Sustainable Ambition Forum - 05.26.22

 
 

When I wrote the Sustainable Ambition 12-Month Workbook+Planner to support building Your Life+Work Resilience Rx, I was intentional in putting Life first in Life+Work

I realized that I didn’t like how terms such as “work-life balance” put work first. Why is that? As much as I think meaningful work is a part of finding fulfillment in our life, we can get tripped up when we put work first. Work isn’t primary; it fits into the vessel of our life. 

Why does it matter? Because words matter. They frame expectations for ourselves and others. I appreciated hearing this from Brené Brown during a talk at the California Conference for Women a few months back. She expressed this very point: that because words matter, she now uses more specific words when communicating (e.g., I’m on the edge vs. I’m burned out, I’m overwhelmed vs. I’m stressed). 

At the start of the year, I was happy to see that Thrive Global came to the same conclusion, shifting work-life integration to life-work integration and agreeing to do away with the term "balance," which I’m also not a fan of since it implies that elements of our life and work can and should always be in equilibrium, which sets unrealistic expectations. No wonder so many of us are frustrated! 
 
See, the lies we are told are that:

  • We need to structure our lives around our work

  • Life activities and work activities are mutually exclusive

  • We can do it all

The truth is that:

  • People have personal lives that need their attention

  • Life and work are naturally integrated and intertwined

  • Our modern constructs around the integration of work and life are outdated and unsustainable

  • We need to make choices

Sustainable Ambition is ambition that considers life+work and is defined by you. As Thrive Global wrote, “Our work and our lives are always integrated, so acknowledging that truth in the way we talk about our lives makes it easier to sustain.” Right on!

I’ve told you the lies. I’ve told you the truths. Now I’d like to give you a Dare. : ) 

  • How does work integrate into your life? What choices would you make and what do you want to ask for to support better life+work integration?

Tap your courage to craft the life+work you want.

Warmly,
Kathy Oneto
Founder of Sustainable Ambition


The Sustainable Ambition 12-Month Workbook+Planner:
Your Life+Work Resilience Rx

Work smart. Play smart. That’s what the Workbook+Planner helps you do. How do you make your life+work more sustainable? Build your resistance by working smart and playing smart.

Learn more! >

Photo credit: Photo by Nathan J Shaulis/Porter Loves


The Round-Up

Here we build on the theme in the introduction. If we are going to add work to life, then what is that work, and how do we make it meaningful?

These references take different perspectives on the role of work in our lives:

Should you leave? On this episode of Work Life, Adam Grant explores the Great Resignation from both the employee and employer perspective. What can an employee do to know if it's the right time to leave, and what can employers do to get them to stay.

Should work be just a job? In this episode of the Ezra Klein show, he speaks with Sarah Jaffe, author of “Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted and Alone.” They talk about not looking to love your work and instead treating work simply as a job. To be sure, this viewpoint might be appropriate for some in certain vocations, yet it wouldn't be my recommendation. At least the research and my own experience says it can be hard to keep yourself motivated to go to that job if it's simply for the money and to survive. But, what do you think?

But what if you could be more fulfilled if you loved your job just 20% of the time? Marcus Buckingham, head of research on people and performance at the ADP Research Institute and author of the new book Love + Work, would say craft your job around the work you really love to lead you to a more fulfilling and successful career. Listen here and read here to learn more.

These references shed light on how to optimize work.

Find charm and freedom in your work. I love this insight about finding charm and freedom in our work from the painter Wayne Thiebaud. Why not find that sweet spot where it’s not so laborious?

Find the purpose in your work. I really appreciate how this article considers the above viewpoints. Based on interviews with 200+ leaders, the author uncovered tips for finding more meaning in one’s career and life. A few that I especially appreciate and advocate: 1) Know thyself. Have a burning ambition and purpose. 2) Discern if you need that in your work or if you'll get it in your personal life. 3) Craft your job to align. I also like that he honestly says—there are no shortcuts. You need to put time in to help find this for yourself.

Build your community at work. There are tons of benefits from connecting with people at work, where we spend on average 1,767 hours a year. Get tips and read more about how connections can make work better for you.


Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on
what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.

Redefine success on your terms. I loved both these episodes with guests Dominic DeMarco and Sarah Moore on leaning into personal definitions of success and owning your own ambition. Both alternative views that what you typically here based on societal norms. Give them a listen!

Episode #54: On Following Your Own Path & Success for the 99% with Dominic DeMarco

In this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by my good college friend, Dominic DeMarco, who is a small business owner and an adventure traveler who successfully hiked the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail, hiked the 2600 mile Pacific Crest Trail, and bicycled the 4000 mile TransAmerica Bike Route.

In this conversation, we hear life lessons from Dominic’s long-distance treks, a redefinition of success for the 99% of us, the importance of embracing a growth mindset and “micro-tries” as adults, and what it takes to carve out space for yourself if you run a business.

Listen on Apple here or on our website here

Episode #56: On Career Pivots & Finding Purpose with Sarah Moore

Sarah Moore is a partner and Director of Brand Strategy at Mission Minded, a brand strategy firm that works exclusively with nonprofits and foundations. Sarah shares her experience with pivoting from for-profit to non-profit, how we can bring philanthropy, giving back, and volunteering into our lives to make it more fulfilling, and how to find purpose outside of one’s professional life. We cover a lot of ground in this episode!

Listen on Apple here or on our website here

You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast.


1:1 Life+Work or Executive Coaching

Are you:

  • Seeking to have more clarity and to develop a vision and a roadmap for where you want to take your career next or over time?

  • Feeling stuck or unhappy in your career now and seeking more satisfaction and knowing where you want to grow next?

  • At a career inflection point, perhaps looking to explore your second act?

  • Wanting to be ambitious with boundaries and balance, seeking more sustainable ambition?

  • Wanting to be a better leader and develop your leadership brand?

I have a few slots in my coaching practice open. If you are interested in working together this summer or fall, schedule a free exploratory call. We’ll discuss your goals, and you can experience a mini-coaching session. I look forward to it!


3 Questions:

  • How might you view your life+work differently if you think about life first?

  • What smart structures need to be put in place to have your work fit more sustainably into your life?

  • What choices do you want or need to make to support better life+work integration?


“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman, Theologian

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SUSTAINABLE AMBITION™ IS ABOUT CRAFTING A FULFILLING CAREER TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFE FROM DECADE TO DECADE.

It is centered around articulating your personal definition of success and achieving that without burnout while honoring your personal aspirations and ambitions as they ebb and flow over time. The end game—more fulfillment and ease in your professional and personal life, while still being ambitious.

We offer 1:1 Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, or Career Strategy Coaching, as well as VIP Leadership Brand Sessions and Workshops on a range of Sustainable Ambition topics. We also provide tips and inspiration, advice on career management over the decades, guides on key Sustainable Ambition topics of interest, and coverage of tools and inspiration.