Whole-Person Career Success

Dear friends~ Some of you hadn’t heard from me for a while, then got that happy announcement on my eBook and online course. Oops for the jolt if you felt it. Your presence means a lot.

I’m clear on my mission now. No more long gaps because of other commitments. Connect2Self (C2S) feeds my soul. I love infusing life lessons and professional insight into self-empowerment –sharing the good stuff is what C2S is about. The latest is using Reiki to enhance self-care and career success.

Since I wrote my memoir, I got back into career coaching. My work at C2S forever changed how I coach. It’s a whole-person deal. Hence I developed the THRIVE model. Check it out.

People work hard. We want to help. We give our time and attention. We get out of the pajamas and check work emails. Having a job or career is wonderful. Earning a living is super. Is there more to this? What makes work fulfilling? There’s a cool way to look at this.

I have worked in highly structured jobs, where I got ready, commuted, had meetings, saw students, held events, collaborated with colleagues, then reverse the routine –commute, make dinner, and back to bed. Most of my awake time had been consigned to my employer. Willingly, of course.

I have also had my own practice, where I was in slippers and pajamas all day, everyday (no weekend off, though I gave myself one day, kind of), writing and relating on social media, developing materials, learning new crafts. I stayed up because I was finishing a project. I went jogging whenever. I loved the flexibility, though the financial fluctuations took some getting used to. And as an extrovert, I missed my peeps in the office.

Everyone defines ‘success’ differently. Our criteria for career success can shift because of life stages, health, family, and other needs. Reflecting on the work-life, I came up with the T.H.R.I.V.E. framework:

• Tao: honing the way things work, synchronicity, the flow, what one career theorist calls ‘planned happenstance‘
• Harmony: balance, giving and receiving, our inner and outer worlds
• Renewal: revival and restoration of the mind-body-spirit, and sense of safety
• Initiative: actions to self-advocate, create, and express
• Vision: purpose, mindset, beliefs, life design
• Evolve: lessons, leadership, giving back, legacy, community

You may have other ideas about career success. The important thing is to be conscious of your intentions, reflect, and act in a meaningful and powerful way.

Which letter in T.H.R.I.V.E. calls to you? What areas would you like to work on? What changes do you need to make?