Life Advice From Your Tribe!

I've been looking for an excuse to use this picture!

Last summer, I spent three weeks in North Carolina working at my children's summer camp. (Apropos of nothing, I was the Editor-in-Chief of the child-produced camp newspaper, The Tajar Times. So fun!)

While at camp, I offered pro bono coaching to anyone who wanted it. I spent many hours coaching people in their 20s who were angst ridden over questions like, "Should I marry the guy or dump him?" "I got a degree in a field I HATE!" "Do I take this job or travel through Europe?"

I also solicited advice from the Corporate Rebel tribe and posted the following list on the staff bulletin board. Many, many young people read it and told me the advice was astute and helpful. I came across this list recently, and your advice was soooooo good, I'm sharing it here with all of you.

Enjoy!

From Nick:

1. Stretch every day.
2. Read. A lot.
3. Make time to explore the world. It's fascinating.

From Alastair:

Your dreams remain. Keep them top of mind even when 20 years of reality hasn't quite worked as you thought. Keep them present, and they will guide you.

I didn't.

Through coaching and refocusing, things I thought were lost to career "diversions" are now more present than they ever were before. Shocking really. But it speaks volumes toward a few things.

1. Never give up hope.
2. Accept that the original dream is still there but may manifest differently and in ways you can't yet imagine.
3. Embrace variety beyond what you envisioned.
4. Listen to your inner voice and be true to it.

So forgive yourself right now for not always knowing. Who does? And pause and listen to yourself. What do you want? Truly.

Know this - life is short. So relax, lean into your life, enjoy and focus.

From Anne

It is never too early to put your self-care first. Don't get immersed in baggage piling on your head.

Deal with issues, learn new skills, add them to your toolbelt and move on. Don't be a people pleaser. Be a YOU pleaser! Build your plate your way, set boundaries and know that it is okay to say no. Set boundaries and keep them.

With rebel love,

Christina

Worried that you're in the wrong job? Maybe. Maybe not.

Estimated read time: A teeny bit over one minute.

I want to share a story about a client who struggled with a mirco-managing boss, how to balance being a mom, and wasted energy every day asking if she should stay or go. She was exhausted and just wanted some damn clarity. Sound familiar?

Katie came to me unhappy. Her manager was unresponsive and then, he micromanaged her. She loved her team and the technical challenges of her role. But, she no longer cared about the company's products and craved meaning in her work. The money was good, but the hours sucked. As a single mom, she needed more time at home and to top it off, she dreamed of ditching the corporate gig to become an artist.

She was torn. Should she stay or should she go now? (Insert 80s soundtrack.) Should she choose the money or the time? Should she find a new job with better hours, create her own art business, or stay with the stable, "responsible" thing?

Can you relate, to the jumble of priorities and the feeling of having no real choices?

So, what's the answer? Getting clear about your non-negotiables and making choices will enable you to have everything you want.

When you define your non-negotiables, they rise above everything else and act like a north star that guides every decision - even the question of whether you stay or go.

Here's how it works using Katie as our example:

In coaching, Katie’s non-negotiables became crystal clear: 1. daughter; 2. salary and benefits. Katie’s decisions became clear, too, which enabled her to take action. In the end, Katie changed jobs to an organization with a great manager, a meaningful purpose, an awesome team, AND she has better work/life balance. She sells her drawings for fun. She sacrificed a bit of salary to create the work and life she wants and is happy again.

Just like Katie, you can have everything you want once you are clear about your priorities. Let's get on the phone and get clear about you want. We’ll quickly identify your top non-negotiables, answer the question, “should you stay or should you go,” and strategize your next move.

Christina

P.S. If you are ready to stop wasting your energy worrying if you should stay or go, hop on the phone with me. We’ll get clear about your priorities and strategize your next move. Email me at christina@boydsmithcoaching.com. P.P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.