Hello Reader,
What does success mean to you? I often find that when I begin to work with a new client, that they are chasing an old version of success, or a version of success that is not theirs.
Recurring themes are a good salary, job safety, a big and well-known company, a house, family & kids.
This creates a lot of expectations and puts a lot of pressure on them to achieve all of the above.
And when they have landed the job, got the salary and are working on the house & family, they suddenly find themselves questioning what they are doing and why, and what is next for them.
They feel frustrated, but can’t quite pinpoint what needs to change.
This is where I come in.
We will look at how you have been defining success for yourself and also where some of these expectations may have come from.
We will then re-define what success looks like to you now. Think flexibility, freedom and being able to work on a topic that matter to you.
This is a very personal process by the way. So, you if you do still want the house and the big company, that is obviously still ok.
We will then identify strategies on how you can either modify your existing job to incorporate more of these new elements or identifying other opportunities that fit.
And this does not mean that you need to accept a pay cut at all!
When you work on topics that matter to you, you will be more “successful” in the long run either way.
Do you have a clear idea of the definition of success you want for yourself?
You can do it! 🙋♀️💪
Mareike
Here is my weekly career, life and productivity hack for you, Reader:
Learn to switch off, so you can really switch on for the people that matter to you.
I know how hard it can be to switch off sometimes, especially in the evenings and before going to bed.
Thoughts are just going around, and round and round. Either revolving around work, or the to-do list that is still not done. Or around what to do next in your career, either making it work in your existing company or the prospect of job hunting and starting somewhere new again.
You already know you will be tossing and turning at night and will need your coffee first thing in the morning.
Especially during tough times, it is hard to switch off in the evenings when you ideally want to enjoy some time for yourself and your hobbies, time to veg out with your partner or time for a bath and bedtime routine with the kids.
The people that matter most to you will notice if your head is still stuck somewhere else.
Try taking a conscious 2min breather before you come back home, or closing your eyes for 5min to reflect on your day and think about how else you want to enjoy the rest of the evening with your loved ones before you leave your home office room.
Do whatever you can do, to switch off and then on again when you change between your different roles. Your loved ones will notice the difference.
I also found that it makes a huge difference to not talk about work on weekends. A thought might still pop into my head, but I will do my best to focus on what matters most. At the moment, my son’s first words on a Saturday morning are: “Yay, it’s a family day!!!!”
My favourite way to switch off after a day’s work is by making myself a nice cup of tea with my favourite Japanese tea pot cuddled up on our sofa.
Do you have a quick routine when you switch between roles?
