Recalibrate Your Work, Rest, and Play.
previous issues of the sabbatical lifestyle
#19: Purpose, On Purpose
Imagine a pill. Now think about what you would pay for this pill that will…
Reduce the effects of Alzheimer's by a significant amount
Reduce the incidence of macroscopic stroke by 41%
Reduce your risk of dying early--no matter your gender, race, socioeconomic status, or education level
Improve your sleep, including sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
You’d probably pay a lot of money, right?
#18: Stop Trying To Find Your Purpose
Most of what we understand about purpose at work comes from Hollywood. And, sure--stories are a powerful way to learn. Everybody loves a Hero’s Journey. But the stories of screen and stage romanticize the role of purpose in our lives at large...and especially at work. And look: I’m a die-hard fan of any Nancy Meyers film--always featuring a dynamic heroine with a cool career and beautiful home. But, with all due respect to Nancy, these types of stories create myths about purpose that actually make it harder for us to focus on what matters.
#17: The 3 Steps To Embark On A New Career Path
When you feel stuck in your current job and you look for a more fulfilling career, it’s difficult to make a career change, especially as a mid-career professional. You’ve established a streak of skills and experience tailored to the current industry you’re in and it can seem scary to pivot your career direction in a new path.
#16: 7 Reasons You’re Resisting a Career Change (and What to Do About It)
In my own life, confusion and social pressure popped up from time to time. But I’ve also worked across several industries and for a few startups, so I’ve gained some well-earned perspective through these pivots. As I like to say, “I do the research so you don’t have to.” Today, 20 years in, I see things very differently. And I can say--unequivocally--that none of the reasons I’ve just shared are sufficient to keep you stuck in a career you hate...or even one you feel just “meh” about.
#15: The Top 7 Regrets of Mid-Career Professionals
Seeing that the number of years you have ahead of you in life is roughly equal to what’s behind you becomes motivational fuel...it catalyzes an urgency to course correct that which makes you sad, frustrated, or angry.
Whether your desired changes are radical or smaller, there are consistent themes that emerge: failure, loss, pain. Do these sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
#14: How to Stop “Shoulding” All Over Yourself
When we operate from a place of restriction, we’re telling ourselves we cannot or should not think, feel, do, or have something. And you know what our natural reaction to these types of restrictions is?
#13: How to Be Good in Bed
Sleep problems are a common theme in my work with midlifers. Even though I work with my clients on many different aspects of their life—from health and quality of life to career and connection with loved ones—sleep is so fundamental to them all. And it remains a painful struggle for so many.
#12: Sleeping My Way to Success
Biological rhythms are the natural cycle of change in our body’s chemicals or functions. It’s like an internal master “clock” that coordinates the other clocks in your body. The “clock” is located in the brain, right above the nerves where the eyes cross. It’s made up of thousands of nerve cells that help sync your body’s functions and activities.
#11: Time Management is a Waste of Your Time - Here’s What to Do Instead
We say that we’re "tired" or “exhausted” because we have no other, easy words to describe how we are. Struggling in a sea of sleepless nights, rising coronavirus cases, and the never-ending political circus, "tired" or “exhausted” are the words that come to mind. We might simply be too tired to even describe what we’re feeling!
#10: Building Better Boundaries During Burnout
Most people think a boundary is created to keep us “safe” from other people and that it’s appropriate when someone else’s behavior gets “bad” enough.
#9: 6 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself When You're Feeling Overwhelmed
Burnout is a big topic and we’re just scratching the surface in this series of four episodes. While learning to complete the stress cycle is so important, it’s an incomplete approach to managing and, perhaps more importantly, preventing burnout. There are several other factors at play, including your mindset.
I really love talking about mindset because helping people learn to manage their mind is such a fundamental part of the work I’m lucky to do with my clients.
#8: What Really Contributes to Your Burnout
We tend to be very poor self-reporters of our stress levels because, as a society, we’ve normalized exceedingly high levels of stress, even wearing it and talking about it like a badge of honor. And we’ve just come to accept the prominence of certain stressors in our lives. But we really need to distinguish our stress from our stressors because burnout is caused by chronic stress, not stressors.
#7: How to Know If You're Experiencing Burnout
Quarantine has exacerbated burnout for so many people. According to the American Psychological Association, we’re facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.
#6: What I'd Tell My 35-Year-Old Self
Let’s take a ride on that wild past-present-future continuum and check in on a girl I once knew, in the days when the late aughts still felt fresh and new...at a time where if someone described 2020 to you, you would have laughed and laughed because NO WAY.
#5: Perspective and Potential in Midlife
In our last episode I talked about transition – the shift in bullshift, how our values and brains change and how you can harness fear into taking the risks you want to take to getting the midlife you want. We talked about such party conversation starters as the hedonic treadmill, a Fucket list, and a midlife gap year. We were busy!
Today we’re going to dive into perspective and potential.
#4: Putting the Shift in Bullshift
If I asked you about your identity – if I said “What are you like? What are your values?” – does that feel like a static question or a fluid one?
It probably feels like something set. We often believe we have a set identity, and an inherent set of values. But... plot twist: We create our identities…then we start creating stories about our identities. WHAT?
#3: 3 Secrets to Navigating Midlife Transitions
My relationship with Grandma was complicated at the start. As a toddler, I preferred the pillowed belly and playful nature of my grandpa. As a kid, my boisterous and bold ways were in stark contrast to her restrained and humble manner. “Children are to be seen and not heard,” she’d tell me. As a teen, I was seldom the underdog she always seemed to favor.
#2: The 5 Pillars of Life Transitions
My relationship with Grandma was complicated at the start. As a toddler, I preferred the pillowed belly and playful nature of my grandpa. As a kid, my boisterous and bold ways were in stark contrast to her restrained and humble manner. “Children are to be seen and not heard,” she’d tell me. As a teen, I was seldom the underdog she always seemed to favor.
#1: The Truth About Midlife
While my work typically helps people discover new paths ("courses") for themselves, today I'm talking about a "coarse correction." Specifically, here are 3 beliefs to practice to help you make your coarse correction.
Honoring Everyone's Favorite 97-year-old Feminist Icon
My relationship with Grandma was complicated at the start. As a toddler, I preferred the pillowed belly and playful nature of my grandpa. As a kid, my boisterous and bold ways were in stark contrast to her restrained and humble manner. “Children are to be seen and not heard,” she’d tell me. As a teen, I was seldom the underdog she always seemed to favor.