Categories: Announcement

Three years ago I hired a coach. It wasn’t the easiest thing for me to do. Admitting that I was stuck in my job just didn’t feel right. It felt selfish. Especially since the job I had at the time helped low-income people find training and better jobs. I was afraid to put myself first and say, “It’s my turn.”

I did take that big risk though. Over the next several months my coach and I worked together on methods of how I could “unstick” myself from my job. Afterall, alot of my personal identity was my job, as it is for many people. Could I get a job increase? Could I work somewhere else? Could I leave the social service industry? Could I actually do what I loved to do? At that time the only question I was willing to answer was working somewhere else. I wasn’t even aware that the other questions were valid.

I did get a new job – one that I set out to get. The job was still in social services, I took a pay cut to get this job, and ultimately, after alot of soul searching, was not fully aligned with what I loved to do. Make no mistake that I loved alot of my job – but there was a quality to the work that I didn’t really enjoy. Ultimately, me and my new job parted ways.

In that moment, I lost a major part of my identity. My job no longer defined me. All I could do was dream about my dream job. And in this new awareness I was able to begin creating a brand new future for myself – and this time it’s really all about putting me first.

What can you do to put yourself first? Are you willing to put a commitment to yourself above your job demands? Can you adjust your job to align with what you truly want out of life? For some of us, that might just mean keeping a bottle of water at our workstation. Others might set an alarm on their computer or watch to remind them at 5 o’clock – it’s time to go home. What can you do to put yourself first?

Truly Yours, Joseph

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