A couple of weeks ago I hit the proverbial brick wall.
Usually at this time of the year, I’d be gearing up to finish the year strong getting excited about the year ahead — and yet this year, I just didn’t have the energy to get motivated.
My mind questioned how committed I should be to my goals and plans…I asked myself:
- What if the kids have to go back to homeschooling and I don’t have so much time to work?
- Maybe it’s best to just keep a bit more leeway in my schedule so I don’t stress myself out?
- What if what I’ve done this year is enough and I can take a good long break?
- How the heck am I going to decide my goals when there’s so much uncertainty and unknown to deal with?
Cue decision fatigue and further spinning around in my head.
So many of us are tired and over the year that’s been 2020.
It’s felt like a year of constantly being “on” and having to problem solve at every turn.
From figuring out how to work in these COVID times to navigating homeschooling to making sure you’ve got enough toilet paper at home.
It’s been full on.
And that’s not even including dealing with the loss and grief of the people you may know who didn’t survive COVID and/or life as you knew it – maybe that wedding you had planned or that trip you’d saved up for or when you’d finally have some more time for you as the kids would all be at school.
If you’re reading this far, I want you to know that you’ve done a phenomenal job.
So how do we go about transitioning into 2021?
With 6 weeks of the year left…
How do we plan during these COVID times?
In this week’s blog I dive into how to plan your career during COVID – the soul aligned way.
In this blog post we unpack:
- Career planning pre COVID and during COVID
- How to handle uncertainty, the unknown and the fear of being made redundant
- Why this is the perfect time to hit the reset button and step into your Soul Aligned Career
- Plus so much more
Let’s dive into it!
Career Planning During COVID – the Soul Aligned Way
Part 1: Career Planning pre COVID vs. During COVID
Before we dive in, you may be asking “Is it even possible to plan your career and life during a pandemic?”
The answer is yes AND no.
YES if you do it a different way.
NO if you try and do it the old way.
The old way of career planning (aka pre COVID) was all about controlling as much as possible and being as specific as possible.
It was about doing ALL the things. From networking, to coffee dates to sending out resumes and trying to control the outcome aka taking MASSIVE ACTION.
During these COVID times it’s not possible to control every outcome.
You can definitely take action and DO things. But the attachment to the outcome is not going to serve you. It’s time to step into ALIGNED ACTION.
A better way to think about your career next year is to drop back and think about an intention first BEFORE getting into goal setting those goals.
Reflection question: In 2021, what is your intention for your life and career?
Put another way:
Q: How do you want to feel in your life and career?
Q: What “things” will support you in this?
For example, in 2021…my intention:
For my career….is to deepen into my body of work and my personal mastery as a coach, facilitator and business owner.
For my life….it’s to show up with greater presence and to slow down and focus/spend time on what really matters.
Pretty vague right?
Yes, that’s intentionally so.
Oftentime we’re so hell bent on the specific goals we’re setting, that we don’t realise we’re just setting them for achievements sake.
All too often I hear my clients setting goals because it’s what they “should” go for next. When we dig a little deeper, they’re not actually the goals that they really want to achieve….
When you can realise this from the beginning it can save so much time and explain why those goals aren’t working out (hello misalignment!)
So the question for you is:
- Is it really aligned for you to go for the next promotion?
- Is it really aligned for you to lose 10 pounds?
- Is it really aligned for you to [insert YOUR goal you’ve got on your mind]?
If it’s a clear YES then there you’re on the right path.
If it’s a NO or a MAYBE, take a step back and look at your intention. Zoom out. What’s the bigger picture here?
Q: In 2021, what is your intention for YOUR life and career?
Spoiler alert: If you’re not sure what your intention is, make sure you sign up for Sabbatical on the Side that I’m running on Monday 23rd November. It’s a free online workshop experience that’s designed to support you in answering the question “Am I really on the right path?” You can register your seat over at: https://siobhanbarnes.com/sabbatical-on-the-side
Once you’ve got your intention, you can reverse engineer the career goals that TRULY matter to you.
Part 2: How to handle uncertainty, unknown and the fear of being made redundant
We are living in a time of flux. There are unknowns and uncertainties – this can be so challenging for us to navigate.
As I’m writing this blog, I’m coming off the back of my kids school being closed for two days, my kids classes’ being suspended for the rest of the week and my son’s kindergarten potentially being shut for the next 2 weeks. My original plans are looking less likely and it’s going to require some adapting and shifting to stay on track with my deadlines.
In the past, school disruptions would have stressed me out and I’d have cursed the circumstances…but now it’s par for the course and it’s about rolling with the punches.
What helps me stay grounded?
Simple routines, rituals and anchors that allow me to come back to my center and re-navigate my path.
This can include things like:
- A morning practice of journaling
- A meditation practice. Check out my post on meditation tips for type A personalities.
- A daily quit time for work
- An exercise routine
- Tea breaks outside in the sun
- Napping
- Going to bed early
- Time out in nature (mountains, the sea, the park…somewhere with space to breathe)
- Pulling oracle cards
- Working with the new/full moon
- Working with your period
- Being in community with others. If you haven’t already joined our free Facebook Community, come and do so over at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulalignedprofessionalwomen
In times like these, having practices to come back home to you are not a “nice to have” they are “essential”.
Q: What routines and rituals can you begin to implement in your own life to find some semblance of grounding and calm during these times?
If you’re not sure, definitely join us in Sabbatical on the Side. It’ll support you not only in answering “Am I really on the right path?” It’ll also help you with having tangible action steps (including your personal routine to support you) so that you can come back home to you. You can register your seat over at: https://siobhanbarnes.com/sabbatical-on-the-side
Part 3: Why now is the perfect time to hit the reset button and step into your Soul Aligned Career
Continuing the theme of cursing circumstances….I think all of us have had our own relationship with the year that is 2020.
Some of us are over it. Some of us are seeing it as a good thing. Some of us are mourning the way things used to be.
No matter where you sit on the spectrum: I feel you.
Now is not a time to be ignoring how you’re feeling.
In my personal view, these times are waking us up as a collective to look at our priorities and how we’re spending our time, energy and resources.
Q: Personally, are you really on the right trajectory? Is your life and work meaningful?
Q: Collectively, is how we’re living, working and relating nourishing and sustainable?
I believe that now is the perfect time to hit the reset button.
I believe that now is the perfect time to retreat, review and reset our life and careers so that we’re doing something meaningful and showing up for the future economy we DO want.
If you’re desiring a support to figure out how to close out 2020 and reset the button for 2021 I’d love to invite you to join me in Sabbatical on the Side.
It’s a completely free online experience starting Monday 23rd November. It’s designed to support you in remembering who you are, re-discovering what you want and revitalising the way you feel about your life and career.
In the comfort of your own home you’ll be supported with 4 x daily 30 minute audio workshops that you can listen to in your own time. All with one goal: to guide you back to the answer to the question: “Am I really on the right path?”
You can register your seat over here: https://siobhanbarnes.com/sabbatical-on-the-side
I’d love to have you join us!
So to recap, in today’s blog we covered:
- Career Planning pre COVID vs. During COVID
- How to handle uncertainty, unknown and the fear of being made redundant
- Why now is the perfect time to hit the reset button and step into your Soul Aligned Career
Before you go I’d love to hear from you:
What are you personally taking away from today’s blog post?
Leave a comment below. I’d love to know!
With love,
Siobhan
Xoxo
P.S. On Monday 23rd November 2020 I’m running Sabbatical on the Side: A free online workshop experience that’s designed to support you in answering the question “Am I really on the right path?” You can register your seat over at: https://siobhanbarnes.com/sabbatical-on-the-side
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