40 ways that we content and UX professionals get in our own way in our careers (and lives)
As content and UX professionals we work in a still relatively embryonic and undefined industry. Within that we find ourselves facing many barriers to progress. Here are 40 ways that we get in our own ways.
Finding direction and purpose from your inner child
What’s in your way of really setting goals and dreams for how your life will go? Declaring what they actually want in life is one of the biggest blocks that my coaching clients come to work with me to overcome. And one of the tools I use to open up a new conversation around that is to have them reconnect with their inner child and the permission to dream. What would yours tell you?
I just need to do it
There are many reasons - or excuses - that we all have for not actually being in action to work towards the things we really want in life. But sometimes we’re all out of excuses and find ourselves saying “I dunno, I guess I just need to do it.” But even then that still doesn’t always work. So, what structures can you put in place to be more reliable and accountable for doing the thing that you’ve declared you want to do.
Play Boost: free trial weekend
Play Boost is an at home retreat to help kick start you experiencing more constant play and joy in your life. The programme will launch in December and to help co-create the final materials, I’m inviting 20 lucky people to have free access over the weekend of 27th - 30th November.
How coaching gave me a life of purpose and balance
I often speak to people face to face about my own experience of coaching and how it changed my life and how I see myself. But I’ve never really shared about it more widely. I thought I’d do that today. So, here’s my own story, and how having the structure of coaching in my life gave me purpose, balance and even more success.
Why wellbeing first?
Putting our wellbeing first is one of the most empowered and empowering choices that you can make. And yet many of us are stuck in the story that we “can’t” do it. Not only are we allowing ourselves to be victim to our circumstances, but we’re also held stuck in the loop of back-filling our wellbeing because society profits so much from us doing this (coffee chains, I’m looking at you). What if - instead - we start with wellbeing?
Finding purpose in your career
Finding our sense of purpose in life can feel overwhelm. We’re often so stuck in the pressure of needing to get it “right” or the belief that we can only have purpose in one area of our life - career or family or service or friendship or or or. - that we limit the belief that we can find purpose and meaning in a way that is ever-present across our whole life. In this post I explore what constancy of purpose - sourced from our being, not our doing - can generate.
On eggs and life goals
Life is full of limiting beliefs that often has us stopped in our tracks. It should be this way. I can’t do that. I don’t know how. I’ll fail. That’s not the right way… and so on. This blog post is a story about eggs and our lives. What are the limiting beliefs that have you stopped in life?
The future is always uncertain and make believe… so let’s make believe!
During pandemic lockdown I’m hearing so many people utter that they can’t make choices or decisions, and can’t plan for the future because the future is uncertain. But the future is always uncertain. Pandemic didn’t change that. It’s just amplified how we each individually relate to uncertainty, dreaming and planning. So, I argue that this - and any time - is the perfect time to lean into the ultimate game make believe as a means of taking ownership for the future that your imagination creates.
Types of play
We’ve already explored in a previous post the benefits of us grown ups having play in our lives. In this post we explore the different forms that play can take, and give examples of each. The important thing is just to be in the moment and doing it just for the joy of doing it.
What to look for when choosing a coach
Finding the right coach for you is really important. You’ll be making an investment in yourself, and not every coach is going to be for you. So, don’t be afraid to “try before you buy” and hunt around for a great match. In this post I share a few things that you should watch out for.
Play time
As we get older our relationship with play can become limited and restricted. With judgements that play is “childish” we can even generate a sense of shame in our desires to be playful and free. But play has a serious role in our lives, from boosting creativity and problem-solving, to improving brain function, to enhancing our social connectedness. So, perhaps it’s time to get serious about play.
Take a moment: be with the fear
Fear is design to protect us and to ensure our survival. As we ride out a global pandemic it’s inevitable - perhaps sometimes even useful - to feel fear. But having ourselves controlled by fear isn’t always so helpful. In this post we explore how to be with fear and then step outside of it.
Take a moment: see possibility, not problems
When problems present themselves we can often relate to them as just that: problems. But for every problem, there is in equal measure an opportunity. And all it takes to get there is a shift in how we are relating to the circumstances of our life: problem or opportunity. In this post we explore how to see problems as opportunities.
Take a moment: get supported
Once you’ve identified what your needs really are, how can you go about having others support you in meeting them. In this post we explore the value in asking for support, and list some ideas for ways in which you can be supported by other people.
Take a moment: what needs aren’t being met?
When we get triggered, angry, anxious, sad… our tendency is to look outwardly and try to fix the thing that we see to be causing this. Instead we might choose to take a moment to consider what this tells us about our unmet needs, and to look at getting supported with those.
Maybe you can't change the thing, but you can change how you relate to it
While we might not always be able to change the circumstances of our life at any given moment in time, we can however change how we relate to those circumstances. In this post we discuss what it means to change how we relate to life’s challenges, and the beautiful opportunity that creates for lessening stress and worry.
If not now, then when?
Are you already in action working towards building your dream life. Or are you waiting for “that thing” to be different before you can swing into action and live the life you want to live? All too often we put barriers in the way to creating the life we want, and in doing so we kick the can down the road. So, what’s really holding you back?
Balancing leadership and self-care when health issues strike
With the demands of being a leader, how do you also balance making sure that you take care of yourself? And in particular, how do you create that balance when you’re in the midst of physical or mental illness? This post seeks to explore how to see those moments as a space for opportunity in strengthening your leadership while also getting your wellness needs met.