Do What You Love! Take That Step to the Life You Deserve!
When I see this picture of myself under the beautiful message of “Do What You Love” I realize that a year ago was when I decided to do one of the scariest actions I could imagine; leave the security of my six-figure career.
My whole life I have said and lived by thoughts:
“you should”
“only so many more years before you get full retirement”
“our health insurance is so good”
“only those crazy ‘free-spirit’ types quit solid careers to start a new one”
“responsible people don’t quit careers with high salary and status”
I had reached a point in my life where I had two friends pass away unexpectedly and I was watching my father enter the last year of his life. Having this front row seat witnessing quality of end of life and retrospection, it made me ask myself:
“What is it all worth?”
”What REALLY matters to me when I am at the end of my life?”
“Is my career right now fulfilling my passion and values?”
At that point, all my MANY fears (fear of failure, fear of what others would think, fear of change, and in a weird way fear of success) were less than my need for change in my life. People leave jobs ultimately because their core values are not being met. Ignoring this misalignment wasn’t just a career issue – it was a health one too. When people live lives that conflict with their core values, you will start to see it show up in the mind and body: anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep problems, digestive issues, muscle tension, poor cardiac, increase introduction of disorders and diseases. This is what I realized was happening with me. I had seen the impact of stress on my mind and body and knew I needed to take action or risk getting worse.
My Desire/Need for Change > My Fear of Change
I hired a Aubrey Armes, a career coach for neurodivergents who helped me map out my transition from my public sector career into my own coaching and consulting business. The beauty of coaches is people have the answers and abilities in themselves, but it helps to have a knowledgeable collaborator (the coach) be a mirror for you as you learn about yourself, what you truly want in life, get in tune with your value and capabilities as well as blockers and lay down the bricks for their path to their dream life that is aligned with their core values.
I worked on my mindset and fears and continue to do so. By asking myself something as simple as:
“Adriann have you ever ended up not paying bills in your life?” Answer: No
“Can you continue doing your current career for the next 10-15 years?” Answer: No
“Do you deserve to have a life that is more aligned to your values and passions?” Answer: Yes
A year later I have transitioned careers to owning my own coaching and consulting business. I am:
working with beautiful people who are taking those steps towards their desired life!
inspired and invigorated by the colleagues and classmates that I get to work with! I have found my tribe! The tribe of those who love working with people and seeing the benefits of insight and transformation!
overall healthier with lowered stress and anxiety and all the impacts of those on our mind and bodies.
I now have a life I have designed to align to my values. Now when decisions come up for me, I am getting good at asking myself “Does it align with my core values in any way”? I am amazed at how that simple step makes decision making much easier and constructs a fulfilling life.
You may not have a career change in your life, but you can do many smaller steps that have large impact. The first step is really exploring and figuring out what your core values are. Have you ever paused to ask yourself what really matters to you? Are you satisfied and fulfilled in all aspects of your life (career, family, relationships, health, finances, fun)?
If you are ready to take that step towards the life you desire or are even curious about what working with a coach would look like, then you can click the link in my bio to schedule a free Discovery Call. You then will be able to ask whatever questions you have about the coaching process, share what is calling you to need growth and transformation. You will then be the one to make the decision whether you want to let me collaborate and partner with you on your journey or not. Whatever you do, you deserve to have a life that brings you joy and health!
