Are You Making a Living or Making a Life?

Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP

Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach | Stress Management Coaching

I know we all need to work to make a living--unless, of course, you have inherited enough wealth to choose not to work. Most of us have to work, though, because we need to pay the bills and keep food on the table along with a roof over our heads. Sometimes that means taking a job that we don't love so much, but hey, it provides a steady paycheck.

We can quickly become so accustomed to our routine and just trying to make it from paycheck to paycheck that we can forget that a whole world is "out there" that we may be missing out on. We start to create a routine that squelches our creativity. Suddenly, we wake up one morning and realize that our chances of making a better life for ourselves are slipping away from us.

We have been so invested in the idea that we have to "make a living" that we have forgotten that our true purpose is to make a fulfilling life for ourselves.

To avoid that happening, we need to design our lives intentionally. We need to start making decisions that lead to our feeling more fulfilled in our work, relationships, and lives in general.

Now, I can almost hear you say, "Yeah, Kitty, that's great in theory, but it doesn't work in real life."

But what if it could work in real life?

What if you could make it possible to live a life of fulfillment, living out your true purpose and passion with joy every single day? What if it isn't just a pipe dream? Wouldn't it be worth at least exploring?

Back in 2013, I was in the midst of a career transition. I had finally hit the wall of burnout in teaching, and I had taken early--really early--retirement. I took some time off to decompress and start feeling like myself again. But in the winter of 2013, I started thinking maybe it was time to start looking for a job.

It didn't take me long to realize that I needed help. Everything about job hunting had changed since the last time I had changed jobs. And I quickly realized that I was over-educated and under-qualified to do most of the things I might have liked to do.

I decided to hire a Career Coach online. Her rates were reasonable, and her program turned out to be the best investment I made during the entire transition.

Her challenge to me was to think about what kind of job I really wanted next.

What kind of people did I want to work with? Where did I want to work? What would be the general environment?

After a lot of self-reflection, I realized that I really wanted to work for myself from home without a boss or supervisor. I wanted to set my own schedule. I also knew that I wanted to stay connected to teachers. And I wanted to be of service in some way.

When I realized that I was really considering going into coaching, however, I resisted it. Honestly, I wasn't sure coaching was a "real job." Personally, I do not like the term "Life Coach." Who is an expert on life, anyway? And the only coach I knew was the online gal who was my email career coach.

So, whenever that thought popped up, I pushed it aside. I didn't know how I might do it, and the idea of starting a business scared me.

But the idea wouldn't go away. When I stacked up what I wanted to do, it all pointed to coaching.

I finally broke down and told my coach what I had been thinking. And here is what she said to me that changed my life forever.

She said, "If this is something that keeps coming up for you, don't you owe it to yourself to at least explore the possibility? How can you discount something you haven't really looked into it?"

I knew she was right.

So, I stopped being stubborn, and I started looking into the possibility. Almost immediately, opportunities presented themselves. The way forward revealed itself almost like magic. And I never looked back.

So, my friend, what idea or urge about your future are you resisting? What might you owe it to yourself to at least explore? I bet there is something, or you wouldn't be reading this message.

If you feel that it's time to get off the treadmill that has perhaps become your life and it's time to start looking at your possibilities, I want to invite you to join me for the Masterclass presentation that I am offering Saturday, December 26, 2020, at 2:00 PM EST.

To register, click on this link:  https://event.webinarjam.com/register/25/y80l4uqq.

If you have lost your job or think you might lose it in 2021 because of COVID or budget cuts, you need to attend this Masterclass. If this year has been the last straw for you, and you are done with teaching, but you're not sure what you will do next, you need to attend this Masterclass.

Whether you have been teaching for three years or 30, it's never too late to make a change. Remember that your purpose in life is to make a life, not just a living.

I hope you will join me in the Masterclass.

Register here:  https://event.webinarjam.com/register/25/y80l4uqq

Until next time. Have a safe and happy holiday this weekend.