While going to work may not be our ideal activity, most of us do want to earn money to pay for housing, food, and the other necessities of modern life. I’m going to go a step further here and say I want to enjoy my work and to be engaged. I want my work and my life to balance and compliment each other. 

We don’t always see that going to work is a choice we make freely. Some of us have a negative mindset around work that needs to be cleaned up before we will ever begin to enjoy or at least feel neutral about our quest to finance our lifestyle.  

If you can’t imagine feeling neutral about your working career let alone being able to enjoy it, you should read or listen to the previous post or episode…REINVENT YOUR WORK MINDSET…then come back and finish this. Because no matter what your work life looks like, you will end up feeling the same way about it if you don’t first learn to manage your mind around earning a living.

If you are in a place where you choose to work to support your lifestyle and understand you are in charge of how you feel about how you do that, and you are still left yearning for something, then you are ready to Re-Invent your Work Life. 

I want to enjoy the work I do.

Every one of us likely has a different idea of what we envision for our work-lives and sadly, I suspect many of us have no vision at all. We are simply going through the motions, completing the daily grind with resignation, day after day, waiting to retire and be free to live our lives the way we really want to.

I want to enjoy the work I do, at least most of the time. I want to make enough money to travel and pay for the lifestyle I desire while saving for my retirement years. I want to have the freedom to schedule my own life to suit me. I want to do work that keeps me engaged, learning, and growing. I want to do positive work in the world. 

We spend so much of our time working...

Those of us who are trying to envision our work life, are likely looking through a lens that limits our options without us being aware of it.

We have unquestioned beliefs when it comes to careers and working, we assume things based on what our parents did, what we have seen done before, what we think is possible, and what is socially acceptable. There are expectations to live up to and milestones to reach that we haven’t questioned or were not even aware of.

This is a problem because this is how we end up working jobs we dislike. It’s how we end up waking up one day wondering what the heck we’re doing and why?

We couldn’t imagine what is possible for us. We unknowingly took jobs to impress someone, or to live up to someone, or because we believed it was responsible. Maybe we didn’t really choose and just settled for what was right in front of us, we just kept taking the path of least resistance.

This is a problem because we spend most of our time working, why don’t we spend as much time exploring and planning our careers as we do our retirements?

Ready to create a new Vision for Your Work Life?

1. Identify your beliefs. 

It’s a good idea to be aware of where we are now and how we got here, before we attempt to reinvent our work life. 

Let’s take a look at what we believe about working. If you aren’t aware of what you believe, try this: Name an off the wall job in your mind and let all the reasons flow why you can’t, won’t, shouldn’t do it. 

• I have to work 40 hours in a week or more.
• I can’t start my own business.
• I have to take the promotion because it’s more money.
• My parents will be disappointed.
• I can’t work part time.
• I have to have status.
• People won’t take me seriously.
• I have to have a job that includes health insurance.
• I have to work for a large company.
• This won’t look good on my resume.
• That job is a joke.
• I have to be a business owner.
• I have to… 

After all the reasons, beliefs, and preconceived notions you have about working come out and you can look at them to decide if you want to continue to let these thoughts direct your work life. 

For me I’d rather have an open mind so I can allow myself to see more possibilities for my life than I have ever before. 

2. Explore all the different options when it comes to making money.

Next, take the time to deep dive into careers, industries, paths, and jobs. Look outside of what you know about how people make a living. 

• How do professional artists make ends meet? 
• What does a ballerina make? 
• What exactly is marketing? Archeology? A death doula?
• How many hours does a gardener work? A personal chef?
• Are there options within the company you currently work for that you haven’t considered? Have you checked?

When I was choosing my education and career path in my late teens I had no idea how endless my options were, that I was capable of doing anything I really wanted, and the fact that I could choose anything under the sun if I were willing to go for it.

Take the time now to really explore the endless ways you can make money or earn a living.

3. Understand what lifestyle you want to live, how much money you require, and what retirement means to you. 

• Do you want to retire somewhere out of the country? 
• Do you want to live on the beach? 
• How much time do you want to spend with your family and friends?
• Do you want to have or already have five children?
• Do you want to live in a tiny house or a mansion?
• Do you want to work 80 hours or 30 hours per week?
• Do you want to take care of your elderly parents?
• Do you want to go to school or continue a formal education?
• How much will this lifestyle cost? How much do you need to earn?

4. Create your work life vision.

What do you envision for your work life? Write it out in your journal.

• Do you see yourself sitting in a corner office or working outside in the soil? 
• Are you craving more freedom, creativity, or structure? 
• Do you want to work alone, with others, with children?
• Do you want to downsize your life and work less?
• How much vacation or flexibility in your schedule do you want?

5. Create action items.

Maybe you have a good idea of what you’d like your work life to look like. What do you have to do to bring this vision to life? 

• Do you need more education? 
• Do you need to start networking? 
• Sign up for an apprenticeship?

Start somewhere. Take action. You will not know what works until you try it out. The key is to decide what it is you want and then map out all the steps and tasks you need to take to get there.

It’s never too late!

So identify your beliefs, explore all your options, know your life requirements, the work you envision  for yourself and then take action toward it.

It’s never too late to reinvent yourself especially in the area of your career and work life. Remember how much of your life is devoted to work and don’t allow any more time to slip away without you deciding for yourself how you will spend your time.

I did this myself...

I did this work and realized I wanted more autonomy, freedom, and to do positive work in the world. I wanted to change lives and continue to learn and grow every day. I wanted to do work that I may never want to retire from.

I decided to start my own coaching business and what a stretch that was for me. I did not come from an entrepreneurial family and being a business owner seemed impossible to me. But doing this work allowed me to see the possibilities in my life and I know it can do that for you too.

So go on and get your work life reinvention started!