-the-future-of-hope-3/
This is part of a 4-part series of conversations around hope and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Having experienced the loss of her partner, Raya Elias, in 2018 Liz Gilbert connects lessons of surrender she learned from this loss to similar insights during the pandemic. I always find wisdom in Liz’s vulnerable observations and clear words that capture our humanity.
Dare to Lead: The Great Awkward
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-great-awkward/
Brené always knows how to name the things none of us want to say. She and her sister Barrett discuss what “going back to the office” will look like and how inevitably it will be different than it ever was and we should expect it to be awkward AF.
PS. This was the last episode Brené released before announcing she would hold off on releasing episodes until further notice. While she didn’t say it, this is clearly in response to Spotify continuing to give a platform to Joe Rogan and others who are spreading misinformation. Way to use your expertise and power to make change and stand in your values, Brené!
CYG: Grief Companionship
https://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes/2021/10/29/grief-companionship
This conversation is from the fall of 2021, but I thought it was so relevant as so many people are grieving both the people they lost in the past two years and also all of the things we’ve missed out on because of this damn pandemic. We have so little language and conversation around grief and this episode provides really practical things you can do for your people who are suffering alone right now.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Wordle is a daily dose of delight, despair, and sometimes smugness
For those of you who didn’t think you could create a new daily habit…you were wrong! If you’re like me and you haven’t missed a day since you started playing…I see you. This is some Worldle Nerdery that will make you smile all the way through.
Enjoy this list and let me know some other favorites of yours that are getting you through!
Quietly listening and wordling,
Rachel
In my groups and 1:1 coaching, one self-shaming statement comes up over and over again…
I’m [insert any age from 20 to 100] and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
That’s typically followed by…
What’s wrong with me?
Why am I so behind?
What if I never figure it out?
Here’s today’s truth bomb:
You may never figure out what you want to be when you grow up.
Boom. I said that 🤷🏻♀️
That very statement implies there’s only one thing you’re meant to do! I call BS.
You may not have a “calling” AND you can still enjoy your work. You can learn and you can feel good about your career and your life.
So, if I told you, the lightning bolt may not hit you and that it feels more like a small spark that slowly grows and grows into a fiery, flickering flame anyway…
What would you do differently?
What would you experiment with?
What would you leave behind?
If you feel like you’re ready to figure out how to start paying attention to those itty bitty sparks already burning within you, reach out to schedule a 30-minute complimentary clarity call or CLICK HERE!
We discussed mindset shifting tools in my group coaching program this week. I like to dive into this topic early in the process because it’s often mental blocks that are keeping us stuck, rather than more tactical things like resumes and interview skills.
One of my favorites in this set of tools is forgiveness.
Identifying areas where you may be holding shame and offering up acknowledgment and compassion and forgiveness.
I often talk about how this shame showed up for me when I knew I wanted to make a change while in my marketing roles, but felt like I should stay in a safe, flexible role because I had two small children. I stayed in an “it’s fine” career for too long, even while I hungered for a change.
The truth is that this feeling of career shame wasn't new to me. I felt it even before I had a career.
College was not an easy time for me. I struggled to find my way. I transferred after two years, switched my major FIVE times and nearly took time off after my junior year. Finally, I decided to identify my easiest path to graduation and took it--rather than spending the time expanding my mind, learning, growing and challenging myself to think in new ways about what was possible for my future.
I held onto tremendous shame about this period of my life for many years.
Feeling like I squandered an opportunity.
Like I wasn’t smart enough or built for grad school.
Like I learned in pockets here and there, but don’t remember much.
After some deep work thinking about that kid I used to describe as flailing…
I now see her as a human who was grieving.
As you may remember, my parents died in a car accident when I was nearly 12 and while college came several years after this loss, I see now with adult eyes--I was in acute grief, untethered and in survival mode.
I did the best I could. So did all of the grownups surrounding me who were also grieving.
Would I do things differently with my own kids? Absolutely. I would love them where they are. I would advocate for their mental health needs knowing that achievement and credentials can wait. And that’s how I continue to re-parent that part of me.
I acknowledge her struggle. I show her forgiveness and compassion and love. I cheer her on for trying new things where she’s not an immediate expert. I remind her that lifelong learning is what keeps my mind active and alive. I can both fill in some of the gaps of what I may have missed and learn new skills that weren’t even invented at that time.
I can also be grateful that she/I prioritized putting one foot in front of the other in that tough moment. That I got the support I needed. That I was optimistic more would open up for me after graduation. And it did.
What shame are you holding onto in your career and in your life?
Where can you show that younger you some acceptance of her humanity? Some love? She’s ready and willing and very curious about what may come next.