Internal Groove

Howard is nearing age 50 and has followed one passion after another into a variety of careers. Although each choice made perfect sense to him, his parents and friends keep asking when he’s going to get serious and rise to the top in just one profession.

The old saying: Jack-of-all-trades, master of none! reveals the bias against those who choose a varied work life rather than committing to a unidirectional path. There was a time, however, when society admired such a person. In fact, some of our greatest contributors have been talented in a variety of areas.

Leonardo da Vinci, painter of masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, also designed and built bicycles, canals, musical instruments and flying machines. Benjamin Franklin not only helped draft the Declaration of Independence, he was also an inventor, statesman, printer, scientist, author, and student of French culture and language. More recently, Maya Angelou, best known as an author and poet, is also a successful songwriter, journalist, actress, singer, dancer, civil rights worker and professor. And she speaks eight languages!

Margaret Lobenstine, author of The Renaissance Soul–Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One, identifies five signs to help determine whether you are a “Renaissance Soul”:

Satisfaction and fulfillment at work are directly related to how well you are working in alignment with your values.

Values are not morals or principles. They are the essence of who you are—not who you think you should be, who your company thinks you should be or who your mother or partner thinks you should be.

Remember that money is not a value, whereas the things that money might buy, such as time freedom, adventure and helping in your community are values.

When you’re aligned with your values, things just feel right. Your choices are easy to make. And, your actions reflect who you really are.  This is one piece of what I call Finding Your Own Internal Groove.

Take this quiz to see how well you are working in sync with your values.

When bad news strikes at work, there are always hidden gifts under the surface. Always.

Even what feels like the worst possible news, something that really trips you up or feels disappointing—a “no” from somebody, losing something you had (even your job!), not getting something you wanted, a boss, co-worker or client that really pushes your buttons—can actually be a fabulous blessing in disguise.

You can turn any piece of bad news into a secret weapon for career planning. It’s all in how you look at it, hear it, analyze it and question yourself about it.

Here are 5 questions you should always ask yourself when something seems like bad news:

Most of us have been taught that it is nobler to give than to receive. At work, this may translate into always saying yes and doing whatever it takes to be a “team player.” While this may feel good and is usually rewarded by your colleagues and higher-ups, giving too much of your time and energy can be detrimental to both your physical and emotional health, leading to anxiety, overwhelm and burnout. Eventually this impacts the company too.

Take the following quiz and answer yes or no to see if giving it all away is steering you down the road to burnout at work.

What is a risk? For one person it might be quitting a secure, well-paying job to go back to school. For another, it could be deciding to take their business in an entirely new direction. For someone else, it could be reporting that the company they work for is endangering the environment or people’s lives.

Or maybe it’s about working with a company executive to redesign your job description and maximize your contribution in the areas you are most passionate about. (You say impossible, but I just supported a client, as her career coach, to do this very thing to the tune of a $30K raise.)